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He shrugged. “You’re too much for him, but yeah, I’m okay with it.”
My jaw loosened. “Did I hear you right?”
Shane chuckled. “See? Even he thinks I don’t deserve you.”
I punched his shoulder. “Don’t be stupid.” My brows knotted. “But … what are you doing here? Where are the others?”
“Besides saying hi to my mate, we came to research.”
“Yippie,” Tyren deadpanned. He walked past us and disappeared between two tall shelves.
“As for the others,” he continued, “I sent Lucille to work. Lavinia is still at the crack, trying to find out more about the magic it’s emanating. Dom and Vallin went to do the morning rounds along the border since I have my hands and head full, and Killian and the other vampires went back to their posts guarding the pack lands.”
“Wait … you said research?” I asked Shane. “About the crystals? Or the creature?”
“Both,” he said.
“But I know most of these books.” Aside from some older town records, though, we knew they didn’t date back from the pack’s foundation. “I don’t think there’s anything about those.”
“I know, but I can’t think of anything else.” He finally dropped his arm from around me and ran a hand through his hair. “I hoped that once I put the crystals back in, their magic would kick in, and the barrier would come back. Aren’t those things linked?” He glanced at the shelves behind us. “Maybe somewhere here I can find how to make the crystals work.”
“You think you need to do some kind of spell?”
He shrugged. “I had to do something to open their trap door. Maybe this is no different.”
I nodded, but my brows were still knotted. “I can see that, but again, unless we mysteriously find something in the pack’s older records, I’m sure there’s nothing about the crystals here.”
Shane leaned against the front desk’s tall counter and crossed his arms. “I don’t know what else to do. The crystals are back, but don't seem to be working. I can’t make the barrier appear again, and now there’s a creature sleeping under our feet.”
I turned to him, ran my hands over his toned arms. “You’ll figure it out. And I’m here to help you with anything.” He leaned into me and his lips brushed mine. “Wait. I have something for you.” I reached to the other side of the counter and grabbed the brown bag. “I thought you might not have had any breakfast yet.”
His lips curled up and he took the bag from me. “You brought this for me?”
“Well, if I hadn’t, would you have had breakfast with Lucille?” That damn invitation earlier still stung.
Shane chuckled. “Still jealous?” He wrapped his big arms around my waist. “You don’t need to be, Raika. There’s no one else for me.” He pressed his mouth to mine and I parted my lips to him, but then Shane stilled. “We have company.”
Two seconds later, I heard them. Damn Shane and his alpha hearing. He probably knew who it was, but I didn’t, so I disentangled myself from him and took a large step back.
The library’s front door opened and Killian and Lavinia walked in. I relaxed, and when Shane reached for my hand, I let him have it.
“What is it?” Shane asked, all businesslike.
“Dom and Vallin are still out, but so far, no sightings,” Killian reported. “No Whitecrest wolves, and no sign of the barrier.”
“You thought the barrier could appear slowly?” I asked.
Lavinia nodded. “It was my idea. When it came down before, it didn’t just blink away. It slowly opened up, as if it was water going down the drain. I thought that maybe the crystals had reactivated the barrier and it was slowly reforming.”
“But it isn’t,” Killian said.
“Shit.” Shane exhaled.
“I was trying to figure out the magic and what is deep in the gap when I had an idea,” Lavinia said. “You told us your father didn’t mention anything about the creature, but what if you could ask him?”
Shane shook his head once. “What do you mean?”
“To be honest, I’m spitballing here, but maybe we could ask Almae to come back. She’s powerful and with her help, I might be able to tap into the underworld and find your father and—” She stopped, her eyes wide. “Wait, I have a better idea. What if you go to the underworld?”
