“You’ll have to ask them,” Lily said, making a mental note to advise Simon to prepare a stock answer for the boys to use, if they would be spending more time at the Faire. Especially places like the Staff Caff. She spotted Clover about to open the gate to the pen of crawling and just-starting-to-walk toddlers, and ran off with a rushed “Excuse me.”
Saved by the toddler rustler.
Once the emergency was over, and Clover was onto some other activity, this time under the watchful eye of a still-on-crutches Luna, TraceyAnn sidled up to Lily. Jordy had long gone, but the older woman still had a need to air her opinion about the Ops member.
“She’s been lording it over everyone about how she did some special project for Simon recently.” TraceyAnn said, pleased that she was within earshot of not just Lily, but Luna as well, held captive by her still-hurt ankle. “But I would say that she’s probably eaten up with jealousy, with how you’re working with him on an ongoing thing. I’m sure whatever you’re doing trumps whatever little task she did for him.”
Well, that explained why Jordy was being so insistent on learning more about what Lily was doing. Lily sighed. She felt bad for Jordy, if the girl was going to feel competitive about something like that. After all, Jordy had just gotten a promotion and an upgrade to a better housing situation. It seemed like maybe she was just one of those who would never be satisfied with what they had, unless nobody else also experienced good fortune.
TraceyAnn, having now shared her vitriol about Jordy, walked away, with the long skirt of her medieval dress trailing behind her. Luna and Lily exchanged looks, and the other girl stifled a giggle. Lily’s cheek dimpled, and she moved back over to the infant pen, taking a seat and wiggling her fingers over the confines of the enclosure. Emma, a sweet little girl with a tuft of auburn hair gave her a single toothed grin.
With that auburn hair, and dark brown eyes, Lily could almost envision what Col’s and her baby girl would look like, nestled in his arm much like she had seen Col pick up Clover. Or Col telling their little girl stories at night, and then tucking a blanket gently under her sweet little chin.
She had it bad.
But before she could chide herself for it, a chill suddenly went through her. It was that same prickly feeling from the other night.
That she was being watched.
Maybe it was a residual effect of that encounter with Jordy earlier. It was bright daylight, and tons of people walked past the large windows of the Staff Childcare Center, in both directions. People liked looking in at times.
It was a strange sensation, though, and she couldn’t help but throw a nervous glance at the windows. Nobody was pressed against it, not even standing near and peering in. Maybe she needed to catch up on her sleep. Yes, that must be it, she thought with a secret smile. Col and she had been up until near dawn. The sky was already lightening when he easily carried her falling-asleep form in his arms back to the house, before depositing her tenderly in her bed.
That had to be it. She was mooning again, a bad combination with lack of sleep. She looked out the window again, and this time she spotted someone else she knew, even if it wasn’t the one who occupied most of her thoughts.
A tall, muscled man with broad shoulders and flowing blond hair was heading towards the Childcare Center.
Aylwyn caught her eye, and a great big grin spread over his face as he entered.
* * *
At last. He had finally located her during the daytime hours. He should have known that she would gravitate towards a job that involved kids of some sort. But who would have expected this Medieval Loserville to have a childcare center for their employees?
Rey had found a spot outside the Staff Childcare Center that allowed him to watch her discreetly from the driver’s seat of his car. He realized that the longer he stayed, the greater the risk that she would spot him, or recognize his car. He had to be careful. He needed to take her unawares.
Even worse, the Staff Childcare Center was only yards away from a security booth, even if they were rent-a-cops like the ones he worked with. Past tense. He’d been fired when he had to call in sick, on account of a part of his body being chopped off. Well, technically he should have called in sickbeforehis shift started, but it didn’t matter. That asshole, Jerry, had it in for him and was just looking to fire him if Rey so much as farted in his general direction.
It was another thing he could thank that bitch for, and he couldn’twaitto show his appreciation.
Rey had a bundle of presents just sitting all ready for her, carefully wrapped up and hidden in the well in front of the shotgun seat. Rey had been whiling away the hours inventorying them in his head. Starting with the thick pointed blade of theTanto, good for penetration. The pair of push daggers, that got him hard at the thought of using — one in each fist — on that bitch while she was begging him for mercy. A Cold SteelEspada, a folding knife that opened to reveal something wicked and sharp. A sweet fixed bladeKarambit, that resembled the talon of a large bird of prey. It was his personal collection of knives he had seen on one of his favorite shows,Forged in Fire. The only thing missing was akatana, like the one Michonne used onThe Walking Dead. He had left that hanging on the wall of the apartment that bitch had walked out on.
But, just so he wouldn’t be the asshole that brought a knife —no matter how sweet — to a gunfight, Rey also brought some serious pieces of firepower. He just hoped he would get the chance to get his steel baptized with that bitch’s blood first, before pumping lead into her.
In the meantime, he’d have to keep tracking her. And wait for his opportunity to snatch her.
* * *
The backyard grill was filling the air with the wondrous aromas of the various meats laid out on it, Miller Armstrong stoking the fire that raged underneath the metal lines. Merek and Barric were filling Tybalt, Simon and Miller in on what had transpired the night before. Tybalt and Miller were listening intently, with only Simon shaking his head at Barric and Merek’s initiative in revealing their nature to Katie Cooper. But all were eager to hear of what had happened after Barric and Merek were chased away by Col.
Especially the details which Col had to work extra hard at shielding whilst in wolf form. Although truth be told, he was finding it difficult to keep those details far from his thoughts.
When he did mention the scent that arose from him, Tybalt nodded sadly. Of them all, Tybalt was the only one who was fortunate—although some would say it was ill fortune — to have met hisDestineand mate-bonded with her, afore theWaryeorswere put into their enchanted slumber. And so Tybalt had the experience to speak on it, and was eagerly attended to.
“Verily, that scent arising from the male happened upon me as well,” he confirmed. “That was — in my instance — the beginning stages of the mate-bonding. And mayhap it was also thus for you, if Katie Cooper recognized your scent, and was as affected by it as you were of hers.”
Col thought of the joining that occurred afterwards, several times, until the sun near rose, and looked quickly away. Merek and Barric picked up on it, even in human form, and started hooting and hollering. His saving grace was that Aylwyn had been assigned that day to the Faire, and was not present to add his odious japes.
Simon cleared his throat, and came to Col’s rescue. “Katie’s awesome, Col. And you are very lucky to have her as yourDestine. If I could have aDestine, I would want it to be someone like her.” He looked wistful, even as he pushed his glasses up.
Col was grateful for his words. He had been fighting the thought of Katie being hisDestinefor so long, so much so that he had forgotten. For one such as Simon, even that struggle to recognize one’sDestinewas something that was longed for.
And then Barric had to ruin it.
“But if you have not successfully completed mate-bonding with Katie Cooper yet,Brodher, then I look forward to mayhap convincing her to look my way as aDestinein the mean—.”
With a growl, Col launched himself at the large, dark-hairedWaryeor, shifting in mid-air.
Simon sighed, taking a sip of his cold brew. Whatever destruction of property was about to take place, at least it was happening in the backyard and not in the living room.
Cleanup was a bitch.
