Set In Sparks (Morningstars Book 2) (30 page)

“Won’t happen.”

Jaden stayed silent for a long moment. “I know,” he groaned and then Kaden felt him shift, hugging Maya tighter.

Bubble wrap sounded like the best plan ever, but Kaden knew that for now they could be happy they were wrapped in a bubble for the da
y
.

Leaving was harder than Maya had anticipated. Despite the fact that the twins would always know where she was, and that she was alive and well, she feared that she was out on a mission doomed to fail. She and Lara had talked a lot about how Lara saw the wolves and what she thought would be the best approach, yet she couldn’t guess how things would go once she got down to the Clarity Pack.

Clarity was a little town that once lived off the fact that they were set on a crossroad well traveled with merchants. It was the reason why the wolves had settled there, too. Now it was a lush green forest area stretching over thousands of square miles and barely anyone around. Maya’s research had brought up that a Morningstar Coven was somewhere around there, too, and even though it as weird that the pack and the Coven should get along well, she didn’t think about that fact closer. She planned on seeing the vampires though, even if it only meant introducing herself. She wanted the vampires to know that they had a Queen they could always count on.

“They changed a lot,” Lara suddenly said from the backseat. Matt was driving, the low hum of the SUV almost lulling, while the headlights of the cars passing them highlighting his blond hair until it looked almost white. There were deep creases on his forehead and Maya realized that he most likely had gotten hell from about every warrior in the mansion. After all, he was the youngest and carried precious load where it concerned the rest.

“They did. They all are so much more serious. I can’t remember the last time all warriors hung out in a game room and just shot some pool,” he gave back and Maya raised a brow. She hadn’t even thought about the fact that things had changed so much for all warriors.

“We need to get better organized,” she mumbled, wishing she had thought more about the rest of them. “There need to be plans and –”

“Maya, it’s not your fault things got busy. First, the Hellraise came for you and we had all hands full, then you needed to get out and prove that you are the Queen we deserve, and then the storm that hit us… there’ll be times we all will be bored,” Matt said gently and she took a deep breath. She had missed talking to him.

“How have you been?” she asked and he shrugged, giving her a smirk before focusing back on the street.

“Better if you hadn’t been mad at me for being in on getting you out of the compound and over to the mansion,” he admitted and she felt guilty. Maybe she should have mentioned months earlier that she wasn’t mad at him anymore. There just had been so much going on, the problem had slipped her mind, especially since for her it hadn’t been a problem anymore.

“I don’t think she was mad at anyone but Colbin and me,” Lara commented and Maya saw Matt threw a glance at Lara in the rearview mirror. It was unreadable and yet, she could hear Lara’s smile when she spoke again. “We all were wrong at some point, but I’d like to emphasize what Matt said. You did great. Jaden picked up Colbin’s role without hesitation.

“He tried proving himself to our little Queen,” Matt whispered and Maya rolled her eyes.

“He never had to prove himself. He was there when I needed it, even if he tried to cover it up. He took a little longer until he decided that he not only could have me, but wanted me as well, and that was okay. After that, it was just as much me, wondering if I was cheating on him secretly because I wanted to see Kaden’s face just once.”

“Are you scared, Maya?” Lara asked and Maya turned in her seat to look at Colbin’s Origin.

There was so much she could say she was scared of, but she figured it was better keeping that under wraps. “Scared?” she inquired and Lara shrugged.

“Of this mission. Do you think this will end okay?”

Maya faced the front again, staring out into the night as she thought about how best to answer that. “I have to be honest, I’m terrified that we won’t be able to help the little wolf. That’s the only thing I’m worried about. Everything else? Nope, not at all.” That was a lie. She worried they’d be too late. She worried the wolves wouldn’t even let get them close. She worried that if things happened, no one was around to help them. She was afraid that Colbin would never get to see Lara again. She was scared she wouldn’t get to feel the twins again. There was nothing she was sure about and that was probably the worst thing of all.

Ryder was pulled aside by Cany, and he eyed her while she wrung her hands.

“Cany, I’m not in a mood to play games. Your anxiousness is coming loud and clear through the bond. I don’t know what to do or tell you, but maybe you should –”

“Check on the twins. You’re Maya’s brother. You owe it to her to make them act rather normal.” He did a double take, staring at his Origin. It eased his mind to know that she belonged to him and a little of the tension straining his shoulders left.

“There’s a way for the twins to act normal?” he wanted to know, only half teasing.

Cany opened the door to the kitchen and Ryder caught a glance at Jaden gritting his teeth, hands rested on the table top while Kaden pushed a coffee mug from one hand to the other. Okay,
that
really wasn’t normal behavior for the two. He already worried enough about Maya, he couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if it was Cany in that car for them. He drew his Origin into his side, kissing her head softly.

