Despite my shitted off stance, my hesitation before twisting around to face him, was brief. I knew our options were limited, and I was a tad curious about his observation of my mark. One more chance for this weird cloaked dude.
Our gazes clashed. He definitely looked troubled. “You and your friends are welcome here.”
I turned back to the veil just in time for it to fade away.
Shit.
Right in front of me was three hundred pounds of angry, growling, cursing dragon man. Thankfully he hadn’t shifted yet, but that would only be due to his incredible control. Because he was surely pissed enough to have lost it.
Maximus, Jacob, and Tyson were beside him, and they didn’t look much happier. I was guessing all four had been smashing against the barrier.
Mischa and Grace stood a little further back, probably staying out of the firing line.
“You lied to me!” Maximus snarled. “You were just supposed to check it out, not walk right the hell into the unknown.”
I batted my eyelashes a few times, although my innocent face had never worked on the boys. “I did not lie, and how the heck am I supposed to get anything done when you all want to ride my ass? I can take care of myself.”
Tyson was the first to wrap his arms around me. “Don’t you get it, Jessa babe? Next to our mates – which we don’t even have yet – you are the most important person to us. If we lose you, well … we lose everything.”
Well, wasn’t I the asshat of the day.
I was girl enough to admit Tyson brought a fist-sized lump to my throat and a few stray tears burning from my eyes, but I managed to keep them from falling.
Braxton growled again and held his arms out. “Mine.” His voice was guttural.
All of us could see that he’d moved past the place of reasonable conversation. The predator – his dragon – was riding him hard now. Tyson did not even hesitate handing me across. Lucky I was used to these men treating me like a life-size doll.
Hard arms closed around me. The embrace was almost painful, but I was tough, I could take a bit of almost-crushed-to-death for Braxton. Then, as if he’d heard my thoughts, his grip gentled. He had his head buried in the space between my shoulder and neck, and he was breathing deeply. I knew he was calming, getting himself under control. I could feel the racing of his heart starting to slow. The scent of the shift was easing. I could always sense that hint of magic which preluded a change among shifters, almost as if a spicy heat led the way. Braxton had been damn close.
A throat cleared behind us. “You need to enter so I can resume the protective magics. We shield many here, and any delay could alert … those unwanted to our presence.”
Braxton stilled, lifting his head. He locked eyes with the cloaked man. I was twisted around enough to see that for the first time unease flickered across the stranger’s calm features. Good to see that Braxton’s general badassery was as potent in Romania as it had been in Stratford.
As a group we stepped into the cave. My feet were still off the ground, so Braxton moved me. With barely a whistle of air, the golden sheen resumed, cutting off the black car and icy snow-laden mountain we had just left.
“Follow me.” Cloak guy turned and started along what looked like a tunnel straight into the center of the mountain. It was wide enough for all of us to walk side by side as we followed.
Tyson’s voice lost some of it genial charm as he called along the stone passage. “What about our car, and personal belongings?” I knew he was most worried about the fake identities and cash. They were our security if we ended up on our own in the human world.
The man did not break stride. “The car will be disposed of, and your goods are already being gathered and brought to your rooms.”
Truth.
Despite the fact I scented truth, I still bristled at this man’s audacity. Who the crap did he think he was making decisions for us? I wasn’t the only one – more than a few growls sounded from Maximus and Braxton. Jacob and Tyson contained their annoyance better, but I knew them well enough to see the pissed-off-tension carving a path along their faces.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem that we could break the security barrier on our own, so for now we had no choice but to follow the stranger along the path. Braxton finally set me on my feet, then his right hand laced through mine. I was pretty sure he was ensuring I did not disappear on him again. Hello, hand, meet your new leash.
A flash of very blond hair had me turning to find Jacob right at my side. Staring into eyes as green as a newly formed leaf in spring, I found myself asking, “Are you getting a fey vibe off him?” Jacob generally recognized his fellow brethren, even if they were using some sort of energy to hide themselves.
His eyes creased a little. “Yes, he is fey, but there must be some hybrid to his lineage. I also sense magic, like that of a wizard. But he is not wizard.”
“Definitely not wizard,” Tyson confirmed.
Maximus and Braxton exchanged glances, their tense features mirrors of each other. “I don’t like this,” the vampire quad finally muttered. “Does Louis’ note have any more information?”
I’d tucked the parchment into my back pocket when I’d first jumped out of the car. I pulled it free and flipped it open. The creases smoothed out. The writing was gone, and now just three words were scrawled across the page.
Ask for Quale.
I shook my head, a sigh escaping before I could stop it. Louis was an annoying, powerful, protective, and sexy-as-all-sin sorcerer, and if he were here right now I’d be kicking his ass. I passed the note to Braxton, who read it quickly and then sent it along the line to his brothers.