I wasn’t here for much, as I was already regretting sitting up, but there was nothing for it now.I took the packet, after several tries, because it seemed to be moving around, damn it!But I finally managed and leafed through it.
Surveillance photos, reports on who had come in and out of HQ yesterday for hours before the attack, pics of the aftermath, including a lot of bodies, a chain of custody log for collected evidence, and—
“Not now,” Cyrus said, and took it away.
Just as well; my eyes were crossing, but it set Hargrovesoff.He had already been all but vibrating with anger or indignation or something, and now it exploded—although in a typical fashion.“Is there any reason why you have to be here?”he asked Cyrus acidly.
A brown eyebrow raised.“It’s my house?”
“I was under the impression that this is Mage de Croisset’s house!”
“We’re engaged.”
“Which has nothing to do with anything!This is a confidential discussion, and you and these others,” a withering stare took in my usual houseful of assorted oddness, “do not have clearance!”
“Funny thing.You didn’t seem to have a problem with that last night.”
“And I have expressed the Corps’ appreciation—”
Bet that had stung.
“—but that does not negate the fact that you should have left her with us, so we could do this in a secure area—”
“Secure?”Somebody said, and somebody else laughed.
“Oh.Should I?”Cyrus asked pleasantly.
And shit.
“Cyrus,” I croaked, but yeah.That wasn’t gonna help.
For a Were, almost losing a mate was...well, it was about as bad as it got, and to lose her at the same time that others of his pack were seriously injured, and Noah had definitely been seriously injured, was—
Dangerous.
Right now,hewas dangerous.
I wondered if Hargroves knew it.
Probably not.And I was in no shape to intervene if Cyrus finally lost that vaunted cool of his.And if ever there was a time...
“The last time I left her with you,” Cyrus said, almost casually, “there was some concern about what to do with a war mage who had been dosed with Jenkins’ brew.About how she might need to be dealt with, for the general good.About how she might need to beput down.”
The pack exploded—guess some of them hadn’t known that little tidbit of what had happened a month ago, when all this started.But to his credit, Hargroves didn’t deny it.“That was before we understood the current situation—”
“Which is?”
“That she can think through it.That she can reason, even in that...guise.Otherwise, she was an intolerable threat—”
“And tonight that threat saved your ass!”someone said furiously.I didn’t see who, because I had my eyes on Cyrus’s face and was busy digging my nails into his arm.Hard.
It wasn’t enough.
“I’m tired,” I said loudly, before he could Change and eat my boss’s face, possibly literally.“I need rest.”
He turned to look at me, and his eyes were those of his beast.And both of them knew what I was doing.But he was more concerned about me than he was furious with Hargroves, so instead of being attacked, the old man got backed into a wall by an Alpha Were who was no longer casting the shadow of a man on the ceiling.
“Lia and I are a pair,” Cyrus said.“If you ever think about moving against her again, remember this: what happens to her will happen to you and your entire Corps.On that, you have my word.”
