Chapter 14
Fiona and I were back in the real world, meaning we had left the cabin and returned to Phoenix, where we had to deal with the issues we faced here.
A week in the cabin had been exactly what we needed, and it was utter magic, but too brief.
Not only had both my leopard and I fully claimed our mates, but I was falling deeper under Fiona’s spell and into love with her every day.
I hadn’t told her those specific words yet, but I hoped she knew it by the way I was with her. I thought she felt the same way about me. But everything happened so fast that I understood why we might hold back our confessions.
As part of my time away, my friends promised not to contact us unless it was an emergency.
At times, it was hard to resist the urge to text and ask for an update on the investigation.
Or to see if there had been any more trouble from Sanchez, but we resisted.
Fiona texted a few times to check in on how her family was, but they always said they were good and to enjoy her time away.
Now, our trip to paradise is over. We returned two hours ago. It was evening. We’d returned in time for Fiona to help her granddad make dinner. We sat down and devoured the best fried chicken I’d ever had in my life. It was super crispy, flavorful, and juicy.
Nico and Gunnar kept moaning. It sounded indecent as if they were having sex.
That had generated ribbing from the rest of us.
Those two weren’t a bit embarrassed. Nico asked Fiona if she was alright with cross-species mating because if she knew all of Galen’s recipes, he’d claim her as his mate.
That led to a mock argument about what I’d do if he thought he’d steal my mate.
Fiona laughed so hard she got tears in her eyes.
Alongside the amazing chicken were garlic mashed potatoes and green beans, cooked with onion and bacon. There was even dessert. Galen had been baking earlier that day and offered us a choice among peach, pecan, and Dutch apple pies.
We overate, but it was worth every bite and calorie.
Thankfully, shifters had much higher metabolisms than humans.
And all the sex we’d been having in both our forms had burned a lot of calories.
Now, we were gathered in the living room.
The kitchen had been made spotless again.
Most of us were having whiskey, but Fiona and her brother were drinking hot chocolate.
“Alright, I know you two are dying to know what’s been happening while you were off on your romantic getaway. But first, I want to say, congratulations to the two of you on your mating.” Gunnar raised his whiskey in a toast.
Everyone else did the same, calling out their congratulations, even Galen and Gal, though I noticed her brother was a tad subdued. After accepting their congratulations, Gunnar went back to talking.
“Next on the agenda, before heads explode, is an update on our investigation. While you were away, we found even more people who reported they personally have been threatened with letters, had break-ins after ignoring letters, and a couple who reported they knew of someone who had suffered those things, plus beatings, and then disappeared.”
“Damn, how many does that make?” I asked.
“In and around Phoenix, we’ve heard from a dozen sources, but the number rumored to have occurred is much higher.
It’s a matter of getting shifters and supernaturals to talk to each other.
They won’t share details about who had issues, making it hard to find and interview them.
The fact that we’re Sentinels hasn’t swayed some of them,” Nico explained.
“Why do you think being Sentinels hasn’t helped?” Galen asked.
“I wonder if they disbelieve us the way you did when we first arrived. We’ve gone the same route of showing the tattoo and having it glow,” Gunnar replied.
“So that’s it? No leads, nothing to go on,” Fiona said. Frustration was evident in her tone and expression.
“Not exactly,” Gunnar said, then his gaze slid over to Galen.
There was no more said. I opened my mouth to ask Gun what he was hiding when Galen took over. His deep voice was rough.
“Gunnar is right. That’s not exactly true. In the families we spoke to, all threw the letters away. But there was one who got a new one a few days ago. The hope is it’ll somehow help us.”
“Who? Where is it?” Fiona asked anxiously.
We were seated together at the end of the couch.
She sat on my lap, leaving room for Gunnar and Nico.
Galen and his grandson took up the two chairs.
Galen reached into the side pocket of his chair and withdrew a paper.
It was sealed in plastic, like one of those evidence bags Fiona handled at work.
He passed it to me. Fiona and I read it.
You think those men can protect you? No matter how many men you hire to guard you, we can always enter your home in the depths of night and kidnap you from your bed.
Take you far away where you’ll never be found.
