“Will you still keep her in the basement?” Dad asked, his eyes wide.
I shook my head. “We have another prisoner there now. Stevie will stay in the room I slept in before Bodey and I mated.”
I think that’s a great idea,Bodey linked, squeezing my hand.
“That’s not safe enough.” Samuel frowned, his eyes meeting mine. He linked with Bodey and me,I understand she’s your sister, but she worked against us with the enemy. What if she sneaks out when you two are busy and I’m in the shower or something?
My cheeks burned, knowing exactly what he was implying when talking about Bodey and me being busy.
Bodey cleared his throat. “For added protection, maybe Dina would be willing to spell the perimeter of the house so, if she tries to leave, we’re alerted immediately. Just so others know we’re keeping a watchful eye on her.”
I love you so much.That was a brilliant plan and would keep Stevie confined to our house and yard. Some of the weight lifted from my body.
“Yes, I can do that if the queen agrees.” Dina clasped her hands, watching me.
“That would be great. That way, if she needs help, she can link with me, and she can talk to our parents at her convenience.”
“I like that idea a lot.” The lines on Jack’s face smoothed. “Then you two having quickies won’t be a problem.”
This time, it was Miles who smacked him on the back of the head.
Dina moved around the couch and stood in front of Stevie. She tapped my sister’s forehead and intoned, “Remove the block.”
Brown eyes glowing, Stevie’s wolf surged forward, and I tugged at our pack link connection, feeling a sense of ease filter back into my sister. But wisps of terror from what had happened to her trickled through to me as I homed in on the connection.
Guilt weighed me down again, and I linked with Zeke,No one is to share the information that Stevie is alive outside of our pack.Alpha will laced my words as I connected with him even though I hadn’t meant for it to happen. However, if someone else was working with the queen, we had to ensure that her being alive didn’t get out. I continued,And alpha will everyone in the pack the same way now.I could do it, but I didn’t have the time or the energy this far away.
Fine,he growled before cutting off the link.
“The prisoner is in the basement now, and three of my best men are with her. They’ve roused her for questioning, which begins now,” Bodey informed us, moving so that our arms touched.
The memory of Jack smacking the poor girl’s head into the tree washed over me, almost making me laugh. However, this would’ve been a very inappropriate time.
Dad exhaled. “You captured one.” He nodded to Bodey in approval. “I’m glad someone like you is here to protect my daughter.” He reached over and patted Stevie’s leg.
My heart dropped. Of course. His daughter…not daughters. He’d never truly considered me one of his.
“Actually,Roger,” Bodey emphasized, using my dad’s name instead of a title of respect, “yourolderdaughterwas the one who knocked the shifter unconscious. I will protectbothyour daughters, especially my mate, with my life.”
“Youknocked the shifter out?” Dad stared at me. “How do you always manage to do such things? That’s a man’s place.”
And there was the proof that he’d been raised in Zeke’s pack.
“She’s the strongest wolf in our region.” Bodey smiled adoringly at me. “I, for one, would never want to go against her.”
My stomach fluttered. This was the mate I knew and loved.
“So, we should probably wait to see if we find out anything from our prisoner. Acting would be premature.” I turned to Dina. “But on the memory front, is there a way to locate the witch who performed the spell on me?”
Dina steepled her fingers. “We’ll start by having some witches visit you so they can sense the magic. Essence can’t be explained, only felt.”
Yeah, because that made complete sense. “Would it be easier if we went to them?” I didn’t want to inconvenience multiple covens.
“It’s not a good idea for you to travel far distances like that,” Phil interjected. “It’s safer if they come here.”
“And, according to tradition, the witches would come to meet the territory’s new royal, so it won’t be too much to ask.” Michael smiled reassuringly.
Dina nodded. “Very true. It won’t put them out at all. They’ll be excited that they can aid you.”