Bren laughed again. “Well, thank you again. I know Corey is grateful to you.”
“He is a sweet boy,” Mara said.
The front door slammed, and heavy footsteps trod down the hallway. Bishop poked his head into the kitchen. He was holding Lila in his arms and the baby squealed with excitement when she saw Mara. “That smells good, Mara. Any chance there’s enough for – Matthews, hey.”
“Hey,” Bren said as Bishop crossed the room to kiss Mara’s cheek.
“There’s plenty of soup, Button,” Mara said as Lila squealed again and reached for the elegant wolf shifter. “Hi, sweet Lila. Come here, my darling girl.”
She took Lila and kissed her cheek. Lila growled happily, and Mara laughed. “Oh, you are the sweetest thing.”
“Thank you again for watching her,” Bishop said as the boys joined them in the kitchen again. Tyler and Corey set the table, moving around the kitchen as comfortably as if they’d lived there for weeks, not a day.
“It’s never a problem. You know I love my Lila girl.” Mara laughed again when Lila chewed and licked at her cheek. “I see she’s still in her chewing phase.”
“Yes,” Bishop said. “Ava will be by after her shift to pick her up. Around four, she said.”
“Perfect,” Mara said.
Bishop sat down beside Bren, studying him silently. “How’d it go with the clan last night?”
“Fine,” Bren said.
“No problem with the other,” Bishop glanced at Tyler and Corey, “clan members?”
“He wants to know if any of the dragons tried to set you on fire for dating Kaida,” Tyler said with a snicker.
“Everyone was very welcoming,” Bren said. “In fact, I was about to call your office, see if there was someone available to sneak me back to the clan.”
“Why sneak in?” Tyler said. “Everyone knows you and Kaida are a thing. Who cares?”
Bren supposed Tyler had a point, but the dragons were already being inundated with reporters. If they saw him, it would only make it worse. “True, but we’re still going to keep a low profile for now.”
Tyler glanced at Corey. “Corey says we should do the same thing. I don’t want to hide anymore though.”
“It’s not hiding,” Corey said.
“He’s right,” Bren replied. “Keeping a low profile is not the same as hiding a relationship.”
“I guess.” Tyler was standing near Mara and he reached out and touched the top of Lila’s foot.
Bren was feeling as dejected as Tyler looked. He masked it with a smile. “It’ll get better, Ty. It’s only until the press finds a new story to fixate on. They’ll lose interest in us, I promise.”
Tyler continued to stare at Lila. “Will they? Dad’s in the news, like, all the time and everyone knows how much he hates shifters. What if they never get tired of following us?”
“They will,” Bren said with a confidence he didn’t feel.
Mara leaned forward and kissed Tyler’s forehead. “Your brother is right, sweetheart. They’ll move on, they always do.”
God, Bren hoped the wolf shifter was right. He couldn’t stand the idea of his brother always needing to hide who he loved. It wasn’t fair to him.
Or you.
“Bren?”
He glanced at Bishop. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said I can take you to Kaida’s place after we eat lunch.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Bren said.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Bren? What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” Kaida was sitting at her kitchen table with Cadmus when Bren let himself into the cabin.
“Hey. Everything’s good. My captain told me to take the rest of the week off. Reporters are following me.”
She rubbed at the back of her neck. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s not unexpected. Hello, Cadmus.”
“Hello, human.” Cadmus pointed to the chair beside him. “Join us.”
Bren sat down in the chair. Cadmus leaned over and inhaled deeply before reaching out and poking at Bren’s shoulder. He had the happy look of a small child just learning to walk, and a grin cracked Bren’s face when the old dragon leaned forward and sniffed him again.
“Humans smell so… strange,” he said to Kaida. “Although I imagine your mate smells good to you.”
Kaida’s face flushed and she made a strangled sound that Bren guessed was meant to be an agreement to Cadmus’s statement. He nearly fell off his chair when Cadmus stood and said, “The council is meeting. I’d like you and Kaida to join us.”
