Kester's wolves piled into the room anxious to hear about Tearlach and Maitland. Wolves were incredibly loyal to their pack mates, and they could sense something was just getting started. Rowan was on the move, and they'd all seen what kind of trouble she could get into, only now Tearlach and Maitland were with her.
Kester addressed his wolves as Deisha looked on. "First off, we don't know where they are."
"I know what they're doing." Branigan spoke up quickly. He knew they were making a mistake, but like always, Rowan did whatever the hell she wanted. "They called in Cahal. Rowan wanted a tracker to find Mairin."
"Fuck! That woman is nothing but trouble. Did they tell her about trackers?" Sawney wanted to put a harness with a bit and a bridle on that girl to keep her in line.
"Tearlach's with Maitland, and yeah, they told her. She didn't listen, shocker huh?" Branigan shook his head. She was unbelievable.
"Tearlach's there?" Ian couldn't believe his ears. That meant she'd come back for him...him? She hated Tearlach, and yet she'd chosen him over Ian. His heart sank at the realization that Rowan hated him more than she hated Tearlach.
"They called in Cahal?" Deisha knew of him. He was the son of Dexus. The tracker who used her for close to two years before she finally got out of her deal. Dexus was a vile man. For Rowan's sake, she hoped Cahal had taken more after his mother, whoever that was.
"I'm sure she's dealing with him now. Patience doesn't seem to be in any of our DNA." Fitz couldn't believe one girl could get into so much trouble in such a short period of time, but it wasn't her fault. She'd been forced to learn by fire.
"It certainly isn't." Ian sat down on the sofa by Fitz. "The tracker will negotiate taking her off realm for a period of time..and a favor. That's how they work."
"What kind of favor?" Kester wondered what Cahal would want from her.
"At first, the kind she would never agree to, so she'll be stuck in his realm until he's ready for her to leave. Eventually, she'll agree to just about anything to get away, if she wants to leave him, that is." Ian's eyes bore holes into the floor at his feet.
"Just what the hell does that mean?" Branigan knew Cahal from the bars and he didn't seem like this kind of guy.
"Trackers are known for their...skills with the ladies." Ian was containing his anger, just barely. This was his fault, he'd treated her poorly even though that hadn't been his intent. He just wanted her to learn so she'd be safe when he couldn't be there to protect her. Rowan was a lot of things, but she wasn't the kind of girl who'd sell herself- unless it was to save Antaine. She was totally that kind of person. She was like her great grandmother Willa, protecting the weak from the strong, even if it was to her own detriment.
"Any idea where they are?" Ian was hopeful but not unrealistic.
"Nah, he didn't say." Branigan wished he had better news for all their sakes.
"Call him back right now." Ian wasn't asking.
Branigan tossed the phone to him, "You call him vampire. Maitland's number is on speed dial." Maitland didn't like to be fucked with. If he wanted them to know where he was, he would've said something.
Ian dialed the number.
"Branigan, what do you want? We're a little busy here." Maitland couldn't be bothered with distractions. Things were about to implode. He had to keep his eye on Rowan.
"It's Ian. Where are you?" Maitland might be tough, but if he didn't give the information to him right now, Ian was gonna wipe the floor with his ass.
"Oh, so now you want to share information." Maitland laughed into the phone.
"Don't make me ask twice wolf." Ian was growing more perturbed with each second he wasted.
"The door swings both ways asshole, and I give as good as I get vampire."
"If Cahal gets her he could have her for a very long time. How does that sit with you wolf?"
"She's already made her deal, Ian." Maitland stared at the sand wondering if he'd done the right thing.
"Let me guess, one week and one favor?" Ian's head sunk and his shoulders slumped over.
"How'd you..."
Ian cut him off, "Been doing this a lot longer than you wolf. Now, where are you? She's in a lot of trouble."
"If Rowan wants you to have the information, she'll call you. I'll let her know you called though...vampire." He hung up the phone.
Maitland immediately filled T in, "Ian wants to come in and rescue her from herself. When are you guys gonna learn you can't deal with her like that?"
Tearlach followed her footprints along the shoreline, trying to locate her. He could still smell her scent, so she couldn't be too far. "Like what?"
"She wants to be able to stand on her own. She doesn't want you telling her what she should be doing or not doing. You bastards push her, and this is where she ends up. Why do you push her until she breaks?" Maitland was pissed, he knew Fitz could trace the call if he wanted to.
Tearlach let out a deep sigh because the truth was he didn't know why he did it. He just wanted her with him, safe. "Full moon is in a couple weeks. I can't be near her Maitland." Tearlach didn't want to be responsible for what he would do to her if she was anywhere within a hundred miles of him.
"Yeah, I probably shouldn't be with her either. Kester's office could have been bad for her. We were all feeling her need."
"Let's hope that tracker works fast cuz we have to get the hell off this island." Tearlach rubbed the stubble on his cheeks and chin. The beast within him was chomping at the bit to get out...and take a run at Rowan.