Page 13 of Cruel Revenge
“She did. Mischa is a fantastic artist when she can focus long enough to sit down and paint.” Hasan led the way, and Heath tried to keep up, realizing the werecat was now moving faster. “I should have expected this. You’re the first visitor we’ve had at this residence. I didn’t think to take down our personal pictures…”
“And why would we take them down while hosting the man who is marrying our daughter?” Subira asked, stepping in front of Hasan. Heath didn’t even smell her until it was too late, stunned into stopping by her sudden appearance. “Why don’t we take this outside and enjoy the evening air?” She grabbed Hasan’s forearm, pulling him along as she smiled in Heath’s direction. “Come, come.”
Heath took a deep breath and followed. He certainly always had a lot of respect for her, the ancient witch and werecat, but this was different. He was in her domain, a place where outsiders never went. Many didn’t even know who Subira was, other than the whispers about Hasan’s mysterious mate. To see her was rare for outsiders, and he had, thanks only to his relationship with Jacky.
To be in her home, in her territory…
How is Hasan not on edge with me here?
By the time they made their way outside, Heath had already figured out where they were. Subira’s territory was in Africa. He knew that her large home here was built underground to hide it from anyone who may look in her direction. The only thing on the surface was a shack that hid the front door and staircasedown into the home. He’d been told that by Jacky and had heard some of the planning for it in passing, thanks to calls Jacky would have with her siblings.
Her den. Her home is a den where her family can hide under her protection.
He stepped out of the shack and looked back, seeing that it even looked dilapidated from the outside. Ignorable. Forgettable.
And he realized why Hasan was at ease when he looked back to the werecats who had invited him to this reclusive and hidden place. The relaxed man found a folding chair and set it out in the grass, then sat down, kicking his legs out. A second chair was already nearby. Subira patted her mate’s shoulder before turning back to Heath.
“There’s more to grab,” she said, gesturing to other chairs, an invitation for him to take his own.
Heath, without a word, did just that. It had been a very long time since he felt like a boy. Hasan could never do it to him. Callahan never could either. Both of them felt more like rivals in their own ways.
Subira smiled, and he felt as though an aunt was telling him to sit down if he wanted cookies. The sensation made him instinctually pull back on all his emotions, locking them away. She was always dangerous, but he hadn’t expected this type of dangerous.
“You’re safe here,” Subira said softly as he sat down.
“Ah… thank you,” he said, swallowing as she studied him. “Hasan said there were things you and he wanted to tell me…”
“Indeed, but now I must decide on where to begin,” she said with a mischievous smirk that revealed a single fang. She moved the remaining chair that had already been there. “Should we discuss the in-laws you’ll be getting or who our family really is?”She sat down as she spoke, sitting closer to him than to Hasan. “What are you most curious about?”
“None of it. It’s not my business. Whatever you feel the need to share, I’ll listen and keep it in confidence.”
“Good choice,” Hasan said, sighing, his eyes closed as he relaxed in his spot, head back with the glow of the sunset on his face.
“Then we’ll start with the secrets Jacky has been forced to keep from you. Since you are marrying her, it’s not fair of us to require her to keep those walls up in your marriage. Certainly, by now, you understand the punishments if you use these secrets for your own purposes.”
Heath bowed his head in agreement and a submission he knew Subira would only appreciate on a human level. From his time with Jacky, he knew werecats didn’t feel or interfere with werewolf hierarchy. This was symbolic, a pure motion of respect, and even that was difficult for him to do.
“Let’s begin with Hasan’s Talent,” Subira said with a schooled tone that said she had given this talk several times in her life.
6
CHAPTER SIX
Iwas home by late afternoon, throwing my keys to Dirk so he could drive with Olivia to take her things home. After he did that and dropped my car off, he was going to meet Landon and head home from the packhouse. I knew my house was empty long before I stepped into it. Carey was off at the packhouse as well, hanging out with the younger werewolves. She’d texted at noon, saying they were going to the game. I was glad to see her get out of the house, away from classwork.
And my wedding. I really didn’t consider how involved she was going to want to be in it.
I puttered around the house for the rest of the afternoon, cleaning up anything I saw out of place. I did laundry and swept the floors, catching up on housework I knew would have been missed in my absence. It didn’t help that I refused to hire a real staff to help do all this, like my siblings had. Between me, Heath, and Carey, we kept up with it most of the time. I noted that Carey had finished all of her chores. Heath and I were the ones behind. I left a few of Heath’s chores for him, knowing he would handle them once the meetings slowed down again. Or Landon and Dirk would jump in and get them done for him.
Maybe I should admit defeat and hire a regular cleaning service or proper household staff like my siblings… It would free up a lot of our time and let us actually take some time off when we can afford to.
I mulled it over as I pulled clothes out of the dryer, feeling Heath finally return to my territory from the Tribunal. It was nearly dinner time, so it made sense that he had escaped his new position to make it home.
“He won’t care if we do takeout a second night in a row,” I said, chuckling as I carried the laundry upstairs as he approached the house. I was folding when he came in, and from the small movements he was making, he was looking for me.
“Jacky?” he called out, but not loudly. He knew I could hear everything in this house when I was paying proper attention.
“Upstairs. I’m putting away laundry,” I answered.
