Happiness is Earned (Second Chances Book 3), page 70
Sebastian nods, before a guarded look fills his face. “They’re going to take her from me… right?”
“Not necessarily,” I say, sitting back down. “She’s going to need safety and structure, but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to follow where she goes.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a mythical compound that only mythical creatures can access. A lot of our kind—especially the rare ones—live there, where they’re monitored and kept safe.”
He frowns. “I see.”
“You physically can’t access the lands,” Orson says. “But, they can’t force her, and it is ultimately her choice where she resides.”
“Mostly,” I interject.
“What do you mean by that?” Seb’s hackles are up, and I’m glad he gave us what we needed before he realised he might not get what he wants. I’m not happy about stiffing him, but this is bigger than he is.
It’s bigger even than his sister—even if she is the last phoenix.
“Your sister can only go to a group where there’s a treaty in place with the Tribunal. They refuse to let their mythicals be in danger, so the Alpha has to prove he can keep them safe. There’s a shit ton of information included, but that’s the be all and end all of it.”
“And this pride?”
“Phoenix Pride is one of the most protected treaties there is,” Orson says proudly. “We’ve been a safe haven for years. If she chooses to come here, we’ll work with you both to ensure your safety. We’ve been quietly handling your issues, but we’ll finish that for you. Even if she doesn’t come with you… you always have a place here.”
I hold in the eye roll, knowing that Orson’s trying to fucking sell this place to Sebastian. The draw of the only phoenix in the entire world being in this pride? It would massively boost Atticus’s standing in the community.
He doesn’t need it, already one of the most revered men, but still.
“It is aptly named,” Seb says softly. “It’s up to her. She’s already spent the last eighteen years of her life paying for my mistakes, living through me. Once she’s safe, it’s her turn to call the shots.”
“As it should be,” Orson murmurs. “We’ll head out to talk with Maun, but if you need any of us, get them to give us a call.”
Sebastian nods, reaching over to shake my hand. I school my features, returning it. “Thank you, Griffin. Without you, I don’t think I’d have believed Cevon and Devoss.”
“I don’t think you would have either,” I say, good-naturedly. “Everything will work out, I promise.”
I feel confident in making that promise, knowing it’s the truth.
Even if it’s not the way he expects.
“Maun’s going to be difficult to get answers out of,” I say, as Orson comes to a stop outside the house. We had given Atticus a brief update on the ride over at his demand. He called whilst Nora was in the bathroom, instead of taking the night off to relax as he should be.
“How so?”
“He’s mute.”
The scent of Orson’s shock is stronger than his usual citrusy scent, and he frowns. “I don’t understand. Is that a medical issue or does he choose to not talk?”
“Yes.” Orson scowls at me, and I laugh. “It started out as a medical thing, apparently, but it’s now fully healed. He chooses to not talk.”
“And the mind link?”
I shake my head. “His wolf is a little… bold. He works under me because he was fired from two garages due to being too dominant for the owners.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Maun’s wolf does not like to be bossed around, and will absolutely fight for dominance at any slight.”
“Oh lovely.”
“So just don’t set him off,” I say with a smirk, before hopping out of the vehicle. It’s late to be calling at an employees house on a Sunday night, but not so late that it should be a red flag for anyone watching.
I knock on the door loudly, and Orson comes to stand by my side. I hear the sigh from the man inside, one of the only verbal noises he makes, and the heavy footsteps as he approaches the door. His house is soundproofed, a requirement for anyone building housing in the area, but with the windows open it’s easy to hear inside.
He yanks his door open, glowering down at Orson and I.
He’s not a massive man, not like Orson, but standing in front of us in just a pair of joggers, it’s clear to see his defined chest. There’s a big scar down his sternum that doesn’t look like it was from a surgery. It’s far too… ragged.
I meet his eyes, the dark brown colouring the same shade as his hair. His face is full of a beard, but he does keep it trimmed short as required by our uniform code.
Maun’s a model employee really—only ever arguing back when his wolf demands it.
“We need to come inside and talk,” I say firmly. He narrows his eyes, looking over my head to Orson, before opening his door wide. He storms through his house, leading us into the living room.
The house is pretty bare, and kind of what you’d expect from a reclusive bachelor. I know he’s wealthy, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from this place.
He raises an eyebrow as we sit, and I can feel the silent what the fuck do you want.
“We’ve been talking to your friend Sebastian Jones,” Orson says, and that was apparently the wrong thing to say.
Maun growls at us, his eyes going from dark brown to amber. The veins on his neck, and arms bulge, and his hands have already shifted.
“Easy,” I say, soothingly. I fucking wish we had Atticus or Cevon with us right now. They’re both strong and dominant Alphas, but they can also emit the different waves that would keep him firmly under control. “We’re coming to you not to penalise you, but for help.”
That causes him to pause, and I feel like his wolf likes that.
“Yeah, big guy,” I continue, ignoring the amusement from Orson. “Seb’s sister, Esme, is in danger. She’s been held hostage by their parents—”
Another loud snarl.
“Their fake parents,” I modify, and he jerks out a nod. “Anytime he didn’t do what they wanted, she’d be punished. Physically. We’ve got an elite team coming tomorrow who plan to rescue her, and we need your help.”
