“Of course you do,” she replied, the echo of her words causing Marshall to chuckle.
“I said the exact same thing,” he told her.
“I’ll show you to your rooms, and Sam can do what he needs to there. You can take an hour or so to rest before you meet with Aaron.”
Anna led them into the building, and Marshall stopped to take everything in. He saw Saint twitch as they crossed the threshold and glanced at his friend.
“Protection wards,” Saint murmured, and Marshall nodded his understanding as he continued to look around. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but the huge glass roofed atrium wasn’t it. Light flooded the area, which was designed a little like a high-end hotel. There was a desk to one side of the doorway where a smartly dressed young man was tapping away at a computer.
Straight ahead were comfy looking couches arranged around low tables where a few people sat enjoying what smelled like freshly brewed coffee. There was a small play area in the far corner where young children played happily under the watchful eye of their parents. In the opposite corner was a huge tree with platforms off several branches at different heights that led to the uppermost mezzanine floor. Beneath it was a small pool area.
There were several corridors and hallways leading away from the main area, and Marshall got an overwhelming feeling of home. Next to him, Saint fidgeted, and he turned to make sure his friend was okay.
Saint’s ice-blue eyes were as wide as Marshall’s must have been, and Marshall grinned as he recognized the look on the tiger shifter’s face. “You like that pool, don’t you?” he teased.
“Huh? What?” Saint tore his gaze away and glared at Marshall, which made him laugh out loud.
“Once you’ve met with Aaron and the Pack Elders, you’re more than welcome to shift, Mr. Sinclair, and enjoy our facilities.,” Anna told him.
“Umm, thank you,” Saint replied. Marshall nudged him in the ribs, and Saint smirked at him. Give the man a body of water, and he’d be in it all day. Give him a box, and well, you’d never know that Saint was a bad-ass ex-Special Forces operator.
“Your rooms are just down this way, in the guest wing,” Anna said as she guided them away from the entry lobby. “There are several self-contained apartments on the upper levels which the pack enforcers and betas stay in. Many of the Pack, though, have houses and apartments in and around town.”
They came to a halt outside a plain wooden door, which Anna opened and led them inside. The room was light and airy, lit by the sun shining through a sliding door that led outside. Doorways on either side of the suite led to bedrooms, and the entire area was tastefully decorated in warm tones.
“I’ll leave you to get settled. Someone will come and get you when it’s time to meet with Aaron.” Anna patted Marshall’s arm. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, just press one on the phone, and you’ll go straight through to the front desk.”
Anna turned her attention to Sam. “Don’t be too long, Sam. I know Aaron wants to see you before the meeting.”
Sam nodded his understanding and quickly set up the equipment he needed to draw blood. Marshall took a seat on the comfortable couch and rolled up his sleeve. It didn’t take long for Sam to take what he needed.
“I’ll leave you to settle in,” the bear shifter told them.
After he’d gone, Marshall relaxed back into the cushions. He eyed Saint as the other man stalked around the room.
“What’s up, Saint?”
“I dunno. I mean, I can’t sense any danger, and I get a feeling of well-being.”
“And the problem with that is?”
Saint raked a hand through his white-blond hair. “Nothing. It’s a mixed pack, not just wolf. I got the scents of other felids, as well as canids and ursines.”
“Well, I figured that out for myself, what with Sam being a bear shifter and the huge climbing tree in the atrium.”
“Yeah, what is with that?” Saint flopped down onto the opposite couch. “I thought we’d walked into a luxury hotel resort. The protection wards were strong too. They must have some pretty powerful mages on staff to ward a building this size.”
“Me too,” Marshall said with a chuckle. “They’re obviously not short of a penny or two.”
A light knock at the door had Saint jumping up. He opened it to find a young man with their bags.
“Hi, I’m Josh West. I’m Aaron’s brother and the Pack Beta.”
Saint pulled the door wider and let Josh into the room.
“Good to meet you both,” Josh replied as he placed their bags near the couch. “One of the kitchen staff will be by in a moment with some sandwiches and fresh coffee.” He smiled warmly at Marshall. “When Sam rang last night to say he’d found someone with the same symptoms as Aaron, well, I won’t deny we all got a burst of hope.”
“I don’t know if Sam will find anything to help either of us, but hey, I’ve got nothing to lose.”