by T. G. Ayer
“Sounds ominous.”
“Not ominous. This drink will throw a panther flat on her ass. It’s the most expensive drink in the bar only because its alcohol content affects walkers as much as vodka or tequila shots would affect humans.”
“What? You’ve had this here all this time? And you’ve been serving me milkshakes?”
Fynn smirked. “I wish I could say yes I have, and that you didn’t deserve it until now, but honestly I only managed to procure it last week. It’s exclusively for my walker clientele.”
I pursed my lips and stared at the flask. “How do I know I won’t drink it and expire on the spot?”
Fynn let out a low guffaw. “Seen your brother lately?” he asked.
“Yep, just a few hou—” I paused, mouth open as his implication sank in. “Iain’s imbibed?”
“Yep?”
“How bad?” I asked, fascinated.
“Had to be carried out of here.” Fynn’s grin was enough to light up the entire bar.
I slapped the gleaming surface on the bar and leaned toward Fynn.
“I’ll take it neat. And make it a double.”
Chapter 18
So this is what a hangover feels like.
If the pounding in my head was any indication, I was suffering from the worst hangover of all time. Whatever unicorn tears was made from, it sure was freaking potent. And it definitely was now on my ‘ingest with care’ and ‘indulge at your peril’ lists.
I wasn’t totally sure how I’d ended up at Grams’ apartment, and I hoped that Fynn had had something to do with that. I had vague images of falling asleep on the bar, and the sense that someone had helped me to my feet.
Other than that, I had no clue what had happened after my fourth shot. Four shots? That was all it had taken for me to fall flat on my face.
The vein in my temple throbbed harder the longer I thought about it. How totally, utterly irresponsible could I have been.
What the fuck had I been thinking?
It wasn’t even as if I’d imbibed and gotten shit-faced in the privacy of my own home. No, Alpha Kailin Odel had to get spectacularly drunk in public.
I lay back and groaned out loud. “What a fucking idiot.”
“You can say that again,” said a voice from the doorway.
I squinted against the light from the living room beyond the broad shoulders of a man that constituted far too much trouble for his looks.
“Justin? What the heck are you doing here?” I sank back onto the pillows then groaned as the movement sent my head pounding and my stomach roiling.
Something cool and wet touched my forehead, and I sighed as Justin repositioned the washcloth, so it covered almost the entire top half of my face.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t throw up.” Justin smirked as he sank down onto the mattress beside me. Then he shrugged. “Well, I guess it is also a bad thing depending on how you look at it.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Well, if you threw up I’d have been duty bound to help get you cleaned up. Which of course would have entailed undressing, showering and—” Justin let out a low squawk as the wet washcloth hit him in the face.
His laughter rang around the room, and I put my hands to my ears. “If you’re going to be so damned noisy maybe you should leave,” I grumbled and dragged a pillow over my face.
The sun was low on the horizon, morning arriving and promising a bright sunshiny day, and I was disgusted to note that I’d slept most of yesterday evening and night away without even realizing it.
Justin tut-tutted his disappointment. “That’s the way you thank me when I saved your reputation by getting you out of O’Hagan’s before you made a complete fool of yourself?”
I let out a soft growl. “What were you doing there anyway? I have enough stalkers already without adding you to the list.”
“I was looking for you. We really do need to talk if this thing with the council is ever going to be resolved.”
“Really, Justin? This is hardly the time.”
“When is the best time? Things are only getting worse by the day. If you don’t do something, I’m not sure what Marsden will do.”
I rolled over and stared at Justin. “You know about the letter?”
He nodded.
“How do you know about the letter?”
“Marsden called a few of the parallel ranked alphas in to let them know what he was about to do.”
“And you all just let it happen?” I asked, my tone disgusted.
He shook his head. “You could give us a little more credit than that, you know.” His tone held disappointment and rebuke.
I ignored both. “Who do you really think I should trust? How do I even know I can trust you or any one of the parallel alphas? Marsden’s been busy for years, planning this…whatever it is. How do I know who he has in his pockets and who he doesn’t?”
Justin let out a soft breath. “Look, you didn’t hear this from me, but Teague and Deacon are adamant that they won’t be pushed around by Marsden. They’re endangering themselves and their families.” Justin sighed. “They don’t know what they are dealing with.”
I shifted slowly to a sitting position. “Byron’s got his twins to think about. Why is he jeopardizing their safety? If anything, I do know these people will be ruthless given half a chance.” Byron Teague, wolf alpha, had been a family friend for decades. The man was loyal and stubborn to a fault. And he felt he owed me for helping save his son from a serial killer—never mind that said killer happened to be my uncle Niko. I wasn’t surprised to see Byron holding his ground.
Justin nodded. “The man ought to be alpha of the ox walkers, that’s how stubborn he can be.” He tilted his head and cracked his neck, the bones sounding like they were being broken. Then he sighed and rolled his shoulders.
“You look like you need some rest,” I said softly, studying the narrowness of his face, the hollows beneath his eyes. The council’s bullshit was taking its toll on everyone.
