Proof of Life (The Potentate of Atlanta Book 4) Page 4

  After Midas brushed his teeth, he glanced at his hair, what little remained, and dressed in fresh clothes.

  The smell of black coffee hit his nose as he entered the hall and bumped into Ares.

  “I have never been so tired in my life.” She drank long and deep. “I hate when family visits.”

  “Liz has relatives in town?” He clasped her shoulder. “Have you made the big announcement yet?”

  Liz, Ares’s mate, was inching toward the end of her second trimester, and she was starting to show. Otherwise, given their struggle to reach this point, he wouldn’t have been surprised if they kept it secret until the baby was safely in their arms to avoid jinxing their good luck.

  “No.” Yawning, she cracked her jaw. “I saw the visitor logs.”

  That didn’t explain why she was tired, but Midas didn’t push with her temper shortened by exhaustion.

  “They wanted to surprise Hadley.”

  “There was a note on the log that said Linus cleared it. Boaz was the guy who dumped Grier, right?”

  A warning prickle slid down his nape as he waited for her to make her point. “Yes.”

  There was no reason for her to draw lines between Boaz and Hadley, but with a Pritchard/Whitaker family visit looming, talk about him made Midas twitchy all the same.

  “Can you imagine getting the girl but then being stuck with her ex in your life because the guy decided to go and marry your apprentice’s sister?” She mashed the button for the elevator. “It’s like he’s stalking Linus.” Her lips curved with glee. “Maybe he was obsessed with Linus and not Grier all along.”

  Relief sluiced through him, smoothing his hackles, and he joined her in the car for the ride to the lobby.

  “Necromancy is a small world.” Midas shrugged. “Society families are as close as pack.”

  “Boaz is Low Society,” she said, as if testing her memory. “Addie must be too, right? And Hadley?”

  “Yes.”

  “Ah.” Ares gazed over the rim of her cup. “Boaz’s love for Linus was doomed from the start.”

  Low Society necromancers rarely married up, and when they did, it was purely out of love to a High Society necromancer who could afford the indulgence. The lasting damage of such unions, in the Society’s mind, was generational. The bloodline would thin, as Low Society necromancers had little to no magic, the loss of status would be catastrophic, and the financial implications could prove ruinous.

  “I’ll be sure to float that idea the next time I talk to Boaz.”

  “Oh, to be a fly on that wall.” Knocking off the jokes, she studied him. “How did they take the news?”

  “Addie was happy for us.” He recalled the blade held at his throat. “Boaz was less thrilled.”

  “He’s stepping into the big-brother role. Probably thinks it’s his job to give you a hard time.”

  Ares had no idea how right she was, on both counts. “Any idea what’s got Ford in a tizzy?”

  The text from him was vague minus the part that specified Midas’s presence was required downstairs.

  “I worked last night and today.” She chugged more coffee. “All I know is, I was sent to fetch you.”

  “Security?”

  “Yep.” She yawned again. “The Knoxville pack is in town for the week, and you know what that means.”

  “I forgot about that.” He twisted his lips. “Hadley’s family is here all week too.”

  “Your mom expects you both for dinner at least once. She wants to show off her new daughter-in-law.”

  Boaz’s offhand remark about his proposal to Addie drifted to the forefront of Midas’s mind.

  Hand to his chest, he rubbed his breastbone. “Do you think Hadley expects a proposal?”

  Coffee spewed from Ares’s lips and sprayed the walls. “She’s a necromancer, so I would say yes.”

  We’re mated nearly popped out of his mouth, but one dark look from her silenced him.

  Hadn’t he told Hadley he had made a mistake in expecting her to conform to his customs without taking her beliefs into consideration? Hadn’t he told her, only yesterday, he regretted how their story had begun? Now he was almost, almost fumbling again not twenty-four hours later.

  “Mating is hard.” Ares patted him on the back. “Mating outside the pack is better and worse. You get to learn a new person and experience life from a different perspective. But culture shock is real, and no one expects you to upend your beliefs in a day. Just be careful you don’t grip your roots so hard that you rip hers out of the ground.”

