Page 4 of Cruel Revenge
I didn’t even look. I could smell who was there and decided I wasn’t dealing with him today.
“Please? Zuri and Jabari have gotten to see them and left today, and they won’t be hosting me for longer than a few minutes. This is my only chance. I was busy planning for the raid when they got cleared for visitors, and I do want to get home to my territory sooner rather than later.”
“I’m sorry to say that your eldest siblings descending on them last week has made them bad company. Once they shoved the twins out of Mischa’s home this morning, they made it very clear they wouldn’t take any more drop-ins to check on them. Not even from me or your mother,” he explained.
“Wow.” That I didn’t know yet. “What did they do?”
“It’s Jabari and Zuri. If you were severely ill for several months, what do you think they would do to you when they finally could see you?”
“They aren’t fully healed, either, just no longer contagious,” the King of the Fae interjected.
“No one was talking to you,” Hasan said before I could. “She didn’t direct anything she said at you, so don’t open your mouthright now. I don’t need you two at each other’s throats right now. I have more important things to do.”
“I would win,” Brion said mildly.
“In your dreams,” I muttered.
“That could be arranged,” Brion threatened very softly.
Hasan’s growl told me it was time to leave. It wasn’t directed at me, but Hasan was right; there were better things to do than pick fights with the King of the Fae, no matter how much of a piece of shit he was.
“I’ll call them,” I said quickly, leaving him to whatever conversation he needed to have with the fae. Hasan and Brion were once friends. I was the wedge between them, not that I wanted to be or chose to be. Brion was really the reason I became the wedge, and since then, more has come out about Brion’s schemes involving moon cursed through the ages, such as the Black Forest and Niko’s involvement in it. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the fae king, which was why Hasan didn’t get angry with me anymore about being rude to the king.
But they were both Tribunal members. Hasan and Brion had to deal with each other thanks to that. We all had to accept that.
My plans to visit my siblings dashed, I went to find Heath, now with nothing potentially stopping me from going home. He was already in his office, several of Corissa’s werewolves and a few Tribunal staff members there, all wanting orders from the Alpha.
“I want transcripts of the interrogations within two hours of each one finishing. Find the people to be there and make sure I have those,” Heath was saying as I walked in. “I also would like to stop receiving requests to hire more staff. I have a small pack, and the Tribunal needs to approve their clearance to work for me here if able.”
“Still on that?” I sighed. “Who’s holding it up?”
“Brion,” Heath answered without hesitation.
I nearly turned on my heel to go back to Hasan’s office for words with that fae but stopped short as Livia shook her head.
“Don’t. He’ll make it slower,” she said, rolling her eyes at a man who wasn’t even in the room. “He does it toeveryone.Whenever someone needs to add people for things or replace staff, he’s slow to get it done. Others have to start leaning on him. Corissa had a meeting with him yesterday about clearing Heath’s pack to join the Tribunal’s allowed staff.”
“And Hasan was just having a meeting with him…” I said, groaning.
“Oh? Hasan has never helped anyone with this before,” Livia said with a snort. “Well, you’re here. It makes sense in a… fathers are willing to move mountains sort of way.”
“Jacky and I also have… a complicated history with the fae king,” Heath said.
“That’s putting it nicely,” I said, not bothering to mask my derision for the fae we were discussing. “Well, hopefully, it gets worked out sooner rather than later. They’re all getting antsy back home, not able to follow you here every day.”
“I know.” Heath handed off a piece of paper to Livia. “This is for Callahan. I approved the NAWC schedule he proposed. I’ll be at every meeting, even if it’s just to sit in and listen. Corissa probably wants to see it as well.”
“She had her input into it already, but she’ll be glad to know you also find these dates workable.” Livia took it, turned on her heel, and marched out, her professionalism militaristic.
Heath waved the rest of the staff away, leaving us alone, the office suddenly quiet.
“I assume you’re as ready as I am to get home,” he said with a small smile, holding out a hand.
“I am,” I said, leaning to put my head on his shoulder as I took his hand.
“It’ll be busy and loud… we might not have a moment alone until much later. Perhaps we can enjoy one right here for a minute.” As he spoke, his words dipped into a deeper octave, husky and sensual at the end, promising he would make keeping us in the office worthwhile if I wanted him to.
“And risk Hasan coming in?” I asked, chuckling as he grumbled at my point. I tilted my head and kissed his cheek. “Plus, good things come to those who wait.”
