Chapter 604 Chapter 604
Asher went out the first door that looked like it led out of the building. Relieved it was outside. He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes while he breathed it out. His cat wasn’t happy he’d left the building. Opening his eyes, he looked in one direction and then the other. At the far end of the lot Nichelle and the pup—Daigo, were playing. He continued to stand there. His animal wanted to go back in, but Asher was going to stand right here until he figured out what was going on. It was impossible. Crazy even. He hadn’t had a sense of peace since he was nine years old. Although he didn’t know he had it at that age, he only realized it when it was gone. He rubbed his hand over his forehead, hoping that it would jump-start his brain again if he did it with enough vigor. Peace wasn’t the right word, he decided. Peace meant nothing to a child. What was the feeling that had blindsided him a few minutes ago? Belonging? Was that it? Had he felt like he belonged when his family was alive? That probably wasn’t the right word either.
“This is a mess.” He looked out through the tall fence into the trees. “The worst timing in the history of bad timing.” He mumbled. His cat prodded him, wanting to go back inside. “No,” he said a little too loud and then looked around to make sure no one was nearby. We’re not going back inside until we make sense of it. If it were possible for his animal to swat him while inside him, that would have been precisely what he did. Asher blew out a breath. Not only had she been gone for eighteen years, with near impossible odds of just wandering back unscathed in all this time—he scowled at the ground. Okay, she’d been through some deep trauma, that much he could see in her eyes, but still—a young child didn’t just wander back eighteen years later after the Aiden family had you. He lifted his face and looked at the sky, except for Leah. She had come back. He shook his head; completely different box of crayons that situation was.
“Are you okay?”
He looked to see Nichelle standing a few feet away, Daigo racing around her legs. “Yeah.” he wasn’t about to explain it to her. “That was pretty rough in there.” It wasn’t a lie.
“I thought it might be,” she looked down at Daigo, “I think he was my excuse.”
“Yeah. No, it was a good idea. I had to help keep Journee still.” He looked at the pup. “His name is Daigo.”
“Daigo.” The pup stopped, looked at her, and then at him. “It’s unique.”
Asher nodded. It was true. “Thanks for getting him out of the way.”
She shrugged, “I’m not allowed to do anything that could be labeled medical aid yet, so I’ll keep an eye on him.” She looked him up and down slowly. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Her mouth quirked. “You look a little lost and confused.”
Asher grinned, “that obvious?”
She shrugged and squatted down to pet the pup, “I’m around all the guys back at Blair’s,” She glanced at him and grinned. “Blair and Noah all wander around a lot, mumbling to themselves, looking lost and confused.” She picked up Daigo. “I guess it’s all part of the mating package, huh?”
He opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. He couldn’t even think right now, but this young woman could see a giant flashing sign over his head with details he couldn’t grasp.
“I’m going to take him back in and check on Journee.” She went toward the door. “I want to be there for the ultrasound and see how it works.”
He watched her until she reached the door, “Shaelan will be a great one to learn things from.”
Nichelle paused, holding the door open. “I plan to be as good as she is.”
He gave an abrupt movement of his head because he couldn’t seem to get in touch with any more words right now. When the door clicked closed, he dropped down into a squat and rested his elbows on his knees and held his face up with his hands—mating package. How messed up was this? The entire shifter world was in chaos, and fate just tossed a body at him like, ‘Here, this will mess you up some more.’ “Shit.” Lifting his head, he glanced into the trees to see a cougar watching him. He nodded his head at him as if to convey that he was just fine and he should go back to doing whatever it was he was doing.
He stood up and turned around and stared at the door. He should probably go back in and check on her. He frowned; he wasn’t anywhere near ready to communicate with her right now. Did she know too? Was that why she gave him that look? What the hell was he going to do about it? There was no happily-ever-mated in his life plan. He couldn’t just stop and settle down. There was no happy ending for him, ever. Maybe if every single aspect of the Tomas organization was shut down and dead. Preferably the dead part more. Even then, he doubted it. He was still apprehensive about a woman that came back with no explanation other than she needed to talk to the alpha. Had she been sent to set up Alvin? He needed to find out the answers to the flood of questions in his head before he could even process the fact that Journee Snow was his mate. He snorted; with the pattern of his life and luck, she’d be into women, and he’d fall head over heels for her. Yeah, that summed it up.
