We headed to Salt Lake for what was next. Cerdic gave me a confused look when we were at the owner’s cabin at one of the resorts. I’d sort of taken it over as mine, planning to use it when we stayed there, but I hadn’t as I’d been using it for hiding his gift. I held up a finger for him to wait as I went into the guest room and found the first of the many, many cases.
“As Kristof appreciates the art that is a fine car, there is something I noticed you always pay attention to and like.”
“Watches,” he muttered as he stared at the case. “I love timepieces and watches.”
“You do.”
“I’ve never told you that.”
I smiled at him. “No, but I pay attention too, my Zen master.” I handed him the case.
He opened it and smiled, touching the array before plucking one out. “You have no idea what to look for, do you, love?”
“No, which is why that’s one of lots of cases,” I answered honestly, smirking when he blinked at me in shock. “That whole guest room is full of them and so is the other one. I made a deal with a lot of the people raiding that if they brought Wolfe and Wilson watches, I would trade new and fixed electronics. They’ve been helping me with this for months.”
“I love you,” he blurted loudly in front of everyone gathered to see what the gift was.
I felt my flush. “Well, I hope so if we’re getting married, but I’m glad you like the gift.”
He moved closer, cupping my cheek after he put the watch back. “I do. It’s amazing, like you.” He gave me a sweet kiss I gladly accepted. “And this is not a lacking gift. You just like sweets that much.”
“I do.” I leaned in to be a brat and licked his neck. “Yup, sweet and nummy.” I smiled when he burst out laughing, hugging me tightly.
“Let’s head home,” he murmured as he set the case down.
“You don’t want to look at them?”
“Later. Kristof didn’t check out his cars either.”
“I plan to check one a day and thank her each time,” Kristof clarified, chuckling when I shivered. “Let’s go home, My Princess.”
I nodded, letting Cerdic blur us to the castle. He stopped outside the door and flinched as he set me on my feet, letting me know there was a problem. I turned to see Tyson, one of my knights and my battle buddy, pacing.
“My Princess, I apologize for interrupting your night and when you have visitors, but I beg you for a moment that I might—”
“It’s fine, what’s going on?” I worried as I rushed over to him. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, relieved when he settled down. Tyson was the ultimate calm, even more than Cerdic. He rarely got his feathers—or fur, as a lion shifter—ruffled. I’d never seen him remotely upset like this and it was coming off of him in waves. “Talk to me, Ty.”
He let out a shaky breath. “Chris is alive. My Chris is alive, Inez. You met him today.”
That took me a moment. “Oh. Oh!” I gasped when he nodded, feeling like an idiot. “I always assumed Chris was a girl. I’m so sorry.”
“No, guy, but I’m bisexual,” he muttered.
I snuggled with my knights now and again, and there had been a few times we’d had confusing wake ups and it was clear he’d been… Interested more than just morning wood.
“He’s alive, Inez. I thought he was gone. I never thought—that base was gone, we thought.”
“This is great. I’m missing the problem,” I admitted.
“He wants to go see him,” James explained. “He wants to fill Chris in.”
Oh shit. Crap. “I know you love him, but did he even know about you?”
“Yes. Sort of, but he knew I wasn’t human.”
I nodded, weighing that. I cupped his face and brushed my lips over his. “Of course you can go see him. I ask one thing before we fill him in.”
“Anything.”
“Treat him like you’re checking he wasn’t taken over by an alien,” I said after figuring how to try and word it. “Take that slower, hesitant path like you’re not sure he wasn’t body snatched.” I shook my head when he opened his mouth. “It’s been over six years, Tyson. I lost all my memories. People change. I’m sure he hasn’t and he’s still your guy, but please, please, let’s make sure to protect all of us.”
“The other option is we have to protect all of us later and that would destroy you, Ty,” Trisha said gently.
“Okay, yeah, I got it. We go slow and Chris isn’t a threat,” he agreed.
“Good.” I glanced at Vitor. “Can you come with us and help? There’s got to be—”
“Princess, respectfully, we maybe should think about this more,” James said quietly.
I gave him a hard look. “You would have done anything to see Vance. Just because it’s not his brother, tell me he doesn’t deserve the same. It kills me that I only led you guys back together when there could be so many more with family they don’t know are alive. Aether let me because it was the start of my coven. I don’t have that power and I’ve asked for it to help more. We can help Tyson.”
He swallowed loudly. “I didn’t know you felt that way. You shouldn’t. We only do what we can and you’re right, I’m thinking as military and not as I should.” He let out a slow breath and looked at Tyson. “What can we do to help?”
“Grab whoever wants to do some hunting,” I answered. “We were going to bring bobcats to them, and maybe getting them in will distract
