Page 38 of Their Shared Mate
Grief still overwhelmed her from time to time, which was natural. She’d barely begun to heal from her brother’s murder. However, frequent spankings and deep submission kept the nightmares at bay. Her mates confronted her each time she gavein to guilt, yet they offered comfort whenever she was depressed or sad. The combination was wonderfully cathartic.
She’d visited the bunkhouse twice. The other females appreciated the laidback courting style of the raptor hybrids. Their interaction with the males was casual and unstructured. They were given more freedom and treated with a higher level of respect than by any of the other hybrids. The only one not enjoying her stay in Eagle Village was Heather.
Earlier today, Claire stopped by the bunkhouse to share a quick lunch with her friends. She was told Heather hadn’t come down for meals in over a week. She’d known Heather was upset, but this was ridiculous. Jogging up the stairs, Claire went to her old bedroom and tapped on the door. “Heather, it’s Claire. Can I come in?”
Claire heard shuffling sounds inside the room and then the scrape of a lock being released. Heather opened the door and motioned inside. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
“Have you really eaten every meal up here?” Claire moved into the long, narrow bedroom and motioned around her. “There isn’t even a window. This isn’t healthy.”
“The first two weeks is almost over,” Heather pointed out. “There’s no way I’m risking it now.”
Claire moved to the nearest bed and sat down, hoping Heather would do the same. Heather looked fatigued and agitated. Her clothes were clean and her hair had been brushed, but there were dark circles under her eyes. “Everyone likes it here. They don’t want to go back to the feline village,” Claire cautioned. “I’m not sure Raphael still intends to make the trip.”
Heather’s eyes widened and color drained from her face. “He has to. I can’t stay here.” She looked terrified now, genuinely panicked.
Claire wasn’t sure how to support Heather. If Heather’s fear was justified, Claire needed to make sure she was returned to the feline village as soon as possible. But their lives had been incredibly stressful lately. It was also possible that Heather was emotionally exhausted, so she misunderstood what she saw. “How sure are you that the guy you saw was one of the ones assigned to your team? A lot of the hybrids look similar.”
“His name is Patrick,” Heather said emphatically. “He has deep mahogany hair and vivid green eyes. He used to cheer up the others with his sarcastic wit, and he has the tattoo of an angel on his left forearm. If you don’t believe me, ask Victor if there is someone like that up here.”
Claire hadn’t expected such a detailed description. How often had Heather interacted with the hybrids back on Earth? It was obvious she hadn’t just seen Patrick. She’d sounded like she was describing a friend. “I’m sorry,” Claire said softly. Feeling secure and happy had made her insensitive toward her friend. “I’ll talk to Raphael tonight, make sure he knows you still want to go home.”
“Thanks,” Heather muttered, then went back to brooding.
Claire returned to work a short time later, but the conflict had bothered her ever since. She couldn’t explain the specifics of the situation to her mates without admitting that Heather had participated in the experiments. And that was something she could never do. Raphael’s initial reaction to finding out that she was a genetic researcher was proof enough that Heather was in real danger.
But would Raphael send a skimmer down the mountain for the benefit of one female? He would if there was a specific reason. Claire could tell him Heather had been flirting with someone in the feline village. The women assured Raphael that none of them were being courted, but Heather could claim to be interested in someone and want to explore the attraction further. Would that be enough to justify a long and dangerous trip? The wolves were still on the prowl, waiting for any opportunity to attack or cause trouble.
Jason waved his hand in front of Claire’s face. “What’s going on? You’ve been distracted all afternoon.”
Claire looked at him and smiled. “Visits to the bunkhouse are always a mixed bag.” It was an excuse, but he seemed to buy it. Heather clearly knew who Patrick was, but there was a slim chance that the male Heather had seen wasn’t Patrick. If Claire asked Jason about the mystery male, he would likely think she was simply making conversation. If she asked either of her mates, they would want to know exactly why she was asking. “If you indulge me for a couple of minutes, I’ll pull my head out of the clouds. Deal?”
“Deal.” Curiosity drew his brows together, but he didn’t seem annoyed.
“One of my friends is interested in a male, but she can’t seem to find out who he is. If I describe him, can you tell me his name and a little bit about him?”
“Depends on the description, but I’ll give it a try.”
She repeated the description Heather had given her.
“His name is Patrick Wexford,” Jason said without pause. “He’s usually as solid as they come, but he shouldn’t be interacting with the females. I don’t think he’s looking for a mate.”
“He was part of the rescue,” Claire improvised, hoping it was true. “My friend hasn’t seen him since, but he made quite an impact.”
“Apparently,” Jason muttered, losing interest in the subject. “Patrick is Gabriel’s second so you might ask Raphael for more information.”
“Good idea.” She asked several questions about the current simulation to redirect Jason’s attention. The last thing Heather wanted to do was encounter Patrick face to face, but Claire knew for certain that Heather’s fear was justified. Now, Claire needed to arrange Heather’s return to the feline village before Patrick found out she was here.
“If it was that simple,” Alex snapped as Kai brought up his latest objection, “I would have recovered the females by now. We are outnumbered, out-gunned, and out?—”
“Outmaneuvered,” Kai sneered. “It has been two fucking weeks! All we’ve heard are excuses and explanations. I don’t care what we do, but we need to do something.”
“We are doing something,” Drake snarled. He sat on Alex’s right. Caden sat on Alex’s left. Being surrounded by his cousins always made Alex feel more secure, more grounded. “We have been gathering the information necessary to decide on our next course of action.”
“I didn’t ask you.” Kai glared at Drake. “I asked the village alpha.”
Getting angry with Kai was a waste of energy. Alex knew that from experience. This was the third meeting the alphas had demanded in the past two weeks and Kai was always the one running his mouth. “These are our challenges.” He held up a new finger with each concern. “The physical fortification of Eagle Village. The armed guards always stationed on their walls. The fact that they outnumber us three to one. And the confirmed alliance between the cats and the birds. How do you suggest we overcome any or all of those problems?”
“You’re the village alpha!” Kai yelled as he shot to his feet. “It’s your fucking job to solve the problems.”