Cadmus walked toward the door, raising his eyebrow when neither Bren nor Kaida followed him. “Come. The council waits for us.”
The three of them walked to the main cabin without speaking. Tables had already been set up for the evening meal and the other council members were seated around one. The one named Ryul frowned when he saw Bren and Kaida. “What are they doing here, Cadmus?”
“I asked them to join us.” Cadmus sat down, waving his hand at the two empty seats beside him.
Bren and Kaida sat. Bren glanced at Kaida, but she seemed as confused as he was as to why they were joining the council meeting.
Cadmus folded his hands in front of him and said, “Earlier this morning, Senator Matthews sent word that he would like to meet with the head of our clan to discuss the growing tension between us and the humans and to see if we can find peace.”
Bren jerked in surprise. Kaida dropped her hand below the table and squeezed his thigh as he stared at Cadmus. “He did what?”
“What growing tension?” Walter said. “There is no growing tension and if there is, it is the humans who caused it.”
“More aptly, the senator,” Collette said. “That asshole has been holding protests all over the city about what a danger we are.” She glanced at Bren but didn’t apologize for calling his father an asshole.
She didn’t have to. He knew better than all of them what kind of man his father really was.
“Perhaps he is ready to try and learn more about us,” Cadmus said. “He has assured me there will be no press or reporters there, and I have hope that the meeting will help reassure him that humans have nothing to fear from us.”
“No,” Bren said. “This isn’t a good idea, Cadmus. No matter what you say, you will not change his mind. Whatever reason my father has for meeting with you – it isn’t a good one. The fact that he doesn’t want press there – that’s a huge red flag. He always wants the press around for shit like this.”
Cadmus didn’t reply and Kaida leaned forward. “Listen to Bren, Cadmus. He knows his father better than us. If he says you shouldn’t meet with him, you shouldn’t.”
“You would let a human tell our high elder what to do?” Ryul snorted. “We have looked past your infatuation with the human, Kaida, but do not ask us to start taking advice from him.”
“Enough, Ryul,” Leah said. “Kaida makes an excellent point. The human knows his father best. If he says it’s a bad idea to meet with him, then we should listen to him.”
“Not we,” Cadmus said. “I would be the only one to meet with him.”
The council members protested vigorously, and Cadmus held his hand up to silence them. “The Senator wants to meet with only me. I believe if all of us show up, it will only cause more distrust between us.”
“You are not going alone,” Walter said. He banged his hand down on the table for emphasis, smoke curling out of his nostrils. “I do not care that you are the high elder, none of us will allow you to meet with the human on your own.”
“I will take Bones with me,” Cadmus said.
“Cadmus, let me speak to my father first,” Bren said. “Once I’ve talked to him, I’ll have a better idea of what his angle is for this meeting.”
“He wishes to discuss peace,” Cadmus said. “To refuse the meeting with him would be telling him I do not wish to have peace. I must do this, Bren. For the safety of the humans in this city.
”
“I know. But if peace really was what my father wanted, he would have the press there. Believe me,” Bren said. “Let me speak with him first before you set up a meeting. All right? I’ll call him tonight.”
He reached under the table and took Kaida’s hand. She squeezed it tightly as everyone stared at Cadmus. After a moment, the old dragon nodded. “I will consider the merits of meeting with your father a little longer before making my decision.”
* * *
“This,” Sika scooped out Kaida’s phone that was sitting in a large bowl of dry rice, “is not the way to start a weekend.”
“Tell me about it,” Kaida said.
“Did you drop it in the toilet?”
“No!” Kaida took the steaks out of the fridge and seasoned them. “I dropped it in the sink this morning when it was full of water.”
“Shitty,” Sika said. “Think it still works?”
Kaida returned the steaks to the fridge and sank into the chair next to Sika. “No. I tried turning it on half an hour ago and nothing.”