Do you want your brother to be hurt? Or what about your grandpa?
Your home wrecked beyond recognition? You were given a chance to leave. What comes next is all on you.
I’ll leave you to wonder. When will we appear? What will we do? Can you actually stop this? The answer to the last one is no. We’re bigger than you can imagine. Sweet dreams, Fiona. We’ll meet soon.
Fiona’s body stiffened, and I heard her suck in a breath. As for me, I wasn’t afraid. I was furious. Whoever was doing this would pay the price. They thought they were untouchable. Well, I had news for them. Many others had thought the same, and the Sentinels had brought them to justice.
“When are we sending the letter off to be analyzed?” I asked.
“As soon as the lab we use has an opening to do it,” Nico answered.
“What the hell! Are they behind again? It’s a goddamn facility for shifters and supernaturals composed of our kind. They have to know how important it is to get the Sentinels’ results when we need them. We can’t afford to wait days, let alone weeks,” I bitched.
“They claim they do, but they’re shorthanded. Even with them making a satellite in Needles, they can’t keep it staffed. Those who do it are strictly occasional volunteers,” Gunnar replied. He sighed and ran his hand down his face.
“The tests you’d do aren’t difficult. They take a bit of time, but any well-equipped lab can handle them. I know the concern about exposing shifter DNA to humans. How far away is the parent lab? Is this satellite lab, built in Needles, fully equipped? Still being set up?”
Fiona fired off question after question. I saw the wheels turning in her head. I’d forgotten we were talking about her world. And as that thought registered, another one hit me, making my body vibrate.
“There’s one in Los Angeles and here in Phoenix.
Those are the closest. As for the one in Needles, we’ve been told it’s fully operational and has all the equipment we need.
Funds were provided to ensure it was. It was funding that the Council of Oracles had, though they were less than happy to part with it,” Gunnar explained.
Fiona sat there in silence. She was contemplating what Gun told her. While that happened, I spoke telepathically to my friends.
“Nico, can you see if the others can tune in right now? I’ve got something for them,” I requested.
The barest flicker of an eyelid was the only outward sign showing that I spoke to him in his and Gunnar’s minds.
With the distance between us and the others, I needed Nico.
While, as Sentinels, we could speak to each other telepathically, the distance limited our ability to do so.
Being hundreds of miles apart was hard. But since telepathy was part of being a vampire for some, Nico could act as an amplifier.
So far, we hadn’t gotten far enough apart to make it impossible.
We’d stretched from one end of the country to the other and been crystal clear with his boost.
Sure. Pause. Brax, Banner, Royal, and Fen, can you join us? Keir has something to discuss, Nico projected.
There were several seconds before the first answer came, quickly followed by the rest.
I do, Royal said.
What’s up? Fennick asked.
I’m here, Banner added.
Is everything and everyone okay? Brax tacked on.
Thanks for joining. Gotta keep it short. The Katz family got another letter. You know about that, right?
They all acknowledged knowing about it. With that verified, I continued.
We’re with them, talking about the delay in analyzing the letter and why.
Fi asked if the satellite lab is fully equipped.
We said as far as we’ve been told. My question is this.
With Fiona as my mate, when I return to Needles, she’ll be coming with me.
I haven’t gotten into that fact with her, but we can’t live apart.
Anyway, she’s seeking a new job right now.
What if we offer Fiona a job in the lab in Needles?
She can work there, hell, oversee it for us.
That one was to fall under our authority more than the parent labs.
What do you think? I rushed to finish up.
The Katzes were casting puzzled looks at us. We were sitting there like statues.
Son of a bitch, why didn’t we think of that before now? Nico grumbled.
We’re idiots. I love the idea. You guys? Gunnar asked.
There was a rapid volley of affirmatives from the other four in favor of my mate working at the lab.
Okay, since it seems we all agree, I’ll mention it and let you know what she says. Thanks, I told them, then put my attention back to Galen, Fiona, and Gal. They were staring at us. The puzzlement on the men’s faces wasn’t on Fiona’s.
“You were talking to each other. Using your minds.” She stated it rather than questioned it.
“How would you know that?” I asked.