Page 14 of Call of A Eagle

My shift at Crescent Creek Ziplining passed in a blur of harnesses, platforms, and treetop runs. My eagle enjoyed the work, and it was a good distraction from everything else. But even as the adrenaline surged through me from guiding groups through the course, I couldn’t stop thinking about tonight’s meeting at Last Drop with the others. They wouldn’t be thrilled to hear I still had nothing new on Maribel.

Honestly, I felt like a failure.

By the time the last group had finished their zip, I was no closer to figuring out how to break the news to everyone. Keith, as usual, cracked a few jokes while we closed up shop. The easy banter helped lighten my mental load for a while. But once I was back in my truck, heading to meet the others, everything camerushing back. I wasn’t looking forward to tonight’s conversation, but there was no avoiding it.

My only win today had been Lyra agreeing to go out with me.

I pushed open the door to Last Drop and stepped inside. It wasn’t as packed as usual, but I wasn’t here for a good time. Scanning the room, I spotted the others sitting at our usual table in the back. They had already ordered a pitcher of beer and were halfway through it by the looks of it.

Great. Just what I needed—a tense, beer-fueled conversation.

As I walked over, Dean glanced up, his expression unreadable. Astrid offered me a small smile, but there was tension in her eyes. Sienna and Ellis said hey, but their stares burned into me as I slid into the chair next to Ellis.

“About time you showed up,” Dean said, pouring me a glass from the pitcher. “Thought maybe you’d forgotten where the bar was.”

“Yeah, sorry. Work ran late,” I muttered, grabbing the glass and taking a long swig. It was cold and tasted fine, but it didn’t lessen the knot twisting my stomach.

“So, any updates?” Astrid asked. “Did you find anything out about Maribel?”

I let out a slow breath, already dreading the answer I had to give. “Nothing new. Alma says she knows Maribel, but she’s been dragging her feet on telling me where to find her.”

Palpable silence fell over everyone, and I squirmed in my seat.

“I get it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “This whole situation with Xander is a serious threat, but I can’t force information out of Alma. She’ll talk when she’s ready. She’s not the kind of woman you push around.”

That was an understatement.

Dean set his glass down hard enough to make it rattle. “That’s the problem, Waylen. We don’t have time to wait until she’s ready. Every day that passes, Xander’s out there, doing who knows what.”

“I’m doing everything I can,” I shot back, feeling my frustration rise. “But rushing Alma could make things worse. I can’t blow the one lead we have by pushing too hard.”

Sienna snorted, swirling her beer in her glass. “That’s if Maribel even exists. No offense, but we’ve been hearing about this mysterious shaman for weeks now, and so far, she’s as real as a ghost.”

“She exists,” Ellis said. “I’ve told you this already.”

“He’s right, she does,” I insisted. “Alma knows her. She just won’t give me anything until I finish with her garden beds. It’s a game to her, but I can’t exactly walk away now.”

“We’re running out of time,” Dean ground out. “Every day Xander stays possessed makes him more dangerous.”

“I know,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Believe me, I know. But the last thing I want to do is blow it and lose the only chance we have right now of finding Maribel and asking her for help.”

Dean sighed, and Astrid placed a hand on his forearm. They shared a look only fated mates would, and then Astrid shifted her gaze to me.

“We understand. We’re all just feeling a little frustrated,” she said. “Which I’m sure you’re feeling too. You’re doing all you can right now. We get that.”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” I muttered before taking another swig from my beer.

“I think we’re all just scared,” she continued. “If we don’t stop my brother soon, then we’re all at risk. Every shifter in Crescent Creek is.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, all the frustration I’d been holding in deflated. She was right. This wasn’t just about me or my inability to get Alma to talk. This was about keeping every shifter in town safe from Xander and the darkness that had taken hold of him.

“I’ll keep pushing,” I promised, my voice low but firm. “I’ll get the information we need soon. I swear.”

Dean locked eyes with me, his expression grim. “Here’s hoping you do. Because if not, we’re all screwed.”

No one said anything for a while, the weight of what had already been said pressed down on us all.

I downed the rest of my beer, trying to wash away what I was feeling. It didn’t work. The sensation of feeling like I was letting my crew down still stung my insides. But what could I do? I couldn’t force Alma to give me Maribel’s location. All I could do was wait until she offered it up willingly.

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