He was still speaking: “The more I think about it, I doubt this has anything to do with your … special abilities. But still, it’s better to be safe, so try and be cautious. Don’t find yourself wandering through the forest alone until after the trial.”
“So you think it’s usurping of your position on the council?” I asked, tilting my head to the side as I waited for his answer.
My parents exchanged a look, but before I could get a good read he answered me: “No, I think the Compasses are wrong. The more I look at the evidence, the more I’m convinced this is not about our family at all. I think it’s about them.”
My eyes widened. “So what’s with all this secret meetings and shit, making it look like we’re afraid?”
My father grinned, showing all of his teeth. “Just in case someone wants us to think this is about the Lebrons, I’d hate to disappoint them. I want them to keep up appearances for a while.”
I growled so loudly it seemed to shake the foundation of the house.
Lienda finished his sentence. “So we can’t tip them off yet. We’re hoping they’ll trip themselves up. They just need to make one mistake.”
I flexed my hands, forcing the change down. “I don’t like this plan. You know where they’re being held, let’s break them out.” I wouldn’t take the risk that they would end up in the prison. There were thousands of criminals in there, they could so easily be killed.
Jonathon shook his head. “Then all of us will be considered criminals and the entire supernatural community will be looking for us. How long do you think we could run before they captured us?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity. Fuck. We could not escape the entire supernatural world. They were everywhere, on every continent, and those who searched for criminals … well, they were damn good at their jobs.
I lowered my head as I continued to fight for control; my wolf and the demon inside were warring for me to free them. It was as if a tearing sensation was ripping through my chest, but I managed to hold the seams together. I wouldn’t lose it now. Braxton, Maximus, Jacob, and Tyson needed me, and I would not let them down.
Eventually I calmed enough that I could sit with my family and go over our plans for the next few days. After that, I went up to my room and attempted to get some sleep. I couldn’t help the dark thoughts as I lay in a tense huddle under my cover. Only last night I’d slept between two of my favorite people in the world and now I was alone. A few stray tears dripped from the corner of my eyes, but I refused to let any more fall. Just as I had not let go of my wolf downstairs, I would not fall apart yet. I would fight and I would kill anyone who tried to stop me.
Chapter 7
The next few days passed in a blur of suspicion and pain. I was struggling, worrying myself stupid about the four of them. I wasn’t sure I believed they were just waiting in a cell by themselves. Someone wanted them in there for a reason, and that wasn’t to throw them a birthday party. So far Mischa and I had had no trouble in their absence, besides the pitying looks, and some nasty smirks from my BEF. So it didn’t look as if someone got them out of the way to knock me off. Which meant it was about them. Which, for me, was far worse.
The morning of their trial we had our first snow for the year. Since I loved it when the world was dusted with fresh powder, all white and clean, I was taking it as a good sign for the quads. For once I was the first downstairs, and was sitting at the table in our dining room staring at the piece of toast in front of me. Under usual circumstances my lack of appetite would have me thinking I was dying or at least very ill, Jacob would have already thrown me over his shoulder and charged me to the medical building. I flung my fork down. Damn, this week had sucked balls.
Minutes later, Mischa entered the kitchen. Her hair was free, curling down her back, and she was wearing jeans and a black sweater. Simple. Like my own jeans and long-sleeved skivvy. Despite the fact Lienda and Mischa had ended up here because of the imprisonment of my best friends, I really liked how full our house felt. Before this, Dad and I’d rattled around in here; it had been a bit lonely. Now I wouldn’t feel so guilty about hanging with the Compasses, knowing Dad wouldn’t be alone. When I got them back of course.
A smile crossed Mischa’s face when she saw me, and for a second I thought she was going to hug me. But she refrained. “Did you get any sleep?” she asked, examining me.
I shook my head, raising my eyes to meet hers. “Nope. I’ve been too pissed off all week to sleep.”
Especially last night. I’d spent it fuming and planning elaborate ways to kill whichever assbucket was responsible for the incarceration of the Compasses. I noticed Mischa flinch again as I cursed.
“We’re twenty-two,” I said, unable to help a slight grin, “and you seem afraid of a swear word.”
One corner of her mouth curled up. “Mom never let me curse. Guess it’s just instinct to cringe. I keep thinking a walloping is coming my way.”
Interesting. Sounded like Lienda might have been a tougher parent than Jonathon. In some ways anyway.
Lienda strolled into the room. “It’s a terrible habit.” She was dressed in a severe black suit. It wasn’t hard to tell she’d worked as an executive assistant to a CEO of a huge multi-national business in the outside world. I felt claustrophobic just looking at all of her clothes. “Ladies don’t curse, even if they are wolves in their spare time.”
“Morning, Mom,” Mischa said, raising her cheek for a kiss.