Page 38 of Brambles and Bellflowers
Not to mention what his absence was doing to Bianca. Damen’s assessment of her attachment disorder and separation anxiety wasn’t surprising, but it still made my jaw clench. We were supposed to protect her, not cause her more issues.
“Keep the momentum going while I’m gone,” I told Maria. “What is Matheus’s status?”
Maria nodded. “He’s been throwing some feelers out, but nothing is coming up under the ‘Eric Richards’ name. He’s looking into alternatives now.”
I glared down at my desk.
“You know,” Maria began, almost hesitantly, and I glanced at her. She bounced her leg and was no longer ready to meet my eyes. “Do you think it’s time to bring in Pearson?”
“What?” I growled as my muscles tensed.
“You’re not exactly in top form, and—”
“No,” I interrupted. “Shifters are too intimidating to Bianca. The last thing we need is the Paragons and Elders intruding.”
I wasn’t even sure who’d be worse—Pearson or Blake. But either one of the Er Bashou Officers would scare her.
“She talks to Gloria,” Maria pointed out. “And me.”
“You are a female,” I interrupted. “She is afraid of males. You should know that—you’ve read the files and examined the scene.”
“Yeah,” she replied, finally looking at me. “Matheus said she was scared of him.”
I frowned.
“I just thought it might be helpful,” Maria shrugged. “Pearson is your father. You can’t avoid him forever.”
Watch me.
“We plan on maintaining minimal involvement with the Paragons,” I said. This was Damen’s decision, but one I wholly agreed with. “Jonathon and Declan have agreed to hold back on debriefing the rest of their quintet.”
“Hold on.” Maria placed her palm in the air. “They don’t knowabout Bianca? What are you doing?”
“Declan hasn’t even met her yet,” I pointed out. “And Jonathon has been hiding her from his quintet for ten years. This isn’t the right time.”
Maria was scowling. “Jameson is going to kick your ass.”
“Jameson isn’t a shifter,” I pointed out.
“No, he’s worse. He’s an onmyoji who, right now, can even defeat Damen,” Maria argued. “He’s going to kickbothyourasses—right after your father is done withyou. Do you even know how to handle having a mate?”
No.
“I’m fine,” I told her, suppressing the shiver that shot down my spine. “I have a few thousand years of instincts to—”
“Don’t give me that shit,” she interrupted. “You’ve never had a mate before, and now you’re about to go traipsing around in the woods with her. Are you going to be able to control yourself?”
I clenched my hands into fists and sucked in a breath, inhaling the sharp copper scent of broken skin and blood. “I can’t have her worrying about me. Not when she’s already focused on Miles.”
“Well, after his mission, things will be better,” she argued. “What are you going to tell her then?”
I glanced at her. “What mission?”
“Miles.” She pursed her lips and tilted her head. When I didn’t respond, she narrowed her eyes. “The ritual that he needs to complete by the end of the month! Do you not payanyattention to him?”
My face heated under her accusing stare. She wasn’t wrong, but…
Tu had always gone his own way and wasn’t close to me. But now, with those judgmental eyes glaring at me, I was beginning to feel guilty. “I knew he had a graduation project, but he skipped it last year, so—”