“Super shitty.” Sika kissed Kova’s head. The hatchling was strapped to her chest with some kind of harness and was sleeping soundly. “What are your plans for this glorious Friday evening?”
“Not sure yet,” Kaida said.
“Where’s your human?”
“He’s with his brother. He’ll be home in an hour or so… I think.” She glared at her phone. “I can’t call or text him.”
Sika fished her phone out of her pocket. “You can call him on my phone.”
“I don’t actually know his number,” Kaida said.
Sika laughed. “Ah, modern technology – isn’t it marvelous?”
“Yeah.” Kaida lapsed into silence and Sika poked her in the shoulder.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Well, except for the fact that you’re in love with Bren but too afraid to tell him because you know the senator will make it his mission to destroy you and your clan if you claim his son as your mate. Oh, and also – you had unprotected sex with Bren… on purpose. You want to be pregnant with his hatchling.
She hadn’t done it on purpose. She’d just been caught up in the moment, that’s all. With her dragon egging her on to keep fucking Bren and how good it felt to have him inside of her, it wasn’t surprising that she hadn’t wanted to stop.
Besides, Bren agreed to it.
That was a real shitty and manipulative thing you did to him. It wasn’t fair and you know it. You need to apologize. There’s a reason he’s been acting distant the last couple of days.
Her dragon whined unhappily. Bren had been acting weird and a little distant. He’d spent most of Thursday with her, but they hadn’t really spoken much. They’d spent most of their time in bed.
Her face flushed. Bren had been very careful to use a condom each time they were together. She should have apologized yesterday, but she couldn’t seem to form the words. She couldn’t shake the feeling that their time together was ending, and that by this time next week, Bren would be gone, and she’d be alone.
That nagging certainty had her reaching for Bren, had her nearly frantic to touch him, to take her pleasure from him as often as possible. Spending yesterday with Bren in her bed was what she’d needed. But it wasn’t solving any of the growing tension between them and so she had vowed to talk to him tonight over dinner.
“Hey, you still in there?” Sika gave her another poke in the shoulder.
“Sorry, I’m …”
“Tell me what’s wrong, honey,” Sika said gently. “Maybe I can help.”
“It’s… I don’t even know where to start or -”
The knock on her door made them both jump.
“Come in,” Kaida called.
Javee stepped into her cabin. Her face was pale and Kaida could smell her anxiety from across the room. “Javee, what’s wrong?”
“Sika, would you give me a minute alone with Kaida?” Javee asked.
“Sure.” Sika left the cabin.
The minute the door was shut, Kaida said, “What’s wrong?”
“Has your human spoken with his father?” Javee asked.
“No, at least not as of this morning. Bren tried to contact him a few times yesterday, but his father wouldn’t return his calls. He was going to go and see him today, but I wrecked my phone and I don’t know if Bren talked to him or not. Why?”
“Bones is with Cadmus at the main cabin. They’re going to meet with the senator. They’re leaving in five minutes and I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
Kaida immediately grabbed her jacket, shrugging into it and heading for the door. “Me either.”
The two of them jogged to the main cabin. As they reached the porch steps, the door opened, and Cadmus and Bones stepped outside.
“Cadmus, you said you would wait until Bren spoke to his father,” Kaida said.
“No, I said I would consider the merits of meeting with him a little longer. I have considered it and believe it’s wise to meet with Senator Matthews,” Cadmus said.
“I’m coming with you then,” Kaida said.
She waited for Cadmus to say no and was already mentally preparing her argument when Cadmus said, “All right.”
“You need me. You and Bones going alone isn’t… wait, what?”
Cadmus snorted laughter. “I said all right. You may come with us.”
A large black SUV pulled into the clearing and stopped in front of the cabins. A blond man, his body long and lean, stepped out. Kaida could smell that he was a cheetah shifter as he approached them.
“Mr. Cadmus?” The cheetah shifter held his hand out to Cadmus. “My name is Fenton. I understand you need a ride past the reporters.”
