by Macy Blake
“Got ‘em.”
Loch followed them out the door, still carrying the bin. How Nick had managed to perform this miracle showed how incredible the support system he’d built actually was. All the kids were lined up in the hallway. A pile of bags lined one wall. A group of adults stood at either end of the hall, and from the power rolling off of them, Loch could tell both the vampires and dragons had come along for the ride.
“Ready?” Solomon asked from beside him.
“If they are.”
“Puteri says she can take care of anything they need once they get to the lake. I’ve been there enough that I get it. The lake will make sure they’re safe and have fun. Weird that I know it, but true.”
Loch nodded. “The queen asked for the other mates to join us. How do we want to handle that request?”
“I’ll send Teague to get them. They’ll meet us there.”
“Then let’s go.”
Henry
If the occasion were different at all, Henry would think they’d been invited to a carnival or some kid’s really impressive birthday party. There had been a few parties like this growing up in his pack. Well, not really like this. This was a lot.
There were over thirty kids plus the half dozen or so adults that made up Nick’s pack. Then there were their vampire and dragon guards. Another dozen, if not more. Henry had no idea how many of them were hidden in the trees, keeping watch while remaining out of sight. Then he had to count himself, Sawyer, and the rest of their mates, add another nine. The additional hellhounds, and all the fae in attendance… Henry lost count.
The queen had tasked her staff with setting up the shore area as a makeshift home for their visitors, and she’d done it in royal style. Rows of colorful tents lined the edge of the woods within the sandy area of the shoreline. A group of brownies popped in and out of existence, helping Puteri organize the mountain of stuff it took to keep a pack of this many kids happy.
Henry couldn’t help but grin. He remembered his Papa carrying around a backpack for years because he always needed something. It was his version of a purse, even though he’d scowl if anyone ever told him that. But he’d always had at hand the strangest assortment of things they might need, and it had come in handy a number of times. Henry thought about starting to carry a backpack of his own. Carrying enough lube for impromptu sexual shenanigans was worth the hassle of it.
They had arrived at the lake moments after Nick and the kids, and even as he stood at the far side of all the goings on, he couldn’t believe how quickly they’d managed to pull this off. Henry would never confess that they’d all been standing outside, impatiently waiting for Sawyer’s return. The bonus was they’d been ready to go the moment Teague showed up and told them they were needed in the fae realm. Henry hadn’t been expecting this, though.
The cubs were all huddled around Nick and Jedrek, unsure of this strange, colorful place. The imps hovered just out of sight, tittering and giggling at the new arrivals. The satyrs stood guard over their royal charges, who were deep in conversation with Sawyer, Draco, and Loch. Henry didn’t blame the kids for being a little nervous. His anxiety bubbled up as well, a reminder of how much protection he’d needed as a child and the constant threat he’d lived under as a mage. Those threats were coming to fruition now, and the biggest threat of all was the one they faced next.
A hand touched his shoulder, and Henry jolted.
“Easy,” Dakota whispered.
Henry couldn’t resist leaning into him. Even though Dakota hadn’t accepted his role as their mate yet, Henry had accepted him. He needed the comfort of one of his mates at the moment. Dakota’s hand slid from his shoulder and down to his lower back, a broad expanse of welcome heat and a grounding reminder that he was well-protected. He turned into Dakota’s body, pressed up against him.
“What do you need?” Dakota asked gently.
“This.”
Dakota didn’t say anything else. He just let Henry burrow into him and breathe until he began to feel normal again. It didn’t take long with his strong mate beside him, keeping him steady.
“How did you know?” Henry said once he began to feel normal once more.
“My siblings… struggle sometimes. I’ve learned to recognize the symptoms.”
“Tell me about them.”
Dakota sucked in a breath but remained silent for so long Henry thought he was going to ignore his request. “We tease Jax for being the pretty one,” Dakota began. “He looks so normal and has always easily passed as human. He reminds me a bit of you, actually. He loves people and is really good around them, but if you asked him, he’d tell you that he’d rather be with his family and no one else.”
