Revelation

  Max’s stomach churned. “I spoke briefly with Gibson about this while you were in the shower and refusing to let me help.” He paused.

  “Carlos?”

  “Gibson has had Carlos’s call log from his phone forwarded to his own. There were three quick calls to cell phones. One with an 857 area code, one with 617 and a last with 408.”

  “Are you kidding me? What is he doing calling Gilroy?”

  “Gibson is on it.” He sighed heavily. If his brother was involved in this, it would be considered treason, and there was only one sentence for treason in jamboree law.

  “Gibson is paying Carlos a visit tonight to see what we can find out. Gibson has been in contact with the Hunter and his people from the clan too. They’re getting answers already. Those hunters are hard-core. I like that.”

  “Better than putting our heads in the sand and pretending everything is just fine. They’re organized, or they seem so. Powerful without a doubt, which is comforting. I didn’t sense any lies from them. But my senses were messed up from the magic I’d taken in.”

  “Arel was telling the truth. Cleanly. I didn’t sense even the tiniest bit of evasion from him at all. He’s strong. My cat was impressed. I don’t like that you might get dragged into something because of them though.”

  She turned to face him. “I’m sorry.” She kissed his chest over his heart. “I’m sorry about Carlos. But you know I can’t ignore this. And you don’t want me to. Not really. I promise to leave the expert stuff to the experts, but this is about the survival of my people. Both of them now. I expect my fears about the mages knowing the power of the shifters is moot because of the involvement of your brother. If he’s involved, I should say.”

  He sighed. “Carlos is involved. I can feel it to my bones.”

  “He has exposed us all. Not just witches, but damn it, if these mages truly understand shifter magicks, they will want to steal it.”

  He groaned. “I knew you’d been trying to protect me without me knowing it. Damn it, Kendra. You can’t do this.”

  She made that little pffft sound at him, and he found himself caught between annoyance and amusement. He loved that she wanted to protect him. Loved that she’d thought of their cats earlier, had protected them and understood her duty so well. But he didn’t love how fragile she was and how easily harmed.

  “I can so.”

  “Go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow and we’re both going to need rest. Gibson will call if there’s an emergency. He wanted me to repeat that to you so you’d rest knowing he’d let us know if anything big developed.”

  He didn’t say, but Carlos was with Gibson now. Their father had gone to supervise, urging Max to stay with Kendra. The distance between Max and whatever was going on between his father and brothers would most likely help Max in the future. Father to son, Cesar had asked to be the one to mete out any punishment, should it come to that.

  So he let himself go, once her breathing had changed, let himself sleep with her at his side. Safe and his.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kendra woke up, sore and feeling a little hungover. Must have been that huge infusion of outside magickal energy and the stuff she’d pulled from the mage. But the cuts in her arms had faded to red lines and her power was back, humming in the pit of her stomach, stoked like a fire, warming her and keeping her focused.

  “Why are you getting out of bed?” Max spoke sleepily and she didn’t resist the urge to turn back and take a look at him. Naked, warm and staring at her like he was going to eat her up.

  The good way.

  “Well, aren’t you delicious?”

  “Come over here and taste, just to see.” He slid the sheet back and she saw how ready he was for that.

  “Why, hello there, sailor.” She moved back to him, unbuttoning and sliding out of the oversize shirt he’d helped her into the night before.

  Touching him brought her back to herself in ways she’d probably never be able to adequately describe. His skin against her lips, against her cheek, the warm, solid muscle against her bare skin, it brought her home every single time.

  It didn’t matter that they’d most likely hear terribly sad details about his brother, about her father and that mess, what mattered right then was that he was everything to her.

  His taste brought a soft moan from her lips, her hips jutted forward, seeking more contact.

  Usually in charge, he let her take over, looking up at her as she rolled on top of him and kissed her way across scratchy cheeks, over jawbone, down his neck, pausing to breathe him in. Her cat stilled, curling up within, even as the woman felt the stir of his cat in response.

  “I love to look at you.” She kissed the hollow of his throat, arching back as he slid his palms up her thighs, the tips of his fingers brushed, quite deliberately, against her labia when he cupped her ass.

  “Look your fill. I’m all yours.”

  She smiled, sitting up. “Forever.”

  “And then some, yes.”

  A breath and he was inside her, where he belonged.

  The scent of her magick and his built between them as she rose and fell over him, as she took him into her body over and over, building the heat between them until, with his hands all over her, playing the ring and her clit, tugging, squeezing ever so gently, she came.

  Moments later, he pressed up, holding her down on him as he followed.

  Trying to catch her breath, she used him as her pillow, his cock still inside her while she rested.

  “I could have lost you last night,” he said very quietly. “When you were hit, when the mage slammed that bolt into you, my cat took over. Logically I agree with your statement about magick being the best defense against magic. But logic was nowhere near my heart when you stumbled, when the scent of your blood filled the air, and I felt, damn it, I felt you weaken. I would die to save you, you know that. But I’d kill to achieve that too.”

  His voice rumbled through his chest, where she rested her head. The beat of his heart was steady and strong.

