Chapter 5
MAEVE
“What are you doing here?” Hades demands before Atticus can even acknowledge me.
I don’t even look at the pegasus, his presence still annoying me now as it did when we were in the car. So needy and so desperate to lock me in some gilded cage for protection.
It’s not like it was my head in a box.
Nope—but it might be his, if my stalker thinks that Hades is trying to steal his ‘true mate’ spot in my life.
Dramatic ass men ruining my life for their pleasure.
“I got bored.” I hold my phone out to Lucifer, who is closest, and shrug. “I also got some fun texts from Julian.”
“Julian?” Hades demands, inching forward.
“Or more likely Adrian,” I say with a grimace. “So, give him a call, Atticus, and we can get this show on the road.”
The alpha lion narrows his eyes, but there’s a soft expression on his face. “How are you doing, Maeve?”
I groan. “You’ve already sent your mate to be the welcome party—”
“Don’t act as if you don’t love her,” Malachi teases, waggling his brows when I glower at him.
“Nora was there because she cares about you—as do I, which is why I’m asking.” Atticus’s tone is matter-of-fact, and I know that I don’t have a choice in the matter of answering.
“I’m fine,” I say, plastering on a fake smile. I might have to answer him, but nobody said I had to tell him the truth.
“And I’m a fucking unicorn,” Hades mutters under his breath.
I roll my eyes, not liking all of this attention on me. Not only are my three… bodyguards here, but half of Nora’s mating circle is, too. Atticus, the alpha, Orson, the touchy-feely bear, Malachi, the bitchy tiger, and Griffin, the quiet but calm griffin.
I find it strange to be around him considering that his dad is my therapist.
It’s unnerving, having everyone stare me down, and my chromius is no fucking help. She’s desperate to be close to everyone, and the power in the room is like a beacon to her.
It’s pathetic, and so is her whining.
Even worse, though, is this annoying urge I can’t ignore that’s making me deal with Adrian, Julian, and Dr fucking Jones.
That wasn’t on my bingo card for today.
“Well, fuck,” Lucifer mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What is it?” Atticus asks. Luc doesn’t answer, instead tossing my phone over to Draven, who catches it with one hand.
It was so effortless, so easy.
Asshole.
Draven lets out a low grumble that makes me smile as he reads Julian’s words. It’s pathetic, and, honestly, his first reply was something I would have said.
Not him.
“What does it say?” Atticus repeats, the demand in his words easily heard by us all.
“Maeve asked him if he was dead or just ignoring her,” Lucifer says, paraphrasing what I actually said. “And he replied with two words.”
“Wow, two whole words. I had no idea he had such intelligence,” Kai taunts.
“He’s a lying, manipulative, entitled prick, but he’s not illiterate,” I say, walking past Lucifer to come stand near Draven at the window.
He passes my phone back to me, very careful to not touch me, and I frown down at the text thread.
Julian
Still here.
Julian
I had no choice, Maeve. It had to be done. I never wanted this outcome. Believe me.
I still have no doubt this is another ploy to get me to worry about him, but, either way, I’m quite intrigued by his involvement in the ‘breed Maeve’ plan.
Not going to lie, but pegasi aren’t in danger of becoming extinct, so I can’t imagine why Adrian would be forcing me to mate with his nephew when there’s other, more powerful shifters that could strengthen his campaign.
“And without prompting, there’s another message,” Lucifer continues before he reads out Julian’s apology message—a vague, confusing explanation for something.
Is he referring to the head? To releasing my stepfather? To lying about being my mate?
Or, if more likely, this is not Julian and is in fact Adrian… there are far too many fucking things he could be apologising for. It makes the message all the more terrifying.
“Clearly, Adrian’s got some guilt built up,” Orson muses.
“It also sounds like a confession,” Voss says calmly.
Draven’s gaze cuts towards Atticus. “Time to call him.”
Atticus’s jaw tightens, his golden eyes flicking between us. “And what would you have me say, Draven? Because none of you have made a decision.”
“Tell him his games are spilling blood,” Luc answers too calmly. “And that they’re about to spill more if he doesn’t get his ducks in a row.”
“Or,” I say, “you could just put him on speaker and let me tell him what’s happened myself. It’ll be far more authentic considering I’d never let someone else ruin his day this way, and he knows it.”
Atticus studies me for a long moment, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He looks around, and, without saying a word, Nora’s three other mates leave.
Orson and Malachi are brooding, but there’s a cheeky grin on Voss’s face. I guarantee he’s been given permission to go hunting.
Or, at least, search for information.
“I’ll warn you three again—do not give him the upper hand,” Atticus says quietly. I raise my hand, and Atticus grins, shaking his head. “Yes, Maeve?”
