“Explaining the seer is easy,” Alek said. “We find someone specifically for that search only, keep interactions with whoever we hire to just one of us and say we’re looking for a high school friend or something.”
“It’s the other search that’s gonna be rough,” Priest said. “Looking for someone who’s already wanted by the cops in Blacksburg is gonna raise a lot of questions, no matter how much money we throw at them.”
Another of the newer warriors Tate barely knew piped up from behind Garrett. “Why not just hire someone farther away who’s not as tied into what’s going on in West Virginia?”
“Because the farther away they live, the less familiarity they’ll have with the case and they’ll need that kind of connection,” Alek said. “At least to start. We’d do better to find someone closer to where Jerrik’s parents were killed.”
“And capable of keeping their mouth shut,” Tate added.
Katy covered Priest’s clasped hands low on her belly and idly stroked a path back and forth. A soothing stroke he couldn’t help wishing Elise was here to give him. She looked to Alek. “Any chance some of the people you went to school with might have some suggestions?”
“Maybe. We can check it out if everyone’s on board.”
Behind Kateri, Priest nodded. “Do it. The more time we waste, the more time my brother has to hurt someone else. Until we find a PI, we’ll keep working with the seers for clues. We’ll give the clan an update this weekend before we train, but if you get any good names before then, we’ll huddle up and reassess.”
Alek nodded and straightened from the wall as if to leave, the young trio of warriors who’d followed him into their meeting today taking the cue and standing as well.
“Hold up, Alek.” Tate eyeballed the new men and motioned toward the stairwell that led down to the shop. “You all mind if I talk to Alek and Priest for minute?”
From the clueless looks on their faces, none of the three seemed to realize he wasn’t keen to have his conversation with them on board.
Garrett, on the other hand, proved to be a godsend. He stood and motioned to the door. “Come on, guys. Drake needs to get to know the town and the people in it, and I could use a burger and a beer. Might as well get him introduced to the Cat House.”
Alek frowned for a second and watched them leave like he was a little envious to be missing out on food, but shook the perturbed look off his face as soon as they disappeared down the stairwell and refocused on Tate. “What’s up?”
When Tate hesitated, Katy patted Priest’s hands at her waist and tried to move out of his hold. “I’ll wait for you guys downstairs.”
“No.”
The sharp answer came from both Tate and Priest almost simultaneously, but Priest paired his with a tighter grip that she didn’t stand a prayer in hell of escaping. “He’ll need your help as much, if not more, than he’ll need mine.”
It took a beat for Priest’s statement to fully register, but as soon as it did Tate’s jaw undoubtedly slackened to match the perplexed expressions on Katy’s and Alek’s faces. “How do you know what I need?”
Priest dipped his head toward the window. “You’ve been staring out that window for the last hour like the answers to the universe might sidle up and dance a jig any second and only heard about half of the things we talked about. When I saw you disappear last night, you had Elise tucked up close to your side and a single-minded determination on your face. Not exactly a stretch to figure out what the primary topic on your mind is.”
Katy ducked her chin, but not before Tate caught her rolling her lips inward to fight a smile.
Alek didn’t give a shit about hiding his humor, because his smile was big enough to show teeth. “You struck out.”
Fuck, but sometimes he wanted to punch his primo. “No, dickhead. I didn’t strike out.” He shifted his focus to Priest. “I’ve just got a logistical problem.”
“A logistical problem.” To his credit, Priest did a pretty good job of not cracking a smile, but his eyes held more laughter than Tate had seen in a long time. “Are we talking about the fact that your mate’s mother is shacked up in the same residence as her and you’re not comfortable bringing her to yours with a ready audience in attendance?”
“No.” He’d already figured out a plan on that score and told Jade first thing this morning that the tiny lakeside cabin Priest had built to give them a private space was off-limits for the foreseeable future. “I want to take her off property.”
The comment sobered all three of them in a blink.
“Why?” Alek said.
Priest stared at him, a whole host of thoughts obviously moving behind his eyes, the foremost, no doubt, motive and possible ramifications.
Katy, though, got to the heart of things the fastest, her mouth softening to an understanding smile and her voice moving through the room like a mother’s caress. “Because that’s what she needs.”
That.
That right there was why Kateri Falson was exactly what Priest and their clan needed. An alpha female with an insightful heart.
Priest must have echoed the same thought in his own head, because he dipped his head and kissed the top of her head, the reverence on his face one Tate wouldn’t have fully understood until last night.
“What she needs is to stay alive,” Alek said. “Taking her off property makes her vulnerable to Draven.”
“She doesn’t have her magic yet,” Priest countered. “Without it, Draven can’t track her. That means he’s stuck to physical means of finding her, and we’re more than capable of guarding her.”
“Where do you want to take her?” Katy asked, pure feminine curiosity sparking in her blue-gray eyes.
