Blue Blooded

by Amanda Carlson

  A moment later, Rourke stepped out onto the balcony. He came up shoulder to shoulder with me and as we watched the sky brighten in anticipation of the new day. “I always knew you were an angel,” he said.

  I laughed, turning a bright smile his way. “Yeah, right. Even though I may have some lingering angel DNA, I’m far from the beauty and majesty that is Romy.” I grabbed his hand and arched up to meet his waiting lips, whispering, “But I’ll always be happy to role-play with you.”

  He growled in response, scooping me up and carrying me back to bed.

  32

  The sun had just dipped below the horizon. Dinner was scheduled in an hour. Lucas had insisted he keep cooking for us. I’d promised to hire some kitchen help as soon as I could find the time, but he had told me that he loved doing it and wanted to keep his position.

  I had acquiesced.

  For now. But only if he agreed to join us at the table.

  My father had appointed him as the new Director of Communications for the Mediterranean Pack, since he had more than proven his loyalty to me. My father had chosen to keep the Pack name the same to avoid confusion. It would take time for the supernatural community to figure out that Julian was gone, and that was the way we wanted to keep it.

  Once both jobs became too much for Lucas, I would hire a full kitchen staff. They would have to be supernaturals we trusted, but since Florence was flush with them, it shouldn’t be a problem.

  During the day, in between discussions about the future and what was set to happen later tonight, Rourke and I had explored every inch of the villa. It was magnificent, and much bigger than we’d originally thought. There were thirteen bedrooms and sixteen bathrooms. It had a walkout basement set up with a conference room and several offices stocked with high-tech gear.

  Julian hadn’t skimped on anything. It was the perfect headquarters.

  Jeb wanted a place to file paperwork, and he would get it.

  “I’m sad Marcy and James are flying home after the coronation,” I told Rourke as we headed into the kitchen. “It’s going to be especially hard on her, since Tally and Maggie will be staying.” The Italian Witch Coven had recently lost their leader, who we assumed had been one of the witches who’d stood with Ceres yesterday. The old castle where the Coven was located was on the other side of Florence, which was convenient for everyone.

  Naomi, Danny, Tyler, Kayla, Jax, and Nick were all staying for an undisclosed length of time. We figured it would take a year or two to acclimate to our duties on the Coalition, and lucky for us, the villa was more than big enough to house everyone.

  Nick was put in charge of transferring the Hannon & Michaels offices over here. He would continue doing P.I. work, as needed. We figured investigating issues in the supernatural community could only help us keep the peace. Jeb could facilitate that as well, but nobody had seen him, so we couldn’t ask him.

  I had no idea how to summon the warlock, but I knew I’d be finding out soon.

  Kayla was seated at the kitchen table as we walked in. Tyler stood behind her whispering something in her ear, both of their backs to us. She let out a soft giggle and turned to peer up at him, happiness on her face. Now that Jax was safe, Kayla had let down her guard. It was nice to witness the transformation firsthand.

  I cleared my throat politely, and they both looked up, seeming startled.

  It wasn’t like Tyler to let someone creep up behind him, since his hearing was excellent. I chuckled. Love would do that to you. “Has anybody seen Ray?” I asked. “He left last night, and he hasn’t been around all day. We need him here before dinner, so we can go over the plan for tonight one last time.”

  Even though I was set to meet with Enid alone, all the wolves in attendance and my entire team were going to accompany me to the location. They would stand sentinel outside. They wouldn’t necessarily be able to save me if Enid chose the darker path, but a show of force couldn’t hurt. Ray and Naomi would be key, as they would take positions on the roof.

  Jax walked in behind us and immediately made a beeline toward the fridge. Keeping him fed was going to be a gargantuan task. The kid spent most of his time in the kitchen. “Are you talking about the vampire with the steel-cut flattop?” he asked as he pulled the fridge door open, careful not to yank too hard. “I saw him out front. He just landed. Shocked the crap out of me, but man, was it cool. Wish I could fly.” He took out a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. We all watched in silence as he poured a huge glass of milk and proceeded to crack six eggs into it. He was halfway done guzzling it before he turned and found all of us staring at him. “What?” He dragged a sleeve over his mouth. “Can’t a guy eat in peace?”

