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“And how do you think that is going to go over? The President has a dragon mate. The American people will love that.”
“No one can take care of her the way I can. I trusted other people before, and they failed, or have you forgotten that?” Blake stepped back.
Tristan twisted his neck side to side. “Damn, I forget how fast you are.”
Blake turned to glare at Lincoln, who was still ready to fight if needed.
Tristan looked over Blake’s shoulder and said, “This was nothing. You should see how mad he gets when someone tries to steal his cookies.”
Tristan chuckled at his joke. Blake did not.
Tristan returned to his chair behind the desk. “We are in a very precarious moment. The American people are suspicious of everything. We have not gone public. Who knows what would happen if we did? The President is a symbol of great leadership for this country. Many people do not like her, but they will look to whoever serves in that role in times of crisis.” He nodded to Lincoln. “Tell him the other thing you told me.”
Lincoln finally sat in his chair. “Random violence against supernaturals is increasing faster than it ever has. We get dozens of reports every day of innocent shifters, witches, and even vampires being targeted by vigilantes.” He pulled out his phone, opened an app, and passed it to Blake. “Take a look at this.”
Blake took it and sat in the other chair. “What am I looking at?”
“This is a digital community of people claiming to be patriots who have sworn to rid the world of all supernatural beings,” Lincoln said.
Blake looked from the phone to Tristan. “Did you know about this?”
“There have always been groups like this. This time, though, it’s different,” Tristan said.
“How so?” Blake said.
Neither Lincoln nor Tristan said anything for several moments.
Blake scrolled through the messages, appalled at what he was seeing. He handed the phone back to Lincoln. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“We believe The Tribe is behind all of this,” Lincoln said. “Our intel identified your friend, Heather, as Keyser’s most prominent financial backer. We suspect that she is a Tribe witch. She is connected to nanotech and Arkansas. We believe they are rallying humans against supernaturals.”
Blake ran a hand through his hair. Heather couldn’t be a witch. He would have felt it. Indeed, there was no way she could have hidden something like that from him. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying. When I met her, she had trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. She was a free spirit, a hippie, not a Tribe witch.”
“That’s one of the reasons I want you to help Lincoln on this,” Tristan said. “I also think it would be a good idea for all of us if you distanced yourself from Angela. People are paying too much attention to a possible relationship between you.”
“Did she tell you this?” Blake asked.
“No, but the American people have lost a lot of confidence in her ability to do her job, be a mother, and be a girlfriend.” Tristan leaned back in his chair. “The more attention you get, the more questions people will ask. That will only cause confusion.”
Blake got out of the chair and walked to a window overlooking the front lawn, turning his back to his brother. He knew Tristan was right. Now was not the time for humans to learn that supernaturals existed. But how could he trust anyone else to take care of Angela? In his heart, he knew that had he stayed with Lorelei, he could have saved her. If he left Angela and something happened, he wouldn’t survive another loss.
He turned and walked out of the office without saying a word.
He sat at Angela’s dining table, waiting for her. After he left Tristan’s office, Penny found him and confirmed their dinner tonight. Going out in public was not his idea of a good time. She had been so excited about going to a restaurant that he didn’t have the heart to turn her down. He wanted a quiet dinner at home with no interruptions.
The idea of leaving her under someone else’s care was never something he contemplated before. However, after observing how difficult it had become for anyone to take Angela seriously, he had to admit the idea had merit. She had a brilliant political mind and was a natural at talking to people and convincing them her way was the best. Yet, it didn’t matter how many people she helped. The press was always more interested in her dating life. Hell, it was more than that. They would not be happy until they found out if she and Blake were having sex. He never understood why humans were so keyed up about sex.
Maybe it would be best if he wasn’t in the picture for a while.
The door opened, and Angela walked in, reading a report. She looked tired. A good night’s sleep was a luxury she didn’t have these days.
“Hey,” he said.
She glanced up from reading and smiled. It wasn’t the fake smile she reserved for the public. This smile was sincere and full of love. She saved it for him.
“Hi. I’m so glad to see you.” Angela walked to the table, wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his shoulders.
He pushed back his chair, and she sat on his lap. Her body relaxed and sank deeper against him. He rubbed her back and waited. She would talk to him when she was ready, but she needed someone to care for her right now.
