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Then I wasn’t able to escape without help from Red’s father. I think that was less frustrating when I didn’t know who he was. It was one thing for a friend to help me. It’s entirely another for it to have been my mate’s father. How weak does that make me look?
I can’t show weakness here. I have to be the alpha mate that Red deserves. As much as it pains me to think, I have to be more like Ryland. His big, bad wolf energy shows that he can protect Red and the territory. I have to prove that as well.
I’m so caught up in my own thoughts and feelings that I miss half the conversation. I look up to find James wincing in pain. No one else seems to notice. I slide an arm under his and guide him to the kitchen. “Are you okay?” I ask, grabbing a mug and making him a cup of Red’s favorite tea.
“I don’t know. I just got dizzy and then pain shot from my scar up my leg. Do you think they noticed?” He seems more concerned with the others noticing than with being in pain. I poke my head into the living room. They’re still talking and don’t seem to have noticed that we’re missing yet.
“I don’t think so. They’re still debating something. Honestly, I got lost in my own thoughts and missed most of what was said,” I admit. James nods in understanding. “You seem like you understand what I’m going through. I’m guessing it’s because you’re not a shifter.”
“I get it. You blame yourself for getting captured. I blame myself for getting injured. It is hard feeling like the odd man out. But you have to know that it hurt her when she couldn’t find you. She nearly destroyed Midnight when she found out you were being tortured and they wouldn’t let her storm the forest to go after Amber.” James’ words seem strange, but I’m certain he’s telling the truth.
“She blamed herself for you getting hurt. And she was terrified that you weren’t going to make it.” I don’t know if my words are comforting to him like his were to me, but I feel like I should tell him. “We kept looking for ways to heal you, even after she disappeared.”
“I know. You guys are my family.”
GARNET
While listening to Trevan and Ry argue about the best way to lure Amber out, I notice that Luca and James have disappeared. I shift a little on the couch and see them in the kitchen. I won’t interrupt their bonding session, but I make a note to ask them about it later. James still looks a little green, and I’m worried that I didn’t completely heal him.
It bothers me that he’s less durable than the rest of us. Being human is a vulnerability that Amber can exploit when we go up against her again. If only there was something I could do to protect him more. I’ll have to give it some thought and do some research on ways to make him stronger.
There has to be a spell or a potion. Something that will give him more protection. I just have to figure out what it is. I can’t focus on that right now, because it looks like my mate and my father are about to start throwing punches.
“Let’s take a beat and calm down a little,” I offer, stepping between them. “You go into the kitchen and get a cup of tea,” I say to Trevan. “And you, step outside for some air.” I shove Ry a little to get my point across. I plan to join him outside and try to diffuse the situation. It only takes a glance at Orym for him to realize that I’m going to need his help here.
“Trevan, why don’t we get that cup of tea, and you can tell me about the Fae realm?” I know he’s only being nice to appease me, but I appreciate the gesture. I make a mental note to tell him that later. I know he struggles with Fae beings because of the ones who killed his family.
It seems that I’ve been causing trouble for everyone for longer than I realized. I know that the Fae who killed Orym’s family did so because they were searching for me, and no one would give me up. Instead, they made the ultimate sacrifice. And now, it’s time for me to stand up for everyone who kept me safe as a child. Even if they’re gone, they deserve justice. If not for Amber, I wouldn’t have been hidden away. I would have grown up with my parents and learned to control my powers as a child.
It’s unreal to me that my aunt is the cause of all of my problems. If only she hadn’t been in love with my father, she might have let my mother be happy. If she hadn’t been jealous of my mother’s powers, or if my mother had fought back, things might be different now. But I can’t live in the past. I have to focus on defeating Amber. And to do that, I need to get everyone on the same page.
I follow Ry out onto the porch. “That guy really knows how to push my buttons,” he growls. I slide behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to his back.
“I know he’s frustrating, but please, for me, will you just try to get along? He’s only going to be here for a couple of days. We need to get a plan in place and set things in motion so this can end. I’m so tired of worrying about Amber.” I hate admitting that to anyone, but I also know that Ry will understand.
“I’m sorry. I get that he’s your dad, but I just want to punch him so bad,” Ry says as he turns in my arms. “I missed you.” He drags me closer and presses his lips to mine. I let myself sink into his kiss, melting against him. The only thing that would make this moment better is if I had all four of my guys around me. Ry breaks our kiss and smirks at me. “You know you’ll have that later. We have to get all of this planned. Remember? You just told me that we only have Trevan for a few days.”
“Oh, shit. Where’s he gonna sleep? I can’t have sex with my mates if my father is sleeping on our couch.” I make a face and Ry laughs at me.
“I think Grammy will let him stay with her. She understands that we need some time alone after you’ve been gone so long.”
“Thank the goddess,” I breathe, dropping my head onto his chest. “I hated being away from you guys. It was nice to have James with me, but he was mean and wouldn’t have sex with me. I was denied orgasms.” I pout a little as I complain to Ry about my time in the Fae realm.
“You poor baby. We’ll have to make up for that tonight. The guys and I will give you all the orgasms while James watches. How does that sound?” Ry’s voice against my ear makes my core contract.
“That sounds amazing. But we have to go back in there and work out this plan first, don’t we?” I ask, disappointed.
He kisses the top of my head and laughs. “Yes, we do. The sooner we get this handled, the sooner you get orgasms. So, let’s get moving. I’ll try to control my temper and work with your father.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure how I feel about him, but I think he can help,” I admit. I’d much rather stay out here with Ry than go back to discussing Amber. This problem isn’t going to solve itself, though.
I let Ry drag me back inside where we find everyone in the living room waiting for us. “We need to get as much of this sorted as we can. I’ll be staying with Grammy while I’m here and would rather not be traipsing through the woods after dark if possible.” Trevan’s announcement catches me off guard. I wonder if he was listening to Ry’s and my conversation outside.
RYLAND
The moment Trevan makes his announcement about staying with Grammy, I know that one of them was listening in on our conversation. I can tell that Red is embarrassed by it, but I don’t care. It gets her father out of our way so that we can take care of our girl. She needs our attention, and if I’m being honest, we all need hers.
This situation has everyone on edge. The sooner we get a plan in place, the sooner I can spend some time with my mate. “We should eat and get a basic plan together. We can work out the details in the morning, then prepare to execute the plan within the next day or so. That way Trevan can still be here to help, without abandoning his people for too long.”
