Bronywyn
“This has been one hell of a fucking day, hasn’t it?” Rainey asks as we step through the threshold of what Drex has now deemed our new ‘home base of operations’.
Exhaustion plaguing my every move, it takes everything in me not to simply collapse onto the floor right here in the entryway. “Isn’t that the damn truth.” After checking Rachel over to make sure she had no injuries, I stayed back with Rainey, while Delaney, Tarnley, and Elijah brought Rachel and Walker here and got them set up in rooms.
Cole moves into the house alongside Drexel, both men looking nearly as tired as we do. “Thanks, guys,” I tell them. “Appreciate you both watching our back’s tonight.” They’d stood guard outside the hospital while Rainey and I handled the specifics.
Fearghas erased the memories of all surviving humans, our new story being a gas leak on the floor of the hospital. It kills me to have to cheapen what really happened. But the fact is that knowing the truth won’t make it any easier on the survivors, or the families of the victims.
“No problem. Let me know if you need anything.” Cole heads for the stairs while Drexel breaks off toward the living room where Magnolia is watching TV with Winnie and Ivan.
“I’m really wishing we would have taken Fearghas up on that offer to head to Eira’s for a drink.” Rainey runs both hands over her face.
“Someone in need of some whiskey?” Tarnley appears in the doorway to the kitchen with two glasses. He offers one to me and the other to Rainey.
“You are my hero,” she grumbles, as she leaves us both in the entryway.
“Everything okay?” he questions as soon as we’re alone.
I take a drink and lean back against the hall. “Your cleaners took care of the mess. Fearghas handled memory wiping, and Paloma put together a report that says there was a massive gas leak that led to the deceased.”
“How are they going to explain the wounds?”
“Paloma also mentioned there being a patient who lost his head to the gas. He went postal, and thankfully, a nurse managed to phone the police before losing her life.”
He visibly winces. “I hate the lies.”
“Same. Though, with any luck, the councils will be dealt with, and we won’t have to do it anymore. At least, not on this scale.”
“And what about the councils sending vamps after humans?”
Dread turns my insides to stone. “I don’t know. If they go after humans on a mass scale—like they did today—there won’t be preventing our existence from being revealed. It will be strictly damage-control at that point.”
“Then the lies won’t be necessary, anyway,” he adds.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We need to keep our people close. Deissy, Felix, Paloma, and now, Rachel—they’re all at risk.”
“Already taken care of. The moment we got back here, I called Paloma. She’s staying on pack lands, except when she’s at work—and from now on, Willa has two wolves with her and Harrie at all times. Deissy and Felix are getting settled into a room upstairs, and Rachel has been sleeping upstairs ever since you cleared her of a concussion and we brought her here. They’re safe—for now.”
That’s at least something.My entire body feels like lead, my muscles barely managing to help me move farther into the house. “This is complete insanity.”
“What is going on?”
The voice. The tone. It rakes up my back like acid as I turn and face my father. “None of your damned business.”
His hard eyes narrow on my face. “I told you I’m here to help you.”
“Well, your brand of help is unwarranted. And as soon as you tell us exactly how you found us, we’ll rip our location from your memory and send you on your merry way.”
“I’ll only find you, again,” he says, and then lifts his sleeve to reveal a massive tattoo.
“What the hell is that?” I demand, moving toward him.
“You don’t recognize it? That’s shameful. I taught you better than that.”
I glare up at him. “You taught menothing.”
“No?” He slides the sleeve back down. “Can we perhaps discuss matters in private?”