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Mika nodded, and the smile on his face caught me by surprise. He was happy.Actuallyhappy.
“I’ve never met people who were so accepting and open,” Mika explained. “It was like they’d known me my whole life.”
“Most fae are like that.”
“They didn’t give a damn that I was a shifter. You know, my pack has always been a little more open to non-shifterrelationships,” Mika said. “Even then, I’d always been told that fae were flighty and eccentric oddballs, especially nomadic fae like Zoe’s family. But they’re not. They areliterallythe nicest people I’ve ever met.”
Zoe, hearing him, slung an arm around him. “You’re pretty nice, too, mister. You’ve got the seal of approval from my whole family. And why wouldn’t you?” She ran a finger down Mika’s jaw line. “Look at that sexy face.”
Mika’s face reddened. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead closed his lips and shrugged uncomfortably. The smile on his face and the happiness in his eyes were all the signs I needed to know that, as flustered as he was by it, he enjoyed being the target of Zoe’s flirting.
“Are we too late to kick ass?” Zoe asked. “We went to your house first, but the people there said everyone was here getting ready for a fight.” She glanced around at the wounded and bleeding and frowned. “I guess we missed the fun, huh?”
“The Ninth Pack is done,” I said. “They’ve splintered into at least three new packs. Kira wants to go after Simon now.”
“The Ninth Pack has splintered?” Mika asked, horrified wonder on his face.
“Yeah. It’s happening faster and faster.” I said. “I got word around fifteen minutes ago that there are rumors of a civil war within the Fifth Pack. I think Kira’s theories are coming true.”
“If we want this over as soon as possible, with the least bloodshed, wehaveto find Simon,” Kira said. “Until he’s off the board, there’s still a chance he can use his past research to make more of those weapons and creatures. Just because we destroyed his lab on Bloodstone doesn’t mean he’s forgotten everything he did there.”
“Okay,” Mika said slowly. “Where do we start? I doubt Simon will have opened up a lab with big flashing lights pointing in his direction.”
“We start in Fangmore City,” Kira said. “It’s the most heavily protected place on the planet right now. Plus, it has everything he’d need to get started again. Factories, labs, manufacturing, all of it. I’m sure whatever benefactor he has funding him is holed up there as well.”
Mika groaned. “Are we sure that’s the best place to start? The city is locked up like a fortress. I’m not looking forward to trying to break into the place where most of the upper pack leaders are hiding. It’s gonna be a bitch.”
“True,” Kira said. “But the sooner, the better. All the chaos will help us. Everyone will have their eyes and ears on what’s going on everywhere, so it might make sneaking in easier.”
“Right,” Mika said. “It’s probably the best bet. You’re right about him having a benefactor. I saw that lab he had on Bloodstone. There’s no way he could afford that set-up without backing. The equipment and staff? Plus the high-level magic he’d need to get shipments in and out under the Shadowkeeper’s nose? Yeah. Big money.” He gave a shake of his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my father was one of his investors.”
Kira and I shared a look. Did he know about his father yet? Garth Sheen had been murdered in the street during the start of the rioting. Would we end up being the ones to have to tell him?
“Mika?” I said. “Um, have you heard about your father?’
Mika looked at me for a long moment before nodding. “I did. Yeah.”
His expression was unreadable. He didn’t look upset, but he also didn’t look happy. Though, there was something going on behind his eyes. I doubted it was apathy he felt.
“Are you okay?” Kira asked as Zoe rubbed Mika’s back absently.
He ignored the question. “If the First Pack doesn’t have an alpha, I guarantee there’s a ton of infighting happening back home. They’ll all be trying to exert control, to prove who’s therichest, strongest, and most powerful to try and take my father’s place.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Did he want to go home and try to take the spot for himself? When I asked him that question, Mika snorted a derisive laugh.
“Go home? No. I was groomed from birth to take over as alpha. I couldn’t give a flying fuck about that. They could put a harpy in the position, for all I care. Let them fight it out.”
“You know, this whole devil-may-care attitude is super-hot,” Zoe cooed.
“Oh my gods,” Kira said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, as I was saying, we need to start in Fangmore. Even if Simon didn’t end up hiding out there, we have a secondary reason to go. The showrunners will most likely be in the city as well. Theyhaveto have a way of contacting Heline. She needs to be held accountable for this war. Her meddling with the fated mate connections started this fire burning. Now that Wyatt and I have learned that we were fated mates all along, I want to have a face to face with that bitch and find out why she’s been up to no good.”
“You know she’s a goddess, right?” Mika asked. “Not necessarily the easiest person to have a heart to heart with. She could vaporize you with a snap of her fingers. I mean, you saw what Lucina could do, and she’s not even that high ranking of a god. Her power is weak from being nearly forgotten.”
“Hang on,” Zoe said, gaping at Kira. “Did you say you two arefated mates? I thought you were sealing the deal by being regular mates, but you’refated?”
Mika blinked, then grinned. “Oh, wow, congrats, guys. This is crazy.”
“Our heads are spinning, too,” I said, unable to keep the smile off my face.
