Chapter 30

I read the message from Autumn and smiled. Tawny was passed out on the blanket I’d used. That made me feel better. I’d worried while soaking in the warm water that she wouldn’t be happy here.

I looked down at the brand-new pair of boots sitting at the end of my bed. They were almost identical to my worn, wet ones, only better. I put my foot in one. Perfect fit, maybe even better than the others. How did Mitz know my size every time? I couldn’t even tell anyone my sizes, even if they asked me.

I was doing up the second boot when someone knocked on the door. “Come in.” I called out, then stared at the floor. Having the freedom to welcome someone in was an odd feeling for me.

“Kara?”

I blinked and looked up at Rafael. “Sorry, lost in thought.”

“As long as it’s just thoughts and not a place.” He gave me a brief smile, then held up his hand. “Brought you a new port device.” He frowned. “We want to run some tests on the other one and see why it didn’t work. It could be that the energy from the flash messed it up, but that doesn’t explain why it didn’t affect your phone.”

I got up and took it. “Does this one have a tracker in it?”

He looked at me, then nodded.

“Good. In case I end up being sent to the great white wilderness again.” I put it on. “You know, before today I always thought the best place for me was in the middle of nowhere, with no people.” I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. “I’m not so sure about that now.”

He nodded slowly. “I can understand your need for isolation.” Looking at the dresser, he went over and picked up my bracelet. “I hope with this you will reconsider that.”

I looked up at him as he took my arm and put the bracelet on. He didn’t release it afterward, just stood there holding my hand, a serious look on his face. “It doesn’t bother me that you might hear what I’m thinking now.” He gave me small smile. “You know my failings,” he shrugged, “the rest doesn’t seem to matter.”

“Your failings?” I quirked and eyebrow at him, “Is hearing thoughts my failing?”

Rafael frowned down at me. “No.”

“Then how are your visions yours?”

“Mine aren’t useful…”

“How do you know? Have you ever tried to put them to use?”

Releasing my hand, he shook his head and paced over to the dresser. “I did years ago, but I was never right.”

He stood there, his back to me. I could feel the tingle of his thoughts but wanted to figure out what he meant without hearing what was in his head. Pushing the button, I blocked my telepathy. “I think if you tried to learn how to work with them, you wouldn’t spend so much energy trying to control them—or so I’m told.”

He glanced over his shoulder at me.

I smirked.

“Is that what they’ve told you to do?’

“More or less. Its great advice I’m sure, but unless they’ve lived it,” I shrugged, “I follow Izzy’s suggestions.” I bit my lip, hoping for an idea that would help him. “Is there an elder that might know more about visions?”

Turning, he leaned against the dressed. “Elder Faran.” He grinned, “but understanding what she says is a challenge.”

I thought back to her cryptic addition to the last meeting. “Yeah I noticed. Although knowing now that she has visions explains a lot. I don’t understand Crissy half the time.”

He snorted. “She’s not too bad once you figure out her tone, when she’s mumbling or really abrupt, its usually something inside her head and doesn’t realize she’s saying it out loud.”

“Oh.” I nodded, “that does make it easier.” I cleared my throat. “Thank you for finding me today.”

He stood there; his gaze locked on me. “I’ve never been that scared before in my life. When you vanished, those few minutes before you called, felt like a hundred years.” His expression lightened. “I will always find you.” Turning his head, he picked up his necklace and pendant. Turing it over, he held it up. “I had this bow and arrow added to the back of my amulet roughly eighty years ago.”

Eighty years ago. I looked at it, I hadn’t really noticed it before.

He tapped the larger one on his chest. “It’s on this one too.” Straightening, he stepped toward me slowly. “Knowing you were out there, somewhere, got me though some bad times. I didn’t work hard just to prove to myself to my brothers.” He opened the clasp on the chain. “I wanted to be worthy of my mate when she got here.” Reaching around me, he placed it around my neck.

“I thought,” I inhaled, noting how good he smelled, “I thought you didn’t want this mate stuff.”

Clasping it, he straightened up and looked down at me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me right now, but sometimes we don’t get a choice in life.” He shrugged, “and what do I know, I’m just a man.” He winked at me.

Smiling, I touched the cool pendant lying against my skin.

“Just wear it.” He said softly. “It will stop questions and,” he looked at it, “it keeps the part of me that I’m struggling to control happy, well mostly.”

I frowned, “the part of you?”

He nodded briefly, then touched the back of his hand against my cheek. “Yes. Being near my mate without claiming her is a challenge.” He smiled, but his eyes were still serious. “I’m starting to understand some of the strange behavior from my brothers as of late,” he didn’t grin this time, “don’t tell them that though.”

