I was going to kill someone. Please.
She’s my mother.
All the air whooshed out of me. I never would’ve guessed that. Not in a million years. I stopped walking again as questions ran through my mind. The first one was most important. Is she still alive?
Yes. Of course. You didn’t know?
How’s that possible? Your father’s dead. Usually when one half of a pair died, the other didn’t last long. Every Were knew the story of Donovan’s father. He’d died battling an evil fey queen. It was a legend.
Aye. But my mother had some fey blood in her. Even though she started aging after Da died, it’s been much slower than your average Were. She looks to be about early seventies in human years now. She’s still spry enough but has issues living with the pack. Too many fragile feelings. So she decided to move to a home with—
A horrible realization hit me. Does everyone know she’s alive?
In my pack? Yes. Course they do.
Do they know where to find her?
Yes, but no one reaches out to her. They know she craves her privacy.
We need to get to her. Now. I raced down the hallway and swung open the closest window. A blast of icy air chilled me to the bone. I longed for a thicker coat, but I didn’t have time for that. Meet me at the cars.
Two stories up wasn’t that bad. Tessa had done worse. I gripped the edge of the window as I climbed out.
“What are you doing?” Francis asked as she looked down at me from inside the window.
“Wish me luck.” I let go. The wind froze my skin as I fell, and I had a second to think that this might not have been the best plan before I hit with a thud. The landing rattled my teeth, but after a second, I was up and running around the castle to the garages.
I just hoped I wasn’t too late to save Donovan’s mother from the beast.
Chapter Nineteen
I tapped the steering wheel. Donovan?
I’m coming! Just wait one more minute.
He was taking too long. That minute could mean the difference between his mother living and dying.
No. I wasn’t risking it. Gravel skidded out from under the tires as I accelerated down the driveway, but I didn’t get far before someone darted out in front of my car.
“Shit!” I screamed as I downshifted, trying to stop before I hit my mate. Warn me next time you’re about to do something that stupid.
I told you to wait! He slid into the passenger side and slammed the door. “Go.”
I shifted into gear and gunned the car down the drive. “You’re not dressed. What were you doing if you weren’t getting clothes?”
“There are clothes in the trunk. I’ll get them later. I had to tell Ian what to do. You’re right about the pack needing more of an emergency plan. You wouldn’t happen to have your phone on you?”
“Yeah.” I pulled it out of my hoodie’s pocket and handed it to him.
He dialed quickly. “Stephen,” he said as soon as someone answered. “It’s Donovan Murry. Is my mother around?” Donovan motioned to the right as we hit the end of the drive. I didn’t slow down, sliding a little as I made the turn.
“Ehm. No. It’s Tuesday, right?”
“Aye.”
I’d made the trip into town once before, so I knew it wasn’t but five minutes away. Donovan motioned to the left. That wasn’t the way I’d come last time, but hopefully it was a shortcut.
“Tuesdays she takes tea in town. She fancies the place with—”