Page 52 of Jared

Steve waved his hand impatiently. “Just tell me,” he said tersely. “What else?”

“Seems he told the detectives that two men tried to rape him outside a club, and then he, well, uh, according to the agent downstairs he-”

“He what?” Steve snapped impatiently. He had a very bad feeling about what was coming next.

Dale licked his lips and glanced away. “He grabbed them, opened a portal, and took them across, claiming the other agent was his mate, then after this other guy got mad about it, he pushed him back through again. And then that guy, that guy...”

“He knew no one would believe he'd seen a guy go 'Tinkerbell' as he put it and take them to 'fairyland', so he pulled up all the info he could on Silas and discovered he worked here. He just asked Charlene if she could grow wings too.”

“Oh fuck.” This is so not good. “Where's my father now?”

“Uh, the guy asked for you, but Charlene figured since you weren't Alpha yet, she'd best contact your dad, so he's talking to him upstairs. He told us to get you so you could have a say and decide how to approach the Fae. You know we can't simply have government employees just vanish and leave behind ties to us. Not to mention the risk to us all over what this guy knows, or thinks he knows.”

Steve nodded. He rubbed one hand over his face. “Right. Let me get dressed and I'll be right with you.I can't go like this. I also need to let Jared know what's going on.”

“I heard,” Jared's soft voice piped up. “I want to come with you. If it's the same guys, I want to know. I also don't want to be left behind like some weak, incapable person left behind to wonder if the government is about to come take us all away.” He rested one hand lightly on his swollen abdomen.

Steve grimaced. “Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like that.” he strode across the room and gave Jared a gentle peck on the lips. “Just give me a minute.” He gave a sardonic grin. “I see you already threw some clothes on, and apparently heard it all, so...”

“Go,” Jared said simply.

Steve went.

21

R.W. did not know what to make of the assemblage in front of him. Sure, under the circumstances, he'd expected some sort of meeting with Steve Chang and a few other men he now suspected were security of some sort. What he hadn't expected was to be where he currently was- perched most comfortably upon an armchair in the middle of what looked like a family living room, while being served tea and cookies by a sweet faced woman who'd introduced herself as Steve's mother, Alice. He also hadn't expected to see quite so many other people. Each one had shook his hand politely while introducing themselves and had told him what a pleasure it had been to make his acquaintance.

This is most surreal. But then, reality seems to have taken an unexpected detour into fantasyland ever since we met that Silas character.

“Would you like some more coffee?” Alice was beaming while holding aloft a carafe of freshly brewed coffee.

“Nah- I mean, no, ma'am. I'm good.” Steve's left knee bounced up and down in nervous agitation.

She gave a small sniff. Did I offend her in some way? She doesn't look offended. Maybe she has allergies. God, I hope they cut to the chase soon. I can't stand all this coffee hour shit with them all standing around just talking about nothing.

A knock sounded at the door and a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties was let in.

“Ah, excellent, Jonas, you're here!” Alan Chang appeared delighted to see the man.

“I came as soon as I could get here, there were, ah, delays getting here from where I was.”Jonas gave Alan Chang a meaningful look.

“I see. No sign of him there, then?”

Jonas shook his head.

Alan turned to face R.W. “This is Jonas Oakenbough. He's Silas' superior here in the building. He's just come across the Veil, looking for young Silas.” Alan glanced over at Jonas. “Any signs of humans there?”

Jonas pursed his lips. “The scent of three different human males. Two of the scents were together and the other one was definitely with a Fae. Sadly, we lost the scents though the two together seemed to be headed towards your packlands. The other disappeared suddenly but there was a whiff of portal magic so we're assuming Silas' ported elsewhere with the guy.”

Pack lands? Did he mean park lands?

“Excuse me, fellas, this is all very nice but what do you mean 'park lands'. And what does that have to do with everything?”

The room became still as all muttered conversation and movement ceased. Alan regarded him intently for a moment, as if taking his measure. He turned towards Steve, who stood close to his friend Jeff and the guy R.W. now knew to be his brother, Dale. Alan quirked his eyebrow as if in query and Steve gave a slight nod. Alan let out a small sigh.

“All right. In for a penny, in for a pound. It's packlands, not park lands. As in land belonging to our pack. Jonas here went across and some of our pack tried sniffing the trails he found.”

Sniffing?