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Connor
Regina, a woman I very much could see becoming a BFF, scurried back up the ladder to give the all-clear to Marie and Chester. Moments later, our groupdidsplit up. We’d decided that once the bulk of our group had driven away in whatever vehicles we “commandeered” from a nearby street, several of our guardians would slip inside the Manor to give an update to Sanai. Just running off without anyone the wiser would be a terrible idea if the worst-case scenario came to pass. They would also be in charge of rallying backup troops for when we contacted them to go after Alexander.
Now, we just had to hide the girls somewhere secure. A place they could dig in with Regina, Marie, Chester, and a couple more guardians until we were sure it was safe to return to the Manor.
Not gonna lie, I had to blink back tears when the girls saw their aunt and threw themselves into her arms. The sheer look of love and relief that swept across her face hit me like a ton of bricks. Made me hope to see her looking atmethat way someday.
Rory and Sorsha wanted to ask a hundred questions, especially since they still hadn’t been told the full story behind where their parents were, but Ava and Regina managed to distract them with the promise of an exciting adventure. Hopefully their part in the adventure would bemuchless exciting here-on-out, but it worked to get them skipping alongside us to a neighborhood a few blocks away where the vehicles were plentiful but the security cameras were not.
Shea proved he still had the superior hot-wiring skills by starting his chosen SUV a full 15 seconds before I got mine to start. I shook my head and slipped out of the vehicle to allow one of the guardians to take over as driver. Rodrick, Zarya, and five of the remaining guardians piled into the SUV while I jogged over to the one carrying Chester as driver and Marie, the girls, Regina, Ava, and Shea as passengers. It was a tight squeeze in the rear row with Ava, Shea, and me pressed close together—but since she was in the middle, I didn’t mind at all. Although Rory’s presence on her aunt’s lap did put a damper on my placing a hand along Ava’s thigh again.
I settled for settling an arm along her shoulder instead. Something that earned an amused glance from Shea.
My brother had whispered the address of the safe house he thought would be our best bet into Chester’s ear, and the Spellbinder used magic to begin navigating us there. We’d all turned off our cell phones to make tracking us that way more difficult for enemies. Of course, that also meant Finn wouldn’t be able to call us for help, so we planned to get the girls to safety and head to his rescue ASAP.
Ava and Regina pooled their abilities to cast a disruption spell around both vehicles, meaning anyone trying to use magic to track us would find it just about impossible. Even though, as a pure Shadow Shifter, I couldn’t actively channel magic myself, I’d always been fascinated enough by it to learn as much about it as I could. Finn may have scoffed, but it also helped me understand enemy Spellbinders whenever I went up against them.
Which has been an admittedly rare occurrence before tonight.
Even with those two precautions to thwart would-be searchers, Chester took a winding route through the St. Louis streets before heading toward the safe house. After twice the amount of time the drive normally would have taken, we pulled into the short driveway of a single-family home in a modest neighborhood that was a far cry from the one housing Donnelly Manor. And the one where I shared a house with Finn and Shea, to be honest. One thing that could be said about Packs located in major cities. They rarely hurt for money.
And Shea had a head for business like none other I knew. So we also enjoyed the perks of personal wealth.
The second SUV drove past rather than pulling into the front driveway, swinging around to the alley so they could park in the garage in the back. We figured that would draw much less suspicion than having such a large group entering from the front.
Shea used a key code to open the front door, and we quickly herded the girls inside. My brother then jogged to the back to key the second SUV into the garage. Regina, the three Spellbinders, and Ava cast a few security spells around the house while the pure Shifters among us ensured there were no dangers lurking in any of the nooks and crannies. Not that the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a small finished basement had many of those.
Once we’d made things as secure as we could, Shea and I followed Ava and the girls into the children’s bedroom that every Pack safe house had for moments like these. When Packmates with children, or children under our protection themselves, needed refuge. The bright colors and cheerful animals that decorated the room seemed to comfort the girls at least a little.
Ava made a game of helping them choose stuffed animals to become their sleeping companions for the night. Then she tucked the girls into bed and kissed them goodnight. Only for Rory to ask a heartbreaking question. “Did Mommy and Daddy cross the Veil tonight?”
Trust relentlessly clever Rory to have picked up on what really happened without anyone telling her directly. Although who knew what the girls had overheard in all the chaos?
Ava settled herself on the edge of the twin bed the girls had decided to share and reached a hand out to each of them. Rory and Sorsha clutched at her hands as if they were lifelines. She took a deep breath, and then she nodded solemnly.
“Yes, girls, I’m afraid that’s true. Your parents are now across the Veil with Mother Moon and Father Sun.”
Sorsha’s eyes filled with tears. “I want Mommy and Daddy! Can’t we cross the Veil to be with them?”
Rory let out a choked sob, clearly understanding the finality of crossing the Veil in a way her more innocent sister didn’t quite yet. Pain crossed Ava’s face at the question, and I couldn’t leave her to flounder through this alone. I stepped forward and knelt next to Sorsha’s side of the bed.
“Someday youwillcross the Veil and see your parents again. I promise. But hopefully not for a very long time. They wouldn’t want you to make that journey until you’ve experienced all the things you’re supposed to onthisside of the Veil.”
Rory bit her lip and glanced across her sister’s body to meet my gaze. “Like…like growing up and getting our magic or wolves?”
Sorsha, not to be left out, chimed in, “And getting married and having babies?”
Shea, Ava, and I couldn’t help sharing a quick look and laughing softly. Trust children to cut life down to its most basic parts: Growing up, discovering one’s magical affinity, and finding a mate with whom to make babies. Provided that’s what one wanted. Babies weren’t for everyone, as Regina had already pointed out.
I flashed a grin at the girls. “The growing up and getting your magic or wolves I’m fine with. But there will benogetting married or having babies until you’re at least 30.”
That earned a tremulous smile from Rory. “Ew. 30 isold!”
Ava gave her a mock glare. “Hey! Your uncles and I are allolderthan 30.”
Our niece’s smile grew even cheekier. “See? Old!”
