“Oh, come on, Aiden,” Monty said, with a surprising amount of annoyance running through his voice, “you’ve dealt with enough supernatural entities by now to recognize the stupidity of that statement.”
“It’s not—”
“Aiden,” he cut in again. “The tracker is indicating the hone-onna is moving toward the residential hub—are you really willing to risk the lives of all those you care about on the off chance the hone-onna won’t cut a bloody swath through the pack to get to Mia?”
“Of course not, but—”
“Guys,” I cut in sharply, “can we argue over who’d provide the better protection after we actually save Mia from the hone-onna?”
“What do you want her to do, if not return back to the hub?” came Aiden’s curt response.
“She needs to hightail it out of the compound and meet up with us,” Monty said.
“She’s on the main exit road, which will take her onto the Faraday-Sutton Grange Road. If you’re at the pine plantation’s crossroad, it’ll take you roughly ten minutes to reach Faraday.”
I immediately took off; a wave of dust and stones bloomed behind us as I sped down the rough old road.
“We’ll meet up with her somewhere along that road then,” Monty said. “But there’s one more thing, Aiden. We think you’ll probably have to go into protective isolation with her—”
“No,” he cut in bluntly.
“Aiden,” I said, “you know it’s absolutely the last thing I want, but I really don’t think we have any other option right now.”
“There’s always another option,” he growled, “but that’s something you and I can discuss once she’s safe. Keep the line open. I’ll keep relaying her position.”
“Stubborn fucking man,” I muttered, my gaze on the road and my grip so tight on the wheel my knuckles gleamed white.
“Something you were well aware of before we ever got into a relationship” came Aiden’s curt reply.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less annoying in a situation like this.”
He laughed, though it was a slightly brittle sound. “The same can be said in return, my darling witch.”
I didn’t reply, though I wanted to. How could he use an endearment like that and yet be utterly unwilling to admit the depths of his emotions? Emotions I could see in his eyes and his aura?
I flexed my fingers in an effort to release the frustrated anger. Right now, it was better for everyone—but especially for Monty, who was holding onto the grab handle in a white-knuckled manner—that I fully concentrated on driving.
Aiden kept us updated on Mia’s position, his voice tense and filled with muted, angry frustration. But then, he was an alpha, and it was part of their makeup to protect those they cared about. But this situation, just like that of his brother, was not something he could control or fix, and that grated.
The tracker’s pulse remained bright and steady, an indication that our dark spirit was moving in roughly the same direction we were. It wasn’t a direct confirmation Mia was her target; in fact, it could have just as easily confirmed we were.
She might have guided me to a kid in danger, but that didn’t mean she’d given up on testing her magic against the “strongest” witch in the reservation.
I glanced at Monty and murmured, “We need to be careful. She could be out to trap us rather than Mia.”
“I came to that conclusion several minutes ago.” He raised an eyebrow, amusement evident. “You’re a bit slow today.”
“I’ve only had one coffee so far,” I said, voice dry, “so I’ll blame it on the lack of caffeine.”
“Right,” Aiden said, “she’s just swung onto Faraday Road. How far away are you from the other end?”
I glanced at the GPS screen. “Two minutes? We’ve just hit Harmony Way.”
“Put the siren on and floor it,” he said. “Is the hone-onna still tracking her?”
“Unclear,” Monty said.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said,” Monty growled back. “Don’t get all antsy at me, wolf man.”
I glanced at Monty in surprise, eyebrows raised. “What the hell has Belle been feeding you for breakfast?”
He grinned, though there was an angry light in his eyes that belied the mirth. “Bullshit intolerance pills.”
“That doesn’t explain this.” I waved a hand toward the phone.
“Maybe bullshit is the wrong term, then. Maybe it’s the lack of courage I can’t abide.”
“The line is open, Monty,” Aiden noted, voice dry.
“Oh, I know, but if my cousin won’t call out your bullshit, I’m legally obliged to.”
“What the fuck are you on about now?”
“Calling her darling but refusing to commit? That’s cowardice in my book, Aiden. And don’t give me the whole ‘she’s not wolf’ bullshit, because we both know—”
“Can we please concentrate on the hone-onna?” I said, even though I wanted to roundly cheer every single word Monty had said. “Aiden, where’s Mia?”
“About a kilometer away from the Harmony Way intersection.” He paused. “A car has appeared behind her.”
A car? Why would the hone-onna be using a car, given the speed with which she could move? I briefly hit the brake to take off some speed, then wrenched the truck left into Faraday Road, leaving a trail of black tire smoke behind me.
A silver car appeared on the road up ahead, headlights gleaming brightly as it approached at speed. There was no sign of a car behind her. Either it had turned off or the hone-onna was now using magic to conceal it.
“That has to be Mia,” Monty said.
“And the other car?” came Aiden’s question.
“Not currently visible,” I said. “But the hone-onna is still closing in.”
“We’ll pull over,” Monty added. “Tell Mia to stop opposite us and jump into the back of the truck.”
“Will do.”
I moved the truck onto the road’s gravel shoulder but braked too quickly, sending us into a brief sideways slide before I brought it back under control. Dust plumed around the vehicle, then fell away.
Monty peered through the windscreen. “I’m not seeing anything to indicate a concealing spell is being used.”
“No, but the tracker is still reacting, so she’s somewhere up ahead.”
“Maybe she’s just passing through. Maybe we’re overreacting.”
“Maybe.”
He glanced at me. “But you don’t think so?”
“Not given the premonition that someone I know would die.”
“You don’t know Mia.”
“On a deep and personal level, no. But I have met her, and that may well be enough. Remember, my psi talents aren’t always specific.” I paused. “Right now, I’m just hoping that I haven’t read this whole thing wrong.”
“You did say the dead person would be someone ‘we’ know, and that implies you and I aren’t her targets.”