“I can ask my Alpha, but I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Can you ask the Brooklyn Pack?” Cas asked. He belonged to the Queens Pack.
“I can, but I’d prefer not to ask for any favors right now.”
I’d already involved the Brooklyn Pack in too many of my exploits. The less I involved them now was for the best. I chose not to be part of a Pack, so I had to remember not to always run to them when I needed help.
“Now let’s take a look at this stone,” Briggs said as he stepped closer to us.
As everyone hovered around me, I pulled the box away from my chest and unlatched the golden lock, lifting the top. A deep purple cushion lined the inside of the box and nestled the stone on top. The rock was oval and about the size of a hockey puck. Other than that, it was just a gray rock.
“This is the Skofnung stone?” I said, dumbfounded and underwhelmed. “This is supposed to heal?”
Cas shook his head. “According to legend, it’s supposed to heal any wound made by the Skofnung sword. But when the relics are combined, it’s a healing agent.”
“This is all super confusing,” I muttered. “Where’s the sword?”
Cas shrugged. “That’s something I’d rather not know, and as long as no one’s searching for it, it’s none of my business.”
I snorted. “I can literally throw this out in Central Park and it would just get lost in the array of other gray rocks. No one would ever know.”
“Pretty much.” Michaels brushed his finger over the uneven surface. “Who’s going to hide it? We can’t keep it here in the station; it’ll be the first place he checks.”
“And I can’t keep it,” I said. “He’s already gunning for me.”
None of us would be good carriers of the stone. Cardona would come for anyone in the SIU. We were all targets. There was literally nowhere safe to keep it.
“I can hold on to it,” Ranulf suggested from behind us. “I will give it to Alexander to carry. No one will suspect him.”
That was actually pretty damn smart. It was common knowledge that I’d never risk Alexander’s life. He’d be the last person anyone would think to go to. Alexander it was.
We sent Ranulf through a portal with a Traveler to Brooklyn in case someone was scouting the SIU. The last thing we needed was our plan falling apart at the very beginning. He complained a lot, and there was some Scottish grumbling I didn’t quite understand about leaving me behind, but Cassidy promised to deliver me to Brooklyn safe and sound. It was so annoying how I needed a babysitter.
Briggs stomped into his office to do gods knew what. He wasn’t thrilled about what we were planning, and I wondered if they had him by the proverbial balls as well. He left us to devise a plan for how to capture Cardona. We needed something stealthy that he wouldn’t see coming. So far, our best plan was for me to play bait.
“He has a lot of warlocks on retainer,” I mentioned as we huddled in the conference room. “I’ve met with him twice now, and each time he’s brought multiple warlocks.”
“Let’s ask the witches what that’s about,” Michaels said, getting up to leave.
I lifted my hand to stop him. “No point in asking Belinda. There’s only one person she answers to, and that’s Voight,” I said of the Head Witch of the SIU. Not to mention she and I didn’t get along, so if I could avoid her, that would be best. “I know Briggs doesn’t want us involving the Cap, but he might be supplying Cardona with warlocks. We need to plead a case to him and find a way to stop him. One of the warlocks, before I killed him,” I winced, “said I had no idea what he was getting out of his deal with Cardona. That tells me they’re getting something in exchange. They’re not working for him for free.”
“We need to set up a meeting with Voight,” Finn suggested. “Without letting Briggs know.”
“That’s going to be tricky.” Cas pressed his lips together.
“Leave it to me,” Finn offered. “I’ll appear to him as a Reaper and set up a place and time to meet.” As a black cloud, no one would know it was him and he could get into just about anywhere without being detected. It was a solid plan.
“If we can get the warlocks on our side, whenever we set up the bait, he won’t expect them to turn on him,” Michaels said. “He’ll be expecting the bait and be prepared for that, but he won’t see the betrayal coming. This plan might work.”
I nodded. “And if we get the other two objects out from under him at the same time, he really won’t see it coming.”
