Shifting Again

by Shifting Again (ant

  After only having just found Soren, Ryan refused to let his mind take him down that road. Besides, he got the feeling that Soren wasn't finished.

  "There's more, isn't there?"

  Soren sighed. "The shifters who were assigned to protect this house were found bound and gagged but otherwise unharmed in the woods behind the house. It seems my family is the only real target."

  "So your alpha's consort was wrong when he believed himself to be the cause of all this?"

  "Not necessarily." Soren handed Ryan his clothes, then moved away for him to dress. "I believe there's a connection, but I can't figure out what it is. I'm hoping Saxton can shed some light on the situation."

  Ryan pulled on his clothes, then turned so that he and Soren were facing. "Are you certain you want me to attend this meeting with you?"

  "Damn right I do." Soren didn't hesitate. "Last night you agreed to be my mate. That means we're one now. What concerns me concerns you."

  "But your clan..."

  "What about them?"

  "If they don't accept me," Ryan said, "it could cause you all kinds of problems."

  "You don't get it. Ryan, they already accept you. Why do you think they were so wiling to lay down their lives for you? Amongst my people, you're a hero."

  Ryan appreciated the sentiment, but he didn't share Soren's confidence that his initiation into the clan would be well tolerated by everyone. Even so, he finished dressing, then followed Soren out to the path between his house and the clan holding. If Soren wanted Ryan at his back, there was nowhere else Ryan was going to be.

  ***

  Ryan wasn't sure what he expected, but Clan Thorn's village proper looked much like any small town. Plenty of shops, houses, and public buildings. Soren led him to a square mansion on one side of the town square.

  "The council building," he said. "Lord Kyran and the others will be waiting inside for us."

  Ryan nodded, following Soren down a wide hall into a grand scale room paneled in what looked to be mahogany. A rosewood conference table dominated the room's center, around which sat twenty-five men--Lords Kyran and Saxton included--and one woman. All assembled rose as Ryan and Soren walked in.

  "Gentlemen and Lady," Kyran said with a smile, "you already know Soren. Allow me to present his mate, Dr. Ryan Hightower."

  Ryan gave Soren a surprised look. They know?

  Of course. I called Jacques with the good news first thing this morning. The grin Soren gave him made Ryan hot all over. I'm proud you're mine. Had to do a little bragging.

  Ryan swallowed down a wave of lust and turned his attentions back on Kyran.

  "Councilors, please be seated." Kyran waited until the other councilors complied, then went around the table introducing them. The only one Ryan knew besides Saxton was the man named Roderick who'd been with Elliguard that first day in the woods.

  Kyran instructed Soren and Ryan to sit in the two empty seats on Saxton's right. Once they were in place, Kyran addressed the council as a whole.

  "I realize it's unusual to invite non-members to a council meeting, but since Soren and his mate are directly involved, I thought it best to have them here while I relate the facts." Kyran took a drink from a water glass at the lectern where he was standing, then set the glass down and cleared his throat. "I have reason to believe that last night's attacks on the de Beck family home and Dr. Hightower's place were isolated incidents perpetrated by a madman bent on destroying us and our kind." Kyran glanced around the table, looking at each of them in turn. "Now that the person responsible has been apprehended, I feel safe in saying the danger has passed."

  Ryan felt Soren's spike of surprise, and then his confusion. Even to Ryan, a virtual stranger amongst these people, Kyran's assertion rang false.

  Following Soren's lead, Ryan kept his mouth shut, even when Kyran said, "I feel so comfortable that we have the right man, I'm calling off the guards and declaring this entire debacle finished."

  A murmuring sounded through the council chamber, but Kyran was unrelenting. "If no one has anything further to add, I hereby adjourn this meeting. Any objections?"

  If anyone had objections, they didn't voice them. A minute later, Ryan found himself again standing in the main hall with Soren.

  "What the hell was that all about?" he said in a low whisper.

  "I don't know, but I have a feeling we're about to find out." Soren pointed to red-haired man coming their way."

  "I'm Nuncio Patrin." The man stuck out his hand, clasping Ryan's in a solid grip. "I'm Kyran's number one advisor."

  "Ryan Hightower."

  Nuncio nodded. "I know who you are." He looked back and forth between Ryan and Soren. "I suppose you're both wanting an explanation."

  "That's putting it mildly," Soren said. "Nuncio, what the hell was Lord Kyran thinking, making an announcement like that? It's crazy to think that one human hunter was behind this whole thing."

  "Trust me, Soren, there's a method to Kyran's madness." Nuncio shook hands with Ryan again, and this time, Ryan felt a piece of paper pressed into his palm. "Be there in an hour and you'll have all the answers you need," he said in a low voice. Nuncio stepped back, then, heading in the opposite direction.

