Kade

by Dana Archer

  “Anyway, we’re worried about him.” Stan snags a chair from the table and spins it before sitting and gripping the back the way a child would a security blanket. “What he’s gotten involved in.”

  I take the chair across from Stan, prop my elbows on the gleaming wood, and lean forward. “What has he gotten involved in?”

  “Yeah, we figured you didn’t know. You really weren’t home long enough last time to pick up on the clues.”

  “What clues? What are you talking about?” Though I have an idea. Jerry told me what he’s picked up on.

  “Obviously, you know the bar burned down. Newspaper said it was arson.” Stan glances around before scrunching over the back of the chair. “That fire was purposely set to kill him. Word is someone pretty powerful wanted to get their hands on his girlfriend—his wife now—and his adopted kids. There’s a bounty on their heads. A freaking high bounty. Enough some lucky bastard would be able to live a real good life on it.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “You know the Ernest family, right?”

  “Zeb, Sam, Saul, and Abby.” I curl my fingers the way they were once wrapped around Abby’s neck the night I found her trespassing on Josh’s property. “Yeah. I know them.”

  “Knew them is the right way to say it.” Stan lowers his voice. “They’re all dead. Sam and Saul were shot right before the fire. Abby killed herself a couple weeks ago. And Zeb swallowed a bullet. Right in front of me.”

  “I’m sorry.” Not for Zeb or any of the Ernest siblings. They caused my brother a lot of pain. My words are for Stan. No doubt watching someone blow their brains out left a tragic memory behind.

  Stan nods, my condolences visibly comforting him. “Zeb was messed up in drugs pretty bad. They made him really sick too. Docs said his kidneys and stuff were shutting down. It was just a matter of time. Zeb knew it, and he didn’t want to put his parents through any more pain. He said he caused them enough. He said a lot of things to me, actually. That’s why I’m here.”

  “What kind of things did he say?”

  “He should’ve been dead already. He insisted on that. Said if it wasn’t for the deal he made with the cops, he would’ve been silenced.” Stan’s eyes widen. “Permanently.”

  “What deal did he make?”

  “I don’t know for sure. He wouldn’t say, but it had to do with Josh’s first adopted kid, Megan. Something about giving information to crack a child trafficking ring.” Stan raises a hand. “Now look, I know Josh didn’t have any hand in that. He’s only trying to do the right thing, but I don’t think he realized what he got himself involved in, and if he isn’t careful, it’s going to get him killed.”

  “Because of the bounties on his kids’ and wife’s heads?”

  Stan licks his lips and scans the bar before half leaning over the table. He lowers his voice to the point where I have to lean in to hear him. “Because of why they have a bounty on their heads.”

  “Why do they have a bounty on their heads?”

  Stan abruptly pulls back and rubs at the back of his neck. He slides his other hand over his forearm, where his hair is standing on end and frantically looks over the remaining people in the bar.

  “Stan?” I stand and step closer to him. “Why do they have a bounty on their heads?”

  He jerks his gaze to me. “Look, I didn’t mean to go into so much detail. I just wanted you to know Josh is in trouble. I know he wouldn’t want to hear it from me, especially with me saying his kids and wife are the reason, but he should know what he’s been living with. I figure he doesn’t. No way would anyone in their right mind be able to sleep under the same roof if he did. Josh isn’t an idiot. He’s a good guy. A buddy.”

  “I need more details if I’m going to talk to him. If I bring this up with what you told me, he’ll say I’m just causing trouble with him and his new family.”

  “They’re dangerous. Them and their friends. I saw proof with my own eyes when I was out scouting the woods.”

  “Saw what?”

  “Forget it. Just tell him to be careful, okay?” Stan steps away. “I’ll figure out another way to help him. This is only going to cause problems. Make him think I’m crazy or something. He won’t take it seriously.”

  I grab his hand. “What did you see?”

  “Nothing I’ll admit to. I was alone. Heck, maybe I was seeing things. Don’t worry about it.” Stan shakes off my hold. “If I get any proof, I’ll be in touch again, okay? Until then, forget I said anything.”

