Page 21 of Hybrid Heroics

“No,” I agreed, my tone riddled with sarcasm and tension. “Things were fine until our mate closed our bonds and put herself into a stasis to fight a monster inside her mind, leaving us with no knowledge of what was happening or what we should do, except that we should come here. I can’t imagine why we’d be at each other’s throats. It’s not like we’re used to making all these calls with the weight of the supernatural world on our shoulders.”

My cousin knitted her brows together as she rolled her head to look at me. “I’m going to pretend that attitude wasn’t directed at me. You better drop it before we get to—”

“I know.” I sighed. “It wasn’t directed at you so much as it was directed at myself. We know what the overall objective is, but none of us knows any of the steps in between, Sloane included. I think we keep forgetting that she’s been learning as we’ve gone through this journey, too. I mean, until a couple of weeks ago, she thought Raguel was the bad guy, and he ended up being one of her parents.”

“You’ve lost me, York.” Sterling tucked her arm in mine as the garden came into view. “Maybe try to leave the negativity at the door?”

Right. Easier said than done. I felt like that ball of chaotic energy from Men in Black. The one that Agent J knocked off the stand, that then tore through their headquarters, pinging off every solid surface it could before Agent K could catch it in a magnetized glove… At least, I thought it was magnetized. I couldn’t recall the specifics.

Aunt Talia twirled her finger, making a vine to snake up and around the post on her porch. Blooms appeared next. The Passion Flowers were shades of purple on Earth, but here they were vibrant red. Royal blue Wisteria hung from the pitched roof, creating a fairytale-like entrance that made her dark burgundy door look more welcoming.

Her back tensed as she spun on her heel to face her unwanted visitors. But she relaxed as she spotted Sterling’s arm tangled in mine.

“Look who I found!” my cousin shouted, grinning when I huffed in annoyance.

“York?” Aunt Talia called, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“Who else would it be?”

She observed me keenly as I made my way toward her. I didn’t stop until I was standing in front of her with my arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her up to spin in a circle. I had spent so much time with them when I was growing up that she felt more like a second mother than an aunt.

“You’ve been gone for quite some time,” she whispered in my ear. “We were worried.”

Aunt Talia was a petite woman with a sweet disposition and a soft spot for her nephew. I knew if the guys weren’t with me, or if she knew them, she’d give me hell for not dropping in sooner.

As I set her on her feet, she nodded her head toward the group. “Friends of yours?”

“Stow-aways I picked up during my travels,” I teased.

And then she noticed Sloane. A gasp fell from her lips as she pulled her hand up to cover her mouth.

“She’s okay, Aunt Talia. She’s just asleep.”

“Who is she?”

I tucked her slim hand in my elbow as I twisted my head to speak to her alone. “She’s my mate—our mate.”

“All of you?” she inquired with a snort.

“Most of us.” I shrugged, grinning at her. “Six, but not all eight.”

“Well.” She blew out a long breath, and I knew her well enough to guess that she was probably trying to avoid processing that math. “Bring her inside. Don’t just stand out here in the sun.”

I motioned the guys forward, catching Sterling’s curious gaze lingering on Murphy and Thatcher more than the others. When she caught me watching her, she narrowed her eyes and pointed them out. I shrugged, because I had no idea what she was asking… But I wondered.

Tuesday, June 23rd

Afternoon

Once we got through all the introductions, and the briefest lie of an explanation when asked about Sloane’s state, Talia showed us to a guest bedroom. I didn’t like the idea of her being out of our sight, but we couldn’t hold her until she woke up.

Well… She wouldn’t like us holding her until she woke up.

But we could do it if we wanted to.

With the door open, I could hear York, Sterling, and Latharian talking in the hall.

“This isn’t what I was expecting when I returned,” the druid admitted.