“A mercenary then.”Katy’s lips curved in a smile that was all teeth.Finally, a beast who didn’t bow to the Snake King.And, if her instincts were right, one she might be able to leverage as an ally.And he was eye candy, too.That was a bonus.Like an extra onion ring in your bag when you ordered tater tots.
Popping a grape in her mouth, she mused, “You know, I never got his name…”
Otto shifted uncomfortably.“I not say?—”
“Oh, come on,” she cajoled, nudging him gently with a shoulder.“I can keep a secret.Scout’s honor.”She held up three fingers in the Scout salute.She’d never been a scout of any kind, but she was a good secret keeper.Except for that time she told Jackson Taylor that Lola had a crush on him.Orthe time she told Jason Garrison that Maddie had a crush on him.Okay, maybe not when her friend’s crushes are concerned.But all other times, she was a good secret keeper.
The lizard tilted his head curiously, then sighed.“I bite you.”
“Yeah, yeah.”She waved.“I know.You got sharp teeth.I’m shaking in my kicks over here.Give it up, Ot.What’s his name?
“Gage.”
Katy blinked.“His name is Gage?”At Otto’s hesitant nod, she grinned.“Lola is going to be stoked!He’s got a book boyfriend name.Not to mention the whole book boyfriendvibegoing on.And I mean he has got itseriouslygoing on.You get me?”She leaned over, raising her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Otto stared at her blankly.“Your face is broken.”
Katy laughed.At least if she had to be a prisoner, she got a cool as hell sidekick with ridiculous diction.Could be way worse, that was for sure.“Okay, so, we’re stuck together, Otto.We might as well make the best of it.Let’s play twenty questions.”
“Twenty questions?”
She nodded.“And you can’t lie,” she warned, pointing a finger at him.
He lunged forward, snapping his sharp little teeth at her hand.She yanked it back just before they could sink into her skin.“And no biting!”
“Dumb game,” he grumbled as he settled back into a seated position.“I first.”
She shrugged and nodded to him.“Ask away.”
* * *
“Isaw the tattoo,” Gage said as he walked into Azure’s office without bothering to knock.
Azure’s mate, Zeena, whipped her head around from where she’d been locked in a passionate kiss with him and hissed.She was a lovely female.If you didn’t mind the idea of being strangled in your sleep.
“Zeena.Always a pleasure.”
“Dire.”She sneered and turned away from him.Gage didn’t miss the way she put a protective hand on her abdomen as she left the room through another door without so much as a backward glance at her mate.
“I’ll call Nox.What’s your price?”
Azure shook his head.“No.Gage, I need you to go to Montana.”
Gage’s wolf stiffened.“Why?”
“Link called and informed there areanimithat have been marked for our kingdom that have agreed to come here.”He slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned back on the heels of his black, no doubt expensive, dress shoes.“You can travel with Link to Montana.Once Link has left with the KOVanimi, you can inform Nox about the girl and tell him to make me an offer.And don’t forget to let him know it better be good.”
“I can do that from here,” Gage pointed out.
“Yes, but I rather like the idea of you being in Nox’s presence when you share with him your dealings with me.Despite what you claim, I still think it’s gonna sting a bit for the Alpha.Besides, as much as I like having the Dire hanging around my kingdom, there’s no reason for you not to return to Montana, is there?”His brow rose as he looked at Gage expectantly.
His wolf sniffed the air, and he picked up on the smell of curiosity.Yes, even that emotion had a smell.Interesting.Even though the snake king believes I can’t possibly be blessed with a mate by Visata, he isn’t totally sure.He’s testing me.
“No.But as you know, I despise flying, and it seems like a waste of time when we have these new technological advancements, like video chat.But if you’re plannin’ on paying up with those dollar signs you mentioned earlier, I suppose I can suffer for a bit.”
Azure held Gage’s stare for several seconds before he finally nodded.“Fair enough.I will compensate you well for your trouble.”
Gage’s beast was raging at the idea of leaving the building where his female was imprisoned, let alone the entire damn state.But he couldn’t let Azure know that Katy was his mate, not when he didn’t understand all of Azure’s plans.Azure must have some reason for being so interested in the males to whom theseanimiwere destined, as well as their power rankings.Gage was a dire wolf, and that was a whole different level of power.Because of that, Azure absolutely could not know Katy belonged to him.
