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Daegan's impassive expression showed no more reaction than if he'd been a brick wall. "She doesn't require that. If you don't wish to accept her gratitude, then I'll do as you prefer. But I think you'll want to hear what she has to say. A vampire can't have too many allies in this world, and your actions in the past few days have won you quite a few."
"You know what allies are? People who sucker you into thinking you can trust them, until they turn on you because something that's better for them but worse for you happens and they don't see the need for the alliance anymore."
Is that how you see our alliance? Rand's voice in his head had a deceptive calm to it, though the blue eyes were glinting ominously. Our mission together is done, so our bond is no longer necessary?
Cai had stepped in it, but he wasn't backing down. No, it's not. Just the simple truth. On second thought, we do need to go to the big fancy Council headquarters. The queen can pat me on the head for a job well done, and Lord Brian can separate us. You can be on your way. Go make a million puppies with Cilya, who looks at you like you're a steak with a box of Milkbones and a squeaky toy on top.
Because he was. And Cilya and Rand would make beautiful pups. More simple, detestable truth.
Rand stared at Cai, then turned his attention to Daegan. "Will you ask Rasheed to stop the car, please?"
Daegan nodded. Rasheed pulled into the convenience store parking lot, pulling into the back, where there was a small natural area and a copse of trees to provide some privacy.
Ironically, Rand noted it was an area for travelers with pets, where they could take their dogs out to relieve themselves. Oh, he was about to relieve himself all right. The shit was going to hit the fan. A very pain-in-the-ass, one-fanged fan.
He slid out of the limo and bent to look in at Cai. "You wanted to be let out," Rand said pleasantly. "So get out of the fucking car."
Cai's attention snapped to him. Rand slammed the door before he could reach for it, and marched away toward the grassy area.
Inside the limo, Cai's expression darkened. He turned the latch and shoved out, slamming the door with equal force. Fortunately, not a vampire's force, or they would have had to explain why the limo was returned to the Savannah headquarters with a crumpled door that wouldn't open.
Gideon stretched out his long legs and yawned. "That's going to be an ugly conversation."
"Hmm," Daegan said. "First time I've heard the wolf curse like that."
"Yeah, takes a bit to rile him. Reminds me of someone else I know." Gideon moved to the spot the two had vacated. "I'll keep an eye on them in case they need an intervention. Might draw some attention if they get into a fight."
"Good thinking." Daegan braced his shoe against the seat between Gideon's spread knees, one toe under his thigh. Gideon's hand naturally fell on his shin as a resting spot, fingers curled to stroke Daegan over the black slacks he was wearing. "While you do that," the vampire said, "I'll call Anwyn and give her an ETA she can pass on to Jacob."
"Sounds like a plan. Though we might not know what the ETA is, until these two sort this out."
"They'll either stay here or come with us. Should be no more than a fifteen-minute difference either way." Daegan's lips quirked. "As Anwyn has pointed out, a disagreement between males rarely takes more than five or ten minutes to sort out, since it's usually resolved with a shared beer or one knocking the other unconscious."
"She says that like it's something annoying. Why she thinks women chewing on a conflict for hours is the better way is beyond me. But it's okay. She's so damn hot when she puts her hands on her hips and lectures us on being male and therefore stupid, I'm not filing any complaints."
Daegan smiled, a rare but brilliant gesture that caught Gideon's attention as it always did, tripping his heart up a few notches. The vampire noticed as he always did, his eyes heating and his toe moving to stroke the inseam of Gideon's jeans. It had Gideon thinking that it would be good to get to Lyssa's Savannah estate sooner rather than later.
"Agreed, vampire hunter. While other vampires are less shy about these things, I would prefer to have you and Anwyn to myself when I get you bare-assed and at my mercy."
Amen to that. Gideon assumed indifference, which he knew Daegan could read as a complete lie, but focused out the window, hoping these two got their shit together sooner than later. And didn't knock one another unconscious to do it, but if they did, they could drag the bodies back into the vehicle and be on their way within the fifteen-minute range. Win-win.
