A brilliant flash filled the room. Mist followed the flash, rising from the floor, covering Asa and his wolf,
She turned her gaze to Omar and Magnus. “Do something,” she told Omar instead of Magnus.
She felt uncomfortable talking to the vampire who was fully vamped out. Fangs dropped and crimson eyes. She kept her crossbow half-raised because the vampire sent nerves skittering through her stomach, much like rats scurrying when the lights went on.
“We are doing something,” Omar assured her. “This is all we have left.”
The mist was now waist-high. Asa and his wolf were still obscured, but a low snarl came through the fog.
“I’m going to check on him.” She stepped closer toward the place Asa and his wolf had been before they were enveloped by the mist.
An iron grip encircled her forearm. She whirled around, ready to take Omar on, regardless of whether he was an Ancient or not. She would not be kept from helping him.
“Don’t,” a voice said.
She looked up. A pair of red eyes were much closer than she felt at ease with.
Magnus hissed low. “Your interference now could disrupt the spell. And it could kill my son.”
That gave her pause. She nodded and pulled her arm out of his grasp.
“Thank you,” the vampire said.
He was an attractive man. She could see some of him in Asa, though she saw more of Omar.
Omar stepped closer. “This will work. Magnus has brought very powerful witches. As a Valkyrie, I suppose you don’t have much experience with other kinds.”
“I don’t. Vayne seems to have known Freyja. Did you?”
“I have not seen her in a long time.”
“Is she an Ancient?”
“She is not. No Ancient would want to be as public a figure as she has become. She’s worshipped as a goddess these days.”
“Yes, I know.” She lowered her arm with the crossbow. “How long before…? The mist is not dissipating. It is rising.” It was now chest high.
“I’ve never dealt with this spell before.”
“It is time to go,” Adina announced.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Emme told Omar. “You haven’t seen what his wolf can do to him.”
“I’ve handled his wolf.”
“You fought with him. What was that about?”
“Establishing dominance, bringing him back in line. That study… I think it was more than a research study.” He raised his hand above the mist and showed her a piece of technology tinier than a watch battery. “I picked this up after the fight. It was implanted in his neck. My wolf sensed it and shredded his flesh until it fell out.”
“How did Asa not know?”
“It was put into his wolf when he shifted. It wasn’t accessible through Asa.”
“So, the soul binding? Was that torn?”
“It was a partial tear inflicted by the wolf, but to bring them back, we had to get this out of him, and then rebind them. He will not attack Asa again. Now, let’s do as Adina asked.”
The witches left, all of them, including Adina. It was just Emme, Omar, and Magnus now, all three waiting in the corridor. No one spoke. The air crackled with animosity between Omar and Magnus, probably a pissing contest between the vampire and the shifter over who had done what for Asa. It seemed maybe Magnus was irritated Omar had brought Asa to Adina.
The room on the other side of the door had been silent for the entire thirty minutes they’d been standing outside. Emme stood next to the door. Magnus on the other side of the door. Omar across from them, leaning against the wall, blood covering his outfit, smeared on his face. He’d had a gash after the melee, but it had already healed, not even scarring. Perks of being an Ancient, Emme figured.
The knob turned with a tiny creaking sound. It opened a crack, then more.
Asa stepped out.
Emme couldn’t have said what possessed her, but she threw herself into his arms, despite the blood on his clothing and the still healing lacerations on his arms, face, and neck.
He clung to her as a drowning man would clutch the only thing floating in the midst of a turbulent ocean. Not even an F5 tornado could have ripped him from her grasp. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulled his head down.
No unwilling participant, his lips found hers in a feverish beeline, his tongue sought hers. She drank him in, gave him free rein to explore, to find what he needed while she got what she wanted. Time slowed. Or maybe it stopped, Emme couldn’t have said. Nothing mattered but the two of them.
Finally, their lips parted, but only slightly.
“I was worried,” she confessed.
“Me, too.”
“All is good?” Magnus asked.
“How are you?” Omar stepped forward.
“I’m good. Wolf is my wolf again.” Asa coughed, making Emme think he was trying to cover his emotions.
Omar held out his hand, palm up, the tiny mechanism he’d collected in the middle. “This was in your wolf. Scruff of your neck. Probably has been since the study.”
With one arm slung around her waist, Asa took the small item. “Thank you. I’ll look into this.” He glanced from Omar to Magnus. “I can’t begin to express my appreciation.”
They nodded as one.
“Glad to help,” Omar added.
“I think your brothers are anxious to see you,” Magnus interjected.
“Same.” Asa turned his piercing blue gaze toward Emme. The wolf gleamed amber in his eyes. “And after that, I’m collecting on a debt.”
She raised a brow.
“I’m owed a week.”
Oh, yes. That.
Chapter Twenty-One
The last two days had passed in a flurry.
Asa’s brothers congratulated him.
Promises to stay in touch with Magnus and Omar.
Agreements to see Mae and Griz again soon.
Driving away from Quake. Leaving New Orleans. Flying back to Alaska. Plans made on the plane as they’d talked about whether they wanted their memories back or not. Plans to determine if they wanted to check into the piece of technology the researchers had put into his wolf’s neck.
Range flew, Eira took the seat next to him. Asa and Emme sat behind them. Asa was pretty sure he’d slept most of the flight home. On and off, anyway.
Jason and Davin had decided to stay in New Orleans for a few days.
Flurry, blurry, and out of focus. That was what the last two days had been. Or was it only two days? He’d had one thing on his mind. Apparently, so had his wolf
Welcome back, you motherfucker, he’d said to his wolf for what was the umpteenth time. Okay, maybe the billionth time.
He and Emme had returned. They’d unloaded and gone to the cabin. He’d helped clean up the blood. Then he’d passed out.
A body had to do a hell of a lot of sleeping and recuperating while one came back from a soul binding and a fight with an Ancient and a few years spent trying to kill himself under his wolf’s command.
Two days.
Well, at least two days.
He’d awakened a few times, noticed it was dark through the skylight. Seen it was light the next time, then dark the time after, then the last time light.
Emme had brought soup and sandwiches. He’d taken a bite, or maybe two, as he recalled, but mostly he’d gone back to sleep without talking.