Page 24 of Tangled Hearts

“I feel helpless,” she whispered.

“You are anything but helpless, especially with your mates by you,” Addie said. “Not that you need them, but they make you stronger while you make them stronger than they could have ever imagined.”

Oria nodded.

“Thank you,” she said, hugging Addie, who looked startled.

“No need to thank me,” Addie said, hugging her back. “Go change the world and if you need anything, you just call for me.”

“Like on the phone?” Oria pulled back.

“Just say my name on the wind, I’ll find you,” she said. “Now go before Jordan alerts the people that are looking for you that you are here. I would also stay low because Laima is ready to issue a bounty on you, and if she finds out who you are, she will also issue one for you too, Ryder.”

I nodded, pulling Oria to me.

“Thank you, Addie,” I said, as I walked out of the room.

“Don’t forget about that vial, Ryder,” she said as we walked away.

“Come on, Heaven, let's go get the others and let's go get your mate,” I said, feeling impending doom settle in.

I had a feeling that it was going to get worse before it got better, and my wolf was impatient to make her his before things got worse.

8

MAXTON

Iwalked around the establishment below our sleeping quarters. Soren told me this is where bad men came for information, a night’s stay and to disappear. Apparently, the wolf and vampires led a life that was not noble. They stole and made a life of crime.

I didn’t understand it, but it wasn’t my place to and there was a reason the goddess gave her mates like these. If Ryder could get his emotions under control, his bond would give him so much. I tried not to be jealous of his bond, that he clearly didn’t want for reasons that seemed stupid, but I could sympathize with being in love with someone that held your heart hostage.

My chest ached being away from my Sol. It was the first time we had been apart from each other for this long. It was like my skin was itching and I couldn’t settle down. Soren was the same way, constantly rubbing his chest. He decided we needed to do something, so we came to the bar and I watched him talking to some guy. At the moment, we were trying to get some information about the Oria supply.

We agreed we needed to stay ahead of the danger that we all knew Oria was in. No one knew what she looked like, but it was only a matter of time before someone said something or Laima grew desperate and put a bounty on her. Soren said we needed to play it smart and listen to those around us because someone was always willing to spill secrets for money.

I walked up to the bar, keeping an eye on Soren, when the bartender looked up at me and asked what I wanted.

“Beer, whatever you have on tap.” I said what Soren told me to say because I had no idea what they served at the bar.

I didn’t even know what beer was, but Soren said it's kind of like mead, but I didn’t know what the hell mead was either. The bar wasn’t overly full, but there were enough people to make me nervous. The man Soren was talking to was looking back at a man who was in the corner. It made me think they were together, or he was wary of the man.

“Here you go, man.” The bartender set the drink in front of me.

The drink was a golden color with foam on top.

“You wanna start a tab?”

Dammit Soren didn’t say anything about a tab so I just gave him the cash Soren gave me hoping that would answer the question.

“Keep the change,” I said, almost yelling, since I forgot Soren told me to say that.

“Appreciate it, man,” he said, walking to the thing that held the money.

I nodded my head, grabbing my beer to taste it. The first sip was atrocious. The second one was ok and by the third sip it was tolerable.

Soren caught my eye, smirking at me. He must have caught my sour face at this weird drink. I continued to sip on this drink as I observed the bar. Soren shook the man’s hand, walking away from him and exiting the bar. The guy watched him leave before walking straight to the guy in the corner as another man walked up to them who was sitting on the other side of the bar.

Something was going on and I wonder if whatever information they gave Soren were all lies. I finished my beer, deciding it wasn’t that bad, setting it on the bar about to leave. The men left the bar one at a time and I decided to follow the man who had been by the corner. I walked out of a different door, debating whether I should shift, it might be better if I did.

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