“I’ll tell Cade.” Nathan looked and seemed calmer as he rose from his seat. “What do you want us to drive?”
“Take the van out back,” Diskant replied, opening one of the drawers on the desk. He found what he was looking for and tossed the keys over. “It’ll draw less attention.”
Nathan left without another word but Diskant knew the male’s thoughts. Ava had entered the man’s mind, taking the information she wanted. She relayed everything to Diskant, letting him ease into Nathan’s head as well. The Beta was upset and terrified he’d fuck things up but with Diskant’s assistance he’d finally put a handle on things.
“The issue’s going to be Cade,” Ava whispered, speaking softly so no one else would hear. She did that sometimes, talking aloud when she didn’t have to. Diskant figured it stemmed from years of doing so. “He’s got a lot going on in that head of his.”
“Like the woman you told me about?” From what Ava had said she’d told him the human member of the pack thought about a female from time to time. “What was her name again?”
“Destiny,” Ava responded absentmindedly.
He tried to relax but it wasn’t possible.
The woman who’d snared Cade’s attention wasn’t just a woman.
She was a fucking conjurer.
Diskant had asked Cade to accompany the witch to New Orleans as a favor to Craig Newlander. She’d had guards but needed extra help to travel to the enclave that wanted to protect her. Considering most supernatural creatures wanted her dead, only human protection would do. That was why Diskant had sent Cade—the king of all assholes—to do the job. He’d never thought anything more would come of it.
Add another fucking problem to the list.
Having two vampires in the pack would be tough but it was possible. None of them would accept a conjurer. If vampires were considered dangerous then conjurers—with the ability to manipulate so many different things—were a fucking catastrophe.
“You won’t have to worry about that for a while.” Ava’s energy washed over him, her mind warm as she dove into his head, pulling him away from darkness. “As soon as you give Caden the information he needs he’s going to go. I’m not sure if he’ll ever be back. Even he doesn’t know for certain. He’s confused and can’t focus on the future.”
“I guess we’ll deal with it when we have to.” God knew he wasn’t up for anything else. They had enough shit to clean up. Again Diskant remembered how fortunate he was to have Ava as a mate. She brought so much to the pack. They had no idea how lucky they were. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“There is one thing.” She turned in his lap so she could see him. Placing his hand on her stomach, she gazed into his eyes. Love shone in the shimmering blue orbs—love directed right at him. “I heard the baby today.”
He stopped breathing, becoming completely still.
The world suddenly seemed too big and dangerous.
Ava had been hoping this might happen. She’d started eavesdropping on pregnant women as soon she found out she was expecting. After the first trimester—and especially into the second—she’d found she could detect an unborn baby’s thoughts. A fetus’s impressions were muddled and unclear, more like feelings than words. But she’d found them. She’d hoped like hell she could do the same with the child growing under her heart but she hadn’t been certain.
Forcing his shoulders to relax, he asked anxiously, “What did you hear?”
“It wasn’t so much what I heard, it’s what I felt.”
He waited, his heart thudding in his chest.
What had she felt? Was something wrong?
“Nothing’s wrong. At least not in the way you think.” She leaned close, feathering her lips over his. Then—just when he thought he’d have to strangle the rest from her—she said, “It’s a girl.”
Chapter Fourteen
Shifters were here, moving all around the house.
Sadie inspected each thought, trying to lock on to the minds of the pack. It wasn’t easy. She’d been instructed to remain inside. Diskant wanted to speak to everyone first, addressing the issue of Nathan’s departure and Zach’s new position as Beta of the pack.
Zach. Now that one was a pisser.
She’d sensed the male’s arrival an hour earlier. When she’d eavesdropped on his conversation with Diskant she’d been shocked to discover he didn’t really give a shit that Trey had mated a vampire. The poor man had actually felt jealous of his Alpha. He longed for the mate he’d lost—Katie. Sadie’s heart belonged to him in that moment. Trey had told her how Zach’s female had died but she’d felt Zach’s pain when he pictured Katie’s face, seeing the brightness of the fallen woman’s smile.
The visual brought her a strange amount of strength.
That woman had died because her pack hadn’t seen the Shepherds coming. With Sadie around they could detect the intentions of strangers. True she might not have been able to prevent what had happened but there was a chance she might’ve changed things. If they accepted her, she’d do everything she could to keep them safe. Innocent people wouldn’t die.
Hopefully they’ll listen. If I bust my ass I might be able to convince them.
She found herself reaching out with her mind, searching for Trey. He’d accompanied Diskant outside. The men knew the pack would sense their tension and thought it best to offer a united front. She found that Trey, in turn, was thinking about her. He tried to keep his attention on the pack and they hadn’t noticed—to his knowledge—his lapses. But he ached for her. Knowing she was just inside but out of sight drove him crazy.
The memory of him in the shower—about to tell her he loved her—felt like coming home. She almost let him do it but she wanted the declaration to be sincere. She hadn’t said the words herself and she wouldn’t until it was time. The same applied to him. Besides, the words didn’t change anything. Technically it was nothing more than a verbal acknowledgment. She wanted to hear him say it but not before he was ready. Maybe it would happen after they made love, or before he left on some silly errand.
Wasn’t that how reality worked?
Loosen up. You’re not doing yourself any favors.
Swinging her arms, she tried to steel her nerves and stretch her muscles.
She was grateful she’d stashed a sleeveless shirt at her apartment. The garment gave everyone a bird’s-eye view of her neck and let her move freely. There was a good chance she was going to have to fight for her place in the pack. The females didn’t intimidate her but she’d have to face anyone who stepped up. It could be more than one fight. She had to be cautious, using her resources only when necessary.
“They’re a tough crowd.”
Sadie stopped flinging her arms across her chest and looked up. Mary had joined her. She’d thought everyone had gone outside but she’d obviously been wrong. Alone, Sadie finally got a good look at the young woman. And she truly was young. No more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old. Her blonde hair was a shade darker than Ava’s and long, reaching past her shoulders.
“Is that why you’re not out there?” she asked. Maybe it wasn’t a fair question but since Mary had been glued to Emory’s side it seemed the most likely cause.
“That’s exactly why I’m not out there.” Mary sighed and crossed her arms, rubbing her hands over her biceps. “They don’t need a reminder that I exist. Believe me.”
“But they accepted you.”
“In a way.” Mary shrugged. “But I’m not like you. I can’t earn their respect.”
She didn’t like how conquered the girl seemed. “And that’s important, isn’t it?”