Danny gave me a “What else do you think I’m talking about?” look.
“Where is it?” Keegan asked, walking over with Logan.
Danny raised one eyebrow. “It’s a he. And he is at a club with a ton of other purebloods, so it’s going to be hard to know which one is him if he’s cloaking his appearance to look like a sorcerer, which he is.”
Keegan looked at his ex, a mixture of annoyance and longing, more so longing. “But you can find him if we can get you in there?”
Danny chuckled, placing one hand on his hip. “Get me within five hundred feet of this guy and he’s mine.”
Keegan smirked. “Always so modest about your accomplishments.”
Danny’s eyes flared, but it wasn’t in anger; they sparked with adoration. This was the banter of two lovers.
“How far is he? In the country?” Logan’s voice came from right over my shoulder and my dragon preened having him so close.
The sorcerer grinned. “He’s in Ashland, Oregon. Four hours by car.”
Keegan let out a curse. “Four hours? Surely we’ll miss him!”
Danny stepped closer to the alpha. “No, get me there and I can follow his trail. I’ve got this guy’s magical scent down. He’s mine.”
Keegan gave a small growl. “No, you’re mine,” he stated without a care that the entire pack was watching them. Danny rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “Not anymore.”
An awkward silence stretched between all of us. Where I would be dying of embarrassment after being shut down like that, Keegan looked absolutely lit up with passion. Like he’d just been challenged. If Danny wanted to play hard to get, it looked like Keegan didn’t mind the chase.
“Let’s roll out. Someone get the druid,” Logan barked.
Okay, it looked like we were hunting down a magical elf so that we could force him to make me a druid-killing staff. No big deal. Just another day in my crazy life.
Gear was in the skies, flying over our yellow bus to alert us of any foes. Danny had whipped up a quick spell to contain my scent again, and unabashedly told me there was in fact wolf urine in it—Keegan’s to be exact. After throwing up the first attempt, Danny had to use magical means to get me to drink the second. Now we were just outside of Ashland, Oregon, with our happy druid at the wheel. Ruben and Sophie agreed to stay behind, in case Eva came back or we needed help. It wasn’t a good idea to go into these things all together anymore; the odds of getting captured were very real. At least with Ruben and Sophie back at camp, someone could come looking for us if shit went south and we were captured or killed. I think there were other reasons Sophie wanted to stay behind with Ruben, but I was keeping my nose out of her business.
Danny had the window open, hand hanging out and trailing yellow magical smoke as we drove. “Turn right and park!” He suddenly screamed, when we reached Main Street.
Isaac hit the brakes and careened the large school bus to the right, parking it in front of a large family park—a beautiful lakefront park, which faced a strip of bars and clubs … because this was Oregon.
“Why a bus?” Logan asked as Isaac stepped away from the captain’s chair and met us at the back. This was not a normal bus. The back half of the seats had been ripped out and four sets of bunk beds had been set up, each with its own privacy curtain. A small kitchenette stood between the bunks and the seats, with a tiny water storage tank for washing hands or doing dishes. Solar panels dotted the roof. All in all, this bus was a rugged traveling hotel. Assuming you didn’t mind peeing outside.
“Why not?” He smiled and I couldn’t help but smile too. Isaac was one of those people who was infectiously happy and weird. But good weird, I was realizing. He just didn’t care what others thought about him.
“Okay, people, we have a minor problem,” Danny said, his eyes glowing phosphorus yellow.
Dom was strapping guns to his chest and stopped to look up at the sorcerer.
Danny sighed. “It’s a pureblood only club, and I’m not sure the elf is here anymore, but if we go poke around inside, I can pick up his trail again and know for sure.”
Pureblood only. Those words enraged me and made me sick. Danny had said earlier that the elf was at a club with a ton of other purebloods but not that it was restricted to only those magical beings.
“I’m not letting you go in there alone,” Keegan stated.
Danny was the only pureblood on the bus. Well, technically Logan and I were, but we were magicked to look like half-breed wolf shifters. And Isaac was pureblood, but I was guessing a happy earth-loving druid wasn’t welcome there.
Danny nodded. “I would rather not go in alone either. I can put an illusion over a few of you to escort me inside, but only for a short time, and no more than two.”
“I’m going.” I crossed my arms defiantly. We only needed this elf because he was going to have to make a weapon for me. I deserved to go in and help find him.
“No,” Keegan and Logan both said in unison. Isaac smiled stupidly, looking between the two men. He must have lived alone out in the woods a long time. I’m sure our drama was akin to watching a reality TV show for him.
“No?” I echoed them, bracing for a fight. I might not be the best fighter but I wasn’t completely helpless. Right? The weight of the Ruger tucked in the belt at my lower back actually felt good. Powerful.
Logan leaned forward in his seat, reaching out to me. “Steven will be looking for you. He may have posted your picture at these kinds of bars. Might even be offering a reward. We don’t have time to disguise you.”
His words hit me with their truth. That damn druid knew what I was now, knew my face.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Isaac said. “I think Steven wants her for himself. If word gets around what she is, then other druids will want her power.”
Keegan shrugged. “Maybe, but can’t risk it. I’m going and … Nadine. We might need feminine charms to get people to talk.”
Nadine gave a wicked grin that told me the only feminine charm she would be using would be a knee to the balls.
Dom cocked one of his guns and nodded. “I’ll walk the perimeter.”
“Me too,” Logan added, stepping out from his place behind the seat.
“Me three.” I jumped up, rushing into the aisle.
Keegan sighed. “Would it kill you guys to just sit back one time and let me handle it?”
“Dead,” Dom said, and I busted out laughing, looking around at the others to make sure I wasn’t the only one who’d just heard him speak and gotten his joke.
“Oh my God, you have a sense of humor? I mean … who knew?” I said, and Dom’s eyes twinkled, the slightest curling of his lips as he headed down the aisle and off the bus.
Roxy squeezed Dom’s bicep as he passed. “Be safe. I’ll stay back and man the getaway vehicle.”