by RJ Blain
Elliot scooted closer to me, taking my plate and half-finished slice of pizza out of my hands. “Hopefully, it won’t take long for Richard to settle down. Then we can both get some sleep.”
“You’re still tired?”
While I didn’t use my witchcraft often—or well—I understood how tiring it could be using magic. I spent so much time and effort trying to suppress my powers so I wouldn’t inadvertently change the weather I wasn’t really sure what it was like to do something on a smaller scale.
Elliot’s manifestation had been powerful, but when I used my magic, I influenced hundreds of miles. My inability to sense the storm outside bothered me. Sensing shifts in the weather had once been as easy as breathing, and I felt empty and lost without it.
Instead of answering, Elliot leaned against me, using my shoulder as a pillow. I frowned, not sure whether I liked him there or if I wanted to obey my initial instinct and slide away from him.
Before I could decide either way, Richard ferried several bags into the room, setting them on the dresser. “I told them you were both about to fall asleep, so they’ll come back and pester us later. We have a pair of Fenerec guarding the door.”
Elliot stiffened.
With a sigh, Richard shook his head. “They’re both mated, Elliot. Don’t get uptight over nothing. Stay awake for twenty more minutes, Vicky. You eat while I talk. I’ll fill you in on everything from the top. If you remember anything, let me know.”
“All right.” Even as tired as I was, I could last twenty minutes, and despite my exhaustion, I hungered.
Richard went to work unloading both bags. He tossed three phone boxes on the empty bed.
Elliot retrieved them, opening each in turn. He distributed them, handing me a white one in a pink case, keeping a black model for himself, and giving Richard a silver one. “At least they wrote the names on the boxes this time. What’s the point in giving us phones if we can’t tell who they belong to?”
“I think they were expecting you to manifest and break them.” Richard checked through the carry-out containers, chuckled, and offered one to me. “You need to give whoever put this together a raise, Elliot. They even cut everything up so all we have to do is chew.”
The box was stuffed full of steak and potatoes, and once Richard gave me a plastic fork, I stabbed the first piece and wasted no time getting it into my stomach where it belonged. I appreciated not having to handle a knife. With how tired I was, I’d end up spilling everything everywhere.
“I’ll give myself a raise, then. It was my idea. I suggested it be the default when dealing with overtired and hungry Fenerec. The faster food gets into them, the less likely someone will be bitten. It also prevents having to give cranky Fenerec access to knives.”
“Smart, smart man. I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Checking through the other carry-out boxes, Richard handed one to Elliot. “Here’s yours. Now, back to business. I can’t verify the dates right now, but we’ll deal with that tomorrow. In the spring, Basin made its first known move, setting up a trap in Oconee National Park to capture Dante. As far as we can tell, the kidnapping had been planned at least a month in advance. When Dante escaped with Evelyn, they had a backup plan to grab him on the Wave Dream. Correct?”
“Correct,” Elliot confirmed.
“Vicky, you accompanied Elliot to the Wave Dream. When you met Dante, you panicked because you mistook him for Elliot, correct?”
I stabbed another piece of meat and growled. Ever since the cruise, I had tried to avoid thinking about what I’d done—or how I’d done it. To make matters worse, whenever I tried to apologize and undo what I’d done, Elliot refused to listen. My first attempt to make things right had resulted in me storming back to my cabin, tripping over my own feet, and giving him a black eye when he had tried to keep me from hitting the floor.
Everyone had assumed I had punched him on purpose, and in my embarrassment over our argument, I hadn’t corrected anyone.
Unable to force a single word out, I nodded.
Richard sat across from me on the other bed, setting his on the night table. “Either in an attempt to undermine the Inquisition or eliminate a known threat, someone sabotaged my plane, resulting in you and Evelyn joining my pack along with your mates. Shortly after, in a case of mistaken identity, Basin operatives kidnapped Dante in Montreal. That’s when we learned how blood diamonds were manufactured. Dante destroyed the outpost and freed a lot of witches after restoring them from a mindless, death-like state. When he was shot by his ex-wife, he triggered a volcanic eruption in Montreal. While he was recovering, I coordinated the operation to rescue his daughter from New Mexico with one of Dante’s contacts. Since then, we’ve isolated and eliminated four more outposts, although none of them had the equipment necessary to create blood diamonds. Correct?”
