she slid inside like a cat burglar. A smooth, graceful cat burglar.
Sweeping the area with the gun as the vampires had taught her, she inched closer to the glass door, which was also open. Some sort of cover hung over the top of it, hiding the interior.
Her hand shook. She edged her elbow inside the door and tugged, quickly slipping inside. “Freeze.”
A startled “Ack” echoed through the space.
She started. The world froze. Cloudiness filled her mind.
“Andrea? Shannon?” She began to lower the gun.
The girls stood over one box of serum with syringes in their hands. Andrea finished injecting yellow liquid into one vial and tugged free the needle. “Well, crap.”
Maggie lifted the gun. Though they were teenagers, both girls were taller than she and probably more fit. Plus, they were wolf-shifters and undoubtedly trained. “This is treason.”
“Well, duh,” Shannon muttered. She tugged her Egerton cheerleading sweatshirt down.
Maggie shook her head. “Terrorist cheerleaders? Are you freakin’ kidding me?”
Andrea snorted. With her dark hair in pigtails, she looked like an everyday teenage girl. “Terrorists. Right. If we were terrorists, somebody would’ve been harmed.”
“And we wouldn’t have gotten caught,” Shannon said, slowly closing the lid of the container. Her curly hair was mussed up, probably from stunning the guard. “So, what now?”
“What did you give the guard?” Maggie kept her gun leveled between the girls.
“A horse sedative.” Shannon grinned, showing even white teeth. “He was already down from the stun gun.”
“I stunned him.” Andrea levered up on her toes and back down.
“This is crazy.” Maggie slipped the safety on the gun.
She’d hate to accidentally shoot one of them.
“Not crazy at all.” Wisdom shone in Andrea’s sparkling eyes. “I think our plan worked. Well, maybe.”
Maggie coughed. “What worked?”
Shannon sighed. “It’s obvious. We messed with the drugs whenever someone from the Bane’s Council was here. So, they had to investigate.”
Maggie shook her head. “You wanted to make Terrent come here?” At their nods, she raised her eyebrows. “You, ah, want Terrent?”
Andrea wrinkled her nose.
“Ew, no. I mean, he’s like,
Well, he wasn’t that old. The guy looked thirty, but that was probably old to teenagers. “I don’t understand.” Maggie slipped the gun into her waistband.
Shannon sighed and rolled her eyes. “Come on. Think.”
Why would they want Terrent at wolf headquarters? Wait a minute. “Oh.”
“Yeah. He likes us, we like him . . . and Gerald is leaving.
Roger sucks.” Shannon moved toward the door to yank down the sweatshirt. She tossed the shirt to Andrea, who quickly put it on.
As a plan, well, it didn’t suck. Maggie bit her lip. “You have to come clean.” Maybe if Terrent realized what lengths they’d go to in order for him to stay, maybe to be Alpha, then he’d consider the job. And if he stayed . . .
“No.” Shannon opened the glass door. “Motives aside, this is treason. Any Alpha would have to take responsibility and take care of us.”
“Yeah. Besides, we have nationals next month.” Andrea followed her friend. “If you tell, you sign our death war-rants.”
“You’re being dramatic.” Maggie followed them out.
“Nobody is going to kill you.”
Shannon sighed with feminine angst. “Might as well if we’re forced to miss nationals. I mean, really.”
Maggie paused by the downed guard. “What about him?”
Shannon shrugged. “Leave him. He’ll be fine in a couple of hours, raise the alarm, and things will get interesting.
They’ll find the damaged drugs and toss them.”
The girl was a criminal mastermind. “Good thing you’re on the right side. Well, kind of.” Maggie’s mind spun. What should she do? Terrent and the king needed to know the truth, needed to know a traitor didn’t walk among them.
“Your hearts are in the right place, but the military leaders are concerned. They don’t have time to worry about a non-threat. You must tell Gerald the truth.”
They emerged into the night just as Gerald and Roger walked into the clearing.
“Oh, shit.” Shannon moved into the moonlight. “We’re too late.”
As ceremonies went, the transfer was short and sweet.
Roger pledged to protect and lead the pack, and then thanked Gerald for his service. The crowd was quiet, and several people moved to congratulate Roger when the change was over.
Terrent watched from afar, his face inscrutable.
With the ceremony finished, Andrea turned toward Maggie. “We can’t tell now, can we?” Tears filled her eyes.
“Things are gonna change.”
“This sucks,” Shannon agreed.
Maggie grabbed another cookie on her way toward Terrent. Reaching him, she finished the chocolate treat. “So, Roger, huh?”
“Guess so. He’ll learn to lead—the pack is strong enough to teach him.” The moon glinted down to highlight Terrent’s predatory face. “Plus, the guy can fight. So if the Ausgel pack attacks, he’ll come in handy.”
The band started to play a slow song.
Terrent took her hand and tugged her around. His palm pressed her lower back, and his head dropped to the top of hers. “Dance with me.”
She sighed and relaxed against him. So much heat, so much strength. “You would be happy here.”
“I’m happy wherever you are.” His breath brushed her forehead. “Always have been.”
She snuggled closer. “I’d imagine that being the only survivor of an entire pack might lend itself to some survivor’s guilt. Such guilt might force somebody to wander alone, never trusting himself to belong to another pack.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You shrinking my head, now?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Something to think about. You were only a baby and have nothing to atone for.”
“Hmmm. I have plenty to atone for, believe me.” He swallowed. “Maybe you should’ve been a shrink.”
“I don’t really have a job.” For ten years, she’d trained and tried to regain her memories. Maybe they were lost forever.
“What did I do before I was taken?”
“You taught physics.” He pulled her closer. “In fact, several of your theories have improved the way the Realm fights werewolves. In just the year that we dated, your research resulted in strategic moves for the Bane’s Council that saved my life more than once. Very impressive. And I guess you liked teaching.”
She could see that. “Too bad I don’t remember physics.”
“Relearn physics, or learn something else.” His chest shifted against hers.
Her nipples sprang to life. “I might do that, considering my career as an investigator has stalled.”
“Don’t worry about the saboteur. Whoever has been messing with the drugs is well trained. They didn’t leave a clue. Besides, we have security measures in place now. The drugs are safe.”
She coughed. Guilt swirled through her abdomen. “Terrent—”
“Vilks!” Roger called out. “I need to speak with you.”
Terrent stiffened but didn’t turn around. He leaned back and brushed a curl off her face. “Apparently the new Alpha would like to speak to me.” He waited just long enough to be barely insulting before pivoting toward the
