My disbelief must show on my face because he raises an eyebrow. “You don’t believe you’re beautiful? You are. Exceptionally. But you’re correct to assume that I’m not the type of man to fall for a pretty face alone. Initially, I sought you out because you also have something I want.”
My head starts to pound. He sought me out. In other words, our meeting was no coincidence. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, but you do,” he says. “As it so happens, you own a very important piece of land, one that used to belong to the Order until one of our members died unexpectedly and his family sold it within hours of his passing.”
An icy chill spider-walks up my spine. I shake my head like I don’t know what he’s talking about.
“A small but important property. One with unique qualities that must stay in our society’s hands. One that would also be mine if we were married. We were supposed to be married by now.”
Slowly my brain sifts through the timeline. It never made sense to me, how hard he pushed to marry me. How quickly he asked me. How he wanted me to sign that marriage license so badly. I stare and stare at him, and all the little pieces start clicking together. Roman pursued me, at least initially, because he wanted Marion’s land. It feels like a punch in the stomach.
“What’s so special about the property?” I ask, keeping my voice light. I remind myself that Connor willcome for me, and when he does, the more information I can give him, the better.
He cocks his head and slants me a patronizing grin. “That is information for Order members only.”
Of course it is. Bastard. A dark thought comes over me, and I clear my throat. “After we’re married, the land will be yours. Will you still want to be married to me?”
He tilts his head, studying me. “Oh Fiona, so needy already. Take heart. While it’s true that I initially pursued you because of the land, there were other ways I could have obtained it. When I realized who you were, the author of the Alex Rogue series, I knew you were wife material.”
I sip my wine, digesting everything he’s shared and drawing some conclusions. “You couldn’t reveal your involvement in the Saints Order before we were married, but you knew through my books that I was capable of understanding your role.”
He nods. “Not just understand it. Help to expand it. Propel it. Every grandmaster needs a woman to help with the day-to-day. Who would make a better grandmaster’s wife than an expert in secret societies like you?”
Grandmaster’s wife. Ice forms in my veins as I connect more dots. Connor said that Stefan and Donovan hadn’t responded to his messages. My stomach churns and I swallow reflexively. “I thought your father was grandmaster.”
“Not anymore.” His smile is chilling and sends another tremor of fear through me. “That title is now mine.”
“Congratulations,” I sputter with all the enthusiasm I can muster.
“No more secrets, Fiona. If we are going to be man and wife, you must fully embrace the mission of the Saint’s Order.”
My skin crawls but making him believe he chose wisely with me is my best chance at survival. “You’ve always made the right choices when it comes to us. Now that you’re grandmaster, I’ll support you however you see fit. And you’re right, we can’t have secrets between us if I’m truly to be useful to you.”
He stands from his meal and saunters to my side of the table, holding out his hand to me. “Then come, darling.”
I allow him to help me out of the chair, suppressing a cringe at the feel of his touch, and then follow him as he leads me by the hand toward the back of the house. “Where are we going?”
“To see your friend Vivian.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
CONNOR
Iwake in a frothy white bed with the sounds and smells of the sea rolling through the open window. My head is foggy, but the salt air and sunshine tell me immediately where I am. Cardinal Island. A quick look around the room and I know I’m in the infirmary in the warrior camp. But why did they bring me here and not Morwyn’s clinic?
Fiona!I roar and try to sit up, the memories of what happened to her flooding back. I’m off-world which means I can’t hear anything down our bond. It’s not impossible for an image or feeling to travel between us while I’m here, but it would have to be intense to cover the distance. Right now, the bond is quiet. Pain erupts in my upper left pec and wing. I inspect them both and find them bandaged.
A jingle comes from the far corner, and I followthe sound to find Bones hobbling toward me, his front leg and side bandaged.
“Hey, buddy,” I say softly.
He doesn’t make it to me but flops down on the floor halfway between the dog bed and the adjustable I’m on. I work my feet over the edge of the mattress, and they clunk against the bedframe. Damn, I can’t remember ever feeling this weak. I rub a thumb over my scarred eyebrow. Nope not even then.
The door opens and Morwyn rushes in. “Connor, if you get out of that bed, I swear to the creator I will put you back in it and drug you unconscious until your wounds are entirely healed.”
“The Order has my mate,” I say through my teeth. But I don’t put my feet on the floor. In fact, I’m not entirely sure I can stand on my own. The room is spinning, and my head is pounding hard.
“Seb, Remus, and Ellison are tracking her. They won’t let anything happen to her.”
