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He sighed. ‘I’ve learnedtoo late in life that not everything is replaceable, but I appreciate your words of comfort, Alpha, more than I can say.’ He shook his head. ‘Everything I’ve worked so hard for has gone up in smoke.’
‘I’m sorry. Look, I have a strange question. The food you brought to the seraphs – where did you get it?’
He looked confused. ‘From the kitchens, of course. It was already on the side with a note that said it was for the dark seraph.’
‘Was anyone there when you picked it up?’
He shook his head. ‘No. I would have chatted with Finley or Noah if they were there, but no one was about.’
‘Right. And who told you to deliver the food?’
He looked at me blankly. ‘I’m sorry, Alpha, wasn’t it you?’ He frowned. ‘With all that’s gone on I really can’t remember, but I’m sure it was you. Or Liam. Or was it Manners?’ His frown deepened. ‘Tristan?’
I dredged a smile onto my face. ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it.’ I patted his shoulder. He had bigger things to concern him, like the death of all the plants he’d put his heart and soul into cultivating. ‘Go on now.’ I shooed him away,
He gave a wan smile and walked away down the gravel path. As I watched him go, my heart ached for him. David was all too often seen as an outsiderwithin the pack, so someone had used him as a patsy. His forgetfulness could be genuine or it could be potion induced. One thing was for sure: the Domini in our midst was laughing at us.
I froze as I spied Daniella. She reached out to David and he let her hug him. I smiled to myself. Maybe something good would come out of this god-awful mess; there was nothing like a sprinkling of disaster or a brush with death to remind you of what was important in life. Nothing was more important than family – and my guts were in knots about mine. I had to see if they were okay. What was keeping Greg?
As if I’d summoned him with my thoughts, Greg drew up in a black Range Rover; behind him in another vehicle were Tristan, Liam and Archie. It looked like we were rolling out convoy style. I turned to Ben. ‘That’s our ride.’
He nodded, looking sick with worry. Next to him, Noah squared his shoulders. ‘I’m coming with you.’ He paused. ‘If I may.’
I quirked an eyebrow before I managed to stifle my surprise. Noah had turned a bit agoraphobic after he’d lost Roan, and anything that made him willing to move off pack lands was a plus in my book. I didn’t want him hamstrung for the rest of his life. ‘Sure,’ I said, before Ben could turn him down. ‘Climb in.’
They climbed into the back of Greg’s car. The dark seraph were conferring then one of them, Mack, took to the skies above us; the rest stayed with the mansion.
The fire-elemental’s attack had been swift, but it was disappointing that the seraph hadn’t alerted us to it or stopped it. The guilt and chagrin on their faces told me that they felt the same. From their vantage point, maybe they hadn’t been able to see the relevant part of the gardens. I tried to let any blame go.
As we drove away I saw that my guests had gathered, summoned by the rumpus. Elliott’s arms were folded, his body language closed and pissed off. Uh-oh. What were the chances that the alpha had seen my passionate embrace with Greg after I’d survived the little fireball?
I met his gaze as we drove past. His eyes were hard and cold, and they spelled trouble.
Chapter 14
We screeched up to my parents’ house as the sun was still rising. Both cars emptied hastily and we ran up the path. Greg took point and knocked heavily on the white PVC door.
‘Just a minute!’ Mum called from inside and I heard her fiddling with the locks. The door swung open and she blinked at the coterie of men on her doorstep. ‘Goodness,’ she said faintly.
Seeing the triangle of the Other on her forehead took some getting used to, so it took me a moment to note that her eyes were red. She looked like she’d been crying. ‘Mum?’ I asked. ‘What’s up? Are you okay?’
She offered me a watery smile. ‘You’d best come in – but perhaps notallof you?’
Ben grabbed Noah’s hand, silently asking him to come in. Greg was obviously coming with me, so I nodded to Archie and Liam. ‘You two, stand guard out here.’
‘You gotit.’ Archie gave me a salute with a trace of his previous spirit.
‘Tristan,’ I called. ‘Inside.’ Tristan was one of the few that knew the truth of the situation with the Domini, so I might as well keep him fully informed.
He gave me a businesslike nod, but I saw a flash of pride in his eyes and his shoulders straightened a little more. Tristan and I were finally making progress. I gave him a small smile and turned back to my mum.
She was visibly upset, so naturally Greg had a weapon in his hands. ‘Oh!’ she said, eyes wide. ‘It’s okay, hon. Nothing like that.’
Despite her assurances, he went room by room to clear the house and check for intruders. When he came out of the kitchen, his gaze met mine. His eyes were solemn and sympathetic. ‘Anything?’ I asked.
He grimaced. ‘Nothing is here to hurt your parents,’ he said carefully. But that wasn’t the same as saying ‘nothing’.
I slid him a sidelong glance and plunged into the kitchen to see what he wasn’t saying. My dad was humming happily, his back to me as he kneaded bread. ‘Dad?’ I called. ‘Everything okay?’
