Chapter 38
Aiden’s phoenix flew through the air, relishing the feel of the wind on his feathers.
“This is incredible! I wonder if it’ll ever seem boring,” he mused to his beast.
“I doubt it. It’s the best feeling ever to soar above the world,” the phoenix answered. “The only thing better is being with our mate. I hated being alone.”
Aiden agreed wholeheartedly.
Even though he now got to live with his mate, they hardly had the time to explore their new relationship. It was two days after Amber’s attempted kidnapping, and, with the bakery still closed for repairs, Aiden had been training nearly every minute that he wasn’t sleeping or eating. There simply wasn’t time to waste.
“At least we get to be with him and keep him safe,” the phoenix offered.
While that was certainly true, Aiden wanted more.
“No time for ruminating now. I feel your mind wandering. We need to focus,” the beast said.
Deacon and Finn had set up an obstacle course for him out in the woods on the outskirts of Grey Lake. He swooped down and ignited a torch that had been set up on top of some metal barrels. He then completed a circuit of loops around several trees, following Mac in eagle form as she raced ahead of him.
Hours earlier, Aiden had reluctantly left his sister and Jamie back at the Jensen homestead with Heath and Ted for protection. He knew they were both ferocious shifters and could defend themselves, but after what Aiden’s father had done to Jamie, and Iris almost being killed in a house fire set on their father’s orders, he wasn’t taking any chances with either of them. He even asked Piper to find a protection spell for the two. He wanted them both invisible to his father and his soldiers so they couldn’t be snatched away.
If Piper could make his phoenix invisible, he figured, surely, she could hide Jamie and Iris as well. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The spell that kept Aiden’s phoenix invisible to all but the Guardians and their mates had been explicitly described to her by Tessa before she transitioned. Piper knew how to initiate and terminate that spell, and could make inanimate objects appear invisible, but hiding other living beings in plain sight to only certain people was beyond her current spellcasting abilities.
“How’s your energy?” Aiden asked his phoenix.
“Little tired, but let’s do a few more runs.”
After several more loops through the trees and igniting several more torches, the phoenix landed safely in a small clearing. Mac circled high above and then followed him, landing delicately to his right.
Aiden smoothly shifted back to his human form. Finn handed him a bag with a change of clothes. “You looked good from down here. How’re you feeling?”
Aiden pulled on his jeans and Henley. “Pretty good. Tired, but less so than the last time I shifted. I think I’m getting the hang of this.”
“Hmpf, we’re getting better at this, you mean,” his phoenix grumbled.
Aiden cleared his throat and chuckled. “I mean, we’re getting better at this.”
Mac, now dressed in a pair of joggers, a hoodie, and slip-on sneakers pulled her hair up in a giant bun. “You looked stronger up there. Your agility is improving, speed as well. Everything’s moving in the right direction.” She tilted her head at Deacon, who had just returned from inspecting and then extinguishing the torches. “How was his accuracy?”
“Good, the torches were lit and no collateral fires.” He walked up to Aiden, slapped him on the shoulder, and grinned. “I agree with Mac. You’re making good progress.” Deacon glanced over his shoulder at Finn. “How’s Leah’s special project coming?”
“Special project?” Aiden asked.
Red-headed Finn beamed at the mention of his new wife. “She and my mother have started working with the elder shifters in town. Leah’s been teleporting them so they get used to it.”
“What? Why?” Aiden asked.
“Jamie mentioned that your father has a habit of underestimating older shifters in general.”
Aiden nodded.
“So, that makes them invisible, which gives them an advantage during a fight. If Leah can get a group of them used to being teleported—you know, so they’re not subject to the motion sickness it usually causes—we can place them in strategic areas. They’re less likely to be seen as spies if we teleport them into areas with your father’s people. They can also help people escape. Leah started working with my mom only a couple of days ago, and she got used to teleporting quicker than I did.”
“Red wolf and his mate are smart,” Aiden’s phoenix mused.
Aiden huffed a laugh.
Finn furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”
“Oh, nothing bad. My phoenix just thinks it was a smart move. Teleporting the elders.”
