Page 141 of Home to the Hollow

That knowledge is received in pensive silence. Finally, I add, “I spoke to my contacts in the Society discreetly. Unlike many of the hybrids they adopt out to enclaves like ours, they have no information on where Jolene came from or what her supe sides might be. Did anyone else have luck determining what we should expect?”

Saoirse grins. “I, too, spoke with a number of people and sources over the years. I even snatched some blood after an accident in Prague. It’s a feckin’ mystery.”

“I don’t even think Nelia knows,” Wolfgang murmurs. “If they knew, they wouldn’t have assigned a personal Guardian to keep tabs so late in life.”

“It’s true. I’ve been mates with Peanut since they assigned me. She consulted in Europe and Asia for yanks before she got a wild hair. Moved home and started training for the peelers before I could bat a lash. Wish I knew what shitehawk let that go on for yonks without stalling the ball before it hurt her.”

Hamilton snickers. “I don’t envy the person in Richmond if you ever find out who it was, O’ Flanagan.”

The vet runs his hand over his hair. “The biggest problem is that we all know, and she doesn’t. Whatever happened when she was young that stopped her awakening shadows her memories and perception, according to Saoirse. When Sugarplum finds out we’ve all lied to her, she’ll be furious.”

“Aye,” Saoirse murmurs as she nods. “I don’t have a baldy notion of when we’ll be allowed to spill the beans, but she’ll eat the heads off us.”

I frown as I look at the girl who’s managed to stay in my heart all of these years. Her fire makes my hound flame up, but I don’t want to be her enemy. All of my sides know that she’s ours, even if only one has started the process with a mark. As I glance at the others, I realize none of them want her to be angry at them either, but even combined, we don’t have the pull to get permission to reveal our world before she’s ready. We’re all bound by honor and our word to keep her in the dark until the Society deems the time is right or she fully emerges.

“This fucking sucks and it’s dangerous. Not having any information puts the entire town at risk of exposure. Why did they let her return?” My frustration overflows as I try to work out what the Society was thinking when they sent her flying back before it was time.

“The only way to stop this was to act the maggot with Fate,moiraíos sýntrofos?4. Sounds like fair play to you?”

Fletcher shakes his head, his eyes wide. “Absolutely not. No one should live their life tied up like breed stock. Certainly not my sugarplum—there’s a well of passion screaming to get loose.”

Raising my glass, I clink it with his in agreement. “Indeed. What are our next steps, then? We can’t report this conversation, and until the fog lifts, we can’t let anyone trigger events that could get her recalled.”

“Look at you, the disappearin’ man thinkin’ he can order us all around,” Saoirse says wryly. “I’ll work on getting meself reassigned. The doctors over there will help manage my girl and the companions. Since you’re an eejit, you get to figure out how to get her to forgive your thick arse.”

The docs snicker at me and to make matters worse, one of her cats chimes in with a ‘mow’ followed by a honk from the ridiculous bird.

That’s fucking great, I’m being taunted by her animals and her boy toys.

“Fine. We’re in agreement.” I look over at Hamilton. “Do whatever it is that you do and wake the lady up. It’s time you showyou’vebeen hiding, good Doctor.”

“As you wish, Your Honor,” he grumbles with a sneer.

Ah, that’s more like it. I like submission.

* * *

As it turned out,even Hamilton couldn’t break the hold of whatever knocked Tilly into oblivion. He did everything short of shifting into his giant feathery alter ego in the middle of the bar, but not a damned thing worked. We even called Amelia over to see if she could snap Jolene out of it, but it didn’t budge a thing.

Something is very strange about the way the fog was applied to our girl and even Hamilton doesn’t know what to do.

The best solution we could work out was to haul her home—animals, car, and all—and stay with her until she came out of it. There was a small argument about who was doing what, but in the end, we came to terms. Saoirse took her companions and the Impala while the docs and I followed. Poor Benjy has his own problems to deal with and I made sure he knew I’d assist in any way possible once he decided what he was going to do. After all, he has a family, but the call of a true mate—one who is within your grasp—is impossible to ignore for any supe.

Sherilynn is going to blow her fucking top if she finds out.

Once we arrived at her house, we unloaded everything and the Irish lass retired to a guest room. We got the cats and my dogs settled inside and the eagle took off to hunt. Hamilton said it would be okay on its own, and since that’s his area of expertise, I let it go.

We fell asleep surrounding her in that giant bed of hers, waiting for her to awaken like Sleeping Beauty.

And when she finally did the next morning, she wasfurious.

Jolene kicked us all out without even listening. The fear in her eyes as we looked at her when we roused told me everything I needed to know: someone hurt mydrugarbadly and she’s never recovered. Her reaction wasn’t about our past; it was about intimacy.

So we gave her space, but I left my girls with her—just in case. The docs told me about her security issue while we discussed enough of the past to help them understand why Tilly is so skittish around me, and since I’m headed out of town, I wanted to make sure she had extra eyes on her. My dogs were trained by elite security officials from a young age—child of a Senator and all—so they’re ready to defend her if need be.

I’m not about to let someone snatch or hurt my mate now that she’s home.

Conservation, protection, défense…the circle does not end.

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