He frowns, but relaxes and takes a seat. He points to himself, and I nod.
“Yeah, you,” Orson says. “Sebastian told us how you escaped your own fake reality. You managed to overcome the lies they told, and then take them all down. Alone.”
He nods, smugness radiating from him. For a man who doesn’t talk, he has plenty of words.
“We’re wondering if you’d be willing to consult on their plan, maybe explain how you did what you did.”
He shakes his head, waving his hands around, with a fierce expression on his face.
“You… want them to come here?” He snarls, clenching his jaw.
Fuck, okay, we’re playing Charades.
Unfortunately I’ve never been any fucking good at that game.
“You’re safe here?” Orson asks. I glare at the bear, even though I do feel a little bit of gratitude that he figured it out. The wolf nods. “You don’t need to leave the pride, Maun. Just consult on their plan.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“Why is it us here?” I ask, and he nods once. “What happened to you wasn’t just a one-off, as I’m sure you’ve surmised based on Sebastian. However, it’s more than just local to this pride.”
His face doesn’t change, but I can feel the difference in his wolf. The beast is curious, and he’s paying apt attention.
“It’s definitely countrywide. There’s circuits of this project close to every main group, and we’re worried they’re wiping out smaller groups of shifters. The team tomorrow are going in to rescue Esme, but ultimately the Tribunal is going to be handling this.”
He nods, a satisfied look in his brutish face.
“But there’s an innocent girl who, from what we’ve been told, knows nothing. She’s been sheltered from even the people within her town, abused, and is in serious danger.”
He clenches his jaw, and looks up at the ceiling.
“She didn’t have the chance to fight back like you did,” I add gently. “You don’t need to risk yourself, but…”
I trail off when he nods.
“Perfect,” Orson says, standing. “Please meet us at Legal Pride tomorrow morning, and we’ll go over the plans with you.”
He nods.
Orson turns to leave, expecting me to follow but I pause.
“Maun?” I murmur, and the man looks at me with his dark eyes. They peer into me as if he’s reading into everything so deeply. “I never knew what troubles you faced when I hired you, but I knew it was something dark. If you ever want to… talk, I’m here.”
I leave the card for my father on the table, and turn around to leave.
I don’t hear anything, but I swear I smell a salty liquid, as I leave.
60
NORA
Breakfast was a tense affair, of my mates all preparing for this visit from the Tribunal today. We’ve all got a part to play, and I’m not sure who has it worse.
Atticus and I are on the greeting party, which is where I’ll stay. Atticus is obviously the Alpha and will be on hand for whatever they need. Fin’s going to be Sebastian’s support system, keeping the snake calm and reassured. Orson and Malachi will be in the meetings working on strategy, whilst Fin’s also handling the new wolf.
I’m quite excited to meet him.
Micah has his own task to do, but still needs to be on hand for any technical support they may need whilst here.
Cevon, unfortunately, won’t be attending the meeting and neither will Devoss. They’re tracking down another lead, and getting things organised on the other side of our plans.
I didn’t even really get to bask in the joy of my night, sharing the delights of the circus with the others, since they were all in business mode by the time I dragged myself out of bed.
Atticus and I are currently at the clearing, waiting for the helicopter with the elite team in it to land. Atty has never met them before, and isn’t really sure who we’re expecting. I don’t like that, but he seems relatively calm and prepared.
“Ah, here it comes,” Atty exclaims, and my heart drops. I pivot, scanning the cloudy sky for any signs of its arrival. At first, my eyes find nothing, but soon my ears catch the distant rumble of the engine. It starts off as a low hum, until suddenly, it envelops us, drowning out every other sound.
It’s almost like it emerges from nowhere, because it’s now right in front of us. I can see the massive chopper hovering above the trees, its sleek metallic body shining in the light with a logo I don’t recognise on the side.
The gusts of wind generated by the helicopter’s rotors tousle my hair and clothes, sending my dress flying up as the helicopter prepares to land. I hastily clutch at the fluttering material, ruefully wishing I had prepared for this gusty encounter.
Atticus speaks, but I can barely hear him through the noise. There’s not even a gentle thud as it lands on the grass, the movement graceful despite the loud whop-whop sound it’s making. As the engine’s deafening growl subsides, the air turns silent and even kind of stale without the disturbance.
My clothes settle, and my hair is a mess. I reach up to fix it, waiting for Atticus to repeat himself.
“What?” I ask silently, watching the helicopter windows for signs of movement from the people contained within. My hair is sorted, my clothes are put back normally, and now the only real sound is the heavy thud of my heartbeat.
‘Tarun is here,” Atty says and I frown.
“I didn’t know Tarun was going to be here. Why didn’t you tell me?” I say, with a frown at my Alpha. “I could’ve warned Ari.”
My best friend still has some feelings towards these men. Mostly anger and disgust, but also… longing. She’s pregnant with his child—well, one of their children—and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he’ll always be in her life.
Even if he is a pathetic waste of space who doesn’t deserve anyone to love him.
