Page 63 of Unravel Me

"Just put two and two together, like I did. I don't believe it was some forest spirit. I think it was an alpha, possibly one of the magical ABOs. But I can see you’re working it out in a unique way, and it may actually be effective." He grins. "I'll leave it to you, then. Instinctively, you may just stumble in the right direction."

I pout. "Pfff! Someone’s awfully confident. You think you’ve already figured it all out?"

"I have my suspicions. But I want a little more time before I settle on a final conclusion."

For a moment, I stare at him with a dark cloud over my brow, but seeing those sparks of amusement in his eyes, I let out a hissing breath. It's hard to be angry with Veyron.

"Fair enough, take your time. I may figure it out on my own."

Veyron gives me an amused look that tells me exactly what he's thinking.

Are you blind, Jared? Can't you see what's happening here?

But I'm not nearly as convinced as he is. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he's trying to suggest, that it was Mauro. But not all the details add up for me.

Scent is one of the most important ways alphas and omegas recognize each other, and yet the fae's scent and Mauro's are different. The fae also seemed more massive. Mauro is very muscular, but the other man looked downright like a jacked bodybuilder. So, something's off. I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. I need to take a closer look at the situation.

After a moment, Veyron speaks again.

"One last thing. Do you feel safe here… with such an intensely territorial alpha who's very obviously into you? Or would you rather give yourself some time to think and clear your head before making any… major life decisions? You know that heat recovery is one of the worst times to do it."

I let out a long breath, weighing my words.

"I know, but I want to stay here. It may seem irresponsible, especially since I have Tommy depending on me, but… I just can't make myself leave yet. Something won't let me walk away."

Veyron frowns slightly and stares at his shadow stretching across the patio.

"Well, I can't drag you out of here by force. But I promised Alex I'd look after you, so if you don't mind, I'll stay here too for these next few days, until you're sure where all of this is heading. And maybe until you… unravel it all."

"Okay. Thanks, I really appreciate it. These people are nice but also kinda odd. I'd feel safer having you around in case they suddenly turn out to be some kind of religious cult or something. Especially since I had this feeling that they were somehow waiting for me."

He chuckles softly. "Yeah. You can count on me."

I glance toward the patio door, where Mauro is still standing quietly, watching us. Biting my lip, I lean slightly toward Veyron and lower my voice to a whisper.

"I noticed something interesting. Mauro has my name tattooed on his forearm."

Veyron raises an eyebrow. "I heard you asking if it belonged to his ex, but he shook his head."

"Exactly. It could be the name of a relative, or maybe a close friend, someone important to him… even a dog! But it's strange that it's Jared, of all names. I can't stop thinking about it. I feel there's some kind of secret behind it."

"Like I said, if you’re set on staying, then maybe you'll be able to unravel this mystery too."

I hesitate. "But… I don't have any way to pay you for staying here and looking out for me."

"Don't worry about it. My assistant is handling the day-to-day operations at the company, and I can still take on new clients and talk to customers from my laptop and phone."

I nod, then spend a moment staring somewhat absently out at the garden. At this time of year, most of the trees are bare, but plenty of evergreens still encircle the property in a green ring. I spot a pool not far away, though it's covered by a retractable protective cover. The patio is enormous, the kind of space that could easily accommodate feasts for a large family who enjoys spending time together. There's a grill, a set of outdoor furniture, and for a moment, I find myself contemplating the calm life they lead here, nearly a mile and a half from the city limits, surrounded by wild forest, and I wonder if a place like this could be home for me.

With that thought comes the stress again. The uncertainty of my situation, the fact that I'm so far from Tommy… I don't even know what I'm supposed to do from one moment to the next. I press my left hand to my temple, feeling the dizziness intensify. My knees wobble, and I grip the back of the chair harder, feeling like I'm about to pass out if I don't lie down soon.

Veyron notices immediately and reaches toward me, but before he can touch me, the sliding glass door opens and Mauro rushes outside.

He slips between Veyron and me, wraps an arm protectively around my waist, and steadies me against his side.

"We'll talk later," Veyron says with a faint smile.

I nod, and Mauro guides me off the patio toward the staircase. I have a feeling he's taking me to the room Emilio mentioned earlier.