Cadmus shook his hand. “I do. As well as my two companions. Can you get all of us out without the reporters seeing us?”
Fenton looked Bones up and down. “Should be able to.”
“We have a vehicle parked in the woods not far from the reporters,” Bones said. “We’ll only need you to drive us to it.”
“Sure. Whatever you want,” Fenton said.
“Cadmus,” Kaida took his arm as he walked by her, “I don’t think this is a good idea. Bren will return soon. We should wait and -”
“It will be fine, Kaida. Do not worry.” Cadmus pulled away and followed the cheetah shifter to the SUV.
Bones was kissing Javee goodbye and the dragoness gave him a fierce look. “Be careful, my love. Promise me.”
“I will. I’ll see you soon,” Bones said.
Kaida followed Bones to the SUV. “Bones, can you not talk him out of this?”
“I tried,” the large dragon said. “He’s determined.”
“Shit. This is a really bad idea,” Kaida said.
“Probably,” Bones replied. “But he is our high elder.”
“Do the other council members know he’s doing this?”
“I don’t think so,” Bones said.
“Come, you two,” Cadmus called cheerfully. “We do not want to be late.”
“Javee,” Kaida looked over her shoulder at the dragoness, “can you find Bren’s cell number? Call him and tell him what’s happening and give him Bones’s number. Tell him my cell is dead. Okay?”
Javee nodded and Kaida, her stomach churning, climbed into the cargo area of the SUV with Bones.
* * *
“You still haven’t heard from your father?” Mal sat down on the couch next to Bren.
Bren shook his head. “No. When I went to his office this morning, they said he was out. When I went back this afternoon, he was in meetings all afternoon. When I went back just before five, he’d left for the day.”
He was pretty sure his blood pressure was at stroke levels. He made himself take a few deep breaths. “He knows exactly why I want to talk to him.
“Maybe he really does want to talk about peace,” Willow said. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding Lila.
“He doesn’t,” Bren said.
He rubbed at his forehead as he scanned his phone. When he’d arrived at Mara and Roland’s, Mal and Willow as well as Bishop and Ava were there for dinner. He’d quickly filled them in on the details surrounding his father’s request.
He could hear Tyler and Corey, as well as Mal’s youngest sister, Becky, in the dining room down the hall. They were joking and teasing each other as they set the table.
“And you haven’t talked to Kaida at all today?” Ava said from her spot next to Bishop on the love seat.
“No,” Bren scanned his phone again, “nothing. I’ve sent multiple texts and I’ve called her. It goes straight to voicemail.”
“I tried her earlier,” Bishop said, “and I got her voicemail as well.”
“Can you try someone else in the clan?” Willow suggested.
“No, I don’t know anyone else’s number.” He could hear the frustration in his voice as he glanced at Bishop. “Do you have anyone else’s number in the clan?”
The big grizzly shifter shook his head. “No, sorry.”
Bren’s phone buzzed in his hand. He stared at the unfamiliar number before answering. “Hello?”
“Bren, it’s Javee.”
The anxiety in the dragoness’s voice made Bren’s scalp tighten and dread seep into his chest. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
“You’re a hard guy to get a hold of,” Javee said. “It took me forever to find your cell number.”
“A cop’s personal number is usually more difficult to track down, even for a hacker like you. What’s going on? Have you talked to Kaida today? She isn’t answering her phone.”
“Her cell died,” Javee said. “It’s why I’m calling. Cadmus is meeting with your father tonight and he took Bones and Kaida with him.”
“What?” Bren exploded up off the couch and paced the living room as the others quit talking and stared at him. “When? Where?”
“They left almost two hours ago, but I don’t know where the meeting is.”
“Shit,” he said.
“I’m going to text you Bones’s number. Call him and he’ll give you their location,” Javee said.
The Dragon's Mate (Book Seven) Page 33