  As happy as Ares was in her mixed-species marriage, he would be a fool to disregard her advice.

  “Thanks.” He exhaled hard. “Though I’m not sure how I’ll pull off a proposal if I can’t manage a simple date night.”

  But he would try. For Hadley, he would succeed. The right ring, the right words. Everything. All of it.

  “Ouch.” She winced. “I heard about Choco-Loco.”

  Eyebrows climbing, he cut her a look. “Did everyone know I was taking Hadley there?”

  “Ford lost his ever-loving mind when he heard about the fire, so yeah. The whole break room—anyone on shift, really—knew you were supposed to be there.” Quickly, she clarified, “I didn’t know ahead of time, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

  “I didn’t mean to imply I thought a packmate had anything to do with the fire.”

  “You broke a lot of hearts when you chose Hadley over every eligible female in the pack, but your mom has made it clear she accepts Hadley as her daughter and that any move against her will result in immediate punishment.”

  “I must have missed that memo.”

  “It was important the pack hear it from their alpha first.” She cast him a pointed glance. “They’ll want to hear it from their beta too.”

  A groan moved through him as his mother’s intentions crystalized in his mind. “A pack potluck.”

  That’s what she had dubbed the enormous meetings where the entire pack gathered while she made announcements that affected everyone. Gwyllgi hated meetings, so she shamelessly bribed them with food, dancing, and the occasional raffle basket, depending on the direness of the news.

  “That’s my guess.” She grinned. “The next time your mom mentions dinner, be suspicious. Very suspicious. And probably go ahead and write your speech so you can keep it in your pocket at all times.”

  They hit the lobby, and worries about how to proceed with Hadley took a backseat to the overwhelming scents of gwyllgi who were not pack. Familiarity with them didn’t stop the low rumbling up the back of his throat. His inner beast felt its territory had been invaded, and the man wasn’t far behind.

  “You might want to dial that down,” Ares murmured. “Here comes Claudia.”

  The crowd parted to allow the statuesque blonde a direct route to him, and they watched with interest.

  “Midas.” She sashayed up to him. “It’s been too long.”

  “Claudia.” He forced the barest smile. “Always a pleasure.”

  The Knoxville alpha knew better than to lay hands on him, though her fingers curled as if she wished to do just that. She had sticky fingers, no concept of personal space, and Midas usually counted on Ford to keep her entertained. With Ford spending more time with Lisbeth, Midas wasn’t sure who else to palm her off on.

  “Your gorgeous hair.” She sucked in a sharp breath. “I can’t believe you cut it.”

  That explained her twitchy fingers. “It will grow back.”

  “Ford told me the craziest thing when I first arrived.” She bit her bottom lip. “He said you had mated.”

  “I have mated.”

  The coy amusement slipped off her face and shattered on the floor. “A necromancer, really?”

  Hadley was so much more than a necromancer, but that was none of Claudia’s business. “Yes.”

  Ford shoved through the gathering to reach Midas, all smiles for Claudia, but the strain already showed on his face. “There you are, darlin’.”r />
  “I came to hear the words from his own mouth.” She pouted. “I can’t believe he’s off the market.”

  “He was starting to smell up the place,” Ford teased. “We discounted him and hoped for the best.”

  “I would have paid full price.” She lowered her lashes. “I don’t mind if someone else took a bite first.”

  The growl in the back of Midas’s throat revved louder, and her lips twitched in a knowing curve.

  “I hate to break it to you.” Ford pulled his aww shucks routine. “His mate isn’t interested in a refund.”

  Laughing, she touched Ford’s arm in a proprietary manner. “How will I know unless I ask?”

  “Hi,” an overly bright voice chirped from beside him. “We haven’t met, but I signed off on your visit.”

  The gwyllgi who knew Hadley backed away slowly, except for Ares, who looked desperate for popcorn.

  Nostrils flaring, Claudia cocked her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m Hadley Whitaker, the apprentice to the Potentate of Atlanta.” She smiled, big and bright. “You required permission to enter my city, and I gave it.”

