Chapter 26
The next morning, Petra woke to sunlight streaming through the windows and the pleasant weight of Seth’s arm draped across her waist. The mating bond hummed contentedly between them, a constant warm presence she was already becoming accustomed to.
“Morning,” Seth murmured against her neck, clearly already awake.
“Morning.” Petra turned in his arms to face him. “Sleep well?”
“Better than I have in years.” Seth kissed her softly. “Though we should probably get up. I can feel Anna’s organizational energy from here. She’s probably been awake since dawn making lists.”
Petra laughed. “You can feel her through walls now?”
“No, but I’ve worked with enough people like her to know the type. She’s probably color-coded our entire day already.”
They showered together—which took longer than strictly necessary but was entirely worth it—and dressed for the day. When they finally made their way downstairs, the smell of André’s cooking drew them to the breakfast room.
The scene that greeted them was pleasantly chaotic.
Pax and Ari were already seated at the table, coffee in hand, looking far more alert than anyone had a right to be at this hour.
Judy sat across from them, a stack of papers in front of her covered in what looked like arcane symbols.
Wilhelm stood near the sideboard, speaking quietly with Klaus about something related to the grounds.
Anna was, predictably, clutching her tablet and had what looked like actual sticky notes arranged in a color-coded pattern on the table.
“Good morning,” Petra said, and everyone looked up.
“Finally,” Anna said cheerfully. “I was beginning to think you two were going to sleep all day. I have so many things to discuss!”
“It’s eight in the morning,” Seth pointed out.
“Exactly. Half the day is already gone.” Anna gestured to the table, where an impressive stack of envelopes and printouts sat next to the breakfast settings. “You’ve received quite a bit of correspondence overnight. I took the liberty of sorting it by priority.”
Seth and Petra exchanged amused glances before taking their seats. André appeared immediately with fresh coffee and began serving a sumptuous breakfast of fluffy omelets with herbs, perfectly crisp bacon, and fresh bread still warm from the oven.
“The red folder contains urgent matters requiring immediate attention,” Anna explained, sliding the first folder toward them. “Yellow is important but not time-sensitive. Green is informational only.”
Petra opened the red folder and found several messages, each neatly printed and annotated in Anna’s efficient handwriting.
The first was an email from someone named Granny Tucker. Petra read it aloud.
“Dear Petra and Seth,
Congratulations on your mating and on thoroughly unmaking that bastard Salazar.
About damn time someone dealt with him permanently.
Judy tells me you’re planning to convert the castle into a base for fighting the Venifucus.
Smart thinking. I’m putting you in touch with some European mage friends of mine who might be interested in helping with the cleansing work, especially that cursed workshop.
Matthias Keller in Switzerland is a master at purifying corrupted spaces.
He cleaned out a demon summoning site in the Alps last year.
Isabelle Moreau in France specializes in ley line restoration.
And Henrik Svensson in Sweden is the best ward-crafter I’ve ever met.
I’ve copied them on this email. Expect to hear from them soon.
Also, Judy needs to come home eventually.
I miss my favorite student. But she can stay as long as you need her.
Warmest regards,
Granny Tucker”
“Granny Tucker doesn’t mess around,” Judy said with obvious affection.
“If she’s putting you in touch with Matthias, Isabelle, and Henrik, she’s giving you her absolute top tier contacts.
They’re all incredibly skilled and completely trustworthy.
They’re also quite famous in magical circles. Like royalty or something.”
“That’s good to know,” Seth said, scanning the next message. His expression shifted to something more serious. “And this is interesting.”
“What?” Petra asked.
“A formal communication from the Lords who rule over all shifters in Europe.” Seth read aloud.
“To Seth, known as the Golden Jackal,
Greetings. We understand you have recently bonded with the new owner of the Kettering estate and intend to establish permanent operations within our domain.
As the ruling Lords of the European territories, we require a formal meeting to discuss your intentions and establish terms for your continued presence.
We expect this meeting to occur within seven days of receipt of this message. Failure to comply will result in your operations being deemed unauthorized and subject to interference.
Respectfully,
Tiberius and Etan
Lords of the European Shifter Territories”
A heavy silence fell over the table.
“That sounds threatening,” Petra said carefully.
“It’s territorial posturing,” Pax said, though his expression was serious. “The Lords in Europe are currently owl shifters based out of Belgium. Anyone operating here long-term needs their approval.
“Which is something I intended to do anyway. They just preempted me a bit,” Seth said.
“They’re also very powerful, and very protective of their domain,” Judy put in. “But they’re rumored to be fair. If your intentions are good, they’ll likely approve.”
“Likely?” Petra didn’t like the uncertainty in that word.
“They’ll approve,” Seth said firmly. “They are reasonable. They just want to make sure I’m not bringing chaos into their territory. A formal meeting is standard protocol in a situation like this.”
“Have you dealt with them before?” Petra asked.
“A few times, when business led me to work in Europe.” Seth’s smile was wry. “But moving my base of operations to a castle smack dab in the middle of their territory is a bit more visible than my usual in-and-out jobs.”
“I’ll respond and set up a meeting,” Anna said, already making notes on her tablet. “Would you prefer they come here, or should you go to them?”
“Here,” Seth said immediately. “They’ll want to see the operation anyway. And it establishes that this is our territory now.”
Katja swept into the breakfast room at that moment, looking crisp and professional despite the early hour. “Good morning. I trust you’ve seen the correspondence from the European Lords?”
