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It took another thirty seconds and a carrot to get Cuddles under control.
“How do we get into the territory without being killed?” I asked.
“We can try the northwest approach,” Robert said. “It’s more lightly patrolled. But with the current state of things, they likely doubled the security. They’ll be looking for us.”
That was the understatement of the century.
“I could go alone,” Robert offered.
“If they find you, we’ll never find your scout or the crime scene,” Desandra said.
He spared her a look. “They won’t find me.”
Sure, they won’t. Pointing out that his pride was getting the better of him wouldn’t be politic. I had to say something neutral.
“Accidents happen.” Kate Daniels, Master of Diplomacy.
“We can come in on one of their usual patrol routes,” Derek said.
We turned to him.
“They know our patrol routes,” the boy wonder said. “So we shift them when there’s an emergency. They’ll likely do the same, leaving the original route open.”
“Likely?” Desandra shook her head.
“Likely is what we have,” Robert said.
“I don’t like it,” Desandra said. “I don’t know about you, but I have two babies to go home to. We could be walking right into their patrol.”
“We won’t,” I said.
“What makes you so sure?” Robert asked.
“We have a real-life vampire detector with us,” Derek said.
It was my turn to be looked at.
“You keep staring, I’ll have to do a dance or something.”
“You can sense vampires?” Robert asked.
“Yes.”
“From how far away?” the alpha rat asked.
“From far enough to give us time to hide.”
“Okay,” Robert said. “Then I vote for the patrol route.”
Desandra surveyed me as if she had met me for the first time. “What other fun things can you do?”
I winked at her. “Stick with me and you might find out.”
“We can go through the quarantine zone,” Derek said. “Even bloodsuckers stay out of there.”
“There’s probably a reason for that,” Desandra said.
“Fortune favors the brave,” I told her. It also kills the stupid, but I decided to keep that fact to myself. “Come on. We need to hurry.”
5
NIGHT DRENCHED ATLANTA’S streets, blue-black and viscous like ink. It slid down the ruined buildings, gathering in the empty holes of the windows, and dripped into the rubble-choked alleys. Cuddles clopped down the street, the sounds of her hoofbeats sinking into the darkness. Robert and Desandra moved with me on my left, Derek on my right. Robert didn’t jog; he glided completely silently, his movements small and fast. Desandra and Derek had dropped into that long-legged wolf stride that would let them go for miles and miles. Derek’s face had gone flat, neither brooding nor hard, just ready.
I didn’t brood either. I had a target. I would take care of it. The trick was not to think of everything I would lose if I failed.
I should’ve made more time for me and Curran. I should’ve . . .
I slammed that door shut. Fix this mess first. Guilt, regret, and moaning later.
Our people would find Curran and if they failed, I would find him. He was okay. We would be together again. I’d bury Hugh’s head next to Hibla’s grave. I already had a spot picked out for her. Right next to Aunt B. Maybe my nightmares would stop then.
Derek stopped and pivoted on his heel, looking behind us. He tilted his head down, his expression predatory, his unblinking eyes staring at a fixed point in the distance, where ravaged houses cast deep night shadows onto the street. His muscles tensed and his mouth opened slightly, betraying just a hint of his teeth, as if he were a wolf frozen in the moment before a strike.
I reached for my sword. Robert put his hand inside his jacket. Desandra smiled.
“Come out,” Derek said. “You’re busted.”
A shadow separated from the deeper night shadows and stepped into the street. An angelic face looked at us with devil eyes.
Damn it all. “Ascanio!”
The bouda sauntered forward, a picture of pure innocence on his face.
“What the hell are you doing?” I growled.
He pulled on a disarming smile like a shield. “Following you.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
So help me God, I would brain him with something heavy in a minute. “Because why?”
“I wanted to come. It’s too dangerous for you and I’m concerned.”
Derek snarled quietly under his breath.
“You can’t blame me,” Ascanio said. “Anybody in my place would be concerned. You don’t even have a proper horse. You’re riding a mutant equine of unknown origin.”
“Don’t disrespect my donkey. If you wanted to come, why didn’t you say so?”
Ascanio gazed at me, broadcasting sincerity. “Because you would say no. And I would never disobey you, Alpha.”
Argh. “Did you tell Jim where you were going?”
He looked taken aback. “Of course not!”
“Why not?”
He spread his arms. “Because he would say no.”
I put my hand over my face.
“Technically, I haven’t disobeyed any orders,” Ascanio said.
I pointed at him.
“Okay.” Ascanio took a step back. “I understand you need a moment.”
“Would you like me to beat him?” Derek asked.
“Personally, I don’t think this is a good time to be fighting among ourselves,” Ascanio said. “But if Mr. McBroodypants would like to see how much I’ve learned in the past year, I’d be happy to show him. It would make a lot of noise and draw a lot of attention with all the blood flying around.”
Mr. McBroodypants took a step forward.
“No,” I said.
Derek growled quietly under his breath.
Ascanio shot me another brilliant smile. “I’m sorry for all this trouble. I honestly was just trying to help. But now that I’m here, I couldn’t possibly go back all alone and defenseless. Unless you want to condemn me to certain death. Alone. In the night. In the freezing rain.”
Desandra laughed.
“It’s not raining,” I told him.
“How old are you?” Robert asked.
“Sixteen,” Ascanio said, suddenly dropping the plaintive tone. “Not old enough to drink or sign a contract, but old enough to be tried as an adult if I kill a human. Also old enough to fight for the Pack.”
