Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“The puca is on edge and the mages seem like they are preparing for war. Not just Kingsley’s war, either. They were talking about what seemed like some huge, elaborate mage war on the horizon. Your people are keyed up and suspicious—I saw it as I passed through town—and the vampire thought it necessary to outline all the ways I could die if I mistreated the house or its mistress in any way.”
“There is obviously trouble ahead of us, and no, not just Kingsley’s, and there was trouble behind us, but right this moment, it is peaceful. That’s what I— Don’t you get a rock! This is normal behavior for all of them. It always has been.”
“I haven’t even mentioned the basajaunak that came charging out of the bushes when I was looking at the landscaping. The butler was grabbing me a cup of coffee, so I was by myself. They clearly thought I was some kind of threat because they surrounded me aggressively. I didn’t dare shift in case they thought that was a challenge. The butler merely waved them away as though it was no big deal.”
“Are you okay— Sorry, don’t grab the rock. I’m going to kill Niamh,” he muttered. “They clearly thought you were trespassing. You know how basajaunak are.”
“I’ve met a couple basajaunak in my day, way up in the north. A different clan of them, obviously, but they are all very similar. I was on their land, but they didn’t get this riled up. They approached me calmly.”
“Is that because they wanted to trade with you for passage?”
She didn’t reply, which was a grudging yes.
“You must see how different that is,” he said. “Ivy House has been attacked. Repeatedly. Shifters intent on attacking my pack and Jessie’s crew have run through its grounds. Dave, the basajaun on our crew—don’t call him that; you aren’t permitted to know his name—”
“I am old, but I am not as senile as that vampire. Stop treating me like I don’t know how the world works.”
“Sorry. He must’ve smelled that you were a shifter, but I doubt he knew you were my relation. He’s been making the new basajaunak feel at home. He’s out of the house loop. So he was absolutely ready to defend the territory. To repeat, we’ve had trouble in the recent past, but at the moment, things are peaceful.”
She shook her head at him. “I don’t know who you are trying to fool, me or yourself, but I see the signs. This is a territory under extreme threat.”
“Why do you think I had to call you in? I don’t have time to play designer when I’m working on our defenses and the things we need to attract an army of gargoyles. Or maybe defend against an army of gargoyles turning hostile.”
“Yes, fine, I just hadn’t realized it was this dire. Kingsley hadn’t mentioned it.”
“He always had Jess on hand to distill her crew. You got the wild side of them. It can shake anyone up.”
“I’m not shaken! Merely concerned. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’ll move my things in there tomorrow and roll up my sleeves. Now, go enjoy your pretty mate. You did well there, my boy. She has the right ideas about what it means to be a leader. I can see why you smile so much around her. It’s a good look for you. Kingsley mentioned you’d relaxed, but he didn’t tell me that you’d finally found your peace, even if your idea of peaceful isn’t one shared by most people. Don’t roll your eyes! They’ll get stuck like that.”
Warmth filled him, and he wished she was a hugger. “Thanks, Mimi, for coming. For everything.”
“The sentimentality isn’t such a good look, though.”
He huffed out a laugh and got off the barstool.
“Oh, and by the way,” she said as he was leaving, “I think that nutty vampire is making some sort of shrine in the backyard with a naked male statue. That creature should be stopped. He’s absolutely fruit loops.”
TEN
Jessie
Two days later, we all shifted into our human forms after training.
“Crap.” Ulric bent down to rest his hands on his knees. “Tell me that was the hardest training yet. It felt like the hardest training yet.”
“That was the hardest training yet,” Jasper said, lying flat onto the ground.
“I feel great!” Cyra beamed at everyone. “It’s been a long, long time since I worked this hard with a team.”
“What about that battle on the basajaunak land?” Hollace asked, slipping on one of the purple house muumuus.
I’d told Mr. Tom in no uncertain terms that he needed to find new team workout attire, and he’d responded by buying rather nice sports sweats. Did anyone on the team use those sports sweats? No. They continued to use the horrible and often ill-fitting purple muumuus.
“Didn’t count,” Cyra said.
“Why not?” Jasper asked.