Two
Speaking of which...
"Shaw! Did you hear what I said about the mattresses?"
"Mm." Shaw's eyes were fixed on his mate, who was eating a banana for breakfast.
"Pack Leader Sienna," Tate began. "I'm not sure if you're aware, but the Wuffingas Pack has a small retreat in the woods called Tarn Cottage.
It's a fairly basic bunkhouse we use for youth group camping trips, where some of the pack's younger members can get used to shifting and hunting in a more isolated environment, before they're ready to join a Full Moon Hunt Party. "
Sienna's eyebrows rose as she swallowed the last of her banana. "A private place to practice shifting. What a wonderful idea."
Oh, fuck. Tate hung his head. "My apologies, Pack Leader.
I meant no disrespect. Of course, your first shift was textbook perfect, I understand.
But some of our younger pack members who lack your confidence and authority don't transition quite as smoothly, and they benefit from the time away. In fact..."
Sienna held up her hand to stop him. "I meant what I said, Enforcer.
You don't need to sell me on the idea – I think it's wonderful.
I wish I'd had the opportunity to learn about my abilities in a place like that, but I guess I'm lucky I didn't need it.
But if your mate is shifting for the first time, I'd highly recommend a bit of privacy – I'm sure she'd appreciate it, too. So, what about Tarn Cottage?"
For a moment, Tate considered telling her that it was damn near impossible that fate would ever see fit to grant him a mate, and if fate did, it would only be so that the lady could reject him as thoroughly as he deserved.
After what his father had done to his mate, Tate didn't deserve one.
But that would involve talking about Sienna's late mother, and confessing that he was her half-brother, which would undoubtedly result in rejection of a different kind.
Tate sighed. "Right, Tarn Cottage. A tree branch came down in one of the autumn storms and damaged the roof, letting the rain in.
One of the guys from Sherwood Homes gave me a hand fixing the roof, but by then, there was water damage to all the mattresses in the upstairs bunkroom.
The guys helped me cart them down to the tip, but we need new ones.
The only bed left with a mattress is the double downstairs, which is on the small side for Ylva or me, let alone however many kids come along.
Not to mention there's no predicting when a kid's first shift will happen, so we need new mattresses for the bunkroom sooner rather than later. "
Sienna frowned. "And you're telling me this because..."
"I wouldn't know the first thing about mattresses.
I'm a hydrogeologist. If you need some water tested, or want to know where to dig a well, or you're wondering why there aren't any natural hot springs in Scotland...
except Sanctuary Falls, which is supernatural, in fact.
Hot, pure water that bubbles up out of the ground with almost no trace minerals whatsoever...
I mean, I'd heard the stories, but now I've taken the samples and seen the test results myself...
" Tate stopped, realising he was babbling.
"I'm sorry, Pack Leader. What was your question again? "
Shaw set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Sienna. "Are you saying you've found the source of the contamination in Sanctuary Loch?"
Tate shook his head. "I took samples from all seven water sources.
Had them tested for everything I can think of.
Bacterial cultures, chromatography, the works.
Aside from the weirdness that is Sanctuary Falls, there's nothing unusual in any of them.
Either our contaminant is biological or magical, and definitely something I've never seen before.
I tried contacting Mirror Academy, to see if they have a magical microbiologist who can help, but they're closed for the holidays.
I can get the samples within twenty-four hours, but I don't know who to ask to test them. "
Shaw tapped his chin. "I might know a guy. Fannar Snow."
Tate snorted. "The inventor? He's impossible to get a hold of.
We've been waiting months on his super-secret new batteries for the Hea Sanctuary power station.
Haven't you seen the emails from Verre Electrical Engineering asking about the backup battery system, if Snow doesn't come up with the goods? "
"He's more than an inventor. Chemist, botanist, engineer...
he's what people used to call a polymath.
I've heard stories...someone told me he was the fae lover Sanctuary Spring was created for.
I heard somewhere else that he was Leonardo da Vinci's mentor for a time, too.
I don't know if there's any truth in either tale, but he has been around a while, long enough to pick up a lot of knowledge. It's worth asking him."
Tate threw up his hands. "Fine. I'll get the samples to your office as soon as I can, and you get them to someone who can analyse them. When it comes to beasties with throats too small to rip out, it's outside my area of expertise."
Sienna laughed. "Yep, that's the enforcer who greeted me when I first arrived for your party. Are you still suspicious of me, Tate?"
She was teasing, but he was serious. "No, Pack Leader. It's my job to be suspicious of anyone who isn't pack, or a friend of the pack. I protect the pack."
"And do the water testing for Hea Sanctuary, I understand. To give the pack space to expand. You take care of the water. I'll see to the mattresses," Sienna promised.
Go to war? Perhaps Sienna didn't understand her unwitting Godfather reference, and Shaw had missed it entirely, but it did make Tate think.
Yes, Shaw might be more distracted now he had a mate, but Wuffingas Pack had an incredible leader in Sienna Rubens. If she led the pack to war, for whatever reason, the pack would follow. Including Shaw.
"There's some fresh Scotch eggs in the fridge, if you want to take some of those up to the cottage with you.
I had to do something with all the wild boar meat your hunters keep bringing in.
I know it's the ultimate in free range pork, but I can only fit so many pork pies in the freezer. Please take some of the eggs."
Sienna was one of the cooks who owned Red Cottage Catering. Her cooking was nothing short of divine.
"How many can I take?" Tate asked eagerly.
Sienna threw her hands in the air. "How many can you carry?"
Yes, claiming Sienna as his mate and fellow pack leader was the best thing Shaw had ever done.