《River Cast (The Tale of Lunarmorte #2)》


 Page 1

    The State of Things


    Existing in the shadows of our world are supernatural races; children blessed by the ancient Greek gods with unimaginable gifts, and at present they are fighting a two-thousand-year old war with one another. The Midnight Coven, an alliance of dark magiks, faeries, and daemons born of black magik, believe that the vampyres and lykans are lesser supernaturals and a threat to mankind. They are at war with the Daylight Coven, a confederate of light magiks, faeries, vampyres and lykans who believe in the equality of the races.


    Into this war eighteen-year old Caia Ribeiro is born¡­a lykan with a heritage unlike any other. A consequence of the manipulation of the gods and fate, Caia is unique ¨C a half-lykan, half-water magik. And to make it even more complicated, her mother was the daughter of the Head of the Midnight Coven: Caia is half-Daylight, half-Midnight. No one is quite sure of the extent of Caia¡¯s abilities, not even her mentor Marion, the sister to Marita, the Head of the Daylight Coven. All they know is that after her explosive killing of her Uncle Ethan, Caia is the heir apparent, and with it has trace magik - the ability to sense the emotions and whereabouts of every member of the Midnight Coven. The pack, Marita, and all their allies, believe Caia is the key to bringing down the Midnights. But Caia is not so sure. Not only is she an eighteen year old girl trying to come to grips with adulthood, she¡¯s a girl still reeling from the death of her friend, Sebastian; confused by her feelings for the pack¡¯s Alpha, Lucien; excited but terrified by her magikal powers, and frightened by the contradiction of the trace magik.


    You see¡­ Caia is beginning to realize that the war isn¡¯t all black and white. There are members of the Midnight Coven who are good people, magiks who have long forgotten why the war began, magiks who don¡¯t view other supernaturals as a threat. Midnights who would just as happily see the war to an end. Is the trace wrong? Is she going insane or just falling to the other side? Because everyone close to her would believe her to be a traitor if she shared her concerns¡­ wouldn¡¯t they?


    And if all that wasn¡¯t enough her best friend, Jaeden, is still missing from the pack, having run off after being rescued from the malevolent clutches of Caia¡¯s Uncle Ethan. Caia had seen through Ethan¡¯s eyes the atrocities he committed against Jaeden¡¯s young body and mind, and only she understands Jaeden¡¯s need to be separate from the pack for a while.


    However¡­ perhaps it¡¯s best Caia isn¡¯t fully aware of Jaeden¡¯s true situation. It would be just one more major worry to add to her never-ending pile of responsibilities. For not only is Jae out hunting rogue vampyres - a crime against the Coven, as the law constitutes that only a vampyre can hunt a rogue vampyre, and only a lykan can hunt a rogue lykan - she has even bigger problems.


    When Ethan had Jae locked in a cage, messing with her body and mind, utilizing an enormous amount of fire magik to torture her, something¡­ happened. It had to have¡­ right?


    Otherwise, where did her damn telekinesis come from?


    1 ¨C Lone Ranger


    ¡°Son of a-¡± Jaeden launched into a somersault to avoid the bullet whizzing towards her head, and whipped around from her position on the muddy grass in time to propel a blade at the vampyre¡¯s wrist. The vamp girl screamed as it made perfect aim, the gun falling to the ground as she clutched her bleeding artery.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Blondie screeched, glaring at her as Jaeden stood up and began sauntering towards her with an intimidating lack of fear. The wound caused the vampyre¡¯s eyes to glow with deadly intent.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± Jaeden winced wryly. ¡°Your oh so original comeback is like a veritable stake to the heart.¡± She smirked, pausing as her fingers brushed the line of steel blades she had strapped to her belt.


    Blondie hissed, her incisors lengthening slowly. ¡°My boyfriend is not going to like me coming home wounded.¡±


    Jae chuckled. ¡°Oh honey, you¡¯ve been such a bad little girl, chewing on humans and breaking the Coven laws... your boyfriend is going to be a little bit more concerned with the fact that you won¡¯t be coming home at all.¡±


    The husky laugh that comment provoked was a little eerie. ¡°I¡¯m breaking Coven laws? What about you wolf girl?¡±


    That didn¡¯t even deserve a response. She was breaking Coven laws for the common good. Teeth here was a skanky ho who got off on killing human boys after they gave her a little ¡®somethin? somethin?¡¯. Yeah, she wondered how the bf felt about that.


    Sighing, Jaeden opened her leather jacket and pulled out the small axe she kept hidden there. The vampyre¡¯s eyes widened marginally, and then shuttered when she realized Jaeden was watching for her reaction.


    ¡°So, Vampyra.¡± Jae grimaced, hitting the blunt edge of the axe off of the heel of her palm. ¡°You ready to meet your ma-¡±


    The vampyre launched at the gun on the ground cutting off Jaeden¡¯s unoriginal parting quip. With a flick of her wrist, Jaeden pushed with her mind and the gun jumped up from the grass inches from the vamp¡¯s fingers, flying into Jae¡¯s outstretched and waiting hand. Nonchalantly she tucked the gun into the other side of her belt and smirked at the look of amazement on the girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°I thought you were just a lykan,¡± she breathed, real panic now swirling in her gaze.


    Jae shrugged. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Was that magik?¡±


    Her question received another shrug. Truthfully, Jaeden didn¡¯t know what her telekinetic abilities were. Her greatest fear in fact were those abilities... and whether it meant, as she suspected it did, that some of Ethan¡¯s malevolent energy had transferred to her during her captivity and torture.


    ¡°Look.¡± The vamp giggled a little hysterically. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just forget about this? I¡¯ll go home, you go home, and I¡¯ll never come back to your turf again, OK?¡±


    No. Not OK.


    ¡°See that guy.¡± Jae pointed to the dead teenager that lay slumped against a grave stone. His neck had been ripped open so badly it was a wonder his head was still attached to his body. She concealed a shudder, turning away from the gruesome and tragic sight. ¡°Did he suggest the same thing to you when he first felt the bite of your teeth? Did you listen? Apparently not.¡±


    Blondie spluttered, ¡°He¡¯s just a human!¡±


    Jaeden snorted in response. ¡°Yeah, well, weren¡¯t we all once.¡±


    ¡°I have money.¡± The vamp began to back up as Jaeden drew closer with the axe. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    Jeez, when were these chicks ever going to learn?


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a negotiation. You kill humans¡­ you pay the price.¡±


    The axe was spinning through the air on its side before she¡¯d even finished her sentence. It sliced through wind and then straight into the vampyre¡¯s jugular. Blondie¡¯s eyes popped wide, and she made a horrific choking, gurgling sound. Her legs gave out beneath her and the choking grew worse as blood poured out of her mouth.


    Jae didn¡¯t even flinch.


    She strode towards the vamp, knelt down beside her and put pressure on either ends of the axe until it cut right through, crunching and squishing until it hit the muddy ground beneath her, her head completely detached from her undead body.


    Silence.


    Jae pulled at her axe and then wiped the axe blade clean on the girl¡¯s cashmere jumper, using her own scarf to wipe the blood splatter off her face.


    A quick glance at her watch. 5.20am.


    The sun would rise in fifteen minutes burning the body to nothing. No one would ever know she had been there. It was funny that, she mused, standing up straight, turning away from the consequences of her soldiering, a vampyre could walk around in the day no problem. But once their undead bodies were really... well... dead... the sun did a clean-up job. Legend had it this began after Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, had a child, Asclepius, who pissed off Hades by bringing the dead back to life with his healing powers. Since the dead were Hades charge, he went to his brother, Zeus, who had Apollo¡¯s kid killed. In revenge, Apollo killed the Cyclops, enraging Zeus, who caught up with him and threatened to send him to Tartarus. With a little sweet talking from Leto, Apollo¡¯s mama, Zeus lessened his punishment, with the proviso that Apollo help him keep the deadly creatures a secret from humankind by cleaning up their bodies when they died. Apollo gave the job to the sun, and the rest is ancient history.


    Jaeden sighed, her eyes settling back on the boy. She hated to leave him like that but she couldn¡¯t be involved in any way. He would just have to be found by a human in the morning. It was a large, central cemetery. It wouldn¡¯t be long. Not that, that made her feel any less like a monster for walking away.


    Before she had begun this new life with Reuben she hadn¡¯t known that much about other supernaturals. Pack Errante, being so small, was protective of their kids, and only a few of them really knew much about the world outside of the pack. Learning that for the past few centuries vampyre bodies had evolved because of the goddess Demeter¡¯s little curse of fertility, and had begun to die by the time they reached three, four hundred years old, made her feel somewhat better that they weren¡¯t overpopulating the world, and thus making the job of tracking down rogues even harder. But there were still the few out there whose bodies hadn¡¯t been affected by evolution, and if the legends were true, a rare number who were second generation vampyres: the first to be born after Hades stole Persephone (Demeter¡¯s daughter) and made her Queen of the Underworld, thus enraging Demeter enough to curse Hades¡¯ vampyres with fertility. The ability to have children gradually changed their natures over time. They became less aggressive, more human. Well¡­ in general. Jaeden shuddered at the thought. If there was still a vamp out there from that time, it was probably a feral killer with the survival skills of a god. She pushed the folklore meant to scare small vamps at a campfire out of her mind, and she wandered back to the basement loft she was living in with her head lowered, bumping into some late night revelers once in a while. The closer she grew to the apartment, however, the quieter the city streets became. The sun had risen, and soon those quiet streets would be buzzing with city slickers who had no idea they shared their world, their jobs, and sometimes even their homes, with supernatural beasties such as her. More importantly they had no idea a war was raging, and that if a certain young woman didn¡¯t live up to her prophecy, that war might spill over into their lives.

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    There would be nothing left of them.


    She sighed, entering the building¡¯s dark entrance and quietly jumped down the stone stairwell at the back. She could hear voices coming from the end of this hallway and smiled softly as she approached the sliding steel door. Lily and Adam were fighting over the Wii again. She rapped on the door and it slid back within seconds. Gazing at her, with an annoying crease of concern between his eyebrows, Reuben stepped back to allow her entry.


    ¡°Where have you been? You missed all the action.¡±


    Jae shrugged and nodded at the two vampyres playing computer games. Josh and Styx were sleeping in one of the back rooms. She wandered through the apartment, dropping her leather jacket here and her blades there. The axe she placed in safe keeping on a wall mount she had up in the bedroom she used to share with Lily. She could feel Reuben prowling at the back of her.


    ¡°Jae, what¡¯s up?¡± His cool hands slid up her arms and massaged her shoulders.


    She shrugged him off and sat on the bed, pulling her boots off as he glared at her from the doorway.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I hunted a rogue by myself.¡±


    He nodded, biting on his lip ring, a habit she noticed he had when he was thinking over something. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that a lot lately.¡±


    She knew where he was going with his line of thought and she was just too damn tired. So ignoring him, Jae pulled her t-shirt off and began rifling through her drawer for a clean one.


    Reuben hissed, bringing her gaze snapping up to him. His eyes were narrowed on her as they looked her over. ¡°Some people would call that teasing.¡±


    Inwardly she flinched, outwardly it pissed her off. ¡°Is that a warning I detect, Reuben?¡± she sneered, pulling on a clean shirt.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    She blanched at the anger in his voice and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, OK. I just forget. Lykans are used to the whole undressing in front of each other thing.¡±


    ¡°I know. Just try to remember. I¡¯m not made of stone.¡±


    She flushed involuntarily, an awkward silence falling between them as they both remembered the night he had kissed her and been thoroughly rebuffed.


    He cleared his throat and she sensed a now familiar discussion on the horizon. ¡°Why the hunting solo?¡±


    She was right. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to you about this. Hunting by yourself? You¡¯ve been doing it since that night in here with Lily.¡±


    Jae winced just thinking about it. ¡°She could have been killed.¡±


    ¡°But she wasn¡¯t,¡± Reuben replied softly, approaching her tentatively. Slowly he sat down beside her on the bed, seeming afraid she would snap at him like a wounded animal if he got too close. ¡°You¡¯ve been controlling your telekinesis.¡±


    Not that night. Not when she had nightmares. When she was awake and in control she was able to harness whatever energy it was that gave her the ability to move things with her mind, but as soon as her emotions went into overload, there was no stopping the chaos. She had been fine around Reuben and his gang; killing vampyres who preyed on humans; putting all her hate into pounding the living daylight out of them; and feeling nothing more than a tangible connection to these good vamps she worked with; they were colleagues, nothing more. She wouldn¡¯t let them be.


    But two weeks ago, she had started having nightmares about her time in the cage. She didn¡¯t know why or how¡­ but they were vivid and horrifying, and kicked her telekinesis into high gear. She had been awoken by Lily¡¯s screams. Six blades were embedded into the walls around them, and her precious axe was embedded above Lily¡¯s head as she cowered in the corner of the room. Books, furniture, clothes... were strewn everywhere, and Lily¡¯s nose was bleeding, a black bruise appearing on her porcelain face. Jaeden had refused to let her sleep in the same room with her ¨C or anyone ¨C since. And she¡¯d refused to go out hunting with any of them in case she got them killed.


    ¡°Only when my emotions are stable. I can¡¯t take chances, OK.¡±


    For her that was the end of the discussion.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about these nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Uh no.¡±


    ¡°What about that?¡±


    Jae frowned and looked up to see what he was talking about. He was pointing to her axe mounted on the wall. ¡°What about it?¡±


    He shrugged and looked at her, trying to appear calm, but his jaw was clenched tightly. ¡°If you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t control it, why do you have a weapon in here that could kill you in your sleep?¡±


    Because it doesn¡¯t matter.


    She didn¡¯t say that. Reuben would kill her himself if she said that. He wanted her to be so happy here with him and the gang, taking out bad guys, living off Lily¡¯s inheritance. But she was miserable. She ached with every part of her body for the pack. She wanted her mother and father, and her little niece Jaela. She wanted to run free with them through the woods behind Lucien¡¯s house, and play and tussle with Sebastian. Her dresser began to shake at the thought of Seb and she quickly threw him out of her mind.


    He was gone. She wasn¡¯t ever getting him back.


    She could have the pack back if she wanted.


    But she didn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t.


    She wouldn¡¯t live with the people who reminded her of when she was whole and pure and good. She was something else now; something broken and corrupted and she just couldn¡¯t face that kind of disappointment from the people she loved after everything that had happened to her.


    ¡°Well?¡± Reuben pressed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it down.¡± It would be easier than explaining to him about how messed up she was. She guessed he knew it already, though.


    ¡°Jae... ¡± he placed his large, cool hand over hers.


    Crap, she winced, looking up into his face. She shouldn¡¯t make eye contact with him. His black eyes asked for way more than she could give.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She snatched her hand back, refusing to meet his gaze.


    He snapped up off the bed. ¡°If you would just let me in, I could help you. Just tell me what happened to you.¡±


    No way. No one could ever know how bad it got.


    At her silence he heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    He turned to leave and then looked back at her. ¡°Just so you know we may have to leave the city. The rogues have cottoned on to the fact this is no longer an easy target for breaking Coven law.¡±


    She nodded, not caring where they went.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out.¡±


    Again she nodded. Reuben had a tendency to disappear every now and then to goddess knows where. Jae didn¡¯t ask about his mysterious loner ventures. That would imply that she cared.


    2 - Midnight Rebel


    As Caia finished the last sentence on her report for Marion, she sighed and eased back in the chair at her desk. The light outside was fading and with it bringing memories she couldn¡¯t dispel. It had been months now since she had killed her Uncle Ethan after his kidnapping and torture of Jaeden, and since Sebastian had been murdered in the crossfire.


    Months since the pack had seen any semblance of normality.


    She turned and, like many nights, let her gaze drift outside her window and into the darkening woods. Jaeden had been gone for months and only Caia, and perhaps Lucien, knew why. The torture she had undergone at the hands of Ethan was unthinkable, and Caia hadn¡¯t been able to tell her family how bad it must have been for her to leave the pack. Jaeden¡¯s father, Dimitri, was distraught and constantly demanding Lucien do something about it, but one look at Caia¡¯s face and she had known he knew it was best to leave Jaeden to come to terms with her tragedy by herself.


    She was strong enough to make it through the cage so she was strong enough to be alone.


    But it wasn¡¯t forever. Caia was giving her another month, and if she wasn¡¯t back by then, she¡¯d fulfill Dimitri¡¯s wishes and bring her back to the pack herself.


    Caia sighed again, her eyes drifting down and across her bed, and with it heated memories flooded her. Dear goddess, she scoffed at herself. She was lucky she hadn¡¯t fallen pregnant! Since lykans couldn¡¯t carry disease, nor become pregnant unless mated, using protection during sex was usually only utilized by mated couples who weren¡¯t ready for children. Since Lucien and she had no idea having sex together would cement their ¡®betrothal¡¯ they hadn¡¯t used any protection.


    Yeesh.


    She was sooo lucky she hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant.


    The close call, however, didn¡¯t stop her from yearning... remembering. Not once was she able to look at her bed without a reminder of the night she had given herself to him; the night when for once they were in total agreement about something, safe together, passionate, happy. The moment hadn¡¯t lasted long, and ever since there had been a constant tension between them despite their ¡®united front¡¯.


    She missed him.


    ¡°Caia.¡±


    The familiar voice sent a wave a longing through her and she turned to gaze up into his silver eyes. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Lucien threw her a sympathetic look, acknowledging how tired she was. ¡°Marion¡¯s here.¡±


    She smiled wearily back at him and stood to her feet, gathering her papers in her hand. They walked in silence down the stairs and into the living room, where Marion sat having tea, and Saffron, her faerie, stood studying her cuticles in utter boredom.


    ¡°Ah, Caia.¡± Marion smiled warmly in greeting.


    For the past few months Marion¡¯s weekly visits had been the pack¡¯s only constant. Pack runs had dwindled - there had been two rather crappily put-together ventures and even then the mood of the event had been melancholy. School was out for the summer for Mal and the others, and Caia, lucky to have made her finals, couldn¡¯t enjoy graduation since Jaeden had missed it and she had only Alexa to share it with. Plus any plan Caia had had for the future was gone: no community college, no apprenticeships, and no job. Her job was here, training with Marion, writing up reports on the activities of the Midnight Coven. As the weeks had gone on, as her reports proved more and more helpful, the more Marion had hinted at Marita¡¯s growing curiosity. The day was coming when Marita would ask to meet her, for her to come to the Center, maybe even take a physical part in the war. The Center was the main training ground for Daylight soldiers, and because a magik¡¯s power didn¡¯t reach its full potential until their eighteenth birthday, you had to be eighteen to join the Center. The same for any other supernatural being ¨C it was kind of like joining the army, you had to be a legal adult to make that choice. From what Marion had told her it not only involved physical training and strategizing, but provided classes on how to utilize your magik and element. The majority of magiks taught their children all they needed to know, but the most powerful magiks tended to be those who were taught at the Center. It sounded like an interesting place, and Caia would go if only to get it over with, so she could just as quickly return to the pack.

 Page 3

    ¡°Marion.¡± She smiled back at her, and sat across from her on the sofa. ¡°Saffron.¡±


    The faerie smirked at her. That was more of a response than anyone else got out of her. She was beginning to think the shapeshifter liked her.


    ¡°So.¡± The magik smiled brightly, but Caia detected the strain in that expression. ¡°What news from the Dark Coven?¡±


    Caia obediently handed over her written report. ¡°You asked me to look specifically for any mention of the New York Kr¨®ls. I found out that Nikolai has asked the attack be abandoned. Too risky in light of the instability of the Midnights.¡±


    Nikolai Petrovsky was the new Regent of the Midnight Coven and had been appointed by their Council since Ethan had gone ¡®missing¡¯. The fact that Gaia would not imbue Nikolai with trace magik when the Council put him forward as the new Head led the Midnights to believe that Ethan was still alive somewhere. For now the Council had voted in Nikolai¡¯s rule as Regent. Of course they were blithely unaware of Caia¡¯s existence. Caia sighed deeply, and looked between Marion and Lucien, unsure of their reaction to her next piece of news. ¡°In fact... Nikolai has asked that all attacks against us be abandoned until there is definitive news of Ethan¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Lucien quirked an eyebrow as he glanced at Marion, like Caia, interested more in her reaction than anything else. Marion for her part had stiffened in surprise. Even Saffron had looked up from her nails in interest. After a few minutes of silence Marion cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well... that¡¯s unexpected.¡±


    Well yeah.


    ¡°But what does it mean?¡± Caia asked impatiently.


    The witch shrugged. ¡°You should know better than anyone what it means.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t. Nikolai is strong, and his emotions are not as easy to read through the trace as it is with the others.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°The Petrovskys are an influential family, have been for many generations now.¡±


    Caia knew this. She¡¯d felt the respect he garnered from other Midnights and the reasons why. His decision to stop attacks against the Daylight Coven confused Caia, not only because she couldn¡¯t feel the reason from him - only what he told the others - but because lately her connection to the Midnights was raising some questions. She was feeling emotions from some of them that suggested the war as it stood was not exactly what she thought it was¡­ or had been led to think it was.


    She snapped out of her own musings to find Marion frowning at her. ¡°Caia, it doesn¡¯t mean anything significant. Nikolai is obviously just rallying the troops until he feels the Coven is secure enough to return to their tried and tested style of warfare.¡± She curled her lip distastefully. ¡°Neanderthals that they are.¡±


    Lucien smirked and turned to Caia. He seemed to read her confusion and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Marion¡¯s right. The Dark Coven is just a little shook up right now. They¡¯re taking precautions, but it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    If that was true, then why didn¡¯t she feel so sure?


    Caia nodded, reluctantly, because what she was about to impart, was just going to further their belief that Midnights were not to be trusted to play ¡®the game¡¯ with a cool head. She took a deep breath. ¡°Well, despite Nikolai¡¯s orders he has a rebel in his midst. A guy called Pierre du Bois?¡±


    A wrinkle of concentration appeared between Marion¡¯s eyebrows. ¡°Du Bois? Du Bois? I know that name, but it¡¯s not one belonging to the old families. What is he up to?¡±


    ¡°This warlock has gone behind Nikolai¡¯s back and raised a small group of dissenters against Nikolai¡¯s decision. It seems he has a problem with one of the city packs from here. The MacLachlans?¡±


    Lucien grunted in surprise. ¡°The MacLachlans live... what¡­ 300 miles north of here but... they¡¯re not a huge pack.¡± His eyes swung to Marion. ¡°What are the Midnights doing going after a relatively small pack?¡±


    ¡°The MacLachlans are an old Scottish pack,¡± Saffron spoke up, moving gracefully closer to them all. ¡°They sprung up around the end of the 13th century in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and have gifted the Daylight Coven with great Rogue Hunters throughout the centuries. I¡¯ve worked with...¡± she shrugged elegantly and perched down beside Marion, studying her mistress as if she would find the answer in her face, ¡°Hmm... what? Eight, nine generations of Rogue Hunters from that pack.¡±


    Marion nodded, turning back to Caia and Lucien. ¡°Saffron¡¯s right. They may be small but to older members of either coven they are a well-known warrior pack.¡±


    Well that explained that.


    ¡°Pierre is arrogant and young.¡± Caia sighed, standing up to stretch her legs. She hadn¡¯t been on a run in weeks and it was telling on her body. ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t recognize him as an old warlock. I thought because of his ability to arouse such devotion that you may have heard of him, but I¡¯m thinking he¡¯s just very charismatic. His trace is malevolent; his prejudice against the Daylights extraordinary considering how young he is; and... I think he might be quite powerful. Some of the others seem afraid of him. From what you¡¯ve told me, and from my understanding of Pierre¡¯s character, wiping out a respected and feared pack of lykans would cement his own reputation. Although I can¡¯t feel it in his designs, he might use a victory like taking down the MacLachlans as a reason to take to the Council and ask them to make him Regent instead.¡±


    ¡°When is this attack going to take place?¡± Lucien narrowed his eyes, folding his arms across his chest defensively so that the muscles in his biceps rippled. His body language had become so familiar to Caia. Lucien was preparing for war. The butterflies that had been dormant in her stomach for the majority of the conversation suddenly fluttered into a riot. She had known this news was going to be the beginning of something. Something big. Something irreversible.


    ¡°Four weeks.¡±


    Marion pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in five minutes. I have to speak to Marita. Come, Saffron.¡±


    And the witch was gone, along with the faerie, and not for the first time, Caia envied their flawless use of the communication spell that allowed them to travel to an intended destination instantly.


    I knew it.


    This is big.


    ¡°You OK?¡±


    Her gaze swung back to Lucien, whose eyes had softened with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just preparing myself.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    She snorted. ¡°The apocalypse.¡±


    Lucien grinned. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just make sure it¡¯s them and not us that end up in the underworld, huh.¡±


    ¡°Wow, talk about pressure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    He sighed heavily and strode towards her. Every nerve ending came to life the closer he got, and then sizzled uncontrollably when he cupped her chin in his large hand, his eyes shining with faith and strength. ¡°You can only do what you¡¯re doing, Caia. Yes, you¡¯re important to this war, but are you going to end it?¡± He shook his head, stroking her cheek soothingly. ¡°One person can¡¯t stop a war, especially when you¡¯re not the one running the show.¡±


    She nodded gratefully, trying desperately not to melt into his embrace. Goddess, these last few months had been hard pretending not to want any more from their relationship. Or friendship as it were, she thought grumpily. She sighed as his hand dropped away and he pulled back from her.


    ¡°What do you think Marion¡¯s saying to Marita?¡± he asked gruffly, almost as if he had been just as affected by their momentary intimacy.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°I was merely relating the situation as it stands.¡± The magik suddenly appeared before them, minus Saffron this time.


    Caia smiled at her. Like she had with the pack, Caia had come to know Marion well over the last few months, and despite her business-like approach to everything, she had a penchant for mischief that was funny, depending on if you were her target or not.


    ¡°Well?¡± Caia asked expectantly.


    Marion¡¯s smile faltered, and she drew her small shoulders back as if bracing for battle. ¡°Marita would like you to play a part in the defense of Pack MacLachlan.¡±


    A small growl emitted from Lucien. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit soon?¡±


    ¡°I want to.¡± Caia placed a placating hand on his arm, her eyes hardened with determination. ¡°I knew this was coming.¡±


    Marion sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Marita is quite adamant about it. Anyway.¡± She turned to Lucien with a sarcastic smirk. ¡°Not to worry. She would like to meet you as well, Lucien.¡±


    Caia frowned. ¡°Wait. Are we going to the Center?¡±


    Marion nodded. ¡°As soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°And how are we getting there? I thought it was in Europe?¡±


    The magik chuckled as if she had said the funniest thing in the world. ¡°Really, Caia, you should know better than that by now.¡± At their continued silence she seemed to sense that neither Caia nor Lucien had the patience for ambiguity or inappropriate amusement. ¡°OK. We want you, you and Lucien only, to travel to the MacLachlans. Not for them exactly. You see, there is a gymnasium on Bryant Street called Magic Fitness-¡±


    Caia snickered. ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡±


    Marion ignored her. ¡°Go in as inconspicuously as you can.¡± She threw a pointed look at a rather large Lucien. ¡°To the left of the front entrance is a doorway that takes you down a corridor. On this corridor is a studio room, studio number 3. Go in, and stand in front of the first pane of ceiling-to-floor mirror on the back wall. Caia, if you place your hand on the first pane the mirror will recognize you as a magik. Take Lucien¡¯s hand and walk into the pane.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She smiled almost arrogantly. ¡°It¡¯s a portal. To the Center.¡±


    ¡°And when do we leave?¡± Lucien asked quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week to arrange a suitable situation for the pack.¡±


    He nodded, and looked ready to ask another question when Marion cleared her throat, appearing suddenly uncomfortable. ¡°There is something else.¡±

 Page 4

    The hair on the back of Caia¡¯s neck rose in warning. ¡°Yes?¡±


    But it was Lucien Marion was looking at.


    ¡°My sister has become aware that Jaeden Rodriguez is breaking Coven law.¡±


    A snarl erupted from Lucien¡¯s throat, his entire body tense with shock and anger. ¡°I doubt that very much.¡±


    The witch looked saddened. ¡°Jaeden has been killing rogue vampyres.¡± She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Lucien, who snatched it from her. ¡°She¡¯s been living with a group of vampyres and hunting with them.¡±


    Caia felt herself shaking. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Usually imprisonment. But considering the circumstances, Marita has agreed to let Ryder collect her, and bring her back to the pack.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s getting off on a warning?¡± Caia breathed in relief.


    Marion nodded, and Caia literally felt the tension drain out of Lucien. He grunted and tucked the paper in the back pocket of his jeans.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Ryder immediately.¡±


    3 - Find and Retrieve


    Ryder cuffed the hands-free around his ear and pressed speed dial one.


    Three rings rang out before... ¡°Lucien.¡±


    ¡°So you and Caia ready to hit the road?¡± he asked without preamble.


    Lucien sighed down the other end of the phone. ¡°Bored already, Ryder?¡±


    Ryder grinned, his eyes darting to the rear view mirror at the sounds of sirens. The flash of light could be seen weaving between cars in the distance, and he pulled over in order to get out of the way. ¡°Hey, do not get me started.¡±


    ¡°I thought-[ne naw ne naw ne naw] already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to repeat that man, police sirens just drowned out what I¡¯m guessing is an irritating observation on my progress in this ¡®rescue Jaeden from herself¡¯ project you got me heading up.¡±


    Lucien snorted. ¡°I was just wondering what was taking so long.¡±


    ¡°I left three days ago.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a three day drive, not including rest br... you know what, never mind, I¡¯m nearly there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, Magnus has agreed to oversee the pack, so Caia and I are nearly ready to hit the road as well.¡±


    Ryder smirked. ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°You were thinking it.¡±


    ¡°Thinking what?¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Well does this journey include a motel break, because in the interest of all romance, don¡¯t. Last night I slept in a motel room where the carpet literally moved beneath my feet, there were so many fleas in it.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah well, I might just have to make a pit stop on the way back so Jae can enjoy the delights of the place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll go easy on her.¡±


    Ryder groaned, as he glided into the next lane. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    ¡°I gotta go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll let you know when I retrieve our wayward pup.¡±


    ¡°Do that. Take care, man.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Ryder sighed heavily as he thought about Jaeden. He was making pretty good time so he should hit the city by nightfall. He wondered whether she would be an adult about this and come in peace, or if he was going to have to physically haul her ass into the truck. He groaned and rubbed the tension out of his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool that you¡¯ve started going hunting with us again.¡± Styx smiled sweetly as she stood up from kneeling, her machete bloodied by the dead vampyre¡¯s neck juice. Jaeden felt a twinge of guilt at the mixture of hurt and hope in the young vamp¡¯s eyes. Out of all of her new found comrades, Styx was the most sensitive and had clung to Jaeden from the get go. She was a baby for a vampyre, only sixteen, and Jae had felt sort of protective towards her. Styx was built like a child, fragile and small at a tiny five foot nothing. Her size was deceptive and the reason the big vampyre on the ground was dead. None of the bad teeth (as Reuben¡¯s gang of misfits liked to refer to the rogue vamps) were expecting the sly strength of Styx.


    Jaeden looked away from the dead guy and shrugged. ¡°Yeah well, it gets Reuben off my back.¡± She winced as Styx¡¯s face fell in disappointment. ¡°And of course I missed hanging out with you guys,¡± she added quickly. The young girl smiled, but Jae could tell it was too late.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy with us, Jaeden?¡±


    Oh boy, how to answer that question?


    She shrugged again, and gestured for her to walk with her out of the alleyway. They were supposed to be back at the basement loft half an hour ago. Lily, Adam and Josh would already be there hitting the Wii. She doubted Reuben would be there. He had gone on one of his disappearing acts yesterday and probably wouldn¡¯t be back for a few days. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just ready to move on from here.¡± She indicated their surroundings. ¡°I mean it¡¯s quiet now that the bad teeth know we¡¯re here hunting them. That vamp you killed back there is the first one in days.¡±


    Her answer seemed to cheer Styx up, who was grinning from cheek to cheek, her little fangs visible. ¡°Well, that¡¯s OK. We¡¯ll just move. Reuben will be totally cool with that. Ooh yay.¡± She bounced from one foot to the other, clapping her hands like a perky cheerleader. ¡°Maybe we can convince Reuben to buy an actual loft apartment... you know¡­ one with windows!¡±


    Jae laughed and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I sometimes think Reuben forgets you guys can actually stand the sunlight. Too many episodes of The Vampire Diaries, I think.¡±


    ¡°He does think that Elena girl is hot.¡±


    Jae smirked. ¡°So does Lily.¡±


    Styx sighed longingly. ¡°Ian Somerhalder all the way.¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh.¡± Jae scrunched up her face. ¡°Too pretty. I prefer my men a little rough around the edges.¡±


    ¡°Like Reuben?¡± The vamp giggled.


    Jaeden laughed and punched her arm playfully. Despite Styx¡¯s matchmaking attempts, she enjoyed the young vamp¡¯s prattle as they wandered back to the apartment. Her chatter about anything and nothing was soothing to her, allowing her thoughts to settle nowhere and be at peace for the moment.


    ¡°Ah, home sweet home.¡± Styx chuckled as she pulled the building¡¯s main door open. ¡°But not for long.¡± Her blue-yellow eyes twinkled happily at the exciting thought of moving up and on.


    Jaeden snorted. ¡°One can only hope.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m thinking we should go abroad. Like Rome, or Egypt or something. I¡¯m betting there a lot of bad teeth over there,¡± she continued as they headed down the hallway to the loft, her small hand clasping the door handle, ¡°I mean, all that culture and beauty. The bad teeth would want to rip that sh-¡±


    Styx suddenly stopped as the door slid open, her doll eyes wide, rose-bud mouth parted in shock. Jaeden felt her heart thump loudly in her ears as she dared to step by the vamp and look inside the basement. The blood rushing to her ears as her heart escalated drowned out any sound.


    How had he found her?


    Ryder felt like smirking at the shocked look on Jaeden¡¯s face. All along he hadn¡¯t wanted to believe the information on the little bit of paper Marion had handed to Lucien and then Lucien to him. He knew the girl had been through a lot, a Hades lot. But she knew the rules inside out.


    You did not hunt other supernatural races.


    If he hadn¡¯t witnessed the horrific situation Jae had been in with Caia¡¯s Uncle Ethan, he would have been yelling at her by now. But he had seen only a fragment of the damage committed to a girl who had once been the most spunky, vivacious kid in the pack. He wasn¡¯t going to condemn her for this stupidity. He was going to put her in the truck and leave this mess in the past where it belonged. That was if she ever made a move into the apartment towards him. He frowned as her blue eyes flicked past him to the vamp kids who sat on a dilapidated old sofa looking terrified.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine. No harm done.¡± He smiled cheekily, holding his hands up in a surrender gesture. And he wasn¡¯t lying. After they had come home to find him there, they had attacked, but quickly saw reason after he blocked and outmaneuvered all three of them. And that tall chick had game, he winced inwardly recalling her near blow to his groin.


    He waited patiently. Jaeden didn¡¯t respond.


    Finally, she took a tentative step inside the apartment, her slender hands gripping the tiny female vampyre behind her, pulling her inside before she calmly slid the door closed. Ryder waited as she turned back towards him, her face expressionless.


    She was different, he suddenly realized.


    It wasn¡¯t just that her manner had changed. She used to be a bundle of energy, always in motion, her sentences forever flowing into one another. Now she was cool and aloof, a reserve in her gorgeous blue eyes that had never been there before. Ryder shrugged off an uncomfortable, unwelcoming feeling as his eyes drank her in. Jaeden had grown up... and the effect was well...


    She was hot.


    Crap.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she finally asked, softly, warily.


    Ryder decided now wasn¡¯t the time to mess around. ¡°I¡¯ve been sent to return you to the pack.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed instantly, her body shifted into defense mode. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±


    For the hundredth time, Ryder wondered why Jaeden couldn¡¯t stand to be around her pack. When anything got to him that badly, all he wanted to do was be with the pack. The bubble of irritation under his skin threatened to vocalize itself, but he checked it at the last minute. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have a choice,¡± he replied evenly. ¡°It¡¯s either the pack or imprisonment.¡±


    Her mouth fell open.


    Finally. A response.


    ¡°What?¡± she growled, her lykan distorting her voice.


    Ryder chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°What, you didn¡¯t think you could break a major Coven law and not have to deal with it?¡±


    The look of panic shot through her eyes but only briefly. Ryder watched in amazement as the look was literally shrugged out of existence as she walked towards him, her shoulders drawn back defiantly. The girl really had become something, he mused, enjoying the panther-like way she moved.

 Page 5

    ¡°Why am I not arrested then?¡±


    ¡°Because of Caia.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Jae nodded, smirking at the irony. ¡°They need her, and they know that throwing away the key on me would piss her off.¡±


    Ryder gave a brief nod.


    ¡°Humph.¡±


    What the Hades did that mean? he wondered in annoyance.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice.¡±


    ¡°None whatsoever.¡±


    It was weird seeing Ryder again.


    His entire presence filled the cab of the truck as he drove them out of the city and towards the pack. The fact that he was singing Sweet Home Alabama didn¡¯t help the matter.


    Jaeden groaned and burrowed deeper into the passenger seat. She couldn¡¯t believe it. How had she gone from being a Rogue Hunter one minute to being... what... Ryder¡¯s babysitting job?


    ¡°Sweet Home Alabama! Yeah! Where the skiiiieees are sooo blue! Sweet Home...¡±


    Oh goddess help me, she whimpered. He was so out of tune.


    ¡°Alabama! Woo! Swe-¡±


    ¡°RYDER!¡± she exploded. It had to be made perfectly clear that his singing was not acceptable. ¡°If I¡¯m to survive a road trip back to the pack... I¡¯m going to need you not to do that.¡±


    ¡°Lynyrd Skynyrd?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Home Alabama?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    He looked at her in confusion, his warm hazel eyes round, his usually sexy grin missing and replaced by a near-childish pout. ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Singing. Ryder. The singing.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Jaeden nearly choked on a scoff, ¡°Please tell me you are not delusional enough to think that you can actually sing?¡±


    He looked genuinely affronted. ¡°I will have you know that my voice has been praised by many lovely ladies.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really must be good in bed, cos¡¯ they been a-feeding you a crock of crap.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Ryder huffed, glancing from her back to the road. ¡°Well... what?!... you know, I have been drop-kicked by a lykan on steroids, had an actual samurai sword sliced through my left shoulder, and been shot in the chest with buckshot... but that shit there really hurt.¡±


    A silence descended upon the cab.


    And then Jaeden erupted. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and the longer she laughed the wider Ryder¡¯s grin grew. When at last her giggles dissipated, she felt exhausted and mildly uncomfortable for having really laughed for the first time since Ethan.


    ¡°That was nice to hear,¡± Ryder said quietly. ¡°Even though I was being completely serious.¡±


    The smile he threw her was soft and coaxing, and for the first time since she had seen him tonight, she remembered why he had been her big school-girl crush. The wolf was gorgeous, no question. She looked away, trying to make out the passing landscape in the dark. Reuben was going to be seriously pissed off when he returned and found her gone. As it was the goodbye had been harder than she had ever wanted it to be. All this time she had thought she had truly cut herself off from people, but no. The sight of Styx crying had still done her in, leaving her with painful regret at having not been able to put a comforting arm around the girl and tell her she was sorry, and that it would all be OK. She had left Lily to do that, who had glared at her the entire time she packed, stonily refusing to speak to her. Josh and Adam had said their goodbyes, their eyes nervously returning to Ryder as they had done so. She wondered what the lykan had done to them before she got there.


    So she had left them. Styx was sad. Lily was pissed. What did they expect her to do? Fight the Coven? Were they crazy?


    No. She was going home. Where she belonged.


    What?!


    A languorous, melting sensation spread through her body, and a tension she had gotten so used to being there she had forgotten it existed, slipped out of her mind. She felt as if she¡¯d been sleeping for the last few months and now found herself awake, a rush of feelings, so in contradiction to what only minutes before she had been so sure of, washed over her.


    She wanted to go to the pack. She wanted to see her parents.


    Wow. She was so sure she hadn¡¯t wanted that at all.


    Here¡¯s hoping the telekinesis doesn¡¯t kick in then huh, she thought wryly, utterly confused by her sudden desire to return to the pack.


    ¡°Hey, Jaeden?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked without looking at him, trying to hide her sudden disorientation.


    ¡°Earlier when you said about Caia being angry at the Coven if they locked you up, what did that sarcastic noise you made mean?¡±


    Jae rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you think it means? It means why the Hades would Caia care if they locked me up? We knew each other for all of five seconds.¡±


    The growl that rumbled from Ryder¡¯s chest alerted her. Oops, perhaps she had a made a mistake.


    ¡°You ungrateful pup.¡±


    Yup. Definite mistake.


    ¡°Caia risked her ass to save you from Ethan, and don¡¯t give me any crap about it being her fault you were there in the first place, because it wasn¡¯t. It was mine and it was Lucien¡¯s, and it was your father¡¯s. It was the pack¡¯s fault we didn¡¯t protect you. But Caia.¡± Ryder shook his head in anger. ¡°That girl did everything she could. She risked everything to find you! And don¡¯t you forget it.¡±


    She wanted to scream at him; wanted to rail and rage that he had no idea what she had been through, so how dare he?! But in the end she knew he was right. No matter how much she wanted to blame Caia for Ethan taking her, deep down she knew if there was one person in this world she might count on, she was guessing it was Caia Ribeiro. Ryder obviously thought so too, and obviously had a lot of respect and admiration for her. A sneaking feeling swept over. His defense of Caia was quite vehement. Did he... did Ryder have a thing for Caia? For some reason the thought irritated her more than his condescending lecture.


    ¡°Point well received,¡± she sniped. ¡°And just so you know I thanked Caia for saving me. I thanked Sebastian too before you bring that up.¡±


    Another tense silence fell between them, until finally Ryder heaved a sigh. ¡°Look. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just sit in silence for a while, hmm?¡±


    He nodded and relaxed in his seat.


    And just as Jaeden felt herself drifting to sleep, Ryder chuckled. ¡°I heard this really funny joke on the radio the other night. You want to hear it?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll assume that¡¯s angry teenage girl gesture for yes.¡± He smirked. ¡°OK. So one day, there¡¯s this koala bear up in his tree smoking a joint, and this little lizard walking past looks up and notices. ¡°Hey,¡± the little lizard calls, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shrugs the koala. ¡°Just smoking a joint, getting stoned. Wanna join?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± says the little lizard, and he slithers up the tree and starts getting stoned with the koala.


    A little while later, the little lizard says his mouth is dry and he needs a drink, but on the way down the tree, he leans over too far and falls into the river. A big crocodile sees it happen and swims over. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asks the little lizard. ¡°You OK?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The little lizard nods. ¡°I¡¯m just too stoned from smoking some joints with the koala bear.¡±


    ¡°Joints?¡± The big crocodile¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I gotta check that out, man.¡± So the big crocodile swims out of the river and takes a wander into the trees until he reaches the one the koala bear¡¯s in. ¡°Hey!¡± he shouts up.


    The koala looks back down at him and shouts, ¡°Fuuuck duuude! How much water did you drink?!¡± Ryder slapped the wheel of the truck, laughing as he finished the joke. ¡°Ah man, that¡¯s funny.¡± He shook his head, wiping at a tear in the corner of his eyes. ¡°It kills me.¡±


    Jaeden hadn¡¯t said anything. She had managed to hide her answering grin to the joke by looking out of the passenger window.


    ¡°What?¡± Ryder huffed. ¡°Come on that was funny! That was comic gold right there.¡±


    She shrugged, enjoying teasing him. ¡°It was OK. Kind of elementary.¡±


    ¡°Elementary? It¡¯s an effing joke.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    His groan could probably be heard for five miles. ¡°Aw this is going to be a looong drive home.¡±


    Jaeden hid her grin with her hand. Teasing and arguing with Ryder was the most normal she had felt in a long time. She sneaked a glance at him again, and a rush of old feelings hit her like a battering ram. She remembered how just the thought of him had sent butterflies into chaos in the pit of her stomach, back when she had been naively carefree; how just daydreaming about him had gotten her through her boring history class; how she had promised herself that when she turned eighteen, she would finally let Ryder know that his mate had been under his nose the whole time.


    A golden peace whispered through her briefly with the memories.


    Goddess, she had made a mistake leaving the pack. Instead of running from them she should have let them fix her. And maybe she would have felt infrequent bursts of that golden peace she felt momentarily with Ryder, until one day she didn¡¯t feel so broken.


    A hollow regret formed in her chest. Running from the pack was probably the biggest mistake of her life. She had been so afraid of her family not understanding who she was. But that wasn¡¯t an excuse was it? Why had she done it?


    She held in the gasp of pain her confusion and regret created, and kept her face turned from Ryder. A single tear escaped, trickling slowly down her smooth cheek, feeling like a heavy stone scoring her skin.


    It was the first tear she had shed since she had left the pack.


    This time she did gasp. She was cracking, the steel armor she had put up around herself rusting off, and all because she was with one of her pack? Coins on Ryder¡¯s dash began to shudder and Jaeden flinched, willing her telekinesis into control.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she heard Ryder ask, and there was a deep concern there.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she managed in a shuddering breath, and she turned to him wide-eyed. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m going to be.¡±

 Page 6

    He smiled gently in answer, seeming to understand.


    4 - Wants and Fears


    The smell of coffee, eggs and crackling bacon rushed up her nose to taunt her olfactory senses, causing her stomach to roll in uneasy waves. She followed Lucien, who was being led by a waitress to a booth at the back of the roadside diner.


    ¡°Here you go, hon,¡± the young woman purred, handing a grease covered menu to Lucien, the look in her eyes indicating that if he wanted he could order her off the menu. Caia slid into the booth, ripped edges of maroon leather catching on her jeans. Of course the waitress didn¡¯t even glance her way, let alone give her a menu. Good thing she wasn¡¯t hungry, huh.


    ¡°What are you having?¡± Lucien asked, as he managed to fold his huge frame into the too-small-for-him booth.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK.¡±


    ¡°Caia, you have to eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    ¡°At least have some coffee and a sandwich.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could keep it down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ordering you a sandwich.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Hope you can afford new upholstery in the truck.¡±


    He grimaced. ¡°Maybe just the coffee then.¡±


    As his eyes wandered over the menu his expression changed, a big wolfy grin spreading across his face. ¡°I, on the other hand, am going to have a burger. A huge, juicy, meaty burger with a hunk of melting cheese, maybe some thick mayo and-¡±


    Caia felt herself turn green. ¡°Stop, I beg of you.¡±


    The portal to the Center was just over a five hours drive away. They¡¯d left at sunrise and would be there in a few hours¡¯ time. The thought of actually meeting Marita and Vanne, of actually taking a real part in the war, was causing not only the sickening butterflies in the pit of her stomach, but trembling, cold shakes that ran through the top of her skin, sending the hairs up on her arms and her teeth into chattering madness.


    The drive so far with Lucien had been fraught with tension. The cab in his truck seemed smaller somehow. She could hear and feel every move he made, her eyes wandering to his strong hands and sinewy forearms every time he reached for something. Tingles shot through her each time she caught a glimpse of his strong profile (or when he turned to smile at her, his hard silver eyes softening to smoke the way they only seemed to do around the people he really cared about), and momentarily her nerves over the Center were obliterated and replaced with new nerves, sad achy nerves over Lucien, over the stupid mistakes she had made when she learned he had been keeping things from her. In the end it had turned out there were more important things in life than petty grievances. And as it turned out her grievances had been petty in comparison to what happened to Jaeden and to Sebastian.


    Hindsight sucked.


    In fact hindsight should be assassinated.


    Lucien was frowning over having being stopped in his meat salivation. ¡°You sure you¡¯re OK?¡±


    She nodded mutely.


    His eyes narrowed perceptively. ¡°Last time I¡¯m asking. I¡¯m a guy after all.¡±


    Caia laughed. Olympus forbade anyone considered him sensitive or considerate. ¡°Some coffee will be fine. I¡¯m just a little nervous, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The waitress returned and Lucien gave her their order. When he was done she gave him a huge come-get-me smile and then turned unexpectedly to Caia. ¡°He your boyfriend?¡± she asked loudly.


    Her mouth fell open at the woman¡¯s brazenness, and she looked back at Lucien to find him grinning smugly, enjoying the interlude, and waiting in amusement for Caia¡¯s answer. He quirked an eyebrow at her as if to say, ¡®See... I¡¯m hot.¡¯


    She glared at him and turned back to the expectant waitress. She smiled sweetly at her, checking her nametag. ¡°Oh no. He¡¯s all yours... Melissa, is it?¡±


    Melissa grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not dating?¡±


    ¡°No. Never. Not gonna happen.¡± She turned that sweet smile back on Lucien, whose smirk had been replaced with a glower. ¡°I would have to be paid-¡±


    ¡°OK, she gets the picture,¡± he snapped and turned to Melissa. ¡°Can we just get our order please?¡±


    Melissa nodded absentmindedly. ¡°What are you doing later?¡±


    ¡°Going to France.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Yeah, right. Seriously, you want to, like, do something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in France.¡±


    The waitress lost the grin, straightened up from the table and sent him a dirty look. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go out with me just say so.¡±


    As the girl flounced off, Caia chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so getting a loogie in your coffee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, I was telling the truth.¡± He shrugged, looking confused and irritated, clearly annoyed that she had gotten the better of him in a situation he thought would annoy the crap out of her. The thing was... Caia was pretty used to people ogling Lucien. She had since learned to turn the whole jealousy thing off.


    ¡°Well she¡¯s human. She doesn¡¯t understand there are portals to Europe in gymnasiums. I didn¡¯t realize there were portals to anywhere - let alone Europe - until last week and I¡¯m a half-breed half-breed.¡±


    ¡°A half-breed half-breed?¡±


    ¡°Still working on a name for what I am.¡±


    ¡°How about a Mykan?¡±


    ¡°Or a Lykik?¡±


    Lucien screwed up his face. ¡°Stick with half-breed half-breed for now.¡±


    She smiled, and for that moment they were comfortable in each other¡¯s company. She bit her lip, remembering the first time they had taken a walk in the woods behind their house together, and Lucien had told her about Pack Errante¡¯s origins. It had been comfortable then, too. If only it could be like that always. Abruptly, the moment between them changed as Lucien¡¯s eyes fell to her mouth. It was the same look he had given her when he¡¯d kissed her for the first time, and when he had initiated the night they slept together.


    Oh boy.


    Her cheeks suddenly felt very flushed.


    And then Lucien seemed to come back to himself and he coughed shifting in his seat. ¡°Where is that coffee?¡± he grumbled, his eyes not meeting hers.


    Caia tried to hide her smile. Maybe Lucien wasn¡¯t quite as unaffected by her as she¡¯d thought he was. She felt like laughing. Maybe there was hope after all. Maybe-


    What is that?


    An icy tingling shot through her and she stiffened in response. She was fully in control of her trace magik now. She tapped into it whenever she wanted to, but if a Midnight magik was nearby the trace alerted her to it. Glancing around, Caia tried not to show her panic. It didn¡¯t mean the Midnight was here in the diner. The magik could be a few miles away. Allowing herself to relax, she let the magik¡¯s essence pour through her. A man. A young man. He was happy about something. It felt like love. He felt like he was in love. She stiffened again.


    ¡°Caia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien reached across for her hand.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she whispered.


    And that was the problem. The young Midnight¡¯s essence was untainted. There was no malice or hate in his soul. No bloodlust for war. And he wasn¡¯t the first Midnight¡¯s trace that she had felt this from. Why were there Midnights who didn¡¯t seem to care about the war? There was no evidence of that black syrupy pool of hate Ethan had reveled in; that Pierre du Bois and his followers swam in. She wasn¡¯t stupid. Caia knew that there was no black and white in war, or in most situations for that matter, but the centuries of beliefs and warfare had taken on its own soul, its own being. Daylights were supposed to want equality and peace. Midnights the extinction of ¡®lesser¡¯ supernatural beings they considered a threat to mankind. So why the Hades were there Midnights who cared more about the kind of puppy their fianc¨¦e might like, than whether their Head of Coven had gone missing?


    ¡°Caia?¡± Lucien reiterated.


    She shook the trace out of her at the sound of Lucien¡¯s panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± she reassured him. ¡°I¡¯m OK.¡±


    Should she tell Lucien what she suspected?


    ¡°You look upset.¡±


    Her eyes drank in his concern, her whole body warming over his distress for her. Lucien was a big believer in ¡®Midnights bad, Daylights good¡¯. He would think she was crazy, or reading the trace incorrectly. No. For now she¡¯d keep quiet, and Lucien would keep smiling at her.


    ¡°Just nerves again.¡±


    He snorted and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nervous for. You¡¯re like a god to these people. I, on the other hand, am the Alpha whose pack you chose over the Center.¡±


    Caia laughed. ¡°Yeah, I forgot about that. Hey, maybe you should be nervous.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Ooh look, your loogie coffee is coming.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cute you know that. I think if you continue to be this cute I¡¯m going to leave you here to go out on a date with Melissa, the waitress, yourself tonight. I¡¯ll send a postcard from the Center.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go through the portal without me.¡± She smiled sweetly.


    His answering look would have frozen water. ¡°How much do muzzles cost these days?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t have been more relieved than when they finally pulled into the parking lot of Magic Fitness. The day, in close quarters with Caia, had been harder than he had imagined. Lucien glanced at her as he put the car into neutral and pulled up the break, switching the engine off. She was smiling nervously back at him, her long pale hair pulled back off her face making her cat green eyes seem larger and more vulnerable.