  Frown knitting her brow, she continued to stare at Hadley. “Thank you?”

  “I would also like to mention, while we’re chatting, that I will never, under any circumstances, grant you the same permission where my mate is concerned.” Hadley took Midas’s hand and unfurled his cramped fingers from the fists he had been making. “I would also really appreciate it if you guys could stop talking about him as if he were produce, let alone a bargain bin find.”

  “You’re his mate?” Claudia sucked on her teeth. “Tisdale is wilier than a coyote.”

  There was value in allowing Claudia to believe theirs was an arranged mating, and Hadley must have clued in to it too. She didn’t contradict Claudia, just let her make her own assumptions. His mother would cackle over them later, but rumors of negotiating such a match would boost her reputation in the eyes of the Knoxville pack.

  “I need a drink.” Claudia grabbed Hadley by the wrist. “Come with me?”

  “It depends.” Hadley shot Midas an uncertain glance. “Are you trying to get me alone to murder me so you can claim my mate for yourself?”

  The deep belly laugh was too large for Claudia’s thin frame, and it sounded more genuine than she had ever been with him.

  “Murder you?” She yanked Hadley to her side. “Girl, I want to learn from you.” Sliding her arm through Hadley’s, she started dragging her away. “You landed the Prince of Atlanta. How did you do it?”

  The women left, arm in arm, her pack trailing them, and Midas could guess which bar they would end up visiting. Claudia and her pack were banned from all but three, so it wasn’t hard to divine their options.

  Whistling low, Ford wiped a hand over his mouth. “That went better than expected.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Women,” Ford said in agreement. “They do that to a man.”

  “Claudia sounded ready to give Mom all the credit, but she changed her tune fast.”

  “Ah. That’s one mystery I can solve for you.”

  Angling his head toward Ford, Midas waited to be enlightened.

  “The political alliance aspect would have held water up until Claudia saw you and Hadley together.” Ford smiled. “Hadley’s not possessive of you so much as she’s protective of you. The former makes sense, if your union is a gambit. The latter, not so much. She would only care if she, well, cared.”

  “Guys are so cute when they have no idea what they’re talking about,” Ares said from behind them.

  Midas realized then exactly who had tipped off Hadley and sent her to his rescue. “What do you mean?”

  “Hadley was throwing I will chew off your arm and beat you to death with it if you touch my man vibes.”

  “Huh.” Ford rubbed his jaw. “I didn’t get that.”

  “You’re used to it.” Ares rolled her eyes. “It’s not like she pulls it out for special occasions. She’s always rocking that vibe when it comes to Midas. She is protective of him, but you’re nuts if you think she’s not possessive of him too.”

  For some reason, that insight bolstered Midas’s mood, and he was tempted to track Hadley down and make sure Claudia understood the feeling was mutual. Last night hadn’t gone as planned, but he could try again. Or…he could use her momentary distraction to set a plan of his own into motion.

  Yeah.

  This impromptu girls’ night out might just work in his favor.

  The Knoxville pack’s visit complicated things, as he was expected to mingle with his mother’s guests. Hadley’s family would eat up blocks of their time too, but this was life, and no life was perfect. They would always exist in stolen moments stuffed between the cracks of their responsibilities, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t pry those cracks wider.

  Pulling his thoughts back on task, he asked Ford, “Claudia is why you texted?”

  “Yes and no. I wanted to give you a heads-up the pack was here, and their alpha was waiting for you, but Captain Gray left a voicemail for me. The cause of the fire has been determined.”

  “Arson?”

  “Magical in nature,” he confirmed. “The cleaners are running tests to check the incendiary compounds against the various coven samples they have on file to see if they’re a match.”

  Ares shifted her weight and folded her arms across her chest. “Who else could it be?”

  “They’ve been targeting Hadley hard,” Ford growled. “I don’t expect this to prove otherwise.”

