right now, once we get into bed I’m not going anywhere.”
She blushed and he felt better.
“Werewolves mate for life. Did you know that?”
“I think I did, yes.”
“Well, so how it works is when two wolves or a wolf and a suitable partner, um, have sex, the exchange of bodily fluids is part of what sets off the chain reaction that sets off the mate bond. And there are other things, complicated things, that I don’t know if you’re ready for. We could use condoms, but every time we’re intimate sexually, the bond between us strengthens for me.”
He wasn’t surprised at all, now that he thought about it. He was intensely attracted to her. From what he understood about werewolves and mates, it was a for-life thing. And that didn’t freak him out at all. “Are you saying I’m your mate?”
“Yes. Speaking for myself only because I can’t speak for you, but yes, you’re it for me. If nothing happens between us, eventually I’d find someone else. It’s not a situation of one person only on earth or anything. But each time we’re together sexually, it becomes clearer to me that you’re my mate. And I don’t think you’re ready for all that will entail.”
He snorted. “Delilah, I was just thinking about our children. I’ve been fascinated by you from the first time we met.”
She smiled. “Well, that’s good. Generally, nature isn’t so cruel as to put a person in our lives who we could mate with but who hates us. At the same time, this is forever. Right now, we are both involved in some major stuff. Things are insane. Violent. We’re on the verge of war between humans and Others. I want you to take this step with me, you have no idea how much. But I want you to do it knowingly. After you meet my family and understand my culture. A culture you’ll be part of if for no other reason than your being my mate. This is so much more than sex. This will change everything, and while I am so down to having sex with you, so much you have no idea. I just . . . it’s more for me and I want to take the time to be sure you know what you’re getting into. Do you understand?”
He blew out a breath. “I’m not afraid to commit to you. But . . . I do understand what you’re saying. Though I still want to sex you up in the worst way.”
She laughed. “Meet my family first. And come to a Pack meeting in Chicago. And I’ll explain all of what it means to be my mate. Once all this has calmed. Then, if you’re still on board you can sex me up all you want. Wherever you want. However many times you want.”
MEI NiaAine was astonishingly beautiful. Helena found it hard to stop looking at her until she finally just spoke. “I wanted to thank you for helping me with this. I know the Fae have been trying to keep out of this issue.”
Mei was even more beautiful when she smiled, and Helena could see why human folklore referred to the Fae as the Fair Folk.
“Thank you, Helena. Cardinian and his family have been there for me more often than I can ever repay, so I’m always pleased to help when I can be of service to Leviathan. What we need to do with this travel spell is to visualize the space. Can you do that?”
“I haven’t been inside Hayes’ office, but I’ve been in the hall just outside. If we can get there, I can pop a lock quickly and get in. As for PURITY, Faine has been.”
Faine nodded. “I’ve got a mental snapshot of the layout of the building. And of the outside of Carlo Powers’ town house as well. I’ve not been inside, but I’ve done surveillance outside.”
“All right.” She took Helena’s hand and Jayce, her other husband, took her free hand and Faine’s as well. “Lower your shielding and I’ll look. Just visualize that hallway with as much detail as you can.”
She did and when she opened her eyes again at Mei’s squeeze of her hand, she was standing in the hall outside Marlon Hayes’ office.
It was after midnight, but a busy enough legislative time that she knew there were others around. “You might want to keep an eye out and also use a shielding spell if you can. If not, I can cast one.”
“I’ve got that handled.” Jayce took care of it and with a few murmured words, Helena got Hayes’ door open and they quickly moved inside and closed it behind them.
They stood back while she did her work, but while she was there, Faine looked through drawers and papers while she copied data onto a few memory sticks.
“There are some clumsy spells here. Nothing major. I’ve gone around them rather than getting rid of them. That way there’s no indicator anyone was here. A mage cast them so they’re third-rate.” She curled her lip as she gathered up the data sticks.
Faine grinned at her. “You’re sexy when you’re full of derision.”
Jayce chuckled. “You and your brothers seem to share a love of the same type of female.” He tipped his head toward Mei, who shook her head.
They then moved to PURITY’s headquarters. Because they didn’t know if anyone would be inside, they chose a spot down the block. Faine had them stay while he and Jayce moved closer.
They returned shortly. “Looks like the lights are off in the downstairs, but one is on upstairs.”
“You all stay here. I can cast a don’t-look spell and get in and out quickly.”
Faine snorted. “I think not. I’m better at stealth than you are. And I’ve been inside to check them out once before. I know where everything is.”
“Yes, but I know if any trap spells have been cast.”
“Good goddess, you two are so much like Card and Mei it’s sort of scary.” Jayce sighed. “You’re both right. Mei and I can easily hide the four of us from detection so I’m going to suggest we travel into the first floor and we’ll take it from there.”
Which is how Helena found herself standing in the front entry to PURITY’s DC headquarters. The hatred emanated from the walls. She’d heard witches talk about such things and had been close enough to Carlo Powers and some of the others from PURITY that she’d felt their personal hatred toward her and the rest of Others, but this was as if the whole place overflowed with negative power.
Faine bristled as they moved carefully through. Someone was on a phone call but the main reception area was empty and the lights were off. There were no spells of any kind but she figured there’d be cameras. Before they’d arrived, Jayce had done something to shield them from any camera view.
Helena then sent a magickal bomb of sorts out that would overload the closed circuit cameras and any security for about ten minutes. More than enough time. She hoped that phone call wouldn’t have any trouble though.
“I’ll keep an eye on the door,” Mei murmured and headed out.
Helena used the data sticks and Faine searched the drawers and they repeated the process on the two other offices downstairs.
“He just got off his call. No one else is here.”
Helena moved to a spot just outside the door and used a sleep spell. It would last for about ten minutes. Once he was out, she’d give him a suggestion that he had done something to mess up the security and cameras and caused a short. He’d want to cover up his stupidity so he’d keep it all to himself and no one would know there was ever an issue.
It turned out her sleeper was one of Powers’ sons, his top goon.
She wished she could put him in a tree outside so when he woke up he’d fall and break something. But she reined it in. It would be better this way. No one would suspect anyone was ever there.
Helena did the spell and planted the suggestion before she also cast a surveillance spell keyed to certain phrases as she and Faine did a search and gathered data from all the computers on the second floor.
“I can get into his head.” Helena looked Greg Powers over. “It’s moderately dangerous. But I won’t kill him.”
“I don’t care if you do or not.” Faine shrugged as he took out Greg’s phone and removed the SIM card. “This could be helpful.”
She got to her knees in front of Greg’s body. “If he starts to wake up, don’t panic, I’ll take care of him.”
Using the spell she and Lark had perfected over the years, she dove into his head, riffling through his memories, not bothering to be subtle. He wouldn’t know why he had a headache but she didn’t care anyway.
