Brannick shook his head. “I think we’re good. I’ll let you know if we need more troop support.”
Fergus’s lips turned down. “Listen. If you need me, I’m right back here. Okay? Don’t hesitate.”
Brannick lowered his chin. “Trust me. If Roche comes at us again, you’re my first call.”
Fergus glanced toward the open patio door. “Keep close watch, Juliet. I have a bad feeling about Mary right now.”
“Hey, I’ve got this. Go home. We’ll take good care of her.”
Fergus, though clearly reluctant to go, said his good-byes, levitated high in the air, turned south and was gone.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As Brannick watched the wolf leave, a dozen thoughts ran through his head. Why had Fergus reacted to Mary like he did? He’d never heard of an alpha losing that much control. Was it Mary? Or the wolf’s cycle?
But these questions spurred other ones as he turned toward Juliet.
She frowned. “What? You look really distressed.”
He gestured for her to enter the house and spoke quietly. “Have you noticed these bizarre things that keep happening? First Connor and Iris and the way their powers moved back and forth. The same with Vaughn and Emma. And now you and me? None of this makes a lot of sense.”
Juliet shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you except I think it rocks. I might not have said that before bringing Mary home, but I’ll say it now. I could never have battled Roche before, not on any level, yet tonight was a different story. I took his ass to the floor.” She shadow boxed, kicking her feet out a few times as well.
He couldn’t help but smile at the woman with her curly hair in a wild mass, her dark blue eyes glittering.
The pleasure she took in her part of the rescue eased something inside Brannick. He recalled the moment with stunning clarity. She’d moved so fast in Roche’s direction, her vampire disguise holding steady, that Roche couldn’t have stopped her if he’d wanted to.
Brannick had immediately spoken with Fergus telepathically because he saw what she intended. They’d moved in behind her and gotten quickly past the guards, also flying horizontal to make sure they didn’t clip any of the security detail as they flew out.
Now he was here, staring at an amazing woman. He was taken back as well to the moment he’d come out of the dreamglide and back to his real-time self. Though he could recall his time with Juliet, nothing else had come forward.
He’d hoped that all the memories of being her lover would coalesce in his conscious mind, but they hadn’t. Yet he could feel now the level of intimacy they’d shared and why she’d so easily called him ‘Brann’ two nights ago in Carl’s garage.
Juliet caught his arm in her hand. “Hey, what’s going on right now?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He didn’t know what to say. What he did know was how much he was drawn to her, more than ever since rescuing Mary.
He might not have the words, but he knew what to do.
He took her in his arms and kissed her.
As she’d done so many times before she relaxed against him, a sensation that felt so familiar. As she parted her lips, he deepened the kiss. He wanted to take her to bed. Hell, he needed to make love to her right now.
But she drew back and slid her hands up his chest. “Just to be clear, I really want to be with you again. But we need to get Mary to a safe place. I’m thinking I should call Agnes. She’ll know what to do.”
He felt like a bastard being all over her when Mary was still in danger. “Of course. Where are you thinking she should go?”
“I’m not sure.” Her cellphone still sat on the kitchen counter. She picked it up and scrolled for a number.
He watched her talk to Agnes in her soft yet animated way, the warm cadence of her voice pouring over him, making him hungry for her.
When she’d told Agnes everything, she turned to Brannick. “Agnes wants all three of us to join her in her compound. She says we’ll be safe there and she’ll be able to take care of Mary. I’m in agreement. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course.” It sounded like a good plan, but he had no idea how secure Agnes’s place was.
Juliet’s eyes widened as she turned suddenly in Mary’s direction. Brannick could feel Juliet’s sudden tension though he didn’t know the reason for it.
He took a step toward her. “What is it? What’s happening?”