by Tamar Sloan
And then a nod to the right. “On our own.”
I wish Eden were here. I always seem to think more clearly, feel that bit more confident, when she’s beside me. There’s so much I need to tell her—she wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Kurt’s obsession with her hasn’t diminished. But Kurt knows of the Fae, which is next level stuff. Actually, his discovery has probably fueled it.
What would she think of that? Eden always introduces an angle I haven’t considered. And when we reach a decision, there’s that sense of assurance that we’re on the right track.
But Eden’s injured, just out of hospital. I know she’s tried to hide it, but that bump to her head has affected her. And Kurt has been following her for months. She’s actually safer right now with her pack, rather than trekking up into the boondocks on a wild goose chase.
I look at Mitch, who’s been waiting patiently for me to reach a conclusion. “I doubt it will take long.”
His blue eyes light up, telling me that’s exactly what he wanted to hear. “All going well, we’d be home by dinner.”
“I say we go further north and see what we can find. We’ll either bring home an address—”
Mitch slaps me on the shoulder as he opens the driver’s side door. “Or we’ll get to see how many more Changelings we can find.”
Chapter Nine
When Eden’s cell goes straight to message bank, I frown. She’s either forgotten to charge it, which wouldn’t be the first time, or she’s somewhere without any service, like the Glade. I don’t bother leaving a ‘call me’ message. Depending on when she rings back, I may not be able to answer.
Plus, in an hour or two, I could have some really good news.
I start dialing again. “I’m going to ring Dad.”
Mitch nods. “Good idea. Tell him he may want to go and get some pickles himself.”
Dad picks up after the first ring. “Hey, son.”
“Hey, Dad. We’ve taken a detour, so letting you know we won’t be home for a few hours.”
“A few hours? That’s one heck of a detour.”
I pause, not sure where to start. My hand tightens around the phone. If Kurt knows of the Fae, then where does that leave every other Were, including my Dad? Who knows, but it’s not a conversation I can have over the phone.
I hear Dad shuffle. “Something’s happened.”
“Yeah, the short version is that Dana stopped by and we’re following up on a lead on Kurt.”
There’s a pause and I can almost hear the gears shifting in Dad’s head. “What’s the plan?”
My tension eases a little. I’m not sure if Dad has gone into cop mode or Alpha mode, but his calm what’s-next attitude is just what I need. “We’re checking out the lead before we come home. It seems he’s been hanging around.”
There’s another pause as Dad processes that. “How much?”
I glance out the window as I feel my whole body frown. “He’s been watching for quite a while.”
“I see.”
I hope he does. “Is Eden around?”
“I thought she was with you?”
There’s genuine surprise in Dad’s voice so I know he’s not kidding, which just winds the tension another notch tighter. “No, she wanted to get rid of the truck. I would have thought she’d be home by now.”
“I haven’t seen her, but then again, I’ve been in the garage cleaning up after Mitch.”
I glance at my twin, and when Mitch rolls his eyes I know he heard. “Could you keep an eye out for her then? Kurt…seems to have a personal vendetta.”
Dad grunts. “We suspected as much. She’ll be safe with her pack, son.”
I allow myself an extra-long blink. That’s exactly what I needed to hear, and exactly why I’m glad Eden isn’t with us now. Bringing her closer to Kurt when we don’t know what we’re dealing with is just plain stupid. “Thanks. We’ll be home by nightfall.”
“I hope so. I’m pretty sure your mother is baking stuffed peppers again.”
I groan. “Not the slow cooked ones.”
Mitch seems to still beside me.
“Afraid so.”
Now it’s Mitch’s turn to groan. For some reason Mom hasn’t realized that slow cooked recipes call for a lower temperature so you don’t create dried-out oven crispies.
Mitch’s eyes widen. “And we didn’t get the pickles.”
I can just tell that Dad’s frown matches ours. Hungry Tara isn’t something anyone of us feels capable tackling.
“We’ll pick up something for dessert.”
