Page 5 of The King

Out onto the terrace, down the stone steps, and into the garden, he knew the instant their hearts beat as one. Stopping beside a stone statue of the Welsh god, Dewi, and the Dragon King, Y Ddraig Goch, Max could wait no longer.

Lifting Bridgette's hand to his lips, the moment they touched her silken skin, the world around them ceased to exist. Her eyes flashed from soft, light Emerald to brilliant, blazing gold. Her scent intensified, wrapped around them, and confirmed everything they felt – she was his and he was hers. They were meant to be together. It was everything The Powers That Be promised to each of their Chosen Warriors and so much more.

Gently pulling her into his arms, he could wait no longer. Their kiss was passionate. It was life-affirming. It was his entire reason for being, and he never wanted the feeling to end – and for twelve hours, it didn't.

Their lovemaking was hard and fast, slow and sensual, tender and touching. It was everything, and it was over way too soon.

In the light of a new day, Bridgette was gone without a word. Following the Mating Bond they had acknowledged, nurtured, and made into the impenetrable tether of their souls it was always meant to be the night before, Max’s mind touched hers.

In the blink of an eye, Bridgette slammed her impenetrable mental blocks tight. He had been ejected from his Mate's mind without so much as a backward glance.

But he knew she could not ignore him forever. What they had shared was meant to be. There were no accidents. Destiny would not be denied.

“And we are very patient males,” Casimiro grumbled his reassurance.

Sadly, Max's patience was wearing thin. As a matter of fact, he was in beautiful downtown Valentine, TX, outside Sam's Diner to speak to the one person he knew could give him some insight into his Mate and perhaps help him win her heart once and for all, her newest and closest friend, none other than Maggie Mae Sampson-MacAllen.

But those answers would have to wait. Finding Bridgette and ensuring her safety were all that mattered at the moment. So, he forced all errant thoughts of courting and Mating to the back of his mind and listened to every word the She-Wolf had to say.

"Of course, it's unusual for the only Empress Eagle Shifter in the whole wide world, who also happens to be one of the Daughters of Lugh and is something great and wonderful with the Clan of the Sun, to use a phone. Any phone! But especially a landline." Stepping right up to him, the She-Wolf popped him in the chest with the back of her hand and shouted, "Snap out of it, Max! She's your Mate. She's a Demi-Goddess. And you're besties with her brother. You know better than anyone that she's got more Magic, Power, Strength, and Determination in her little finger than my whole Pack of Wolves combined – and that's sayin' something, Mister. If she wants to get ahold of someone, she puts those words right in their mind with little more than a thought. She doesn't care if you're wet and naked in the shower, having some alone time with your Mate, or in the middle of serving a diner full of hungry Shifters the dinner special. When Ettie reaches out – shereachesout.”

Tapping her temple with the index finger of her left hand while the other flitted and fluttered like she was auditioning for a position as an Air Traffic Controller at DFW Airport, Maggie Mae kept right on going. "What is wrong with you? Why aren't you freakin' out? I just told you that Ettie called on thephoneand….”

Stopping midsentence, the She-Wolf's eyes got as big as saucers as her lips formed a perfect circle, and she breathed, "Oh, shit." Shaking her head as her cheeks turned bright red, Maggie laid one hand on his arm and the other on her face as she looked him right in the eye, and the harsh, sour scent of genuine regret filled his senses. "I am so sorry, Max. My mouth got ahead of my brain. I didn't even explain what happened, did I?"

“No, you didn’t,Reina Lobo,” he forced a chuckle and shook his head, even as the wings of the Mighty Raven King, Feichín, he’d been blessed with from the Morrigan, the Celtic Goddess of Destiny, Fate, War, and Magic tried to break free from his back and Casimiro was spitting and hissing every curse word he knew in the language of their Ancestors.

It just wouldn't do to let his emotions and those of his Panther get the best of either one of them. He knew all too well what a waste of time that would be. Not so very long ago, Ettie and Maggie Mae had been kidnapped by King Fenrir, the narcissistic Norse Wolf of Legend. During the hunt to save the women, Max lost his patience, calm demeanor, and more than a little of his self-respect. Not only had it been humbling, but more importantly, he'd wasted valuable time.

“We will not repeat our mistakes, Cass,”the King reminded his Panther with a steely voice.“Calm yourself. Pay close attention to every detail. We must find Bridgette sooner rather than later.”

Not waiting for an answer, he focused completely on Heath. No mistakes would be repeated, and this time, when he got Bridgette back, he would lock her in his home in the South American Rain Forest and throw away the key.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” the Guardsman nervously snorted. “What my sweet, little, hot-headed Mate neglected to mention was that Ettie saidyouwere lost, andshehad no Magic.”

“At least, that’s what I think she said,” Maggie quickly jumped back into the conversation.

Nodding his head while working even harder to stay calm and, more importantly, to keep Casimiro on point and from not forcing himself to the forefront of their existence and making a scene, Max gently guided, "How about we start from the beginning?"

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea,” Maggie agreed. Without even taking a breath, she started explaining, the words coming out of her mouth at the speed of light. “Heath and I were in the diner.”

She threw the thumb of her right hand over her shoulder. Any other time, Max would've thought it was a cute gesture. However, on this occasion, it was just another distraction he had to block out.

"He…" She pointed to Heath. "…was sitting at the counter, and I was in the kitchen, in front of the pick-up window, getting ready to peel and slice apples for tomorrow's pies. The phone rang. I went through the double door, answered it, and it was Ettie. I was so shocked. Like I said, shenevercalls – especially on a landline. It's never happened before. I mean, sometimes she texts, but that's on my cellphone, and I think she only does it when she's bored."

"Honey," Heath sweetly coerced. "I don't think that's important right now. Max just needs the facts. Remember Declan, from Rian's Clan. You said he was like Joe Friday from Dragnet, right? Do it that way, okay?"

"No, everything Maggie is doing is correct," the King reassured, adding as much of a smile as he could muster. "If I have learned anything in all my years, it is that every detail is important when dealing with situations such as this. Even when we think it is not, it might just be the thing that breaks it all wide open."

Reaching forward, he laid the tips of his fingers on the back of Maggie's hand where it sat on her crossed arms. Letting comfort and reassurance flow into the She-Wolf, he added, "Just take a deep breath and tell me everything."

"O-okay," she stammered. Doing as she was asked, Maggie inhaled, rolled her shoulders backward, and straightened her spine, and this time, when she spoke, it was with the authority of the Alpha She-Wolf she most definitely was. "The connection was horrible. I could barely hear her. Which, you know, just never happens for us Shifters. We can hear everything, even the crap we don't want to."

“Indeed,” Max nodded. “We definitely hear everything and then some.”

“Can you please tell this female to get to the point?”Casimiro growled."I know you told her that every detail was important, no matter how small, but this is maddening. Our Mate is in trouble, and she is standing here talking about apples and phones and Supernatural hearing.”

“Patience, Old Friend. Patience. She loves Bridgette just as much as we do and is worried. We must give her the time she needs to remember all pertinent details.”

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