by Jo Penn
Everyone stepped away.
“I get the feeling this is meant to cause a rift here in Milson Valley,” Mason said quietly, expression troubled. “Is it a target on Drax? Or a setup of Sebastian? And then to have three other species against wolves makes me wonder…”
“Wonder what, mate?” Drax drew Mason close, lightly resting a hand on his mate’s back to comfort and give support.
Mason drew in deeply. “If someone other than myself, Xavier, and Drax were aware of what we are to one another and our…difficulties. A spy? An opportune moment? Working with Renegades, or independently? Too many choices.”
They were all quiet for a moment, weighing options, considering. Drax knew one thing though and that was whatever, whoever, they were up against, he’d fight, as would everyone else here. This creature had made a mistake by tipping their hand so soon.
“I think we’ve all come to the same conclusion. Someone is using what went down between Mason and I to cause a rift not only between different groups, but also within the groups themselves, making them choose sides. I’m also getting the impression someone is pissed off and lost their control by torching my truck.”
“Why?” Mason looked confused.
“Drax’s right.” Baron nodded. “They got sloppy, had a temper tantrum. Whatever they were trying to do here, cause a rift or some shit by implicating Seb, fae, and wizard was amateur work and easily seen through. They showed their hand. Suggestions on how to find the magic user, buddy?”
“I have a few ideas.” Mason’s expression turned predatory.
Which just turned Drax on. He got hard and achy whenever Mason showed this determined, predator side, and needy when his mate was soft and cuddly.
“Yeah? Some spells?” Drake asked.
“Sure. A little investigating magic, some spells to remove potions others wear, maybe a spell or potion to reveal one’s true self, and since we have Corey Hart, he can do a fun replay of events out here.”
Drax frowned. “Corey Hart? You mean Tudor’s best friend?”
“Yes, he finally arrived late yesterday afternoon. He has a powerful gift that will be beneficial in this situation.”
“We’re not meant to be investigating.” Drake looked around. “We’ll keep this between us, trust few.”
“I do have a suspect that I would like no one to repeat. I’m sure Xavier has mentioned it to you via your mateship link, Drake.”
“He has his suspicions,” Drake said evasively.
“Who?” Baron demanded, always annoyed by evasiveness.
“Laurie’s father.”
Chapter Six
The hours following the explosion of Drax’s Range Rover went by fast with a lot of activity. Mason’s office was overrun with coven members who wanted to know what was going on, so he had his grandmother call a meeting to inform everyone while he worked with Drax and Baron on security.
He had always thought the coven had excellent, powerful security and quickly saw where it was lacking and by how much.
After today’s incident, he was all for what Drax implemented and Baron suggested and was surprised how well they worked together. Sure, there were niggles here and there, digs, but also grins, and they surprised Mason, for they were actually close friends. That did make Mason feel better about something at least.
He had another two desks bought into his over large office and moved furniture around to accommodate what Drax would need. He hadn’t thought he would have to stay with Drax all the time, so he hadn’t thought of sharing his office. Now he knew and just got on with it, not dwelling or thinking about it. He left his desk where it was and his cabinets and placed Drax on the wall facing the door and window that was beside Mason’s desk. He knew Drax was all for being prepared for any situation and would want to watch both entrances.
Mason did not wish to think about the fact that a witch or wizard of this coven, one he knew and trusted could be the one with the tainted magical signature. It was an unfortunate part of life. He understood that, he got it, but that didn’t mean for one minute that Mason liked it. Xavier’s father had used his magic for greed and lost it in a bet, but he’d never been evil, just damn foolish.
Laurie’s, though, now that was one evil son of a bitch who Mason hoped stayed far away from the Armstrong coven. He wouldn’t, not Jeremiah. No, he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, combine their powers and take over the coven. Jeremiah was sneaky and very intelligent. The act of torching Drax’s truck wasn’t Jeremiah’s style.
Laurie might joke about it, calling himself a third cousin, Mason might pretend he forgot they were really uncle and nephew, Laurie actually being the uncle, but Mason knew this would break Laurie’s heart that his estranged father might be involved in harming the coven.
