26. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
C ass still had some healing to do. Physically, he’d be all right. He showered and changed in the station. It went a long way toward making him feel like a person again. But he still limped, and the wound on his neck hadn’t healed completely. By tomorrow, his body would appear as though nothing had happened. He’d have no scars to show what he’d gone through. But what the alpha and his crew did to Cass would leave scars on his soul for a long time.
Riley sat in Iven’s office. He’d pulled a chair to the corner of the room and leaned his head against the wall. His eyes were closed, but Cass could tell he wasn’t sleeping.
Cass wondered what was going through Riley’s head. Maybe he was just tired, but it might go deeper than that.
Iven sat behind his desk. Probably typing up the report. It was always tricky to doctor a report, so the shifter and warlock elements were left out. Almost all residents in Fortune Falls were something other than humans who were a part of the packs and covens. It was all the outsiders and a few of the college students who were unsuspecting. Iven had his work cut out for him.
So did Cass, for that matter. He’d have his own report to doctor.
When Iven saw him come out of the bathroom, he stood and closed the distance between them.
“I called Maggie.” Great. That meant Gran would be there within fifteen minutes. That would go one of two ways. Either Gran would fuss over Cass, or she’d threaten the alpha who was in the station’s holding cells at the back of the room.
Cass nodded to Riley. “How is he?”
“Shook up. Understandably so.” Iven had a no-nonsense way of approaching the world. But it all disappeared when it came to Griffin and Riley. Emotions took over. “I’d be sorry for taking him along, except he saved your life.”
Cass knew his expression softened. He couldn’t help but be proud of Riley. And grateful. “He’s tough.”
“With a mother like Vivianne, he’s had to be his whole life.” Iven sighed.
“You can’t change his past, Iven.” History was set in stone. Nothing about it would change. It was nothing but rock solid after the fact. All they could do in the present was read the hieroglyphics.
Iven nodded. “I know.”
“What he did back there…” Cass wasn’t sure what had happened. He never thought he’d be able to see sound waves. Not to mention them freezing solid, as if ice had formed around them.
Even Iven didn’t know what happened or how Riley had done it. Cass could tell by his expression. “He’s special.”
“In more ways than one.” How did Cass get so lucky, having a mate as talented and beautiful as Riley?
“I know why you were out there, in that spot.”
What Iven said had hurt. But Cass needed to consider the possibility that Iven was right. Did Cass put Riley at risk? He’d gotten his answer, although it almost cost him his life. “He and I need to stay together as much as possible. We can protect each other better that way.”
Iven smiled. “I agree. That’s why you have my blessing.”
Cass didn’t know how tense he’d been until it left his body. He’d craved Iven’s approval. “I’ll take care of him, Iven. You have my word.”
Iven patted Cass’s shoulder. “I know you will. But don’t rush living together. Please. Riley needs me to take care of him for a bit longer.”
“It’ll be at his speed. I promise.”
Riley watched them through the glass in the window. When their gazes met, Cass winked. Riley smiled and winked back. He pointed to his own shoulder and then pointed to Cass, asking how Cass felt.
Cass nodded. Even though he wasn’t at one hundred percent yet, he still felt okay.
Riley sighed as if in relief.
“We should talk to the alpha.” Cass wanted to get it over with.
“I tried. He lawyered up already.”
“Yeah, well, I have a few questions, anyway. It doesn’t have to go in the report.” Cass met Riley’s gaze again and held up a finger before pointing to the back of the station.
Riley nodded and shut his eyes again, resting in the corner. His face softened as if the worry left his body.
Iven chuckled. “First, you two have silent conversations and then you’ll be finishing each other’s sentences.”
“Those’re couple goals for you when you find your mate. You’re welcome.” Cass smirked.
“I guess it is.” Iven followed him to the back of the station.
The alpha sat on the cot. When they walked in, he stood up. His expression hardened. All the charm he usually had was gone. “You betray the pack by mating with that…that thing.”
At first, Cass took the bait at least in his own mind. Anger washed over him. Cass wanted to react, but he stopped himself. A reaction was what the alpha wanted.
