Apparently she did.
“Whatever you’re thinking or feeling, dear, it’s perfectly normal. I admire the strength you have.”
“Strength?” Amanda felt anything but strong.
Mimi nodded. “Of course. Not all humans with no knowledge of our kind could handle everything you’ve been dealt in less than forty-eight hours without having a nervous breakdown. That’s strength.”
“Do I have a choice?” She meant that. It wasn’t simply rhetorical.
“You always have choices, child.”
“I could walk away if I wanted?” Was that possible? She hadn’t considered it.
“Technically, though I doubt you would have much success with that particular decision. I’m not certain how trying to break a mating feels for a human, but when Laurie tried it last year, it was unbearable and lasted about two days.”
“Laurie left her mates?” Amanda hadn’t heard that story.
“Yes. She convinced herself that instead of being essential to the cause, she was a liability. She was wrong, but more importantly, all three of them suffered from the separation.”
“So, leaving isn’t actually an option,” Amanda added.
“Doubtful, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have choices. You could choose to break down in tears and hide under the covers under the burden of stress placed on your shoulders.”
“True.”
“You didn’t have to step up to the plate and offer to keep Miriam while your mate went traipsing off to face the unknown.”
Amanda chewed on her lower lip. Where were they anyway? They were taking so long. She knew she could try to contact either man through telepathy, but she also knew either of them could be in danger, and she didn’t want to risk distracting them.
So, she waited. In fact, she leaned back in the comfortable chair and closed her eyes, trying to settle her nerves.
What seemed like moments later, she heard Sawyer’s voice, felt his hand on her shoulder. “Amanda.”
She blinked her eyes and then bolted to sitting. “I fell asleep.”
He smiled. “You did. You were exhausted.”
“The baby.” She glanced around.
“Mimi put her in her crib. And she went home when I got here.”
“Logan?”
“He and Laurie and Melinda are on their way back.”
“How long was I asleep?”
“An hour maybe.”
She looked up and down his frame. He must have showered. He was clean, giving no indication he’d been surrounded by smoke all day.
“I went by the condo and changed.”
“Are you a mind reader?” She realized how silly that question was as soon as it left her mouth. “Right. Of course you are.”
The front door opened, and the other three walked in.
Sawyer stood from his perch in front of her. “How’d it go?”
Melinda winced. “It was weird. I’ve never experienced anything like that nor heard of anyone else who has.”
“What happened?” Amanda stood and turned to face the others.
Laurie headed for the fridge and grabbed a water. “Normally the spirits hover near a location for several seconds, putting off their vibe of distress, and then disappear. This one came up behind us and then turned around and glided away from the logging site as if the site was of no interest to it.”
“That makes no sense,” Sawyer said.
Logan blew out a breath. “You aren’t kidding. We followed it.”
“You followed it?” Amanda tensed. That sounded like a scene out of a horror film.
“We did. For almost a mile. It took it’s time.”
“Where did it end up?” Sawyer asked.
“The main road, not far from here.” Logan came closer to Amanda and then leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.
“And then what?” she asked.
“Poof. Gone.”
Melinda threw up her hands. “I’ve got nothing. I mean what the hell are we supposed to do with that?”
»»•««
“You have anything new?” Roger asked Mike. He’d spoken to him several times in the last few days, and he didn’t give a fuck if Mike was tired of hearing from him. Roger was paying Mike a hefty sum to investigate the shifters, and he expected regular updates.
“Not yet. I’m trying to hack into the safety manager’s computer to see if he has you scheduled for a visit.”
“Oh, good idea.” Roger flopped down on his couch in his small, temporary apartment and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling.
“No success yet, though. The logging association is bolted down like Fort Knox.” Mike laughed at his own joke.
“Why is that funny?”