Arch craned his neck forward, eyes squinting. “Peter Kyrakolous … Irina Alekperova … Sir James Dalton … J.S. Strohen … Bertrand Pinault … that’s like a list of Forbes’s Richest People.”
“I know, right?” Lizzie said. “But the paper trail doesn’t lie. Somehow, the mages were able to convince these people to ‘donate’ to their cause.”
“It’s not farfetched,” Lucas said. “They do have the necklace. That means—”
“Apologies for the delay.”
All eyes turned to the door, not because it opened, but because someone had materialized in front of it. It was Cross Jonasson, Daric’s hybrid son. He looked just like his father—tall, Viking-like, with long blond hair though the sides of his head were shaved, and he sported a scraggly thick beard. Like his father, he possessed powers that allowed him to move across long distances and materialize almost anywhere. Delacroix had previously met him in Zhobghadi when they rescued King Karim from his enemies and the mages.
“I had some business to attend to.” Cross strode forward. “Primul,” he said, acknowledging Lucas. “I have—”
Marina shrieked. “You too!”
“What’s wrong?” Gabrielle asked.
“He’s … he’s …” Her face scrunched up in determination as she walked toward Cross. The hybrid seemed frozen to the spot and didn’t stop the young girl from coming closer or taking his hand. “You’ve touched something bad, too.”
Daric frowned. “No, only I have touched the dagger.”
“But his hands,” Marina cried. “His hands.” She stared up at him. “You’ve touched it too and …” She frowned. “What’s wrong with your glow?”
“She’s right,” Adelaide said. “You’ve touched something very powerful. It’s similar to what stains the warlock’s hand, but different.”
“Cross?” Lucas’s voice was tight. “What is she saying?”
“Son.” Daric came forward, his face inscrutable. “What’s the meaning of this?”
The atmosphere in the room became thick as molasses. Delacroix held on to Mika’s hand and she squeezed back. His wolf was going crazy, hackles raised and ready for action. He didn’t know what was going on, but if there was something wrong, he had to get her out of here.
Cross’s expression remained neutral. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“She,” Lucas nodded at Marina, “can detect traces of magic. And she knows you’ve touched it.”
“Touched what?” Cross asked nonchalantly.
“The artifact, son.” Daric raised his voice, a rare occurrence for the normally calm warlock. “You’ve touched the ring of Magus Aurelius, haven’t you?”
“You have it?” The air crackled with the power of Lucas’s wolf. “All this time, you’ve had it?” His eyes glowed as his wolf reached for the surface.
Cross’s nostrils flared as he seemed to struggle to keep his stoic mask in place. “It’s not … it’s not what you think.”
“What the hell are we supposed to think?” Lucas took a step toward him. “You’ve been keeping it from us and—”
“I’m sorry,” he said, turning his head to his father. “But you have to understand …”
Lucas let out a growl and lunged at Cross, but he only got air. The hybrid had disappeared into thin air. “Goddamn … get him,” he said to Daric, his voice deadly. “I don’t care if he’s your son, I want him back here.”
Daric seemed to hesitate, but nodded. “Yes, Primul.” And then he shimmered away.
“I don’t understand, Mémère.” Marina’s blonde brows were drawn into a frown. “Did you see it? Why did his glow look like that?”
“I don’t know.” Adelaide clucked her tongue. “But I did not like the look of it.”
Adrianna Anderson came up to Lucas and put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. “Lucas … I can’t believe it. How? Did he have it all this time?”
Lucas seemed to struggle to keep his wolf in control. “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.”
Delacroix felt his mate tug at his hand. “There’s something else going on,” Mika whispered to him. “I can’t … I don’t believe Cross would do something like this without good reason.”
“People aren’t always what they seem, cher,” he said.
“Yes, but Cross …” She shook her head. “I’ve known him for so long. And fought beside him. There has to be some explanation.”
Around them, all the Lycans’ emotions varied, ranging from worried to agitated to confused. Did Cross really have the ring all this time? Had he just been pretending to search for it? And of course, the biggest question was why?
“We will find out,” he said to his mate. He placed a hand on her stomach, on the life she nurtured inside her. At the beginning of all this, he had thought he had no skin in this game, that there was nothing at stake for him. But now, things had indeed changed. He had to fight; fight for her, fight for their child, so that it could have a future. And God help anyone who tried to harm them.
Mika placed her hand over his and looked up at him with those emerald eyes. “Together,” she said.
“Yes.” He couldn’t shield her or change what she was. Mika would always be out there, fighting for what was right. It was what he admired and loved most about her. But he would always be by her side, for now and always.
Dear Reader,
Hopefully your patience has paid off because the book you’ve been waiting for is almost here…
A Touch of Magic is available now!!
What’s been Cross up to?
Is he keeping a big secret?
Has he met his True Mate?
Get it now and find out!
Thanks for sticking with me through this series!
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Love,
Alicia
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