Iven had a similar response. When he stepped toward the cell, as if to go inside and punch Miller’s filthy mouth, Cass held him back.
Cass shook his head, which was all it took for Iven to back off, although he seethed as he leaned against the back wall.
Cass focused on Miller again. “Gregory May and Quincy Barr were the first, right? Not the women and the old man in the woods.”
Miller clammed up. He averted his gaze.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to answer. I’ll wait for the coroner’s report.” Cass knew why Miller had Krieger kill them. Miller said he wanted to increase pack numbers, but he also wanted only wolves in the pack. “Those women. One of them was human, weren’t they? And the old man was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Cass and Riley were just like those women. They would have been next on Miller’s victim list. Except something happened with Krieger, and that changed everything.
Miller smirked and stepped closer. He’d never seemed more sinister than in that moment. “Warlocks should mate with warlocks—wolves with wolves. You’re tainting the pack. I hope they finish making you pay.”
Riley came around the corner. “You were going to torture my mate to death.”
Every word created a wave. They stilled as they bounced off the walls as if waiting for Riley’s orders. It bent to his anger, ready to strike at Miller if he said the next wrong thing. It was visible. Tangible. Cass could touch them, but he couldn’t manipulate them the way Riley could. He couldn’t even push them away. They held him in place, but he had his wits about him. He didn’t feel as if he were sleeping.
Miller sucked in a breath. “What the hell is this?”
“You’re a monster.” The sound waves cut through the air at a faster speed. The tension increased in Riley’s body, and it was as if he were a bomb ready to explode.
“Riley.” Iven’s tone held a warning. He expected Riley to kill Miller.
Cass was a little worried about it, too.
“Baby, look at me.” When Riley didn’t avert his gaze from Miller, Cass tried again. “Look at me. Not him.”
Riley glanced at Cass. Their gazes met and held.
Riley could kill just by speaking, if he wanted to. Yet he still looked to Cass for protection. “Do you see how I’m okay?”
Riley nodded, but the sound waves from Cass’s words bent to his will, stilling in the air. Riley raised his hand, and all the waves stood at attention as though they were soldiers ready for the next command. When he flicked his wrist and pointed at Miller, the waves turned into thousands of deadly needles.
“Riley Cameron Palmer. Stop it, right now.” Iven’s voice was sharp.
“The world is better off without him.” Riley wasn’t backing down.
“You don’t want to save the world, Riley.” Cass expected him to deny it.
“Fine. You’re right.” Riley met Cass’s gaze. His chin wobbled. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”
“You see me. I’m right here.” Cass reached out his hand, wanting to touch Riley, but he was too far away. The waves were razor thin. Sharp and deadly. Cass couldn’t move for fear of getting cut.
Riley pushed the waves out of his way, flicking his wrist so some of them let Cass and Iven move, too. As soon as Cass had him in his arms, he turned them away from Miller. “You saved me already.”
“If you hurt him, it would be for revenge. Is that a good enough reason to kill him?” Iven’s tone seemed to work. Cass could feel Riley’s resolve slipping through their bonding link.
“Maybe.” Riley’s hold tightened. When he sighed, Cass heard the resignation in Riley’s tone. “No.”
The waves crashed to the floor, shattering like icicles.
Iven put a hand to his chest and shut his eyes, sagging against the wall.
Miller opened his mouth as if to speak, but Cass held up a hand, stopping him before he could. “I’d exercise your right to remain silent if I were you. He’ll use every word against you. Literally.”
“And I’ll make your death look like an accident,” Iven added. As sheriff, they could spin it so Riley wasn’t even involved.
Cass just didn’t want Miller’s death to weigh on Riley. But Riley was right about Miller. The world was better off without him. He was considered a serial killer. And there was enough evidence to put him away for life. Wolf shifters didn’t fare well in prison. With cameras everywhere making it impossible to shift regularly, there wasn’t balance in the life of a prisoner. Cass had heard the horror stories about how incarceration left wolf shifters unhinged.
Iven turned to Cass. “Did you get the answers you wanted?”
“I’m done here.” Cass led Riley out of the hall.
Their feet crunched on the waves.