    She should have been his.


    Sighing, he shook off the aggravating thought that created this heavy rock on top of his heart. He was acting like a chick.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he managed.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Caia nodded at him and climbed out of his truck.


    They walked in silence into the gym, and he had to stop himself from taking a hold of her hand. Her anxiety was oozing out of her pores, and he had a feeling there was more to it than just the Center. Sometimes, he thought it might be because of him, but she had gotten good at hiding her feelings, and as far as he was aware she didn¡¯t see him as anything more than a friend and her Pack Leader. So what in Hades was up with her? He was the one that should be nervous, he thought, as Caia led them through the gym to studio number three. No one approached them, despite how inconspicuous a huge dark haired guy and his tiny gorgeous blonde companion were.

 Page 7

    This was it. This was where he might lose whatever hold he had on Caia.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she said quietly, her small hand reaching out to grab a hold of the gold door handle under the sign that said Out of Order.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair, readying himself. Her green eyes looked up into his. Should I? she seemed to ask. His answer was a brief, stoic nod.


    This was about more than them. That had been their problem from the start.


    The door swung open and he followed as Caia tentatively entered the barren space. The mirrors were attached to the back wall just as Marion had said they would be. Lucien shut the door behind them and walked as quietly as he could to where Caia now stood facing the first pane of mirror.


    She blew air out between her lips. ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Take my hand.¡±


    He reached for her and they clasped hands, and slowly, almost as if she had gone into slow motion, she reached a slender arm out towards the pane. He saw her hand tremble, and he squeezed the one enfolded in his own. At that she seemed to shrug herself into action, and she laid her wide-open palm against the mirror. The atmosphere in the room charged and the air pressure changed. It was almost as if they had climbed up too high. The floorboards beneath their feet creaked and shifted, and Lucien grabbed tighter on to Caia. And then his eyes widened in amazement as the mirror turned to liquid under Caia¡¯s touch, her entire hand sinking through the mercury mass. She looked back up at him, smiling in astonishment and excitement, all her nerves seeming to have disappeared.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± She grinned, the dimple in her cheek flashing invitingly.


    How could he say no?


    He smiled back at her. ¡°After you.¡±


    It felt like cold gel sliding and clinging to his skin as he walked through the pane. He could no longer see Caia, there was only darkness, but he could feel her hand still clasped warmly in his. The gel-like feeling disappeared, and as he kept walking the darkness began to dissipate to white light. He stopped, blinking as the light glared brighter, bringing his arm up to shield his eyes from the intrusion.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± he heard Caia whisper.


    Cautiously he brought his arm back down and blinked open his eyes.


    Whoa.


    They stood in an enormous space. In front of them were a couple of security gates and three guards. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that they were all warlocks trained in defensive magik. Beyond the gates was a huge reception area, there was even a cute receptionist behind the circular desk. And behind the desk to the right of the foyer were floor to ceiling windows that curved along the right side of the building instead of steel and brick.


    ¡°Oh my...¡± Caia breathed and he echoed the sentiment as he realized they were looking out on to water, and beyond that a beautiful cityscape. And towering behind the bridges and stunning architecture was the top of the Eiffel tower.


    ¡°You made it.¡±


    They both turned sharply to see Marion, grinning like a child as she sidestepped the security gates, gliding towards them.


    ¡°Paris?¡± Caia shook her head in amazement.


    Lucien watched as her mentor smiled smugly. ¡°The River Seine to be exact.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± His stunned gaze flew to the windows. ¡°We¡¯re on the River Seine?¡±


    Marion chuckled. ¡°Compliments of two of our finest magiks. An earth and air magik worked together to create the Center in another plane that exists within Paris. We can see them.¡± She pointed to the outside world. ¡°But they can¡¯t see us.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Lucien nodded. ¡°You said it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m so glad you made it.¡± Marion was grinning again as she grabbed a hold of Caia¡¯s elbow and started dragging her through the reception. ¡°First things first, introduce you to Marita and Vanne, and then to your rooms. And then in the morning I¡¯m going to introduce you to another water magik I picked out for you, Mordecai. He shows amazing promise. Mordecai will show you around the classes I want you to take part in while you¡¯re here. Communication spells, martial arts, water element lectures, glamour class, natural materialization... Oh, and we have altars to all the individual gods here. I¡¯m sure you would like to see Artemis and Gaia¡¯s. Oooh maybe...¡±


    Lucien trailed at the back of them, his eyes drinking in their modern yet rich surroundings, his ears taking in all the excitement Marion had planned for Caia. He smiled gently as Caia glanced back at him, her eyes wide with the exhilaration of being somewhere she could really try out her magik. With that quick glance she turned back to listen to Marion, leaving Lucien behind.


    And that was exactly what he was afraid of.


    5 - Sizing Up


    The witch and warlock that stood before her were not exactly what she had been expecting.


    Throughout Marion¡¯s chatter Caia had been completely aware of her and Lucien¡¯s surroundings as they entered a large elevator near the rear of the massive reception area they had passed through. The back wall had three elevators, and Marion led them to the middle elevator that needed a security code to open it. As soon as the doors glided smoothly open, Caia could see why. She was guessing this was the ¡®presidential elevator¡¯, clad in mahogany and gold, sparkling clean mirrors reflecting three of each of them. Marion explained to them that this was indeed the only elevator to the Head of the Coven¡¯s suite. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Caia¡¯s eyes had widened. Before them stretched a loooong wide corridor, decorated richly in butter creams and gold. The carpet felt like clouds beneath their feet, and here and there were pieces of Louis XIV furniture, and rich, dark oil paintings favoring Italian Renaissance. More surprising, however, was the lack of doors, except for the large double doors at the very bottom of the seemingly endless corridor. Furthermore, there were ten magiks standing vigilant guard, five aside to either wall, and dotted along the walkway in exact formation.


    Those colossal double doors, which would not have looked out of place at the Palace in Versailles, had swung open to reveal a breath taking room with an eclectic taste. But it was neither the room, nor the furniture, nor the decoration that caught Caia¡¯s eyes this time. It was the magiks in front of her.


    ¡°Caia Ribeiro.¡± Marita gave a tight smile, nodded at her before shifting her gaze to Lucien. ¡°Lucien L¨ªder.¡±


    Caia gulped and looked up at her Alpha. Lucien¡¯s eyes were narrowed on the couple. Was she supposed to curtsey? Lucien was doing his usual, calculating their characters, deciding on the spot whether they had the potential to be trustworthy and likeable. The brief nod he gave, however, revealed that like or not, Lucien would respect the Head of the Coven and her ¡®mate¡¯.


    Marita was very like her sister. She was as small and fragile-looking as Marion, as elegant, her hair as fiery red. But where there was gentle warmth in Marion¡¯s features, Marita seemed sculpted in ice. Her eyes were tight and sharp, her jaw tense, her hands clasped rigidly in front of her. Vanne on the other hand was almost as tall as Lucien, except leaner and wiry. Seeming far more relaxed than his wife, Vanne stood, smiling widely at Caia, his eyes drinking her in. He wasn¡¯t leering at her, she was sure of that; it was more as if he found her extraordinarily fascinating, as if he was waiting for her to do something completely unexpected.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we have this opportunity to meet,¡± Marita said, walking gracefully towards them. She took Caia¡¯s hand in her own and shook it quickly and soberly. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Caia managed and, with a subtle nod from Lucien, she followed Marita and Vanne further into the room. She and Lucien sat on a Louis XIV sofa facing the Head of the Coven, who sat facing them primly in a chair matching the sofa. Vanne lazed back in a leather La-Z-Boy that was so out of place with the d¨¦cor and gazed, entirely relaxed, at the fire blazing brightly in the massive, ornate fireplace to their right. She knew she must look like the biggest dolt, her eyes wide as she took in the rich surroundings. Her gaze fell on Marion, who was now taking a seat away from the small gathering at the fireplace. She smiled at Caia reassuringly.


    ¡°Well,¡± Marita began slowly, her ocean-blue gaze fixed like granite on Caia, ¡°Marion has filled me in on your reports about the Midnights, however, I would like you to reiterate for me this Pierre Du Bois¡¯ plans for the MacLachlans.¡±


    She nodded, feeling the butterflies dissipate a little, now that she had some control in the situation. ¡°In three weeks¡¯ time, Sunday 4th to be exact, Pierre and a few of his agents intend to ambush the MacLachlans during one of their pack runs. He was investigating best possible attack strategies, and then he found out that, like us, the MacLachlans have organized pack runs every month. They drive out to Remnant Forest, the woodlands that border the east of the city. According to Pierre¡¯s agents the MacLachlans have employed a magik to mask their activities on public property?¡± she quizzed, having never realized such business went on.


    Vanne grinned at her. ¡°Some of us are extremely enterprising. We like to think on the whole that the Daylights are a tight group. We work well with each other regardless of race. And yes... we are aware that one of our magiks is employed by the MacLachlans. Seems only fair, considering the MacLachlans have been providing the Coven with excellent Rogue Hunters for many generations. One of the finest currently in fact, Phoebe MacLachlan.¡±


    ¡°A female hunter?¡± It was her turn to grin excitedly.


    He chuckled. ¡°There are a few. We¡¯re not as backward as you may think, Caia.¡±


    ¡°Having lived among humans for so long without any supernatural influence other than one measly lykan,¡± Marita smirked and Caia bristled at the certain condescension she sensed in her tone, ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you may think the human females have more liberal rights than some female supernaturals do-¡±


    ¡°Lykans in particular,¡± Vanne teased, grinning dangerously at Lucien. She felt him tense beside her.


    ¡°Hmm, well no matter the race, we are aware your opinions may be unduly influenced by your upbringing, but I assure you, Caia, the Daylight Coven has much to offer you. Why... I¡¯m a woman. One could surely say I¡¯m one of the most powerful supernaturals today. A very bright future awaits you here.¡±

 Page 8

    OK, so how did her detailing the MacLachlan¡¯s plans suddenly detour into a sales pitch? She wanted to laugh. They had jumped on her surprise and delight at there being a female Rogue Hunter because they thought she was being oppressed by Lucien? And suddenly their sales pitch had turned into some feminist bull? She managed to keep the smirk off her face as she leaned closer to Lucien to reassure him.


    ¡°Yes, well, as I was saying,¡± she managed diplomatically, ¡°Pierre will ambush the pack in Remnant Forest with ten magiks, guard the place with four, and he¡¯ll have five spies watching the MacLachlans. Together they live on five streets in the city. So we¡¯re looking at nineteen magiks.¡±


    Marita frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of arsenal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say overkill.¡± Caia nodded.


    ¡°It also means that Pierre has the beginnings of quite a rebellion,¡± Lucien added, his voice husky from concealed anger.


    Marita nodded in agreement, and then snapped her fingers so abruptly Caia flinched. A magik appeared almost instantly beside the Head, a tall hulking figure of a man whose face held no expression, whatsoever.


    ¡°Noble, I assume Miss Ribeiro and Mr. L¨ªder¡¯s rooms are in order.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    She turned back to them. ¡°Noble will show you to your rooms. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, after Mordecai and Marion have shown Caia around some of the Center¡¯s facilities, I want the two of you to reconvene here at five o¡¯clock to discuss our plan of action. Lucien, I thought you might be interested in our Second Unit.¡±


    His brows creased in confusion, as did Caia¡¯s. What an earth was their Second Unit?


    ¡°Lykans.¡± Vanne grinned.


    ¡°Yes, quite. Our Second Unit are our infantry of lykans. I¡¯ll have a representative sent around to your room tomorrow morning.¡±


    Lucien nodded politely.


    ¡°One more thing before you retire for the evening, Caia.¡±


    It was said pleasantly, yet an unexpected chill shot through her.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Marita¡¯s frozen smile melted into a grimace. ¡°You should be aware that despite my sister¡¯s championing of you, and her utmost belief in your sincerity and trustworthiness, not all of Daylight is inclined to believe her.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lucien growled.


    She cast him a withering look. ¡°It means, Mr. L¨ªder, that some of my people are uneasy around someone of Midnight blood.¡±


    ¡°Daylight blood as well,¡± he reminded her through clenched teeth.


    Caia felt those nervous butterflies returning as Marita shrugged. ¡°Well, perhaps if she had come to the Center as a permanent resident everyone would have been able to look past the fact that her mother was a treacherous Midnight whore who killed many Daylights, including your father and her own.¡±


    ¡°Marita...¡± Marion stood from her chair, her expression pained.


    Her sister merely raised her hand, the polite mask falling back into place upon her marble face. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be cruel.¡± Her eyes turned to Caia, whose own were bleak with uncertainty. She felt Lucien¡¯s tension beside her, and was reminded once again of all the differences that stood between them, of how much he had been there for her despite that.


    ¡°If I can get past it so can they,¡± Lucien¡¯s voice rumbled around the room. He moved closer to her, his arm brushing against hers. The butterflies began to abate, and she snuck a grateful glance at him.


    ¡°One can only hope they will.¡± Marita drew her gaze back to her. ¡°However, I would encourage you, Caia, to think about staying longer than this business with the MacLachlans. It would go a long way in securing you the right allies.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she plastered an equally painfully polite smile on as her hostess, ¡°I thank you for the advice, Marita, but I hope my very temporary visit at the Center will be enough to show the people here whose side I¡¯m on. I¡¯d have hoped killing my own uncle would have incurred some kind of faith, but ultimately rescuing a pack of strangers will just have to do the trick.¡±


    Lucien didn¡¯t even disguise his amusement and in fact neither did Vanne. Marion was the only one who tried to hold on to a straight face as Marita narrowed her eyes at first her husband, and then Caia.


    ¡°You might do well here after all.¡±


    Caia raised an eyebrow in surprise at the grudging respect she found in the magik¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see, though.¡±


    ¡°These people that might take issue to me being here, does that include the Council?¡± Caia asked quietly, watching warily for a reaction.


    Marita smiled smugly. ¡°The Council does not reside here on a permanent basis. They only convene on their schedule, or for emergencies.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly an answer. Marion had taught her a lot over the last few months, including some pretty in-depth history lessons. Like the Midnights, the Daylights had an appointed council that included members of the more influential families within the Coven. Their existence was a precaution; an acting body of control that disavowed the idea of an autocracy, even though Marita had complete autonomy as long as her methods were morally correct, as well as providing the Coven with adequate protection and defense. Caia had learned from Marion that three hundred years ago, Marion and Marita¡¯s great-grandmother had taken a stand against the Head - a tyrannical warlock, whom she discovered was plotting to overthrow the Council and take complete power for himself. She went to the Council with this information, a difficult task to have done, considering she had had to hide her intentions from him in her trace, and asked to be put forward as a candidate for Head of the Coven. Usually, this would have led to a political campaign where the Daylights would be allowed to vote for whomever they wanted to lead. The loser was killed so that they could ask Gaia to imbue the winner with trace power. In Marion¡¯s great-grandmother¡¯s case, the Council had been so horrified by her discoveries they¡¯d had the Head killed immediately, and placed her in power. Their family had been ruling ever since.


    So far, the Council was very happy with Marita.


    ¡°But do they take issue with Caia?¡± Lucien persisted.


    Reluctantly, Marita shook her head. ¡°They are merely impressed by your service to the Coven, and interested to see what you are capable of in the future.¡±


    Satisfaction washed through Caia and she shared a relieved smile with Lucien.


    Marita ¡®harrumphed¡¯ again, and with that, they were ushered out of the room behind an impassive Noble.


    They followed Noble back to the elevator that then led them down to floor five, where they were deposited on another elevator that took them back up to floor twenty-three.


    It was like something out of a sci-fi movie. Everything was white. White tiled floors, white walls, white doors, and florescent lighting that made all the white blinding.


    ¡°Have we been abducted by the third kind?¡± Lucien cracked.


    Caia chuckled and then choked on her laughter at Noble¡¯s severe glare. ¡°These are the candidate floors. We prefer to keep everything clean, simple, and equal among the candidates.¡±


    Caia frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are the candidates?¡±


    Noble sighed heavily as if he were speaking to a dumbass and growing rapidly impatient with it. ¡°The candidates are those Daylights in training.¡±


    Lucien twisted his mouth sarcastically. ¡°Recruits.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Noble looked as if he¡¯d eaten something rotten. ¡°We prefer the term candidate. Recruit just sounds so aggressive.¡±


    Caia smirked at Lucien. ¡°Let me guess, that was Marita¡¯s idea?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Humph.¡±


    They grinned at each other behind the pompous factotum¡¯s back as he led them past door after door. Finally, he stopped at one with the number 48 on it and handed a swipe card to Lucien.


    ¡°Your room, sir. Marita has taken the liberty of securing a spell within the key cards of non-magiks so that their fellow magik students can¡¯t invade their privacy with a spell of their own.¡±


    Lucien took the tiny piece of card in his hand, puzzling over it. ¡°Gee, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Am I next door?¡± Caia wondered, curious as to what the rooms looked like on the other side.


    ¡°No. We will be taking that elevator.¡± He pointed to a white elevator a few meters down the hallway.


    ¡°Another elevator?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lucien was frowning again, his body automatically tensing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been instructed to put the young lady in one of the guest suites.¡±


    ¡°But Lucien¡¯s a guest.¡±


    ¡°Caia, don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re not a candidate...¡± She turned to glare at Noble. ¡°And by the way it sounds like he¡¯s entering into an asylum for the disturbed.¡±


    Noble sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to pass along your compliments to Madam.¡±


    No. Caia¡¯s heart thumped angrily. They were not going to treat Lucien like some C-list recruit, while they pandered to her, just because they wanted something from her. And she needed Lucien close by. This was all so weird, so fast. She needed his strength beside her.


    ¡°Yeah, well, while you¡¯re at it, ask Madam to arrange a guest suite for Lucien in close location to mine.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Together you mean?¡±


    Caia flushed. ¡°No, not together. Next to one another.¡±


    Lucien was beginning to look seriously, uncomfortably, pissed off. ¡°Caia, you don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for you, it¡¯s for me, so swallow it or choke on it.¡±


    His eyes twinkled back at her as he gave an obedient nod.


    ¡°One moment.¡± Noble turned from them, pressing something behind his ear lobe. ¡°Get me Marita,¡± he grumbled at someone, and it was then she realized he had a small flesh-colored ear piece inside his ear. He was wearing a security headset of some ultra-mod-tech kind.


    Expensive.


    Her eyes flashed to Lucien and he seemed to understand, his own eyebrows rose in speculation. It was certainly some operation they had running here.

 Page 9

    ¡°Madam, our honored guest requests a redress of the accommodation situation for her Alpha.¡±


    He was nodding to whatever reply he was receiving. ¡°Hmm, yes, well she would like him situated in a guest suite near her own.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Yes madam. Of course.¡±


    Noble pressed behind his lobe again and turned to them with a false smile. ¡°The key card sir?¡±


    Lucien handed it back, and Caia smiled smugly. ¡°To our rooms, Jeeves.¡±


    Her guest room was unbelievable. It was decked out in the plush Louis XIV decor that Marita seemed to favor. Huge canopied bed in the center of the room; large roaring fire at the opposite end; a massive marble-tiled en-suite, and insane walk-in closet. And to top it off, the east facing side of the room was part of the curved glass window that looked out over the river and Paris.


    Its beauty was enough to make this trip worthwhile.


    And right next door was Lucien. The object of her almost constant thoughts. She had been excited when Marion had explained about the classes she could inspect while there. But Marita¡¯s warning that not everyone would welcome her had really brought home for her how much Lucien had done for her.


    And of the one thing she hadn¡¯t done for him.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He looked surprised to see her on the other side of his door. ¡°You OK?¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to you.¡±


    Lucien nodded and stepped aside to let her into a room that was much more masculine in design. It looked like Vanne had gotten his way here with the style.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s about the room... thanks,¡± he said, shutting the door behind her and following her in, watching as she took a seat at the fireplace. ¡°I have no doubt that this is far more comfortable than a candidate¡¯s room.¡±


    Caia laughed at the mocking look he gave her. ¡°Do you think it was a test to see if I understood my position here?¡±


    ¡°What... you¡¯re pulling power?¡± He smirked, sitting down across from her, relaxing his big body into the leather sofa. ¡°I have no doubt Madam has been testing your intelligence and mettle since you got here.¡±


    Caia sighed, looking down nervously at her hands. Coming to the Center was a mistake. Marion may have some kind of mother-figure faith in her, but Marita was going to expose her for the fraud she was afraid she was. Feeling traces of good Midnights? Was she crazy?


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re gonna blow her away,¡± he reassured her gently, his voice sending a soothing hand down her back. ¡°You¡¯re more than a match for her.¡±


    She smiled softly at him, hoping her feelings weren¡¯t so obviously clear in her eyes. ¡°Thank you. But believe it or not I didn¡¯t interrupt your rest for a confidence boost. I¡¯m not quite that selfish... yet.¡± She chuckled nervously, sucking in some dust and then spluttering, and coughing...


    Oh Goddess, she was the queen of un-cool.


    ¡°Caia.¡± Lucien sounded like he was choking on laughter as he got up and sat down beside her, patting her on the back more roughly than was necessary.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK.¡± She held a hand up to ward him off, eyes watering more from his help than the coughing.


    ¡°Can I get you water?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she croaked. Then she looked up at him and realized how close he was, the heat from his body stroking her skin, his silver eyes curious and concerned, inches away from her. ¡°I came to apologize.¡±


    A wrinkle appeared between his eyes. ¡°Apologize?¡±


    She took in a shuddering breath, her gaze falling to her hands again. ¡°I never apologized for what... for what my mother did to you... to your father... to your family¡­¡±


    ¡°Cy-¡±


    ¡°No, let me say this. She did all those horrible things, and when I found out the truth the first thing you said was that you were sorry. You didn¡¯t have to do that. She deserved what she got. But I never apologized properly. More than that, I never thanked you for supporting me without question. I am part Midnight and you refused to judge me for that. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Caia!¡± Lucien grabbed her chin, jerking her eyes up to meet his own. He looked angry and sad... and frustrated. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. You. Are. Not. Your mother.¡±


    A tear slid down her cheek and he caught it with his thumb, rubbing the salty liquid into her skin.


    ¡°Do you really believe that?¡±


    His eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Of course. Caia...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Lucien,¡± she whispered.


    He pulled her gruffly into his arms and she sighed, inhaling him, clinging to him like a life boat.


    ¡°You¡¯re not her. They will see that. You have to know that.¡±


    Thoughts of those Midnight traces she had been feeling trickled down towards her tongue. She needed to tell someone. Maybe Lucien would understand. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe...¡°There¡¯s something I-¡±


    Tap tap tap


    Lucien groaned. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯ll be room service.¡±


    Caia pulled back, grinning tremulously. ¡°You ordered food already?¡±


    He grinned wolfishly back. ¡°Of Course. We haven¡¯t eaten in-¡±


    ¡°Three hours.¡±


    He laughed and got up to open the door. ¡°Bring it on in, thank you.¡± He stood aside as a guy in a waiter¡¯s uniform pushed a trolley of food into the room. The guy nodded briskly and left quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± Caia chuckled, watching him lift dish after dish up to inhale the aromas. Her own stomach started to ache in protest.


    ¡°Hey.¡± He grinned again, almost licking his lips. ¡°Thought I¡¯d cash in on your powerful pull with these people and get me a proper meal before prep work tomorrow. I will need all the sustenance I can get if we¡¯re gonna kick some evil Midnight ass.¡±


    Caia¡¯s face fell. Well, there went that window.


    ¡°You wanna join?¡±


    ¡°Uh no.¡± She shook her head and made for the door. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡±


    ¡°OK. Hey.¡± He frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡±


    She locked on to his concerned gaze and wished she did. But her previous instinct had been right. Hating Midnights was too ingrained in a Daylight to make what she had to say understandable.


    And Marita was right. She needed all the allies she could get.


    ¡°No, not really. Night.¡±


    ¡°Night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he reproached darkly, watching beneath his lidded eyes as the large man walked sedately into the room.


    ¡°I had a few issues to deal with before coming here,¡± the distinguished magik said in his heavy accent, before brushing off a chair and easing into it. He straightened the lapels on his long wool coat before crossing his leg over the other in a gesture that was at once elegant and masculine.


    ¡°I have people to get back to. I don¡¯t have the luxury of your abilities, remember.¡±


    ¡°Well, be quick with your news, by all means.¡±


    ¡°My contact tells me you have a problem, Nikolai.¡±


    Nikolai chuckled, lifting his hands up in a gesture of disbelief. ¡°I would really like to know how you... have contacts within my Coven.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very old, Nikolai. I have had many years to garner enough knowledge in which to blackmail people.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°My contact told me your problem goes by the name Pierre Du Bois.¡±


    Nikolai stiffened. ¡°What is Du Bois up to now?¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Da. He is a thorn to say the least. What is he up to?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°My contact doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You believe your contact?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s just say he has no pain threshold.¡±


    ¡°You must watch your methods. If we want our plan to work we must present the right image.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Believe me, I know. Don¡¯t worry about me. You better find out what Du Bois is up to, Nikolai.¡±


    ¡°I have every intention of doing so. If it¡¯s what I think he is up to, it will provide me the perfect opportunity to have him¡­ misplaced.¡±


    A silence settled upon the room. Then...


    ¡°And the document¡­ is it finished?¡±


    Nikolai nodded gravely and stood up. His large hand delved inside the wool coat and reappeared with an envelope. He pushed it across the desk separating them, the small diamond on the onyx ring on his pinky finger winking in the dim light.


    He opened the envelope his hands almost shaking in anticipation. The paper inside was the beginning of the end. He was sure of it. He pulled it out and unfolded it slowly, his eyes widening at the information printed in Nikolai¡¯s scrawling penmanship.


    ¡°The Septum,¡± he breathed.


    ¡°Da.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re sure this is correct?¡±


    ¡°Positive. We¡¯ve been searching a long time. I would not have brought you it merely based on assumption.¡±


    He nodded impatiently. ¡°I know, I know. I just can¡¯t believe we¡¯re getting this close.¡±


    His heart thudded loudly in his chest. All they needed now was the girl. He needed to get back. His plans so far were not going as smoothly as he had hoped, but it was time to take matters in hand. He needed the girl, and at present he only had one avenue to her.


    ¡°Will we get her, you think?¡±


    ¡°Have no fear, Nikolai. Caia Ribeiro will be in our hands before the year is out.¡±


    6 - Why?


    ¡°Well, ain¡¯t you a picture,¡± Ryder boomed as Jaeden threw open her motel door, face pale and eyes squinting against the sun.


    She sighed heavily, slipping a pair of dark sunglasses over her eyes. ¡°You know I¡¯ve never noticed how annoyingly chirpy you are. Have you always been so, or is this a recent development?¡±


    He laughed as she pushed past him, heading across the lot to the motel grill & bar. ¡°Not a morning person, huh?¡±


    ¡°Please be quiet.¡±


    He grinned behind her back, enjoying her obvious irritation and, by the looks of the stiffness in her body, the morning effects of sleeping in the worst bed in the state.

 Page 10

    Doing as requested, Ryder didn¡¯t direct any conversation at her until they were seated and had ordered. He waited until she finally took the sunglasses off before deciding to hit her with the question that had been bugging him for a while.


    ¡°So tell me... why did you leave the pack in the first place?¡±


    Her dark blue eyes narrowed, and her full lips thinned in discomfort at his directness. She glared.


    He shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just asking the question that everyone will be asking when we get home.¡±


    More glaring. Wait, was she snarling?


    Ryder snorted and sat up, leaning across the table towards her. ¡°Look, Jae, you are going to have to talk about this at some point. Dimitri was going nuts while you were gone. He probably would have had a search party out scouring the country if Lucien hadn¡¯t given him a direct order to leave you alone.¡±


    He watched the surprise flit across her face, her mouth dropping open in astonishment. It was fascinating, watching the way she wiped the expression clean, putting her cool facade back in place. And just when he thought he wasn¡¯t going to get a reaction...


    ¡°Why would Lucien do that?¡±


    Ryder smirked, smug (and a little relieved) that he still knew her enough to know she couldn¡¯t resist that little bit of information. ¡°Caia asked him to.¡±


    Jae frowned. ¡°Wait... why?¡±


    Suddenly the memory of her broken, of her young skin lashed and burned, her bright eyes blank and numb with torture, flooded his thoughts, sobering him immediately. ¡°Because after what happened to you she thought you deserved the time you needed to yourself.¡±


    She looked down, shielding her eyes and thoughts from him. ¡°That was... kind.¡±


    ¡°The girl you met for those, what two weeks, you liked her, right?¡±


    Still not looking at him, Jae nodded. ¡°She was cool.¡±


    ¡°Caia cares about you a great deal.¡±


    She was frowning again, and suddenly he was caught in her curious gaze. ¡°You respect her a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ryder chuckled. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s my friend... actually she¡¯s more like a sister.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t...¡±


    What was she trying to ask?


    Laughter bubbled up inside of him as realization dawned, but he managed to contain it as he replied in a strangled voice, ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll leave that particular privilege to her mate.¡±


    Sitting back in her seat, seeming more relaxed, she smiled wryly at him, and he tried to ignore the sudden speed in his pulse.


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up with that? Lucien doing what Caia tells him to do?¡±


    The whole Lucien and Caia thing was mind boggling to him. It was obvious they were crazy about each other, but neither one could see it, and neither one wanted to talk about it. He¡¯d had his head bitten off enough times for him to shut up on the matter. Hopefully, they¡¯d work it out before it really was too late, and someone did something they would regret.


    ¡°Cy¡¯s got Lucien wrapped around her little pinky and vice versa.¡±


    ¡°Before I left I got the impression they were going to ignore their mating.¡±


    ¡°You got right. Nothing¡¯s changed. They¡¯re still idiots.¡±


    Jaeden chuckled and sipped at her coke. ¡°I¡¯ve missed the pack and all the drama.¡±


    ¡°I would have thought breaking Coven laws and hunting vampyres would have been enough drama.¡±


    ¡°That was bad drama. The pack is good drama.¡±


    ¡°So why did you leave?¡±


    She groaned and went back to glaring at him. He merely enjoyed annoying her further by grinning cheekily at her.


    She glared. ¡°You never give up, do you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tenacious. Persistent. Determined. Dogged-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like a rash that won¡¯t go away.¡±


    His smile widened but he didn¡¯t have a chance to retort because their food arrived. The first few minutes of silence descended on their table while they dug in. Ryder decided to choose his moment carefully, waiting until a sigh of pleasure escaped from Jaeden. Now that she had fed, she might be more amenable to answering the damn question.


    ¡°So why did you leave?¡±


    This time she just watched him as she chewed carefully, swallowed, and took a sip of her drink. She was deliberately tormenting him, fully aware of his lack of patience.


    ¡°You really want to know?¡±


    Finally.


    He nodded, afraid he would say the wrong thing and frighten her off.


    At first as she spoke, Jae held his gaze, strong, steady. ¡°After what happened, I was in too much pain to be comforted, and I knew my coldness would only hurt my family.¡± She stopped and her gaze dropped. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell them all that had happened to me. I didn¡¯t want to hurt them any more with that knowledge. And I was just... a mess... I didn¡¯t want them to see me like that.¡±


    She refused to meet his eyes.


    You¡¯re lying.


    Oh, he was sure what she¡¯d just revealed was partly the truth, but there was more. He could feel it. What was she hiding from him, from them all?


    Ryder concealed his frowning interest by pretending to cough on his burger. When he looked back up at her, she was eating away at the rest of her food, seeming more relaxed, believing he had bought it.


    Well, let her relax, he mused, while I find out what the Hades she¡¯s been up to.


    Jae was feeling lighter. She hadn¡¯t had any nightmares last night, no telekinesis kicking in. Ryder seemed to have bought her story and was no longer asking annoying and prying questions. In fact, the rest of breakfast had been fun. They had talked and laughed, and he had filled her in on what had been happening with the pack while she was gone. If the rest of the pack were this easy, perhaps her return would go far more smoothly that she¡¯d thought.


    Ah she couldn¡¯t wait to go on a run. Her body was screaming for the change.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be home soon enough and you can run as much as you like.¡± Ryder smiled, walking closely by her side as they crossed the lot back to her motel room.


    Goddess, she hadn¡¯t realized she had said that out loud.


    ¡°My stuff¡¯s already in the truck. You got your bag together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already packed.¡± She sighed, unlocking the door, and wrinkling her nose as she stepped inside the rank room. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you made me sleep here.¡±


    Stepping further in, a slight coppery smell tickled her nostrils and she stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Oof.¡± Ryder banged into the back of her, sending her stumbling forward.


    She whirled to face him, her eyes narrowed in concentration. ¡°Do you smell that?¡±


    He puckered his brow, shrugging and twirling his keys impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t smell a thing except urine, beer and sex. Can we please go?¡±


    She shook her head unconvinced, her eyes searching the room. ¡°I smell... I dunno... something familiar.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not familiar about urine, beer and-¡±


    She smirked at him as he flushed. ¡°And?¡± she prompted, enjoying his discomfort.


    ¡°Just get your bag,¡± Ryder muttered, turning away from her.


    Jaeden laughed softly, turning toward her things, only to stop again. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°What, what?¡± Suddenly he was right at her back in defense mode.


    Her t-shirt and jeans lay strewn across the ancient chair in the corner of the room, crumpled beside her now open backpack.


    ¡°I could have sworn I packed this before we went for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Is that all,¡± he whined, ¡°Goddess, Jae, I thought there was an actual problem... not some hormonal imbalance causing female memory loss.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± she snapped at him, glaring at him all the while she stuffed her things back into her bag. ¡°I know you¡¯re more of a gentleman than that to talk chauvinistic crap to a lady, so stop trying to irritate the life out of me, Ryder, before I go crazy and end yours!¡±


    Abruptly he grinned, his golden brown eyes glittering with humor. ¡°Why would I stop when it¡¯s this much fun? Truly...¡± he placed a hand on his heart. ¡°You bring such joy to my life.¡±


    She was not going to laugh at him.


    Or think about how light-hearted he made her feel.


    How good.


    No. Down that road there be complications.


    Instead she threw her back pack at him and strode past his laughing face. ¡°You¡¯re funny,¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°The fact that you¡¯ve been designated the pack golden retriever really doesn¡¯t seem to have dampened your spirits at all.¡±


    ¡°Uh, hello,¡± he called to her back, and she heard his pounding steps catching up to her as she neared the truck, ¡°Retrieving you, and saving you from imprisonment, was a very important job.¡±


    She turned back to him, smiling sweetly. ¡°But hardly the job of a Rogue Hunter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a golden retriever.¡±


    ¡°No? Well, what¡¯s that bell around your neck?¡± She pointed innocently to his throat.


    He grimaced glancing down, which sent her into hysterics.


    ¡°You looked! You actually looked... I can¡¯t believe that-¡±


    ¡°Get in the truck,¡± he growled at her immaturity and stomped around to the driver¡¯s side.


    She sighed happily, jumping into the cab, wisting around to face him as she buckled herself up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter Ryder? Can¡¯t take a little teasing?¡±


    He snorted and glanced up at her from under his enviously long lashes. ¡°Oh baby, I can take a little teasing. But you just made this war.¡±


    Well, she chuckled, this was going to be a looong drive home.


    But at least he would be too distracted to ask any uncomfortable questions along the way.


    Well, well, well, Marcus thought, watching as the lykan climbed into the truck with her mate. This was turning out better than he had thought. Marcus had tailed the tall female wolf from the city, following the scent he had found at his dead girlfriend¡¯s body before the sun destroyed any evidence of Cora¡¯s existence.


    He had thought to capture the lykan, torture her - perhaps even show her how a man of his species showed a female a good time.

 Page 11

    But this was better.


    Much better.


    The lykan took his female...


    Well, before Marcus killed her, he¡¯d just have to kill her mate and make her watch while he did it.


    And there was no doubt in his mind that the brawny male lykan escorting her out of the motel room was her mate.


    He waited five minutes before jumping into his car and following their exit. He had refreshed himself with the females scent by breaking into their room and sniffing her clothes. He would be able to tail them until their next stop...


    And then he¡¯d make his move.


    7 - New Friends, Old Acquaintances


    Caia was in awe. The fact that some of the students in the huge hall were clearly uncomfortable with her presence didn¡¯t even dispel how excited she was to be watching young magiks and faeries learn communication training from their elders. She could feel Marion beaming beside her, Caia¡¯s apparent enthusiasm rubbing off on the older magik.


    ¡°Have you watched enough, Caia?¡± Mordecai smiled. ¡°You want to try?¡±


    That morning she had opened her guest room door to Marion, a perkier Marion than Caia had ever encountered. She was eager, Caia was beginning to realize, to show off her prot¨¦g¨¦. Apparently Lucien had already gone with his escort to check out the Second Unit. At first she had felt a little anxious about being separated from him, but now she was too caught up in the activities of the Center. Their first stop had been to pick up their ¡®tour guide¡¯, Mordecai. He was a stocky, bookish-looking magik in his late twenties, with kind eyes and an easy smile. From his warm reception, Caia was guessing Marion had not only picked him as her escort because of his being a powerful water magik, but because he obviously didn¡¯t care about the fact that Caia¡¯s mother had been a Midnight.


    Caia beamed like a little girl. ¡°Can I? I mean, I wouldn¡¯t know where to start.¡±


    He chuckled, enjoying her keenness as much as Marion. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll keep it simple. You haven¡¯t seen much of the Center so the furthest we can allow you to travel is from here to your guest suite.¡±


    Little butterflies awoke in her stomach, churning her breakfast back into action. ¡°Wow. I want to, you know, but... those guys make it look easy. I¡¯m guessing dematerializing and re-materializing isn¡¯t exactly popcorn?¡± Her wide eyes drank in the bright room, watching as magiks and faeries popped in and out of the room at the quiet instructions of their teachers. As if sensing she was about to attempt the spell, some of them stopped what they were doing along with their instructors to gaze across the space at her. She could make out what the closer ones were whispering to one another.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like much. What is everyone afraid of?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they let her in here. What if she¡¯s a spy?¡±


    ¡°I heard she eviscerated her uncle without any remorse. Apparently she was smiling while she did it. Ugh.¡±


    ¡°I think we should give her a chance. If Marion says she¡¯s trustworthy then she¡¯s trustworthy.¡±


    Caia drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes finding solace in Marion¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hearing with those ears of yours, but just block them out, Caia.¡± Marion smiled gently. ¡°Mordecai will talk you through this.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re all watching.¡±


    ¡°Yes. So? Just forget them. And remember, it can take many, many attempts to pull off your first travel. No one here,¡± she sneered around the room at them, as if sensing their disapproval of her for bringing Caia, ¡°Has ever done it first time.¡±


    Exhaling, Caia turned to Mordecai, who was smiling reassuringly. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go.¡±


    He nodded, brushing his thick locks off his forehead, pushing the frame of his glasses further up his nose. ¡°Now, Marion has explained that you can differentiate with ease the two energies that make up your lykan and your magik. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°OK. The tricky thing for you in a communication spell is that other energy bobbing in the background. You see, for any other use of your magik you tap into the energy and expel it from whichever part of your body you want... usually your hands. But to travel you need to grab hold of that energy, and wrap it around your body¡¯s system... cells, muscles, bones... everything, everywhere. You¡¯ll know when you¡¯ve done it, believe me. It¡¯s hard to explain, but you will. Thing is though, it takes a lot of concentration, and at first a lot of time to go through the process. You have the added complication of having your lykanthrope energy. What we need you to do is wrap your magik around that energy without merging the two energies together.¡±


    Caia blinked, her heart suddenly picking up speed. ¡°What happens if they merge?¡±


    Mordecai glanced briefly at a stoic Marion and then back to her. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We just don¡¯t want to take that chance. We need you to treat that energy as carefully as you would an artery, wrap around it, but don¡¯t rupture it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Caia,¡± Marion assured quietly.


    She felt the stares of the trainees burning her cheeks and willed her heart to slow down. There was no way she was going to fail in front of these guys. That was exactly what they wanted. And if she was going to make a difference in this war, then she was going to need to prove herself to the Daylights first hand.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m doing this.¡±


    Mordecai grinned. ¡°Good. Now close your eyes... and do as I asked.¡±


    Quickly and easily, Caia grabbed a hold of the steely vapor that was her magik energy, and completely disengaged from the heat that allowed her to change into a wolf. Now the hard part. So, she was to what... wrap the energy around every molecule of her being¡­


    Ohhhkkaaaay.


    She started with her toes, and Mordecai was right. She knew when a part of her body was complete in the process. She followed it through until her very hair tingled with energy.


    ¡°Done,¡± she said, and was surprised to hear a flurry of whispering.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Mordecai seemed to hesitate. Her eyes flew open and he was staring at her incredulously, while Marion smiled, almost smugly. ¡°Caia, are you sure?¡±


    She nodded, holding on tight to her transformation. ¡°Yeah, you said I would know, you were right... it¡¯s a weird kind of certainty.¡±


    ¡°But you did that in seconds?¡± He gaped like a fish.


    She frowned. ¡°Is that wrong?¡±


    Marion chuckled. ¡°It usually takes a lot longer the first few times. You¡¯ve done it like you¡¯ve been doing it for years.¡±


    Oh. Well, that was good right?


    Mordecai gulped. ¡°I see what you¡¯ve been talking about, Marion.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Caia quizzed, looking between the two.


    ¡°Uh, Caia, now for the next part.¡± Mordecai now seemed even more excited to move it along. ¡°I want you to visualize your guest suite. Think of a suitable spot you can materialize in and go there. But... you have to have an extremely clear vision in mind.¡±


    She closed her eyes and imagined a spot on the thick beige carpet that felt like clouds beneath her bare feet; a spot that stood just in front of the chaise longue placed at the end of the opulent bed. Yeah, there was plenty of room to crash land there.


    ¡°OK.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°OK. Now tighten your hold on your energy and picture yourself in that spot; move yourself into that spot with your mind.¡±


    She did as he asked.


    ¡°OK. Now what?¡±


    She was met by silence.


    ¡°Guys?¡±


    Wait. The floor had gotten awful squishy beneath her feet. And was that lavender air freshener?


    Her eyes flew open, and she stumbled back gasping. Holy moly, she was in her guest suite. She had done it! She had done it!


    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± She laughed, jumping up and down like a little kid. She had freakin¡¯ done it on her first go! She grinned out into the city of Paris. ¡°Take that, Daylight snobs!¡±


    Her face was about to crack under the pressure of that grin, her adrenaline shooting through every part of her body, sending her into shaky excitement. OK, she had to calm down... it was time for the finale.


    Following Mordecai¡¯s instructions, she visualized her place back in the hall, and suddenly a flurry of excitement hit her ears.


    ¡°Caia!¡±


    Her eyes opened and Mordecai was gazing in stunned amazement. Marion rushed forward to grip her arms, laughing. She looked around, and all the trainees were babbling excitedly, their eyes peeled to her, their bodies involuntarily moving closer.


    ¡°You did it! I knew you would do it!¡± Marion squealed like a little girl, her usual cool completely abandoned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never...¡± Mordecai took off his glasses to rub a non-existent smudge from them. ¡°Wow.¡± His eyes flit between her and Marion before a huge grin broke out on his face. ¡°This is going to be fun. I want to see what she can do with natural materialization.¡±


    Lucien was having a great time.


    That morning he had woken up early to a banging on his door that belonged to a lykan around his age with an attitude and bad hair. Julian was a pain in the ass, and Lucien had a feeling he had been given to him specifically because he was a pain in the ass and would irritate the life out of him. He made deliberately malicious comments about the pack, about Caia, anything to try and make Lucien lose his temper. If only he knew that the transparency of his attempts merely irritated rather than angered. He was like a puppy, nipping you in frustration because you won¡¯t play back.


    However the Second Unit? Now that was fun.


    The Center had set up a simulator of a large woodland arena where the lykans could work out strategies in human form but execute them as wolves. The arena was amazing, the smells, the mud, the trees, the air, all of it as real as can be. And he was getting to stretch his legs, battling sandbag dummies and holograms of Midnights. The sweat was thick in his fur, and his muscles were screaming, his jaws aching from ripping so many faux Midnights apart. But Hades it was a buzz. What a frickin¡¯ way to work out the frustration.

 Page 12

    Suddenly a piercing buzzer went off, signaling them to return to base point and change. He laughed at his disappointment and set off with the others. Unabashedly they changed, men and women alike, and pulled on their clothing.


    A hand slapped down on Lucien¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Gaia, you¡¯re quick!¡± Julian was grinning at him now, all contempt wiped from his face.


    ¡°Yeah, dude,¡± one of the largest lykans in the unit said gruffly, his dark eyes glittering in respect, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone your size move so fluidly.¡±


    ¡°What do you say, Lucien?¡± Anders, the units Alpha grinned at him. ¡°Sure we can¡¯t convince you to become a permanent fixture around here?¡±


    Lucien laughed, enjoying the camaraderie, and truthfully, he snorted, the boost to his ego.


    ¡°I¡¯m too old to start now,¡± he joked.


    ¡°No way.¡± one of the female members of the units, Lyla, ran her tongue across the bottom of her teeth, flirtatiously. ¡°You look in shape to me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I have a pack to run.¡±


    Julian sneered again. ¡°Like being king of the mountain, huh?¡±


    Lucien slapped him on the back. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    Anders and the others laughed. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been pushing it hard today. We really should get you a meal before your meeting tonight.¡±


    He nodded and followed them out of the simulator. Thoughts of their five o clock with Marita and Vanne got him wondering how Caia¡¯s day had gone so far. It bugged him to be apart from her, especially not knowing how she had been received by the others. Had they been cruel? Kind? Indifferent. He cracked his neck, unfurling his fists from the tight balls he had pulled them into. If she was harmed when he got her back tonight, he was going to crack some heads, regardless of being under the supervision of the Head of the Coven.


    It appeared he had nothing to worry about. Caia had greeted him outside his room with Marion, who was brimming over with excitement. Apparently his little Cy had awed everyone by picking up the communication spell first try.


    Great.


    Not only could she now slam a door in his face from a great distance, but she could actually disappear from his very arms within seconds. That certainly didn¡¯t even things out in a fight.


    Ah, he knew he was being belligerent. And she looked so damn pleased with herself.


    ¡°Did you know that some magiks use words?¡±


    ¡°Ethan,¡± he replied grimly.


    He watched her blanch as she remembered the fight with her uncle, and the spell Ethan cast under his breath to get out from the shield Caia had put around him to stop him from hurting Lucien and Jaeden.


    ¡°Right,¡± she said hoarsely.


    ¡°Caia-¡±


    ¡°No, right, I forgot.¡± She shook it off, pretending to be unaffected, and then grinned a little hollowly. ¡°Anyway, they use words to focus their magik. I haven¡¯t being doing it because I¡¯ve been taught by Marion and she doesn¡¯t do it, but Mordecai has all these funny little words he uses when he¡¯s making something transform, or materializing something out of his element. It¡¯s very cool, very ¡®Warlock Weekly¡¯.¡±


    Lucien pasted on a smile to try and ease the unpleasant tension he had caused, and went on to tell them what he had been up to once they finally let him get a word in.


    ¡°So, they have a simulator here?¡± Caia¡¯s eyes were bright with anticipation, as they stepped out of the presidential elevator that took them to Marita and Vanne¡¯s suite.


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s like the real thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d let me use it? You know to take a run in... my bones are desperate to crack.¡±


    Marion laughed. ¡°Ask, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Yeah, Lucien mused, as they walked down the corridor, Caia certainly was getting the royal treatment here. He knew she was an important weapon for them, but this seemed above and beyond what they had expected.


    It made him suspicious.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re punctual,¡± Marita¡¯s cold tones blew past him as they sauntered inside. He watched as her shrewd eyes nailed Caia to the wall. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing interesting reports from today.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Vanne grinned, winking at Caia.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marita continued, ¡°Apparently, our guest is a natural at natural materialization. She produced a bird, an apple, and for her finale a grand oak that nearly broke the windows. Oh and let¡¯s not forget that she completed a communication spell on her first try.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Her husband nodded his head deferentially, and Lucien watched as Caia blushed uncomfortably.


    Marita nodded, her eyes glittering strangely. ¡°Of course, we all know that it really is impressive, but already gossip has reached me. Some of our occupants think Marion had already trained you on how to do a communication spell.¡±


    He felt a growl rumbling from his chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Caia whispered beside him, and as usual her perfect understanding of him settled a strange peace over him.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re idiots,¡± Marion snapped. ¡°Mordecai was most impressed, and the others tend to fall in line with him.¡±


    Vanne smirked. ¡°Yes, very well done in choosing Mordecai. Powerful, influential and apparently has a thing for petite blondes who can blow his socks off.¡±


    Lucien snapped his gaze to Caia. Had this Mordecai been flirting with her? The guy sounded a little awe-inspiring... Should he be worried?


    Marion smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Vanne. I knew this whole process was going to liken to a political campaign. I rallied the best.¡±


    Marita strode forward, gesturing to a dining table at the far end of the room that had been set up as battle plan central. ¡°Yes, well, you are my sister. Take a seat, people.¡±


    ¡°We also heard that Lucien performed well today,¡± Vanne murmured as they congregated around. ¡°Anders was very impressed.¡±


    His wife sniffed, eyeing Lucien with narrowed eyes. ¡°Anders forgets Lucien has taken down a few rogues in his time, as well as Adriana Vang, the heir to the Midnight Coven. If we are to go by how very shocked he was by your performance today, I would say he wasn¡¯t listening when I told him not to underestimate you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ve been complimented or insulted.¡±


    Marita gave a huff of amusement. ¡°Oh it was a compliment... but you are so very suspicious aren¡¯t you, Lucien?¡±


    She knew he wasn¡¯t sure of her and that meant he was giving far too much away when they met. He had to rein in his natural compulsion to observe stonily, and try harder to shield his feelings through her trace magik. He didn¡¯t want to seem calculating to her. If she really was up to something ¨C and he was sure she was ¨C then she would be too on edge to let the smallest thing slip.


    ¡°Vang?¡± Caia mumbled.


    Marion placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ¡°Your family name.¡±


    He watched in concern as an emotion he couldn¡¯t identify flit across her face. And then she was shaking herself, tensing under Marion¡¯s hand. ¡°My family name is Ribeiro.¡±


    He ached for her then. She never allowed herself a moment to feel her mother¡¯s betrayal. Lucien smiled kindly. ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Marita said imperiously. ¡°Can we return to the matter at hand? We have a strategy to sort out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to introduce you to the operatives who will be helping us coordinate.¡± She turned and gestured to Noble at the door, who in turn pulled it open with a flourish. ¡°First, Anders Rosencrantz, Alpha of our Second Unit, whom Lucien is already acquainted with.¡±


    He nodded in acknowledgment to the older lykan, who strode purposefully into the room, taking time to shake hands with Caia.


    ¡°And Mordecai Cherstvennikov, head of the First Unit, and the water magik who has been instructing Caia.¡±


    Lucien pulled in a breath and then quickly let it go as the stocky young man, who appeared to be about the same age as him, walked stiffly into the room towards them. He shoved at the black glasses that slid down his nose and smiled tensely at Lucien, quickly shaking his hand, and then grinned broadly at Caia and Marion.


    Well... that guy certainly didn¡¯t look how he sounded. But he and Caia looked awful chummy awful fast. Lucien resisted the urge to growl possessively.


    ¡°And Michael Brown, head of our Third Unit of vampyres.¡± A tall, slender man who looked to be in his forties - but was probably closer to a hundred years old - glided into the room and over to them. His sharp face remained stony as he shook every one of their hands.


    Marita looked over them all. ¡°I decided not to take any precautions in the defense of the MacLachlans, which is why I am enlisting the aid of every unit. The added bonus is that Lucien and Caia will have an understanding of how all of you work individually, and as a team. However, we have two more operatives I would like to involve. I feel it is only right that the MacLachlans have a representative, and so I have asked Phoebe MacLachlan to join us.¡±


    They all turned and watched the gorgeous female sashay into the room. Lucien had heard reports of Phoebe from Ryder who said the Rogue Hunter looked like an angel, fought dirty like Hades, and had a heart of stone. It looked like he was right. She was tall and curvy with heaps of golden hair cascading over her shoulders, but her ice blue eyes were hard and calculating as they drank in the team, her mouth twisted in what looked like scorn. She shook hands with no one, just braced herself against the nearest wall, her gaze straight ahead at Marita.


    ¡°And Phoebe has asked to involve another lykan whom she trusts. Rose Bronson.¡±


    He felt like he had been sucker punched.


    Rose. Rose was here?


    Yup. There she was.


    The statuesque redhead came almost galloping into the room, and as soon as her brown eyes spotted him, she broke into a wide smile and launched herself at him. His body automatically caught her, although his mind was still in shock.


    ¡°Rose,¡± he murmured and she pulled back, her citrusy scent bringing with it a rush of memories.

 Page 13

    He had met Rose four years after he¡¯d left the pack. She was a Rogue Hunter he¡¯d met and he¡¯d stayed with her pack for three months. Three months in which they had engaged in a passionate affair before he had to break her heart by telling her he couldn¡¯t mate with her. He had never been able to explain the reason, and she had told him she would never forgive him. Her hatred over his betrayal had made it easier to walk away... but it had taken him a long time to get over her.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± she breathed, holding his face between her hands tenderly, ¡°I understand now,¡± she whispered.


    She knew about Caia then.


    Caia!


