Chapter 12
We spent most of the day sitting around the kitchen table going over list after list of Estelle’s known acquaintances, and those were just the ones that War and Thane knew about.
Thane seemed to know more about her given his clan connections, but that also meant that some of those who were on our lists were also friends of his whom he trusted. Or thought he did.
“What about lovers?” I asked after hour three of studying the lists.
“Did she ever have a soul bond out there or a husband? A wife maybe?” She was an ancient witch, so there had to be someone of importance in her life.
Someone who knew her better than anyone else.
Someone who might commit atrocities in her name.
Thane and War shared a knowing glance that I immediately caught. Red flags for sure. I glared at them both. “What aren’t you saying?”
Thane sighed. “I thought you already knew, but Allistair was one of her lovers once. They fell out a couple of decades ago, but they were together for a few centuries.”
I blinked at them, the shock of it settling like a brick in my gut. Allistair, the warlock patriarch. The untrustworthy figurehead of his clan. I didn’t like the guy, but I never even considered that he might have a part to play in all of this.
“Selene, help us,” I said, astounded. “If he had a hand in this, then it means that we don’t stand a chance against them. He has the resources and connections to cover his tracks.”
"Hell, if I were him, I would have just killed Estelle and left no trace whatsoever," Thane said grimly before brooding into silence for several minutes. "He loves power more than he ever loved Estelle."
Gareth and War just nodded in agreement, their tired eyes meeting mine with the unspoken knowledge that we might be stuck against a wall with this one.
“What do we do?” I asked, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it from them anyway.
War was the one who spoke up this time. His voice was low and measured, as though he had considered his words carefully before opening his mouth. “We need to get close enough so that we can prove it without getting ourselves killed in the meantime."
A phone rang from somewhere in the kitchen, and War shot up to answer it. It was the satellite phone he had plugged into a wall outlet on the counter.
He answered, nodding his head every few seconds. His eyes flitted to mine briefly, and then he grunted and muttered something I didn’t quite catch before hanging up.
We all stared at him as he came back to the table, picking up his beer bottle and chugging the rest of it in one go.
“Well?” I asked eagerly.
He met my eyes. “Your cousin and her mates are on their way here. They should be here sometime tomorrow night.”
My eyes widened, and a mixture of excitement and confusion warred inside me. “Why? Did something happen?”
He frowned, a muscle in his strong jaw clenching. “Their safe house was compromised. A witch with a note from Estelle approached Serenity on the beach. It was a warning to stay out of the way. They can’t go back to the house now; they’ll be joining us here for the time being.”
I stood up, raking my fingers through my hair as I paced the room. “Holy fuck, what do we do?” Estelle clearly had scouts reporting back to her. “What if they know where we are, too?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Serenity is a bigger target for Estelle, and if she’s at a beach house, then they’re considerably less hidden away than we are out here in the mountains."
Gareth stood from the table and stopped me in my tracks, wrapping his big arms around me and letting me lean my forehead against his chest. “Thane has this place warded well. If anyone crosses the boundary, he’ll be the first to know.
” He petted my hair softly, and I breathed deeply, letting my mate’s scent wrap around me like a blanket.
“I’ll rip her to pieces before she ever touches you again, I swear it. ”
I shivered at the dark promise and nodded, burying my head into his chest. It didn’t matter how many witches Estelle sent after us or how powerful they were; I was safe in Gareth’s arms.
The next day was a flurry of activity as the guys and I prepared for Serenity’s arrival. I barely slept last night, tossing and turning with Thane and War in the bed with me and Gareth in wolf form running the property line.
We set up extra beds in the living room with old camping cots that War had out in a storage shed.
Then we made sure that all of our supplies were well stocked with food and necessities for however long their stay ended up being, though they were probably bringing a load of their own provisions with them, too.
Knowing her mates, they never let Serenity want for a damn thing.
I was so excited to see my cousin again.
Not to mention Lox and Sean, who were still with them in hiding.
I hadn’t seen Sean since leaving pack lands, and I missed him.
After a whole year of believing my cousin was dead, having him back in my life was still surreal.
