Exhale (21 page)

Zoe bit her thumbnail, and more red zipped into her aura. “God, I hope it’s not Lily. She lost a calf to whalers in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary off Antarctica two years ago. If the Fyres go after her, it’ll be Antarctica all over again.”

Her eyes widened. “I can’t let that happen. I
won’t
.”

Gavin nodded. “Okay, then we need to keep her identity a secret. With all these unanswered questions, we can’t trust anyone. Elementals are clever. They can trick you into telling them things, make you think they’re something they’re not. Don’t say a word about this to
anyone
.”

She dropped to the bed next to him. “What do I have to do to protect her? I don’t care about the Elementals or whatever they are. I just want her and the baby safe. I won’t fail her again.”

“The two of us will take care of her together. You have to trust me, though. I don’t like the fact that Scarlet’s been threatening you, and I suspect the bloke who went after you may be connected with the Fyres in some way. I’m also concerned you may have attracted the attention of an Aer Elemental, though I’m not sure why.”

He glanced at the door. Dreamsense still flat-lined. “You mind if I stay here tonight?”

She started to protest, but he held up his hand. “I’ll sleep on the bloody floor if you like, but I need to keep an eye on you.”

“How can you ‘keep an eye on me’ if you’re asleep?”

“I can watch you in or outside the Dreaming.” He tapped his chest. “Sentinel.”

“I don’t want you watching me. That’s creepy.”

He grinned. “I’ve been watching you dream for weeks. What’s the difference?”

Her cheeks reddened. “Those were dreams. This is real. And since we’re on the subject, as far as I’m concerned, you and I are starting over.”

He nudged her with his shoulder. “A fresh beginning sounds good to me. So, are you gonna let me stay, or am I crashing in my car again?”

“I hope you’re joking.”

Silence was his only answer.

She stared at him for a moment, then tossed the covers aside. “Hop in.”

Chapter Nineteen

After a failed attempt to enter Zoe Morgan’s dreams, Iri Rangi waited for Scarlet in the Dreaming, his ever-active mind running a series of calculations. Assuming the Wæters’ Archelemental candidate’s calf was born a week ago, and taking into account the migratory distance from calving grounds near the Great Barrier Reef, along with frequency of stops for rest, nursing, and socializing, he expected the whale to arrive in Hervey Bay in two weeks and five days.

Not much time left.

As brainwashing was a tedious process, he needed at least that long to finalize plans for his daughter, Whetu, to escape from the Fyres holding her hostage. She should be fine while in the coma—perhaps safer unconscious than awake. As long as Iri maintained an appearance of cooperation, the brutes would keep her relatively unharmed. They needed him.

Quelling rising emotion with a pull of Air, he redirected his thoughts to Zoe. He hadn’t expected Gavin’s appearance at the research house and wasn’t sure if he’d Airwalked fast enough to escape the Sentinel’s notice.

He’d have to tread lightly from here on. If Gavin started spending more time at the house, chances were good Iri would be caught. Perhaps he’d hole up elsewhere at night from now on. Couldn’t hurt. He hadn’t been able to reach Zoe through her dreams last night anyway, probably because of Gavin’s proximity.

The Dreaming’s mists swirled yellow, bowed at his feet, then blushed red, and burst into flame. Iri squelched his fear of Fire with a hard swallow and took two steps back to avoid the intense heat of Scarlet’s arrival.

She shook her face out of the door’s inferno. Hair took shape in curly ringlets, framing her ruddy cheeks. The rest of her shimmied out of the orange tongues licking toward him.

Beads of sweat clustered above his lip. He half-expected Scarlet to laugh in that evil way she often did, but her expression was somber.

The blazing portal fizzled shut behind her. Her brown eyes simmered to the color of caramel. Red veins slithered through the irises.

“I need to know where Gavin slept last night. And don’t you dare tell me it was with that
slut,
Zoe Morgan.” The tightly clenched jaw muffled her words.

So, you prefer a lie? Denying the truth doesn’t change it.

Scarlet rounded on him, baring her teeth like a prize-winning fight dog. “Speak to me!” she snarled, her voice thin with high-pitched rage. “With your mouth, you fucking idiot!”

Iri lifted his gaze to hers with slow calculation and hardened his expression by willing his eyes black and tensing his stance.