“Yeah,” Henry said. “I get that.”
“The twins, Castor and Pollux, are better now that they have a purpose. Nyx is a ball of energy. She reminds me of your sister, Natasha. Not in looks. In temperament. Iris and Alastor are two sides of a coin. She’s as outgoing as he is introverted. And then there’s Koios. You would understand him most, I think. He doesn’t get out much because of his condition. We’ve spent our lives keeping him safe from harm.”
“I didn’t know there were seven of you.”
Dakota sucked in a deep breath and Henry could hear his heartbeat speed up from where his head rested against Dakota’s chest. “They are my siblings in the way yours are. Not by blood, by choice.”
“Same as Sawyer and his foster brothers.”
“Hmm,” Dakota murmured.
“I can see you as the stern and bossy older brother, just like Nick is with Sawyer.”
“Perhaps.”
“My big brother isn’t like that. Ben is tenderhearted. You’d never want to upset him, though. That’s the literal worst. He does this thing where he looks at you with this disappointed look and you will do anything in the world to make him stop.”
“I should ask him to teach me that. Maybe I would have better results with my siblings.”
Henry chuckled. “No, I think stern and bossy big brother is set for you. I don’t think you can change that after all this time.”
Dakota grunted and ran his hand up and down Henry’s spine. “Better?”
“Yes. Thank you for talking to me, and for telling me about your family.”
“I would like for you to meet them one day,” Dakota said softly.
“I’d like that. Whenever you’re ready.”
“They will not be pleased to learn what we are up against. I don’t want them involved, though. It’s too dangerous, and they risk exposure. They’ve built a good life for themselves.”
“I don’t blame you. I want to keep my brothers and sisters away from this fight, too. Just know they’re going to be really hurt. They want to help. That’s what family does.”
Henry really didn’t want to move, and Dakota didn’t seem to want him to, so he stayed where he was and watched as the cubs grew braver. The younger ones began creeping a little further out, less afraid than their older and more experienced pack mates. One of the little ones even ventured as far as the water’s edge, squealing and laughing when it touched her toes. She darted back to the others with a big smile on her face, and some of the tension eased.
A few of the others got close to the water as well. Henry glanced at their alpha and couldn’t help but grin when he noticed that Nick’s attention was locked on the little ones as they explored. He wasn’t at all what Henry expected from the stories Sawyer had shared about his oldest brother, but something in Henry knew that Nick had watched out for Sawyer just as well. The fact that neither brother had been able to save Mikey from his injuries had to be eating at them both.
Sawyer worried about bringing more attention to Henry’s family by visiting Mikey at the clinic. He still went and spoke to him every few days, hoping each time that the coma would suddenly be done and Mikey’s eyes would blink open. He’d shared his whispered imaginings to Henry one night when they both lay curled on the couch, the movie they’d been watching lon
g over. They had those moments of normalcy even in the midst of all the danger and excitement that seemed to follow them around.
“They are quite brave,” Dakota mumbled.
“Sometimes, you just need a little encouragement. What do you say, Dakota? Want to be brave with me?” Henry leaned back his head and looked up into Dakota’s mysterious golden eyes. His breath caught at the hunger and longing he could see hiding there.
“I do.”
Henry grinned and slowly released his hold on Dakota’s waist. He reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head. He had on swim shorts already, as they normally ended up in the pool at the house with Saeward. He and Sawyer both had taken to wearing them as their main article of clothing.
He arched a brow at Dakota and waited. He half expected Dakota to smirk and not play along, so when his new mate pulled his shirt over his head Henry about passed out.
“Challenge accepted,” Dakota said. And there was the smirk Henry had been waiting for, except it was accompanied by the snick of the button on Dakota’s jeans and then the slow glide of the zipper being pulled down. The black boxer-briefs Dakota had on shouldn’t have been the sexiest thing Henry had ever seen, but they totally were. “You just going to stand there?”
