“I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Is everything okay?” I wrapped my arms around his muscular torso and listened to the frantic beat of his heart pounding behind his ribs.
“Dad’s been found. He’s alive!” Tears dripped down, soaking into my hair. “I assumed he was dead, but it turns out he’s been hiding away.”
“And he’s…well?” Maverick had never given up on finding his father, but after all this time, the prognosis might not be good.
“Patrick says he’s very thin but healthy. No sign of feral shifter disease.”
I released the breath I’d been holding. Thank the goddess.
“Are you leaving right now?”
“Yes. I’m hoping Zane will take me, but if not, I’ll drive.”
“Let me help you pack,” I said, needing the time with him before he left us.
“Pack a bag for yourself,” he replied, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “You’re coming with me.”
“I am? What about my classes?”
Zane reappeared and wiped his bloody knife on a kitchen towel. “Fuck school, pet. I can teach you all you need to know.” He winked. “I have a master’s degree in the Erotic Arts.”
Ignoring Zane, Maverick cupped my cheeks. “Polly Windborne will understand. I’ll have to stay awhile with Dad to make sure he’s well, and we can’t be apart that long.”
“I’ll rally the troops, Daddy Bear!” Zane grinned like a maniac. “Go pack, pet. No panties needed.”
57
Raven
“It’s so peaceful here.” Kai nodded in agreement as we stared out across the lake from our spot on a bench under some towering pines. We’d been here a week while Maverick spent time with his father. From what Maverick had told me, his dad had hunkered down in a cave a hundred miles away from the valley and gone into a state of hibernation while he grieved his mate.
Against all odds, he’d woken up once the weather warmed up and made his way back home.
The old bear had said very little, but his aura had gradually brightened from a pale gray blue to a warm green. Being with his son and extended family had given him a reason to live.
“I hope Mav’s dad meets another lady bear,” I continued when Kai remained silent. My merman was a male of few words, but I enjoyed the quiet time we spent together. “It would be nice for him. I know Nula has helped Adam, and vice versa.”
It had taken a while, but I’d eventually accepted Nula’s place in Adam’s life. Having spent the day with them when he came to visit me at Starfall, I couldn’t help but see how happy he was. Both of them glowed. Sure, they weren’t soul-bonded mates, but they were in love, and love healed most wounds.
Perhaps Maverick’s dad would find love again.
Kai chuckled. “When he’s ready, he can ask your father for dating tips.”
That provoked a scowl. “So not funny, Kai!”
My dear dad was a prolific user of Magi-Dates, the dating app for cross-species hookups. He’d uploaded some truly disturbing photos, which I’d accidentally seen when he left his phone out.
Now, whenever we spent time together, all I could hear was a constantping, ping, pingof notifications from females wanting somedemon dick, as he liked to call it.
“He asked me for sex tips the other day,” Zane shared from behind me. “It gave me the ick.”
“Talking about sex gave you the ick?” I screwed up my eyes against the glare from the setting sun. “I find that hard to believe.” My incubus was the most open-minded of all my mates, even Rasmus.
“Joking, pet!” There was a long pause. “About the ick, not the sex tips.” A smirk followed. “I hooked him up with a siren acquaintance who sells love potions. The sort of potion that prevents chafing.”
“Oh my goddess,la la la la!” This was something no daughter needed to hear. “Please shut up, or bedroom privileges will be withdrawn indefinitely.”
