Chapter 9
Rourke trotted through the forest. Ulric and Tala ran in shifted form next to him while Geri, Farkas, and Due remained in human form. They were almost by the oak, when Ulric ground to a stop, his mouth opening in a soundless snarl.
Rourke stopped too, unsure of what was going on. A second later, Ulric shifted back to human form. "I think they crossed back over." He held up his arm, the hair no longer standing on end.
Rourke shifted back too. "Are you sure?"
"Almost. Unless they can do something to disappear within the ward."
Due grimaced and Rourke could only agree. "Let's search the area. Spread out, but not too much." They could search the area quicker if they didn't have to remain together, but he didn't want to risk anyone coming up alone against two witches.
They fanned out, and shortly after, Geri called out. "There's a kitten here."
A kitten? Cats didn't wander into wolf territory.
"It smells weird."
Everyone neared Geri who was crouching and petting a black cat. "Should we bring it back to the pack house?"
Rourke studied the cat. They couldn't make a cat explode, could they? "There is nothing on it?"
"No, I've combed through the fur."
"No cat would willingly hang around a group of wolves." Farkas watched it as if it would attack.
Rourke shivered in the cold March night and glanced at Ulric who stood naked next to him. He must be freezing too.
"Maybe we should have Ezra have a look at it."
Ulric pursed his lips. "The cat didn't trigger the spider alarm."
The fucking witches had most likely dropped it there, but why?
"Maybe better to bring Ezra out here instead of bringing it to the house?" Ulric sought Rourke's gaze, and he nodded. Yeah, it would be better.
"Stay here, and I'll go get him." Hopefully, he didn't still have a fever. Rourke didn't bother shifting back to his wolf form. It would've been a lot warmer if he had, but he had to speak to Ezra.
Running helped keep his temperature up, and soon he reached the pack house. Connor was hovering by the entrance to the dining hall, worry etched on his face.
"They've left but dropped off a cat."
Connor's eyes widened. "What?"
"I'm getting Ezra."
Connor fell into step next to him. "What does a cat mean?"
"Don't know, but hopefully Ezra does." He pushed the door open and spotted Ezra standing by the window, looking out. He whirled around, and a strangled sound left him, then his eyes grew wide as he took in Rourke's naked form. He quickly turned back around, and Rourke almost grinned.
Connor followed Rourke but stopped right inside. "Hi, I'm Connor." He nodded at Ezra, who turned around yet again.
"Ezra." He dipped his head which had Connor glancing at Rourke.
As the alpha's mate, Ezra was at the top of the hierarchy, but he showed submission to Connor, who was one of their lowest-ranking members in the pack.
He had some status since he was mated to Due, and she was in the top layer.
They weren't a formal pack. Rourke was well aware everyone served a purpose, and Connor was valuable.
He'd never be part of the decision-making, but it didn't make him unimportant.
"There is a cat in the woods." Rourke pulled on a pair of trunks.
"What?" Ezra's gaze was still mostly fastened to the floor, but he'd turned in Rourke's direction.
"I want you to have a look at it. Are you able to walk?"
Ezra nodded, but Rourke didn't know if he could trust him. He breathed in deeply, trying to scent how weak he was, but he hadn't learned how to decipher the scent of witches.
He grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and got dressed in quick motions. "Let's go."
Connor followed them, and Rourke didn't try to stop him. Due would tell him all about what went on later anyway, and he didn't think any dangers were lurking around.
They trudged through the woods, but it soon became apparent that Ezra had crappy night vision. When he stumbled for the fourth time in as many minutes, Rourke stepped closer to him and offered him his arm. "Hold on." The heat in his chest hummed.
Ezra glanced at him before hiding his face. Rourke believed he might be blushing. "Damned branches and tufts everywhere." The mumble was low, but it made Rourke smile.
Sometime later, they reached the spot where everyone waited, and Ezra slowed his steps. Rourke tugged him forward, but he let go of his arm and stilled.
"What?"
"I don't want it to see me."
Rourke was aware of his eyes growing wide. "The cat?"
"Yeah."
He huffed, as did someone else--Farkas, he believed. "Why?"
"It's a spy. Whatever the cat sees, she sees. If she's looking."
A shiver slithered down Rourke's spine, and Geri picked the cat up and put it inside his jacket.
"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Rourke hadn't meant to snarl, hadn't realized he'd done it before Ezra flinched.
"You said cat, you didn't say familiar."
