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?”
“Pretty sure the reason Claudia wanted to get Hadley alone was to talk about how good you are in bed.”
A flash of heat singed his face and then drained away in a rush. “Are you serious?”
“What do you think girls talk about when they’re alone?”
“I have no idea.”
“You have dwelled in the dark for too long. I’m willing to bet they’re talking measuring sticks right now.”
Scrubbing his palms over his face, Midas wished he could hide behind his hands forever. “God.”
“Come on.” Ford slapped him on the back. “Post assignments now, die of shame later.”
Later couldn’t come fast enough for Midas.
Four
The bar Claudia selected had seen better days, probably, but not in my lifetime.