Page 55 of A Deeper Blue
“All I know is that when you look at Azure, I know you think the sun rises and sets on that woman.”
“Yes,” agreed Rafe.
“They don’t mate like we do. What happens if she leaves?”
“I’ll go with her,” said Rafe.
“I mean, what happens if she leaves you?” repeated Albert.
Rafe grinned. “Then I’ll go after her. Dad, it’s going to be fine. This is her destiny, and she’s mine.”
Albert looked at him in exasperation. “You can’t know that.”
“The Lady said it. I believe it. Stop freaking out.”
“Oh, my God, you sound like Moira. I’m going to strangle all of you like that weird yellow fat man on the TV.”
“I never got around to getting a TV for the cabin, so I don’t know who that is.”
“It’s that cartoon. TheSimpson’s. It’s a pop culture reference,” said Albert, looking smug.
“Oh, well, look who knows so much,” said Rafe, trying to pretend that his father knowing a pop culture reference, let alone what apop culture referencewas, didn’t bother him.
Albert ran a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Liam would be your brother-in-law.”
Rafe shrugged. He and Liam had already reached that understanding. “I like him. Seems like he has his head on straight.”
“He does. He’s a good kid. Smart. He’s been swatting warlock temples with paperwork with surprising success for a decade. His mum is one of those stodgy, head in the sand types, though.”
“Gosh,” said Rafe. “I wouldn’t know what that’s like.”
“Shut up. But if you’re with Azure and Liam’s with Scarlet… I wanted him to come here for the summit, but Aisling, his mother, wasn’t for it. But he had to come, didn’t he? Had to help his brother-in-law.” Albert’s eyes narrowed, and his expression turned cunning.
“I don’t know, Dad,” said Rafe, amused. “If I’m not in your pack, then I’m not sure you can use me to tie the New York pack to your Pact.”
Albert shook his head. “It’s better if you’re not,” he said, grinning. His canines were extra-long. “Then I can say it was none of my doing. And yet… here they are.”
Rafe sighed. “Is this what it’s going to be, Dad?”
“What do you mean?” Albert looked perfectly innocent.
“I’m not officially in or out? It’s just whatever’s convenient this week?”
“You’re my son,” said Albert, lifting his head. “You will always be my son. But you can’t tell me that you really want to be back here.”
Rafe looked around the old hall. It was smaller than he remembered. He looked back at Albert. This had been his pack, and Rafe supposed that it would always be a part of him, but it was no longer where his path led.
“No, I don’t suppose I do,” he said.
Albert gave him a smile that seemed equal parts sad and proud. He leaned back against the gnarled wood—the wooden branches forming an arch behind him. “I think this is going to work out.”
Azure
Azure entered the Hall. Everyone in the pack saidhallas if it had a capital, and once she was inside, she saw why. Big cedar beams, lofty ceiling topped with stained glass windows so that light fell in colored patches on the floor—the place felt important. There were cushions around the floor and one or two chairs here and there. There was one bentwood chair made of gnarled branches at the far end. It wasn’t huge, but from its location and arching branches, it felt like a throne.
It seemed as if all of Albert’s interviews with the other visitors were done, and it was finally her turn. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She wished she’d had more time to talk to him before the Summit. She felt like she was making an alliance blindly.
Albert was standing under a blue patch of glass near the chair, staring up at the sky.
