She looked at him, her shoulders straight. "Aye. It's my job. All I need to do is sit and type today, Nick. It's okay."
The demon drew in a deep breath. "All right. If you start cramping or bleeding, you promise to tell me."
She reached up and soothed his cheek with her hand. "I promise. I won't let anything harm this babe."
"We'll take a four-wheeler. You're not walking," Nick returned.
"Where are Garrett and Logan?" Nessa asked, standing and moving toward the living room while still on the phone.
"War room," Nick said shortly, following her with Simone. "Our techs are interpreting hacked e-mails right now. Whatever is happening is going down today."
Nessa had been waiting for this. They all had. Panic heated her, and she shoved it down. Time to think. "All right. War rooms." She pressed the phone to her ear. "I'll coordinate from the shifter location. Gather intel and be ready with a report in fifteen minutes. I want everything." She clicked off, having to stretch her legs to make it over another pile of lumber.
"You're not fucking going anywhere," Bear said, striding in from the rec room. "We're almost set up for your news conference."
Nick stopped and looked like he wanted to say something. Then he glanced at Nessa. "We'll be outside getting a four-wheeler." Taking Simone's arm, he assisted her around the construction area and into what looked like another snowy day.
Nessa took a deep breath. "I can't resign today. We need somebody in charge, and it's me for now."
"No." Bear put his hands on his hips. "This is the most secure place I have at the moment, and you're staying right here."
"The war room is the most secure." She knew he was acting from concern, maybe even caring, but she didn't have time for this. Not right now. "My people are under attack. This is my job, Bear. Either you understand that fact or you don't."
He looked so hard. Determined and cold.
She wanted to reassure him, head right back to bed and snuggle. But she couldn't. Not right now. "Time matters."
Something softened just a little in his eyes. "Are you up to this?"
"There's no choice." She reached for his hand. "I could use your help."
He turned them toward the exit. "Oh, you're getting my help. If you're in the war room, so am I. But you're either there or here for now, got it?"
Was he turning the entire territory into a secured zone? She'd worry about that later. "I got it." They moved quickly out into lightly falling snow. She'd forgotten her jacket again. What kind of targets would be hit today? Key people in government, medicine, law enforcement were all at risk. How many could she protect? Her hands shook, so she shoved them in her pockets.
They reached the four-wheeler and jumped in.
"Here we go," Nick said, the sound low and ominous.
Chapter 31
Bear followed his mate into the war room, his senses on high alert. He needed to get to Jasper and Boondock, who were downstairs. Logan was on one set of computers, Garrett the other.
Yeah, they weren't bear shifters. But he needed them, and he trusted them. Plus, he'd promised the king. In fact, he'd given Logan all the codes dealing with Grizzly personnel and a challenge to find Brinks, Lars, and Duncan. The kid's eyes had gleamed.
Nessa strode over to the conference table. "We have worldwide chatter of an imminent attack on prominent witches and our holdings. Garrett, I need you to coordinate with the vampire nation and the Realm. Get them online." She grabbed the remote control and turned on the large screen across the room, bringing up a map of the world. "Simone? Get on those computer banks and start coordinating with the Coven Nine and your Enforcers. I want any Level Alpha members of the nation under lockdown. Now."
The woman was impressing the hell out of him.
Bear turned and signaled for three guards-all waiting in the rec room-to set up a perimeter around the headquarters building. "Team of ten," he mouthed.
They hustled off to obey his orders.
Lucas ran in from outside, snow dusting his hair. "We have patrols set around the entire perimeter, and I've given orders that all other species have to leave. I gave them the entire night to do it, but they're not moving. We may have to engage."
Bear bit back a growl. "Hold tight for now." He couldn't have his people fighting the witches while Nessa coordinated a worldwide operation.
Lucas's head jerked up. "We need to get them off our land. We're surrounded by witches. And demons."