Laurie wasn’t a fool. He had no fairytale illusions where his father was concerned and knew to stay away from the man. For some reason, Mason couldn’t dismiss Jeremiah entirely, despite the truck incident. The incidents with Drax’s equipment being tampered with were very much Jeremiah’s style. Underhanded. Deadly. Mason suspected that Jeremiah had someone inside the coven, someone he blackmailed or manipulated into giving him information. Someone who might have spied on Mason and found out Drax was his mate. Jeremiah wouldn’t want Mason mated. In reality, he’d want Mason, Delia, and Xavier dead.
And to keep Laurie as a puppet to take over the coven.
Mason felt the urgency to expose the spy among them. The creature must be the same as the one who set explosives to Drax’s car. He was sure.
“You’re thinking hard, mate.”
Yes, he had been, or he would have noticed Drax, Baron, and Sebastian enter the office. He was going to have to get used to others invading his space without knocking. He had grown accustomed to Xavier drifting in and out and now missed his cousin since he was at the compound and Durand vampire coven more these days. Most others knocked, even if it were just a light tap before entering. Mason wasn’t a dictator. He liked the coven members to feel they could approach him. Sometimes though he had to restrict access because he had confidential work he was in the middle of or was in a meeting.
Drax wrapped one large, thickly muscled arm around Mason’s chest and pressed his long, hard body close. He’d always wondered what it would be like not to hide his relationship with Drax, often thinking Drax, who was probably the most unaffectionate creature he’d ever encountered, wouldn’t be into PDA. It appeared Mason was wrong.
He was wrong about a lot, he was finding. Having tangled himself up in his tizz, potions, and spells, it now felt like a long, difficult journey of discovery to find what was real once more.
The feel of his mate, so strong, so virile, gave Mason a shot of not only strong desire but also security. He’d always been so independent. He didn’t need anyone to lean on or protect him, or so he thought. Having Drax here, knowing the wolf would never leave him and always protect him, gave Mason a peculiar thrill and warmth. Happiness.
Instead of pulling away, Mason briefly leaned back into Drax’s warm body and accepted the affection. The wolf seemed to like this, the arm around Mason’s chest tightening and if possible, Drax’s body grew warmer.
Before Mason could comment, the door to his office flew open, and two tigers and a wolf shifter all snarled and bared large fangs at the intruder.
“Holy shit!” Finn Finnlandson quickly scrambled behind his mate, Alpha Urian Starters.
Uri merely quirked a brow and grabbed Finn’s wrist, probably to stop his seer from bolting. “Settle down, kitties.”
Baron grumbled at this, but everyone relaxed. “How’s the investigation going outside?”
“Still going.” Uri shut the door and dragged Finn across the room to the sofa where he sat his mate down. “Finn had a vision.”
Uri and Finn now had their complete attention. Not that they weren’t interested in what Finn had to say usually, though often the seer was a smartass, but here at the coven they all adored the creature and not just because Finn was hot, fun,
and cheeky.
A seer was a bit of rarity, especially an immortal, powerful one. Seers were more commonly humans with a touch of foresight passing themselves off as psychics, which was true to an extent. Finn, though, was an immortal seer. These creatures, like the dragon shifters and demons, were very nearly extinct. Most of the time, seers were protected by witch and wizard covens, but they’d tried to set themselves up as their own paranormal group a few hundred years ago and Renegades picked them off, as did others who wanted their unique sight power.
Urian had run into Finn at the annual shifter leaders’ convention five months ago and had a bit of a struggle getting his mouthy mate here to Milson City.
“Good. Who blew up my truck, Finn?” Drax had removed his arm from around Mason but remained close, so close their bodies were still touching.
“Congrats on your mating—oooh, that’s right. That’s old news.” Finn flashed a grin. “Not mated yet I see. Maybe I can try to get a vision of when that’ll be so you have a heads-up?”
“How ’bout I tell Tripp what happened at the bears’ new dam?” Drax said amiably.
