River grins, “It’s a good job that I don’t like being bored.”
“Me neither,” Coen grimaces. “I hate having nothing to do.”
“We know,” Raiden teases with a smile.
I love that Coen has just fit back in with us like he never left, and I’m sure that it’s only a matter of time until River and he are causing trouble again.
“We’re here,” Van says as he stops just before going through the gates.
“This shouldn’t take me too long,” I say as I stand up, and everyone follows me out of the van. “I’m just going to do a quick sweep to make sure that we’re not being watched and that no one is preparing to ambush us. Just in case the Blue Fucker had someone other than the wolves watching for us.”
“Good idea,” Reed says as he stretches, and Neith’s eyes immediately go to the strip of stomach his stretching exposed.
My smirk widens into a smile as she catches me watching her and winks at me while shrugging. All the while, Reed is completely oblivious.
“Do you need us to do anything?” Coen asks, and I remember that he wasn’t with us last time when I did the wards at the house.
That reminds me, I need to add his magic to those.
“That’s up to you. You can help strengthen the wards by adding a small amount of your magic to them, but honestly, they should be strong enough without it,” I explain.
“Like we did with the wards at home?” Neith asks.
I nod, “Yeah, like that, but this time, preferably without you falling into them and sending a boom of power through it.”
She narrows her eyes playfully at me, “I was pushed.”
“Sure you were,” I tease, and she laughs, sticking her middle finger up at me.
I look back to a grinning Coen, “If you’re comfortable with it, I need to put your magic into the wards at home.”
Coen nods and replies with absolutely no hesitation, “Yeah, of course.”
“I want to help strengthen these ones, I don’t want the compound to be under threat just because a psycho is looking for me,” Neith says seriously, her eyebrows dipping down slightly.
How is it that absolutely everything that this woman does, I’m enchanted by?
It makes no sense.
Now is not the time, Ransom, I tell myself firmly. I need to do the wards so we can go home.
All of the others quickly chime in that they all want to help strengthen the wards as well, and to be honest, I’m not surprised at all. We all care about Calia, Eamon, and the people who call the compound home.
“Okay, let me just check that there isn’t anyone nearby,” I tell them.
My magic comes even quicker than usual, just like it has been doing since we got back. I send a wave of it out through the ward and into the surrounding area, sending it pretty far out to make sure that I don’t miss anything.
All I manage to find is animals, nothing worrying, and nothing magical, or even human, so we should be good to go.
“All good?” Van asks.
I nod, “Yep, there’s nothing out there that shouldn’t be.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Griff says, “I don’t think I want another fight right now. I just want my bed.”
“Me too,” Raiden agrees wholeheartedly.
I smile. I could always go for another fight, but I do see what they mean, and I do want to get home.
