Page 128 of Those That Are Lost
“But what about your ballet company, won’t you be in huge trouble?”
“They weren’t thrilled, but I couldn’t let you face this by yourself. What if you needed help?”
“I had help,” I state before turning to Claire. “Didn’t you tell her about Antares? And the fact Ty and Henry were at your house?”
Claire squirms a little. “I did, but it felt so wrong to me, leaving your mate behind? It screamed danger. And Bree is so feisty, and strong. She is practically Fae after all.”
“Am I not feisty and strong? I’m more than that too, I’m a double threat with my strengths,” Antares speaks up indignantly, shooting forwards. He’s pointing to his ears as well as showing his fangs.
Claire shrinks back a little, understandably intimidated by the male brandishing his teeth at her.
Henry grabs him by the arm and yanks him back. “Putyour fangs away you idiot. Claire doesn’t know you. She called the person she trusted to save her best friend.”
“I’m just saying—” Antares argues.
“Bree,” Ty cuts over Antares. “It’s good to see you again. And Claire, thank you for looking out for my mate.” He comes forward to wrap an arm around my waist. “However, we are all dead on our feet. You’re welcome to stay and we can fill you in. The house is pretty dilapidated but we should have enough rooms. And, you should know, there’s several vampires here. I promise they won’t harm you, but I’d understand if you would rather go back to the city.”
“No, I want to stay,” Bree says. Claire agrees.
CHAPTER 52
TY
3 WEEKS LATER
Pulling up in our newly acquired car, I park it off to the side of the main house and cut the engine. It’s not anything expensive but we quickly realised we’d need some transport to save us running to and from the city with how much we’d need to be at the authorities’ head offices.
Scrubbing my stubble and sliding a hand through my hair, I stretch before climbing out of the vehicle. Henry gets out the passenger side, looking as tired as I feel.
The last few weeks have been hectic to say the least. I thought that once we got the pack back that I’d be able to spend some quality time with my mate. But instead I’ve been pulled into this meeting and that appointment as the Prime Minister sets his plans into motion. We’ve been consulting on every step, ensuring the wording of each piece of legislature will protect us should our existence ever come to light.
I’ve also been ensuring that every vampire in our pack has Froan citizenship. Getting paperwork for a group of males who have been off grid since the war has been its own headache, but thankfully Morris’s department has helped out in one or two cases of mild forgery.
The pack has grown officially. Atlas joined the day after we killed Adicious. The rest followed within the week. The only one to not take up the bond was Mitch, Mitchell, rather. I understood his decision, his bond to Adicious was far worse than he expected. He’d taken an undercover job and ended up in a bond to a tyrant that regularly beat him. His career is his priority right now. He’s living back in the city and comes over frequently. Maybe he’ll want a pack one day but he’s still welcome as a rogue.
“I can handle tomorrow’s meeting if you want to stay here,” Henry says as we make our way round the house. The front is already up in scaffolding, ready for work to begin. Red has been instrumental in getting renovation plans drawn up and started. That’s what she’s spent her days doing whilst I’ve been pulled into the city.
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it,” I tell him as I let my mate bond pull me in Red’s direction, using it to guide me to her.
I pass him the keys to the car and wave him goodbye as he enters the main house. I continue on to the outbuilding sitting off to the side. It’s currently in a worse state than the house and we never even entered it when under Adicious’s rule. But as soon as we started talking plans, Claire suggested that we built the old barn into additional rooms, and it might be a quicker job than the main house.
I let my shadows loose as I enter the shell of the building. Red stands at a table we’ve moved in here to work on the blueprints. She’s concentrating on some measurements or something, and even though I know she could’ve heard me, I think she’s too focused to pick up that I’m behind her.
My eyes roam up her frame. The summer heat is taking hold now so she’s wearing the tiniest denim shorts and a loose boxy t-shirt that leaves a band of skin on her back on show. I watch as she leans over the drawings, the cut of the shorts offering me the smallest glance at the globes of her ass.My mouth instantly waters as I silence my steps, sneaking up on her.
The shadows creep along the floor and I command them to brush up her exposed legs.
She jumps up, spinning to face me. I close the remaining, grabbing her waist in my grip. She looks totally adorable as her shock turns into the widest smile when she realises I’m home.
I’ll never get used to how she looks at me. How her eyes light up whenever our gazes catch. Electricity zaps through me and knocks the air from my lungs.
She’s mine.I’ll be grateful every single day for that.
“Is it evening already?” Red looks around, assessing the sky we can see through the battered and blown out windows.
“Yep, and not a moment too soon.”
“Another gruelling day?”
