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Quinn appeared behind Roane. “Keir, there’s still no sign of Trace. He’s not responding to any of our messages and with Mac also gone, that leaves the four of us to track him down. We need you here as soon as you can tear yourself away from your lovely mate.”
It was times like these he wished he was an only child. If he wasn’t being ordered around by his older brother, then one of the younger ones was making themselves a pain in his ass. “Trace is a grown man. If he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t. Have you checked the calendar lately? He’s coming up on the next ten-year mark. Maybe he decided he wanted his sabbatical to begin a bit sooner this time around.”
“Maybe. And maybe, like Mac, he’s on the trail of his mate. Father paid us a visit last night. He no longer wants us to wait for all our mates to be found before searching for the next tablet. Says he and mother had a discussion. Can you believe it? Those two in the same room, let alone speaking civilly to one another?” Quinn shook his head.
Keir sat back, stunned by the news. His parents, as far as he knew, hadn’t been in the same space in centuries. Not since before they’d come into their full immortal abilities at the age of twenty-five.
“What the bloody hell? Why is everything happening at once? This doesn’t sound like the prophecy he preached to us.” Keir’s neck hairs stood on end. He whipped around and let out a curse. “Dammit.”
“What tablet?” Rhia walked into his surveillance room wearing one of his t-shirts.
How had she made it this far without his wolf alerting him? “Rhia, stay behind me. You two, avert your eyes,” Keir growled at his brothers. A first for him, as there’d never been any reason for him or his wolf to feel jealous.
“Don’t be silly, Keir. Your shirt is like a dress on me. What tablet?” She leaned around Keir and gave his grinning brothers a quick wave. “Wow, there just as big as you.”
He ignored her question. “There’s nothing silly about it. We’re mates and no one, especially my brothers, will see you…like that. And we will talk…after you get dressed.” He turned back to the screen, barely able to contain his need to throw her over his shoulder and take her back to their bed.
“Keir, Britt would like some Rhia before she arrives.” Quinn chuckled.
“No time for that. They can talk spells and potions and whatever witches do when we get to the castle.” Chancing a glance at Rhia, he met her narrowed glare and inwardly sighed. He was sure to hear about his heavy handedness later. But hopefully, she’d know he did it out of love.
Shit.
Was this what love felt like? The bone deep need to protect, wrapped up in fear, and encased within an impenetrable layer of constant longing to ensure his mate was happy and pleasured whenever and wherever she desired?
Lord, where the hell had that come from? And when had he turned into such a sap? Is this how Quinn felt about his mate? The sooner they left, the sooner they’d be linked together forever.
11
Rhia left Keir strategizing with his brothers, grabbed a cup of coffee and pulled her clothes from the dryer. She’d found the laundry room in the early morning hours when Keir had been dead to the world and her stomach had sent her in a search for a snack.
Returning the one vial she’d always carried with her into her pants right pocket, she returned to their room and dressed. Keir had found her a pair of boots that she’d had to wedge several pairs of socks into the toes of to make them fit. It wasn’t the best solution as the heavy boots would be a bitch to walk in, but she’d be safe from frostbite.
“I’m sorry I was such an ass earlier. I guess I’m still getting used to these protective feelings you bring out in me. And so is my wolf. Act first, think later, has always served me well.” Keir stood leaning against the bedroom’s doorframe.
“Wow. I didn’t peg you for being someone to be so quick on the apology. But I accept. I can understand, actually. If any of the members of my coven were to see you, let’s say without your shirt on, I’d definitely have a problem with that.” She stood up and tested out the boots fit walking over to him.
“You would, huh? Well, that makes me feel a little better. Would that be considered our first fight? Because I hear make-up sex is the best.” Keir’s wolf was on board with that idea. But if they went back to bed now, their trek would be delayed. Better to leave now with the low chance of demons intercepting them instead of giving Dante’s soldiers any more time to track them down.
“That was far from a fight, but when we do eventually have one, and I’m sure we will, I can guarantee once you apologize, there will be amazing make-up sex.” She stepped out of his reach, laughing.
Narrowing his gaze, he tracked her movements while he battled his need to grab her curvy body and say to hell with leaving today. “Smart, very smart of you to move from my reach. I’ll have to wait for another time to see just how ticklish you are because if I touch you right now, then we’ll never get out of here.”
The jacket and gloves he’d given her may have been too big, but they adapted the fit with a belt at her waist and some duct tape around her wrists.
Keir made one last sweep of the lodge, then explained his plan to Rhia. “The sun sets shortly before four p.m., so we’ll use the early darkness to add cover once we arrive at the trailhead. I’ll adapt my pace so you can keep up, but if you feel yourself falling behind, you let me know. I’ll carry you, if need be, but you are not to leave my sight.”
“Okay, but are you sure we can’t go back to Vegas first? I have ingredients that aren’t easily replaceable and will take me months to propagate if I can even locate seeds or cuttings. And?—”
Shaking his head, Keir hated to disappoint his mate. “Once we’ve completed the binding ceremony, I promise we can go back to Vegas. But we can’t delay leaving any longer. Gavin will perform the ceremony upon our arrival, and you’ll be safe. Not even the Duke of Hell will be able to break our bond once it’s completed and then we can travel freely. Mostly.”
Her lips thinned out, but she didn’t argue any further.
“It should take us only a couple of hours to reach the hidden cave entrance. And beyond that is a tunnel half a mile in before we reach the portal.”
“Then let’s go.”
“And, there’s a good chance going through the portal will make you nauseous, but?—”
