by Bianca D’Arc
Chapter Twenty-Two
The rest of the cast and crew left them alone for a few minutes while Katrina got the waterworks under control. They were cleaning up the set and checking for continuity from what they’d been working on before the interruption. Sonia was talking quietly with the werewolf Alpha on one side of the clearing while everybody else was working to get the filming up and running again.
By the time Katrina stopped crying, Liatha had returned from a quick trip to the costume room back at the castle with a spare jerkin for Ren. They’d made several exact copies of his costume pieces in case of damage, so all he had to do was put it on, and he was good to go. Katrina, however, needed some repair to her face. Crying had reddened her eyes and made them a bit puffy, but Franny was there with a cool gel pack, eye drops and a bit of makeup to hide the rest.
“Luckily, you don’t have any close ups this afternoon,” Franny remarked as she worked on restoring Katrina to her former state.
“Good thing we did them earlier,” Katrina agreed. “I’m sorry to make so much extra work for you. I’m not normally a crier.” She still felt embarrassed at breaking down when everybody else seemed to take the interruption in stride.
“Honey, you’ve had a lot to absorb these past few days, and then this attack. We get used to this sort of thing, sadly, but you’re a babe in the woods. You’re allowed to release the emotion. In fact, I’d be worried if you hadn’t. Seeing your mate hurt like that… Well, I can’t imagine it because I haven’t found my mate, but we all know how important mates are, and we’ve seen how devastating it can be for one part of a couple when the other is injured. You’re actually handling all these better than most uninitiated people would, I think.”
Franny’s words helped calm Katrina’s nerves. “You’re a good friend, Francesca. If I haven’t said that before, that’s my bad,” Katrina told her new friend, touching the back of Franny’s hand to emphasize the genuine emotion behind her words. Franny smiled back.
“Same, Kat. I’m glad you’re the one for Ren and part of the Clan.”
Sonia returned from her conference with the werewolf Alpha and took stock of everybody.
“Good job, all. Franny, great work on her eyes,” Sonia said, gesturing toward Katrina, who felt herself blush at the allusion to her mental breakdown. “Kat, do us all a favor and stash that old jerkin with the knife in it in the prop box Liatha brought down from the house. She’s going to guard it while we continue with our work before we lose the light.” Sonia motioned toward the property mistress who was sitting next to a rugged lockbox behind the camera setup. “Ren, thanks for taking one for the team. I believe that’s the human expression.”
Sonia laughed and the sound of her chuckle made the whole place feel lighter. Katrina was actually smiling as she picked up the bundle with the dagger in it and headed for Liatha.
Work resumed, and they finished the crowd shots they needed to round out the forest scene. Once Ren and Katrina were done for the day, Sonia tasked them with making sure the dagger got back to the house safely. Katrina would carry the box it rested in while Ren, and a few others who accompanied them, saw to her safety en route.
When they arrived back at the castle, several of Monty’s human family members were waiting in the drive for them. They took custody of the case with the knife in it from Katrina and took it around back of the castle.
“I was wondering if they’d let that thing get close to the heart of Monty’s power,” Ren said as they watched the vampire’s adopted human family move off with the dangerous object in the box. “Wise of them to be cautious.”
“What will become of that?” Katrina wanted to know. “I mean, if it’s so dangerous, how will they deal with it?”
“There are ways to defuse the magic in objects,” Ren told her. “I’m no expert, but I’m sure Monty has access to such information, and it’s just possible that some of his adoptees have a bit of human magic of their own and can do the job. If they can’t, I’m sure Monty can call in a favor and get a bit of help with it if he needs it.”
“Examination will come first,” Clive put in, coming up to stand on Katrina’s other side. He’d brought up the rear of the group that had returned to the castle. “I’ve heard they can tell a lot about a mage by examining his or her work. Somebody had to have put the whammy on that blade for ol’ T.J. From what I saw, he was just the muscle. He’s no mage.”