Finn smirked. “Good counter offer. Okay, so I saw a dude with some weird-ass hat that Uri said is a wizard hat.” Finn shot a look at the hat stand by the door. “Huh, I thought you were lying to me, Uri.”
Uri growled. “Yeah, thanks, mate.”
“Well come on, who wears something… Oh, I’m sure you look fabulous in it, Mason.” Finn flashed a cheeky grin, able to pull it off because he was frigging hot and didn’t mean any harm. Charming when he wished, elegant, but a nuisance and menace other times. “Anyway, dude in weird hat with a lot of suppressed rage and quite a bit of fear had a large assortment of weapons and tools in a big shed somewhere in the forest. It looked like he made the explosives himself by copying a picture of some of Sebastian’s. He had a picture of Drax’s car, a jar of some fae magic—though I’ll have to ask Vis how you get fae magic in a jar—and you can guess the rest.”
“Did you see his face?” Mason sat opposite Finn, leaning forward, hopeful.
“No. But I can advise you who can help you recognize him easier than casting spells and using potions. I got the sense in my vision he’s prepared for that and has a nasty surprise if you try. Something about a heart who can make recordings?” Finn shrugged.
While everyone else just looked confused and Finn rolled his eyes, well used to others not always able to interpret his visions, Mason nodded, understanding. Corey Hart had the unique gift of replaying events and projecting them as though they were on a television screen.
“Best to seek Archie Taunton’s assistance. He’s an aura reader.” Finn inspected his fingernails, huffing over them.
“Of course,” Mason exclaimed. “Though I’m not sure Dom, Chane, and Misha will like that. Involving Archie could make him a target.”
“Then we need to make sure we keep him safe,” Drax said.
“Not going to happen.” Uri shook his head. “Dom’s not going to want his mate’s brother in danger.”
“Hmm, but if we do this smart, no one will even suspect we’re aware that the person responsible could be a member of this coven and has tainted their magic. Archie often attends the herbal classes Chane runs a few times week, so it’s normal for him to be here. And now it’s normal for Drax and Seb to be here more, and I’ll be hanging around helping put in the new security measures.” Baron was pacing. “Chane’s due here tomorrow morning. I can probably talk Dom into going along with this plan to have the Taunton brothers here, then they go to the cafeteria afterward, and we make a show of hanging out there for a while, chatting, being relaxed and friendly, see who Archie can spot.”
“If Dom, Chane, and Archie agree, I’ll go along with it,” Drax said. “We’ll discuss how to work the system and maybe check in with Trent on the best strategy.”
Baron snarled a little, curling his top lip back and exposing a sharp canine… “My brother is…being difficult. He is not available at present.”
Mason bit his bottom lip, knowing not to comment. Baron didn’t mention it often, but occasionally, when apparently very pissed off, he let it slip that his middle triplet, Alessandro Trent Sanchez, or Trent as he preferred, “got into moods,” and shut everyone out. As Sebastian was one of the triplets and a therapist, Mason thought he must deal with their brother and sort out whatever was going on.
He just knew that if he were in Trent’s place, dealing twenty-four seven with plots, death, fights, and the best way to stop Renegades, he’d get shitty, too.
“Thank you for coming and telling us about your vision, Finn. Do you require me for anything else?” Mason asked delicately.
Finn didn’t like it to be known he suffered from headaches on occasion from visions. Most were fine, but ones with negative connotations, or big and powerful could knock the seer around and either leave him tired, strained, briefly unconscious or with headaches.
Finn narrowed his sharp, aqua-blue eyes on Mason. “No, unless you’re going to give me that potion for you know what.”
Mason bit his lip, again. No way was he giving Finn a potion to turn his mate into a mindless, devoted slave. Then Mason noticed that beneath Finn’s lovely peaches-and-cream complexion were a few signs of tiredness and strain, and the stylish seer’s hair was not artfully set, rather hurriedly spiked up with no real design. Glancing at Uri with a frown and receiving a very subtle headshake, Mason left it alone. Finn wasn’t one for more than friendship pretense. Oh, he was friendly and a laugh a minute, but you tried to really get to know the seer and were shut down with a laugh and change of subject.
