I heard a soft gasp from the back seat when we pulled into the hanger. Sara had been quiet during the drive from New Hastings, and Chris and I had left her to her thoughts. Now, she leaned forward to stare through the windshield at the jet waiting for us.
“You guys own a plane?” she asked incredulously.
Chris chuckled as he put the SUV in park. “I told you we would travel in style.”
She made a face. “I thought you meant we’d be flying first class.”
“We are. Every seat on the jet is first class.” He unbuckled his seat belt and reached for his door. “And look, no lines.”
She sank back against her seat. “Roland and Peter are not going to believe this.”
I smiled at the wonder that had replaced the unease in her voice. Getting out of the vehicle, I opened her door. “Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
She slid out and walked to the jet steps. At the bottom, she hesitated a moment, and then she grasped the handrail and entered the jet.
“This is amazing,” she breathed when I followed her inside. She sank down in the wide window seat in the first row and ran her hands over the soft leather arms. “I figured you guys had money, but this is unbelievable.”
“It’s your money too.” I turned back to the door. “I’m going to help them load your things, and then we’ll take off.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, and I could hear the nervousness she was trying to hide.
Five minutes later, everything was onboard, and Chris, Erik, and I climbed into the jet. Chris and Erik went to the back, and I let the pilot know we were ready for takeoff. Then I took the seat next to Sara.
“Can you tell me where we’re going now?” she asked.
“Idaho.”
“Idaho?” She frowned. “I don’t know much about Idaho except they grow potatoes.”
I laughed. “Westhorne is about an hour north of Boise, close to the mountains. We don’t grow potatoes, but we have lots of trees and rivers. The closest town is Butler Falls, which is five miles away.”
“Wow, it sounds isolated,” she said dejectedly. “I guess you guys like your privacy.”
“We do, but you’ll find it’s not as isolated as it sounds. I think you’ll like it there.”
The jet pulled out of the hanger and taxied to a runway. Sara’s hands gripped the arms of her seat as she peered out the window. When we took off and the landing gear left the ground, her eyes closed tightly. I hid my amusement. Was the girl who had fought vampires and tamed hellhounds afraid of flying?
“Don’t like to fly?”
She made a face. “Ask me that in a few hours.”
“First time?”
“Yeah.”
“Relax and enjoy it.” She’d lived a sheltered life in New Hastings, and this was just one of so many firsts she would experience over her lifetime. I wanted to be there for them all.
She looked out the window and became quiet as she watched Portland grow smaller. She’d been quiet on the ride from New Hastings too. Her brave face couldn’t conceal her pain and turmoil from me as we’d driven away from everything she knew. I wished I could ease her hurt, but I knew she had to go through this, to accept what had to be done in order to move on to her new life.
The last twenty-four hours had been hard on her. She’d come home thinking she’d been gone two days, only to discover it had been three weeks and everyone she knew thought she was dead. Not just dead; they’d had a memorial service for her.
Before that information had time to sink in, she’d had to start packing her possessions for her move away from everyone she cared about. Roland and Peter had stayed to help. I’d given them and Nate space to spend their last night together, while I made arrangements for our travel.
My Mori and I were so happy to have her back that neither of us had minded sleeping on the couch while the boys stayed upstairs with Sara. I’d lain awake for hours, listening to their soft murmurs, and long after the apartment had grown quiet, I’d heard her tossing restlessly in her bed.
The pilot turned off the seat belt sign. I unbuckled mine and turned to Sara. “Would you like something to…?”
My voice trailed off at the sight of her closed eyes and slightly parted lips. Her face was paler than normal and shadows rested beneath her eyes.
My heart constricted. A day ago, I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again, and now here she was sleeping peacefully beside me.
She shivered and I fetched a blanket from a storage compartment to cover her. Unable to leave her, I grabbed a book from my bag and sat beside her to read. It was a futile effort because I could barely focus on the words with her so close.
When she shifted in her sleep and turned toward me to rest her head on my shoulder, I gave up all pretense of reading.
By the end of the flight, she was lying across the wide seat with her head on my lap, letting out an occasional soft snore that made me smile. I’d flown all over the world, but no flight had ever been as pleasurable as this one.
