don’t know what to do about it.”
“They’re big boys, Vinna, they’ll figure it out.”
I snort humorlessly. “If by figure it out, you mean take each other out of the equation, then yes, I believe that’s accurate.”
Sabin chuckles and shakes his head. He watches the leaves that are still swirling all around us for a minute. “Enoch’s coven is just a sore spot for all of us for one reason or another. We’re a coven, and if you fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us. For the twins, it started when the council made it very difficult for Lachlan or anyone else to go looking for the missing paladin. We know now that Elder Albrecht was working with Adriel all along, but we didn’t know that then. The council dragging their feet and not sanctioning searches created a lot of issues between Lachlan’s coven of paladin and the council.”
Sabin’s eyes fix on mine, and I nod with understanding.
“The twins carried the issues and frustrations that Silva and the others were experiencing and set them right at Enoch and his coven’s feet. It wasn’t fair, but the twins directed their frustrations at Enoch and Becket because of their fathers. Then there was the whole thing that went down with Ryker and his needing to be taken away from his dad. We’re two of the most powerful covens our age, which has always put us head-to-head against each other for things like mates and our place as Paladin Conscripts.
“I’m not saying Enoch and his coven mates aren’t responsible for this feud we have going on too. They’ve perpetuated this bullshit just as much as we have, but now to have you in the middle of it all and…well, cluster fuck. The covens have never trusted each other. Never had to work together, and the circumstances around Enoch, Nash, Kallan, and Becket being marked are suspicious as fuck.”
“I know that, and I get it, but we don’t have time for this petty shit. We could face off with Adriel any day now, and I’m worried if we do that, they’ll be looking for opportunities to eliminate each other instead of the enemy. It’s stressing me the fuck out.”
Sabin sits up and pulls me into his lap, and I soak up the comfort. “Vinna, we know what’s at stake here, but we all need time to adjust. Not only to each other, but to our bond with you and our new abilities. It’s a lot.”
“I get that, Sabin. I really fucking get that, but time is the one thing we just don’t have.”
He nods and then shakes his head. “Fuck, maybe we should do some trust exercises or something. I mean, shit, it couldn’t hurt at this point,” he mumbles.
I picture the guys all trust-falling backwards into each other’s arms, and I crack up. “We’ll throw yoga and group meditation into the mix too. I mean, worst case scenario, if they all kill each other off, I can at least start a pretty sweet resort here.”
Sabin pulls me in for a laugh-filled kiss. He hisses when I pull away and nip at his bottom lip, but it’s not the sexy kind of hiss a girl wants to hear when she’s doing that. I climb out of his lap, and Sabin leans all the way forward like he’s trying to crumble in on himself. I guide him onto his side and notice in my periphery that the leaves are no longer swirling around us but floating slowly down to the ground.
Movement to my right sends my heart racing, and alarms blare through my brain. Fuck, not again, not when he’s hurting, I plea with the universe. In a blink, I have short swords gripped in each hand and am on my feet standing protectively over Sabin. He’s rocking and groaning in pain on the ground, and I let anger fuel the rising fight in me. I’m fucking pissed that I’m dealing with some other shit instead of being there for Sabin when he’s hurting.
I tap into the runes on my ring finger and signal to the guys that I need them. A naked man with long curly ash-brown hair seems as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He doesn’t try to cover himself up; he simply tilts his head to the side and inhales deeply.
Shifter.
My mind identifies that much, but I have no idea what kind. He says something to me in a language that could be Russian,