“Yeah, you sure you can’t stay an extra day or two?” Bash asked. I could hear the plea in his voice even if Jackson couldn’t. Bash missed his friend. He missed his old life. I hated that I took that away from him.
“Nah, man, unfortunately I have to get back to the Pack. You know how it is.” Jackson chuckled and lightly punched Bash on the shoulder. “My dad’s on my ass for every little thing. I have to make sure I’m minding my P’s and Q’s.”
Damn that Charles. Of course he was making it difficult for Jackson. Knowing he was being that hateful and spiteful to his own son made me sick.
“Just say the word, Jackson, and I’ll set him straight,” I growled.
He laughed it off good naturedly. “Don’t worry about it, Kenz. I can handle my father.”
“Is that my bestie I hear?” Amy yelled from one of the bedrooms before coming out. “Kenzie!” Amy pushed past Bash, almost knocking him over and grabbed me in a bear hug.
“It’s like I’m not even here,” Bash mumbled.
I laughed as I squeezed her back. “Thank you for coming, Aims. I wish you didn’t have to go.”
Amy pulled away and smiled brightly at me. “Have no fear, I’m already planning a trip back.”
“Good,” I nodded. “I miss Gray’s Papayas,” I groaned.
She sighed. “I go there every weekend just for you, babe. If I’ve gained weight the next time you see me, you’ll know why.” She looked pointedly at me. “Watching TV without you isn’t the same. Jackson asks a lot of questions during shows and it’s so annoying.” She rolled her green eyes.
Jackson scoffed, “I’m trying to follow the storyline!”
Amy snapped her fingers. “Keep up, babe!”
I jerked my thumb in Bash’s direction. “At least he watches with you. This one over here only wants to watch police procedurals and legal dramas. I was watching so much Law & Order: SVU before we left New York, I was starting to get scared roaming the streets at night. And I’m a damn wolf!”
Amy giggled, while Bash pushed me lightly. “Don’t exaggerate, Mackenzie,” he said dryly. “You’re lucky we have no time to watch TV now.”
I huffed. “You see the abuse I must endure?” I said to Amy and shook my head. “Anyway, how are the lunas treating you?”
Jackson cleared his throat. “I handled that.”
I laughed. “You better have.”
“Lunas nowadays ain’t easy,” he grumbled, scratching the back of his head when I glared at him. He smacked Bash on the chest. “Come on, help me out.”
Bash held up his hands in surrender. “Oh, no, man. You’re on your own with that one.”
Jackson rolled his eyes. “No loyalty.”
The four of us laughed and for a moment, it felt like old times. When it died out, Jackson turned somber eyes to me and said, “He would have been so happy for you, Kenz.”
Jonah.
I bit my lip and looked down at my hands, nodding. “Yeah, I think so,” I whispered.
“He would have,” Bash reassured me. “In the end, he only wanted to see you happy.”
I gave them a weak smile that I hoped conveyed what I wanted them to believe—that I was happy. But was I really? Was I happy with Bash? Yes. Absolutely. I didn’t regret that decision for a second. I didn’t even need to blink to respond to that. But was I happy as Queen? That question was a little harder to answer. For now, I was undecided.
The door to one of the other guest rooms opened and Ollie walked out with his suitcase. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. It was obvious he hadn’t expected to see me before he left.
“Kenz!” he muttered. “What are you doing here?” Approaching me in three large strides, he lifted me up into a massive hug. Ollie was huge, towering over all of us at six feet, five inches.
I grinned. “I just wanted to say bye before you left,” I answered as he set me down on my feet. “Can’t your little sister do that?”
He shrugged. “I just thought you’d be busy, that’s all.” That comment made my cheeks rosy with embarrassment. We didn’t talk as much as we used to, and I always used the excuse that I was busy. Even when he was away in the Army, he always made time for me. Always. It made me feel shitty.
Picking up on my mood, Bash chimed in, “She made sure to make time.”
Ollie nodded, accepting that comment and turning to me with a bright smile. “So when are you coming to visit? Mom and Dad have been asking about you.”
With Abaddon on the loose and a baby on the way, I couldn’t go anywhere any time soon. That thought alone pissed me off. Not so much about the baby part. I was confident my parents would be as happy as Alexander was. But I was angry about Abaddon.
A demon was after the soul of my unborn child. How the hell did that happen?
After we sent Jackson, Amy, and Ollie off, I headed straight for my bedroom to change clothes. In a pair of jeans, Converse sneakers, and a sweater that was two sizes too big, I got ready to head for the stables.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Bash interrupted me as I prepared a backpack.
“You heard Junior,” I said mindlessly. “A deal was made with a demon for a soul. The only deal I’ve made is with the fae. That means I have to see Angus to figure out what the hell he did.”
Bash grabbed my arm and stopped me. “You’re not going to Loch Lomond. Not in your condition.”
I peered up at him. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing, Bash. The fae did something to me and I have to find out what it was!”
“And
