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I blushed.
Greg grinned, his mood successfully lightened. ‘It’s not an excuse, but the dragons normally secure the roof. The security company are brethren and I’m brethren, so we’re used to the skies being handled. It’s an oversight caused by my upbringing. It won’t happen again.’
I winced in sympathy; I bet he’d given them a blistering. ‘The sooner we get it secured, the better. At the moment I feel like my days are spent pulling at loose threads.’
‘What loose threads?’
‘Well, there’s whatever the hell is going on with the gargoyles and the witches. There’s Thea visiting for who knows what reason. Bobby’s been taken – and I still don’t have the foggiest idea who my birth parents are.’
‘The gargoyles and the witches is old news. Put it aside, it doesn’t need to be on today’s to-do list, if it needs to be on a to-do list at all. We’ll work out what Thea’s motivations are sooner or later. In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on her until we know if she’s trustworthy. She stays on the to-do list, but she’s not urgent. As for your birth parents, obviously you want to know who they are, especially now you’ve found out that they are Other like you. But you’ve already gone twenty-five years without knowing, so they can wait a few more weeks. Bobby is our priority. Everything else falls to the wayside.’
I nodded decisively. I was normally so good at prioritisation; I’d been letting my emotions get the better of me. ‘I know you’re right, it’s just that I’m trying to make the pack trust me and everything I do seems to have the opposite effect.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Archie said that there are some rumblings in the pack because I didn’t tell them about the dead gargoyle. If I’d told them immediately, maybe they’d have been on guard. Maybe Sonia would have waited until Bobby was in school that morning.’
‘Bullshit,’ Greg said firmly. ‘Even if we’d told everyone about the dead gargoyle, Sonia wouldn’t have treated the school run any differently. She might have treated the mansion differently because she thought it was under threat, but she wouldn’t have changed her behaviour towards Bobby’s school. Bobby goes to school in Common like most other kids. Why would she think for one moment that he wasn’t safe there? No, that’s bullshit,’ he repeated. ‘Don’t carry that around or it won’t end well for you.’
‘Maybe. But whether the blame is valid or not, it’s being laid at my door. I feel wrong-footed all the time and I hate it.’
‘Lucy, you’re nailing this. David used to be crippled with self-doubt, and now he’s a different bloke. You gave him that confidence by including him in bringing down Ace. Archie was an immature idiot who took drugs and drank too much. He’s really grown up as a result of you giving him some responsibility. It’s the same with Liam – he was always well-thought of before, but now some go to him with a query if you’re not available. He’s a young lad with leadership potential, and he’s doing really well.’
He went on, ‘You brought in pack movie night where we can come together and spend time in a relaxed setting, not just on the hunt. There’s a camaraderie in the pack that certainly hasn’t been present since I shifted. You’re making inroads every day – you may not be a classic alpha but the changes that you’re making are helping, and most of the pack recognise that. Lord Samuel was well thought of, but even with all his money he wouldn’t have thought of scrying for Bobby like you did. You care about the pack and it shows. So stop beating yourself up. You have got this.’
I straightened on the chair and nodded. Maybe I needed him to help with my morning affirmations. ‘Ihavegot this. Sorry for the pity party.’
Greg’s eyes softened and he stepped towards me. ‘I’m always here for your parties, whatever type they are.’ He pulled me up and into his arms, gave me a tight hug and kissed my forehead. That was nice – but it wasn’t the kiss I wanted.
‘I’m going before you distract me,’ he said regretfully. ‘You’re very distracting, Lucy Barrett.’ He stepped away from me. ‘Have a good afternoon, Peaches.’
My heart was pounding at his proximity and I stammered out a promise that I would. I hoped that I wasn’t lying.
Chapter 19
Bastioncalledwithanupdate. He ruled out a couple of people, including Shirdal, the head of the griffins, and said that he had three other griffins to check out. He sounded grim. I asked why he was upset; he replied that he liked the remaining three – as much as he liked anyone. I appreciated that he was trying to keep me in the loop. Like Krieg, he was under no obligation to do so.
Evening was drawing in when I suddenly had an idea where Krieg might be. For all Bastion and Greg thought it was a bad idea, I could crack this case wide open with a couple of well-intentioned questions if he would answer them. With every passing minute I was feeling the pressure. Bobby was still missing, and every passing hour increased the chances of him being found dead.
Esme knew what I was planning. If some part of me had hoped that she’d stop me, that part was sorely disappointed.Let’s go hunting,she encouraged.I’m not afraid of ogres.
You’re not afraid of anything,I said admiringly.
I’m not fond of ghouls,she admitted.It’s the smell.Although she was trying to downplay it, I could feel her revulsion. No, she didn’t like ghouls. For some reason, that made me feel better.
I rang Bastion. 'I'm going to speak to Krieg again, will you come with?'
There was a barely audible sigh. 'You're not supposed to poke a hornet's nest.'
'Are you coming, or not?'
'You'll go without me, won't you?'
'Obviously.'
'I'm still local. Give me thirty minutes.'
I dropped Greg a quick text message to let him know where I'd be going, and confirming I had Bastion riding shotgun. He wouldn't be happy with me, but at least he knew I had back-up.
