The last leader of the Shifter Council had been highly vocal in his criticism of the mages, but he died in a suspicious accident last year. His replacement, Maximus Lightfoot, was an asslicker, and I’d long suspected he was in Dad’s pocket.
“I will send a meeting summons for tomorrow, sir.” The conversation moved on to boring shit, but as I was about to head back to the drawing room, Dad said something that caught my attention.
“Was the latest shipment delivered on time?”
“Yes, sir. They are ready for you.”
“Good. We’ll be there in the morning.”We?
“If that’s all, I must return to my guests.”
Shit, I needed to move before he saw me. I couldn’t afford to get caught outside his office. He’d stop me from leaving the house if he thought I’d been listening, and that wouldn’t do. Not with Uncle Adam on his way to Starfall.
I tried not to think about the witch as I shot away and ducked into an empty room to avoid my father.
Her health and well-being were not my problem.
7
Zane
My witch looked so small lying curled up on the bear’s ratty couch. Like a dainty doll with her streaky hair feathered over the pillow. If not for the tether in my chest, I’d have wondered if perhaps she had already crossed the veil.
I focused on the tether that linked us. My soul to hers. She was the sunshine brightening the shadows. The meadow filled with pretty flowers to my cracked concrete wasteland of broken glass and weeds.
She didn’t stir when I reached out and stroked her hair. Not a murmur.
“Don’t be a creep,” the bear grumbled as he stomped out of the small living room. “She doesn’t need you fondling her while she’s unconscious.” He straightened the blanket covering her legs before slanting a look at the door.
I briefly considered disemboweling him for suggesting I had less-than-honorable intentions toward my mate before deciding shewould be unhappy to wake up from her coma to find one of her mates dead.
The mage didn’t count. If he died, I doubt she’d miss him.
The kitsune lifted his head from his spot by the fire and gave me a toothy grin.
“He’s on my kill list,” I told the creature. He chuffed and then closed his eyes.
I didn’t speak kitsune, but he and I had an understanding. We often crossed paths in places where the mages hung out. He kept my secrets, and I kept his.
“Kill list?” The bear quirked an eyebrow.
“I have a list,” I told him. “The mage is on it.”
The bear cocked his head to one side, listening. “Raven’s guardian is approaching. You better stay out of the way for now,” he said to the vamp. I watched as the bloodsucker disappeared upstairs.
It was creepy the way he moved without making a sound. No wonder the mages hated the vampires. Not only could they compel other magicals to do their bidding, but they were also the ultimate predator. Top of the food chain.
Unfortunately, their need for a blood source was their downfall. One the mages exploited.
At least that’s what I suspected had happened.
A sharp rap on the door echoed through the cabin. When it opened, my pet’s mage guardian stood there waiting. This time, he came alone.
“Where is she? You promised to keep her safe!”
“Can we trust you?” Despite knowing the mage could attack, the bear refused to step aside.
“Of course! Now let me in so I can see Raven.” The bear eyeballed the mage for several long seconds before letting him enter. We bothknew the mage was our best hope of fixing whatever was wrong with our mate.