“Nobody is going to ruin my fun,” I say, looking at Lucifer in warning. The imp shrugs, but the smirk on his face warns me that I do not have his agreement here.
“Draven, you shouldn’t speak,” I continue. The ursarix just nods, seemingly unbothered.
“And Hades, just… die quietly and don’t ask about your brother. The focus needs to be on me and my panic. He needs to believe I’m in true danger and actually scared and all that shit.
“I’m probably going to be a bitch to him, fair warning, but he’s used to that. He’s likely going to be a knob, but that’s also standard practice for your uncle. If I play it right, he’ll send the jet for me.”
“And if not?” Luc asks with a brow raised.
“I’m never wrong,” I say, waggling my brows. “At the end of the day, Adrian’s predictable. He’s obsessed with keeping me under his thumb, and with this, he’ll overplay his hand.”
“Okay, then. I’ll get you through to him, and we’ll follow your lead, Maeve,” Atticus says. His thumb moves across the screen quickly before the dial tone echoes through the office. Each beep crawls up my spine until I want to claw the sound out of the air.
My feelings box rattles, and I can’t tell which one is trying to escape the hardest. The whines from my chromius don’t help—in fact, I think she’s the one trying to unlock the box.
Bitch.
Betrayal really does come from those closest to you, unfortunately.
Another long ring has Lucifer pacing the office. Hadrian sits back down, but Draven doesn’t move. He keeps his gaze trained on me, waiting and watching, so he can anticipate whatever I need.
I let out a slow breath, keeping myself calm and regulated.
And then, the line connects.
“This is Adrian Graves’s phone,” the familiar voice of his receptionist, Cheryl, sounds across the line. “He’s currently unavailable, can I take a message?”
“Hi, Cheryl, it’s Atticus Phoenix calling. I need to speak with Adrian personally, please.”
“How urgent is it, Alpha Phoenix? He’s currently a little tied up,” she says, and there’s an almost frantic note to her voice.
I glance at Draven, who nods, having noticed it as well.
“Not to be dramatic, but it’s a matter of life and death, and it concerns Maeve.”
Her audible gasp causes me to roll my eyes, and she stammers out that she’ll be right back before placing us on hold.
“Hilarious that even with his most precious commodity, you don’t have a direct line to his phone,” Lucifer taunts.
“Did you not hear her answer with ‘Adrian Graves’s Phone’?” I ask dryly. “You might have his number, but I guarantee he won’t answer.”
“Your jealousy is showing, princess,” my imp teases. “We can’t all be hated by him.”
I sneer back, flipping him off.
“I’m adored by him, and I think I much prefer that,” Hadrian says.
Draven grumbles, and I glance at my boss, but he’s not looking my way at all. He’s unsettled, and I wish I could understand why.
Cheryl comes back after what feels like an hour.
“Alpha Phoenix? Mr. Graves will take your call now.”
I can practically hear the tremor in her voice. She knows something—something more than caring about the life or death situation involving me, of course.
There’s a click. Then silence—no greeting, just the faint hum of static flowing across the line. Then I hear his breathing, and I roll my eyes at the dramatics.
“Adrian?” Atticus prompts. “Are you there?”
More silence, but the buzzing gets louder. I don’t know if that’s coming from the line, though, or if it’s just the white noise in my own mind trying desperately to drown out the intrusive thoughts.
“What is going on with Maeve?” Adrian demands, his voice sounding both breathless and panicked. “I left her in your fucking care, Phoenix, and you’ve—”
“Adrian,” I drawl, cutting off his whines. “You took your time.”
He groans down the line, and both Hadrian and Lucifer inch closer. The pegasus has his brows raised quite high, the shock easy to see, while Luc is just as pissed off as I am with his uncle.
So pathetic.
So dramatic.
“What’s happened, love?” he asks.
I mime throwing up, causing Lucifer to smirk, but Atticus shakes his head in warning.
Boring fucker.
“We’ve had an issue regarding her stalker,” Atticus says calmly, as, instead of pretend-retching, I mime slitting my own throat.
This one has all four men upset.
Goodness, the crowd is hard to impress today.
“What do you mean? What’s he done? Another letter?”
“More like a present,” I say, plastering on the right mix of fear and irritation. I’m great at playing the part, after all. “But let’s not dwell on the past. I’m more interested in how things are on your side.”
“You’re not running the show here, Maeve,” Adrian warns.
Hades lets out a low grumble, the sound very equestrian, and I’m not surprised Adrian catches it.
“Who else is there?” he demands. “Hadrian, clearly, and Lucifer?”