Page 92 of Sergi
“Did shifter S-272, I mean Cadfael, make it out okay?”
Remus nodded. “As did Carlos and two others of my wolves.”
“There were others?” I dropped my head. “I didn’t know. They did their best to keep us from seeing or talking to each other. I only saw those whose cells I cleaned or who I worked with.”
“Don’t worry about that. Our priority is to get you off this mountain. The plane will be waiting for us.”
I played with the rolled-up sleeve of my shirt. “Don’t be mad at Sergi. I’m a grown female.”
He stood and pushed dirt over the embers with a booted foot. “Let’s not discuss that. We need to get moving.”
I held back a sigh. He wasn’t going to let it go. Whether his reaction was because he caught me with a vampire or that he’d caught me in such an intimate moment, I didn’t know. My guess was that it was a bit of both as his fatherly instincts took over.
I picked up the lab coat and shrugged it on, reaching into the pockets to confirm the vials and USB drive were still there. My paranoia was on prime time. I could share the information with my uncle now, but he wasn’t in the right mood.
Besides, it was important for Sergi and Devon Trelane to be involved in that conversation. If it hadn’t been for Sergi, I would never have gotten out of the director’s office alive to share the evidence.
I followed my uncle outside, eager to meet this House leader, who had found a way to befriend The Wolf. At least enough to run a joint mission.
Sergi was speaking with Devon, and it was easy to see the camaraderie between the two. Before we reached them, Devon grabbed Sergi’s shoulder and bent his head. Sergi followed suit until their foreheads touched. I’d only seen the gesture once before, and I’d been told it was a sign of respect and close allegiance between vampires.
When we reached them, the two stepped back, and Devon turned to greet me with a warm smile. His gaze seemed to take in every inch of me, settling on my eyes.
“Thank you for saving Sergi. I owe you a great favor.”
I was taken aback, knowing how much it meant to be given a favor. “The same could be said of him. I wouldn’t be here without his aid.”
“A testament to how well vampires and shifters work together in the face of adversity.”
His words shocked me, though my uncle had been hoping for such an alliance. It appeared he found one.
I wasn’t sure how to respond and glanced at Sergi.
“Let’s get off this mountain.” Sergi glanced at my uncle, who was conveniently surveying the area. “We can catch up on the plane.”
Sergi stepped back and waited for Devon, but Devon merely held his hand out to my uncle. Sergi and I followed next, with Devon watching our backside. Or so I thought. It wasn’t until then that I noticed two males and two wolves stepping out of the forest. They nodded to Devon before falling into line behind him.
When the trail grew wide enough, Sergi and I walked side by side. My uncle led us at a fast pace, and whenever he glanced back, a frown of disappointment or disapproval, it was hard to know which, was etched in every line of his face. Sergi and I waited until he refocused on the path before grinning at eachother like school kids misbehaving. Every so often, his fingers would brush along mine and linger for the briefest of moments.
The action could be considered accidental touches on a trail barely wide enough for the two of us to pass. I knew the difference. Neither of us looked back to see what Devon was thinking. If Sergi didn’t bother, I sure as hell wasn’t. Then again, Sergi hadn’t seemed bothered by Devon finding us naked and laughing. And I recalled Devon’s quick grin before leaving us to dress. He didn’t seem to have any issues with a dalliance between Sergi and a shifter.
Of course, I had to remind myself that it had been only one night. What happened didn’t matter anymore.
Yet, when I glanced at Sergi, and he caught my gaze, the red glow of his beast said he wasn’t quite done with me. Heat raced through me at the prospect. Suddenly, the idea didn’t bother me one bit.
Chapter Thirty-Three
With Remus setting a fast pace,the last team walked out of the forest as dusk settled over the village where Team One and the van drivers waited. Though Devon had mentioned that everyone was assembling at the airstrip, Sergi wasn’t surprised to see Rafael, Carlos, and Cadfael waiting for them. While Sergi greeted his team members, ensuring them he was fine and thankful for the bag of blood Rafael handed him, his gaze continued to stray toward Alex.
The shifters, especially Carlos, were eager to welcome Alex. Remus hovered over her as if she might disappear from his sight. And it didn’t escape Sergi’s notice that Remus glanced his way several times as if warning him to stay away.
Sergi half-listened as the team shared their adventurous journey to the facility and the limited defenses to their infiltration. He wasn’t surprised to hear about the trucks of kidnapped shifters. It made sense based on Alex’s information on the experiments.
It wasn’t until the shifter group disbanded to load into a van that Alex glanced his way. She gave him a warm smile and a slight shrug. He understood she had to follow Remus’s orders, whatever they were, at least for now.
He returned a soft smile and a nod of understanding, aware Devon was watching him, and that almost made him grimace. Devon wouldn’t say anything with everyone around. He’d wait until the two of them were alone, and then Sergi would never hear the end of it.
It had been a long time since Sergi had shown an interest in a female, and even then, he’d remained aloof. Centuries couldn’t break the wall he’d built, unwilling to fall for the charms of someone who could betray him. The same could be said of Devon, whose dalliances with females were rare until the day Cressa strolled into the manor.
