"Tucker's here," Beau said, putting his head into the office. "You want me to send him right back?"

Rhett nodded. "Send him in."

He didn't like to use his private office very often, but this called for it. He didn't want someone strolling in off the street and hearing what he and Tucker were talking about.

Tucker strolled in, looking his usual casual self. "How's it going, brother?"

"Pretty good." Rhett stood up and shook his hand. "Have a seat."

"I assume you brought me here because of the whole human-staying-in-your-house thing, right? If not, my dragon bros are going to be pissed at me."

"It's tangentially about Joseline."

"What does that mean?" Tuck took off his hat and put it on backward. "Please don't yank my chain, man. Seriously, the Abbott Town Council will not happy with me."

"I don't want to get you in any trouble, but I think I have something bigger for us to talk about. You know Murry wasn't the first shifter to go crazy in this area?"

Tuck kicked his feet up on Rhett's desk. Rhett was going to stop him, but he decided against it. Let Tuck get comfortable so he would hear him out.

"Did you know that we had a shifter here in Lake Magnolia who went feral twice? Once as a child and then again a decade ago."

Tuck stroked his chin. "I seem to have a vague memory of that. But I thought the lady left her family and died. That must be why she went away, though. Cause she had feral problem. That's what you're thinking right?."

"It's possible."

Tucker shook his head. "Twice isn't enough to prove a pattern. And there's no way it happened more than the two times. Going feral is a scary story humans tell, it doesn't actually happen. Those were accidents."

Rhett laughed. "Kids these days. Going feral is a very much a thing. It doesn't happen often but it can happen. Obviously, you saw it the other night."

"But how do you know that's what happened with Murry?"

"I can't be sure but I have a hunch. Does Murry do drugs?"

Tucker thought for a minute. "Yeah, he does, actually. Not often and not much, but he does do drugs. I think he smokes pot, and maybe a few times he tried mushrooms."

Jackpot. Now the pieces were falling together for Rhett. This had to have something to do with what was going on here. There was no way that three drug users had all gone crazy and it wasn't related somehow. He was going to lay all of his cards on the table.

"I think it's the drugs, then. I think someone is messing with the drugs, testing out something that makes shifters lose their minds. The other people didn't attack any humans, but they almost attacked shifters. Murry was the first time someone almost got hurt."

"I can go figure out if Murry did drugs that night." Tucker took his feet off the desk and leaned forward. "We should probably keep this quiet. That Pegasus? I don't trust that guy. I think my fellow Keepers will lie low and wait until I figure stuff out, honestly, they don’t even seem like they care that much anymore. But Magnus? That guy is a wildcard. He'll do whatever the hell he wants."

Rhett nodded. "I agree. Joseline can protect herself, but I'll keep her close for now. You figure out some stuff on your end and then get back to me."

Tucker stood up. "I'll check our records to see if we have anything about any shifters going wild. I seem to recall it happening a few decades back. I might've come across the files once when I was bored. I want to be positive before I before I give you any bad information. And for sure I'll let you know about Murry."

"I appreciate it, man." Rhett stood up and shook his hand again.

Tucker didn't let go. Instead, he pulled him closer. "But we should also talk about the woman, Joseline."

"What about her?"

"She can't be wiped. Magnus is the best we have and he already said he couldn't do it."

Rhett stood still. He didn't want to confirm that but he needed to tell Tucker something. The dragon shifter was working with him after all. "I don't know if it's impossible but yes it is difficult."

"Have you tried yourself?"

He tilted his head side to side. "Not in earnest. I probed at her but didn't put much effort into it."

Tucker nodded and then sat down again, hands clasp in front of him between his legs. "Can I be straight with you?"

Rhett sat back down too. "Of course."

"Magnus thinks the lady is your mate or at least that you're attached to her." Tucker put up a hand when Rhett started to protest. "You don't have to confirm or deny that. Even if she is your mate, they won't let this go. Hayes and Knox might but not Magnus and the Abbott Council. They think this is a substantial threat to our town."

"Even if she was my mate, they would still come after her?"

Tucker nodded. "Just between us, yeah I think they might. Those guys are crazy. The doctors don't think Murry will attack anyone again. That's all under control. But the Council and Magnus, I don’t know, they up to something. I think it might be something to do with Joseline."

"There's nothing for worry about then."

Tucker locked eyes with him. "I think you should wipe her. Not her whole mind but if you could just pull that one incident and make it go away, she wouldn't be in any danger. They would leave her alone."

