For a moment, we got only thoughtful silence, as my father stroked the slight, graying stubble on his chin. For now, well put him in the cage, and when he wakes up, well question him. In the meantime, lets see what we can find out about thunderbirds.
It took some careful maneuvering, but finally Marc and Jace were able to carry the bird down the narrow concrete steps into the basement, then into the cage. They left him tied, because as easily as he Shifted, we had no doubt he could get out of his bonds as soon as he woke.
On my way to my room to shower after my race through the woods, I passed the room Owen had shared with Ethan. At first I couldnt make myself go inside. Ethans death was still too fresh. His memory too immediate. His room still smelled like him, and entering it felt like walking through his ghost.
But then Kaci beckoned me with a wave, and I steeled my spine and stepped through the doorway, pausing to smile to Mateo Di Carlo, my fellow enforcer Vics older brother. Teo hardly noticed me, and he didnt seem particularly interested in Owen, either. However, he watched Manx tend to her patient as if her every motion fueled a single beat of his own heart.
I sighed and turned to my brother. Owen lay on his bed in human form now, naked but for his green-striped boxers. The gashes across his ribs looked horrible, and the one bisecting his left thigh looked even worse.
You okay? I asked, as Manx knelt to gently blot his leg with a sterile cloth.
Ive had worse, he said, and forced his smile. That was the standard enforcer reply, but in his case, it wasnt true. Owen had seen less action than Ethan or our oldest brother, Michael, or even me. Not because he couldnt fight, but because he was just as happy tending the farm while the others patrolled and went on assignment. Only Ryan, the second born, had done less fighting, and we all considered that a very good thing; he was still officially on the run after having broken out of the cage two weeks earlier.
But I nodded. Owen had stepped up in Ethans absence and likely saved Kacis life. Hed earned his scars, and like the rest of us, he would wear them with pride.
When I bowed out of the room several minutes later, I found Jace waiting for me in the hall. Suddenly irritated, I glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Fortunately, most of the toms were in the kitchen devouring leftovers from my mothers Mexican lunch buffet, and Marc, Vic, and the Alphas had disappeared into the office, already looking for information on thunderbirds. So I grabbed Jace by the arm and hauled him into my room without a word.
Wow, I havent been in here in a while. He grinned the moment the door closed behind us. But I feel at home already.
Anger flooded me, tingling in my nerves as if my whole body was losing circulation. This isnt funny! I hissed. What the hell are you doing?
Jaces flirtatious facade crumbled to reveal the weathered pain, anger, and grief that had fueled his every action since the day Ethan died. I dont know. He pulled out my desk chair and sat backward in it, crossing his arms over the top. I justfor a minute out there, I couldnt do it. I couldnt bend to him.
Its not bending, Jace. Its working. Marc gives the orders in Dads absence, and we follow them.
I know, he said, and I breathed a silent sigh of relief that he hadnt called me on Marcs lack of an official position. I couldnt have handled that without losing my temper. But it felt different this time, and I couldnt do it.
Jace I sank onto the end of my bed wearily, brushing long black hair from my forehead. I didnt want to get into this so soon. I wasnt ready to talk about what had happened between us. Not so soon after Ethans death. Not with everything else going on.
It has nothing to do with you, he said before I could find a good finish to my hasty start. I cant explain it. But Im over it. I can play my part until youre ready to tell him.
But what the hell would I tell him? That Id slept with Jace? That was true, but incrediblymiserablythat wasnt the worst of it. The worst of it was that I wasnt sure how I felt about it. I desperately didnt want to hurt Marc, and I couldnt stand it if I lost him. I wasnt sure I could actually force another breath out of my body if I thought Id ever lost him for good. But I didnt want to lose Jace, either.
And I wasnt even sure what that meant.
I didnt have Jace. But wed connected after Ethans death, and it hadnt been a simple grief-stricken moment of comfort. Though, it was certainly that, too. But the truth was that grief had crumbled my resistance to a bond wed formed earlier. One Id been denying, because of what I had with Marc.
