by BE Kelly
“I tried to talk him out of it. He called me in after Ash had been missing for a week, asking me about my daughter’s abilities. I tried to downplay them at first, saying that I wasn’t even sure if they got the gift of seeing from their mother. But, he insisted that they had; even showed me some newspaper clippings of articles about the girls from back home. Apparently Kaiah and Ay were quite the celebrities back in New Mexico. Word got around their small town about what they could do and it turned into quite the circus for a time. They had the gift and Jace wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He wanted their help and told me that they would give it—one way or another. He threatened to go after them and drag them back if necessary. Jace can be very persuasive when he wants to be and I didn’t want him hurting my girls. I knew that if I could get them up here, on their own free will, things would go much more smoothly for all of us. So, I took a quick trip down to New Orleans, where I had heard Ay was living and found you guys,” Echo said.
“And, lied to all of us,” Gray reminded.
“I told you partial truths,” Echo corrected. “I knew that if Kaiah believed she and Aylen were in danger, she’d do anything to protect both of them.”
“She would,” Gray agreed. “What exactly are we walking into up here, Echo?” Gray asked.
“I’m not sure but I won’t let Jace hurt the girls. If Kaiah and Aylen can help him, great. But, if not, I give you my word that I won’t let him touch either of them.”
Kaiah
Lake pulled up to a little cabin set back deep in the woods and cut the engine. “This is Jace’s place,” he said.
“Is this where Ash disappeared from?” Kaiah asked. Lake shook his head. She wasn’t getting any reading at all and that scared the crap out of her. She usually could pick up on things but this new void was foreign to her.
“He disappeared from school. His teacher said he was out at recess and when she checked on him—one minute—he was there, the next gone,” Lake said. “Are you getting anything?”
Kaiah wouldn’t lie about her abilities, even to save her neck. “No,” she admitted. “But I got that his name was Ash from poking around your brain, so who knows. Maybe I can talk to his family and even his teacher—that might give me something to go off of.”
“I’m sure we can arrange that. Listen, Jace isn’t going to be the friendliest—you know he’s not a fan of half-bloods. I don’t think you should let him know what’s going on with you—you know being pregnant and possibly not having your abilities.” Lake was right—telling the alpha shifter that she was dragged out to his place only to find out that she had lost her gift, might not be the best idea. She just hoped her sister got her SOS call because she had a feeling that they weren’t going to let her go without some information about the young boy who was missing. A flash of his face filled her mind and she knew that she’d be able to give his family some answers but she needed Aylen’s help.
“I’ll need a picture of him,” she said. “I think I know who this kid is but the more I get to touch his personal objects—a favorite toy or something he wore that hasn’t been washed yet, the better. I’ll need all the help I can get.” Lake nodded and looked to the front porch of the small cabin where a man stood watching them. She assumed it was Jace by the scowl he wore when he looked at her through the windshield.
“Ready?” Lake asked.
“No,” she breathed. “But the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can find Gray and tell him that I acted like an ass.” She meant it too. If she would have just taken a deep breath and looked at things from his viewpoint, she might not be sitting in Lake’s pick-up about to meet a man who may or may not want to kill her for simply being who she was.
“Well, I’m sure he’ll love that. Your guy seems to like to be right,” Lake teased. Kaiah giggled, thankful to him for making the situation a little lighter.
“I’m right behind you,” Lake whispered. She got out of the truck and walked toward the cabin, feeling like Jace’s eyes might bore into her with the way he was staring her down.
Lake took lead, “This is Kaiah Nez,” he said. “Kaiah, this is Jace.”
She held out her hand and the shifter looked at it as if it had wronged him in some way. “Okay,” Kaiah whispered, lowering her arm to her side. “I hear you have a missing child,” she said. He nodded and walked back into his cabin. “Well,” she whispered to Lake, “he seems lovely.”
“You two coming in or are you going to stand on my porch all day?” Jace shouted back out to them. The thought of having to be inside Jace’s house made her skin crawl. How did one person hate another because of who they were? Although she was pretty sure that Jace’s winning personality didn’t get him invited to many parties, she wondered what had happened to him to make him hate her and people like her.
