Faith trembled violently, and Aldric found himself hissing a warning at his enforcer who flicked a surprised look up at them.
"No offence, Faith. Sorry,” Ori said in a rush.
"I hate to admit that it is a thought that occurred to me as well," Marc said with a guilty flash at Faith, then a frown at Ori. "Though I would have been a bit more diplomatic when I mentioned it."
"Yes, Alpha," Ori slumped and looked over to Faith and Aldric. "I'm sorry, Faith. Really."
Faith nodded. "It's okay. I don't like it at all, but you're right."
"So you think the rogues were tracking them for Honeyford and just got too enthusiastic?" Ori frowned.
Aldric nodded. “Perhaps. If Faith and miss Kaylee had been badly wounded, Honeyford would have been extremely displeased, regardless of his intentions.”
Kenya took a deep breath and looked over at Aldric and Faith, her thoughtful expression replaced now by a sad, almost guilty one. "Um, I'm sorry, but... Are you sure we should get too involved in this? If you're right, then whoever is after them isn't going to give up easily. Having Faith here could put people in danger.
Aldric hissed again and Kenya shrank back into Ori's side, baring her neck.
Marc held up his hands, and stood. "Enough."
He turned to Kenya and Ori. "All three Lathams are now Frostwalkers. Faith has been honest with me and with Aldric from the start. Before they were attacked, she was unaware of the existence of the larger paranormal world, and in the face of what she's been through with her sister missing and the Goldfangs attacking, and discovering that monsters and werewolves and vampires are not only real, but are actively hunting her and her family, what has she done?" Marc raised a brow at Kenya, who already looked thoroughly chastised. "Well?”
“She has played with Jake. She has made coffee for everyone, and helped the kids make cookies for us all. She took one look at Aldric, bleeding all over the kitchen and not only cleaned his wounds and made sure that he was resting comfortably afterwords, but started chastising him for getting injured, which is a hell of a lot more than any of us can do."
Ori snorted. "No kidding. I've watched that guy kick ass, then go back to sit at that damn desk while he was still bleeding."
"Damn straight," Marc nodded. "And Kaylee is not even six years old. She deserves a chance to grow up, to decide her own life. I haven't met Kaylee's mother, but if she is anything like her daughter and her sister, she is kind, caring, and generous, and sure as hell doesn't deserve to be caged up as some werewolf's auction product or some psychotic vampire's food supply. She deserves to watch her daughter grow up happy and healthy and, most importantly, free, and that means they will need people around them that can help keep them safe. If we choose to turn away from them now, how are we any better than those who would use them like that?”
Aldric felt proud to hear his friend and leader speaking up for Faith like this. Faith sat up and watched Marc with wide eyes.
"And you," Marc swung his attention over to Aldric now, and though the amusement was still clear in his eyes, he was also very clearly serious. "Stop hissing at people. We know you like Faith. She is very likeable. But you can't just intimidate everyone into good manners. It's rude, for one thing, and you'll end up hissing at a cop or something if you keep it up. Nobody is suggesting that we leave the Latham's defenseless."
Aldric sighed and bowed his head. "My apologies, Alpha. Kenya. Ori.”
"I think we get it, boss," Ori answered for her, with a smirk. Kenya nodded with a small smile of her own.
"Yeah, I'm sorry it sounded like I didn't want us to help. I was thinking more of logistics and strategy than anything else," she said. "Faith, seriously. I promise we'll get your family back and keep you safe."
"It's okay," Faith said. Her voice was still quiet, but it was steady. "Aldric has told me a lot about why my grandfather was hidden in the first place, and it makes sense to be cautious. I was always lectured about how important it was to keep my magic secret from everyone. Now I know why, I guess. It's dangerous."
Aldric jumped as his computer screen flickered back to life. "I'll tell you what's dangerous," Leo's voice said. His expression was grim until he looked up and saw that Aldric had Faith curled in his lap. A delighted grin replaced the frown. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting?"
"Not the time for teasing, Leo," Marc rolled his eyes before stalking around to look at the screen. Ori and Kenya stayed on the sofa, but leaned forward, listening.
"Oh, Marc! Good," Leo snapped back from his teasing attitude and returned to whatever business had him activating Aldric's computer remotely. "I found them."
19
"I'm going with, and you can't stop me." The heck with the kidnappers, Faith was going to try a little vampire hunting if Aldric didn't back off. "They are my family and I'm going with you to rescue them.”
Leo had told them exactly where to find Honeyford and his cronies, and Aldric had called the rest of his enforcers back but for a few to keep guard at the clinic, and alerted his cousin to be prepared for wounded. Rod and Mia had arrived together, and the other member of Rod's team that Faith hadn't officially met yet had walked in through the back door, nodded an acknowledgement, and then headed to the basement before returning with several duffel bags