“Don’t ever go on any crazy mission with her, okay? I don’t care how fucking safe you are, just don’t,” he growled, hearing Cany’s strained giggle. How had they all ever agreed to Maya leaving alone? They could have gone and just … maybe hidden out somewhere or … They would have found a way.

“Go and say something manly, do something macho. Make them okay,” she pleaded and he felt how she pressed her lips against his chest before pushing him into the room. She left as the door swung close behind him. The twins didn’t even look up.

“We could always tie her up next time around,” he suggested. It was the best thing he could come up with. Frankly, the twins looked up, pale, but smiling.

“We thought about that, too, but there’s no way any ties will hold her,” Jaden replied, slowly pushing away from the table.

“She’s pretty headstrong,” Ryder agreed.

“Let’s follow her,” Jaden suggested and Ryder instantly wanted to nod, but Kaden coughed in disbelief.

“You just got her as far as getting her to love you again and take you in and all you can think about is making sure she hates our asses from here to the moon and back? We need to trust her,” the second twin protested and Ryder pulled his shoulders up until they almost covered his shoulders. Kaden was the best one to have in your team to defend what you wanted while
you
were away.

“Will you still say that when she’s –”

“Not gonna happen. Lara and Matt will give their lives for her before they let anything happen to her. I want to be in that car with her, but we need to let her be Queen. Maybe it helps if you think of it that way. It’s not Maya in that car, but the Queen.”

“She works well under pressure. Very well. I’ve seen her do it. You’ve seen it. That night Cany caused the chaos, she almost broke under the responsibility, but all that happened was her getting even stronger. Her people love her, and that’s what she needs. I’ve seen her notes. I know what she wants to do. Uniting the Morningstar under a Queen instead of the Circle of Seven will take bravery, fight and a lot of determination. If that wolf belongs to her Origin, let her get it here. You’ll never be able to imagine how a wolf-ally could help us!” Ryder explained.

“It’ll only be a wolf as long is it doesn’t find its mate,” Jaden remarked and Ryder shrugged.

“How high are the chances that the mate is here? Close to zero. It’s crazy enough that we’ve had three people here that belong together. For all we know her mate could be out there in the world, lost and what do we know,” Ryder protested.

“Maya will be doing just right. It’s only a few days until she’d back and then we can always reconsider those lenient borders we allowed her so far,” Kaden suggested and then looked back at Ryder. “So, Cany and you, huh? It’s good to be mated, isn’t it?”

“Most reassuring thing ever. She looks at me as if I hung the moon,” Ryder answered, not being able to keep the pride out of his voice. Maya had made his life so good, in a lot of aspects, and he had never been happier to have a family than he was right now. She definitely was on the right way with their race and with her mates. Mates that now would get a task. “Let’s go and see how the house rebuilding proceeds. You know that’s what Maya will want to know once she calls,” he nodded, slapping Jaden brotherly on the shoulder. It was the twin closest to him.

“Yeah, let’s make sure we have something to tell when she calls,” he agreed and then they all left the room. It was probably the best to spend some hours busy. It would shorten the time until Maya returned, easing everyone’s mind.

The woods surrounding the wolf pack were more than just pretty. Maya couldn’t remember ever having seen something as lush as those trees. It was incredible. Matt parked the car, tension radiating from the young vampire like she had rarely seen.

“It’ll be okay,” she tried to soothe him and he gave her a forced smile.

“I’m sure you’ve never seen it, but I saw the twins in rage. And when I say rage, I mean tearing someone apart from limb to limb. Add Colbin to that, who’s quiet, but vicious when being mad. If one hair on Lara’s pretty head is out of place, I’m going to be a very dead vampire,” he mumbled through gritted teeth and Maya went closer, hugging him tight.

“Nothing will happen. We’ll change and then we’ll look as innocent as innocents come,” she promised, not seeing how a powerful Alpha would be able to see them as a threat. She still hadn’t made her mind up about how to approach the topic, but she and Lara had agreed that maybe there’d be a lucky coincidence offering them a way in.

She turned to the little cabin they had found not three miles from their original destination. Matt had suggested starting their visit off with the Morningstar coven, but Maya just wanted to get the terrible meeting out of the way before being able to present her people with a smiling Queen. After all, only after the she-wolf was safe, she’d be able to breathe again.

“It’s no five-star-hotel,” Matt apologized, coming up behind her. She couldn’t help but breathe easier with this little thing. She didn’t mind her bedroom, or the big kitchen, but that she could pass on as long as she had the twins. For a moment she wondered how it would be if they wouldn’t stay at the mansion each day, but simply stay at the twin’s cabin. By the Creator, how much she wished for that. Of course she knew it was impossible since no one would be able to reach her then in case of emergencies. She just needed to remember that she did this for all those people that needed her.