Chapter 18

“It’s just another utility closet.” Alona said, disappointed.

“At least we know the housekeeping staff don’t have to travel far to do their job.” Beth’s voice came through the earpiece.

“Has anyone ever seen them cleaning?” Daxx asked.

I glanced around to see Woods ten feet behind me. I still wasn’t fond of the constant shadow but accepted that I had backup if needed.

“Never.” Alona answered.

“Me either.” Crissy replied in her distracted way.

I stopped by the next door. “Someone cleans. This place is always spotless.” Grasping the handle, I opened the door and looked inside. “My door is an empty room.”

“Only spotless when there’s no mud pits.” Crissy mumbled.

“How big is the room?” Paisley asked.

I stepped in. “About the size of the bathrooms.”

“That’s pretty big.” Beth mused.

“Good to know there are a few extra rooms if there’s ever a need.” Alona offered.

“Any doors yet, Beth?” Crissy asked.

I closed the door and started walking again.

“I see one finally. This is a long hallway… wait.” She paused. “Mac says this hall leads to the outside on the South.”

“So, the door will be keypad access?” Daxx asked.

“Yes, it is.” Beth replied.

“That hall is complete now.” Crissy sounded excited.

“I feel like we may soon have a complete map.” Alona paused. “I turned the wrong way; I have to go back.”

“Good call on splitting up, Autumn, we’ve covered a lot more this time.” Paisley almost sang into the mic.

I looked back at Woods. “With our shadows following us, I thought we might as well.” I stopped outside the door. “I’m at the last door in this hall.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense.” Alona whispered in a dramatic way.

I grinned and opened it. “Holy.” I pushed it open further and reached along the wall for a light switch.

“What?” Daxx said hurriedly.

“Autumn? What have you found?” Alona spoke louder than normal.

I stood with my hands on my hips. “The biggest hot tub I’ve ever seen.” I shrugged, “not that I’ve seen many.”

“She found the hot tub.” Daxx laughed.

“How many will it fit?” Alona asked. “Is there a wading pool? Cool water after a hot soak does wonders for the pores.”

I looked around. “I don’t see anything like that, but there is another door.”

“Don’t open it. Wait for us.” Bethany said, sounding like she was running.

I went over to the large tub. “This thing would easily fit fifteen people.”

“I’m stopping by the cave for wine.” Alona’s tone was excited.

I frowned. “You know drinking while in it will…”

“Shh. It’s a wonderful way to unwind.” She said quickly. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s been a little tense lately.”

I smirked. “I noticed.”

“So where do I turn after the second left turn?” Paisley asked.

I looked at the phone and moved the map. “You don’t. Keep going to the end.”

“Yes. I’ll be there soon.”

~

I shook my head when Alona offered me wine again. “I’ve never been a drinker.” I shrugged, “that can end badly when you live on the streets.”

The others nodded.

I smirked, ignoring my lip. “And I can’t see straight after one drink.”

Alona laughed. “I have a high tolerance.”

“Is that because you’re part,” Beth waved her hand around, “whatever?”

Alona pursed her lips together. “I’ve never thought about it, but it could be.”

“I’m going easy this time in case we have to kick ass on short notice.” Daxx said taking a small sip. “It’s hard to fight when you have to close one eye to see the target.” She motioned to me with the glass, “whereas Autumn needs no eyes, I need two.”

“Eyes. I can’t believe I forgot.” Paisley gasped.

“You forgot eyes?” Crissy looked confused.

“No.” She laughed. “Before we went to the caverns, Arius kept giving Autumn strange looks, so I asked why.” Paisley took a sip.

“I don’t get the connection.” Daxx frowned.

Paisley gave Daxx a blank look and then turned to me. “He says our eyes are too similar for it to be a coincidence—add that we both have the same rare blood type.”

“Arius thinks you’re related?” Alona sat forward.

Paisley nodded, looking excited.

Beth looked from me to her. “Go sit beside her.”

Standing up, Paisley came over and sat beside me.

I looked at her eyes closely. I didn’t see it.

