By the time I was eighteen, I’d been in enough control of myself that my aggression could be put to use. People had still been challenging the Alphas for leadership back then, and I’d been more than happy to end those threats. My reputation as a skilled fighter had grown . . . and so had the interest in climbing into my bed.
Some of it was from Velesians seeking a strong mate, but it’d mostly been from thrill-seekers, both Velesian and Moroi. They’d wanted to be fucked by the lycan who barely had a hold on his humanity.
I had no interest in being used.
“So . . .” I took a swig from the bottle and enjoyed the smooth burn down my throat. “What happens when Rynn tells you to shove it and you lose the bet?”
Bastian sniffed. “Not your concern because it’s not going to happen.”
I looked to Cade, who just smiled and winked at me. “Bas is going to tell Warrick the truth.”
“Oh.” A raspy laugh spilt from my lips. “You should have led with that.”
Chapter Seven
Rynn
“Might I have a word?” I asked calmly from the seat I’d claimed in Cade’s large study on the third floor. Ryker stopped halfway across the room, where he’d been heading for the exit, and smoothly pivoted to glare at me. We’d spent the last hour hashing out the details of Selene’s arrival and her living situation here.
And by we, I meant me, Cade, and Bastian. Ryker had spent most of the meeting alternating between glaring at Bastian and me. I had no idea why he was pissed at Bastian, but I assumed he was still upset over how I’d slammed the door in his face last night and ignored him all morning.
I turned away from Ryker’s intense stare and met Cade’s questioning eyes. “Alone,” I clarified. “A moment of your time alone.”
“Come on, little wolf.” Bastian gracefully leapt down from the ledge in the broken outer wall. “Let’s go find some food.” I flicked my gaze away from Cade to see Bastian sling an arm over Ryker’s shoulders and practically drag the lycan out of the room.
“There’s no need to be so formal, Rynn,” Cade said after we could no longer hear Bastian’s and Ryker’s footsteps. “I realize we could have handled things differently, but truthfully, I thought you understood you were a member of our pack in name only. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want you here.” When I just continued to stare at him, he amended his statement. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want you here. Your input over these past eight months has been very helpful, and I both value and respect you.”
“You value and respect the spy in your midst?” I arched a brow at him.
He just shrugged. “Two things can be true at once. I believe your loyalty will always be to your pack, which I don’t blame you for, but I also truly believe you want to improve things for all Velesians. And you’ve never been shy about your loyalty to Samara, and therefore, the Moroi in general.”
Maybe a few years ago, I would have accepted that. It was kind of hilarious Cade and the others thought I had this intense loyalty to my birth pack and the Narchis Order, considering I’d felt like an outsider in my own damn pack shortly after the deal had been struck for me to join the Alphas. But there was no use in explaining that to them. They wouldn’t believe me or understand.
Samara did though. She knew exactly what it felt like to have your future bargained away, and it was because of my best friend and her mates that I wouldn’t settle for this part-of-a-pack-but-not-really bullshit Cade was trying to sell me. I’d stayed awake all night thinking about it. Plotting out my options.
A bargain had gotten me into this mess. A bargain could get me out.
I just needed to come up with an offer the Alphas couldn’t refuse, which meant it had to be something they really wanted. The bargain had to be so in their favor that the Narchis and Fervis Orders would understand why they had accepted it.
Just one problem: the only idea I’d come up with was crazy. And had a lot of gaps in terms of how to accomplish what multiple people had failed to do over years.
Somewhere in the mountains was something both the Alphas and the Seelie King wanted. There was no chance of Warrick or the others telling me what they were searching for. But Erendriel might.
Not out of the kindness of his heart, of course. But the Seelie King did love listening to himself talk, so I might be able to trick him into revealing something. I just needed a tiny clue to go on.
To talk to Erendriel though, I’d need to get to the temple again. And I couldn’t risk Bastian or one of the Alphas listening in on the conversation. They had a habit of showing up unexpectedly when I went to the temple. Sometimes Cade would stay with me and peruse the books and weapons stored in the hidden rooms.
The mirror in the Alpha stronghold wasn’t the only one that went to the temple though. There was another in Narchis territory, not far from where I’d grown up. I’d insisted on Bastian moving up the trip because I wanted some space from the Alphas, but now I could use it to kick off the first phase of my plan.
When we made it to the Narchis stronghold, I could ditch Bastian. Which shouldn’t be too difficult because once he took care of whatever business he needed to, Bastian would fall into the bed of whatever voluptuous beauty caught his eye, or beauties. His carnal appetite was well-known.
The problem was Ryker, because I had no doubt he would follow us, and that would definitely put a damper on my plans.
A deep laugh drew me out of my thoughts. “You know Ryker’s picked up your habit of getting lost in your own head, right? You’ve been an interesting influence on him.” Cade leaned back, and the chair creaked a little under his weight. Amusement danced in his eyes. “I’m guessing you wanted to speak to me alone because of Ryker. Let me guess, you’re concerned he’s going to follow after you and Bastian?”
Cade was quietly perceptive. It was one of the many things I liked about him. When he wasn’t being a lying asshole, anyway.
“We both know he will,” I replied. “Just like we both know that if you order him to stay here, he will.”
