Kai looked at him. “Tucson, Arizona. Her name is Kat. I will arrange a flight for you.”

He grinned. “No need for that.”

Murphy then turned to Jameson. “Keep in touch, brother. It looks like you will be taken care of in this new pack.”

Jameson, still in wolf form, nodded.

Murphy then looked at me. “Thank you.”

Then he turned around, undressed and within seconds, transformed into a giant eagle and flew off.

What the eff? My mouth was frozen open, my eyes wide.

“Holy shit! Is that possible?” Max blurted out, saying what we all were thinking.

I looked at Kai. His eyes were bugging out of his head as well. “He must have shaman blood in his line. That’s the only explanation I can think of, but it shouldn’t be possible.” Kai shook his head, seemingly to clear his thoughts. Holy crap, what did this mean? Could shamans and werewolves mate? I needed to ask Nahuel next time I saw him.

Kai then looked at all of us. “Let’s go home.” He walked over to Jameson and brought him into the pack. I felt his energy merge with all of ours. Then I felt Alexa’s excitement, pure bliss. A mated pair.

Alexa and Jameson nuzzled each other and we walked back to our cars.

Two mated couples. I sighed. It was starting to feel like I was being pulled into two different directions. I wanted to find these mated couples and be with Kai, but the Devi was restless to find Layla and end her. We both were to be honest. Kai’s eyes met mine and I forced a smile.

Meeting

After we got in late last night, I had to set Kai’s jaw so it would heal properly. Now, I awoke to find him gone with no note.

‘Where are you?’

His energy seemed nervous. ‘Just hanging with Max in the barn, be home in a bit.’

It felt like a lie. Weird. Kai didn’t lie to me. Ever. I chugged a huge cup of coffee, showered quickly and went to find him. As I neared the barn doors I picked up on a bunch of smells. My father in law was here? Opening the barn doors, my eyes fell on Alek, Max, Earl, Kai’s father, Sylvia, and Shamus. Whoa. Big-wig meeting without me? What the hell was going on?

As I approached, Kai shushed everyone and I gave him a glare that could cut ice.

“What are you secretly talking about?” I crossed my arms and oozed as much dominance as I could muster. How dare he lie to me! Raj smirked at my defiance, but Kai glared back at me and no one said a word. Oh my God. They were having a secret meeting about me!

“I thought you were supposed to be helping Emma today?” Kai asked.

“Aurora, we–” it was Shamus but Kai cut him off.

“No! If you tell her, she will do it and she may be captured or hurt and then I will kill you all!” Kai roared and the hair on my arms stood.

Shamus looked at his friend with compassion. “What other choice do we have? Sometimes we all have to make sacrifices for the greater good. Think of Sadie and Tara!”

Kai scowled at Shamus but then dropped his gaze. I think throwing Sadie and Tara in there finally got to him. My mate looked defeated.

“Listen up,” I told them all. “Kai is my mate, yes, but he isn’t my keeper. From now on, you don’t talk about me behind my back. You don’t hide shit from me or make plans about me. I make my own choices, and it’s really starting to piss me off when I find out you’re all making choices for me. Either tell me your ideas, or leave!” My eyes were yellow. My wolf didn’t like this situation. All of the dominants here, talking about me, making plans without me knowing. It was my idea to have a meeting in the first place!

Kai threw his hands up and started talking rapidly in Hindi as his dad chuckled.

“Come here, dear.” Sylvia motioned me over.

Sylvia’s long hair was braided like a thick rope. She wore an ankle-length dress and leather cuffs and she looked fit for battle.

As I approached her, she reached out and held my hand. “As you know, Layla drank your blood, so she could now be pregnant with a child. But now two females have been taken. We are all just talking about different ways to find her and eliminate her in order to get the girls back. The coven and I cannot search her out by magical means. She has the help of very dark magic. So, the idea was brought up–”

From across the room, Kai growled.

I looked at him. ‘Babe, please. Stop protecting me.’

‘Never,’ he replied.

I sighed.

Sylvia cleared her throat. “… to take you away from the safety of the mountain and use you as bait to draw her or some of her people out. She’s greedy, she will want more of your special blood for her people. It’s the only way to find the girls.”

Now I knew why Kai was so upset. He knew the second I heard this I would do it. Because it was a good idea, the only idea.

“I’ll do it.” I looked at Kai, pleading forgiveness. His eyes were yellow and nearly caught fire at my acceptance.

“Over my dead body.” He growled and began stalking towards me. For a second, I felt genuine fear. My husband was menacing when he wanted to be. The second he felt my fear through the mate bond he slowed his pace and his eyes turned brown. He grabbed the sides of my face. “Meri Pyari, I forbid it. Please, for once in your life, listen to me. For your own good.”

I gazed at his gorgeous face, so filled with concern for my wellbeing. “I know it’s for my own good, but I need to do what’s good for humanity and for the girls who were taken, not just myself. It’s my life purpose. You need to support that.”