“You could not have warned her, I’m afraid. He’s not here for a social visit, and we need to contain it.” I harrumph, not swayed, but Atticus just laughs, as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
It’s only a moment later that the doors to the helicopter open and the lanky twat himself climbs out.
I immediately dismiss him, focusing on the four men behind him that are very interesting. They’re powerful, but that’s all I can really tell about them. Objectively, I can even admit they’re quite attractive.
“Alpha Phoenix,” Tarun says, not bothering to greet me.
Atty snarls, moving me to his side, as he glares at Tarun. “Do you need a reminder of where you are, Graves?”
Tarun frowns, before eyeing me at Atticus’s side. “Mrs Phoenix.”
“You’re lucky you’re here on business or you wouldn’t have been permitted to land,” I say, sticking my tongue out at him. He remains stoic, but that brief flash of eye colours shows me that he’s pissed off about it.
There’s a grin from one of the men in the back, the one with short black hair, and he winks at me.
“Tarun, you remember my mate, Nora,” Atticus introduces, with a firm note. “Nora, sweetheart, you remember Tarun.”
“I do,” I say, extra sweetly.
He doesn’t rise to the bait. “Nice to see you both again. I’ve got the Phoenix Guard here with me, ready to get down to business.”
My eyes widen ever so slightly, not having heard them referred to that way. The four men behind him step closer, and it’s hard to know who is the leader of their group.
Their power is very fucking intense, and it seems they’ve unleashed the cap that they were holding on it. It has both my wolf and I on edge, knowing that if they snapped… I step closer to my mate, and Atticus’s hand falls to the small of my back knowing I need the support.
I clutch my stomach, and Atty drops a kiss to the top of my head.
“Congratulations on the pregnancy,” Tarun says, and I bite my tongue so fucking hard, refusing to spit the words that would hurt him deepest.
Because they’d hurt my best friend too.
“Thank you,” Atticus replies, a genuine warmth in his words this time. He glances at the four men, assessing them for himself. “We’ve not met.”
“I’m Conrad,” the tallest of the men says, stepping forward. He’s got very tanned skin and dark hair, with bright gold eyes. I take a sniff, but I don’t know what he is. My wolf doesn’t either.
He shakes Atticus’s hand, sharing how nice it is to finally meet him, and then smiles at me. He doesn’t make a move to touch me, which is smart, but he also congratulates us.
He seems very… serious.
“Conrad is a sphinx shifter,” Atty informs me, silently. Out loud, he smiles, and nods his head. “Nice to meet you, Conrad.”
“This is my team—Reuben, Syron and Beckett.” He points to each man as he introduces them, and it was Syron who enjoyed my ire towards Tarun. “We’re excited to get into it.”
“And you’re going to help Esme?” I ask, softly.
Beckett smiles at me, and nods his head. “We are. Whether she’s the lost daughter we seek, or not, we will rescue her and destroy the people harming her.”
Reuben mouths the word destroy as he cracks his knuckles, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Thank you,” I say.
Becket’s smile widens, as he tips his head down. He smells aquatic but that’s the most I know about him. It’s strange, not being able to tell what these men are.
“Beckett is a merman,” Atticus says, and my mind goes back to the synchronised act of mermaids last night. Tarun asks where we should go from here. “Reuben is a hellhound, and Syron is a kitsune.”
A very eclectic team, and a bunch of shifters I’ve never met before. It’s quite exciting.
“We’re going down to Legal Pride,” Atticus says, as we turn and walk over to the car. Malachi’s sitting in the front of one, with Orson in the other. I’m a little wary, but thankfully Atticus, Tarun and Conrad go into the one with Malachi, leaving me with Orson.
“Are you three okay in the back?” I ask, biting my lip. It’s a little tight, and they’re big men.
“Get in the front, little cub,” Orson demands, eyeing the men. “They’ll be fine, right?”
“Of course,” Syron says, and there’s a mischievous glint in his ice blue eyes. The three of them get in the back, and we follow after Atticus’s car.
“Did you know he was coming?” I demand, almost forgetting about the men in the back.
“What is the issue there?” Beckett asks, curiously. “We don’t know much of Tarun, but he seemed decent.”
“He’s a fucking—” Syron starts.
“There’s a lady in the car,” Beckett snaps, smacking his thigh. “Don’t curse.”
I smile, and Orson answers for me. “Tarun rejected his fated mate.”
“Oh fuck,” Beckett mutters, shaking his head. “Poor guy.”
“Poor guy?” I hiss, turning around to glare at the merman. “He’s not the victim here.”
Beckett frowns. “No, I know that. I’m talking about his mate.”
I tilt my head, scrunching up my nose as I continue looking at him. He seems sincere, but that makes no sense. “What?”
“Isn’t Tarun gay?”
Orson snorts, and even Reuben laughs.
“No,” I reply, shaking my head. Both he and Syron start to laugh, and I relax a little. “You’re all very powerful.”
“Thank you,” Syron says. “Conrad’s the weakest one. Feel free to tell him that.”
Beckett slaps his thigh again, shaking his head. “Ignore Syron. He’s a trickster.”
“A kitsune right?” Syron nods. “I was raised knowing only things about wolves, so please excuse my ignorance but they’re like foxes right?”