  Kayla slid her chair back and rose from the table. “We will, of course, help offset the cost of the groceries. Jax has to keep his caloric intake up, or he gets fatigued.”

  “Yep,” Jax agreed. “I’m still growing. My mom said when I’m finally out of puberty, maybe in a couple of years, my appetite should level out.”

  “The groceries will come out of Pack funds,” I assured them. “It’s not an issue. Feel free to eat as much as you want, Jax. I’m going to need a strong, healthy babysitter in the house. And, honestly, have you ever seen how quickly a pack of wolves devour food? You’ve got nothing on us. Now, if you’ll excuse Rourke and me, we have to find Ray. Everybody’s meeting back here in an hour for dinner. Don’t be late.”

  “We’ll be here,” Tyler said.

  We found Ray sitting in one of the chairs on the terrace, gazing out into the distance. He looked a little disheveled, his clothes rumpled. I took a seat next to him. “Where were you? We’ve been looking all over.” I inspected his outfit. There were several dead insects splattered on his shirt. “Wherever it was, it seems you were in the air a long time.”

  He sat back in his chair and exhaled. “I flew home.”

  “Home? As in the United States home?” I asked. “Why would you do that?” If Ray was going to be gone that long, and travel that far, he should’ve run it by me first.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Hannon,” he said. “And don’t start. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure if you’d let me go, and it needed to be done, so I did it.”

  “Okay.” I hesitated. “Are you going to tell us why?” Rourke had taken a seat across from Ray on the railing, crossing his arms.

  Ray looked a little uncomfortable, which was as close to miserable as he got. He unconsciously yanked at his shirt collar. “I went back to check on someone.”

  “Enough of the song and dance, Ray,” I said. “Spit it out.”

  “I went to check on Selene.”

  My mouth dropped open a little. That goddess had been the bane of my existence for a long time. But she’d lost everything in the Underworld. We’d voted by a narrow margin to bring her back. She’d been badly damaged, and Ray had been in charge of her. He’d placed her with some local nymphs for treatment and healing. It hadn’t been clear if she would regain her whole magical self.

  “How is she?” I asked tentatively.

  “Almost back to her cantankerous self,” he said. “The wounds have all healed, but her magic has not fully returned, which is likely a good thing for everyone involved.”

  “Yes, it is,” I said. “So why the trip back to see her? Why couldn’t it wait?”

  Ray leaned forward, sliding his hand along the back of his neck, bringing away some debris from the ride. “Because…” He stood abruptly and walked to the edge of the terrace. “Because, dammit, she is my mate.”

  “What?” I could not have been more stunned. Selene had been a horror to us, even if she’d shown some decency in the end. She was a narcissistic, spoiled, childlike-goddess who had never grown up.

  Wait a minute.

  Ray spun around. “I know what you’re going to say, so don’t go there,” he snarled. “I’m nothing like her.”

  I kept the comebacks to myself. “I’m not going to say that you two are a perfect match. Or that you will be
the most cantankerous couple who ever walked the planet. Actually, when I line everything up in the right columns, it works. Healthy distaste for authority? Check. Grouchy? Check. Can’t seem to find happiness, even when it’s right in front of your eyes? Check. Can’t take an order without complaining? Check. It’s all right there.”

  “Laugh all you want,” he said, “but this isn’t funny. As much as I want to forget about her, I can’t. I’m compelled to make sure she’s okay. She’s a beast—but she’s my beast.”

  I coughed politely into my hand. “How did she take the news?”

  “How do you think?” He grimaced. “She’s in full denial and won’t even consider talking about it.”

  “You’ve got your work cut out for you,” I said. “I do pity you. A little.” I had to bite my lip. “I hate to tell you this, but Selene can’t join us here until we are absolutely certain of her loyalty to you, and to us.”

