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A flair of excitement pinged through her as Remmus prepared to pull the teleport lock from her mind. The first time around, her every instinct had pushed her to run. Given their new connection, Ava looked forward to the airy but comforting sensation of his mind brushing against hers.
When he reached toward her, palm up, she captured his fingers and delicately pressed them against her cheek. The sensation ignited something hot within her. Remmus’ response, a soft smile that held no trace of the playboy grin, had her knees weakening.
It took effort for her to let go of the present and refocus on memories of the pack house—and alpha—at their destination. The last memory she had of Seth and his pack den was from five years ago. She and Aidan had taken an impromptu trip to see the second oldest werewolf when he’d had an exceptionally bad run of luck. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Remmus to register the location.
The teleport was slow, almost lazy, but the tender kiss he placed on her cheek afterward made her blush.
California was much warmer than Estes Park—or La Crosse. It was a balmy fifty-some degrees. If she’d had the time, she would’ve loved to go for a run through the massive forest.
Unlike the other dens, the Redwoods pack lived in a collection of individual homes that sprawled across several acres. Here, the community house functioned similarly to Riaz’ great hall, and there was a constant flow of traffic in and out. Seth took the open-door policy to a new level: his ‘office’ had no walls, and he encouraged any wolf to stop by his desk.
Appearing at the top of the pack house’s stairs, their host grinned down at her. Dark hair, dark eyes, and nearly Aidan’s height, he was an imposing figure. In addition to the dominance that clung to him, he was the first person Aidan had turned more than eight centuries ago.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
His deep voice brought with it a wave of nostalgia. “Seth. It’s been too long.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into a hug. He smelled of pine and bleach, because when he wasn’t at his desk, Seth was in his lab, working on perfecting the vaccine he’d developed against rabidity.
The alpha pulled away and captured her shoulders. “How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain. Cortana’s been an excellent addition to our den,” she replied. “You?”
“Our tests with the vaccine have shown good results, so I’m counting it as a win.” Seth sobered. “I haven’t had any clanless contact in months, otherwise I would’ve reached out.”
She shrugged, but kept the reply non-committal for Remmus’ benefit. “It’s not surprising—especially now that they’re all post-Heat.”
Nodding, Seth gave her a long look. “Aidan told me you’ve found your mate.”
“Aidan talks too much,” she scoffed, but the sound was full of affection, “but the rumors are true.” Turning to the man next to her, she introduced him. “Seth, I’d like you to meet, Remmus—my mate. He’s the Raeth in charge of recoding your HVACs. I think you’ll like each other.” She made a face. “Or hate. You both have a knack for surprising me at the worst of times.”
Seth stuck out his hand. “I think we’ve met a few times, but here’s to being official. I’m Seth.”
They shook. “Remmus, Raeth handyman extraordinaire.”
“Shall we?”
Seth wasted no time in showing them to the pack house’s HVAC units and, like Sagan, he didn’t hover. Remmus quickly got to work, pressing one hand against the machinery and going silent.
She crept forward, watching as characters scrolled across the display. It sparked a question in her mind. “When did you discover your ability?”
“About a century ago. You’d be surprised what falls under the control and access of a technopath. Computers, cell phones, sure, but even things like lighting and vehicles and circuitry, even. If you had a pacemaker, I could even make your heart go thump thump for me.”
He waggled his eyebrows, that dopey look returning to his face with a vengeance. She giggled and couldn’t stop herself from giving him a peck on the lips.
“Have you ever met a computer you couldn’t hack?”
“Not yet, but keep distracting me with kisses to test that, please. A man should know the limits of his power!”
Ava hovered behind him, watching him work for a few minutes before she breached the silence once more. “Seth is responsible for the rabidity vaccine that we’ve been distributing to the rest of the packs. It’s why his pack is so important—and partially the reason why Aidan didn’t want to wait. Seth runs the lab here on Redwoods pack lands.”
“Make sense.” Remmus froze. “Have you had the vaccine, Ava?”
“I have. Most of Riaz’s pack has now, except for a few of the non-combatants. We’ll get to them eventually, but unfortunately, they were lower on the priority list, and we don’t have that many doses.”
“I’m glad you’re vaccinated,” he said. “And it only makes sense. Everyone was low on the totem pole at one point or another, and ensuring those who do field work are covered is the best-case scenario.”
She chuckled. “I can’t imagine you ever being low on the totem pole, Remmus.”
