Two

The panic he’d felt when she hadn’t been waiting was slowly abating. Eli rubbed his face into her hair letting her lean into him. That damned Sibyl had said she wouldn’t go far. He usually hated that she was always right, it was creepy. Tonight he was glad of it. 

More than half the pack had gone to talk to her at some point to ask about their mates. He hadn’t. She’d come to him, staring in that odd way she had.

“I don’t know how, but your mate is peeking at you now and then. Tell me about the dream?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He’d tried to step around her, but Genevieve had sighed and put her hand on his arm.

“She can tell you’re looking for something, she doesn’t know what. It keeps drawing her back to look at you. What is it you’re hunting for so urgently?” 

The growl that slipped in his annoyance brought her brother running. “Leave him alone, Sibbi. I know you’re curious but he doesn’t want to talk.”

“Bas…”

“Leave him alone.”

It had felt like he was losing something the moment she lifted her hand. “I don’t know what I’m hunting for in the dream. I’m just searching.”

“The dreams make her feel anxious, like she’s not where she’s supposed to be. She draws your face.” Genevieve had closed her eyes and tilted her head, “It’s so much she’ll refuse to believe it. She’ll leave, but she won’t go far.”

“Eli?” Vic got his attention quietly. “Her date is getting a few of his friends stirred up about you interrupting his plans. We should go for now.”

“I’m not ready yet.” He needed her to agree to see him. “Grace, I need to see you again. I know I’m asking a lot…” 

“My, um, my phone’s in my purse.” She pushed him gently back and stepped off of the stool to pick the large bag up off of the floor. Pulling up her number she handed him the phone to let him put it on his own.

Eli had left it in the car in his hurry to find her so he jotted it down on the napkin with the pen from his pocket. “I left mine in the car.”

“Right.” He heard the hint of resignation in her voice. She was already assuming he wasn’t going to follow up.

“Here’s the hotel I’m at, the room number, my cell number, I want to know when you get home safely tonight.” He put them in her phone under his name. 

“If I’m not home by midnight I turn into a pumpkin, you can probably call a little before then.” Her blue eyes were wary.

“If that’s what you’d prefer.” Tilting her chin up he gave her a kiss intending for it to be chaste, but the way she parted her lips, inviting him to taste her was too much temptation. He deepened the kiss, brushing her tongue with his, groaning softly as she pressed her hands to his chest and gave his own urgent desire back to him. Eli caught himself as the wolf whistles started, realizing his hands had started to roam of their own accord.

Her cheeks were flushed and the look she gave him made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her out with him. “Call.”

“I will.” He brushed her wheat colored hair back from her face. Leaving her there was torture, worse than it had been to wait and walk toward her slowly at the showing, and worse than having to walk away from her with that disappointed look on her face. A low growl slipped from his throat as he glanced back and saw her date sourly taking his seat.

“I can stay and follow her, make sure she gets home safely, Eli.” Vic suggested and with a nod he sent Aurel and Rob to find out which one was hers, letting them take a whiff of her scent on his chest.

“This one.” Aurel waved him over, “But someone rode with her.”

“Her date.” Eli glowered at the car. She’d have to take him back to the school to get his car, that would put her alone with him. “Vic-” He glanced at the man who nodded and retreated to his vehicle. Vic would follow them and make sure nothing happened to her. He would go back to the hotel and wait for Vic to let him know when she was home.

In the meantime, Eli let Rob drive as he called Alpha Germain. 

“Congratulations, Eli.” Cate answered the phone cheerfully.

“Aurel told you already, Madam Cate?” He gave the smiling man a sharp look.

“He’s my best Beta, he told me as soon as it happened. He also said her work has some promise.”

“It does, Madam Cate. Her instructor said she’s one of the least experienced in the class but she puts in the work.” There was no hiding the pride in his voice. “She’s better than Genevieve.”

“Vivi didn’t go to school for it.” There was a gentle warning in her tone. “That’s why we’re looking for someone else to help with it. She’s the one that sent you there, by the way.”

“Yes, Madam Cate.” Eli grimaced, “I’ll thank her when I get home.”

“Don’t forget to buy the best pieces before you leave.” Alpha Germain interjected with amusement before Cate hung up the phone.

