Van had always been the talkative sort. As adept at verbally poking a person's weak spots and exposing chinks in their defenses as he was at physically pounding others into submission.
He pecked and pecked until he discovered a person's soft underbelly.
It was probably why he had lasted so long as leader to the most volatile of the clans.
He acted simple, even when he was anything but.
Fiona caught up, Ghost a shadow at her side. She sent Caden a fierce look. "Where are they?"
Caden nodded to the tent Drake and Jane had just dragged the prisoners into.
Fiona wiped her palms on her pants, the only sign of her nerves. She licked her lips as she stared at the tent, thoughts moving behind her eyes.
Caden waited.
"I want first crack at them," she said finally.
Her request was to be expected. Caden imagined if it was Darius or Braden who had been killed like Laurell, he would have torn the Broken Lands apart finding those responsible for their deaths.
And that was gentle compared to what he would have done had it been Eva or Fallon.
The world would have burned, and he would be the one holding the match.
"You've got it," Caden said.
Anticipation made a fleeting appearance in Fiona's expression before she schooled her features along more professional lines.
"Do not kill them," Caden warned, wanting to make that clear beyond a shadow of a doubt.
He didn't want her to claim ignorance later if she crossed the line.
Caden had no problem letting her work some of her aggression out, but his leeway only went so far. She knew what would happen if she overstepped. There wouldn't be a second chance.
"I have plans for them," he finished.
Fiona darted a quick glance at Ghost, delaying for only a moment before starting for the tent.
Ghost seemed almost hesitant before following.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Van asked in an idle voice. "She is a decent commander, but this isn't part of her skill set."
"She'll be fine," Caden said, only half paying attention to Van.
"Your herd mistress has changed you. I don't know whether to say you're getting soft or if you're more dangerous than ever. Either way, she's a weakness."
Caden didn't like the tone of Van's voice. There was a hint of darkness there that said the other man was considering how much of an advantage that knowledge gave him.
"Are we going to have a problem?" Caden asked, finally looking at the other man.
One side of Van's mouth tilted up, not intimidated in the slightest. "I don't know. Are we?"
This right here was why so many of Lion Clan had failed to win the mantle of clan leader from Van. He was as tricky in his own way as Fallon.
"What are you really doing here, Lion?" Caden asked.
Van made a show of looking around the camp. "Maybe I want what everyone wants. My very own Kyren mount and the glory they could bring me."
Unlikely.
