that couldn’t begin to compare to the world she’d stumbled upon and was now up to her neck in trying to grasp.
I wear a badge, carry a gun, and until today I walked around confident that I knew who the bad guys were and was sure of my ability to handle them. Then I find out I’m an insignificant bug on the stalk of the universe. Monster food.
Dinner forgotten, overwhelmed, she rested her elbowson the table and buried her face in her hands. She was in no way prepared for this. How the hell was she supposed to help Micah?
A gentle hand rubbed her back and she started, sitting up to glance at Sariel. His expression was warm, understanding. No one except Dean had bothered to comfort her in years, and the small kindness almost did her in. But she wouldn’t cry. She never did.
“It will be all right,” the Fae man said, smiling faintly. “Trust me.”
“What, so you’re a PreCog like Nick?”
“No. But you’re not without your own gifts and I have a feeling they will serve you well in your quest.”
“You mean I have some sort of talent, like Micah?” He nodded and she perked up some at the idea. She thought of the Dreamwalking thing Nick had told her about. “Cool. What’s my gift? How do you know?”
“Humans are so impatient.” He sighed, then shook his head. “How I know isn’t important, and it wouldn’t be as effective for you if I
told
you the nature of your gift. You must experience it for yourself to accept and use it.”
“Great. I want answers and I get Yoda for a sidekick,” she muttered.
“Who?” Sariel looked baffled and the rest of the group chuckled.
“I think she’s going to fit right in,” Ryon said.
Before anyone could comment, a Goth guy walked in who commanded not only Rowan’s attention but that of everybody in the dining area. He walked like a graceful cat and looked like a cross between a rock star and a gunslinger. Even among these men, he was unique. And no wonder—this was the man she’d seen shift to human from panther form.
“Who’s that?” she whispered to Sariel.
“Kalen Black,” he answered in a low voice. “One of the new recruits, but extremely powerful. He’s a Sorcerer and Necromancer.”
“Jesus.”
Kalen rapped on the table to get their attention. “Hey, Nick wants to see the Pack in the meeting room, pronto. The intercom’s not working, so he sent me to round up you guys.”
The guy named A.J. glanced up hopefully. “Me, too?”
“Sorry, man, not yet.”
Too green
, Rowan thought. Outwardly disappointed at being excluded, A.J. heaved a breath and went back to eating. The bald man with him, however, wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. As did Jaxon, Zan, and Ryon.
Jaxon shot an intense stare at Kalen. “We going wheels-up?”
“Yep, after sundown. He’s got the details on where we’ll find our two missing guys, and hopefully a bunch of Chappell’s scumbags, too.” Kalen’s green gaze found Rowan briefly. He nodded an acknowledgment of her presence, then looked at his friends. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” she called to them. “I want to sit in on this meeting.”
“No can do,” Jax said over his shoulder.
“This is my brother we’re talking about! You can’t just—”
“That’s exactly why we can—because he’s your family and you’re way too emotional. And if Nick wants you to know more, he’ll tell you.”
“I’m getting damned tired of that answer!” Theyfiled out, ignoring her, and she pounded a fist on the table. Frustrated, she glared at Kira. “Tell me this gets easier.”
“Dealing with a bunch of overbearing alpha males?” The blonde snorted. “Right.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Same macho attitude, different location.”
Fine. They’d left her no choice but to resort to desperate measures. If the Pack thought they were leaving in the night without her, they were in for a big surprise.
Rowan crouched in a dark corner of the huge hangar, waiting. Despite her training as an
I wear a badge, carry a gun, and until today I walked around confident that I knew who the bad guys were and was sure of my ability to handle them. Then I find out I’m an insignificant bug on the stalk of the universe. Monster food.
Dinner forgotten, overwhelmed, she rested her elbowson the table and buried her face in her hands. She was in no way prepared for this. How the hell was she supposed to help Micah?
A gentle hand rubbed her back and she started, sitting up to glance at Sariel. His expression was warm, understanding. No one except Dean had bothered to comfort her in years, and the small kindness almost did her in. But she wouldn’t cry. She never did.
“It will be all right,” the Fae man said, smiling faintly. “Trust me.”
“What, so you’re a PreCog like Nick?”
“No. But you’re not without your own gifts and I have a feeling they will serve you well in your quest.”
“You mean I have some sort of talent, like Micah?” He nodded and she perked up some at the idea. She thought of the Dreamwalking thing Nick had told her about. “Cool. What’s my gift? How do you know?”
“Humans are so impatient.” He sighed, then shook his head. “How I know isn’t important, and it wouldn’t be as effective for you if I
told
you the nature of your gift. You must experience it for yourself to accept and use it.”
“Great. I want answers and I get Yoda for a sidekick,” she muttered.
“Who?” Sariel looked baffled and the rest of the group chuckled.
“I think she’s going to fit right in,” Ryon said.
Before anyone could comment, a Goth guy walked in who commanded not only Rowan’s attention but that of everybody in the dining area. He walked like a graceful cat and looked like a cross between a rock star and a gunslinger. Even among these men, he was unique. And no wonder—this was the man she’d seen shift to human from panther form.
“Who’s that?” she whispered to Sariel.
“Kalen Black,” he answered in a low voice. “One of the new recruits, but extremely powerful. He’s a Sorcerer and Necromancer.”
“Jesus.”
Kalen rapped on the table to get their attention. “Hey, Nick wants to see the Pack in the meeting room, pronto. The intercom’s not working, so he sent me to round up you guys.”
The guy named A.J. glanced up hopefully. “Me, too?”
“Sorry, man, not yet.”
Too green
, Rowan thought. Outwardly disappointed at being excluded, A.J. heaved a breath and went back to eating. The bald man with him, however, wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. As did Jaxon, Zan, and Ryon.
Jaxon shot an intense stare at Kalen. “We going wheels-up?”
“Yep, after sundown. He’s got the details on where we’ll find our two missing guys, and hopefully a bunch of Chappell’s scumbags, too.” Kalen’s green gaze found Rowan briefly. He nodded an acknowledgment of her presence, then looked at his friends. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” she called to them. “I want to sit in on this meeting.”
“No can do,” Jax said over his shoulder.
“This is my brother we’re talking about! You can’t just—”
“That’s exactly why we can—because he’s your family and you’re way too emotional. And if Nick wants you to know more, he’ll tell you.”
“I’m getting damned tired of that answer!” Theyfiled out, ignoring her, and she pounded a fist on the table. Frustrated, she glared at Kira. “Tell me this gets easier.”
“Dealing with a bunch of overbearing alpha males?” The blonde snorted. “Right.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Same macho attitude, different location.”
Fine. They’d left her no choice but to resort to desperate measures. If the Pack thought they were leaving in the night without her, they were in for a big surprise.
Rowan crouched in a dark corner of the huge hangar, waiting. Despite her training as an
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