Chapter 5
The past several days had been tense between Fiona and me. No matter what I tried, she kept trying to ice me out. I knew I shouldn’t have declared my intentions so early. The best move was to wait until she’d gotten to know me. Her prickliness was back in full force.
I had news for her. I refused to back down.
She could throw up attitude all she wanted.
It wouldn’t make me turn away. Yesterday had been one week since Gunnar and I had come to Phoenix.
We were still trying to track down the people behind the rumors that shifters were being targeted and either hurt, scared into leaving, or outright disappearing in and around the city.
Everywhere we went, where there were pockets of shifters, we heard the whispers.
We hadn’t identified ourselves as Sentinels.
We weren’t willing to scare off the ones behind it.
The Katz family was key in identifying for us the areas where our kind congregated.
While Gal was in school, we took Galen with us.
People opened up when he was present. He was friendly, well-liked, and known by so many.
They freely chatted about the shifters they knew personally who had received threats, been beaten, or moved.
In a few instances, they simply vanished.
Today, we remained at the Katz home. Moments ago, Brax, Cerys, Fennick, and Akiva had arrived after traveling from our homes in Needles, California.
By car, it was just over two hundred and twenty miles.
It took approximately four hours and fifteen minutes to drive, assuming no traffic issues, which there were almost every time.
I heard them talking in the living room.
I wasn’t with them because I was arguing with Fiona.
Today was supposed to be her day off, but she came to me twenty minutes ago, telling me she had to go to work.
I told her to call them back and say no.
I knew it was the wrong approach to take with her, but I was tired of watching her work herself to the bone and freezing me out.
She was perfectly nice to Gunnar. Everyone else in the house saw how she treated me differently. Had remarked about it, but she was sticking to her plan, whatever that was.
Gunnar had come to see what the holdup was. When he heard the reason, he tried to talk Fiona into calling off. She refused to do it. Shaking his head, as he gave me a sympathetic look, he left.
Even though he said it softly, I heard Gunnar say to the group when he joined them, “Watch out. The storm is coming.”
Her scowl grew worse as she snatched up her purse. Fiona heard him, too. “No need to get all upset. You can stay here and visit with your friends. They’re here to see you and Gunnar, anyway. I’ll drive myself. I’ll be fine,” she spat out and then pushed past me.
Two breaths later, I gave chase. Our feet sounded loud as we more or less stormed up the hallway.
I’d never in my life chased after a woman, either literally or figuratively.
My desire to dominate Fiona grew by the hour.
I fantasized when I was alone about her dropping her armor and allowing me close.
Rogue was constantly demanding that he be allowed to call forth her leopard so he could mark her.
She was a good five feet ahead of me when she reached the living room, where everyone was gathered. I came charging in after her, my scowl still in place. I didn’t care who heard what I said next.
“If you think you’re running out of here without me, you’re crazy.
I don’t give a damn if my friends and their mates are here or not.
You know you’re not allowed to go anywhere alone, Fiona.
What are you trying to do? Get yourself hurt or killed?
There are people out there targeting shifters.
We have no idea who they are or where they hide out.
For all we know, they live on this street,” I scolded her.
She flipped her hair as she whipped her head around to glare at me. “I was coming to say hello to our guests, you cretin. And then I’ll be heading to work, where I can’t be any safer.”
She turned herself further away from me. The way I was standing off to the side, I saw her smile as she held out her hand. Old Galen smirked as he launched into the introductions. He found our battles amusing.
“This is my great-granddaughter, Fiona. You’ve met my great-grandson, Galen the Third, her brother. We call him Gal or Young Galen. Gariníon, Granddaughter, this is Brax, his mate Cerys, Fennick, and his new mate, Akiva,” he quickly explained to Fiona. She shook each of their hands and then spoke.
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet all of you. I’ve heard about all of you from Gunnar and that one. I hope you don’t think I'm rude, but I must go to work for a little while. I’ve been called in. I should be back in time for dinner. Although, can I make one request before I go?” she asked sweetly.
“Sure,” Brax and Fen said at the same time.
“While I’m gone, can you send Keir home, or better yet, find a river to drown him in. He’s getting on my last nerve.”
Instantly, Fen cracked up, and so did the others. I was the only one not amused. Her sassiness was hot to a point. That point was eroding. I muttered my threats.
“Should spank your ass.”
“Keep fighting it. I know what’s really putting your back up.”
“Coward. Keep running.”
Those were only a few of my muttered remarks.
Amusement was written all over Brax and Fen’s faces.
Fen also had a speculative expression. I bet Gunnar told him about our ongoing conflict.
The one who made me exasperated at times, left me dreaming of her, and, at night, pleasuring myself for a tiny measure of relief.
The logic behind my refusal to give up was straightforward.
Despite her words and attitude, Fiona wanted me.
Her pheromones were intense, and there was no escaping them.
“I’m sorry, but I have to leave for a bit. It should be no more than an hour. I’m Fiona’s driver. It seems she agreed to work on her day off again. Phoenix PD better hope she never leaves or they won’t have anyone worth a damn working for them,” I explained.
“You’re ridiculous. I’m not that important, and they have others,” Fiona objected. “Are you staying just for the day?” she asked the visitors.
“No, we’ll be here through the weekend. Do you have to work all that time? We really want to get to know you,” Cerys told her.
“I am scheduled to work…” Her regret was evident in her voice.
“You talk to your supervisor. You tell him that since you’ve been covering so much for months, you need him to find you a replacement for the weekend, if not the next three days.
And before you object, you have the vacation time.
You never get to use it. This is too important.
They came all this way. You can’t be rude and not be here,” Galen told her sternly.
I saw her apology as she bowed her head for a moment before raising it. “Of course, Daideo, I’ll let him know. You’re correct, I’ve bailed them out numerous times over the last three months alone. But what if he says no?”
“Then you tell them you have an emergency at home, which isn’t totally inaccurate.
And you’re giving him a heads-up so he has over a dozen hours to find a replacement for you.
If you’re worried about your job, other police departments are begging you to join their labs. I’d remind him of it,” Galen added.
We lingered a couple more minutes before Fiona insisted we had to go, or she'd be late. I took her out to the SUV and got her seated. The ride there was filled with her lost in her thoughts.