Rand strode into the copse of trees, out of sight of the limo occupants. Cai beat him there, stepping in front of him to bring him up short and square off. "What's got your panties in a bunch?" he demanded. "That I told the truth?"
Cai should have seen it coming. He could be in the guy's mind, after all. Instead his head snapped back from a punch that was like being hit by a hammer. He stumbled and landed on his ass, though he was on his feet in a blink and had Rand shoved against a tree, pinned there with an arm on his throat and his one fang bared at him. But Rand's teeth were already showing, his eyes blazing with an unexpected level of fury.
The shifter could have fought back, pit strength against strength, but he went with an even more devastating tactic. He used words, a flood of raw, honest feeling.
"No. You didn't tell the truth. You spout this bullshit until it overflows on everyone around you. Great way to shove away those who care about you."
"It's like Dr. Phil and Captain Obvious had a baby. Thanks so much for the news flash." Cai thrust away from him and stood back. "If only telling people why they act the way they do would actually change them. It doesn't. People are the same assholes they always are, even when they try to act like enlightened, self-aware assholes. I don't see the need to make the effort."
"That's what you want everyone to believe." Rand snarled it. "So here's a news flash for you. You saved a girl no one else could save. You saved my life, helped me see there are things worth living for again. You've protected me whenever I'm threatened. You've opened yourself up to me when you feel things you don't want others to see."
Rand moved in and clamped a hand on the back of his neck. Cai countered with a grip on his forearm, but Rand tightened his own hold so he'd have to cause harm to dislodge him. "You have trouble with people acknowledging that you can be a decent person, that's fine. But do not, under any fucking circumstances, paint me as a traitorous backstabber to fortress yourself against betrayal, when you know that wall is already crumbling. I've done nothing to deserve that."
You will, Cai thought desperately. But that was his shit, wasn't it? Rand was right. Just because the male did deserve to be with a wolf family, wasn't something that made him disloyal to Cai. This had never been about a Master-servant relationship, and hell, he didn't even know what that was anyhow, did he? It had all been circumstances, need, choices limited to what would suit the mission objective. Keeping Rand alive, then getting Dovia back safe. Rand hadn't chosen him, and who would, anyway?
This was his deal, his shit. He needed to step away from it. Appreciate the male while he could, and damn well treat him the way he deserved. Cai could do that.
Rand looked poised to fight some more. Cai knuckled the blood off his lip. Hell of a punch. He reached toward Rand's face. The male tensed, as if expecting a wrestling move, but when Cai touched him, his eyes took on a wary, surprised look.
"I'm sorry," Cai said. "I tend to have to say that a lot around you. You've been nothing but a true friend and comrade, Rand. The closest thing I had to that after I got with the Trads was Lodell, and to say that was a dysfunctional relationship doesn't describe the half of it. You're right. That shit spills over, but if you can believe it, I really don't want you to be covered in it. I'm not good at any of this, never will be. But I do think you're one of the best, most honorable males I've ever met. Even if you have a shedding issue I really think you need to address."
Rand's lips tightened. His expression warred with hurt and anger, exasperation,
some resignation, and a tenderness Cai didn't think he could bear to see. So he closed the distance between them and kissed the male, pushing him toward the tree until his back hit it. This time, when Rand's hands gripped him like he would take Cai to the ground or back him off, Cai increased the strength of his hold. They could fight about it, or Rand could let him keep him against the tree as long as Cai damn well pleased.
As Cai leaned in, nuzzling Rand's throat, he felt every part of his own body tighten when Rand made his decision. The wolf turned his head, gave him free access. Even pissed, the male responded to him, responded to his needs, and he could feel Rand's wonder at that, a reaction that only added to his own.
"As long as we're laying down ultimatums," Cai said, "if you ever talk to me like that in front of other vampires again, I'll fuck you in front of them just to underscore who's got control here. You got me, wolf?"
Cai let him see it in his mind in nice visual detail, adding some lurid touches that proved the threat of discipline very much overlapped with his own personal fantasies involving Rand.
A quiver went through the shifter's muscles. It made it even worse for Cai when he saw that the idea of Cai branding Rand in such a possessive way wasn't entirely displeasing to his servant.