"I told you-"

"You could do it," Tucker interrupted. "You know you could. Especially if she is your mate, you could do it. Just think about it. You wouldn't have to hurt her. Just make her forget five minutes. Is that really so bad? You guys could be fine. They would never bother you again. I’m not saying for sure that they’ll come after her but why risk it? I would do it. That’s all I’m getting at."

So that was why he was here. To convince him to wipe his mate's mind. Rhett could barely speak. He was shaking with rage. "Thanks for the heads up. I'll think about it.”

Tucker stood up again. "Thanks. I'll be in touch."

That had come so close to being a great meeting. So freaking close. They knew she was his mate and they still wanted him to wipe her mind. It was only five minutes and maybe he could do it if he really tried. But was it worth it? She wasn't going to say anything and even if he could do it, there was a chance she would get hurt.

He could see where they were coming from. Things were precarious for shifters at the moment. Humans were running them out of rural towns all around the country. It wasn't making the human news unless you were really paying attention but Keeper's talked with each other. The Abbott Keeper's and Council were worried what might happen if Joseline ever said anything.

He couldn't believe that they had just threatened his mate. They hadn't even had the courage to come out and say it directly. They'd sent their youngest Keeper to hint at the issue. That was interesting. It made him think they weren't quite ready to go through with it. Maybe they were trying to intimidate him into using mind magic.

As much as he hated to admit it, he did see how much easier it would be if he did it. He could try after they made love when their connection was strongest and her defenses were down. Her mind might open up to him then. It wouldn't take him long and if it worked, they would never have to worry about the Abbott Keepers again. He could make her think she'd just had a car accident. Run into a scorpion shifter by accident. It wasn't that big a stretch and people would buy the story too.

The fact that he was even considering this made him sick. Maybe that part of him would always be there. The part that wanted to protect shifters at all costs, no matter who got hurt. He'd done so much in his past life when the shifters had first revealed themselves to the humans. For a long time, he wasn't sure if he could trust himself around humans.

She was in the house alone again today, and he was still worried. He would have to worry like this all the time if her memories stayed in tact. From the sound of it, the Abbott dragons might never leave her alone. He was putting his entire town at risk keeping her here.

It was part of his job description that he dealt with all the bad stuff that came to town and made sure his territory was safe. Part of that meant he had to make tough choices. Maybe the best choice in this situation was to risk what was most special to him so the whole town could be safe.

There were so many moving parts to consider. He didn't know how he was ever going to make this decision. His anxiety was getting the best of him. The best way to head this off was to go and see her. Make sure she was safe now. He could worry about the rest later.

He told Beau to hold down the fort and left for his house. The quick drive seemed to take hours. When he got there, Joseline was sitting on the couch, looking at a magazine.

She looked up, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I decided it would be nice to come home and see you. Are you happy?"

The smile took a moment too long to reach her eyes. "Yes. I'm glad to see you."

"I'm going to make myself a grilled cheese. Want me to make you one?"

"I have some soup on the stove. Soup and a sandwich sounds like a great lunch."

They finished making the lunch together and then sat down to eat. The soup was homemade chicken noodle, and it was the best he'd ever had. He complimented her on it over and over. She looked lovely in her oversized sweater and leggings. He could see the curves of her ass and couldn't help from palming them when he stood up at the end of his meal. He'd kept an eye on her the whole time.

"So, anything new with the case?" she asked.

He nodded. He struggled to swallow the food in his mouth. "I'm optimistic that this is going to all be dealt with in a few days. Tucker came to speak to me today, and I really think we can make headway very quickly. Everything is falling into place."

She nodded but didn't smile. "Well, I guess that means I should get myself ready to go soon."

He made an affirmative noise but said nothing. He didn't want her go but where they would live as the least of their worries. He had no idea how he was going to even broach the subject of using magic on her. He'd told her it wouldn't happen. He knew she would agree if she thought it would keep the town safe. She was a good, selfless person. But she didn't deserve to be put in that spot. He would try to find another way out of it first. There had to be a better solution. One that wouldn't put her in any danger.

"I like seeing you here when I get home," he told her. "I'm glad I can come home whenever I want to and see you."

"We'll, don't get used to it," she told him curtly. "I'll be able to go home soon if things are close to being done. I'll be safe at my own home again."

The only way she would truly be safe is if he wiped her mind. At least that was the current best option. Even if she agreed, he didn't know if she would want to be with him after he did it. What if she never trusted him again? What if he never trusted himself around her?

She didn't know the whole story yet. If he couldn't think of another way to get the dragons off their backs, he was going to have to tell her everything. And that might well spell the end of what they had.