Ren looked over at Clive with interest. “I hadn’t really thought about that yet, but you’re right. It would be good to know who was pulling T.J.’s strings.”
“They’re questioning him as we speak. Once Sonia gets in on the interrogation, I’m sure they’ll find out right quick who put him up to this,” Clive revealed.
“I’m not entirely happy about not being in on the interrogation,” Ren mused as he escorted Katrina up the steps, Clive still walking on her other side.
“Your first duty is to your mate,” Clive said with no hint of rancor, and Ren sighed.
“I know that. It’s just an adjustment,” Ren replied after a short pause.
“If you want to go, I’ll be okay,” Katrina was quick to say.
She didn’t want to hold Ren back from anything he wanted to do, even if she’d rather have him with her than in danger. Especially since he’d been hurt so badly just a little while ago. She wanted to keep him around and make sure he didn’t overdo anything until he had recovered more of his energy.
Ren’s arm came around her waist, tugging her close as they entered the castle. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her temple.
“You won’t get rid of me that easily, kitten,” he told her playfully. “This being part of a couple is still new to me, but I’ll get the hang of it. You’re a blessing I never really expected to find, and I’m not letting you go. Ever.” He echoed her promise from the woods about not letting him go, and the significance wasn’t lost on her.
They took their leave of Clive and the others, heading up to their suite. Ren was moving a bit slower than usual, and Katrina decided the first order of business would be getting him to rest a bit before dinner. They had a couple of hours, at least, and she wanted him to spend it quietly, recovering.
When, after a quick shower, Ren didn’t argue with her about laying down for a while, Katrina did her best not to let her concern show. When Ren pulled her down onto the bed to lay next to him, she squawked only a little before setting into the curve of his arm. The fact that they both fell asleep astounded her when she thought about it later, but then again, they’d had one hell of a day.
Dinner brought news Ren was eager to hear. He’d recovered most of the way from his magical wound earlier in the day, and a good meal would go a long way to helping him regain his strength. Sonia had questioned the prisoner and made her report to them all as she swept into the dining room after the meal had already started.
“Sorry I’m late. Our friend T.J. had quite a tale to tell once I freed him from the compulsion that brought him here in the first place,” Sonia announced, taking her seat at the opposite end of the long table from Monty.
“He was under compulsion?” Monty asked, one eyebrow raised in question.
“Without doubt,” Sonia confirmed as one of the human staff brought her dinner. “He has no memory of the past three weeks. His last memory is of being in a car wreck near his home in Virginia. He has no idea how he came to be here in England, and no clue what he’s been doing.”
“You believe his story?” Monty asked as everyone listened closely.
“I do. He was under my own compulsion to tell the absolute truth.” Sonia poured herself a tall glass of water from the pitcher on the table and took a long swallow.
“Then, there can be no doubt, of course,” Monty conceded. “What does he know of the mage who forced him into this course of action?”
“Very little, I’m afraid,” Sonia answered, shrugging elegantly. “There is some information we can follow up on, and I’ve already asked the Hilliards
to lend their considerable skills to the hunt. They’re working with Rufus and his people to see if they can trace Mr. Cochran’s trail and connect the dots a bit more. For now, I’ve put him to sleep magically. With your permission, I’d like to get him back to the States quietly.”
“You want to let him go?” Monty asked, his tone and expression unreadable.
Sonia shrugged again. “We’ll await the findings of the investigation, but my gut says this man was being used and was not willfully in the employ of our enemies. My inclination is to gird him magically against ever being duped into such an action again and let him go back to his regular life.”
“Can this be accomplished without leaving a three-week hole in his memory?” Monty seemed contemplative, as if he was testing out the idea.
“With the help of some of the shifters that live near his home, we could probably devise a story that will help T.J. account for the lost time,” Ren thought aloud, inserting himself into the conversation. “We have connections almost everywhere. Plus, we could ask them to keep an eye on him.”
