Page 104 of Mysteries, Menace, and Mates

This isn’t just his future we’re talking about. It’s ours too.

Right then Aric didn’t care where they ended up, as long as they were together. And he couldn’t see Horvan or Aelryn sending Brick off to some far-flung country without his mates. They understood what torture that would be.

Except didn’t Horvan leave Dellan and Rael at home once?

Then he recalled Rael telling him how they’d followed the team anyway.

So I’m not the only disobedient mate after all.

He glanced up when Brick strode into the bedroom, and beamed. “Hey, you. How’d it go?”

Yay. Go me, not showing how nervous I really am.

Brick flopped onto the bed, and in a heartbeat Seth and Aric snuggled against him. Brick kissed them both. “I’ve been looking forward to this for the last hour.”

Seth laughed. “I swear, you two are as bad as each other. You need me around for balance.” He returned Brick’s kiss. “Nowyou can tell us how it went.”

“Long. Tiring. Never let anyone tell you Zoom calls are less annoying than an actual physical meeting.” He sighed. “I wouldn’t want to be Aelryn right now.”

“Why? Is something wrong?” Aric’s heartbeat quickened as he imagined the worst. Except after the Fielding and Theron episodes, he couldn’t for the life of him think what could be worse than that.

“He called us three times during my meeting with Horvan, and while he was online, two people I didn’t recognize stopped by to discuss something. Once he was done with them, he started working on something else, until Horvan coughed to remind him we were still connected. You should’ve seen Aelryn’s face. I get it, though. He’s being pulled in a lot of different directions.”

Jake’s revelations might have provided a bombshell, but the Fridan leaders still had to get the word out about them.

And not everyone is gonna like what we have to tell them.

“How did Horvan and Aelryn react to the news that you’re not quitting after all?” Seth asked.

“I guess it made things a little easier for them. It also gave them a little headache, because they’d been working on plans to move ahead without me.”

“I’m sorry,” Aric blurted. “I shouldn’t have—”

“Hey.” Brick kissed his hair. “This isnoton you, okay? It’s on me.” He peered at Aric. “Idoneed to know, though. Are yousurethis is what you want me to do? I mean, they’re talking splitting us up and forming us into smaller strike teams. We’d have to move, for one thing.”

Aric bounced upright. “Move? Where to? Please don’t say the UK. The weather would depress the fuck out of me, and—”

“Will you let me finish?” Brick speared him with a steely gaze, and Aric mimed zipping his lips. “Okay, Aelryn said they have what is essentially a place where people go to chill out and recenter themselves. He says it wasn’t meant for long-term use but could be modified. He also said if we want it, we’d be welcome to it. The place hasn’t been used in a couple of years, so it would need a good cleaning and some patient tending to bring it up to home status.”

“Okay, but where?” Seth demanded.

“It’s near the Teton forest in Wyoming.”

Aric had grabbed his phone before Brick could take another breath.

“Whoa, there.” Brick placed his hand on Aric’s arm. “The thing is, it’s not really a place for a little kitty. Too many predators, for one thing. And it’s remote, so you and Seth would run the risk of being lonely if I’m out on missions.”

Aric smiled. “Keep us filled with your scent and no one will dare to bother us. I’d love to live anywhere you and Seth are.”

“Anywhere?” Seth arched his eyebrows. “That covers a lot.”

“Can I be honest with you? I don’t like crowds or noises, and this place sounds like a slice of apple pie with ice cream.”

Seth chuckled. “I might have known you’d make it about food.”

“There’s more to tell you. This new deal? It’s not all about the fighting, according to Horvan. He said it requires diplomacy too.” Brick snickered. “I told him that lets me out. But then he said you two might have a role to play.”

“How?” Aric fought to keep calm, but his heart was racing. “I wouldlovethat. I can be diplomatic.”

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