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Rachel nods. “This is awesome, Cheryl. Well, kind of.”
“Kind of?” Everett asks, looking dubious.
“There’s a slight issue with how long it could take,” I tell him.
“Uh huh,” he murmurs, raising his eyebrows.
“Time passes differently where The Fates reside,” Rachel says. “It’s a pocket realm within our world, a place where they can watch over the earth and its people from a distance. They make judgment calls on when to step in to help, and when to let us learn our lessons.”
“That’s so damn cool,” Noah murmurs.
“Past, present, and future all exist in one space, which messes with time so she could seem like she’s been gone an hour when she’s been gone for days, or vice versa. There’s no way to predict how much time will pass,” Rachel continues. “The Fates understand time is a fleeting concept for humans and mortal supernaturals so there is a cut off. A fate-touched witch who is allowed the opportunity to visit never loses more than a week.”
“A week?” Everett sighs wearily as he falls back in his seat. “Looks like I’ll be challenging that fuckwit Alpha tomorrow after all. Prepare for the road trip, everyone.”
“Oh, crap,” Noah mutters, getting to his feet quickly.
“What?” I ask, wondering why he’s checking his pockets.
“I forgot to fill the tank before we got back. There’s no way we’ll make it all the way there on what’s left. I’ll need to go fill her up.” He slips out from between the couches, narrowly avoiding nudging the couch Vi’s still sleeping on.
“Maybe we should put her to bed properly,” I find myself saying, causing Noah to step back, keys in hand. It’s getting late. All of us could use some sleep.
Everett stands up. “I’ll carry Vi to bed. You fill up the car. Just be quick about it. Don’t fuck around. I want this place locked tight before we settle down for the night. It’s been a long fucking day and we don’t need any more losses.”
Noah nods. He leaves the room as Everett picks Vi up. The blanket slips from the leather to puddle on the floor at his feet.
“Wait,” I tell him, leaning down and grabbing it away before he can move and get tangled up in it.
I bundle it up in my arms. “Okay. Now we can put her to bed.”
When she wakes up, I hope she can remember why she had to go out into the woods while Oscar was being taken away by that other pack. It’s not like her at all. It’s so reckless.
I lead the way and open the doors.
We take the main stairs and walk all the way down the hall to the other end.
The second last door is where I see Leo sleeping in the bed. I close the door over as we pass.
So much happened today that I can barely process what the kid still being here means.
We can deal with it in the morning. Probably very early in the morning from what I know about kids under ten years old. We should definitely take all the sleep we can get while we can get it.
I open the door to Vi and Ivy’s room. Ivy’s been restless since her mate showed no immediate signs of waking up. Vi’s sensitive enough that I’m not worried about this being anything other than a need for deep rest, but Ivy’s been pacing around the house, cleaning up in the kitchen and checking on Leo obsessively. She’s not up here now, so she’s probably gone back to cleaning.
Everett sets Vi down and moves back. “Ivy can move her if she wants, when she eventually runs out of steam and comes to bed.”
“I should go find her,” I tell him. “We all need to rest. Tomorrow isn’t going to be easy.”
“Says who?” he asks, giving me a twisty little smile that makes my heart flip. “The challenge will be a breeze. I’ve been saving my rage up since last night for that asshole. I can’t wait to unleash it.”
“Something tells me you’re going to need a long, hot shower when you’re done.”
“Only if you’ll join me,” he says.
Oh, Goddess. We’re flirting over the thought of killing the Alpha who stole our Omega.
Everett is no stranger to dark thoughts. He’s killed before, and he will again.