“I don’t understand.” My voice was barely more than a whisper. “I mean, I get this funny feeling when I’m near you, kind of a breathless and dizzy—”

He tilted his head and gave me an amused look. “Breathless, dizzy feeling?” The expression on his face changed to something more heated and intimate. “You need to keep things like that to yourself, princess. I have a hard enough time keeping my hands off you without knowing how I affect you.”

My breath froze in my chest from his words.

His whole demeanor changed again. “We should go get some lunch before it’s gone.” Leaning down, he kissed me on the mouth softly, then straightened up and motioned to the door.

~

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I sat down to eat. I looked at the half empty plate in front of me. That had never happened since I left the asylum-I was always aware of my own hunger.

Alona leaned closer. “it’s a nice feeling isn’t it? Not worrying about your next meal.” She understood.

“Yes.” I said softly.

Autumn jumped up and went to the door. She opened it and looked down at Tawny. “Need some help little one?” She reached down and picked up the bulk of the blanket Tawny was trying to drag along with her.

Without pausing, the animal ran toward me, dragging the blanket still in her mouth. When she reached me, I squatted down to her level. She dropped the blanket and came over, rubbing against my hand. “You’re adapting quickly.” I looked up to see all conversations in the room had stopped and they were watching me.

Getting up, I picked up the blanket and put it under the large plant, almost a tree that was behind the table. Tawny followed me and jumped on the blanket. I bunched it up and she laid down and curled up in a ball.

“I’ve just had the perfect idea.” Alona said with a smile. “You should take the suite on the main floor, just on the other side of the lobby. It has a small anteroom that leads out into an enclosed yard.”

I got back up, noticing Tawny watched me, but didn’t move. I sat back in the chair.

“There’s a bathroom as well.” Alona continued, “the smaller room could be Tawny’s domain with easy access to outside.”

I looked from her to Chase, “would that be okay?”

She waved her hand. “Of course, it is.” She nodded. “I’ll have the men move your things down.” She grinned. “The family in charge of storage and moving have been bored for years, they’re quite happy to rearrange furniture all day long.”

“Instead of moving the furniture in the room down, let Kara select her own.” Rafael said.

I looked across the table at him.

“Even better.” Alona looked excited. “Another room for me to help decorate.

Chase laughed. “When you run out, we’ll build some more.” Turning he looked at Troy. “Speaking of bored staff, I’ve had a request to move the date of our annual meeting with the family accountant.” He smirked, “or actually his grandson, who is taking over the position. Which I’m very thankful for, as his grandfather still refers to it as the royal coffers.” He grinned.

Troy set his fork down and pushed his plate back. “I saw the request in the thirty seconds I’ve gotten to spend in my office.” He frowned, “Is there a problem?”

Chase grinned, “It seems there’s many,” he waved his fork around, “obsolete positions we’ve been paying a monthly retainer for since—well, since we were born.”

“What positions? Victor asked.

Chase nodded, “things such as drapery flockers.” He smiled. “I had to look that one up. They flock our draperies to make them look fuller and plush.” He set his fork down and pushed his plate to the side. “My question is, since there isn’t a need for draperies in the underground chambers, what have they been flocking for the last two hundred and sixty years?” He smirked.

Troy shook his head, smiling, “that’s a flocking good question.” He sighed, then rubbed a hand over his forehead. “I guess we better set up a meeting.” He looked at Chase again, “why would the accountant not bring this up in the last two hundred and sixty years?”

“We should have Mitz attend.” Victor stated, “perhaps all of us.” He glanced from one king to the other, “while I don’t wish to remove anyone’s income, we could perhaps come up with more pertinent positions for some of the obsolete jobs.”

Troy nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Daxx gave Victor a serious look. “We need to find assistants or secretaries or something. Troy’s desk is filled with garbage most of the time.” She looked at Alona, “someone could be going through that and creating a summary of pertinent information.”

Alona nodded. “I agree.” She smirked at Chase, “I don’t know how they’ve managed all these years without one.”

Chase gave her a daring grin. “We had nothing but free time prior to the arrival of all you lovely ladies—and all hell breaking loose with Willis and his maniacal schemes.”

“Perhaps,” Emil looked around, “Rena could be of assistance when she comes over.” He shrugged, “she’s been coordinating our moves, relocations and all the details for years. It’s not an easy task keeping the four of us invisible.”

Autumn looked at Michael, “it would give her something to do, and we can trust her.”

Michael nodded and looked at Troy. “I feel like a lot of issues we’re facing with Willis wouldn’t have gone unnoticed this long if we had one person managing information instead of each of us knowing only pieces.”

