“Allie? Are you all right?” Tricia eyed her with concern and then her gaze slid past her and a smile curved her lips. “Oh, look. Teddy was able to get away and join us, after all.”

Allie dutifully turned her head and stared at the tall, dark-haired man moving confidently toward them from the entrance to the kitchens. He’d obviously parked behind the restaurant and used the back door as they had done, she thought as he made his way through the empty tables. As Mabel had mentioned, they’d closed the restaurant to their normal customers so that it was just the immortals present. There were more of them than Allie had expected. Aside from Elvi and her husband, Victor, Mabel and DJ, Leonora and Alessandro, Dani and Decker, Magnus and Tybo, and Tricia as well as the four children, Stephanie had come too, along with a couple named Drina and Harper that she’d introduced as “part of my family too.”

“Teddy looks worried,” Magnus commented next to her, and Allie silently agreed. Port Henry’s chief of police had concern written all over his face and, she realized, wasn’t moving with confidence so much as urgency.

“I’ll see what’s wrong.” Tricia slid out of her seat and hurried to meet her husband.

The people around the table, which was really several small tables pushed together so everyone could sit together, fell silent as they watched Teddy and Tricia talk. If Teddy looked worried, Tricia looked positively alarmed by whatever her husband told her. She also turned abruptly and made her way back to the table at a quick clip.

“We have to go,” she announced the moment she reached them. She also took Allie’s arm to urge her to her feet.

“Why?” Allie asked with surprise.

“What is happening?” Magnus asked at the same time. But he was already standing and taking Allie’s other arm even as he reached for Liam, who had been sitting beside him with Teddy Jr. on his other side.

“You know how I said this is a small town and strangers would be noticed?” Tricia asked. “Well, two vans, two pickups, and a couple cars are circling the downtown, all packed full of what Teddy suspects are rogues.”

“Christ,” Tybo muttered from behind Allie. Everyone was on their feet now and moving up to surround them as Tybo asked, “What’s the plan?”

“There are too many to take on with the children and civilians around,” Teddy said abruptly. “I suggest we head back to the house and call Lucian. See what he wants to do.”

“We’re going back out through the kitchen to the parking lot,” Tricia announced, and Allie glanced anxiously toward Liam. Magnus immediately lifted the boy into his arms. Settling him on his hip where Allie could see him, he then caught her hand again and Allie offered him a grateful smile.