Page 23 of Omission

“Why does he want her protected and cared for?” Brice’s jaw ticks. Anger pulses from him in waves, yet I’m not afraid this time. For once, I feel a little sense of vindication because I’m not alone—for some unknown reason, this wolfen Luna and Wiccan royal has sparked an ember of hope in me. “What is he planning?”

“If you have a problem with that, ask him. King Larue enjoys being questioned.”

7

LEO

I’m already there when the werewolf king’s private jet touches down on the tarmac.

Xadiel and my sister exit first, followed immediately after by Theodore. They’re talking to each other in low tones while their matching expressions mimic mine, a mixture of worry and anger, the latter of which being the most predominant. It ripples through the runway and their guards and mine feel it, all falling to one knee as the oppressive aura forces their submission.

No one complains, though. They understand and want the same result.

The fae king and his lineage are dead.

Isabella is home and standing beside her werewolf mate.

Once they reach the bottom of the plane’s stairway, pleasantries are kept short with a simple handshake from both brothers-in-law while Gabriella wraps her arms around my midsection and cries softly. From anguish. From not spending much time with me since her rebirth.

“After we find Isa, my hundred-year-old promise to make you both eat a frog still stands.” That breaks the tension a bit and she snorts, lightly punching my arm, my shirt is wet from where she’s hidden her face causing me to grimace. Gross. “Make that the biggest flying insect I can get my hands on. I still remember how you two shrieked if one landed on you.”

You’d think with the connection we hold to nature, something like that wouldn’t bother them, but I remember differently. When our parents died, they’d just been coming into adulthood while I was just thirteen summers, giving me plenty of time to be that annoying little brother who bugged them constantly when possible.

Not that my sisters complained. They gave as good as I dished.

If I pranked them, they stole my dessert.

If I made fun of them, they’d return the favor every time I failed to cast the simplest of spells.

“Shut it.” It’s hissed low with no real malice, but the ears of my twin sister's mates perk up. A tiny bit of amusement comes from them—me—and the atmosphere eases enough that those kneeling slowly rise and retake their positions. Not that Gabriella notices; she’s too busy jabbing her finger into the spot she’d previously hit. Punches me in the gut, too. “You snitch, and I’ll bite you. Or worse…”

At her trailing off, I give her a bigger squeeze. Tighten my hold on her. “Temper, temper, dear sister. Has becoming a vampire made you prone to violence?”

“What this he’s talking about, pretty girl?” Theo and I speak at the same time, but at his nickname, her rigid posture relaxes and a small chuckle slips through. “Are you afraid of something?”

Lifting her head from my chest, Gabby glares at me before turning her head toward her mate, the softest of looks given to him. “Never ask me that again, love.”

“We’ll talk about this after.” He’s looking at her, but the response is directed at me.

“Do so, Your Highness, and I’ll make you pay.”

“What are little brothers for, Gabby?” Shifting my gaze toward my vampire brother-in-law, I smirk. “After we bring Isabella home, I think it’s time I sat down with both of you. The stories I have…”

“After,” Xadiel interjects. He’s not upset over our interaction; the man’s used to my relationship with his mate—shares one with me as a true brother would—but I know he needs us to re-shift the focus. The book in my hand catches his attention, and I give him a nod. “That’s one of the ancient scripts they were after that night, isn’t it? What your uncle was searching for while the fae woman appeared and stabbed Silla. Before your sister and I arrived?”

Because you’ll need it more than once.

This is what he meant that day. One time to save Gabriella, and the other for Isabella.

“Yes. I’ve kept it safe all these years as our father instructed. He knew.”

“When was this?” Gabriella completely steps out of my embrace now and after tugging my shirt so I can bend down to her level, she gives my cheek an affectionate kiss. That’s the end of the small talk as all amusement dies and the attention turns toward our father’s book. She takes it from me and I let her, her pale fingers skimming down the leather-bound front, her longing for our parents felt through our familial bond. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen this. Since I’ve been home to our people and—”

“We have time.” Tears pool in her eyes, but they don’t fall. Her hybrid nature won’t allow them to, but I get it. There’s so much to say and people who miss her. “But first, we need Isa home for that reunion. Let’s find the stubborn seer.”

XXX

We’ve been holed up in the alpha’s home for a few days now, going through everything Isabella left behind to point us in the right direction. She’s a cryptic one, but concise and I know that with her, the timing is never off. We are meant to know the next move when it’s time and not a second before.

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