Chapter 10
We spent the next two days huddled around the kitchen table, brainstorming. At night, War would light a campfire just behind the cabin, and we’d try to relax a bit and breathe the crisp winter air after being cooped up inside.
Thane and War went through lists of every powerful witch or warlock they knew, weighing them one by one and considering who might be responsible for joining Estelle and helping to free her.
I didn’t recognize many of the names unless they were politicians, and even then I was mostly in the dark.
After the first day of brainstorming, I was feeling a little more optimistic. Between War and Thane, we had a pretty sizable list going. Now we just had to narrow it down.
On the second night, after I slept for most of the evening, I woke up to the smell of campfire smoke and the sound of deep laughter. Sitting up in bed, I finger-combed my hair out of my eyes, listening closer, and I glanced at the far window where warm orange light flickered off the glass.
Getting out of bed and slipping on my shoes, I tossed my wild curls into a bun on the top of my head and peered through the window.
The guys were sitting around the bonfire with drinks in their hands, having a discussion that was apparently funny because War’s booming laugh echoed off the trees.
Thane was talking animatedly, and Gareth had a small smile on his face.
Something inside me warmed seeing them this way. The three men who had come to mean more to me than anyone I’d ever cared about.
I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the back porch. The cold air hit me like a slap in the face, and I shivered, pulling my jacket closer around me.
As I made my way down to the bonfire, their voices got louder, and the smell of whiskey mingled with the woodsmoke.
“Hey, guys,” I said softly, taking a seat next to War.
“Have a good five-hour nap?” War asked, sliding an arm around my shoulders. I chuckled, unable to contain a yawn. “What are you doing up so late?”
“I couldn’t sleep anymore,” I said, taking a sip of the whiskey Thane handed me. “What are you guys gossiping about?”
“Just politics,” Gareth said, his voice cool and detached.
I raised an eyebrow at him. I never took him as political.
“Anything interesting?” I asked, taking another sip of the whiskey.
“Not really,” Thane said with a shrug. “Just bullshitting. Arguing the merits of doing away with the system entirely and going back to the dark days."
"Dark days?" I asked skeptically.
Thane grinned. "Back when humans were in the dark about us. When we were fairy tales. Sometimes, I miss it." He stared wistfully into the fire.
I nodded, understanding completely. Although I wasn't alive back when humanity first discovered that their world was occupied by Darklings, I'd read about the before world. When humans believed they were at the top of the food chain. It sounded like a fantasy to me now.
"I always hated politics," I said bitterly. "Growing up with a radical senator for an uncle is kind of polarizing." The memory of Ryan and how he ensnared millions with his rhetoric made me ill. "I hated him. I still hate him."
"He was a piece of work," Gareth grumbled. "He put Serenity through hell. "August wanted to burn down the whole of Noc City on the off chance that Ryan Harker was collateral damage."
I could picture that. August was a hard man. A warrior. He protected his mate fiercely. Serenity was a lucky woman.
"I would have lit the fuse," Gareth added after a moment before locking eyes with me. "I still will if it ever comes to it."
I could see the conviction in his eyes, and warmth spread through me at the declaration. I believed him. I believed he would burn it all down for me if he had to.
My throat tightened with emotion. I sipped on my drink, tearing my eyes away and watching the bonfire as it sent sparks up into the dark sky.
The following morning, I awoke to the scent of bacon and coffee. Rubbing my tired eyes, I got out of bed and threw on a sweater before padding into the kitchen.
There, War stood at the stove, cooking up a storm, while Thane and Gareth were perched on stools around the kitchen island, cups of coffee in their hands.
“Morning,” I said groggily, making my way over to the coffee pot and pouring myself a cup.
“Morning,” War said with a grin, turning to hand me a plate of bacon and eggs.
“Thanks,” I said, taking the plate and sitting down next to Gareth.
We ate in comfortable silence; the only sounds were the clink of utensils against plates and the occasional slurp of coffee. Our minds were elsewhere.
After breakfast, we got straight to work, poring over the lists of potential suspects and trying to find any connections between them and Estelle. It was slow going, and by the time lunch rolled around, we were all feeling a little frazzled.
