Page 52 of Prey

“Yeah, what’s my job?” Shasta looks at me expectantly. Joaquin snickers.Asshole.

“Blasting. You can blast anything that moves. But you’ll be staying beside me and Kadi while you do it. I never said I wasn’t a hypocrite.” I fold my arms across my chest.

No one wants their mate going into danger. And no matter what I just said, I know that Shasta will do whatever she thinks she needs to do to keep everyone safe, even if that means leaving our side to do it.

Everyone around the table laughs. It’s not as if they don’t all know me. I might be the leader and my word should be law, but at the end of the day, we never know how things are going to go and we can plan all we want, but things usually never work out that way. Just like what happened when we were rescuing Amir.

Winnie raises her hand. “I’ll be coming along too.” Eloise looks at her as if she’s grown another head. Well fuck, what do I do here? On one hand, that’s my mate's grandmother. On the other, she is the head of the Coven. She has every right to be there. I can only nod. I’m not going to give her a specific job. She can just help wherever she sees fit to.

“Just help out wherever you feel it’s needed most. Healing is probably going to be a top priority too, even if it’s just enough to get by.” I think we have everything covered now.

“Jessa, you and Shasta go do your thing. After that, we will get Jessa on her way to go check in. Everyone else, get some rest. Tomorrow night is going to be busy. Meet up at the Clubhouse at four.” I stand.

Everyone heads out a couple at a time. Shasta and Jessa go…somewhere. I’m sure they have rooms here for stuff like that though I haven’t explored yet. I’m still trying to get used to being around witches in general. Amir beckons me over.

“Don’t let anything happen to her. I know she is way more powerful now, but they can’t get a hold of her no matter what, Ethan.” The look on his face is so haunted. All I can do is swallow and reassure him that I won’t.

Kadi and I head back down the stairs and he stops me in the hallway. “How are we going to keep her near us? You know the minute something happens she will be gone to deal with it.”

“I know, but there isn’t anything we can do about it. I hate it as much as you do, we just have to follow her and hope for the best.”

He growls.

“I feel you, brother. I don’t fucking like it either. But she’s a Gods damned demigod. We can’t get in her way. At the end of the day, she’s the most powerful one on this mission and if anyone can fight those fucks, it’s her. That’s why I want her on blast duty. Worst case scenario, she can just blast anyone trying to get in our way.” I squeeze his shoulder and move past him in the hallway.

Shasta and Jessa are in the kitchen now putting together a potion of some sort. “What’s that?” Kadi looks over her shoulder as he asks his question.

“An extra protection. It should help ward against them putting any spiders in her if they try. Though I think the other protections should get her away from there before anything like that happens. We tested the defensive barrier and it works quite well,” she says, rubbing at her shoulder.

Well I’m glad they made sure it worked, though I don’t like that it was Shasta who tested it. “Where are Joaquin and Laken?”

“Probably lurking outside like a couple creepers waiting for me to leave. It’s been like having two shadows for the last couple of days, minus a few times when they were with you all. But I was at work then, so does it really count?” She sighs. “I get it. But I don’t know how I feel about all this. I never thought I would get mates, let alone vampire ones, or psychos.”

Shasta laughs. “Welcome to the club.”

Kadi and I both protest. Though I’m not sure why. Wearepsychos. Is it really being psycho though if you’re just trying to protect your mate? That's debatable.

Loki picks that moment to pop in and scares the shit out of all of us except Shasta. I’m sure she’s used to it by now.

“What kind of bullshit is she getting herself into now?”

Oh, he’s talking to me? It doesn’t look like anyone else is paying attention. Can he hear me if I answer in my head?

“I can, but I have to actively listen. I don’t just go around reading people’s thoughts.”

“We are going to raid the Society tomorrow. But Shasta has demigod powers so she isn’t going to be in too much danger, I hope.” I think at him.

He hums in my head. Then, slowly wraps himself around Shasta’s legs until she picks him up. They have a conversation and then he pops back out.

“Uh, what was that about?” Jessa asks.

“Oh yeah, I guess I haven’t told you with everything going on, but Loki is a demon,” Shasta says nonchalantly. Emmett picks just that moment to walk into the dining room and Shasta winces. She must have forgotten that Emmett was here.

“Yeah, it seems you are really good at being secretive these days.” He crosses his arms and glares at her.

“I’m sorry Em, it’s been…well, a fucking nightmare really.” She looks at him with pleading eyes. He stares back at her with a stony expression. I can’t blame him. If Kadi had done that to me, I’d be pissed too.

“Spill it. Now. All of it.” He points at me. “You, don’t move. I’m not so forgiving as Shasta and you and I are going to have a talk.”

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