When the plane began to descend, I gently lifted her into a sitting position. Something told me she would be embarrassed if she awoke to find herself lying on me. She must have been exhausted, because she didn’t stir until the jet touched down in Boise.
The jet taxied into the hanger where a cargo van, a white Ford Expedition, and four warriors waited for us. We exited the plane, and I introduced Sara to Seamus, Niall, Ben, and Ambrose before they set to loading her things into the van. Then Ben, Ambrose, and Erik climbed into the van while the rest of us piled into the SUV.
Sara fell quiet again, sitting between Chris and me in the back. As we drove through Boise, Chris pointed out buildings and landmarks and kept up a light banter until she relaxed.
It was almost dark when we reached Butler Falls and took the turnoff for Westhorne. I watched Sara’s face when her new home came into view. Her eyes moved over the large stone building, which had lights shining from many of the windows, to the snowcapped mountains rising behind it. Tristan and I had chosen this location when we set out from Virginia to form a new stronghold over one hundred and fifty years ago, and we had worked side-by-side to help build the place that was now our home.
“What do you think?” I asked.
She gave me a small smile. “It’s prettier than I expected.”
Chris grinned. “What did you expect – barracks and barbed wire?”
“Close,” she admitted, and laughter filled the vehicle.
We pulled up to the front entrance of the main building, and I felt Sara tense beside me when the door opened. I expected to see Tristan even though he’d told me he would give Sara time to settle in before he introduced himself.
A dark-haired warrior appeared in the doorway and walked down the steps to the SUV. Callum had come to Westhorne a year ago, and I’d heard he was an excellent trainer. I spent so much time away that I didn’t know him all that well.
I exited the vehicle, and Sara climbed out to stand beside me. Callum nodded a greeting to me and looked at Sara.
“Sara, welcome to Westhorne,” he said in a Scottish brogue, extending his hand to her. “My name is Callum, and I’m here to help you get settled in and to answer any questions you have.”
Sara smiled and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Mine, my Mori rumbled unhappily.
I took a step forward, half blocking her from Callum’s view.
“I thought Claire was going to be here.” Tristan had said he would have the female warrior greet Sara, to help put her at ease.
“Something came up, so Claire asked me to step in.”
Callum addressed Sara. “Claire said to tell you she would give you the grand tour tomorrow. Now, why don’t I show you to your room?”
My Mori growled.
“I’ll show her to her room,” I said brusquely.
I ignored the surprised looks Callum, Seamus, and Niall gave me. It was no secret I didn’t fraternize with orphans or trainees unless I had to. But I had no intention of explaining my actions to them or anyone else.
Sara looked from Callum to me. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
Chris moved to her other side and shot me a warning look. “Just a little misunderstanding,” he told her. He looked at Callum. “What room is she in?”
Callum looked like he was about to say something and thought better of it. “Third floor of the north wing. Last room on the left.”
I laid a hand on the small of Sara’s back. “Come with me. Chris and the others will bring your things.”
When she didn’t move away from my touch, my Mori calmed and the tension left my body. We entered the building, and I heard her soft intake of breath as she looked around. I supposed compared to her home, the main hallway might seem a bit grand with its marble floor and chandelier.
Most people were at dinner, so we didn’t encounter anyone as we ascended the stairs to her floor. I knew the trainees lived in this wing, but I’d never been up here until now.
At the end of the hallway, I opened the door and flicked on the light.
“Welcome to your new home,” I said as she entered the spacious room and looked around.
She walked to the window, and her expression told me she was more impressed by the mountain view than by her luxurious accommodations.
“It’s very nice,” she said quietly.
Chris entered the room, followed by the other warriors, all bearing boxes and suitcases. Seamus had to duck under the door frame with the three boxes he carried. He set the boxes in the small living room and observed the load they’d brought up.
“How much clothing does one wee lass need?”
Sara smiled. “Those are books, not clothes.”
“Like we don’t have enough books here.”
“These are my books.”
For a moment, I saw sadness in her eyes, but she shook it off. “Thank you for bringing up my things.”
Niall slapped his twin on the back of the head and gave her a playful bow. “Anytime, lass.”
The others left and I found myself alone with her. She looked around as if she wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“A little.”
