Hunted (War of the Covens 1)

She gave him with a wry smile and shook her head. “Uh, well … I wouldn’t say I exactly fit in.”

“What would you say, then?”

“I ate lunch every day in my car.”

“Oh.”

The door was thrown open, his tall, gangly assistant almost falling into the room in his hurry to get to him.

“The spell!” he heaved as he lunged at him, out of breath.

“You’ve been running?” he asked incredulously, following the trail of sweat that trickled down his assistant’s forehead.

He nodded, bending over, his hands braced on his knees as he tried to regain composure. “I … I … I still … haaaa … haven’t … mastered the communication spell you taught me.” He gulped for air again, wheezing as he flopped down beside him.

“Well, obviously, you rushed with a purpose. Spit it out, Lars.”

Lars’s eyes were bright with excitement. “The protection spell is down. She’s unprotected.”

His eyes blazed with the news. “You’re certain?”

“Positive. I’ve been on Marion duty for two years. Her protection spell on the girl has been dropped.”

His smile of triumph was slow and predatory. “Do you know what this means?”

“It’s time?”

“Activate our agent.”

“They’re on their way, Magnus.” Lucien sauntered into his sitting room. Magnus was sprawled across an armchair while Lucien’s mother Ella poured them all coffee.

The Elder looked up at him and smiled brightly. “I get to see my Cy again.”

“I forgot how fond you were of the little brat.”

“You were too busy chasing skirts at the time to notice the little blond kid who was constantly perched on his shoulder,” Ella pointed out wryly.

“I remember her.” His voice was low, his tone a warning. Instantly a chill fell over the room.

Ella stood, her eyes narrowed on her son. “No one would dispute that you were very aware of Caia’s existence, Lucien. I meant only that you avoided her, so you knew nothing about her.”

“She was a cute kid.” Magnus chuckled, standing beside Ella, his warm teasing bending the steel of tension emanating from Lucien. His huge hand came down on Ella’s shoulder. “Why don’t you brew more coffee?”

Nodding stiffly, she left the room, muttering under her breath about sensitive dogs.

“You need to ease up, Lucien. Everyone is well aware you’ve fulfilled your responsibilities to this pack and that you intend to fulfil the one that’s on that plane. Defenses down, please.”

“Thought I was the Pack Leader?”

Magnus laughed and cuffed him across the head before pushing him into a seat. “You’re still a pup.”

After Ella returned with more coffee, and it was clear the tension had eased between son and mother, talk switched to pack business.

“When do they get here?” Magnus asked, his excitement evident. Lucien had been so wrapped up in dealing with what was to come from Caia’s return that he had forgotten about the one person who was looking forward to it. The girl had never known anything but Albus and Ella, and in particular, Magnus.

He didn’t want to burst Magnus’s bubble, but they needed to get serious about the situation. “Magnus—”

“Don’t start with that tone. This is a happy occasion. This is what your father fought for: the safe return of Rafe’s daughter.”

Lucien took a deep breath. “I know. And I am happy to see that realized. Goddess knows, for this reason only, I will have made the old man proud. But Magnus”—his hard silver eyes searched Magnus’s happy ones—“we have to deal with the pack.”

Reluctantly, the Elder nodded in agreement. “Stupid, scared, judgmental lykans.”

“That may be, but they’re our lykans, and we’ve got to make sure the pack is happy.”

Ella, from the corner of the room, cleared her throat. “I’ve already made sure most of the mated females are clear that they have to welcome Cy home. It’s the young I’m worried about. Most of them will see her as an outsider. They still fear what they don’t know, and they fear possible war … and the fact that she’s more competition when it comes to finding a mate.”

“Yeah, I see where you’re going. Fine.” Lucien heaved, slapping his knees in determination and standing. “We’ll gather the whole pack here. It must be made perfectly clear to them that Caia is part of this pack’s future. Any mention of the war is to be kept to a minimum, absolutely nothing about her parents … and I want a full pack welcome.”

“Oh, I dunno.” Magnus’s forehead wrinkled with anxiety. “Full pack welcome? That could be a little overwhelming. Lucien, this girl has lived without a pack for eleven years. Irini would only have been able to teach her so much.”

“Irini will have taught her well,” Ella replied tersely.

The Elder looked between son and mother, their postures relaxed but their countenance determined. He knew when he was outvoted. “Pack welcome it is, then.”

3

Home?

“Have we got everything?”

The noise was overwhelming. Why were there so many people going places and did they have to be going there today? Someone bumped into her and nudged her into someone else. Was it warm here? Jeez, they really needed more windows in this airport. Caia only just stopped herself from bracing her hands on her knees and tucking her head between her legs in an effort to breathe.