    Lucien glanced down beside him to see how she was reacting, but her gaze was on the floor, her long hair hiding her expression from him.


    He managed to put Rose at a physical distance without hurting her feelings and she just kept smiling at him and holding on to his arm.


    ¡°You two are acquainted?¡± Marita asked softly.


    His head snapped up at her tone and he knew¡­ he knew just looking at her eyes, slightly round with innocence, that she had done this deliberately.


    Phoebe MacLachlan didn¡¯t know Rose Bronson; their packs were on different sides of the country. Marita had brought Rose here as a distraction.


    He stilled the growl in his chest.


    Whatever was going on here, he was going to get to the bottom of it.


    8 - Consequences


    He couldn¡¯t remember when he¡¯d had this much fun.


    The daytime drive hadn¡¯t seemed so long with her beside him, cracking jokes, teasing him. Sparring with Jaeden had him strung out... but in a good way.


    Almost like foreplay.


    Ryder clenched his hand around the steering wheel at the thought, but there was no getting around the fact that he was extremely attracted to the now senior Jae with her gorgeous smile and caustic wit. The truth was, he wasn¡¯t known for sticking with one female, and he had a pretty colorful past as a player. Thoughts of having a respectable young female like Jaeden in his bed were enough to have him strung up. But the scary truth was... he had never been this comfortable, and yet this attracted, to a female in his life...


    Could Jae be his mate?


    His heart stopped.


    Dimitri was going to kill him.


    Ryder sighed heavily.


    ¡°You OK?¡± she asked quietly, and he could feel her curiosity. That much hadn¡¯t changed about her anyway: as curious as a cat.


    He nodded, throwing her a weak smile. Yeah, he was cool. Just getting a little ahead of himself, that was all. For Gaia¡¯s sakes, they hadn¡¯t even kissed yet. Hey, not to mention the fact that he still didn¡¯t know what the Hades she was hiding; and that brought him back to another dilemma. They were having such a good time together, and he didn¡¯t want to spoil it but if he was going to consider ¡®courting¡¯ Jaeden then he needed to know everything there was to know about her.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Soooo... question.¡±


    Not unexpectedly, Jaeden groaned. ¡°Why, Ryder, why? We were having such a pleasant journey together.¡±


    He chuckled and glanced at her, enjoying the cute way her nose wrinkled at him in distaste. ¡°I¡¯m curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you know what they say about curiosity.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m a wolf and not a cat then, huh.¡±


    She blew out a dramatic breath, asking in a beleaguered tone, ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡±


    ¡°How on Gaia¡¯s green earth did you end up with a bunch of vampyres?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ryder grunted, turning his head away from the road to catch her expression. She looked caught off guard and... embarrassed?


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s definitely a story there.¡±


    She shrugged at him, and then frowned. ¡°Watch the road.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to answer the question?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but dying won¡¯t get it out of me any faster.¡±


    ¡°OK, I¡¯m watching the road!¡± he exclaimed, determinedly staring straight ahead.


    Silence.


    ¡°Jaeden?¡±


    ¡°OK, OK. I ended up with vampyres because I met one on the bus who told me he ran with a group of hunters, and it would be a good way to work out all my aggression.¡±


    ¡°He?¡± Ryder did not like the sound of that.


    ¡°Reuben. He was cute and funny, and I think he¡¯s older than he lets on because he¡¯s very intuitive. He seemed to know there was something wrong with me before I even opened my mouth. He started telling me that maybe doing something as worthwhile as hunting down killers, and saving a few people, would help.¡±


    ¡°This random guy approaches you and you just, what¡­ move in with him? I¡¯m confused¡­ I thought schools started teaching ¡®stranger danger¡¯ from kindergarten?¡±


    ¡°Reuben is a good guy,¡± she replied defensively. ¡°He has amazing intuition. I didn¡¯t tell him all that much until we knew each other better, and even then I didn¡¯t really explain the full scope of my ¡®issues¡¯,¡± her voice lowered. ¡°He was a good friend to me. I feel bad about leaving without saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Was that all he was? A friend?¡±


    Oh Artemis that¡¯s all he better have been.


    ¡°Yeah. He wanted more but... to be honest I wasn¡¯t even a very good friend to him, never mind anything else. It¡¯s weird...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When she didn¡¯t say anything he pinned an unrelenting narrow-eyed gaze on her.


    ¡°The road!¡± She pointed at the windshield, unimpressed.


    ¡°Say what you were going to say.¡±


    ¡°You know, Lucien and my dad are going to be so interested to know that you threatened my life numerously on this little retrieval of yours.¡±


    Ryder shrugged, even though he knew Dimitri would tear him a new one if he found out about Ryder¡¯s interrogation techniques with his only daughter.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she snapped, and he reluctantly pulled his gaze away from her and back to the road. ¡°When I was staying with the gang I didn¡¯t feel anything. I mean, I didn¡¯t allow myself to feel close to them, just as much as I didn¡¯t allow myself to feel anything about the pack. But...¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°But... as soon as we left the city, give or take a few hours of your incessant and terrible singing, I had all these... emotions... guilt for not being a better friend to Styx, Reuben, all of them. And relief. To be going home.¡±


    He could tease her about how that meant he¡¯d somehow opened her up again, melted some of that ice she had been building as a defense around her after everything that had happened, but he knew this was an important moment for her. She would hate him for teasing and seeming to belittle something that in fact made him more convinced that they might be mates.


    He was the truth she couldn¡¯t hide from.


    It was kind of overwhelming¡­ but kind of nice.


    ¡°That sounds stupid doesn¡¯t it?¡± she sounded so young and unsure.


    Reaching out, he clasped her small hand in one of his own, and watched with pleasure as she blushed at the intimate contact. ¡°Not at all. It sounds just right.¡±


    She smiled shyly at him and got caught in his heated gaze. Abruptly, her eyes dropped and she pulled away mumbling, ¡°Watch the road.¡±


    Ryder laughed and indicated left, pulling into a motel parking lot. It was dark and he was hungry and she was probably fed up of being cooped up in the truck all day.


    ¡°We¡¯re stopping?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get a couple of rooms and some food out of the vendors.¡±


    ¡°Oh goody, Ho Hos and chips. You certainly know how to show a wolf a good time.¡±


    ¡°Shut it, and get out.¡±


    They walked across the barely lit lot to the motel reception, and all the while he surreptitiously watched her. He couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off her. How had this happened?


    ¡°Evening folks,¡± the young guy at the counter said without even looking up. ¡°How can I help?¡±


    ¡°Two singles,¡± Jaeden replied curtly.


    At the sound of her throaty voice the guy looked up, and his eyes widened along with his smile while he drunk her in. ¡°Uh...¡±


    ¡°Two singles,¡± Ryder echoed, and watched with satisfaction as the kid took in the size of him and from that point determinedly kept his eyes off of Jae.


    ¡°Uh... we have a slight plumbing issue at the moment. I have one room with two twins.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Jaeden¡¯s mouth dropped open in protest.


    Ryder sneered, ¡°I¡¯ll try not to give you cooties.¡±


    She huffed at his side while he paid and grabbed the keys. He had to physically usher her across the lot to their motel room. It wasn¡¯t so bad. Yeah, it would suck being stuck in the same room with the object of his misguided desire, but he was a Rogue Hunter for goddess sakes. He had taken down a pack of three rogues by himself. One little slip of a female couldn¡¯t be that bad.


    She threw her bag on the bed nearest the bathroom. ¡°This place is disgusting. You would think with the amount of money the pack have they could have financed the journey home.¡±


    ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°And this was all it paid for?¡±


    ¡°What part of ¡®you broke a major Coven law¡¯ translates into five star hotels and room service?¡±


    ¡°So, this is punishment? This room... with you?¡±


    He grabbed his chest. ¡°Baby, you gotta stop with the love, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Funny.¡±


    ¡°I try. Now, move your ass back out of here... the vendors are over the lot.¡±


    She grumbled a little bit, but he had her back to laughing at his inane jokes while they collected a small picnic from the vending machines and walked back to the room. Later, he was going to blame his new found infatuation with her on the reason why he didn¡¯t pick up the disturbance in the air, and the thick coppery smell that clung to the door of their motel. Instead he stalked inside, looking back at Jaeden, laughing. The door crashed, closing them in, and he felt the cold press of metal against his temple. Jaeden gasped, seeing the presence he felt beside him in the dark with her wolf eyes.

 Page 14

    ¡°The light, please,¡± a nasal voice rumbled in his ear.


    Jaeden reached to the wall, and with a click the room was flooded with bad lighting.


    He couldn¡¯t believe this! He couldn¡¯t effin believe this! And he couldn¡¯t move... there was no coming back from a close range bullet to the head, even if he was a lykan.


    Jaeden stood stock still, completely stolid, as her eyes drifted from him to his captor.


    ¡°Vampyre,¡± she said quietly for his benefit so he would know who had a hold of him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the voice sneered, ¡°You stinking lykan bitch.¡±


    Ryder bristled, and immediately felt the gun press deeper into his temple. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°To kill you. While she watches. And then kill her.¡±


    ¡°How succinct.¡± Jae¡¯s mouth twisted in distaste. ¡°Can I enquire as to a motive?¡±


    ¡°Cora.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, a what now?¡±


    Ryder muffled his laughter. Goddess, she was something, wasn¡¯t she. Cool as a cucumber, even though she was probably petrified inside. He glanced around the room, looking for a suitable weapon against the vamp. There was the television set... it could cause a distraction. If only he could communicate this to Jae with his eyes.


    ¡°Cora!¡± the vampyre yelled. ¡°My girlfriend! My girlfriend for thirty years until you came along and cut her head off!¡±


    Jaeden shrugged casually. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ve cut the heads off of quite a few vamp whores who slaughtered humans.¡±


    ¡°Cora. She was blonde. Beautiful. You left her to die in a cemetery a few days ago.¡±


    Ryder watched as recognition dawned in Jaeden¡¯s eyes. She remembered whoever it was the guy was spewing about.


    ¡°She murdered a human boy.¡±


    The gun pressed even harder to his head now. ¡°Well, you took care of her for that didn¡¯t you. Now I¡¯m going to take care of what¡¯s important to you.¡±


    The gun cocked.


    ¡°No!¡± Jaeden shouted and threw up her hand.


    Suddenly the cold metal disappeared from his temple, and the gun, with its sinister silencer attached, flew past his face and into Jaeden¡¯s waiting hand.


    What the...


    She took aim immediately and shot behind Ryder as he ducked for cover. Ryder whirled to see an abnormally thin, tall male in slacks and a striped sweater stumbling back against the wall. This... this was the would-be assassin? Holy Artemis.


    The vampyre regained his footing. A bullet wasn¡¯t going to do much. He saw Jae make a move towards the guy out of the corner of his eye and hissed in disbelief. He threw out his arm, pushing her behind him more roughly than he intended, and then turned on their attacker. The guy threw a punch that would have sent him through the wall had he made contact with him, but he missed, having thrown too much weight behind it. Ryder jerked to his side, grabbing a hold of his arm, and twisted it hard enough to break it. The vamp howled. This gave him the leverage to whip the supernatural around and grab a hold of his head. As quick as lightning, Ryder wrenched it clean off his neck.


    ¡°Yuck.¡± He sighed, dropping the dismembered head on the body. He turned back to glare at Jaeden, who stood watching him in awe. ¡°Well don¡¯t you have some explaining to do.¡±


    Oh crap! Why did he have to go and ruin the moment? Here she was, trembling with shock at the violence, and yet overwhelming admiration with the quick way Ryder had dispatched the vampyre who had come after her. She could tell by the way he hadn¡¯t lingered over the kill that he was a Hunter not because he enjoyed it, but because he was strong and good at it. Fast, efficient.


    But noo... could he allow her to stand and ogle him in admiration for just a few minutes. Nope. He had to crack right to the fact that she had used her telekinesis. And whatever friendship they had formed in the last 36 hours was going to die a sudden death when he realized she was polluted.


    Maybe she could feign ignorance.


    ¡°I think we should get rid of the body just before dawn. We¡¯ll put it out back and it¡¯ll be gone within seconds. Nice job by the way. I¡¯ve not quite managed the art of decapitation by bare hands but I¡¯ll work on that. Yes siree. Is there a technique-¡±


    ¡°Jaeden,¡± he warned quietly, and took a few intimidating steps towards her. Automatically she backed up against the wall. ¡°Jae, is this what you¡¯re hiding?¡± He pointed to the gun she didn¡¯t realize was still in her hand. ¡°How did you do that? And before you ask, yes, I mean how did you whip the gun from his hand to yours?¡±


    Aw crap, her life was so over.


    She heaved a heavy sigh and flopped down on to the nearest bed, placing the gun gently on the bedside table. She couldn¡¯t look at him as she began, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can move things with my mind, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Like Caia?¡±


    No, not like Caia! she wanted to scream. Caia could do that because she was born to do it. Half-magik, half-lykan. She hadn¡¯t been tortured to near death, and imbued with her torturers gift for ¡®look no hands!¡¯


    Instead she shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think...¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± he prodded gently.


    She curled her hands into fists. She didn¡¯t want to talk about this! How dare he force her to talk about it? It was none of his goddess damn business!


    ¡°Jae?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she clipped out.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to have to ¡®cause I do.¡±


    Arrgghhh!


    Her eyes flashed up to meet his, blazing with shame and fury. ¡°Go to Hades, Ryder!¡±


    He flinched, obviously taken aback by the venom in her voice. ¡°Jae-¡±


    ¡°What, are you deaf?! I don¡¯t want to discuss it. Not with Caia, not with my dad, not with Lucien, and most definitely not with some two-bit Rogue Hunter!¡±


    A growl that built into an almost roar ripped out of him, and he suddenly had her by her upper arms, shaking her like a rag doll.


    ¡°Let go!¡± she yelled, pulling and twisting ineffectually in his grasp.


    ¡°No!¡± he bellowed in her face, her hair blowing back with his anger. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me what is going on! Now!¡±


    She had never seen Ryder angry before. He was the most together male lykan she had ever met. She began to tremble. Oh goddess, don¡¯t let me cry. No! The tears streamed down her face with a mind of their own, and she felt Ryder¡¯s death grip ease. Abruptly she was pressed against him, her face snuggled into his chest while he sighed and stroked her hair.


    ¡°Dammit, don¡¯t cry, Jae, please don¡¯t cry. You know I can¡¯t stand to see a woman cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m s-s-sorry,¡± she managed, hiccupping. But the tears wouldn¡¯t stop. She continued to sob in his arms as he cradled her against him, whispering soothing nonsense in her ear. She cried all the tears she hadn¡¯t allowed herself until now. She cried for the way her captivity had broken her innocence and faith; she cried for letting fear get the best of her; she cried for the sharp, breathless pain any remembrance of Sebastian brought; and she cried for the shame of having the telekinesis as a permanent scar from Ethan¡¯s torture.


    After a little while her tears subsided, her trembling eased, and she managed to catch her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized hoarsely, trying to pull away, but Ryder wouldn¡¯t let her. Instead he brushed her hair aside, stroking her face tenderly. His warm eyes seared into her own cool ones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I think it was a long time coming.¡±


    She nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from his.


    ¡°Jaeden...¡± he seemed reluctant to continue.


    She decided to put him out of his misery. ¡°I have telekinesis because of Ethan.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°How did that happen?¡±


    Sucking in a deep breath, she prepared herself to say the words out loud. Admitting it all would just make it¡­ real.


    ¡°He tortured me for weeks. He was a fire magik. A good one. Very inventive¡­ creative.¡± She laughed bitterly. ¡°He used fire as a whip. He lashed me dozens of times, and then allowed me a day to heal before he began again. Sometimes he didn¡¯t use fire¡­ he would just use his energy to slice me open.¡±


    ¡°Oh god-¡± Ryder¡¯s hold tightened on her, his lips pressed thin with white fury.


    ¡°He used to play ¡®bloody¡¯ knots and crosses on my stomach, or quiz me about literature, movies¡­ whatever. And if I got the question wrong he¡¯d score my skin... everywhere... my back, my legs, my breasts, my face, my arms... sometimes he would use this illusion on me, make me think my entire body was burning from the inside out. I¡¯d scream and scream until I passed out with the pain, and then when I woke up... I-I was OK again. Then he would just start it all over again, laughing the more I screamed, the more-¡±


    ¡°Sshhh.¡± He crushed her so tightly against him she could hardly breathe. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can hear anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to explain,¡± her voice was muffled against his throat, ¡°he used his energy on me so much that I think it seeped into my blood.¡±


    ¡°Can you do anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She managed to pull away. ¡°Just telekinesis. I ran away because I couldn¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting better. When I have nightmares I can¡¯t.¡±


    His jaw clenched, his eyes blazing. ¡°Do you have nightmares a lot?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Jae...¡± His eyes seemed to glisten, and he abruptly looked away, fighting his emotions. ¡°We should have gotten to you sooner.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She grabbed his arm, tugging him back to face her. ¡°Don¡¯t. You all saved me. Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it... I had no idea it- I knew it was bad, but that-¡±


    Panic shot through her. ¡°Ryder, you can¡¯t tell. Please,¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to know how bad it was. I don¡¯t want them to know about the telekinesis.¡±

 Page 15

    ¡°Why, it¡¯s not your fault?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t.¡±


    Please, please, please, please.


    He took a hold of her shoulders and shook her gently, his expression darkening. ¡°You better not be ashamed, Jaeden Rodriguez, because you have nothing to feel ashamed of. You are the strongest person I know. I¡¯m proud to know you.¡±


    Oh goddess. She felt tears choke her throat again. Why did he have to be so perfect?


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell,¡± she persisted.


    Ryder sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. But it¡¯s not something you can hide easily, Jaeden. And no one will care. The pack is just happy to be getting you back.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    He held a hand up in surrender, smiling gently. ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t tell.¡± Relief flooded her, and then immediately dissipated when his expression sobered, and he said, ¡°But Caia already knows everything. She could see your... torture... through Ethan¡¯s eyes.¡±


    The blood drained from her face.


    9 - Darker Side


    She felt awful.


    Sleeping had been an issue after Marita and her ¡®operatives¡¯ had worked out a plan of defense against Du Bois and his gang of rebels. And it wasn¡¯t because her body had still been pumping with the adrenaline of doing so well in classes at the Center; it wasn¡¯t because she was juiced with excitement over how efficient and determined the team had been when discussing the MacLachlan attack; it wasn¡¯t because she was nervous about her next day of classes ahead.


    It was because of the beautiful redhead who had disappeared into Lucien¡¯s room with him last night so ¡®they could talk¡¯.


    All night she had tossed and turned, straining to hear any sounds from next door, and fearing what she would do if she did. Finally, she had used the telecom system by her bed to contact Noble and ask him if it was possible for her to have private use of the woodland simulator so she could go for a run.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t a problem.


    As she stood there alone, breathing in what she knew to be fake, fresh, woody air and yet exhilarating in it anyway, Caia willed her body just this once to change like it used to. She remembered how afraid she had been of telling Lucien and the others that her body slipped into wolf like magik. Remembering the day they were scheduled for their first pack run together since it had happened, Caia felt her anger build irrationally. Lucien had been so kind as she explained the situation, and she had been so scared he would look on her as less of a lykan because of it. No one in the pack had sneered at her, or condemned her, and she knew it was all because of him. So, why did he have to be big jerk now - taking some, six foot-nothing bombshell back to his room? A bombshell he most obviously had a sexual past with, she rippled with fury, her eyes glaring at a large tree in front of her.


    Rose had clung to his arm like a burr the entire evening.


    A growl ripped out of Caia¡¯s chest, and she felt white heat building from her toes upwards.


    No, no, no, no, no! she cried. But too late, she was stumbling back blinded. Afraid of what she would see her eyes peeled open slowly, and she grimaced at the large pile of ash in front of her. She had destroyed the tree. She was really going to have to work on that.


    Although most of her pent up frustration had expelled from her, she still shook with the agony that Lucien had been in love with someone; and that he loved another woman and couldn¡¯t be with her because of her. Did he resent her? Please, Artemis, she pleaded silently, let the change be slow. Let my bones crack and my muscles ache, and my eyes tear.


    She stripped naked, folding her clothes at her feet. And then she pushed the change. All too quickly she was a wolf, her hard paws sinking into the dirt. No cracking, no aching, no tearing.


    Caia pelted straight into the heart of the woodland, the added feeling of impotence peddling her speed. She hated that she felt this way, hated the rage that gripped a hold of her heart until she was almost blind with the pain. This was what it meant to be his mate. To hurt with a jealous longing so intense it was as supernatural as the world she lived in. Jealousy, she was beginning to realize, was like a cancer. It ate at your very being.


    She ran around the arena until her anger subsided to a thrumming beneath her skin, until it was somewhat manageable. Once she had changed back, and had her jeans and t-shirt on, she turned around to squint at the pile of ash. With a flick of her wrist the tree re-materialized.


    ¡°Good as new,¡± she whispered.


    If only she could do that for herself.


    Glamour was easy for her, and Caia could tell Mordecai was becoming worried that she was bored.


    ¡°There really is no challenge in it for you is there?¡± He sighed, watching as she glamoured an apple to look like a banana.


    She shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Usually, she would have been apologetic, but in truth she was bored, and that meant her mind was too easily on other things. Like Lucien... and his lover.


    Mordecai rubbed his bristly cheek in thought. ¡°Weeeeelllll... we could try the martial arts class. Or we could go back to natural materialization... damn. I just wasn¡¯t expecting you to pick things up so quickly. Marion did warn-¡±


    ¡°Martial arts sound good. Do I get to kick someone¡¯s ass?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Yeah. Mine.¡±


    She chuckled, not really seeing Mordecai as the Jackie Chan type. This should be funny, she mused.


    This was so not funny. Caia groaned as her back grumbled in complaint, her eyes glazed upwards at the ceiling as she lay prone on a mat.


    Mordecai¡¯s head popped into her vision, smiling gently down at her. ¡°Looks like we found something that doesn¡¯t come so easily, huh?¡±


    ¡°If I were a wolf right now, your jugular would be mine.¡±


    He chuckled and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to her feet. ¡°Well, that would be unsportsmanlike.¡±


    She grunted. ¡°What, in comparison to flipping me over your shoulder and grounding me into the floor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Judo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called whaling on a ninety pound, eighteen year old girl and being smug about it.¡±


    He laughed and shrugged. ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s nice to feel good at something around you.¡±


    She snapped back, frowning. What did that mean? That she made people feel inadequate? Did Lucien feel that way?


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Mordecai asked worriedly. ¡°I was just joking.¡±


    She sighed and turned away, pulling her ponytail back into place. ¡°No, I guess I just didn¡¯t realize how annoying it is to be around a freak like me.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± He whirled her around, his eyes wide with concern. ¡°Caia, I was kidding. Your abilities are exhilarating to be around, I promise.¡± He chuckled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t funny that someone as graceful as you is as hopeless as you seem to be at Judo, Taekwondo and Aikido.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Jujitsu.¡±


    Mordecai let out a guffaw of laughter. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I was being kind.¡±


    She smiled and shoved at him playfully, although her mind still buzzed with insecurity.


    He seemed to sense it. ¡°Is this about Lucien?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said too quickly, and then had to laugh at herself when she saw the disbelief in his eyes. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    ¡°Is it about Rose?¡±


    Caia shook her head frantically. No, no one could know about her hopeless unrequited infatuation. It was too, too sad. ¡°No. It¡¯s just...¡± she heaved a sigh and flopped down on to the mat, ¡°¡­Lucien is my best friend, you know. Sometimes when Marion or I talk about my magikal abilities he goes all weird and quiet. What you said... I mean... I don¡¯t know. Do you think he might... resent me?¡±


    ¡°Resent you how?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the Alpha of our pack. And he¡¯s been through a lot and deserves that position. He¡¯s the most powerful lykan among us, except-¡±


    ¡°That he¡¯s not. You are.¡±


    She nodded reluctantly. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You think it bothers him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose him.¡±


    Mordecai smiled kindly down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that, Caia. The way he looks at you... he cares a great deal about you, I¡¯m sure of it. I think you are as much his friend, as he is yours.¡±


    His friend. Wonderful.


    ¡°Now, if you are done having your ass kicked, might I suggest you shower and then join me for the afternoon lecture on the element of water?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Whatever floats your boat.¡±


    ¡°Was that a joke?¡±


    ¡°A poor one, but yes.¡±


    He laughed and pulled her to her feet. ¡°You¡¯ll learn a lot. It¡¯s a beginner¡¯s lecture, but it¡¯s useful, I promise.¡±


    Caia would never know if her first beginner¡¯s lecture in the practice of water magik was useful. After Mordecai had led her to an area of lecture halls that seemed to be situated in the basement level of the back of the building, an increasing sense of unease had begun to trickle down her spine. An unease that was accompanied by a familiar icy, tingling sensation. The feeling only grew stronger as she followed him into lecture hall A and took a seat in the back row of a semi-circular theatre room. She blankly took in the younger magiks who sat talking and laughing, notepads to the ready in front of them. She was numbly aware of a short magik taking up position down in the center of the room, where he had a laptop connected to the projection screen behind him. The magiks quieted as he began to speak, but Caia was no more aware of his words than of Mordecai¡¯s concerned stare.


    There was a Midnight at the Center.


    Caia honed in on the trace and found the female. Because the girl was young, un-practiced, and afraid, her connection to her was strong. She was somewhere dark and cold. Trapped and bitter. Feeling stupid.


    For what? Caia snapped internally. She pushed harder with the trace until she made a connection to the girl that was the strongest she had felt since her horrific invasion of Ethan¡¯s conscience. The young girl had fled from somewhere where there were many Midnights. She had hated them. She had found a Daylight.

 Page 16

    She had come here to join the Daylight cause.


    Caia gasped and tightened her hold on the connection. Could this be right? She scrambled like an excited child through the trace, trying to find some kind of evidence of this girl¡¯s duplicity, of her malevolence. She found none. Only a bitterness that she had naively wandered into the Center, and been imprisoned.


    No! Caia shook her head.


    Who was this girl? Where did she come from? Frustrated, she collapsed back in her chair. She couldn¡¯t pick up any definitive details, but she knew enough to know that an innocent girl was imprisoned here in the Center.


    ¡°Caia?¡±


    She suddenly became aware that Mordecai was shaking her, and others around her were no longer paying attention to the lecture but staring at her, bewildered by her presence and the disruption she was causing.


    She didn¡¯t care about them. She turned to Mordecai. ¡°I need to speak with Marita. Now.¡±


    His cell buzzed on the coffee table, and he groaned when he saw the caller ID. He really didn¡¯t want to speak to that Midnight at the moment, not with what had happened. He needed Nikolai to maintain confidence in him, and this situation was only going to incite the opposite.


    Sighing he flipped the phone open.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve called you twice now. Why haven¡¯t you answered?¡± Nikolai¡¯s thick voice queried suspiciously down the line.


    He better just get it over with. ¡°There¡¯s been a development.¡±


    ¡°Good or bad.¡±


    ¡°Not great.¡±


    ¡°Well, outline the problem quickly. I have one of my own.¡±


    ¡°Du Bois?¡±


    ¡°Du Bois. Speak, Kirios.¡±


    He bristled at the use of his name, but bit his tongue to curb a verbal reaction. He swallowed and tightened his hold on the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve temporarily lost my access to Caia.¡±


    Silence hung heavily down the other end of the phone.


    ¡°Nikolai?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± he breathed wearily. ¡°This is just not a good time. Things seem to be unraveling.¡±


    ¡°No, they are not. If you had been paying attention, I used the word temporarily. I¡¯m on this, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I shall try to maintain faith in you, Kirios. You can¡¯t have survived the world this long without a certain amount of ability.¡±


    He grunted. ¡°I appreciate the confidence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, I can do no other thing but trust you will take care of this. I am having enough trouble with Du Bois. He has gathered some rebels, idiots who believe in his faithless words. I have one in custody. She says they are planning an attack against a pack of lykans, the MacLachlans.¡±


    ¡°Have you taken Du Bois into custody?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I need verification from the other idiots who are joining his little rebellion before I can take him before the Council. I will put a stop to the attack in time.¡±


    Frustration rippled through his body. ¡°You better. You realize Caia will be aware of this little attack, and that means the Daylights will be gearing up to defend the pack. If Caia is caught in the crossfire then our plans are going to be obliterated. We need that girl alive.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of what is at stake, Kirios!¡± Nikolai raged. ¡°Do not push me. I am not the one who lost our inside asset.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it looks like we both have a lot of work to do and very little time. And Nikolai¡­ don¡¯t ever speak to me that way again. Understood?¡±


    A tense silence, followed by. ¡°Understood, Kirios. Apologies.¡±


    ¡°Accepted.¡± He sighed. ¡°Call me when you¡¯ve squashed Du Bois.¡±


    With that he hung up, throwing his phone over his shoulder, and leaning back into the sofa with his eyes squeezed tight.


    He had to get moving. There were too, too many years at stake to let Caia and Du Bois control this war.


    10 - Mate


    The television flickered, lighting her face up in the dark motel room, revealing her sardonic smirk as she chewed on candy and watched the latest soap opera. Ryder watched Jaeden from his place on the twin bed next to hers, and was amazed at the feeling of peace that settled over him just by being near her, and being allowed to look at her.


    Ryder closed his eyes briefly as he fought the courage to say what he had to say to her. Maybe he should just let it be. She had had a rough few days.


    After her revelations the night before, Jaeden had fallen asleep quickly, exhausted from her much needed crying jag. He, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t even close his eyes, her descriptions of her torture rolling around in his brain and roiling his stomach. How had she survived what had happened to her, and still be able to function as normally as she was?


    Her strength amazed him.


    Jae had been sleeping for only an hour or so before she had started crying out in her sleep. Her bed started to shake, and then the telephone on her bedside table flew across the room and smashed into smithereens. The television in the corner was just beginning to rumble when he had jumped across the room and slid in beside her, pulling her into his arms and soothing her away from nightmares. Slowly, the movements ceased in the hotel room, and she stopped crying, snuggling into him instead. When she had woken up in his arms that morning, they hadn¡¯t said anything. Jae had merely tugged herself away from him to sit up. Climbing out of bed she had seen the telephone smashed on the floor and had turned back to smile at him gratefully, realizing the kindness he had paid to her last night.


    After they had rid themselves of the vamps body, Ryder had let her drive to give her something to do, but the conversation had been shallow and teasing, and the dramatic events of the night before had been studiously avoided.


    When it was time to stop at another motel, Ryder had refused to let her sleep in a room by herself. So despite the warnings in his brain that he might not be able to keep his hands to himself another night running, they had booked into a twin room.


    ¡°I can feel you staring, you know,¡± she said softly. ¡°Go to sleep, Ryder, and stop worrying about me. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He grunted and reached over to switch on the lights.


    ¡°Hey!¡± She turned to glare at him. ¡°You¡¯re ruining the ambience.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I want to talk.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of a girl, anyone ever tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re kind of a ball breaker, anyone ever tell you that?¡±


    ¡°All the time.¡±


    Sighing, he threw his legs off the bed, and leaned towards her with his elbows on his knees, his eyes boring into hers. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    Jaeden groaned, switching the television off with the remote, before turning to give him her full attention. ¡°I thought I had gotten away with it.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Away with what?¡±


    ¡°Talking about last night.¡±


    He grinned at her. ¡°Really? Come on, this is me, you should know better by now.¡±


    She stared at him for a long time, before returning his smile and rolling her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± She shifted so she was sitting on the bed with her legs pulled up against her chest. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about specifically?¡±


    Ah, he wasn¡¯t sure she was going to like this at all.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    OK, man, just say it... then duck.


    ¡°I wanted to discuss the idea of getting Caia to train you, to help you control your telekinesis.¡±


    He waited with his hands clasped tightly in front of him while she seemed to absorb this. Finally Jae nodded, brushing a silky curl back from her face. She pierced him with her clear-eyed blue gaze, and it got him thinking about the other thing he wanted to discuss before this night was through.


    ¡°OK.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Since she knows about the¡­ about what Ethan did anyway, I doubt there¡¯s any harm in confiding in her. I¡¯ll talk to her when we get back tomorrow.¡±


    Well that was easier than he thought. Smiling, Ryder got up so he could sit on the bed next to her, especially enjoying how tense she got the closer he got. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ll talk to her, but it will have to be when Caia and Lucien get back from the Center.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot,¡± she replied quietly, trying to shift away from him inconspicuously.


    He couldn¡¯t help it. He laughed.


    Her head snapped up, her eyebrows drawn together. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Ryder snickered. ¡°Could you be more uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not uncomfortable. Why would I be uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been jittery with me all day. I don¡¯t bite... well... occasionally.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.


    ¡°Ugh, you are such a male.¡±


    He guffawed, ¡°Yeah, thank Gaia.¡±


    ¡°And I am not uncomfortable!¡±


    ¡°Well, stop moving away from me then!¡±


    ¡°Well stop crowding me!¡±


    Ryder whooped, his eyes glittering as they drank her in. Deliberately, he washed his eyes over her from head to foot, lingering on her long legs, breasts, and finally her lips. She was blushing madly by the time he was done, and the heat between them had cranked up a hundred knots. He stopped grinning and leaned towards her, his lips inches from hers. ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you now, and I would appreciate it if you would shut up long enough for me to do it.¡±


    ¡°How romantic-¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah. What did I just say?¡±


    She clamped her lips closed tightly, glaring at him. Her rosy cheeks, however, told him she was as affected by him as he was by her.


    For minutes they sat like that, until her mouth opened to say what he knew would be a smart ass comment. Before she could, he closed the distance between them, wrapping his hand around her neck and pulling her into his kiss. Satisfaction slammed through him at the taste of her, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from crushing her against him, pressing her as close to his body as he could get her. Only one word remained prominent in his mind as he devoured her.


    Mate.


    She felt like she was minutes from bursting into flames.


    Oh my goddess.

 Page 17

    Jaeden was only somewhat aware of putting enough distance between her and Ryder in order to slide her hands up over his chest and sink her fingers into his thick hair, anchoring his mouth to her own as their tongues mated.


    Her blood seemed to bubble under her skin, a heat so intense building inside of her she thought she was going to incinerate them both.


    Ryder was kissing her.


    Ryder.


    Wow.


    One of his hands slid down her side, his thumb brushing her breast and setting off another blast of fireworks inside her. Eventually, he curled said hand around her thigh so he could wrap her leg around his waist. Automatically, she did that with her other one, and found herself flat on her back, while Ryder pressed his body into hers.


    Oh goddess!


    She gasped into his mouth.


    And then suddenly a breeze blasted over her, and she opened her eyes to find Ryder pushing himself back to the foot of the bed, his hand shaking as he brushed his hair off his face.


    Why had he stopped?


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t meant to happen,¡± he said hoarsely, his eyes round on her.


    With that, a crushing sense of deflation swamped her. What? Did she think Ryder, the most notorious bachelor in the pack, would actually be interested in her seriously? Puhlease. Of course he had stopped before things went too far. He was disgustingly honorable.


    Plus her father would kill him.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess not,¡± she snapped and then bit her tongue. Damn it. She didn¡¯t want him to know he had hurt her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean the kiss.¡± He shuffled towards her quickly, and she strained back from him.


    ¡°Stay back. OK. I don¡¯t need this kind of crap right now, Ryder.¡±


    His eyes seemed to darken in anger, confusing her.


    ¡°Hey.¡± She shrugged, unable to meet his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not going to tell my dad. You¡¯re safe.¡±


    He snorted in disgust, and she looked up to see him glaring at her - really glaring at her.


    What was his problem?! She was the one who was going to end up with her heart broken if she didn¡¯t get away from his dumb, tight ass! As if she didn¡¯t have enough pain in her life without adding him to her already broken soul!


    ¡°What?¡± she snapped. ¡°What is your problem? Stop looking at me like that!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to decide whether I want to kill you,¡± he growled through clenched teeth, ¡°Or haul you underneath me and finish what we started.¡±


    ¡°Charming.¡±


    Ryder¡¯s hands flew up in a strangling gesture. ¡°Can you shut up for one second so I can explain?¡±


    ¡°Explain what? Your almost molestation of me?¡±


    ¡°I swear you say one more word and I-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡±


    The next thing she knew he had a hold of her, his hand clamped tightly across her mouth. She wriggled but to no avail.


    ¡°Ah much better.¡± He grinned down at her.


    ¡°Mm mmm hu uhh uu.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that sweetheart? I¡¯m a little hard of hearing.¡±


    Goddess, he was a schmuck.


    ¡°Now.¡± He pulled her closer. ¡°Let me talk before you continue jumping to all the wrong conclusions, and decide I¡¯m a bastard and that you hate me.¡±


    What was he talking about?


    His eyes had gone all warm and buttery as they wandered across her face. She stilled, suddenly too intrigued to fight him anymore. Did Ryder...? No... Could he?


    ¡°I stopped kissing you because I was this close to making love to you, and I would rather we did that after I¡¯ve spoken to your father.¡±


    Huh?


    He laughed as if he could read her reaction in her eyes. ¡°Jae... I think we have something. You can deny it all you want, but there¡¯s something more between us. Something real.¡± He smiled, suddenly looking unexpectedly shy. ¡°I think we could be mates.¡±


    Jaeden¡¯s eyes widened and she tensed. Was he serious? Was Ryder Alexander, the biggest crush of her life, actually suggesting they were mates?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened.¡± He unclamped his hand from her mouth and cupped her face tenderly. ¡°But the thought of not being able to spend every day bickering with you and then kissing you quiet, knocks the breath out of me, and when we get home I¡¯m going to ask permission from Dimitri to court you, if that¡¯s OK with you?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you stop?¡±


    He chuckled as the question tumbled out of her mouth with a life of its own. ¡°Because I want to do things right with you.¡±


    ¡°Ryder,¡± she breathed, resting her forehead against the top of his chest. ¡°Are you sure? I mean... if you hadn¡¯t noticed I¡¯m not exactly Miss Normal right now. I mean... Are you sure?¡± She laughed in disbelief.


    His cheek slid against her own, sending sparks running throughout her as he breathed in her ear, ¡°Completely. You¡¯re mine, Jae.¡± He pulled back. ¡°If that¡¯s OK with you?¡±


    As he smiled down at her, a weight she didn¡¯t even know she had been carrying, floated off of her body and out of the room. She knew she looked too serious, but she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯ve had a crush on you forever.¡±


    His eyes widened and he appeared all of sudden smug. ¡°Oh really.¡±


    She slapped at him half-heartedly. ¡°Now don¡¯t be going and getting yourself a big head there, cowboy.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. The untouchable Jaeden Rodriguez has a crush on me.¡± He pulled her closer again, and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything to me?¡±


    Jae snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. You barely even noticed me.¡±


    His hand slid down her waist to her hip and he squeezed her to him. ¡°I¡¯m noticing you now,¡± he growled.


    Giggling, she shifted away from him. ¡°I think we better cut that out before you deflower me.¡±


    ¡°Deflower you?¡± He quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Does that mean...¡±


    She blushed. She couldn¡¯t believe she was having this conversation with Ryder. ¡°Yes,¡± she heaved an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I am a virgin. Scared?¡±


    His eyes darkened, and she shivered as he shook his head, his throat thick with a possessiveness that should have alarmed her, and yet only stirred the heat in her. ¡°Glad,¡± he managed, seeming just as surprised as her. ¡°I think I¡¯d have to take the head off of any other guy that had touched you.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°How caveman of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you love it.¡± He grabbed her and started nipping playfully at her lips.


    Jae melted into him, and would have happily let him do what he would with her, but somehow Ryder shook himself into focus enough to sit back on the other bed.


    He shrugged ruefully at her questioning look. ¡°It¡¯s safer.¡±


    She blushed again as she tried to articulate what she wanted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind... if we-¡±


    ¡°I would, sweetheart.¡± He cut her off with a soft look. ¡°I want you. But as my mate.¡±


    Jae nodded, completely shocked that somehow this three day car journey with Ryder had turned into a long ago fantasy she had had before Ethan had taken her. A sense of peace washed through her as she looked at him. With Ryder beside her, maybe she really would be OK.


    She snuggled deep into her pillow as he talked to her. For hours they laughed and chatted about everything and nothing, until eventually she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


    RAP, RAP, RAP


    Ryder bolted up out of the bed, his eyes going straight to Jae to make sure she was alright. Sunlight streamed through holes in the motel room curtains, shooting shafts across her golden skin. A tingling ran through him as he remembered the night before. He smiled. She was one step closer to being his.


    RAP, RAP, RAP


    Jae was coming around at the banging on the door. Ryder cursed, throwing his covers off and creeping toward the door.


    ¡°Who-¡±


    He held a finger up to his lips to cut off Jae¡¯s question as she sat up, pushing her thick hair off her face.


    Who was banging on their door? No one knew they were here.


    ¡°Jaeden, it¡¯s me!¡± a strong male voice yelled through the wood.


    Ryder tensed as Jae gasped, ¡°Reuben?¡±


    She flew out of the bed and knocked him out of the way so she could throw the door open. The next thing he knew his female was in the arms of some tall, built, dark haired vampyre. Ryder growled. He wasn¡¯t an expert on the subject, but he was guessing the vamp would be considered good-looking to the female and gay population of the world.


    Jaeden must have heard him growl because she pulled back from the vampyre and turned to him nervously. ¡°Ryder, this is Reuben. I told you about him.¡±


    Ah yes, the vamp who talked her into breaking Coven laws; the vamp who wanted ¡®something more¡¯ than just friendship. He had never considered himself the possessive type but all of a sudden he understood why Lucien got as crazy as he did whenever another male came on to Caia. His arm shot out of its own accord and he pulled Jaeden into his side. She groaned at his obvious display of jealousy, but right now he wasn¡¯t giving a crap.


    He glared at Reuben, whose dark eyes were narrowed on him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The vampyre straightened and spoke calmly, ¡°I was worried about Jaeden. I came to check she was alright.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some tracking skills you¡¯ve got there.¡±


    Reuben shrugged noncommittally.


    Jae was right. This vampyre, despite looking about twenty-four, was old. And that meant he was dangerous.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen she¡¯s alright. Now leave.¡±


    ¡°Ryder.¡± Jaeden smacked him lightly on the chest in admonishment. ¡°Stop.¡± She turned to smile at Reuben. ¡°I¡¯m fine. But you¡¯re here now, so why don¡¯t we all grab some breakfast together?¡±


    Reuben smiled at her. ¡°Sounds wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Sounds crap.¡±


    Jae snorted. ¡°Reuben, this is Ryder. Please forgive him and his lack of manners. He¡¯s a Neanderthal.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just being protective.¡±

 Page 18

    Hey, he didn¡¯t need the vamp sticking up for him. He was about to say so when Jaeden clamped a knowing hand across his mouth. Her eyes smiled at him, and he relaxed wanting nothing more than to kiss her good morning.


    ¡°Can you stay quiet long enough to get dressed so we can meet Reuben at the diner?¡±


    He nodded reluctantly and waited, secretly amused, as she turned back to the vamp to direct him to the motel¡¯s diner, her hand still tight across his mouth.


    The door closed behind the vamp and she released him.


    Before she said a word, he had her backed up against the door as he devoured her mouth with a hot kiss. Finally, he pulled back, enjoying the way her chest heaved from his attentions.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning,¡± she croaked. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Just a reminder.¡±


    ¡°A reminder?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a reminder of what we talked about last night. Of how you belong to me.¡±


    Her eyes flashed, and he waited expectantly for their fight to begin. Really, was there anything better than sparring with this woman?


    ¡°Of how I belong to you?¡± her voice went up an octave.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, forget about the verbal arm wrestling! Why don¡¯t you just pee on me and everything I own?!¡±


    He smirked and turned away to saunter into the bathroom. ¡°I will if it comes to that.¡±


    ¡°Arrghhh!¡±


    Ryder laughed, ducking the shoe that flew at his head as he closed the door on her.


    11 - Misunderstood


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t meet with you last night, Caia.¡± Marita breezed into her suite without knocking. ¡°I had urgent business to attend to.¡±


    Caia nodded wearily, standing up from the window seat that looked out over Paris. ¡°I understand.¡±


    She didn¡¯t actually, but she was trying to. The last two sleepless nights hadn¡¯t exactly improved her mood, but Marita was the top gun and to be respected. Caia was going crazy wondering about the Midnight imprisoned in the Center. Her refusal to join Mordecai for training until she had met with Marita was actually an attempt at exerting self-control over her anger.


    Marita threw her a surprisingly warm smile and took a seat on a nearby sofa, smoothing her conservative skirt over her legs as she did so. Instead of sitting spine straight and stiff, however, she relaxed against the back of the seat and tilted her head casually. ¡°Mordecai seems concerned for you. He has me worried.¡±


    The witches¡¯ tone was gentler than Caia had ever heard it - that mixed with Marita¡¯s relaxed body language completely threw her off kilter. She realized this was the first time they had ever been alone in a room together - no Vanne, no servants, no guards. Maybe that¡¯s why Marita was so tense all the time. Here with Caia, on her lonesome, she could be a little freer; and not have to play the role of ¡®in control Queen of the Castle¡¯ so much.


    Caia shook her head with a polite smile and took the armchair opposite her. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Just... a little anxious.¡±


    ¡°Anxious?¡± Marita frowned.


    She nodded and leaned forward confidentially. ¡°Yesterday, when Mordecai took me to the lecture, I felt a Midnight. Here at the Center.¡±


    Marita froze, her expression blank.


    ¡°A girl. Imprisoned... I¡¯m guessing somewhere in the basement near Lecture Hall A.¡±


    A silence fell over the room, increasing Caia¡¯s anxiety. Marita¡¯s eyes seared through her. ¡°You really are the Head of the Midnight Coven.¡±


    It was Caia¡¯s turn to look bewildered and concerned. ¡°Uh yeeeess. But you knew that...¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Marita¡¯s hand fluttered by her face, as if at a loss. Caia could not reconcile this magik with the woman she had met previously. ¡°But I have actual hard evidence for myself now. I¡¯ve been reading your reports passed on by my sister but... well, it¡¯s a little strange this situation, as I¡¯m sure you already know. I¡¯ve been Head of the Daylights for twenty five years, and I was groomed by my father for twenty years before that. That¡¯s forty five years of working against the Head of the Midnight Coven. To now be working with her is... weird.¡±


    Caia laughed at her unexpected adjective. ¡°Yeah, I guess it would be.¡±


    Marita smiled, a smile that never reached her eyes, and then settled back into her seat. ¡°Before I explain about the Midnight, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Your trace... it seems different from my own.¡±


    Caia wriggled in her seat at the ¡®question¡¯ and the uncomfortably pinched expression on Marita¡¯s face as she asked, ¡°Different how?¡±


    Did she really want to know?


    Marita shrugged, but Caia could tell it was a deliberate attempt to look casual about something she obviously didn¡¯t feel casual about. ¡°I can only follow a trace if I am specifically looking for someone. I¡¯ve heard that you can do more?¡±


    Wow, every second at this place was just making her feel more and more like a super freak.


    ¡°Yeah, the trace sort of finds me. I mean, I do that, what you do, as well... specifically locate someone, I mean.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean the trace sort of finds you?¡±


    She cleared her throat, shifting again in her seat. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to describe. Um... let¡¯s see... OK, for instance Nikolai - I have a tap on him¡­ yeah, I suppose you could call it that.¡±


    ¡°A tap?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. His trace will alert me if he seems intense about something, whether it be a negative or a positive feeling. And then I go in and check to see what¡¯s up. Nikolai is actually a tough cookie. He¡¯s good at hiding a lot of his emotions.¡±


    Marita was gazing at her blankly, no emotion to disclose exactly how she felt about this information. Finally, she smiled tightly. ¡°Well, I think what¡¯s important is you¡¯re using your quite considerable gifts to help us.¡±


    ¡°So about the girl?¡± Caia did not intend to be side-tracked.


    ¡°The girl, the Midnight, is a spy sent in to infiltrate our Coven. She is very good, very convincing. Three months ago she turned up with a young male magik she met, had convinced him that she was from a group of Midnights from Scandinavia who ran a small army base for the Head of the Coven ¨C Ethan. She said they were extremists and that with Ethan¡¯s disappearance they had become even more vicious, killing anything that got in their way of the war. She said she was a disbeliever, a Midnight who actually agreed with Daylight.¡± She stopped to scoff at the thought and Caia¡¯s heart sped up. ¡°Vilhelm ¨C the boy she met ¨C fell for her lies and he brought her to me. I knew right away she was lying. A Midnight apathetic to the war? Maybe - although I doubt it. But a Midnight switching sides? Never.¡±


    Wow, Caia felt a wave of panic. She had better tread carefully here, or she could find herself locked up, too.


    ¡°Well,¡± she began slowly, throwing the witch a trembling smile. ¡°It can¡¯t be impossible right? I mean, I¡¯m part Midnight and I don¡¯t want to maim any Daylights. I want to end the war.¡±


    Marita seemed to look right through her, reminding Caia that she was still the phlegmatic woman she had met upstairs. ¡°Your Daylight blood obviously overpowers the bad blood. Not to mention that you were raised Daylight.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Caia gave her a tight smile, mentally squishing the rush of anger that exploded through her at the ¡®bad blood¡¯ comment. ¡°But I just didn¡¯t get a malevolent feeling from her.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you were too far away.¡± Marita shrugged.


    ¡°Could you take me to her then?¡±


    She was again surprised by the smile bestowed upon her, her eyes trying for kind and concerned. ¡°Will that help? Will it stop whatever anxious thoughts you¡¯ve got buzzing around in your head and get you back out of this room and back into training? You¡¯re missing important things. Lucien is with Rose and the others, training in the simulator.¡±


    Caia tried not to feel as if she had been slapped in the face by the mention of Rose and Lucien, together.


    ¡°It would help.¡±


    Marita nodded regally and stood up, walking gracefully to the telephone by Caia¡¯s bed. ¡°Noble, can you please alert the Containment Center that I¡¯m on my way down with Caia.¡±


    She¡¯d been right. The Containment Center ¨C in other words the prison - was situated one level below Lecture Hall A. Bars rolled down from the ceiling as she passed through the ¡®reception¡¯, and rows of individual cells, where what looked like plexi-glass (the magikal kind), contained the prisoner rather than bars. Caia wondered at the other occupants who gave off no Midnight trace. They were obviously rogues. She didn¡¯t have time to wonder too long because the trace was electrifying and sizzled through her even more intensely as Marita drew her to a halt outside a door at the very end of the corridor. It was a huge iron monstrosity with a small rectangle at the top that slid open so you could peer inside.


    ¡°She¡¯s in here.¡± Marita sneered and placed her hand against the door. She muttered an incantation under her breath, obviously forgetting that Caia had supreme hearing.


    Occultus atrum unus. Caia repeated the words over in her brain only to have her heart stop at the thought of why. You really do want to play with fire, don¡¯t you?


    The door swung slowly open with a forbidding creak, and Marita seemed to prepare herself before entering. Caia followed, only to feel the trace grow even stronger. The sound of the door had frightened the girl.


    The door was the only source of light, but Caia could see well with her wolf eyes the hideous conditions of this prisoner¡¯s cell in comparison to the others. She sat huddled in the corner of a bare square stone room, thick iron bars that crackled with electricity (more magik) separating her from any visitors. Her long bedraggled hair covered most of her face and knees as she pulled herself tighter into a ball. The sight of Marita terrified the girl.


    A rush of pain hit Caia so fast she cried out and stumbled back.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Marita was by her side in an instant.

 Page 19

    No, she wasn¡¯t alright. This girl was innocent. Despite her harsh treatment she still held no ill will towards the Daylights. The only person she felt bitter towards was Marita, and yet at the same time she understood why the witch would not believe her. Of all the traces Caia had felt over the past few months, of all the feelings of antipathy towards the war, of actual goodness she thought she was picking up from the Midnights¡­ none of those could touch this young woman for her purity of soul. There was a pearl of blissful warmth in the girl¡¯s trace, something Caia had never encountered before. She tried to push the connection harder to discover what it meant, but all she received were the girl¡¯s thoughts on Vilhelm, the Daylight magik, her friend. Without realizing it, she sent Caia an image of his anguished face as she was torn from him by Marita¡¯s men.


    Laila. Her name was Laila.


    ¡°Caia.¡± Marita shook her. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Goddess, what could she say? Marita¡¯s eyes were narrowed in anxiety.


    ¡°Has it done something to you?¡± she spat, turning to glare daggers at Laila. ¡°If this filth has managed to get her magik past these bars I¡¯m going to have her executed.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Caia grabbed her arm in reflex.


    Marita turned to look at her slowly, uncertainty flickering across her marble face. ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    Lie, Cy, Lie!


    Marita would have her thrown in with the girl if she knew Caia sympathized with her. Marita¡¯s prejudice was too great for her to even contemplate that the continuing war may be a consequence of a horrendous misunderstanding on the Daylights behalf. Caia couldn¡¯t fight this war. Not like this. But what could she do? Her powers had her trapped in it. She was obliged to stay and fight.


    But how? And with whom?


    One thing she did know: Laila¡¯s time was running out, and somehow Caia had to get her out of the Center.


    She cleared her throat and stood up straight and determined. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The feelings... she reminded me of Ethan.¡±


    Softness slid back into Marita¡¯s features. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°You were right. A Midnight¡¯s a Midnight. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Marita nodded militantly and led her out of the cell.


    Caia had to forcibly stop herself from looking back at the young woman she was now determined to save.