  Then Stan’s gone, hightailing it across the room until he disappears through the front door.

  “Stan’s signed his death sentence.”

  Ilan’s words come quietly from my left.

  “He was talking about…seeing people like you in the woods?”

  “Likely.”

  “But who else has he told? That’s what we need to find out.”

  “The police will handle it. Their Specialized Affairs department has procedures in place to deal with things like this.” Ilan shrugs. “Or I can and make the problem go away.”

  I don’t need Ilan to spell out what that means. Predators tend to react to threats in the same way. If they stop breathing, the threat they posed is gone. In most cases, I’d agree. “He should be watched. We need to find out who else he told.”

  “And once we know—”

  “You can make our problem go away. Or I will.”

  Ilan makes an amused sound, something between a snort and a laugh. “Listen to you talking like an alpha female, already making the decisions to defend what’s yours.”

  Silence stretches as Ilan’s words settle over me. I take in the bar, the people I’ve met and those I haven’t. Many are shifters. The Black Widow has become the premier gathering spot for those with a furry side. Even my own family contains members who roar at the moon.

  Each and every one of them deserves to live their lives in peace and safety. They deserve to have families. They deserve to love. They deserve everything I’ll never have.

  So does Kade.

  I tuck my hands into the front pocket of my oversized hoodie to stop myself from covering the bite on my shoulder. “More like a bloody queen.”

  “Whatever gets results.”

  Chuckling, I walk away from Ilan. No truer words have ever been said. Too bad death won’t save me. With my luck, the next time I meet Kade, I’ll want to be his queen, and I’ll be out of luck.

  Seventeen

  Kade

  “Darn you, Kade!” A book flies past me and hits the wall with a whack. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  Ella Montgomery, the human I’ve been told I’m supposed to obey in order to remain an agent with Shifter Affairs, advances on me with fisted hands. The felines I house remain at ease, however. The petite female with a warrior’s heart but the coordination of someone with two left feet poses no threat. With Zach’s scent twined into hers, making her his beloved human, she’s practically family.

  I prop my ankle on my opposite knee and rest my linked fingers on my stomach. “No. Death isn’t an option. I have too many people relying on me. Including you, Agent Montgomery.”

  “I do not rely on you. If anything, you rely on me. I’m the one who has sacrificed to keep you on as an agent. Believe me, it hasn’t been easy. My bosses think it’s dangerous having an alpha on the books. Heck they think I’m nuts having your blind cousin on the books too, but Ezra’s practically a nobody to them. Losing him would be an unfortunate red tick on their yearly report.

  Ella flicks the braid of her long blonde hair behind her and stands as tall as her short frame allows. “You’re an alpha. You also have enemies. Don’t bother denying it or telling me no one would dare hurt you. You and I both know it’s a possibility, and if anything happens to you while you’re on duty, it puts Shifter Affairs in a grave predicament and potentially at odds with the Shifter Council. That is a red tick that could upend our mutually agreeable arrangement.”

 
What Ella says is the truth. Even my cousin Anton, the eldest member on the Shifter Council, has expressed concern about me dying while acting as an agent. Certain members of the Council would love if that happened, using my death as a reason to dissolve the arrangement between the human and shifter governments. Without that pesky legal contract, the Purists can embrace the old ways without fear of violating any of the treaties we made with the humans.

  “Then you’re telling me you don’t rely on me at all?” I raise a brow to match my mocking tone while effectively ignoring the rest of Ella’s statement. She’s right. I know as well as she does how my death would trigger a ripple effect in our society. Such is the fate of a leader. “Then you’ve succeeded in convincing Zach you’re worth spending eternity with? Last I heard, my little brother—”

  “Zach can kiss my tush.” Ella storms back to her desk and grabs a stack of manila folders, then proceeds to tap the edges, straightening the already aligned folders. “And as far as I’m concerned, he’s a pathetic coward and not worth my time.”