Rourke stared at him and then at Geri since it was where the cat was. "A familiar? Can it hear us?"
"The cat can, but not Shixyll."
"And it's Shixyll's familiar?"
Ezra shrugged. "They drained all their familiars during the last battle, but she always picks black cats. I believe it's hers."
Rourke rubbed his neck. What the fuck? "Explain."
Everyone was watching Ezra who glanced at him before dropping his gaze to the ground. Again. He needed to stop doing that or everyone would believe they could walk all over him. They couldn't. He was Rourke's mate.
"About familiars? They pull power from them."
"I know, but how do you know this cat is a familiar?"
Ezra looked at him again. "Don't you feel it?"
"It smells weird." Geri was hugging the cat to his chest underneath his jacket, and it was so at odds with how Geri normally acted.
"So she walked in here and dropped off a familiar in hopes of what?"
Ezra shrugged. "See what it sees."
"They're mapping our territory?"
Another shrug and Rourke swallowed a snarl. They were meant to have peace.
"It might be to check if I've set up wards. Or a dual purpose, they crossed over to see if you'd come, and left the cat in hopes of it walking toward the pack house in search of food."
"Cats are hunters. Why would it come to the pack house when the forest is full of mice?"
Ezra raised his shoulders only to drop them again.
"Do we kill the cat?" Ulric looked at the two of them, and Rourke noted how Geri once again hugged it to his chest. He also noticed Ezra grimace in distaste.
"If you kill it, the connection will be broken." He hesitated for a second. "And the cat will be dead." Something told Rourke he didn't like the idea of the cat having to die.
"Would it weaken her?"
"No, she wouldn't have sent it here if she wasn't willing to sacrifice it. She most likely already has a new one or several new ones."
Witches were cruel creatures.
"What do we do?" Geri spoke low, his focus on the bulge underneath his jacket.
"Leave it at a shelter?" Ezra looked so hopeful, Rourke almost laughed.
"You want to leave the kitten at a shelter?"
He glanced away, and this time Rourke was sure he was blushing. "If you do, she'll see things from inside the shelter until she cuts the connection. It'll take work on her part, whereas if you kill it, it's just gone. And the kitten can live a normal life away from witches."
The way he said witches as if it was something bad had the ever-present heat in Rourke's chest flaring. He hated witches, but as a witch, Ezra shouldn't dislike witches, should he?
"I'll take it to the shelter." Geri started walking before anyone could object.
* * * *
Ezra was exhausted by the time they made it back to the pack house. It was still in the middle of the night, and while he wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep, he wanted nothing more.
The group dispersed once they entered the building, huge creatures towering over him walked off in different directions. Ezra walked toward Rourke's room, conscious of Rourke walking behind him.
He hurried forward, but it made no difference. Rourke was right there, his long legs eating up whatever distance Ezra managed to put between them with no effort at all.
When he reached the door, he was out of breath, and Rourke raised an eyebrow at him as he tumbled over the threshold. Damn.
"I'll...eh..." He waved around the room, not knowing what to say.
"Undress and get into bed."
"No, I...eh..." He scanned the room.
The overhead lamp clicked off, and Ezra froze. Apart from what little light the windows let in, he couldn't see anything. A hand cupped his elbow, and he yelped.
Rourke chuckled. "Come on." Heat brushed against his back, as Rourke nudged him forward, his body a warm wall behind him. Ezra held his hands out to make sure he didn't walk into something.
"I've got you. Don't worry. There is nothing you can fall over." Then a hand splayed over his stomach, and Ezra flinched anew. Rourke tsked. "Jumpy."
"It's dark." And there was a monster, who'd not be under his bed, but in it.
"True." Rourke's hand disappeared and was followed by what sounded like clothes hitting the floor. "Come on, undress."
"Erm..." Ezra toed off his shoes, then reached for the button in his jeans only to still. "You see in the dark."
"I'll close my eyes. Promise." The amused tone had him hesitating. He didn't believe him. Though, did it matter? He'd already seen him. Not entirely naked, but he wasn't planning on stripping this time either.
He shoved his jeans down and stepped out of them, removed his socks, and the shirt he was wearing, but kept the T-shirt he had underneath on.
Fumbling for the bed, he found the edge and sat.
Then he unclipped one bracelet after the other and put them on the bedside table.
Every time he dropped one atop the previous one, a satisfying clinking sounded.
When Rourke touched his shoulder, he jerked. Then there was a tug at one of his braids, and Ezra froze. He was undoing a braid? What had he done wrong?