He scratched his jaw, the rasp of stubble loud when he finally shook his head, his brows furrowing. “My grandson is visiting his in-laws this week.”
While she would normally avoid taking the risk of involving a human in their business, Arthur had already become mixed up with them. She rubbed the back of her head and sighed in defeat. “Go get your bag. You can stay with us for now.”
The cantankerous old man harrumphed in annoyance as he headed to pack. She almost suspected he wanted to stay if it weren’t for the flash of satisfaction and excitement that shimmered in his eyes at the chance to join them. Her gaze sharpened, but he turned away before she could be sure.
It didn’t take more than a minute for the old coot to grab a small duffle, his steps almost light as he pranced down the nearly destroyed steps. He looked younger than she remembered, almost like being thrown into the paranormal world had breathed life into him or something.
It had been known to happen.
The thrill of the hunt, a new adventure.
She just hoped she didn’t get him killed by taking him with them. The shifters gathered the ferals up, some tossing the struggling beasts over their shoulders, while others took two shifters to carry the squirming bodies.
When theloup garouneared, they seemed to settle, almost docile, and she made a mental note to dig into that further when they got back. The trek home was faster, cutting their time down to almost half, and not a moment too soon.
They barely made it back to the tunnels before the sun dipped below the horizon. MacGregor and Louis had cleaned out the cave as best they could, placed fresh water and food inside the cages. The scent of brimstone and fire still lingered in the tunnels, even after all the time that passed, and she suspected the smell had been seared into the very rocks.
The ferals were placed one to a cage, their bindings released,and the bar doors quickly slammed shut before they could attack. They paced the confined space like large predators at the zoo. Some roared, others pawed at the ground, a couple devouring the food. Only a few threw themselves at the bars, the thud of their bodies hitting metal ringing in her ears.
“Leave them.” MacGregor pulled her away, drawing the ferals attention.
It was eerie the way their eyes latched onto her, then they stilled and calmed. They seemed curious, sanity returning to their eyes just enough that they settled down.
“Come.” His grip was inescapable as he drew her away. “Let’s leave them to get settled.”
Morgan dug in her feet, not wanting to go yet. “But I need to scan them, try and find the source of who was turning them. They?—”
“They will be here in the morning.” He refused to relent, dragging her along, despite her protests. “Give them the night to rest. Let the magic of the coven soak into them a bit more. You’ll learn more from them after they’ve rested. The guards will keep watch and let you know instantly if something is wrong.”
And as much as it broke her heart to leave them, he was right.
“I’ll take care of them,” Stanley said, emerging from the shadows and strutting into view with a swagger that sent his tail swooshing.
Morgan glanced at the ferals, who could easily eat the cat in one bite and frowned. “Are you sure? It took a whole pack of wolves to subdue them.
“I’ve fought worse in the other realms. They will be like watching kittens.” Stanley snorted, sat nonchalantly in front of the cages and gave the ferals a cool, unimpressed look, then began cleaning his paws. “Besides, the caves are filled with spiders, mice, bats, and whatnot. I’m having the time of my life exploring the tunnels. If they’re hungry, I’ll just bring them something to eat. They’ll have fun chasing the critters if they get bored.”
Morgan recalled the first time she’d seen the cat—he’d been patrolling the dungeons of a fae castle. Stanley was a scamp and fully capable of taking care of himself. The caves probably felt like home to him. She took a step away, then halted. “If you’re sure.”
“Go. Go. We’ll be fine.” Stanley just flicked his claws at her, his ears twitching when a pebble clinked in the darkness. His yellow, slightly feral eyes gleamed, and he licked his lips, jumped to his feet with another swoosh of his tail, then trotted away on silent paws.
Morgan shook her head as she left, deciding that Stanley was probably overqualified for the job.
It didn’t take long before they were back at the house, her mind a mess of chaos as she climbed the steps. She headed toward the study automatically, the need to report after a mission so ingrained into her that she didn’t even question it.
She was almost surprised when MacGregor gently seated her behind the desk instead of taking it for himself. She popped up a second later, uncomfortable sitting in what she would always consider his spot.
The rest of the guys filed into the room behind her.
Kincade instantly came to her side and scooped her up in his arms before he sat down in the desk chair and settled her in his lap. His hands slowly worked over her body, silently reassuring himself that she remained uninjured.
“What can make a wolf feral? Do we think the gods had someone infect them and ordered them to come after us?” It made her sick to even think that she was the cause of so many wolves being torn apart and driven insane, but she wouldn’t put anything past the gods.
Kincade tightened his arms around Morgan, ignoring the way his cock hardened at hernearness. He hated the slight catch in her words, the defeated slump of her shoulders. He’d led the guys for many years and knew the weight of leadership could take a toll on a person.
He didn’t want her to become beaten down by the responsibility. Having lives depend on you had a way of hardening a person, and he didn’t want to see the sparkle of adventure in Morgan’s violet eyes dim.
“Maybe a more important question is why target us now?” Needing a distraction while his mind worked on the issue, he slowly unraveled the messy braid that held her hair back until the strands fell free in glorious waves. He barely resisted the urge to bury his face in the mass. Only when she sagged into his touch, the tension finally leaving her, did he pull her closer and kiss her temple. “You’ve always had power, so what changed that they would come after you now?”
