Page 91 of Oracles Always Win

“Fuck,”Jakemuttered as he broke the hug.Ashe stepped back, he rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Okay.You’reright.I’mbeing selfish.”

“Youaren’t selfish.I’dfeel the same way if things were reversed.ButI’vebeen around for a long time.Myteam has trained for this.”

“Andwe’re really good at it,”Davinainterjected. “Thebest there is.”

Agroup of cop cars sped past the inn in a flurry of dust and gravel and blasting sirens.

“Go.Helpthem.”Jakewaved me away. “Butmake sure you come back.”

Idropped a quick kiss on his mouth, then ran after my team.Jakestayed behind withJeremyandPaws.He’dbe safe there; believing in that was the only wayIcould make myself leave him.

Islid into the passenger seat ofDavina’sblack-topped vintage muscle car.Inever remembered the make or model, but it was fast and that was allIcared about.Adrian, who’d walked over to the inn this morning withJeremy, andTeaguewere already in the back seat.

“NeitherIsaacnorNelsonare picking up,”Adriansaid, not looking up from his phone.

“Theymight not even be there yet,”Teaguesaid.

Davina’stires threw up a cloud of dust and gravel as she spun the car in a one-eighty in the parking lot.

“Tellme whereI’mgoing,” she said.

“Turnright,”Adriansaid.

Wecareened around the corner, thenDavinafloored it.Noneof us said anything.Shealways drove like this.Foras many times asI’dbeen sure she’d wreck the car, she hadn’t done it yet.

“Fuck,”Adrianmuttered as he grabbed the seat in front of him so he didn’t crash intoTeague. “We’resupes, soIknow we’re hard to kill, but you don’t have to take that as a challenge.”

“Whatwas with the surge of demonic magic in the middle of the night last night?Theghosts were telling me about it whenIgot here,”Davinaasked, ignoringAdrian’swhining as she guided the car around a bend in the road.

Teagueleaned forward.

Ifrowned.I’dhoped she’d talk to me about it alone, but she wasn’t wrong to do it this way.Theteam had a right to know we were going into a potentially volatile situation. “LastnightIwas thinking about the bomb…”

“Andhow someone was trying to kill your mate.”Davinaclenched the steering wheel.

“Yes.Thattoo.”

Iglanced behind me to gauge the others’ reactions.Adrianlooked ill, although that might just be fromDavina’sdriving.

“Ican’t imagine if someone tried to kill my mate,” the wolf said. “Itwas bad enough whenBabettewas ridingJeremy’sback and then his magic knocked him out.”Heshivered. “Idon’t thinkIwould have been able to handle it if anything more had happened.Thedamage those bombs caused…”

Justthinking about the bombs and how closeI’dcome to losingJakemade my control slip.Justa little.

Teaguestared at me. “Yougonna be okay with this?Wecan dump your ass on the side of the road right now.Youdon’t need to come.”

“I’llbe fine,”Ilied.

Everyonelet my statement stand.Theywere quiet for several long moments.

“Whatwould it mean for you to tether toWillowLake?”Adrianasked finally.He’dleaned forward likeTeague, their heads almost touching as they peered at me over the seat. “We’vealways talked about it being the ultimate goal, but what does that look like?”

“IfIbind myself here,Idon’t know what the rest of you would do.Weneed to talk about it.Wouldany of you even want to stay here?—?”

Theirchorus of “yes” and “fuck, yes” interrupted whatIwas saying.

“Really?Youcould all imagine living here?”

“Yeah,”Davinasaid. “I’veonly been here for a few hours, but it doesn’t matter.Ifthis is the place you need to be, then we’ll be right there with you.”