“What happened?” Isabelle asked, her eyes never leaving her two males.
Abbi stood and gave Isabelle a hug. “Connor had a vision.”
“About?”
“Josie and a man none of us can identify,” Frey answered.
Isabelle turned then, her eyes zeroing in on Josie. She closed the distance and held out her hand. “Josie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Isabelle.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Your son is amazing.” Josie shook Isabelle’s hand, smiling in sincerity.
“He is, but his gift can be overwhelming for some.” Isabelle returned her attention to Connor.
“His gift is extraordinary. How does he cope with what he sees?” Josie wrapped her arms around her waist, and Kai couldn’t stand the pain his mate was feeling. He went to her and took her in his arms.
“Dante and I do our best to reassure him he’s perfect just the way he is. More often than not, his visions help diffuse a dire situation. In your case, we do our best to figure out who the man is and keep whatever it is Connor saw from happening. May I see the drawing?”
It was Frey who handed the picture to Isabelle. “The man is Drago. I texted Deacon so he could ask Arden if he recognized him, and he confirmed it just now. Several of our security boxes on our gates have been compromised. Jules is testing each one to figure out how they were tampered with. Either Drago found a new computer expert, or Hagen Rossum is smarter than we realized.”
Dante ruffled Connor’s hair before leaving his son to play. Where the boy had been sullen before his father arrived, now he was smiling and running with Amelia as Molly chased after them.
“Josie, it’s good to see you again.” Dante fisted his heart and bowed his head. “On my honor,” he said to Kai’s mate before gathering his own in his arms. The three couples mirrored each other, but no one would think it strange. “I’m going to call Rafe. If Drago is behind the situation with the security breach, he’s either getting braver or desperate. The good news is Isabelle has perfected the antiserum. Tomorrow, we begin the process of making it in mass quantities. We need to have a Clan meeting to decide next steps. With extra security around the mates and children, we are going to require outside assistance. We can’t leave the Pen vulnerable by pulling the guards away to help.”
Frey pressed a kiss to Abbi’s hair before calling out for the kids to come inside. “The manor is the most secure of all our homes. Let’s load up and head on over. While you call Rafe, I’ll call Julian and Nikolas and have them meet us there. Let Rafael decide who else he wants to be in on the meeting. Abbi and I will pack up the food and take it with us.”
“What can we do to help?” Josie asked.
“If you and Kai could load the coolers in the truck, that would be appreciated.”
Everyone got busy, and soon they were on their way to the manor. Malakai should’ve known he and Josie wouldn’t have it any easier than the other couples did upon first getting together. The fates weren’t making it as simple as finding their mates and sealing the bond. At least they were mated, and their connection made them stronger. As much as he wanted to put Josie on a plane and take her to his island home, he wouldn’t abandon his new family. Being included in the planning session with Rafael was new. He was interested to see if Rafael made the decisions on his own or if his brothers and cousins acted as advisors.
“Are you sure you want to be mated to me?” Kai asked. He had never felt so vulnerable. If it were just him, he’d be the first one out the door going after Drago.
“For better or worse. Isn’t that what is declared in wedding vows? I know we aren’t married, but we might as well be.” Josie played with Kai’s hair, settling his fears. “It won’t always be like this.”
“How can you be sure? You’ve only been part of our world a few days.”
“I don’t think any of you would bring children into your world if you didn’t believe there were good days ahead or if you thought you couldn’t ensure their safety. War has been going on since the beginning of time, and if children had been left out of the equation due to danger, the population wouldn’t have grown to be what it is today. If parents are worried about bringing kids into a less-than-perfect existence, there’s no one else to carry on the fight.”
“Have I told you lately how perfect you are?”
Josie caressed his neck. “Yes, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Maybe one day I’ll even believe it.” He would make sure she did.
Julian was inspecting the security box when they arrived. If Rafael’s home was compromised, that didn’t bode well for the rest of the Clan. Kai parked next to Gregor’s and Tessa’s bikes. The couple was there to help unload the vehicles, and Tessa whistled when she saw Josie’s dress.
“Now that’s a sexy dress. I might have to get me one of those,” she said, eying Josie up and down. “What do you think, Stone?” she asked Gregor.
“I think you’d cause a wreck if you wore that while riding, Red.”
“I would, wouldn’t I?” Tessa flipped her long braid over her shoulder.
Josie grinned at the redhead. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you teach me how to braid my hair, I’ll let you borrow my dresses anytime you like.”
“Dresses? As in more than one?”
“I have many. This one is fairly conservative, so if you want something a little spicier, I can hook you