And just like that, he was back to square one. Worse, he felt as uncertain and awkward as he had when he was fourteen and faced with asking his first crush to go to a football game. “I don’t know. This is new to her. I don’t want to freak her out with too much, but I don’t want to downplay it either.”
“What do you mean it’s new to her?” Alek said. “She’s twenty-three years old, not sixteen.”
Fuck.
He should have been more careful. While he didn’t doubt Alek’s honor or ability to keep details to himself, the more people who knew about Elise’s knowledge, or lack thereof, the more risk for speculation or ridicule. While her mother might not have spilled all the details on what happened to her in high school, the way Elise had responded to Vanessa last night told him she’d already had her share of unfriendly jibes. “That’s between me and Elise. No one else.”
Something shifted in Alek’s expression. Not the inquisitiveness of a man who’d just picked up a scent worth chasing, but something far more protective. A comprehension that clicked on the most primitive level and a vow to have Tate’s back all rolled up into one. And damned if that didn’t make Tate appreciate his primo more than ever. “Take her someplace nice.”
“Ooooh. How about Le Stick Nouveau?” Katy said, jumping right on board. “I heard one of the seers telling Jade about it the other day. She said the food was amazing and done up like one of those crazy expensive fancy places in big cities and the atmosphere is amazing.”
“We could make that work,” Priest said. “And Katy’s right. The location’s pretty amazing. It’s under the New Orleans Hotel and is impressive without being uptight. When did you want to go?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Priest cupped Katy’s shoulders and squeezed. “We can do that. Kateri needs more practice with her wards, so we’ll spend some time tonight getting them in place.”
She twisted enough to meet his gaze and grinned. “Does this mean you’re going to feed me while we’re there? I mean, in the name of research and all. Just to make sure we know the layout ahead of time.”
“I imagine we could make that work.” His lips twitched and despite his playful t
one, pure devotion blanketed his face. “Though, you’re lucky they have steak. Those other bite-size entrées wouldn’t last me long.”
Alek scoffed and crossed his arms. “Steak I can do, but I’d rather pass on the fancy.” He eyeballed Priest then Tate. “We good?”
Tate and Priest both nodded, but it was Priest who answered, his focus on Kateri. “Just give me a minute with Tate and I’ll be down.”
His gut clenched and, for a second, he gave serious consideration to making an excuse that would let him follow Alek and Katy out the door. Alone time with Priest was normally a good thing, his whole life sprinkled with memories with one-on-one experiences he wouldn’t trade for anything. But something told Tate this particular round was going to fall in the more introspective and uncomfortable category.
Priest waited, his gaze aimed at the floor, feet crossed at the ankles and his hands curled around the edge of the desk. But as soon as the security door at the bottom of the stairwell slicked shut he lifted his head. “Now, tell me the rest of it.”
“The rest of what?”
Huffing out an ironic laugh, Priest crossed his arms and cocked his head. “I’ve known you since the day you were born and watched you chase a whole lot of tail after you realized girls might not be all that bad, but for the last two weeks, you’ve been withdrawn. Quiet. That’s not like you, Tate.”
“I’m not withdrawn.” Well, maybe he had been a little, but that was over now. Or at least him staying on the sidelines was over. “I’m being careful.”
“Of what? You’ve never hesitated pursuing a woman who piqued your interest. Now you’ve got a mate and you act like she’s a whole different species. I told you the day you met Elise—this is a good thing. Don’t fight it so hard.”
“I have to fight it.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s innocent.”
“Yeah, I gathered that. So?”
“Godammit, I want to hunt her!” The confession all but exploded through the room, the sheer velocity of it leaving him shaking and short-winded. He paced away from the window and fisted his hair on top of his head. “She’s never had anything. Not a kiss. Not a date. Nothing. And all I can think about is pinning her down and taking what’s mine.”
He stopped at the far end of the room and glared out the window at the street below, the weight of Priest’s stare heavy on his shoulders.
Priest kept quiet. It was a tactic his guardian had used on both him and Jade for years and was effective as hell when it came to making them talk.
Today was no exception. “I love the hunt. I hear the way her heart beats when I’m around her—smell the mix of fear and excitement—and it makes me insane. She’s everything I never knew I wanted in a woman. Curves everywhere. Sexy as fuck, but in a way that’s so innocent all I want to do is dirty her up.” He sighed, all the fear and pent up frustration he’d stuffed for days rushing out behind it. “She’s the polar opposite of everything I know.”
“You only think she’s the polar opposite of you.”
The comment was so understated and matter-of-fact, it took Tate a seven second delay to rewind and reprocess. Still not certain he’d heard him right, Tate slowly faced Priest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just because Elise hasn’t ever been hunted doesn’t mean she won’t like it.” He paused a beat, studying Tate as if to gauge just how deep the idea resonated. “You think the Keeper gave you a mate who’s everything you’re not, but the reality may be you’re who Elise needs to guide her into our world. Your mother was a healer. One of our strongest. You’re a warrior and she’s likely our healer prima. Who better to teach her and protect her at the same time?”
