Fatal Temptation: Between Two Alphas
Chapter 48

Chapter Forty-Eight

JACE

"Covens can sense magic," Morgan tells me.

We're about thirty miles from the airport and I've been cleared for landing.

Morgan's hands twirl and move. A bright blue tendril of ...something...manifests in her hands. "I'm going to mask us. It won't do much up close, but for avoiding the initial recognition, it'll give us a chance." She extends her hands, first toward my men, then herself, lastly in a delicate wave she lets her fingers point toward me.

I don't feel anything.

Don't see anything different in the reflection of my appearance.

"Try not to look so disappointed, wolf."

I grin.

"That's it?" whatever spell she cast, it was decidedly anti-climactic.

"Yup."

"Huh."

She blows me a kiss.

I hate to admit it, but I know we can't pull this off without her. We're prepared to try to do it, but on a bone deep level I think we all recognize we're out of our element.

Touching down, I taxi toward the designated hangar. Unlike a commercial flight, we don't have all the steps or security or clearances to obtain. Ground traffic patrol relays instructions. A ground crew points and directs.

I guide us into the hangar we reserved. We leave the jet. Michail locks it up.

Jacob has a car waiting for us when we exit the small airport building.

You sure about this, Boss.

It's Declan.

Michail just looks bored. But that's the way he gets when he's working hard to keep himself calm. This wolf has a light trigger for his aggressions and when he knows a fight is coming, he often erupts before it. Declan is pensive. He glances at Jacob. Out loud he says, "What are the schematics, Jake?"

Morgan inclines her head toward the driver and arches a brow.

We revert to our internal conversation.

There are several service entrances, Jacob says. We could likely enter one of the shipping bays. Either like we're dropping supplies or picking up a shipment. From the security logs, deliveries happen daily. And twice weekly, we see pickups. Depending on our ingress.

It's the egress that's going to be a bitch, Declan says.

Morgan puts her hand on my thigh. "I know the way out."

Is she hearing us? My brows draw together.

"Make your dinner reservations for tonight," she says to all of us. "The whole family convenes for mass tomorrow."

Oh. So the coven will converge tomorrow. "At the restaurant?" I ask.

She nods. I think I'm in love. I'm pretty sure she just dropped lingo from John Wick into this conversation.

The restaurant is the lab. The dinner reservation confirms we attack tonight.

I'd hoped for more time for reconnaissance. But it seems like we have a handful of hours to prep and initiate our plan.

"Okay." I kiss her forehead. "We'll go. Tonight."

ΜΙΑ

The map that was in my dad's room, it just gives a layout of the city. There aren't any indicators of where to go or when. It's pretty stupid of me to even think that my mom would be here. Although... Seer. "Don't overthink it," Corinne says. "We're here. Let's do whatever you came for and head back out."

That's just it. I don't really know what I came here for. To confront my mom, I guess. But then what?

I hear it then, a lulling melody. It's so early, there is still mist clinging to the side streets where the sunlight hasn't reached yet.

I turn the wheel without thinking.

Corinne slaps my arm. "What the hell did I just tell you!?"

I pull the car to the side of the road and block a driveway.

The other women are stirring now.

We need a plan. But when I glance back at Corinne, she's pale and almost shaking. It's clear she's scared of something and from the way she talked about this city, she doesn't want to be here. "What aren't you telling me?"

She doesn't answer.

I wave my hand in front of her face.

I smell it then, again.

Death.

"She's close," Corinne whispers.

She...not it.

Chills run up and down my arms.

"Why don't I drive for a while?" Corinne unbuckles her seat belt. She's out of the car and coming around my side before I can respond.

When she opens the door and crowds me, I have no choice but to awkwardly climb over the middle console. "You couldn't let me out like a normal person?"

She just adjusts the seat and mirrors, buckles up again and pulls back out onto the road.

She's quiet. Pensive, maybe.

I'm... unsettled. If Death is indeed near, then we should hightail it out of here. "We should just go," I say.

"It won't change things," she says quietly.

"Please don't tell me you buy into all this Seer bullshit."

She shrugs. "I've had more time to think about these things." Then: "It's also part of our culture, Mia. Many packs on the West Coast will call upon Seers to come. It's considered an honor."

I snort. "And then what? They rub a crystal ball and forecast nonsense?"

"No, that's not what they do."

"Okay, so let's say I buy into all of this-and I'm not saying I do... you do realize that such a thing removes all agency. I mean, what would be the point of anything if our fate was already foretold? Then there's no such thing as choice, or free will, or any semblance of ... living."

She's quiet for a long time. "I think it's the choices we make that lead to the futures they see."

Oh.

That would kind of change things then.

"Which, if I'm being honest," she says, "will really mess with your head."

She snickers now and keeps her eyes on the road. "Don't go down the rabbitholes, Two-fer. You won't like what you see."

She's right. But the whole point of me coming here, to New Orleans is to see.

It's like she's reading my mind, when she says, "Have you seen anything?"

I shake my head.

I had those connections to Cam and even Ashley in some kind of dream plane, and maybe that's where this gift/curse wells from. But that's not actually seeing or foretelling anything. I don't know. It's not something I can control and I feel like it is a skill that has to be honed or better awakened.

But do I even want to?

My mother set a series of terrible events into motion.

Or, if Corinne is to be believed, maybe they were always meant to be and she just saw them coming.

I don't know.

I don't know WHY such a thing should even exist.

As far as I can tell, this Sight is worthless. Nothing good comes of it.

I circle back to the same thought... if the future can't be changed anyway, what's the point of this life?

Corinne pulls into a bright courtyard.

The huge space has a fountain in the middle. Trees and plants abound and the building wraps around the open square. It's three floors of pale yellow stucco, with black railing-balconies and so many flowers blooming, I smell them long before we get out of the car.

"What is this place?"

"Breakfast."

"I don't believe it!" The man that steps out of the mansion is huge. At least 6'6" and built like Jason Mamoa.

"Close your mouth, Mia," Corinne teases. "You already have Two."

She walks up to him and he lifts her off the ground, twirls her once and kisses her passionately.

It's...hot.

Rachel nudges my shoulder. "They're like that. You'll get used to it."

Corinne has her legs slung around this guy's waist and from the way she's riding him, I think they might be a few seconds away from having sex in the courtyard.

"Put her down, Theo." Rachel moves to the back of the SUV and grabs their bags. "I want a shower. And we're hungry."

He draws Corinne to his side, but it doesn't look like her feet really touch the ground.

I sniff the air.

He isn't human.

He isn't a wolf.

"What are you?" I blurt.

His green eyes crinkle. His hair and skin are dark but there's no telling his age. His smile is bright.

He ignores me and lifts Corinne's chin until she stares at him. "Have you accepted my offer then?"

She shakes her head.

"Foolish girl," he chides. "You've no idea what you're missing."

She shrugs. But I can sense she's sad.

And there's a flicker of fear.

I didn't even like this woman a day ago, and now I feel connected to her. I don't want her to be scared. I don't want something to happen to her.

I don't want anyone to get hurt over me.

Theo glances at me again, and it's like he sees straight through me. "They've been waiting for you."

He holds his hand out and we walk through a trellised tunnel into another courtyard. This place is huge. A mansion with multiple levels and these beautiful gardened terraces and squares in the center of each wing of the building.

I follow Corinne and the Ravens through.

My blood runs hot-then cold.

And what I see stops me in my tracks...

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