“By doing what?”
“Getting you out of here.”
“You…you can’t?” Nicole didn’t dare to hope but couldn’t help it.
“I can if Tynan wants my alliance so badly. This will be my condition. Release you and your son.”
“He won’t go for that. He wants my son. He wants to use him as a weapon.”
“He’s an infant. It will be years before Tynan can make good on that. If I can get you into my custody, I can arrange passage for you out of England to wherever you want to go.”
“You would do that for me?”
“I admit I am intrigued by Tynan’s proposition. But I don’t for a second believe he can pull it off. If he thinks he has the mettle to juggle so much, let him. He will either fail, and die, or succeed with his ‘vision’. Either way I win.”
Nicole was about to answer when Rykard held a hand up. He had heard something and that something happened to be Tynan re-entering the room. But, Nicole noticed, without the others. So did Rykard.
“They having some tea or something?”
“There was no need for them to return. They have agreed to my terms. Which, as luck would have it, means you, the strongest family of the three, are left. So what do you say?”
“You will have my complete cooperation,” Rykard said. “If you hand over the girl.”
Tynan chuckled. “Is that so? And what could you possibly want with her?”
“That is none of your concern.”
“Oh, but it is. She is very valuable as you no doubt know.”
“So is the strength of my armed forces.”
“True. But still no match for mine.”
“I have no interest in a dick measuring contest with you. You drone on about your grand plans and a world of peace. You say you’re an Alpha. So, be an Alpha. You offered a proposal. I have accepted in principal. You are asking for too much, yet I have agreed with only one proviso. The girl and her child.”
Tynan drummed his fingers on the desk. “The girl. Not the child.”
“Offer that one more time, I walk. You should know, as well as I do, the mother needs to be with her child at that age. He is the last of his line. His mother is human and his father is dead. You can lay claim to many things, but an infant is not property. These are my terms. Take it or leave it.”
Tynan stopped drumming his fingers, and folded his fingers into the other hand. “Your entire arsenal?”
“Every last shell.”
Tynan huffed. “To gain your family would certainly give an amount of credibility my cause would take years to achieve otherwise. If we make the transition official, I will agree to your terms.”
“Official? You want all that hoopla? Are you that egotistical?”
“I want your family to witness the exchange of power. It is very important in the early going for them to see their leader handing over the reins officially. It minimises anger and resentment. And I want the invite to go to all members of your house, bar none. This truly will be a memorable day. I want to greet them all collectively if not personally. I want them to understand this is a joint venture, not a takeover. I want them under no illusions about my intent.”
“It seems we are circling an agreement.”
“So it does. Unless of course you have any objections?” Tynan replied, looking towards Nicole.
Nicole frowned. This seemed really easy. Too easy. Was this a test for her? Was Rykard in on it? “No, I don’t.”
“Very well. Why don’t you pack your things and come back down.”
“Really?”
“Yes, of course. I do what is best for my people. And my vision. Non-compliance is not an option. This is what’s best.”
Nicole didn’t wait for him to change his mind, leaving the room with her bundle in a hurry.
*
“So,” Rykard said. “Are you going to tell her about her lover? Or should I?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh come on, don’t play dumb. I can smell her scent. She’s longing for him. How long has he been gone now? No one still feels it for a dead wolf. He’s alive isn’t he?”
“It hasn’t been confirmed. So…that’s why you want her. You hope for a true love reunion? I didn’t think you the romantic type, Rykard.”
“She isn’t a wolf. She’s innocent in this. Using her as a pawn for your own gain. It’s wrong. Play the game with the correct pieces.”
“You seriously are going to tell me you won’t use the child? You know what he is. How rare.”
“How ridiculous. Even as an eleventh. He’s a fucking baby. An infant. What is he going to do besides stink out the place for years?”
Tynan smiled as he heard the sound of gas filling the room. Rykard gave a short cough. Then another, more pronounced.
“If only you knew…”
*
Nicole returned and stood in a state of shock after getting into the room. A fine pink haze of vapour was in the room, but it was only seconds before it cleared. Both men sat in their places as if they hadn’t moved. Nicole couldn’t stop staring at Rykard or what was left of him. The skin of his face was peeling off. Copious amounts of blood poured out of his mouth, and his eyes had sunken back into the skull, decomposing years before her eyes. Dead.
Tynan turned to face her, deadly serious. “I’m afraid your travel plans have been cancelled.”
He rose slowly, glancing over at Rykard’s body before turning back as Nicole moved as slowly away from him as possible. “Let this be a lesson. Yet another. You entered into an agreement with me. You and your
