Page 57 of Found: Denver Alpha

Franny doesn’t know that through our bond I can sense Mage magic and manipulate it just a little and I’d like to keep it that way. There are a lot of things about our connection that are special because she’s a Mage and I’m sure we haven’t even discovered them all yet. Maybe if this new Mage isn’t evil I could pick his brains about a few things? Something to think about later when a woman and baby’s lives aren’t on the line.

Shifting Hedwig’s eye just a smidge, I can see the outline of the buildings ahead, and I assume it’s the compound. I’m pretty sure even a regular farm doesn’t smell this disgusting. Not that I spend much time near farms. The growing season up in the mountains is incredibly short and the deer are assholes.

I remember one year Franny wanted to do a garden, and I warned her to put up a magical barrier but she wanted to do it the human way. It only took two weeks for her to give up on the whole thing after the third time she had to replant the whole thing. That’s when she switched to crafts, which is much safer for all of us. No one wants the neighborhood to burn down because she shoots fire at the deer to shoo them away and accidentally catches a tree instead…again. It wasn’t even a magical fire, my crazy mate got out the blow torch. What a fun Sunday afternoon explaining that to the fire department.

Swooping down, I fly slowly going by each building checking for the Mage or Jade. When I get to a small building close to the back of the big house, I pause. Landing on the roof I look around me to assess the threats that might befall on the group when they attack, but no one here seems to be worried about retaliation. They just casually go about their business going here and there I assume doing chores.

That’s not weird at all.

Or maybe they just don’t feel threatened by the pack. Little do they know there’s an army of very angry individuals headed their way. And at least two of them are assassins. Pride comes before the fall just like they say.

Just as I’m about to take off I hear some whispered words below me, I can’t quite make them out so I decide to investigate. Sometimes my own curiosity gets me in trouble. Let's hope this time isn’t one of them.

Jumping down I silently land outside the door, looking around I quickly shift and slide inside the dimly lit barn. Hay is covering the ground and sticking to my bare feet but I still hear the voices. Quickly I peek over a bale of hay and spot Jade talking with a man chained up.

The Mage. He’d be kind of hot if he didn’t look so beat down. Definitely more sad than evil. Maybe Franny will let us keep him if he doesn’t have anywhere to go?

“Ivan!” Jade says excitedly and then immediately puts her hand over her mouth.

“It’s okay, no one is around,” I tell her when I see the fear and panic in her green eyes.

“Where are the others?” she whispers this time.

“I’m wondering why he’s naked?” the Mage comments, looking me over as if I’ve lost my mind. Apparently he hasn’t been around shifters in a while or he wouldn’t even have to ask.

“He’s a snow owl,” she tells him, kindly.

“To answer your question Jade, I kind of went rogue and decided to check on the place before everyone else stormed in here blind,” I explain, and she cringes.

“Franny is going to kill you, brave or not, your mate is gonna make you regret this,” she tells me. As if I don’t already know. Silly cougar, these are the fun mate games.

“It’ll be fine. How are you holding up? I presume this is the Mage of the hour?” I say trying to get back on the subject at hand before I do get caught. Then Franny and Tanner would kill me and not in the fun way.

“I’m okay though I’m feeling some pain from sitting on these piles of hay but better than a bare floor. Oh and this is Level,” she introduces the Mage who gives a small broken smile and nothing else. As if he’s almost on the verge of giving up altogether.

“It’s nice to meet you Level and see that you aren’t evil,” I tell him walking closer to the cage.

Something feels off about it though so I don’t touch it or get too close.

“Not evil, merely a prisoner for ten years as the head sister likes to remind me while she plays,” he says, a shutter rolling through his body at the last part.

Fuck. I thought Tanner was kind of broken from the war sometimes, but this poor man has been through more than I could have imagined.

“Not for very much longer,” I state, giving him a confident smile.

“Forgive me if I don’t stand up and cheer, but I seem to be a little tied up right now,” he snarks, bringing a smile to my face.

So not all of his spirit is gone. That’s good he’ll need it to keep up with Franny.

“I just want you to know, my mate group is adopting you when we get out of here,” I inform him. This time it’s his turn to smile.

“If you free me I’ll gladly go anywhere with you that isn’t this hellhole,” he says.

“Deal.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt your pre-bonding fest but I think we might be in deeper shit than we were a couple minutes ago,” Jade comments, fear all over her face.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

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