somewhere, perhaps with information. Maybe even a person I could question.
A noise sounded from behind me, and I spun around. A skinny lad with a tattoo under his eye and a torn leather jacket stared at me for a split second, shocked, then shouted, “Intruder!”
Damn it.
I charged toward him, but he turned tail and ran. I followed, deciding that Plan B was my best bet now—grab one of the men and transport him out of there to be questioned later.
The lad disappeared down a hallway, but another figure appeared.
Shocked, I nearly stopped running.
Garreth.
My brother looked skinnier than he had before, with shadows under his black eyes and a pallor to his skin that made my heart ache.
“Garreth.”
“Lachlan.” He backed up, putting space between us. “You need to get the hell out of here. There are nearly two dozen guys on this ship.”
“Come with me.”
“Can’t, mate. Not yet.”
Footsteps pounded behind me. A lot of them.
Garreth nodded to an exit just behind him. “You can get out that way.”
“Come with me. Help me stop this.”
“Grab one of the others if you need answers, but I can’t come. Not yet. And I can’t be seen near you.” He sprinted down the hall, away from me.
I wanted to follow—to drag him back—but my pursuers had turned the corner. Nearly a dozen of them crowded into the hall, then rushed me.
How the hell was I going to take them all in such a small space?
As if in answer to my prayers, a man appeared through a doorway to my right. He wore glasses and the tired look of someone who spent a lot of time doing research.
I grabbed him, plunged my free hand into my pocket for my transport charm, then hurled the thing to the floor. It exploded upward in a poof of silver smoke, and I lunged inside, dragging the man with me.
The ether sucked us in and spun us around, spitting us out in the courtyard in front of my guild tower. I braced myself, waiting to see if anyone had followed us.
They hadn’t.
The man struggled, trying to break away from my grip. “I don’t know nothin’! Let me go!”
“Of course you do.” I pulled him toward the castle. “Now, come on. I have some questions for you.”
12
Eve
* * *
We visited Liora for the second time in almost as many days.
As she opened the door, confusion sparked in her blue eyes. She was the age my mother would have been if she were still alive, but a combination of sunscreen and magic kept her looking far younger.
“Eve, are you all right?” She ushered me in, and Mac followed.
“I’m fine.”
“Liar.” Concern echoed in her voice. “Come sit down, and let me get you some tea. It’s good to see you again, Mac.”
“That would be amazing, thank you.” Liora’s tea was famous for its restorative properties. She always added a bit of magic that I’d never mastered, but every time I drank it, it reminded me of my first weeks here with her. I’d been devastated by the loss of my mother and the revelation that I was meant to be Lachlan’s mate. Liora and her tea were my safe port in the storm, and in a sense, this place still was.
Within minutes, we were seated in her cozy living room with the tea spread out on the table before us. Mac and I shared the little loveseat, and Liora took the squashy chair across from us. My honorary aunt had the style of an old hippie, her place full of colorful cushions and braided rugs.
I took a sip of tea, sighing at the warmth that rushed through me.
“Tell me what brings you here again so soon,” she said. “I kept looking for a cure for you, but I didn’t find one.”
That was expected. She’d known she couldn’t help me, but she’d tried anyway. I nodded my thanks and told her everything we’d learned so far, finishing with, “You knew my mother. Does any of this sound familiar?”
Liora frowned and shook her head. “Unfortunately not. As far as I knew, she was a regular werewolf. She never mentioned any of this to me.”
“And my father?”
Shadows crossed her face, and she looked like she wanted to hex him. “That good for nothing was no one special.” Her mouth twisted, as if she were holding back more curses, and then she stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She left the room, and Mac and I shared a confused glance. “What was that about?” Mac asked.
“She hates him for