the support, but it would take more than a night’s sleep to see us out of this. I could send out a summons for help, but the previous times it had taken a while for anyone to show, and when they did, one of those groups had a problem with a competing alpha. That wouldn’t help us now, with danger lurking just out of sight.
We’d need to go it alone. This might be the time I was successfully kidnapped.
Fourteen
The next afternoon, I paused midway through sweeping on some makeup when I felt Austin step down on the property.
He’d delivered on all of the promises he’d made the previous night. He’d learned how to decipher the scent of a magical user, retraced the prowler’s trail, deduced the unknown Big Bad out front was a middle-range magical worker at best—less than whoever was trekking over the Basajaun’s mountain—and stayed the night so I could sleep soundly.
And I had. No nightmares had troubled me. Worry hadn’t kept me tossing and turning. I’d woken up refreshed and ready to figure this thing out.
It was amazing how safe he made me feel.
Come morning, he hadn’t shown any fatigue, but I’d tapped into our connection for long enough to feel it. I’d set to work on healing it without saying anything. After the breakfast forced on him by my mother, he’d given me a secret smile and whispered, “Thanks,” before heading out to check in with the people he had watching the town. The guy never took a day off.
Not that I was complaining, given the situation.
He’d texted in the early afternoon telling me to get ready; he had somewhere to take me. He hadn’t specified where.
Now he was here.
I was terrified he had bad news he didn’t want to break to me over the phone.
Ever the optimist, though, I finished my makeup before checking to make sure I hadn’t spilled any powder on my shirt. Could be bad news, or it could be a trip to the winery he planned to buy for barrel tasting, or something else less awful than people coming after me. Given nothing had triggered my magical tripwire last night, which I had put near the flowers even though he’d said to put it near the grass, and Edgar hadn’t seen anyone at the front, Niamh and Austin reckoned the people interested in the house were taking a step back to size each other up.
But it could be bad news. Austin and Niamh had made their assessment this morning based on very little information. I was nervous, which was why I’d decided to put on nicer clothes and some makeup. When I felt bad on the inside, jazzing up my appearance helped distract me. In this particular situation, it was also an excuse to escape Mr. Tom and my parents for a second.
I reached the bottom of the stairs before Austin had made much progress at all, his slow pace making me more anxious. He was obviously reluctant to tell me whatever he’d found out.
Mr. Tom stepped forward and pointed to the front sitting room.
“In there, miss, while I greet Mr. Steele.”
I frowned at him. Did Mr. Tom know what was going on? Oh God, they knew the attack was coming tonight and they didn’t want to freak me out too soon.
My mother sat in a chair near the fireplace, book in hand. She smiled at me as I sat down, and then lowered the book, clearly seeing from my expression that something was wrong.
“What is it—”
I didn’t hear her finish the question because I felt Austin’s arrival. I could sense him stopping at the front door and Mr. Tom opening it. His words were but a hum, washed out by my mother repeating her question.
“Miss.” Mr. Tom stood in the doorway, his expression grim. “Mr. Steele is here to see you.”
“Oh, how nice!” My mother beamed. “And good choice on your clothes, dear. Sophisticated and pretty, but casual. It’s inviting, but it doesn’t make you look like a sure thing.” She gave me an “okay” sign.
Stomach churning, I didn’t comment as I left the room. Better for her to think Austin had come to whisk me away than to inform me that we’d shortly be attacked by two unknown forces with mages and shifters and who knew what else.
In the foyer, though, the first glimpse of Austin took my breath away. He stood just in front of the door wearing stylish ripped jeans that hugged his muscular thighs and a