Chapter 3

• Calum watched her for a moment and then turned and looked down at him, “she’s on a mission now.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry you weren’t informed. Shit went sideways fast.” He motioned to his mate that stood outside the door with the phone against her ear now, “Shae went in the chopper to Devin’s campground with her...”
• Konner inhaled through his nose slowly, “I understand.” He did, mostly. “I wasn’t reachable for a few days, so it’s no one’s fault.” It still would have been nice to see her, maybe go and make sure her body was put to rest in the way of his people. On the floor of the water to feed the environment so new life could grow. He couldn’t think about that now. “Where are they in finding out how the Alliance system was breached?”
• “They’re weeding through the trail slowly, I’m told.” He paused as Konner stood up, “You were out looking when you picked up to come here.”
• It wasn’t a question. He couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.
• Calum shrugged, “I noticed the coordinates weren’t anywhere near your very fortified sanctuary.”
• If Konner learned something with certainty today it was that all the hype about this man in front of him was well earned and correct. “I was. I track news headlines and any oddities near water, I go search it.”
• Calum nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind and give you a heads up if I hear of anything.”
• “I appreciate that.”
• “How many have you found?”
• Konner eyed him for a moment, having help from a man like Calum Dante could never be a bad thing. “Not as many as I hope for. The last one was nine years ago, and two years before that.”
• Calum held his look, no emotion on his face at all. Without further talk, he nodded, “here’s hoping we find more on these operations.” He glanced at the house, “I’m going to see if they sorted out the lack of a flyer on team two.”
• Konner watched him walk away. He touched the phone through the material, debating for a moment if he should inform his Auntie that one had been found and lost. Sighing, he gave his head a shake. He’d do that in person after he was back home.
• He was almost to the house when Deacon came out the back door, his fiery little mate right on his heels. He still couldn’t believe he’d found a mate and become an Alpha since the last time they’d been out together.
• Deacon stopped and spun around to look at her. “What the hell do I know about meetings and,” he waved a hand around rapidly, “councils?”
• Konner smirked, seeing Deacon seated at one of the dry council meetings was more than a little entertaining. He didn’t relish them, himself, but his aged-set-in-her-ways great aunt refused to go. She outright refused to leave the Sanctuary in the past five years.
• “I can help with that.” Giana Marin stepped right up to him and rubbed her hand over his chest.
• Konner could see the tension settling in the big man immediately. He sighed and walked toward them before his heart started aching from the demonstration of what a mate’s union could bring to a chaotic world. “Sorry to intrude,” he offered a polite grin, “I overheard.” He motioned to where he’d been walking, “I may be able to help.”
• Deacon gave him a quick look, “you have a way out of this council stuff?”
• Konner smirked, “not necessarily.” He stopped a respectable distance from the man’s mate. “I go to them for my Alpha, she doesn’t care for the modern society much.”
• Gia smiled up at her man, “see,” she held out her hand toward Konner, “he can give me the run down and I’ll represent for us.”
• Deacon blew out a breath, reaching and clasping his hand over hers still where it rested on his chest. “I don’t do politics.” He said in a gruff tone.
• “I know.” She smiled at him, “I know how it works though and we need the Alliance to help us find your family and others like you.”
• Konner paused to wonder what clan this little mate was if she wasn’t the same kind as Deacon. Shaking his head, he got back to the task at hand. “Calum and I were just discussing my contacts in South America,” both turned to him, their focused gaze zeroing in on him like he was to be dinner, “I have no problems getting them to check around for you while they’re doing the same for me.”
• Gia smiled at him, “that would be awesome. Thank you.”
• Konner inclined his head, noting that Deacon didn’t seem nearly as enthused as his mate, in fact, he looked a little green like he might want to throw up. “It’s no problem, I understand the pains that go with searching for surviving members.”
• Her expression changed to compassion, “I’m sorry to hear that, but thank you for helping us.”
• He nodded, then cleared his throat, he couldn’t deal with much more female compassion today. “I was also told you want indoor plumbing and another building erected?”
• Deacon nodded now. “The indoor plumbing ASAP before the ground freezes I guess.”
• “I’ll get that started.” He paused as he reached for the phone in his pocket, “oh, it’s my clan construction company that,” he motioned to the house, “is why Calum was talking to me about it.”
• Gia bobbed her head, “that’s handy, that you’re here with us.”
• He inclined his head; no words were necessary. “It might be a week before I can get someone there, but I’ll get Auburn to contact you for details.” He pulled the phone out, “what sort of building are you wanting?”
• “Oh,” Gia looked up at Deacon for a moment, “I think a small functional two-bedroom for now?” She watched her mate as she spoke, “just in case.” She smiled up at him, then turned to Konner, “I think it would be a little too cozy to share the no-bedroom cabin.”
• Deacon rolled his shoulders, and turned to look at him, “I have ideas for the cabin too,” he pointed to the house, “maybe after we do this, we can talk about it.”
• Konner nodded, “I’ll just put some of Auburn’s time on hold then and get the details to him later.”
• “We’ll have to talk about financing…”
• Konner shook his head as he typed a message to his clanmate, telling him to expedite Blairs and more rushed things were on the way. “Don’t worry about the financing right now, the Alliance is helping with clan expansions since we’ve had to rearrange our lives for safety purposes.” Sending the message, he looked back up at them, “We’ll worry about all the finer details at a later date but getting the plumbing in before winter is a now thing.” He offered a polite smile.
• “Yes.” Gia gave him a big grin. “Definitely a now thing.”
• “Guys.”
• They all turned to see Jesse standing at the door.
• “I guess we better get back.” Gia took Deacon’s hand. “Thank you, Konner.”
• Deacon gave him an appreciative look before following her back.
• Konner looked over to see his riding partner coming back from the van. He hadn’t lied, entirely about the Alliance funding, he just left out the part that it was his foundation that initiated it.
• “Ready to kick some ass?” Asher asked him as he walked by. “I am more than ready.”
• Konner put the phone away and followed the tall lanky shifter into the house. He could only hope there were asses to be kicked at this point, he needed to burn off the anger of another lost member of the water clan.