“Ah,” Monty said, diverting his gaze to meet Ren’s. “That thought has merit.”
Ren felt the impact of Monty’s regard. Ren was an Alpha, but Monty was an ancient. He had a real presence that was hard to miss.
“The bigger problem is the mage who put the spell on T.J. in the first place,” Ren reminded them all.
“I got the feeling,” Sonia spoke again, “that he or she wasn’t local to Virginia, but perhaps the investigation into Mr. Cochran’s movements these past three weeks will turn up some sort of lead we can follow. For now, unfortunately, the mage is out of our reach, unless and until we discover more about them. We must be vigilant, everyone,” Sonia warned them all, looking around the table to impress them all with her serious words. “Someone sent Cochran after Ren and Katrina. Whoever that person is, they likely will try again.”
*
Thankfully, the rest of the filming went smoothly, and within a few weeks, Katrina’s part of the film wrapped. She stayed in England a few extra days to be with Ren, but eventually, she made the decision to go back home and prepare the way for Ren with her parents. Parting from Ren was harder than she ever would have believed, but he had arranged for a private jet, complete with a jaguar shifter pilot, so she’d be as safe as possible while they were apart.
Ren had more scenes to do before Sonia would have enough material to start putting the film together. He’d still have a bit more work to do later, as well, but Sonia was willing to work with them so that he could be introduced to Katrina’s parents sooner, rather than later. The current plan was for Ren to join Katrina in New York the following week. She just hoped she could hold out that long without him.
The sooner Katrina could get her family to realize that she was involved with Ren and that it wasn’t just a film set fling, the sooner she could be with him. Her family needed to meet him and accept him before they’d understand why she was dropping everything to be with him. With any luck, they’d love him as much as she did, though she was a bit worried that her folks would be suspicious of the speed at which the relationship had deepened. Then again, Ren could charm just about anyone. She was confident that he’d win over her parents given just a little time and perhaps some effort.
What she hadn’t anticipated was that Ren would send along a bodyguard to keep an eye on her, but that’s just what he’d done. Sitting next to her in the luxurious cabin of the private jet was one of the Hilliard brothers. Bryan was back at the castle assisting Monty’s people with data retrieval while Dave had been tasked to babysit Katrina. She’d gotten used to Dave a little more over the past few days, but he was still a bit of an enigma. He didn’t talk much, and he seemed ultra-serious most of the time.
“How am I going to explain you to my parents?” she wondered aloud, murmuring to herself as she sat across the aisle from Dave. The jet was halfway across the Atlantic, and she was already missing Ren more than she could bear.
“I have bodyguard credentials from the film company,” Dave said unexpectedly, making her start. He gave her a little smile as she looked at him. “We have really good hearing,” he remarked, subtly explaining that he had heard her murmur something she had considered inaudible over the engine noise.
“Sorry.” Katrina could feel her cheeks heating with a blush. “I was just thinking aloud.”
“Understandable,” Dave allowed graciously. “But, if anyone asks, I’ve been assigned by the production company to make sure you’re safe until they no longer need you for the film. We’re blaming the extra attention on Ren’s participation. We like to blame everything on Ren.” Dave chuckled as he rolled his eyes.
“That’s not really fair,” Katrina protested lightly, enjoying seeing a little bit more of the human side of this enigmatic man.
“That’s why it’s fun,” Dave insisted. “You have to understand. Ren has been me and my brother’s friend since we were boys. We all grew up together. When he decided to work in the human world—with those animal eyes of his—we were sure Ren was going to blow everything for all shifters everywhere. Instead, he proved us wrong in grand style. Then, he said I told you so one time too many, and it became our running joke that everything was always his fault.”
Katrina liked the peek into the men’s relationship that went back farther than she’d realized. It also told her a bit more about Dave.
“I’m glad he has friends like you and your brother,” she told him, feeling the truth of her words. “It makes me feel safer knowing that you and your brother are looking after him.”
