Page 26 of Fae Devoted
“Jeremiah’s not in the ESC,” she stated with all the finesse of a chainsaw cutting through butter. Desperate times, desperate measures.
Jacob’s spine went rigid, his hand freezing on the handle of his pickup.
She crossed her arms and waited. Johnnie was getting damn good at waiting.
Who’d a thunk?
The tortured song of nearby cicadas cut through the late night’s quiet, near-silence hanging between them like a damp, heavy curtain—early fall in the South little more than an extension of summer. The humid breeze blew strands of her hair into her face, but Johnnie ignored them, preserving herwhat’ve-you-got-to-say-nowstance instead of brushing the annoying pieces away.
Jacob cast his gaze skyward as if asking for divine intervention, bag landing with a thud on the pavement.
“Has Samuel gotten clearance for you to travel outside our region?” she plowed on, already knowing the answer.
Even a powerful príoh with his monarch’s full support couldn’t cut through the thick red tape involved in obtaining permission for a Ferwyn male to cross Clan lines on short notice. The Fae Touched bureaucracy wasn’t all that different from the human’s government in that regard.
“No?” Arms still folded, she moved close enough to see his jaw clench in irritation. Too damn bad, she was just gettingstarted. “I know you wouldn’t think of exposing the queen to harsh sanctions by the other eight monarchs if you took her private jet, and commercial flights of any kind are out of the question for obvious reasons, which leaves…”
“I’m driving,” Jacob hissed through what Johnnie guessed were grinding teeth, his lips barely moving.
“Because that’s a brilliant idea.” She held in a snort. “Not.”
He must have given up on receiving guidance from beyond the stars, turning toward her with eyes narrowed to slits.
Johnnie held his stare and her ground as he closed the space between them with masculine grace and primal power in each slow step.
“What was the plan, Jacob? You can’t justify your presence in another príoh’s territory without the benefit of an outcast’s standing.”
He stopped a mere foot in front of her. His hands braced on narrow hips. “Backyard, Jo.”
“I suppose staying off the main highwayscouldwork if you’re lucky enough to avoid other shifters while stopping for minor things like, oh…gas and food.” She pushed out her hip and tapped her chin with her index finger. “But the bigger issue is how to find Jeremiah without the ability to question the local packs? Hmmm, howdidyou plan to accomplish that one?”
Jacob snatched her hand from her face and pivoted on his heel, practically dragging her to his fenced-in yard.
Johnnie kept talking, pressing the advantage. “Every male shifter within thirty feet will sense your Clan ranking and realize you don’t belong in the territory. And once they do, they’ll either turn you over to their Alpha or report you to the nearest Guard member.” He latched the gate behind them and kept going. “Or worse.”
Jacob’s fingers flexed on hers, but he didn’t ask her to elaborate; he understood interregional law better than she did.
“Even if you managed to fool them for more than a hot minute, which is doubtful.” She did snort then. “How were you going to make them talk about Jeremiah?”
He stopped on the edge of his new patio, and Johnnie couldn’t restrain her curiosity after months dying for a peek at the renovation he so zealously guarded.
Six Adirondack chairs were placed around a circular stone fire pit. A built-in grill and an outdoor kitchenette made of the same material were on the paved area’s furthest corner. It was too dark for a she-wolf’s night vision, or anyone’s except for a vampire’s, to discern the flagstone’s exact color, but maybe light grays and blues? Boxwoods and fall flowers lined the wood decking that ran nearly the length of his house, a tall pergola covering casual wicker furniture and French doors Johnnie assumed led to the kitchen she’d yet to see. All the island lots were small by necessity, but the backyard didn’t feel crowded. The landscaping architect had known their stuff. It was beautiful.
“Have to try,” he said, releasing her hand and drawing her undivided attention.
“I know you do, and that’s why I wanted to talk to you before you left. I have an idea.” She clenched her empty hand, already missing his warmth. His touch. “A good one.”
This has to work.
“What is it?” He sounded wary. Smart male.
“What if someone went with you to act as a buffer on your behalf? A person who didn’t require copious amounts of paperwork to travel between regions, someone you could trust implicitly. Someone that other Fae Touched…other shifters would never suspect?”
Jacob frowned.
“A person with a legit reason to want to find Jeremiah.”
“Who?” His muscled arms folded over his massive chest as though challenging her to name anyone who could fill the impossible role.