Serenity and I mourned him for so long, but now we had a second chance at having a real family despite our parents.
I waited on the front steps of the cabin all day for them to arrive. I was practically bouncing with anticipation. This cabin was literally so tiny, with barely any room for the four of us, let alone seven other people, but we would make it work.
There was a shed out back as well that had barely anything in it, so if anyone needed some private time, they could still have it. Knowing my cousin and her insatiable mates, they would need it.
As the sun began to set, a black SUV pulled up in front of the cabin. I knew it was them before Serenity even stepped out of the car. Her scent washed over me like a wave, and my heart soared with joy at seeing her again.
She ran toward me as I moved down the steps to greet her, throwing herself into my arms for an excited hug. “Oh, thank the goddess you’re okay,” she said breathlessly.
“I’m fine,” I assured her with a grin. “It's you that I'm worried about."
Behind Serenity, Lox and Sean both exited from opposite doors on either side of their vehicle, while Thane went over to help Gareth unload their luggage.
“Hey, cuz,” Sean called out, jogging toward me. I smiled broadly at the sight of him. Alive. Well. Kind of.
He scooped me up in his arms, and tears pricked my eyes. Even after a year of having him back, I still remembered the devastation of thinking he was gone forever.
He’d put on weight, thankfully, thanks to Christophe and Kate’s rehab program.
They were excellent trainers and had helped my cousin heal and get healthy.
Seeing him like this brought a sense of peace to me, like all the pain and suffering we had gone through was worth it for this moment right here.
“Hey, Sean,” I said as he put me back down on the ground. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” he grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “You look like you’ve been holding down the fort pretty well.”
I laughed, remembering all the times Serenity and I had talked about running away from our problems instead of facing them head-on. “Yeah, well, when you’re hiding from a psycho witch, you learn to be pretty resourceful.”
Serenity’s smile faded slightly as she looked around at our tiny cabin. “Is this going to fit everyone?”
I nodded. "It's cramped, but we’ll make it work. How was the beach house? Did you leave anything behind?”
Serenity shook her head. “Kind of. We got out with just enough time to grab the essentials. We left everything else behind. The note was a threat, and after what we saw at the human embassy last year, we couldn’t take any chances.
Estelle is nuts, so I wouldn’t put anything past her.
” Her eyes dimmed at the memory of what happened.
The way my aunt Elodie died in that cage underneath the embassy.
I frowned at that. That meant Estelle might have access to whatever they left behind; things like laptops or phones could easily be tracked if they weren’t careful.
“Maybe Atlas can send someone to sweep it. SOmeone from the coven who can get in and out discreetly."
She nodded in agreement. Gareth came over to us then, his eyes dark and fierce. I could feel his protective instincts on high alert as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Any news on your end?” Serenity asked, her expression tense.
I shook my head. “No, not yet. But we’re working on it. How are you doing, Lox?” I asked, noting the dark circles under my friend's bright eyes.
Her dark hair was long enough to reach her butt now, and she was looking thinner than ever, her skin pale, and her lips blood red. She was a beautiful Dhampir. Beautiful and strange, covered in tattoos similar to Thane. She was a hard nut to crack, but I liked her a lot.
She gave me a tired smile. “Shit sucks pretty bad, not gonna lie.”
I nodded solemnly. Loxley never held back. She said exactly what she was thinking at all times. Sean reached out and placed a hand on Lox’s shoulder for comfort, and my eyes followed the movement. I arched a brow and glanced at Serenity, who wore a shit-eating grin.
This was definitely a new development. Sean wasn’t much for physical touch these days. A hug here and there was fine, but for him to reach out on his own to comfort someone who was not blood family? That meant something. What it meant, time would tell.
We ushered everyone inside, the guys unloading the luggage while I showed Serenity and Loxley around the cabin. We kept all of the furniture in the living room arranged on one side in a tiny square by the fireplace, with the sleeping cots at the other end.
Thane was already in the kitchen with Bastian, making some hot wildflower tea for everyone. I watched them talk animatedly. Two powerful warlocks playing scullery maids.