I knew she was lying. She hadn’t eaten on the flight and had to be starving. “They’re serving dinner now. Would you like to join me?”
Relief flashed in her eyes, and her smile sent warmth through me.
“Do I have time to change and clean up a bit?”
“Take all the time you need.” I walked to the door. “I could use a bit of cleaning up too. How about I come back for you in half an hour?”
“Okay.”
I closed the door behind me and headed for my apartment to shower and change. My chest felt light for the first time in weeks, and I looked forward to our first evening together at Westhorne.
I knew Sara was homesick and missing her uncle and friends. I’d do everything in my power to make her happy here and to help her transition to her new life.
Knowing Tristan, he had already made preparations for her Mohiri education, and I needed to let him know I intended to be involved in her training. I’d still do my job, but I planned to spend more time at Westhorne. Sara was my first priority now, and her happiness came above all else.
* * *
“Half Fae,” Tristan said for about the fourth time since he’d shown up at my door thirty minutes ago. I wondered if I’d worn that same shocked expression when Sara told me her story.
“Now you know why I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”
He let out a long breath. “How is it possible for a demon to survive surrounded by Fae magic? From what you’ve told me about her healing the werewolf, her magic is already quite strong.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. She must use her Fae magic to keep the Mori under control without harming it. That’s how she’s been able to survive all these years, where anyone else would have gone insane. That’s also why she doesn’t feel our bond like she should.”
I’d had a lot of time to think about Sara’s Mori on the flight from Maine, and I believed once she learned not to fear her demon, she would open herself up to it.
“Incredible.”
I smiled. “Yes, she is.”
“I wish I could have been there to meet her today. How is she doing?”
“Good. We had dinner, and then Claire came by to show her around. Sara said she was going to call Nate when she got back to her room.”
The dining hall had been almost empty by the time we arrived, and we’d had a nice quiet meal. Chris had joined us, and though I would have preferred to have Sara to myself, I knew seeing his familiar face made her more comfortable.
“After everything that’s happened, it’s hard to believe she’s really here.”
“I know what you mean.” I was half afraid I’d wake up and find myself back in my hotel room in New Hastings, still wondering if I’d ever see her again.
“Thank you for bringing my granddaughter home, Nikolas,” Tristan said in a voice thick with emotion.
“You don’t have to thank me. I’d do anything for her.”
“I know you would.” He seemed distracted for a moment. “I wish I didn’t have to leave tomorrow for India. I hate not being here for her.”
I understood his reluctance to leave, but I knew he’d never shirk his duties. “You’ll only be gone a week, and it’s not like Sara will be alone. I’ll be here, and I think Chris is sticking around for a week or so.”
He patted the arm of his chair. “You plan to stay at Westhorne for a while then?”
My brows drew together. “My mate is here.”
“She doesn’t know she is your mate.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Not yet. I’ll tell her when I think she is ready.”
Tristan pursed his lips. “And until then?”
I didn’t know where he was going with these questions, and I didn’t like the direction our conversation was taking. “Until then, I’ll be whatever she needs me to be.”
“Sara is going to need help from all of us to adjust to her new life. I don’t mean just you, me, and Chris. She will have training and studies, and she’ll get to know the people living here.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Are you going to be okay with that, with her being around other males?”
My Mori shifted restlessly.
“I can see the answer in your expression.” Tristan clasped his hands and gave me a searching look. “What happened outside earlier with Callum?”
“What do you mean?”
“I couldn’t be there to greet my granddaughter, but I was able to watch her arrival on the security cameras. You became aggressive with Callum for speaking to Sara.”
I scowled. “I was not aggressive. And I was expecting Claire to be there, not a male I barely know.”
He shook his head. “You became territorial, moving in front of her and forcing him to take a step back. You may not have noticed, but everyone else did. And it upset Sara.”
I started to argue but stopped, remembering Sara’s face and her asking if everything was okay.
“As for you not knowing Callum, there will always be males you don’t know. I understand how it feels to be bonded, trust me, but you can’t growl at every male who gets near Sara. We have four male trainees here, and she’ll be studying with them. Will you get angry when they talk to her or when they have to touch her in training exercises?”
I had no answer for him because he was right. I was feeling possessive. I’d just gotten Sara back after the worst three weeks of my life, and I didn’t want to share her with anyone, least of all another male.