“Just read it,” Seth confirmed.
“I took the liberty of researching them a bit further. They’re formidable but fair.
I suggest a full presentation of your plans for the castle, including security measures, staff roster, and intended operations.
Transparency will work in your favor.” Katja accepted coffee from Wilhelm with a nod of thanks.
“Also, the estate’s lawyers have sent updated documentation on the business holdings. ”
“How much of Kettering’s business empire is actively problematic?” Petra asked.
“About thirty percent involves contracts I’d classify as morally questionable,” Katja replied.
“Arms sales to governments with poor human rights records, surveillance equipment sold to authoritarian regimes, component manufacturing for weapons systems that violate international treaties. The remaining seventy percent is legitimate defense contracting.”
“Can we cancel the problematic contracts?” Seth asked.
“Some, yes. Others will require renegotiation and potentially a few legal battles. But it’s doable.” Katja’s smile was sharp. “I personally enjoy a good legal battle.”
Seth stood, coffee cup in hand, and looked around the table at the assembled group. Through the bond, Petra felt him gathering his thoughts, preparing to speak.
“Since everyone’s here, there are some things Petra and I need to tell you,” he began. “First, I’m relocating my mercenary operations to the castle permanently. This will be our base going forward.”
Pax and Ari exchanged knowing looks. “Called it,” Pax said.
“Second,” Seth continued, ignoring the interruption, “we’re going to be transforming this place.
The workshop will be converted from producing dark artifacts to creating defensive talismans and protective items. The grounds will include training facilities for shifters and mages who want to fight the Venifucus.
We’re going to turn what Kettering and Salazar built into something that actively opposes everything they stood for. ”
“That’s ambitious,” Klaus said, but there was approval in his voice.
“It’s necessary,” Petra added, standing to join Seth. “This nexus point is too powerful to just sit on defensively. We can use it to actively fight back.”
“Third,” Seth said, “we’re going to need help. A lot of it. Which means hiring more staff, bringing in specialists, and coordinating with allies across Europe. This household is going to grow significantly.”
“I’ve already started preliminary staffing plans,” Anna said, pulling up something on her tablet.
“Of course you have,” Seth said with affection.
“Which brings me to the final point. I know some of you signed on thinking this was a temporary assignment. If anyone wants to leave once things are more settled, I understand. But if you want to stay and be part of what we’re building here, you’ll have a place. ”
“I’m staying,” Judy said immediately. “Granny Tucker basically told me to. Plus, cleansing this nexus is going to take months of work. I’m not leaving that job half-done.”
“We’re staying too,” Pax said, speaking for both himself and Ari. “At least for a while. This is the most interesting gig we’ve had in years. No way we’re missing what comes next.”
“I, as well,” Wilhelm said. “This household requires proper management, and I’ve become invested in its success.”
“Me too,” Klaus rumbled. “The grounds need work, and I like the idea of building something good here.”
Helena appeared in the doorway, having clearly been listening. “The household staff is staying. We already discussed it. You’ve given us purpose beyond just maintaining a castle. We want to be part of this.”
Petra felt tears gather behind her eyes. Through the bond, she felt Seth’s surprised gratitude.
“Thank you,” Petra said. “All of you. We couldn’t do any of this without you.”
“Well then,” Katja said briskly, “we should get to work. I have contracts to review, the Lords to coordinate with, and about sixteen other items on today’s agenda.”
“I need to consult with Granny Tucker’s contacts about the cleansing work,” Judy added. “The workshop is going to require serious magical intervention.”
“And I have security protocols to update now that we’re permanent,” Pax said.
The breakfast table erupted into productive chaos as everyone began discussing their various responsibilities. Petra watched them all—these people who’d come together to protect her and were now choosing to stay and build something larger—and felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
She’d gone from a very lonely existence in her solitary apartment with no close family left and few friends, to this amazing gathering of people that she truly enjoyed and admired.
Not only that, but now she had a mate. Something she’d never expected or could have even imagined.
She was part of an amazing world and was learning new things every day.
Sure, some of it was scary and dangerous, but she’d rather know what was out there in the world than live in ignorance one moment longer.
She had this great big family of employees who were fast becoming friends now, and she never wanted to go back to being all alone.
And she especially never wanted to go back to a time when she didn’t have Seth in her life. He made everything better in every way.
Seth’s hand found hers under the table, squeezing gently. Through the bond, she felt his contentment, his determination, and his love.
“Oh, I just heard back,” Anna said, looking up from her tablet. “Your meeting with the European Lords will be five days from now. They’ve agreed to come here. Would the great hall be the most appropriate place for receiving territorial Alphas?”
Seth laughed. “Perfect. Give us time to make sure Judy’s completely finished cleansing it of dark magic residue.”
“Already done,” Judy said cheerfully. “Great hall is clean as a whistle. Well, magically speaking. Physically, it could use a good dusting.”
“I’ll see to it,” Helena said cheerily.
Petra looked around the table at her household—her new family, really—and felt something settle in her chest. This was right. All of it. The chaos, the complications, the impossible task of transforming a nexus of darkness into a beacon of Light. It was right, and she was ready.
“All right,” she said, standing. “Let’s get to work.”
And as the household dispersed to their various tasks, Petra caught Seth’s eye and smiled. They had a castle to transform, an empire to dismantle and rebuild, and a war to fight. But first, they had breakfast to finish.
One step at a time.