Beth helped Daniel sit back down on the bed after helping him wash up later. With a grunt, he settled back onto the cot."It's better not to tell him we know," he said. "Let him think we're taking him at his word. I wasn't supposed to see that symbol on his wrist or know it's connected to Matthew, so it's better to pretend we know nothing."Beth nodded. Though she couldn't admit it, she well knew there were harsh consequences for slip-ups, and although Matthew might be a changed man now, he had been hard on all of his spies in the first life, far more than he ever should have been. She couldn't stomach the idea that Marten might be punished when he was only trying to help them. If not for his help, Daniel might not be alive this very second."I agree," she said. "Besides, it's no harm done. I'm concerned what it means that Matthew's reach extends this far when it's completely illegal... but that's between him and the Union Court if it ever comes to it. I won't have a part in it. Neith
It was the swiftest Anna had ever run. Until now, nothing had ever required all of her strength, all of her drive, all of her dedication -- she had lived a comfortable life on the line, surrounded by others who worked hard to make her happy.But everything was different now. She had fought her mate to the ground, installed herself as a commander, usurped the natural order she had always been taught to respect and even exploit. And the sister she had always thought she despised and envied was telling her to run away -- to get help, Beth had said, but Anna knew the truth. Beth was sending her away and fighting alone because the chances of them surviving the battle were nil, at this rate. And sending her to get help? As if that would work. The nearest outposts could all make it in time if they tried, but Anna knew well the Gold Nation army politics.The other rival generals and commanders would hardly grieve Noah's loss, or that of the relatively small army garrisoned in Tahoe. To all o
Beth... Beth had been right to tell Anna that fighting in actual battle was different. This was nothing like the one on one fight to make Noah submit. There had been no time to calculate for what the enemy did this time, and the battle had ridden on reaction, instinct, pure adrenaline only. She couldn't even remember how many she fought and defended against, couldn't recall how she had gotten half of her wounds at all.But it had been an ambush. Surely not all battles were this chaotic. Surely it had just been this one, because they had been taken by surprise and Anna had let down her guard.She refused to believe this was her best, or even her usual. She refused to believe she was so mentally weak that even her Alpha body couldn't keep up."This way, Annalise," Michael urged. "We'll be passing by the area your father the Alpha was last seen in on the way to check your mother's cabin, so it would be best if you can investigate both. You knew them best, maybe you'll find something we m
Anna remained sitting in the tent outside the trading post, eyes closed and hands together on the plain table. Only a few hours ago, her father had been sitting here and planning the attack now that they were on the last leg of the march to Tahoe Village.How things had changed. Now Anna sat here alone, Alpha gone, Luna gone, and the army looking around for a leader to replace them. Michael might be impressed by the change in her spirit, but most of the Rokley pack and sister packs hadn't gotten a chance to see or speak to her. Most of them still thought she was the same pampered, fragile princess she had pretended to be all her life.That was her fault. She had been the one to do that to herself, putting on the delicate front so everyone would rush to her side and help her, cherish her, baby her. Back then, she had thought to be loved was better than to be respected, or perhaps that they were the same things.Or maybe she had known she could never get the respect Beth did, so she had
"That's a far deductive leap for you to take," she said, voice frosty and giving nothing away. "Is it perhaps that you knew before you even asked me that? Or maybe I'm only letting you think the situation is so. You can know nothing for certain."The man chuckled. "You remind me of someone else I know, with that sharpness. Except you're even thornier if that can be believed. But make no mistake, it's a valuable quality to be so cautious. I respect and appreciate it. Then how about this? You can simply keep me captive here for as long as it takes to prove myself useful.""Useful? So you think you can do something about the situation, if there is a situation? Strange. Very presumptive of your value.""That's fair. Then here's a concession. If I can't be actively useful to you, you can keep me captive to make sure any intelligence I gather fails to make it back to whoever might have tasked me to come here. Is that a fair deal?""You make it sound like there was going to be a choice at al
Anna had pretended not to trust him, saying she needed time to think about whether she would take Adrian Heether at his word. But the truth was that she had no choice. Her mother and father were both gone, Adrian was telling her Beth might still be in danger, and even Anna herself was being set up for a trap.She had no choice but to trust this lead. If nothing else, she would use this chance to prove whether he was ally or enemy, and if he was an enemy, she would use him against whoever had sent him, either viciously interrogate him for the truth or stake his decapitated head on the outer grounds as a warning.Or something like that. Anna had been vicious with words all her life, and her mind was so numb to verbal cruelties thanks to her own personality that she didn't blink an eye at insults and insidious sayings, but she had never turned to physical cruelty. The thought made her stomach turn.In the meantime, she was scribbling down as many notes as she could manage in the short ti
Anna had heard before that habitual mistrust spoke more of one's own nature than the motives of others. And maybe that was true, since all her childhood and adolescence, she had meticulously abused the trust she cultivated and garnered in everyone around her. She'd had no compunction about smiling prettily at someone then stabbing them in the back in the blink of an eye. Especially those who hadn't deserved it.If she could go back and make different choices now, she would be a far different person than who she was today... But that said, it gave her insight into the dark nature of others, too. People who were just like how she used to be, how she could have been had she not been humbled and set on a different path.Like Adrian Heether, or so he called himself. There was no way to verify his identity and it was an idiot's move to trust him blindly, but in particular, Anna's instincts told her there was something about him that didn't add up.But what could she do about it? If she igno
"Daniel...""Beth. We talked about this already. I'm not letting you go alone.""I just have a bad feeling. This isn't safe. We had to risk our lives going to Pandemonium in the first place because you were in danger. I don't want to lose you after I've just gotten you back.""I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Daniel took her hand and placed her palm over his chest. "Do you feel that?"Beth swallowed. Fear still reverberated in her like a struck drum, and the vibrations refused to leave her no matter how she tried to reassure herself. "I feel it. It feels strong. But it's got nothing to do with your heart. What if you really do have convulsions like he said you might? All those symptoms he said might appear -- I can't drag you back all the way there alone!""You won't have to. You won't, Beth. Come here." He held out his arms, and she fell into his embrace.They were in the pass again. The snow had abated but there was no telling when the storm would pick up again; the fierce w