Quinn pulled her closer, and Becka melted against him. Breathing in his scent, hearing his slow, steady heartbeat in her ear, feeling his steady presence, her own senses slowly calmed.
“Thank you,” she said at last.
“Scoot over,” he demanded.
“You’re staying?” she stammered.
“Unless you’re throwing me out? I figure we’ll both sleep better.”
Becka’s brain moved at the speed of mashed potatoes. She opened her mouth to protest, but no protest emerged because she wanted him to stay.
He nudged her, and she slid over. He stretched out next to her, lying on his back, his arm touching hers. Remembering how she slept curled up against him back at House Rowan that one time, Becka nudged his arm, craving contact.
“What? You want me to go?”
She tapped his arm again. “Can you just move…?” When Quinn raised his arm above his head, Becka lay down against him, nestling her head in the crook of his shoulder and draping her arm across his chest. Lying next to him like this, the solid, powerful lines of his muscular House Oak frame challenged her ability to think straight.
On second thought, I might not be able to sleep like this.
“I know you worry about your powers harming me. I just want to say it again. I’m not afraid.”
Becka shifted against him, the uncomfortable reminder raising her doubts, despite his well-intentioned words. “I mean, we’ve cuddled before and nothing…”
Quinn pressed a finger to her lips. “I’ll say it again. I’m not concerned.”
She let out a sigh but reveled in his presence. “If I were in your place, I wouldn’t take the risk so lightly.”
He shifted, turning his body toward her and his face close to hers. “Even before you knew about the breadth of your Null ability, we’d come into close contact. Close enough to have done profound damage, were it possible. I remember the accident when you stripped Hanna of her powers: it took only the briefest moment. Less contact than we have regularly.”
He brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead before continuing. “For whatever reason, perhaps as the testers assumed, it’s because House Oak powers are innate and immune to your Null gift. All I’m saying is, if it were likely to happen, it would have long ago.”
Throughout his response, Becka fought between paying attention to Quinn’s words and feeling the heat of him pressed against her.
“But what if you’re only resistant to casual touch?” Becka asked, immediately wishing she’d checked her phrasing before the words had escaped her mouth.
“Casual?” Becka could hear the grin in his tone. “As opposed to?” His fingers ran down her arm.
“Uh,” was all she could come up with as her brain short-circuited.
Quinn continued, his voice taking on a raspy quality. “I mean, we’ve kissed, which didn’t harm me. So what level of contact, specifically, were you concerned about?”
Heat flared through Becka’s cheeks, and she froze for a moment. Then, before she lost her nerve, she arched into him, pulling him against her as her lips caught his.
Quinn’s response was immediate. A gentle stroke of his tongue quickened and then deepened their kiss. The rush of sudden intensity from emotions long held at bay rolled over Becka. Heat flared between them as their bodies pressed against each other.
For once she wasn’t worried about being interrupted by guards or chastised by her mother. Here in this room, it was finally just the two of them.
When his kisses strayed from her neck to her shoulder, Becka pulled back. He seemed to sense the shift in her, and he rolled onto his back.
A laugh rumbled through him. “Pleasant as that was, you evaded answering my question.”
Becka sighed in frustration. “I don’t have the faith you do in your potential immunity to my Null gift.”
“Eventually, you’ll have to come to terms with things,” he said, his voice low. “One way or another.”
A shiver ran down her spine. She certainly knew which way she’d rather resolve things, and it involved a lot less clothing. She’d hoped the House Rowan testers, Sanna and Barak, could figure it out for sure, and soon. Otherwise she’d be working without a net.
“I know, but it’s a high price if we’re wrong. Hopefully, I’ll hear from the testers soon with something more definitive. Are things good between us again?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, but you need to show me I can trust you.”
She nodded, relieved he was willing to extend the trust. Now she just had to keep her word. “I will, Quinn.”
He turned his head towards her and kissed her again on the lips, the act feeling more like a promise than the passion of before.
“I’ll hold you to that, even if it is up against a wall after our next argument.”
Her breath hitched at the image, and she shifted against him, trying to shake off the tension that ran through her in response.
A couple of quiet moments passed between them where Becka focused on slowing her breath and not giving in to her desire to jump Quinn right here, now, complications of her gift be damned. But then a realization hit her, derailing her thoughts.
“Do you know what the composition of the fae-touched houses are amongst those the Shadow-Dwellers murdered?”
He chuckled. “That… is not what I thought you were about to say. I’m not sure, but it’s a good question. We can figure it out back at the station in the morning.”
“Okay.”
“No more questions. Getting some sleep tonight is going to be difficult enough as it is.”
“Uh huh,” Becka said, before cuddling back up against him.
Chapter 9
Becka walked into the kitchen, biting her lip when she saw Quinn leaning against the counter next to the coffee. She couldn’t help but notice how his hair had gotten so long on top that it almost hung in his eyes. The length also hid the pointed tips of his ears. When he looked up at her under those blond bangs, her heart skipped a beat.
Who was she kidding? Like she needed a reason to think the already attractive fae was even more attractive?
“Well, if it isn’t our favorite sleeping Tinkerbell,” Lydia sniped.