“Good idea, Noah. Stay safe.”
I can’t help but grin. Dad is the one who’s home with Tara-of-the-cravings. “You too.”
I hang up. Slow cooked peppers or not, at home with our pack is the safest place for Eden right now.
Bowerman appears on the horizon, and I focus on the growing skyline. I shouldn’t be surprised that Kurt set up camp in the largest city this far north. It’s a smart home base; not too far from Jacksonville, but also within a day’s drive of most packs in the area.
I type the name of the Inn into my cell, and Mitch and I are silent as the polite, disembodied voice instructs on how to get there.
The Inn, which is a fancy term for a motel, is an old one in what looks like a run-down suburb. Grey rooms march along in a row, single windows a Cyclops in each one. My eyes scan the parking lot, which is pretty empty. I’m not surprised Kurt has chosen somewhere dingy and small like this one. If you’re wanting to stay off the radar whilst you stalk and scheme, this is the place to do it.
The absence of Dana’s car is a disappointment. The only vehicle here is a rust-spotted convertible—not something a Were is likely to drive, especially one trying to lay low.
Mitch pulls in, parking outside reception. “May as well have a look around while we’re here?”
I arch a brow at him. “See what we can sniff out?”
Mitch rolls his eyes as he climbs out. “Prime Alpha jokes are so lame.”
A quick glance through the glass front door shows us that reception is unattended. I’d imagine security and scrutiny isn’t a priority here. We head around the back to the rooms, knowing we’re not likely to find much.
I scan the ground, my tracking instincts kicking in, but the gravel doesn’t give me a thing. Plus, even if there were boot marks or footprints, they could be anyone’s. Mitch surreptitiously fills his lungs, but I’m gonna bet all he’ll scent is the stale cigarette smell from reception and the sickly tang of air freshener trying to cover it all up. Just like me, he won’t find a trace of Were or Channon.
It looks like we’ve hit a dead end.
We prowl down to the end of the units, knowing we won’t find anything, but needing to work off some frustration before we get back in the truck.
I give Mitch a shove. “On the upside, we’ll probably be back in time to get the pickles.”
Mitch shakes his head as he smiles. “That’s true. No point all of us being disappointed and grumpy.”
I’m about to say something about Tara’s fragile relationship with grumpy when the door on the unit in front of us swings open. We both pull back as a trolley stacked with cleaning products barrels out.
“Oh gosh.” A woman, thin and bedraggled, pulls up short, one hand grabbing the trolley, the other flying to her chest. “I’m so sorry.”
I smile, it looks like this woman has enough stress going on right now. “No harm done.”
The woman pushes a limp strand of hair off her face. “I usually check, it’s just that…” She straightens, not bothering to finish the sentence.
Mitch smiles too. “We just figured the trolley knew we needed some freshening up.”
The woman doesn’t smile, not that I blame her. And he says my jokes are lame.
I step around, thinking we should probably move on before this gets any more awkward. We’re almost at the next unit when I stop, an idea sparking.
I turn, pulling my smile back up, and walk bac
k. The woman is still standing in the doorway as she organizes her trolley.
“I don’t suppose you’ve seen Dana or Kurt Channon? They stay here sometimes.”
The woman straightens but remains in the doorway. “They’re not here.”
Excitement surges through my body—she obviously knows who I’m talking about. “We figured that.” I glance at Mitch. “I can’t believe we missed them.”
Mitch’s hand whacks my upper arm. “I told you she said Tuesday.”
My glare is pretty genuine. Why do these acts always involve me getting walloped? “Sorry, I should have listened.”
Mitch shrugs daintily, which is an achievement for a Were. “I’m not the type to say I told you so.”
I have to hold my eyes still, no matter how much they want to roll. A giggle has me turning back to discover a girl, maybe eight years old, slipping from behind the woman.
If I thought the woman looked washed out and unwell, this little girl looks even paler and skinnier. Her chestnut hair hangs like seaweed around her head, and her bird-like shoulders seem to jut out from her blue dress. I’m taking a guess that this little girl isn’t at school for health reasons, possibly serious ones.