“I don’t want to protect her, I want to take her. I don’t want her away from me. I don’t want to share her with her mother, you or anyone else. I want her under me. In my bed, outside and any other place I can keep her pinned down and powerless.”
The admission should have rattled Priest. Or at least drawn a scowl. It sure as shit made Tate feel like an ugly predator just saying it out loud.
Instead, Priest smirked. “Spoken like a Volán male who wants his mate.”
“What?”
Priest chuckled, straightened from the desk and paced toward him. “What you want’s not bad, Tate. It’s primal. Primitive. And yeah, probably not something Elise is used to or prepared for yet, but it’s natural. Your coyote knows it. It’s your human side that’s messing with your head.” He clasped Tate on the shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “But, I will tell you this. Going slow for your mate is one thing. Ignoring who you are is something else. You are who you are for a reason. Trust the process. Listen to your companion. Talk to your mate and show her who you are. What’s she’s inherited.”
“I don’t want to hurt her.”
With a wry grin and one last affectionate squeeze, Priest dropped his hand and prowled for the door. “Maybe it’s time you stop worrying about all the things that could go wrong and just accept the gift you’ve been given.”
Chapter Six
Another semester done and only one more to go before Elise finally had her degree. Though, staring at the confirmation message on her screen, it was the first time since she’d started working her way through college that she didn’t have a clue how she’d done on a final. If it hadn’t been for the intensive studying she’d done before Beltane, odds were good she’d have failed entirely. God knew she hadn’t been able to concentrate yesterday.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She’d been able to replay every single detail from Monday night just fine. The question she still hadn’t figured out between then and now was, what changed? And why?
With a frustrated huff, Elise clicked out of her browser session, pulled her earbuds out and shifted her laptop to the comforter beside her. Without PVRIS crooning in her ears, the silence was almost deafening. A stark reminder of the single fact that scared her most of all.
She had no idea what she was doing.
She pulled her knees in close, hugged them tight and rested her forehead on her knees. Maybe a run would be smart. Aside from the strength training needed to keep her body healthy, her daily runs were the only source of exercise she relied on anymore, but they usually served her mind as well as her body. A chance to let everything but the moment go and empty out all the chatter in her head.
On the nightstand beside her, her phone chimed, the soft understated sound triggering a far more abrupt and startling response in her body.
Tate.
She didn’t have to look to know it was him. While she’d built a small, but solid cadre of friends since graduating from high school, most worked at Butte La Rose’s only assisted living center with her, or were fellow students, but messages from them were rare. Tate, on the other hand, had started up with steady messages, starting with a simple Good morning text yesterday morning. They weren’t elaborate or overzealous in number. Just simple one liners that let her know he was thinking of her and didn’t require much from her in return.
Honestly, she’d thanked her lucky stars for every one of them. Aside from the giddy flutters and goofy smiles that always triggered in their wake, they were proof she hadn’t imagined Monday night. That her penchant for vivid fantasies hadn’t taken over and left her trapped in a dream world of her own making.
Finished with your finals?
Yep. Definitely real. And frankly, reality was turning out better than some of the scenarios she’d come up with on her own.
Just submitted the last one. Not sure how well I did, though.
In the time it took for the little bubbles to do their wavy thing, she read and reread every response she’d made over the last twenty-four hours. Were they too much? Not enough? Maybe she needed to come up with more clever replies.
I’ve watched you study and you love what you do. That means you probably rocked
them and it’s time to celebrate. I’ll be there at 7. Dress nice.
The pleasant buzz that had permeated every one of their innocent back-and-forths since yesterday morning downshifted to panic.
How nice?
Nice enough I’m not wearing a T-shirt.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
She stalked to the closet and pulled open the bifold doors, nothing but casual clothes and workout gear glaring back at her. She didn’t do nice. Unless you counted the two token interview outfits she kept tucked behind everything else, and no way was she eating dinner with Tate looking like a buttoned up, old-fashioned librarian.
One by one, she worked her way through the garments. Like some kind of faery godmother was going to pop in and magically insert something hot yet understated between her favorite jeans and well-worn leggings.
Mom would have something.
The thought paused the full-scale alert blaring in her head and sent her hauling butt down the split-level staircase. Jenny Ralston might not be the height of fashion sense, but she was always prepared for any occasion. The downside? While they were close height-wise, her mom hadn’t exactly been graced with the same generous proportions as Elise. Still, there had to be more options in her mom’s closet than the big fat goose egg hanging in her own.
She cut through the cozy living room. “Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. In here.”
In here nearly always meaning in the kitchen. From a leisurely cup of coffee in the morning perusing her favorite websites, whipping up one of her experimental casseroles, or tucked up in the cushioned bay window reading a book at night, the kitchen was always her mother’s favorite hangout.
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