But more than that, I didn’t want to upset her or to make the transition to her life here more stressful than it already was. I’d taken her from what she knew and thrust her into a completely different lifestyle. She hadn’t said it, but I could see in her face and her subdued behavior since we left Maine that she was feeling overwhelmed.
Tristan leaned back with a heavy sigh, and I knew I was not going to like what he said next. I was right.
“I think it would be best for Sara and you if you give her some space for a few weeks, maybe a month. Let her have time to settle in here and adjust, and to get to know people without any…complications.”
My body stiffened. “You want me to leave her for a month? Do you know what you’re asking?”
“I do,” he said apologetically. “And I understand why you’re angry. I remember how hard it was to be away from Josephine before we completed our bond.”
“And yet you ask this of me.”
He rubbed his jaw unhappily. “I don’t want to, and the decision is up to you. But can you honestly tell me you’ll be able to act normally when other males go near her? Will you be able to keep your feelings hidden until she is ready to learn the truth?”
The anger drained out of me. “I don’t know.”
“Believe me, Nikolas, if I thought there was a better way to do this, I’d suggest it. You’re one of my closest friends, and I hate to cause you pain. But Sara is my granddaughter, and her well-being must come first.”
I ignored the weight on my chest and the outrage pouring from my Mori. “You’re right. Her happiness is all that matters.”
“A month is all I ask.”
I took a deep breath. “I want to be kept updated on how she’s doing. And when I return in a month, I will take over her training.”
He didn’t try to hide his surprise. “You’ve never wanted anything to do with training.”
“This is different.”
“I suppose it is.” He smiled. “Well, if anything, it’ll be interesting to watch.”
“Who will oversee her training while I’m gone?” I was hoping he’d say Claire, though I knew she handled more administrative tasks these days, helping Tristan run Westhorne.
Tristan had that look again, the one that said I wasn’t going to be happy with his answer.
“I think the best trainer to start her with is Callum.”
“No.”
He held up a hand. “Listen to me before you get worked up. Callum is the best trainer we have at Westhorne, and all the trainees like him. You can’t object to someone you barely know.”
Remembering the handsome Scotsman smiling at Sara, I crossed my arms. “I can.”
A smile tugged at his lips, and I scowled. How was any of this amusing?
“Nikolas, I think there is something you should know about Callum that will make you less opposed to him.”
“Is he mated?” Because I couldn’t think of anything else that would make me agree to him as Sara’s trainer.
“No. I believe he was in a relationship that ended right before he moved here last year.”
“Then he is single.”
“He is also gay.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“Callum’s a good man, Nikolas, and a fine trainer. In this situation, I think he is the perfect one to pair with Sara until you get back.”
I dragged my hand through my hair, knowing I had no arguments left. “Okay.”
“Good.” Tristan looked relieved to have it settled. “When will you leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
Erik had located one of Eli’s places in Portland, where they found some Vegas addresses. I’d planned to ask Geoffrey to check them out, but hunting in Vegas had never sounded more appealing. I had a feeling I’d need to work off a lot of aggression in the next four weeks.
* * *
“Goddamnit, Nikolas, do you know what time it is?”
I almost smiled at the grumbling coming out of my phone. Chris was an easygoing guy – unless you woke him up in the predawn after a night of drinking with Seamus and Niall.
My own mood wasn’t much better after a sleepless night with an agitated Mori. Last night, when I had agreed to go away for a month, I’d planned to tell Sara over breakfast that I was leaving. But if she saw me like this, she’d know something was wrong. And I might not be able to make myself leave.
“Change of plans. Meet me in half an hour.”
More groaning and swearing came out of the phone.
“You can follow me later if you need a few hours.”
He muttered something about bonds and impatient males before he hung up.
Thirty minutes later, I left my apartment and made my way to the third floor of the north wing. The building was quiet, and I made no sound as I walked down the hallway and stopped at the last door on the left. I could feel Sara inside, and I pictured her sleeping in her bed, dark hair spilling over her pillow. In a few hours, she would awaken to start her first day at Westhorne, and I was sorry I would miss it.
My phone vibrated, and I knew it was Chris, letting me know he was ready to go.