Lake ushered Kaiah into Jace’s cabin and she looked around. Everything seemed so still, so quiet that she wondered if anyone else was in the house with them. “Are you here alone?” she asked.
“My wife is sleeping down the hall. She’s not getting much rest lately and I told her to go lay down. You have kids, Miss Nez?” Jace questioned.
She looked down her body, not wanting to give away any part of her personal life to the shifter. “No,” she said. “I was married once but we never had children.”
“Was it to a shifter or seer?” Jace asked. She wanted to tell him it was none of his damn business who or what her ex was but she also knew better than to provoke him. Lake was right, she needed to keep the peace until she could find the answers Jace needed to let her be on her way.
“Human,” she admitted.
Jace barked out his laugh, “Well, I guess you don’t have a type then,” he taunted. She had a type all right—assholes. Up until she met Gray the men she usually fell for where complete assholes who had one agenda—fucking up her life. Even her husband turned out to be just like all the rest of them and that thought had her feeling defeated until she remembered just how wonderful Gray is. He changed so much of her life in such a short time, she didn’t know what she would have done without him all these months.
When Rios found out that human hunters were after Aylen and he followed her home to New Mexico, she never imagined how much her life would change. Finding her sister at Anali’s house with her new man made her a little jealous—she’d admit it. She saw how Rios was with Ay and God, she wanted to find a good guy like him. When Gray stumbled through her grandmother’s door, her heartfelt as though it skipped a beat. She wanted him from the moment she met him so why should him making her his mate, even without telling her, matter? The short answer was it didn’t but she was stubborn and walked away from him right into the line of fire. Getting into Lake’s truck might have been the biggest mistake she had made in some time.
Kaiah didn’t bother to answer Jace’s smart ass question about her type. “I’ll need a picture of your son and some of his personal belongings,” she said. Jace nodded and walked over to a bookcase that lined a wall by the fireplace, pulling down a picture of his son and studying it.
He cleared his throat and handed it to her, “This is Ash,” she looked down at the seven-year-old and smiled. It was the same kid she saw in her quick flash when they pulled up to the cabin.
“Can you help us find him?” Jace almost whispered. Kaiah was about to tell him that she could when he cursed and walked out onto his front porch. She and Lake followed the alpha shifter and smiled at her sister when she and Rios’s SUV pulled up behind Lake’s truck. Her sister looked less pleased to see her.
Aylen got out of her vehicle and quickly crossed the small gravel parking pad to climb the wooden porch and pull Kaiah in for a hug. “You okay, Sissy?” she asked. Kaiah nodded. Rios stood by the SUV, staring down Jace and Lake.
“This is how this is going to work,” Rios shouted. “My wife and her sister will help you find your kid and then you let us leave.” Aylen pulled Kaiah into her side, wrapping a protective arm around her.
Jace ba
rked out his laugh, “You’re not the one calling the shots around here. I am,” he challenged. “What makes you think I’ll listen to a word you say?”
“I’m betting you are out here away from most of your pack. You seem pretty isolated. How long will it take them to get here once you shift and call them—five, ten minutes? I’m also betting by then, you’ll be dead,” Rios threatened.
“And, who’s going to kill me—you? You might be younger than me but I’m betting my wolf has a few tricks up his sleeve that will keep us both alive until the calvary rides in,” Jace challenged. “A lone wolf is hardly a threat.”
“How about two wolves?” Aylen challenged. Gray pulled up to the cabin and Kaiah’s heart sank. She wasn’t sure if she was happy or mad that he had followed her. She told him she needed time but right now, seeing him ride into her rescue was about the best thing she saw in a long time.
“Make that three wolves,” Kaiah said nodding to Gray.
“Four,” Lake added. “I won’t follow you if you try to hurt either of them, Jace.” Echo got out of the truck and walked to the porch, nodding to Jace.