“If I stand just right, with the light over my left shoulder—”
He turned to see Jesse standing halfway down the building.
“I can see the smoke coming out of your ears from the deep thoughts you’re choking on.”
Asher grinned; his team leader had just saved him from himself and his mind chatter. “I’m just…”
“In a bad state from something.” Jesse cocked his head to the side and started walking toward him. “What’s going on?”
Anyone else, and he’d probably just shrug it off, but there was something about Jesse that had always brought Asher a sense of—trust, he thought might be the best descriptor. “Journee.”
Jesse sobered. “Yeah, it’s crazy. She made it back after eighteen years?” He blew out a breath. “I still don’t know how Leah and Evanna managed it, and now there’s another woman.”
“It’s not that—” Asher paused, not sure how to explain it. “I don’t know how Leah managed it either, and she was a lot younger, wasn’t she?”
Jesse nodded slowly, “and shifting earlier than she should have been able to.”
Asher’s eyes widened; he’d forgotten that part. “She had help though, right? Wasn’t it Noah that let her escape?” Did he have the right facts? There had been so many crazy stories lately that he was having trouble keeping them straight.
“Yes. I’ll be forever grateful to him for that.” His expression hardened. “He likely suffered for it but has never spoken of it.”
Asher jammed his hands into his pockets, “he probably won’t. He’s not chatty.”
Jesse smiled, “I guess you two have that in common.” His face blanked, “So what’s bugging you about Journee making it back?”
“Eighteen years is a long time to be gone and then suddenly come home.”
He looked at him for a minute, “You don’t think it’s on the up and up?”
“I don’t know what to think right now. She wants to talk to our Alpha or the king.”
“That sounds important.”
“Is it? Or is it a setup?”
“Calum, Devin, and Raymond will find out.” He motioned to the door. “I just passed them in the hall talking about when Shaelan says she’s awake enough to speak with.”
Asher’s cat didn’t like that at all. “So, they’re just going to bully her?” The idea of the three men hovering over her for answers made him see red.
“I don’t think bullying is their way,” Jesse said slowly. “What’s going on?”
Asher took a deep breath and looked at the ground as he exhaled, “I think she is my mate.” He looked at him, “Actually, I know she is.”
“Oh.” Jesse grinned. “Well, shit.” He put his hand over his mouth, but Asher could still see the grin behind it. He dropped his hand away. “I can suggest you talk to her first if that will help.”
Asher snorted softly. “I don’t know anything that’s going to help this.” He motioned his hand in the air for no real reason, “What if my mate is a spy that Tomas has sent?”
“I can’t,” Jesse crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a serious look, “I don’t know. I mean, look at Blaise Morgan, I’m sure she had a few moments inside her head when she found out Griffin was hers.” Jesse shrugged. “Actually, I don’t know anyone that had a straightforward situation as far as their mate goes.” He rubbed his hand over his head. “Myself included.”
“I suppose.” Asher put his hands on his hips and looked at the ground again, “do you think me talking to her to find out where she’s been and how she got away is the best approach?” He wanted answers. The truth, but he also didn’t want her in harm’s way.
“I think it’s a place to start.” Jesse leveled him with a serious look. “Your animal will be happier with it.”
Asher knew what he said was right. His cat would be unmanageable knowing that three men were speaking to her, and they weren’t there. “Shit.” He hissed, “This is the worst timing ever.”
Jesse laughed, “Always is. That’s what makes it interesting.”
Asher gave him a bored look. “I’m sure that is not what you were thinking when you met yours.”
Jesse shook his head. “I had no idea what I was doing or thinking if that helps.”
He searched his face; Jesse was being sincere. “It does.” But it didn’t at the same time.
“Well,” Jesse pointed to the door. “I’ll track down Devin and let him know.”
“Know?” Asher frowned.
“That I think you have a connection with Journee, and she might be more trusting speaking with you.”
He nodded. “Right. Okay.”
Jesse backed up a few steps. “Take a deep breath, Asher; you’re going to need it.” He grinned at him and then turned to go inside.
That wasn’t what he needed to hear. Not really. Closing his eyes, he breathed slowly for a few moments and then opened them. He’d talk to her. It was better than second-hand information, and hopefully, with the help of his cat, he’d get the truth. If not, he had no idea what to do next. None.