Soul Mates: Scent (The Soul Mates Series) (28 page)

“Rest Thomas. Heal your voice a bit and you can tell us more,” Gideon said sternly before turning to me. “Stop asking him questions! I know you want answers and you want them now, but this is not helping!”

“Sorry Gideon. You’re right. I’ll wait,” I said impatiently. Frederick had used Thomas as a giant pin cushion, I couldn’t just let that go.

“Je le tuerai ! Je déchirerai sa tête loin !” Anna fumed and crushed and arrow in her hand.

“No, Sweetheart, you won’t be ripping his head off, because I will be taking care of that. And the sooner the better.”

Thomas shifted back to human form a moment later, completely healed. “Thank you. I believe you all just saved my life. Now as I was saying, I followed Freddy after he and his pack left the game. I stayed in the tree tops, I’m still not sure how they spotted me. Perhaps I cast an odd shadow. Anyway, I followed them to their camp, pretty close to Anna’s cabin by the looks of it. I stayed to listen, to see if they planned to leave, but it didn’t sound like it. In fact it sounded like they were planning an attack for tomorrow. Not a direct attack on you, but on someone close to each of you. Perhaps we should get your families here?”

“Good idea,” I said looking around for Daire or Cole, but finding neither. I pulled a random warrior out of the crowd. “You, what is your name?”

He looked surprised. “I am called Thane, my Prince.”

“Thane, please take a message to Auberon King of Light and Illusion for me. Ask him if he will send his best warriors to collect my Consort’s father, my parents and sister and grandparents from their homes and bring them here for safety reasons. We believe an attack is being planned against them.”

“Yes my Prince, right away.”

I turned back to Thomas. “How did they take you down?”

“I’m not sure they actually meant to at first. One of them had been shooting arrows at a tree, but when one of his arrows went wild I may have moved into their line of sight and become the target. I couldn’t fly with all of the arrows in my wings so I hopped from tree to tree until I got here. I barely missed falling on top of the guard at the door when I fell from the last tree.”

“I am glad you are all right. Anna and I will take care of Frederick and his pack.”

“Don’t think you are leaving us out of this fight now Jaguar!” James called as he and Rik stepped into the ring.

“We wouldn’t dream of it James.” I grinned.

“How are you?” Rik asked Thomas.

“Better now, thanks to Gideon, Max and Anna.”

“Sorry we weren’t here sooner.” Rik frowned.

“We handled it.”

“And well it looks like,” James grinned. “By the way, I think you have some very angry visitors in Auberon’s throne room. Something about being kidnapped from their beds and flashed here in the middle of the night…”

“Great my folks are here,” I said with a sigh. “Anna shall we go defuse the situation?”

Anna nodded and took my hand as we turned together to pass through the gathered warriors. Funny thing though, this time the warriors parted, creating a path for us and bowed their heads as we passed. I wanted to tell them to stop, but Anna just smiled and said, “They are showing you respect, mon amour. You are emerging as a true leader. They see it in your actions, your compassion, your skills in the fighting ring, your quick judgment of a situation. You did not hesitate, you acted. You will make an excellent leader for our people and a good heir and role model for your sister.”

“I’m glad you think so,” I said with a smile as we walked down the hall to the sound of raised voices.

“How dare you steal us from our beds and bring us here Auberon! It was high handed and uncalled for!” my mother shouted at the King who sat calmly in his throne.

“Max, would you please explain to your darling mother that I was doing your bidding in this case?”

My mother’s jaw dropped at the sight of me, I knew she hadn’t seen me looking as Fae as I really was. Without my ring I was a dead ringer for granddad and Auberon too for that matter, except for the ivy and holly wreath adorning my head. “Mom, please stop reading Auberon the riot act. I had you brought here. Frederick is planning something, some kind of attack. The Faerie Mound is the one place he has no access,” I said going to her and taking her hands.

“Max?” mom asked incredulously as she peered into my face. “Is that you? But you look… honey you look so much like Auberon!”

“Well he is my…”

“Don’t you say it, heir! Don’t say those horrid words!” Auberon warned, half teasingly.

I grinned. “Relative. I have been told I resemble him quite a bit.”