“Thank you, but it was all Leah and my mom,” Finn said. He shrugged. “We need to think outside the box. It’s likely we’ll need everyone possible to help if we want to limit the death and destruction. Your father’s been around for a long time. I wish he would have used his vast experience for good instead of evil.”
Aiden bit the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, that’s not his thing.” He looked around at his three friends. “So, what’s next?”
“We should head back to the Jensens’ for some food,” Mac said.
Aiden perked up. “Great, I want to see how Jamie’s doing,” Aiden said. “I hate to say it, but I’m sort of glad that we have the attempted break-in and the repairs as an excuse to keep the bakery closed.”
Deacon snorted. “It’ll work for at least a few days. We’ll have to open soon, or the Lakers working with your father’ll get suspicious.”
“I wish we could figure out who those people are… I mean, the ones working with your father,” Finn said.
“What about Jamie?” Mac asked.
Aiden stilled. “What about him?”
“We know he can read minds. Why don’t we have him use that ability? Bring him out into town where we have groups of Lakers and have him do his magic,” Mac said. “See if he can ferret out any people who’re planning trouble.”
“What do you mean groups of people?”
“Like out at the college campus during change of classes, at restaurants at peak meal times, the town common, main streets during busy shopping times. Get the most bang for our buck, so to say,” Mac said.
Aiden scowled. “It’s too dangerous.”
“What?” Mac asked. “What do you mean?”
Aiden’s vision shifted to that of his beast. He cringed upon hearing his voice. He sounded like a cross between human and beast. “Having him exposed to so many people? What if he gets attacked?” Aiden knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it. Whenever he thought of Jamie in danger, his heart raced, and he felt murderous.
Deacon scoffed. “You keep forgetting he’s a wolf shifter. He can fight. He’s proven he can defend himself. He’s not helpless. Besides, he’s been around Lakers at the bakery for a while now. Nothing’s happened yet.”
“Look, in my head, I know he’s not helpless. I know he’s a wolf shifter and he can fight.” Aiden paused and ran a hand through his hair repeatedly. “It’s just…” His voice cracked. He stopped and took a steadying breath. “It’s just that… he still was taken away even as a wolf shifter. And maybe he’s been safe at the bakery because I’ve been there with him every single day.”
“Calm down. I’d never suggest getting between a phoenix shifter and his mate. You could go with him, too,” Mac said.
Finn cleared his throat. “How was he taken? I’ve never heard the story.”
Aiden shook his head. “He doesn’t remember. He just woke up in a cage.” His heart ached. “God knows what they did to get him in there. They might have drugged him, outnumbered him, or just plain old surprised him. Knowing my father, I’m sure it wasn’t a fair fight.” Molten heat flowed through Aiden’s body. He was so, so mad.
“Is it getting hotter?” Finn asked, peering up at the sky. He wiped at his forehead.
“Yes, it is,” Mac said. She fixed her gaze on Aiden. “Can you please focus and try to calm down? I want to drive us back, but I can’t if you melt the truck.”
Aiden clenched his eyes shut. He forced deep calming breaths into and out of his body. “Water,” he croaked.
“Here.” Mac handed him a bottle of water from the giant bag she carried around with her.
Aiden gulped the cool water down. Just the process of drinking helped him slow his mind so he could re-focus.
“Feeling better now. Let’s go see mate,” his beast said.
“I think I’m OK,” Aiden said.
Finn shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, so weird. I’m sorry I brought it up.” He held his hands, palms up, to Aiden.
“It’s fine. I need to be able to control this”—he gestured to himself—“this power better. I have to be better. I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing. We’re OK,” Deacon said.
Aiden glanced to Mac. “Can we go now?”
“Yes, I can drive your truck if you need me to,” she said. She turned to Deacon and Finn. “We’ll see you guys later.”
Aiden huffed a laugh. “I’m fine to drive now. Besides”—he gave her shoulder a tiny nudge as they walked—“I don’t think you could reach the pedals.”
“What!” Mac exclaimed. She gave him an exaggerated wounded look. “Well, you must be feeling better if you’re bringing out the short jokes.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t usually. I think I’m just worn out. I’m acting weird. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know, you giant peacock, I know,” Mac joked.