If he said yes, he’d be caught with information we needed.
We all awaited Julian’s response.
Instead of looking meek, he looked furious. He stood abruptly, his wine sloshing out of his glass. “Of course I know what goes on in my city! But as I just stated, I’ve had Florence cleared. There are no supernaturals in it. So the ones you seek are not there.”
“Well,” I started, “you had it cleared, except for my friend here”—I gestured to Danny—“and that one witch we saw.” I turned to Rourke. “What was her name again?”
“Angie,” Rourke growled.
“Ah, yes, Angie,” I repeated as I stood, meeting Julian’s stare brazenly. “Can you explain to us what one of Tally’s witches was not only doing in Florence, since you had it cleared, but also snooping around in my bedroom?”
Julian’s glare didn’t waver. “If there was a witch in the city, she was defying my orders and will be punished. As for having her in this house, I know nothing about that. I will have it investigated thoroughly.”
“Um.” Marcy cleared her throat. “I hate to break it to you, Julian, but there are witch spells crawling all over this villa, like termites snacking on a rotten log. It’s hard to believe you wouldn’t be aware, but it’s possible. After all, as far as I know, wolves cannot detect spells very easily. But some can if they have a good sniffer.” Marcy just gave us the reason why Julian didn’t have his wolves living in the villa. And she was giving him an out, which was likely the best course to take at the moment. If we pushed him any harder, we’d have a war on our hands. With my father so far away, that wasn’t advisable. “But I can help you get rid of them, if you’d like.”
The Mediterranean Alpha managed to keep his composure. As we were finding, he was a gifted actor. If he had hoodwinked his wolves by consorting with witches, he must be really good. “If my home is spelled, I will have it taken care of.” His voice was harsh. “It is not as surprising as you’d think to find spells here, as I am an influential leader with a long reach. Not everyone is happy with the way I’ve decided to conduct my business across the city.”
No, Julian, we’re certain they aren’t.
Marcy rose to the challenge. “Honestly, it’s no big deal. I can wipe this villa clean faster than a maid on steroids, and it won’t cost you a dime.” That was saying a lot. If Julian hired it out, it would cost him a small fortune. Witches were expensive. “I’ll put it all toward my room and board.”
There was a collective intake of breath.
If Julian refused, he would confirm that he knew they’d been here all along, that he’d possibly even ordered the witch to cast them. He took a sip of his wine, ignoring the wetness on his hand from the recent spill, still trying to appear like he was in control of the situation. “That would be wonderful,” he finally stated. “It will save me the trouble of hiring someone else to do it.” He abruptly set his wineglass down on the table and nodded at each of us. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to call a meeting with my council so we can get to the bottom of this. I will not abide by unwanted supernaturals invading my private sanctum. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He turned without further ado and hastened back into the house like he was late for a meeting.
He couldn’t get out of here fast enough, I told my mate.
He had no choice but to scurry away or face our wrath, Rourke replied. He was caught red-handed. If his Pack knew of his deceit, they could rise against him.
Before anyone could move or say anything, Marcy raised her hands in the air and began to chant something as she turned in a circle. We waited for her to finish, as we didn’t want anything we said reaching any snooping ears.
When she was done, she lowered her arms. “Okay, there are still more spells to dissolve,” she said. “But in the meantime, I’m going to cast a containment charm around this area so we can talk freely. Then I’ll head into the house and finish the rest. I’ve never met a sloppier witch.” She placed her hands on her hips. “The spells crumble under my words, disintegrating like dried leaves on the wind. She didn’t take the time to cement them in place, which is such a newbie move. If you secure them, that doesn’t make them unbreakable, but it makes them harder to crack. I could’ve been here all night, and instead, it’ll take me no more than ten minutes to wipe this place clean.” She waved her hands around the seating area, and there was an audible pop. “Okeydokey, talk away. Nothing is getting out of this bubble until I say so.”
Danny went first. “That is the strangest Alpha I’ve ever met. He was openly lying like he thought we wouldn’t pick up on it. His wolves are either stupid, or completely in the dark.” He shook his head, settling his fingers over his temples and rubbing.
I got up and went to sit by him on the railing. I placed my hand on his back to give him some comfort. “Are you picking up anything from Naomi? I’m confident that’s the reason Enid led us to you. You have a direct connection to Naomi, which will take away the necessity of her having to plant notes for us.”
“No,” Danny said, his voice miserable. “I keep trying, but nothing is going through.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, knowing he would no matter what I said. I glanced around at the rest of the group. “I have a plan for tomorrow morning. Rourke, Danny, and I will head into Florence before dusk. I want the rest of you to fan out.” I hadn’t had a chance to discuss the plan with Rourke, but I knew he’d agree. Trying to keep certain details out of my brain made it hard to formulate things, but I was trying. “Marcy, James, and Ray, I want you to stay here. Ray, first thing in the morning, take them both to the bunker. You guys are officially on the hunt for Tally. Julian has to be in cahoots with Ceres, since Angie’s scent is all over this place. They have to be holding Tally someplace close, so she can be under Julian’s protection. The bunker’s a good place to start. Ray also picked up on a scent that could be Ceres. Marcy, maybe you’ll recognize it when you smell it.”
“What were the flavors?” Marcy asked Ray.
“Jasmine and mint,” he replied.
Marcy nodded. “Jasmine sounds about right. I’m not sure about mint. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Ceres, but if it’s her, I’ll know. That cheating, snatching, good-for-nothing goddess. I can’t wait to get my fingertips near her.”
“I don’t want you to approach any of them,” I warned. “Don’t forget that Ceres has the ability to render you infertile. Once we find her, I’ll deal with her myself.”
“Whatever you say, boss,” Marcy said. “I’d prefer not to battle that hateful goddess alone. But once I get the chance, I’m going to spell her up good.” She cracked her knuckles.
“Noted,” I said, turning to Nick. “I want you and Lucas to stay in the villa and be our eyes and ears.” I addressed my brother. “You and Kayla are going to rendezvous with Dad first thing in the morning. I want you to fill him in on everything. He won’t be welcome here, especially after what went down tonight. I’m not sure if we will be either. Dad and his wolves will have to find a new place to stay. Once you get settled, let me know. I’m hoping we can meet you there at the end of the day.” I had no idea how my day was going to go, so there were no promises. “I’ll keep you posted.”
Rourke stood. “Jessica’s plan is sound. We can’t rehash more specifics right now, so I say we all turn in early and get a good night’s sleep. We regroup tomorrow night.”
Danny fiddled with the stem of his wineglass. “I have to find her.”
“We will,” I assured him. “You’re coming with Rourke and me in the morning. We’ll fill you in tomorrow. When Enid wants us to locate Naomi, you will be the conduit, I’m sure of it. And we will be ready.”