    Lucien glanced fretfully down at Rose, who was curled up on the leather sofa in his suite. They had just finished training with Anders and Phoebe, who butted heads so often it was a wonder they were getting anything done. Lucien was worried about Caia. Mordecai mentioned an incident occurring yesterday, but she wouldn¡¯t speak to anyone except Marita, who hadn¡¯t been able to schedule Caia in until today. What is going on with her? He paced back and forth, running an anxious hand through his hair. She had avoided him all day yesterday.


    ¡°Lucien, sit down, you¡¯re making me antsy,¡± Rose laughed, reaching up to pull him down beside her. A wash of guilt ran through him that she was in his room again. Caia wouldn¡¯t even look at him when Rose had insisted on coming into his suite the other night. Nothing had happened between them, but Rose had revealed how terrible she felt for the way she treated him¡­ now that she knew his not mating with her was because he couldn¡¯t, not that he wouldn¡¯t. Talking with her had been as easy and as natural as it used to be. She had listened patiently while he told her the story.


    ¡°So you and Caia aren¡¯t together?¡± she¡¯d asked quietly once he¡¯d finished.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re not.¡±


    Her smile had been so wide that guilt had crashed around him in waves. But he had nothing to feel guilty for! Caia was not his and he was not hers.


    And Rose...


    He had been crazy about Rose. Being with her the last couple of days only reminded him of the good times they¡¯d had. And she was making it obvious she wouldn¡¯t mind taking a physical trip back down memory lane.


    Thing was... Lucien wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready to give up on the hope that Caia would come to her senses and realize they should be together.


    ¡°Seriously, Lucien, what is up?¡±


    He shrugged and smiled at her. ¡°Just a little worried about Caia.¡±


    He watched as her full lips fell into a pout. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard your worry is redundant. She¡¯s a big shot around here. An all-powerful genie. Why don¡¯t you stop worrying about Caia and start loosening up a little? I could give you a massage.¡± She grinned suggestively.


    That did sound tempting...


    A knock at the door.


    ¡°Lucien?¡±


    ¡°Caia?¡± He shot out of his seat and rushed to the door, throwing it open.


    His relief at having her in his sight was washed away by her appearance. Her gorgeous eyes were round with worry and sadness, and her long pale hair looked as if she¡¯d been tugging on it in exasperation.


    ¡°Thank goddess,¡± she muttered when she saw him. She strode past him with a familiar caress on his chest that sent heat rushing to his good for nothing places. ¡°I need to talk to you, big time. Lucien, some-¡±


    She had stopped, and he turned to shut the door realizing the cause of her disruption was Rose.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She threw her shoulders back. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you had company.¡±


    Rose stood up from the sofa and smiled weakly. He quirked an eyebrow as he walked towards her. That wasn¡¯t like her. Was she frightened of Caia? Lucien almost laughed out loud at the thought, but then realized it wasn¡¯t so funny. He guessed if he didn¡¯t know her, the idea of Caia, a Midnight/Daylight, lykan/witch, was intimidating, if not a little frightening.


    ¡°You remember Rose?¡± he asked, coming to a stop by his ex-girlfriend all the while trying to catch the eye of his mate so he could determine her feelings. Caia stiffened, and her eyes narrowed on Rose, an Amazon compared to her own small stature. If he wasn¡¯t so worried this was going to cause the rift Marita intended, he¡¯d actually find it funny how un-intimidated Caia appeared by Rose¡¯s height and build.


    ¡°How could I forget?¡±


    Was that a sneer? Aw crap, she was pissed.


    He felt Rose stiffen next to him and was afraid to look at the expression on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lucien¡¯s ex-lover.¡±


    Craaap. Ex-lover? That word... it was just so... graphic.


    ¡°I see.¡± Caia nodded, flashing him a hateful look. ¡°Not so ex by the look of things.¡±


    No, no, no, no! He took a placating step towards her. ¡°Now, Ca-¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Rose interrupted, placing a hand on his arm and drawing him back towards her. ¡°We were just discussing that. After all, you two aren¡¯t going to commit to your mating, and Lucien and I would have been mates if he hadn¡¯t been obligated to fulfill his father¡¯s betrothal to you.¡±


    Someone shoot me. Just put a gun to my head and pull the trigger. It would be more humane.


    He¡¯d squeezed his eyes closed as the words tumbled spitefully out of Rose¡¯s mouth. How could he have forgotten the word bitch was invented by competitive female lykans?


    The deafening silence in the room became too much, and he finally worked up the courage to look at Caia¡¯s face.


    He wished he hadn¡¯t.


    She was gazing at him in pain. A look likened to anguish and regret glittered in her eyes, but her face seemed pinched with resentment at the same time. Classic Caia, however, she never failed to surprise him. She fixed that gaze intently upon him and said, ¡°I always seem to be apologizing to you these days.¡± She shrugged so wearily he wanted to pull her protectively into his arms. ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°What... Caia?¡± He frowned, gently shrugging Rose¡¯s hand from his arm as he approached her. Anxiety, panic almost, washed over him as she took a few steps back from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... for a lot of things. But mostly, I¡¯m sorry that you got caught up in this more than you ever should have been. My father and yours... what they did was unforgiveable-¡±


    ¡°What they did was for the best... to protect you.¡±


    ¡°What they did was take away your choices.¡±


    ¡°And yours.¡±


    She shook her head sadly, her eyes flicking quickly and bitterly to Rose and then back to him. ¡°I haven¡¯t lost what you have. I¡¯m sorry you can¡¯t be with the person you want.¡±


    ¡°Caia-¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Rose swaggered forward, cutting him off. ¡°We can¡¯t have kids together, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be together. You can still do the right thing here, Caia.¡±


    Irritation ripped through Lucien as he watched Caia grow paler by the second. ¡°Rose,¡± he warned, a growl rumbling from the base of his chest. She merely shrugged at him, all wide-eyed innocence.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go,¡± Caia managed softly and started for the door.


    That was enough.


    Lucien took three long strides towards her, grabbing her by the arm and turning her towards him. Still she refused to meet his eye, until he gave her a little shake.


    ¡°I have a meeting with Mordecai. Let go.¡±


    ¡°Lucien?¡± Rose asked uncertainly from behind him. He tried to ignore her, concentrating on getting Caia to acknowledge that she was pissed at him and there was a reason. She was jealous. Because she was his mate. Not Rose.


    ¡°Caia, you¡¯re being an idiot.¡±


    Suddenly she flushed red, and he realized he had said the wrong thing. With a strength belying her size, she ripped herself from his grip, her green eyes blazing with renewed energy. ¡°Yeah, I guess I was. But I¡¯m all good now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve obviously gotten the wrong-¡±


    She laughed humorlessly, cutting him off. ¡°You know what, Lucien? I think you¡¯re forgetting that I¡¯m in the middle of a war here. I¡¯m a very important person, don¡¯t you know. I don¡¯t have time to deal with your guilt issues over moving on from our little mating. I moved on months ago, and now you have. Nothing to feel bad about.¡± She tilted her head to smile at Rose. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you both.¡±


    And with that she was gone.

 Page 20

    She thought he loved Rose? She had moved on? She thought he had moved on? How could she think that after everything...?


    The pack means everything to me, and I won¡¯t have anything to do with someone who puts it last. I don¡¯t want a mate like you. Not ever.


    He had said those awful words to her in the motel room before they rescued Jaeden. Could she really have believed he had meant them?


    Yes.


    Shit.


    Marita ¨C 1, Lucien ¨C 0


    She couldn¡¯t breathe. The pain was that bad. She couldn¡¯t cry. The heat of her anger had dried them all up.


    Lucien loved Rose.


    A brittle disquiet had captured her body as she sat perched on the side of her bed. She could feel herself shutting down, her walls shooting up, locking her soul in and the world out. A deep retreat was in progress and she shivered, feeling the icy blockade settle around her.


    In that moment she loathed her magik blood. A lykan would be tearing the room to shreds, expelling their ire from their body like sucking poison from a snake bite. Half-heartedly she turned to the lamp that sat on her bedside table and lifted it slowly with her magik. With a flick of her eyes she sent it speeding into the fireplace and took a momentary satisfaction in the way its destruction caused the flames to flare up and out, displaying their anger in the way she wanted to. But there would be no white heat from this pain, no involuntary destruction of property. This was a kind of suffering she wanted to hide from.


    With a shuddering breath the tears began to fall.


    So it had happened. She had fallen in love with Lucien. Maybe she had always been in love with him. How could she love him when he didn¡¯t love her back? How could he stand to be around her when she was the reason he couldn¡¯t have children with the beautiful red-head?


    It felt like she sat there for hours, broken porcelain badly glued together. She could either fall deeper inside herself to escape the thought of Lucien with Rose, or she could fall deeper into a problem she might be able to fix. Laila¡¯s image wavered in her mind. She had gone to Lucien to finally confide in him, to ask him to help her get Laila out, to tell him that after they helped the MacLachlans she was leaving the Center, that she was no longer fighting for Marita. The beginnings of a plan were forming in her mind - it wasn¡¯t much, but so far it was all she had. It was all Laila had. It was all the next generation had if she was going to be able to enforce the beginning of the end of a millennia-old racial war.


    ¡°Caia?¡±


    She bolted upright at the sound of Mordecai on the other side of her door, and jumped off the bed, flicking her wrist to replace the lamp she had broken, wiping her hand across her face to glamour away any evidence of her crying.


    ¡°Mordecai,¡± she greeted him brightly and gestured for him to come into the room. He regarded her with an odd little smile as he took a seat.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Marita said you visited the Midnight.¡±


    Caia¡¯s smile tightened. ¡°Yeah. I was curious.¡±


    He grinned back at her. ¡°I wondered what had happened in the lecture hall. I keep forgetting you¡¯re the true Head of the Midnights.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing that a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just came up to fill you in on training today.¡±


    Caia nodded and listened patiently as he explained the strategies that had been utilized in the woodland simulator.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never worked with Anders before but he¡¯s an extremely good leader.¡± Mordecai laughed as if remembering something. ¡°Of course, he and Marion have been placed in charge of the taskforce but Phoebe has other ideas. I don¡¯t think her and Anders like each other very much.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like I missed some drama.¡±


    He nodded, and then seemed to grow quiet.


    Eventually¡­¡°Caia...?¡±


    She frowned. This was the first time the self-assured magik looked uncomfortable and unsure. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°The simulator... well... after your run in it the other night, there was some energy picked up around a certain oak?¡±


    She flushed. Oh dear. How to explain that one?


    ¡°I uh...¡±


    ¡°Was it you?¡±


    There was nothing to do but be honest. And she knew she could trust Mordecai.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m so sorry. I just... got angry. And killed it. I replaced it, though.¡± She threw him an imploring smile.


    Mordecai grinned back at her. ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    Caia watched as he took his glasses off to rub a smudge from the lens. ¡°Was it deliberate?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Cy, I know what you did to Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Do you, ¡®cause I don¡¯t,¡± she quipped, but he only smiled at her like he pitied her.


    ¡°The tree? Was it an unfortunate victim of your anger over Rose and Lucien?¡±


    Oh crap, this was even worse than she thought.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she hissed through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Does that happen a lot, when you get angry? Can you not control it?¡±


    How to explain something this weird?


    ¡°It just happened with Ethan and the tree. And once with a female from my pack. It¡¯s like a white heat that just explodes out of me. But I think I¡¯m beginning to control it. With Alexa, the girl from my pack, I just blew her across the room because I would never hurt a member of my pack intentionally. With Ethan¡­ he was going to kill Lucien, and I knew he was evil so I guess it made whatever it is stronger. Marion thinks that it¡¯s something to do with my water element. The tree... well my focus was on it when I let myself get mad enough about the Rose situation.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem?¡±


    ¡°No. I was going to talk to you about it, but I think I¡¯m getting a handle on it now.¡±


    He appeared uncertain, as if he had more questions he wanted to ask. Instead he settled back to ask why she had blown Alexa across the room. Soon she was telling him all about the pack.


    ¡°They sound great.¡± He grinned. ¡°I wish I could meet them.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you will.¡±


    ¡°Jaeden sounds like a riot.¡±


    A feeling of melancholy swept over her. She wondered how Jaeden was, and if Ryder had managed to get her back to the pack safely.


    ¡°She was.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean is? She sounds tough, Caia. She¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. What she went through was unbelievable.¡±


    Mordecai shuddered, his face twisted in sympathy. ¡°What did he actually do to her?¡±


    She shook her head. That was nobody¡¯s business but Jaeden¡¯s, and no matter how much she liked Mordecai, she wasn¡¯t going to give him the sordid details.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡±


    He snapped back in his seat looking abashed. ¡°Oh, of course. I didn¡¯t mean to pry.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She smiled kindly.


    He sighed and stood up. ¡°You look exhausted. I¡¯m going to leave and let you get some sleep so that you¡¯re prepared for the training tomorrow.¡±


    Yeah, like she was going to sleep with Lucien, Rose and Laila rattling around in her mind.


    And then there was Vilhelm.


    Don¡¯t forget Vilhelm.


    Because first chance she got, she was going to find that young magik and see how he felt about Laila¡¯s imprisonment.


    12 - Homecoming


    ¡°He knows you¡¯re OK, better than OK, actually, so why isn¡¯t he high tailing it back to the city? I thought he was your little gang¡¯s leader?¡±


    He waited for her answer as they passed the sign welcoming them into town. Ryder was P-O¡¯d big time. Not only had he had to sit through breakfast with that chump, Reuben, while he ooohed and aahhed over Jae, the idiot couldn¡¯t take a hint, and had travelled behind them all day, stayed at the same hotel, and had taken a room next to theirs. Ryder flexed his hand on the wheel. That was when things had started to get really irritating. Reuben wasn¡¯t happy that Jae was sharing a room with Ryder, and had gotten even more unhappy when Ryder had politely (well, maybe not politely) told him that Jae was going to be his mate. Jaeden explained the situation, assuring Reuben that this was what she wanted. Hearing her say that had gone a long way to smoothing Ryder¡¯s ruffled fur.


    His calm disposition lasted all of five seconds.


    Reuben had insisted on staying the night in their room so he and Jae could talk and reminisce. Come morning, the vamp had decided he wanted to come back with them to visit the pack. Ryder still didn¡¯t get why.


    ¡°Stop being condescending,¡± Jaeden muttered, her head turned away from him as she gazed out of the passenger window of his truck.


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are. Why are you so jealous? You know, if I wanted to be with Reuben I would have done it back when we were in our ¡®little gang¡¯ together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I just don¡¯t get why the guy is still hanging around. Why he wants to meet your family.¡±


    When he was met with silence he threw her a longer glance before turning his attention back to the road. She was tense as Hades, her entire body stiff, her jaw clenched. Concern -choking, unfamiliar concern - hit him with hard impact.


    ¡°Jaeden, are you OK?¡± This was what Lucien was always going on about with Caia. This overwhelming protectiveness that you knew was irrational, and yet was too powerful to control. Having always known when to stop pushing someone when they didn¡¯t want to talk, it was unpleasant to realize that with Jaeden he no longer had the option of politely backing off. He had to know what was going on with her. His grip tightened on the wheel again.


    ¡°Jae...¡± he warned, his lykan entering his voice.


    She huffed beside him, but the noise immediately relaxed him. That huff usually signified that she was ready to talk.


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous, OK. No, not nervous.¡± She sighed heavily. ¡°Nervous doesn¡¯t cover it. I haven¡¯t seen my family in months and I¡¯m a five minute drive from them. Reuben is hanging around because he knows about the telekinesis; he knows how worried I am about it... all of it.¡±

 Page 21

    That annoying possessiveness surged up inside of him. ¡°Yeah, well I know, too. I get it. But I also know something neither of you seem to grasp. The pack - your family - will accept you, no matter what.¡±


    Jae snorted. ¡°Like they accepted Caia?¡±


    Ryder sighed. It was true that some of the pack was still unsure of the half-lykan, but for the majority she was a welcome addition to their pack.


    ¡°That¡¯s different and you know it. Caia was a near stranger to us, but you¡¯ve always been here.¡± He chuckled. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget you were quite the favorite little brat of your generation.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s not true. I was never a brat.¡±


    Ryder started to slow his truck as he turned down on to Dimitri¡¯s street. He felt, more than heard, Jaeden¡¯s intake of breath.


    He glanced briefly in his rear view mirror, a sneer curling his top lip. ¡°Vamp boy is right behind us. What, is he intending on being there for this family reunion?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes.¡±


    His heart slammed in his chest. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my friend, and I¡¯m sure my parents would like to meet the person who has been there for me these last few months.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Dimitri¡¯s gonna want to tear the face off the vamp that nearly got you thrown into a Daylight detention center for breaking Coven laws.¡±


    They pulled to a stop outside the two story house that belonged to Jaeden and her parents, parking right behind her brother, Christian¡¯s, Volvo. Ryder glanced from the clear view he had of Reuben in his wing mirror, taking a parking space a little further up the street, to Jaeden, who had gone as pale as a white moon.


    ¡°I never thought of that.¡± Her eyes widened in panic. ¡°Oh goddess, what if he kills Reuben?¡±


    ¡°Would that really be so bad?¡±


    That earned him a wince-inducing punch to his upper arm. ¡°Ryder!¡±


    He huffed, unclipping his seat belt. ¡°Fine, if it¡¯s that important to you that the vamp lives I will intervene in the instance of attempted murder.¡±


    ¡°Uh, you will intervene in the instance of attempted assault or I will break the news quite bluntly to my father about our little situation.¡±


    Not many people on this planet had the ability to intimidate or frighten him.


    Dimitri?


    Definitely one of the few.


    Little, ruthless, blackmailing wench.


    He clenched his teeth in irritation. ¡°Fine.¡±


    At her grateful smile, he rolled his eyes, ignoring the little flip his stomach gave when she looked at him like that. Instead he got out of the truck and made his way around to the passenger door, all of his senses alerting him to Reuben¡¯s cautious approach. She made a face at him as he took her hand, believing he was making a point to Reuben, but in truth he just wanted to comfort her.


    He could actually smell the fear oozing from her pores.


    He squeezed her hand and managed to give Reuben a nonchalant nod in greeting.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Reuben rubbed her shoulder affectionately, setting Ryder¡¯s teeth on edge.


    The nod she gave them wasn¡¯t exactly confident but Ryder tugged her forward anyway. She had nothing to worry about. He just wished she¡¯d realize that.


    They hadn¡¯t even stepped up on to the path that led off Dimitri¡¯s driveway to the house, when the front door blasted open, and Julia came running out to throw herself into her daughter¡¯s arms, snapping Ryder¡¯s hand out of hers. He felt an unexpected pain in his chest at the way the fear melted from Jae¡¯s face, replaced by silent tears as her mother held her fast and sobbed in her ear.


    A click sounded in his head as everything fell into its natural place.


    Jaeden was home.


    Her heart was banging loudly against her chest, and she knew that not only could everyone around her hear it, but her mother must feel it slamming against her own as she hugged her close. Jae inhaled Julia¡¯s damp earth and peaches scent that flooded her brain with warm memories.


    It hurt to remember how loved she was.


    How could she have ever thought it was for the best to leave them?


    ¡°Mom,¡± she whimpered, nuzzling her nose into her mother¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Sweetheart, sweetheart,¡± Julia gurgled happily between sobs.


    And then another scent flooded her senses as solid arms came around both her and her mother.


    ¡°Daddy,¡± she gasped, and peered up at him from her crushed position.


    His dark eyes shone down at her from his rugged face as he pulled her close, and that ache in her chest sharpened as she saw how much those eyes and that face had aged since she had gone.


    She had done that to him.


    Julia sidled out from their embrace to allow Dimitri to envelope her, and she held on to his huge frame like a little girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry dad,¡± she whispered, choking on all the emotion inside of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± he promised, brushing her hair back from her face, his eyes drinking in every feature, assessing her to make sure she was all in one piece.


    Finally he tore himself from her to gaze over her head at someone.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ryder.


    She winced at the reminder. She had no idea how her dad was going to react to that little piece of news.


    ¡°No thanks necessary.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s all go inside where your brother, Lucia, and your niece are all waiting for you. Maybe once inside you can explain the vampyre¡­ and that guilty look in Ryder¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Uuuggggh, she groaned inwardly. Her dad had always seen too much.


    Everyone was just staring at her. No questions, no prodding... just... staring.


    It was extremely disconcerting.


    It was good to see her brother and Lucia again. Good to hold Jaela¡¯s warm little body to her own and inhale damp earth and baby lotion. Christian had frowned at her even as he hugged her tight, but Lucia and Jaela had welcomed her home with broad grins and lots of bubbling happiness. She had always gotten along well with her sister-in-law who had been born to a different pack. When she married Christian, Lucia¡¯s sister Cera and her husband Michel had decided to move into Pack Errante with her. Dimitri had requested the inclusion from Lucien, who of course said yes, respecting Dimitri¡¯s judgment and wishes. After losing Michel to a gun-toting mugger, Cera and her children had become a huge part of their family and a protected member of the pack. Julia, Jae, Lucia and Cera were especially close.


    Somehow she had forgotten that.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cera?¡± Jae asked, lowering a now wriggling Jaela to the ground.


    Lucia picked her daughter up and strode over to place her in her playpen. ¡°She wanted to be here, but she has the kids and well...¡±


    ¡°We thought there might be a discussion that wasn¡¯t... well... suitable for young ears,¡± Christian finished, still staring at her with his eyebrows pulled together. She might have known he would be the one to not let any of this go.


    Not that she had been expecting to get off easy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit Cera in the morning.¡±


    Julia smiled softly. ¡°She would like that.¡±


    All of them stood on the opposite side of the room, except for Reuben, who stood close by her shoulder. Ryder wasn¡¯t exactly opposite, but more in the middle, watching her cautiously, worriedly. Never in a million years would she have ever thought he would look at her like that. Heaving a sigh, Jae swung around to gaze at her family, and they all stared back anxiously.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting,¡± her brother snapped.


    ¡°Christian,¡± Julia clucked.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Christian,¡± her dad warned, ¡°Give your sister time.¡±


    Aw jeez. They were waiting for the answers. Why had she run off? Why hadn¡¯t she gotten in contact? Why had she broken Coven law?


    Craning her neck around, she sought Reuben, sought his comfort and his go-ahead that she could explain. After all he was an implicated villain in this story.


    His dark eyes caught onto her blue ones, and for some reason she felt... relaxed, filled with a sudden desire to tell them everything.


    ¡°Dad.¡± She turned back around with her shoulders braced.


    Just say it. It¡¯s no big deal. Ryder is right.


    ¡°Yes, sweetheart?¡±


    The relaxation started to tighten back into anxiety until she felt Reuben¡¯s comforting hand on her shoulder and turned back to look at him. Swimming in his gaze, the mellowness returned, and Jaeden suddenly knew she had to tell them everything. The words began to tumble from her mouth. She didn¡¯t pause once to catch her breath. ¡°I was tortured by Ethan. You know that, and I won¡¯t go into the details because that¡¯s not something you need to hear but whatever happened to me I think part of his powers transferred to my blood because when I got home I was able to move things with my mind and I couldn¡¯t control it and I was scared and I was ashamed so I ran away. I met Reuben who is a rogue vampyre hunter and I joined his gang and helped him but it really helped me deal with a lot of anger and I¡¯ve managed to bring my telekinesis under a kind of control and please don¡¯t blame Reuben for any of this because he has been a very good friend to me.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Jae! Oh pen! Oh pen!¡± Jaela slapped her ineffectual hands against her playpen walls.


    Lucia blushed at her daughter¡¯s bad timing and rushed over to her. ¡°She wants you to open the pen. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Christian sighed, looking back from his mate and child, to his father and then to Jaeden. ¡°Looks like you had a reason to run off, then. A crap reason, but one none the less.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a crap reason.¡± Jae bristled.


    Her brother snarled and made a move towards her. ¡°Do you know what this family has been through?! Do you know what you did to us? Or are you really so selfish you can¡¯t process what these last few months have been like for us, not knowing if you were alive or dead!¡±


    A growl ripped through the room, and before she knew it Ryder had her brother by the shirt front, his teeth bared. ¡°Do you have any idea what she¡¯s been through? No! So back off before I make you.¡± He pushed Christian away with a disgusted snort.

 Page 22

    Jae watched it all unfold in shock, waiting for her father¡¯s reaction. Instead of getting angry, however, Dimitri merely placed a placating hand on Ryder¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Christian doesn¡¯t mean any harm. He¡¯s just been worried sick about his sister.¡±


    ¡°Jaeden¡¯s been through hell. I won¡¯t have her attacked.¡±


    Her dad quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Oh you won¡¯t, will you? And why is that?¡±


    Julia sighed impatiently. ¡°Boys. Arrggh.¡± She turned to her daughter, her eyes bright with love. ¡°I think it¡¯s best someone says the right thing.¡± Her mother strode towards her and gripped her by the arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you felt you had to go through this alone. But you¡¯re not alone. You¡¯re home now and we are going to help you get through this. We love you. Nothing could ever stop us from loving you.¡±


    Jaeden felt that ache in her chest implode, the remnants spreading out into a tidal wave of relief.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she managed.


    Julia nodded, tears glistening in her eyes, and then turned to gaze kindly at Reuben. ¡°Thank you, Reuben, for being there for her when we couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure. You have an extraordinary daughter.¡±


    Jae blushed at the compliment before looking anxiously towards her father.


    ¡°You¡¯re home now, sweetheart. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, daddy.¡±


    ¡°Jae.¡± Christian brushed past Ryder, who still looked ready to pounce on anyone that caused her any harm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he grumbled and then pulled her tight for another hug. ¡°But I swear to Artemis if you ever pull anything like that again I will kick your ass.¡±


    ¡°Like you could.¡±


    He laughed weakly and pushed her playfully away.


    ¡°So,¡± her father¡¯s voice brought all eyes back to him, ¡°Now that¡¯s settled, I want to know what on earth is going on between my daughter and you,¡± his eyes burned into Ryder, who blanched, throwing Jae a helpless look.


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    ¡°Because if it¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking it is, I am not going to be happy.¡± He clamped a hard hand on Ryder¡¯s shoulder and tugged him threateningly close. ¡°Either you¡¯ve done something that¡¯s going to get you killed, or you¡¯re about to do something that¡¯s going to get you killed. I just got her back, Ryder. I¡¯d hate to think you¡¯re thinking what I think you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    Lucia snorted. ¡°Am I the only one confused?¡±


    She was met by a chorus of ¡®no¡¯s¡¯.


    Julia wandered cautiously back to her mate. ¡°Dimitri, would you care to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    His gaze was firmly locked on Ryder, and Jaeden began to worry for his safety. ¡°Dad, maybe you could let go of Ryder.¡±


    ¡°Dimitri, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Dad-¡±


    ¡°Dimitri-¡±


    ¡°Ryder here!¡± her dad yelled, causing Ryder¡¯s eyes to widen and then wince as if waiting for the blow. The only one he felt was the huff of air her father expelled before releasing him completely, sighing heavily and turning to gaze back her.


    He knew.


    How did he always know these things?


    ¡°Ryder here is going to ask our permission to court Jaeden. They think they¡¯re mates.¡±


    Everyone exploded into conversation, except Reuben, who actually appeared to be watching on as if fascinated. That confused Jae, who would have thought that the reminder that she belonged to someone else would piss him off. However, he didn¡¯t look at all bothered. Merely bemused by the ruckus her family were causing. She didn¡¯t have time to ponder how weird that was, because Julia and Lucia were hugging her tightly, exclaiming happily. Her father and brother on the other hand were glaring at Ryder like they wanted to rip his head off. She couldn¡¯t leave him there to stand alone. It wasn¡¯t right.


    Heaving a sigh of her own, she marched across the space to take hold of Ryder¡¯s hand. He nodded gratefully and squeezed tight. ¡°This isn¡¯t going exactly to plan,¡± he murmured, even though they could hear with their super sensitive ears.


    Jae chuckled humorlessly. ¡°Nothing ever does.¡±


    13 - The Proposition


    Strange, how over the last few days she had become something of a favorite at the Center, and with that new found status her loneliness had only intensified.


    One young magik approached Caia on a dare and had been surprised and relieved to find out how friendly she was. From then word had spread that the half-Midnight in their midst wasn¡¯t actually the daemon they¡¯d thought. Gradually others had come forward to talk with her, and now she found herself with a constant cloud of groupies under her feet.


    The silence here was particularly wonderful.


    She sighed, resting her head back against the pew she crouched in front of, hidden behind it and from anyone who decided to enter the altar. Desperate for the possibility to be able to breathe in air that others weren¡¯t sucking out of her immediate vicinity, Caia had remembered Marion telling her about the altars. Maybe she should have paid a visit to Artemis, but she¡¯d found herself entering the quiet marble sanctuary of Gaia instead. This was the goddess who had made her existence possible after all.


    There was no doubt in her mind that in this place of worship Gaia could hear her. But what was there to say? She had only questions that required answers, and being trapped on Mount Olympus kind of cut off Gaia¡¯s vocal chords here on earth. If she wanted something, perhaps then Gaia could see that it was done, but what she wanted even Gaia couldn¡¯t give her.


    Not being able to confide in anyone had brought on a fresh wave of grief over losing Sebastian. If she¡¯d been given the chance to tell Seb she thought Midnights might not be so bad after all... he¡¯d have believed her. No questions asked.


    A flash image of him lying on the truck bed with his stomach torn to pieces, telling her he loved her, burned behind her eyelids and Caia felt her chest tighten around her lungs. She found herself dragging in air just to catch a breath.


    Sebastian.


    She choked on a sob, clapping her hand against her lips to quiet the sound in the peace of the altar. What she wanted was her friend back, the most loyal friend she had ever had, but Gaia couldn¡¯t give her that. And truthfully she didn¡¯t deserve him back. She was failing miserably at whatever it was the prophecy said she was supposed to be doing.


    She¡¯d begun to fail when Sebastian had drawn his last breath.


    Prying her eyes open, Caia slowly lifted her gaze to the marble statue of Gaia that presided over the altar in its center. Her face, though cold to the touch, was lit with a warmth that should have soothed a desperate soul. Instead it only frustrated Caia more. Gaia¡¯s eyes bored into her with a mixture of sympathy and impatience.


    ¡°Tell me what you want from me?¡±


    ¡°You know, there was once a time the goddess Herself would have answered you.¡±


    Caia gasped in fright and looked up from her crouched position to see Vanne gazing down at her.


    ¡°You scared me.¡± She drew in a shuddering breath as she clambered to her feet. Even standing the magik towered above her with almost as much intimidation as Lucien.


    His mouth quirked into a small smile, his eyes soft on her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    A moment of awkward silence ensued.


    Vanne cleared his throat and glanced from her to the marble statue. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disrupt... I like to come in here and gaze at her when things feel...¡±


    ¡°Overwhelming?¡±


    He threw her a self-deprecating smile. ¡°Yes. Overwhelming. She has such a soothing presence for a piece of a marble.¡±


    Caia nodded. ¡°I thought so at first.¡±


    ¡°Caia.¡± He suddenly leaned in close, his strong hand gripping her upper arm intently. She flinched back merely from the change in his demeanor, which was usually so light-hearted, as if he didn¡¯t take any of this seriously. Now he was serious. ¡°I think She would tell you the one simple truth that we all like to pass off as clich¨¦.¡±


    For some reason she found herself leaning closer to him, desperate for any kind of guidance, no matter the source.


    ¡°She would tell you that in the end we only have ourselves, no matter how many friends, allies, or loved ones are in our lives. You have to trust yourself before you can trust anyone else. Trust yourself, Caia. Do what you think is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°And the prophecy?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop looking so far ahead? Stick with the now and see where that takes you.¡±


    Vanne was right. Caia had already decided she needed to find the boy, Vilhelm, so she could determine how he felt about Laila; maybe find an ally in him and get him to help her free Laila. The last few days that resolve had withered under paralyzing self-doubt, but surprisingly, and completely out of nowhere, Vanne had helped her.


    Who saw that coming?


    ¡°Ooh, Caia!¡±


    She turned and pasted a bright smile on her face as she entered the communication hall only to be beset by a couple of her groupies. Desdemona and Ophelia were nineteen year old twins who looked a little like her. They were both small in stature with long blonde hair and green eyes, and had decided that this made them all like sisters.


    Eek.


    Caia wanted to grimace at their puppy dog enthusiasm but managed to control the urge. The girls were Caia¡¯s complete opposite, bubbly, outgoing, perhaps a little annoying¡­ but they were sweet. And they actually thought they had something to learn from Caia, which was just so...


    ¡°Ooh, Caia!¡± Desi repeated, rushing at her and throwing her arms around her, causing all of her classmates to stop and stare. Once Caia was free from her, Ophelia entrapped her in one of her own girlish hugs.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve to come to one of our classes!¡±


    It was true she had spent all of her time in the advanced classes, such as natural materialization and water element lectures, but after spending the last day and a half strolling through them all, trying not to make it obvious she was looking for someone, she still hadn¡¯t found Vilhelm. It was then it had occurred to her at lunch yesterday, when Ophelia had bemoaned her and her sister¡¯s loser-like place in the Center¡¯s posse system, Caia had only been in the beginners and intermediate classes for communication spells. Apparently at the Center there was an advanced communication spell class and an advanced specialist communication spell class. Desi and Ophelia were advanced specialists, meaning that neither of them had shown much aptitude in natural materialization or glamour. They were extremely adept at utilizing their element, which for them was air, and excellent at communication spells. They were what the Center called Travellers. While most magiks used the communication spell to journey quickly between places they were familiar with in order to relay information, Travellers could journey anywhere for long periods of time whether they had been there before or not. Caia thought it was pretty damn neat, but other magiks were kind of snobby. Because they couldn¡¯t really do much of anything else they were, well, outcasts.

 Page 23

    Hence why they were so eager to please Caia.


    Caia shrugged, smiling. ¡°You know I¡¯m in awe of you people.¡± She swept her arm around the room, trying not to be embarrassed that she was the center of attention. She really should be used to it by now. ¡°I just wanted to stop by, thought you could introduce me to your class?¡±


    In truth, I just wanted to stop by and see if there was a tall, cute Scandinavian kid hanging around.


    Desi laughed excitedly. ¡°Uh ye-uh!¡±


    With that she found herself doing the uncomfortable task of pretending to be the most sociable person on the planet. But while investigating, it suddenly occurred to her that dropping by had its added upside.


    Allies.


    The whispering that met her sensitive ears told her she had just become the coolest kid on the block for these guys. No other VIP magik had ever taken an interest in them before. That she had, for some reason gave them hope that maybe things could change around the Center. Maybe people would open their minds and stop clinging to traditional thought.


    I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    Moving on to another group of magiks, Caia began to feel... good?


    Yeah, good.


    She almost laughed out loud at the thought. These guys were exactly the kind of people she needed on her side: non-traditionalists who were prepared to welcome a new outlook.


    OK, so maybe they were only referring to the inner workings of the Daylight Coven, but if they weren¡¯t completely satisfied with how things were running at present, then who knew... maybe they would be the first to believe the war with the Midnights was based on misinformation and misunderstanding. She smiled brightly, genuinely, as she talked with the Travellers, a small weight lifting from her shoulders.


    She could do this.


    She had to believe she could do this.


    ¡°And, Caia, this is Vil.¡± Ophelia turned her around to face a tall magik. ¡°He¡¯s my secret crush,¡± she giggly whispered in her ear.


    Her heart began to pound immediately as she took in the sight of the Scandinavian. His ice blues eyes were nothing like their color; instead they were soft and shy, as was his smile as he reached out a nervous hand to shake hers.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± He shrugged uncomfortably and quickly pulled back from her clasped hand.


    ¡°Vil?¡± Caia breathed. ¡°Is that short for Vilhelm?¡±


    He nodded, blushing as Ophelia sidled up to him to squeeze his arm affectionately. ¡°Vilhelm is the best Traveller here. We can all go places we¡¯ve never been before, but we can¡¯t track a person or anything using the communication spell. Vil can.¡± Her eyes glittered with awe.


    Caia¡¯s mouth fell open a little as her eyes washed over him. ¡°Like trace?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± he was quick to refute, his eyes wandering around nervously, ¡°I can¡¯t feel a person¡¯s thoughts or energy¡­ but if you tell me to go to someone in particular, I get the impression of them from you and I can travel to wherever they are.¡±


    Was that right? Caia mused. Well that might just come in handy. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    ¡°I told you he was, like, totally cool.¡±


    A queasy, icy feeling suddenly enveloped her as Desi and her sister chattered away, and her brain and all her senses were battered by new information from Nikolai. Jeez! She sucked in a huge gulp of air. She fought to catch her breath. This was good news, she shook her head, good news. Or was it? It kind of meant her time at the Center was up.


    Her eyes snapped up to Vilhelm and the girls, who were staring at her wide-eyed.


    ¡°Caia, are you OK?¡± Desi whispered.


    She managed to nod, throwing them a tremulous smile. ¡°Just tired. It was nice meeting you, Vilhelm. Girls, it was nice to see you again, but I¡¯m going to go lie down for a while.¡±


    ¡°Do you need anything-?¡±


    ¡°Can I get you-?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She raised her hands in supplication. ¡°Please. No. I¡¯m just... gonna... go.¡±


    Outside of the communication hall, Caia strode determinedly to the telecom system mounted on the wall next to the elevator.


    ¡°Center Reception, Chloe speaking.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, it¡¯s Caia Ribeiro. I need to speak with Marita immediately.¡±


    ¡°One second, please.¡±


    This gave her very little time to rescue Laila. OK, she had to think fast, think fast, think fast, think fast, think fast....


    ¡°Miss Ribeiro, Marita will see you. If you please make your way to the Reception someone will be there to escort you up.¡±


    That someone was Marion.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked immediately, her pixie face creased in concern.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain once we get there.¡±


    ¡°Lucien and Anders were with me when Marita called to say you had news. Lucien is already up there waiting. I didn¡¯t know what it was about so I didn¡¯t see the point of letting Anders in on it.¡±


    ¡°This affects Anders.¡±


    ¡°The MacLachlans then?¡±


    ¡°The MacLachlans.¡±


    Marita and Vanne were standing around the dining table in their suite, Lucien standing off to the side, his dark face brooding and troubled. Caia had only seen him during training sessions for the defense of the MacLachlans and had skillfully avoided talking to him. Not that it mattered since Rose was constantly attached to his side. In fact, this was the first time she had seen him alone since Rose¡¯s arrival.


    Avoiding his eyes, she strode resolutely to stand at the head of the table, Marion¡¯s soothing presence right beside her.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± Marita frowned impatiently.


    ¡°The attack is off.¡±


    A shocked silence resonated around the room.


    ¡°How?¡± Lucien asked, bewildered.


    ¡°Nikolai must have become aware of Du Bois¡¯ plan. He¡¯s rounded up Du Bois¡¯ rebels and given them immunity in exchange for their evidence against Du Bois. Du Bois is now in prison and the attack has been stopped.¡±


    Marita moved forward, her lips pinched together in anger and confusion. ¡°And you can¡¯t feel any plans from any other Midnight for the go ahead on the MacLachlans?¡±


    Caia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching, but there is nothing. The attack is definitely not going forward.¡±


    Lucien shrugged now. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news.¡±


    Marion seemed to agree. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Caia and I will return to the pack tomorrow.¡± Lucien strode towards her, and at his declaration she couldn¡¯t stop herself from raising her eyes. They clashed with his. He seemed tired, angry, frustrated, and concerned all at the same time. Surprised at his words, she could only stand gaping at him with her jaw slightly dropped. She thought he¡¯d want to stay for Rose. His impatient bristling, however, told her that Lucien was clearly missing the pack and ready to get back to them as soon as he could.


    The problem was that no matter how much she might want to go back with him, she had a little prison break she needed to orchestrate, and leaving before that wasn¡¯t really part of the plan.


    ¡°Leave?¡± Marita snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Lucien felt his hands curl involuntarily into fists at her tone.


    ¡°We came here to do what were asked to do... now we¡¯re leaving,¡± he said between clenched teeth, watching in annoyance as the Head sauntered past him with barely a glance and came to a stop before Caia. Her usually frozen face had softened in a way he hadn¡¯t seen before, as her eyes washed over his mate imploringly.


    ¡°Caia, you can¡¯t leave yet without considering a proposition I have for you.¡±


    ¡°Proposition?¡± This was asked by himself, as well as Marion and Caia.


    The witch nodded, never taking that sharp gaze from Caia. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to mention it until after the defense of the MacLachlans, but since that¡¯s not happening... Anyway I wished to sit down and discuss the possibility of you staying at the Center.¡±


    Caia narrowed her eyes. ¡°For what?¡±


    Relief washed over Lucien. It was good she was just as suspicious and unsure of the magik as he was. He didn¡¯t want her rushing into anything that might say... take her away from the pack. And these days who knew what was going on in her head. He hadn¡¯t been able to get a hold of her for one second to discuss, well anything. Caia was constantly bombarded by magiks, lykans and vampyres alike, all eager to befriend her. Not to mention the fact that she had been avoiding him. Something more than just the Rose situation was plaguing Caia and the fact that she wouldn¡¯t talk to him, confide in him, trust him¡­ killed him. That she might be running to her precious pretty boy, Mordecai, with all her troubles made him want to go for the jugular, but he was holding back until he had hard evidence that his mate was really slipping from his grasp.


    ¡°I would prefer if we discussed this is in private.¡±


    ¡°Surely we can all be trusted here.¡±


    The witch pinched her lips but didn¡¯t dispute it. Instead she sighed and nodded. ¡°Very well. I want you to stay and help me train an elite force of lykans I¡¯m working with.¡±


    Lucien felt his gut twist.


    ¡°Elite force?¡± Caia raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°An elite force. I won¡¯t go into specifics until you agree to aid me.¡±


    ¡°How can I agree to help if I don¡¯t know the specifics?¡±


    Lucien felt himself growling. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°The special training these lykans will undertake is highly classified. All Caia needs to know is that I think she has the abilities needed to not only train them, but to lead them into battle.¡±


    Red washed over his eyes. ¡°No way!¡± he ripped out, his chest heaving with anger at the mere suggestion. For the first time in what felt like forever Caia¡¯s soft touch wrapped around his wrist, squeezing it reassuringly, asking him silently to calm down.


    Vanne had taken up beside Marita, glaring at him. Marita herself was not impressed. ¡°May I remind you to whom you are talking, Mr. L¨ªder, and that this decision will be Caia¡¯s alone. You are not her mate in actuality after all.¡±

 Page 24

    ¡°You want me to head up an elite combat force?¡±


    No, no, no, no, no, no! His mind screamed and he knew Marita must be feeling everything he was. He couldn¡¯t seem to block or conceal his panic at the thought.


    Marita nodded. ¡°You would be instrumental in bringing this war to a close.¡±


    ¡°I have to think about this.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t heard her right, right?


    Wrong.


    ¡°WHAT!¡± he blew up.


    She gazed up at him, her eyes wide but her shoulders set. He was shuddering with the need to change, to either run as fast as his wolf legs could take him, or turn around and rip apart anyone who dared to take her from him.


    ¡°Lucien, calm down,¡± she pleaded quietly. ¡°This is my decision.¡±


    His wolf rumbled through his clenched teeth, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would even consider it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can take a few days. Stay a few days more, think about it. Both of you.¡± Marita nodded at him, her eyes demanding that he fall in line.


    Fall in line my ass!


    Caia seemed to brighten at the suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    His gut suddenly flipped with a nervous, sick feeling at that smile. He realized the truth; the truth he hadn¡¯t wanted to face. Caia liked it at the Center because she was useful here, worthy, important. She was probably one of the most powerful beings in the Daylight Coven. Did he really think the pack would be enough for her?


    Shutting her out in anguish, Lucien turned and marched out of the room, and away from Caia and her master puppeteers.


    14 - Cryptic Much?


    The three trees directly in front of Jaeden were severely injured, their middles pierced with knives, thick branches and her own little axe. She stood satisfied, her hands braced on her hips, looking over her handiwork. Then her eyes drifted downwards and swept her surroundings.


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    ¡°You know, when I let Caia practice out here she had the luxury of being able to clean it up in seconds.¡±


    Jaeden turned towards the speaker to find Ella leaning against her back porch, her eyes drinking in the mess Jae had made with her telekinesis.


    She threw her a sheepish look. ¡°Caia will be home soon right? She can fix it?¡±


    Ella sighed but gave her a smile so she knew she wasn¡¯t really that upset. ¡°Yeah, she can fix it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me practice out here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, hon.¡± She was suddenly distracted by the stabbed trees at the edge of the yard. ¡°Wow, you did that?¡±


    Nervously, Jae followed her direction and walked towards the trees, pulling each implement out one by one. When she got to her axe, she placed the small weapon into the belt on her dark jeans. She spun back around, knowing she would find Ella right behind her. Holding out a bucket, she gestured for Jae to dump the knives into it for now. Her eyes drifted down to the axe snuggled against her hip.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly grown up since...¡± her voice trailed off at the sensitive subject she had almost broached.


    Jae grunted and brushed passed her towards Lucien¡¯s house. It was nearly five and Ryder was supposed to be picking her up.


    ¡°Jaeden.¡±


    Sighing, she reluctantly turned around, waiting for the admonition that had yet to come from anyone in the pack, and yet she knew was bound to soon. Ella, however, merely strolled slowly towards her, her eyes warm with a motherly affection. She brushed her hand down Jaeden¡¯s face lovingly and smiled into her eyes. ¡°I can only imagine how proud your mother is of you. I know because I am so proud of you. You¡¯ve taken all the horrors you¡¯ve been through and become fierce, strong, someone to be reckoned with. I think... that you are very brave.¡±


    Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry.


    Jaeden laughed at herself, her throat closing with emotion as she turned away and forced her tears back inside. ¡°I¡¯m not brave. I¡¯m scared all the freaking time.¡±


    Silence fell between them.


    Ella sighed. ¡°When Lucien was a boy - after everything that happened with Rafe and Griffin - he was so confused and scared. He knew something was terribly wrong. Anyway, for a while he used to check the house over before he went to bed - every closet, every nook, every window, every door. And then he¡¯d get angry because he thought he was being a coward. Albus took him aside one day and told him that courage was not the absence of fear, but the ability to walk into unknown territory despite it.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mandela say that?¡±


    Ella pursed her lips at the interruption. ¡°An abridged version, but that¡¯s not the point. The point is Lucien checked over the house each night, prepared to take on whatever bad thing he thought was waiting for him even though he was scared. That was what made him brave. And you¡¯re the same, Jaeden. You of all people have every reason to want to curl up and hide under your bed... but you don¡¯t. You get up and you ready yourself for whatever might come your way. As I said... you are very, very brave.¡±


    ¡°Or just crazy.¡±


    Ella laughed and chucked her under the chin. ¡°Or just crazy. Anyway, is that a car I hear?¡±


    Jae heard the gravel spinning under a wheel from the front of the house and her heart picked up speed. She grinned and nodded. ¡°Ryder.¡±


    Ella grinned back at her. ¡°It¡¯s a good match. And when you mate we really will be family. Have you seen Irini and Aidan yet?¡±


    Jae smiled at the memory. She had caught up with Ryder¡¯s brother and his mate the day before. The entire encounter had consisted of Aidan ribbing Ryder for falling prey to the mating when all along he¡¯d bragged about his bachelor lifestyle. The meeting with Yvana, however, hadn¡¯t gone too smoothly. Apparently the relationship between sons and mother was not nearly as good as everyone had believed. It seemed Ryder and Aidan had taken more of Lucien¡¯s side over the whole Caia thing than anyone realized. Thus, the dinner Yvana had hosted was stilted and cold. She was no longer the woman she had once been, and what little had been left of that woman had disappeared when Caia had arrived, bringing with her the remembrance of what had happened to Yvana¡¯s mate.


    Throwing another quick thank you Ella¡¯s way, Jae jogged around the house to the driveway where Ryder was parked, listening to Nirvana. She shook her head smiling; from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Nirvana, and Top Gun to The Godfather, he really was a mass of amusing contradictions. Unsurprisingly, when she jumped into the truck, Ryder pulled her over to the driver¡¯s side for a long, breath stealing kiss. She should be used to his casual public affection by now, but every time he touched her she still had to shake herself to remind her that, yeah, he was really kissing her.


    ¡°How was practice?¡± He grinned, as they drove away from the house.


    ¡°Good. My aim is getting better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Guess who I bumped into at the diner today.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... a member of Pack Errante?¡±


    ¡°Well take the fun out of it, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    She smiled teasingly. ¡°Sorry. Who did you bump into today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like telling you now.¡±


    Feeling playful, as he somehow always managed to make her feel, Jae reached out and slid her hand slowly up his thigh. ¡°Please tell me.¡±


    He jumped at her touch and was now throwing her a beseeching look. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you remove your hand from my person.¡±


    Grinning devilishly, her hand moved closer to the spot that would make him sweat and suddenly the truck swerved on the road. ¡°Jaeden!¡±


    She laughed and pulled her hand back. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    He huffed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you are.¡±


    ¡°Goddess, Ryder, you should be trussed up in a white chemise and a padlock covering your virtue for all the fuss you¡¯re making.¡±


    He spluttered in indignation, which only made her laugh harder. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be honorable here.¡± He gesticulated wildly. ¡°Having your hands roaming freely over my particulars sort of makes the task Herculean!¡±


    A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his forehead and abruptly she felt bad. ¡°Sorry. I mean it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Somewhat mollified, he nodded and turned back to the road, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead. ¡°So, do you want to know who I was speaking with?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± She was determined to be good now.


    ¡°Alexa.¡±


    ¡°Oh. How is she?¡±


    ¡°Working for my mother while she goes to community college...¡±


    ¡°And?¡± If she knew Alexa, there was definitely an ¡®and¡¯.


    He coughed, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden. ¡°And... a little pissed off.¡±


    Jaeden grimaced. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Me. You. Mating.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Jae growled. ¡°Alexa was after Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Apparently I forgot to mention that she was a little... interested in me... when you left.¡±


    An inexplicable jealousy ripped through her. ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡±


    ¡°What, are you nuts?!¡±


    No! Alexa was the most predatory lykan out there, it would not have surprised in her in the least. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Alexa is attractive and easy. A lethal combination.¡±


    Ryder actually looked angry at the insinuation. ¡°You know I don¡¯t mess around with our pack women. The reason I told you is because I wanted to give you a heads up in case you see her. She¡¯s pissed and she¡¯s always been vindictive when she¡¯s pissed off.¡±


    ¡°Oh really, I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    ¡°What are you so mad about?¡±


    ¡°You! You didn¡¯t tell me to give me ¡®a head¡¯s up¡¯. You told me to make me jealous.¡±


    He snorted, his mouth twisted with as much sarcasm as his tone. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Why would I want to make you jealous? Look how much fun it is.¡±


    Jaeden wasn¡¯t stupid. This was deliberate. And she knew why. ¡°Reuben. You¡¯re jealous of Reuben, and you want to inflict a little of that on me. Well, job accomplished.¡±

 Page 25

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Although, since you brought the subject up, what the hell is the bloodsucker still doing in town?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s staying in a motel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in town. And he¡¯s constantly hanging out. When we get to your place, he¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡±


    ¡°Humph.¡±


    A tense silence fell between them, the cab of the truck thick with strained animosity and extreme sexual tension.


    ¡°We need to get this mating ceremony over and done with,¡± he growled.


    ¡°Why?¡± Jae asked derisively. ¡°Because we¡¯re so good together.¡±


    ¡°Because I have a feeling we¡¯ll be arguing a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great reason for mating!¡±


    ¡°And if we¡¯re going to be arguing a lot, that tension has to go somewhere.¡±


    Immediately his meaning dawned on her, and she turned, blushing, to meet his gaze. His eyes burned as they washed over her. ¡°I swear to Artemis, Lucien is dead if he doesn¡¯t get back here soon to authorize this ceremony.¡±


    Feeling shy, Jaeden mumbled, ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait.¡±


    Ryder heard her anyway. ¡°You know we do.¡±


    ¡°I told you it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    ¡°Well it matters to me.¡±


    Her gaze lifted and drifted over his strong forearms and the large hands that gripped the steering wheel. She felt the tension in the truck thicken and her face heated. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t spend too much time together until then.¡±


    ¡°Uh, you think.¡±


    Despite their semi-resolved decision to not be around one another, Ryder found himself following Jae into the house when they arrived at Dimitri¡¯s. The fact that Reuben¡¯s car was there had nothing to do with it, whatsoever. He shrugged off the annoyance he always felt when the vamp was around, and greeted everyone with an impression of his old laid-back self. Ha, he inwardly snorted, he wondered if he would ever be that guy again.


    Sure enough he found Reuben in the kitchen with Julia, helping her, it seemed, with a recipe.


    ¡°I would never have thought of doing that,¡± Julia was exclaiming happily as she read over a piece of paper. ¡°However did you come by this recipe?¡±


    Reuben shrugged. ¡°I was friends with a very good chef once.¡±


    ¡°How many years ago was that?¡± Ryder couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Julia and Reuben turned, and Jae¡¯s mother smiled happily at him. ¡°I knew I heard you come in.¡± She sauntered over to him and patted a floury hand to his cheek, before leaving the kitchen to see to her daughter. He winced at the sound of major hugging in the sitting room. Poor Jae. Ever since she got back she only ever got peace when she went to Ella¡¯s to practice. Everyone wanted to see her and check on her, and she never had any alone time in the family house. He understood her family¡¯s anxiety, but she must be going crazy. Nothing to be said though, he reminded himself. He had to stay on Dimitri¡¯s good side or he might not give his blessing for the mating.