He lifted his gaze, met mine and smirked. Then he jerked a chin at the empty space beside me. “You inviting me to take a nap?”
I glanced over at the bare pillow beside me, at what was technically Logan’s domain. Then I snorted and looked over at Justin. “Not a chance, buddy. You got a home. Go to it.” When he didn’t move, I waved my hands at him, shooing him away. “Thank you for helping me, but it’s time you headed out. If Grams walks in right now, there’d be hell to pay.”
“No there won’t. Ivy likes me.”
I smiled serenely. “She likes Logan more.”
Justin’s smile faltered at my words. He looked like he was about to say something but then he straightened, got to his feet and patted his thighs. “You’re right. I’ve outstayed my welcome.”
He turned to leave, and I reached for the covers, ready to throw them off to see him out. “You don’t want to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Get out of the bed.”
“Why?”
He shrugged, and his eyes twinkled. “Those leather pants didn’t look like they’d be very comfortable to sleep in.”
I lifted the covers and stared at my bare thighs. He’d removed my shirt, beneath which I’d worn a thin singlet, so the top half of me was decent. The bottom though was far from it.
Why, today of all days, had I decided to wear a lacy, racy thong?
I let out a growl of irritation and embarrassment as my cheeks heated up. The front door slammed but not before I heard the sound of very satisfied laughter.
Damn Justin Lake and the bloody white horse he’d rode in on.
I sighed and lay back again, taking note that my head had gotten better, the throbbing having lessened to a level that was very bearable. Justin was trying hard to get into my good graces. Not to mention anything else…like my pants.
But he was a good guy. One of the best. And one that I’d called a friend for most of my life. Failed
romance aside, I’d trust the man with my life. And the fact that he’d come looking for me to give me a heads up on the imminent dangers coming from the Walker Council, was something I’d be forever grateful for.
I sighed and threw off the covers, stalking angrily into my bathroom. I took a shower, changed, threw the clothing into the wash and called for a cappuccino and a ham and cheese croissant while I waited for the cycle to finish.
By the time I was done with my breakfast, I’d thrown the clothes into the dryer and packed another bag to take over to Tukats. I’d become a bit of a nomad these days, going from the city apartment to my family home and then on missions all seeming in a patternless frenzy.
As I left the apartment and headed downstairs, I mentally crossed my fingers. Maybe one day soon things would settle down long enough for me to stop and smell the proverbial roses.
Even as that thought ended, I let out a soft laugh.
When it came to my life? Not bloody likely.
Chapter 19
I headed inside the house and stowed my bag in the room that I’d taken over when I’d been supplanted by Logan. The room used to be Mom’s sewing room—like it was even possible to imagine her doing such a homely thing as crafts.
Her sewing machine had been shoved in a corner and was collecting dust, and the small rolls of fabric, spools of multicolored thread and stacks of half-sewn quilts and garments were shoved inside a chest of drawers that Dad had bought to help me out with space.
Something about going against everything as a father to have his child live out of a suitcase while under his roof. I’d responded with the more-than-half-serious suggestion that I move back into my old room with Logan and that the bed was big enough for two.
Dad had rolled his eyes and left the room, grumbling about the lack of respect in children these days.
I smiled at the memory.
Corin Odel had mellowed a lot in the last few months, more since Mom had come back home and they’d worked their relationship issues out.
His attitude toward me had also changed, given that he no longer blamed me for her departure. She had, after all, left to protect me.
Now she was gone again, with nobody having any clue as to when she’d return. I wasn’t sure how I would deal with the total disappearance of a lover.
Dad was much stronger than I could ever be.
As I unpacked, I considered various methods of attempting to track Mom down. My mind kept going to Mel, the best tracker I knew.
I just wanted to know if she was ok. What harm could it do?
I sank onto the bed beside my bag and tapped out a message to Mel, explaining briefly that Mom’s absence was worrying us all and we just needed to know she was safe. I assured Mel that since it was a secret mission, I didn’t need to know where she was unless she was in some kind of danger.
Message sent I unpacked and shoved my bag inside the closet. Then I headed down the corridor to check on Lily.
The drapes on the large windows were open, and the sun shone full on Lily’s sleeping form, turning her pale skin golden. She was so full of life and had always had a grab-life-by-the-horns attitude that it was hard to see her lying there, so fragile, and so emotionally adrift.
I headed inside the room and checked her vitals, more to assure myself that she was doing ok. I was turning toward the door when Dad walked inside.
His lips curved into a soft smile the moment he saw me. His face was more lined today, seeming to grow older each day. I didn’t like that his body was giving in to age so quickly.
“Tomorrow is the day,” he said softly as he came toward me.
I nodded slowly, my heart thudding at the confirmation that the day had finally come. “I’ll be here.”
Dad shook his head. “You don’t need to be here.” I could hear the concern in his voice, and I knew that he was well aware how hard the process would be.
“I’ll be at Lily’s side when you administer the drug, Dad. I don’t want her to be alone. I’ve seen what it does, and I want to be here so she can hear my voice and know that she’s not alone.”
