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“If I find out any more of them...” Nate couldn’t seem to finish the sentence. A frustrated rumble emanated from hischest.
“Why don’t we at least talk to them?” I said. “I’m pretty sensitive to people’s motivations. If we gather the rest of the guards together and I talk to each of them for a bit, then we know we don’t have to worry about any moretraitors.”
Nate sighed. “You’re right. I can call the ones who are off-duty in for a briefing, and you can talk to them during that. I’ll get that round-up happeningnow.”
He pushed to his feet and made for the door. As I moved to follow him, West exhaled with a mutter under his breath. “Well, this should be an interestingshow.”
I decided not to even dignify that comment with aglare.
Chapter 5
Ren
“Line up along the wall,”Nate ordered the group of guards. This new set, a couple dozen shifters, shuffled to spread out through the massive dininghall.
I waited until they’d settled in against the exposed tan brick. They’d just come off duty after I’d spoken to the guards who’d now relieved them. So far I hadn’t seen any reason for concern. As far as I could tell, Nate had chosen his guards pretty darnwell.
The other alphas had wandered off on their own business, but Alice had stuck around. She was sitting perched on the edge of one of the big pine tables. The way her sharp eyes scanned the line-up made her look every bit the eagle even in humanform.
“This is our dragon shifter, Serenity Drake,” Nate said, pitching his voice to carry through the room. He stumbled slightly over my full name, so used to using the nickname I was most comfortable with. “On her first visit here, she wanted a chance to meet and speak with all of you. As your alpha, I know you’ll do your kinproud.”
We weren’t telling them the full reason for this gathering, but I knew word had passed on about my talk with the rogue. They knew this was more than just a friendlychat.
“Hi,” I said to the first guard in the line, dipping my head slightly so he could catch my scent. He did the same in return—a ferret. He looked it. His dark eyes studied me warily from his pointy face. But he was tough, too, his arms ropey with muscle. “Like Nate said, I’m Serenity, but I really prefer if you call me ‘Ren.’”
“Mitchell,” he said. “It’s an honor to meet you, dragonshifter.”
He didn’t totally mean it. I could taste his hesitation. But that wasn’t new. I’d gotten the same impression from about half of the other group too, as if they weren’t quite sure their kin were better off or worse with mearound.
“What made you volunteer to serve as a guard here?” Iasked.
His gaze slid to Nate, and I sensed nothing but warm devotion from him then. “It is thegreatesthonor to be at my alpha’s service. If I save my kin even a little trouble on his behalf, I couldn’t ask formore.”
I caught a thread of what he didn’t say in the dip of his voice. He blamed the trouble they’d just had here on me. Well, fair enough. The rogues wouldn’t have launched their assault if they hadn’t known I was on my way to the estate. I’d gotten the same vibe from the otherdoubters.
Of course, some of Nate’s kin still gave off those wafts of dragon-shifter awe I was in the process of getting used to. A little farther down the line, a mountain goat shifter bobbed on her feet almost giddily as she bowed her head to me. Her eyes shone withexcitement.
“I heard you got the truth out of that rogue with your dragon fire last night,” she said after she’d answered my questions. “That he couldn’t do a thing to stop you! It sure is a good thing having a dragon shifter aroundagain.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I said with a smile. I just hoped I could live up to herexpectations.
I’d spoken with about half of the guards when I reached a muskrat shifter who greeted me with a wide grin. It should have looked friendly, but there was something slightly twitchy about him that set my nerveshumming.
I gave him the same greeting I had the others. His bow was a little jaunty. I’d have liked him if it wasn’t for that aura of discomfort he was givingoff.
“The name’s Orion,” he said. “Big name for a little guy. My mom had the idea it’d make me moreimpressive.”
The corner of my mouth tugged into a smile despite myself. “You must be decently impressive if your alpha chose you for hisguard.”
“Ah, I do what I can. A little stealthy sneaking here, a little rat-jitsu there.” Hewinked.
Again, I was struck by the sense that he wasn’t anywhere near as at ease as the front he was putting on was meant to imply. He wanted me to laugh and move on. And the sooner I did, the happier he’d be. But the emotions roiling beneath his jaunty demeanor weren’t annoyed orskeptical.
No, if anything he wasscaredof my attention.Hmm.
Well, I’d let him think he was getting what he wanted. “Keep up the good work, then,” I said, and movedon.
None of the other guards rubbed me the wrong way. When I reached the end of the line, I could see several of them shuffling their feet, eager to be dismissed. They’d just finished a long shift on duty. With this scheme, I’d probably irritated all the ones who already weren’t impressed byme.
