MATHER (The Tangled Web Book 2)

by Morgan Wylie

  He found an alcove built into the wall and hid inside it. It wouldn’t shield him from anyone passing by, but it might keep him out of sight long enough to figure out what she was doing. He calmed his breathing and lowered his heart rate enough to spark his wolf’s hearing into action. He could practically feel the blood pumping through his head into his ear canal as his wolf took over, listening. He could clearly hear Mai’s voice. She was talking to a male who was responding to her.

  “This information is not enough to appease the madam,” the male voice said stately as if he was a butler or perhaps a messenger.

  The madam? Who was he referring to?

  “It will have to be enough, that’s all I have right now. Things have been… stressful at the Lair,” Mai replied sternly but with an underlying tone of fear that only Mather would be able to pick up on unless she was talking to another shifter. At this distance, Mather couldn’t scent the stranger and wouldn’t have been able to unless he had walked this way with Mai. So he must have come through the loading area to wait for her.

  This was planned. Mai had planned or divulged their location to whoever this was in order to set this meeting. Or another option that he didn’t want to consider… the entire job was a cover so she could meet him. But why?

  “How is he?” Mai’s voice wavered only slightly.

  “You can ask her when you talk to her,” the voice responded, his words slightly garbled.

  Who was this guy? Mather wanted so desperately to peek inside the door to see who it was, but from the sound of their voices, they were close to the door and he would be easily spotted.

  “Use the stone, she needs to show you something… perhaps to motivate you.” The man laughed maliciously.

  Mather flexed his fists at his sides. He wanted nothing more than to barge through those doors and pummel the information out of the guy. Then he’d turn Mai over to the mercy of the Lair for her betrayal. The PAC did not suffer known betrayers in their midst. A growl rumbled inside his chest at the very thought that she had betrayed them—betrayed Rylen, after all he had done for her. Sweat trickled down his back from restraining himself for so long, and his muscles shook with the anticipation of the hunt and capture.

  “I will talk with her, but there isn’t much more I can tell her,” Mai ground out, frustration leaking from her tone.

  “Well, you will just have to dig it up, then, won’t you, if you want your poor little brother to live, that is.”

  Blackmail. Mai’s brother? Oh, he had read the entire situation incorrectly. Mai wouldn’t forgive him for the distrust, but he had a feeling there was more at stake here.

  “Just be ready at the usual time. Madam Widow will get in touch with you,” the man growled, though it was much deeper and more warbly than a wolf’s.

  Perhaps he was one of the larger shifters? A bear? Or another race altogether? Mather had the feeling he would meet that man again, and he would be ready for him.

  “I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for her.” Mai’s sarcasm belied her fear that Mather could practically scent from as far away as he was. Then he heard a commotion as loud footsteps moved away from the doorway, apparently unconcerned with stealth. The man was leaving, and Mather would be waiting.

  Mai must have taken a moment to collect herself after her rendezvous as she did not come through the doors right away. Mather was just about to storm in there and rip her out when one of the double doors opened.

  He heard her intake of a deep breath as she began to move down the hallway. She had just passed him when she paused and nonchalantly cocked her head in his direction. “Hear anything of interest to you?” She raised an eyebrow in his direction, challenging him to jump all over her.

  “Black Widow has your brother.” It wasn’t a question, no sense in rehashing what was already known. “For how long?”

  Mai sighed and dropped her shoulders. “Let’s walk back, I don’t want to raise suspicions more than they already are.”

  Mather stood straight and crossed his muscular arms over his chest, defiant in his stance. “Not until we get some things straight, Mai.”

  “Please, let’s walk. I will fill you in while we do.”

  He would have pushed her further, but the pain he saw in her eyes softened him. He nodded and directed her to proceed with a hand. They headed back in the direction of the main event ballroom. Mather kept silent, waiting for Mai to divulge her side of what happened.