Despite all that, she’s smiling and still giggling. I wink at her, at least someone thinks Mitch is funny.
The woman steps to the side, her voice a hush. “Quiet Hazel. These gentlemen were just leaving.” She looks up. “I’m the owner of this Inn. I’m sorry, I can’t give out the information you’re looking for.”
I nod, seeing the determination in her tired eyes. Maybe knowing they were here will be enough for us to go on.
But Hazel steps further out. “Dana and Kurt left yesterday.”
I throw Mitch a triumphant look, even his guess was wrong. I wrinkle my nose at Hazel. “Don’t get either of us to plan your birthday party.”
Hazel giggles again and her mother’s face softens. She reaches out and strokes back the hair that had fallen across Hazel’s face. The gulp of air that I suck in I can’t help, but I manage to keep my eyes from turning into saucers.
Her eyes! Just like Eden’s, and just like Willow’s at the truck stop, they angle up ever so slightly at the corners. Green and smiling, they study me.
It can’t be…
I shove my hands in my pockets and grin down at her. All of a sudden, I’m doing a different type of digging. “Is your dad as bad at remembering stuff?”
Hazel’s smile slips but doesn’t completely disappear. “I don’t know. Mom says he’s a drop kick, so it’s possible.”
Hazel’s mother chokes and blushes, but she doesn’t tell her daughter to hush again. She’s watching her daughter like she’s watching a flower bloom.
I chuckle along with Mitch next to me. I know that we’re here to find Kurt, but I can’t help but ask the next question. “Do you have a pet?”
The girl’s fragile shoulders droop a little. “I tried to hatch an egg once, but it didn’t work.”
A Changeling without an animal to connect with is like a Were without a pack. A shaft of anger slices through me, all these Fae guys leaving behind children to try and thrive when they never have a sense of who they are. Look at what it did to Eden. I glance at Hazel’s mother. Look at what it did to Alexis.
I look from Hazel, to her mother, and back again. I step forward and squat down, making a point of talking in a pseudo-whisper. “I say start small, ask for a hamster maybe. Sometimes adults don’t realize how much we need a furry friend in our life.”
I glance up and Hazel’s mother is biting her lip. “She doesn’t normally talk to strangers.”
I wish I could explain that Changelings and Weres seem to have an affinity, but I can’t, so I just shrug. “But she’s just drawn to some people?”
The woman’s eyes widen. “Yes.”
“I know another girl like that.”
Mitch takes a step to stand beside me. “In fact, she knows Dana too.”
I stand slowly, knowing Mitch is reminding me of why we’re here. “I don’t suppose they were heading back to Jacksonville?”
The mother shakes her head. “I can’t answer that question.”
I shrug like it doesn’t really matter. Even though it really, really matters. I glance at Mitch. “We’ll have to give them a call.”
The woman smiles. “That would be best.”
I respect her for maintaining her professionalism. She’s obviously tired, this place needs money and maintenance, and her daughter is sick. Despite this, she’s not giving away her client’s personal information.
I respect it, but the frustration flares anyway. We were so close.
“They were going to Safe Aviary.” Hazel’s face has lit up. “Mommy, maybe we could go to Safe Aviary?”
Jackpot! I channel my excitement into my smile. “That sounds like a cool place.”
“It’s this wildlife sanctuary for raptors like eagles and falcons, and they just got in a pair of golden eagles.”
Heaven for a Changeling. “I bet that’s one of your favorite places to visit.”
Hazel’s smile lights up her whole pale race. “It really is.”
I wonder if Hazel has color in her cheeks when she’s there, whether Changelings are that closely linked to the earth. If that’s the case, it must’ve killed Eden to grow up moving from one congested man-made city to another.
Hazel’s mother is stroking her hair again. “Maybe we’ll go there this weekend.”
“Could we? I love you, Mommy!”
