Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
ZANDER
My phone rang and I answered on autopilot, then perked up as I recognized Nell’s voice.
“Warlock Birch is here, sir,” she said, curiosity lacing her tone. “Should I send him down?”
“I’ll be there in a couple of minutes,” I told her, checking the time. “Tell him to wait.”
I preferred not to have people walking through the station unsupervised.
“No problem, Sheriff.”
She hung up and I quickly typed out a message to Dad, letting him know that Nathaniel Birch had arrived. It was generally a good idea to make sure the Clan Alpha was advised of all significant arrivals in Grizzly Ridge, and a powerful warlock certainly counted as that.
That done, I pocketed my phone and made my way through the station to the foyer, where a lean man around five foot ten stood near the desk, resting his weight on a silver and black cane.
His hair was black and scruffy with gray at the temples, and his deep-set eyes were also gray. His skin was a rich shade of copper, and I put him somewhere in his mid- to late-forties.
“Sheriff Blackwood?” he asked, limping across the distance between us, favoring his right leg.
I nodded in greeting. “Thanks for coming, Warlock Birch.”
“Nathaniel, please.”
“Nice to meet you, Nathaniel. I’m Zander.”
“Aaron’s son.” He grinned. “I’m curious to spend time within Aaron’s clan. I always got the impression he would be a good leader.”
“In my opinion, he is, but I’m probably biased since he’s my father and all.”
Nell snorted. “He’s a great Clan Alpha and you know it.”
Nathaniel adjusted the bag that was slung over one of his shoulders. “Good to hear.”
I cleared my throat. “Come on back. We can sit in a meeting room and I’ll tell you about the issues we’ve been having.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate taking the weight off my leg. My old injury doesn’t react well to long journeys in the car so I’m a bit achy.”
I led him down the corridor, going slowly so as not to rush him, and into one of the meeting rooms. I pulled out a chair for him before circling around the small table to sit opposite.
Nathaniel withdrew a tablet from his bag and switched it on to a note-taking app. “So, you’ve been having some troubles?”
I leaned forward, my hands clasped together.
“We have. It started in October last year. We had a few minor issues around town, nothing significant enough to make us worry, but things weren’t typical.
Eventually, that escalated into the kidnapping of my brother’s mate, and shortly after that, to the kidnapping of several local omegas, including my brother. ”
Nathaniel’s eyebrows shot up. “Were they safely retrieved?”
“Fortunately. My brother’s mate, Milo, had been beaten, which was” —I clenched my jaw—“rather upsetting. Milo is a very gentle soul.”
Everett had torn out the throat of the wolf who’d abducted Milo and I didn’t blame him one bit.
“Who did it?” he asked.
“In the first instance, a feral wolf. In the second, a rogue pack that took up residence a couple of towns over. The omegas had been drugged or spelled and were scared but otherwise unharmed. At least, the ones from here were. We also rescued several who had been with the pack for longer, including Reid. They suffered far more than our local omegas did.”
Nathaniel’s expression tensed. “I’ve seen the sort of situation you’re referring to. All I can say is that I’m glad Reid is safe now. Will you tell me more about him?”
“He’s my mate.”
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me you haven’t claimed him.”
I held out my hands, palms up. “I haven’t. He’s not in the right place for that. He was kidnapped, forcibly mated, and used as a weapon.”
“Good.” He relaxed slightly. “I’ve known some alphas who wouldn’t have cared about that. What do you know about his life before he was abducted?”
“Not much,” I admitted. “He’s referenced his parents so I know he has them, but he hasn’t said anything else about them. We offered to call them for him and he refused. When we pushed, he freaked out.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Not all covens are on the straight and narrow. You said he was untrained?”
“Either that, or his training is minimal. He hasn’t said much about it other than that he wishes he’d had more training. Our local doctor says his magic is reactive as a child’s might be.”
“Interesting. What skills has he displayed?”
“He can ward, although he’s told me his warding isn’t particularly advanced. His abductor,” I refused to call that man his mate, “hired another warlock to teach him how to mask scents and make footfalls silent.”
Nathaniel rested his cane against his leg and leaned back. “If that’s the case, it’s likely something isn’t right inside his coven. All young warlocks should receive basic training. It’s necessary to keep ourselves and others safe.”
I hated that thought. Reid had been through so much in the past year. It didn’t seem fair that his life before that might have also been less than ideal as well.
“I can tell you don’t like that,” Nathaniel said, and I realized I was growling.
“Sorry.” I ducked my head. “My bear is very protective of him.”
“As it should be. Now, about the supposed magical surge the town experienced yesterday. I will start investigating that this evening.”
“Thank you.” It was a weight off my shoulders to know we had someone reliable performing that much-needed task. I wished I could, but as a shifter, it simply wasn’t possible for me to work such sophisticated magic.
“First, I’d like to meet Reid.”
I stiffened. “Why do you want to see him today?”
We’d discussed the possibility of him assisting with Reid’s training, but I thought I’d have longer to assess what kind of a man Nathaniel was before introducing him to my mate.
Nathaniel’s lips twitched. “I can tell you’re reluctant but trust me, it’s better to make the introductions now than for him to sense another warlock in town and have no idea who it is or what’s going on.”
I supposed that was a good point. “Okay, but I’d ask you not to crowd him, and to respect his wishes if he doesn’t want to engage with you beyond an introduction. He’s still adjusting to life in Grizzly Ridge and his trust is… thin.”
“I’ll absolutely do that,” Nathaniel assured me. “I’ve no desire to make him uncomfortable. Does now suit?”
I sighed. I had paperwork to do, but nothing that couldn’t wait. “Now is fine. I’ll just be a moment.” I went to my office to collect my jacket, hat, and gloves, and then returned to the meeting room and escorted Nathaniel back to the foyer. “Do you want to drive there separately?”
He made a thoughtful sound. “I think that makes the most sense. Then I can continue on afterward without inconveniencing you.”
I gave him the address. “I’ll meet you there.”