Page 71 of Shifting Winds
“It took you long enough,” she said.
“What were the betting pool odds?” I asked.
She grinned and didn’t deny it. “Twenty-four hours. You held out far longer than anyone thought you would.”
There was something she wasn’t saying. “How much did you walk away with?”
Simone laughed and dug through her purse to pull out a massive wad of cash. “Almost two grand!”
“Holy shit.” I shook my head. “Next time, I want in on those odds.”
“Only if it’s to do with Caelan. Can’t have any collusion going on in the betting pool.”
We grinned at each other. Ash came back in with his hands full of plates and handed them out.
“It’s good to see you looking well.”
Moira gave a sharp shake of her head outside of Simone’s peripheral. Interesting, she did not want anyone to know about her brew. I’d grill her later and make her spill her secrets. She knew most of mine. It was about time she trusted me enough to tell me hers.
“It helped getting the bullies out of here,” I said instead. “My air conditioner couldn’t keep up with all the hot air those two were putting out.”
“Tell me about it,” Simone groaned. “Ben almost never gets angry until Caelan gets involved.”
I bit into the cookie, the crisp salt crunching under my tongue and the caramel rich and creamy in my mouth. “This is amazing,” I said after a moment. “I didn’t know you liked to bake.”
“Stress baker,” Simone confessed. “Things get weird around the Keep when Caelan’s not there.”
“He wasn’t gone that long,” Moira said.
“The length of time never seems to matter. Imagine a house full of hyped-up toddlers without parental supervision, and that would be the Keep.” She rolled her eyes and bit into her cookie. “It’s a madhouse.”
“You need more women,” Ash observed.
“I wish it were that easy,” she said. “Unfortunately, female wolf shifters aren’t all that common.”
“Is that why Gianna was chosen?” The woman had been a swan shifter.
“Partially. Her family background clinched the win.” Simone’s brow furrowed. “Speaking of her, Caelan had a guest while he was gone.”
My stomach clenched. I had a terrible feeling I knew who’d shown up. “Oh?”
“Her cousin dropped by to see if Caelan had any further updates on Gianna’s disappearance.” She rubbed her hand overher face. “The entire thing is so strange. She just disappeared off the face of the earth. Odd behavior for someone so in love with the spotlight.”
A fine tension hummed in the room, and Simone wasn’t stupid. Someone had to say something before she got suspicious. “Caelan hasn’t contacted her since the last time he spoke to her?”
I’d been there for the conversation, but Caelan hadn’t known then where Gianna was or that the swan shifter was dust in the wind after I found her buried on my property.
He knew now, and shifters had a keen nose for sniffing out lies.
Simone shook her head. “He’s been caught up in other things, but it’s also unlike him not to follow up on something that serious.”
“Is she still at the Keep?” Moira asked. “Caelan’s on his way back.”
Simone snorted. “He didn’t tell me what happened here, but he was more subdued than usual when he called. Nadia left yesterday, but I know she’ll be back if Caelan doesn’t get into contact with her.”
“He will,” I assured her, mostly in an effort to turn the conversation to other things.
“We’ll see.” Simone bit into her second cookie and eyed me. “Something’s on your mind.”