Eli stowed the phone giving Aurel an annoyed look, “You could have let me tell them.”

“If there’s any possibility of a problem cropping up I let Cate know about it.” Aurel eyed him with a tight smile. “Why do you dislike Vivi? She does her best for the pack with the glasswork and crystals.”

Rubbing his face Eli nodded, “I know, but she’s creepy. So’s her brother. Something about them is… off somehow.”

“They’re one of the rarer breeds of witches.” Rob offered quietly as he drove. “I’ve read Mesny’s notes on it. He couldn’t find another one to breed with, it’s why he needed Veronica.”

“That bloodline should have been stomped out.” Eli growled softly.

“You’d let your mate be killed because her father was a monster?” Aurel gave him a dark look. “Alpha Germain forgave Bas for what he did, he was twisted by his father. And Bas has done everything he can to make it right. If you killed him anyway, you’d rob both Maria and Remi of their mates.”

“She said Remi would find a new one…” Eli regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Both wolves in the front cast golden glares back at him. “Let Remi hear that, it’ll be your mate waiting to find a new one.”

He grunted. “It’s the Alpha’s decision. I try to keep out of the witches’ way. Why Remi wants the witch instead of a wolf…”

“She sings.” Rob glanced at Aurel and Eli noticed it. “And there is a wolf in there, or the shadow of one as she calls it. The ceremony invited it to the surface.”

“I know she sings, I remember the ceremony.” Hearing the Sibyl break into song as Remi had mated her on the slab had given the ceremony an intensity that set them all to f*****g the nearest willing partner. 

Aurel glanced back to him again, “And Remi gets to mate with that intensity as often as he wants to. Maria says Bas is the same way. They get wrapped up and lose themselves in the joy of it, it makes the way they mate addictively intense. You’ll notice some wolves like to be near them at gatherings.” He turned his eyes back to Rob who was grinning. “It’s something you can feel if you’re within ten or twenty feet of them.”

“I didn’t know that.” Eli frowned, “They stay away from each other at gatherings, so that more people can have the chance to feel it?”

“Ha!” Rob turned into their hotel parking lot. “The closer they are the louder it is. Vivi worries that if they were right next to each other they might disturb people who didn’t want to have it pushed in their faces. I tried to tell her not to worry but she does anyway.”

“I don’t think she likes people to know they can feel her intensity if they get close. Bas doesn’t care, but his isn’t as strong.”

“Maria doesn’t like the way it makes other females look at him. He’s so slender that it’s exotic, apparently.”

Eli was grateful to use getting out of the vehicle as a way to change the subject. “In the morning, I want to get the glass and have everything ready for when I convince Grace to come home with us. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

“Understood.” Rob nodded. 

His phone rang and the two wolves looked at him curiously. “The den.” Answering quickly he inquired, “Is something wrong?”

“Uh, a little bit. Hi, by the way.” 

“Genevieve,” Eli looked at Rob with annoyance, “are you supposed to be calling-”

“I have permission. You might like me less after this, but I suppose that doesn’t matter. You met the Supplanter, you should bring him home with you.”

“I don’t follow your orders, witch. I-” He was angry at having left his mate on a date and the word came out sharply. The chorus of low growls wasn’t just over the phone. Rob and Aurel were giving him cautioning looks.

“There are times I would much rather be a b***h than a witch.” Her voice was quiet. “But I am what I am. The Supplanter needs to come home with you.”

“Until the Alphas give me that order-”

“Consider it given.” Cate snapped in the background.

“Madam Cate… what does that even mean, I’ve met a lot of people tonight.”

“The Supplanter. He grasps the heel.” Genevieve offered.

“That isn’t helpful.” Eli tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice.

“With your manners I’m not inclined to assist you.” Bas’ icy tone made it feel colder even on this side of the phone. “But it isn’t you it will hurt if he doesn’t come with you. You dislike him. You’ll have to figure out the best way to put that aside to convince him to come with you.”

“Who will it hurt?” Eli had a feeling he knew who it was and bringing him along wasn’t something he wanted to do.

“His mate.” Genevieve sounded sure. 

He almost asked who it was but it would probably be some annoyingly cryptic answer. “I’ll think of something.”