Chapter Twenty-Seven

The trip through Saint Lakes took place on foot. It was about four miles from where they were to Mother Estelle’s house if they made a straight shot, but four miles through human-infested territory took a lot longer. It took all of them to make it. Even with Sylvain and Echo clearing a path, it seemed they had to know the enemy was close. Henri scanned the area along with the rest of them. They stayed together, even the hostages.

Someone handed Henri a gun. He wasn’t sure who, but he held it, ready to kill if necessary. Some hostages had guns as well. Wesley too. Anyone who knew how to shoot except the predatory shifters. They were almost all wolf shifters. The dragons flew overhead, including Rocky. They were their eyes in the sky and relayed information to Sylvain.

It seemed forming a group helped keep them alive as much as having Sylvain and Echo kill in one fell swoop.

They made it to Mother Estelle’s.

The crowd of soldiers standing outside the barrier all dropped dead.

Henri would never get used to seeing a body fall to the ground so suddenly. Some horrors didn’t involve blood. Some bounced when their bodies hit the ground. The ones standing together fell into each other.

Henri shuddered. He didn’t want to walk past the bodies but didn’t have a choice. He followed the rest of them until he felt the air whoosh behind him.

Rocky landed behind him.

You don’t have to see them anymore, baby. I’ll fly you over.Rocky lay on his belly and waited.

Henri tossed his gun aside and closed the distance. He climbed onto Rocky’s back and held on.

Rocky lifted off the ground a lot slower than he would have if he didn’t have a passenger. The fact he was more careful made Henri feel special, as though he were precious cargo.

Henri closed his eyes and lay against Rocky’s long neck.

It took a second before they landed. Rocky stayed still, so Henri did too. He could fall asleep if he wasn’t so stressed. He didn’t know how tired he was until the moment he let himself relax.

Rocky stayed prone on the ground as though letting Henri take the break he needed.

Henri opened his eyes when Ladon spoke. “Meeting in the kitchen in five minutes. Let’s get this shitshow over with.”

Henri held up a thumb, acknowledging the alpha for Rocky. Or at least Henri assumed Ladon had been addressing Rocky and not him since he’d never been at an alpha meeting before.

Ladon walked toward the house, putting an arm around his vampire mate Magnus when he drew close enough.

Henri sighed and slid from Rocky’s back. When Rocky was in his human form, he drew Henri to him, and they headed to the house.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth. He felt drained, as if the drama of the day had zapped all the feeling from him. The numbness had set in after reuniting with Rocky. And he knew why. He could stop being scared when Rocky was there. With the lack of fear, went everything else too. “I’ll have a proper breakdown later, as long as you hold me.”

“We’ll hold each other.”

“I’m glad you’re not injured anymore. I know it was serious. I was scared for you when you passed out. But Lucas eased my mind.” In truth, Henri didn’t have time to feel anything. He’d been trying to save his and Echo’s life and get them back home. But there had been a moment of panic. It was a moment he’d never forget.

“I know how you feel. I was scared for you, too. You could have been killed.” Rocky sighed and shook his head. “All I could do was fight to survive and hope you made it back to me.”

They stopped on the patio outside the sliding glass door leading into the house. Rocky’s hold on him tightened. Henri turned to Rocky, wrapping him up in a hug.

“It’ll be a while before I let you out of my sight,” Henri whispered and lay his cheek on Rocky’s bare chest.

“My thoughts exactly.”

Henri wanted it to be over. He wanted to go back to yesterday when all he could think about was getting Rocky’s dick inside him as often as possible, and filling his bookshelves. But it wasn’t done yet, despite the pile of bodies beyond the barrier.

Other people in other paranormal towns were still fighting. People were dying.

“Let’s go in. I think I know how to end this thing.”

They headed inside.

Sylvain was already talking about his experience with Echo. “We either have to see them or be close enough to sense them to target anyone. The alternative is to target an entire group.”