We ironed out the logistics before everyone left to do their part. Finn was off to see the Captain, Michaels was headed to Queens in Cassidy’s place to talk to the Alpha about getting some wolves to tail Cardona, and Cas was walking me home.
As we walked along the streets of Brooklyn Heights, he spent most of the way talking about what we’d found and how we were going to move forward. I partially listened because honestly, I was exhausted. It’d been a long day for me, and I still had to deal with Sebastian when I got home. He would be all set to grill me about where I went this morning. I’d gotten away with it with Alexander and Ranulf, but it wouldn’t be that easy with Bash.
The hour was late, but even the late hour couldn’t disguise the balmy heat. The summer was dripping into fall with the speed of thick honey and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t know how much more of this I could withstand.
“Do you need me to pick you up tomorrow?” Cas asked as we passed a street lined with brownstones.
I shook my head. “I think Ranulf is going to escort me. I should be good, but thanks.” I could see our house just down the street. It was the only brownstone with the lights still on.
“We’re going to get this guy, Kenz. It’s not you he’s after, you just got in his way. It could have easily been me, or Finn, or even Michaels.”
I snorted. “I always seem to get in the way.”
He gave me a sad smile. “You’re an easy target.”
That much was true. Everyone wanted me dead for some reason or another. It was why I couldn’t fathom why Alexander still wanted me as Queen. The Lycan world would just inherit all my enemies.
“Well, here we are.” Cas stopped in front of my house. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Cas.” I squeezed his upper arm and parted ways. Jogging up the steps to the front door, I unlocked it and went inside to face the music.
The house was cooler than it was outside, which meant Bash had the A/C turned up. I dropped my things by the door as usual and headed to the living room, where I found someone I didn’t expect.
I expected to find Bash watching TV, shirtless, in his pajama bottoms, barefoot, waiting impatiently for me to come home. Instead, I found Alexander seated next to the table lamp, reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of tea. That wasn’t the shocking part. What had me slack jawed was that he wasn’t wearing his usual suit attire that screamed royalty. He wore a pair of fashionable dark jeans, a crisp white t-shirt, and a pair of boots. He looked so casual. Young. And most importantly, really out of place.
“Am I missing something?” I muttered as I stepped further into the living room.
He lowered the top half of the newspaper and peered over at me. “Mackenzie,” his voice rumbled. “There ye are. I was wondering when ye’d come home.”
I frowned. “Where’s Bash?”
“He went to sleep. I told him I’d stay up and wait for ye.”
“Okay …” I replied, a little confused. “I guess I should go to bed.”
Alexander folded his newspaper and set it down beside him. “Sit and talk with me for a while, lass. Better yet, let’s go for a walk.”
My eyes widened. “At this time of night? It’s two in the morning, Alexander.”
He shrugged. “Two AM is when I do my best thinking.” He took one last sip from his teacup before setting it down and standing from the sofa. He straightened to his full height and walked toward the door, expecting me to follow. “Come on, now.”
This was completely i
nsane, and I was equally as insane because I followed him out the door. Alexander looked so very human in his attire as he walked the streets of Brooklyn with me trailing along behind him. If the others ever saw him, they’d never believe it. He still held his head up with his nose in the air like royalty, but he walked with a swagger I didn’t recognize. What was with him?
“Did Ranulf give you—”
“Quiet, Mackenzie,” he cut me off. “We do not speak of such things in the open. The wind listens.”
I wanted to correct him and say there was no wind because we were in the dead of summer, but I got the gist of what he was trying to say. There were ears everywhere.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “So why are we walking around the neighborhood in the middle of the night?”
He peered over his shoulder at me and grinned. “Have ye ever flown, Mackenzie?”
I jerked, taken aback. “Like on a plane?” Was he about to take me on a trip? Now was not the time.
Alexander chuckled. “No, darling. Nae a plane. Have ye ever flown from the sky?”
I choked on nothing but air. “Of course not! Lycan can’t fly! Are you nuts?”
