Lenore sat expressionless. Boy, did I really want to rat her out for sending me over there in the first place. But labeling myself a snitch wasn’t in the agenda, so I took Viktor’s admonishment. I owed Lenore a personal favor, and she’d called on it. My silence was part of our agreement.
“We had no choice but to kill two of Sparrow’s men,” I confessed. “We made sure that Sparrow wouldn’t know who was to blame. I already told everyone, so this isn’t a secret I was keeping. I came back to fill you in, but you were gone.”
Viktor returned to his spot by Lenore and gave me a reproachful look.
“We’ve never had to ask your permission to do things before,” I stressed, not understanding his disapproval. “Where is this coming from?”
I noticed a glint of amusement in Lenore’s eyes. Ah.That’s where it’s coming from.Love potion or not, she still had influence over him. Lenore was probably turning him against me, making it seem like I was some rogue outlaw who couldn’t be trusted. If she couldn’t bury me, she was going to bury my career.
“I tried to be proactive and get information,” I explained, hoping I could allay his fears that we were acting against his will.
Lenore folded her hands on her lap. “Murdering Sparrow’s men could incite him to do something more drastic in retaliation. That was out of line.”
I jerked my head back.
“This is not your affair,” Viktor snapped. Hearing him come to my defense gave me butterflies. “I am hard on my people for a reason, but I will not allow anyone else to reprimand my team.” He bit his bottom lip when Lenore looked agitated by his response.
Now the glint of amusement was inmyeyes. Lenore was playing the long game of sabotaging my relationship with Viktor, but I had the advantage. No love potion meant more clarity. I could take a scolding from Viktor—that came with the job. But maybe now his actions wouldn’t be about pleasing Lenore Parrish.
He didn’t even apologize for how he’d spoken to her, and every single person in the room noticed that bemused look in her eyes when she realized that Viktor wasn’t eating out of the palm of her hand.
“I want Christian to go back to Keystone and gather information,” he said.
Lenore leaned toward Viktor. “There has to be another way. You can’t blindly attack him, Viktor. You’ll put all of our lives in danger. Strike a deal. Your small outfit can’t defeat an army of Vampires.”
“Would you mind leaving us?” He swept his arm toward the door. “I will come to your room shortly and give you a brief update of our plan.Spasibo.”
She shot up like an arrow and marched to the door, her sleeveless blue dress shimmering when it caught the light. The air chilled as one of the most powerful figures in Cognito was sent out the door with her tail between her legs.
After the door shut, Christian got up and walked out of sight. “She’s gone,” he said, rejoining our group.
Viktor heaved a sigh. “I am grateful you worked together as a team to bring me back from…”
“The pound,” Wyatt blurted out.
Viktor slowly shut his eyes. It must have been every Shifter’s worst nightmare. Or embarrassment.
Christian branched away and opened the door.
A few seconds later, Shepherd walked in. “How the hell did you know it was me?”
Christian slammed the door. “I heard you cursing when the elevator door opened.”
“You don’t know what the fuck’s in there. Sorry I’m late.” The bed bounced when Shepherd sat on the end. He scratched the back of his buzz cut where a tattoo of a lover’s knot marked his neck. Shepherd was nothing but lean, hard muscle with all the time he spent in the training room. Even in a suit jacket, you could tell he was built. “What’s the plan?”
Viktor had the weight of the world on his shoulders after Lenore had shot down his plan. He took a seat in the chair. “There was a brief moment when I shifted in my cage. The cold metal pressed against me, and I did not know where I was or how I got there. But I knew I could trust my team to find me. When it comes to the fate of Keystone—our home—we cannot wait for rescue. Years ago, a terrible tragedy befell the occupants of that house, and there was nothing I could do. I will not let that happen to my family again. I gave Kira my word I would protect her, and I will not resign to leaving her fate in the hands of a madman. If I do not even try to save her or the boy, my word means nothing.”
Relief washed over me.
“As I was saying before,” Viktor continued, “I want Christian to find out everything he can on the security at Keystone. Blue will join him. Do not make your intentions known or kill anyone. I do not want Sparrow knowing that we are planning a rescue mission.”
“Aye. We can do that.”
“First we will take back our people, and then we will take back our lives.” He laced his fingers together and casually leaned back. “Before we plan, what else have I missed?”
Gem scooted to the back of the bed. “I’m turning invisible to humans.”
Viktor’s attention wandered around. “Anyone else?”
