Page 74 of Curse of Ancients

Juni climbed down from Dakota’s lap and eased his way to where Kennedy was sitting. He blinked up at her and pointed. “Baby in dere?”

“Yes. Do you want to feel her? She’s kicking my insides.” Juni nodded, and Kennedy gently took hold of Juni’s hand, placing it on the side of her stomach. Juni giggled soon after. “Mama, da baby kick me.” He then leaned closer and said, “Hi, baby. I Juni.”

Diana, who was still watching from the other side of the room, burst out crying, then took off down the hallway. Dakota sighed, shaking her head. “One of our old packmates sent word that my dickhead father showed back up at the pack with a young pregnant she-wolf in tow. Kingston didn’t let Arthur stay, though, not after the way he acted after the fight. Mom’s not taking it well.”

“Damn, Kody. That’s rough.”

“She’ll be okay.” Dakota stood and plopped her hat on her head. “When are y’all going to look at property? Do you want Bas and me to go with you since we know where they are?”

“Of course she wants us to go.” Bas and Bayu returned from upstairs, and Bas stalked over to his mate, grabbing her hand, kissing the back of it. “Dooley and Kennedy can mind the phones for us since they’re waiting on Lydia and Beck to get here.”

“Where’d they go this time?” Carleigh didn’t talk to Lydia as much as she used to since she and Beck were tasked with finding shifters for the council. They traveled wherever Bas asked them to. Dooley and Kennedy used to go with them until Kennedy had a little trouble with the baby.

“Washington State. Beck didn’t give me many details, but someone contacted his dad needing help, and Corbin called Beck. They flew out Tuesday to speak with the family. When Lydia phoned yesterday saying they were headed back, she said they would discuss the issue when they got here.”

Carleigh wanted to ask what Bas needed Jon for, but she figured she’d find out soon enough. There wasn’t a lot happening that H3 wasn’t involved in. “Where’s Seven?”

“She’s in town at the jewelry store. She and the owner have become friends, and Seven hangs out there when she’s not helping Kody behind the bar.”

“I thought she was doing your books.”

“She is, but that takes about two hours a week. Are we ready to go look at property?”

“Yes, but let me get this one to the potty first. Come on Junebug.”

“Me go pee. I’s a big boy,” Juni said to Kennedy’s stomach.

Jolee offered to stay behind and check on Diana, and once Juni finished in the bathroom, the rest of them piled into two vehicles and headed down the mountain. There was one piece of land farther up the mountain past the lodge, but most of it was wooded on a slope, and Carleigh wanted something flat where Juni could have a yard to play in.

Gemi opened a pack of fruit bites for Juni when he asked for a snack. Once he was satisfied, she said, “Sebastian and Dakota aren’t what I expected.”

Carleigh glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “They’re down to earth the same way Bas’s parents are. Well, Rafael had his hands full for a while during the battle with his uncle. Harlow’s dad is the Italian King, and he visits Italy a couple of times a year to check in with his people, but for the most part, Gargoyles are living their lives and not causing trouble. Except those of us finding our mates,” Carleigh joked.

“Since white tigers don’t have large families and there are so few of us, we stick to ourselves. Bayu mentioned all the different types of shifters. Do any of the others have a King or Queen?”

“You heard Bas talk about Beck. He’s a polar bear shifter, and they have a queen. His mom ruled for a while, and she called herself the Empress. The dragons have both. The wolf packs have Alphas, but other than those, I haven’t heard of any of them having a set leader. That’s what makes it difficult in finding all the different types of shifters for the council. It’s word of mouth at this point, but with everyone hiding their true nature, it isn’t easy.”

Carleigh pointed out a few of the stores and eateries she was familiar with. The first property they stopped at was ten miles outside of town. It was forty-seven acres and was partially cleared. The realtor had performed her due diligence, making sure the ground would perk for a septic system. It had been approved for a five-bedroom house, which was excellent and why Carleigh and Bayu had added it to the list of possibilities. A driveway had been bulldozed about a hundred yards in, leading to the clearing. Sebastian had already walked the land, so he showed them all the positives. There were no negatives as far as he was concerned from a building standpoint. Bayu, who was holding Juni so his legs didn’t get scratched, handed the cub over to Carleigh, then removed his shoes. In reading the ancient scrolls, Bayu learned of his connection to the earth, and he had been testing his abilities on the property adjacent to their house.

He didn’t walk away but stood silently, letting the earth speak to him. Juni had witnessed his abah connect with the earth more than once, and he always grew quiet. Sometimes he would mimic Bayu by removing his own shoes and wiggling his toes. Most often, he would shift to his tiger and chase after birds or butterflies. Since they weren’t familiar with the property, Carleigh kept him on her hip. Sebastian and Dakota looked on silently.

Bayu inclined his head, smiling. “This would be a fine place for a family.” He explained to Sebastian and Dakota his connection to the earth from being Nuhuala, and they both had questions, which he patiently answered.

The next property was farther out. It was only thirty acres, but it perked for a larger house. When Bayu removed his shoes, it didn’t take long for him to slip them back on and shake his head. Carleigh wouldn’t question his decision. The same thing happened at each of the sites they looked at afterward, so they drove back to the first one.

Sebastian explained the best spot for a house, how he wouldn’t have to remove many trees since it was partially cleared, and told them if they didn’t buy it now, he would so no one else could snatch it up. Carleigh knew they were looking at their future homesite, but her heart hurt thinking of leaving Harlow behind. She prayed that Dakota could convince her to make the move too.

“What do you think, my Sayang? Can you see us living here?”

Carleigh wrapped her arm around her mate’s waist. “Yes. It’s so peaceful.”

“Auntie, what say you? Can you see yourself living here?”

Gemi was walking with Juni on top of her feet. She stopped and inhaled deeply. When she blew out her breath, her eyes were bright with excitement. “I go where you go, but I feel it in my bones, this is right.”

Carleigh grinned at her cousin. “I’ll call Missy and get the paperwork started.”

“Yes!” Dakota pumped a fist in the air, knocking her hat off her head.