LOGINI opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times. The predawn light peeked along the sides of the window blinds.
That hair-standing-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling of being watched tugged at my brain.
Without turning my head, I glanced to my left.
Sure enough, Soree’s eyes were wide open and focused on me.
“May I help you?” I said, my voice still rough with sleep.
She grinned. “Maybe.”
I pulled my arm out from under the bl
Soree gave me a kiss on the cheek before she went upstairs to lie down. She didn’t eat much at dinner and couldn’t sit still. Doc Payten said this was to be expected, although I think the appetite loss is more from worry than the pregnancy.She was still too many weeks away from delivering, so it wasn’t that. I do worry, though, about the stress and whether it will have an effect on Kali. Doc told me to stop worrying; she’s going to be fine.Easier said than done.I looked at my watch again, hoping Bear would call. They should have landed by now, but whether or not they were back in their territory, I didn’t know. Their territory was vast, for all I knew, it included the airport. There was nothing else around for hundreds, if not thousands, of miles in any direction.I knew Bear had reception on his plan
I slammed my keys down on the small table near the door and shuffled my way to the small couch.I was back to being a damned invalid. I couldn’t keep my thoughts away from bringing Vanessa and Selwyn down. The nosebleeds started again, the spasms were debilitating, and the nightmares kept me from any kind of sleep the past two nights.Bina was nowhere to be found. Not that I knew where to look. Even though I paid for the rooms, the front desk couldn’t, or wouldn’t, confirm anything beyond the fact that she’d turned in her key.I drove around, trying to catch her scent, but that came up with nothing. I couldn’t trace her beyond the front desk.Now what was I going to do?I could go back to Silverpine and face the music, but I’d probably end up dead, like Bina said. I
I knew Maw and Bear were scheduled to leave, but I didn’t realize the huge gap I’d feel once they left.It wasn’t a joyous departure, not with Luna’s ominous warning hanging over all our heads. Elara texted to let me know she was coming over within a few minutes. I told her if she came this early, she’d have to come downstairs and work out with me.Surprisingly, she agreed. I pedaled the stationary bike and waited for my no-longer-mine mentor to arrive.Doc Payten left a short while ago and gave me explicit instructions to do this human-type exercising for the last part of my pregnancy. Without my superhuman wolf physiology kicking in, he didn’t want to take any chances with my physical health.Gabriel, of course, was thrilled that someone would be using this equipment. Of course, he said that as h
Bear and I sat for a few minutes absorbing the impact of Luna’s warning. I could see the exhaustion in his face.“I’m not sure I can make it through another one of these, Gabriel,” he admitted.“You’re not going to be alone this time,” I reminded him, but it sounded hollow even as I said it.“In the end, we’re always alone,” he said with sadness. “When you’re the hunted, you don’t know who to trust. Everyone can turn on a dime to save themselves.”I wanted to refute his claim, but I had no foundation in which to do so. I didn’t want to believe that wolves would do that to each other, but on some level, he was right. If it meant you could live or your child spared, you’d give up your neighbor in a heartbeat.
Bina and I never had that conversation. She tried to broach the subject twice, but each time, I subverted it into anything but. I know she was pissed off about it, but I didn’t quite know how to tell her that there were no feelings behind the attraction.There was a time when that wouldn’t have bothered or stopped me from getting what I wanted. I’m not sure why it was stopping me now, but it was.I could hear Bina slamming things on her side of the wall between our rooms. With my heightened senses, I could also hear all the unflattering words she was using to describe me.We hadn’t even talked about the hit she had when scrying for her father.On top of all that, Auron would not settle down. Just in the last hour, he started pacing. I still couldn’t hear him, but I could sense his snarling and nipping.
“Thanks, Sam,” I said, and hung up the phone. I looked at Bear. “It’s not good.”Our mates left after lunch to do a communal soul walk at Elara’s. Sam had just given me an overview of their journey.“Luna told them the bad times are coming again,” I said grimly.Bear swore under his breath.“They’ll fill us in when they get here, but Sam said they’ve been through an emotional ringer.”“No doubt,” Bear grumbled. “Four hundred years is too soon to deal with another one of these, Gabriel. You have no idea.”“Unfortunately, I don’t think we have a choice.”We heard the women approaching the front door before it opened. Both of us ran toward the entrance to greet our mates.Soree and Maw came through
He…Gabriel finally came out of the bedroom, bags packed.“Ready to go?”I looked at all the dishes that still needed washing and the kitchen that needed cleaning.“Um. No.” I replied and tossed him a dish towel. “Help me dry, and we can leave sooner.”He caught the tow
It didn’t appear that Gabriel was coming back to the dining room any time soon, judging by the doors slamming and drawers opening and closing.I started clearing the table. After that amazing display of bonding, I needed to do something.Domestic chores were right up my alley.
In that instant, it felt like the air was sucked out of the room.No one spoke, no one breathed. Including me.Sam’s hand still rested on my fingers, protectively. His touch felt like what a father’s touch would feel to a child.At least I think that’s what
Kane made the right call when he said we had to wait until o-dark-hundred. Town was lively and we would have been spotted instantly.It didn’t make the wait any less stressful.We pulled into a twenty-four-hour truck stop for some clean clothes for her, and some spares for us.