  Soren led Ryan back into the council chamber. Once certain they were alone, Ryan unfolded the paper and showed it to Soren.

  "I know the place." Soren made a face. "An hour's right. It'll take us that long to get there."

  "Do we walk, or what?"

  "We could," Soren said with a grin, "but I have a better idea."

  ***

  Soren steered his dirt bike up the mountain side, with Ryan right behind him on the bike they'd borrowed from Jacques. At first Ryan seemed hesitant, but soon he'd loosened up and was now driving the bike over the rough terrain like a seasoned pro.

  Murphy's Cave--named for the early shifter family who'd once lived there--lay just ahead. The sun was at its zenith as Soren and Ryan approached the cave's mouth.

  Kyran and Saxton, with Nuncio in tow, stepped out of the cave as soon as Ryan and Soren laid their bikes down.

  Kyran gave them a rueful smile. "I apologize for the cloak and dagger routine, but it was necessary to avoid rousing our enemy's suspicions."

  Soren just looked at him. "You mean to tell me all that stuff you said in the council chamber--"

  "Was pure bullshit," Saxton said. "Kyran doesn't lie often, but he's damn convincing when he does."

  "What can I say?" Kyran shrugged. "It's a gift. In this case, lying was the only way to make the traitor show himself."

  "Traitor?" Soren's heart skipped a beat. "You don't honestly think one of our own is behind the attacks on me and my family?"

  "We don't just think it," Nuncio said. "The human hunter, Carl Mercer, confirmed it for us."

  "Mercer." Soren remembered the name. He looked to Saxton. "So it was the human from your former clan?"

  "Yes, but this time he wasn't here for me. At least, not directly, and not yet." Saxton locked eyes with him. "During our interrogation, Mercer admitted that he was hired to kill you and your family."

  Soren stepped back as if slapped. Only the solid weight of Ryan standing beside him kept him grounded. "For God's sake, why?"

  "Think about it, Soren. Think about your family's position, your importance to me." Kyran turned to Ryan. "Soren may not have told you this, but he and his brother have acted as my most trusted protectors and personal sentries since I won the blood challenge that secured my place as Alpha two years ago."

  Ryan raised one brow. "I had no idea."

  "Soren probably didn't want to brag," Nuncio said. "In addition to being one of the most important people in Kyran and Saxton's entourage, the job makes him a shitload of money. He's one of the richest--"

  "Thank you, Nuncio." Kyran cut him off smoothly. "I think I can take it from here." He turned back to Soren and Ryan. "Nuncio makes a good point, however crudely it was put. The very reason why we're in this situation is because our enemy knows your value to
me. Eliminating you and Jacques will make Saxton and me easier targets."

  Soren swore under his breath. "You mean someone hired Mercer to take me and Jacques out so they could overthrow you?"

  Kyran nodded. "Mercer confirmed as much."

  "Unfortunately," Saxton said, "that's all he confirmed. Mercer swears he doesn't know the name of the man who hired him." He sighed. "I don't necessarily believe him, but no matter what we've thrown at him, Mercer still refuses to hand over the information."

  "Making our little subterfuge all the more necessary." Kyran folded his hands. "By announcing to the council that we've caught our man, I hope to make the traitorous bastard show his hand."

  "No offense, Excellency, but there's a major hole in your logic." Soren was close enough to Kyran not to fear speaking freely. "If this guy is on or has connections to the clan council, he'll see right through that phony speech you gave to the trap that it is."

  Ryan backed him up with a nod. "I'm not even a shifter and I knew a crock when I heard one."

  "Ah, but that's where my husband's true brilliance comes in." Saxton draped an arm across Kyran's shoulders. "Kyran 'allowed' a certain privileged communication between himself and Nuncio to be overheard by our suspect."

  "You have a suspect." Soren's eyes widened. "I thought you said Mercer refused to give you a name."

  "Mercer may not be talking, but a certain member of Kyran's guard has been acting a mite peculiar lately." Nuncio twisted his lips. "I'd wager all I own that he's involved in this somehow."

  Anger began to pump through Soren's veins. "Give me a name."

  Nuncio started to comply, but Kyran stopped him. "First, I'll have your promise you'll not act on this information until you hear the entire plan." When Soren hesitated, Kyran became insistent. "I mean it, Soren. This won't work without your full cooperation."

  Soren's only answer was a single, tight nod.

  Kyran took a deep breath. "We're almost certain Roderick is somehow involved in the attempt on you and Dr. Hightower."

  Soren saw red. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kyran waved him to silence.

  "Roderick was involved, but there's no way he masterminded this plot. To be frank, he isn't smart enough." Kyran shook his head. "The man we want has brains, cunning, and balls made of solid steel."

  Soren crossed his arms over his chest. "And just how are you going to draw this genius out?"