“But, where is your ring? You can’t go out without it.”

“I’m not sure actually. I left it in Daire’s care and I haven’t seen him for a while. Auberon?”

“It is safe, don’t worry Max. Daire is doing a service for me, but he will be back with your ring by morning.”

“Father, what is the meaning of this? Son? What are you and Olivia doing here? Max is that you?”

“Regan, it is so good to see you son. Welcome home.”

“Hi Granddad. Don’t blame Auberon, it’s my fault you are here.”

“Max, whatever you think you did, don’t let my father trick you into thinking it was your fault,” he said harshly.

“Granddad, this has nothing to do with Auberon! I sent the warriors to bring you here. Okay, technically Auberon sent them, but only because I asked him to do it. The lion that is causing problems is planning an attack on my family members. The Mound is the safest place for you to be.”

“Oh, well… sorry father.”

“I suppose I deserved that Regan, but I really do want to make it up to you.”

“Max, I do appreciate it, but I really could have handled myself with the lion.”

“Ma père, he brought reinforcements, you wouldn’t have been able to take them all.”

“Perhaps not, ma fille, but I could have flashed out and back to the council. They would not have dared attack me there.”

“Perhaps not ma père, but I am glad to know you are safe from him,” Anna said hugging him.

I turned from my mother and took Anna‘s hand. “Well, if you all don’t mind, it’s been a really, really long night and we’ve had about five minutes of sleep. I‘m exhausted, so Anna and I are going to bed.” I turned to see Moxie standing at the door, sleepily awaiting orders. “Moxie will show you all to your quarters.” I turned to Auberon and grinned. “Night Auberon.”

“Good night Max, Anna.” Auberon grinned broadly.

“Bonne nuit,” Anna called over her shoulder.

“Did he just say they were going to bed together Alan? He didn’t say that did he?” I heard my mom ask.

“I think he did Olivia. Auberon, is my son sharing a room with Anna?”

I didn’t hear Auberon’s reply but I knew if Anna and I didn’t get into our room quickly I would soon find myself sleeping on the floor in their room. I locked and double bolted the door, but I didn’t stop there. I figured if Tatiana could put a charm on the room to keep me from flashing into it, I could put a charm on it to keep my parents from knocking on the door and demanding I not sleep there. So with a little bit of concentration I willed it to be so and it was. We didn’t hear a sound for the rest of the night.

The next morning Anna and I woke up early. We breakfasted with Auberon and Tatiana before our parents even stirred from their beds.

“What are you planning?” Auberon asked.

“I’m going after Frederick,” I began, but I could hear Anna growling in my head. “Sorry,
we
’
re
going after Frederick. Thomas told us what he was planning and nobody goes after our family.”

“Do you think that wise? Perhaps after last night he has changed his mind and gone back home.”

“Doubt it,” I said taking a bite of rare steak.

“Frederick does not give up easily, Auberon,” Anna added. “He wants that council seat, and he will kill to get it.”

“How do you plan to find him? Surely you are not counting on him staying in the same location,” Auberon asked.

“I’ll find him,” I said confidently.

“Let me send some warriors to do the tracking, Max. I don’t want you ending up like Thomas,” he said sounding concerned.

“Auberon, this isn’t your fight,” I protested.

Auberon frowned harshly, “Max, any threat to you is a threat to me! The warriors are as much a protection for you as they are for me and all of Faerie. You are part of Faerie, let them do their job!”

“This isn’t a Faerie problem Auberon! I can’t call on the warriors to take care of Felidae business. It wouldn’t be right. If I am going to lead the Felidae, take over the Elders, then I am going to have to prove myself. I’m going to have to defeat Frederick. And I can‘t use the fact that I am your acting heir to do it. It would only serve to make the warriors resentful of me.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own Max,” Auberon argued.

“I won’t be alone, Anna will be with me.”

“Anna is not a warrior, no matter how much she wants to take Frederick on! She is a superior shifter and a brilliant young woman, but a trained fighter she is not! How you could even consider letting her go…”

“You think I want her to go? You think I didn’t try to talk her out of it?”

“I think, Auberon, you had better learn that I have a mind of my own and Max does not control me,” Anna said harshly.

