Page 88 of Mysteries, Menace, and Mates

Three bodies, joined in love.

Three souls fated to be together.

Then all things shall become possible.

Brick made a choking sound. “Holy fuck.”

Seth’s jaw dropped. “That first line… that has to be you, Dad.”

Jake shook his head. “This… this can’t be.”

“‘When his sons find him once more’? You mean like me and Jamie and God knows how many other shifters who walked up to you in those camps and said, ‘Hey, I think you’re my dad’? And there’s no mistaking line three, is there?”

“Vic, the young man who visited the archive… his mates are both human, aren’t they? And Eve, that remarkable fighter—she too has human mates.” Orsini’s eyes glistened. “The prophecy is finally being fulfilled, and I shall live to see it.”

“You were correct, though. We still have to convince people.” Jake had a feeling some Gerans out there would not believe what was right under their noses.

“Then you need to show them. Talk to them.”

“Wait a minute here. Weren’tyouthe one a few seconds ago telling me people wouldn’t believe me?”

“That was before we found this!” Orsini pointed to the final lines on the paper. “Theymustbelieve this. They have to.”

Jake couldn’t tell Orsini what lay on his heart—not a desire to spread the word but a deep longing to find a home with Nicholas. A chance to share love again. To rest. To shut out the world that had thrown so much at him in the last thirty years.

But isn’t that just being selfish? When I could make a difference?

Could he really turn the tide?

Orsini regarded him with affection. “Think about it, that is all I ask. Besides, your first task is to return to Dellan and his mates.” His eyes sparkled. “You have quite the tale to tell.”

“But don’t do a Godwin on them,” Brick murmured. Jake glanced at him, and he flushed. “You know, don’t drag it out like I saw on a reality TV show once.”

Jake blinked. “What’s a reality TV show?”

Brick grinned. “You’re much happier not knowing. But Orsini is right. We should go home.” He bit his lip.

Jake hugged him. “You need your mate, and I need mine.”

“And I need to drag as many scholars as I can find in here,” Orsini added. “We have a lot of work to do.”

“Here’s a thought,” Brick interjected. “Why not invite someGeranscholars onto your team? You know, to get the ball rolling?”

Orsini’s eyes gleamed. “Excellent idea.”

Jake couldn’t wait to see the faces of Dellan’s found family when they heard this.

As long as I only have to tell the story once.

Except deep down he knew this was a story he would be telling for many years to come, and to a great many people.

“SO WHAT’Sthe hotel like?” Aric asked. “And why can’t you catch a flight tonight?”

“You’re flying back to Chicago tomorrow, right?” Seth confirmed.

“Yeah. Horvan says there’ll be a plane waiting for us at the airstrip where we landed.” He huffed. “Great.Weget to leave here at the crack of dawn to get into a flying tank, whileyouget to have breakfast in your room, and a commercial flight—”

“That’ll take more than ten hours. We land at two thirty tomorrow afternoon. By that time, you’ll already be home, waiting for us.” He smiled. “Have you missed us as much as we’ve missed you?”

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