“Hey! I had a hard time sleeping,” Becka replied, pouring herself a cup of dark, caffeine-promising French press, “as one might expect.”
“If you would have stopped tossing and turning, it would have been easier for both of us,” Quinn said, his voice low.
Becka’s jaw dropped. Lydia wasn’t gifted, but her fae-touched hearing would not have missed that lead.
“Why so sour?” Quinn asked Lydia. “You have a hangover from yesterday’s wine festival?”
Lydia arched a brow. “Thank you for your kind concern, enforcer. Yes, I do have a slight headache, but I am happy to endure such occupational hazards. But even with my head aching, I still have my hearing.” She pointed back and forth between the two of them. “Is there something going on here that I, as your aunt, should know about?”
Quinn raised his hand, placing it over his heart. “I swear, Lydia, your charge’s honor is intact.”
“What?” Becka blurted out, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.
Lydia harrumphed. “Oh, I don’t think you can claim that. That ship sailed well before you met her.” She sighed. “And may I just say, how droll? I’ve been watching and waiting with you two for weeks now. Frankly, the tension is killing me.”
“You’re not the only one,” Quinn muttered.
“Lydia!” Becka exclaimed, shooting Quinn a warning glance. “We should think of Saige right now.”
“There’s been no news,” Quinn replied.
She’d hoped for Saige to magically reappear overnight, but they weren’t quite that lucky today. “Where was House Vine when you needed them?”
“They might be the House of Fortune, but what we need are leads, not luck,” Quinn said.
“Exactly. That’s basically the same thing,” Becka replied.
&nbs
p; The front door opened, and a moment later a glowering Hamish filled the hall. “Any news?”
“What, you’re in too much of a hurry to even knock?” Lydia asked, fanning herself with the morning paper.
“Yes.” Hamish’s flat, no-nonsense delivery let everyone know he wasn’t in the mood for levity. “News?”
“Nothing new here since last night,” Quinn replied. “I’m sure you have the same updates from the bureau as we’ve seen.”
His nod was curt. “You mind if I look through her room?”
“The reports on the search are in the case file,” Quinn replied.
Hamish’s jaw clenched, and Becka could swear she saw his proverbial wolf’s hackles rise. “I’ve read them. Still, there might be something only a shifter could understand.”
“Go right ahead,” Quinn replied.
“Also, I have her passcode from Brent to use on her phone,” Becka added. “Should help us sort out where she’s been lately.”
“Circle me in on that?” Hamish asked, although it came off more like an order.
“You know I will,” Quinn replied.
Hamish took off down the hall, and they heard him go into Saige’s room.
“He seems to have taken Saige’s disappearance personally,” Becka mused.
Lydia set down her coffee and frowned at her. “He’s crazy for her. Can’t you see it?”
Becka shrugged. “I guess I didn’t?”
“I mean, they’re wolves and all, so it’s different. Quieter, but super intense.” Lydia fanned herself. “I see it all the time in my artiste circles.”
Becka refrained from asking for more details.
There was a knock at the door, which Becka answered. A formally dressed fae-touched presented her with a scroll, bowed, and took his leave. She wandered back into the kitchen while inspecting the seal.
She knew this seal, as it was her mother’s.
“Who’s it from?” Lydia asked.
“Mother.” Becka cracked the seal and opened it.
“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Quinn said.
“It’s my first magic remover job,” Becka replied. “There’s some ancient landmark that needs to be refurbished and that requires clearing out the old in-place protections.” Reading the next lines, Becka’s stomach knotted. “Ew…”
“Ew? What’s the ew?” Lydia asked.
Becka tossed the scroll onto the kitchen table and then rubbed her temples. “A member of House Hawthorne will be present to observe my work.”
“If it makes them feel better, let them,” Quinn said. “They won’t find anything amiss.”
“Let’s hope not.”
“When do they need you?” Quinn asked.
“I’m to get a call from the site manager the day of, and I suppose drop whatever else I’m doing and go help?”
“That’s the way of civil service, dearie,” Lydia replied. Her watch pinged, and she jumped up excitedly. “Oh my, I’d better not be late!”
“Wait, where are you off to?” Becka asked.
“It’s my painting class day, and I cannot be late.” She hustled around the kitchen cleaning up her dishes.
“I didn’t know you painted,” Quinn said.
“Oh, I don’t.” Lydia posed in profile, arching her neck and casting her gaze skyward. “I’m the model. Nude model.” She winked at them.
Becka tried to process that, but why should she be shocked? This was typical Lydia, after all.
“Don’t you think it’s risky? We still don’t know what happened to Saige,” Becka said.
“Oh, my dear.” Lydia swept Becka into a hug and then stepped back. “That’s just it, we don’t know. She might just be running around, being all secret-like.”
The Shadow-Dweller messages hung heavy in Becka’s thoughts. “Seriously, Lydia, you could be abducted. Or worse.”
“Don’t be silly. All eyes will be on me. All day long. If you’re worried, send one of your guards to escort me there and back?”
She had a point. Who could steal the class's nude model?
“Can you assign a guard?” she asked Quinn.
