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“It’s okay, Garnet. I can sleep across the hall if our host requires it,” James offers quietly. I shake my head and struggle in his hold.
“No. I won’t stay here if he tries to separate us. And I think there’s more to his offer of training me than he wants to admit. So, either James and I stay together, or I will find a way back home. Do I make myself clear, Father?” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but from the look on his face, I’m right. Trevan is my father. Fuck, this just keeps getting more complicated.
“How did you know? No one here knows who you are. I’ve kept that secret for so long,” he answers. Relief washes over him, and for some reason, that pisses me off more.
“You could have just told me, instead of trying to toss your weight around about my fated mate staying in my room, you know. It would have been a lot easier.” I refuse to answer his question, since he’s avoided so many of mine already.
“I never meant to hurt you, daughter. I didn’t know how to tell you,” he claims.
ORYM
I make it to the waterfall without anyone realizing that I’m gone. After spending a few minutes searching for Garnet, a branch cracks and I duck behind a tree. Multiple foot falls tell me that I’m no longer alone. I can’t tell who it is, but they’re coming up fast. I can’t risk getting caught, so I climb one of the larger trees and hide in the leaves. Hopefully, whoever it is won’t see me.
“I thought you said one of the wolves came this way,” a voice carries to my hiding spot. Shit, that’s not one of our people. I lean back further, pressing myself against the tree trunk.
“One of them did. That’s why I said we needed to follow him. But you lost him already, didn’t you?” another voice answers.
“Just keep looking. He has to be around here somewhere. People, or wolves, don’t just disappear.” This comes from a third voice. I can’t see them from where I am, so I can’t be sure if there are only three of them or if more are waiting silently.
“I bet he shifted and ran off once he caught our scent,” the second voice insists. Which is what I would have done had I caught their scent. But the wind blows in the opposite direction, making that impossible. New information makes me happy, though. These witches don’t know anything about tracking, meaning they won’t be able to find me as long as I stay still and quiet.
Ryland’s voice nearly messes that up when it echoes through my mind. Orym, where are you? We need you at home. Amber’s people are taking wolves from the forest.
I’m safe, for now. Hiding from a group of witches. They don’t know how to track, so I should be good. I’ll get back as soon as I can. I know that Ryland will probably want to head this way and chase the witches off, but I can’t let him know where I am. He’ll be pissed that I didn’t stay with my group. Unless he already knows and is already pissed. It never looks good when the second in command disobeys an alpha’s orders.
I wait for his response, hoping that no one else realizes that I took off. Where are you? Luca and I can get some guys and head your way.
Don’t. I’ll be okay. They’ll give up soon, since they can’t find me. Arguments are already starting. It won’t be long now. Maybe it’s stupid to ignore his question twice, but I can’t tell him where I am. I won’t risk him or Luca getting taken. I’ll wait this threat out, then head back home.
Why do I feel like you’re avoiding telling me where you are because you did something stupid? The annoyance in his voice is evident. I know that I’ll pay for my insubordination later. And that will be okay. For now, I have to ignore him and stay hidden to survive.
JAMES
Trevan is Garnet’s father. How did I not see that coming? It explains why this Fae man intervened to save my life, and why he helped Luca escape from Amber’s torture. I’m not sure how my girl is taking that revelation, though. She seems pissed and set on making him suffer for it.
“Maybe we should all take a breath and calm down,” I suggest, earning dirty looks from father and daughter. “Okay, bad idea. Noted. What if the two of you just take a beat before this comes to blows?”
“I would never strike my daughter. That is a ridiculous idea,” Trevan insists.
Garnet’s cheeks flush. I know her well enough to know that she wants to throttle him, but she’s also embarrassed by the thought of doing it. “Exactly,” she claims.
“Now that we know who you are, maybe you can answer some questions for us,” I offer, still trying to make peace between them.
Trevan sighs heavily and sinks into a chair. “Fine. I guess there’s no point in trying to hide it any longer. I’ll tell you what you want to know. Please be aware that some things may put you in danger, even here.”
Satisfied with the compromise, Garnet flops onto the love seat near the chair. I take a spot next to her, positioning myself between the two. It seems safer that way, as long as neither of them tosses out any magic.
“Why did you hide who you were when I was a child?” Garnet begins.
“To keep you safe. I knew that your mother made a deal with Grammy to protect you, and part of that was me staying away. The old hybrid would kill me if she found out I’d managed to spend time with you anyway.” It sounds like a valid explanation, but Garnet does not look pleased.
“What’s the deal with my magic?” she asks.
Trevan stares at her for a moment before he speaks. “There was a binding spell,” he begins, but she cuts him off.
“Yeah, we already dealt with that.”
“The witch spell, yes. But the Fae spell is still there. It’s causing your magic to react strangely and be inconsistent. If I can remove it, you’ll have all of your abilities unlocked. It will make defeating Amber less of a challenge.” Another reasonable explanation, but Garnet’s reaction proves that she’s skeptical of him.