“My son’s right,” Echo said. “You lay a finger on my girls and you’ll have five wolves to deal with. I won’t let you tell me that they are a mistake anymore, Jace.” He looked Kaiah over and smiled. “You okay?” he asked. Kaiah nodded, not quite able to speak past the lump of emotion in her throat.
Gray stood by his pick-up and she could feel his anxiety. He seemed worried that she wouldn’t want him there and that wasn’t true. Kaiah let go of Aylen and stepped past Jace to leave the porch, not caring if he’d allow it or not. Gray didn’t make a move towards her and she didn’t blame him. When she walked away from him, she told him that she needed space. This was his way of giving it to her but also letting her know that he had her back.
“Hey,” Kaiah whispered, looking up at him. It was getting dark and she could barely make out the smirk on his beautiful face.
“Hey, Baby Girl,” he whispered back. “You good?”
“I am now,” she said. Gray held his arms out for her and she willingly threw herself against his body. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured against him. “I acted like a spoiled brat.”
“You did, Baby Girl. I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to punish you for that later. Right now, we need to get through this shit show. You know where the kid is?” he asked. Kaiah shook her head and leaned closer into his body.
“No,” she said. “I’m worried that I’ve lost some of my abilities.” Gray’s hands stilled on her body and the look on his handsome face was almost comical.
“Shit,” he grumbled, seeming to pick up on the fact that she was hinting to possibly being pregnant.
“We can talk about it later,” she offered. “But, for now, I’m supposed to pick-up whatever I can for Jace and not let on that my gifts are lacking. I’m hoping that Aylen will be able to help fill in the pieces that I miss.”
“Fine, but you won’t be staying here,” Gray demanded. “We all leave together or we all stay—got it?” he asked. “And, where you go I go,” he quickly added. Kaiah nodded and smiled up at him.
“So bossy, Daddy,” she whispered. Gray grumbled something about her crazy ass and grabbed her hand, squeezing it into his own. Aylen took her other hand as soon as she and Gray got back up to the porch.
“We doing this?” Ay asked.
“Sure,” Kaiah said. “I’m going to need your help though,” she admitted.
“Always, Sissy,” Aylen agreed. “I’ve always got your back. Let’s find this kid. I’m picking up that his name is Ash—that about right?” she asked her sister.
Kaiah nodded and saw his face again in her mind. Aylen squeezed her hand. “Got it,” she whispered. “We’ll need to hear how it happened from you,” she said, pointing to Jace. Kaiah loved that Ay seemed to take point in all of this. She didn’t trust her abilities right now and it was nice to let her sister take lead.
“Fine, I’ll wake up my wife, Mary. You all make yourself comfortable in the family room,” Jace ordered. They filed into his small cabin and Kaiah loved the way Aylen and Gray flanked her sides. She felt Gray’s protective instincts and she instantly felt better.
Moments later, Jace returned with his wife and Kaiah didn’t have to be a seer to feel the woman’s pain. She was disheveled and distant, as any mother who’s child was missing would be. But, there was more. It was almost as if she could feel Mary’s disgust for her husband and she wondered what that was all about.
“I feel it too,” Aylen whispered for only Kaiah to hear.
“You want anything to drink?” Kaiah was starving and her stomach rumbled in protest.
“I’m good,” she lied.
“I have a pup to get back to and he’s nursing. The faster we can get this done, the better,” Aylen said. Kaiah saw the sadness in Mary’s eyes when Ay mentioned her pup and she felt bad for the woman. “I didn’t mean it that way—I’m sorry. I just don’t want my son going hungry.”
Mary sat down next to Aylen on the adjoining sofa. “I get that,” she whispered. “Thinking about my Ash out there, alone and hungry makes me physically ache.”
Aylen held out her hand, “Aylen but everyone calls me Ay and this is Kaiah. We’re going to help you find your son,” she said. Kaiah reached across her sister and shook Mary’s hand.
“Mary,” she said. “And, thank you.”
“This won’t happen instantaneously,” Kaiah added. “We’ll have to come back over the next few days and talk to people. Sometimes, we pick something up right away and other times, it takes us a little longer.”