  Had I not known the truth about Zach’s true mate, I would’ve agreed. I do know his mate’s fate, however.

  And Ella isn’t her.

  She’ll never be her. Zach’s true mate is well and truly dead. There’ll be no rebirth, no second chance, no hope. Fate shit on Zach and left him to face eternity half the man he should be. And Ella? She’s been told lies by too many people, including her supposed true mate. Unfortunately, she’s believed every one.

  “I never promised Zach I’d keep his secret. He never asked me either, which makes me think he wants me to break it to you.”

  Ella’s hand stills. She swallows loud enough for me to hear. “Break what to me?”

  Regret drops in my stomach. Ella’s pain is tangible. I can taste it on my tongue, feel it along my skin, and see it staining her aura. She’s hurt. This is Zach’s doing. He should’ve come clean and told her he lied about them being true mates so he could save her. He didn’t come clean, though. And…and I can’t bring myself to break the news either, even if Ella deserves the truth.

  I shake my head. “Never mind. It’s not my place to share Zach’s secrets.”

  “Please.” Ella lays the pile of folders on the blotter, wipes a trembling hand over her upper thigh, and turns to me. “Please tell me, Kade. Why won’t Zach claim me? True mates need each other. And Zach is mine. I’m his. He told me, and our bond is too special to throw away. I don’t care why he’s ignored this. I’ve seen how powerful the true mate bond is. He needs me. I’ll fight for him, but—"

  I silently curse. Tears already choke Ella’s voice. “Can Shifter Affairs bring enough agents here for the alpha meeting? I can’t have any of the visiting alphas dying on my lands.”

  Ella’s jaw hardens. “You’re ignoring me.”

  “Yes. I am.”

  “I need to know.” Ella shoves up the sleeves of her loose top, revealing some of the many scars decorating her body. “Is this why Zach won’t claim me? Because I was stupid enough to get caught and turned into bait, and too weak to free myself?”

  Bleeding and hunting humans is illegal. Shifters agreed the primitive custom was barbaric and should never happen again. According to our pact with the humans. Hunting still occurs, however. There are criminals among shifters, just as there are among humans, and when they’re found, they’re punished, but those who bled, raped, and tortured Ella never paid for their crime.

  “You are not stupid, and you are not weak. You were injured while working as an undercover agent. In my eyes, you’re brave. A hero. The information you retrieved helped countless others. You should be proud of that.

  I roll my fingers. “Now on to my question. Will Shifter Affairs be able to support this meeting? Alphas will start to arrive midweek, and the gathering will span most of the day of the full moon, starting with a cocktail party in the late afternoon, dinner, dancing, and the official meeting before a circle of alphas greet the full moon in silence, a chance for the goddesses to appear before us. It’s all very much rooted in tradition, and part of that is peace among the alphas, but I want to be sure nothing unforeseen happens.”

  Ella curses under her breath and jerks out her cell phone from the pocket of her pleated pants. “We’ll make it happen, but I don’t agree with it. You’re practically inviting someone to take a shot at you, Mira, or her babies.”

  “Exactly. This is very much a show of strength.”

  A long heartbeat passes before Ella nods. “To prove you can protect them.”

  “And that I don’t fear those who think to harm me and mine.” And if I had to guess, Asa Yuran will be top on the list.

  “You’re playing a dangerous game. Neither you nor Mira are expendable. At the very least, those babies should be protected at all costs. Even the highest level of Shifter Affairs agrees with me. In fact, we’ve been working against the clock to provide an environment where they’ll be protected for years. Decades or centuries, if need be. And we are ready to take the steps necessary to—”

  “We can’t live in fear, hiding and wondering when and if someone will strike. Seth, Levi, Megan, Molly, Peyton, and Rey will start kindergarten this fall.” While my nephews, Seth and Levi, are the only Alexanders out of the group of youngsters, all are valuable. Megan and Molly are responsible for the spirits of the first alphas bound to their souls, and Peyton and Rey are the daughters of another Shifter Affairs agent I respect.

