deep breath, held it, and then let it out again. Quietly, he said, “Yeah. My cougar wants to settle. Are you going to let an Armstrong live in your territory?”
“You’re always welcome here, Q. Always.”
That was the thing—Quentin believed him. It was easier for shifters to lie on the phone, but Gabe wouldn’t lie to him about something like this. The problem was, Quentin hadn’t shared the whole truth. He didn’t only want a patch of territory to roam around in—he wanted a pride. He wanted family . For one short year, he’d gotten that with the Fourniers.
“Aunt Nan would be turning in her grave right now,” Quentin said.
“Aunt Nan didn’t always make the best decisions,” Gabe answered.
Quentin gasped in feigned shock. “Sacrilege!” Then he remembered why they were even speaking right now. Sighing, he asked, “What’s the job?”
“We haven’t heard from Cora, and we’re worried.”
Just like Gabe to say it straight. Quentin missed the Sierra Pride more than they’d ever know.
“How long since last contact?”
“Three years,” Gabe said. “When Nan sent her and Justine off.”
“Holy shit . And you’re just calling me now?”
“Nan told us not to contact them—she said the sisters would call when it was safe.”
“Justine’s okay?”
“Yeah, she couldn’t talk long, but she reassured us she’s fine. But Cora—she hasn’t answered any calls, and we can’t get in touch with the Nevada Pride.”
“I hate those assholes. Bryan especially.” Territory-hoarders. Anyone wanting to get through Nevada had to kowtow to the old alpha, Jerome. Quentin had met him and he hadn’t been able to pick up a good read on either Jerome or the younger brother. But Bryan, the older brother and next in line for alpha, was the biggest prick Quentin had ever met.
“Yeah, me too,” Gabe said. “But you’re the only one with the skills to get in and out safely. Will you do it?”
“You know I will.”
“Great. Thank you.”
There was a shuffling sound on the phone, and Gabe growled. “My mate won’t forgive me if I don’t give the phone to Hera.”
Quentin scowled. “Your mate?”
“It really has been too long, Q.”
What the holy fuck was going on. Gabriel had a mate ? “Well, congrats. What pride is she from?”
Gabe laughed. “This one, now. Miranda’s not a shifter.”
Quentin didn’t know what to say to that. Usually shifters mated to other shifters, but it wasn’t unheard of to take a human mate.
Clearing his throat, Gabe said, “Anyway, Blake’s mate, Hera—another human, I might add—has a favor to ask you. Will you talk to her?”
Blake’s mate. Gabriel’s mate.
“How many mates do y’all have now?” Quentin asked. “And what the fuck is in the water up there?”
Gabe cracked up at that. “There are four mates now. Miranda—she’s with me. Ava and Jude are back together. Hera, who’s with Blake, and Kate’s with Maverick.”
Quentin shook his head. Incredible. “Yeah, sure I’ll talk to her.
There was a brief pause, and a woman’s voice said, “Hi, I’m Hera. I know you don’t know me, but I have a favor to ask. I’ll totally pay you, though.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sure, what is it?”
“I have a friend in Reno, Emma Koons. At least, I think she’s in Reno. Would you mind looking her up? She isn’t returning my calls, and I’m about to go over there myself, but Blake doesn’t want me to go right now—”
“Because she’s pregnant !” another woman shouted in the background.
He could practically hear Hera grinning. “That’s Miranda. She’s, um, very excited about the baby.” Hera cleared her throat, suddenly serious. “Anyway, if you could find Emma and just make sure she’s okay? And maybe tell her to call me at my new number?”
She sounded confused and sad. Quentin knew what that was like, to feel abandoned by friends.
“Anything else you can tell me about her?” he asked.
“She’s a
“You’re always welcome here, Q. Always.”
That was the thing—Quentin believed him. It was easier for shifters to lie on the phone, but Gabe wouldn’t lie to him about something like this. The problem was, Quentin hadn’t shared the whole truth. He didn’t only want a patch of territory to roam around in—he wanted a pride. He wanted family . For one short year, he’d gotten that with the Fourniers.
“Aunt Nan would be turning in her grave right now,” Quentin said.
“Aunt Nan didn’t always make the best decisions,” Gabe answered.
Quentin gasped in feigned shock. “Sacrilege!” Then he remembered why they were even speaking right now. Sighing, he asked, “What’s the job?”
“We haven’t heard from Cora, and we’re worried.”
Just like Gabe to say it straight. Quentin missed the Sierra Pride more than they’d ever know.
“How long since last contact?”
“Three years,” Gabe said. “When Nan sent her and Justine off.”
“Holy shit . And you’re just calling me now?”
“Nan told us not to contact them—she said the sisters would call when it was safe.”
“Justine’s okay?”
“Yeah, she couldn’t talk long, but she reassured us she’s fine. But Cora—she hasn’t answered any calls, and we can’t get in touch with the Nevada Pride.”
“I hate those assholes. Bryan especially.” Territory-hoarders. Anyone wanting to get through Nevada had to kowtow to the old alpha, Jerome. Quentin had met him and he hadn’t been able to pick up a good read on either Jerome or the younger brother. But Bryan, the older brother and next in line for alpha, was the biggest prick Quentin had ever met.
“Yeah, me too,” Gabe said. “But you’re the only one with the skills to get in and out safely. Will you do it?”
“You know I will.”
“Great. Thank you.”
There was a shuffling sound on the phone, and Gabe growled. “My mate won’t forgive me if I don’t give the phone to Hera.”
Quentin scowled. “Your mate?”
“It really has been too long, Q.”
What the holy fuck was going on. Gabriel had a mate ? “Well, congrats. What pride is she from?”
Gabe laughed. “This one, now. Miranda’s not a shifter.”
Quentin didn’t know what to say to that. Usually shifters mated to other shifters, but it wasn’t unheard of to take a human mate.
Clearing his throat, Gabe said, “Anyway, Blake’s mate, Hera—another human, I might add—has a favor to ask you. Will you talk to her?”
Blake’s mate. Gabriel’s mate.
“How many mates do y’all have now?” Quentin asked. “And what the fuck is in the water up there?”
Gabe cracked up at that. “There are four mates now. Miranda—she’s with me. Ava and Jude are back together. Hera, who’s with Blake, and Kate’s with Maverick.”
Quentin shook his head. Incredible. “Yeah, sure I’ll talk to her.
There was a brief pause, and a woman’s voice said, “Hi, I’m Hera. I know you don’t know me, but I have a favor to ask. I’ll totally pay you, though.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sure, what is it?”
“I have a friend in Reno, Emma Koons. At least, I think she’s in Reno. Would you mind looking her up? She isn’t returning my calls, and I’m about to go over there myself, but Blake doesn’t want me to go right now—”
“Because she’s pregnant !” another woman shouted in the background.
He could practically hear Hera grinning. “That’s Miranda. She’s, um, very excited about the baby.” Hera cleared her throat, suddenly serious. “Anyway, if you could find Emma and just make sure she’s okay? And maybe tell her to call me at my new number?”
She sounded confused and sad. Quentin knew what that was like, to feel abandoned by friends.
“Anything else you can tell me about her?” he asked.
“She’s a
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