But I wasnt ready to understand what that meant. And I sure as hell wasnt ready to try to explain it to Marc. So Jace and I had agreed to stayapart. Completely hands-off. But if he wasnt more careful than hed been today, wed soon be explaining ourselves to more than just Marc.
You have to watch yourself, I whispered, glancing at my hands in my lap.
I know. He stood, heading for the door, but I shot up and jogged ahead of him.
Wait, let me check. I grabbed the knob, but before I could turn it, Jace was in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of his cheek on mine. But he wasnt touching me. He held his body so close, a sheet of paper would have wrinkled between us, but he didnt make contact.
Jace
I know, he whispered again, this time against my cheek. Its not the time. But that time will come, Faythe. Im not asking you to choose. You know that. But I am asking you to be honest with yourself. You owe us both that.
With that, while I stood breathing so hard my vision started to darken, he pulled the door open a crackpushing me forward a stepand peered around me into the hall. When he was sure it was clear, he stepped out and closed the door.
Leaving me alone in my room, haunted by possibilities too dangerous to even contemplate.
Three
What did I miss? I sank onto the couch between Marc and my uncle Rick and glanced around the office full of Alphas. Ed Taylor and Bert Di Carlo sat across the rug from me, on opposite ends of the love seat. Blackwell was in the chair my mother had previously occupied, which someone had moved to the corner of the rug nearest the couch. And my dad sat in his wing chair at the end of the rug and the head of the room, where he could see everyone all at once.
Very little, unfortunately. My father sighed and folded his hands over the arms of his chair. It turns out that we know almost nothing about thunderbirds, other than what you and Owen just learned.
I shrugged and folded one leg beneath me on the center cushion. How much is almost nothing?
Marc huffed. They fly, and theyre shy.
Umberto Di CarloVic and Mateos fatherleaned forward on the love seat. Other than todays incident, weve found no record of any thunderbird sighting since your dad saw one, had to be, what? He glanced at my father. Thirty years ago?
My dad nodded, both hands templed beneath his chin. At least.
Di Carlo turned back to me and continued. We dont know where they live, how many of them there are, or even how their groups are organized. And we dont know anyone else who knows any of that.
None of the other Alphas?
Who would you suggest we ask? Marc turned to half grin at me.
Good point. All the Alphas who werent with us at that moment were allied against us. Even if they knew something and were willing to help, how could we trust anything they told us?
Ill make some calls, Blackwell began. But Im sure that if anyone else had had recent contact with thunderbirds, wed all have heard about it.
Heads all around the room nodded. This was big news. Huge.
Okay, so what are the facts? My father glanced around his office like a teacher at the front of his classroom.
They evidently Shift in motion. Ed Taylor ran one hand over dark, close-cropped hair. He looked like a retired marine, and maintained the best physical shape of any of the Alphas, most of whom were beyond the enforcing age.
Di Carlo nodded. They know where we live.
They can carry human passengers, Uncle Rick added.
Yeah, but they cant fly very high or fast under the burden. Or very far. Based on the fact that theyd had a car and driver waiting. I pulled my other leg beneath me and sat yoga-style on the couch, barefoot. In fact, Im not sure they could carry anyone much heavier than Kaci. Not without doubling their efforts, anyway.
Do you think theyre gone? Marc glanced around the room for opinions, but only Blackwell seemed to have one.
I doubt it, considering we have one of theirs.
And hopefully well know a lot more about this once he wakes. Something shuffled on the floor behind me, and my father glanced over my head. Yes?
I twisted to see Brian TaylorEd Taylors youngest son and our newest enforcerstanding in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. Sorry to interrupt, but, Dad, have you seen Jake?
Each of the visiting Alphas had brought a son and one other enforcer, as both bodyguards and requisite entourage, so the house was practically bursting with testosterone. Jake had come with his father; my uncle had brought my cousin Lucas, the largest tom Id ever personally met; and Di Carlo had brought Mateo, his second born.
Not lately. Why? Taylor frowned at his son.
He went out on patrol about an hour ago and didnt come back when the whole air raid went down. I kinda got a bad feeling.
Taylors frown deepened, and my father stood, instantly on alert. Everyone in the office!