Elliot straightened, and his cheek twitched. “Correct.”
“Fast forward five months. Vicky, you were reviewing the Basin data, and you discovered some discrepancies. With that information, you identified five more potential outposts. Four of them were completely abandoned, but one had some light activity. You proposed an operation to scout the site and see if we could pick up Basin’s trail. Correct?”
While more of my memories were returning, I couldn’t remember a single detail about the circumstances leading up to being in the vehicle with Dante and Nicole. “I don’t remember. I remember going to Toronto when Dante was released from the hospital, but I can’t remember anything about any operation beyond Dante being in a hurry and Nicole hunting for something in one of the boxes. I don’t even remember what type of vehicle we were in.”
“Do you remember anything about Basin’s activities after the incident in Montreal?”
Why did admitting my ignorance be so difficult? With the words sticking in my throat, I forced myself to shake my head. Richard and Elliot waited, watching me with infinite patience. “I don’t remember.”
“What do you remember after Montreal?”
I poked at my food, staring at it so I wouldn’t have to look them in the eyes. Technically, I’d been living with Markus Dupree for at least a year. I’d bought a house for the kids, Markus had started visiting all of the time, and one day, he simply stayed, and I hadn’t driven him out of my territory.
Hindsight was ever perfect, and I should’ve evicted him before he’d had a chance to sink his claws deeper into me.
I had promised to give him a chance, but after he had moved in, I’d begun making more and more excuses to be anywhere other than at home. I’d arranged my schedule to take the kids to school, visiting them during the day and often taking them to my ratty little apartment in the heart of Atlanta, a place I’d only let Elliot visit a couple of times.
Not long after Montreal’s eruption, Markus had started taking the kids on trips. Sometimes, he would be on Inquisition ops and use them as part of his cover. Occasionally, he would even tell me he was taking them before he went.
I couldn’t remember the exact date Markus had filed a motion in court to gain official custody of the kids. When I’d first legalized custody of the kids, I hadn’t won anything other than guardianship. I’d wanted to adopt them, but the judge had refused on grounds of me being a single woman.
It hadn’t been hard for Markus to prove he’d done the majority of work caring for the kids. I hadn’t meant for Elliot to find out about my problems, but I’d slipped and taken the court papers to Marrodin’s main offices. Once my secretary had found them, word had spread to Elliot.
I remembered why there were claw marks in Elliot’s house. Under the light of a full moon, I had gone as a wolf, hunting in the forests surrounding his home.
He had noticed me and invited me in, and I had stayed there for several days before Elliot had called Richard.
It had taken my Alpha’s help to become human again, and after that, my wolf had retreated so we wouldn’t be put to death for running wild.
Elliot nudged me with his elbow. “Vicky?”<
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While there were intact memories, many were missing, too, so I didn’t stink of a lie when I said, “It’s fuzzy. I remember some things, but it’s vague.”
“Before Montreal?” Richard asked.
Why couldn’t I have forgotten Amelia’s betrayal, Samantha’s death, and my long life before learning the Shadow Pope of the Inquisition had been my right-hand man all along? I missed Samantha. I missed Donnie. He had taken Samantha’s death hard and had followed her in death several weeks later.
I missed Elizabeth and James, too. They had taken to each other, and I had enjoyed watching the Fenerec court my secretary. Given a few more weeks—or months—I was certain he would’ve approached me for permission to marry her, which I would’ve granted without any hesitation.
I had loved them both, just as I had loved Samantha. Steep mountain roads and cut brake lines had stolen them from me.
“I remember.” I stabbed a piece of steak but couldn’t force myself to eat it.