“We Lycan can do many things, lass. I want to show ye something. Will ye come with me?” He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and held out a hand for me to take.
He was talking about flying. There was no way we could fly! I knew that for a fact. What was he planning? Did I trust Alexander? This was the ultimate test. His features were sincere, his face soft and welcoming, with that one black curl falling over his forehead that always reminded me of Superman. Was he Superman?
I placed my hand in his. I supposed I was about to find out.
Hand in hand, we walked across blocks and blocks of Brooklyn until we left Brooklyn Heights. I wondered how he knew his way around. He must have been sightseeing while I was at work. We were in a warehouse district, surrounded by buildings at least ten stories tall.
Giddy like a kid on Christmas, Alexander dragged me inside an abandoned building full of manufacturing machines. He took me to a set of stairs and started to climb. We ascended all the floors, and by the time we made it to the roof, I was sweating. We practically raced up the stairs and he hadn’t let me go.
“Alexander, what is going on?” I said breathlessly.
We opened the door to the rooftop and I heard the crunch of gravel beneath our feet. Peering up, we were met with the inky darkness of the night sky. I could see how high up we were; it was the tallest building compared to the other warehouses in the area.
“How did you find this place?” I asked.
“I’ve been exploring Brooklyn in yer absence,” he answered with a grin. “It’s a wonderful place.”
I snorted. “You think an abandoned warehouse is a wonderful place?”
“Look at the sky from here, Mackenzie. The stars are so clear compared to the city, where ye cannae see them at all. And we’re so high, ye can almost touch them,” he said dreamily.
He was right, you couldn’t see the stars in the city, but I still didn’t see what his fascination with this place was. It was a dump.
Without releasing my hand, Alexander led me to the edge of the roof. “Look down below.”
I did, and the sight of the ground so far below us made me waver a little on my feet. I wasn’t scared of heights, but we were a little too close to the edge for comfort. I’d jumped from buildings before, but those were two-story buildings, nothing this high.
“You’re not going to jump … are you?” I looked uneasily at Alexander.
His grin widened. “We are.”
“Oh, hell no!” I exclaimed, trying to pull my hand from his grip. “We’ll die!”
It finally happened. Alexander lost his marbles.
He laughed. “Where’s the big, bad Mackenzie Grey?”
“Scared shitless right now.” I peered over the edge again. “Is this what you meant by flying?”
He nodded. “Sometimes when I need to clear my head, this is what I come to do. And I think ye have a lot on yer mind right now, darling. Ye forget that as a wolf ye have great reflexes. Plus, yer also supernatural.”
“So now I’m a damn cat?” I said dryly.
“No,” he laughed. “Would ye just trust me, darling?”
Once again, he held out his hand for me to take. I hadn’t realized he’d let me go. Alexander stepped up onto the edge of the roof, ready to take a leap. If I did this, I might plummet to my death. Or it could be the most exhilarating moment of my life. Who knew? All I knew right then was that I was about to shit a brick at how high we were.
“Fly with me, Mackenzie,” he whispered, and a chill ran through me.
“You haven’t steered me wrong yet,” I mumbled and slipped my hand in his. “I’m putting all my trust in you, Alexander.” With his help, I climbed up to the edge of the roof and stood side by side with him.
“I won’t let ye get hurt, darling. Never. Now close yer eyes.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled. Doing as I was told, my eyes fluttered shut. My senses went into overdrive as they picked up on my current fear. I could hear the honking of cars blocks away, the warbling sirens of an ambulance miles away. My skin was sensitive and I felt the dribble of every sweat drop rolling down my skin. I could also smell the garbage left to rot in the dumpsters behind the warehouse.
“Turn around,” Alexander said, and I tensed. “Trust me.” I swiveled around, giving the dead air my back. “On the count of three, just let go,” he whispered. “One … two … three …”
Alexander took my hand and we fell backward into the air. The air whooshed around me, my hair flying all around my face, and my stomach clenched as I dropped, feeling like I was on a rollercoaster. My body locked up at first, but Alexander grabbed my hand and something transferred between us — an energy I couldn’t explain or put into words — but my whole body relaxed and I felt weightless, like I was flying.
