Vaughn tossed his set of papers on the hotel suite’s table. "We can't back out now. If we do, we can be sanctioned and sent to the Council. In the meantime, we'd be sitting in the Clan gaol." We all gave a shudder at that. Any clan prison isn't a place you want to end up, especially if you were an Enforcer.
"We're being set up as executioners." Bane had the right of it. We'd all come to the same conclusion, glancing uneasily between us.
"Let's do what was requested and get out of the area. We can't refuse unless we have something legitimate to take to the council. And if we refuse, we'd have to make a run for it. The Regent would never let us leave if he thought we were a threat."
We all nodded in agreement without enthusiasm. Usually, we were antsy to get started; tonight we were somber but determined to finish our job.
I had the mom and kid cloaked, and we'd made it through their small house and down the stairs without a hiccup. I'd used a sleeping powder on the guard at the rear, a quick burst of breath and some rope, along with a handy shed to hide him in, and voila– a clear escape. Or so I’d thought. The fine hairs all over my body were standing at attention, my alter’s intuition sensing something I couldn't. I silently stopped the females in my charge, so I could better focus inward on what my animal was trying to tell me.
I was so shocked at what she was telling me that I nearly dropped my cloaking. Frantic was an understatement; she did not want me confronting or even seeing who was hunting us.
That settled it then. It was going to take everything I had to pull it off. I’d be lucky to make it to the safehouse with my cargo. My talents were amazing, but they came with a price. Severe lethargy and a need for sleep soon followed any large expenditures.
I could sense hesitation in the mother when I had her pick her daughter up and face the southernmost wall. A family portrait hung just to the left of us, a bittersweet memory of better times gone by. This wall was the closest to the wooded area behind the house. On the other side of the small copse, our getaway vehicle awaited our arrival.
Gathering my energy, I harnessed and bent it to my will, pushing it through the hand I clasped tightly and into the girl. With the faith of the desperate, the woman followed my lead, and we sunk through the paint and plaster to emerge from the outer wall. The rush of air that escaped her was the only indication she hadn't been sure we'd make it.
I could feel the exhaustion coming on and urged my feet, and hers, to move faster. My alter screeched at me not to turn. I obeyed, not looking back even though I could feel the hunters’ attention on us. She'd never acted this way before, and I could only assume it was something she was doing instinctually. Regardless, I wasn't about to argue with her.
We broke through the other side after I checked that we were clear and made our way to the nondescript station wagon I had stashed off the road. Functioning through sheer strength of will alone, I used my alter’s enhanced night vision to guide our way until it was safe to turn the headlights on.
My uncle had gotten too bold in his position as Regent, a place he held only until I found my mates and became eligible to take my right to rule. I knew he had to be aware that I was the one undermining him. So far, he had no proof. By bringing in the hunters, and a quad at that, he could only mean to catch me in the act. Were I caught, it would be treason, and I highly doubted he'd wait for the Council to decide my fate. It was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened and he set his trap better than I could escape.
Bane
She's our mate. Out loud I reiterated, "She's our fucking bondmate! What the actual fuck is happening here?"
My anger and frustration were directed firmly at our illustrious leader. This is what’d had him so twitchy since we pulled into town.
"Tonight confirms it, yes." Vaughn, for once, seemed at a loss. We'd been searching, and now we were in one hell of a pickle if we tried to claim her.
Quietly, Iliam asked Vaughn, "Is she who I think she is?" I glanced back and forth between them. Adding it all up, I started to shake my head in denial.
"She’s the Ghost Clan's Anassa in-waiting, and we've been called to commit regicide. And she's also apparently our bondmate." The palpable fury in Vaughn's voice had my hackles up.
It dawned on me then why he'd made us scout unnecessarily before we entered the house. "You knew! You sensed her, and you made us let her go. We could have–"
A sharp motion from Iliam cut me off, and a slow clap drew my attention to our audience outside. Of course, we'd been well and truly set up.
None other than the Regent himself and a contingent of his personal clan soldiers awaited us. The man wasn't physically imposing, especially for a shifter. Hair just long enough to curl and a Van Dyke beard the same sinful black as his hair and eyes. They complemented his slim figure and the vicious delight in his gaze.
"My, my. This couldn't have turned out better had