The truth hurt, and it wrapped its cold, heartless hands around my throat, cutting off my breath.
I hadn’t stayed with Markus because I owed him a chance or because I wanted a relationship with him. While I hadn’t wanted to hurt the kids, they hadn’t been the true reason I had stayed.
The real reason sat beside me, watching me with quiet intensity, his scent touched by mine.
If I got too close to Elliot, if I dared to close the gap between us, I knew what would happen. He’d leave me alone with only a grave to visit and memories for company, just like everyone else.
Richard took care of tidying the room, growling whenever Elliot or I tried to help. The need to do something other than sit on the bed and wait drove me to pacing, which made Richard snarl almost as much as my attempts to help him clean.
“You’re supposed to be too tired to move.”
Restless energy coursed through me, and the source of my nervousness lounged on one of the beds, playing with his new phone. While I worked too much and had a mountain of tasks waiting for me—if I could remember what, exactly, I needed to handle—Elliot was always using his cell.
Once, I had believed his efforts had been for the sake of me and my company, but I’d learned the truth. If he wasn’t handling something for Marrodin, he was dealing with something for the Inquisition. It still amazed me how he managed to hide his rank so well.
“You could just let her help,” the subject of my thoughts suggested without looking up from his phone. “She’s happiest when she has something important to do. She doesn’t handle vacations well. I tried to make her take time off once. She bit me.”
Spinning to face Elliot, I crossed my arms over my chest. “I did no such thing.”
“You most certainly did. You latched your teeth onto my ankle, growled, and beat up my floor with your claws. My pants were never quite the same.” Elliot glanced up from his phone and smirked. “I cruelly forced you to take a week off work, and you complained about it the entire time.”
“Only because you dosed her with wolfsbane so she wouldn’t keep trying to maul me,” Richard muttered.
“Technicality.”
Had I actually bitten him? While I remembered shifting during a full moon and requiring Richard’s help to become human again, I had no recollection of attacking Elliot. Then again, when my wolf seized control, I forgot many of the details.
One fact stood out to me: she had wanted to mate then, she still wanted to now, and Elliot was the subject of her interest. No matter how distant she became, her desire remained strong enough for me to sense.
Richard considered me for a long moment. “I have a job you can do, Vicky.”
Eager for an outlet, I straightened. “What?”
“Take that phone from Elliot before he rots his eyes out of his head. Whatever he’s doing can wait until tomorrow.”
Elliot snorted. “No, it can’t. I’m going over this month’s financials. Then I have to check over operation statistic sheets for the Inquisition.”
Picking up one of the clothing bags, Richard went to work checking through them, folding, and filling the dressers. “Vicky?”
I cracked my knuckles one at a time. “Put the phone away, Elliot. It can wait until tomorrow.”
“Someone has to do it.”
“Danielle can handle it.”
“Danielle has other things to do. Wait, you remember Danielle?”
“I remember my assistant—mine, sir. You may be the Shadow Pope, but that’s my company.” I eyed Elliot’s phone. I couldn’t hit the device too hard as I might accidentally trigger the emergency signal. Whether at ease because of Richard’s presence or riled up because of Elliot being so close, my wolf’s presence strengthened, and her desire to hunt heated my blood. “Put the phone away.”
A calculating gleam lit Elliot’s eyes. “Or what?”
“I’ll take it from you.”
Richard laughed, picked up his phone, and tapped at the screen. “I’ll just notify headquarters there’s about to be a brawl and to ignore any emergency signals from your phones for the next few minutes.”
Either Elliot was the bravest man alive or he had a death wish; he completely ignored me, his gaze focusing on his cell’s screen. “She’s not going to take my phone. That would involve getting into bed with me. It’s a miracle she sat beside me while we were eating. Me and my phone are perfectly safe. Don’t create drama, Richard.”
“I’m not creating it. I’m just helping to make the break room talks a little more interesting until they let you back into the building.” Smirking, Richard tapped his screen a few more times before pocketing his phone. “You could just put it away. You’ve been working too much.”
