“Well, if you and your mate weren’t burning up the sheets every night, you’d get your rest, Essie,” she teases. “You’re not exactly a spring chicken, you know.”
My brow arches as I shoot a glare in her direction, which has her doubling up in laughter. “If memory serves, you’re older than me, Rissie,” I sneer. “Better start using those night creams if you don’t want to scare off any potential mates.”
“Bite your tongue with that word, woman! Nope, no mate for me. I’ve never even entertained the thought I would have one.”
“Yeah, well I thought that very thing, remember? Yet Beast drove into our campsite and voila, look at me now,” I remind her.
“I really don’t think I have one,” she reiterates, her voice quiet as she stares into her glass of wine. “Surely by now, if there was one out there for me, he’d have found me?”
“I don’t know how it works, Charisma. Just know that you’re not too old for one to come your way, okay?”
“If you say so. I won’t hold my breath though because purple isn’t really my color,” she teases.
“Come on, I’m getting hungry. Let’s eat since it seems as though they’re still meeting. I’ve still got to pack.” Standing, I grab my now-empty wine glass and head back inside. This time, I do use my magic to quickly boil the pasta since hunger pangs have my stomach growling which makes Charisma laugh.
Beast
“And she wasn’t able to get anything more?” Mav asks again.
“No. She tried multiple times but wasn’t successful. I’m just glad she was able to link to Leigh, so we aren’t chasing our tails trying to figure out exactly where they are,” I reply.
“Okay, well, Colton said he has contacts down there and he planned to reach out to them to see if they can get eyes on where Leigh and Ice are being held,” he says.
“Everyone packed?” Paxton inquires, looking down at what I presume must be a list on his phone.
“I’m sure Esmerelda is getting that together for us since we just got home earlier. Oh, by the way, Colton, that guy we met? Burt? He may find his way here. Kind of a strange fucker, if I’m being totally transparent, but he’d fit in strangely enough,” I advise. “And my brother, Baldwin, is headed in this direction as well. No clue when he’ll arrive but Kash, if you can keep an eye out for him, I’d appreciate it.”
“You got it. We’ve got a few empty cabins, so I’ll have Rowina and Charisma get it ready for him if that works for you?”
“Yeah. He may be my brother and I might love him, but there’s no fucking way I wanna live with his messy ass again. I kind of like sleeping in my bed and think Esmerelda would have me sleeping either on the couch or outside if he stayed with us,” I admit, which has the room filling with laughter. Baldwin is a few years, okay more like ten years, younger than me and he’s still in the bachelor mindset so where shit falls is where it stays until he needs it again. My mate would lose her mind living with him; my job is to protect her and keep her happy.
“So who are we meeting when we arrive?” Landry questions.
“A pod of caimans,” Mav replies. At everyone else’s look of confusion, he elaborates. “They’re like crocodiles, apparently, just smaller. Because we’re going to be heading down the Amazon River, they’re the best chance we have to get close enough to get the lay of the land.”
“We need to find out if there are going to be humans around because I suspect we’re going to have to shift at some point,” Connelly states.
“That’s where Esmerelda and Tabatha come in,” I reply. “They’re going to be protecting the area so that anything we have to do to save not only Leigh and Ice but anyone else they may have taken will not be observed by any humans.”
“That’s fucking wicked that they can do that,” Landry says, grinning. “I mean, we’re all pretty badass in our own right with the extra abilities we have in shifter form, but the fact they can make it appear as though we’re not there? Totally awesome.”
“I’ve not met Tabatha but if she’s half as powerful as my mate, I think we’ll be okay,” I state. Of course, I’ll always have Esmerelda’s back even if Tabatha ends up being more powerful than she is, but they probably know that already.
“She’s got mad abilities of her own,” Mav replies. “Kind of glad she and Esmerelda are on our side, y’know?”
“We’re really fortunate with what we’ve created here,” Maverick states looking around the table. “I mean, it may not have been what Colton envisioned per se, but it works for us and for me. That’s what’s important. Even all the new people that have joined us have helped us build a community that’s founded on mutual respect. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that when we’re gone on missions, they’re here to protect the property and keep shit going.”
“That’s why we’re here, son,” Kash states. “We have no problem overseeing things when you guys are gone, and this time will be no different.”
Mav’s voice is gruff when he replies, “Thanks, Dad. Okay, if we’re all clear about the plans, let’s all head home, finish packing if we need to then get some rest. We’re leaving at first light for the airport; time is of the essence since we don’t know what if anything they’re doing to our family.”
Family.
Mav nailed it with just that one six-letter word.
We’re not all bound by blood, in fact, most of us aren’t, yet we’ve created a unique, dysfunctional as fuck, family. A family that fights for one another but can also fight with each other. Well, at least during our sparring matches.
“I’m out then,” I declare. “Been a