  “I know.” She did. She hadn’t been insulted or angry the night before, she’d understood why he’d done it. “I love you and I love that you’d do anything to protect me. I just wish I hadn’t come into your life when all this drama did. I hate that I’m part of this mess.”

  He sat up and she let him move her body however he wanted to. He carried her into the bathroom and began to run the shower.

  “Get your ass in there.” He wore his grumpy face, which for some unknown, inexplicable reason delighted her.

  “Only if yours is right after mine or I’m going to think you’re mad at me.”

  He got in, his body taking up nearly as much space in the stall as his presence did inside her.

  “I am mad. Mad that you’d blame yourself for this fuckery. You know it’s not about you at all.”

  “Bullshit.” He snorted and she ducked under the spray. “It’s totally about me. My ex and his family, this whole thing with the mages, Carlos. It’s all about me.”

  He sighed and soaped her hair, kneading her scalp with strong, talented fingers. “Not so. It’s connected to you, but that doesn’t make it your fault, or even about you in the sense you think it is. Carlos...”

  She felt part of his pain over it and turned to hug him tight. “I’m so sorry for that. I know that’s not my fault and all, but I wish I could make it not happen. I wish he wasn’t doing this. I hate that you’re hurting from it.”

  “Aw, babe, you’re everything. I wish it wasn’t happening too. But it is and I have to face it. Today.”

  She got out, handing him a towel when he followed.

  “I suppose one bright side is that it’s spring break at school and I have the day off. It’s not quite five, sorry I woke you up so early.”

  He kiss
ed her so thoroughly she got revved up all over again. “Damn, you’re good with that mouth.”

  His grin made her knees rubbery. “I am and you taste so good too.” He moved toward her and she leaned against the counter, watching.

  His phone rang, breaking the taut silence between them. “Damn.”

  She groaned. “There goes my phone. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Naked but for the towel low-slung around his hips, he grabbed the phone and sent her a look over his shoulder. “I will be eating your pussy later. We have a date.”

  She laughed for a second until she saw the caller info on her phone.

  “This is Kendra.”

  Rosemary, calling from the Clan building in Providence, sounded exhausted. “Why don’t you go ahead and come down here? I’ve sent the directions to Gibson. We’ve found out a great deal since last night.”

  “Have you been home at all? Is your arm all right? You sound terrible.”

  Her aunt gave a bone-deep sigh. “Arm is fine now. Renee and Mary did something to me. I’m sore, but I can move it. I slept over at Mary’s. She and I drove down about an hour ago because we couldn’t sleep.”

  “It’s bad.”

  “Yes. It’s terrible and I hate that you have to hear it.”

  “But I do. I’ll get Renee too.”

  She dressed quickly, grabbing up her things as she phoned Renee. An apology for waking her so early was on her lips until her sister answered, clearly awake.

  “Is it bad?”

  Kendra swallowed, deciding to hold back details until she was face-to-face with her sister. “I’ll be by to grab you shortly.”

  Max interrupted. “We will be by to grab her shortly. I’m having Gibson bring the SUV. He and I need to talk about Carlos on the way.”

  She looked to Max, seeing the stress lines around his eyes. Knowing he hurt. “Did you hear that?” He nodded.

  Renee spoke again. “Galen just came in and told me the same gruff bit about all of us going. I’ll bring coffee.”

  “You rock. Love you.” She hung up.

  “Tell me.” She grabbed her coat and Max helped her into it, pausing to breathe her in, letting her scent settle him even just a small amount.

  That she cared so much, especially after some of his family had been so unwelcoming to her, meant a lot. Sometimes it blew him away that the joy of holding this woman against his body was something he’d never imagined at this time the year before. Life was fucking odd sometimes.

  Max opened the door. “Gibson’s outside. Let’s go and he’ll brief us. Since we’re in charge and everything.”

  She made a face and shook her head. “I keep forgetting that part.”

  * * *

  The drive wasn’t long, and in the predawn hours, it wasn’t too crowded either. Max gave the order to Gibson to brief Galen and Jack on the Carlos situation as well.

  Kendra sat curled into his side, warm and soft, their connection wrapping around him and easing some of his anxiety. Some.

  Jack drove while Gibson spoke.

  “Carlos tipped them off last night. He gave them not only your home address, Max, but Mom and Dad’s address.”

  Kendra tensed and a growl trickled from her lips. His cat responded until Max wrestled his control back into place.

  “It gets worse.”

  “How the fuck can it get worse than my brother hanging my wife and family out to dry? He set us up. Set my wife up to be killed!” Galen pulled Renee closer and Kendra squeezed his hand briefly before settling back into Max’s arms.

  “What else?” Max asked.

  “He’s the one who told them...the mages...about Renee.”

  Jack nearly got them into an accident at that.

  “Get your fucking mind on the road or don’t drive the car.” Kendra sat up straighter, and right before Max’s eyes, she owned her alphaness totally. “I know you’re pissed off. I am too. But what will it solve to have a cowardly, self-loathing prick like Carlos cause you to kill us all? You’re an alpha wolf, Jack. Revenge will be yours.”

