“I bet you would, too.”
“So, what you said about your sister. Does that mean our baby might be non-magical as well?”
“Could be, but I don’t think that’s the case. Not with both of us sensing movement already. Maybe you didn’t realize, but when I claimed you, the moment our magic bonded, the baby’s essence was in our mix, as well. We truly have a little wolfitch.”
Gabrielle grinned. “On that note, do you think good ol’ Greg will greet us at the dock with a scowl and a few choice words?”
Luke laughed, but the sound was jaded. “I couldn’t care less what he thinks or says. As long as he doesn’t hurt you, he can bluster until the veins in his head burst.”
“He’ll have to scale cloud nine to reach me, babe. I’m walking on sunshine.”
Luke kissed her again. “Me, too.” Finishing off his water, he stuffed the empty bottle into his backpack. “We probably stink like sex. Care to skinny dip before we head back?”
“Luke,” Gabby sat up on the blanket and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I have to tell you something.”
He stopped backpack mid-zip, and looked at her.
“There was an incident. This morning”
He didn’t blink. “Define incident.”
Gabrielle told him about the mirror and the ice, not sparing any details.
“Get dressed, love. We need to let Aiden and the others know.”
“I’m pretty sure Raven already told them.”
He shook his head. “She didn’t, or he would have summoned us back to the chateau. As head of the Sentinel Brotherhood, he has that right. I told you. He knew when I claimed you. If Raven told him anything, it’s that you’re pregnant and we needed this time together.” Luke’s eyes took on a million-mile stare, and he nodded as if listening to someone.”
“Are you talking to Aiden now?”
Luke’s gaze returned, and he looked at her. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I asked if you were talking to Aiden.”
He nodded. “I told him what happened with you this morning, and he verified it with Raven. He wants us to head back right away. He waited to hold the briefing so we could have time together, but this just moved the needle.”
“Okay,” she said, wiggling into her clothes, “but you need to tell me what you and the sentinels discovered this past week. I don’t want to walk into that meeting any more paranormally ignorant. It’s bad enough I already feel like I’m behind the eight ball.”
Luke shook out the blanket. “You’re not as ignorant as you think. This is a baptism by fire for all of us.” He stuffed the blanket into his backpack, and then gestured for them to go.
“Grab your water bottle. Take only memories, leave only footprints,” he said with a wink.
She smirked, taking his hand. “Or in our case, ass prints, knee prints, and various bodily fluids.”
“Most of which is on my blanket, which is heading straight into the wash. That was one of the hardest things about growing up with a shifter mother. One sniff and she knew exactly what you were up to.”
“Especially when you were literally up, I bet.”
“Unfortunately, yup.”
Gabrielle couldn’t help but laugh. “Your poor puberty years. Yikes.”
“Yeah, let’s not talk about that. Ever.”
Luke slipped his arm around her waist as they wound back through the overgrown path toward the shore. At one point, they passed a high point that overlooked the grassy inlet.
“There’s someone on the beach,” Gabrielle said, craning to see through the trees. “There, by the boat.”
Luke moved the thin brush aside for a closer look. “That looks like Raven. Why is she here when Aiden asked us to hurry back?
“If you think I’m headstrong, then you don’t know Ray. Especially when it comes to people she loves. I’m the pregnant one, but she’s got the mama cat vibe, big time.”
Gabrielle pushed past Luke, and rushed down the path through the scrub.
“Gabby, slow down! You could fall.”
She laughed. “Look who’s got the protective vibe now, papa wolf.”
The joke stopped short as he blurred past, stopping her in her tracks. He pushed her behind his hip, and turned with a finger on his lips.
Taking her hand, he motioned for her to follow him back the way they came to a thick copse of trees.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she whispered.
“That’s not Raven.”
Brows in a knot, Gabby looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Smell the air, Gabs. Can’t you sense the acrid undertone?”
Inhaling, she gagged, covering her mouth.
“Nasty, right?”
“Try rancid. Like old garbage left in the sun.”
“I heard pregnancy heightens a woman’s sense of smell, but that’s off the chart. Our baby is definitely more wolf than witch if you can smell that.”
“Stop. Is that what I think it is down on the shore?”
He nodded.
“Then why are we sitting in the bushes playing telephone? Use your bat signal and let Aiden know!” She pushed at him. “We need backup. If that demon shapeshifted to look like Raven, then it knows we’re here. This is not a coincidence. Maybe Raven and I didn’t smash that mirror in time, and the demon pinpointed more than we thought.”
“By the time Aiden got here, the demon could either vanish or worse, infiltrated the chateau compound.”
“I opt for vanish.”
“We can take it, Gabby. Me and you.”
“Are you crazy? You’ve fought demons before. I haven’t. Plus, I’m carrying precious cargo. No way.”
“We might not have a choice. It’s standing between us and our way back to the property.”
She chewed on her lip. “If we do this, we’re going to need salt. Capiria hasn’t been running drills for the fun of it this past month.” She glanced through the trees to the water.