She studied mine.

When I turned to say that, the other four women were right in front of us.

“Oh my. There are amazing similarities.” Alona said softly.

“Hold on.” Daxx went back over to where she’d been sitting and grabbed her phone. “Let me take a picture and show you what we’re seeing.”

Paisley and I looked at each other and then to Daxx. She took several pictures, then held out the phone.

“Eye shape and brow lines are the same as well.” Alona mused.

“How did we not notice this?” Daxx asked.

“With the injuries Autumn has to her face, it’s been hard to spot.” Beth nodded.

Paisley held the phone up and made the picture bigger, she slid it back and forth so we could see our eyes. “I think he’s right,” she whispered.

“Is that possible?” I’d never had family. Real family.

She handed the phone back to Daxx. “My grandfather, she made quotes in the air, “disappeared—I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I think my grandfather was actually my father and Elder Roan’s son. Arius agrees that something is off, and has someone doing research to see what they can figure out.”

“So—,” I looked from her to Beth, then back to Paisley again, “so—how do we find out if we’re related?”

“How old are you?” She studied my face, a hopeful look in her eyes.

“Twenty-five, roughly. I don’t know when I was born.”

“We could be half-sisters.” She covered her mouth, then lowered her hands. “My, or maybe our great,” she shook her head, “our grandfather is on the elder’s council and there are so many other relatives.”

My heart was pounding in my chest. I didn’t know what it was like to have family. Sure, there had been people in my life that I thought of as family, but blood relatives—what was that like? “How do we find out?” My throat was tight with emotion.

Paisley looked at Daxx. “They should still have the results from mine right? Couldn’t they compare it with that?”

“I would think so.” Daxx glanced to Alona.

She snorted. “Don’t make me ask Chase—he’ll go off about Elder Roan, again.”

“Have Arius check with the lab,” Beth suggested.

“Sisters!” Crissy stood up, water splashing all over as she climbed out of the tub. She went over to where she’d dropped her bag and started digging in it. “Was it before or after my rune tattoo or Daxx’s tattoo?” She shook her head. “I don’t remember when, but there were sisters. One light, one dark—not bad dark, just opposite. Their eyes were the same.”

I turned and looked at Alona, she didn’t look surprised.

Crissy flipped through the notebook, trying not to drip on it. She tapped a page. “The light and dark, it was their hair, but the eyes were the same.” She stood up smiling. “I saw you. You’re sisters—but not twins, or if you are, not identical.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it and looked at Paisley. “If we were, wouldn’t we have been raised together?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know. I don’t have a lot of information on what happened before I was born.”

“I say check with the labs, then tell Elder Roan.” Beth said quietly. “Can’t be easy for him with his son vanishing and not knowing.”

Paisley nodded. “That’s what we’ll do.”

Music started playing. Paisley ginned and turned to reach for her phone.

“Beauty and the Beast?” Beth laughed.

Smiling, Paisley answered the phone. “I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes. “Not a bad reason.”

I needed to find out more about this bond thing. The men were totally tuned into their women.

“I was just talking to Autumn about your suspicions that we’re related.” She continued.

“I saw it.” Crissy blurted out.

Paisley nodded. “Crissy had a vision of sisters before, one with dark hair, one with light.” She bit her lip. “No. We’d like to talk to the lab and see if my grandfather’s blood is required again or—” She laughed softly, “yes, to avoid you having to see him. That would be great.”

“Do they know anything yet?” Daxx whispered.

Paisley nodded. “Has Clairee figured out anything?” She frowned. “What about those devices?” Her eyebrows went up. “Oh? Is that good?” She nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell the girls.” She hung up and looked at me. “Arius will talk to the lab, but he says a sample of your blood should be all they need.”

I bit my lip, then winced, forgetting again that it was swollen. “I have to admit I’m a little freaked out thinking I might have actual family.”

Daxx snorted. “And then some, you’re Michael’s mate, so you have family—Royal family to no end.”

“Which includes us, so you should feel privileged.” Alona added with a big smile.

I nodded slowly. “A pretty kick-ass family.”