I realized that I’d implied that Dad wasn’t enough of a comfort to Lily, but when I turned to look up at him, intending to temper my words with an attempt at an apology, he smiled and shook his head. “I understand, honey. I just wanted to protect you from the worst of it. But I’ll respect your wishes.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“I’m proud of you, you know?” His words startled me, making me forget my emotional upheaval.
I frowned, staring at him. “What did I do?” I asked, a little hesitant.
“I just wanted you to know that I’ve been watching how you’ve conducted yourself in the last few weeks, and more especially since you received the letter.”
Shit. Did he hear about his daughter getting shit-faced in O’Hagan’s not too many hours ago?
“I’ve watched you hold on tight, protect your integrity, protect the man you love. I’ve never been more proud of you.”
I was about to thank him for his words, especially since him saying it out loud meant the world to me.
But he raised his hands and stopped me. “What I want to say though, is that I think you need to be very, very careful here on out. I think that perhaps you need to consider ending it with Logan.”
Heat filled my head, and I could hear the ringing in my ears as if from a distance. I glared at him, my affection for him now fading into the background, hidden behind a curtain of fury.
“How can you even suggest a thing like that?” My voice vibrated with anger, breaking on the last word. Tears burned my lids as I considered exactly what leaving Logan would mean to me. Then I shook my head. I just couldn’t fathom it.
Dad gripped my shoulder and squeezed it. “I only mean it as a temporary option. Just until all this nonsense dies down.”
I met his gaze and shook my head. “That’s just giving in to them. It’s allowing them to dictate our lives, Dad.”
He nodded. “I do see, honey. What I also see is a young man who is ailing. He’s weak and unable to protect himself. You have to see how vulnerable he is. We can do whatever is possible to step up security around the property, but that doesn’t guarantee his safety, especially not when the council seems to already know about his presence.”
I pulled away from Dad’s hold and paced the carpet, silent as my muddled thoughts tried to straighten themselves out. The knowledge didn’t sit well. That it was entirely possible that by insisting on keeping Logan would mean I was endangering his life was just unfathomable.
Dad came toward me again. “I know how you feel honey. We’re in the same boat. If your mother was here, I would send her packing.”
I grinned at that. “I can’t imagine Mom would give in without a fight.”
Dad patted my shoulder and sighed. “She’d give in. In the end, she’ll make the decision no matter how hard it is. She’s done it before.” There was a hint of pain in his voice that reminded me of their history, of the time my parents had spent apart for the good of their own children.
I met his eyes. “This has been going on for a long time, hasn’t it?”
Dad nodded. “It has. And only now are we realizing how deep they have their claws in. How they’ve played the long game in order to turn people’s minds over to their thinking.”
Dad opened his arms, and I went to him. He hugged me, and it meant so much to me that he was venturing beyond his comfort zone in order to make me feel better. Physical affection had always been hard for him, but he’d been getting better lately.
The bear-hug he gave me was proof of that.
He sighed and released me. “Think about it.”
I nodded sadly. “I will. I can’t promise I’ll like it.”
Dad chuckled and guided me out the door. “It’s a big mess, Kailin. And, unfortunately, we’re all in it together.”
Dad patted my shoulder again and then headed down the hall toward his bedroom. He’d t
urned the place into a medical laboratory, and I’d found him one too many times sleeping on a small camp bed in the corner beside the window.
As I stood, frozen in the shadowed hall, I stared at his retreating form, and I knew he’d head inside his lab and disappear from the world for the whole day. That was his way of escaping reality. Because that’s exactly what it was; a form of denial to avoid the issues at hand. A way to forget the destruction of his normal life by burying himself in his research, by focusing on doing something good with his training.
Much like my denial that Logan would be better off away from me. I didn’t want to contemplate it, but perhaps I had to play devil’s advocate to my own heart. But, even if Logan would agree to such a thing, how would I even make it happen?
Sienna would want to return to the Dragon realm, that much I was certain of. Perhaps it made sense for Logan to go with her and to not return until things settled.
I snorted softly.
Had Logan already regained his strength and begun to use his dragon powers, I had little doubt that we’d all have demanded he remain in Tukats to rain DragonFyr down on anyone who dared to threaten us.
I smiled at the thought. However dramatic it may sound, there was a certain sliver of reality in the thought.
Dad was right. It was a big mess.
And we were all in this together.
I was about to head to see Logan when I realized I needed to fill Dad in on the kidnapping attempt as well as my stalker-journalist.
I headed down the hall and knocked on Dad’s door. He called out for me to enter and I did, closing the door behind me. The place was worse, with two more tables shoved against the far wall and two new machines sitting on them. It looked like an explosion of medical equipment. I threaded my way over to Dad where he was studying something under a microscope.
I perched on the table beside him. “I have something to tell you.”
“Tell away,” he said, eyes still poised over the microscope.
I poked his shoulder. “Listen, or I may as well text it to you.” When he straightened and blinked at me, I grinned, then began my description of my day, covering in great detail my stalker and his revelation regarding the leaked FBI report, and then moving onto my kidnappers, the electric blonde, and Gerry’s revelations of government research on supernaturals.