Nothing mattered in that moment. Not the case, not the fact I was expected to be Queen, not that more than half of the supernatural community was gunning for me, nothing. I was free. I spread my arms out beside me and just as a smile was spreading across my face, I landed in a cradle formed from a pair of arms. I opened my eyes to see I was in Alexander’s arms and we were on solid ground.
“How?” I gasped as I looked around.
He set me down and I wobbled a little on my legs until I got my footing. “How did it feel, Mackenzie?”
I was speechless. How did I feel? I didn’t know how to put it into words. I never knew it was possible to do something like that. I mean, I knew we weren’t actually flying, we were just jumping, but it felt like I was flying. If he hadn’t caught me, I would have been a splat on the ground because I had zoned out completely.
“When our hands touched … what was that?” My brows furrowed.
“I’m an Alpha, lass. Ye were terrified, and I had to calm ye down. When ye take over, ye’ll have this ability as well. It will pass on to my kin.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “You said you do this when you need to clear your head … and now I see why. But why show me your spot? Isn’t that private?”
He smiled softly and approached me. His hands grabbed me delicately on each side of my face and he tilted me up to face him. He pressed a kiss on my forehead and pulled back without letting me go. “My darling girl, I will share everything with ye, even my last dying breath. If this can bring ye comfort in yer trying times, why would I nae show ye?”
I peered at Alexander in the eyes that matched mine and saw just how much he loved me. Even though he’d only known me a short amount of time, even though I’d caused so much trouble. He’d forgiven so much, and even then, those gray eyes looked at me with a father’s unconditional love.
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “I want to do it again. But this time, teach me how to land.”
He grinned. “Of course.”
16
I was running on fumes, having spent mo
st of the night jumping off buildings with Alexander. Even though it sounded ridiculous, it was the most relaxed I’d been in days. And it was fun. We walked into the house around six in the morning and I only got a few hours of sleep before Bash nudged me awake.
Now Ranulf and I were at the station and I was on my third cup of coffee, trying to stay alert.
“Repeat what you said again?” I groaned as I rested my head on my hand, my elbow propped on the conference table.
Finn growled, “Pay attention, Grey. I said,” he emphasized the last portion, “I met with Voight and … persuaded him into aligning with us.”
I sipped on my ninety-nine-cent cup of coffee. “Persuaded? You mean you threatened,” I chuckled. “What did he look like when you reaper’d him?” Ranulf smacked me in the back of the head. “Ouch!” I rubbed my scalp.
“Stupid girl,” he grumbled.
Finn looked up at the ceiling and tapped his chin pensively. “He looked a little constipated. Maybe because I approached him while he was on the toilet.”
I burst out laughing and smacked my palm on the table. “You didn’t!”
Finn smirked. “I did.”
“You’re sick,” Michaels grimaced.
“It’s an effective negotiation technique,” Finn defended himself. “I got him at his most vulnerable.”
“Yeah, you did,” I smirked, and Finn returned the look.
“So he was the one supplying the warlocks to Cardona?” Cas asked.
Finn nodded. “He said Cardona has a very ancient relic of theirs and is holding it hostage until this is over. You know how warlocks are with their toys. But I promised him we’d help him find it in exchange for his cooperation, or else he was going down with Cardona.”
Good. I was trying not to imagine the Captain being accosted by a cloud of black smoke while he was on the shitter. Definitely not a good look for anyone. But as long as he was on our side and we had the warlocks in check, our plan was a go.
“What about the wolves?” I asked, turning to Michaels.
“The Alpha for the Queens Pack lent us two of his best trackers. I already have them out on the street tailing Cardona and reporting his movements. We should have a detailed report by this evening,” Michaels said in his gruff New York accent.
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