Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(28)

“Yes, alpha,” the room chorused.

“And Dillon is right: Charity seems to have a penchant for survival. She not only reacts quickly and effectively, she knows something about fighting. I’m not sure how much, but she knocked Roger out of the way like he weighed nothing. If she’s to be believed, she grew up in an extremely dodgy part of Chicago. Problem is, she isn’t in a dodgy part of her world. She’s in ours, and she doesn’t have a clue.” Devon gave Macy, and then Andy, a poignant stare. “Watch her constantly. She’s going to gawk, and point, and do other potentially awkward things that might lead to a confrontation. Don’t let it happen. She starts throwing people around with her magic, the elves will get involved. I’m counting on you two to keep that from happening.”

“Yes, alpha,” Macy and Andy said in tandem.

Devon nodded and barely hid a sigh. He didn’t look forward to what came next.

Strapping on an expressionless mask of rank, Devon found his way to Roger’s office before knocking on the polished wood door, one of the many new additions the alpha had made to render the castle livable.

There was a muffled “Come in,” and he pushed through.

Roger sat at a large oak desk with neat stacks of paper pushed off to the sides, leaving most of the surface bare. His elbows rested on the arms of his chair as he waited for Devon to take a seat.

“So, you had a small hiccup in your mission,” Roger began. His tone was even. Not accusatory. Not yet.

Devon nodded. “When Charity went into the house for the last time, she hadn’t consumed any of the elixir. When she came back out, she seemed wild. In human form, but not exactly human. She didn’t smell like a newbie vamp, though, so I signaled for my people to subdue and not kill. That proved…more difficult than I had anticipated, wasting valuable time. By the time we returned to the mission, we could only extinguish three newbies. Three we watched get away—too far out of reach—and the others must’ve left in the pandemonium Charity created.”

Roger studied Devon with an expressionless mask. Devon hated that stare. It was impossible to tell what the alpha was thinking.

Finally, Roger said, “I find it commendable that you had the foresight to subdue and not kill. Many men your age would not have had that presence of mind within the circumstances.”

Devon nodded once, wary of the compliment. The next moment proved why.

“You made a grave error, of course,” Roger went on.

“Yes, sir. I tried to physically keep her from going back into the house, but she proved…elusive. By the time I got to her, she’d already crossed the threshold into their domain.”

“It seems you underestimated her twice in one night.”

“Yes, sir.” Devon’s jaw clenched.

“You’re young. Mistakes are to be expected. What do you plan to do with Jimmy?”

“Disciplinary action. I thought I would talk to you before I came to any decisions.”

“Good, yes. I need you to start taking out those newbies as soon as possible. They’re already out there gaining strength with feedings. For that, you need your whole pack.”

Devon’s spirits lifted. He wasn’t being taken off the hunt! Roger was giving him a second chance.

“But I think I promoted Jimmy too soon,” Roger said. “He is a little too immature for your pack. I’m going to transfer a new wolf to you. She comes from a southern region. She’s had some experience and is ready for the next level, I think. She’ll replace Jimmy for now.”

Surprised, Devon just nodded. He hadn’t seen that coming. It meant he’d have to train a new member, which took time and effort, but it also meant he wouldn’t have to worry about Jimmy. It would probably amount to an even trade.

Roger tossed a file in front of Devon. “That’s the new wolf’s file. You can review it later. We have more important matters to discuss. Charity.”

Devon slid the file to the side. Here it came.

“In a way, Jimmy’s incompetence was a huge stroke of luck. If he hadn’t chased Charity back into that house, she wouldn’t have had to escape. If she hadn’t escaped, I wouldn’t have seen, firsthand, what she is capable of.

“As you know, vampires aren’t the only creatures capable of wreaking havoc in the human world. Something is drawing demons to the Brink in record numbers. If the two groups are working together, there will be hell to pay. The elves are calling Lucifer in for a chat, but we can’t wait to step in. The elves and the Underworld forget how quickly things move in the Brink. It’ll be overrun if we don’t act. It is well within our right.”

“Excuse me for asking, but what does this have to do with Charity?”

Roger entwined his fingers on the desk. “Just as vampires aren’t the only nuisance in the Brink, shape shifters aren’t the only beings suited for peacekeeping and hiding the magical world.”

“You mean the Magical Law Enforcement offices?”

The MLE did a similar job to that which Roger’s pack performed, but they were connected with a secret branch of the Brink government and often got waylaid in red tape. Not to mention that vampires had been known to bribe the MLE officers, while other magical peoples, like the Mages’ Guild, downright scared them into inactivity. The Brink shouldn’t have needed two organizations to police the supernatural, but here they were.