Dakota walked toward the water and Henry tripped over his own feet trying to catch up. Dakota caught him and pulled him closer. “Don’t play with fire, Henry. You might get burned.”
“Don’t play with air, Dakota. You might start an inferno.”
Dakota grinned and before Henry could process, had scooped him up. He ran a few steps into the water before tossing Henry into the purple waves. He came up with a sputtering cough but laughed as Dakota dove in and emerged from the water beside him. “Sorry, had to put out that inferno. There are children present. Think of the children.”
Henry laughed and lunged for Dakota. They splashed around for a moment, Dakota’s larger form easily keeping Henry under control. He didn’t have supernatural size or strength on his side like his mate. He didn’t need it, though. He’d never seen Dakota like this, playful and at ease. When the kids started playing in the water behind them, they both swam closer, encouraging them to be brave.
He reached for Dakota’s hand and clenched it tight. Their antics had drawn the attention of everyone on the shoreline, and all eyes were on them. Sawyer had one of his secret smiles on his face, the pleased ones Henry loved to see. Draco looked smug as well and sent a smoldering look Henry’s way.
Dakota tugged Henry closer to the kids and before long, they were surrounded. The lake pulsed, and Henry could feel her happiness. Dakota seemed to feel it, too. He looked over his shoulder at the wide expanse of lake before turning back to Henry with a smile.
“This place is magical.”
“It is. The lady helped me when I was wounded, before we met you.”
“The banshees. I heard the story.”
“Yeah, well, the waters here are healing. I think it’ll be good for the kids. Loch told me the lady can help with emotional problems, too.”
“And after the lives these children have led, they must need care for that as well.”
“Yeah. Your siblings didn’t get that, though, did they?”
“I’m afraid not,” Dakota said softly. “I did the best I could. I was young and foolish enough to think I could take care of them myself. My vision led me to them, and my lynx helped us escape. We managed, but it wasn’t easy.”
“None of this is easy.”
“No. I believe Sawyer wishes us to join him,” Dakota said.
Henry glanced up and found the rest of their mates heading in Sawyer’s direction. He stood to the side while Queen Orfhlaith and Prince Kavalan had a heated discussion.
Henry reached for Dakota’s hand, unwilling to give up the connection they’d made. He craved strength, and Dakota had plenty to spare. They reached the others moments later, and Sawyer took a moment to lean into Henry. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just had a moment. Dakota helped.”
“Good. I know it’s a lot.”
Henry pressed a kiss to Sawyer’s cheek. “That’s an understatement. What are they fighting about?”
“Whose guards will be in charge. Queen Orfhlaith says hers because she’s the queen. Prince Kavalan says his because technically the kids are under his protection because of the hair thing.”
“Glad I don’t have to be in the middle of that fight.”
“Tell me about it. We have enough battles to do on our own.”
Henry squeezed Dakota’s hand, stealing a little more of that strength. Dakota squeezed his back in reply as Henry continued looking at Sawyer.
“Do you… are you ready, Sawyer?”
Sawyer’s face did the thing, the same one Loch’s did. The same one the prince’s and queen’s did. It blanked. Henry expected a lie to emerge from Sawyer’s mouth any second. A platitude at the very least. An “I’m fine” response when everything was so far from fine it was in another realm.
“No,” Sawyer said, his features calm and collected. “But I will be.”
Henry wanted to poke him further, to find out which of those words was the lie, but before he could, he felt the hazy beginnings of a vision. He spun and wrapped his arms around Dakota’s waist, the closest thing he could think to grab to keep himself from falling.
Then it hit.
Pain, so much pain. Agony from all around him. He caught a few glimpses of the location and realized he was at Nick’s compound. No one else was around. Nothing but dark shadows and agony. Anger poured from the edge of the woods, just outside the edge of the woods where the ward entrance began. Something hammered at the wards and Henry felt each blow like a slice to his soul.