  “She’s a viper. Jessica’s right, we can’t have her here unless I know for sure,” Rourke said, standing. “I’m not certain she can be tamed, but if she can, you’re definitely the man for the job.” Rourke stuck out his hand to Ray, who grasped it. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Ray sighed. “I told her I wasn’t coming back until she asked to see me. We’ll see how long it takes. It could be years. And I’m plenty content to wait.”

  “I don’t envy you,” I said. “But I am happy you found your mate. It is a wonderful thing…when it works.” I walked over and stuck out my hand to Ray. “We hope it works out.”

  Ray shook his head slowly as he dropped my hand. “This is just what I don’t need right now. I am certain that stubborn woman is going to make me wait for an eternity. But two can play that game. We’ll see how she likes it when I don’t jump at her first summons.”

  “Oh, you’re going to jump all right.” I chuckled. “I guarantee it.”

  “I know I am,” Ray said miserably. “There’s no way getting around it.”

  “I’ll send Marcy to check in on her when she gets home. She’ll work on her,” I promised. “But right now we have to talk about tonight. I need you to be clear on your role.”

  Ray’s expression went from frustrated to serious in a heartbeat.

  He stood tall, crossed his arms, legs apart, classic cop pose. He was all business as he asked, “Every wolf and supernatural in the Compound are accompanying you to this meet, correct?”

  I nodded. “Yes, and all of Tally’s witches. It should be quite a show of force. But in the end, it won’t matter. If she decides to kill me, having the greatest army in the world won’t stop her. But as a tiny proactive move, I’m hoping that we can convince Leo to join you and Naomi on the crumbling roof. He can cloak you from her, and you three will be able to react the fastest if there’s an issue.”

  “Sounds like a good plan,” he agreed.

  “There’s only one issue,” I said. “We have to locate Leo. I’m hoping you can fly into Florence now to see if he’ll agree to help. That is, if he’s at Accademia right now. If he’s not, I’m not sure if you’ll be able to find him.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Ray stated. “I’m fairly certain I can locate him. Since we met, I’ve figured out his signature. He cloaks himself most of the time, but he can’t contain the slow burn that leaks out, and it’s bright white.”

  “Good,” I said. “I want you back in an hour, regardless. At dinner, we discuss the final plan.”

  “Got it. On my way,” he said, grinning. “I welcome the distraction. Anything to get that woman out of my head.” Before I could reply, he shot up into the air.

  I turned to Rourke. “Do you think he’ll find him?”

  “There’s a very good chance,” Rourke answered. “If not, we’ll figure something out.”

  “Can you believe Selene is his mate? I was floored. But after thinking about it for a nanosecond—it couldn’t be more perfect.”

  Rourke shook his head, a strangled noise coming from the back of his throat. “I can’t imagine being tethered to that woman for an eternity, but you’re right. They’re cut from the same cloth.”

  “Their children are going to be a mix of reaper, vampire, witch, and goddess.” I let my palm come to rest over my abdomen as we began to walk back into the house. “Do you think our kids will be a mix? Like Jax? Or will we have one little wolf and one little cat?”

  “Maybe they’ll both be cats,” he said as I swatted his shoulder.

  “They most certainly will not be. More likely, they’ll both be wolves.”

  “And, by the way, I’ve never been called little in my life. Whichever of my children takes on my traits, they will be a big cat.”

  My voice dipped. “I think it will be Annie. In my mind, I see her blonde, like you. She will be our fearless big cat.”

  “That she will,” Rourke murmured, sliding his arm around my waist. “Accompanied by her brother, Aidan, the big, magnificent wolf.”

  33

  The entire group was assembled outside the small, deserted church near the Abbey of San Galgano, where Enid had kept Jax and Naomi. It was ten to midnight, and the full moon was almost directly overhead. Things were quiet, other than a few wolf howls.