“Let’s take a break,” Thane said, pushing back from the table. “We’ve been at this for hours, and I need a change of scenery.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, and we quickly bundled up in coats and hats before heading outside. The crisp air was invigorating, and we all took deep breaths, feeling the tension in our shoulders ease a little bit.
“Let’s take a walk,” War said, gesturing toward the woods. “I want to show you guys something.”
Without waiting for a response, he led the way, with the rest of us following in his wake.
As we walked, the sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.
A sense of peace filled me, and I felt the weight of the world lifting off my shoulders.
For the first time in a long time, I was able to let my guard down and allow myself to simply enjoy the moment.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, War stopped in front of a clearing. Wildflowers in shades of purple, white, and yellow surrounded the small pond in the clearing's center.
“I found this place a few decades ago,” War said, gesturing toward the pond as Thane headed in the direction of the flowers. "It suddenly reminds me of you."
I looked at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion written on my face. “What do you mean?”
“You’re like a wildflower in the winter,” War said, looking at me with a softness in his eyes that I had never seen before. “Delicate and beautiful, but also strong and resilient. It’s one of the things I admire most about you.”
I felt my cheeks grow warm under his gaze, and I looked away, feeling suddenly shy.
“You’re one to talk,” I said finally, looking back at him. “You’re like a lion. Powerful and fierce, but also gentle and protective.” I ran my eyes over him. “And you’re a fucking giant, so there’s that.”
War’s eyes darkened with emotion, and I felt the air between us grow thick with need. The guys had stopped a few feet away, giving us space, and I could feel their eyes on us. Thane scanned the flowers carefully while Gareth pretended to inspect the pond.
All I could focus on was the electricity between War and me, crackling like wildfire. Without thinking, I took a step closer to him, and he did the same.
I felt his hand slip around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, losing myself in the intensity of the moment. I kissed him gently, letting my tongue glide against his as he groaned into my mouth.
The kiss lasted for what felt like hours, but also felt like it ended too soon. When we pulled away, we were both breathless, and I could see the desire and longing in War's eyes.
“I'm glad I met you, little wolf,” he said softly, his voice husky with emotion. "Circumstances aside."
“Maybe it was worth it," I whispered, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes.
We stood there for a few moments, simply taking each other in, before Thane cleared his throat, breaking the spell. “Ahem,” he said pointedly. “As happy as we are for you two, we still have work to do. Also, I'm freezing my ass off.”
War and I pulled away from each other reluctantly, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“Right,” I said, nodding quickly. “Back to work, slackers.”
Gareth was staring at the two of us with an unreadable expression. It wasn’t angry, but it was intense. We were mates now. Officially, biologically, and emotionally. I could feel a sense of urgency inside me that didn’t feel like it was coming from me but rather from some outside source.
I immediately realized I was feeling Gareth’s emotions, just like my cousin told me she could feel her own mate’s emotions.
Thane gathered up a bunch of the wildflowers that poked their heads up from under the snow. I was surprised that anything could survive these temperatures. But like War said, they were resilient.
“What are those for?” I asked Thane. He didn't strike me as a flower guy with all those badass tattoos and piercings.
”Tea,” he said. “These little beauties make delicious breakfast tea. Calms the nerves.”
Leave it to a warlock to know the best kinds of herbal remedies.
I smiled at Thane, seeing a softer side to the badass warlock.
I knew I needed to have a private chat with him soon.
We still needed to discuss this whole soul bond thing between us.
There was so much we needed to understand about the way his magic called out to me.
I thought about what they’d said. About how whatever Estelle had done to alter my DNA might have given me some kind of magic that I didn’t know about. Even if it was nothing tangible, it was obviously enough for me to form a soul bond.
I needed to remind myself to ask Bastian about it when we opened the portal again tomorrow to discuss our findings with them.
Once Thane gathered the wildflowers, the weather started to roll in. Clouds obscured the sky, and snow began to fall. Off in the distance, though, I heard the sound of rolling thunder across the mountains and knew we were in for a long night.