Everything grew hazy, hard to make out. Henry tried to fight it, to get more. He didn’t need his senses fogged. He needed clarity. He needed answers. He needed to help.
It wasn’t to be. With a flash of pain, Henry was thrown from the vision. He found himself back in the fae realm, half on the sand, and the other half cradled in Dakota’s arms. Sawyer knelt beside him, still seeking to help dull the pain of the visions for him. It didn’t work anymore. Sawyer hadn’t been a null in a while, he just hadn’t accepted the true strength of his powers yet.
“You were right,” Henry gasped, his voice hoarse and aching. His entire body hurt. “Palinourous is going to attack Nick’s compound. He’s definitely after power. He’s… it’s bad.”
“Then we’ll be there waiting for him,” Sawyer said. “Dakota, take Henry back to the waters, please. The lady will help him. We need to make a plan. Queen Orfhlaith, if I may be so bold as to make a suggestion.”
“Nothing has stopped you before.”
“Why not have the prince’s staff here on the shore with the children, while your guards take the perimeter? It’s really two distinct zones with two separate needs for focus. Both are important and both need attention.
She glared at him but nodded. “As you wish, Chosen One. I will keep the border safe. My son will protect those within.”
Dakota lifted Henry into his arms and the world spun for a moment. Henry closed his eyes and tucked his face into Dakota’s neck. “Sorry you got stuck taking care of me.”
“It is my privilege.”
The waters splashed around him as Dakota walked far enough into it to cover most of Henry’s body.
“Since when?”
Dakota didn’t speak for a long moment. Again, Henry wondered if his question would be answered.
“My life has not been easy,” Dakota said softly. “I only trust my brothers and sisters. Before I found them, it was not… Lynx are solitary creatures.”
“Yeah. You went from alone to all of us. It’s hard.”
“And knowing Sawyer played a part in what happened to my siblings… it doubled the difficulty, if not made it nearly impossible. How can I trust my mate when my mate caused pain to the most important people in my world?”
Henry didn’t
know the answer to that question. He’d never thought of it that way, though. Probably because he didn’t blame Sawyer. He’d screwed up the magic for sure, but Palinourous was the one who tried to drain kids for power. It was complicated. It was no wonder Sawyer spent so much time lately lost in thought.
Instead of answering, Henry pressed a gentle kiss to the skin on Dakota’s neck. “We want you to be happy.”
“I know. I find myself drawn to this menagerie of mates in ways I do not understand. I thought to resist, to keep myself apart, to be the voice of reason as the only guardian who hadn’t fallen under Sawyer’s spell. But he isn’t one of the bad guys, is he?”
“He really isn’t. There are some definite gray areas in what he did, but I honestly think all of this came from a place of protection. He thought he was saving us all, but he made a mistake.”
“A big mistake.”
“True. But when you’re dealing with that much power, the mistakes come at a higher price. The thing that keeps me sane though is knowing that if Sawyer hadn’t done something when he did, Palinourous would have. He may have caused us hurt and suffering, but how much worse could it have been?”
Dakota trembled at the thought and pulled Henry closer.
“You are very wise, mage.”
“You’re very comfortable, lynx. And you smell good.”
Dakota chuckled and moved deeper into the water. The lake pulsed and Henry’s headache eased.
“Thank you, lady,” Henry mumbled. He brushed his hand over the water, sending a small burst of magic that rippled across the surface.
“Come, my mage. Our presence is required on shore once more.”
“Fine,” Henry muttered, “but the next time you tell me to come, I’m really hoping it means something else.”
Henry had to bite back a laugh when Dakota stumbled and nearly dropped him. He steadied quickly though and then gave Henry’s ass a quick pinch in revenge. Not that he minded. He finally felt like he’d established a connection with their elusive mate. A piece of his worry faded away, and it filled the void left behind with hope and excitement. He couldn’t wait to see what life with Dakota was like. He had a feeling he was in for the ride of his life… in more ways than one.