Troy sighed and looked at Chase. “He has a point. Father’s systems are so outdated…”

Chase nodded. “Yes. We could find her a team of her own to help sort out the realm.”

“It is amazing you men have managed this long.” Paisley smirked, then motioned to Bethany and Daxx, “all of us need some sort of position or task.” She looked at Arius, “once we’ve caught Hubert and shut him down.” She smiled at Leone, “Alterealm’s DJ isn’t exactly a position that merits a lot of attention, or time.”

Arius looked at Victor. “I know I could use help in the cells, aside from the guards, the data collected is growing and becoming overbearing to process.

Victor studied him for a moment, then gave a slight nod and turned to Troy.

Troy nodded. “The meeting could be a long one. Set it up for next week and let everyone know when.” He rubbed two fingers over the bridge of his nose. “This week is already booked.”

Chase shrugged, “but we’re closing in on them.”

“I hope that is a fact, brother.” Troy said quietly.

Michael looked at me. “Before I forget, again, there is no record of the family name Coffey in Alterealm. So that’s a dead end there.”

I’d forgotten they were looking for my family. “That’s okay.” I offered him an easy smile.

“We’ll find your file when we go to the facility.” Rafael told me.

“How is the planning for that going?” Arius asked.

Michael motioned to Emil. “Our brother has been working with some of our contacts over there to set it up.”

Everyone turned and looked at Emil. He set his glass down. “We’re setting it up so it will be peaceful.” His gaze stopped on me, “we can’t storm in there and take over,” he shrugged and turned to Rafael, “some residents actually need to be there.”

“So how are we going in?” Quinton asked.

“We’ll be going in under the guise of transferring some patients out. Our contact has relatives that marry-mated into Alterealm blood, in fact he is often over here to see his sisters, so he’s helping to arrange things. He’ll be able to go over each resident and their file with us there.”

“That’s not as much fun as kicking ass, but if we can get Kara some answers and some of our people out,” Daxx shrugged, “I can play nice.” She frowned at Troy, who was giving her an odd look and smiling, “what?”

“That’s the first time you’ve said our people in reference to those from this realm.”

She gave him a blank look, then shrugged it off, “And?” She huffed out a breath. “Don’t get all mushy about it.” Turning back to Emil, “when are we going?”

Emil stopped smiling, “I’ll know more by this evening.”

Leone leaned forward and picked up Beth’s hand and kissed it. “I, for one, look forward to stopping Willis and Arwan and letting the girls get us organized.”

Rafael nodded. “Yeah, the last fifty years have been hard.”

“Hard how?” Daxx asked.

Rafael looked at him. “Other than running the whole guard, being the youngest of—them isn’t easy.”

“Oh-you’ve had it hard?” Quinton snorted.

“Living you with you guys is hard.” Rafael said and looked to Leone for backup.

“How?” Arius crossed his arms over his chest.

“The pranks and jabs go beyond…”

“Like what? We’ve never been unfair.” Quinton said.

“No? You putting the hair remover in my conditioner?” Rafael glared at him.

Quinton grinned. “Wasn’t me.”

“Dammit.” Rafael shook his head and continued to look at him.

“Keep trying, another twenty years or so and you might figure it out.” Chase said with a grin.

Leone rubbed his brush cut. “There’s a reason I keep my hair this short.”

Rafael looked at me. “I could ask Kara to help.”

“Me? I didn’t do it.” I was trying not to smile.

“No. You could listen in and see which one did though.”

I tilted my head and looked at him. “Wouldn’t that be cheating? Breaking some brotherly code?”

“Only code we have is no one messes with our siblings—there’s nothing about messing with each other.”

Alona waved her hand around, glaring. “I’m saying this once—anyone messes with my toiletry items or Chase’s hair and they will suffer my wrath.”

Beth nodded. “What she said.”

“I will freeze you for all eternity if one of you so much as cause a split end on Arius’ gorgeous hair.” Paisley scowled at the men closest to her.

Clearing his throat, Troy stood up. “I need to get back to the cells and poke around in a few heads.

“I’m heading there too.” Arius stood up.

All of the brothers except Quinton, Emil and Victor mumbled some excuse and rushed from the room.

“No guilt here.” Quinton said, then raised he glass and toasted to Victor. “I’d say the ones that bailed worked together to rid you of your pretty mane of hair.”

Rafael studied him for a minute. “I will find out.”

Alona laughed softly and waved her hand at him. “Go find some sort of royal task to do, we ladies need to help Kara furniture shop.”

“I’m out.” Quinton stood up.