    ¡°How was practice?¡± Reuben asked quietly, in his sober way. Ryder disliked the way his eyes darted past his shoulder, obviously looking for Jae.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°I better say hi.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a minute outside?¡± Ryder gestured to the back door.


    This was a conversation long coming.


    He knew the vamp understood why he insisted on some privacy, his dark eyes glittering with anticipation.


    Once outside, Ryder cut to the chase. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    Reuben laughed. ¡°You know I actually like your forthrightness, lykan. It makes your unnecessary jealousy a little less tedious.¡±


    ¡°Unnecessary. You sure? Why. Are. You. Still. Here?¡±


    The vampyre shrugged and moved further into the darkening back yard, his face tilted up towards the sky. ¡°For Jaeden. I want to make sure she¡¯s OK before I leave.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s got me.¡±


    Reuben chuckled. ¡°As if you¡¯re enough against what¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡±


    The vamp seemed to remember himself, and he shook his head, a smile of apology on his lips. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t nothing. What the hell is coming?¡±


    Holding his hands up in surrender, Reuben approached Ryder slowly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything you don¡¯t already know. I know about Caia that¡¯s all. Jaeden told me everything. I can keep a secret. But we all know that Caia¡¯s presence in this war is only the beginning of the end of a very old story. The penultimate episode is encroaching, and the action in that is always as bloody for the minor characters as it is for the major ones in the finale. Who knows how bad it will get. Jae - all of you - will need all the friends you can get.¡±


    The vampyre brushed past Ryder and into the house, leaving him feeling incredibly unsettled. That guy was so weird.


    Sighing in frustration, Ryder turned and followed him back into the house. Immediately he went on alert at the silence that greeted him, and raced towards the sitting room to find Jae. She was there, safe and sound with her family and Reuben, but everyone was gazing towards the doorway on the other side of the room, where a familiar being leaned against the doorframe.


    Saffron.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded, striding into the room to stand by Jae.


    Saffron¡¯s mouth immediately twisted into a moue when she saw him. ¡°Ryder.¡± She heaved a sigh. ¡°I should have guessed you would be here. Always sticking your nose in.¡±


    He ignored that, knowing her propensity for arguing childishly rather than getting to the point. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    She seemed surprised by his complete disregard of her attempt to rile him but straightened and gazed at Dimitri. ¡°I¡¯m here to kill two birds with one stone. Lucien wanted to convey a message to the pack, and find out if Jaeden was returned safely home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jaeden.¡± She wiggled her fingers at the faerie.


    Saffron rolled her eyes at her. ¡°I¡¯m aware. I killed the spy that was pretending to be you.¡±


    He bristled at her blas¨¦ tone and the way the blood drained from Jaeden¡¯s face. He growled in annoyance, as did Dimitri.


    The faerie raised a delicate eyebrow. ¡°Was that insensitive?¡±


    ¡°Just a little,¡± Julia sniffed.


    Saffron snorted. ¡°Sorry. Old habits and all that. Anyhoo, she¡¯s safe and sound and hunky dory. I¡¯ll tell Lucien. And Lucien wants you to know that the attack against the MacLachlans has been stopped by the Regent of the Midnight Coven. However, he and Caia will be remaining at the Center for a few days more as Caia considers a position Marita has offered her.¡±


    Position? Ryder shook his head in confusion. What the hell kind of position would Caia possibly consider taking after she had promised Lucien she was staying with the pack? That didn¡¯t sound right.


    Something was up.


    ¡°Position?¡± Reuben asked quietly. Ryder frowned, wondering why the vampyre wanted to know.


    Saffron blinked and Ryder was sure he saw a flash of familiarity flit across her eyes as she gazed at Reuben. When he stared harder, however, all he found was the polite mask frozen on her face whenever she was talking to a stranger¡­ hell, when she was talking to anybody.


    ¡°What position?¡± The vamp repeated.


    Ryder was surprised that the faerie didn¡¯t take offence at Reuben¡¯s authoritative tone. Instead Saffron shrugged. ¡°Leader of some elite force of lykans, apparently.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ryder snapped. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised anything makes sense to you, what with your brain being the size of a peanut.¡±


    Jae growled and stepped towards the faerie. ¡°Watch it, Tinkerbell.¡±


    He smiled smugly at her protectiveness and the look of astonishment on the faerie¡¯s face.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thanks I get for unmasking the bitch that was pretending to be you?¡± She sulked and looked back at him. ¡°Well, the little ones will be double the morons when you two mate.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Julia took offence.


    Saffron shrugged. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve outstayed my welcome then.¡± And just like that she disappeared before their eyes.


    ¡°What a snotty-¡±


    ¡°Pain-¡±


    ¡°In the ass,¡± Dimitri finished.


    He rushed from the bathroom at the sound of his cell ringing and snatched it up, his heart faltering at the caller ID. What had happened now?


    ¡°Nikolai. Problem?¡±


    The Russian sighed down the other end of the phone. ¡°Why do you think so? You¡¯re always looking at the bad in everything, Kirios.¡±


    ¡°Something has happened.¡±


    ¡°Da. It¡¯s that insect Du Bois.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d handled that.¡±


    ¡°So did I. He¡¯s more powerful than I thought, and his hand reaches further than I thought also.¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine at this moment he is on his way to attack the MacLachlans.¡±


    ¡°Then Caia knows. She¡¯ll be preparing for war.¡±


    ¡°Da.¡±


    His heart thudded at the thought of what that could do to their plans. ¡°Do you not realize how disastrous this is, Nikolai?¡±


    The magik cleared his throat. ¡°Actually, I was thinking we have been looking at this all the wrong way. This attack, this defense... is it not the perfect opportunity to test Caia? To see just exactly what it is she is capable of?¡±


    ¡°If we start thinking that way, we will be just like them. That is not what we want for the future, Nikolai.¡±


    ¡°I know. But to win this war we must know exactly what our weaponry and the enemy¡¯s weaponry is capable of.¡±


    He squeezed his eyes closed, feeling a metaphorical headache coming on.


    ¡°Very well. Send in a spy.¡±


    15 - Breaking Out


    A trickle of sweat slid down her back, hidden from the view of the others around her. Thankfully, they were all aware she had rushed to this meeting and she hoped that the lykans who could smell the sweat would mistake the cause of it. Caia held her breath as her gaze swept Marita and Vanne¡¯s sitting room, battle plan central as it was now. She coached herself to remain outwardly calm, to keep her eyes from widening, her chest from heaving. Instead her face was a frozen mask. She could tell because all of them ¨C Marita, Vanne, Marion, Lucien, Rose, Mordecai, Anders, Michael and Phoebe ¨C were staring back at her in frustrated confusion, wondering why they had been called, probably guessing, but still annoyed by her silence. She was silent because she was preparing her voice to come out steady, not high and squeaky like she felt inside.

 Page 26

    Finally, she drew a breath and announced, ¡°Pierre Du Bois has escaped imprisonment. Petrovksy has no clue as to his whereabouts, but I¡¯ve picked him up with a few of his rebels that have remained faithful. The attack against the MacLachlans is going ahead. Which means the attack is tomorrow evening in Remnant Forest.¡±


    There were a number of growls, hissing and expletives as they received confirmation of the news that had been clear the moment they had been called together. To them this would be the reason for Caia¡¯s frozen anxiety, to the lykans, the reason they could smell the sweat that trickled under her shirt, to the vampyre, the reason he could detect the quickening of the pulse in her neck with his razor-sharp eyes.


    They would be wrong.


    Suddenly the double doors to Marita¡¯s suite banged open, and in hurried a worried looking magik. At the same moment a feeling of triumph mixed with fear rushed through Caia when the trace she was holding on to disappeared from the Center.


    The magik¡¯s eyes swung wildly until they found Marita, who rounded the table with a look of outrage pasted on her face.


    ¡°How dare you barge in here uninvited?¡± she exclaimed, glancing behind the magik to find Noble pale and beseeching. ¡°How did she get in here?¡±


    He blanched and gestured to her. ¡°This is Blair, the warden at the containment center. She said it was an emergency.¡±


    Marita whipped back towards her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Blair gulped, smoothing her hair back into its severe bun with shaking hands. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m afraid it has come to my attention that the prisoner has escaped.¡±


    Marita snapped back as if she had been slapped. ¡°Prisoner? You mean the girl? The Midnight?¡±


    Blair nodded frantically.


    ¡°Have you searched the entire Center?¡±


    ¡°All of it Madam. There is no sign of her.¡±


    Marita shook her head in disgust and then closed her eyes. ¡°Caia?¡±


    Her heart sped up and she willed it to slow so that the lykans present would not hear it. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can you feel the girl?¡±


    She pretended to take a moment, and then shook her head gravely. ¡°No. She¡¯s not at the Center.¡±


    ¡°Well, where is she?¡±


    OK, Cy, time to draw on your best acting skills. Channel Meryl Streep. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I-I can¡¯t feel her,¡± she said, pretending to be panicked by the thought.


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t feel her? You told me you could find anyone in the trace?¡±


    She pushed a few tears into the corner of her eyes, brushing her hair off her face, making her hands tremble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Marita threw up her hands in exasperation. Then she took a calming breath, turning back into the ice queen as she menacingly glanced at Blair, her voice low and terrifying. ¡°How on Gaia¡¯s green earth did this happen?¡±


    48 hours earlier


    Avoiding Lucien was proving easy. Avoiding everyone else?


    Not so much.


    It was easy with Lucien because he was really, kind of, completely, insanely angry at her right now, and he had a reason to be because she had promised she would stay with the pack rather than fight at the Center. On the other hand, if he wasn¡¯t being such an idiot he would realize that she would never go back on her word and know that something was up. At the moment, his misunderstanding was working more in her favor than if he was questioning her motives. She needed him well and truly out of this.


    This being...


    Her, trying to build up the courage to confront Vilhelm. The idea of encouraging someone to break a Midnight out of prison and out of the Center was insane.


    I mean maybe I¡¯ve got Marita all wrong. Maybe it¡¯s me with my stupid trace. Maybe being a half-Midnight means my trace is broken. Maybe I¡¯m the delusional one and should seek a mental health professional immediately.


    The truth was that she didn¡¯t want to believe that all these people she trusted were wrong and she, little ol¡¯ her, was right. What about Marion and Magnus?


    What about Albus?


    What about her father?


    Were they wrong? Did they give their lives to a lie?


    Goddess it was too awful to conceive.


    And then she let herself feel Laila¡¯s trace and her gut twisted.


    Could her trace really be so off that she would feel this sweetness from a girl who was evil? Was there ever really just good and evil?


    Ethan had certainly been evil.


    But was that like condemning Austrians because Hitler was a soulless fiend?


    My head hurts.


    She flopped back on her bed, gazing up at the heavy silk canopy above her, wishing she were anywhere but where she was.


    ¡°You have to make up your mind, Cy. Time is seriously running out,¡± she snapped at herself. At this moment she was supposed to be at a water lecture. That¡¯s what she had told Mordecai, anyway. When he realized she wasn¡¯t there he¡¯d be after her. She was surprised, in fact, that there wasn¡¯t a gaggle of bodies outside her room, but she guessed the ordinary ¡®candidates¡¯ couldn¡¯t get to her floor.


    Muffled voices suddenly floated through her walls from the hallway and she moved quickly and quietly to press her ear against her door. Sure enough, she could hear voices coming from the elevator which was at least fifteen meters around the corner and down the hall.


    She recognized them. Mordecai and Marita.


    Artemis, she loved her lykan hearing.


    Grinning jubilantly, she pressed harder and felt her heart pick up speed at the conversation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this plant of yours is going to pick up, Mordecai. From all accounts she has had no one in her room.¡±


    ¡°The lykan. Lucien. Surely she¡¯ll have him into the room. We should learn something from that conversation.¡±


    ¡°And this plant? You¡¯re sure it will go undetected by her?¡±


    ¡°Well, you could put a faerie in there if you aren¡¯t confident in me.¡±


    ¡°One: stop being impertinent. Two: you know why I can¡¯t put a faerie into her room. It¡¯s that bloody faerie of my sister¡¯s, Saffron. She¡¯s too influential among the faeries here and she happens to hold Caia in the deepest of respect, which is saying a lot for the sarcastic relic.¡±


    ¡°This will work, I promise.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you personally can¡¯t learn anything more from her?¡±


    ¡°I told you, Marita, I got all the info I could on her special ability. I tested that tree she blew up and still nothing of any consequence. We won¡¯t know for certain until we see it in action. But I maintain that I believe her when she says she has it under control.¡±


    ¡°And Jaeden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to get anything more out of her on that subject. Hence the plant.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s even aware of Jaeden¡¯s... abilities?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we¡¯ll find out.¡±


    ¡°You better. We need that information if we want to be successful. So far the children are not reacting in any way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, this bug should tell us what we need to know.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then we find another way to get the information we need. Perhaps a more direct solution, such as the one I suggested earlier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too risky. I told you it¡¯s a last resort... impertinent... ¡±


    Shock reverberated through Caia¡¯s body as if she had just hit deep impact. She pulled back from the door, staring at it in disbelief. Mordecai was working for Marita, trying to unearth secrets from her. What did they want with her? With Jaeden? What abilities? What children?


    Oh goddess, she cupped a hand over her mouth to silence her snarl of frustration. Something seriously weird was going on here and her spider senses were telling her it was something bad.


    Enough was enough.


    She straightened and glared at the doorway.


    No more second guessing herself. No more doubt. She had been right all along. Something wasn¡¯t right at the Coven, and there were innocent people feeling the consequences, including herself and more importantly Laila. She was getting the girl out today if she had to.


    Mordecai and Marita¡¯s footsteps grew closer and she began to panic. They couldn¡¯t barge in here because that would be suspicious of them, and she had to maintain the cover that she trusted Mordecai completely. She began to sing loudly, making them aware of her presence. There was silence for a moment and then a soft tap on her door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    All alone, Mordecai strolled in, a breezy smile on his face. ¡°Hey, I wondered where you had gotten too. You weren¡¯t in the lecture.¡±


    Caia shrugged, holding her claws in tight so she wouldn¡¯t attack the traitor right where he stood. ¡°I just wanted to catch a breath before I head down to see Desi and Ophelia.¡±


    He looked momentarily bewildered, and then he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just like you, Caia, to take people like Travellers under your wing. ¡±


    You smug son of a bitch.


    She smiled tightly.


    He strolled around the room making small talk with her, and if she hadn¡¯t been looking for it specifically, she would never have noticed the ultra-subtle move he made, dropping something tiny and weightless into a vase by the fireplace.


    So now her room was bugged.


    His eyes creased in concern. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re OK?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Honest. Just taking some time.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± He grinned and headed towards the door. ¡°Just checking up. Come get me if you need me.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°Oh and Caia... have you thought anymore about Marita¡¯s offer? I think you should really consider it.¡±


    I bet you do.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely giving it serious thought. Wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise. You know, there¡¯s just so much more to learn here.¡±


    Like just how sneaky and conniving the Head of the Coven is.


    He smiled again and left.


    Jeez, that magik was a great actor. She had had no idea he was a scummy little toad working for his mistress. She withheld from snorting in disgust in case the bug picked it up and instead headed for the door.

 Page 27

    She had a prison break to put into motion.


    24 hours later


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    She tried not to groan at the familiar voice that sent shivers down her spine no matter the occasion. And right now, she did not have time to deal with the person belonging to that voice.


    ¡°Ssh,¡± she hissed at him, subtly sliding the actual book she had been reading under a copy of Practical Taekwondo: Back to the Roots.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lucien whispered, sliding into the chair beside her and leaning over to check out her reading material. He raised an eyebrow but made no comment. And then he lifted his silver gaze to hers and she had to force herself not to look away.


    ¡°Why are we whispering? There¡¯s no one else in here.¡±


    Caia glanced around the small, empty library and shrugged. ¡°There could have been.¡±


    Lucien stretched back in his seat, pinning her with a look of frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve come to a conclusion after our little meeting with Marita.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know at first I was angry. And then angrier. And then today I let my stupid brain start working and I thought, no¡­ Caia wouldn¡¯t abandon the pack after what happened with Sebastian. She still feels raw about that, still feels guilty, even though it¡¯s not her fault.¡± He heaved a sigh, running his hand through his hair, before leaning his elbow on the table and leaning in toward her. ¡°You still grieve for him. So you would never leave us. So why would you tell Marita that you would consider her job offer?¡±


    Crap. She had so wanted his obtuse lykan self to not figure this part out.


    Even though her heart was determined to pick up speed, she held tight in her seat, her butt clenched with the tension it took not to give anything away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re babbling about.¡±


    He smirked, unconvinced. ¡°You¡¯re delaying leaving here. Now, again, when I first came to that conclusion I stupidly thought it was because you were a big something here, a rock star - enjoying the glory of being a mega-being,¡± he guffawed. ¡°Then I came to my senses, and I thought no, this is Caia, the girl who blushed at her first pack run; the girl who looks as if she would give anything to melt into the wallpaper every time we meet in Marita¡¯s suite to discuss the MacLachlan attack.¡±


    Oh Gaia, she really wished he hadn¡¯t decided to get all perceptive where she was concerned.


    ¡°Lucien-¡±


    He held up his hand to cut her off. ¡°So that leaves me with one question.¡±


    She waited.


    His eyes narrowed dangerously and his head lowered in mimicry of his lykan when going on the attack. ¡°What the Hades are you up to, Caia?¡±


    ¡°Lucien-¡±


    ¡°I am still your Pack Leader and I demand to know what you are doing here?¡±


    She wanted to tell him, she really did. But without knowing how he really felt about her, how could she trust him with this before she actually did it. If her plan went accordingly, she would have to tell him eventually. But now, when there was still so much at stake?


    ¡°The Center has made me see things differently. I really am considering Marita¡¯s offer.¡±


    He growled. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°Caia-¡±


    ¡°Lucien, I¡¯m telling you the truth, so drop it.¡±


    His nostrils flared and he pushed back so hard from the table his chair flew out behind him and smashed against the wall at the opposite end of the room.


    Caia scowled at him. ¡°Nicely done.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even start... do you know how close I am to... to¡­¡± He made a choking gesture with his hands and bared his teeth at her. Instead of responding to him, she glanced in what she hoped was a casual manner behind him and flicked her wrist, setting the chair to right and placing it back at the table.


    He grunted at her use of magik and then turned back on her, his eyes glittering dangerously as he leaned down so close to her face she felt his warm breath whisper across her skin. ¡°I will get to the bottom of this.¡±


    Trying not to blink, Caia pulled back ever so slightly, but kept her own challenging gaze locked on his. ¡°Good luck with that.¡±


    With a harsh curse Lucien snapped back from her and began marching towards the double doors that led out of the library. She watched as he hesitated and half-turned to glare back at her. ¡°Thought you might like to know that Jaeden got home safe and sound.¡±


    Jae? She was alright? Marita had said...


    ¡°Is she OK?¡±


    Lucien twisted his mouth in derision. ¡°Safe and sound generally implies such.¡±


    ¡°Sarcasm. Wonderful.¡±


    He grunted and turned back towards the door.


    ¡°Lucien!¡±


    Heaving a melodramatic sigh, his shoulders hunching over in defense, Lucien refused to turn back and look at her. Instead he threw out an exasperated, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is... is Jaeden... has Jaeden... Was there any mention of Jaeden having... abilities?¡±


    He curled his head back towards her, enough to raise a mocking eyebrow. ¡°Such as the ability to morph into a wolf.¡±


    Ugh.


    She grimaced. ¡°You really are unpleasant when you¡¯re not getting your own way.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just used to having my orders obeyed.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between that and abusing your position to nose into my privacy.¡±


    Scowling, he made to turn away from her, and before he disappeared with a banging of the doors together, he murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t find the Jaeden question weird.¡±


    When he was gone, Caia blew out a weary breath.


    Jaeden was OK.


    And she would remain such as long as Caia had any say in it.


    23 hours later after that


    Vilhelm gazed back at her wild-eyed and shaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is going to work?¡±


    Caia nodded, poker-face on, her body steady as a rock. If they were to pull this off, she needed to project a calm confidence that he wouldn¡¯t question.


    She had to hand it to the kid, he was either extremely brave or just stupidly in love. After hunting him down it had taken very little to convince Vilhelm to break Laila out of the Center and take her to Ryder¡¯s. It seemed they were both desperate enough to place their trust in a stranger. They stood now in a janitor¡¯s closet, a few corridors away from the prison.


    ¡°You ready?¡±


    Vil nodded excitedly. ¡°Do it.¡±


    With unruffled nerve, Caia raised her hand so that it hovered an inch in front of Vil¡¯s face. Slowly and carefully, her fingers crackling with energy, she swept the air in a vertical motion from the tip of his hair to the tip of his chin.


    ¡°Is it done?¡±


    She bit her lip, gazing at Vil who was now the exact image of Vanne. ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Softly, she placed a hand on his neck, where his voice box was.


    ¡°Cold,¡± he chuckled nervously.


    With a satisfied nod, Caia pulled back. ¡°Say something else.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Laila.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see Laila. Wow I sound exactly like Vanne.¡±


    Caia nodded briskly. ¡°Remember, you have exactly thirty minutes to get in there and get out of the Center before your face and voice returns. Hold out your hand, palm forward.¡±


    He did as she instructed and she placed her small hand against his large hand.


    Lucien had almost caught her researching this act she was about to perform: the transfer of a small amount of her power to another magik. The transfer would last only ten minutes at the most, but they needed this so that Vil could break Laila out of the bars in her prison.


    Yesterday morning, Caia and Vil had managed to sweet talk (to her utter mortification) the name of the spell wrapped around the bars holding Laila in, from a junior officer in the containment center. He had been more than happy to show off how the facilities worked for the VIP magik in their midst. With the help of a little something Vil had picked up during one of his air element lectures, he was able to stop the memory of their having been at the containment center by temporarily starving the oxygen flow to the hippocampus of the officer¡¯s brain, where memories were consolidated from short term to long term.


    It tended to be a little painful and cause some confusion for a moment, giving them plenty of time to get out of there before he came back to his senses.


    Lucien had then interrupted Caia¡¯s research in the library where she discovered what kind of spell to counteract the one keeping the magik up around the bars. It was a small incantation that needed to be said while focusing the energy used to produce glamour on the bars. The transfer of her power to him temporarily was necessary, since Vil wasn¡¯t really good at anything but utilizing his air element and being a Traveller.


    ¡°You remember the password and incantation?¡±


    Vil nodded vigilantly. ¡°Locked in tight.¡± He tapped his brain.


    It was weird talking to him when he looked and sounded like Vanne. Heart pounding with trepidation, Caia jerked her head towards the closet door. ¡°You better get going. Remember you can trust Ryder, he¡¯ll keep you safe. Just don¡¯t mention Laila being a Midnight just yet.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Just tell him what I told you to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will. I trust you.¡±


    She guessed it was easier to trust the person who tells you they think the girl you love is actually a good person, than the person who imprisoned her and forbade you from ever seeing her again.


    It was at that moment the familiar, sickening, icy feeling shuddered through her body, and a wealth of new information poured into her.


    ¡°Crap,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What, what?¡± Vil asked frantically.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing. It¡¯s not about this, it doesn¡¯t affect this. Go!¡± She pushed him towards the door and watched impatiently as he ducked his head out to make sure the corridor was clear. Caia closed the closet door behind her and nodded at him. ¡°See you soon.¡±


    He smiled tremulously. ¡°Hope so.¡±

 Page 28

    With that, they spun away from each other and headed in opposite directions. At the elevators, Caia picked up the intercom system.


    ¡°Center Reception, Chloe speaking.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, it¡¯s Caia Ribeiro. Can you put me through to Marita?¡±


    ¡°One second, please.¡±


    The line was silent for only a moment or two.


    ¡°Caia?¡± Marita¡¯s imperious voice rang down the phone line. She felt her face grimacing in anger and scolded herself for being obvious even if the witch couldn¡¯t see her.


    ¡°Could you please gather the tactical team for the MacLachlan¡¯s together?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I have some important news.¡±


    16 - You


    ¡°I thought we were going to spend more time apart until Lucien gets back?¡± Jaeden stood slouched and languid against her doorframe, her mouth twisted in mockery, her tone suggesting irritation. But Ryder was not deterred. He grinned cockily into her dark blue eyes and found in them attraction, happiness that he was on her doorstep.


    Shrugging, he mirrored Jaeden¡¯s pretended indifference. ¡°I¡¯m bored. Thought you might be bored. Maybe desperate to get some air?¡± He nodded behind her shoulder, his eyebrows raised pointedly. He watched, amused, as she struggled to hide her smile of relief.


    Yeah, she could definitely do with getting away from her parents for a while.


    ¡°Come on, Jae,¡± he taunted at her hesitation, ¡°You know you want to.¡±


    She huffed in response, ¡°You are such a tease.¡±


    Grinning wolfishly, he gestured with a sweep of his hand to his truck. ¡°Not tonight.¡±


    Her eyes lit up and he had to stifle his groan of frustration. He had no intention of doing what she thought he intended on doing. The truth was he couldn¡¯t seem to last a few hours without her, despite the restrictions he put on the activities allowed during their time together. But he¡¯d rather she was alone with him than with Reuben, who was constantly in her kitchen.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she pretend grumbled, and then shouted back inside as she shut the door, ¡°I¡¯m going out with Ryder for a while!¡±


    Grabbing his sleeve, Jae began tugging him at full speed towards the truck. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the fire?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°We need to get out of here in the next ten seconds or the-¡±


    ¡°Jaeden!¡±


    ¡°Oh, great.¡±


    They both turned at the sound of Dimitri¡¯s voice. He stood, glaring at them from the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, his feet spread apart.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± The question was directed threateningly at Ryder.


    Great. He scowled at Jaeden as if to say ¡®nice going¡¯. He really hoped her dad would back off once they were actually mated.


    ¡°With it being such a nice night and all I asked Jaeden if she would like to go for a run.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going for a run?¡± He was relieved to hear that her surprise was tinged with pleasure.


    ¡°What about asking me?¡± the Elder grumbled.


    Ryder straightened his shoulders. ¡°Well, sir, I never thought. Would you like to come for a run?¡±


    ¡°Not me going with you, you idiot.¡± He shook his head in disgust. ¡°How on earth did you make it to Rogue Hunter status with that brain in that head?¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Jae warned.


    He shrugged and gestured towards him. ¡°He¡¯s the one asking the stupid questions. I meant... why did you not ask permission from me to escort my daughter on a run?¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m eighteen.¡±


    Dimitri merely snorted, ¡°Yeah, and that makes you mature.¡±


    Ryder stiffened, feeling Jae¡¯s bristling between them. And Dimitri thought he was the dumb one.


    ¡°No,¡± she snapped, stepping menacingly towards her father, ¡°But weeks in a cage at the hands of a psychopath, and then months living by myself hunting kind of does.¡±


    Dimitri blanched. ¡°Sweetheart, you know I didn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to argue.¡± She sighed, and then threw a meaningful glance at Ryder, one that he couldn¡¯t help but enjoy. ¡°I just want to spend some time with Ryder.¡±


    The Elder stared at them for some moments and then nodded stiffly. ¡°OK.¡± His hand shot out towards Ryder, his finger pointed in warning. ¡°No funny business though, or I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Daddy,¡± Jae groaned, ¡°Ryder is a perfect gentleman.¡± She lowered her eyes, blushing and murmuring, ¡°... so embarrassing... kill... ¡¯rents...¡±


    Ryder struggled not to laugh as he grabbed a hold of Jaeden¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    They lay side by side on top of the hood of Ryder¡¯s truck, their limbs torpid and warm from their run in Lucien and her father¡¯s woods. Jaeden smiled softly, comforted by the heat of him next to her, by their recent playfulness in their wolf form. Ryder was a big gentle beast. No matter how hard she came at him he would just shrug her off placidly and tickle her with his snout. It wasn¡¯t like Lucien with Caia. She had watched them play together and Lucien was a rougher kind of guy; nudging Cy as hard as she nudged him, nipping, biting, tumbling. Ryder just seemed happy to be there with her, despite the bruises she inflicted.


    She giggled.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Ryder asked in an amused, sleepy voice.


    She shook her head and watched him from the corner of her eye. His eyes were in fact closed, his arms locked behind his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not what I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, no? I guess I wasn¡¯t expecting you, at all.¡±


    She chuckled at that and gazed back at the stars, far above lights in the dark ceiling over their heads. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°You glad to be home?¡±


    It was weird how glad she was to be home. Having been so set against coming back, having been so determined to leave in the first place, she still couldn¡¯t quite work out her own sudden feelings.


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°Told you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need to be smug.¡± She sighed and edged a little closer to his body heat. ¡°It¡¯s still weird, though.¡±


    Jaeden almost laughed at the way one of his eyes snapped open in alert. ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, I was so set against coming home and then... just as suddenly I couldn¡¯t believe I had ever thought leaving was the answer.¡±


    It was his turn to sigh as he rolled over on to his side, his arm bent at the elbow as his hand propped his head up. ¡°You went through a lot, Jaeden. You keep saying you¡¯re OK, but maybe that sudden switch in feelings is just part of what you¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    No, she thought inwardly, no I really am OK.


    As if he could hear her thoughts he reached out to stroke her cheek affectionately. She curled contentedly into his touch.


    ¡°How can you be OK, Jae? I don¡¯t understand how you can be OK.¡±


    With that she withdrew from him, her eyes fixed back on the sky. She didn¡¯t want to pull away from him, but she didn¡¯t want him thinking she was some kind of head case who needed help, when she knew within herself that she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I thought we had been over this, already. You¡¯re starting to sound like a broken record.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve not been over it to my satisfaction.¡±


    Somehow she managed to contain the snort of annoyance that comment elicited. It bothered her that he wanted to talk about all the bad stuff when all she wanted was to forget it. And she could¡­ she could do that now that she had him, now that she had something to look forward to, something to work towards.


    At her silence, she could feel his tension build, his frustration pulling tighter and tighter until-


    ¡°For Artemis¡¯ sake, Jae, talk to me.¡±


    With a huff, she drew herself up on the truck, tucking her legs in close to her body. Finally she allowed her gaze to drift over him. As his eyes blazed at her with a mixture of emotions, she was reminded of how lucky she was that someone like him cared enough to keep asking - despite the wall = head-hitting that occurred each time he did.


    ¡°What is it you want to know, Ryder?¡±


    He sat up, his huge body taking up most of the room on the hood, drawing her closer in towards him despite her wish to remain aloof ¨C at least with this part of herself.


    ¡°I want to know if you really are coping with what happened with Ethan. Are you still having nightmares?¡±


    She clenched her teeth together, grinding them back and forth as she squeezed out, ¡°You really are trying to embarrass me to death.¡±


    ¡°Why is this embarrassing?¡±


    She deliberately dodged the question. ¡°I thought we talked about this that night in the motel room. I told you I was fine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah and I... I don¡¯t get how you can be.¡±


    Goddess, he was a frustrating pain in the ass. No wonder he was a Rogue Hunter, he was completely relentless.


    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t understand my change in feelings.¡±


    ¡°I told you that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about.¡±


    ¡°Ryder... ¡± She threw him a pleading glance. ¡°This is what I¡¯m afraid of. You¡¯re doing what my parents are doing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Trying to decide if I¡¯m a mental patient.¡±


    ¡°Well, are you?¡±


    ¡°Ryder!¡±


    ¡°Jaeden, I just need to know you¡¯re OK.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m OK!¡± she yelled at him, her heart pounding as she got ready to say it. ¡°I¡¯m OK because of you. Because I love you! You big ass!¡± Face pulsing with heat from the blood rushing underneath her skin, Jae made to throw herself off the hood of the truck, only to struggle against a steel hold that wrapped around her waist. She yelped as it dragged her back and slammed her none too gently on her back. Ryder held her down, his eyes bright as they roved over her, red face and all. He looked... surprised.


    This is it. It¡¯s true. You can die of embarrassment. He thinks I¡¯m insane.

 Page 29

    ¡°You...You¡¯re OK because of me?¡± he asked incredulously.


    Jeez, the whole country can probably feel my heart spluttering in abject horror!


    ¡°Well, not just you,¡± she groused, still pinned under him. ¡°The fact that I might be useful to Caia in the war is also keeping me quite sane.¡±


    ¡°You plan on fighting?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Well, what did you think I¡¯ve been practicing for?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± He looked off into the trees considering the notion, and then his eyes narrowed back on her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like that too much.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can just take a flying-¡±


    ¡°Now, now, I said I didn¡¯t like it, but I get it.¡± He nodded and pulled back, allowing her to scramble up and regain some equilibrium. ¡°It makes sense that it would help.¡±


    Great, he¡¯s not going to say anything. He¡¯s just going to completely ignore that little announcement.


    I thought he had to love me back if we had any chance of being mates?


    She felt like killing him.


    Matters weren¡¯t helped by the way he just stared at her for a long moment, his expression quizzical.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than you,¡± she reiterated, trying to regain some ground, ¡°When I was in that... cage... I gave up on life,¡± her voice cracked a little. ¡°And when Sebastian died I felt ashamed of myself for feeling that way. I¡¯ve promised myself that I will live... because he can¡¯t.¡±


    For a moment they sat in a heavy-hearted silence.


    ¡°Maybe you should take me home,¡± she whispered, looking away, her heart quite literally hurting in her chest.


    ¡°Jaeden?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She refused to look at him.


    Gently, he took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him, his eyes searching. ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring what you said-¡±


    ¡°Ryder, don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Shut up for a second OK. Jaeden, I wouldn¡¯t have suggested we might be mates if I hadn¡¯t been falling in love with you. I love you.¡± He grinned ruefully. ¡°Despite the fact that you make me crazy. I¡¯m just... awed that I could do that for you, that I could help you be OK.¡±


    Relief flooded her and she let him draw her in for a long, comforting kiss that heated up too quickly. He withdrew from her laughing shakily. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill Lucien for extending this trip of theirs.¡±


    Jaeden laughed at his belligerence, relief melting her doubts into the shadows of the forest around them. ¡°Yeah, cos¡¯ I¡¯m sure Lucien is enjoying being away from the pack.¡±


    ¡°Point taken.¡± He sighed and looked around them. ¡°I suppose I better get you back.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we stay... just for a little longer?¡±


    He smiled softly. ¡°Sure.¡±


    They settled back down, lying side by side, listening to the sounds of the insects in the nearby woods, the chirping of birds that should have been asleep.


    ¡°So, you really want to fight, huh?¡±


    Jaeden laughed at his pretend innocent question. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be OK. You¡¯ll be there.¡±


    He chuckled and put his arm around her, drawing her in. ¡°Nice try.¡±


    ¡°Ryder?¡± she asked after a few moments of delicious silence.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Why did you decide to be a Rogue Hunter?¡±


    It took him a moment to answer and then he squeezed her closer once more. ¡°Because of my dad.¡±


    Her heart thudded a little with the sad remembrance that he had lost his father when he was only a young boy. ¡°Your dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Because of what happened to him. What he couldn¡¯t prevent from happening. He was strong, don¡¯t get me wrong, but he was always just a family man. However, he loved Caia¡¯s father, respected him a great deal. Rafe was a Rogue Hunter and a great one at that. But for the most part I remember Rafe being the guy that everyone turned to, you know. He was a good guy. A truly good guy. My dad defended him when he let Adriana into the pack. A lot of people back then were already sore from Mikhail¡¯s stupidity and betrayal. When Rafe fell for Adriana¡¯s lies only a few stuck by him. People left. Of course Magnus and your dad were two who stuck by him, so was Lucien¡¯s. And my dad. Jeez my mom would rag on Rafe so badly, which would just end in an explosive argument between my parents. My dad would take me and Aidan aside and tell us quietly that mom was just upset, but not to listen to the pack¡¯s tales about Rafe. Or Caia. My dad was really fond of that kid.¡±


    Jaeden quietly placed her hand on his chest, feeling it thud quickly into her palm.


    ¡°That¡¯s why he was there when Adriana came back for Caia. He was at their house. He told Rafe to take Caia and run, he would hold her off.¡± He cleared his throat, and she hurt for the way it still hurt him now. ¡°My dad was a brave guy and strong, and he did a heroic thing. But he wasn¡¯t trained to fight. And he especially wasn¡¯t quick enough to fight a magik.¡±


    ¡°So you became a Rogue Hunter.¡±


    ¡°So I became a Rogue Hunter. So I could fight and give myself a better chance of staying alive in order to keep protecting the people I cared about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so protective of Caia.¡±


    He nodded, clasping her hand tighter to his chest. ¡°My dad didn¡¯t die for nothing, Jaeden. He died to keep her alive. She¡¯s here for a reason and I trust that. I¡¯ve come to trust her.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll fight for her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I will.¡±


    Jaeden felt an overwhelming amount of respect for him in that moment, a feeling so strong it actually took an unyielding grip on her chest. ¡°I said I would fight with her. But I trust you. So I guess I¡¯ll fight for her as well.¡±


    She felt his smile without looking for it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just give him the tools tomorrow?¡± Jaeden asked in a ¡®guys have no logic¡¯ kind of tone.


    Ryder shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m trying to stay on his good side.¡±


    ¡°Getting me home at a decent hour would accomplish that.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and jumped out of his truck. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll just be one second.¡±


    With that Jaeden hopped out of the passenger side and came around to meet him as he walked towards the main door of his apartment building. Having just remembered the tool box Dimitri had asked to borrow as he was driving Jae home from their unbelievable night together, he thought it prudent to do everything he could to be a dutiful son-in-law to her father. Jaeden was still teasing him as he put the key in his door and pushed it open. Immediately he felt something unfamiliar in the air, and his arm flew out without thinking, pushing Jae behind him, shushing her with a quietly placed finger to his lips.


    She nodded, telling him she understood.


    Slowly, they crept down his hallway and turned to gaze into his sitting room. In the dark, they could make out clearly with their wolf eyes, the two figures standing huddled together by the window. Their body language didn¡¯t suggest menace. Curious and furious at the same time, Ryder hit the light switch on the wall and flooded the place in light, eliciting a high pitched squeal from the girl. The boy blinked at them in fright, holding the girl closer.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Ryder growled, hoping to scare the truth out of them. Jaeden seemed to sense what he had ¨C they weren¡¯t a threat - and pressed a halting hand on his arm.


    The tall boy edged a little closer, seeming to draw some strength from somewhere as he straightened his shoulders back, bracing himself. ¡°We¡¯re from the Center. Caia sent us.¡±


    Well, that he hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    ¡°What?¡± Jaeden asked for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vilhelm, this is Laila.¡±


    They were Scandinavian or something by the look of them, and by the accent the boy spoke with. Ryder glowered, completely bewildered by their appearance here tonight.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he ordered, ignoring Jaeden¡¯s continued attempt to make him be nicer to their ¡®guests¡¯. Obediently, the two fell on to his sofa, and he felt a twinge of regret at his tone when the girl physically cowered from him as he strode towards them.


    ¡°Why would Caia send you here?¡±


    The boy looked quickly between the two. ¡°You are Ryder?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Caia said to come here. That she trusted you.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer why you are here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Midnight.¡±


    They all swiveled around at the voice and Ryder narrowed his eyes suspiciously.


    Reuben.


    ¡°What the Hades are you doing here?¡± he snapped.


    Even Jaeden gazed at him warily. ¡°Reuben?¡±


    The vampyre moved fluidly from the hallway to stand by her. ¡°I came to speak with Ryder.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should leave.¡± The boy stood up abruptly, his eyes now wild with fear, his grip on the girl white with intensity.


    ¡°No.¡± Ryder gestured them back and then glared at Reuben. ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s a Midnight?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± the girl whimpered.


    Ryder¡¯s heart was thudding like crazy, his mind whirring. ¡°Reuben?¡±


    ¡°I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°I thought only the Head of a coven could feel trace?¡± Jae interjected.


    The vamp shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have trace. I can¡¯t find supernaturals. But I can feel whether one is a Daylight or a Midnight when I¡¯m in the room with them.¡±


    ¡°How freaking old are you?¡± Ryder snapped, not for the first time.


    Reuben shrugged, his gaze fixed on the young couple. ¡°I don¡¯t think she means any harm.¡±


    Jae turned to him in as much bewilderment as him. ¡°Why would Caia send a Midnight to you?¡±


    The boy shook. ¡°She told us not to tell you Laila was a Midnight... but now that you know,¡± he threw a skeptical gaze at Reuben, ¡°I will explain.¡±


    What followed was a tale Ryder couldn¡¯t believe he was hearing. Caia rescued this girl from a Daylight prison because she believed the Midnight was good? Were they kidding?

 Page 30

    ¡°You expect me to believe this?¡±


    Vilhelm held strong. ¡°She should have been following us soon, but I got the impression before I left to get Laila that something had happened. I swear I¡¯m telling you the truth. Caia just wanted you to keep us here hidden until she gets back.¡±


    ¡°To hide you from the rest of the pack?¡± Jae asked askance.


    Vilhelm nodded. ¡°For now.¡±


    Ryder growled. They all seemed to have forgotten one thing. ¡°And what about Marita? Surely she would just follow your trace to here?¡±


    However, the magik just shook his head. ¡°She will not know it was me until they scour the Center. It would take enough time for Caia to get back.¡±


    ¡°But Marita would still find you here.¡±


    ¡°Caia intended to protect us from her.¡±


    WHAT!


    He felt a rush of inexplicable fear, fear that something beyond his belief and capabilities was occurring.


    ¡°Does this mean... ¡±Jae whispered, ¡°Is Caia... is she turning against Marita?¡±


    That¡¯s exactly what I want to know.


    ¡°Caia is good.¡± Vilhelm shook his head vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m a Daylight, and I believe what Marita did was wrong.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s a Midnight!¡± Jae spat out, glaring at the girl, despite how weak she appeared.


    The boy twisted his face in disgust at her outburst. ¡°And that gives you all the right to condemn her?¡±


    ¡°But, but... ¡± Jae spluttered, mirroring Ryder¡¯s own feelings of turmoil. It was like they were on the high seas, being rocked violently from side to side, waiting for the boat to completely overturn.


    ¡°How do we know it was really Caia that sent you here?¡± Ryder threw out in desperation.


    Vilhelm nodded, as if expecting that question. ¡°She said to remind you of a conversation only you and she know you had. She had just started working for your Alpha in his store, and you sat with her in the showroom. You told her about your friend, David, who mated with a faerie. She hadn¡¯t known some supernaturals could mate out-with their own race, and you told her all about it; you told her all these other stories about hunting, about a faerie who tricked you three times.¡±


    Dread settled throughout every inch of his body. It seemed the boy might be telling the truth.


    Goddess, he hoped Lucien knew what Caia was up to; that Caia knew what kind of fire she was playing with.


    Wearily, he nodded. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°I could hide them,¡± Reuben suddenly offered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± more than ever he didn¡¯t trust this guy.


    ¡°I can hide them so that Marita doesn¡¯t follow them to the pack.¡±


    Before he could jump on this, Jaeden stiffened and turned to regard her friend in annoyance. ¡°And how can you do that? She would come after you.¡±


    Reuben merely smiled arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve been around, I have my ways.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re being an idiot,¡± she snapped.


    As much as Ryder was glad to see Jaeden jump aboard the anti-Reuben bandwagon (even if it was out of some misplaced sense of concern), he had to settle with the boy and girl. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss that later. For now, they stay here. Caia entrusted them to me and to me alone.¡±


    Visibly trembling, Jae approached him, her hand reaching for his. ¡°Ryder, what¡¯s going on? What is Caia doing?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She sighed and looked at the girl, a mixture of sympathy and fear in her gaze. ¡°She saved me, too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Caia,¡± Jae groaned. ¡°She saved me, too.¡±


    ¡°Still trust her?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    He chuckled humorlessly, looking back at the magiks who were listening intently. ¡°Call me crazy but... yes, I still trust her.¡±


    ¡°OK,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not needed then,¡± Reuben muttered sardonically from behind them.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Ryder stopped his departure. ¡°You have to keep your trap shut about this.¡±


    The vampyre sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not the gossiping kind.¡± And with his usual stealthy regality, he left.


    Ryder looked down at his soon-to-be mate. ¡°That means you, too.¡±


    Jaeden shook her head. ¡°This is going to be virtually impossible. My dad isn¡¯t a wolf, he¡¯s a freaking bloodhound.¡±


    ¡°Just channel pre-me Jaeden.¡±


    ¡°Oh har-de-har-har.¡±


    17 - Soldier


    The last meeting had dispersed and Caia stood in the main reception hall waiting for the others to join her. The Center was buzzing with anticipation. Even though the students didn¡¯t know exactly what was going down, they knew it was something big and the hype level was helping to agitate an already nervous Caia. She was thankful for Marion, who stood close by her side, watching as the others arrived. She was barely aware of Mordecai and the five magiks he had chosen from his unit to help take out the spies watching the MacLachlans. Her mind unfortunately was all over the place. One, she was terrified their carefully strategized plan would fall apart in action, and two, she was worrying how Vilhelm and Laila were faring with Ryder. Caia was supposed to have returned home almost immediately where she would put her now fully formed plan into action. When it became apparent that the battle was back on with Du Bois, she forced herself to remain confident that it would still take Marita at least the length of the battle to figure out it was Vilhelm. For a start they were focusing their investigation on the idea that a Midnight had somehow infiltrated their facilities to break Laila out (that was sending them into a massive panic). Because of this assumption, Vilhelm wouldn¡¯t even be a suspect as of yet, not to mention he was a Traveller, a magik without the kind of power needed to do the glamour she had done to disguise him as Vanne. She wasn¡¯t stupid, eventually someone would report Vil gone, but by then she was hoping she would be back with the pack and there to take the heat off of him.


    She sighed heavily, watching as Michael appeared around the corner, his tall figure strapped with guns and knives. Behind him were the four other vampyres he had selected, who were to be partnered up with a lykan to take out the four Midnight guards who Du Bois was placing in a sort of rhombus formation around the edges of the forest. Moments later, Anders stepped out of one of the elevators with nine other lykans from his unit. Four of them would take out the guards. The five others would be attacking the spies sitting outside the MacLachlans. The plan was the MacLachlan pack would pretend to depart for their pack run. All of them would leave their houses and get into their cars and drive away from their streets. In truth, they would be heading towards Magic Fitness where a magik would be waiting to transport them through the portal to the Center for protection. The spies watching the houses were to contact Du Bois as soon as the MacLachlans were off the street. Caia would be listening in on Du Bois, and once the spies had done this she would send in the paired lykan and magik to take out the spy. She had given each team the description of the car the spy would be in and a description of the spy themselves and the element they used. The magik was to open the door to the car for the transformed lykan and cloak the vehicle while the lykan turned the Midnight into a chew toy. This way there would be no human witnesses wandering around. Once this was done, four teams of two consisting of one vampyre and one lykan, would take out each guard around the forest perimeter quickly and silently. Caia, Lucien, Rose, Phoebe and Anders would head in, in wolf form, along with Michael, Marita and Mordecai. Each had been given a magik to take out. There were situated towards the north end of the forest where the pack met in a clearing and changed before the run. Du Bois had decided to outflank the MacLachlans by encircling the clearing, ensuring his magiks could attack from all sides. Caia knew exactly what position each would take. To Caia¡¯s chagrin, Marita had ordered that Mordecai take out Du Bois. She had wanted Pierre for herself, mostly because he was an extremely powerful water magik and she was afraid for the person who would be attempting to attack him.


    Even if that person was a treacherous man-whore.


    Speaking of which...


    She was sure she had caught a glimpse of familiar jet black hair on top of brawny shoulders. Squinting, she pressed gently against Marion to get the magik to budge a bit so she could see around one of the reception¡¯s steel pillars.


    Her heart literally stopped.


    Rose was pressed flush against Lucien, who had his arms around her waist, and they were kissing... quite passionately.


    She felt sick to her stomach.


    Trembling, she pulled back so she didn¡¯t have to look anymore. Gaia, how had her life gotten here? She flexed her hands, trying to force the trembling to subsist.


    ¡°Caia, you have to forget what you just saw and focus. You have a long night ahead of you,¡± Marion whispered sympathetically in her ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± she assured her mentor.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. But you will be.¡±


    Surprised at her cryptic comment, she turned to gaze at the witch only to see her glaring at Lucien and Rose as they came into view. It almost made her smile. It was nice having friends who cared. Blowing out a troubling breath between her lips, Caia focused beyond ¡®the couple¡¯ and watched as Phoebe appeared behind them.


    That was everyone then.


    ¡°We¡¯re all here.¡± Marion nodded around the tactical team. ¡°We¡¯re all aware of our parts in this?¡±


    A lot of murmuring and head nodding confirmed this.


    ¡°We all have a set of comms?¡±


    Caia nodded with the rest, hardly noticing the small ear-piece in her inner ear that would allow her to communicate with the others.


    ¡°Now remember, the portals that have been opened transport us out very close to the Midnights, so stealth is of the utmost importance. Unit One.¡± Marion turned to the magiks and lykans who were teamed up together. ¡°You¡¯ll each be taking a portal to the street your Midnight is on. It will open in a secure location where you are hidden from Midnight view. You all remember which team you are? Caia, do you?¡±

 Page 31

    She nodded, trying to ignore the sickening butterflies in her stomach.


    ¡°Caia will prompt you when your Midnight has made the call to Du Bois and you go in, quickly and quietly.¡± Marion stared at them a few intimidating moments at a time, before turning to the teams of lykans and vampyres. ¡°Unit Two, you¡¯ll be going through the portal with us. You¡¯ll take position near your Midnight and after the spies are out, Caia will send you in to take out the guards.¡± She smiled dryly and turned to Anders, Mordecai and the others. ¡°Unit Three. You¡¯re with me. We¡¯ll head in once Unit Two confirm the guards are down. Everyone clear?¡±


    The back of the reception area had been sealed off, and shimmering against the wall were six portals. The colors and shapes they made up were merely a warped version of reality - it was the wall, but it swirled and glittered and pulsed invitingly.


    Caia looked on, barely listening as Marion directed each team of Unit One to the correct portal, and then began following the witch to the portal reserved for Units Two and Three. The others strode ahead and through them, the vampyres holding their weapons high just in case they encountered any Midnights on the other side. She could have told them they wouldn¡¯t. She knew where every single one of them was and they had no idea an arsenal of Daylights were on their way to ruin their night.


    ¡°Caia?¡±


    She started at the warm hand on her shoulder and gazed up into Lucien¡¯s concerned face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rose glide past them with the others, her gaze washing over them as she did so. Lucien had obviously asked for a moment alone to talk to her.


    ¡°What?¡± She didn¡¯t mean to snap. There was just too much to concentrate on, her self-control over this issue just didn¡¯t seem that important at the moment.


    He blinked, seeming surprised by her tone. ¡°I just wanted to say good luck, and please don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    This concern, this tenderness, created an urge to scratch her claws across his face and spit and growl and snarl until she was hoarse with it. She didn¡¯t want to see that he worried for her. She didn¡¯t need the confusion it brought with it. She twisted her mouth in derision and jerked away from his grasp. ¡°Why don¡¯t you save the concern for Rose? I can handle myself.¡±


    Dark uncertainty fell over his features. ¡°Caia, wh-¡±


    She didn¡¯t stay to hear the end of that question. Instead she almost ran for the portal, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to plague her with his questions once they were through. A rush of pressurized air blasted her hair back, almost as if she was on a rollercoaster... on a rollercoaster in a very, very dark place. A feeling likened to sea sickness engulfed her and she knew she was through the portal. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes, taking in the sight of Remnant forest, which even with her lykan vision seemed to swallow them in its alien blackness. Because of her awareness of them, she could feel the energy of the amassed Midnights beckoning from the north like tendrils of hair blowing in the wind. It was strange to now equate the usually familiar and welcoming smell of a damp wood with this adrenaline charged anxiety.


    Ducking down to the ground, Caia took in their position. Unit Two were already making their way through the woods towards the perimeter guards. She turned to Marion who was huddled behind a fallen tree in which the growth covering it created a wall of defense.


    Lucien was the last to come through the portal and he snapped down to the ground behind the tree so quickly she heard Anders laughing whispers, urging him once more to join his unit at the Center. Marion shushed them and turned to Caia. Caia closed her eyes and called on the trace to do its job. She was able to hold on to the five spies¡¯ energy in synch, each like a different window on one screen of a computer. The first members of the MacLachlans left their house, followed closely by the three other families on that street. As their cars pulled away, the Midnight watching sent a text message to Du Bois. She almost smiled smugly at that. Their outfit wasn¡¯t quite as swanky as their own.


    Remembering what all this meant, her amusement quickly faded and she pressed the ear piece. ¡°Team Three, you¡¯re safe to proceed.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    Wow, that was loud in her ear.


    Anders and Phoebe were grinning in anticipation of the fight.


    Within a few minutes each Midnight spy had completed their task and Caia had sent in all of Unit One, each asserting within minutes of her order that the Midnight was dead. After watching the first magik being chewed from the inside out, after the reminder of her own fight with a daemon not too long ago, Caia had been blasted with an empathy a soldier couldn¡¯t really afford. The surprise and shock, the undiluted fear, the panic, the horrendous pain, and the awful realization of approaching death clawed at her throat. She knew they were magiks bent on doing a despicable thing, but it didn¡¯t make it any easier to watch them die. She¡¯d pulled out of the trace and hadn¡¯t watched while the other Midnights were killed. At the confirmation of their deaths, Unit Three exhaled a unanimous breath of relief and triumph.