  The coven had hoped to add her to their collection so that a witchborn fae could wear her skin and seize control of Atlanta. That was the tune their elder sang when they fought on the outskirts of town just last week, but the notes rang false in his ears then and now. Had she truly been their primary target, they would have struck her down when they first arrived in the city.

  Before Linus knew what happened, she would have been gone, and Midas never would have known her. The brutal attack on local shifters had united them, both Midas and Hadley, pack and OPA, against a common enemy. It was the one good thing to come from this tragedy. But grateful as he was for Hadley, none of it would have happened if the elder had been telling them the whole truth.

  “Any word on Chef Daaé’s last-known whereabouts?”

  “The assistant on duty yesterday said he left the chef in the kitchen prepping for your date.” Ford ruffled his hair. “Daaé’s clan says the same, that he left for work on time but hasn’t come home.”

  “I’ll touch base with Hadley,” Midas exhaled. “Let her know what we’ve learned.”

  “Remind her it’s a two-way street.” Ford pointed a finger at him. “Information flows both ways.”

  The OPA was more connected than the pack. They had contacts within every major faction in the city. But he didn’t have to ask. If Hadley gleaned information critical to the pack’s safety, she would tell him.

  “Until we know for certain which of you was targeted,” Ford continued, “we can’t afford to assume your mate is the one wearing the bull’s-eye.”

  “Knoxville is in town,” Ares said quietly. “They’re not the most stable pack.”

  Despite Claudia’s belief she was being sized up as a potential mate for him, his mother’s sole purpose for inviting the Knoxville pack for a visit was to evaluate the mental state of its new alpha and its dominants.

  The pack was under new management as of nine months ago. Claudia had finally seen the writing on the wall, challenged her father, and put him down before he finished running the pack into an early grave.

  “I doubt they’re involved.” Midas doubted they were that organized either. “They have nothing to gain by my death.”

  “Tisdale made it plain if they didn’t clean house,” Ford said, “she would send a maid to do it for them.”

  The maid would have been Midas, as second, and he would have challenged Claudia’s father, killed him, and then forced
the pack to choose a new alpha who was strong enough to hold the pack and weed out the bad seeds.

  “Midas.” Ares spelled it out for him. “She killed her old man to prevent anyone else from doing it.”

  “That’s grudge material right there,” Ford agreed. “All I’m saying is we need to keep eyes on her.”

  “Do it.” Midas stared through the glass front entryway. “She’s with Hadley.” He turned. “Do it now.”

  “An eye for an eye is popular among gwyllgi,” Ares allowed. “I’ll go. I need to stay active to stay awake.”

  “Thanks.” Midas tried to hide his relief. “Let me know when you’re in position?”

  “Sure thing.” She hesitated. “I’ll just grab more coffee from the break room before I go.”

  “You’ve been yawning since you met me upstairs.” Midas studied her. “Why are you so tired?”

  “We’re babysitting Liz’s nephew.” She rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. “He’s four months old.”

  Ford’s eyebrows climbed into his hairline. “How did you manage that?”

  “Liz’s sister is having gallbladder surgery, and her husband is staying at the hospital with her. They needed someone to watch Baby Alex for a few days, and we volunteered for the practice.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were too heavy. “He’s adorable, oh so adorable, but he’s also not thrilled both his parents are MIA. He never sleeps. Never. I swear. It’s unnatural. He’s always awake, and he cries unless you’re carrying him. I really, really, really hope our kid isn’t like this one.”

  “He’ll settle down in a day or so,” Ford assured her. “Little ones get ornery when their routines change.”

  “A day or so?” Ares deflated. “Jay is coming to pick him up tomorrow.”

  “In that case,” Ford said on a laugh, “I hope you’ve got twenty-four more hours of sleeplessness in you.”

  Whimpering, Ares trudged off on her quest to load up on caffeine.

  “I’ll find a spare body to go with her,” Ford offered. “She’ll need sharp eyes to keep up with Hadley.”

  Two sets of eyes—and fangs—would make him more comfortable, as long as she didn’t catch him at it.

  “I appreciate it.” Midas’s gaze tagged the front door. “Do you think I should go?”