Page 58 of Facade

“I’m not ready to show my face, but like your idea of collaborating,” Jace said. “I’ll be in touch with a way to communicate soon.”

At Jace’s nod, Clarke stepped up close behind Heath to unlock the cuffs. She was prepared to jump back fast in the event he tried to cast when his hands were free. Her bare fingers brushed one of his wrists, sending warmth and tingles up her arms, and down to her toes.

Clarke froze with wide eyes, and looked to Jace in a panic as Heath went stiff with shock. She had a second mate, and that mate was Heath Halston. Logically, Clarke knew that lots of people had more than one mate. But somehow, it hadn’t occurred to her that she might be one of those people.

Heath

His favorite place to run was the nature preserve about a mile down the road from his house. It was serene, with animals carved into the wood of several tree stumps along the paths. They were subtle, blending into their surroundings. But if you looked closely, you could see a bear cub, a few raccoons, and a family of squirrels created from the dead wood.

It was also full of life, providing a haven for birds, squirrels, rabbits, deer, and pretty much all wood-dwelling creatures indigenous to the area. Leaves on many of the trees were beginning to turn gold, orange, and rust, heralding the beginning of autumn.

Heath was soaking in the tranquility when he was suddenly restrained from behind, and propelled off the path. Whoever it was knew exactly how to keep him from casting defensive spells with or without a wand. This person had been trained.

He didn’t know what to make of this. Someone bent on violence who reveled in the fear of his victims would have wrenched his arms back painfully, shoved him off the path, and possibly threatened him with a weapon. Those things didn’t happen.

Criminals weren’t polite. Most of them didn’t care if they hurt people. Heath guessed that this man wasn’t a criminal, and had other motives.

He found himself more intrigued than afraid. To test the waters, Heath made it clear that he had nothing worth stealing on his person. Hearing that the man was seeking information made him even more curious.

The ridiculous fake accent and obviously distorted voice made Heath wonder if they might know each other. A stranger wouldn’t be apt to worry about his voice being recognized.

He couldn’t see the man’s face, but the stillness of his body and lack of response when Heath mentioned the missing students indicated surprise. Who was he referring to if not the graduates? Hearing that a potion maker had also vanished was likewise a shock to Heath.

That made him want to find out if any of their separate puzzle pieces might fit together. All of that fled Heath’s mind when someone behind him touched his wrist, and the mate bond flared. He felt the mark manifest on his right bicep, and wanted to see it. Talk about a day of surprises.

At thirty, Heath was ready to settle down. Casual dating held no interest for him. He was delighted to feel the bond, and eager to get to know her.

But when he’d thought about meeting the woman he was destined to love for the rest of his life, this was not the scenario he’d envisioned. It would be a story to entertain the families with for generations to come, that was for sure.

The man who had detained him had been standing in Heath’s peripheral, to the left. Now, he moved out of Heath’s view.

A frantic conversation in hushed whispers ensued somewhere behind him. She had to be telling this guy about the mate bond. After what felt like a good two minutes, the male stepped forward where Heath could see him.

“Let’s talk at your house,” he said. “We’ll meet you there.”

So, they knew where he lived. That wasn’t surprising, though. Clearly, the two had done their research to know where and when he ran to plan this ambush.

“Under the circumstances, don’t you think I have a right to know who you are?” Heath asked.

This male was obviously close to his mate in some way. The fact that she had observed silently in the background indicated that the questions the man was asking were important to her. He might even have done all of this for her, and not himself.

“We’ll tell you everything, but not within sight or hearing of other people.”

“Ok, but you won’t be able to get through my wards. Can you at least give me a name?” Heath asked. Surely it was no longer necessary to maintain so much secrecy.

With an impatient-sounding grunt that seemed familiar to Heath, the man removed his helmet. Heath blinked repeatedly in shock at the sight of Jace’s face.

“007? What the hell? You couldn’t ask me about this potion maker like a normal person?” Heath asked in astonishment and irritation.

He had suspected an acquaintance, or citizen in town that he would recognize, but didn’t know. Heath and Jace weren’t buddies, but they had worked together for years. They respected each other, and got along. Why would he go to these lengths to hide his identity?

“I’m sorry we had to be all creepy and covert. I would have preferred asking you like a normal person,” Jace said in his un-Jace-like voice as he unlocked the cuffs. “You’ll understand when we explain.”

Heath looked around, hoping to get a glimpse of his mate. She was nowhere to be seen. Was she hiding in the shrubbery?

Burning with curiosity, Heath turned, and began running back to his house. And here he had thought it would be a boring Friday night. Not so much.

A motorcycle, probably the one he’d heard on the road, was parked in front of the house when Heath arrived. Two people in jumpsuits and helmets stood by the front porch, the bulkier one obviously being 007. The slender one, who had to be Heath’s mate, appeared jittery and nervous. Oddly, they both had an aura of masculinity, but that couldn’t be right.