whatever trap the enemy may have set for you."
"If it's that dangerous, then you need me more than ever. Don't forget, my baby sister has already been kidnapped once. You expect me to sit here and do nothing?" Caiden demanded angrily.
"Yes. Yes I do. There is a bigger picture here, Caiden, one that is so large I can't even see the edges yet. Leave Amelia to me. I won't let anything happen to my godsdaughter. In the meantime, I need you to tighten up patrols. Use your defunct Elder status to get the council to agree to lock down the city. If these monsters require magic, then Storm Keep represents a stockpile. I need you where you are," Kendrick replied evenly.
"Damn it all to hell, Kendrick! Why do you always make sense? If I had known that you would need me in my Elder hat, I would have told Father to stay home," Caiden complained.
Surprised, Kendrick asked, "You saw Marshall recently?" He hadn't heard that the Ironwood elder had returned.
"For all of about an hour before Amelia called. Evidently, Mother and Amelia are directly related to Commander McKenzie's mate. Once Mother heard that, she marched Father out the door to head to Lycaonia. They should be there soon." Caiden's voice held a smile.
"Godsdammit!" Kendrick swore.
Caiden laughed over the phone. "I know you get along with them so well."
Kendrick pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at it. Wait. Amelia was related to the commander's mate? He put the phone back to his ear.
"The commander's mate wouldn't be a short, deranged little human, would she?"
Caiden's laughter answered his question.
Wonderful.
"You mean to tell me my brother is lying here in a coma, every witch is in danger, my best friend and godsdaughter are at the top of the enemy's hit list, and I have two versions of Amelia to watch over, plus your flaky mother?" Kendrick bit off every word.
Caiden couldn't catch his breath, he was laughing so hard. "Serves you right. That's what you get for being a hermit for centuries."
"Bollocks!" Kendrick swore and hung up the phone.
Lily Camden, Amelia Ironwood and Meryn McKenzie in the same house at once. He looked over to his peaceful looking brother and shook his head.
"Lucky bastard." He sat back and reached down to the side of the recliner and pushed the seat back, took his brother's hand, and fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWO
Kendrick woke up and blinked. He heard the repetitive beeps of a machine and looked around. That's right; he was at the Alpha estate with Keelan. He stood and quickly looked over Keelan's body.
"He's the same as he was yesterday," a female said from across the room.
He turned and recognized Rheia. "I would say that no decline in health is actually an improvement." He was surprised he was able to string more than two words together before coffee.
She blinked and smiled. "I can agree to that. How did you sleep? Did I wake you?"
Kendrick rubbed his neck before he turned it sharply to the right, cracking it loudly. "I've actually slept on much worse."
Rheia walked over and took Keelan's hand. "Keelan always described you as some sort of powerful superman who slept in a cave of books like a dragon hoarding his gold."
Kendrick felt a small smile on his lips. "Well, he got the cave and books part right. I think that all older brothers seem powerful to younger brothers."
Rheia laughed. "I have five older brothers, and I always thought they could do anything."
"How did you explain moving to a town they could never visit?"
She shook her head. "My brothers are sort of adopted brothers. They are the Vanguard squadron that protects Jefferson."
Kendrick half closed his eyes and pulled out his mental file on Jefferson. "Radek Carson, bear, Marco Rodriguez, jaguar. Dax Vi'Eaereson, fae, Athan Durant, vampire and Levi Sorrel, witch."
Rheia's eyes widened. "You just did what Meryn does."
Kendrick didn't even try to hide his surprise. "What do you mean, exactly?" He
"If it's that dangerous, then you need me more than ever. Don't forget, my baby sister has already been kidnapped once. You expect me to sit here and do nothing?" Caiden demanded angrily.
"Yes. Yes I do. There is a bigger picture here, Caiden, one that is so large I can't even see the edges yet. Leave Amelia to me. I won't let anything happen to my godsdaughter. In the meantime, I need you to tighten up patrols. Use your defunct Elder status to get the council to agree to lock down the city. If these monsters require magic, then Storm Keep represents a stockpile. I need you where you are," Kendrick replied evenly.
"Damn it all to hell, Kendrick! Why do you always make sense? If I had known that you would need me in my Elder hat, I would have told Father to stay home," Caiden complained.
Surprised, Kendrick asked, "You saw Marshall recently?" He hadn't heard that the Ironwood elder had returned.
"For all of about an hour before Amelia called. Evidently, Mother and Amelia are directly related to Commander McKenzie's mate. Once Mother heard that, she marched Father out the door to head to Lycaonia. They should be there soon." Caiden's voice held a smile.
"Godsdammit!" Kendrick swore.
Caiden laughed over the phone. "I know you get along with them so well."
Kendrick pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at it. Wait. Amelia was related to the commander's mate? He put the phone back to his ear.
"The commander's mate wouldn't be a short, deranged little human, would she?"
Caiden's laughter answered his question.
Wonderful.
"You mean to tell me my brother is lying here in a coma, every witch is in danger, my best friend and godsdaughter are at the top of the enemy's hit list, and I have two versions of Amelia to watch over, plus your flaky mother?" Kendrick bit off every word.
Caiden couldn't catch his breath, he was laughing so hard. "Serves you right. That's what you get for being a hermit for centuries."
"Bollocks!" Kendrick swore and hung up the phone.
Lily Camden, Amelia Ironwood and Meryn McKenzie in the same house at once. He looked over to his peaceful looking brother and shook his head.
"Lucky bastard." He sat back and reached down to the side of the recliner and pushed the seat back, took his brother's hand, and fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWO
Kendrick woke up and blinked. He heard the repetitive beeps of a machine and looked around. That's right; he was at the Alpha estate with Keelan. He stood and quickly looked over Keelan's body.
"He's the same as he was yesterday," a female said from across the room.
He turned and recognized Rheia. "I would say that no decline in health is actually an improvement." He was surprised he was able to string more than two words together before coffee.
She blinked and smiled. "I can agree to that. How did you sleep? Did I wake you?"
Kendrick rubbed his neck before he turned it sharply to the right, cracking it loudly. "I've actually slept on much worse."
Rheia walked over and took Keelan's hand. "Keelan always described you as some sort of powerful superman who slept in a cave of books like a dragon hoarding his gold."
Kendrick felt a small smile on his lips. "Well, he got the cave and books part right. I think that all older brothers seem powerful to younger brothers."
Rheia laughed. "I have five older brothers, and I always thought they could do anything."
"How did you explain moving to a town they could never visit?"
She shook her head. "My brothers are sort of adopted brothers. They are the Vanguard squadron that protects Jefferson."
Kendrick half closed his eyes and pulled out his mental file on Jefferson. "Radek Carson, bear, Marco Rodriguez, jaguar. Dax Vi'Eaereson, fae, Athan Durant, vampire and Levi Sorrel, witch."
Rheia's eyes widened. "You just did what Meryn does."
Kendrick didn't even try to hide his surprise. "What do you mean, exactly?" He
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