by Renee Hewett
“Very fancy setup,” she said, looking around.
“Welcome to Ursanis.” He let his hand touch hers as he handed her the towel. There was so much right about having her there. He wanted to show her everything, if only they had the time. But they were there for a specific reason...
"Your Highness, welcome back," Alma, one of his most trusted attendants, greeted him, followed by a few guards. "Monty messaged ahead to let us know you'd run into trouble and would be coming down with Miss Baldwin ahead of them."
Willow’s reaction to his title wasn’t lost on him. She’d frozen in place, holding a towel under her hair to squeeze the water out. It would be an adjustment for her to accompany royalty. It wasn’t something most people did in their lives.
“Alma, meet Miss Baldwin, Willow. She’s representing the Aquaterrestrial Task Force and Federal Paranormal Unit while helping us search for the pyrosomes, and now looking into the intruders.”
Willow collected herself and shook hands with Alma, covering any awkwardness she may have been feeling. “Nice to meet you.”
“Are they ready for us in the briefing room?”
“No, Your Highness, you’re a bit earlier than expected. We’re still waiting for council members to arrive, as well as Monty and Miss Neubauer.”
Two other attendants entered the chamber. One handed Willow a stack of folded garments and the other gave Graham spare clothes and his communication device.
“Willow, we have showers and amenities in here”—Graham indicated the door to the bathing area—“but since we have time, you may choose to settle and freshen up in your room.” Selfishly, he hoped she would opt for the latter, and allow him to accompany her.
“I’ll take the room shower.”
“This way, ma’am.” One of the attendants turned to lead Willow away.
“That’s okay. I’ll escort Willow to her chambers.” At Graham’s words, the attendant faltered, looking to Alma for guidance. Alma cleared her throat and then nodded, dismissing the attendant, and then gave Graham a small smile. It was enough to tell him she was aware that something was going on between him and Willow. He knew everyone of note would know in short order. News spread fast in Ursanis.
Alma stepped forward, signaling she needed to speak to him privately. “Is there something wrong?” he asked her.
"I wish there were a better time, but I'm guessing Monty didn't tell you."
"About what? The pyrosomes? The Old One?"
“No.” Alma’s face was grim. Her eyes flicked over to Willow, who was well within earshot.
“It’s okay. She can hear whatever it is.”
Alma looked back to him. “It’s your father. When you see him at the meeting, I want you to be prepared. He gave everyone orders that you weren’t to know before you got here…”
Graham’s agitation grew. “Know what, Alma?”
“His health is faltering, Highness. I’m so sorry to have to tell you.” She bit her lip and looked away, the older wise woman suddenly looking more emotional than he’d ever seen her. He knew this meant it was bad. Very bad.
Graham held his temper. It was just like his father to keep something like that away from him, not wanting Graham to have an excuse to come home and give up on finding a mate. If Graham had known his father was sick, he would have dropped everything to be with him.
And instead, Graham had been partying, enjoying flings with no real attempts made at finding his true mate. His disgust with himself was severe.
“Would you like me to take Miss Willow to her room so you can have some time to yourself?” Alma spoke so softly, Willow wouldn’t have heard the offer.
"No, it's fine. Thank you for telling me." Alma nodded and headed off with the other attendant, leaving only the guards to escort them at a distance.
7
The large clean chamber opened into a bright hallway. Graham wordlessly led Willow. She'd heard what the attendant had told him about his father, and she saw the way his face had fallen at the news. She didn't know what kind of relationship the two had, but he was clearly very affected by the revelation.
It definitely put a damper on her enthusiasm for setting foot into Ursanis for the first time. Then, the ground shook, and Graham and Willow both stumbled, using the wall to steady themselves. “What was that?” Willow asked.
Graham pulled out his communicator. “Can someone tell me what that was?”
“Tremors. Sending status report.”
Graham took Willow by the arm, walking at a quickened pace. With the other hand, he navigated through messages on his communicator. “Shit.”
Through a large archway, a few doors greeted them. Graham opened one and guided Willow in. Again, the opulence took her aback. Was the whole room made of marble and pearl? She had a huge window that gave her a full view of the ocean, and for some reason the dome didn't cast any purple tint for those looking out.
As she looked, she asked Graham, “What updates are you getting?”
He sat on the bed, scrolling through his device. “These tremors have been happening since they discovered the pyrosomes missing. Actually, they discovered the pyrosomes missing because of the tremors.” He looked up at her, his eyebrows knitted together.
“No one told you this?” She guessed, based on the fact that no one had told her or the FPU.
“No,” he confirmed.
She didn’t know if this changed his thought on the Old One. “Is there some other explanation?”
“I don’t know. Willow, I’ve told myself the Old One was a myth. That it wasn’t important I do my duty because the old traditions were outdated. I let myself be foolish and made a fool of my people. And now my father is sick, and my people are in more danger than I realized."