  “I’m glad you caught me. Makes it easier, I can’t keep up pretenses anymore. I’ve hated who I’ve been these past weeks.” She looked up at Mather, but he gave no indication of understanding her plight. “I really don’t have an issue with Alana, but I was told to try and drive her and Rylen apart as well as distract from what else is going on.” She slowed as they came to the edge of where the entry met the corridor to the auction’s entrance.

  Mather kept his arms across his chest and a scowl upon his brow as they moved closer to their destination.

  “As for how long… she’s had him a month, but I only found out two weeks ago. He travels a lot, and sometimes, I don’t hear from him weeks at a time, so that wasn’t unusual. She’s holding him prisoner and”—her breath caught as she forced herself to say the words—“and torturing him. He’s only twenty. He would have fought if he could have. He’s not as good as I am in skill level, but he can hold his own as long as he’s not overrun.” Her eyes went to the floor.

  “Rylen has to know, Mai. He can—we can—help you. Why didn’t you come straight to us?”

  “She’ll know if I tell him. She has ways of knowing things. You have to tell him, outside the Lair, please, Mather.” Concern and fear emanated from her words, but underneath it all, there were traces of possibility and hope. Hope that she could help her brother.

  “Again, why the charade?”

  “Like I said, she has ways of knowing. I had to go along with as much as I could. I gave her bits and pieces of information, but nothing solid that would endanger the Lair or the team.” Her eyes were haunted. “You’ll never know how sorry I am for that, but I was desperate.”

  “I get that. You still should have found a way to tell us right away.”

  “I did try. I thought for sure Rylen at least would figure out there was more to how I was acting. I dropped hints here and there.”

  “Not enough. I think Rylen does know though at least that something is going on and you would never act the way you have without a strong reason. He trusts you, Mai.”

  “And you?” Sad, vulnerable eyes that were not normally a part of Mai’s traits, struck him in the gut. She was a part of their family. He nodded. “But some of the others… maybe not so much. It might take time and proof.”

  Mai nodded as if she had already accepted a worse fate than that. “Thank you.”

  “I think your date might be a farce. This whole event reeks of an ulterior motive to me. Be careful,” Mather warned just outside the doors leading back into the auction.

  “He is. He works for her and sets up the meets for me in the city when they are needed. They are few and far between as it’s hard to arrange lately with how much we are under watch.”

  Mather nodded. “Let’s hope this ends sooner than later, then. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up pretenses. There’s a guard in the watchbox with me, and I have suspicions she is also working for her, watching me.”

  “Just pretend you are watching me alone in the clutches of an evil taskmaster.” She winked and then disappeared through the doors.

  Mather inhaled a breath of relief, knowing what was going on with Mai and would be able to deal with it accordingly with Rylen once they returned. He entered back into the watch box with the other guards. He gave a few of them nods as he reclaimed his position in front of the large window. Mather switched the channel on the comms to inform his team he was back and the Sparrow had just re-entered the event. There were no questions asked, nor would there be. It was not their place to question the leader. If th
ere was a need to know, they would be told. That’s how it worked when on a job.

  “Eyes on Sparrow and Robin in quadrant three,” one of the team informed him.

  “Do not let Robin out of your sight, we must guard him well.” Mather’s words were cryptic enough that even though Mai’s date “Robin” could hear them, only Mai was the wiser to his suggested phrasing. The protected had become the threat.

  Chapter Ten

  The next morning Rylen walked into the Den with Alana at his side, holding her hand the entire way, ready to be briefed on the previous night’s mission. The argument and sight of what they walked in on was not what he was expecting first thing in the morning. Vi, Lola, and Mai were locked in a heated discussion while everyone else looked on.

  Rylen frowned, trying to make sense of what they were talking about. It seemed Lola was standing her ground against Mai, and Vi was either playing referee or wasn’t sure yet whose side she was on. He could only guess it had something to do with his little mate at his side. He sighed.