The mother smiles as she shakes her head. “But first I need to get these rooms done.”
Hazel grabs the handles on the trolley. “I was helping, remember?”
The woman glances at us, apology and thanks blended across her tired features. My guess is that Hazel’s ‘helping’ is what had that trolley almost take us out.
I wave at Hazel as we leave and her returning wave is enthusiastic until she breaks into a fit of coughs. I turn away before I allow myself to frown. How could this child’s father be okay with her growing up like this?
Mitch slaps and grabs my shoulder. “Looks like we’ll be visiting Safe Aviary ourselves.”
I nod, wondering how the heck all this Fae-Changeling info fits in. Our paths are now irretrievably woven, but I have no idea what it means. “Let’s see where it is, but with the trail gone cold, we might as well head home.”
Mitch pulls out his cell and focuses on the screen. I stare out the window as he types. It can’t be a coincidence that the two places we’ve found a link to Kurt have both had Changelings. What am I missing here?
“That’s odd.”
I lean over to peer at his screen. “What?”
“There’s no place called Safe Aviary around here.”
“Are you sure? That’s definitely what Hazel called it.”
Mitch shoots me an unimpressed look. “My hearing is just as good as yours, you know.”
“Well, it’s not Prime Alpha level, but I’m sure it’s pretty good.” My joke hits his unimpressed face and falls flat. I sigh. “Maybe google raptor sanctuary.”
Mitch’s fingers work quickly over his little keyboard. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I lean over further. “Now what?”
Mitch holds up his cell and I read the script across the screen. Shock has me pulling back, but my Were eyesight can still make out the words. “No way…”
Mitch turns the phone to him as if to check. “It seems so. It’s a bit of drive, maybe three hours away. East this time.”
I pull the keys out of the ignition. “It doesn’t look like we’re going home yet.”
Settling into Hazel Inn wasn’t what I was expecting to do, but I know it’s necessary. As I press the speed dial number again, I find myself desperately wishing Eden picks up.
She does after the first ring. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I absorb the sound of her voice. The warmth and yearning I hear in that one word settles me like nothing else can. “Sorry
, I can’t talk for long, my phone’s almost flat.”
Just like not knowing we’d need gas, I hadn’t planned on needing my cell charger.
“Where are you?”
“We came across a lead on Kurt so we followed it north.”
“Are you okay?”
“We’re fine. We did learn some stuff though.” I pause, knowing this isn’t a conversation to have over the phone. Eden is far less safe than we thought. And far less alone. “I have a lot to tell you.”
“Me too.” She pauses and I wish I was there to sense how she’s feeling. “You sound tired.”
I sigh. I’m not tired, I’m disappointed. “It doesn’t look like we’re coming home tonight.”
“Oh.”
“And I wish I could explain, but I can’t. Not like this.”
“I understand.” Somehow, there seems to be a smile in Eden’s voice. I love how she just gets it. “I’ll be cold tonight.”
Another reason to hate Kurt. “I’ll be sharing a room with Mitch.”
“Neither of us will be comfortable by the looks of things.”
My smile is welcome as I press the cell a little closer. I wish we could talk for longer. It makes the distance seem less isolating. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, there’s no Were healing going on, but my leg doesn’t hurt anymore.”
I let another knot of tension unravel. Having Eden safe and well is essential to my equilibrium. “Good. Stay with the pack, okay?”
“Are you going all protective on me?”
“Kinda.” My smile grows then dims. The image of the bear ploughing past Eden seems to be branded into my mind. I suck in a breath. No wonder he was so enraged—he’d smelled the same animal who had injured him so cruelly. I doubt the king of the Fae could have gotten through that furious burn for revenge.
“Noah?”
But I push it all away. I won’t let the knowledge that Kurt has been hanging around spoil the moments I have with my girl. She’s safe with our family, plus I’ll be home tomorrow. “Sorry, I was just thinking. I know you can take care of yourself.”
“Well, I’ve learned I’m stronger than I realize, that’s for sure.”