“Oh, he can look after himself pretty well, but I take your meaning. Since Mr. Bright Eyes became a movie star, his life has gotten weird. It’s been fun to be along for the ride, even though we all know it can’t last too much longer. Another couple of decades, and the human world will start to suspect he’s a bit different.”
“Yeah, we talked about that a little,” Katrina admitted. “That’s when he’s going to retire to Mark’s tropical island and reinvent himself.”
“It’s reassuring to us all to know he won’t be living there alone. Some of us will search for our mate all our lives and never find them. Seeing happy pairings gives the singles among us hope that we’ll find our perfect mates, too.” A tiny bit of wistfulness moved across Dave’s handsome face, then was gone.
Katrina’s heart went out to him. She felt like she was finally getting a glimpse into the real personality of this man who had grown up with Ren. It was important to her to make friends with Ren’s friends, since she was going to be immersed in his life and people more than most couples would be. She smiled at Dave and nodded reassuringly.
“There’s someone out there for you, Dave, and I’ll pray you find her soon.”
Dave smiled back. “From your lips to the Goddess’s ears.”
The rest of the flight passed companionably with occasional conversation. At one point, the steward, a young man in his teens named Bobby, brought out food from the small galley. Dave ate with the gusto she’d come to recognize in her shifter friends while Katrina enjoyed her much smaller portion.
Dave was good company, but he wasn’t Ren. Within a few hours of being back home, Katrina was pining for Ren. Their phone calls just weren’t enough, and when he suggested she come back to England, she jumped at the chance. It hurt her, deep inside, to be apart from him.
“I was afraid this might happen,” Ren told her that night, during their hour-long phone call. “They say mates, especially newfound mates, find it difficult to be apart for any reason.”
“Then, why did you let me go home?” she asked, frustrated. “This hurts, Ren. I never expected to feel this ache in my heart simply because you’re not here with me,” she whispered into the phone.
“Whatever you’re feeling, I’m feeling, too,” he replied softly, his voice carrying the huskiness of his inner cat. “This wasn’t the brightest thing I’ve ever done, and I’m sorry. I wanted to give you your freedom.
I don’t ever want to hold you back from doing the things you want to do, and I know it was important to see your family, even though I had commitments here. I didn’t think the separation would feel this bad.”
Katrina suspected that whatever she was feeling, he was feeling it much worse because of his shifter nature. His voice sounded strained, and she wanted nothing more than to put her arms around him and hold tight for a very long time. But she was in New York, and he was still in England. Why had she ever thought laying groundwork here at home with her parents was a good idea?
“I can fly out tomorrow,” Ren said suddenly. “I’ll get the jet back here, and I can be with you in New York in a matter of hours after that.”
“But you still have work to do on the movie,” Katrina objected.
“To hell with the movie!” Ren surprised her by his vehemence. “You’re so much more important to me than anything else. I can’t take much more of this, kitten.” His tone gentled as he revealed his feelings, and it touched her deeply.
“To be honest, neither can I,” she whispered.
There was a pause before Ren spoke again. “Come back to England,” he said finally, his voice conveying the same longing she felt in her heart. “I’ll send the jet to New York to get you. They can be there in the morning and bring you back here. To me.”
Her heart soared with immediate response. Yes! She wanted to be with Ren. No matter what. Then, saner thoughts intruded.
“But what will my parents think? I only just got home and I haven’t even broken the news about us to them yet.”
“We’ll make up an excuse. A film emergency. Some kind of glitch that means we’ll have to reshoot some of your scenes. I’m sure Sonia will go along if and when your folks meet her and the matter happens to come up in conversation. So will my Clanmates. We can make it work, kitten.” He sounded so earnest, so needy. She felt the same need to be with him.
“Okay. I’ll pack tonight and tell my parents in the morning,” she decided.
“I’ll phone Dave, and he’ll make arrangements to get you both to the airport,” Ren added.