  “What’s going on?” he asked Enock quietly as he walked up to him.

  Enock shrugged. “They have been going at it since before I walked in a few minutes ago. Mather was already here, just letting them fight it out. I’ve been trying to make sense of it. Best I can figure, Lola is defending”—not wanting to say her name out loud, he nodded in Alana’s direction—“and Mai has some beef about it, but oddly, her argument is making a lot of sense. Something’s going on with her, and I can’t figure out what it is.” Enock watched Mai closely. “She hasn’t been doing her ninja-meditating shit that she usually does every morning after training. It’s like she’s scattered, maybe confined herself, like she’s punishing herself. Shit, I’m not a psychologist, but something’s wrong.” Rylen nodded in agreement, he had been watching Mai, too. She was always a solid voice of reason and peace in the group, but something has been wrong for a little while now.

  “Enough!” Rylen shouted over the catfight. Instantly, they ceased what they had been shouting about, heads down in shame. “What is wrong with you three?” Rylen released Alana and told her to stay with Enock. “Guard the door E, we have some house cleaning to do.” Enock nodded his head and took Alana outside the door. Mather stayed inside with Rylen but kept his distance.

  “Sit down. Now,” Rylen commanded. “I’m sick of this shit. What is the problem? Is it Alana, Mai? Or is something else going on, because you are stirring up shit you never would have before. We are not leaving this room until this is cleared up. I mean, it’s not like we have anything else going on that we can take this time to deal with your PMS-y petty shit, but let’s do it. Come on!” Rylen was riled up, and rightly so, but he had had enough. He pulled over a bar stool from one of the high tables and leaned against it with his arms crossed. “Talk.”

  The girls sat petulantly and pouted like children. “Mai seems to have a stick up her ass about Alana, which doesn’t make any sense for how intense she’s being about it,” Lola started.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Lola,” Mai countered.

  “Enlighten us, then, Mai. You have been on Alana’s case since the very beginning. I understand your protectiveness, but this is unlike you.” Rylen stared at her, hard and unrelenting. She would collapse under the pressure even if he had to apply magic to his position, but he didn’t want it to come to that. Mai had always trusted him in the past, and he wanted her to now. His voice softened, and he moved over to the couch opposite where Mai sat. Vi looked on, confused, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two. “You used to trust me, Mai. What changed? Is it really all Alana?”

  Mai shook her head and lowered it, looking at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “I… I can’t tell you, Rylen. I’m sorry. I truly am. If there was another way…” Mai didn’t ever cry, but tears silently fell from her eyes, collecting on her fist then running down her forearm where they pooled in the crevice of her elbow. “She’s watching,” Mai whispered—if what she did could even be called a whisper, it was that quiet—but Rylen was close enough to catch it and whispered his own curse in return.

  Rylen pat his legs stood abruptly with a huff. “Good enough for me.”

  “What?!” both Vi and Lola turned to Rylen out of confusion. “I thought we were going to hash this shit out,” Lola added wildly with her hands.

  “I don’t think there’s that much to hash out, Lola.” He then turned to Mai, “You’ll get over your shit with Alana in time, Mai, but until then, I’m going to separate the two of you. Let you cool off and let her adjust.” Mai attempted to speak up, but Rylen held his hand up to stop her. However, he could see the slightest hint of relief in her eyes. “We still love you, Mai, and I know you’ll love Alana… just give her some time.”

  She huffed then tore away and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her in a show of her recent attitudes, mimicking more of something Lola would have done than she ever would, even on her worst day. Perhaps that was it, was Mai putting on a show? Rylen watched her as she left. All of her movements were off. It was a message.

  Rylen clapped his hands to try to gain back everyone’s attention. Enock escorted Alana back inside and they both sat down.

  “Gracie? Are you all right?” Lola asked sitting across from the Oracle watching with concern and expectation. “Rylen, I think she’s having a vision.”

