Killian shook his head, his expression more sober than before. “I’m asking because I want to understand. If we’re to work together—and I mean together, not under my command—then I need to understand. I need to know what exactly I can ask of you.”
Elyse slipped her hand into Zubir’s. “You can tell him,” she encouraged. “He’s kept my secrets, and he’ll do the same for you.”
Eyes still trained on the floor, Zubir took a breath. “The shifters have been hunted for nearly a century. If you can catch a shifter, and manipulate them into doing your bidding, you can be a very rich man.”
He looked up, gauging Killian’s expression. Killian remained stoic, empathetic even.
“I was born in a cell,” Zubir went on. “For three generations, my family was held captive. We were forced to do the bidding of very greedy men—stealing for them, killing their enemies. No one came looking for us, because no one else knew we existed.”
“I’m so sorry,” Killian said, voice grave. “No one should be treated that way.”
Zubir moved toward one of the chairs and lowered himself into it, as if suddenly exhausted. “It was the children—that was how they kept us in line. Some of the strongest men and women in the world, capable of unimagined stealth and violence, all caged by love. For nearly a hundred years, we obeyed out of fear for the ones we cared about.” His gaze went hazy, as if lost in the dark memories.
“You escaped,” Elyse said, her words a lifeline bringing Zubir back to the present.
“We did,” Zubir agreed. “We finally had enough, and we rebelled. For months, we traveled in our wolf forms, roaming the forest in search of a new home. We had each other, and we had our freedom.”
“How did you come to be on the island?” Killian asked.
Shame clouded Zubir’s features, and he looked away. “I left the others,” he admitted plainly, guilt sharp in his voice. “I couldn’t live like they did, always on the run, always looking over my shoulder, fearful that we would be recaptured.” He began to wring his hands together. “I’ve always been afraid, always expecting the worst. The others seemed so liberated. They never worried, always looking to the next adventure, but I… I couldn’t do it.” His voice trembled as his chest rose and fell rapidly, like he was reliving that fear. “I left them. I ran away to the nearest town. I used my powers to steal, slowly stashing away a fortune that would afford me the very best protections.” He shook his head. “But the fear only got worse. What if someone discovered I was a thief? What if my cousins found me, and branded me acoward? I was all alone without anyone to help me. So I went farther and farther away and set up more and more defenses, until I made sure that no one could ever find me again.”
“Zubir,” Killian said softly. “Are you still afraid?”
Zubir lifted his chin to look in Killian’s eyes, towering high above him.
“It is like the addict who craves the bottle every day. Just as they will never be rid of their desire to drink, I will never be free of my fear. I can only learn to live with it, and rise above. That is what I’m choosing to do.”
“I think that makes you the bravest person I know,” Killian told him. “And I would be honored to fight alongside you.” He extended his hand to Zubir.
When Zubir smiled, there was a twinkle in his eyes. “Then I shall be your soldier,” he said. He clasped Killian’s hand, and the alliance was formed.
34
Killian
Killian andElyse strolled down the hallway, leaving behind the comfort of their bedroom as they headed for the dining room. Elyse stifled a yawn—a ridiculously humanizing and adorable action. Killian suppressed his own body’s need to mimic the yawn. They had stayed in the study long, long after the sun set. At first it had been Elyse, Killian, and Zubir, discussing strategies as well as the shifters’ strengths and weaknesses. Then Sera and Manny had arrived, joined by Corin and Nina. Now that he knew the secret, it’d been thrilling watching their friends’ reaction to Zubir’s talents.
Then various cousins had come and gone in groups of two or three, introducing themselves and staying to chat. With his cousins there, Zubir had noticeably relaxed in a way Killian had never seen before. He opened up more about their time together, both in captivity and after. Killian and the others had listenedrespectfully, wanting to know more about their new allies. Sometime in the wee hours of the night, they had finally decided to go to bed.
Despite his heavy eyelids, Killian was filled with an exhilaration that buzzed through his body, making him restless. His mind was a flurry as he tried to predict the different ways Lazarus might attack, and how the shifters would be uniquely useful in each scenario.
“I’m going to need a grueling training session today,” Killian said as they made their way down the staircase.
Elyse shot him a smirk. “Is that an innuendo?”
Killian quietly snorted, an awkward combination of giddy laughter and hiding his arousal at the simple joke. To be fair, he found everything she did sexy—from speaking politely with Sera’s parents to knocking him on his ass with her magic. Perhaps he had a problem.
As they descended the stairs, the energy in the house began to change. The shifters had come inside for breakfast, and all fifteen of them darted about, carrying plates of food from the kitchen or scurrying to talk to one another about their accommodations. The din of so many voices bounced off the walls and breathed life into the space. Dah beamed at each of her guests as she made her rounds, checking to make sure everyone was comfortable and well fed.
Killian and Elyse navigated their way through the packed dining room toward the kitchen. Each of the shifters greeted them cheerily and offered to get them breakfast, which both Killian and Elyse fervently declined. Manny and Sera were already in the kitchen, and they seemed equally as excited andoverwhelmed as everyone else. The four of them loaded their plates with food before venturing back into the dining room and finding seats together.
“Your mother seems happy,” Killian noted to Sera as he dug into his breakfast.
“She certainly loves playing hostess,” Sera mused. “I think she especially likes having your mother around.”
They glanced down to the end of the table, where Mrs. Tan had taken a seat next to Mrs. Southwick. After losing Privya, Killian had insisted his mother stay at the estate with them. Fortunately, Dah had been more than happy to accommodate.
“So, Zubir is a werewolf?” Manny asked in a hushed but delighted voice. His gaze darted around the room with a childlike wonder. “All of these people are?”