I laid my hand against the door. Sleep well, moy malen’kiy voin.
Chris met me in the garage where the motorcycles were stored. Our bikes were being shipped from Maine, but we kept backups here. We stored our gear and weapons, and within minutes, we were driving through the gates. I didn’t look back because it was hard enough leaving her.
Solmi, my Mori wailed angrily as we left Westhorne and our mate behind us.
We rode for three hours before we stopped for breakfast at a roadside diner.
After I ate, I went outside and called Dax about an idea I’d had during the ride here. I hoped it would make Sara happy and maybe ease her anger at me for leaving the way I had.
Dax laughed. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“Maybe.”
“Okay. I’ll get back to you in a few hours.”
It was late afternoon when Chris and I pulled into the driveway of one of our two Vegas safe houses. Geoffrey, who oversaw all of our operations here, came up from the basement to greet us when we entered the house and dropped our bags in the foyer.
“Nikolas, Chris, it’s been a while,” the black warrior said as we walked into the living room. “What brings you to Nevada?”
Chris sat on the couch and stretched out his legs under the coffee table. “We heard you guys are having all the fun out here.”
Geoffrey went into the kitchen and returned with three cold beers. Handing one to each of us, he sat on the other end of the couch.
“Well, there’s lots of fun to go around; I promise you that. Feels like half the vampires on the west coast suddenly decided to vacation in Sin City.”
I stood by the window. “How long has it been like that?”
“About a month.” He rubbed his bald head. “I know they’ve got to be nesting here, but I’ll be damned if I can find them. There are a ton of places to hide in Vegas.”
“Then you’re in luck because we might know a few places to start looking.” I took a long swig from my beer, my black mood lightening a fraction. I couldn’t think of a better way to ease some of the tension coiled inside me than to kill vampires.
Geoffrey’s eyes gleamed. “Half my guys are out on a recon job. You want to wait until they get back?”
I almost said no, but common sense prevailed. Going off half-cocked in my current frame of mind would be foolhardy and dangerous, and I had no intention of dying anytime soon.
“Yes,” I said as my phone vibrated.
It was a text from Dax. Minneapolis. Here’s the number. A phone number appeared on my screen.
Thanks, I wrote back.
Anytime.
I set my beer down on the coffee table and dialed the number Dax had sent. A female’s voice answered, and I immediately got to the reason for my call.
She sucked in a sharp breath. “You want us to send them to Westhorne?
“Yes.”
“But they’re… This is a high security facility, and we’re much better equipped to house such beasts.”
It sounded like she was typing on a computer keyboard. “We had to lock them up in a separate part of the building because they make the other creatures nervous.”
“Then you should be happy when I take them off your hands.”
She refused to back down easily. “Does Lord Tristan approve of this request?”
I couldn’t fault the warrior for doing her job. “Feel free to call Tristan, but I expect those beasts to be on a transport for Idaho by the end of the week.”
I hung up and smiled. I hadn’t let Tristan know what I was doing, and I suspected I’d be hearing from him within the hour. But if I couldn’t be with Sara, I would do my damnedest to make sure she was happy. Something told me those two hellhounds would do that.
Chris gave me a wide-eyed look. “Did you just order them to send those two monsters to Westhorne?”
I shrugged and sat in the chair across from him. “They belong to Sara, and she’d be upset if they were locked away in a place like that.”
He let out a choked laugh. “They’re hellhounds, Nikolas. Tristan will have to lock them in the menagerie. He might throw you in with them when he gets his hands on you.”
“They’re better off in the menagerie than in Minneapolis. They’ll be close to Sara, and she’ll make sure they’re well cared for.”
He smiled wryly. “Yeah. Until they get loose and eat someone.”
“She’ll have them eating out of her hand in a day.”
He coughed into his beer. “You willing to make a wager on that?”
It was my turn to laugh because I knew Sara a lot better than he did. “Name it.”
“Hmmm.” He thought for a moment. “My new knife set for your favorite sword.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that, my friend? I know you love those knives.”
“And I plan to keep them.”
Geoffrey had been silent since my phone call. He looked from me to Chris. “What am I missing here?”
Smirking at Chris, I picked up my beer. “I just acquired a new set of throwing knives.”