“What did Arius say about the spell?” Daxx picked up her empty wine glass, then put it back down.

“Clairee and Romulus are talking to the kings right now.”

Daxx picked up her phone and checked it. “I’ll give them five minutes before I interrupt.”

Paisley leaned back. “Those devices have something to do with blood. Arius said the science techs and a mage are testing them.”

Everyone looked at her.

“Why do I feel like that’s bad for us?” Daxx asked.

“Because it involves blood?” I rolled my eyes. “Any movie with blood magic, spells, or curses, is never a good thing.”

Beth nodded enthusiastically. “She’s right.”

Alona waved her glass around. “Not always. Fangs get a bad rep in movies as well and they’re not.” She shrugged, “at least Chase doesn’t think so.”

I watched the others’ cheeks flush, then remembered when Michael had bitten me. I smirked. “I didn’t find anything bad with them.”

“We need to get her gloves.” Crissy all but sang then she looked at me. “Unless you want to be marked, then you don’t need them.”

I looked around at the other women. “Which means what?”

“Damn, I should have brought more wine.” Alona sighed, then held up her left arm. “This is the mate’s tattoo, it appears,” she nodded, “all by itself if your left palms are touching during,” she shrugged, “sex with your true mate.”

I dragged my gaze from hers to her arm for a moment, then looked at the other women’s inked arms. “They appear?”

Daxx nodded. “Yes.” She held up a hand, “and you do not want that if you are not willing to seal the deal with a full blood bond. Believe me, that’s no fun.”

I raised my eyebrows but couldn’t find the words to say.

“Does she really want to take a chance and be mated to a man hung up on a ghost?” Paisley asked.

I pointed to her. “That. Yes. He may be attracted to me, or whatever this mate thing is, but he regrets being near me each time.” Later when I had some time to process the new information, I’m sure I’d have to ask myself why the whole mating thing didn’t have me packing up and running far away.

A silent understanding passed between them.

Alona turned to Crissy. “Better get her gloves.”

Crissy nodded. “I’ll talk to Mitz.”

“So, I wear gloves, then what?” If they had answers, I was willing to listen.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Daxx said. “The fact you weren’t marked already is surprising—well, not completely as it seems the only one without control among the brothers is Troy.”

I couldn’t keep the surprise off my face.

She snorted. “Let me tell you how I…”

All of our phones rang at the same time. It was the group call.

“I’ll answer.” Paisley said. She picked up her phone and tapped the screen. “Hello?”

I looked at my phone and reached over to decline the call so it would stop ringing. The others did the same.

“Are all of you together?” Troy asked.

“Yes, we are.” Daxx said loud enough they’d hear.

“We’re meeting in Victor’s office as soon as you ladies can get here.” That was Chase.

“We’ll just have to go change out of our wet undergarments.” Alona said with a grin.

“Are you wine tasting in the tub again?” Chase asked sounding amused.

“No.” Beth said. “We’re in the hot tub.”

“They found the hot tub.” Leone whispered.

“There goes the quiet spot.” Quinton joked.

“When you’re finished clowning around, go change and meet us.” Michael snapped.

“I don’t know who you are or what you’ve done with Michael, but I’d like him back now.” Rafael sighed loudly.

“Cristy, come to my office in short time, please.” Victor wasn’t fooling around.

“I’ll be there soon, Vic.” She stood up.

“See you shortly.” Paisley hung up the call.

“I have knots in my stomach.” Alona said as she stood up. “I fear it’s not good news.”

“Story of my life.” Daxx said as she pulled her jeans over wet legs.

“I think we need to have towels stocked here.” Alona mused as she put her blouse on over a wet bra.

“Or robes.” Bethany suggested.

I pulled on the track pants and looked down at the water soaking through. “I’m going to change and get Woods to show me the way to Victor’s office.” I didn’t wait for answers, just turned to the door. I had a lot to consider before this meeting. I might have a sister, relatives—not to mention a man I was somehow fated to be with that didn’t want me. Or perhaps want to want me was the better explanation.