Page 66 of Those That Defy the Realm

“Rory took months to turn. All I’m saying is that the risk is greater than you think. We should be looking closer at that orphanage where Rory’s parents grew up.”

“I’m afraid our resources are just stretched too thin. It might be a gamble we have to take,” Agent Morris says seriously, but I can see the empathy in her eyes through the screen.

“What if I do it?” Rory asks. “I can look into more. If you’ll give me full access to any files that I find to be on authority servers, that is.”

Agent Morris thinks for a minute. “Okay. There probably is something here, we still have all records from the population data we had to collect during the war. It might be a good place to start.”

Rory and Ty share a look, and I know they’re silently discussing the options. “Thank you.” Rory turns back to the screen. “I’ll do some digging and report on anything I find.”

That seems to please my mother, and the call soon ends after some further chit chat. I stand, ready to resume my afternoon with Claire and wait until Henry gets home. We only have two evenings left together and I don’t plan on wasting a second.

“Thank you, for helping smooth that out,” Rory says to me.

I chuckle. “No need, I feel I may have caused it in the first place. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it a couple of weeks ago when Mum told me. And I’m sorry you’ve now got more work to do.”

“It’s fine, honestly. We had been intending on looking into the orphanage more when things settled down, but I guess it’ll just be done sooner.”

“If I can help in any way, please let me know.”

“Thanks, she’ll hold you to that,” Ty responds for his mate, probably knowing that Rory would just let me off the hook.

She slaps a palm to his chest for speaking for her, and clearly says something through their telepathic connection as his attention slips off me and onto his mate.

I take that as my cue to leave and slip out the door.

Crisis averted.

Now, to get back to my female.

CHAPTER 22

HENRY

This time both Claire and Ash were at the dock as I boarded the boat back to West Scotia. Claire even got pretty misty-eyed which in turn allowed a tear to cut a path down my own cheek.

I’d quickly wiped it away as we’d shared final kisses and I wrapped them both into my chest.

The last couple of weeks since I’ve been back have been the loneliest I’ve ever felt. Obviously, my heart aches for the two people I love but knowing that Antares isn’t going to burst through my door anymore either, adds to the isolation I find myself in. He has promised to visit and so has Claire, but we’ve yet to make any firm plans.

Thankfully with my impending departure, the university has given me a gruelling schedule to keep me busy. They are getting every ounce out of me that they can during what will be my final teaching year with them. I’ve got nearly double the student load that I normally take on.

It’s keeping me occupied, so I can’t complain. Between working there full-time and doing another round of edits on my next novel, I have a never ending to-do list.

Unlocking my apartment door, I arrive home after yet another busy day of teaching. Throwing my laptop bag down on the sofa, I quickly drain a packet of blood whilst stripping out of my shirt, tie and suit trousers. The weather is turning, the autumn crisp taking over the nights, but during the day it’s still hot and my clothes feel damp with sweat from my walk home.

Tossing the blood packet after sucking it dry, I’m heading to the shower when my phone starts vibrating inside my satchel. Diving for the front pocket and fishing it out, a video call request from Ash is flashing on the screen.

In my haste to answer, I forget my state of undress and have a second of panic that he might be calling me with more of the pack, or worse, from the authority offices to bring me in on their latest discussions.

He isn’t alone, but as his and Claire’s faces appear on screen, and it looks like they're in her bedroom, I quickly return the camera so that I’m in the frame.

“Fuck,” Ash says in greeting. “I thought we were going to surprise you but god damn, I miss those abs. Why didn’t you walk around topless more when you were here?”

“Maybe because privacy is non-existent at the ranch. And my apartment is a little stifling in the heat.” I taunt him but make sure I keep my torso in the camera angle as I recline back on the sofa. “Did you say surprise?”

“We did,” Claire answers before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. I straighten at the sight, her expression is a dead giveaway of what I hope is about to happen.

“We finally have somewhere private as well and thought it would be a perfect time to get a little loud. And make you watch.” Ash’s smirk has blood rushing to my dick. We’d talked about how we would keep up the intimacy between us whilst I was away. I’d had some dirty messages from both of them individually and in our group chat already, plus Ash had also sent some great pictures of himself, hard and getting himself off in the shower.