29

MAEVE

THE evacuation plan seemed sound, almostperfect. Yet hesitation kept me from calling on Ivy and letting her know we had a plan and timeline for our departure.

“Look good to you?” Nash asked, his voice slicing through the silence of the office.

I looked up from his plan and met his gaze. Today, he didn’t laze about in arrogance and disinterest. His posture was stiff and his shoulders tense, black hair pulled back into a low knot at the base of his neck. I couldn’t read anything in his gaze that made me want to hesitate; nothing in his expression gave me pause. And yet I found myself sitting back, scenting the air, and noting how the way his smoky-cinnamon scent shifted as our gazes met.

I gave him a simple once over, then returned to the plan. “I have no issue with it, and I trust that you and your team are as good as you are confident,” I replied, setting the tablet with his evac route down. “Now, we need to relay this to Ivy.”

There was a subtle shift in his eyes that stopped me from moving. My Sire had drilled into me that subtle changes in prey were how we knew we had them in our grips.

What had happened for him to react to Ivy’s name in such a way? I knew he had some interest in her; he’d tried hiding it from day one, yet despite my warnings, he’d still chosen to be in her presence—even if she’d made it clear she hadn’t wanted him there. His reaction to her power surge still made me wonder what he wanted from her. Attention? Praise? He seemed like the type to want both, and to get it from the future Queen would be an ego boost for anyone.

But he said nothing as I rose from behind the desk and circled it. His posture remained as stiff as when he walked in here this morning. “I’ll retrieve her and Elias. Will your second need to be in this meeting?”

Nash blew out a soft breath and shook his head. “No, he has work to do to ensure we’re completely prepared for what’s to come in the next few days.”

Good, I thought, stalking out of the office. The fewer of his men present, the better. I needed to keep control of the situation because the plan he’d created may not sit well with Ivy. She didn’t need any more people in there should her magic have any reaction. It was why I required Elias to be there with her.

I found the pair in the kitchen with Thea and the three children. The young ones were quiet while the eldest attempted to draw them into conversation regarding some new toy Elias was promising them.

The shifter looked up as I entered, and a look of relief passed across his face momentarily before disappearing. His features hardened as he and Ivy, who sat at his side, shared a look.

I’d tried not to let my gaze pass over her, but as she rose, I couldn’t stop myself from taking her in. Since arriving at the safe house, she’d been dressing in comfortable, borrowed clothing from the men, but now she wore something from her own closet. Jeans hugged her hips and thighs, outlining the curve of her body. The white t-shirt she wore was tucked into the front of her pants and had an image of an open book over her heart. Subconsciously, I breathed in and took her scent into my lungs: coffee, vanilla, and coconut, as intoxicatingly powerful as she was.

Ivy took Elias’s hand before looking up, our gazes meeting for the first time since I’d entered the kitchen. Her dark eyes seemed to glow under the golden lights hanging above the kitchen island. Her cheeks were tinged pink, and when she smiled, I felt my heart awaken with another strange beat.

I breathed out and forced myself to look away and address Elias. “Hawk is waiting for us in my office.”

“Why in the office?” Eloise asked, pressing her hands together to rest her chin on her fists. Her eyes narrowed on me. “What’s going on?”

I spared Ivy a glance, hoping she would save me from answering, but rather than interjecting, there was a strange look in her eyes. There was so much I wasn’t sure I was allowed to say, and yet it seemed Ivy trusted me to handle her sister? Tension coiled within me, tightening around my chest.

“We are meeting about the plan to leave this house,” I replied carefully, keeping Ivy in the corner of my vision. She nodded encouragingly. “We’ll be leaving for Avalon soon.”

Eloise blinked and glanced down at her two sisters before nodding. “Okay, that makes sense.”

I felt my shoulders release the tension, and when she didn’t say anything else, I nodded in Ivy’s direction. “We shouldn’t keep Nash waiting.”

“I don’t know, I’m pretty happy to keep him waiting,” Ivy muttered loud enough for Elias and myself to hear. I couldn’t help the twitch of a smile on my lips as I spun towards the stairs. We walked in silence, though I felt the weight of Ivy’s stare on my back as I guided them to my office.

I prayed to the Goddess she would be okay with the plan and that she trusted me enough to make this happen. Hopefully, with Elias’s approval, she’ll see that this is our best and safest option for getting everyone out of here without our enemies finding us.

Stopping at the door to the office, I turned to Ivy and Elias, glancing between them. Elias wore a mask of indifference, while Ivy tried to conceal her nerves. Her knuckles were white from gripping Elias’s hand, but as soon as our eyes met, she rolled her shoulders back.

“I’m okay,” she said softly, her smile gentle. My chest tightened at the sight. “Let’s get this meeting over with.”

Elias snorted. “Ready to see Avalon, Angel?”

Ivy rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m ready to finally be free of this stuffy house. It’s cool and all, but I think we’re going stir-crazy.”

It felt like I was intruding on a special moment between them, yet I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to remove myself from her presence.

But I cleared my throat and opened the door before either could respond. Hawk was waiting with his arms crossed, leaning against the window. The arrogance he tried to wear like a mask cracked as Ivy stepped in behind me, but he let his eyes fall from her to the forest outside the window.

“Finally,” he muttered, pushing off the glass. “I thought this meeting was supposed to be important.”