“Have you ever not found someone?” Mary asked. They had but Kaiah hated admitting it. When the person that they were looking for was dead, it sometimes took them longer to track them down.
“I go by a person’s feelings,” Kaiah said. “So, if I can track down someone by how they are feeling, it makes things easier for me.”
“Meaning that if our son is dead, you won’t be able to get a read on him, right?” Jace asked.
“Well, that’s blunter than how I’d phrase it, but yes,” Kaiah said.
“And, I need time to dream. That’s how my visions come although, I can do a little of what Kaiah can. With a newborn, my sleep schedule is sporadic at best, so this might take us a little longer than it used to. But, I promise you, Mary, we’ll do our best to track down Ash.” Kaiah knew that Aylen was breaking one of their unspoken rules—don’t make any promises when it came to their abilities but she felt it too—Mary needed some reassurances. She nodded and smiled, handing Kaiah a little Lego space ship.
“This was the last thing he played with. He had been building it the morning before he left for school. And this,” she said, handing Aylen a stuffed pig, “this was his favorite stuffed animal. He slept with it every night.”
“It is his favorite,” Jace said, correcting his wife. “Don’t use past tense when you talk about him, Mary.”
“Does word choice matter right now?” Mary scolded. “Our son is missing—or worse and you’re worried about which tense I’m using?”
“It’s like you’ve given up, Mary,” Jace accused without any real heat. He seemed sadder about that realization than angry.
She shrugged, “Maybe I have,” she said, letting the sob escape her chest. “He’s been missing for two weeks now, how am I supposed to feel, Jace. You like to correct me and tell me how to do things. Well, tell me how to mourn my missing child. Please—I’d welcome not having to think about how I feel for five whole minutes. But, then again that would mean that you’d have to open up to me and share your feelings and we all know you don’t like to do that. It’s too messy,” Mary spat. Kaiah felt like she wanted to run and hide from the vile way the two of them were looking at each other. Jace and Mary seemed to have only contempt for each other and that made her sad. Gray seemed to sense her unease and tugged her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulde
r.
Echo cleared his throat from where he stood in the corner of the small room. “How about you two have this conversation in private—later. Right now, Kaiah and Ay need to ask some questions to help find Ash.” Jace nodded at Echo and Kaiah turned her attention back to Mary.
“These objects are perfect, Mary,” Kaiah said. “Thank you.” Kaiah took the Legos from Mary and handed the stuffed pig to Aylen. Her sister turned the stuffed animal over in her hands and Kaiah could feel her sister’s sadness. Gray and Rios stood quietly in the corner of the cabin, knowing that she and Ay needed to concentrate on finding Ash. They had both been with her and Aylen when they were trying to find someone but this was all new to Echo and Lake. She knew that they were watching the two of them like they were a ticking time bomb or something.
“Tell us what happened the morning he disappeared,” Aylen said.
Mary rubbed her forehead as if trying to remember that day and Kaiah noting her shaking hand. She wondered if she’d be able to sit and talk to anyone if something happened to her child and the thought of having a baby almost felt overwhelming. Mary sat back on the sofa, folding her hands on her lap. “It was a busy morning. Ash had a school project due that day and he waited until the last minute to tell me that he needed a few supplies,” Mary said. “I was so angry with him.”
“He was always doing stuff like that,” Jace said. “Waiting until the last minute to finish a school project or do his chores—always the procrastinator.”
“Lake was the same way if it makes you feel any better. It must be a boy thing,” Echo said.
“Well, that’s something to look forward to,” Aylen grumbled causing Rios to chuckle.
“What happened next?” Kaiah prompted Mary to continue.
“I ran to the store the night before and picked up the things he needed and we got up early to finish his project. It was a reproduction of the white house made from toothpicks. There were toothpicks everywhere and I was cleaning them up while Ash was supposed to be getting ready for school—you know brushing his teeth and hair and finding his shoes. That kid was always late to school because he couldn’t find one shoe,” Mary said, a smile played on her sad face. “That’s when I walked back to his room and found him making that,” she said, nodding to the Lego space ship.
