My eyebrows rose. That was new. He wasn’t normally one for aimless chit-chat.
At least, not with me.
“I take it you’re tagging along,” I guessed.
A tiny nod was all the answer I got.
“How did you beat out Nathan for this honor?”
An enforcer friend of mine, Nathan was the one usually tasked with Aileen-babysitting duty.
“Liam and Nathan requested leave a few weeks ago. They’ve been gone since then.” Daniel gave me an odd look. “We thought you knew.”
It took effort to keep my surprise off my face. “Of course, I did. I just didn’t realize Nathan went with him.”
“I see,” Daniel murmured as Anton led the way through the gate.
I kept my expression under careful control as I followed the enforcer, Deborah and Connor flanking me. Caroline and her wolves came last.
Strange.
I’d been under the impression Liam was on a top-secret mission for Thomas. Either my lover had lied to his subordinates. Or he’d lied to me.
I didn’t know how I felt about that.
No. Wait. I did. I just didn’t want to examine those feelings too closely for fear of what they’d reveal.
Deborah’s amazed inhale distracted me from my thoughts. “I could get used to this.”
Her eyes practically sparkled as she took in the profile of a small jet.
“This is a one-time thing,” I informed her.
“How can you be so sure? A lot of sires allow their fledglings access to luxuries like this,” Deborah protested.
“Because the cost outweighs the benefit.”
“It must not be too bad since you accepted his terms.” There was a knowing look in Anton’s eyes as he paused beside the jet’s stairs. “Or were you just that desperate?”
Caroline barged between us. “She lost a bet. This was the price she had to pay.”
Anton’s eyes followed me as I started up the stairs. “That must have been some bet.”
“It was,” Caroline shot over her shoulder as she shadowed me. “Epic, you could say.”
“In that case, let me play next time. I love games of chance.”
“We’ll think about it,” Caroline called in an airy voice as I entered the craft to find Thomas waiting for me.
He looked up from the file he’d been studying. “Oh, good. You’ve arrived. We’ll take off as soon as you’re settled.”
I stared at my sire in horror. “What are you doing here?”
Like Ahrun, Thomas possessed a charisma that made him stand out. In a room full of supernaturals, he’d always be the first person you noticed, and it had nothing to do with the way he looked.
He was handsome, but not in that supernatural way of some spooks. He was more approachable. His hair dark and short. His eyes a silvery gray. He was on the stockier side with a broad chest and a strong jaw that more often than not was covered in stubble. As if he was perpetually between shaves.
Today, though, his jaw was smooth. Not a whisker marring its hard lines.
