fifty-six Maple Lane. We know where she is.”
He didn’t want to banish her hope, but she’d lost so much already. “It might just be a clue.”
She shook her head and held out the bag. “It doesn’t matter.”
Since her smile didn’t diminish, he supposed it didn’t. He dropped the paper towel in, caught her hand in his, and sealed the cut on it with the stroke of his thumb and a kiss, holding her gaze throughout, not understanding the elation pouring off her along with complete exhaustion. He needed to get her back to the Circle J. Needed to get her safe. “Why?”
“This means it wasn’t a trick. Faith is alive.”
6
M IRI’S strength gave out three hours before he got to the Circle J. Stuck as he was on the back side of the mountain, he couldn’t put in a call for transport. He’d had to carry her. To make matters worse, the conversion had resumed, her pain transmitting to him, torturing him with his inability to do anything about it. He didn’t know if this was normal conversion or not. He didn’t care. Whatever it was, it had to stop. Whatever was required to balance the change had to be given, because he would not let Miri continue to suffer. He put on another burst of speed, feeling the burn in his muscles. Goddamnit, Slade and that brilliant mind of his had better have an answer. He pushed doubt aside with the same ruthlessness with which he pushed himself. Slade would come up with an answer because Slade would take one look at Miri and make it his mission. Everyone had their passions. With Slade, it was little things and knowledge. He couldn’t stop caring about the first and he couldn’t stop seeking the second. Slade would find the answer.
Jace came up to the edge of Circle J land and sent a wave of energy ahead, alerting the guards at the pass that he was coming. The acknowledgment came back in a subtle brush of power. Jace stepped out of the shadows. Two McClaren sentries, Paul and Justin, nodded, looked at the woman over his shoulder, and then did a double take, their nostrils flaring as they caught Miri’s scent. Their posture lost the relaxation of welcome. Their stance drew taller, legs widening, shoulders squaring. Wonderful. Even his local pack was adopting an attitude.
Ignoring the weres’ rumbled displeasure, he raced on through the narrow cut in the mountain. Miri was his, and ancient feuds, prejudices, and other such protests were just going to have to fall to the wayside, because he wasn’t letting her go. He approached the house. There were guards all around the perimeter of the large log home and tension hung thick in the air. Something was wrong. He slowed his pace. Approaching the stairs, he asked, “What’s going on?”
Jonas, another McClaren, glanced at the upstairs window. “Allie’s having the baby.”
That explained the tension. “I thought Caleb had a bunker in the basement set up for the grand event.”
“Allie feels it’s important for the baby’s first breath to be of fresh air.”
“She was angling for a bower in the forest,” Jonas’s twin, Micah, added, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against the log wall.
“But they compromised on the upstairs bedroom with the window open a crack.”
“Caleb’s negotiating skills must have improved.” Jace eyed both young men, just realizing they were now fully mature weres with the muscles and confidence common to the McClarens. Damn, he was getting old, because he remembered when they were just pups annoying everyone in sight with their slingshots and their immature humor.
“It was more that he lucked out. Labor hit so fast Allie didn’t have time to prepare the space.”
“Ha, and Caleb said Lady Luck didn’t cozy up to him.”
“I haven’t heard him say that since he met Allie,” Jared said, coming out of the house, his dark brow lifting at the sight of Miri, draped unconscious, over Jace’s shoulder. Of his three brothers, Jace was probably the closest to Jared,
He didn’t want to banish her hope, but she’d lost so much already. “It might just be a clue.”
She shook her head and held out the bag. “It doesn’t matter.”
Since her smile didn’t diminish, he supposed it didn’t. He dropped the paper towel in, caught her hand in his, and sealed the cut on it with the stroke of his thumb and a kiss, holding her gaze throughout, not understanding the elation pouring off her along with complete exhaustion. He needed to get her back to the Circle J. Needed to get her safe. “Why?”
“This means it wasn’t a trick. Faith is alive.”
6
M IRI’S strength gave out three hours before he got to the Circle J. Stuck as he was on the back side of the mountain, he couldn’t put in a call for transport. He’d had to carry her. To make matters worse, the conversion had resumed, her pain transmitting to him, torturing him with his inability to do anything about it. He didn’t know if this was normal conversion or not. He didn’t care. Whatever it was, it had to stop. Whatever was required to balance the change had to be given, because he would not let Miri continue to suffer. He put on another burst of speed, feeling the burn in his muscles. Goddamnit, Slade and that brilliant mind of his had better have an answer. He pushed doubt aside with the same ruthlessness with which he pushed himself. Slade would come up with an answer because Slade would take one look at Miri and make it his mission. Everyone had their passions. With Slade, it was little things and knowledge. He couldn’t stop caring about the first and he couldn’t stop seeking the second. Slade would find the answer.
Jace came up to the edge of Circle J land and sent a wave of energy ahead, alerting the guards at the pass that he was coming. The acknowledgment came back in a subtle brush of power. Jace stepped out of the shadows. Two McClaren sentries, Paul and Justin, nodded, looked at the woman over his shoulder, and then did a double take, their nostrils flaring as they caught Miri’s scent. Their posture lost the relaxation of welcome. Their stance drew taller, legs widening, shoulders squaring. Wonderful. Even his local pack was adopting an attitude.
Ignoring the weres’ rumbled displeasure, he raced on through the narrow cut in the mountain. Miri was his, and ancient feuds, prejudices, and other such protests were just going to have to fall to the wayside, because he wasn’t letting her go. He approached the house. There were guards all around the perimeter of the large log home and tension hung thick in the air. Something was wrong. He slowed his pace. Approaching the stairs, he asked, “What’s going on?”
Jonas, another McClaren, glanced at the upstairs window. “Allie’s having the baby.”
That explained the tension. “I thought Caleb had a bunker in the basement set up for the grand event.”
“Allie feels it’s important for the baby’s first breath to be of fresh air.”
“She was angling for a bower in the forest,” Jonas’s twin, Micah, added, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against the log wall.
“But they compromised on the upstairs bedroom with the window open a crack.”
“Caleb’s negotiating skills must have improved.” Jace eyed both young men, just realizing they were now fully mature weres with the muscles and confidence common to the McClarens. Damn, he was getting old, because he remembered when they were just pups annoying everyone in sight with their slingshots and their immature humor.
“It was more that he lucked out. Labor hit so fast Allie didn’t have time to prepare the space.”
“Ha, and Caleb said Lady Luck didn’t cozy up to him.”
“I haven’t heard him say that since he met Allie,” Jared said, coming out of the house, his dark brow lifting at the sight of Miri, draped unconscious, over Jace’s shoulder. Of his three brothers, Jace was probably the closest to Jared,
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