Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
ZANDER
“Do you know where Reid is?”
Adrenaline spiked through me, sending my pulse through the ceiling. I hadn’t looked at Caller ID when I’d answered the phone but I recognized the voice as Bea’s and if she was looking for Reid, that meant something was wrong.
“Is he missing?” I demanded, bolting upright and snatching my hat from the desk out of habit.
“I went to the Omega House to look for him but Hamish said he’d left with that warlock who arrived in town yesterday,” she explained, which didn’t really answer my question. “Hamish didn’t know where they’d gone and I’m not sure where to look.”
I frowned. “You haven’t stretched your wings?”
If Bea was really concerned, she could have shifted and flown over the town to search for him easily enough. If she hadn’t and was resorting to other methods of tracking him, I had to wonder why.
“No, Sheriff.” She lowered her voice. “There’s a man here claiming to be Reid’s guardian. I called you right away.”
“Thank you, Bea.” Now I understood. Though she hadn’t said the words, something about this man must have pinged Bea’s internal alarms. Considering Reid’s previous reaction to the mention of his family—and what Nathaniel had said yesterday—there was no way I was letting him anywhere near Reid without vetting him first. “Where are you?”
“He flagged me down outside the bakery. He’s inside getting a hot drink. I’m waiting on the sidewalk.”
“I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
I pocketed my keys, briefly considering whether to run straight over rather than drive, but if I ended up needing to escort this man somewhere—either to Reid or out of town—it would be best to have my vehicle on hand.
I hurried out to the car and drove the short distance to the bakery. Bea was standing outside, her hands in her pockets as she spoke with a long-limbed, dark-haired man.
I parked behind Bea and strode over, examining the man as I drew nearer. He turned toward me and strolled over with the insouciant walk of someone who knew he was good-looking and who probably had a nice full bank account to back him up.
“I’m Hephaestes, the High Priest of the Havlock Coven, and Reid Havlock’s legal guardian.
” He offered me his hand. His sleeves were rolled up and his forearms were tattooed with layers upon layers of symbols and runes.
A gemstone bracelet encircled his wrist and despite his edgy appearance, his hands were soft, like he’d never done a day’s manual labor.
I studied him, searching for a trace of Reid in his features, but my little warlock was petite and light while this man was rangy and dark.
They couldn’t be more different.
“Good day.” I dipped my head politely. “I’m Sheriff Blackwood.”
I discreetly scented him. He smelled of ozone, as all warlocks did, with a trace of mint and, beneath that, a darker note that reminded me of damp earth and rotting vegetation.
It wasn’t unpleasant exactly, but it unsettled me, bringing to mind the warlock ceremonies of old, which had involved far too much blood and death to be acceptable today.
Hephaestes grinned. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I must say, I’m relieved to have finally tracked down our Reid.”
I stiffened, my bear rebelling at anyone considering Reid to be theirs. He wasn’t theirs, he was ours. “I hope you won’t mind me saying, but it’s strange to hear that Reid has a guardian. He’s an adult.”
He just shrugged. “All High Priests consider ourselves to be guardians of our coven. It’s our job to care for our members. Do you know where I can find him?”
I cocked my head, assessing him. If he wanted to come across as the nurturing type, he was falling short. Not only was his air the one of a man accustomed to getting what he wanted, but there was a hard gleam in his eyes that I didn’t like. His smile never reached them.
“Has something happened to make you think it’s necessary to track him?” I asked, ignoring the question. “It’s my understanding that he left his home coven some months ago.”
In fact, I knew damn well that it had been over half a year. If this Hephaestes was so concerned about Reid’s well-being, then why hadn’t he tried to help him while he was being held captive?
His smile tightened at the corners but didn’t disappear.
“Of course I looked for him when he first left us, but I immediately discovered that he’d mated with a wolf shifter.
Since I know how protective shifters are of their mates, I didn’t see the need to reach out to him if he wanted a little space.
” His expression turned wry and slightly self-deprecating.
Nothing about it rang true. “Which I have to assume he did since he left without a word.”
I exchanged a glance with Bea. This guy’s story was just convincing enough that someone who didn’t know Reid well might buy it.
But I didn’t.
Perhaps his version of events was true in that the coven searched for Reid. If Nathaniel’s guess was correct and they’d abused him, they might have backed off upon seeing he was mated to Trent, because no magic could overcome the mating bond. But now that the bond was severed…
Well, he was fair game again.
But that was only a guess.
I turned back to the High Priest. “I’ll have to check with Reid before taking you to meet him. He’s a resident here in Grizzly Ridge and we take the safety of our residents very seriously.”
Hephaestes’s smile faded and his eyes narrowed, burning dark like a coal fire. “He is under my protection, not yours. I haven’t seen him for months and I won’t be delayed a moment longer. Take me to him.”
I jerked my head to the side and Bea moved away from Hephaestes. “Escort him back to Dad’s place,” I murmured, quietly enough that a warlock’s less-sensitive ears wouldn’t be able to make out the words. “I’m going to reach out to Reid. Something feels off about this.”