The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,75

rescued the glass and set it safely on the table.

Rhianne lifted the crystal, peering into its white-hot depths. “Mother?”

There you are. Lady Aisling’s voice came through clearly if faintly in Tuil Erdannan. I’m very happy to speak to you, dear. Are you faring all right?

Rhianne gave her mother the standard answer, which she used for all occasions. “Yes, I am well.”

Good. I’m pleased to tell you that you may return home now. The coast, as humans say, is clear. Ben shall escort you home, or at least to the sundial, and we’ll have a nice celebratory slice of Great-Aunt Freya’s plum pie. Tell Ben thank you for all he’s done.

Rhianne’s heart beat thickly. “I’m not certain I’m ready to return yet. Things have happened. I can’t explain.” She wet her lips at the understatement. She wanted to shout questions at her mother, such as, Why didn’t you tell me my father was a Shifter? Who was he? What was he to you? Did you love him? Or were you simply taking refuge from Ivor?

Rhianne cleared her throat, suppressing the urge. “You and I need to have a talk. A very long talk.”

Of course, dear. We can as soon as you are home, I promise. The human world can be entertaining, I know, but you belong here, Rhianne. I’ll see you when you arrive.

The crystal dinged, and the light died. Rhianne had drawn a breath for more argument and then let it out in anger as the crystal went dark.

“What did she say?” Ben asked. He reached for the crystal and Rhianne dropped it into his palm. “My Tuil Erdannan isn’t that great.”

“She wants me to return home.” Rhianne’s anger tasted bitter. “Rush back to her, like a good child. As though my entire life hasn’t been turned upside down. She wants you to take me to the sundial. Doesn’t bother to ask you if you have the time, oh no. Just assumes you’ll drop everything and do as she pleases.”

“She always assumes that,” Ben said calmly. “It’s no problem. Time I was back in Faerie anyway, to finish up the karmsyern. Now that Shifter Bureau is breathing down our necks, it’s probably a good thing that we go.”

Rhianne stared at him in disbelief. “Just like that? After all that’s happened? I go home as though nothing has changed?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Rhianne was aware of Kim and Carly taking up their glasses of wine and slipping out to leave Rhianne and Ben in privacy.

“What are you saying then?” Rhianne demanded.

“I’m saying that if everything’s good at home, it will be safer for you there than here. I know you have to deal with your whole being Shifter thing, and yep, your mom has a lot of explaining to do. Here, you have to deal with Liam and his family, plus the other Shifters, plus continue to evade Shifter Bureau. You don’t need that. You don’t need me.”

Rhianne’s mouth hung open. She didn’t need him? But he was her mate …

She realized with a rush of pain she’d never experienced that while she felt the pull to him as mate, that didn’t mean Ben reciprocated. He wasn’t Shifter, nor was he human, like Carly, Kim, and Walker, who’d fallen in love with their Shifter mates. While Rhianne hadn’t been wrong when she’d said that all beings of Faerie experienced the mate bond, that did not necessarily mean that Ben was forming it for her.

“I do need—” Rhianne broke off, her throat swelling.

Ben stepped to her, looking straight into her eyes. “You need what?” he asked quietly.

Rhianne opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words to explain.

Then something her mother had said in their short conversation struck her sharply.

“Great-Aunt Freya’s plum pie.”

Ben blinked. “You need pie?”

“No.” Rhianne shook her head in exasperation. “My mother loathes Great-Aunt Freya’s pie. Aunt Freya styles herself a fabulous baker but most of what she makes is inedible. I thought Mother was joking, but—”

“But maybe she said it on purpose?” Ben’s brows furrowed. “Like a code.”

“A warning.” Rhianne released him, seeking her glass of wine.

“As in, it’s not safe to go home.” Ben regarded her in disquiet. “In other words, someone told her to summon you back. Three guesses as to who.”

Rhianne’s heart beat faster. “Only one person could challenge Mother for power.” She took a fortifying drink of the wine. “What do I do? Obviously, my fath— Ivor is with her, making her contact me. I speculate that is why she did not answer when I