Page 9 of Old Secrets

The Inquisitor’s tone implied Jake was just some male I’d picked up off the streets and had decided to keep around. “We both made mistakes, sir.”

“Yes, you did. And admitting that is a good sign you both want to make the relationship last. I received a briefing on your situation, as you would have been transferred into my custody if the pack issues in Baltimore hadn’t been resolved. As it is, I’m considering bringing you both to Seattle so you can witness a healthy pack structure. Perhaps after your trip to Tibet. Should you become pregnant, I will probably request rights to help you through the pregnancy, depending on what we learn about your species. Seattle has the equipment for touchy pregnancies involving women who shouldn’t be treated in a general hospital.”

Ah. I understood. Jake had told me about the Fenerec women who sometimes gave birth to a wolf rather than a human infant. “Considering I had a twin removed who was a fox, that’s probably wise.”

“That discovery couldn’t have been pleasant for you.”

I considered his statement, and after a moment, I said, “It brought up a lot of questions we don’t have the answers to, which is why we’re going to Tibet. I’d rather not have to experiment to see what I can and can’t do should we have children.”

“That is not a battle any parent wants to fight. I’ll give my Chinese contacts a call and start asking about women who better match your personal physiology. In the meantime, try not to wear your male out too much. And should you become pregnant, well, we’ll do our best to get your little ones into the world with the understanding we may not be able to treat your pregnancy like we do Fenerec or human women. And Mrs. Thomas?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I am certain you are not like a cuttlefish, so do please try to hold on to your general sanity in that regard. Cuttlefish have a lifespan of two years. You have already surpassed them. The majority of your organs and habits are human with some differences. I’m sure you’re not going to spontaneously fall over dead post reproducing.”

I dissolved into a fit of giggles. “I’m still going to say it just to drive Jake crazy.”

“As long as you’re only doing it to drive him crazy,” he conceded.

“But what if my species is like a cuttlefish? Or that we only reproduce once and that’s it?”

“Considering I was told on the phone before speaking to you that you are producing new eggs as an adult, I suspect you’re long-lived like the Fenerec and it wouldn’t surprise me if you maintain your fertility for a long time. Frankly, you should be more concerned about how to control the number of offspring you have.”

“But why would I want to?” I blurted.

That got the man chuckling. “I’m going to enjoy introducing you to Nicolina. Perhaps you can convince her she’s finally ready to be a mother.”

“Why don’t you give me her email address? I’ll send her an email, set her straight, and leave you to witness her head explode, as I will blame you for reaching out in the first place.”

After a long but amusing silence, he said, “I am looking forward to seeing what she will do more than is good for my health. If I find out anything from my Chinese contacts, I will text you and request a call when you’re able. Have a safe flight, watch your back, and if you see those Greenwich scum, stick to your strengths.”

“You mean rip them apart and paint with their blood?”

“Precisely.”

THREE

“I like presents, so I am sure it’ll be fine.”

At three in the morning, we handed the keys to our truck and RV off to a pair of Inquisition operatives, and they drove us to the airport.

I’d expected a commercial flight.

What we got instead defied comprehension. The plane, which belonged to the Chinese government, used the same gates as commercial flights, but there was nothing commercial about it except its size. We entered a luxurious paradise, one where Jake and I had a suite to ourselves with four seats, a dining table, and a big bed we could enjoy at our leisure. According to the flight attendants, we would stop to refuel and check over the plane in Tokyo, where we would spend at least two days while a Chinese delegation finished some business in Japan. They would join us for the short flight to the nearest Chinese airport, after which the plane would take us closer to Tibet. According to the leather binder, which contained an itinerary, we would be visiting several heritage sites in Japan while the local Fenerec kept a close watch out and intercepted anyone who might be a part of the Greenwich operations.

For the next thirteen hours, we would be pampered, given sufficient time to enjoy ourselves in the suite’s privacy, and be fed.

To my amusement, China had sent over a pair of witches who worked with Fenerec to do a full health evaluation. One of them had a knack at reading biological signatures and could accurately judge when a woman needed to halt transformations to protect her child.

It amused me we had a busy schedule on the plane. For the first hour after we hit altitude, we were expected to dine in the group dining hall in the center of the plane, where we would be showered with the best treats China had to offer. I questioned how they cooked on a plane, but the folder was clear.

Our treats would be fresh.

“This is amazing,” I informed Jake, waving the itinerary at him. “We got to bring all our work papers, they planned for us to have working hours, which is after we have sufficient cuddling time. They put cuddling time on this.”

“Fenerec require a great deal of affection, and we’ve been telling them you’re a hormonal mess,” my husband replied, smiling at me. He checked my seatbelt and loosened it. “Making that so tight you can barely breathe is not going to help in an emergency, Karma. You need to breathe. But I suspect you’ll be kept so busy on the flight that you won’t be worried about the fact we’re flying.”

I bobbed my head, rereading the itinerary for Japan. “Someone went through all this work so we could do something nice in Japan while waiting for the flight to China.”