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“As much as I respect your older brother, he has been able to keep a very low profile as far as the League and Strode are concerned and I’d like it to stay that way. I fear that having missed out on Salem, Strode’s going to be willing to commit a lot of his resources to retaking Adriana.”
From the corner of his eye, Colby watched as Brie surreptitiously cast her eyes from Adriana to him and back again. There was no denying Adriana was a beauty, but she didn’t hold a candle to Brie. Didn’t Brie know that? How could she doubt his fidelity to her? Hell, he’d been in a committed relationship with his hand for the past several years. He had led people to believe otherwise, but Brie knew the truth.
“I hate to say it,” said Scott, “but this may be the safest place for her.”
“I don’t disagree,” said Brie, “but only if Adriana doesn’t mind being a target. She might be safer, as well as those around her, if we fake her death and then set her up in a remote fortress. I think Colby said Winter and Sean had said she was welcome with them in the highlands.” She turned her gaze on Colby, smiled sweetly and said, “Didn’t you tell me Castle Curaidh has never been breached?”
“I did,” purred Colby, happy to see Brie respond to him even in the most minor way. “The problem is I don’t think we want her too far out of Strode’s reach. That might swing him back to focusing on getting Salem. Cullen’s home would be difficult to take, but not impossible. I’d rather have her some place we can limit and control what Strode can do.”
“You want to use me as bait,” said Adriana.
Colby nodded. “In a way. Strode has already tried the defenses at Windsong. I don’t think he’s going to want to try them again. But if we can find a remote location where we could make Strode believe he had a shot at her, we might be able to draw him out.”
“You don’t really believe if you kill him, you’ll destroy the League, do you?” asked Brie.
“Not at all. Part of what I want to do is be able to have him commit the majority of his forces. My guess is Strode will stay on Lundy Island unless he’s certain of victory.”
Brie laughed. “You sneaky sonofabitch. You want to draw his forces away from his stronghold and while the Resistance holds them off, have people move in and take out Strode himself.”
“If we can not only cut off the head of the snake but the heads of others who might rise to take his place, we could buy ourselves enough time to destroy the League once and forever.”
Adriana reached across to Colby. “But I haven’t felt safe until I arrived here at Windsong. When you told me I would be safe with you, I believed it. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep until I was here. At Windsong, I sleep like a baby.”
Colby could feel the jealousy and possessiveness that had been simmering in Brie beginning to boil. He would need to ensure that Adriana knew that Brie was his fated mate, but he had to admit he was kind of enjoying Brie’s discomfiture.
Kyra took hold of Adriana’s hand and lifted it from Colby’s. “I think you’ll find my brother has a fated mate.”
“So I was told, but Brie does not look as though she shares that understanding. Colby is far too honorable a man to force the issue with her, aren’t you, Colby?”
Adriana all but batted her eyes at him. Colby got the distinct impression the Irish witch/wolf-shifter was enjoying herself.
“Maybe you might want to involve the Resistance in this,” offered Brie, ignoring the byplay. “After all, you are supposed to be a part of the network—not so much a lone wolf any longer.”
“If only you were a wolf,” Adriana sighed, making goo-goo eyes at him.
I probably ought to remind Adriana that Brie is not necessarily someone she wants as an enemy. But he had to admit, if only to himself, that he was enjoying Brie’s growing anger.
Brie stood. “I’ve lost my appetite. I’m going for a run, but the rest of you carry on. The Shadow Sisters will do whatever we can to keep Adriana safe.”
With that, Brie spun on her heel and stalked from the room. You didn’t need to be her fated mate to feel the anger rolling off her in waves. The problem for Colby was that it wasn’t just anger—there was a hint of distress. And while he could enjoy Brie’s anger to a certain extent, he didn’t want her hurt. He stood to follow her but hesitated as Kyra spoke.
“I wouldn’t tease Brie if I were you,” Kyra advised Adriana.
Adriana shrugged her shoulders. “She is a fool if she cannot see your brother only has eyes for her. It was one of the first things I noticed about him when I met him.”
Colby turned around to gauge the witch/wolf-shifter. “What was it you noticed?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“There was a sadness about you that you try to hide with your devilish charm. I didn’t know the source of that sadness and worried that it might be because you would have to betray me.”
“My brother would never betray you. Lie to you, use you for his own ends, but never betray you.”
Colby grinned at Kyra. It was good to have his sister home. “I’m not sure whether I should be happy and relieved to know how well you understand me or admonish your mate for your waspish tongue.”
“Ah, but the wasp’s sting is not in its tongue but rather in its tail,” bantered Kyra.
“And it’s such an adorable tail,” teased Scott.
Colby chuckled, watching Kyra preen under Scott’s teasing. His sister was a strong she-cat. She needed a man like Scott who was strong enough to lead but loved her enough to want to see her flourish. His hope was he and Brie would one day have the same kind of relationship. In many ways, Colby recognized that his sister and his mate were very much alike.
