Both Teddy and Cormac looked to Wanda and simultaneously muttered with disbelief, “The castle?”
Wanda lifted her chin, her conservative yet chic stud earrings catching the light of the fire. “Are bears prone to hearing issues? I said castle. What about ‘castle’ don’t the two of you understand?”
And a plane. Somebody named Keegan had a private plane?
Cormac couldn’t help himself. He snorted. “Is it like that Castle Wicket you told me about?”
“It’s Beckett, fuckwad,” Nina spat at him just before she headed for the door. “Ease up on the sarcasm or I’ll force-feed you some of that shit with a spoon. Don’t even consider takin’ cheap shots at where we been. Because I will fuck you up.”
Wanda planted her hands on her hips, sizing them all up. “Are we going to put up a fight and ask a ridiculous amount of questions here? Because I’m just going to remind you again how fed up I am at this point when everyone questions my decisions. I’ve led this crew into more than one battle, and I’ve led them successfully. All while they bitch, they moan, they argue. But not this time, ladies and gents. Either you’re in or you’re out, and you’ll decide without a single word of dissent. I’m not discussing it. I’m not fighting with any one of you about it.
“Cormac, you’re not safe here. If you wish to be safe elsewhere, then follow me and I’ll be sure Darnell handles any evidence you were ever anywhere near here. If not, let Andre make your unusually large body resemble a hunk of Swiss cheese. Teddy? I assume, since Cormac is your alleged life mate, you’ll want to go with because as his furever girl, you want nothing but his safety. Now, we all assemble outside in five. If you’re not there when I’m ready to get the hell off this mountain, then God-freakin’-speed!”
Wanda pivoted on her heel then, sauntering to the door and pulling it open as the frigid night air whooshed in and she exited, her head held high.
Nina slapped a stunned Cormac on the back, the scent of Cool Ranch Doritos on her breath. “You heard her, Pooh Bear. If you want to get to the bottom of this shit, bust a move, brother.”
“But all the research I’ve compiled over the years is on my computer,” he muttered under his breath, even though he knew what Wanda was suggesting was the right thing. “We’ll need it.”
Marty squeezed his arm and gave him a small smile. “Darnell will be here any second. He’s hard to explain, but trust me; he’ll make sure everything’s handled. Promise. Now, I think you’ve got like three minutes and twenty-seconds left. Don’t dally,” she said on a chuckle, tucking her chin into her scarf and scooting out behind Nina.
Both he and Teddy looked at each other, their eyes guarded.
He was the first to speak, when he said, “So, life mate, are you in or are you out?”
She raised her chin, the sharp line of her jaw glinting in the light of the roaring fireplace, her hazel eyes glittering. “And miss staying in a castle? My Disney princess dreams just exploded in my head. Oh, believe this. I’m all in, life mate. All in.”
Cormac fought a chuckle as she made her way outside to join the others, keeping his eyes averted to avoid looking at her curvaceous backside.
“One minute and thirty-two, Pooh Bear!” Nina shouted.
He scooped up Lenny and took a long last glance around the place that had been his sanctuary for three years now. The place he’d hated and loved for all manner of reasons. It was sparse, he’d lived with only what he truly needed, making trips into the neighboring town in a disguise to gather supplies only when it was absolutely necessary.
He’d learned far more than he ever thought he’d need about survival. About fear. About loss. He’d licked his wounds here. Raged against the unfair, cruel world here. He’d shifted for the first time here. Dealt with this crazy metamorphosis without anyone to turn to for help.
And he’d survived. He’d thrived. There was a small part of him that would miss the solitude, the beauty of the purple twilight fading into an orange ball of sun when he greeted each new day. The wildflowers in the spring, the rush of the creek, the first fall of snow. The peaceful breeze, the soft scent of pine and lake water tickling his nose while he napped in the hammock he’d made out back.
But it was time to reclaim his life. Maybe not the old one he’d wanted—the one where he and Toni lived in neighboring towns and their children played together on his front lawn, and they celebrated births, graduations, had barbecues, went on vacations with their families together.
But something on par with all those things, all those dreams he’d left behind, would be really damn nice, even if it wasn’t exactly what he’d fashioned in his mind.
And he was ready.