Toms filed in from the kitchen, and my mother stepped in after the last one, with Kaci peeking around her shoulder.
Youre going out in pairs, my father began, as the other Alphas stood. Spread out, but stay with your partners.
Were looking for Jake? Jace asked. He hadnt looked at me since hed entered the room, and that very fact told me he wanted to. If we hadnt connected, he wouldnt go to such obvious trouble to avoid me.
Better decide what to tell Marc soon Because if Jace couldnt get it together, someone was going to notice him acting weird around me. And Marc.
Yes. It doesnt make much sense to Shift, in case the birds are still in the area. You cant slash overhead without exposing your underbelly. And hopefully youll see them coming from a way off.
Now that we knew to look for them
Youll hear them, too, once they get close, I added. Those wings are strong, but not exactly stealthy.
My father nodded. What can we scrounge up in the way of weapons? Because in human form, even with that swing-overhead advantage, we were pretty defenseless against talons.
Tools, Marc said. Hammers, crowbars, tire irons, a couple of big wrenches. All of which had gotten plenty of use two weeks before, when wed fought a huge mob of strays trying to kill Marc in front of us to send a message.
Knives, my mother added softly. I have three sets of butcher knives and several boning knives, all of which should work just as well on live birds as on dead ones. The only person who looked more surprised than I felt was Paul Blackwell, who surely realized by then that his appeal to my mother as the gentler sex had fallen on not only deaf, but grief-hardened ears.
And a meat mallet. Jace crossed thick arms over his chest, and that time he did smile at me, while most of the toms chuckled. Even those who hadnt been present had heard about me taking out a stray with a massive meat mallet in lieu of my claws, during my trial in Montana three months earlier. Apparently that one was going to stick with me.
Good. Even my father cracked a small, brief smile. Karen, will you arm the troops? Anyone else would have gotten a simple order. My mother got a request.
She nodded solemnly, then ushered Kaci into the kitchen as Dad turned back to the rest of us. Pair up, and report to my wife to be armed. Call your Alpha if you find anything. Dismissed.
Marc and I stood as the others filed out of the office and across the hall. He took my hand, and Jace watched us, forgetting to look away for a moment. To look uninterested. But then Brian stepped into his line of sight, just before Marc looked up, and surely would have noticed.
You ready? Brian had been paired with Jace since Ethans death, and now that Marc was back, wed been reunited in the field, even with his unofficial status. Owen and Parker were still partners, but since my brother was temporarily out of commission, Parker would head out with Vic, who was currently partnerless because of the uneven number of enforcers.
Jace nodded and followed Brian across the hall with one more glance at me.
Hell be okay. Marc nodded toward Jaces back as he slid one arm around my waist. Ethans death hit us all pretty hard, but it changed him.
My heart nearly burst through my chest and I struggled to get my pulse under control. What do you mean?
He hung back to let me through the doorway first, so he didnt see my eyes close in silent, fervent hope that he hadnt seen too much difference in Jace. Or in me. Hes serious all the time now. Morose and angry. Its creepy.
Hes a better enforcer for it, I said, and Marc nodded without hesitation. I knew what he was thinking: too bad it took my brothers death to bring out Jaces true potential.
A line had formed in the kitchen, leading in through the hall and out through the dining room. Kaci and my mom stood behind the bar, handing out an assortment of makeshift weapons that would have made any action-movie bad-ass proud. Toms left in pairs, clutching knives or tools someone had gathered from the basement and from assorted car trunks.
Ed Taylor and my uncle Rick were at the head of the line, and right behind them stood my father and Bert Di Carlo. The Alphas selected weapons, then headed toward the door with the enforcers, and I blinked in surprise. Then nodded in growing respect. Most Alphas were past their physical primealthough a glance at Taylor would undermine that assumptionand while they still had to Shift and exercise to maintain good health, they didnt often patrol or hunt with their men.
The fact that they were all going to go out in search of our missing man filled me with more pride than I knew how to contain. They knew that every life was valuable, and unlike Calvin Malone, they were willing to put their own tails on the line to prove it.
Jace and Brian accepted their weapons in front of us and headed outside without a backward glance.