Page 6 of The King

Ignoring the ever-growing ranting of his Panther, Max turned his attention back to Maggie as she said, “Now, I guess I could’ve misunderstood, but I am ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that she saidyouwere lost. But how can that be? You’re right here.”

“And our Bridgette is not known for playing jokes on her friends, is she?”

"No," Maggie ruefully chuckled. "No, she is not. Ettie is a straight shooter, especially when something serious is happening. That's for sure. I mean, she cracked some jokes and made me laugh when we were trapped in the Underworld with that crazy-ass Wolf King, but that was just to make me relax and focus. Ettie's not gonna be doing stand-up any time soon, if you know what I mean."

“I do,” Max winked. “So, tell me again. What was the first thing she said?”

“Well, she said, ‘Maggie, it’s Ettie. I’m in…” The She-Wolf paused, and her brow furrowed as if she was trying to retrieve something that remained elusive.

“And?” He asked, trying to steer her back to saying every thought without reservation.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Something popped into my brain and then disappeared." Shaking her head, her gaze returned to him, and she nodded, "There was a lot of static. I couldn't make out what she was saying. The crackling and popping were so loud. I had to pull the receiver away from my ear for a split-second."

“And you’re sure Bridgette wasn’t talking during that time?”

“I ampositive. It was nuthin' but grainy hissin' and buzzin', but I knew I had to listen. So, I braced myself and put that blasted receiver back to my ear. Thankfully, the line cleared. I could just make out the words, 'no Magic and Max is lost.'"

"I see." He again nodded encouragement even as the hair at the back of his neck stood on end. "Was there anything else?"

"Just a bunch more static and loud white noise, and then the line went dead."

“And you were headed out to find her when I ran into you at the door?”

“No,” Heath answered. “We were headed out to the Res to talk to Maria.”

"She is the Spirit Walker your father told me about, is she not? The one Cheveyo found wandering the desert?"

"She is," the Guardsman quickly responded. "And she's good. A few teenagers in the Causeway Murder of Crows got lost last month. They looked everywhere and then some before finally calling Granddad. He had Maria work her Magic, and they found those kids in less than twelve hours."

“That is good. She sounds like a strong ally to have.” Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Max adjusted the lapels of his jacket. “May I ask why you didn’t call me?”

"Because Ettie said you were lost," Maggie huffed. Then, as her fists hit her waist, she added, "Come on, Max. You gotta keep up. I mean, I guess we could've confirmed what Ettie said, but it was Ettie. There was no reason to doubt what she was sayin', ya' know?" Her eyes got wider, and she gave him a sharp nod. "Now, we've told ya' all we know. Let's get out to the…"

Holding up the index finger of his left hand, Max calmly cajoled, “Just one more thing.”

“Yes?” The couple instantly answered in unison.

“May I look at your memories, Maggie?”

Looking at one another, the couple’s pupils just slightly dilated as the buzz of their telepathy filled the airwaves. It took less than a second for Heath and Maggie to look at him and nod, “Absolutely. Anything to help find Ettie.”

The pang of jealousy that hit him square in the chest almost knocked the breath from his lungs. He longed to be as close to his Mate as these two were. He knew the time would come, but quite frankly, Max was tired of waiting.

Why did she have to be so obstinate? Why couldn't Bridgette accept the plan The Powers That Be had put into place? Must she always try to deny Destiny? Why did…?

"Why are you wasting time asking questions you already know the answer to?"Cass growled."Bridgette is strong, independent, intelligent, and quick-witted, just to name a few of her many endearing qualities. She is our complement in every way. She is everything we need, desire, and so much more. Stop the pity party and do what needs to be done to get her back. She obviously loves us. She reached out to Maggie because she thought we – YOU - were in danger.”

“Look who is back in control and concentrating on the task at hand instead of acting like a lovesick Cub.”

“Yes, I am. Thank you for the metaphorical slap to the back of the head. Now, I get to return the favor.”

With no response, because there was none needed, Max returned his attention to gathering clues to locate his Mate. Cass knew the score. They'd been together for every day of the King's many years. They knew what each other needed, didn't want, and when it was time for drastic measures. Together, they'd ruled every Big Cat Pride, Clam, Jamboree, Clowder, and every other group of Feline Shifters for over a thousand years.

So, why did Bridgette keep slipping through their grasp?

Shaking off all doubt, Max closed the scant distance between himself and Maggie. Giving her what his sister, Sophia, called his hundred-watt smile, the one he’d used to negotiate himself and his Big Cats out of more situations than he cared to remember, the King reassured, “I will look at nothing else but the conversation you had with Bridgette. Is that okay?”

"Yes, it is." Then, with a little chuckle, she added, "You know she hates that you call her Bridgette, right? She prefers Ettie."

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