She sat on the bed next to him and took his hand. She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, but the tremor had shaken her. Suddenly the little mission of finding fish had become more complicated than she’d prepared for, even after being told about the Old One. “It had seemed outrageous. I hadn’t believed it either.”
“What have we done?” Graham’s eyes were pained.
“Nothing, we’ve done exactly what we needed to do. We received word, we showed up where we were supposed to, and now we’re ready for the briefing.” She said that much, at least, with conviction. It didn’t matter if she hadn’t believed the myth. She had followed through on her duty. She was where she was supposed to be, and she would see the mission through to completion.
“But I spent five years away. I should have been here.”
Willow stood and held out her hand. "Graham, we don't have the luxury to wallow. We have a short time until Monty and Risa get here, until you have to question the intruders and then report to your council. For now, come with me to the shower."
He peered up at her. “I don’t think now’s the right time.”
“It’s the perfect time. We need to get clean and ready for duty, and we don’t know if we’ll get another chance.” He took her hand and stood, following her to the bathroom. “Besides, I don’t know how to work the shower.” She winked.
It got a smile out of him, and he made a show of twisting the knobs to set the temperature, and then pulling the cord that started the stream of water. They derobed, standing naked in front of each other. She shivered when he trailed one hand down her neck, across her shoulder, and down the side of her breast.
Then he pulled her into the water with him. It was warm, but his skin was warmer, and she was drawn to the heat. Their lips met, and their bodies entwined. She felt his cock growing, and she growled, “Don’t you dare waste a second this time.”
He obliged, pushing her against the far wall of the shower and positioning himself while she wrapped her legs around him. As he entered her, she gasped, feeling him slowly filling her until he stilled. Their eyes locked, and she pulled him down to kiss her again, her hips rocking as his did the same. They started a rhythm, in and out, while their mouths hungrily took and gave kisses and
their hands roamed each other's slick skin. Even with him inside her, Willow wanted more, she wanted all of him, to never be apart from him.
“Say my name,” he whispered between kisses.
“Graham…”
She heard him moan, "I'm so close," and he started to pump faster. She reached between them, to rub herself closer to her climax.
Together they went over that edge, riding the wave of pleasure, feeling a release. She kissed his neck and face while he slowed and finally stilled. He didn’t look at her, though, or kiss her in return.
Regrouping, she realized something was wrong. “Graham?”
He backed away, letting her steady herself on her legs before he turned away. She touched his back. “What’s going on?”
“We need to get going.” He reached for the soap and started to lather.
“You can wash and tell me what’s wrong at the same time.” She knew it wasn’t something she had done… or if it was, and he was disappointed that she wasn’t some shy virgin, then that would just be his problem because she wasn’t going to give any credit to a man like that.
“We shouldn’t have done that.” He handed a sample bottle of shampoo to her. The kind they would have at hotels.
“Why?” Her voice rose as she grew impatient with his mysterious change.
Finally, he turned to look at her, rinsing the suds off as he bit his words out. “This mate shit is nonsense. You have no place here. We’ve known each other for a day, and I’m in here getting my rocks off while my people are in danger.”
Her hand itched to slap him. “We talked about this before we came in here. There is nothing else we need to be doing now.”
“Anything would have been better than this.”
“Ex-fucking-scuse me?” She nearly shrieked the words.
For just a moment, his face softened. “No, I don’t mean this wasn’t good. I just mean I need to be out there…” He trailed off.
“You’re feeling guilty. Fine, we’ll get out there right away.” She was washing as fast as she could. “But why does it feel like you’re turning on me?”
He stepped out of the shower, hand on the glass door as he looked at her, then slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’re mates after all.”
Graham left the bathroom before Willow could respond or before he could take his words back. To her credit, she didn’t follow him out. She didn’t try to contradict him or challenge him on his claim. If she had, he didn’t know if he’d be able to hold out on the lie.
She was his mate. He couldn’t have been more sure. He felt it as clear as could be when he was with her.
But at the same time, facing the problems with the Old One and his father's health, he couldn't drag her into it all. She was there on business. That was fine. But she had a home to go home to after all this, if there was an after. She had a job she was passionate about. She had a life.
He'd seen too many people bring mates to Ursanis just to have them leave. The worst cases were when they left their children too. His parents were lucky because they'd used a matchmaker, as Monty had. Meeting your mate when you were young meant more opportunity to be flexible. His mother hadn't had a life, just like Monty's wife hadn't. They'd been fresh out of school and excited to set down roots in Ursanis.
Willow… she would have to give up everything to be with him, and he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t ask her to make that choice…
And he couldn’t do it to himself. The way he felt about her already, he knew it would be hard for her to leave. But if they were together, if they had kids, and then she realized she couldn’t be in Ursanis with them… he wouldn’t survive that kind of heartbreak.
And his people needed him to hold himself together.
He dressed in the garments he’d been given—an underwater flight suit that would stretch with him when he shifted. He managed to make it out of the room before Willow emerged from the bathroom. “Two of you stay here and take her down to the brig when she’s ready,” he told the guards before heading off with the other two.
