Hunted – 55

What was left of the evening was spent with the four friends eating and then watching a movie, all of them trying to maintain some sense of normalcy in spite of what hung over them. When the movie was over, Logan took Skye back home then returned to find Brice and Faolán curled up together on the sofa more than half asleep.

Faolán cocked one eye open. “She all tucked in?”

“Indeed, and dead to the world.” Logan dropped down in the chair across from them with a tired smile.

“To bring us back to reality, which I hate to do, but…” Faolán said, “We should take turns keeping guard. Maximus is no fool. He just might try to come back when he thinks we’re all asleep, to grab one or both of us.”

Brice nodded in agreement. “And since he probably checked the whole place out while he was here, he’d have no problem landing in my room as well as the guest room.”

“We could put a spanner in that plan,” Logan replied thoughtfully.

“How?” the two other shifters asked as one.

“Use my place. It’s small but safe, because he’s never been there.”

Brice cocked an eyebrow. “How small is ‘small’?”

“Umm, about the size of your kitchen?”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Well you do have a large kitchen.”

Brice glanced at Faolán. “What do you think?”

“I think if we do that, we’re just prolonging the agony. Let him come here if that’s what he has in mind, so we can get this over with.”

“A very wise decision, cub.” The words echoed malevolently through the room as the male who spoke them appeared. “Brice, it has been a while. You are looking good.” The male licked his lips. “Very good.”

Logan backed slowly away from the huge shifter, inching to one side. Maximus glanced at him then back at Faolán and Brice who were now on their feet.

“Are you going to try to fight me?” Maximus asked, his lips curling back.

“No, we were thinking of dancing with you,” Brice sneered, drawing on his character in the show to give him the façade of courage he needed. “But not here. I hate the thought of blood on the furniture.” He grabbed Faolán’s hand and vanished.

Maximus growled, whirling around in search of Logan, who was no longer there. “So be it. We play on your field, Brice,” he roared as he too vanished from the room.