“He slept with Zoe Morgan.” The sound and taste of spoken words disgusted him, but for the time being, it was necessary to remain on Scarlet’s good side. Assuming there was such a thing.

Her lip curled, neck twisted in a circular motion, and hands poised for attack like the talons of a demon. She shrieked an unholy scream that rattled the very rocks of the red-laced canyons of the Dreaming. As she turned to him, she wiped a blood-colored tear from her eye.

Interesting.

“Where is the whale we’re looking for?” she asked, her tone calmer now. “Sinnder and I are ready to go after it.”

“Heading toward Sydney.” He waited for a reaction to the half-truth, but she gave none.

“Did you sort out which whale? Do you have a picture of its—tail thing or whatever you call it?”

“I’m confident I can find a photo of the fluke pattern in the Cetacean Research Network’s database.”

“How long? Because I’m fine with taking all the disgusting bastards out. I just want to be sure I get the right one.”

“Allow me two more days to find the photo and finish my research on Morgan. Then you’ll have everything you need to become her.” He paused, tilted his head. “And you’ll return Whetu to me as you promised.”

Her icy red eyes narrowed on him, and a grin curled her lips. She slid hot, crimson-painted nails up his neck and patted his cheek. “Of course, Iri. Just as I promised.”

Touching him was a mistake. He smiled, glad she laid that deadly hand on him despite the burn, for without the
feel
of the falsehood on his skin, he couldn’t in good conscience proceed as he’d planned. Her blatant lie gave him the direction he needed to ensure his daughter’s safety.

To hell with the Elementals. To hell with the Dreaming.

* * * *

After leaving Zoe’s house and stopping by the park for some much-needed Element grounding, Gavin pulled into his drive at ten a.m.

Jack sat on the front steps, disposable coffee cup in hand, staring him down.

Shit. Gavin got out of the car and went to him, head hung.

Jack stood up and took a sip from the cup. A loud “Ahhh” and some over-exaggerated slurps of satisfaction barreled out of his mouth. “Forget something?”

Gavin fiddled with the keys in his hand. “Sorry, mate. I got caught up at a…friend’s house and forgot I was supposed to meet you. How long have you been waiting?”

Jack glanced at his watch. “Since eight o’clock.”

“Shit.”

“Last night.”

Fucking hell. “You sat out here all night? Why didn’t you ring me? Or go home, for Christ’s sake?”

“You said you’d be here. I trusted you.” Jack took a step toward him, and patted the back of his elbow like his dad used to when Gavin disappointed him as a kid. Heat flushed through his cheeks—same shameful reaction, all these years later. Jack knew how to make a bloke feel guilty.

“I’m really sorry for letting you down. It won’t happen again.” Gavin looked Jack in the eyes, and meant every word. His guts twisted. Jack might have been odd, but Gavin had come to respect him a hell of a lot.

“It better not. That girl you’ve been spending all your time worrying about might be important to you, but the rest of the world needs saving right now. You gotta put your dick on a leash for a while.
Capiche
?”

“Yeah, I get it.” He slid the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Jack followed.

Jack was right about his priorities, but the more Gavin stewed about Scarlet and that arsehole bloke threatening Zoe, the more he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her alone. And he hadn’t been able to find her in the Dreaming again last night, which bugged the shit out of him.

She’d gotten the cranks with him when she woke up this morning. Said he was talking too loud, and the others might hear. She kicked him out of bed without so much as a kiss and stuffed him through the window. Told him not to come back tonight, and that she’d ring him later. The window slammed closed with the drapes right behind.

Maybe she wasn’t a morning person. He could relate to that.

But man, he’d never enjoyed waking up more than when he did with her. Watching her sleep, restless as she did, kind of made his heart go soft and mushy. He’d finally gotten her to accept what he was, and now he had to pull back because of his Sentinel duties.

Maybe it was for the best. The Sentinels looked to him as their leader, and the Wyldlings depended on them doing their job well. He either had to put his unraveling ‘relationship’ with Zoe on hold or find a way to balance it with the rest of the demands on his life. Right now, he was failing miserably at everything.

Jack stared at him from the kitchen doorway, arm propped against the wall, coffee cup still in hand. Gavin startled. He’d been in his own little world again. He shook his head free of his arse. “I’m ready to work. Whenever you are.”

