Page 36 of Chasing Savannah
Chapter 12
Groggy and horny was not exactly the way Savannah wanted to face her grandparents this morning. But, no one slept in, in Rebecca’s house. No matter the bacchanal that had taken place the night prior. There were church services to attend, and prayers to be sent up. She yawned as she cracked another egg into the mixing bowl, making breakfast as per Rebecca’s orders. She should’ve stayed with one of her cousins last night, but she’d ran from the clearing, her instinct to hide at her grandparents’ house.
Power raised the hair along her arms as she thought about last night. She sighed in longing. The two of them together was a temptation that took everything in her to fight. She wanted them, desperately. It was an awful choice for anyone to have to make. To choose between the safety of their family, and a love that would transcend anything she’d ever known.
She looked up as her grandfather came into the room. Jeremiah’s gaze raked over her grandmother, his eyes devouring Rebecca as though they hadn’t spent the last fifty years together. She wanted that. Jeremiah cuddled into Rebecca’s neck and her grandmother giggled. She sighed and blinked the mist from her eyes and started beating the eggs.
Rebecca handed Jeremiah his morning coffee and waved for him to sit at the kitchen table.
“Granddaughter, there was a mighty spike in power last night.”
“Don’t, granddad. Not today, please.” Not while her body still throbbed with magic and power.
She couldn’t handle the conversation. He hummed and sat at the big oak table with his coffee cup. Someone came into the house and leaned over and spoke with Jeremiah in low tones. Her granddad’s face got hard and he nodded. The panther left and Jeremiah settled back into his seat. He gave a low whistle and inclined his head to one of her cousins standing guard at the window of the living room. There was always someone in her grandparents’ home keeping watch. It was something she’d grown up with.
Rebecca turned and stared at Jeremiah, her grandfather’s eyebrows raising. She wasn’t sure what they communicated between each other but curiosity had her huffing out an impatient breath.
“What was that about?”
Jeremiah turned his dark gaze to her. His power saturated the space between them, stopping just short of comfortable. “You cannot straddle the fence, Vanna. Either you want to be a part of this prowl and thus know what’s going on within it, or you can be out.”
She growled and both her grandparents raised a brow in chastisement. Grandpa Harper came into the kitchen as she lowered her gaze. His face was serious. He kissed her grandmother, the heat between them no less than what was between Rebecca and Jeremiah.
“Do you need me to help?” Rebecca placed a hand on Harper’s chest as she handed him a cup of coffee.
“I should be able to handle it, I’ll let you two know what I find out.” He rubbed his chin along the top of Rebecca’s hair, his eyes closed.
Rebecca sighed, as she clutched her mate tight. She back away and Harper kissed her again.
He left and she was more confused than ever. Harper was a retired doctor and one of the prowl’s healers, so that meant someone was hurt. She wondered who, but she’d bite her tongue off before she asked her grandparents another question.
“Good morning!” Jamie came into the front door already dirty.
How long he'd been up playing, she didn’t even bother asking. She knew he was safe on prowl land so instead she bade him to wash his hands and face before breakfast. All through the meal her grandmother kept looking to the door. Afterwards, Savannah washed dishes and told Jamie to get packed. There was school in the morning so she wanted to get back into the city. She used Rebecca’s distraction to get out of Sunday services. Jamie groaned but did what she said. She waited until she got in the car and called her cousin Charlotte to possibly get the tea.
Charlotte answered, clearly still sleeping. “You can’t be serious, Vanna.”
“Something is going on in the prowl, how are you still sleeping?” Charlotte wasn’t high enough in the hierarchy to know too much, but her cousin always had her ways of getting information.
“Girl, after all the drinking and debauchery from last night, why are you even awake?” Charlotte complained.
“There was no debauchery on my end, madam. I called to get the tea. Roll off whatever woman you picked up last night and get with it. Something has happened.”
Charlotte snorted. “Well, I have no clue. I wouldn’t be awake if you hadn’t called.”
“Grandpa Harper was sent out, so someone could be hurt.” She was speculating aloud. She peeked into the backseat. Jamie was engrossed in his tablet and not paying attention to her.
“I’ll see what I can find out.” Charlotte hung up.
Technically grandpa Jeremiah was right. She shouldn’t care what happened within the prowl since she was so hell bent on not being a part of it. But, her son would be, and that was the story she was sticking with. She needed to know what was happening in order to ensure her son was safe. She would continue to fight for his spot until he could fight for himself.
Yeah.
That was why she was so invested. She’d stick with that.
***
Carlos stepped down from his truck and took in the chaos surrounding the small cabin. There were panthers, in both their cat form, and some in their human form. The yard was trashed, flowers and clothes strewn across the carefully manicured lawn. It was the only house within at least five miles of wilderness. Not visible from neither the highway, nor the closest road, it was not a place someone would stumble across. Harper met him at the front door as he and Derrick walked to the house. He clasped the elder panther’s hand.
