Sammy swallowed thickly, finally beginning to grasp the seriousness of what he was contemplating.
“I know you’re scared,” Dominic continued, his voice softening. “And I know it seems like we’re spinning our wheels, but I promise it’s not as desperate as it feels.” He gathered both of Sammy’s hands into one of his own and reached out with the other to caress his cheek. “We’ll find her. Just be patient.”
Closing his eyes, Sammy tilted his head, leaning into his mate’s palm and soaking up the offered comfort. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from voicing his fears.
“What if we don’t find her, though? What if she summons me?”
“I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
While he appreciated Dominic’s determination, that didn’t answer his question. “But what if it does?”
“Then I’ll find you, and I’ll be there before your head even stops spinning.”
Somehow, he doubted it would be that easy or that expedient, but he didn’t question it, choosing instead to accept Dominic’s words as the reassurance they were meant to be. He hoped itwouldn’t come to that, of course, but having a backup plan made him feel better.
“Can she block you from finding me?”
Dominic tensed, his hand tightening around Sammy’s. “Technically, yes, but not without you being physically present. Even then, it’s not instant like a regular cloaking spell. To hide you from detection, it would take a few minutes at least to weave that kind of magic.”
After considering this for a moment, Sammy dipped his head and pulled free of the wolf’s grip. Loosening the fastenings on one of his bracelets—a strip of brown leather with beads of volcanic ash and moonstone—he slid it off and held it between his fingers.
“Give me your hand.”
In the event of his disappearance, he had an entire room of belongings suitable for a locator spell. That relied heavily on Dominic being close to La Madriguera when it happened, though. Giving him something he could carry with him saved time.
Time Sammy might not have.
He expected another debate, or at the very least, begrudging indulgence. Dominic, however, held his hand out with an approving nod.
“Smart.”
Heat crept into his cheeks at the compliment, but he smiled as he finished securing the bracelet. “Thanks.”
“Everything is going to be okay.” Dominic sounded like he really believed that.
Sammy didn’t feel as confident, but he smiled anyway.
“I’m serious.” Tucking a knuckle under his chin, Dominic urged his face up until their gazes met. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Applying the barest pressure to his chin, Dominic tugged him closer, keeping his face turned upward as he leaned in. His expression softened, his eyes a little glazed as his focus settled on Sammy’s mouth.
Sammy held his breath, even as his heart thrummed wildly inside his chest. He didn’t move, not to resist nor to encourage. Currents of anticipation traveled across his skin, and his stomach knotted with a mix of nerves and excitement.
Dominic didn’t rush, though. Instead, he hovered a few inches away, studying him as he traced his thumb across Sammy’s bottom lip in featherlight strokes. A quiet rumble vibrated from his chest to echo around the room, the sound simultaneously dark and comforting.
He must have found whatever he’d been searching for because he moved closer, crowding him, his mouth hovering so close Sammy could smell the toothpaste on his breath.
They hung there in that moment for what felt like forever, so close yet so far away. There was a charge to the room now, a soft crackle that sizzled the air. It was maddening, but also exhilarating, the anticipation building to a feverish crescendo.
So, it felt like being doused in ice water when Saint rushed into the media room, his footsteps heavy and urgent. Hell, he didn’t even wait to be acknowledged before delivering his news.
“We found the coven.”
Chapter ten
Twenty minutes later, the pack was dressed, strapped, and gathered around the circular, clawfoot table in the library.
Dominic didn’t know exactly how it had started, but calling the sunken den a library had become something of an inside joke among the pack. While brightly lit and lined with shelves, in reality, the only books in the room were a handful of grimoires.