“Yeah,” I say.
She looks up at me. “What does that mean?”
“They felt my spike of rage so they ran here to help. They’re taking him to a holding cell in the basement of the town hall while we figure this out.”
“Figure this out?” she asks.
I fill my lungs with oxygen and let it out slow. I’m fucked. Royally fucked.
“Are you okay, baby?” I ask, caressing her face.
Her eyes still look hollow to me. She’s pale. Her face is swollen from the crying. And she’s still trembling.
“I don’t know,” she whispers.
Tyson comes into my house as I say, “I need to get dressed and go to the town hall. I’ll get someone to come sit with you. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Tyson says. “Go. Do what you need to do.”
Ty knows I don’t want her unattended. That I’m worried she’ll run. Now more than ever.
“Thanks, Ty.” I slap his back. “There are spare clothes downstairs behind the bar. Go grab something.” There are always a few sets of the guys’ clothes there as we frequently end our morning runs here.
He jerks his chin, “Flashback to that peach schnapps.” He shudders and heads down to the basement.
Amelia eyes him with distaste.
“He drank too much of it the night before the wedding,” I explain.
She says nothing.
I kiss her. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Wait. What’s gonna happen? He saw you. He saw you… as both,” she says unnecessarily, but I get the impression she’s processing the whirlwind that just happened.
Yeah. This is complicated. It’s especially complicated that outsiders witnessed it. The guy from Scotland is tight with Cat, a doctor, also a wolf shifter who sits on the supernatural collective council that oversees all supernaturals. This is very fucking not good.
“I don’t know yet, baby. I’m gonna go talk with the guys and figure it out. Love you.” I kiss her and grab my phone.
She doesn’t kiss me back. She doesn’t say anything.
When I head outside, I see they’re gone and so is the Mercedes as well as Joel’s car. My clothes and shoes are on the walkway, so I put them on, go back in for my keys, and crane my neck to look up to the top floor. Amelia has gone back up and shut the doors.
Tyson sits on my couch with the remote control, wearing a pair of sweatpants.
“Just need my key,” I say.
He nods. “I won’t let her leave. And Mase…”
I look him in the eyes.
“If there’s any vote called on what to do about this… my vote is with you. Whatever you choose, I’m with you.”
I thump my fist against my chest.
He returns the gesture.
***
When I get to the town hall, the rest of the council is there in a huddle. And Eddy from Washington and Mitch from Scotland are there, too. Along with Lorenzo, Rob, David, Bruce, Graydon, and Garrett. In other words, the retired council.
All eyes swing to me.
And I know by their faces, not to mention what I’m feeling through the bond with most of the men in the room, that I’m well and truly fucked.
“His gun wasn’t loaded,” Mitch says.
52
Amelia
I’m pacing Mason’s room, feeling completely stressed. I came up here and vomited. That’s how stressed I am.
One minute, I’m asleep, having a terrible dream, and the next, Rick is shouting at me, then pulling me out of Mason’s bed, hollering I should get dressed and pointing a fucking gun at me.
I thought I wasn’t awake. I thought the nightmare had changed. It was a nightmare come true!
“What the hell?” I cried out.
“Get dressed and let’s go. You’re solving my problem today.”
“What are you talking about? What are you doing here? Mason!”
“You can wear that. We’ll get clothes on the way. Let’s go.” I was still in Mason’s University of Boston sweatshirt and my yoga pants.
Then he pulled me, and I fought, but he was way stronger. He got me down the stairs; we actually tripped and fell down in a tangle down the last half a flight.
And then Rick hauled me kicking and fighting outside. I knew he had a gun, but I was just freaking the heck out. I didn’t even have shoes on.
He got me outside and all the while I was thinking, Mason, where are you? But I was also terrified, because of that gun. I knew he had to be gone on a morning run. I knew he had to be gone and that he’d come back and think I took off. He’d look for me. Would he find me? I know he talked about tracking abilities and he’d found me that day I got away and walked down the road, but what about if I was in a car? And if he caught up with us, would Rick kill him? I was terrified. Rick with a gun completely shocked me.