    ¡°Unit Two,¡± Caia whispered over the comms, ¡°Proceed to the guards.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡±


    The sounds of all those voices whispering down their comms made them flinch and she hoped to Artemis that it hadn¡¯t distracted Unit Two. She felt her unit gazing at her as she observed through the trace. It was done so smoothly, so perfectly executed. The magik distracted the Midnight momentarily, while the vampyre, without a whisper of clothing or intake of breath, surreptitiously slipped up behind the Midnight, clamped a hand over their mouth to occlude any warning shouts, and slit the guard¡¯s throat. It was gruesome and underhanded, and Caia couldn¡¯t help feeling more pangs of disgust that this was even necessary. Feeling their stares on her burning cheeks, Caia ignored her own regrets, and gave them a brittle nod at the exact moment the teams began confirming the guards dead over the comms.


    Now it was their turn.


    Mordecai, Michael and Marion were to wait as the lykans changed into wolf form. While they stripped to nothing and began the change, Caia was already there. With her magik she could transform within seconds to wolf without having to strip, and using glamour she could transform back fully clothed. She waited, however, as the others did, until Lucien, Anders and the women were done.


    They took off simultaneously.


    Caia was heading for her magik, an older female fire magik. At her speed she came upon the woman who was hiding with her back to her behind a large tree. She turned a few degrees at the last second as she heard the cracking of bracken, but it was too late. Caia was already clambering up her back and taking her slender neck in her jaws.


    As the warm blood pulsed into her mouth, Caia pushed away the fresh memory of this woman¡¯s vertebrae snapping under the clamp of her strong jaws, the feel of her warm flesh piercing under her claws like the skin of a peach bursting. In fact, it was easier to forget reality altogether as she waited for the magik¡¯s heart to stop.


    It did. And what seemed like hours had merely been seconds.


    Caia backed up off the falling body and searched the other Midnights. Lucien must have gotten to his magik almost at the same time and had killed him, but not before the magik had let out a roar. The others were now aware they weren¡¯t alone.


    Luckily, Anders had taken his magik unawares and was just now finishing him off in the exact manner Caia and Lucien had theirs.


    Phoebe was in the middle of a physical fight with her warlock, an air magik who was just now attempting to suffocate her. She struggled violently against his power and proved herself determined to win the fight as she viciously bit down on his privates in order to loosen his grip. Caia winced at the excruciating pain that ripped through his entire being, and reminded herself never to get into a fight with Phoebe. The Hunter fought dirty. At his weeping the magik finally let go long enough for Phoebe to go in for the kill. Caia turned away as his heart stopped.


    Rose didn¡¯t appear to be getting anywhere near her magik. He had put up a shield around himself almost immediately at the sound of his comrade¡¯s roar, and now Rose kept bouncing off of it uselessly. Caia wished she had her comms so she could tell her to conserve her energy, to wait for him to let go of the spell holding her off.


    Michael was in an intense fight with his fire magik, but he was managing to dodge the hits from the Midnight and had even shot the bastard in the arm.


    At the same time, Marion was struggling with a female earth magik. She couldn¡¯t get a hit in - the woman just kept dousing it with earth and creating weapons out of rock. Poor Marion was covered in lacerations and bruises.


    Caia continued sifting.


    Du Bois.


    Through his eyes she saw him empty water from Mordecai¡¯s dead body. He had suffocated the magik; had enjoyed every moment of taking down ¡®the inept boy¡¯ as if he were any older or wiser than his adversary. Hatred for him and regret and fury over Mordecai¡¯s demise flooded her, urging her body into motion and propelling her through the forest towards the Midnight responsible. Still tracing him, she saw Anders tear around the corner and confront Du Bois, his jaw dripping with gore, his huge wolf body an impressive sight. She thought she would feel fear in Du Bois. Instead, as previously shielded thoughts poured out of him in his excitement, the fear belonged to her.


    No!


    It wasn¡¯t possible. How could he have hidden this so successfully from her?


    She burst into view behind him, in time to see for herself the contents of a vial he had produced bursting open into liquid gold, streaming through the air, actuated by Pierre¡¯s water magik. The horror of what that liquid meant unfolded before her as each drop brought about Anders transformation back into human form. He lay there, naked and confused, as he gazed at his human hands curled into the dirt ground of the forest floor. His eyes flashed up in panic, just in time to see the water rush at him and force its way into his mouth, flooding his lungs and drowning the life from his body.


    And Caia hadn¡¯t been able to stop it. Instead her trace had automatically taken her to the magik Rose was fighting off, and he was in the process of doing the same thing. Lucien pounded into view and battered at the shield as the magik transformed Rose back.

 Page 32

    Crippling panic would not do.


    Caia concentrated and changed back into human form, a shield automatically up and around her in order to confront Du Bois.


    He gazed, dumbstruck. ¡°That¡¯s some trick.¡±


    She glanced by him to Anders lifeless body. Two of them were dead.


    She narrowed her eyes in loathing at this man who had created this devastation. ¡°I was going to say the same thing.¡±


    Du Bois grinned unapologetically. ¡°Just a little something I picked up.¡±


    Caia nodded, filching through his mind with the trace. ¡°You and your lover ¨C Thierry ¨C the Midnight who is at this second inflicting burns on a female lykan while my Alpha watches on helplessly¡­ you did this together. You hired humans to experiment on kidnapped lykans. They came up with that concoction to transform them back to human so that you could hurt them. You killed the human scientists. I marvel at how well you hid it from Ethan. But then Ethan barely knew you were alive. When he disappeared it was the opportunity. But I¡¯ve been watching you carefully, for weeks. How clever of you and Thierry to keep those thoughts so tightly locked. And me... I didn¡¯t know to look, to kick down the door...¡±


    Pierre had paled considerably; he fisted a hand that seemed desperate to tremble. ¡°How do you know all that? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The same way I knew where you all were this evening.¡± She felt her skin begin to tighten as the trace told her the fighting was getting more intense, the Midnights were triumphant, informing her that Michael and Marion¡¯s wounds were getting worse, that Rose was bleeding out. Thierry was going to use the liquid on Lucien to change him too, to kill him. ¡°Your spies outside of the MacLachlan¡¯s homes are dead. Your guards are dead. Three of you here have been taken out.¡±


    A tube of water shot towards her with the force of a speeding train but she blasted it back with a flick of her wrist and it lost its form, de-solidifying and splashing on to the bed of the forest before it even touched her skin. Thierry was laughing as Lucien transformed; he was sure Rose was dying and he was just about to set Lucien on fire. Feeling the white heat, so familiar now, building through her body, she grabbed a hold of it, determined to control this force that was so powerful. Focusing her mind on Du Bois and the other Midnights¡¯ locations, Caia pulled on the white heat and the energy she utilized to wield her water element, and tied them together in her mind¡¯s eye.


    And with that, she let it out of her body.


    The energy constructed itself into cocoons of water, morphing its shape at her demand. She looked on as it wrapped around Du Bois¡¯ head and chest, insisting it to do the same to the other Midnights, simultaneously. As Pierre began to fight it, Caia squeezed the cocoon and waited as the blood vessels in his eyes popped, his face turning purple with asphyxiation. It was the same for the others, and it seemed to take forever to draw to a conclusion. Holding tight to the four Midnights was taking its toll, the muscles in her body burning in agony, her own eyes streaming with water. All the while, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking how she was actually killing people, actually making them cease to exist. The water streaming from her eyes turned salty with tears. But she held on, maintaining the cocoons, until one by one the Midnights disappeared from her trace¡­ and Du Bois¡¯ heartbeat slowed to a falter, puttered and then stopped.


    Caia let go and a sob burst out of her mouth. The deaths, the killing of this evening, pressed on her chest, crushing in their overwhelming weight. If only she had looked into Du Bois¡¯ trace more carefully. If she had crept into his mind like she had done with Ethan and broken down his defenses perhaps Anders would be alive, maybe even those humans Du Bois had killed. The guilt weighed on her, begging for relief.


    Thankfully, like a prayer being answered, her mind began to darken, and the last thing she saw was the ground rushing towards her.


    Nikolai trembled as he dialed Kirios¡¯ number into his cell. It rang out twice and then he heard the strong voice of his partner.


    ¡°So?¡±


    Nikolai smiled wryly at his friend¡¯s charming manners. ¡°My faerie returned. She watched everything from the trees.¡±


    ¡°How did she go undetected by Caia?¡±


    ¡°Caia was a little preoccupied.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The excitement bubbling in his blood threatened to burst into his speech, but he held on coolly, trying to maintain his dignified demeanor. ¡°Well. It went well. Caia was able to kill, simultaneously, four magiks in four different locations in the woods. My faerie has never seen anything like it.¡±


    Kirios exhaled in obvious disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything like it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Apparently, two of the Daylights were taken down, and then the others were in trouble so she had to kill all of the Midnights by herself.¡±


    ¡°And her state?¡±


    He frowned at the next piece of information he imparted, ¡°She was visibly upset by it and then she collapsed.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not reassuring.¡±


    ¡°Kirios, stay positive. This is good news. The girl is definitely what we need.¡±


    ¡°She has weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Even gods have weaknesses, Kirios.¡±


    ¡°Are you comparing her to a god?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the closest thing to it since the old times.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Nikolai groaned, ¡°Why are you always so pessimistic?¡±


    Kirios grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not being pessimistic. I may even have some good news. There have been a few developments I¡¯m not... sure of.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain when next I see you.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Nikolai waved his comments off in irritation. ¡°Just remember... now it¡¯s all on you.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    18 - Spark


    Light burned her eyelids into opening, her vision unfocused, her mouth and throat dry. She tried to move her legs and felt shards of pain ricochet throughout her body. It felt like she had been run over. Maybe more than once.


    ¡°Caia?¡±


    ¡°Lucien?¡±


    She blinked a few times and turned her head, seeing him standing before her, Marion by his side, both of them gazing down at her with worry etched in every molecule of their features.


    He lifted her hand into his and squeezed it. ¡°Are you OK?¡±


    No. She was confused. The last thing she remembered was killing five people. Had that been a nightmare?


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Lucien loomed closer, drawing her hand into an almost vice-like grip. ¡°You¡¯re in your room at the Center.¡±


    ¡°Was it a dream?¡±


    Sadness and fury seemed to riot across his face as he shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    Caia clenched her jaw, turning her head away, desperate to keep the tears locked up. A single one escaped anyway, spilling from the corner of her eye and down her cheek.


    ¡°Caia,¡± he groaned, and she felt him catch the tear with his finger. ¡°You did good, sweetheart.¡±


    She choked on that. Good! She had killed people, murdered them! It wasn¡¯t like Ethan¡¯s death - it had been unpremeditated, and he had been a monster who deserved to die. But other than Du Bois and Thierry, those Midnights were mixed up people, looking for direction, looking for a leader again. They weren¡¯t truly wicked. And their deaths had been premeditated.


    Goddess, she felt like such a naive fool believing she could kill those people and be OK with it... because it was the right thing to do. Hah.


    ¡°Caia,¡± Marion was saying firmly, almost angrily, ¡°I know it isn¡¯t easy, but those magiks were going to massacre an entire pack of innocent lykans.¡±


    Aye, there¡¯s the rub.


    Slowly, she turned to face them again. ¡°I know. I just... I hadn¡¯t expected...¡±


    Marion sighed and placed a comforting hand on her leg. ¡°Taking a life is never easy. But this is a war, Caia, and we have to sacrifice a part of our soul to win it.¡±


    Lucien smiled gently at her. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried about you. You know you¡¯ve been out for a whole day.¡±


    ¡°A whole day?¡±


    He grinned now. ¡°You¡¯re going to be OK. Marita¡¯s personal physician looked you over. Your body was just exhausted after what you did. Caia, what you did!¡± He shook his head in amazement and she watched as he and Marion exchanged awed and excited looks. ¡°It was unbelievable. Taking out all of those Midnights in one fell swoop? You should see this place outside of these doors.¡±


    ¡°Or inside,¡± Marion muttered wryly.


    ¡°What?¡± Caia asked in confusion.


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Slowly, with Lucien¡¯s help, she eased up into a sitting position, and her eyes immediately widened at the sight before her in the room. Flowers upon flowers decorated every inch of it.


    ¡°Get well flowers from your fans.¡± Marion shook her head laughingly.


    Uh oh.


    ¡°Fans?¡±


    Lucien grunted. ¡°Some of the others couldn¡¯t keep quiet about what you did. The Center is in an uproar over you. You¡¯re like a damn rock star to these people.¡±


    She gulped. This was kind of what she wanted, right? No, it was what she needed. Still scary though.


    They both seemed to understand and threw her sympathetic looks. Marion shrugged. ¡°Well, we knew your power could be limitless and turns out it just might be. This.¡± She gestured to the flowers. ¡°Might be the price you¡¯re going to have to pay for it.¡±


    Caia chuckled humorlessly. ¡°And here I was thinking it was the bone weary exhaustion, loss of consciousness, and oh let¡¯s not forget the whole losing a piece of my soul thing.¡±


    The witch frowned at her. ¡°Caia, this is important. Two council members have come to the Center representing the entire Council. They want to meet with you.¡±


    The news hit her in a wave of relief. This was good. No this¡­ this was great. With a bit of self-control she managed to keep the relieved grin off of her face. Instead she nodded calmly. ¡°I¡¯d like that. When?¡±

 Page 33

    ¡°Today, if you are well enough.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Lucien was scowling. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, you¡¯ve just woken up.¡±


    Caia sighed, a wave of sadness washing over her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Unlike Mordecai and Anders.¡± She looked to them questioningly as they acknowledged the loss. ¡°When will their funerals be held?¡±


    Marion shook her head. ¡°There won¡¯t be a funeral for either of them. We hold a ceremony here at the Center annually to commemorate the dead. We¡¯ll honor the two of them then.¡±


    ¡°The Second Unit...?¡± she whispered, thinking of Anders loyal men and women.


    ¡°Grieving, of course. But they¡¯re soldiers first and foremost. Lyla has been promoted to Unit Leader.¡±


    ¡°And you? Marion, you took a few hits.¡±


    She shrugged like it was no big deal. ¡°It¡¯s Michael and Rose who were wounded.¡±


    Rose.


    She blinked up at Lucien¡¯s pinched face. ¡°Is she OK?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°She¡¯s healing up pretty good. So is Michael.¡±


    She thought of the Council, of her plans. How he didn¡¯t know about any of it. ¡°You should go to her,¡± Caia told him, her voice flat and emotionless.


    She knew right away that her tone had sent him into lockdown - he jerked away from her, his face frozen, his eyes hard. ¡°Yeah. Glad you¡¯re OK.¡±


    And then he was gone.


    She stared at her suite door, wishing she didn¡¯t have any pride, that she could yell out after him and tell him she didn¡¯t care if he loved Rose, he was her mate so he had to stay with her.


    Marion clucked, ¡°He sat by your bedside for the last few hours you know.¡±


    ¡°Was he with Rose before that?¡±


    The witch¡¯s silence confirmed the affirmative.


    After a shower and something to eat she felt a lot more human again, enough to take a little tour around the Center with Marion as her companion. She talked to the students and candidates and answered as many questions as she was allowed to. She even signed some autographs. It was totally weird and not something she was prepared for, but at the moment she couldn¡¯t care less because it went a long way in helping her with her plan. While she was listening to Desi and Ophelia chatter away about how jealous everyone was that they were friends with her, Marion tapped her on the shoulder and she turned in the doorway of the classroom to see Phoebe MacLachlan standing waiting with a lykan she didn¡¯t recognize. He was a tall, well-built Elder whose soft eyes reminded her of Magnus. A pang of home sickness echoed in her chest. Extricating herself from the young Travellers, Caia made her way cautiously over to the Rogue Hunter and her companion. Phoebe was a little intimidating to say the least.


    As soon as she reached them, Phoebe thrust her hand out to Caia, her face serious, yet her eyes filled with what could almost pass for warmth. Gingerly, she shook the other female¡¯s hand, refusing to wince when Phoebe gripped too hard.


    ¡°Caia Ribeiro, I would like to introduce you to my father and pack Alpha, Alistair MacLachlan.¡±


    She had expected to be subjected to the same death-grip handshake, but instead she found herself crushed in his mammoth embrace. Caia returned his hug shyly and swallowed her sigh of relief when he let her go.


    ¡°My daughter tells me you are the one who discovered the attack on my pack. That you¡¯re also the one who destroyed the Midnights responsible.¡±


    Feeling heat blooming under her cheeks, Caia shrugged helplessly. ¡°I had a lot of help from Phoebe and a few others.¡±


    Phoebe shook her head, as serious as ever. ¡°She¡¯s being modest, father,¡± she tutted. ¡°I¡¯ve never understood that trait.¡±


    Alistair chuckled. ¡°Yes, we know.¡±


    Caia didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or admonish him. Didn¡¯t he know Phoebe had no sense of humor? Phoebe merely frowned at him and turned back to her. ¡°We wanted to thank you, personally.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Alpha grinned. He shook his head, disbelieving, as his eyes washed over her. ¡°Such a little thing, and yet from what Phoebe has told me I would have imagined you to be a giant. As you may have already guessed, Phoebe isn¡¯t really a people person-¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    ¡°-and so when she admires someone, we all know they must really be worthy of her respect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The Rogue Hunter nodded militantly.


    ¡°We¡¯re very grateful to you, Miss Ribeiro, and if there is anything my pack can do for yours, you must not hesitate to call on us.¡±


    OK, so perhaps she might have done something truly good despite the remorse she felt over the deaths of those Midnights. She had saved this kind Elder and his valuable daughter, not to mention the rest of their pack.


    Caia, wake up. Be strong. And think... they¡¯re not just offering you a thank you, their offering themselves...


    Allies.


    Smiling warmly, she shook both their hands again. ¡°That¡¯s very gracious of you. Thank you.¡±


    The two lykans left her then to recount their encounter to Marion, who grinned proudly at her like a mother hen.


    ¡°Compliments from Phoebe MacLachlan, now that should go on your r¨¦sum¨¦.¡±


    Marion left her to her fans, a decision that Caia teasingly told her she would later regret, a look of dismay falling across her features as the witch disappeared out of the hall. No matter how many times she told herself that networking was good, it still left her feeling as if she were stuck in coach between a snorer and a crying baby on a long haul flight. It was with a huge sigh of relief after ¡®doing the rounds¡¯ that Caia managed somehow to sneak away from the inquisitive looks and prying questions, and make her way out towards the reception to be taken up on the elevator to Marita and Vanne¡¯s suite. The Center¡¯s layout still confused her, and she found herself taking a wrong turn and rounding the corner to the altars. She stopped abruptly at the scene before her and darted back out of sight, peering around the corner to watch Marita standing unaccompanied outside of Gaia¡¯s altar. The magik sent darting glances in every direction as if checking to make sure she was alone, before stealthily creeping into the altar.


    What the...


    Her behavior was so weird. What the Hades was she up to? Caia¡¯s heart began to pound as she remembered the conversation she had overheard between Mordecai and Marita. Was this another one of their secrets... or was this the Secret? The thudding of her heart grew louder in her ears and she felt her legs tremble as she took a tentative step towards to door.


    Maybe Marita was just praying. Maybe I¡¯m being a paranoid idiot.


    Maybe you should hurry up and follow her in and find out what the hell she¡¯s up to!


    Grunting at her own idiocy, Caia pushed the door open as quietly as possible, her eyes sweeping what appeared to be an empty altar. A flicker of movement from the far right of the room caught her attention, and she gazed in confusion at the sight of auburn hair disappearing in front of her very eyes. She blinked rapidly. What the...


    The front row pew obstructed much of the view of that area but Caia rushed forward, sure she had seen what looked to be the top of Marita¡¯s head disappearing into the ground. She searched the area in front of the pews to the right of the statue of Gaia, her eyes devouring the floor. And there, a glitter of metal caught her eye and she hurried closer, dropping to her knees in her fear and excitement. The tiniest stud of gold metal was stuck to the floor, sitting on the edge of one large slab of marble. Tentatively she reached forward and touched it.


    Whoosh!


    Caia strangled a startled cry as the slab peeled open in one fluid movement, revealing a secret entrance. She forgot to breathe as she peered down inside what she was sure very few people knew even existed. A ladder was attached to the opposite wall, leading down into a brightly lit hallway that was clinical in appearance.


    Goddess Caia, what are you getting yourself into now?


    With a bolstering gulp of air, Caia grabbed a hold of the first rung and began to descend into an underground hallway, her footsteps light and her breathing restrained as she made her way down. It was hard to ignore the rushing blood in her ears as her adrenaline took control but as her eyes washed over the thankfully empty corridor she strained to do so in order to hear the approach of the enemy.


    Listen to yourself, she snorted.


    There wasn¡¯t a sound, only what appeared to be a silent endless white tiled corridor with fluorescent lighting. What was this place? And why didn¡¯t anyone know about it? Or did they? Well, she was down here now so she might as well get on with it. Caia crept forward in quick little steps, her brain yelling idiot! Idiot! idiot! with each one.


    And that¡¯s when she heard it. She stopped, wincing at the squeak her Converses made on the tiled floor. Her ears perked up and a chill burst down her spine.


    Cries! Children¡¯s cries! Snarling. Hissing. She could make out at least five different voices in the mix. Oh dear goddess! She pelted forward in a greater hurry and stupidly spilled around the corridor as it veered into a left. A figure disappeared into a door up ahead without noticing her (thank goddess - Idiot!) and with a sigh of relief she continued forward at a quieter but still quickened pace. The door, which had laboratory 1: lykanthrope printed across it, sat adjacent to a long window, and cautiously Caia strained over trying to look inside without anyone noticing her.


    What she saw...


    ¡°Oh my go-¡±


    Her breath cut off as she watched Marita talking to a tall man dressed in a navy lab coat, their eyes going over whatever information he had on the clipboard in his hands. In front of them were five children, their faces contorted with all manner of misery.


    Caia felt bile rise in her throat at such a familiar sight.


    She had seen this before. With Jaeden.


    Each child was locked in a cage surrounded by magik, magik that was keeping them from changing. There was no evidence of physical abuse on their bodies but rows of test tubes sat on trays attached to each cage, a variety of liquids in each. Caia felt a rush of anger as her eyes found the face of a small girl. She couldn¡¯t have been more than ten years old, and her huge eyes had a haunted look no person, much less a child, should ever have cause to feel. White heat shot through Caia¡¯s body and she gasped spinning back, her body pressed against the door as she tried to gain control over herself. As she shuddered into some kind of normalcy she saw another door further up, another window. More children. Perhaps another race. Vampyre maybe?

 Page 34

    At the sound of footsteps drawing closer from the other side of the door, Caia took off, her eyes searching the ceilings and walls for CCTV camera as she made her way back to the entrance. There was nothing.


    No, she thought, her lip curling in rage, Marita wouldn¡¯t want evidence of the existence of her little experiments down here.


    Caia clambered up the ladders and shot out of the entrance, thanking the gods for the quiet of the altar as she pulled the marble slab back down into the floor. She hurried out of the altar and back into the halls of the Center, desperate to wipe off the invisible filth that now clung to her skin. She had no idea what Marita was doing with those children, what her end game was. Then Marita¡¯s voice rang in her head like an alarm.


    ¡°I wanted you to stay and help me train an elite force of lykans I¡¯m working on.¡±


    Oh Artemis, is that what she was doing? Trying to make a stronger army by experimenting on children? Oh Hades no. It was unthinkable.


    And just a theory, she reminded herself.


    But theory or no, Marita had crossed the line, and Caia¡¯s plans had instantly changed. She was in no mood to take things slowly now. No. Now she had no compunction whatsoever in destroying the bitch in any way she could.


    Marion was waiting for her outside of Marita and Vanne¡¯s suite and Caia called upon her best acting skills to greet her normally. Still her mentor seemed to detect something and Caia shrugged her off, explaining it away as exhaustion.


    She was surprised by the quick hug Marita gave her, and had to desperately hide her revulsion as she returned it. It was with deep relief that she returned the more sincere hug she received from Vanne. Did he know about the children? Oh goddess, she hoped not.


    ¡°We¡¯re glad you are OK,¡± Marita said genially. ¡°You are quite the little wonder, aren¡¯t you.¡±


    It was hard to tell whether she was being sarcastic or not.


    ¡°Caia Ribeiro?¡±


    Caia turned around to see two distinguished-looking people peering at her in astonishment. One was a stocky older man, perfectly coifed in a designer suit, and his companion a small, compact woman whose movements reminded Caia of a little bird.


    ¡°Caia.¡± Marita gestured to them. ¡°May I introduce Alfred Doukas and Penelope Argyros.¡±


    It did not fail Caia¡¯s notice that both these council members had Greek names. Did that mean that their family was from way back when? Was that what it took to be a council member? A lineage that could be traced back the gods? If so... these were definitely the people she needed to impress.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡± She shook their hands firmly, with a deliberate soft smile playing across her face. They seemed taken aback by her. She doubted she was what they had been expecting.


    ¡°No.¡± Alfred grinned back. ¡°This is an honor for us. We came because we¡¯ve heard extraordinary things about you, Miss Ribeiro.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Caia.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    What followed was almost like an interview. They wanted to know about her upbringing, about Ethan¡¯s death, about the attack against the MacLachlans. They wanted to know what her plans were from now on. She shoved what she¡¯d just witnessed to the back of her brain and told them that she was considering a position offered to her by Marita, but that she hadn¡¯t decided whether to take it yet. Instead she told them about the pack, describing them colorfully, explaining how much they meant to her. It was safe to assume that Alfred and Penelope were enchanted by her, and thankfully seemed to approve of her loyalty to the pack, first and foremost.


    ¡°It says a little something about your character.¡± Penelope nodded, smiling earnestly at her.


    The ¡®interview¡¯ seemed to be drawing to a close when Penelope twittered, ¡°And this substance? That transformed Marita¡¯s first-lykan-in-command, what was it exactly?¡±


    Caia shook her head, a vision of Anders panicked eyes when he realized he was going to die flashing through her mind like an arrow of guilt. ¡°It was something Pierre Du Bois and his partner Thierry Cotillard had paid human scientists to work on. They had daemons on their payroll capture lykans and had these scientists working on their genetic make up for the past five years. Impressively, they hid it from the trace and I didn¡¯t know to look deeper. A mistake I won¡¯t make again. Anyway, I¡¯m sure if Ethan had known about it he would have wanted a part in it, especially as they had a breakthrough. They were able to concoct a liquid from taking chemicals in a lykanthrope body and combine it with the magik utilized in natural materialization to transform a lykan in wolf form back into a human. I don¡¯t understand how it works but there¡¯s a lab, here in Paris, where the liquid is kept. The human scientists have all been killed.¡±


    Alfred scowled. ¡°Are we sure that their breach has been taken care of? No human is left alive that is aware of supernaturals?¡±


    Caia shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be sure. I just know from what I could see in Du Bois¡¯ head that the men and women he was using are dead. Whether or not those people told others...¡±


    ¡°Point taken.¡± He shook his head disturbed. ¡°This lab must be destroyed.¡±


    Marita coughed delicately from behind them and they all looked to her questioningly. ¡°Perhaps it would be prudent to analyze the lab. Discover what we can about this formula?¡±


    Oh you would like that, wouldn¡¯t you? Caia thought, concealing her disgust.


    ¡°No,¡± Penelope chirped, shivering a little, ¡°the idea of Magik¡¯s experimenting on other supernaturals... I think its best that information goes no further than these four walls. The last thing we need is giving the wrong people inspiration.¡±


    Well said.


    Caia pinned Marita with her gaze, hoping to see a glimmer of guilt or some kind of betrayal of her own experiments. There was nothing. She was so cool. Definitely not an enemy to take lightly.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Alfred nodded gravely. ¡°Best to destroy it immediately.¡±


    Marita shrugged as if it made no matter. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have someone take care of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Caia sprang to her feet. No way in hell was she letting Marita or one of her slugs near that place. ¡°Right now. I¡¯ll go right now.¡±


    Penelope and Alfred beamed at her, clearly impressed with her offer. ¡°That would be wonderful, Caia, thank you.¡±


    Marita threw a strained smile her way. ¡°Aren¡¯t you exhausted, dear?¡±


    ¡°No. I want to do this. I want every inch of that place leveled.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone with you just in case.¡±


    Why, so they could spy around, find the information Marita wanted anyway? She didn¡¯t think so.


    Caia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to choose someone to go with me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Alfred nodded and then seared Marita with a penetrating look. ¡°Caia should have whomever she feels most comfortable in the field with.¡±


    ¡°That would be Lucien, then.¡± Marita almost sneered at her.


    ¡°No.¡± Caia shook her head. The last thing she needed was complicating this with Lucien thrown into the mix. No. There was only one person she believed could be trusted. Someone so principled they were cold with it. ¡°I want Phoebe MacLachlan.¡±


    Marita seemed surprised by this, but Marion was smiling. ¡°Mutual respect,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Marita asked in agitation, but it went unanswered as Marion swept towards Caia outlining the plan she had in mind. Alfred, Penelope and Vanne thought it was a sound one, and it was with a sigh of relief that she left the suite with Marion in tow.


    As the elevator descended, Marion snorted.


    ¡°What?¡± Caia queried wearily.


    She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just... well I haven¡¯t seen someone use that kind of charm since my grandmother. She was some lady when she was Head of the Coven; had the Council eating out of her hands all of the time. I knew you were likeable, Caia, but I was unaware of the amount of charisma you can unleash when you want to. What are you up to?¡±


    She laughed her off. ¡°I was just being friendly. I think it¡¯s important that the Coven believe in me considering my lineage, don¡¯t you? Also... I¡¯m working towards making Marita aware that I have no intention of staying at the Center.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Subtle. Nice. I¡¯m sure my sister will be pleased to hear that, another piece of good news,¡± she muttered wryly.


    ¡°Marion.¡± Caia turned to the magik wide-eyed. ¡°What happened with Laila?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marion nodded, her eyes wide with anxiety. ¡°Good question. My sister is going nuts. They discovered it was a young boy from the Center, a Traveller. He must have been working with the girl because he¡¯s gone too. It was the boy who brought her in, in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± she gulped, hoping Marion wouldn¡¯t hear her thundering heartbeat. ¡°Any leads?¡±


    Marion shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. Marita can¡¯t get a hold of his trace.¡±


    What the Hades....?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Was this some kind of trick?


    ¡°His trace has been cloaked.¡±


    Caia turned to look at her slowly. ¡°And this is a possibility? Why wasn¡¯t I told about this?¡±


    ¡°Because... only a very, very old supernatural has that ability.¡±


    ¡°How old?¡±


    ¡°As old as the war itself.¡±


    ¡°Vilhelm?¡±


    Marion shook her head. ¡°No. The truth is we knew there was a possibility that there were beings that old still kicking around. The Midnight Coven¡¯s prophet is that old. But we thought he was - might - be the only one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him in the trace. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Well... if it¡¯s not, we have a mystery player in our midst.¡±


    Caia¡¯s heart thudded painfully at the thought of yet another problem.


    ¡°Not that you should worry about that at the moment, Caia, since you have another task to complete for dear old sis.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The lab.¡±

 Page 35

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to offer to do this. You could have just given her the co-ordinates on a map. Anyone could have done the job.¡±


    She nodded absently. No, not anyone. Poor Marion. She would be devastated when she found out that her sister was breaking every one of the supernatural rights laws. But now was not the time to tell her. First Caia needed to get back to the pack and to Vilhelm as quickly as possible, and together they could put her new plan into action. She hated the thought of leaving those children down there, but she couldn¡¯t just charge in. Marita would throw her in prison and then where would they be? No. She needed an army. The most powerful army at her disposal. The political kind.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t want to involve Lucien?¡± Vanne queried, a frown of worry creasing between his eyebrows.


    Caia sighed, glancing around the room. ¡°I told you, he doesn¡¯t need to do this, and he¡¯s with Rose right now seeing her through her recovery.¡±


    Marita glowered at her husband. ¡°The lykan doesn¡¯t need to follow her everywhere, Vanne. Caia is quite capable of taking care of this by herself.¡±


    Yeah, like that was what you wanted.


    She nodded anyway, thinking of how annoyed Lucien would be when he found out. She should at least tell him before she left.


    It was only a few hours after she¡¯d met with Alfred and Penelope and they were going over the plan to destroy the lab one more time. The lab was situated on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter in the basement of a disused jazz bar. It was guarded by only one daemon, but as Caia knew, sometimes one daemon was enough.


    ¡°You know, I could do this by myself,¡± Phoebe suddenly declared, her eyes narrowed on Caia¡¯s now pinched face. ¡°Caia has only just woken up from being unconscious for 24 hours.¡±


    It was nice of her to offer but Caia was not letting anyone do this alone. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine, really.¡±


    Caia felt bad for asking Phoebe to do this with her so soon after their ordeal in Remnant Forest, but she should have anticipated that Phoebe would actually be looking forward to the action. If Marita hadn¡¯t insisted on someone going with her, however, she would have happily gone in alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Marita hesitated. ¡°Because I can send extra people in with you.¡±


    ¡°No. A group going into an abandoned club would look conspicuous. Phoebe and I can handle this.¡±


    ¡°Are we ready to go then?¡± Phoebe strode towards the exit. ¡°Marion has a portal waiting.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The Rogue Hunter turned with a look of irritation. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You go on ahead to the reception. I have to do something first.¡±


    Marita gave her Rose¡¯s room number with what Caia was sure was a look of a glee.


    Leaving to do this without informing Lucien would piss him off, and not least of all because technically as her Pack Leader she had to make him aware of any task of importance she was going to undertake. Slowly, quietly, she walked down the white corridor to Rose¡¯s room, her heart picking up speed despite herself. She wondered just how pissed off he was going to be that he was out of the loop on this one.


    ¡°Do you have to leave?¡±


    Rose.


    Caia stopped and peered around the corner of the hallway to see Lucien standing in the threshold of Rose¡¯s bedroom.


    He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in five. I just need to order some food. You guys don¡¯t get it delivered to these parts.¡±


    ¡°Show off, with your fancy room and fancy room service.¡±


    She sounded as exhausted as Caia felt. Caia shook her head. Rose should never have been in that fight.


    ¡°Yeah, well, tomorrow I go back to the pack so the special treatment ends.¡±


    ¡°Lucien... I¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± He moved back inside, leaving the door open. Caia crept forward. She could see through the crack between the wall and where the door was hinged to it. Lucien bent over Rose as she sat propped up in bed, her hand in his, concern for her clearly shining in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was... thinking... maybe... maybe I could come back with you.¡±


    He bent forward and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, an action that sent Caia stumbling back down the corridor. She fled towards the elevator, an image of what she had just seen and heard filtering down from her mind to land like ash on her tongue.


    Hitting the right button, Caia refused to let go to more tears. She stiffened and gazed into the mirror in the elevator, her eyes drinking in the sight of her fragile paleness. The time for heartache had to end. How many times did she have to keep admonishing herself before that sunk in? She had a witch and a war to obliterate.


    Alone.


    ¡°Caia!¡± Phoebe called to her impatiently, and she hurried over to the lykan as she waited by a portal. By now the sickening travel of a portal was something she was getting used to and they stepped out into the Parisian night with a little more ease. Caia exhaled as she straightened up from behind the wall they had come out at, and gazed up and over it to the steps that led up to Notre Dame.


    ¡°Oh my goddess,¡± she breathed, the smells and sights of the city tingling her senses.


    ¡°Caia?¡±


    Ignoring the hunter, she began walking towards the gothic cathedral that rose up out of the Left Bank as surreal as the Center she had just departed from. Her lykan eyes danced over the misshapen gargoyles that perched upon the side of the cathedral, their presence there only adding more drama to the enigmatic atmosphere of the place itself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± she heard Phoebe mutter, and then she was taking a hold of Caia¡¯s wrist in a painful grip. ¡°We¡¯re not here to sightsee, Caia.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never been to Paris before, aren¡¯t you amazed?¡±


    Phoebe snorted and began dragging her away towards the streets of the Latin Quarter. ¡°I¡¯ve killed two lykans here in the past three years. I¡¯ve seen all of Paris I¡¯ll ever want to see.¡±


    With that wonderful dose of harsh reality, Caia forgot about not having the opportunity to see Paris as a tourist and began leading the way towards the jazz club. They were silent together as they strode through the narrow streets, passed excited tourists, and ignored obviously suggestive looks and gestures from men, young and old. Caia realized, as they approached the club, that she and Phoebe were comfortable in each other¡¯s company precisely because neither of them had a penchant for talking.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± Phoebe nodded towards the ground floor of a block of what, with their little windows and potted flowers sitting on ledges edged with quaint wrought-iron railings, had to be apartments. The opening came out on to the street like black wings, with the words Jazz Club written on them vertically, in French and English. The double doors that were built in off the street were boarded over with a large padlock thrown on for good measure.


    ¡°Anyone watching?¡± Caia asked softly, approaching the padlock and boards.


    After a moment, Phoebe gave her the go ahead and she pressed her hand against the padlock, her magik seeping out of her skin to engulf it. In a second it quietly popped and dissolved into water. With her lykan strength the boards snapped away from the door with ease. A moment later Phoebe followed and pulled the doors shut behind her without a noise.


    Both of them could see through the shadows of the darkened room, passed the little round tables and the bar up ahead, and passed the stage off center to the left.


    ¡°Behind there,¡± Caia whispered, pointing to the right side of the bar where they could see a dark opening. ¡°There¡¯s a hallway there that leads to the door to the storeroom. In there is the door to the basement. Mr. Daemon is in the storeroom covering the basement trapdoor.¡±


    Not saying a word, merely offering a resolute nod, Phoebe removed her clothing quickly, neatly folding it up as she went.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Caia whispered urgently.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put a shield up to cloak the sounds of your change.¡±


    Phoebe¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Good idea,¡± she whispered back.


    It felt like forever, waiting for her change to be complete, the knowledge that the daemon hadn¡¯t heard them not lessening her anxiety.


    She didn¡¯t like daemons.


    Caia found it prudent to keep the shield up around Phoebe as they moved through the club, afraid that her claws would make a loud clicking noise against the concrete floor and ruin ¡®the element of surprise¡¯ part of their plan that was kind of crucial to it going smoothly.


    Together they stood outside the door to the storeroom and Caia could feel the thing on the other side, standing vigilant upon the trap door in the floor that opened up to the basement.


    Phoebe turned to look up at her, her huge wolf eyes telling her she was ready. Caia nodded and pulled back with her energy, before pushing it back out and blasting the door off its hinges. Phoebe took off before the door was even gone and lunged at the daemon before it even knew what was happening. She knocked it off its feet and managed to cling on to its dirt red skin, even as its ungraceful fall sent crates of bottles smashing down and around them. Caia shot in after her and blasted out a tube of water as it punched at Phoebe¡¯s sides, desperate to unclamp her jaws from his neck. As the hunter held him distracted, Caia forced the tube down his throat and held it there until he fell unconscious. Phoebe wasn¡¯t taking any chances. She chewed and masticated until his head rolled away from his body. She backed up off of him, making a hacking sound from the back of her throat that reminded Caia of her own daemon take down and how she had retched from decapitating him. Once Phoebe was clear of his body, she thought of the daemon who had wounded her that night in the mall lot, and more usefully she dragged up the memory of Sebastian dying in her arms. Just like that the white heat began building inside of her. Taking a hold of its reins she focused it on the daemons body and watched as it obliterated it into ash, leaving just a dusty trace of it ever having been there. Phoebe made a sound from the back of her throat and Caia turned around to see the wolf watching her, and even in her lykan form her expression seemed to say, ¡°You¡¯re kind of scary, you know that.¡±

 Page 36

    Caia shrugged. Yeah, she did know that.


    ¡°Stay back.¡± Caia pointed towards the hallway and the lykan grudgingly padded away. She stared at the trap door, thoughts of the marble one in Gaia¡¯s altar determinedly pushing their way to the forefront of her mind. How could Marita justify what she was doing? Marita hated Midnights and everything they were about... and yet wasn¡¯t what Pierre had done exactly the same as her own crime? At the impatient sounds Phoebe was making from the hallway Caia shook the thoughts off. The trap door lifted easily and a set of very unstable looking stairs descended into darkness. The smell flooded her nostrils immediately and she gagged, pressing her shirt to her nose to block its entry. Phoebe whined from the doorway. That smell was enough to make every small move after that one filled with trepidation. There was no mistaking the stench of death ¨C mixed with an obvious array of chemicals. Taking off the backpack Marion had given her, Caia found the flashlight and dipped its light down into the basement, leaning over to get a better look at what she was going to be walking into. It seemed safe enough.


    Safe perhaps physically, but emotionally...?


    Swinging the torch from lab post to lab post, her shirt still covering her nose and mouth, Caia willed away the emotional reaction her body was so ready to give into. There were five morgue slabs in the room, each with a decaying lykan sliced open in varying manners upon it. The vile stench was emanating from their exposed innards. Metal chains were still wrapped around their limbs from when they had been alive and chained down. She didn¡¯t even want to think of a lykan being awake and aware during such experiments, such torture. Moving away from them she swung the beam of the torch towards the end of the room where a row of cages sat, some empty, some housing more dead lykans.


    Memories of another basement and other cages threatened to overwhelm her.


    ¡°I have to find the liquid,¡± Caia reminded herself softly and made to move back towards the end of the basement behind the stairs. Sure enough, a glass cabinet was placed against the wall, rows upon rows of vials of liquid gold inside.


    Now all she needed to do was destroy it.


    Silently, making her way back out of the basement, Caia pulled another gift from Marion out of her backpack. To her it appeared to be a large crystal with a gold stopper plugged into the top. She wasn¡¯t quite sure of its mechanics but apparently it was an expensive member of Daylight arsenal.


    ¡°Just pull the stopper out and drop the crystal into the basement. The device will go off within five seconds of landing. You¡¯ll hear a soft pop.¡±


    ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it can¡¯t hurt living things. It merely cleans up the mess around us.¡±


    Caia did as Marion had instructed, closing the door after it.


    ¡°Wait, I wanted to see!¡± Phoebe hissed as she marched into the storeroom in human form.


    As Caia stared into the lykan¡¯s angry face a sound like an ear popping at high altitude could be heard from the other side.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Well, what was down there?¡±


    She could tell her the truth, about the atrocities those two Midnights had committed with the help of humans. She could describe that reprehensible scene and wave goodbye to a potential ally. If Phoebe had seen it with her own eyes there would have been no way to convince her that not all Midnights were bad. Describing it would just be another nail in the coffin of Caia¡¯s plan.


    ¡°But this is a war Caia, and we have to sacrifice a part of our soul to win it.¡±


    ¡°It was just a lab. Chemicals, test tubes... that sort thing.¡±


    I am so going to Hades.


    ¡°What about that goddess-awful smell?¡±


    ¡°Sewage,¡± she lied, ¡°Guessing from the daemon.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, charming.¡±


    Confident that she had convinced the hunter, Caia pulled at the trap door. Together she and Phoebe leaned in as she opened it, their torches illuminating the darkness. There was nothing there.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Eyes wide, she trembled her way down the stairs and swung her light around.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Phoebe called down to her.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    It was like none of it had ever happened. Just an empty basement, clean of any activities. Four walls, a ceiling and a floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s all gone. No mess,¡± Caia told her as she climbed back up the stairs. ¡°I have no idea what that thing was that Marion gave me.¡± She glanced down at her watch. ¡°Come on we better go. Marion is opening the portal in ten minutes.¡±


    They made their way back out of the club, Caia replacing the boards and the padlock while Phoebe stood guard. Just as silently as they arrived, they returned to the spot they had come out at, at Notre Dame. She sidled towards the entrance of the cathedral, gazing up at its two towers, wishing she could step inside and disappear behind its arched doorway, to curl up in what promised to be a mystical haven. Could she hide in there, in the arms of another god?


    Phoebe tapped her on the shoulder and she half-turned to see the portal begin to open on the dark street.


    No. The war would still be out there, taking innocent lives and perpetuating into eternity. There was no hiding for her. She had a job to do.


    There were a few humans strolling together, and a cafe was still open with people outside at the little tables drinking coffee and eating dessert.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cloak us so they won¡¯t see us disappear,¡± Caia warned Phoebe and shielded them both as Mordecai had taught her in glamour class. And just like that, they stepped back into the Center, leaving behind a loathsome sight that only Caia would ever carry in her memories.


    19 - Sweet Midnight


    ¡°Argh, I knew this was coming,¡± Dimitri groaned, his face crumpled in defeat.


    Ryder raised an eyebrow expectantly, his heart hammering in his chest. ¡°Is that a yes?¡± He glanced between Dimitri and Julia, knowing his hope was out in plain view, so easy to shatter with one little word.


    The thought of never having Jaeden in his life was excruciating now. Despite their attempts to not see each other over the last few days, they seemed to be connected inextricably. She had explained that there had been no more nightmares since the night he had suggested they might be mates. She had demonstrated how much control she was gaining on her telekinesis, arriving at his apartment exuberant and pleased with her progress over at Lucien¡¯s. Since Vil and Laila¡¯s arrival he hadn¡¯t been able to leave the apartment, so Jae had come over at the end of the day bringing food for everyone, and catching him up on her activities. They had only grown closer, but he hadn¡¯t been able to relieve her of her fears over Laila. The food she brought for Vil and his girlfriend was handed over quickly before she departed for his bedroom, the room furthest away from the room he had given to his guests. He, on the other hand, had gotten to know them as much as he could over the last 48 hours. Vil was a quiet, staid, young warlock who was extremely protective of the fragile creature who never left his side. He had told Ryder bits and pieces of his life growing up in a household where his elder brothers were respected soldiers in the Center¡¯s First Unit. Fighting wasn¡¯t really in his blood, in fact he couldn¡¯t quite wrap his head around this inane war, as he called it, and while home for his break he had come across Laila. She had escaped from a Midnight army base under Ethan¡¯s control. She wouldn¡¯t discuss what had happened to her there but it was enough to cement a loathing in her blood for the Midnights. Vil had found her starving to death and had hidden her and coaxed her back to health. During which, they had fallen in love, and she had convinced him he should take her back to the Center so she could learn to fight for the Daylights. Marita had her thrown in the containment center almost immediately. Marita had dismissed him, sure that his had not been an act of disloyalty but naivety, and in the end he had helped her apprehend a Midnight. Vil had been trying to find a way to break her out of the prison ever since, but he didn¡¯t have the power a magik needed to do it and he didn¡¯t trust anyone enough at the Center to help him. And then Caia had come to him, ¡®like an angel¡¯ he had described softly, making Ryder smile. The little witch had that effect on people. Caia had said she could feel Laila¡¯s goodness, was adamant the girl posed no threat to the Daylights. She wouldn¡¯t stand back and let the girl suffer. Vil had believed her since he had nowhere else in which to place his faith. And the rest Ryder knew. It was hard to imagine the gentle creature that gazed so adoringly at Vil could cause anyone any harm but he knew how deceptive they could be.


    Atia and Adriana Vang had proven that. But Caia believed, and strangely he did too.


    Jaeden on the other hand was not so quick to trust.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Jaeden with you?¡± Julia asked, seeming amused by his proposal.


    He locked eyes with her so she wouldn¡¯t suspect him of lying. ¡°I felt this was something that I ought to do alone, man to... parents.¡± In truth she was reluctantly watching over his guests at his apartment while he moved their potential mating along a little faster.


    Julia swallowed a chuckle, her eyes dancing with delight. ¡°Well I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Dimitri glared at his wife. ¡°We just got her back.¡±


    ¡°And you think denying her the right to a mating ritual with the man she loves will entice her to stay?¡± His mate grunted at him.


    He pinned Ryder to the wall with his gaze, his nostrils seeming to huff with steam like a bull getting ready to charge. And then, just like that, the air appeared to deflate out of him and he threw his hands up in surrender. ¡°Fine!¡± he snapped. ¡°You have my blessing to mate with my only daughter... you bastard.¡±


    Ryder whooped jubilantly and grabbed the big guy in a hug. Dimitri huffed and slapped him, hard, on the back, sending him over to Julia who was the next target for his joy.


    ¡°Now you have to wait for Lucien,¡± his soon to be father-in-law reminded him slyly.


    Ryder shrugged, his grin refusing to desist. ¡°His return shouldn¡¯t be long now. Then we can get straight to the mating... err... ritual.¡±


    Dimitri glowered red.

 Page 37

    ¡°Uh.¡± Julia giggled nervously. ¡°I think you better leave... Ryder... now... LEAVE!¡±


    He was out the door like lightning, Dimitri¡¯s snarls still snapping at his behind like little angry ghosts.


    The witch still made Jaeden uneasy, despite Ryder¡¯s defense of her. Jae knew the girl didn¡¯t look like much, but Midnights were slippery, vicious creatures who knew how to get under the skin. She sat stiffly in a chair by the window, while Vil and Laila snuggled together on the sofa, munching on the snacks Jaeden had brought over with her. The reason why she was here made her smile softly, wondering if Ryder would get the answer they both needed.


    ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to be afraid of us,¡± Vil¡¯s serene voice suddenly penetrated her musings.


    Jaeden snapped to alert and grunted, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. Her... not so sure of.¡±


    Laila¡¯s huge blue eyes widened even further as she looked up and over at her. Jaeden felt an unexpected twinge of guilt at the hurt she saw shimmering there.


    ¡°I would never hurt anyone,¡± she whispered.


    Vil shushed her, squeezing her closer, soothing her pain.


    Why can¡¯t I shrug the guilt? Jae growled at herself, looking back at Laila. The Midnight was still staring at her, and as their eyes locked Jaeden saw something in the magiks that was intimately familiar. Familiar... because that haunted look had once reflected back at her every time she gazed into a mirror. Ryder¡¯s voice echoed in her head.


    I¡¯m telling you Jae, they¡¯re OK. Vil seems like a standup guy, and Laila¡­ well she won¡¯t tell anyone, including Vil, what happened to her back at that camp, but I¡¯m telling you it was enough to make her hate them.


    ¡°Can I speak with Laila alone?¡± she suddenly asked, standing over the two of them.


    Vil frowned, eyeing her warily. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt her.¡±


    ¡°No, she-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡± Laila placed a placating hand on his arm and he glanced at her sharply.


    ¡°You are sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°OK. I¡¯ll be down the hall if you need me.¡± He got up and threw Jaeden a stern, warning look before he left.


    She settled on the arm of the sofa, scrutinizing Laila, who had moved back a little from her. ¡°What happened at this camp, this army camp?¡±


    The magik shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t talk about it.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m to trust you I need to know about this camp.¡±


    She shrugged helplessly. ¡°It was... just a camp.¡±


    ¡°Under Ethan¡¯s control?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So...¡± Jaeden searched for the right phrase. ¡°It was like special ops?¡±


    ¡°What is¡­ special ops?¡±


    ¡°You know, like a government operation designed to... let¡¯s say win a war, when normal tactics aren¡¯t moving things along as nicely as one would like.¡±


    Laila snorted, her ethereal face twisted in disgust. It was the most negative emotion Jaeden had seen her emit. ¡°Yes. You could say it was this special ops you speak of.¡±


    A moment of silence fell between them as Jaeden worked towards posing her next question. She blew out a shaky breath, her voice going husky as her own memories swept through her. ¡°Did it involve torture?¡±


    The witch¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise, her eyes round with torment. ¡°Why...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes then.¡±


    Laila shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t... I can¡¯t... I-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been there, Laila,¡± Jae whispered, not even sure why she was telling the girl something so personal. Perhaps she knew it might be the only way to get information from her. ¡°Ethan... personally kept me in a cage. He tortured me. For weeks. Although it felt like years.¡±


    Her young face crumpled in empathy and she reached out to place a cool hand on Jaeden¡¯s wrist. She was surprised by the gesture, for Laila had only allowed Vil near her since their arrival. As her hand withdrew from her, Jaeden¡¯s pain at the memories dissipated, leaving a warm peace lingering in its wake. Relaxing back into the sofa, she smiled sadly at the Midnight. ¡°Is that what happened to you?¡±


    The girl nodded rigidly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    A tear slid down her pale face. ¡°It was a behavioral modification camp for magiks. He took children of magiks from all over. I come from Halmstad, but others came from Grena, Oslo... all over Scandinavia. He told our parents he was going to train us to be an elite force. It was an honor to be chosen. Instead, he used all measures of control - withholding food, brainwashing, all to turn us into an elite force that would only answer to his command, no matter the order.¡±


    ¡°Like daemons.¡±


    Revulsion passed over Laila¡¯s face. ¡°Like daemons. But so much more powerful.¡±


    ¡°Why the torture? Was that part of it?¡±


    She shook her head wildly, and Jaeden was surprised to see an almost smug smile form on her lips. ¡°His men couldn¡¯t break me. So they tortured me in an attempt to subdue me.¡±


    Horror rippled through Jaeden at the thought of what this frangible creature had gone through.


    ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    A cold, ferocious look froze over her face. ¡°The oldest trick in the book.¡±


    ¡°Being?¡±


    ¡°One of the warlocks had an... unhealthy interest in me.¡±


    No, no, no, Jae pulled back, he didn¡¯t... oh goddess.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Laila assured her. ¡°They had orders not to touch us that way. It could have a disturbing effect on the controls. But this one.¡± She shuddered. ¡°He would sneak in some touching, petting.¡±


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Jaeden snarled.


