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“We’re still bonded…”
“Says you. As you noticed, I bear no man’s claiming mark.”
“What are you to Reynolds—some kind of operative?”
She smiled happily. “That and so much more. I suppose I ought to thank you for being an insufferable ass and, as you so rightly pointed out, scaring me so badly all I could think to do was escape the fate you and my father had in mind. If it wasn’t for you, and for them, I might never have found my place at Windsong. Do you know I actually considered throwing myself from the window? Thankfully, I had a better offer.”
“The Shadow Sisters?” She nodded and he hummed in confirmation. “I thought as much. I suppose in that case I owe them a debt. But what exactly is your place here?”
“I am Colby’s spymaster. The rumors that he has an intelligence network that encompasses the globe is true. He sits in the middle of it and very little happens that doesn’t disturb his web. He sends me out to find the truth of the matter and to do what needs to be done.”
“Including killing someone?”
“Don’t get all high and mighty with me, Campbell. You’ve killed for far less reason than I have. I’ve never killed anyone who wasn’t trying to kill me or didn’t need to die.”
He shook his head. “The man who passes judgment, swings the sword, as the old saying goes. And if it isn’t done by the alpha who ordered it, then it is done by his beta.”
“Precisely,” she said, looking him dead in the eye.
His questions about her relationship with Reynolds had all been answered. Winter was Colby Reynolds most trusted adviser and follower. She was his beta—as incredulous as that was to believe. But it made sense and from what he had seen and heard, she was damn good at her job and certainly explained the intimacy he had seen between the two.
“Reynolds is a fool to risk you like that. Trained or not, if a man with enough size, muscle, and training wanted to, he could take you down.”
“You couldn’t last night,” she jibed.
“I wasn’t really trying. Regardless of what you or that lynx-shifter you mistakenly call alpha want to believe, you are physiologically inferior to me.”
“Would you care to try and prove that inside? We don’t have enough space out here.”
“I don’t need to fight to prove my point when we both know it’s true.”
“All right then, care to make a wager on the outcome?”
He nodded slowly. “Name your stakes.”
“If I win, you withdraw to Scotland, never to bother me again, but if and when the time comes, you will pledge your clan to those here in Mystic River and Otter Cove to bring down the Shadow League.”
“Done. And when I win, I will claim you as mine.”
CHAPTER11
WINTER
Campbell stood before her, offering her his hand to help her to her feet. It was the gentlemanly thing to do and Winter thought nothing about taking it. Bad idea; very bad idea. The jolt of electricity that ran through her cued up both her arousal and her need to prove her mettle. If she could get him to yield, she would be free, finally. The question was whether that was really what she wanted. Winter feared she wouldn’t know the truth of the matter until it was too late to determine the outcome.
Campbell squared off with her, removing his shoes and shirt so all he had on was his jeans. Winter pared down as well, removing her cowboy boots and sweater so she faced him in a sports bra and breeches.
“All right, mate,” he said with a smile that indicated he might not be looking forward to the fight, but was definitely planning to revel in the outcome. “Let’s settle this, but remember when I win, I will claim you as mine.”
Normally Winter’s blood ran cold when she was about to battle or was in the midst of a fight. Colby had taught her to tamp down her emotions and to think before committing herself to an action. You had to learn to think fast, but it could mean the difference between life and death. However, this fight wasn’t about something so mundane as living. She knew in the deepest part of her soul that the outcome of what happened here between her and Campbell would determine the course of the rest of her life.
Once before she had stood at such a crossroad and done the easy thing—run. This time she would not run. She would stand and fight.
Barely letting him get the words out of his mouth, Winter rushed him, bringing her fist up in a powerful blow to the jaw. Campbell met her halfway, lashing out with an open palm that slapped her down, breaking her momentum. His strike was faster, but hers hit its mark more precisely, making him stagger. He recovered quickly, allowing himself to hit the ground and roll out of her way before jumping back to his feet.
Winter lunged before he was fully up, bringing her hands joined in a single fist down into the space between his shoulder blades. It should have driven him to his knees. It didn’t. Campbell swung his arm behind him, knocking her legs from beneath her. Both rolled away before regaining their feet to square off again.
Again and again, she and Campbell landed blow after blow. They were fairly evenly matched in terms of training, but she was a bit quicker. She wasn’t quick enough, though, to offset the restrained power she could feel in each and every punch that landed. Winter quickly realized that Campbell had spoken the truth. If he wanted to, he could easily overcome his slightly slower speed with his increased strength.