  “Not a vision,” Gracie squeaked out, “eyes… eyes…” Her words made no sense, but her head swiveled about as if she was ducking from something on the ceiling that was swooping down on her.

  Rylen looked up at the ceiling as if he could possibly see what she was seeing. Something bubbled near the surface of his throat like a growl about to erupt. Alana reached over and placed her opposite hand against his arm, bringing him back to their reality.

  “Do you see something?” she whispered.

  At the same time, Gracie’s eyes refocused from their clouded-over state. “You see it don’t you?” She looked up hesitantly to Rylen.

  “I sense something,” he explained, his voice roughened with the tightness that occurred when his animal was at the forefront.

  “What did you see, Gracie-girl?” Enock leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees looking at her with wide eyes.

  “Eyes.”

  “Were they attached to faces?” Enock coaxed her for more information.

  “No. Just eyes,” she said with defeat as she looked back at him.

  “What could that mean? What did you sense, Ry, man?” Enock further probed.

  “I felt like I was being watched,” he said quietly, scanning the room and every individual present. “Do any of you sense anything? Have you seen anything?” Rylen questioned.

  Everyone shook their head, looking around at each other as well. A feeling of unease and quiet distrust crept into the room. Alana studied Rylen then smoothed her thumb over his hand sending waves of comfort into him. She was a little taken aback that she had actually been able to release magic into him. He looked down at her tenderly and smiled. “Very good, and thank you for that, mate.”

  “Something is happening here at the Lair and I’m not entirely sure what my senses are picking up. We need to be cautiously on the lookout for anything that is out of place.”

  The door to the Den opened, and Mai crept quietly back inside as if she had cooled off from her earlier outburst.

  Rylen moved in closer to the group, standing before them as the leader of the PAC that he was. Everyone looked up to him and respected him, and it was because of who he was and how he treated his people. They were a family, first, and coworkers for the Web, second. Mather got up and whispered something in Rylen’s ear that caused Rylen to scowl, but nodded then Mather returned to his seat.

  “Gracie, you fine to move on? Or was there anything else?” Rylen asked, returning his attention to her.

  She shook her head and looked down at her hands, now folded in her lap. Rylen frowned but nodded. “Ok then. Mather rep
ort on the job last night.”

  Mather sat up straighter, looking like the capable team leader that he was. “Everything ran smooth and went off without a hitch.” He then shifted his gaze around the room. “Off the books”—he returned his gaze to Rylen.—“we ran into a vamp who I recognized from Triumph.” He looked over at Enock, feeling his gaze on him.

  “Who was it?” Enock asked.

  “He wouldn’t give me his name, but he said he knew you and respected you, so he thought we might want the information he had.”

  “What did he want in return? They always have a price for information,” Enock said with frustration.

  “Surprisingly, he only wanted immunity if he got in trouble with the vamps and could come to us if he needed to.” Mather shrugged “So I gave it to him.”

  “Interesting,” Enock mused.

  “Go on, Mat,” Rylen pushed.

  “He said he had seen some guys hanging around Triumph—humans—that hadn’t been there before. He snooped around them a bit and discovered a marking they each wore on their necks here.” Mather touched the lower side of his neck demonstrating where it was.

  “Fairfax,” Rylen uttered with gritted teeth. “They’re still here.”

  Mather nodded. “That’s what I think he was trying to tell me. That was all he had to say. Just that they’d been there on more than one occasion. He heard we were looking for them and figured they must be trouble, and he didn’t want them in their territory.” Mather snorted. “I think he wants us to take care of them for the vamps.”

  “Stupid vamps, needing us to come in and take care of business because they don’t want to get their hands dirty,” Enock said audaciously.

  “Um, E… you’re a vampire,” Rylen pointed out humorously.

  “Psht. I’m not a pansy bloodsucker like that crew is. I, at least, give being a vampire a good name.” Enock puffed out his chest with pride and rubbed his knuckles across his shirt as if polishing brass.