    The witch looked startled at her vehemence before throwing her a grateful smile. ¡°I used it against him, though. I pretended an interest in him, which is probably the most difficult thing I have ever had to do, and he took me from the cage and snuck me out towards the back of the camp. He turned his back for a second and I knocked him out with a spell my mother had taught me years before. Stupid man.¡± She shook her head in disgust. ¡°I stole his keys to his car, got a few miles away before I abandoned it and set off on foot, confusing my trail as I went. I thought Ethan would find me... but he never came.¡±


    Jaeden snorted. ¡°Yeah, cos¡¯ he was dead.¡±


    ¡°He is dead then?¡± Laila queried quietly, her haunted eyes begging for an affirmative.


    ¡°Caia killed him.¡±


    ¡°She helped save me from prison... and now this news. It seems I will be forever in her debt.¡±


    A sense of connection threaded its way between them and Jaeden smiled warmly at her for the first time. ¡°The way that girl is going, we¡¯re all going to be in her debt.¡±


    The sound of the front door slamming pulled them from Laila¡¯s tale, and Ryder strolled in, an obvious look of surprise on his face at the sight of them sitting together.


    ¡°Everything OK?¡± he queried, his eyes flicking between them.


    ¡°I was just going to ask that?¡± Vil hurried in now, his anxious gaze locked on Laila. She smiled at him, holding her hand out to draw him to her.


    Visibly relaxing, he moved towards her like a magnet. Jaeden huffed in amusement at the suspicious look he leveled at her and jumped up towards Ryder, wrapping her arms around his waist, snuggling close to him. ¡°Everything is good actually.¡± She searched his eyes, attempting to find the answer he had received this evening from her parent¡¯s. ¡°Everything is good?¡±


    ¡°What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°Ryder?¡± she whined.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me what happened here.¡±


    She groaned and pulled away from him. ¡°You¡¯re a pain. Fine. Laila and I understand one another now, and I believe Caia when she says Laila is a good Midnight. Who would have thought? Now tell me what my father said.¡±


    All of a sudden he laughed and grabbed her, whirling around the room. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god-¡± he smothered her words with a passionate kiss. A discreet cough pulled them apart a few seconds later and they turned, smiling, to see Reuben lounging in the doorway. Immediately she felt Ryder tense.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see how your guests were faring, but obviously I¡¯m interrupting a celebration.¡±


    Vil grinned. ¡°Jaeden¡¯s parents are allowing them to mate.¡±


    Reuben remained passive, not giving anything away. ¡°How nice for them.¡±


    ¡°Reuben.¡± Jae made a move towards him, hating to hurt her friend. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. I want you to be here for the ceremony. You¡¯ve been through so much with me it would feel weird without you.¡±


    ¡°No it wouldn¡¯t,¡± Ryder growled, brushing past her to stand bristling at the taller vampyre. ¡°For a start my guests are none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I was merely curious. She is a Midnight after all.¡±


    Ryder scoffed, his fists curling into knots. ¡°We both know why you¡¯re here, you son of a bitch.¡±


    Jaeden fought an oncoming headache. ¡°Ryder-¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch?¡± Reuben thrust his shoulders back in an attempt to intimidate, all evidence of passivity gone and replaced with a stony anger. ¡°I¡¯m the son of a bitch? You¡¯ve done nothing but hassle me since I got here.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re always here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m her friend. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see-¡±


    ¡°Guys!¡± she shouted, looking desperately to Laila and Vilhelm for help. They were no good. They were already sidling quietly from the room to disappear into their bedroom.


    ¡°You have no right turning up all the time, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°I came here to see if the boy and the girl were OK. That they weren¡¯t causing any trouble, that¡¯s all.¡±

 Page 38

    ¡°That¡¯s what you can¡¯t seem to wrap around your thick skull... this isn¡¯t your business.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s coming I¡¯m more equipped to deal with it than you, lykan.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the prophet crap, it¡¯s wearing on my nerves, vampyre.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    Their argument drifted out of ear shot as she slammed out of the apartment and down the stairs out of the building. Half the time she didn¡¯t think their inane arguing even had anything to do with her. Her headache throbbed harder.


    A run.


    A run would be good to work out everything that had happened this evening. Laila¡¯s sorrowful tale, the bond that she had felt forging between them, the idea that Midnights might not all be bad (sheesh who saw that coming?), her official engagement to Ryder, and his inability to function normally in a room with Reuben.


    Yeah, a run would be great.


    Trying to throw off her irritation at Ryder and Reuben, Jae mused over Laila, feeling an impatience growing for Caia and Lucien to return so they could work this all out. With relief, she pulled into Lucien¡¯s driveway and walked across the gravel and up on to the porch. She didn¡¯t bother going through the house, knowing they would hear her strolling around to the back porch and would work out for themselves who was there. That impatience she felt bubbling in her skin changed into an impatience for the run. Jae jerked out of her clothes and she suddenly wished she could be like Caia. Ryder had described how she could change into a wolf instantly now, how she could run into the woods in human legs and soar into the change. It sounded wonderful. But as her muscles strained in the burn of the change, and as her bones cracked with eye-watering satisfaction, she knew she wouldn¡¯t give up this feeling for anything. Distantly she wondered if Caia missed it. The cool night air rushing through her pelt was exactly what the doctor ordered. She crunched through pinecones, ran at full speed towards a tree and launched herself at it, only to bound off it and race in the opposite direction.


    With the run, her mind cleared, replete and calm.


    After a while she grew exhausted, and so made her way back to Lucien¡¯s backyard, leisurely and purposely slowing the change back into human form. Jaeden smiled, stretching her muscles from top to bottom and yawning. With a final roll of her neck she began to shuffle back into her clothes.


    On the last button of her shirt, her ears pricked up at a loud crack that came from the woods close by. She sniffed the air and an unfamiliar sweet scent she couldn¡¯t quite identify swam up her nostrils. She hadn¡¯t quite turned around to investigate when pain shot through her head and dark spots clouded her vision, swallowing her whole as they multiplied into a thick black tar.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Ryder railed at the vampyre as they followed Jaeden¡¯s scent.


    Reuben snorted. ¡°You started it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably furious at me. At you. I can¡¯t believe she left without me evening knowing it. It¡¯s your fault. You piss me off past rationality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always nice to be appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me come over there, vampyre.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m shaking in my boots.¡±


    Ryder bared his teeth and swung the truck viciously into Lucien¡¯s driveway so that the vampyre slapped against the passenger door with an ¡®oof¡¯.


    ¡°Childish, immature-¡±


    Ryder ignored him as his eyes narrowed on two figures he saw at the side of the house. Two figures that appeared to be struggling-


    ¡°Jaeden!¡± he bellowed, cutting the vampyre off. Slamming on the breaks and cutting the engine, he threw himself out of the truck running towards the dark figure that had Jaeden bundled over their shoulder. The figure stopped at the entrance of the woods, jerking towards them, their face hidden by a black hood. Unceremoniously, it dumped Jaeden¡¯s unconscious body to the ground and like a shadow disappeared into the darkness of the trees.


    Reuben was running past him. ¡°You check Jaeden, I¡¯ll go after them!¡± he ordered, his face set with determination. Ryder barely had a moment to register that he had never seen anyone look quite as dangerous as Reuben did in that moment as he blurred past him.


    ¡°Jaeden.¡± He fell beside her, turning her limp body over. He pressed two fingers to her pulse, relief rushing through him at the steady beat.


    ¡°Ryder, what happened?¡±


    He looked up to see Ella and Magnus rushing out of the house, their faces etched with concern. ¡°She¡¯s been knocked out, her head¡¯s bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Get her into the house,¡± Magnus ordered gruffly, his gaze searching the woods. ¡°There¡¯s someone out there.¡±


    Ryder nodded, lifting Jaeden into his arms with ease. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see who it was. Reuben¡¯s gone after them.¡±


    Magnus frowned. ¡°The vampyre. Sure he can handle it?¡±


    The venomous look on Reuben¡¯s face flashed before his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Let¡¯s worry about Jae.¡±


    Magnus reluctantly agreed and followed them into the house. Ella cleaned the blood from the wound and Magnus checked her over.


    ¡°When she comes around it¡¯ll heal,¡± he assured Ryder, ¡°No concussion.¡±


    Ella wrung her hands. ¡°Must have been some hit to take one of us down.¡±


    Ryder growled in response.


    At that, Jaeden stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. ¡°Ow.¡±


    Relief overwhelmed him as he took her hand in his. ¡°Jae. You¡¯re alright baby, you¡¯re alright.¡±


    After a few moments, her eyes seemed to focus and she groaned in irritation. ¡°What the hell happened now?¡±


    ¡°I lost them!¡± Reuben suddenly strode into the sitting room, his hair wild from having run against the wind, his shirt torn from obstructing branches.


    ¡°Lost who?¡± Jae whispered, her look of confusion trying to mask the one of fear he knew was waiting in the wings. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Magnus shook his head in deep concern. ¡°Someone tried to take you.¡±


    Horror flit across her eyes before she could stop it. ¡°Kidnap me?¡±


    Ryder squeezed her hand tighter, rage unlike anything he had ever known desperate to explode and take everything with it. ¡°We¡¯ll find out why?¡± he promised tightly.


    ¡°I want to know who,¡± Ella snarled.


    They fell silent, and Reuben moved towards the hallway, his head down, his shoulders hunched in thought. Ryder¡¯s head jerked up as the vampyre muttered, ¡°If it¡¯s who I think it was, things are about to get very interesting.¡±


    20 - The Politician


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how valuable you are.¡± Marita appeared to be fighting to remain calm, her words hissed between clenched teeth, ¡°Forget even that you have trace powers leading us to every Midnight in this world, there is not a witch or warlock on this earth that has done what you did in Remnant Forest.¡±


    She was allowing the Head of the Coven to pace and bluster and lecture, sitting on the sofa by Marita¡¯s fireplace, waiting patiently for her chance to speak. So far the witch was not taking the news that she intended to return to the pack very well. Boo for her.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even touched some of the lessons in magik our advanced classes teach. We have no idea what you will be capable of when you have the knowledge and understanding of magik like that of my sister and my own. It would be idiotic to let you walk out of here and go home.¡±


    Caia tensed at her tone, her eyes narrowing as Marita spun around to glare at her. ¡°Last time I checked, madam, the Coven laws forbade coercion and kidnapping.¡±


    Marita chuckled humorlessly. ¡°So dramatic, Caia.¡±


    ¡°You knew when I got here that it was merely a visit. I¡¯ve been helping you quite well from my home with the pack.¡±


    ¡°Your reports are useful. However, your soldiering is invaluable.¡±


    As the silence thickened between them, Caia could see the witch¡¯s eyes hardening with every tick of the clock.


    She really had thought I would stay, Caia mused incredulously.


    ¡°What have you got to return to, Caia? Those people who don¡¯t understand you? And if the rumor mill here is correct your Alpha, the one man who was keeping you bound to that pack, is now in a relationship with Rose Bronson.¡±


    The calculating gleam in her eye, that smug smile, knocked Caia for six.


    Son-of-a-Bitch, she hissed inwardly. ¡°Rose... isn¡¯t a friend of Phoebe MacLachlans, is she?¡±


    Shrugging, Marita gave her a saccharine smile, folding herself elegantly into the armchair before her. ¡°No, not really.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know whether to be disgusted or pay attention to this woman¡¯s tactics. After all, if she was to convince the Council to ally with her and go up against Marita, then she had better learn to be just as ruthless when dealing with her.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I need you here.¡±


    In other words she had deliberately brought Rose here to separate Caia from Lucien, to make her feel isolated from him and the pack, to give her no other option but to call the Center home. There was absoluteness to Marita in that moment. From the tip of her hair to the tip of her toes she was determined Caia would remain with her, fight for her. Did she really think Caia would agree to aid her in her experiments with children?!


    Time to change tactics.


    Caia slumped, a small sigh escaping as she glanced up at the magik with a deliberate weariness shimmering in their depths. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she whispered.


    The magik tutted and slid a cold hand across to her, patting it condescendingly. ¡°There, there, my dear. You¡¯ve had an exhausting time of it. But there is nowhere better for you than here. It will be better for you emotionally and physically if you stay here. I thought you had made friends here, people who understand you. And there¡¯s always Marion, who I know is extremely fond of you.¡±


    She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, making her fingers tremble noticeably. ¡°I just... don¡¯t want to disappoint anyone.¡±

 Page 39

    ¡°You mean the pack. Lucien?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He stepped aside so easily, Caia, when I brought Rose in. What loyalty do you really owe him?¡±


    More than I owe you.


    With her young heart in her eyes, she looked up at Marita as if a student to her tutor. ¡°I would like to stay here.¡±


    A wide grin split her normally dispassionate face. ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ll take ca-¡±


    ¡°But I have to go back to say goodbye to everyone. To explain. I would... like to see Jaeden, as well, before I return to the Center.¡±


    For a moment Marita¡¯s eyes washed over her, searching, suspicious. It took everything Caia had to maintain the sincere facade of a young, confused girl looking for guidance. Inside she was furious at this woman for putting her in this position; this woman who was supposed to be the protector of the Daylight Coven. How Marion¡¯s great-grandmother would be howling from the underworld at the way Marita had taken to running things. She was an autocrat alright... she was just better at hiding it than most. Finally, the magik seemed satisfied that Caia was telling the truth. She nodded and stood up. ¡°Very well. You should leave today then. But I expect you back in two days¡¯ time.¡±


    Caia forced a bright smile and a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes, yes of course.¡±


    Restraining the urge to run from the room, Caia sedately left Marita¡¯s suite, surprised to find Marion waiting inside the mahogany elevator for her.


    ¡°Well?¡± She smiled kindly.


    Oh how she wished she could confide in Marion, tell her the truth. She abhorred lying to the woman who had been more than just a mentor, but a solid friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± she managed weakly. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the pack with Lucien to say goodbye, and then I¡¯ll be back here in two days.¡±


    Marion¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t the one she¡¯d been expecting.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I thought you¡¯d be happy.¡±


    The witch threw her a sad, knowing look. ¡°It would make me happy if I thought that was what you really wanted.¡±


    Caia frowned at her. ¡°It is.¡±


    They rode down the elevator, got off at floor five, and rode that elevator up to Caia¡¯s suite in complete silence. Marion stopped her before she could make her way to her room.


    ¡°I still believe that you can help us win this war even if you are living with the pack. My sister doesn¡¯t. That doesn¡¯t mean you have to feel pressured into staying. It would be against the law to keep you here unwillingly.¡±


    In that moment she wanted to throw her arms around this woman and cry, beg, plead with her to help her do what she had to do. But no matter how kind Marion was to her, she would never betray her sister. Caia smiled determinedly at her and lied, ¡°I appreciate that Marion, but there¡¯s really nothing keeping me with the pack.¡±


    ¡°Not even Lucien?¡±


    An ache rippled across her chest and her smile tightened. ¡°Lucien has Rose.¡±


    ¡°And if he didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°He does.¡± She sighed and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to get ready. Maybe you could tell Lucien that we¡¯re leaving now. Rose is coming with us.¡±


    Instead of heading towards her suite, however, Caia strode past it and got into the elevator at the other end of the hall. Her heart was racing, hoping that she would remain undetected as she made her way to visit the Travellers.


    Luck must have been on her side. She found herself on the other side of the Center with very little trouble, and was immediately swarmed by the twins and a few others. The rest of the Travellers watched shyly from the background.


    ¡°Oh my goddess, Caia, Ophelia travelled to the top of the Pyramid of Khafre in Giza this morning!¡± Desi tugged excitedly on her sleeve. ¡°We all told her not to because it¡¯s, like, insanely dangerous... I mean she could have missed the top by a millimeter and gone crashing down the pyramid. But she didn¡¯t!¡± She laughed, shooting a look of pure pride at Ophelia, who blushed happily, ¡°She totally pulled it off!¡±


    Caia chuckled. ¡°Well done, Ophelia. That must have been some view.¡±


    She shrugged modestly. ¡°There was a lot of sand.¡±


    Desi snorted. ¡°I would so be bragging if I were you now. I can¡¯t believe Vilhelm missed it. Did you hear, Caia? That he broke that girl out of prison, that Midnight?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Desi and a few others shook their heads in amazement. ¡°We knew he was like awesome at travelling but we didn¡¯t know he had the balls to pull that off.¡±


    Ophelia sniffed. ¡°Well, all I have to say is that he really must believe the girl is innocent. Vilhelm would never betray the Coven.¡±


    Oh that¡¯s right, Caia mused, Ophelia had a crush on Vil.


    Desi grimaced. ¡°Or uh the girl put a spell on him.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± One of the other male Travellers shook his head scowling at her. ¡°The girl was contained by magik. Vil did it of his own free will.¡±


    ¡°So weird, he was always so quiet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always the quiet ones.¡±


    ¡°Why did he do it though?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care why he did it,¡± Ophelia said loudly, cutting off the chatter. ¡°I¡¯m just not going to treat him as a villain for it.¡±


    ¡°Ophelia.¡± Desi sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a Midnight.¡±


    Her sister shrugged. ¡°She came here for refuge.¡±


    ¡°Midnights are the enemy, remember.¡± One older woman sneered.


    Caia watched them argue among themselves, her confidence growing by the minute. It seemed the younger generation in particular were more open to the belief that maybe all Midnights weren¡¯t to be condemned solely on heritage alone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would even suggest a Midnight could be innocent.¡± The same woman spat at Ophelia and the others crowded around her. Desi looked torn and she turned to Caia as if for reassurance. Immediately, as her green eyes swept over Caia, her face brightened and she whirled back to the others. ¡°Why not?¡± she demanded of the opposition. ¡°Caia¡¯s part Midnight and she¡¯s awesome.¡±


    Silence immediately descended over the room as they all turned to stare at her.


    Great.


    The older Traveller stepped forward, and still scowling at Desi, said quietly and authoritatively, ¡°That¡¯s different. Miss Ribeiro isn¡¯t a full-blooded Midnight and has proven her loyalty to the Daylights thrice over. In fact, she of all people would be able to tell you that all Midnights are evil.¡±


    Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn¡¯t come here to make a declaration on that subject quite yet. She had only visited them because she wanted to tell them that they could come see her anytime if they needed anything at all. The Travellers were an important group to her... and eventually she would need them.


    As Caia gazed back at all their waiting faces, she was loath to lie to them. If she did, they would only see it as hypocrisy later and her hopes of getting their support would be dashed. Sighing heavily, she shrugged, throwing them a weary smile. ¡°There are very few people in this world who are truly evil. That the Midnights are our enemy at the moment is all you need to know.¡±


    Before the surprised muttering could erupt into loud chatter, Caia moved towards them carefully. ¡°I actually came to tell you that I¡¯ll be returning to the pack for a few days.¡± More lies, she winced. ¡°But that I¡¯ll be back.¡± No need to tell them when. ¡°And while I¡¯m gone I want you to know that you can come visit me, any time, if you need me. I¡¯m here.¡±


    There was some gushing from Desi and her sister, and a few others, but mostly just grateful smiles thrown in with a little bit of hero worship. Normally it would make Caia want to sink into the floor to avoid such flattery. Her plans had changed all that.


    As diplomatically as she could, she made her excuses and returned to her suite with a triumphant smile. Things were going very nicely. Just one last thing to do. With her gaze fixed on the offending vase, Caia practically stormed at it, upended its contents on the floor and sifted through them with her toe.


    There you are.


    The tiny black chip lay before her merely seconds before she crushed it underfoot. Goodbye bug, goodbye Center.... goodbye Marita.


    21 - Finally


    He watched the rain, wishing that they weren¡¯t stuck in this bubble at the Center so he could hear it battering against his windows. The sounds, smells, and sight of rain had always reminded him of the pack, of the damp earth that told him he was home. Sighing, Lucien turned away only to glare at the wall that connected to Caia¡¯s suite. Something was going on, he knew it. That she wouldn¡¯t confide in him enraged him past all rationality. Her attitude towards him before and after the attack at Remnant Forest had been inexcusable considering he was the wronged party. He wanted to throttle her.


    The day he had cornered her in the library he¡¯d gone snooping when she had left the room, hoping to discover a clue as to what she had really been researching.


    Taekwondo my ass.


    To his ever continuing irritation he¡¯d found nothing.


    Then there had been her venture into Paris without him, without even telling him it was going to happen. Ah yeah, Marita had been particularly smug about that when he had gone looking for her only to discover she was destroying Pierre Du Bois¡¯ lab with Phoebe MacLachlan and she hadn¡¯t even had the decency to tell him, her pack Alpha.


    Lucien growled just thinking about it. Marita was winning this stupid war with him over Caia¡¯s loyalty and the sooner he could get her out and away from that woman the better.


    He snapped to attention at the soft knock on his door and admonished himself for hoping it wasn¡¯t Rose. Although he hadn¡¯t entered into a relationship with her, she had been trying to persuade him otherwise, pulling him into surprise kisses and talking about a future together. When she had asked him if she could return to the pack with him, Lucien had felt awful letting her down when she was recovering from the beating she had taken by that Midnight. She had been angry at his refusal, but he felt it would have been worse to commit to her when all his thoughts were ever centered on was Caia. Not that the little she-witch cared, he grumbled, feeling her rejection like little pin pricks of pain all over.

 Page 40

    Disgruntled, he yelled, ¡°Come in!¡± towards the door and hoped his visitor wasn¡¯t looking for pleasant conversation.


    ¡°Lucien.¡± Marion marched inside, slamming the door.


    His eyebrows hit his hairline, surprised by his visitor and even more so by the glare she was using to staple him to the window.


    ¡°Marion. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She spluttered at him, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Throwing her hands up in the air, she spun away from him and began pacing. ¡°This is why I stay away from relationships. The male species of any race are a dim-witted bunch, testing the patience of saints.¡±


    Lucien tried to cover his snort and failed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Lucien. You¡¯ll be laughing on the other side of your face when I impart this next piece of news.¡±


    Just like that his heart stopped, his body went rigid. ¡°What news?¡±


    The magik strode towards him, her head craned back in order to look up at him, her eyes narrow slits. ¡°What on earth are you playing at, young man? Kissing another lykan in front of Caia, avoiding her completely? She¡¯s been alone the entire time she¡¯s been here.¡±


    He only heard the first part of that statement. ¡°What do you mean kissing another lykan in front of Caia?¡±


    Marion curled her lip in distaste. ¡°Rose Bronson. You kissed her in the reception.¡±


    ¡°Caia saw?¡±


    ¡°Caia saw.¡±


    Damn, guilt flooded him. Rose had kissed him good luck and he hadn¡¯t exactly thrown her off. What must Caia think? He was such an id-


    ¡°Wait!¡± he snapped, pushing passed her belligerently. ¡°I have nothing to feel guilty about. I¡¯m not the one that¡¯s been avoiding Caia, it¡¯s the other way around. She¡¯s been keeping secrets, giving me attitude. She made it perfectly clear that she didn¡¯t need me.¡±


    He expected an apology from Marion, for her to graciously admit she had blundered and tell him how sorry she was for him.


    He really was an idiot.


    The witch gazed at him as if he was the most stupid person she had ever met. ¡°And when did this behavior start? Before or after Rose¡¯s arrival?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± Lucien shrugged, not sure he liked where this was going.


    She threw off his dithering with an impatient swat of her hand and stormed towards him again. ¡°Just tell me this... are you with Rose now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really your business, Marion.¡±


    ¡°Lucien,¡± she warned.


    He huffed, affronted at having to discuss his personal business with this woman. ¡°I would be better off, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not with Rose.¡±


    At that, Marion heaved a huge sigh of relief while still managing to stare at him in disgust. ¡°Men.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the male bashing, Marion. What exactly are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve come to help you stop Caia making a terrible mistake that will affect you both.¡±


    An immediate panic set in. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Caia is staying at the Center.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± she hissed, smoothing her hair back down after Lucien¡¯s ferocious bellow had blown it back. ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡±


    ¡°My fault! I¡¯ve been here! I¡¯ve been trying to find out what the hell she¡¯s been keeping from me.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯ve been with Rose.¡±


    ¡°For the last time-¡±


    ¡°Lucien L¨ªder, do not interrupt me again,¡± Marion warned, her stern eyes gluing his mouth shut. ¡°Good. As I was saying, I am tired of the complete idiocy you and Caia seem to share when it comes to the matter of your relationship. Caia has not been divulging any information to you, Lucien, because she was hurt and jealous by Rose¡¯s presence in your life.¡±


    Well, that doesn¡¯t sound right.


    ¡°Are we talking about the same Caia Ribeiro?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear Gaia, I¡¯m surrounded by fools.¡± Marion threw her hands up in dismay and flopped down on to his sofa. ¡°Lucien, when you arrived at the Center was Caia talking to you? Yes. When Rose arrived did Caia stop confiding in you? Yes.¡±


    ¡°What, no-¡± he stopped, a nagging feeling telling him to halt and take a moment. Now that she mentioned it, there had been a few times Caia had seemed to want to talk to him about something, but there had always been an interruption. And true, lately, that interruption had been Rose.


    Marion must have seen the comprehension dawn on his face because she made a clucking, gloating sound. ¡°And everything starts to make sense.¡±


    Lucien shook his head, trying to remain cool. ¡°Are you telling me that Caia thinks I¡¯ve abandoned her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that you let my sister¡¯s plot to separate you and Caia so that she would be more inclined to stay at the Center with her work. I¡¯m telling you that for the last seven months you haven¡¯t been with your mate because you didn¡¯t say the one thing that she needed to hear. I¡¯m telling you what I tried to tell you the night Caia was attacked by that daemon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    ¡°Lucien.¡± Marion tut-tutted and got up off of the sofa. ¡°What do you think? Caia has never really had a family until you. And right now she is the most valuable magik in our world and she doesn¡¯t know who to trust. If she knew how you really felt about her, if she was secure in that, she would turn to you.¡± Her eyes filled up and she coughed, embarrassed, looking away from him. ¡°I care about her a great deal, Lucien, but I worry for her all the time. This war is going to swallow her whole if she¡¯s not careful. She needs you. So choke on that stubborn pride of yours and tell her those three little words she¡¯s been waiting to hear.¡±


    He clenched his jaw, fear breaking out across every inch of his body. ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t say it back?¡±


    Marion smiled slowly, softly. ¡°She will.¡±


    He searched her eyes, astounded by her utmost certainty in Caia¡¯s love. Did she know something he didn¡¯t? That certainty eased the ache that had been pressing on his chest for the last few months. He nodded, feeling an elated sense of hope. ¡°I need to speak to Rose first.¡±


    Pressing her hand against the glass, Caia wished the rain in Paris could hit against the Center¡¯s window. She loved the sound of rain battering against the house when you were tucked inside, safe and sound, with cozy flames roaring in a fireplace.


    A loud rap sounded on her door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± she called, keeping her back to her visitor, her eyes glued hypnotically to the blurry world outside.


    She heard the door open slowly, heavy footsteps drew across the room towards her. She inhaled the scent of damp earth and electric air, and wasn¡¯t surprised when Lucien came to a stop by her side, his own eyes staring straight ahead out of the window.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you,¡± he told her in a quiet, deep voice.


    Well at least he doesn¡¯t sound angry.


    She had been waiting for the explosion to come ever since she had gotten back from the lab with Phoebe. So far, she hadn¡¯t seen him.


    There¡¯s a surprise.


    ¡°I like the rain.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    After a moment of silence Caia sighed. ¡°Did you hear the news?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t looking forward to telling the truth, of explaining about Laila and Vilhelm, or her plans to create a coup after her discovery of what lay beneath the Center.


    ¡°Yes.¡± His tone didn¡¯t give anything away, and Caia snuck a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. His entire body was rigid with emotion. He was angry. Time for the truth.


    She pushed out with her magik and wound a shield around the two of them. Lucien frowned, glancing around at it, but she refused to meet his gaze, her own eyes staring adamantly ahead.


    ¡°For privacy,¡± she muttered in explanation. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do,¡± he agreed and she felt him heave a huge sigh. To her it almost sounded like he was nervous... but what did he have to be nervous about?


    Rose.


    Caia gripped the ache that name created in a stranglehold and attempted to suffocate it from her body.


    ¡°Rose isn¡¯t coming back with us.¡±


    What?


    ¡°What?¡± she forgot she was trying not to look at him and directed the question into his eyes.


    He shrugged uncomfortably, and she thought she saw pain flitter across his features. ¡°I just spoke with her. Everything was explained. She¡¯s not coming. We were never really together, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she managed tightly. What? Did he expect sympathy for being dumped?


    She flinched at his growl and returned to looking out of the window.


    ¡°Caia,¡± he sounded exasperated, ¡°Look at me.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being a child.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I like the rain.¡±


    He let go of his growl and stared stormily ahead. ¡°I never wanted to be with Rose,¡± he revealed through a clenched jaw. ¡°That kiss you saw was her, not me. I told her she couldn¡¯t come back to the pack with us. Caia, I thought you were pulling away, I thought you didn¡¯t want...¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not good at... the word... thing. I just... I¡¯m not with Rose.¡±


    Caia tried so hard to stamp down the little butterflies of hope that were fluttering in her stomach to no avail. She tried to seem uninterested, she really did. She failed. ¡°Why?¡±


    At first Caia didn¡¯t think he was going to answer but then she felt his gaze on her face as he began, ¡°Do you remember that night you found me in the woods? The night we ran together alone?¡±


    She nodded numbly, wishing she didn¡¯t.


    At the touch of his hand sliding around her waist, Caia jerked in surprise, tensed as he slid behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her middle and pulling her body in close. The heat and strength of him, the feel of him, the scent of him, exploded over her in a riot of butterflies and stunning shivers. She held her breath, wide-eyed, as he inhaled her, before tucking her head under his chin.

 Page 41

    A moment of tense silence.


    And then¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s when I first knew,¡± his voice had gone hoarse. ¡°Caia,¡± he breathed reverently, ¡°I love you.¡±


    Her heart rate picked up as a sharp ache shot out of it and across her chest.


    Love me? He loves me?


    A sense of unreality descended over her and she felt incredibly lightheaded. It couldn¡¯t be true.


    Lucien seemed to sense her disbelief and he squeezed her even closer, his lips sending goosebumps down her spine as he pressed them against her ear. ¡°Caia, I love you. Look at me.¡± He sighed when she made no move, and then whipped her around to face him, gripping the top of her arms and glaring sternly into her face as he shook her. ¡°Do you hear me? Say something.¡±


    As she gazed, stunned, up into his eyes she saw his fear. It was etched in every one of his features and she could feel it in his painful grip. He loves me. Like a much need thaw, those words melted her defenses, and tears streamed down her face of their own accord. Caia sank into him, her arms wrapping around his waist and gripping him to her. Relief poured through her. Lucien would never lie about this, she was sure. He loves me. He has always loved me. Pain receded.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± she whispered against his chest.


    Lucien trembled beneath her touch and exhaled a sigh of relief, before bending his head, pressing his lips to hers, tugging her feet from the floor so he could devour her more comfortably. Caia sighed happily into his mouth, relishing the taste of him, the burning heat he managed to elicit from her in seconds. It wasn¡¯t a soft kiss. It was hard and deep and asked everything of her. His grip on her hair tightened and he pulled back from the kiss to nip at her swollen lips, his eyes narrowed slits, his face drawn and tight. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never be mine,¡± he growled, and for once Caia gloried at his possessiveness, excited by how out of control he seemed as his mouth found hers again, his tongue forcing her lips apart to stroke her own in deep, drugging kisses. Her whole body felt like it was on fire and she shivered uncontrollably. At that, Lucien finally seemed to calm, and he stopped kissing her mouth, reluctantly.


    ¡°Caia,¡± he groaned, trailing hot kisses across her face and neck, his arms still crushing her almost painfully, ¡°Never leave me.¡±


    She grinned so ecstatic, feeling as if a war was finally over. ¡°Never,¡± she promised, curling her fingers in his thick hair.


    They held each other for what seemed forever, murmuring love words and promises in one another¡¯s ears, their relief palpable in the little bubble they shared.


    Lucien was hers. Finally hers. And she wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    ¡°Lucien.¡± Caia pulled back reluctantly from his hug, his hard warm body the safest place she had ever known. ¡°I have a lot to tell you. To explain. Some things you might not want to hear.¡±


    As if sensing her fear, he cupped her cheek in his hand. ¡°You can trust me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you trusting me.¡±


    ¡°Caia, I trust you completely. I thought you knew that.¡±


    She shrugged helplessly. ¡°I guess we¡¯ve both been a little blind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just a little,¡± he muttered sardonically.


    ¡°OK.¡± She took a deep breath, preparing herself. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you everything. No interruptions until I¡¯m done.¡±


    He grinned at her authoritative tone. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Please, continue.¡±


    ¡°OK. OK. OK-¡±


    ¡°Caia.¡±


    ¡°OK. Here goes. The girl that escaped, the Midnight... I felt her trace when we got here and didn¡¯t like what I found. She was, is, one of the purest souls I¡¯ve ever encountered.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°No interruptions.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I mean, she¡¯s good. I mean that for the last few months I have been feeling traces, Midnights, who aren¡¯t bad people. A lot of them even feel indifferent towards the war. And Laila, the girl, she... I won¡¯t tell you exactly what happened to her, that¡¯s her business, but I can tell you that the Midnights did a lot of bad things to her, experiments, torture. She honestly sought refuge here, with Daylights, with Vilhelm, the boy who brought her here.¡±


    ¡°The guy that broke her out?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Only... he had a lot of help. From me.¡±


    Lucien jerked away from her in shock. ¡°You broke that girl out of prison?!¡±


    Caia felt her heart begin to thump uncertainly. ¡°Oh man, if you think that¡¯s a problem you might not want to hear the rest.¡±


    Although he looked incredibly worried, he shook it off, pressing her to go on.


    ¡°OK, so Vil, the guy, he¡¯s a Traveller and I sent them to Ryder.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the only one I could trust. He doesn¡¯t know that Laila¡¯s a Midnight. He just thinks I¡¯m helping them. And he¡¯s strong enough to take care of them. Anyway.¡± She smiled tremulously. ¡°There¡¯s that. And also I found out that Marita and Mordecai bugged my room. They were trying to discover secrets. Something about Jaeden.¡±


    His brow cleared with dawning realization. ¡°That¡¯s why you asked that question about her abilities in the library.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, taking his hand in hers unconsciously. ¡°They were talking about Jaeden¡¯s abilities, if I knew anything about them. I don¡¯t. I have no idea what they were talking about. Anyway, after that I was suspicious about them both. Marita was definitely up to something.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what that is?¡±


    Caia braced herself for the worst part of her news. ¡°The other day, the morning I woke up after our battle with Du Bois, I saw Marita outside the Altar of Gaia. She was acting... strange. I was already suspicious of her so I followed her inside. She disappeared under the floor.¡±


    Lucien looked at her as if she was speaking Chinese. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a trap door in the altar. One of the marble slabs is a door. There are ladders that lead down into a basement.¡±


    Dread settled over his features and she knew he felt that something irrevocable was coming. ¡°What kind of basement?¡±


    ¡°The kind with laboratories.¡±


    Emotion she hadn¡¯t been allowing herself to feel swept over her like an avalanche and she found herself stumbling to find a seat as her eyes clouded with tears. ¡°I saw Marita inside one with a guy in a lab coat. There were five lykan children in cages.¡±


    ¡°Oh hell,¡± she heard Lucien say gruffly and she felt the sofa dip as he settled down beside her, his hand rubbing her back soothingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing.¡± She shook her head and turned to face him, his skin ashen from the news. ¡°Do you remember she asked me to stay and help train an elite lykan unit?¡±


    He nodded and slowly his eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t think...?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that she¡¯s trying to create a super army by experimenting on other supernaturals. There was another lab further up the corridor but I couldn¡¯t get to it. I had to leave before Marita saw me.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are we going to do, Caia?¡±


    She turned towards him now, never so grateful for the use of ¡®we¡¯ in that question, her hand gripping his knee as she spoke intently, ¡°I had to lie and tell her I would stay at the Center. That I was going back to the pack with you to say goodbye and then returning to her. I had to lie, Lucien, because I think she would have done anything to keep me here.¡±


    His face darkened. ¡°As in threaten you? That¡¯s against the law.¡±


    ¡°I think we can assume she doesn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about the law.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    He squeezed her hand. ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°The war is a lie.¡±


    A cold, uneasy silence rippled out of him, before¡­¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The war... it doesn¡¯t make sense. I can¡¯t knowingly help kill magiks who are innocent or just misguided. And I can¡¯t help someone who professes to hate a race of people for doing things that she¡¯s so intent on doing herself. This war is so twisted... the reasons for it don¡¯t even exist anymore.¡±


    His grip tightened. ¡°So what are you saying?¡±


    She searched his eyes and took hold of the trust she found there. ¡°I¡¯m saying that I need more power in order to begin peace negotiations with the Midnight Coven.¡±


    ¡°Caia... peace negotiations? Are you sure that¡¯s not a little naive?¡±


    Her gaze dropped to her feet uncertainly and she shrugged, feeling like a little girl in her mother¡¯s high heels. ¡°Maybe. But... if they knew that I¡¯m the Head of the Coven, that I can find them anywhere... a little fear might go a long way to negotiating.¡±


    Lucien nodded slowly. ¡°OK, true. But they might also just try to kill you.¡±


    She frowned in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s all I¡¯ve got. I won¡¯t fight for a lie.¡±


    His shoulders slumped when he saw how determined she was. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Vil... the Traveller.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°When I was in the library-¡±


    ¡°I was wondering what you were up to in there.¡± He tugged her close.


    ¡°Well, I was researching a spell. But also the library has schedules for everything as a public reference. Classes, ceremonies, holidays and... the days on which the Council convene.¡±


    ¡°The Council?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you know that they have the authority to permit a challenger for the position of Head of the Coven if they have evidence that the current Head is not the best magik for the job?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    She gulped. ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m the most powerful weapon they have, and Gaia put me here for a reason. I¡¯m saying that if they knew what Marita was up to... Vil can to take me to the Council, and I¡¯m going to challenge Marita to the post. If they agree, a political campaign will begin and the Coven will vote for their choice of candidate.¡±

 Page 42

    ¡°Caia, if the Council discover what Marita is up to there will be no election.¡± Lucien shook his head. ¡°They will kill Marita.¡±


    ¡°No, no, we¡¯re better than that, than her.¡± She jerked her head. ¡°I would ask for them to keep her alive. She could keep the trace, work for me, do for me what I¡¯ve been doing for her.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Yeah, I can see that happening.¡±


    ¡°She would have to. It would be her only choice.¡±


    Lucien ran a frustrated hand through his hair as his silver eyes drank her in. He was quiet for so long, and she knew he wasn¡¯t as convinced as she was. Still, he kissed her softly, and wrapping her in his arms he whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll make the badges and banners, you can write the speeches.¡±


    Caia smiled slowly, relief flooding her, and she pulled him in for a grateful kiss.


    They somehow managed to disentangle themselves from each other to make the difficult decision to lie to Marion. When they found her waiting in the Reception for them, her bright eyes wide with hope, Caia felt awful duping her. She and Lucien walked with a deliberate distance between them, fake frostiness preceding them to the waiting magik. Caia winced, watching Marion slump in disappointment, glaring at Lucien as if he were to blame.


    Tactful as always, however, she didn¡¯t mention the state of their relationship.


    ¡°Ready then.¡± She heaved an exasperated sigh, gesturing to the portal awaiting them past the security.


    Lucien surprised her by pulling her into a hug. ¡°Thanks for everything, Marion.¡±


    Caia wanted to slap him. He was going to give them away.


    Sappy idiot.


    The witch giggled unexpectedly at his affection and pushed him off. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything apparently,¡± she tut-tutted him and pushed him gently towards the portal, missing the mischievous grin he threw over her head at Caia.


    Trying her hardest to ignore him, a herculean task since the very thought of him made her want to melt into a puddle, Caia hugged Marion and prayed to Gaia that her friend would forgive her as she lied, ¡°See you in a few days.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yes you will.¡± Marion shook her head at her as she pulled back. ¡°Silly girl.¡±


    With a vague gesture, Caia smiled wryly at her and headed towards Lucien, who waited by the portal for her.


    Wary of Marion¡¯s eyes on them Caia stuck her hand out to him as if it was the last thing she wanted to do. He reached for it tentatively but gripped it tight.


    Relief and anxiety poured through her as the gel-like quality of the portal slithered across her skin. In moments they were blinking past the light streaming in from the lamp post outside the windows of the disused workout room in Magic Fitness.


    She felt like a bird freed from a cage, only to find it was now so tame it had no idea how to survive on its own.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± Lucien pulled her to him, wrapping her in his solid comfort.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to do this,¡± she mumbled into his chest. It rumbled with his laughter underneath her and she buried deeper into him.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe you are either. But I believe in you.¡±


    Tilting her head back she was surprised to find his eyes smoke with fierceness. ¡°You really do, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You need to stop sounding surprised by that.¡±


    She smiled shyly. ¡°But I am surprised.¡±


    He chuckled and took hold of her hand, leading her out of the room and out of the fairly quiet gymnasium. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be this bad mother¡ªyou know, then you are going to have to start sounding like you¡¯re aware you¡¯re the bomb.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°The bomb?¡±


    Lucien turned to her as they walked across the parking lot. ¡°Was that wrong?¡±


    ¡°So wrong it was painful.¡±


    He shrugged, unfazed. ¡°Well, you know what I mean.¡±


    Caia nodded, straightening her shoulders back. ¡°I have to be confident, match my badass powers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He grinned. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant. Damn.¡± Lucien stopped, crouching down by the wheel of his truck. Yellow clamps stood between them and the pack. Of course the car had been sitting in the lot for days now.


    ¡°Do you want me to...?¡± She wriggled her fingers.


    Lucien huffed, ¡°This doesn¡¯t need magik.¡± He quickly looked around the lot to make sure there was no one else around and then gripped the clamps with both hands. With what appeared to be the gentlest of tugs the clamp split in two and he pulled it out from under the car. He did the same with the others, and gestured for Caia to get in.


    ¡°Wow.¡± She smiled cheekily as she slid her seat belt on.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Was that a deliberate attempt to make me feel like the ¡®little Mrs.¡¯?¡±


    Lucien grunted and started the engine, speeding out of the lot before anyone found them with the clamps, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. I was just reminding you that I have my uses. You don¡¯t have to do everything yourself.¡±


    Caia snuggled into her seat. ¡°You don¡¯t how good that is to hear.¡±


    He reached across the distance between them and linked his fingers with hers, keeping one hand on the wheel and his eyes on the road. ¡°You¡¯re my mate.¡±


    She bit her lip, undecided whether she should ask the question that had been sneaking closer and closer to the forefront of her mind since Lucien had declared his love for her.


    Her mate seemed to sense it and tugged on her hand.


    ¡°Caia, I¡¯m willing to take my pack into a political war against the Head of the Daylight Coven for you. Surely you realize you can say anything to me by now.¡±


    Laughing at her own stupidity, Caia blushed. ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    I hope this comes out right or this might be the shortest relationship in history.


    ¡°Well, are you afraid that what we feel for each other is only because of the mating?¡±


    When his silence stretched into awkward, Caia began to worry her lip with her teeth, her eyes unblinking, watching him for signs of his anger. Finally, he glanced at her briefly, before returning his eyes to the road. She felt a measure of relief as he squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Does it matter if it is?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it though?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± By tugging on her hand he pulled her closer to him, his scent enfolding her and warming her instantly. ¡°Maybe we do love each other because of a deal our fathers made with a god, but it doesn¡¯t make that love any less real.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not worried that it wasn¡¯t your choice to love me?¡±


    Lucien snorted. ¡°No. And if I remember correctly that line of argument is the reason we haven¡¯t been together from the start, so I think it might be best we burn those thoughts forever. Seriously, Caia, do you want to give this up just because it was preordained by our dads?¡±


    She could sense the worry in his question and felt a peculiar need to tease him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, down that road is a dangerous journey - wanting the fairytale because reality blows. Neo would be most unimpressed by us.¡±


    ¡°Well, since his third movie sucked Neo can go to Hades.¡±


    Caia grinned at him. ¡°You got that reference?¡±


    He rolled his eyes at her and sighed wearily. ¡°Really, Caia, what do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°A lykan with very little attachment to the television.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but with a friend who watched The Matrix Trilogy ninety times when he should have been out kicking some rogue¡¯s ass.¡±


    ¡°Ryder,¡± Caia laughed.


    Lucien grunted, ¡°I should be thankful he keeps me socially adept.¡±


    She tried to suppress a grin. ¡°But you¡¯re not thankful.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen The Matrix Revolutions?¡±


    22 - Loyalty


    The sound of gravel crunching beneath tires was like a welcoming trumpet to Caia and Lucien¡¯s ears. They tumbled out of his truck, tired but still filled with love-fuelled restlessness. Caia mused over how strangely comfortable it was for them to walk with their arms around one another into the house. It felt like something they had been doing forever. They found Magnus and Ella standing in the doorway of the sitting room, waiting on them.


    They were both grinning at their return, and then Ella¡¯s eyes washed over them clinging to each other and they widened. ¡°Does this mean...¡± she looked quickly to Magnus to see if he had noticed, and he was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes twinkling.


    ¡°We¡¯re together,¡± Lucien¡¯s voice rumbled with satisfaction.


    The Elders launched themselves at them with Magnus booming, ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡±


    Caia laughed and allowed them to squeeze her to death. Noticing the tears running like twin streams down Ella¡¯s cheeks, Caia pulled her aside to hold her close.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy. Albus would have been so happy.¡±


    Before Caia could reply, Magnus was lifting her off the ground in a massive bear hug, his own eyes suspiciously wet. When she was firmly back on the ground, he held her face between his hands and gazed down at her adoringly. ¡°I feel like a proud father.¡±


    Her throat burned and she worked her jaw trying not cry. At last she managed a hoarse, ¡°You have been like a father to me, Uncle Magnus. Thank you.¡±


    The best moment in her life so far, a moment when she finally felt she was really a part of a family, was cut short by a shrill ringing. Cursing, Lucien pulled out his cell phone.


    ¡°Ryder,¡± he muttered and hit the answer button. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± they all heard Ryder, ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°This minute. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying your cell for the last 24 hours.¡±


    Lucien frowned and hunched over into the conversation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you know already. You and Caia too tired to come over to my apartment?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Ella didn¡¯t look happy when Lucien hung up. ¡°Surely he can let you two get some sleep before you visit him.¡±

 Page 43

    Lucien shrugged like it was no big deal. ¡°Sounds important.¡±


    Magnus chuckled. ¡°Oh it is.¡±


    Wait, what? Caia glanced sharply at her uncle. What did he know?


    Her expression must have mirrored Lucien¡¯s because Magnus laughed harder. ¡°I¡¯ll let Ryder impart the news. But here¡¯s a clue... Dimitri isn¡¯t happy.¡±


    ¡°Magnus.¡± Ella swatted him. ¡°You¡¯ll give it away.¡±


    ¡°Give what away?¡±


    They remained silent and Lucien huffed, ¡°Need I remind you I¡¯m your Alpha. I have a right to know what¡¯s going on in my own pack.¡±


    The Elders grimaced. ¡°Well, you¡¯re about to find out.¡± Magnus nodded and then shot a look at Caia. ¡°Now that he¡¯s your responsibility maybe you can begin pulling that stick out of his ass.¡±


    They wondered aloud as to what Magnus and Ella could have been talking about, but their worries were so focused on Vilhelm and Laila they were already at Ryder¡¯s with still no clue. Ryder threw the door open with a huge, relieved grin and clapped Lucien hard on the shoulder before dragging Caia into a tight hug. She suppressed a laugh at the feel of Lucien¡¯s hand on her waist, drawing her forcefully out of his friend¡¯s grip and tight to his side, his hand cupping her hip possessively. At first Ryder stumbled back a little confused and then his expression cleared and he whooped, ¡°All right, about time!¡± and held out a hand to Lucien. Caia looked on as they did their manly handshake and hugged quickly, a hug that was more of a battering of hands on each other¡¯s back.


    ¡°Congrats guys, really. Very relieved.¡± He grinned and then gestured for them to come in. ¡°Actually.¡± He chuckled happily, following them down the hallway to his sitting room. ¡°I have some news of my own.¡±


    Caia¡¯s view of the sitting room was blocked by Lucien as he entered first, and she was surprised at the soft sound he made as his pace picked up, striding deeper into the room. Her eyes widened as she glimpsed Jaeden before she was swallowed in Lucien¡¯s tight hug. Her heart sped up. It had been a long while, and she and the real Jaeden hadn¡¯t really spoken since her rescue. Caia glanced anxiously at Ryder who smiled warmly at her, his eyes soon returning to stare at Jaeden. A feeling rippled out of him and Caia caught it on the air.


    ¡°Ryder,¡± she breathed, disbelieving at the intensity of it, ¡°Jaeden?¡±


    His eyes widened as he realized she comprehended the truth. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± Lucien asked, as he and Jaeden drew back to them.


    Caia locked gazes with Jae, feeling awkward and useless. There was a time when she had thought of this girl as the greatest friend she had ever had. It was difficult to remember now if there had been any truth in that, and what she felt towards her likened to grief.


    Jaeden appeared to not know what to say either, her body rigid at first. And then she visibly relaxed, surprising Caia by hugging her, if a little awkwardly. ¡°Cy, good to see you.¡± She nodded, her eyes seeming to ask Caia to relax as well.


    Feeling a little stupid Caia grinned nervously. ¡°You too. You look great.¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡± Lucien growled.


    Jaeden giggled at that, a sound Caia never thought to hear from her again, and then danced into Ryder¡¯s arms, kissing him affectionately. ¡°Ryder and I want to be mates.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s emotions veered from gob smacked, to confusion, and then delight when he realized his friend was serious. He had never seen Ryder look at anyone the way he looked at Jae, obliterating all his predictions that Ryder would be a perpetual bachelor. Sitting on Ryder¡¯s sofa, he and Caia watched and listened as Ryder and Jaeden told the story of their return to the pack. Lucien grinned at Caia as the two of them bickered like an old mated couple. They didn¡¯t even have to ask if he would give them permission to have a ceremony. Ryder most probably would have killed him anyway if he didn¡¯t. He was not surprised, however, to hear that Dimitri was having a difficult time with the idea, considering Jaeden had only just been returned to him, and as his gaze fell on his own mate he was glad there was no waiting involved to be with her truly, as there was for his friend. It still amazed him how easily Caia had come to him when he told her he loved her, and ever since he had to stop from kicking himself that he hadn¡¯t done so sooner. He sighed inwardly. Knowing what the Hades was going on a female¡¯s mind had never been one of his strong suits. As she laughed at something Ryder was saying, Lucien smiled softly. It had been a long time since he had seen her look this happy.


    At that darkness, like a silent snowfall shrouding his world of color and warmth, settled over him, sending chills across his skin.


    She had better enjoy it, he thought somewhat bitterly, because this battle she wanted to wage against Marita to win the war was going to slowly siphon that happiness back out of her. He was terrified for her. That the majority of Midnights could possibly be misunderstood was inconceivable, but Caia saw it, felt it, and he believed in Caia. A flare of pain radiated from his chest. He believed enough to drag his pack into a coup against the Head of the Daylight Coven.


    ¡°Lucien?¡± Caia had reached over and was gripping his hand.


    He blinked away his contemplation and found the three of them staring at him in concern.


    ¡°You OK, man?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He shook off gruffly.


    Ryder shrugged. ¡°You looked a little put out that¡¯s all.¡±


    Lucien frowned at him. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Caia squeezed his hand and then released it, turning to Jaeden with a curious smile. ¡°So this Reuben character?¡±


    Ryder growled and spun away from Jaeden, his body bristling. Obviously the vampyre was a problem for his friend, Lucien concluded. He could relate with the whole possessiveness thing - a genetic downfall of their species, if you asked him.


    Jae hid a grin at Ryder¡¯s attitude. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s not much else to tell except that he¡¯s here, offering his help-¡±


    ¡°Sticking his nose in,¡± Ryder interrupted.


    ¡°No. Being a friend. He and Ryder don¡¯t exactly get on. Especially since my attempted kidnapping the other day.¡±


    Lucien flinched like he had been hit. ¡°What?¡± he blasted at Ryder, angry that this was just now being brought up.


    His friend¡¯s face had gone red with anger as he glared back at Lucien. ¡°Yeah, someone tried to snatch her off your grounds. I got there with Reuben just in time. The vamp chased the person into your woods but lost them.¡±


    ¡°Did you see what they looked like?¡± Caia asked softly, her face drained of all color.


    Jaeden shook her head, her lips pinched. ¡°They were dressed in black apparently. Another kidnapping attempt. I¡¯m beginning to think someone doesn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°The Midnights?¡± Lucien automatically asked Caia, and regretted the accusatory tone of the question immediately.


    She snapped up off the couch with a disdainful look. ¡°I would have felt it if it were the Midnights.¡±


    Jae crossed her arms over her chest defensively, her eyes which had just moments ago been sparkling happily, were narrowed, determinedly trying to mask vulnerability. ¡°Well, maybe you missed something. Can¡¯t you double check?¡±


    Caia bit down on her lip as all three of them gazed at her in expectation, and Lucien detected the shudder that ran through her body. ¡°Caia, no pressure,¡± he assured her, throwing a couple of annoyed glances at Ryder and Jae.


