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Zahra brushed the tears away as they fell. “You haven’t called me Ribbons in so long,” she sniffed, even as she smiled at his old nickname for her because of the stupid ribbons she used to wear in her hair when she was younger.
“Sorry.” Sloane shrugged self-consciously. “Ask Martha and, um…reach out to Tove.”
“The Lycan?” Zahra asked him in puzzlement as she rose from the bed while Sloane crossed the room to the door.
“Yeah,” he said as his hand rested on the handle.
“Why?” Zahra asked as she searched his face.
“She lives outside of pack rules, she knows what it’s like to be an outsider, and she will be a friend in your corner.” Sloane suddenly grinned wickedly. “And she dislikes Cord almost as much as you do.”
“Common ground?” she asked with a small smile, and Sloane looked suddenly sheepish. Zahra’s peal of laughter was a welcome sound, and Sloane smiled widely at her.
“I’ll be seeing you, Ribbons.” Sloane winked at her before he left the room, knowing he did the right thing to see her before he left.
As he sat in the car, watching the landscape pass him by as the light faded to night, Sloane smiled in remembrance of the conversation of earlier this evening. Zahra would be fine, just fine. She was a survivor and, more importantly, a Holt. He’d never met anyone more stubborn than a Holt, not even his brother.
He suppressed the sigh he felt fighting for release. Hehadto do this, this was his right as Heir. He was Cornelius’s son by blood, not marriage, and Ivanov blood ran strong. His father was a master manipulator, cunning and deceitful, but no Akrhyn could say he wasn’t clever. Sloane would need to learn those skills if he ever thought he would make his stand in the Akrhyn world. They knew him to be the easy, laid-back younger brother, content to stay in Cord’s shadow and, in later years, Michael’s.
Cord, being Cord, had suddenly ripped him from the comfort of the shade where Sloane had thought he had been content to stay. Cord had shone the light on him and made all Akrhyn take notice. Cornelius wasn’t helping by ordering him home, even thoughthatmove would be for the benefit of Cornelius. Sloane knew he was ready to learn what his father could teach him. He knew he wouldn’t be the smarter of the two, he knew he would make mistakes, and he knew he would never be the Heir that Cord could have been.
He also knew he didn’tneedto be like Cornelius or Cord, their society already had them in it. Their world needed something new, something, no…someone, who would bring honour and pride back to his House once Cornelius was done. Sloane would be exactly who he always had been, only smarter.
Sloane smiled to himself as he looked at the darkening landscape before he settled back in the seat, his head once again resting on the headrest. As he closed his eyes, he knew why his brother hadn’t answered his mental call. Cord already knew what Sloane had finally accepted: he was ready to take on the role he had been born to.
As he closed his eyes to enjoy the rest of the journey, his mind at peace, he had one thought.Thank you, brother, for believing in me.
Tegan glared at her backpack as she angrily packed it. It wasn’t her clothing’s fault she was so angry, but it did seem, as she scrunched it into a ball and shoved it far down her backpack, that she was taking her anger out on it.
“He left me too, you know,” Michael said dryly as he watched his sister almost violently thrust a spare pair of pants into the bag. Her glare was quite intimidating, but Michael wasn’t to be dissuaded. “I know you’re angry, but Sloane didn’t have time. His father would have made it difficult for him, and you know how much Sloane hates difficult.” His attempt at humour fell on deaf ears, and he repressed his sigh. “You’re being unreasonable,” he admonished. “Plus, you’re already going to see him when you get to House Ivanov.”
Tegan’s hands stilled on her backpack. “I’m going there as part of aninvestigation, not to enjoy afternoon tea with the male whocallshimself my cousin.”
“He’s still your cousin, and I know you’re investigating Cornelius, and I know you have to be discreet, but you cannot do that investigationwell, Tegan, if your fury at Sloane interferes with your job.”
“He said goodbye to Zahra.”
Michael swallowed his defensive reply, knowing it wouldn’t help matters. He tried for tact instead. “You were on patrol, he knew he couldn’t wait.”
“Did he say goodbye to you?”
“Yes, well, kind of,” he muttered. “We argued, I told him to ignore the summons, and he told me I was being unreasonable.”
Tegan’s nose scrunched up as she thought about his words. “But it isn’t something he could ignore.”
“I know, I was angry, and I’m suspicious of anything Cornelius does, more so lately.” Michael leaned back in his seat as he watched his sister. “I can’t believe he would stoop so low as to abduct the Council Elder and then order Sloane back.” His hands ran over his hair in frustration. “I have a bad feeling about it all.”
“I do not have a bad feeling; I know that when my sword is at his neck, he will tell me what we need to know, uncle or not,” Tegan told him grimly.
“Okay, you cannot attack the Elder of the House, no matter how much we both dislike him just now,” Michael said to her with a wide grin.
“Watch me.”
“Tegan…” He trailed off, he genuinely didn’t have a reason why sheshouldn’tthreaten her uncle.
“And why would he speak to Zahra?” Tegan demanded as she picked up her hunting knives and strapped them to her body. “He didn’t even say goodbye to Kallie, why would he go to Zahra?”
“Sloane and Zahra have history. He knows she’s struggling with things that happened to her. I think if you took a moment to realise you’re worried for him more than madathim, you would realise he was being the male you’ve come to love.” Michael held Tegan’s stare. “He was being exactly who he is by making sure she would be okay.” Michael studied his hands self-consciously. “Which is more than I have been doing for her.”
