“That’s great, and I’m so thankful she’ll find a family here,” Grace said, finally relaxing.
Emma nodded. “She will. Also, I checked on Janell Lewiston? The little girl with cancer that you befriended at that hospital? Her doctors are top notch, and her prognosis is very good. I’ll keep an eye on her for you.”
Grace smiled and hugged the queen. “Thank you,” she whispered. Then she stepped back.
Adare maneuvered Grace toward the door. “Let’s get out of here before the king decides to declare war on us. Especially since we’re taking Sam.”
They had to be alone at some point. Grace either had to bask in his love or start her campaign to get him to realize that he did love her, just in case his earlier words had been spoken in the heat of the moment.
“Let’s go,” she agreed.
Chapter 41
Adare finally relaxed once they arrived at Seven headquarters. Ivar had spent the last several years creating the perfect place in the Wyoming mountains, letting each member of the Seven know, without a doubt, that if this place burned down, he was done. The rest of them could live in shacks in the middle of nowhere, because he was never rebuilding.
Should Adare carry Grace across the threshold? It was an oddly human thing to do, but when they reached their log cabin, he swept her up anyway.
She laughed, sliding her arm along his shoulders. “We’ve been mated for years,” she said, her voice happy and her body relaxed.
He needed to take it easy on her—she’d been shot just the day before. In fact, they could both use some rest. Their house had three bedrooms, a sparkling stainless steel kitchen, a great room with stone fireplace, two darkrooms, an office, and a gym. Of course, it also had entrances to hidden tunnels that would take them deep into the mountains should the private subdivision in the valley of two imposing mountains ever be attacked.
With their track record, that was a very real possibility.
He shut the door with his boot and set her on the sofa, his hands suddenly damp. Was he nervous? No way. Not in him.
She settled and instantly kicked off her boots to place her stocking feet on the table. “Why did you invite Sam Kyllwood to this new lair?”
Not her, too. “This is not a lair.” He went about making a fire, starting the kindling easily.
She laughed. “Okay. The lair is in the mountain, so this is the entrance to the lair? Anyway, answer my question.”
Bossy, wasn’t she? He turned and caught her coat as she threw it, discarded his own, and set them both near the now crackling fire. “The ritual to kill Ulric will take the Seven, the blood of the three Keys, and the Lock, who is Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood.”
“What does the Lock do?” Grace asked.
“There’s some debate about that, but I think her blood is like a catalyst that gets yours and that of the other Keys going.” Then all four females could remain safely out of the final ritual, which suited him just fine. He moved to the sofa and settled beside her, contentment flowing through him.
She reached for the pack of her belongings that had been sent from the cabin Adare and Benny shared and drew out a file folder. “So, Sam?”
Oh yeah. Adare looked over at the folder. “We don’t know where the ritual takes place. Sam does. Or rather, it’s his job as keeper of the place to find it. Apparently he’s struggling.” He grinned when she gave him that look that said she was doubting his grasp on reality. “I know it’s a lot.” So was gravity or the Earth being round if someone had been raised to believe otherwise.
She breathed out. “I want to talk to you, but do we need to go check on Benny?”
Adare shook his head. Night was falling, and Benny needed sleep. “No. Garrett is going to keep an eye on him tonight, since everyone else is reuniting or celebrating with mates. Tomorrow we’ll gather and figure out a plan. First, we need some rest, and like you said, we need to talk.”
She swallowed and drew out a photograph. Of him. “What do you see?”
He tugged her closer to look. “It’s me, maybe five years ago?” He was standing outside, near a lake. Maybe at Realm headquarters.
“Look closer.”
It hit him then. He was seeing himself through her eyes. He looked strong and fierce, impossible and in love. Definitely in love. That had to be the light glinting