  He sighed but the sound was precariously close to a growl. Renee kissed his cheek and rolled her eyes at Kendra. “Be nice. He was just shocked.”

  Gibson began to speak again after a bracing sip of coffee. “It was Jack. Or rather, it was when she mated with Jack and Galen. It pushed Carlos over the edge he’d been walking for years.”

  Kendra’s voice was clipped, businesslike. “What part did my ex-in-laws play?”

  “He met them at some gathering. They’re quite active in the anti-shifter movement and were talking about you, about how they’d held you in their basement. Chained.” Gibson paused, his jaw clenched as Max saw spots of rage. “They chained you, bebe?”

  Kendra blinked back tears. “Yes. What else did he say?”

  Renee turned to her sister, tears in her eyes. Max saw it and shook his head to stay her. The last thing Kendra needed just then was to have them all upset on her behalf. She was barely holding on as it was.

  Gibson met Max’s gaze for long enough that they agreed to take care of this little problem very soon.

  “He didn’t know it was you they were talking about. Not until you came into Max’s life. I did a background check on you and your aunt when you first got to town. He overheard me reporting to my father and Galen. He knew it was you when I said your ex-husband’s name. He got back in contact with his friends in the movement, as he called them, and eventually they hooked up and he led them straight to you. Well, first to Renee, with the help of Susan and your father, Ren. I’m sorry, but they were part of all this from the start.

  “I had his place swept, took all the electronics, all his files, cleaned out his car, his desk at work, his everything. Part of this started a week ago. As Max knows, we’ve suspected Carlos for a while. Just...not this. He told us everything anyway. We have names and numbers. Jack, you and I need to decide to share or not with Arel. The anti-paranormal groups are working together now with self-titled bounty hunters of all sorts. These mages painted themselves as humans out to drain witches of their demon-possessed magic. There are those who hunt shifters and those who poison vampire blood supplies with holy water.”

  “The witches need to know.” Kendra seemed to come out of a dream. Her entire world had been torn from around her, but she had to get over it and lead. “They have to know. The shifters need to know. The vampires, fuck me, there are vampires.” She shook her head. “They need to know too, because we have to fight back.”

  Gibson’s gaze went to Max, and she snarled, putting herself between them. “I am alpha too. I gave an order and I won’t have you patting me on the head and waiting for my husband to give you permission to obey me or not. I’m either in charge, or I’m not.”

  Max’s brows flew up, but he shrugged. “She’s right.”

  “I won’t give orders on things I don’t understand and I won’t be a despot, but I am a witch and this is genocide. I won’t sit by and let my people, jaguars, withhold information that could save us all.”

  Gibson nodded. “You’re right.”

  “Papi was there, you said? How is he?”

  Gibson looked at his brother. “How do you think he is? He’s angry. He’s grieving. He’s worried about Kendra and Renee. He hates that this happened and feels responsible. He had to carry out the sentence, which tore him apart. But he told me it was his duty. He expects you both to be around later today. They’ve called an all-jamboree meeting and you’ll need to tell everyone.”

  Kendra didn’t want to ask what carrying out the sentence meant. She had a feeling she knew and she didn’t want to think about it.

  “I think we should send your parents on a trip. Send them to Kingston or Seville. Just let them grieve and heal but out of the glare of attention.” She spoke s
oftly to Max, who took in a deep breath and then sighed.

  “Good idea. I’ll get my assistant on it. You’re going to need an assistant too. Running the jamboree will take a lot of your time and you’ll need the help.”

  She nodded, numb.

  * * *

  The clan building in Providence was as pretty as the ones around it. It looked like any other office building, but when they got to the doors, Miles was there to let them in. Silently they rode an elevator up several floors to a reception area where Rosemary and Mary were waiting.

  The rest was sort of a blur. They were ushered into a conference room where some food and coffee had been laid out. A sleek, beautiful woman in her early thirties stood and moved to them.

  “I’m Sadira Rodas, leader of Clan Rodas. Please be welcome.” She shook hands, her gaze lingering on Arel for just a few seconds longer than everyone else. Not that Kendra could blame her, the Hunter was in fact a very fine-looking man.

  “I’m afraid we have some distressing news. Please sit down and have some coffee or juice. There are bagels and other things. Mary reminded me about shifters needing protein so the covered platters have eggs and bacon.”

  Rosemary sat, holding Renee’s hand on one side and Kendra’s on the other. “I’ll do most of the talking. It’s easier this way. Carlos de La Vega has been selling information about you and the shifters to these radicals.”

  When no one looked surprised Rosemary sighed. “You knew?”

  Kendra nodded. “We only just found out. I’ve advised Gibson to cooperate and share information with Arel and the other clans. We’re being targeted. We need to protect ourselves.”

  Sadira nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

  Rosemary began again. “Andrew was a bit player. In this anyway. He didn’t really know much. The other two did. As we discovered last night, Andrew had been working with the mages for some time. His memories were spotty and it appears they’d messed with him too. In the plus column, I think Mary and I have the key to unlocking Renee’s memories totally. Though we might want to continue doing this slowly because I worry about the emotional and mental trauma that may come from a rush of bad memories.”