“Forgive me Anna. I did not mean to offend.”

“I know your heart is in the right place, but do not worry. Max and I will not be totally on our own. Rik and James will be joining us as well. And should the fight continue into the evening hours, well, Thomas wants his fair share of the fight too.”

“So mote it be.” Auberon frowned. “I don’t like it, but I will abide by it. Would you object to my sending Daire and Cole along as added back up should you need it?”

“Fine, but no more. And they are not to interfere unless things are dire.”

“As you wish.”

“Speaking of Daire, where is he and why did he never return my ring to me?”

“Daire should be returning any moment with your ring,” Auberon replied.

The way he avoided answering what Daire was doing lead me to believe something was going on. “Auberon, what exactly was Daire doing with my ring?”

“He has had nothing untoward done to your ring, Max. He only went to visit an acquaintance of his to see if a few more like your ring could be made.”

I raised my brow, “Are you planning an extended trip to the mortal world, Auberon?”

Auberon smiled. “Not me. Though Daire and Cole may for a while, you never know.”

It was then I got the impression Auberon was making more plans concerning my sister. Plans I was going to have to deal with later, I sighed and shook my head. I had a lion to find and deal with.

I reached for Anna’s hand and we stood. “We will meet them at the entrance.”

“Be safe,” Auberon cautioned.

I nodded. “Always.”

As Anna and I walked to the entrance I flashed us into more suitable fighting attire. Breathable leather embedded with the finest strands of magic. Strands of magic that could withstand the strongest of blade hits and bullets, it was similar to Kevlar, but stronger. Of course once we shifted, there wouldn’t be any need for those things, but unless all of Frederick’s pack shifted, we stayed in human form to fight. All it took would be one pull of a trigger from them and it would be over if they were a good enough shot.

“Where are we going first mon amour?”

“First we are checking out your cabin. Then on to my grandparents and my house. If we can’t find them there, I’ll start checking around the school, see if I can catch their scent.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Rik said as he joined us.

“I’m ready when you are.”

“My Prince, here is your ring, as requested.”

I turned to see a very different looking Daire and Cole standing before me. They actually looked human, with short hair, normal colored blue eyes and rounded ears. They were still tall and powerful looking, but more in the terms of a jock than a warrior Fae.

“I see you found who you were looking for,” I said with a smile. “You could have asked you know. How long have you been itching to get your fingers on my ring?”

“A while,” Daire replied. “And when you asked me to deliver it, well it seemed fated. Auberon is looking to send us into the mortal world on a regular basis to protect your sister, keep her from harm, teach her as she need teaching. It would be a lot easier done as human than Fae.”

I grinned and shook my head. “Whatever, you just want to mess with the humans.”

“No, really my Prince, Auberon wished for us to do this,” Cole protested.

“Maybe he wanted you to do this Cole… but Daire?” I teased as we left the Mound.

“Hey, I can’t lie you know,” Daire laughed. “Fae rules and all.”

“The cars stay, we flash,” I said taking Anna’s hand.

“Rik and I are not familiar enough with where we are going.”

“Travel with Daire and Cole,” I replied.

“My Prince, Auberon did not give us leave to travel with passengers, you know the rules.”

“For goddess sake Daire, go get permission and meet us there,” I said as I flashed out and reappeared in the forest surrounding Anna’s cabin. It didn’t take me long to pick up the scent of lion, tiger and cheetah. “They’ve been here, maybe only a few hours ago.”

“The cabin, we must check the cabin,” Anna said running toward the cabin before I caught her.

“Wait! Anna, we have to do this slowly, it could be a trap.”

Anna nodded, but continued on to the cabin at a slower pace as Daire and Cole finally arrived with Rik and James. She pushed open the front door and let out a frustrated cry. Everything had been ripped to shreds. All of her father’s paintings, the furniture, the cabinets, nothing was left untouched.

“I assume Auberon gave you free leave to travel with as many passengers as we need?”

“He did, you know as well as I do it is a safety issue, my Prince. Especially if one of those passengers is mortal.”

“Of course.” I nodded. “Check the upstairs,” I said to Daire and Cole.