Page 265 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

“Yeah.” Bailey studied his fingernails. “I didn’t want you to find out.”

“I went looking.”

He glanced up sharply. “Be careful, my family wants to talk to you.”

Again, they used that same careful language because if anyone in the room knew that a witch and a shifter were having a chat only a few feet away, they’d freak. He wanted a proper talk, where they could be open about everything. “Yeah. Your grandmother doesn’t like me.”

Bailey lips twitched into an almost smile. “I don’t think she likes me either.”

“What happened?” He needed to hear it from Bailey’s lips.

“The abridged version or the full?”

“I’ve got time for the full unless you have somewhere you’ve got to be?” Kass smiled.

“All the time in the world.”

Kass reached his hand out. “I know.” Bailey glanced at his hand and gave his head the slightest of shakes. Damnit he’d forgotten about the no touching thing. “I’ve spoken to some friends who are looking into it. They help people like us.”

Bailey’s eyebrows pulled together. “What do you mean?”

“There’s an organization that helps our kind.” Kass couldn’t say much more with so many people around. He’d wanted their second meeting to be so much more than this.

“There is? And they’ll help me?” Confusion rippled along the bond. “What will it cost?”

Kass shook his head. “Nothing. It’s fine.”

“I already owe you for… Your wallet and stuff is locked away with my things.”

“I’ve replaced it all.” But he was surprised that Bailey had kept it. And a little jealous. He’d had nothing of Bailey’s while he’d been away.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve gained more than I lost.” He smiled, but his fingers curled against the table. The need to hug his familiar and his mate was overwhelming. He barely knew Bailey, but on some level, he knew him better than he’d ever known anyone, because of the bond they shared.

“After that night, things went south. Gran sided with the guys who ran the operation. They pushed me into riskier jobs. When I refused to quit school…” He stopped and stared into Kass’s wide eyes.

Kass leaned forward. “You were at school when we met?”

“I knew you’d freak out. Besides, I’m eighteen now.”

True, or he wouldn’t be in an adult prison. But Bailey had been seventeen that night, which meant he’d bonded with an underage shifter. Not that it had been planned, or either of them had gone searching, but the Coven wasn’t real keen on anyone under twenty undertaking such a life altering piece of magic. “I’m five years older.”

“And? It’s not like we’ve done anything.” Bailey’s voice was so low Kass had to strain to hear the words. “And even if we had, it wouldn’t have been illegal.”

“You don’t understand. You were under eighteen when the bond—”

“I was a few months shy. Calm down, old man.”

Kass’s mouth popped open.

Bailey grinned. “Kidding. Do you want me to finish?”

“Yeah.”

“So, they were annoyed because I’d sorted my birth certificate and learner’s which put me in the system. My family likes to be way off-grid, so they wanted me to quit school and join the business.”

“Doing?”

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