  “We are aware, and Shifter Affairs is taking action. Plans are in the works to create a charter school in this area. Humans will be able to attend also, but the new building and how the school is structured will allow for maximum security while still injecting as much normalcy as possible. They’ll be safe on school grounds, at least. Trust me on this.”

  “I’m glad. The kids are all important to me, but security can only fix immediate threats. We need to create an environment that doesn’t support any retaliation, not against the children or any of their little human friends. And that environment must extend beyond the confines of this special charter school. Our females walk these streets. You walk these streets too, Ella. So do other humans my pride mates have come to care about. All should be able to go about their lives without fear.” I drop my foot to the ground and lean forward. “But as it is, there are not enough protectors among us to guarantee each and every one of you will remain safe.”

  “Some shifters say that’s reason enough to keep the weakest members locked away.”

  I rest my elbows on my knees, letting my loosely linked hands hang between my spread legs. “And I say that’s reason enough to integrate our lives more completely with our human neighbors. There is strength in numbers, and the time of hiding in the shadows has passed. The future is here. And we will meet it surrounded by friends, neighbors, and family.”

  “That’s a very utopian hope, and I commend you on your forward thinking, but it’s the most foolish thing I’ve ever heard. You can’t change human nature. In this case, hiding is best. Humans are not ready to learn about shifters.” Panic spreads over Ella’s face, sucking the color from her cheeks and widening her pupils. “They’ll hunt you out of fear and ignorance. It won’t matter if they consider you a friend. They’ll—”

  “Ella.” Power seeps into my voice, giving it a firm but soothing edge meant to ease those in my presence. “Trust me.”

  Ella opens her mouth, then closes it and her eyes. “I know what lies in human’s hearts, and acceptance is not it.”

  I stand and move closer to Ella, then raise her chin and wait for her to look upon me. “Not all humans. You’re accepting of us. You’ve fought for many of us. You love one of us.”

  “I can count the number of encounters I’ve had with Zach on one hand, and only once did I kiss him. Most times, he glares at me, and I can’t help thinking he’s annoyed I crossed his path.”

  The weight on my shoulders presses down on me. I want to make everything better for this woman I’ve grown to respect. I want to ease he
r. Give her hope.

  Watch her walk through the centuries as a shifter's mate—as Zach’s mate.

  It’s an alpha’s curse. I want to give my pack mates everything they need to thrive. Although Ella isn’t a member of my pride, she matters.

  “Not all shifters are deprived. Not all humans hate. Not all relationships fit the norm. That’s where stubbornness comes in. We need to hold true to what’s in our hearts, to the strengths in our soul, to the bonds we form. One day at a time, starting now. And when the time comes and secrets are revealed, we’ll be prepared to deal with the consequences.”

  With Ella’s attention on me, I can almost feel the spark of hope within her. All I have to do is breathe life into it. “But if we don’t prepare, if we don’t accept the fact that time changes us and those around us, if we don’t try to deal with the hand fate deals us, we’ll fail. And I can’t fail, Ella. Can you?”

  “I don’t know how to win this fight. I’ve tried. Zach hangs up on me when I call. He turns his back on me when I approach him. Every time, I’m left feeling the fool…too pathetic to live. I’ve reached my breaking point. I don’t want to keep trying. I want to give up and forget him. Except…I can’t. Each time I think it’s time to walk away, I can’t.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m already hurting. I have been since Zach shoved me away after kissing me more completely than any man ever has…as if he touched my soul. Now, I ache for him.” Ella presses her hand to her chest, right over her heart. “Here.”

  With my hand at the back of Ella’s head, I press my lips to her forehead and close my eyes. I don’t doubt what Zach confessed. His true mate was a Royal female who died decades ago. As such, she’ll never be reborn. Royals don’t get second chances at life.

  But that doesn’t mean they can’t love again.

  “Zach lied to save you. You’re not his true mate. Have never been his true mate. Will never be his true mate.” I firm my hold on Ella’s head, stopping her recoil. “His true mate is dead, never to be reborn, never to live on in another body, never to be you.”