“Hold up.” Cass crouched and picked up one of the broken pieces. It cut his finger, though it was only a prick. “It really is glass.”
Riley shrugged as if he knew he’d made sound tangible and had turned it into something else entirely but that wasn’t a big deal to him.
“You don’t get cut.” Cass stood and put his arm around Riley again.
“I don’t know why.” He leaned against Cass and yawned.
“Well, I’m glad it doesn’t hurt you.” The reason was something to contemplate later. He had a tired mate to take care of. “Do you want to come home with me?”
Riley tightened his arms around Cass’s waist.
Cass smiled and met Iven’s gaze. “If you don’t need us for anything, I will take him home with me for the night and bring him home in the morning.”
Iven nodded. “Breakfast at home in the morning, Riley. There will be enough for both of you.”
Riley pulled out of Cass’s arms and went to Iven, hugging him.
Iven held him. “You did good today, son.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Warlock training before class on Monday. You can take the weekend off since you got a lot of practice today.” They were calling what Riley did practice? Seemed a little off the mark.
“Dinner as a family on Sunday?” Riley’s tone was hopeful.
“I’ll call Griffin. You bring Cass.”
“Deal.” Riley fist bumped Iven.
“Am I invited?” Maggie Huber entered the station like a whirlwind. She bypassed the front counter and stood in front of Cass with her hands on her hips. “The next time I have to hear about you getting injured from the sheriff, it will buy you a heap of trouble. I doubt you’ll find it worth it. So, what are you going to do in the future, boy?”
Cass smiled. “Be the first to call.”
“Smart answer.” Maggie turned her gaze onto Riley and then to Iven. “He’s your youngest? Looks just like you.”
Iven grinned. “Handsome, isn’t he?”
“My grandson seems to think so.” Gran turned to Cass and shook her finger at him. “Yet another thing I had to hear from someone else.”
“Zinnie.” Cass and Iven spoke at the same time. Then they both chuckled.
“Yes. Thank the gods for her, or I’d know nothing about you.” Maggie turned back to Riley and opened her arms. When he just blinked at her, she wiggled her fingers. “Well, come on. Don’t keep an old woman waiting.”
Riley raised his eyebrows as he met Cass’s gaze.
Cass smiled and nodded.
That was all it took for Riley to go to her. She enveloped him in a hug, which he seemed to fall into as if she were his long-lost grandmother.
Gran had that effect on people. She was a little firecracker when she needed to be, but she also had a mothering instinct that made everyone want to be close to her.
“Oh, you need a lot of love, don’t you?” Gran held Riley a little closer. “You’ve come to the right place for that.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m not even close to being done with you.” Gran held him by the shoulders. “Now, I heard you’re a baker. How about we set up a time to bake together?”
Cass chuckled. “You’ll never get out of the kitchen.”
Gran waved his comment away. “Like you don’t benefit.”
“I’m thinking of starting my own bakery business.” Riley offered, and then his eyes widened as if he wasn’t sure why he said that aloud and to a stranger. But Gran had that effect on people. They shared things they typically wouldn’t.
“Is that right?”
Riley nodded.
“How about we talk all about it when you come to my house? And bring my grandson with you. The gods know he doesn’t visit enough.”
Cass shook his head and sighed. “Next week?”
“Try again.” She didn’t let go of Riley’s arm as she spoke.
“Tomorrow?”
“Better.”
Riley chuckled.
She let go of Riley and cupped Cass’s cheeks. “Are you okay?”
“Physically. Yes. But the pack…it’s a mess.” Cass sighed. “We can talk about it tomorrow. I don’t want to think about it right now.”
“You’ve had a hard enough day.” Gran nodded as if that was the end of it.
And just like the whirlwind she was, she left a wake of changes when she exited the building.
Riley blinked after her. “I think I just found my new best friend.”
Cass chuckled. “She’ll love that.”
Riley gave Iven another hug. “One more for dinner.”
“And come over to Gran’s tomorrow,” Cass added.
“That didn’t take long,” Iven mumbled.
“What didn’t?”
“The two of you finishing each other’s sentences.” Iven headed to his office.
Iven was right. It didn’t take long at all.