  Tally had recruited an impressive number of witches, many of them coming in from outlying areas. She’d explained that she’d wanted them all to witness the coronation, so why not help out here first? She stood to my left, Rourke to my right. My father stood beside Rourke, Tyler beside him. On the other side of Tally were Marcy and James.

  Ray had found Leo, and he had agreed to help. Naomi, Ray, and the angel were situated on the roof. They would wait for my signal, which would be a whistle.

  I was due to walk through those doors to face Enid in nine minutes.

  Juanita had not contacted me, so I had no idea if she was inside or not.

  “We’ve got the entire perimeter locked down,” Tally said. “I’ve commingled the witches and the wolves to give us the greatest advantage. The wolves will charge, while the witches will stay back and spell. Unless Enid can teleport, if you don’t come out, she doesn’t come out. But even if she can disappear into thin air, I’ve got a few witches who specialize in that kind of tracking. She won’t get away without paying the price with her life.”

  I glanced at the witch beside me, back in her standard gear—dark fatigues and a black baseball hat pulled down low over her eyes. Her long white ponytail hung loosely out of the opening in back, a no-nonsense expression on her face. “Tally, you were born to do this,” I told her. “You’re a battle captain with serious expertise.”

  “Yep,” she agreed, her tone serious. “If I’m not slated to fill a similar role on the Coalition, I’ll be surprised.”

  I knew my role, but now that she’d brought it up, I had no idea what anybody else’s job duties would be. It made sense that Tally would be a battle captain. “Do you know any of the other job titles?” I asked her.

  “Not really.” She shrugged. “I’ve read bits about the Coalition over the years, but none of it very accurate. I’m not sure if the roles are the same every time, or if they adapt depending on which supernatural takes a seat.” She turned a wry glance my way. “But if I’m not the battle captain, then something is wrong with this universe.”

  “Agreed.” It was almost time for me to leave. I leaned around Rourke to talk to my father. “Once I give the internal okay to Rourke that everything’s fine, you and Tally lead everyone out of here to the coronation location. We will follow.” I was going with the best-case scenario—the one in which I survived. If I didn’t, they would decide the course of action as they saw fit. “I’m heading in now.”

  Rourke’s hand grip tightened on me.

  There was no way he wanted me to step foot in that church. This might be the hardest separation we’d ever had. He took me in his arms, leaning down to give me a long, tender kiss. My hands went to the back of his neck, caressing. I tried to pour some calm into him.<
br />
  As soon as our lips parted, he growled, “I’m going to walk you to the door. I don’t care if she’s pissed off. I’m not moving from that spot until I know you’re okay.”

  “That’s fine,” I replied. We began to walk arm in arm toward the church door.

  You’ve got this, sis, Tyler said. There is no way she’s gonna harm my niece and nephew. We’ll see you out here soon.

  Over the last hour, I’d begun to feel the same way.

  And truth be told, I didn’t really want to function in a world where someone could take three lives so unjustly. If she does, she’ll have to deal with our wrath, I told my brother.

  When we were almost to the door, I glanced up. A dark shape was crouched next to the chimney. It saluted me. Romy had come to watch the show. I hoped that boded well for my cause. It certainly couldn’t hurt, especially knowing what I knew now about the angels and how important this new Coalition was to them.

  I wondered for a moment if Leo and Romy were stronger than Enid.

  My mate and I stopped at the door, the crowd behind us silent. Rourke gave me a searing kiss, holding my face in his hands. “I will be with you the entire time,” he pledged. “One word from you, and I’ll be inside.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s going to be okay.” I stepped reluctantly out of his arms and reached for the door handle.

  Behind me, Marcy yelled, “Go get ’em, Tiger! Wait, wait! I mean, superstrong wolf. Go get ’em, Wolfy!”

  I chuckled as I tugged the rickety door open, the wood half eaten away around the edges. I met my mate’s gaze. “I love you.”

  “I love you too. I’ll be right here.”

  The church was dark, save a few low-burning candles near the altar. I made my way slowly up the main aisle. When I was halfway to the front, Enid strode out onto the platform, wearing the same dress.