“What should I do with…” She nudges her head toward Rylan and the rest of the spirits who are watching this little showdown with keen eyes. Fuck!
Turning my attention to the blond surfer earns me another growl from Cole that I completely ignore. “Rylan, my apologies. I bet you’re beyond ready to cross over, and here I am, keeping you lingering even longer.”
“No worries, my queen. I actually don’t have anyone waiting for me on the other side. Take all the time you need. I’ve made quite a few friends among the other spirits here, so I’ve got company until it’s my time.”
He’s still studying the floor rather than looking me in the eye, wringing his hands behind his back. That flicker from before is now an idea sparking somewhere inside this head of mine, taking shape and cementing itself as a solid plan. And it’s a damn good one too. If I can convince my guys to go along with it.
“Fate,” Cole growls, not wanting to be ignored.
The entire room feels as if it’s holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion that they can sense building, their creepy spirit eyes watching me. I can sense their worry. Their fear. My power is lighting up inside me at the sheer amount of energy it’s surrounded by.
Movement near my office door catches my eye. Knox and Macklin walk out and stop abruptly when my eyes narrow on them. Mack visibly swallows, and Knox grimaces slightly. They know shit’s about to hit the fan.
Not literally. That would be gross.
“Fate, so help me, if you continue to ignore me, I’ll-”
Spinning around, I glare at him in challenge. “You’ll what, Cole?”
My power suddenly turns the flames in all of the sconces pink.
“Oh, you’re in for it now, Ass-Cole,” Reggie murmurs under her breath.
Just then, Thad and Levi nudge their way through the main doors, dodging the crowd of spirits. They take one look around the room that is now bathed in pink, their eyes flying to me, and immediately throw up their hands.
“We didn’t do it!” they exclaim in unison.
My voice booms out, “I’m truly sorry, friends. I’m going to take a short break, but I’ll be back momentarily.”
Rylan begins to make his way down the stairs to join the rest of the spirits.
“Rylan, don’t go far, okay?”
He pauses, eyes meeting mine for the first time since Cole’s arrival. “As you wish, my queen.”
“What the fuck does he need to stick around for?” Cole growls.
“Do you know how the black widow got its name, Cole?”
“How is that relevant right now?”
“Because they kill their mate. Often times devouring them during sex. It’s awfully tempting right now.”
Rylan’s chuckle breaks the silent stand off we’ve entered, and Cole glares his way. He clears his throat. “Right. I’ll just go wait over there.”
“Fearsome Five, please convene in my office. Now.”
“Who the fuck is the Fearsome Five?” Thad asks.
“Pretty sure that’s us, dipshit,” Levi replies with a roll of his eyes as they both start walking toward the office door.
“Reggie, hold down the fort while I’m gone.”
“Will do, boss. Good luck, boys.”
I make my way down the stairs, dragging my dress behind me as I head toward my office. The spirits part as I approach, leaving an open aisle for me to walk down. As I get closer, Mack and Knox’s eyes scan down my body, lighting up every nerve ending along the way, but I’ll be damned if I show it. They move aside as I approach, studiously ignoring both of them, and I catch the wary look they share as I pass by.
The room is warm, a small fire already glowing in the fireplace. The Gateway must have anticipated that I’d want some ambiance for this little chat, not that it will help. Walking in, I continue over to one of the sofas and sit down with an audible, “Oomph!” I’m adjusting my dress as the guys all wander in, taking seats around me.
“Damn, woman. You look hot as fuck in that dress. I can’t wait to get you out of it.”
I just stare back at Thad, giving him the look. Not sure which look exactly, but a look that very clearly tells him how pissed off I am right now.
“What the hell is that look for, and who do I need to kill?” Thad asks with a seriousness that still takes me by surprise.
“Don’t pretend like you weren’t a part of this, Thad.”
“Part of what?”
“Of stuffing me in a goddamn chair for hours on end. I haven’t even been able to pee, let alone eat or drink. And my ass may never recover!”
Levi looks between Cole, Knox, and Mack. “This is all your doing, isn’t it?”
“We didn’t do anything. She’s simply taking over her rightful duties,” Macklin responds, though the lack of confidence in his words is a sure sign of a guilty conscience.
I growl, my fists clenching in an effort to stave off my power that wants to spark higher. “There’s nothing simple about this, Mack. Did you all really think I wouldn’t see this for exactly what it was? A way to get me out of the way?”
He swallows, adjusting his glasses as he takes in my heated stare.
“Fate, we never-”
“Don’t, Knox. Just don’t.” A weird combination of anger and hurt is swirling together inside me. I know he can feel both, and he sighs, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck.
“The idea was to greet the spirits. Not flirt with them,” Cole mutters.
“I was being friendly.”
“Too friendly,” Cole adds. “Fucking hardheaded female. It’s like you have no self-preservation skills at all.”
All five pairs of eyes focus on me. Knox is probably gauging my emotions. Macklin watching me with a hint of guilt shining in his eyes. The twins look like they're waiting to see what I do so they can react accordingly. And then there’s Cole. He looks pissed off, but that’s nothing unusual.
Deep breath in, deep breath out.
“Might I remind you, it wasn’t my idea to throw me into a sea of unknown spirits. That’s on you guys.”
“Not us.” The twins point incriminating fingers at the other three.
“What the hell?” Knox mutters.
“So I was...what? Supposed to sit there and act like a statue while the spirits came up to chat with me, hope shining in their creepy ass eyes?”
“Ideally, yes,” Cole snarks.
I growl again in response. Maybe I’m part wolf because I’ve got this growling thing down pat.
“Fate, you have to understand where Cole’s coming from. He…” Mack’s excuses cut off as I narrow my eyes in his direction. He quickly shuts his mouth, miming zipping his lips for extra measure.
“So, you all agree with Cole then. I’m just supposed to sit there, keep my mouth shut, and act like a goddamn gargoyle or some shit? And why, if not for wanting me out of the way?”
“Little ghost, you know that’s not what we want you to do. We want you to be yourself, show the spirit world that their leader is back and better than ever. We just figured it made sense for you to get a jump start on our roles here while we packed everything up to make the move.”