    ¡°I¡¯ll check. I¡¯ll be back in a second.¡±


    When she was gone Lucien skewered the two of them to the wall with a look. ¡°Ease up on my mate.¡±


    ¡°You just like saying that, don¡¯t you?¡± Ryder grinned. ¡°My mate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s beside the point. There¡¯s a lot going on that you aren¡¯t aware of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, like the Midnight Ryder¡¯s keeping in his guest bedroom for Caia?¡± Jae asked dryly.


    Lucien groaned. He had no idea how the two of them had found out that Laila was a Midnight, and no idea how to explain the situation to them. More than that, however, he was curious as to why Ryder would keep Laila under his roof if he was aware of her heritage.


    ¡°How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Reuben.¡± Ryder curled his lips up in distaste at the mention of the vamp. ¡°The guy is weird, Lucien. Knew little Laila was a Midnight right off. I think you should interrogate him.¡±


    ¡°Oh there will be no interrogating of anybody,¡± Jaeden snapped, ¡°Except perhaps Caia. We¡¯ve been waiting, for what seems like weeks, for an answer to why she sent a Midnight to us and how she knew that Laila was a good guy.¡±


    His ears perked at that. ¡°So you believe Caia?¡±


    Jaeden snorted. ¡°Have you met Laila and Vil? There isn¡¯t a bad bone in that girl¡¯s body and I don¡¯t have to be a tracer, or whatever, to know that. Plus, she told me what the Midnights did to her. If anyone has a reason to go a.w.o.l and join the other side, it¡¯s that girl.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    She shook her head, her face taut with restrained emotion. ¡°That¡¯s her private business.¡±


    Lucien scratched his cheek feeling bemused. ¡°I¡¯m shocked. I thought when we told you I¡¯d have a battle on my hands convincing you Caia is right.¡±


    Ryder shook his head, sitting back down beside Jaeden. ¡°Nah. Little Laila is a sweetheart, anyone can see that.¡±


    Hmm, he wasn¡¯t just talking about little Laila.


    ¡°What about other Midnights?¡± he ventured tentatively.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Their expressions changed often as he told them about Caia¡¯s certainty that the war as it stood made no sense, considering there were Midnights out there who did not believe in the destruction of other supernatural races. There were too many voices in her trace telling her they weren¡¯t bad guys, that they just as much as she would like to see an end to the war. And then he broke the news of what Caia had found in the basement of the Center. They both sat listening attentively, their eyes round with a mixture of disbelief and fear.

 Page 44

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Jaeden choked out when he was finished. ¡°Caia¡¯s going to usurp Marita?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Caia¡¯s voice caught a hold of him like a hand at the back of his neck, ¡°When you put it like that, it sounds crazy.¡±


    ¡°Cy.¡± Ryder stood up, his eyes blazing. ¡°Are you serious? Are you seriously going to go to the Council and do this?¡±


    At first, Lucien detected the uncertainty in her face, and then she looked at him and he could tell she was remembering what he told her about confidence. Her shoulders straightened and she swept her hair back off her shoulders, before retorting coolly, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m completely serious. It¡¯s the only thing to be done.¡±


    Jaeden snorted, ¡°Oh, yeah cos¡¯ there aren¡¯t any other options here. It¡¯s too risky, Caia.¡±


    ¡°You would rather I aid Marita in killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people.¡±


    ¡°Innocent according to you.¡±


    Caia¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a Midnight who attempted to kidnap you. And these people aren¡¯t my uncle, Jaeden.¡±


    ¡°How dare-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to upset you. Don¡¯t get me wrong, many of the older families abhor us. Some are just following a faith - it¡¯s a religion to them. And others think it¡¯s stupid. There are Daylights who are beginning to feel the same way. But there are also little kids being experimented upon and the only way I can get to them is with some major political backing. I can win this. We can win this.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    Lucien cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m in this with her, which means the pack is. If you don¡¯t want in, you leave the pack.¡±


    Ryder grinned at him. ¡°Final word of the Alpha, huh? You know I¡¯m completely in, right?¡± He nodded to Caia. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this girl in action. My bet is on her.¡±


    ¡°Jaeden?¡± Caia asked tentatively. ¡°I know it¡¯s not the war you thought you¡¯d be fighting, it shocked me too. I want to go back to everything being black and white, but it won¡¯t. There are no other options.¡±


    He watched Jae as she turned to lock eyes with Ryder. Whatever passed between them caused the tension to drain from her body and she turned back to Caia. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this but... OK. I believe you. I¡¯m in. I won¡¯t stand by and let her get away with this.¡±


    Caia nodded, only a slight curve to her mouth betraying her relief. ¡°Good. I guess that means it¡¯s time for me and Lucien to check in on Laila and Vilhelm. I need Vil to take me to the next Council meeting. It¡¯s in two weeks¡¯ time. Actually you guys have done me a favor.¡±


    Ryder smiled quizzically. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I can use your mating ceremony as an excuse to stall going back to the Center.¡±


    Lucien chuckled. ¡°Crafty.¡±


    ¡°Nice to be of help,¡± Jaeden grumbled teasingly.


    Caia jumped a little at the sound of a door slamming shut, and turned as Vil slowly entered the sitting room with his hand tangled in Laila¡¯s. The girl looked much healthier than the last time Caia had laid eyes on her. Caia would even go so far as to say she looked radiantly happy. Ryder and Jaeden really must have been treating them well.


    ¡°Caia?¡± Laila asked quietly, her eyes glancing from her to Vil.


    Vil smiled affectionately at Caia and nodded.


    The next thing she knew, the girl had her delicate arms wrapped around her, hugging her close.


    ¡°Callan.¡± Laila eased away from her gracefully, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. ¡°There are no words to thank you for what you have done.¡±


    Caia¡¯s whole body thrummed with a golden peace at Laila¡¯s proximity and once more that intangible quality in her trace flummoxed her. The girl was like sunshine and air, her presence so relaxing and sweet Caia couldn¡¯t believe anyone could ever wish her harm.


    Uncomfortable with the gratitude Caia shrugged abashedly, considering she now needed a favor from Vil.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± she mumbled and held her hand out behind her for Lucien, knowing he would understand. At once she felt his warm, callused hand engulf her small one and her breathing eased. It was wonderful, after weeks of feeling alone, to finally trust someone, to be able to lean on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Caia.¡± Vil smiled warmly at her. ¡°I was afraid something might have happened to you.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°The attack went forward with the MacLachlans. We dealt with it.¡± She didn¡¯t want to think about that night. ¡°You should know that Marita can¡¯t pick up your trace.¡±


    The two magiks frowned, glancing at each other questioningly.


    Caia grimaced. ¡°I guess that means neither of you know why she can¡¯t.¡±


    Laila floated back to Vil¡¯s side. ¡°No, Callan. I¡¯ve heard only a very old supernatural can mask their trace and Vil is just a boy.¡±


    ¡°Nearly a man,¡± he mumbled, drawing her close to him and puffing his chest out a little. Caia tried not to laugh.


    ¡°Why are you calling Caia, Callan?¡± Lucien asked in his usual tone, which to outsiders could sound a little reproving.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m interrupting,¡± A new, unfamiliar voice greeted from behind Vil and Laila.


    They moved out of the doorway to reveal a tall, good-looking young man with dark hair and eyes. His youth could be attributed to his cool, unkempt appearance, the dark jeans and black t-shirt, the silver thumb ring on one hand, the tattoo on his forearm, the silver coin fashioned onto thin black rope around his neck, and the small ring pierced through his lower lip. He had a dangerous bad boy quality and suddenly Caia understood why Ryder didn¡¯t like his involvement in Jaeden¡¯s life. The vampyre looked around the room at them all and then his eyes fell on her. Despite his smooth-shaven, wrinkle-free face, when Caia met those eyes with her own she felt as if she were looking into depths that had seen the world in all its forms many times over. The youthfulness combated a confident control she had never before come across.


    ¡°This must be the famous Caia,¡± he said, approaching slowly.


    Lucien didn¡¯t tense beside her, making her question whether or not she¡¯d really seen the eerie fascination in his gaze, or if she was just being paranoid.


    Jaeden stood up between them and smiled anxiously as she introduced him.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± her mate greeted him amiably enough, holding out a hand to shake the vampyre¡¯s.


    Reuben shook his hand with a friendly languor and turned back to Vil and Laila. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have been formerly introduced, but guys this is Lucien, Caia¡¯s mate.¡±


    ¡°How did you know they¡¯re mates?¡± Ryder growled from behind them.


    Reuben gestured to their hands clasped together. ¡°Body language.¡± He grinned back at Lucien. ¡°I overheard your question to Laila. You should know that Callan means flowing water. Laila¡¯s people consider it rude to call anyone of importance or wisdom by their first name, so she¡¯s calling Caia, Callan, by her element, a sign of deep respect.¡±


    Laila smiled at him, nodding in agreement.


    Caia was blushing.


    Ryder was sputtering, ¡°How the hell do you know that?¡±


    The vampyre smiled in a way that Caia knew he was taunting Ryder. She was with Ryder on this one. Something was off about the guy. ¡°I did a little research after I met Vil and Laila.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Found out a little about their customs and such.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Jaeden groaned. ¡°Ryder...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Jae.¡± Reuben waved her off. ¡°I just like to know who we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Ryder grouched. ¡°Since when does this involve you?¡±


    ¡°Since he was made aware of Laila¡¯s existence here,¡± Lucien¡¯s voice rumbled with authority and a hint of annoyance.


    Caia sighed wearily, her head aching with the thought of involving another outsider in her plans. And this particular outsider she wasn¡¯t so keen on. She tugged on Lucien¡¯s hand. ¡°Reuben should stick around for now.¡±


    The vampyre played with his lip ring, his fangs prominent. ¡°Is that a request or a demand?¡±


    ¡°A demand,¡± she said with quiet dominion, surprising everyone, including herself. But Lucien was right. If she was to pull this off she had to begin acting like a leader. Unfortunately part of that meant laying down the law. ¡°We can¡¯t take the chance of you leaving and telling anyone about Laila.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t,¡± Jaeden assured her. ¡°Believe me.¡±


    Reuben wiped his face free of amusement now. ¡°Trust Jaeden. I¡¯m her friend, which makes you all my friends. I don¡¯t betray my friends.¡±


    We¡¯ll see.


    Caia managed a nod and sighed, feeling exhausted. ¡°OK.¡± She smiled at Laila and Vil. ¡°Unfortunately, I think I really need to get some sleep, but I will be by tomorrow to see you both. We have a lot to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Ryder clapped a hand on Lucien¡¯s shoulder as they made to leave. ¡°What about me and Jae? Our mating ceremony?¡±


    In a perfect world Jaeden and Ryder should have had plenty of time to plan a ceremony, but it would be best if they were mated before things went to all Hades. Somehow she managed to convey this message to Lucien and he promised Ryder they would talk about it in the morning.


    ¡°Goodnight, Callan,¡± Laila called sweetly as Caia and Lucien left the apartment, and her face flooded with color again as she thought of what Reuben had said.


    Lucien chuckle. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a servant for life in that one.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just grateful.¡±


    He shook his head as they climbed into his truck. ¡°You were right. I can¡¯t believe that girl is a Midnight. She¡¯s as threatening as a butterfly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well Marita had her locked up as if she were Ethan reincarnated.¡±


    He made a sound of disgust. ¡°I knew I didn¡¯t like that witch.¡±


    The house was dark when they returned, Ella and Magnus having retired for the night. The thought of bed sounded amazing to Caia as she dragged her body up the stairs, Lucien¡¯s hand steady on her back as she made her way down the hall to her bedroom. When she stopped at her bedroom door he grunted in amusement and took her by the elbow, leading her further down the hallway.

 Page 45

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she whispered.


    He looked back at her as if she were crazy. ¡°You¡¯re my mate now, Caia. That means my room is now your room.¡± He drew her into the master bedroom at the back of the house. Her pulse accelerated as they entered the largest room in the house, his huge king size four poster positioned in the center of the room. She had never been in Lucien¡¯s bedroom. It was comfortable yet masculine at the same time, with a sturdy desk positioned at the back of the room near his walk in closet and en-suite. At the window sat a chocolate leather corner sofa, some of his clothes draped haphazardly over it.


    He laughed softly. ¡°Get undressed, get in bed, and go to sleep.¡± He brushed a reassuring hand down her cheek. ¡°You must be exhausted.¡±


    Aware only of nodding in agreement and shuffling around to the other side of his bed, Caia¡¯s mind was whirring. It had never occurred to her that when they returned they would be living... well... like mates.


    The bed looked so good though.


    Her hands fluttered to the hem of her shirt and a burst of nervousness knocked the exhaustion out of her. Glancing up to see if Lucien was watching her, the sight of him was enough to make her mouth go dry. He was crossing the room towards the bed, his shirt discarded on the floor, his hair mussed up and his face unshaven and drawn with tiredness. The moonlight spilled across the room, highlighting his hard, taught abdomen and the thick ropes of muscles in his arms. The sight of him reminded her of the night she had lost her virginity to him.


    Instantly her libido kicked into gear.


    I can sleep later.


    With a flick of her hand the bedroom door swung closed and the key turned in the lock. Lucien looked up from unbuttoning his jeans with questioning surprise.


    She smiled shyly at him. ¡°Suddenly not so tired.¡±


    His answering grin was so wicked her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.


    ¡°She¡¯s back with the pack.¡± He gazed across the table at Nikolai. The magik looked worn out, his usually distinguished demeanor lessened by the dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°Good. We have everything we need then?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°There may be a complication.¡±


    Nikolai shifted in his seat and he could tell he was trying not to roll his eyes. His expression read ¡®not again¡¯. ¡°Da?¡±


    He leaned across the Septum they had both been staring at with anticipation. ¡°It has come to my attention that Caia is intending to go to the Council and ask to be put forward as a candidate for the Head of the Daylights.¡±


    Nikolai snapped to attention, his black eyes darkening impossibly. ¡°Kirios, you can¡¯t be serious? My Coven will hear of this... it could jeopardize our plans.¡±


    ¡°You worry too much, Nikolai. My source tells me that the Council don¡¯t reconvene for another few weeks. By then it will be too late.¡±


    ¡°Why mention it at all?¡± Nikolai grumbled.


    He shrugged, relaxing back in his chair. ¡°I just wanted to keep you apprised of the situation. Anyway, even if she had gone ahead before we could stop it, it would merely have been a hindrance, nothing more.¡±


    The magik snorted, ¡°Well, I am tired of hindrances. My Council are eating away at my nerves. I can¡¯t wait to begin.¡± His eyes dropped to the Septum.


    ¡°So close.¡±


    ¡°Da.¡±


    23 - The Council


    Jaeden sat anxiously waiting for Caia in Ella¡¯s kitchen, her cold hands wrapped around a hot mug of coffee the Elder had planted before her as soon as she arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be much longer,¡± Ella assured her, two flags of color on her cheeks. Magnus snorted and made a mumbling sound under his breath that sounded like ¡°Yeah right.¡±


    Jae tried not to laugh. Lykans were a pretty open bunch, but it was still uncomfortable for a mother to think about her kids having sexual relations of any kind no matter what age. A pang of jealousy hit as she heard a giggle from upstairs and the sounds of something clattering to the ground. At least Caia and Lucien were free to be with one another. She had to wait another frigging ten days because her honorable mate-to-be was old fashioned.


    ¡°What do you think of these?¡± Ella slid a bunch of fabric swatches towards her.


    She frowned. ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re swatches for the chair coverings, for your ceremony. Julia put me in charge of decorations.¡±


    Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Jaeden nodded at the plain cream swatch. ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡±


    Ever since Lucien had gathered her and Ryder together with both their families yesterday to announce the ceremony could go forward, and preferably soon, her mother had been driving her crazy with recipes and talks of dress shopping. Everyone had burst into discussion, Yvana and Julia arguing over who would take care of the cooking and baking, Lucia asking if Cera would be wearing the same color as Jaeden along with the rest of the women in the family. Only her father had quieted everyone with a direct question to Lucien, ¡°Why has the mating to be so soon?¡±


    Lucien had glanced at both herself and Ryder before telling the others solemnly that he had something extremely important to discuss with them at the pack meeting on Sunday. The answer to that question would be answered then.


    ¡°Will the fact that my daughter was nearly kidnapped again be brought up as well, because it doesn¡¯t seem as if anyone is as bothered by that as I am?¡±


    Well, of course she was bothered by it. The thought of going through that all over again... the thought was unimaginable. But she had Ryder now and he had stopped it. And yesterday Cy had promised to keep looking into it for her.


    ¡°Caia and I are dealing with that,¡± Lucien had said in such a way as not to be disputed.


    Her father hadn¡¯t looked too happy, used to being brought into Lucien¡¯s confidence in all matters, and had quizzed Jae all last night about it. As usual he somehow knew that she knew what was going on. She still couldn¡¯t believe that Caia intended to put herself forward for the Head of the Coven, but she¡¯d watched her yesterday with Laila when she had visited with the young couple again, how kind and gentle she was with the girl, how easy it was to believe that she could and would take care of everything. At first she really believed Caia and Lucien had gone mad, that Caia¡¯s ego had inflated since she had gone. However, when Lucien explained what Caia had found, that Marita was experimenting on lykan children... Jaeden had been enraged. She felt personally betrayed by the witch. Still, taking her down was a huge deal. Yet when Lucien told her what Caia had done to those Midnights who planned to attack the MacLachlan pack she had been blown away and a sense of relief had melted over her. Never had she heard of any magik doing such a thing. Caia was a weapon. The most powerful weapon in their world. She guessed they should feel lucky that she was one of the good guys, one of their own.


    And that was why she found herself at her house, waiting for her to climb out of her love nest with Lucien so she could talk to her. Ryder thought they should clear the air, and she tended to agree with him. They needed to trust one another if this were going to work.


    ¡°Jaeden!¡± Caia bounced into the room, her cheeks flushed, her green eyes brighter than jade. ¡°Sorry to have kept you.¡±


    Jaeden regarded her knowingly, somehow comforted by the blush that blossomed across Caia¡¯s cheeks. It made her seem more approachable. She made a face and sat down next to her, glancing idly at the fabric swatches Ella was looking at. Caia grimaced. ¡°Ah mating ceremony plans. Don¡¯t envy you that.¡±


    Relaxing a little, Jaeden shook her head. ¡°My mother is taking care of everything and slowly driving me nuts. It¡¯s been a day. It feels like years.¡±


    ¡°Tut tut,¡± Ella admonished. ¡°Your mother loves you. She wants you to have the best.¡±


    Jaeden harrumphed at that.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Lucien strolled into the kitchen, his hair more mussed than usual. He threw a scorching look at Caia before noticing Jae. ¡°Hey Jae.¡± He made his way to the coffee machine. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I just wondered if Caia had a moment to talk.¡±


    Caia nodded at her. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°In private?¡±


    She received a curious look at that. ¡°Backyard?¡±


    Prying ears could still find them there, she mused looking around at Magnus, Ella and Lucien. Magnus was the only one who noticed. He folded his paper and tapped Ella on the shoulder. ¡°Sitting room.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what?¡± She didn¡¯t look up from the folder she was going through.


    ¡°Ella, you can do that in the sitting room. You too, Lucien.¡±


    Jaeden smiled gratefully at him, and rolled her eyes at Lucien who couldn¡¯t resist pulling Caia in for a kiss as he passed her.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Jae asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.


    Caia smoothed her hair, looking a little flustered, but she nodded in the direction of the back door. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They stood in the middle of the yard, their backs to the house, their eyes drawn to the forest like magnets. A wind whistled gently through the trees towards them and Jae watched as Caia tilted her face into it, pulling the rubber band from her hair so that it fell down and into the wind.


    ¡°Reminds me of the wind in my pelt,¡± she explained to her, and Jaeden smiled. Somehow it made it better knowing Caia loved her lykan side even though her powers as a magik were phenomenal. ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked softly, lowering herself onto the grass.


    Jaeden stretched out beside her, sighing. ¡°I thought we should talk... about things.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    Jaeden shrugged. ¡°Our friendship. What happened? Other stuff I have yet to explain.¡±


    ¡°Well, friendship wise¡­ you¡¯re my friend and always will be.¡± She turned her face away so that Jae couldn¡¯t read her expression. ¡°When I found out the truth, that you weren¡¯t you, that you were gone¡­ I was devastated.¡±


    Memories of those first two weeks together swallowed her momentarily. They had hit it off instantly, a bond created between them from the moment they had met. A lot of those memories included laughter, lots of laughter.

 Page 46

    ¡°You know I haven¡¯t asked anyone about that faerie.¡± Jaeden shuddered at the thought of her. ¡°No one seems to want to bring it up. What was it like, Cy?¡±


    Caia turned back to her with tears shimmering in eyes that blazed with hatred and anger. ¡°It was shocking and heinous. She was you, Jaeden. She must have watched you for weeks, memorizing your mannerisms, the way you laughed...¡±


    Jaeden gulped at the thought of that ghoul pretending to be her, sleeping in her bed, wearing her clothes, laughing with her friends. ¡°No one had any clue?¡±


    ¡°None whatsoever. It was Saffron, Marion¡¯s faerie - she felt her in the house, knew she wasn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Caia answered hollowly. ¡°Then I started getting the visions of you through Ethan¡¯s eyes.¡±


    That someone had paid witness to the scars on her soul was difficult for her to deal with, but looking at Caia¡¯s pained expression, the fury in her eyes that was there for Jaeden because she genuinely cared, made it a little easier to cope with. ¡°Ryder told me you saw everything.¡±


    Caia nodded, blinking back tears. ¡°I am so sorry I didn¡¯t get to you sooner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Jaeden bit out. ¡°You didn¡¯t give up. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t save Sebastian.¡±


    Like always his name set off a fire of grief in Jaeden¡¯s chest, her breathing labored and her throat burned with unshed tears. He had been her best friend and he had died trying to protect her.


    ¡°Sebastian would have found a way to be there with or without you bringing him along. I was his best friend and he did what either one of us would have done for him.¡±


    Caia choked on a broken sob. ¡°I miss him.¡±


    She swiped at her own tears. ¡°I miss him too. But I¡¯m glad you had each other through it all.¡±


    After a moment of silence, one that now felt a little easier between them, Caia reached across and squeezed her hand. ¡°Thank you for believing in me. For being willing to fight for me. It means more than you can know.¡± She choked letting go of her hand. ¡°I thought I was going to be doing this all alone. You¡¯ve all surprised me.¡±


    Jaeden chuckled humorlessly. ¡°Well there are more surprises to come.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    She braced herself. ¡°Something happened to me because of Ethan¡¯s... torture of me.¡±


    Caia went on alert instantly. ¡°What?¡±


    Just get it over with. If anyone is going to understand feeling like a freak... Cy has to be that person.


    ¡°I have telekinetic abilities.¡± And with that she concentrated on a plant pot Ella had placed by the porch stairs and willed it to fly past them and smash against the nearest tree.


    She took a little satisfaction in surprising Caia, her jaw dropping as the ceramic lay in pieces, the plant pulp on the ground. And then her face tightened with worry and she turned back to Jaeden with growing panic in her eyes.


    ¡°I think I know who tried to kidnap you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Lucien ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the ends viciously. ¡°This is insane.¡±


    Caia couldn¡¯t believe it either. She had called Lucien out from the house and had refused to tell Jaeden anything until they had gathered at Ryder¡¯s apartment. Caia had insisted Laila and Vil be present as well. The six of them sat staring at each other, the atmosphere thick with tension and a terrible foreboding.


    ¡°Caia, are you sure?¡±


    She shook her head frantically. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure. But Mordecai was very interested in Jaeden, and then I overheard him and Marita discussing Jaeden¡¯s ¡®abilities¡¯ before they bugged my room. They kept mentioning your abilities in relation to the fact that the ¡®children weren¡¯t reacting in any way¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Lucien added in a defeated voice.


    ¡°And you think it¡¯s because she knows about my telekinetic abilities?¡± Jaeden asked angrily.


    ¡°She has trace,¡± Lucien replied.


    She has trace, yes, but not like mine. She tapped into Jaeden¡¯s trace to find out what she was up to ¨C the illegal rogue hunting. When there, she must have found out that Jaeden had telekinetic abilities because Ethan had tortured her.


    The mention of her trace, however, made Caia¡¯s heart pump rapidly. ¡°Guys, Marita is keeping tabs on everyone close to me.¡±


    Ryder frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°She told me her trace isn¡¯t like mine. It¡¯s not as advanced.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a surprise,¡± Jaeden muttered teasingly.


    ¡°No, this is bad, people, very bad. To find someone in Daylight Marita has to tap into that person specifically. She¡¯ll be watching me, through you. I had Lucien on alert, he¡¯s blocking himself from her, but I didn¡¯t think about you guys.¡±


    Laila¡¯s delicate eye brows puckered into a frown. ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lucien shot out of his chair, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°She knows!¡±


    Caia had to fight with herself not to cry in frustration as she nodded jerkily.


    ¡°What?¡± Ryder and Jaeden were panicking. ¡°What does she know?¡±


    ¡°We have to believe that Marita knows, through you two, about my plans to go to the Council,¡± Caia explained. ¡°I can¡¯t wait around for their next meeting.¡± She turned to Vil who suddenly looked flustered by the attention. ¡°Vil, you have to take me to Alfred Doukas now.¡±


    ¡°What, Caia, wait.¡± Lucien crossed the room to her, taking her by the arm. She felt his grip on her tighten, his eyes boring into her with fear. ¡°That could end up being a trap. I won¡¯t let you risk it.¡±


    ¡°Who is Alfred Doukas when he¡¯s at home?¡± Jaeden asked.


    Caia peered around Lucien to answer her, ¡°He¡¯s a Council member I met at the Center. We hit it off.¡±


    ¡°Caia.¡± Lucien shook her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this.¡±


    She reached up to wrap a hand around his neck, drawing him down to place a soft kiss on his lips. ¡°I have to,¡± she whispered as she pulled away.


    ¡°What if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Lucien. You know this is our only plan now. Think of the pack. If Marita knows, she could hold the whole pack as traitors to the Coven.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. Vil hasn¡¯t even tried travelling with one other person before.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason for you not to do this.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking like my mate and start thinking like this pack¡¯s Alpha.¡±


    He growled in frustration and jerked away from her to make his way over to Ryder, who placed a comforting hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Vil, are you ready to do this?¡± she asked, trying to appear as calm as possible. Inside she felt as if all her nerves had snapped and her body was barely holding it together. This was it, this was really happening, she was really going to do this.


    The Traveller had gone as sickly-looking as she felt, but he nodded determinedly. He glanced around at everyone staring at him and tried to shrug it off as he turned to Laila, cupping her face in his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back for you, I promise.¡±


    Laila smiled sweetly at him and reached up to press a kiss on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± she whispered back.


    Caia held her hand out to him and he reluctantly let go of his girlfriend and strode towards her, enfolding his cool hand in hers.


    ¡°Good luck, Cy,¡± Jaeden offered quietly.


    She nodded gratefully and squeezed Vil¡¯s hand. ¡°Ready, partner.¡±


    ¡°Alfred Doukas?¡±


    ¡°The very one.¡±


    Vil blew out his breath between his lips, readying himself. ¡°OK-¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Lucien snapped. He looked ready to bust someone apart. ¡°You better get back here pronto or I will kill you.¡±


    She grinned at him, trying to appear confident. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    His face, along with the rest of the room, suddenly streamed past her in a blur of color and movement, her stomach plummeted, and she felt as if she had no control over her body. The only thing she could feel was the tight grip of Vil¡¯s hand. And then it stopped just as abruptly as it had begun, and she found herself losing balance and falling into Vil¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± he asked frantically.


    She shook her head trying to clear it and clambered to straighten up. When she did she heard the gasps and the spluttering coming from behind them. Vil tensed, and Caia turned around in his arms to face Alfred Doukas, and what she imagined must be his family. He sat at the head of a grand dining table. Men, women and children sat around it with him, eating their dinner. She barely registered the expensive but old-fashioned decor of the room because Alfred Doukas was gaping at her like a fish out of water.


    ¡°What... who...¡± a plump woman at the opposite end of the table was throwing down her napkin, glaring at Caia and Vil as if they were vagabonds.


    ¡°Mr. Doukas.¡± Caia rushed forward and he pushed away from the table, his face creased in concern.


    ¡°Miss Ribeiro... what on Gaia¡¯s earth...?¡±


    ¡°Please, Mr. Doukas, I must speak with you alone.¡±


    Seeming to understand the urgency, he assured his family everything was alright, and led Caia out of the dining room and down a dark wood-paneled hallway to his study. He turned on her as Vil shut the door behind them.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    Here goes nothing.


    ¡°Mr. Doukas, I need you to call an emergency meeting of the Council. Now.¡±


    He paled. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I mean to ask them for the right to run against Marita for Head of the Coven.¡±


    He stumbled back, his hand going to his forehead, his eyes disbelieving. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    Please believe me, please.


    ¡°I am quite serious. I believe that Marita is no longer the right person for the job. Please, I¡¯ll explain everything... to all of you.¡±

 Page 47

    ¡°Her family have been Coven Heads for four generations. They are the Heads because her great-grandmother uncovered the treacherousness of the previous Head. You will have a hard time convincing the Council that someone of her illustrious family name isn¡¯t cut out for the job?¡±


    ¡°This is extremely important. Please, I will explain...¡±


    He gazed at her sternly for what seemed like forever and then he nodded. ¡°Fine. It best be now before Marita catches wind of it.¡±


    Shrugging up the sleeve of his jacket, Alfred pressed one of the tiny buttons on his watch and it made a beeping noise. He looked up to find Caia and Vil gazing at him quizzically. ¡°The watch was made in magik. All of the Council members have one. When one of us wishes to meet we press this button and the others¡¯ watches beep to signal the request.¡±


    Caia was impressed. ¡°The CIA would love that.¡±


    Alfred chuckled nervously. ¡°Yes well, they have their own little gadgets.¡±


    Before Caia could reply the room began to fill up with magiks she had never met before. Penelope appeared beside Alfred and she smiled at Caia in acknowledgement. The others glared and frowned at her and Vil.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± One tall, elegant, male magik strode past her to Alfred.


    ¡°Is this everyone?¡± Alfred searched the room. There were nine of them, including Alfred and Penelope. ¡°Very well, ladies and gentleman I¡¯ve called you here par the request of this young lady.¡± He gestured to Caia. She felt their attention on her like burning coals under her feet. She hopped back to distance herself from them. The power emanating from them all together was unlike anything she had ever encountered. These people were strong and old. And they meant business. The nine of them filed into a line in front of Alfred¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Is this who I think it is?¡± a waifish female asked, her sharp eyes drinking Caia in with fascination.


    ¡°This is Caia Ribeiro, yes.¡±


    A murmur rippled through them like one. It was really quite disconcerting.


    ¡°And why do you wish to see us, Miss Ribeiro?¡± Penelope asked her warmly.


    Be cool, be confident... be persuasive.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask you for the right to campaign against Marita for Head of the Coven.¡±


    The murmuring turned into heated exclamations and Caia shifted closer to Vil unconsciously. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Why?¡± Penelope asked, seeming hurt by Caia¡¯s request.


    ¡°Because I believe that I can end this war, but not using Marita¡¯s methods. I¡¯m not asking you to kill her and give me the trace,¡± she rushed on, ¡°I¡¯m just asking that you give me the authority to make the decisions in this war. Marita would still continue using the trace, but working for me.¡±


    A few of them almost looked disdainful, but Albert¡¯s gaze had softened. ¡°That¡¯s quite merciful of you, Caia.¡±


    ¡°I have no wish to harm anyone. But I don¡¯t believe this war will ever find closure under the leadership of Marita.¡±


    The tall magik who had spoken first scoffed. ¡°And how do you think you can do any better? Marita has had quite a few victories recently.¡±


    ¡°Because of Caia,¡± Penelope inserted. ¡°Marita has been doing just as well as any other Head of the Coven until Caia came along. Those victories you speak of have had Caia¡¯s hand in them somewhere.¡±


    More murmuring as this sunk in.


    Caia rubbed her sweaty palms against her trouser legs and stepped forward a little more confidently. She wouldn¡¯t tell them her suspicion that Marita had tried to kidnap Jaeden for her own nefarious means because without proof she would appear as a spiteful little girl, completely undermining her position with the Council. But she would tell them about the children. For that there was proof.


    ¡°While I was at the Center I followed Marita one day. She disappeared under a trap door in the Altar of Gaia. The second marble slab to the right of the statue of Gaia has a gold button attached to it. If you press it, it opens to reveal a basement. Inside the basement you will find at least one laboratory where Marita is conducting illegal experiments on lykan children who are caged down there.¡±


    A flurry of outrage erupted in the room, some admonishing her for ¡®such nonsense¡¯, others like Alfred and Penelope paling in fear.


    ¡°All you need to do is send a spy in. Someone who can mask their thoughts well in their trace.¡±


    ¡°You really expect us to believe this?¡± the elegant magik sneered.


    ¡°I expect you to go in and find the proof for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± a surprisingly young looking magik intoned in a bored voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Alfred nodded, never taking his sad eyes off Caia. ¡°We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this, Caia, I promise.¡±


    She refused to let go of the bigger picture, however. ¡°And when you do?¡±


    Penelope sighed wearily. ¡°If you¡¯re proved correct then Marita will be sentenced and the Council will vote on a new Head.¡±


    Be strong. Be powerful. Be confident.


    ¡°I will be proved correct. And your decision should be easy. With me as the Head of both Coven¡¯s I promise I will bring this war to a conclusion. There are Midnights who have an outright aversion for war, believe me it¡¯s the truth. And no one else in our world can do what I can do. Only days ago I destroyed four magiks in four different locations simultaneously. In my short career as a magik, as one who has had a few battles in the last few months, I¡¯ve proved the victor... and the victories could almost be called easy.¡±


    She portrayed a deliberate iciness, emanating a balanced impression of power mixed with threat. She softened somewhat at their apprehensive expressions. After all she didn¡¯t want them so afraid of her they would take her out.


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost too many people we love to this war already. Make me the Head of both Covens and I promise you I will bring it to an end. If you remember... it has been prophesized.¡±


    Her reminder of that small detail served to drain all color from their faces. After a few moments of thick, shocked silence they began to speak among themselves, their words so rushed and confused she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying to one another. Finally Alfred raised his hands to quiet them and directed his next words at Caia, ¡°We will have to discuss this at length, Miss Ribeiro. For now, we will send in Derren to uncover this laboratory. We will visit you when we know more.¡±


    Caia felt her heart beat slow. ¡°When can I expect you?¡±


    Doukas shrugged wearily. ¡°These things can take days.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I understand. I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me.¡±


    Penelope gave her a bracing smile. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You may go now.¡±


    They rushed by her at lightning speed and she realized Vil, with his hand on her shoulder, had taken Penelope¡¯s words literally, getting them out of there as fast as he could.


    She stumbled away from him, feeling nauseated, as they landed back in Ryder¡¯s sitting room.


    Strong, warm arms encircled her and she found herself snuggled against Lucien¡¯s chest, his familiar scent soothing her rattled nerves.


    ¡°You¡¯re OK,¡± he breathed.


    She wouldn¡¯t go that far. They had a long wait ahead of them. If the Council failed, Marita would probably pin them as traitors and have the entire pack imprisoned indefinitely.


    24 - Pack Woes


    The following days changed over as if it were the passing of a season rather than a week. Arrangements continued for Jaeden and Ryder¡¯s ceremony, a commotion that rotated around Caia in a blur as she waited anxiously for the Council to come to their decision. Marion did not appear to question why Caia had yet to arrive at the Center, leading her to believe that the Council had yet to make their discoveries or at least had not made Marita aware of them. The thought of losing Marion¡¯s friendship was a sharp ache - another sacrifice that she knew would not be the last on this journey she had chosen to take. It was difficult for her to remember when her life had been anything but this one of power and conflict. She wondered if she would ever feel normal again; if life would ever be normal again.


    And the pack was just one more of struggle to undergo. The announcement at the pack run on Sunday had been met with shock and anger. For most, they felt it should have been something they discussed before Caia had gone and spoken to the Council. Lucien faced their resentment like a shield, taking all the bullets Caia knew were for her. Trying to explain to them the feelings she had felt through her trace about the Midnights was met with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. The news of Marita¡¯s experiments was met with a mixture of betrayal and a fearful unwillingness to believe it. Ella and Dimitri in particular were furious they had kept the information from them, and although fond of Caia, could not believe that she could think Midnights, beings who had tried to destroy their pack, could be anything other than villains. Magnus, as always, was quiet and watchful, his only words a reinforcement in his faith in Caia and his promise to Rafe that he would be there for her no matter what. The other older members of Pack Errante were as incredulous as Ella and Dimitri. Jaeden¡¯s brother, Christian, Alexa and Malek¡¯s father, Morgan, and his wife; Dana and Daniel¡¯s mother and father - all were hugely against backing Caia in her coup. Their eyes followed her warily, unspoken words thickening the tension between them, we trusted your father, and look what he brought upon us. Only Sebastian¡¯s parents, Isaac and Imogen, seemed unsure, speaking of their son and his love for Caia, how he would have wanted them to be loyal to her. And, as both she and Lucien had been expecting, the younger generation, Aidan and the twins, Malek and Finlay, even Lucia and Cera, were willing to consider that Caia could be right. The biggest surprise was Alexa - having never hidden her dislike of Caia, even more so since she and Lucien were officially mates ¨C actually stood for Caia.


    ¡°Well I believe her.¡± She had shrugged in a bored manner. ¡°I mean come on! These people can¡¯t be that stupid that they still see us as a threat to humans when we are so obviously not. Hey, and if Caia does become, like, the Head of Daylights then the pack become, like, royalty. Uh, hello.¡±

 Page 48

    So it hadn¡¯t been the most eloquent rationale but it was support and Caia would take it no matter the source. In the end Lucien had come to a fair but disheartening agreement with the pack. If Caia was wrong and the Council didn¡¯t find the proof against Marita, Lucien would make sure it was clear those pack members who didn¡¯t support her were not punished simply because of them. He told them they could walk away now, but that had only served to anger the pack more. What they really wanted was for him to disown Caia - it was easy to read on their faces as they glared resentfully at her. And no matter how selfish she knew it was, she was thankful that he loved her too much to walk away for them.


    That night, exhausted and wanting nothing more than to sink into bed with Lucien and close her eyes to their problems (their household for one, which was now straining with the tension of Ella¡¯s anger at them and poor Magnus because of his refusal to agree with her) Caia had been struck with more unnerving news. As they said goodnight to Ryder and Jaeden, the last to leave, they were stopped at the foot of the stairs by an unexpected visitor.


    ¡°Saffron!¡± Caia yelped in surprise as the faerie appeared inches before her. The faerie, though somber, managed a wave of hello.


    ¡°Good evening, Caia. Lucien.¡± she twisted her mouth as she said his name. Caia wondered what that was about.


    Lucien returned the look and nodded a welcome. ¡°Saffron. What brings you here?¡±


    Her beautiful face was pinched with anxiety as she glided past them and into the living room. Feeling a little apprehensive at her appearance Caia followed numbly, waiting for the axe to fall.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I found out that Caia has asked the Council to give her the right to run for Head of the Coven.¡±


    ¡°Marion told you?¡±


    Saffron gave her a somewhat patronizing look. ¡°No. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Marion doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    Caia blinked, sure she hadn¡¯t heard correctly. ¡°How can she not know if you know?¡±


    ¡°Because Marita hasn¡¯t told her. Or Vanne.¡±


    ¡°How does Marita know? I take it the Council found the proof?¡±


    Saffron shook her head, her face pinched with anger. ¡°Derren has been imprisoned by Marita.¡±


    Lucien stopped pacing up and down at the window. ¡°What? What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°Marita is crafty, Caia. I¡¯ve never really... well, liked her. She¡¯s a different kettle of fish from Marion. I came here tonight to warn you that she won¡¯t play fair in this. With Derren in prison, the Council are going to be suspicious of his whereabouts and they will probably demand a search of the Center. She won¡¯t let that happen. I hope you are ready for a bloody and relentless battle with this woman?¡±


    Caia gulped just thinking about it. ¡°I kind of have to be.¡±


    Saffron sighed. ¡°Well I¡¯m afraid Marion will not take to this news at all when she finds out. She is very fond of you, Caia, but Marita has a way of manipulating the people close to her.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t hold anything against Marion. Marita is her sister. She loves her. She¡¯ll believe her.¡±


    The faerie nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I on the other hand have been around a lot longer. I¡¯ve felt this change coming. I will try and keep my eyes and ears open at the Center for you, but Marita has tightened her security since the Council sent in Derren.¡±


    Caia didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t understand such a generous offer.


    Saffron laughed at her expression. ¡°You might not have my mistress¡¯ support but you will have mine.¡±


    ¡°That is extremely generous of you.¡± Caia tried not to gape at her.


    Again the faerie chuckled but the laughter didn¡¯t reach her eyes. Her eyes were hard with determination. ¡°There is nothing generous about my offer, Caia. I have survived this long in this war because I¡¯ve always chosen the right people to fight for... the winning side. Quite simply you are the winning side.¡±


    Lucien grunted. ¡°Well, thanks for the support no matter the lack of feeling behind it.¡±


    Saffron rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Lykans, you¡¯re so sentimental.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Saffron, thank you; for the heads up, as well.¡±


    ¡°Hmm sure. I will be in touch.¡±


    And then she was gone.


    Caia whirled around to gawk at Lucien. ¡°Can you believe that?¡±


    He wrapped an arm around her waist drawing her close. ¡°At least we know you have some powerful support. You might actually win this thing.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever doubt it?¡± she teased.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She smacked him and tried to pull out of his embrace but he held tight, laughing at her efforts. ¡°Just for that, no sex tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh come, querida, you know I¡¯m your biggest supporter.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too late. Damage done.¡± She sauntered away from him, heading up the staircase. Teasing him kept the pain of reality at bay for a while. She tried not to smile at the sound of him jogging to keep up, at the same time trying to be as quiet as possible.


    As he followed her down the hallway to their bedroom she heard him whisper, ¡°You were joking about the no sex thing, right?¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him as they entered the room, shutting the door behind them. ¡°We¡¯re balanced on a precipice of potential disaster here and that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about?¡±


    He looked at her blankly. ¡°Well... yeah.¡±


    For Jaeden and Ryder she imagined their big day arrived just as slowly, at least that was the impression Jaeden gave her every time she complained about Ryder¡¯s excessive ¡®gentlemanliness¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m losing my mind,¡± she grumbled to Caia as she practiced her telekinesis with her. Laila and Vil sat on the back porch, glad to be free of Ryder¡¯s apartment and taking in the fresh air. Caia liked them nearby, still afraid that Marita would suddenly grab a hold of Vil¡¯s trace and appear out of nowhere to take them away from her.


    Caia chuckled. ¡°You have one more night and then he¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s going to pay big time for this,¡± she grunted throwing all her energy into spinning Lucien¡¯s weights into the forest. Caia had been impressed by Jaeden¡¯s accuracy, but remembering how she¡¯d had to telekinetically throw a car once, she wanted to build Jaeden¡¯s strength. Lucien had pretended to be more than happy to donate his training weights for their purposes.


    ¡°Nicely done.¡± Caia nodded encouragingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather therapeutic,¡± Jae decided, her hair sticking to her forehead with the exertion. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to move into Ryder¡¯s. My parents are driving me insane.¡±


    Caia winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m a grown woman with the right to make my own decisions. If I choose to support you that is none of their business. Personally I¡¯m a little disappointed in them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re entitled to their opinion.¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡± Jaeden hissed, throwing a meaningful glance towards Laila. ¡°They¡¯ve met her, they¡¯ve know you. You both have Midnight blood in you. That isn¡¯t telling them something!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just wipe out centuries of hate, Jae.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Yeah well, better you than me running this show because I would just lose my rag with the whole lot of them. How are you so calm, so patient?¡±


    Caia laughed humorlessly. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just good at pretending otherwise.¡±


    And it was the truth. As she sat with Lucien in his backyard, watching happily as Magnus asked Artemis to bless the mating between Jae and Ryder, she was uncomfortably aware of the discontent among the pack. Loyally, they had shown up for the mating, but many of them were avoiding Caia. She felt a little teary when the moon colored glow lit up between her friends bound hands. They kissed each other passionately and she felt herself leaning into Lucien. The pack cheered and everyone stood to congratulate them. Caia quickly got out of their way, edging closer and closer to the woods. As they dispersed, walking in little groups into the house where the festivities awaited (weird, strained ones she was guessing) Caia looked longingly into the dark velvet of the forest.


    ¡°You want to run,¡± a hot breath whispered in her ear.


    She grinned. ¡°You have no idea how much.¡±


    Lucien took her hand and began pulling her into the trees. ¡°Come on then.¡±


    A little while later they lay tangled in one another¡¯s arms, their clothes abandoned around them. Caia shivered as he stroked her hair, loving the sound of his heartbeat beneath her ear.


    Why couldn¡¯t this be her life? Why couldn¡¯t it be this simple?


    ¡°You wish we had a proper ceremony?¡± Lucien asked her softly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°That was certainly adamant.¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine all that attention?¡± She shuddered. ¡°No thank you.¡±


    He shook with amusement. ¡°You do realize that running a campaign for Head of the Daylights and actually being the Head of Daylights requires quite a bit of limelight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different, that¡¯s necessary. I don¡¯t need a ceremony with lots of people watching on to know that I belong with you.¡±


    He squeezed her closer and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead. ¡°Ah, querida. I feel the same.¡±


    ¡°Why do you call me that?¡± she whispered lazily, knowing this moment was a little slice of sunshine in their murky little underworld. She swore she could feel him smiling into her forehead.


    ¡°My dad. He called my mom it and I remember how happy it made her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± she groaned and he laughed at what she knew sounded like a change in subject.


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°You called me that after the daemon attacked me. If I had opened my eyes a little I would have known how you felt way back then.¡±


    ¡°You know now, that¡¯s what matters.¡±


    They lay for a little longer, snuggled together in the darkness.

 Page 49

    ¡°We should get back,¡± Lucien said reluctantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°In case we never have a moment like this again.¡±


    ¡°Caia.¡± He pulled her up so he could kiss her tenderly. ¡°I promise you that after the storm passes there will be plenty of moments like this for us.¡±


    Although averse to shimmying back into the little strappy dress she wore, Caia did so, and hand in hand they walked back through the woods to their home.


    Where another surprise awaited them.


    Jaeden was waiting with Ryder in the backyard, their faces a perfect mirror of anxiety.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien picked up his pace.


    Jaeden shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re not sure. Marion¡¯s here.¡±


    Caia¡¯s heart jarred and she rushed past them and into the house. She found Marion talking with Magnus, and Caia could tell immediately from her body language that something was wrong.


    She must know.


    ¡°Caia!¡± Marion¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw her. ¡°Thank Gaia.¡±


    Or not.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked in trepidation.


    The magik took her by the wrist and led her all the way upstairs and into her old bedroom.


    ¡°Marion?¡±


    ¡°Caia, everything is a mess.¡± Marion pushed her hair back frantically. Caia had never seen her so uncollected before. ¡°My sister found out that certain members of our Council have been feeding information to the Midnights! She can¡¯t get a handle on all who were involved - they¡¯ve combined their power to manipulate the trace¡­ so she has dissolved them. The entire Council. The Coven is in chaos... there were actual riots inside the Center!¡±


    Marita had dissolved the Council because of her. Caia couldn¡¯t believe it. How could this be happening? This couldn¡¯t be happening. She felt breathless and faint, all of her plans crumbling around her. Saffron had been right. She hadn¡¯t been prepared for the lengths Marita would go to, to remain in power and annihilate the Midnights.


    ¡°How...¡±


    Marion shook her head. ¡°She has witnesses from within the Council member¡¯s households. This level of treachery is unthinkable. Nothing like this has ever happened before.¡±


    ¡°How come she¡¯s only finding out now? Her trace...?¡±


    Marion shrugged but the move was more violent than vague. ¡°She had no reason to suspect them before, so she didn¡¯t go looking.¡± But Caia could see the uncertainty in her eyes. This was insane. Irrational. And Marion knew it. She was just¡­ afraid.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Caia asked softly.


    The witch scoffed at her question. ¡°I would have thought that was obvious.¡±


    Oh crap. She does know about me.


    ¡°Caia, we need you at the Center. We held off because of Jae and Ryder¡¯s ceremony, but it¡¯s done now and we need you there to help control this situation. Half of them admire you and the other half fear you, it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Did Marita request this?¡±


    ¡°Who else.¡±


    Did Marita really think she would be stupid enough to return to the Center, to a trap? She must think I won¡¯t be able to come up with a reason not to return with Marion.


    ¡°OK,¡± she improvised, hoping she looked sufficiently agreeable, ¡°You go back. I have to settle things with the pack. I¡¯ll get Lucien to drive me to the portal tonight.¡±


    ¡°Caia, just say goodbye now.¡± Marion shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I might not be coming back. This is important.¡±


    ¡°Magic Fitness won¡¯t even be open by the time you get there.¡±


    ¡°Like that will stop me.¡±


    Marion heaved a huge sigh of exasperation. ¡°Marita specifically told me to bring you back now. Arrggh. Fine,¡± she snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a few hours.¡±


    She disappeared immediately, leaving Caia trembling with relief. She found Lucien waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase and she quietly related what had happened.


    ¡°What the Hades are we going to do now?¡± he hissed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She shook frantically, her heart feeling like it was going to explode. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She dodged quizzical looks from Magnus and Dimitri who stood in the doorway of the living room, drinking scotch.


    ¡°OK.¡± She smoothed a hand absently down Lucien¡¯s cheek from her higher position on the stairs. ¡°Six heads are better than two. I know it¡¯s unfair but this is kind of an emergency.¡±


    ¡°You want me to get Jae and Ryder.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Get them, meet me at the car. We¡¯re going to Ryder¡¯s apartment to talk this over with Laila and Vil.¡±


    He nodded, planting a quick kiss on her lips before he turned to Dimitri and Magnus. Cleverly he managed to draw them away from Caia while searching for Jaeden and her mate.


    Caia blew out a shaky breath and headed outside, her feet taking the porch steps two at a time. Thankfully, the pack had parked their cars around the edges of the circular driveway, so Lucien¡¯s truck wasn¡¯t jammed in.


    She was just about to open the passenger door when she heard a crunch of gravel behind her, and a burst of pain slammed from the back of her head like a speeding train knocking her into darkness.


    25 - Taken


    Lucien could feel the panic building in his chest, threatening to cut off his airwaves.


    Ryder flew in from the backyard, his breathing heavier than usual. His eyes were bleak as they fell on Lucien, surrounded by most of a very silent pack. He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s not there.¡±


    ¡°Lucien!¡± Malek hurtled in from the front door. ¡°We checked the whole driveway over again. You might want to see this.¡±


    He jerked away from his mother¡¯s comforting hand, following the boy outside at a frenzied pace. He refused to listen to the whispers among the pack, that maybe she hadn¡¯t been taken, maybe she had deserted them. Caia wouldn¡¯t leave him willingly. His chest constricted with fear.


    Malek led him down to his truck, where Daniel stood by the passenger side, his face pale.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he snapped.


    Daniel just pointed and Lucien felt his whole world tilt as his eyes found the splash of blood across the passenger door. Caia¡¯s blood.


    No.


    ¡°CAIA!¡± He turned and bellowed into the night. ¡°CAIA!¡±


    He would have yelled himself hoarse if Jaeden hadn¡¯t broken through the crowd the pack had formed around him. Distantly he saw his mother crying, Magnus close to tears. Why were they crying? She wasn¡¯t gone!


    He couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Lucien!¡± Jaeden stumbled towards him, her face flushed with fury.


    He looked at her dazedly, his throat closing with terror.


    ¡°Do you think it was Marita?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have dared hurt her.¡± Ryder shook his head in denial.


    A darkening beast was uncurling in Lucien¡¯s chest, growing stronger and more furious every minute he stared at the blood on his truck door. Caia had been missing for an hour. She had gone missing after Marion had turned up. The beast roared with bloodlust.


    ¡°We better hope she hasn¡¯t,¡± he ripped out in a voice he didn¡¯t recognize, ¡°Or my muzzle is the last thing she¡¯ll ever see.¡±


    Epilogue - The Deception


    Caia¡¯s head throbbed with impossible pain, a pain that shot from the bloody lump on the back of her head down her arms and into her back. She blinked, her eyes adjusting in the darkness of the cold, damp room she now found herself in. She hit up against something hard. As the light filtered into her eyes she realized she was in a metal cage. Bile rose up in her throat, her heart pounding with terror. What had happened? Where was she? Oh goddess, had Marita kidnapped her? A door opened with a burst of artificial light revealing the face of the distinguished man who stepped quietly into the room.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked immediately, her hand wrapping around the bars. It was then she realized that a glow surrounded the cage. Magik. A shield to stop her attacking with her own.


    He winced as he looked her over. ¡°He hit you harder than he should have.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? How did I get here?¡±


    ¡°Take a moment, Caia.¡±


    At those words her trace began tingling with its familiar icy vapor and Caia slumped back in disbelief. ¡°Nikolai?¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Well done.¡± He smiled gently at her, and she pushed trying to feel his intent. Pain exploded in her head. She was too weak from the knock she had taken.


    ¡°How?¡± she croaked.


    He stepped aside from the doorway and another figure strode in, a smug smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you to someone. This is Kirios, Caia.¡±


    Kirios¡¯ dark hair flopped over his forehead in familiar disarray, his pale handsomeness a punch to the gut...


    She snarled in impotent fury.


    ¡°Reuben.¡±


    The End