From behind me, Ivy grunted in irritation. “So sorry. Do you have somewhere better to be?”

Hawk’s dark eyes snapped to her, the facade almost crumbling as he smiled ruefully. But instead of responding, he motioned to the desk and the armchair he once occupied.

I expected Elias to speak up, but when I glanced over my shoulder at him, he didn’t look angry at the interaction like I would have thought. Instead, he seemed to observe them—Hawk primarily—as Ivy sat down on one of the armchairs. I found myself watching the half-Fae team leader, too, as he tracked every one of her movements.

Elias tore his eyes away from Hawk to meet my stare. Maybe he saw it too—the strange way Hawk gravitated towards her. Maybe it was just her power as the future Queen, but the rest of his team seemed almost unbothered by the fact she was here. Only Hawk sought her out.

It didn’t sit well with me, but I pushed it aside for now and promised myself I would revisit it later.

Elias took position at Ivy’s back, one hand resting on her shoulder as she crossed her arms. Hawk remained by the window, reclaiming his earlier position, though he refused to look at Ivy again. I moved to sit across from her behind the desk, feeling almost too formal as I glanced at her and then down at the plans.

“The evacuation will begin in three days,” I started, resting my hands on the table before me. “And it will be broken up into five individual components.”

Ivy shifted nervously but nodded. “What can I expect for the children?”

I couldn’t help but admire how she thought of them first. Not herself or her mates. She needed to know what they would undergo, and how to prepare them for it. “They will be moved out in the middle of the procession. We’ll be using decoy vehicles to move you all.”

From there, Hawk explained the rest, assuming leadership over the mission. It was his anyway, and letting him explain gave me time to observe Ivy’s reactions to the plan. To see if she would be okay with what we were setting up.

She did well hiding her worries, though I wondered if she was telepathically airing her grievances to Elias. My heart twisted, and I wasn’t sure why.

Was I jealous of their connection? Hawk’s explanation turned into a dull echo in my ears as I watched her. From the subtle pink of her cheeks to the flesh of her arms as they prickled with a shiver. Was the room too cold for her, or had Elias told her something? Again, my heart twisted at the idea.

It was ridiculous. I knew from my past I would likely never find my mate. Changed vampires rarely did, as we did not exist in the same way Born vampires did. And, based on my time with my Sire, I did not deserve to have one. I’d long since given up hope of ever being blessed with that love.

“That everything, Grey?” Hawk asked, and I forced myself to look away from Ivy to meet his stare. I knew the plan thoroughly, but I hadn’t listened to his explanation. If I had the warmth of blood in my veins, I would surely be blushing with embarrassment.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, I believe that is everything. Do you have any questions regarding what we went through today?” I asked, turning back to Ivy.

She looked up at Elias, and they seemed to be having their own private conversation. He’d had time to go over the plan earlier and had given his own opinions on what might and might not work in accordance with Ivy’s preferences. But even now, she seemed uncertain. Tension tightened around her, seeping into her scent.

After a moment, she sighed and glanced between me and Hawk. “I trust you guys to make sure this works. You’re the experts in this, and although I wish it could happen differently, I know you’ll ensure that my family gets out of this safely.” Her eyes swam with unease as our gazes met. “I need you to promise me that the kids will be protected, no matter what. I know your objective is to get me out of here safely. I’m the main priority to the Queen. But they are mine. I need to know my sisters, and Thea will be safe.”

“Of course they will,” I replied. “They will have their own agents with them at all times.”

“And someone from our team?”

Our team. Something about the words made my chest expand with warmth. I couldn’t help but fear that we didn’t deserve her trust. If we had fought harder for her to return with us, her mother might still be alive, and that was something I would spend the rest of my life blaming myself for. Her family wouldn’t have been harmed if I’d done my job sooner.

“There will always be at least two of our team with the children,” I replied, my throat tight. “They will always be safe with us.”

Ivy blew out a soft breath before nodding. “Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but glance at Elias, who kept his eyes trained on his mate. His jaw ticked, but he said nothing, so I took it as a sign that the plan would be a go. She seemed more in control of her magic and emotions now, and nothing about this meeting had set her off.

“If that’s all, I’ll tell my team to be ready,” Hawk said, pushing off the window and striding to the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and spared a glance over his shoulder, eyes landing on Ivy. “Your Highness.”

Ivy bristled and said nothing until the door closed behind him. “Jackass.”

Elias snorted and shook his head, the mask of indifference dropping. “Unfortunately, he’s good at his job. Only another week, and then we’ll ditch him in Avalon.”

At that, I smirked. I held onto any questions I might have about their relationship and instead refocused on the upcoming mission. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked Ivy directly, allowing her to share her feelings without worrying about Hawk antagonising her.

She sighed and scrubbed a hand through her hair. “Yeah, mostly. I’m worried about the children, of course. They’re my main priority. I need them to be safe. But I’m also worried about blowing up. My magic is still as unhinged as ever, and even though the usual magic-related dreams have died down, I still dream about...other things. And so, my magic is still reacting.”

I nodded, and although I knew I would never truly understand her situation. In some ways, though, I understood her struggle. The overwhelming power suddenly taking over your mortal body, the physical and mental changes that came with it. But I didn’t respond with understanding; I pressed my lips into a firm line and allowed Elias to reassure her instead.