Jack nodded, his expression unreadable. His aura pulsed a steady balance of red, blue, green, and yellow. “I got you on the Wæter Council’s meeting agenda.”

“How’d you manage that?” Gavin swallowed hard. He needed to meet with the Wæters, but he’d been dreading it. What would he say?

Jack studied his fingernails. “I pulled some strings.”

“Thanks, mate. When’s the meeting?” He’d have to gather a list of questions for them, compile an agenda of his own—

Jack checked his watch. “Started five minutes ago.”

Fuck. Not even time for a shower.

Gavin sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Chapter Twenty

Another blazing hot winter day in Queensland.

Zoe covered a yawn and glanced at the sky. Neither the vibrant blue of the ocean nor the crisp salt air was enough to shake her from her listlessness. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. It was like she hadn’t slept a wink last night.

She removed her Cetacean Research Network cap and mopped her brow. Though waking up with Gavin had been a pleasant surprise this morning, the threat of her coworkers—especially Iri—finding him in her bed took all the fun out of it.

Iri stood beside her now, behind the wheel of the Zodiac, lines of sweat trickling down his dark, handsome face. What a strange bird. He kept to himself and rarely talked to anyone. She’d tried to make him feel welcome even though she didn’t want him around, but he wasn’t receptive to her overtures. He seemed to prefer detachment, which was fine by her.

But the way he watched her skeeved her out. Like he was tracking her every move. Yep, she was pretty certain Randy had put him up to spying on her. Possessive, jealous jerk.

Another tremor brought Zoe’s attention to her hands. Despite her exhaustion, she’d been shaking like a caffeine junkie all day. Couldn’t have had anything to do with sleeping next to the hottest guy in the world last night. Nope. Not at all.

Between the jitters and her inability to keep her eyes open, she thought it best to put Dani in charge of tagging.

Warmth pooled in her belly as she remembered the feel of Gavin’s breath on her neck, the temptation of his body beside hers. She had to be careful with him. With only two and a half more months in Queensland, she couldn’t afford to do something utterly stupid. Like fall in love.

Damn, it was hot. She fanned herself and wilted onto the bench.

She downed the remainder of her water bottle, then faced Iri. “You have family? Wife? Girlfriend?”

He pinched his lips together and shook his head.

The waves rocking the boat pitched her to the side. She steadied herself and scanned the horizon for blows. They hadn’t seen many humpbacks today. The weather might have been a factor, but whale surface activity often increased with rough seas and wind. There should be more animals around, especially now that they were a couple weeks into August.

Maybe it had something to do with—

Iri snapped his head up.

She stilled her thoughts as his yellow gaze bored through her skull. Disharmony launched an attack on her already-unsettled nerves. Needle-like drilling, triangulated from three points in her skull case, began a slow convergence, as if planning to meet in the dead center of her brain.

“No kids?” She rubbed trembling hands together and avoided his eyes. Her heart kicked the nagging fatigue in her muscles to the curb, and adrenaline coursed through her limbs.

“One daughter.” Unsure whether the answer itself or the loudness of it surprised her more, Zoe pressed fingers to her temples and ground circles into them.

A beautiful little girl.
His voice softened.
Where are the whales, Zoe? Where is the one you seek?

“I don’t know. She’s been very quiet.” The mechanical drilling in her head slowed to the speed of a manually operated screwdriver. She gasped, the muscles in her forehead tightening in a failed attempt to repel the invasion.

“My head hurts,” she whispered and bent over. Her hair formed a puddle of yellow at her feet. She’d never had a migraine before, but the sudden onslaught of searing, debilitating pain made her wonder if she was experiencing one for the first time. Her stomach turned.

Iri’s cool hand landed on her back, almost like a breeze, but the calm only lasted a second.

“Tell me her name.” The loudness of his voice returned. Like the voice of God himself—compelling. Threatening.

“No,” she choked out, twisting away from him. Pain in her head shifted to agony. Bile rose in her throat, along with familiar panic.

Dani and Elizabeth turned toward her, their eyebrows raised in mirrored poses. Time slowed, extending the torture of an impending panic attack. She couldn’t let them see her like this. Couldn’t—