“We have an enhanced human in our clan. She’s in Blackwing with her mate, but she’s an asset to our clan and Blackwing.”

Rocky spoke up. “She’s family.” If someone hurt Anna, they would have to deal with him.

“If I wanted to kill her, I would have already.” Sylvain said it as though he were having brunch with friends. “As I was saying, Lucas and I can use Echo to target abilities on a large scale. We can’t target smaller groups unless we sense them.”

“So what do we do?” Ladon asked.

“Put on clothing, for starters.” Sylvain smirked. “I’m not used to so many naked people in one space.”

His driver shook his head, but otherwise didn’t speak.

No one cared about nakedness. As a shifter, a person’s natural state did not bother Henri. But he could understand some people weren’t used to it the way he was.

Ladon turned to Magnus and must have spoken through their bond, because Magnus nodded and left the room. He wasn’t gone but a couple of minutes before he settled against Ladon’s side again.

“If someone else knew a person, could you kill them…remotely?” Fane asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Sylvain smiled. “Let’s test it.”

“No!” Henri wasn’t the only one who yelled. It was a collective response.

Sylvain rolled his eyes.

His driver chuckled. He spoke for the first time since Henri had been in his presence. “They think you’re bloodthirsty one. That’s funny.”

Mother Estelle walked in carrying a laundry basket full of clothes. “There’s been enough killing.”

Sylvain shook his head. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll restrain myself. Lucas and Echo can test it. We’ll see if you can sense someone. Nothing more.”

Vaughan and Gabe started throwing clothes at people.

Lucas searched the room. “Whose mind should I enter?”

“Mine.” Henri volunteered. Lucas and Echo had never met his parents, and he hadn’t ever talked about them in their presence.

Lucas held out his hand to Echo and took it.

Henri thought about his parents right before Lucas entered his mind.

“I got them.” Lucas sucked in a breath. “Your mom is answering trivial game questions. It’s on television. She’s saying it aloud, knowing how much it annoys your father. Your dad is picturing a spike in her head, although he’s not serious about killing her. They’re in the city. Within walking distance of a park with a small pond. That’s why they aren’t fighting. They don’t even know about the war.”

The information was more than Henri had known about them in more than a decade. And it was more than he cared to know. He had long since grown indifferent toward them and didn’t consider them family. They hadn’t instilled it in Henri. Not in his entire life.

By the time Lucas pulled out of Henri’s mind, everyone had clothes on.

Lucas shook his head as if to shake off the effects of being in Henri’s brain. “I could have killed them.”

“So if you can do it with Henri, then you can with Fowler.” Fane had been sitting on Ramsey’s lap. They sat at the kitchen table. Fane leaned against Ramsey and drew Ramsey’s arm around him.

Sylvain grinned. “I would love to talk to him.”

“You’re probably the only one who can get him to talk.” Henri had a feeling the senator wouldn’t cooperate without Sylvain’s influence.

“I don’t need him to talk.”

“Lucas goes too. And Echo. We take care of this problem at Council Headquarters.” Ladon met Bennett’s gaze, then Hacen and Rocky. “They’ll need protection.”

Rocky had to go with them, which put him in danger. Crossing the barrier was dangerous, but they didn’t know what they’d find between the council headquarters and Saint Lakes.

“Can’t we have someone bring Fowler to Saint Lakes?” Henri asked. The alternative put Lucas and Echo in too much danger.

Ladon frowned and then chuckled as he shook his head. “It’s a good thing you’re the brains of his operation, Henri.”

Henri shrugged.

Ladon nodded toward the office. “Let me make some calls. You all can hang tight while I see what I can do.”

When Ladon left, everyone dispersed.

Henri turned to Rocky. “I don’t suppose there’s a private spot nearby where we can be alone.”

“Not when the entire clan is in the house or yard, but I like how your mind works.” Rocky pulled Henri against him and kissed his temple. He whispered in Henri’s ear next. “I can’t wait to get you in our bed again.”

Henri couldn’t think of a better way to spend the rest of his life.