8
Willow let the conditioner sit in her hair for a full five minutes. The better to hydrate.
And to figure out what was going on.
She'd never heard of such a situation before, people thinking they were mates and then figuring out during sex they weren't. She sure didn't feel any different, but clearly, Graham did. That was even more evident when she heard the external bedroom door open and close.
While she rinsed out the conditioner and then dried off, she talked herself through what she needed to do. “It doesn’t matter if he used me for sex; it doesn’t matter if I feel the way I do for him; I have to be a professional and rise above this.”
Dressed in the weird stretchy suit, lacking any makeup or even a hair tie to pull back her wet locks (not like I’m trying to impress anyone), Willow followed the two guards down to the Ursanis brig. She walked in on Graham dressing down Monty.
“Sir, you understand I had certain orders.” Monty stood with his hands behind his back, relaxed and confident in his decision.
“You shouldn’t have let me go on how I was while you knew we were experiencing tremors and my father was suffering ill health.”
Risa looked at her for more info, but Willow pursed her lips and shook her head. "Did you manage to get anything from the men on the way down?" she asked, indicating the prisoners in the cell behind the large glass window.
“They weren’t talking, but I did get some info from their laptop.” Risa turned the computer to show the detailed pictures that she'd found. "Turns out, they're in some kind of a cult. They found some obscure lore about the Old Ones, and fished around the grindylows, then convinced the grindys to start stealing the pyrosomes.”
“That makes no sense. Why would they want to wake the Old One?” Willow asked, staring off, trying to figure out what was motivating these cultists.
“From what I can gather,” Risa said, "it's just about the chaos and destruction. They want to unleash an Old One, stir things up. ‘Change the world.'" Risa mocked with an air of disgust.
"They can't possibly think it'll be for the better," Willow said, not quite believing what she was hearing.
"It's not about the betterment of anyone. It's about taking down the status quo. It's about anarchy." Risa, with a few clicks, shifted the screen to one of the last pictures she found, what looked like a picture of an ancient parchment, a large image depicting death and destruction at the hands of something unseen, or at least, not illustrated.
"They can't think they'll survive," Willow said, paling slightly at the thought of so much carnage.
"They don't care," Risa said, looking back at the prisoners behind the glass.
“And what were they planning on doing with the crates of pyrosomes?” Willow saw in her peripheral vision that Graham and Monty were listening to Risa’s answers as well.
“The only thing I could find having to do with the transport is that this was the first planned one. They wanted to take one to a lab, and another to their witches. At the very least, that should mean that the rest of them are still somewhere nearby.”
“Good job, Risa.”
"Thanks, I'm happy to have been able to pull anything from their computer. It was rigged to lockdown, but I got by the system." Risa shrugged.
From there, Willow was at a loss as to how to proceed. She asked herself what she would do in a regular situation, one where she didn't have mixed emotions with her operation's primary point of contact. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked over to Graham.
“Your Highness, permission for my partner and me to go in and question the prisoners.” She made no indication that she noticed Monty’s raised eyebrows or Risa’s knitted ones. Using Graham’s title just alerted both of them that something was wrong.
“Not alone. We’ll all go.” Graham barely looked at her as he passed, opening the door to the cell that held the three cultists handcuffed to a long ta
ble.
“We felt the tremor,” the first said as soon as they entered. “It won’t be long now. The Old One wakes.”
Ignoring their pleased expressions, Willow went directly to the point. “Why were you taking the pyrosomes?”
The cultists exchanged looks, and finally, the first one shrugged. "If it entertains you to know," he said, his speech becoming drawn out slightly, "because it certainly isn't going to do you any good now, we planned on reverse-engineering them."
“For what?” Graham sat across from them with his arms crossed, even though Willow, Risa, and Monty continued to stand. Willow looked closely at Graham and wondered if he was doing something to the cultists. The way he looked at them made her think he was possibly working some kind of hypnosis, which would explain why they were answering the questions so quickly now. And in such a dreamy way.
The last one tilted his head as if the very question was absurd. “Why, if we figure out what enchantment you put on your ghosts, we can reverse it and multiply it and use it to wake the others, of course.”
“The others?” Risa’s voice squeaked.
The operation briefing was attended by Graham, Willow, Risa, Monty, Ursanis intelligence officers and elders, and his parents and their council of advisors. The mention of waking other Old Ones had Graham on edge. At least he was able to use his charm magic to get the cultists to admit that this was the only Old One they’d located.
Their intelligence officers confirmed at the briefing that they had checked in with other guardians around the globe and confirmed that other sites had not seen any breaches, but security was being increased at all locations.
“It seems the grindylows were the weak link here,” one of the officers explained. “The other areas don’t have a similar situation like we do with our neighbors. The cultists didn’t have an in with any locals who could help them breach the barriers.”
