Lucan listened to his mate in sober silence. All of the warriors grew serious and quiet, everyone grimly considering the gravity of the facts she was pointing out.
It took Lucan a moment to reply. When he did, his deep voice was low and gentle. “Yes, Opus does have UV on their side now. But they’re going to have it no matter how long we wait to strike. And to wait will only risk letting Scrully or the others in Opus’s cabal have more time to get the upper hand.”
Gabrielle nodded, but Aric could see that as sound as her formidable mate’s logic was, it did little to erase her worry.
Lucan went on, his steely gaze moving to the four commanders who trusted him to lead. “Right now, we have the element of surprise working for us. We should use it to our advantage.”
“We hope we have the element of surprise,” Nikolai commented. “Lately, it’s feeling as though Opus is staying one step ahead of us.”
“What are you saying? You think we’ve got a leak somewhere?”
“I don’t see how we could. All of our contacts in JUSTIS and elsewhere have been double and triple checked. They’re solid, Lucan.”
Rio glanced at his friend, a haunted look in his topaz-colored eyes. “If that’s true, then any breach would have to come from somewhere outside of those networks. Possibly someone we trust.”
The massive warrior knew a thing or two about that. The scar on his face had come on the heels of the worst betrayal a man could suffer--that of his own mate. It wasn’t until Rio met Dylan that he was finally able to heal on the inside. The wounds that marred him on the outside would always serve as a reminder of the pain that came in trusting the wrong person with his heart . . . and his life.
As Rio spoke, Aric thought back on Angus Mackie and the certainty that the gang leader and his followers hadn’t merely gotten lucky when they made the decision to vacate not only the tavern and its store room but Big Mack’s residence as well.
Sure, they could have guessed that trouble would be heading their way after the headlines Mercier’s wedding reception debacle had made. Or maybe they’d had an attack of nerves after the heinous act they’d pulled in ashing that Darkhaven family.
But Aric’s warrior senses prickled with unease when he considered all of the what-ifs and the scenarios he was reluctant to put into words.
And then there was Kaya.
Try as he might to deny it, he kept coming back to her remoteness, her emotional distance, following the Darkhaven attack. After her run that same day, she had been even more anxious and withdrawn. Her edginess hadn’t improved as she and the rest of the Montreal team had gone with the commander on the mission to grab Mackie. When she asked Nikolai for a private meeting, she looked about as miserable as Aric had ever seen her.
What did she need to talk with Niko about that couldn’t be said in front of everyone?
Was it something about the raid?
Then again, maybe it was simply Aric himself who was making her so uncomfortable.
Whatever it was, she didn’t seem ready--or willing--to trust him with it.
Not that she should. He hadn’t made her any promises. No, all he’d done was pursue her with single-minded purpose then seduce her. They had agreed to no strings or obligations, but the more time he spent with Kaya the less eager he was for his business in Montreal to end.
“So, it sounds as if we’re all agreed that we need to act swiftly” Lucan said, then he slid an apologetic glance at Gabrielle. “Most of us, that is.”
All four warriors nodded, their faces solemn yet determined. But then a further look passed between them. The exchange was unspoken, until Aric’s father took the lead.
“We’re agreed that we cannot wait to make our move on this new Opus lead, Lucan. But your mate is right to caution us that this is no ordinary mission. None of them are, now that Opus and their loyalists are in possession of UV weapons.”
Lucan Thorne’s scowl deepened to one of suspicion. “What are you trying to say, Harvard? If you’ve got something on your mind, spit it out.”
Chase nodded. “We’re going in to get Lars Scrully. Tonight. But we’re going without you.”
A growl erupted from the powerful Gen One. “The fuck you say. If you expect me to sit out on a mission with my dick in my hand--”
“You’re not going this time,” Dante said, his deep voice as firm as Chase’s had been.
Rio nodded. “The risk is too great. You’re Gen One, Lucan.”
“Yes,” he snarled. “And a blast of UV will kill any one of you the same as it will me.”
“But you’re the founder of the Order,” Nikolai added. “We can’t afford to lose you.”
He bellowed a sharp curse and shoved to his feet. “No. Fuck this. And fuck all of you if you think the Order will stop without me. We can’t afford to lose anyone, understood?”
“Lucan.” Gabrielle stood up and walked over to him. He stilled as she laid her hands on his broad chest. “They’re right. The Order can’t lose you. But you’re more than just the leader of these fine men and women who serve under your command. You’re the chairman of the Global Nations Council. Since First Dawn, whether you like it or not, you have become the voice of the entire Breed nation.”
His eyes flashed amber-bright with his barely banked rage. But Gabrielle’s words calmed him. It was clear to everyone in the room that this woman grounded him the way nothing else could.
“You’re staying behind this time.” Her demand was softly spoken, but brooking no argument.
He cupped her cheek in his big hand, his jaw clamped tight for a long moment. Then another low curse rumbled out of him.
Finally, he looked back at his comrades and Aric. “Tell everyone to assemble in the war room
