Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)(116)
Author: J.R. Ward

Great. Just what he wanted to do at the end of the night.

About an hour later, Qhuinn took a sharp breath as he materialized in the cold. Flurries fluttered around his face, getting into his eyes and his nose. One by one, John, Rhage, and Blay assumed form with him.

As he faced off at the airplane hangar, the hollowed-out shell brought back memories of that fakakta Cessna, and the Hail Mary trip, and the crash landing.

Happy, happy, joy, joy.

"Good to go?" he said to Rhage.

"Let’s do this."

The plan was to proceed at quarter-mile clips until they came to the first few cabins they’d already been to. After that, they would locate the other buildings on the property, using the map they’d found previously as a guide. Just your typical search/recon protocol.

He had no clue what they would find, but that was the point. You didn’t know until you did the job.

As Qhuinn sent himself forward, he was acutely aware of where Blay was. Yet as he re-formed in front of the first cabin they came to, he didn’t look over when Blay appeared about five feet away. Not a good idea. Even though they were on assignment, all he had to do was close his eyes and his mind was flooded with images of naked bodies intertwined in the dim light of his bedroom.

Further visual confirm that the guy was hot as f**k was not a help.

He was ashamed to admit it, but right now, the only thing keeping him together was the fact that Blay had promised to come to him at dawn. The aftermath-awkwardness at First Meal had made him crave the communion even more, to the point where he was shaken by the idea that someday, in the near future, Saxton would be back and Blay would stop walking over from next door – and then what the f**k was he going to do.

What a goddamn mess.

At least Layla was doing well: still nauseated and smiling constantly.

Still pregnant, thanks to Blay’s intervention…

"East by northeast," Rhage said as he consulted the map.

"Roger that," Qhuinn replied.

And so they went on, going deeper into the territory, the forest fanning out all around them for hundreds and hundreds of yards…and then by a mile. And then by several miles.

The cabins were largely the same, roughly twenty by twenty, open-spaced in the center, no bathroom, no kitchen, just a roof and four walls to file down the worst of the weather’s teeth. The farther in they went, the more dilapidated the structures became – and they were all empty. Logical. This was a long trek if you were on foot – and lessers, as strong as they were, couldn’t dematerialize.

At least, most of them couldn’t.

That had to have been the Fore-lesser, he thought. Only explanation for how that injured slayer had gone ghost like that.

The seventh cabin they came to was directly on a trail that had been used frequently enough at some point so that they could still see its path through the evergreens.

This one was missing a number of panes of glass, and its door had been blown open, a snowdrift barging in like a burglar. Qhuinn crunched grimly through the ice pack, his shitkickers making mincemeat of the pristine surface as he closed in on the porch. With a flashlight in his left hand and a forty-five in his right, he jumped up under the eaves and leaned in.

Same shit, different dead space.

As he swept the interior, there was a whole lot of absolutely frickin’ nothing. No furniture. Some built-in shelving that was empty. Cobwebs that waved in the breeze coming through the busted windowpanes.

"Clear," he called out.

Turning away, he thought this was bullshit. He wanted to be downtown kicking ass, not out here in the middle of nowhere, hunting and pecking and coming up with nada.

Rhage put a penlight between his teeth and unfolded the map once again. Making a mark with a pen, he tapped the heavy paper. "Last one is about a quarter mile to the west."

Thank. Fuck.

Assuming everything was as snore as it had been, they should be out of this and engaging the enemy in the alleys within fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.

Piece of cake.

Chapter Fifty-nine

"You look really happy."

Layla glanced over. On some level, it was unfathomable that the queen of the race was propped up next to her on the bed, reading Us Weekly and People, and watching television. Then again, except for the huge blood red Saturnine Ruby that winked on her finger, she was as normal as could be.

"I am." Layla put aside the article on the newest season of The Bachelor and laid her hand upon her belly. "I am ecstatic."

Especially given that Payne had stopped by earlier, and appeared to be back to feeling like herself. Although Layla’s wish for the pregnancy to continue was nearly pathological, the idea that the blessing had come at a cost to the other female had not sat well.

"Do you wish to have young?" Layla blurted. And then had to add, "If it does not offend – "

Beth batted away the concern. "You can ask me anything. And, God, yes. I want some so badly. It’s funny, back before my change? I had no interest in them – at all. They were a noisy, out-of-control complication that I honestly didn’t know why people bothered to bring into their lives. Then I met Wrath." She pushed her dark hair back and laughed. "Needless to say, everything has changed."

"How many needings have you had?"

"I’m waiting. Praying. Counting down."

Layla frowned and made busywork opening a new sleeve of saltines. It was hard to remember much in specific of those crazy hours with Qhuinn – but it had been a trial of epic proportions.

Given the miracle that was still resting within her, it had all been worth it.

However, she couldn’t say she ever wanted to go through her fertile time again. At least not unmedicated.

"Well, I wish your needing for you soon, then." Layla bit into yet another cracker, the square splintering and melting in her mouth. "And I can’t believe I’m saying that."

"Is it as rough as…I mean, I didn’t get to talk to Wellsie much about hers before she passed, and Bella’s never said anything about her time." Beth looked down at the queen’s ring, as if admiring the way its facets captured and reflected the light. "And I don’t know Autumn all that well – she’s lovely, but given everything she and Tohr have just been through, it doesn’t seem an appropriate topic to bring up with her."

"It’s mostly a blur, to be honest."

"Probably a blessing, huh."

Layla winced. "I wish I could tell you otherwise – but yes, I believe it is a blessing."

"It’s got to be worth it, though."

"Without a doubt – I was just thinking that very thing, as a matter of fact." Layla smiled. "You know what they say about pregnant females, yes?"