“Then we have time,” Ezra cut in, eyes bright with something almost predatory. “Calix. Weapons. New ones. Ones no one’s ever seen.”
Calix pointed at his temple, grinning wild. “Already got blueprints screaming in here.”
“Good.” Ezra’s tone became iron. “Stay alert. Someone around us is feeding them information. Inside eyes are always the first move in war. Keep everything quiet. People know we’re strong, but I won’t have them knowing how strong.”
The humor slipped away. Her gaze swept across all of us, and, for a moment, the room felt smaller than the threat.
“Wearegoing to war,” she said, her voice cold enough to sharpen steel. “Not if—when. Fortify your territories. Train your people. Build your strike teams. It will get bloody before it gets clean.”
A smile tugged at my mouth. There she was. The monster we needed. The one who didn’t believe in losing, not because she was arrogant, but because she’d never even entertain the idea. We were Syndicate, and we’d never back down to an enemy.
“Whatever you say, E. We’ve got you,” Calix said without looking up, his pen still dancing over his page.
Riot nodded once. Silent, deadly, absolute.
Aniyah’s grin was practically feral. “Let’s paint the streets with their blood.”
“My people are yours,” I said, and I meant it.
My thoughts drifted to those men still in my bed, my mates, and my chest ached. They’d never let me walk into fire alone. I couldn't help wanting this war to leave them untouched, but it also didn’t matter what I wanted. If they were Syndicate, they would be in the fight, just like me, and they were my mates, which meant they were undeniably Syndicate.
Ezra’s attention shifted. “Calix. Progress on the fae blade?”
Calix dragged a hand through his hair, the universal sign of nearing burnout. “Yes and no. The blade’s powerful. Testing confirms it. But the power source? How the enchantment binds? Not sure yet. Similar to rune work… but not exactly.” He sighed. “Avery had no idea, but that was also him trying to examine it over the phone. Papu Syris is coming to see it in person.”
“Good,” Ezra said. “We need that edge. It’s their trump card. If they pair it with something worse, we’re facing a disaster before the first wave even hits.”
“I’ll crack it,” Calix said, and he meant it. The fire in his eyes could melt metal.
Ezra nodded once. “With the antidote Calix made and Nova’s person as proof of its effectiveness, we now have a counter-agent for their other advantage. Even if the doctor managed to sendthe formula to someone else, we have a way to neutralize it. Thank you both.”
Calix and I exhaled together. A small victory. Still, it felt like running blindfolded through a maze while someone else turned the walls.
We were moving in the right direction, but the enemy was moving with us.
Ezra tone snapped out, “Aniyah, Riot—start asking around about this ‘Morte.’Quietly.” Her gaze locked onto Aniyah. “Have your British mate check his circles. I’m not crossing any names, international or state side, off the suspect list just yet.”
She turned and began typing on her keyboard, the meeting winding down, and pressure gathered in my chest.Now. Say it. Stop stalling.
“I have something to tell you.”
Four pairs of eyes slowly turned to me in unison, and the sudden weight of their attention made my pulse stumble. I forced myself to sit up straighter.Just. Say. It.
“I…” My gaze flicked to Aniyah. For once, she wasn’t smirking. She sat there quietly, almost stunned, until that slow, wicked grin unfurled across her face. Like she knew before I even said a word. Weirdly enough, it steadied me.
“I have four mates,” I blurted. “And I want you all to come meet them.” I kept my face as neutral as possible, but my knee was bouncing underneath my desk.
The silence was so sharp I swore I could hear the static hum of the receiver. Riot blinked. Calix froze mid-scribble. Ezra’s jaw actually dropped. And of course…
Aniyah exploded into laughter.
“Iknewit!” She leaned in towards me conspiratorially. “You got yourself a pretty little… well, maybe not so little kitty, huh?” She lifted her hands and began to spread them wider… and wider… andwideruntil her hands froze at the twelve-inch mark. Giving me a knowing look, she whispered in awe with a smidge of jealousy, “Birthday dick? You got birthday dick on tap?”
My lips pressed together, trying and failing not to laugh.Why does she have to be so outrageous?I can't help but find it funny.
“Iknew it!” she shrieked, slapping her desk and pointed at me. “Iknewthat kitty was packing!”
“Aniyah! Stop!” Calix snapped, then he rounded on me, horrified. “Please. Please tell me it’s not that Zeth bastard. I warned him! I told him he?—”
