While I showered, Wesley politely knocked at the door then cracked it open an inch.

“Kit, I found some spare clothes for you; I'll just leave them here.” His hand reached through the crack in the door and deposited the stack of neatly folded clothes on the bathroom floor. His shyness was such a stark contrast to the insanely erotic encounter I had just shared with two of his team members that it made me smile.

“Thanks, Wes!” I called back to him, and his hand gave me a thumbs up before he pulled the door closed once more. Considering his growing confidence around me these days, I was a little surprised he was back to being modest, but I guessed with everyone already in the living room…

After toweling dry, I dressed in the clothes Wesley had provided and hurried out to the living room. Caleb said Nicholai and Granny were coming to tell me about my mother, and I could hardly contain my excitement.

“Kit, nice shower?” My former teacher asked with a raised eyebrow, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Surely he couldn't know what we had just been up to?

“Lovely, thank you,” I murmured, taking the mug of coffee that Wesley was holding out to me, then sitting beside Caleb on the couch. Vali and Austin were both leaning on walls, glowering at our two guests like sentinels. 

“Coffee? Kit, it's nearly three in the morning.” Nicholai frowned, and I raised my eyebrows at him.

“And? Who are you, my father?” I joked, but the words seemed to sit in the air, and Granny Winter cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Wait, fucking what?” I exclaimed, reading into the awkward silence, and Nicholai shook his head.

“No, I'm not. Or at least, I'm fairly certain I'm not. Anyway, we came here because Annaliese wanted to say something.” He prodded the old woman in the arm.

Granny Winter grimaced like she'd swallowed something awful. “I came to… apologize. For trying to have you killed. But in my defense, I thought you were that whore of a mother of yours.”

“That's an appalling apology,” I told her, straight-faced. “Is that even an apology?”

The old woman sniffed indignantly and stood up from her chair. “Well, it's the best you'll get. Good night.” With her back ramrod straight, she stalked out of the house, still surprising me with how fast she moved for such an old bird.

“Was she for fucking real?” I asked Nicholai, stunned at the stubborn old bitch. Why even bother coming here?

“Unfortunately. Annaliese is… difficult,” he sighed. “Okay, so I know you passed out after the avalanche on the mountain road, and I'm not sure how much your friends have filled you in yet…?”

“Pretend I know nothing,” I suggested, not mentioning that our mouths had been busy elsewhere for the past little while.

Nicholai nodded thoughtfully. “I'll try. So, all of the drugged shifters were saved from those trucks, thanks to your dragons here.” He nodded to Cole and Vali. “And only a few were killed in the fight with those mercenaries. We did manage to take a couple of them hostage, but only one talked before committing suicide by cyanide.”

“Fucking cyanide again,” River muttered from his seat across the room.

“Yes, we weren't expecting that. Anyway, he had a message that he'd been tasked to deliver,” Nicholai continued, giving me an intense stare. “He said to tell Foxy girl that Mr. Grey sends his love.”

The room was so silent for a minute that you could hear a pin drop. Ice cold shivers of dread ran down my spine.

“I take it you know what that means, then?” Nicholai asked me, raising an eyebrow.

I jerked a tight nod, not trusting my voice just yet. This confirmed my fears that this town had been targeted because of me. Those shifters had died because of me.

“So Mr. Grey is working with Simon now,” Wesley said quietly, seeming to be just thinking out loud. “Does that mean he's the one in charge now? Or are they both working for someone else?”

“He's obviously tied up in this war now,” Austin commented. “And I wonder how long he has been.”

“I still don't think he was responsible for the car bomb,” I mumbled, putting down my coffee mug and rubbing my arms where the hair seemed to be standing on end. “It's not his style. And why did Simon say he wasn't allowed to take me with all the shifters?”

“More fucking questions that no one seems to have answers to.” Austin scowled, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at Nicholai.

“I know you want me to answer those questions for you, but I can't.” Nicholai sighed, rubbing his temples. “Even the ones I know the answers to, I can't answer.”

“Can't or won't?” Vali snapped, his glare shooting death at the other man.

“Can't. Vic can. Or at least I hope he can. I know it's not an ideal situation for anyone, but if you can all just sit tight here in Harrow until he's back, then I am sure you will get the information you're seeking.” Nicholai's gaze was pleading with me, but I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him.

“All of them? He knows who is running this shit? This war?” I challenged, and Nicholai shrugged.

“Maybe? I don't know. But for sure he can answer the questions you have about yourself. About your Guardians. About Bridget.” His mouth clamped shut, like he had already said too much, and he grimaced as if in pain. “I have to go. But good luck, Kit. I'm rooting for you, even though it might not always seem like it.”

As he tried to leave the room, Vali stepped in front of him, blocking the exit and giving me a glance to see what I wanted him to do.

“It's fine, Vali. Let him go. We can press him for more answers tomorrow, can't we, N?” I raised my eyebrows to Nicholai, and he just gave me a tight-lipped smile before sliding past the dragon shifter and out of the house.

“So… what now?” I asked the room full of guys.

“Now,” River said, his authoritarian voice back in play and sending sexy shivers through me, “we wait for Vic. If he has at least some of the answers we're looking for, then it's worth hanging around here for a couple more weeks.”

Considering his words, I nodded slowly. He was right. We were in a town full of supernatural creatures with the promise of meeting someone who could tell me what I was. If nothing else, we could tie old Granny Winter down and torture her until she spilled everything she knew.

“And what about all of you? I don't expect you all to continue in this mad magic war with me. Vali, surely people are missing you by now?” I hesitated as I said this. Just the idea of him leaving me made my heart feel like it was being torn in half.

“They are.” He nodded slowly. “But… something tells me I physically can't be away from you for too long. I will head back to Nevada and tie things up but will come back.” Despite my confusion at my feelings toward him, a rush of relief flooded through me at his promise to return, and a little tension dropped from my shoulders.

“Actually, if you all will be here in Harrow for a couple of weeks, hopefully without any more attempts on Christina's life, then I should go sort some things out back home.” Austin spoke quietly, his gaze fixed hard on my face, and my stomach dropped. Despite being prepared for Vali to possibly leave, it hadn't occurred to me that any of the team might want to go.

“Bro…” Caleb frowned. “What is so important back home?”

Austin kept his gaze on me as he answered his twin. “Master Yoshi had a stroke…”

“What?” Caleb yelled, jumping up from his seat. “Why didn't you tell me? Is he okay?”

“I just got the call on the way back here. He's in the hospital but…” Austin shrugged, finally breaking his stare away from me and turning to his brother.

“I should come with you,” Caleb muttered, then glanced to me.

“No,” Austin answered firmly before I could agree with Caleb. Whoever this Master Yoshi was, he was clearly someone the twins cared about a great deal. “He specifically asked me to come alone. Don't worry though.” His gaze flicked back to me. “I'll be back too. God knows Princess will end up getting herself killed without me here to save her.”

My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn he winked at me.

Our cozy family chat was interrupted abruptly as the front door slammed open, and a huge figure filled the frame, his face shrouded by a heavy hood pulled low.

“Who the fuck are you all, and what the fuck are you doing in my home?” The man growled with menace.

Looks like Vic is home sooner than expected. Answers, at last!

TO BE CONTINUED…