Even in human form, Rowan needs wide-open spaces where he can run or let his larger-than-life personality go—loudly and without fear of knocking someone or something over.
Huh.
It’s just one more way they should have seen this transformation coming.
“Gimme a kiss,” Luca interrupts his tired musings with smacking kisses and pretty red lips.
Finn leans over, and Luca turns from his spot glued to Grayson’s spine.
His mocha-flavored kisses remind him he needs coffee, STAT.
And that he loves his mate; always that.
Gideon is sitting in the chair by the window, watching them as if he’d been waiting for Luca to crack open an eyelid.
“Luca, can you remember where Carnell’s place is? How far you and Nix walked before you found the gas station?”
Luca’s face morphs into one of suspicion.
“What? No. If I tell you, then you are going to go in there guns a-blazin’ and get your ass magically kicked.”
He shakes his head and climbs over Grayson’s side to escape.
“Nope. Nope. Do not look at me like that!” he shouts as he runs toward the back of the house—bare butt jiggling the entire way—where Finn can hear Jay’s voice.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned. I’d only been trying to develop a strategy—no need to raise the alarm.”
There’s a sigh beside him, and Grayson finally rolls over, propping his head in his hand.
“You had to see that coming.”
“I should have. I seem to be saying that a lot, and oddly, I never do,” Gideon sighs.
Grayson pats Finn’s leg before sitting up.
“Luca’s right, though. We can’t go in there without a plan. We should get some backup, even. Withers is creatively evil, and by the looks of it, we deprived him of his battery last night. He might even have more children that he’s sucking dry.”
Shivering, Grayson casts a spark at the dying blaze in the hearth. There isn’t much fuel remaining, but the fire catches regardless.
“I was thinking last night…”
“Not Traveling?” Finn asks.
“No. The Guild’s wards seemed to keep me here, which is good. I can’t really control it, and who knows where I could end up—or who could see me? Or worse, I could draw them here.” Grayson’s voice is serious now, more grounded.
“The wards protect us from being tracked on The Plain, but I assume if they can get by the security guard—Hank’s protection at the gate—they could still knock on the front door.”
Just the thought of it sends anxiety zipping down Finn’s spine. He finds his phone on the table behind him before climbing to his feet.
Grayson seems to pick up on his mood shift immediately.
“Finn. Wait—I was exaggerating. If Ignatius says we’re safe here, then we are.”
Finn still moves to the windows, looking out over the cobblestone lane in front of the cottage, and sees their vehicles parked out front. He spots Rowan peeing on the tree by the front gate—then doing the same on the bed of rose bushes.
Marking territory that is not theirs is rude, not to mention grossly unsanitary. If it continues, it is definitely going to be an issue.
Sighing, Finn sits on the loveseat, just stopping himself from checking the others in the back garden on the phone.
