pack. Very powerful. Very unusual. Very special. The Lady helps. The Lady protects.”
Victor had never seen Puteri have so much emotion about anything outside of the volume of duties she’d taken on. It reminded him of Loch’s emotional reaction to the appearance of the imp.
“We all kind of glowed for a moment. Even the kids. Is that why Gus is a little… out of it?” Victor asked, hoping to keep her talking. He still needed more information, and Puteri would be as good a resource as Loch for information about fae customs.
Puteri hurried around the bed toward him. Gus reached out to her, and Puteri lifted him down from Victor’s lap. “Little Gus is okay.”
He cuddled against her, almost as big as she was already.
“You should take him back with you. That’s why I called. He doesn’t need to sit here any longer.”
She frowned at him. “Victor is sure?”
“Yes, Puteri. I want him with the others. You can call me if—I mean, you can let Nick know if he needs something. I’ll be away for a few days.”
Puteri frowned and glanced toward the bed. “The griffin leaves? Now?”
“Bird?”
Victor leaned over and smiled at Gus. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. You be a good boy for Puteri, okay?”
Gus’s lip began to wobble. Victor ran his hand gently over Gus’s hair. “Take him back to the pack, Puteri.”
She nodded and held Gus close. A moment later, they disappeared with a pop of magic.
14
Riggs
Riggs had never had an out-of-body experience before, but he was pretty sure he was having one now. He woke up in a strange room, feeling like he’d been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. Everything hurt, from his hair to his toes. He blinked away a little confusion, trying to piece together what was going on. His memories began to return. Maida. She’d hurt him and…
He heard the rustle of fabric and looked to the side. Familiar red hair but… it wasn’t attached to the right body. “Victor?”
Victor’s cousin, Eduard, pushed to his feet and leaned over the bed. “He’s not here at the moment. I’m watching over you.”
“Not only you.” Another voice spoke, the person standing just out of sight.
Riggs gasped and coughed, sending shooting pain through his stomach. He turned toward a very familiar voice. “Mama?”
“Orsen Riggs, when I sent you out into the world, I did not expect to get a call that said you’d been gutted like a fish. What do you have to say for yourself?”
There were only a few words that came to mind. “I found my mate.”
He heard a surprised gasp from beside him and turned to see that familiar but wrong red hair again. His brain felt muddied, unclear, and he realized he must be on some serious pain meds.
“And where is this mysterious mate of yours?” his mother asked.
That was what Riggs wanted to know.
Eduard had a very speculative look on his face. “Stubborn fool.”
Which described Victor perfectly.
Riggs grinned, probably stupidly. “Yeah. But he’s my stubborn fool.”
“He doesn’t know, does he?”
“He knows. He has to know.” Riggs itched his nose and wondered when his arm had gotten so damned heavy. “I know. I should have told him. He passed out, though. Gave him a great orgasm.” His mom snorted, drawing his attention back to her. “Hey, Mama.”
“You’re high as a kite, Orsen. Better keep your trap shut before you say something you’ll regret later.”
“Family,” Riggs said. He didn’t have to worry about saying anything with just his mom and Eduard in the room.
Eduard made a sound. Why did everyone keep doing that?
“Why do you keep making noises?” His nose was really itchy. There was something in it. He pulled at the thingy that blew air and scowled at it. “You suck.”
His mom cackled and pulled the thingy out of his hand. “Leave it alone, son. And yes, everyone here is family. You close your eyes. Mama will be here when you wake up. And I’ll have the entire story by then.”
She turned her attention to Eduard. Riggs wanted to warn him that she was ruthless, but he couldn’t seem to remember how to speak.
Riggs opened his eyes, determined to warn Eduard about his mom, but when he did, the room had grown dark. Wasn’t it light a minute ago?
It took him a second to realize he wasn’t alone. He turned his head and found his mom sitting in the chair beside his bed.
“Shh,” she whispered. “Don’t wake the baby.”
He’d probably hit his head. Or maybe blood loss had scrambled more