Elliot scowled but didn’t look up from his device. “Nonsense.”
“Try not to give him a black eye this time, Vicky, however much he deserves it.”
“She didn’t do that on purpose. She was just being clumsy and couldn’t figure out to walk without help. That’s why I’m doing the financials. I’m being helpful. I’m a very helpful person when I want to be.”
“Don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to rile you up to get you in bed with him.” Richard smirked and sat on the dresser. “You can have the other bed. I’ll share with him.”
“If he doesn’t put the phone away, I really will take it from him,” I muttered.
The last thing I wanted to think about was how much work was waiting for me; I’d done the catch-up game once, and I wasn’t quite ready to repeat it. Considering I couldn’t even remember what I’d been working on before my disappearance, I’d have a lot of frustrating days ahead of me.
“It’ll only take a few more minutes. Relax.”
“We were supposed to go to bed at least an hour ago, but Richard had to clean everything.” I flexed my hands, fighting my urge to jump on the bed and steal the phone from Elliot. While it was tempting to toss the phone out of the window, the Inquisition would skin me for my pelt if I destroyed it on purpose.
If I tried, I could crush the damned thing in my hand.
“Elliot, she’s probably jealous you’re paying so much attention to your phone.”
I contemplated if I had the strength to knock sense into Richard’s skull. My wolf’s ire stirred, and she considered our Alpha with the same predatory edge. “I am not.”
“If she were that jealous, she’d come to bed and take the phone from me.”
“It’s a trap,” I muttered.
“You’re right. It’s a very carefully planned trap I designed to prevent me from having to share a bed with Richard. I don’t want to be forced to cuddle with Richard tonight. If I continue to work, you’ll eventually get pissed off and take the phone from me, which is when I’ll wrap you in this blanket I’ve conveniently laid out in preparation.”
The deadpan way Elliot spoke coaxed a laugh out of me. “You’re absurd.”
“I’m going to have to give you a failing grade, Elliot.” Richard slid off the dresser, stepped to me,
and grabbed my waist. With a grunt, he tossed me onto the bed with Elliot. “Here. Problem solved. If she gets away, you only have yourself to blame.”
I choked back a startled shriek, landing on my stomach. The mattress bounced more than I expected, and I scrambled to keep from falling off the bed.
Laughing, Elliot grabbed the blanket and tossed it over me. “Just settle down and get ready for bed, Vicky. No one is sleeping on the floor, I’m not sleeping with Richard, and I refuse to let you sleep with him, either. Maybe you aren’t the jealous type, but Richard likes to cuddle, and I don’t feel like going to jail for murdering an Alpha tomorrow morning. Relax. It’s not like we haven’t shared hotel rooms before. You’re safe.”
I should’ve protested, run away, or slept on the floor. Instead, I waited for Richard and Elliot to fall asleep, and long after the room fell silent, I rolled over.
Elliot slept with his phone in his hand. The habit drove me insane; I considered it a miracle he hadn’t yet triggered the emergency beacon by dropping it after falling asleep. I slipped the device out of his limp hold and stretched so I could set it on the nightstand out of harm’s way.
Elliot grabbed my wrist, startling me so much I gasped.
“Phone thief,” he murmured. “What are you doing, Vicky? You should be sleeping.”
I glanced in Richard’s direction. Like my ears and nose, my eyes weren’t working quite right; my night vision allowed me to make out Richard’s slumbering shape in the darkness, but I couldn’t make out the details I expected. “I was putting your phone in a safe place so you wouldn’t drop it and send a horde of angry Inquisitors busting into the room.”
“They’d knock first.”
“That’s not the point.”
The darkness and my diminished vision couldn’t hide Elliot’s smile from me. “It worked out just as I intended. Go to sleep, Vicky.”
The awkward position, stretched out over him, grew more uncomfortable with each passing moment. “You have to let go of me first. I don’t want to drop your phone.”