There was no need to protect herself any longer. Ren wasn’t going to leave her by choice. He might do something stupidly heroic like this again—though she sincerely hoped there would never be a repeat of anything remotely this dangerous—but he would never break her heart on purpose. He was hers as she was his.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The rest of the cast and crew left them alone for a few minutes while Katrina got the waterworks under control. They were cleaning up the set and checking for continuity from what they’d been working on before the interruption. Sonia was talking quietly with the werewolf Alpha on one side of the clearing while everybody else was working to get the filming up and running again.
By the time Katrina stopped crying, Liatha had returned from a quick trip to the costume room back at the castle with a spare jerkin for Ren. They’d made several exact copies of his costume pieces in case of damage, so all he had to do was put it on, and he was good to go. Katrina, however, needed some repair to her face. Crying had reddened her eyes and made them a bit puffy, but Franny was there with a cool gel pack, eye drops and a bit of makeup to hide the rest.
“Luckily, you don’t have any close ups this afternoon,” Franny remarked as she worked on restoring Katrina to her former state.
“Good thing we did them earlier,” Katrina agreed. “I’m sorry to make so much extra work for you. I’m not normally a crier.” She still felt embarrassed at breaking down when everybody else seemed to take the interruption in stride.
“Honey, you’ve had a lot to absorb these past few days, and then this attack. We get used to this sort of thing, sadly, but you’re a babe in the woods. You’re allowed to release the emotion. In fact, I’d be worried if you hadn’t. Seeing your mate hurt like that… Well, I can’t imagine it because I haven’t found my mate, but we all know how important mates are, and we’ve seen how devastating it can be for one part of a couple when the other is injured. You’re actually handling all these better than most uninitiated people would, I think.”
Franny’s words helped calm Katrina’s nerves. “You’re a good friend, Francesca. If I haven’t said that before, that’s my bad,” Katrina told her new friend, touching the back of Franny’s hand to emphasize the genuine emotion behind her words. Franny smiled back.
“Same, Kat. I’m glad you’re the one for Ren and part of the Clan.”
Sonia returned from her conference with the werewolf Alpha and took stock of everybody.
“Good job, all. Franny, great work on her eyes,” Sonia said, gesturing toward Katrina, who felt herself blush at the allusion to her mental breakdown. “Kat, do us all a favor and stash that old jerkin with the knife in it in the prop box Liatha brought down from the house. She’s going to guard it while we continue with our work before we lose the light.” Sonia motioned toward the property mistress who was sitting next to a rugged lockbox behind the camera setup. “Ren, thanks for taking one for the team. I believe that’s the human expression.”
Sonia laughed and the sound of her chuckle made the whole place feel lighter. Katrina was actually smiling as she picked up the bundle with the dagger in it and headed for Liatha.
Work resumed, and they finished the crowd shots they needed to round out the forest scene. Once Ren and Katrina were done for the day, Sonia tasked them with making sure the dagger got back to the house safely. Katrina would carry the box it rested in while Ren, and a few others who accompanied them, saw to her safety en route.
When they arrived back at the castle, several of Monty’s human family members were waiting in the drive for them. They took custody of the case with the knife in it from Katrina and took it around back of the castle.
“I was wondering if they’d let that thing get close to the heart of Monty’s power,” Ren said as they watched the vampire’s adopted human family move off with the dangerous object in the box. “Wise of them to be cautious.”
“What will become of that?” Katrina wanted to know. “I mean, if it’s so dangerous, how will they deal with it?”
“There are ways to defuse the magic in objects,” Ren told her. “I’m no expert, but I’m sure Monty has access to such information, and it’s just possible that some of his adoptees have a bit of human magic of their own and can do the job. If they can’t, I’m sure Monty can call in a favor and get a bit of help with it if he needs it.”
“Examination will come first,” Clive put in, coming up to stand on Katrina’s other side. He’d brought up the rear of the group that had returned to the castle. “I’ve heard they can tell a lot about a mage by examining his or her work. Somebody had to have put the whammy on that blade for ol’ T.J. From what I saw, he was just the muscle. He’s no mage.”
Ren looked over at Clive with interest. “I hadn’t really thought about that yet, but you’re right. It would be good to know who was pulling T.J.’s strings.”
“They’re questioning him as we speak. Once Sonia gets in on the interrogation, I’m sure they’ll find out right quick who put him up to this,” Clive revealed.
“I’m not entirely happy about not being in on the interrogation,” Ren mused as he escorted Katrina up the steps, Clive still walking on her other side.
“Your first duty is to your mate,” Clive said with no hint of rancor, and Ren sighed.
“I know that. It’s just an adjustment,” Ren replied after a short pause.
“If you want to go, I’ll be okay,” Katrina was quick to say.
She didn’t want to hold Ren back from anything he wanted to do, even if she’d rather have him with her than in danger. Especially since he’d been hurt so badly just a little while ago. She wanted to keep him around and make sure he didn’t overdo anything until he had recovered more of his energy.
Ren’s arm came around her waist, tugging her close as they entered the castle. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her temple.
“You won’t get rid of me that easily, kitten,” he told her playfully. “This being part of a couple is still new to me, but I’ll get the hang of it. You’re a blessing I never really expected to find, and I’m not letting you go. Ever.” He echoed her promise from the woods about not letting him go, and the significance wasn’t lost on her.
They took their leave of Clive and the others, heading up to their suite. Ren was moving a bit slower than usual, and Katrina decided the first order of business would be getting him to rest a bit before dinner. They had a couple of hours, at least, and she wanted him to spend it quietly, recovering.
When, after a quick shower, Ren didn’t argue with her about laying down for a while, Katrina did her best not to let her concern show. When Ren pulled her down onto the bed to lay next to him, she squawked only a little before setting into the curve of his arm. The fact that they both fell asleep astounded her when she thought about it later, but then again, they’d had one hell of a day.
Dinner brought news Ren was eager to hear. He’d recovered most of the way from his magical wound earlier in the day, and a good meal would go a long way to helping him regain his strength. Sonia had questioned the prisoner and made her report to them all as she swept into the dining room after the meal had already started.