Wild and Free (The Three #3)(123)

“Can’t say I’m real bothered to hear that news,” Abel muttered, matching my thoughts.

Gregor nodded and spoke again, “She used a blessed athame to cut you. An athame is a witch’s knife imbued with magic. As we suspected, this is why you scarred. Yuri reported that he’s allied himself with two witches who are keen not to see The Prophesies unfold. They’re also going to assist him in retrieving the knife and perhaps a number of other blessed implements, which could cause harm if in the wrong hands.”

“If he needs help with that, we’re kinda tied up up here,” Abel noted.

“He assured me he has all the help he needs,” Gregor stated, but I didn’t get a good feeling about how he stated it, mostly because he was Gregor. He didn’t give a lot away. But even if it wasn’t written all over him, I could still tell that he was worried about his son.

“Right, then I’m obliged you took your time to come up here and share all that,” Abel replied in a leading way, that leading to Gregor taking off.

“I’m not done, Abel,” Gregor said, and I again tensed at the change in his tone of voice.

Abel heard it too; I knew by the intensity of his focus on the vampire.

“Perhaps you should sit down,” Gregor suggested, which didn’t make me any less tense.

What it did was make me move Abel’s way.

“I’m good standing,” Abel told him, not taking his eyes from the vampire.

Gregor nodded, but I didn’t think it boded well that he waited until I made it to Abel’s side and slid my arms around his middle. He also waited until Abel slid his arm around my shoulders.

Only when we had each other did Gregor again speak.

“Yuri and I feel it’s rather strange that you’ve not encountered one of our kind in all your time on this earth.”

“You’re not alone in that feeling,” Abel replied with a guarded voice.

“My son and I both feel that perhaps someone has been looking out for you.”

Abel and I, both still tense, got more so.

Gregor kept going, “This was only a theory; however, it would stand to reason that one of our own would be able to sense one of our own and, thus, keep them away from you. Not to mention, that night, it’s clear someone intervened.”

“Yeah, it is,” Abel agreed.

Gregor took in a deep breath, then holding Abel’s eyes, he rocked my man’s world.

“The witch Sula reported to the witches Yuri is working with that you were saved that night by a man with one brown eye, one blue.”

I gasped and did it hearing Abel’s swift, hissed intake of breath.

“You have a brother, Abel,” Gregor said gently.

“Holy shitoly,” I breathed.

Abel said nothing so Gregor carried on.

“One of the witches Yuri is working with, her name is Aurora, says she can assist us in locating him. Their priority mission is getting that athame and the other implements, which are being guarded by a coven in Texas. After that, they’ll be finding your brother. And to do so, they’ll need your blood.”

“He’s close.”

My head jerked back to look at Abel’s profile when he said these words.

“You feel him?” Gregor asked.

Abel shook his head. “No. But it stands to reason that if he’s looking out for me, then he would be, right?”

“Well, yes,” Gregor agreed.

“Why is he hidden?” Abel asked.

“We won’t know until we can speak to him.”

“If he’s a brother, then he’s either vampire or werewolf or both. So if he’s close, why can’t I sense him?” Abel went on.

“That we also won’t know until we can speak to him,” Gregor answered.

“Right, then do you need my blood now, or can I give it to you tomorrow?” Abel asked, and I stopped watching his profile and started staring at it because he was taking this in stride and this was pretty f*cking huge news.

“As Yuri and his witches need some time to prepare to approach this coven, tomorrow will do. I’ll dispatch it by courier to Yuri as soon as it’s drawn,” Gregor said.

“Great. Now, can these witches be trusted?” Abel asked.

I heard the stiffness of mild affront in Gregor’s tone, so I looked back to him as he answered, “If they could not, Yuri wouldn’t be working with them.”

“Right. Then good. ’Preciate you comin’ up to tell me this. I’ll get one of the nurses to draw my blood tomorrow,” Abel replied, and when he did, I saw Gregor was just as surprised by his non-reaction as I was.

“Uh…” I started but didn’t get any further because Abel kept talking.

“Or is there something else?”

“No, Abel,” Gregor said quietly. “That’s all we have for now.”

At that, Abel disengaged from me and moved to the door. He opened it and turned back to Gregor.

“Then again, appreciate you tellin’ me this. Now, we all got a big day tomorrow so we all should rest up.”

I pressed my lips together and turned my head to give big eyes to Gregor.

He took in my big eyes and his face got slightly soft before he looked to Abel and nodded. “You’re right. We all should rest.” He looked back to me. “Good night, Lilah.”