man—”
“Not so much?” she asked, and tapped his mouth. “I like it that our minds can touch.” Her gaze slid away. “What are we thinking about? We’ve got to talk to Niles and the others about what Saul told us. Now.”
Slowly, Sean let her slide to stand on the road. “I know,” he said. “That’s why Langley seemed a good idea. A chance to think through what Saul told us.” And to prepare for whatever Niles’s reaction was to Elin having heard everything.
“Niles will want to know about it quickly,” she pointed out.
He nodded, yes, and narrowed his eyes to study her. “You’re shivering. This isn’t the first time you’ve looked so cold. I didn’t think that happened to fae like you.”
Elin shrugged. “It’s probably because there’s been a lot of tension. I don’t know. It isn’t important.” He didn’t miss the distance that came into her eyes. She might say it wasn’t important that her body temperature had changed, but she wasn’t sure about it.
He wrapped her close. Whatever was causing this chill in her, he would make sure she got warmer clothes. Darkness had begun to close in and the wind picked up. The uncertainty he felt himself was deep inside and sickening. He had stopped thinking the way he was expected to think—always with the good of the Team first.
The first thing he should have done when he left Saul’s, without any question, was contact Niles.
“Can we go?” Elin said quietly.
Her leather jacket seemed useless. The wind had an icy edge and before long at least Elin would be at the mercy of whatever light came from a puny moon. “I want to put out a call for Niles,” he said. “Bear with me.”
He signaled his alpha and instantly flinched when waves of confusion came back. Sean’s breath shortened. “What the hell’s the matter with you, Niles? This is Sean. I need to talk to you. I just left Doc Saul’s. He scared the hell out of me—or he will have if we don’t figure out a plan.”
“Wait,” was the one-word response, followed by the channel closing.
Elin was trying to see his expression but he didn’t look at her.
The first needles of light sleet hit his exposed skin and he turned Elin’s face to his jacket. “Shouldn’t be long,” he told her. “Niles will get right back to me.” And, goddammit, if Niles messed him around much more, Sean wouldn’t be available to be reached.
“Are you still on Gulliver Lane?”
No time for niceties, huh? “Yeah.”
“Meet us at Read It Again.”
“The bookshop?”
“Last time I checked, that’s what it was. On our way now.”
Sean locked his jaw. Without a word, he lifted Elin onto the back of his bike and slid on in front of her. They had less than the distance of a couple of blocks to go; nevertheless, he drove too fast getting to the shop. Elin got off the instant he came to a stop in front of the lighted stained-glass windows of Read It Again.
She had to feel his simmering anger.
He cut the engine and kicked on the stand. “Sorry, Elin,” he said, catching her hand. “I’m getting hell from Niles and I don’t know why. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“You don’t mean to,” she said.
“He wants to meet here. Don’t ask me why but it’s weird.”
“Could be he thinks it’s safe,” she pointed out. “We’re friends with Phoebe.”
The sleet set up a whirl like a tornado and Elin put her hands over her face.
Niles landed, Leigh clamped to his side, in a similar swirl of frozen rain. The alpha’s expression reminded Sean of the way the man looked when he went into battle. Sean was glad Elin wasn’t looking.
Leigh, her hands curled into fists against her mate’s chest, exuded fury. “I didn’t like that,” she snapped at Niles.
Immediately Elin dropped her hands from her face and stared.
“It’s okay, honey,” Niles said, still holding her against him and stroking her back. “I know what I’m doing and I needed to get here fast.”
“We’ll
“Not so much?” she asked, and tapped his mouth. “I like it that our minds can touch.” Her gaze slid away. “What are we thinking about? We’ve got to talk to Niles and the others about what Saul told us. Now.”
Slowly, Sean let her slide to stand on the road. “I know,” he said. “That’s why Langley seemed a good idea. A chance to think through what Saul told us.” And to prepare for whatever Niles’s reaction was to Elin having heard everything.
“Niles will want to know about it quickly,” she pointed out.
He nodded, yes, and narrowed his eyes to study her. “You’re shivering. This isn’t the first time you’ve looked so cold. I didn’t think that happened to fae like you.”
Elin shrugged. “It’s probably because there’s been a lot of tension. I don’t know. It isn’t important.” He didn’t miss the distance that came into her eyes. She might say it wasn’t important that her body temperature had changed, but she wasn’t sure about it.
He wrapped her close. Whatever was causing this chill in her, he would make sure she got warmer clothes. Darkness had begun to close in and the wind picked up. The uncertainty he felt himself was deep inside and sickening. He had stopped thinking the way he was expected to think—always with the good of the Team first.
The first thing he should have done when he left Saul’s, without any question, was contact Niles.
“Can we go?” Elin said quietly.
Her leather jacket seemed useless. The wind had an icy edge and before long at least Elin would be at the mercy of whatever light came from a puny moon. “I want to put out a call for Niles,” he said. “Bear with me.”
He signaled his alpha and instantly flinched when waves of confusion came back. Sean’s breath shortened. “What the hell’s the matter with you, Niles? This is Sean. I need to talk to you. I just left Doc Saul’s. He scared the hell out of me—or he will have if we don’t figure out a plan.”
“Wait,” was the one-word response, followed by the channel closing.
Elin was trying to see his expression but he didn’t look at her.
The first needles of light sleet hit his exposed skin and he turned Elin’s face to his jacket. “Shouldn’t be long,” he told her. “Niles will get right back to me.” And, goddammit, if Niles messed him around much more, Sean wouldn’t be available to be reached.
“Are you still on Gulliver Lane?”
No time for niceties, huh? “Yeah.”
“Meet us at Read It Again.”
“The bookshop?”
“Last time I checked, that’s what it was. On our way now.”
Sean locked his jaw. Without a word, he lifted Elin onto the back of his bike and slid on in front of her. They had less than the distance of a couple of blocks to go; nevertheless, he drove too fast getting to the shop. Elin got off the instant he came to a stop in front of the lighted stained-glass windows of Read It Again.
She had to feel his simmering anger.
He cut the engine and kicked on the stand. “Sorry, Elin,” he said, catching her hand. “I’m getting hell from Niles and I don’t know why. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“You don’t mean to,” she said.
“He wants to meet here. Don’t ask me why but it’s weird.”
“Could be he thinks it’s safe,” she pointed out. “We’re friends with Phoebe.”
The sleet set up a whirl like a tornado and Elin put her hands over her face.
Niles landed, Leigh clamped to his side, in a similar swirl of frozen rain. The alpha’s expression reminded Sean of the way the man looked when he went into battle. Sean was glad Elin wasn’t looking.
Leigh, her hands curled into fists against her mate’s chest, exuded fury. “I didn’t like that,” she snapped at Niles.
Immediately Elin dropped her hands from her face and stared.
“It’s okay, honey,” Niles said, still holding her against him and stroking her back. “I know what I’m doing and I needed to get here fast.”
“We’ll
Similar Books