He looked up at her from his phone. “It’s already done. He’ll even chauffeur you.”
“Thank you, dears. Now I really must be off.” She swept out of the kitchen, and then the house, just like that.
“Your Aunt Lydia is really something,” Quinn said, putting his mug into the dishwasher. Becka moved close to him, placing her cup into the top rack, her arm brushing against his.
“She’s an odd one, but that’s why I love her. You never know what she’ll get up to next.” She straightened, still close to him.
“We should get back to the bureau. You ready?”
The heated look Quinn gave her had Becka debating if she should drag him back to her room. She could only hope they’d have time for that later. They had to focus on Saige right now.
Becka nodded. “There’s no time to waste.”
On their way out, they ran into Hamish in the hall. Hands on his hips, he grumbled as he walked.
“Find anything new?” Quinn asked.
“It’s hard to say. Saige’s scent reads as anxious and stressed, but I wouldn’t call it panicked. I doubt they took her from here. But it’s muddied, what with others having been through her space. I can’t know if there were any foreign smells.”
“You can tell all that just from scent?” Becka wondered aloud.
“It depends, but I’d like to think I know her scent well,” he said, and Becka couldn’t help but smile.
She wondered if Saige recognized his interest, but realized it wasn’t likely. Saige had been too preoccupied with finding Luce’s killer.
“Ride to the bureau with us?” Quinn offered.
Hamish shook his head. “I’ll catch up with you there later. I’m off to check in with the local enclave heads to see what they know.”
“Good luck,” Becka said.
“I’m tired of waiting for luck,” Hamish replied, scraping a hand over his jaw. “I’m counting on your fresh eyes finding us something useful in our case files to bring the Shadow-Dwellers down for good.”
As he walked out the door, Becka let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding in. “You’re not the only one,” she whispered back.
Chapter 10
“Are the coins from the fountain supposed to be in this box?” Becka asked, casting her gaze around the Meadowlark conference room. Nikkita, Ted, Quinn, and Caeda all looked up at her, their faces in varying states of distraction.
Nikkita walked over, huffing at being distracted from her work. “That would be why it has ‘Fountain’ written on the outside.” She came up next to Becka and pulled the box away and lifted it up, giving it a shake. “What the—?” She rummaged around in the box. “I brought this in here yesterday, but I can tell from the weight alone that something’s not right. Did one of you check out the evidence bag?”
“Checking the log,” Ted replied. He glanced at the log via his tablet, then shook his head. “Nope. Should still be in there.”
Nikkita poured the contents of the box out onto the table. Ted came over and together they walked through what was remaining.
“Nothing else is missing from this box,” Ted replied. “But I’d like to check the others we have from that scene, just in case.” He and Nikkita compared the remaining bagged evidence to the logs.
Unsure of her next step, Becka walked over to Caeda and Quinn. “Who would have taken them?” Becka asked.
“It’s possible someone borrowed them without logging it, but the enforcers are usually better behaved than that,” Quinn replied.
“So then someone just walked off with them from the bureau?” Becka looked back over at Ted and Nikkita. “Who would do that? Who could do that?”
Nikkita’s hand went to her hip. “Tell me you weren’t looking over here at Ted and me like you think we would know?”
Becka held up her hands. “I’m just asking everyo
ne in a general sort of way.”
“General sort of way, eh?” Nikkita snapped back. “I want to point out that our jobs are both on the line if this goes sideways, so neither of us would sabotage the investigation. You are the new one here.” She pursed her lips.
Caeda rose to her feet. “Everyone take a deep breath, okay? No one here would have run off with the coins, which means someone outside of this room must have.”
Nikkita opened her mouth as if to reply, but then went back to going through the evidence with Ted.
“The most likely culprit would be a Shadow-Dweller,” Quinn said, an uncharacteristic sneer on his face.
“You think they snuck in here overnight?” Caeda asked.
“Or they work the night shift,” Quinn replied.
Everyone paused a moment while they digested his meaning.
“You think there are Shadow-Dwellers working here?” Becka asked. The concept frightened her, but perhaps not as much as it should have, since she’d come to expect them hiding around every corner.
Quinn tapped his fist to his chin. “I think that having someone working at the bureau would be a wise move for them, and therefore we should assume it’s potentially the case.”
“So, what, should we find out who was on duty last night, line them up, and interrogate them?” Becka asked.
“I’m not suggesting anything so dramatic,” Quinn replied. “At least not to start. Caeda, can you pull up last night’s roster? Check for variance with the usual schedules too, in case someone requested or swapped their shift.”
“On it,” Caeda replied. She picked up a tablet and got to work, pacing the length of the room.
“How do you do that?” Becka asked.
“What? Walk and work?” Caeda smiled at her. “It helps me focus.”
“Well, I can’t check the coins for magic like I’d planned,” Becka said to Quinn. “What’s next? Have you heard anything new on Saige?”
“No, nothing new. Her phone is with our digital forensics unit, so hopefully it won’t be too much longer. No other leads on her whereabouts.”
“Brent’s going to wheel out one of his famously long lectures for Saige when he finds out she didn’t keep him updated on her passcodes,” Becka replied.
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