And the seer was covered in potions that stopped others from being able to locate him via scrying, magic, and even technology. Not potions the Armstrong coven had supplied. Drax had once mentioned how frustrated Urian was becoming with his mate as the seer was secretive and he had recently found a disposal phone with calls from untraceable numbers. Stunned that the Alpha wolf would let his mate get away with that, Mason had badgered Drax a bit and finally the annoying big wolf who never gossiped, relented, and said Uri was setting a trap for Finn. And now that Uri had found and destroyed Finn’s stash of potions and the ones he was covered in were wearing off, Sebastian was beginning to catch minute glimpses inside the seer.
Sebastian had an amazing gift of being able to see inside another creature to who they were, their past and present. Sebastian had said there was something dark and pure evil that was part of Finn. Unfortunately, so far, that was all the tiger had been able to pick up on. Mason personally didn’t believe there was anything dark and evil about Finn and it was obvious to him how much the seer loved Urian. What was going on though, he hadn’t a clue.
“Ahh, no.”
“Fine, be that way.” Finn huffed. “Oh, unless you have some of Chane’s lavender moisturizer lying around?”
“I do, actually.” Mason stood and went to one of the shelves where he had a box stored. Drax was there immediately and hefted the box down, Mason rolling his eyes. “Laurie, Xavier, Delia, and I have taken what we need, so you can have those if you want.”
“Cool! Thanks. Chane’s a bit touchy with me after that monk reference fiasco.”
Sebastian chuckled. “For an ex-monk, that vampire is one pissy creature.”
“Let’s go speak to Dom.” Baron jerked Seb toward the door. “With so many creatures roaming around the coven grounds, I’ve called for a few dozen soldiers to keep out of sight but patrol outside. Vicus texted me and said he’s keeping an eye on things.”
Mason could well imagine the Avenger would be. As the deadliest creature who was borne to deal with problems such as this, Vicus Aston was anywhere and everywhere. You just didn’t see or sense him.
“I’ll be back in a moment, mate.” Drax grabbed the box from Urian and walked with his Alpha and the Alpha mate toward the door.
Mason couldn’t help it. There was a little snideness inside him, and since he’d had to abide the rules, why the hell sho
uldn’t the wolf?
“Hmm, but I’m not planning on leaving my office at present.”
Drax stopped, frowning at Mason. “Yeah, good. I want you to stay here—”
“And as per the mateship agreement, as I recall, that means you must remain also.” Mason tapped his lip, pretending he was thinking. “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble, mate.”
Grumbling something under his breath, Drax shoved the box into Uri’s chest, who quickly grabbed it and, with a grin, hurried Finn out of the room, the seer complaining about missing out on seeing the fireworks. Before any fireworks could ensue, Mason pointed to the bare desks he had set up.
“What do you think?”
Drax puffed out a heartfelt sigh. “What, we’re going to talk about desks now?”
Mason’s icy blue eyes turned frosty. “I just spent the last half an hour setting these up, Drax Charmers, and not just in any old way either. No, I considered where you would want to sit so you could see all the entrances and exits. I considered what you would need to be able to do whatever the hell it is you do aside from chewing creatures out and protecting them, and I then made space for you by moving half my office around.” Mason’s lips thinned. “But if that isn’t important enough for you, I apologize for wasting your time, and mine, Enforcer Charmers.”
“Shit.” Drax held up in hands as though to ward off anymore of Mason’s barbed words. “You’re right. I was out of line. I appreciate this.”
Mason scowled and jabbed a finger in the air. “Is that an apology?”
“Well, yeah.” Drax frowned, shrugging and looking around as though the walls would have the answer.
“Worst apology ever.” Mason couldn’t believe it. Did the man really think that was an apology? “Frigging insane.”
“What? I’m not insane, this is insane. I should have said thanks for the desk and—”
“That is not an apology!” Mason exploded, arms waving around as his voice rose.
“Okay, you need to calm down. You’re still dealing with the tizz until we claim each other—”
