Page 73 of Reaper Unhinged
Eldrick welcomedus into the penthouse suite. If he was surprised at seeing Uri with me, he covered it well, and when he discovered what Uriel was, he was all questions.
Lunch was a surprisingly cheerful affair, and it was only when we were taking coffee in the lounge that I noticed the worry lines and dark shadows under Eldrick’s eyes.
“Is everything all right?”
Uri took his coffee cup and wandered over to the windows, looking out at the city, discreetly giving us room to chat.
“Just pack business.” Eldrick’s smile was tight.
“The traitor hunt?”
He nodded slowly. “It’s not going well. I hate to say it, but if Hunter were here, this would go much faster. The more I dig, the more corruption I find. Honestly, I’m not sure who I can trust any longer.”
“I’m going to get Hunter back for you. We have a lead.”
He sat up straighter. “You do?”
“Grayson is on the case. We will get him back. Soon.”
I wanted to tell him about the sleepwalking, about the voice in my head, but he already had so much on his plate. I didn’t want to burden him with it all.
“Grayson wanted to know about the safe house you said you’d organize for the vamps?” I winced. “I’m sorry. I know it’s probably the last thing you’ve been worried about.”
“Ulrich is dealing with it. I’m seeing him later today. I’ll call you after.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s a ball in a few weeks,” Eldrick said. “I usually decline, but this year I wondered if you’d like to come with me.”
“A ball, as in poufy dresses and tuxes?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Not your thing?”
If it meant quality time with him, then, “I’m in.”
We settled into chatting about other stuff. Uri joined us, and soon our laughter echoed around the room as Eldrick recounted tales of his youthful exuberance as a Loup in training to be an alpha. For an hour, I was just a daughter getting to know her father. For an hour, life was almost normal.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Istood in my bedroom at the pack house while Grayson and Cora studied every inch of my body.
My naked body.
Yep, I was standing here, starkers, not a fucking stitch on as they examined me like scientists checking out a specimen under a microscope.
Yeah…Not strange in the least.
Cora stepped back, hands on hips. “I don’t see anything unusual. You checked her inner thighs?”
Had he checked my inner thighs.Pffft. More times than I could fucking count. Not that I was complaining…Shit, don’t think about Grayson gripping your thighs and parting your legs. Don’t think about it.
“Nothing,” Grayson said.
I lowered my arms, my heart sinking. Yeah, I was being all mentally flippant about this, but it was a big deal. I needed them to find something. If they hadn’t, then…
“It’s a mark on my soul then.”
“Wait,” Cora said. “Your head. She hurried over and parted my hair. Her fingers began to crawl across my scalp as she checked it. “Grayson, check her pubes.”
