Page 127 of Home to the Hollow

She laughs again. “Yes, I imagine it is. What I need from you is kindness. There’s a new teacher in town—one who has a painful past in the Hollow—and I’d like you to monitor her. Those of us who are not born in this town know that both the humans and the supes who grow up here have acertain wayabout them, and it’s not always as friendly as it pretends to be.”

No shit. They’re rich, elitist assholes.

But I don’t say that; I simply nod. When I realize she can’t see me, I reply. “That is a very diplomatic way of stating it, but yes, I’m aware.”

“Iama politician, Hugo. But my request is that you assist her if the vultures begin to circle. This girl was done a great injustice when she lived here, and her mother was too wrapped up in her Society duties to do anything about it. Her poor father had very little influence in the home because he was human, and Jolene was disgraced for doing the right thing. I regret that I was too new to my position to intervene, but I didn’t have the alliances I do now. This time, I will do my best to prevent the issue before it happens again.”

My brow furrows. Jolene must be a special person or have some extremely valuable talents to unlock for the Mayor to admit that she knows how ridiculous the ruling families of the Hollow are. “I will do everything I can to help, but I’m not certain why she’s so important. She’s a lost one, yes? She may never emerge, so I’m not sure what the Society is hoping to achieve.”

“Ah, Hugo. Sometimes righting a wrong isn’t about inherent value. I cannot say whether or not Jolene will play a part in anything involving the Society in the future with any certainty—that is your department. However, I am determined to make sure she isn’t damaged again under my watch like she was as a teen. I’m not willing to sit idly by,” she murmurs softly. “That puts a stain on your soul you can’t erase.”

I turn into my driveway and put the car in park before I answer. “I understand that very well. Knowing about something and not being able to stop it is a burden most people are lucky enough to not have to bear. I promise I will do my best to intervene at school and keep our less tactful staff from going on the hunt.”

“Thank you, Hugo. I owe you a great debt, and make no mistake, I always repay my debts.”

The line clicks and I stare at the screen. I don’t know what I just agreed to, but I have a feeling things in Whistler’s Hollow are about to get very interesting.

It’s definitely time to consult my superiors.

Week One

“I’m nervous, Prez,” I murmur as I step out of the shower. The steam has fogged up the mirror in front of me, but I can feel his grin on my back. “If she really is a mate, I don’t want to screw it up by fumbling around like an idiot.”

His hands land on my shoulders and the warmth of his naked body presses against my back. “Lucy, you’ll be fine. When I met her at Zelda’s, she was saucy, but Z deserved it. Jolene didn’t give off the haughty prima donna vibe most of the ex-debutantes in this town have—she seemed down to earth.”

Leaning into him, I turn my head and run my nose up the column of his neck. Even after a few years together, his touch always calms me in the best way possible. “I got that impression at Hazel’s, too. But I’m usually not the one to run the show; you know I prefer someone else in charge.”

“I do indeed,” he says, turning to nip my jaw. “It’s part of what I love about you, baby. But we don’t know all of her back story yet, and given the whispers about her living in Europe for so many years, she might be a tad more… adventurous than the others we’ve played with in the past. Just be yourself and have fun today—the rest will come when it comes.”

My lips curve up at his serene confidence, and I capture his mouth for a slow kiss. It doesn’t take long for our bodies to heat again, and when I turn in his arms, he pulls back with a sexy smirk. A finger taps my nose as his arms hold me against his tattooed frame, and I move to kiss him again, but he shakes his head.

“Ah, ah, Lucy. You have a date to get ready for and I have appointments this morning. We’ll continue this when we come home this evening.” He punctuates the gentle command with a firm slap on my ass and I groan as the sting travels straight through my dick.

Pulling back, I give him the pout I know he loves. “Tease.”

Presley lets go of me, walking over to grab a towel off the rack, shrugging his shoulders. “Dom’s purview, my darling. Now get dressed and let’s have breakfast before you head to the farm for work.”

I watch as he dries himself quickly and tosses the towel aside, heading for the bedroom in the nude. I sure as fuck hate to watch him go, but I love to watch him leave.

Of course, it’s even better when he lets the wings loose, but now is not the time.

Grinning to myself, I wipe the mirror clean and reach for the shaving cream. I can’t help but wonder what kind of dynamic the sassy raven haired woman would bring to our relationship—or if she’ll be comfortable with that at all.

Date today, the rest later, I remind myself.But that doesn’t mean I can’t imagine it while I wait.

* * *

Jumping over the fence,I head to the main office with nervous energy running over my skin like electricity. Times like this make it hard to control my father’s contribution to my powers—keeping the wings and ears in is a struggle when my emotions are high. I’ve never kept as tight a hold on that side of my supe blood as I do my mother’s powers. Maybe it’s because I know my biological mother just enough to want to keep them in check and don’t know a damned thing about my father besides his species. If I knew more than Unseelie Fae, possibly royal, it might incline me to hide that as well, but since I don’t…

Regardless, she’s unemerged, and you have to lock it down, Wolfgang.

I run my free hand over my face, picking up my pace so I can stop at my car to grab the basket and blanket. A surge of energy pulses through the air and I stop for a second when it makes the hairs on my arm stand up. Frowning, I wonder what could be the problem until I remember Agatha. That woman has been hunting me for years and despite Presley’s repeated polite declarations, she refuses to take the hint.

And now she’s doing something with her siren shit to Jolene. Fuck.

Jogging to the door, I open it with my supplies in hand and a smile on my face. When I see the girl I’ve been thinking about all week, she’s sitting on the overstuffed couch with a satisfied grin. My eyes cut to Agatha Harper Claiborne as she stands with her hand on her hip and tendrils of power radiating towards Jolene. That’s an obvious violation of Council law, and if I report it, she’ll be lucky if she’s not packed up to go home to her family by the end of the night.

“Jolene!” I force a chuckle as I shake my head at Agatha, letting her know I see her little game. “It must have been a trial growing up with that name, huh? Every single time I hear it, I want to sing a little ditty from the Tennessee Titan herself.”

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