"I'll do whatever I have to do to bring her home. I promise." Under her hands, she felt his body trembling.
"Colton, you and Rheia spend the day together. I will call you with any updates I get from Father," Aiden said, his arm wrapped firmly around Meryn.
Rheia looked up from Colton's neck to see that everyone in the foyer, including Jaxon and Noah, wore identical depressed expressions. Losing Penny had affected them all.
Colton drew a shaky breath and stepped back to face Aiden. "Will Sascha and Quinn be enough to keep her safe?"
"I'm assigning Gamma and Beta Units to the Carmichael's house. They'll rotate and stand guard in shifts."
Meryn sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Plus she has Felix with her. He'll watch after her."
"I just want my baby back," Rheia whispered.
"Come on, my love, let's go lay down for a bit," Colton suggested, turning her towards the stairs.
"Whatever." Rheia shrugged.
What was the point?
"We'll be down later," she heard Colton say before he gently guided her up the stairs. She blinked and they were in their room. She shook her head. She barely remembered coming up the stairs. She blinked again and Colton was helping her into her pajamas.
She couldn't stop the tears from flowing, so she stopped trying. Colton carried her to their bed and laid her down gently. He curled up behind her, pulling her close to his body. She scooted back as far as she could, not wanting any space between them. She reached behind her and pulled his arm around her body so that she could hold on to it. There was something about his body, his hard muscles and high body temperature that made him something solid and warm to cling to.
"What if we can't get her back?"
Colton kissed the back of her neck. "Then I'll find a way to purchase the house next to the Carmichael's so that we can see her every day. She can visit with us all day long and sleep at their house, if they insist on her living with them."
"It won't be the same."
"We'll find a way, Rheia. You and I will explain to the council how much she needs us."
"It won't matter, we're not related remember? No blood ties," she said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.
"Hey, why does that sound like you're not talking about Penny?" Colton asked turning her around to face him.
"Because I've heard this before. Growing up, my grandmother and grandfather on my mother's side never acknowledged me as belonging to my mother. Not once. I was always 'that child'. Or they'd say, 'Why do you care what happens to her, it's not like she's yours'."
"And now you're hearing the same thing, but from the other side of the equation." Colton gently pushed her hair away from her face. Her tears had everything clinging to her skin creating a matted mess.
"And I'm not even a shifter."
"But I am." He tilted her head up with his finger and thumb. "I'll make an appointment with the council for us to plead our case. Penny's wishes have to be taken into consideration."
"I just want her home," Rheia said and buried her face in his chest.
"Me, too," he whispered.
Rheia closed her eyes with her emotions running so high she was exhausted. She let the darkness take her and prayed that this morning was nothing but a bad dream and that when she woke, Penny would be home.
*****
Rheia opened her eyes and rolled over. She was alone in bed as usual. She sat up and looked over to the nightstand. A cup of steaming coffee and a note waited for her. When she felt tears threaten to overtake her she shook her head. She needed to get her shit together and figure out a way to get her daughter back. Crying in bed wasn't going to do her a damn bit of good. Wiping her eyes, she sat up and leaned against the headboard. She picked up the cup of coffee and took a long sip. It wasn't very hot, which made it the perfect temperature to drink. She grabbed the note.
Sorry I can't be there when you wake up. Aiden needed help testing a new perimeter to keep us safe. See you when you get up. Love you always, Colton.
When she'd finished half the coffee, she walked over to the bench at the foot of the bed where Colton had draped her clothes earlier. She got dressed and picked up her coffee cup. Walking downstairs, she heard voices coming from the family room. Usually Meryn and Beth were in the office this time of the afternoon. When she walked in, she was surprised to see that Meryn, Beth, Jaxon, Noah and even Ryuu were huddled around two of the front windows.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Meryn whirled to face her, grinning ear to ear. "The men are testing the new perimeter spell Keelan cast." She turned back and practically pressed her face to the window. Rheia walked over to stand next to Meryn and looked out the window. The men were standing at the property line with their hands on their hips.
"I wish we could hear what they're saying," Beth said peeking out from around the curtain.
Smiling, Ryuu snapped his fingers and suddenly they could hear the men as if they were standing in the room next to them.
"Okay, Keelan you cast the spell, you test it," Aiden ordered.
They watched as Keelan back away. "Do I have to?"
"Yes," Aiden and Colton said together.
"Okay, but I don't like this," Keelan grumbled. Slowly Keelan extended his hand, a second later a purple spark exploded and Keelan dropped like a rock.