  "The message Roderick overheard was a simple one," Nuncio said. "Kyran told me he was going to announce to the council that the lone suspect had been apprehended, all the while setting a trap for the real culprits at Dr. Hightower's house."

  "I'm guessing," Ryan said, "that this message has a part B."

  Saxton nodded. "Kyran also told Nuncio that you and Soren were going to be safely hidden in the tower room of the Durand mansion. Roderick heard the whole thing." He gave a smug smile. "I know because I was hidden in a hallway alcove, watching as the son-of-a-bitch listened outside Kyran's door. He was hanging on every word."

  "Does my brother know?"

  Kyran nodded. "Jacques has already been briefed. He's given us his full support."

  Soren had to admit, it was a damn well-thought plan. "I have no problem acting as bait, but someone should have asked Ryan."

  "Point well taken," Kyran said. "Well, Dr. Hightower?"

  Ryan's smile was slow, sexy, and filled with a confidence that made Soren proud. "When do we start?"

  ***

  When Ryan heard the phrase 'tower room,' he'd expected a dark, dank space like one would find in a castle. He wasn't prepared for a luxurious guestroom with the biggest, silk-canopied bed he'd ever seen.

  "No doubt about it." Soren flopped back on the bed with a grin. "Kyran and Saxton have style."

  "You're one to talk, Mr. Richest-man-in-the-clan."

  Soren laughed. "Not even close, but I'm not exactly hurting, either." He sobered. "It's not a problem is it? Love me, love my money and all that."

  "It isn't a problem, but I insist on pulling my own weight." He sat down on the bed beside Soren. "Thanks to you, I'll be able to work again now that my leg has healed." He went quiet for a minute. "I do, you know."

  Soren looked up at him, his eyes shinning. "What?"

  "Love you." Ryan had never said the words before, not even to Pete. "I know all this has happened so fast, but--"

  Soren cut him off by pulling him down for a kiss. Once Ryan was breathless and panting, Soren moved his lips away. "In case you haven't noticed, the feeling is more than mutual." He smoothed a hand over Ryan's hair. "As far as you working, I'm all for it, but you don't have to." He pinched Ryan's ass. "I think you'd make a cute little housewife."

  Ryan was just about to show him how unfunny he was when footsteps sounded in the hall. Soren reached over to cut the bedside light--the only one burning--and then he and Ryan moved into position. Ryan said a silent prayer that the others were prepared as he and Soren waited.

  They didn't have to wait long. A snick sounded as the lock gave way and the intruder stepped inside. It was too dark for Ryan to see the man's face, but the weak light spilling in from the hall gleamed off the knife the guy was holding.

  Their assailant was halfway across the room when the lights came on and Kyran burst in, Saxton and Nuncio right behind him.

  Not that Ryan was really looking at them. He was too busy staring into the face of the last person he'd expected to see: Dr. Paxton Elliguard.

  Soren went stiff, and Saxton let out a low growl that prompted Elliguard to drop the knife. The man might be a cold blooded killer, but apparently he wasn't stupid.

  Kyran came to stand in front of him, his face a pale mask of shock. "You? But why?" He swallowed. "You were one of my father's closest friends."

  "When you took over this clan," Elliguard said in a dry, discussing-the-weather type voice, "I had high hopes that you'd turn out to be as strong a leader as your father." He sighed. "Those hopes were dashed the moment you started talking about making peace with the Northern clans." He tisked. "Your father never would have taken those weaklings into his fold. I knew the moment the peace talks began that you had to be eliminated." He sighed. "The only way to get rid of you was through Soren and his family, so I hired Mercer, shot him full of a chemical to mask his scent, and told him which part of the woods Soren would be in that night."

  "Politics." Soren took a step toward Elliguard, snarling as he went. "You're telling me you tried to kill my entire family as part of some political maneuver?"

  "I regretted the necessity of killing you, but with you and Jacques alive, I knew Mercer and his men would never be able to get to you."

  "And Roderick?" Kyran searched Elliguard's face. "Where does he come in?"

  "I promised to nominate him for the Alpha position once you were gone." Elliguard laughed as if at some private joke. "Not that he had a chance in hell of ruling this clan, but Roderick is stupid enough to believe most anything."

  Ryan's head was spinning. "I don't understand. You saved Soren's life, fixed my leg. Why would you do that if you knew you were only going to kill us later?"

  "I regret that you got involved, Dr. Hightower. Please know that." Elliguard wiped his brow. "As for the rest, I couldn't let Soren die without arousing suspicion. Leastwise, not then."

  "I've heard enough." Kyran turned his back on Elliguard as Jacques and another man came in. "Take him away."

  Saxton was at his side in an instant. "You couldn't have known, Kyran. The bastard was too crafty."

  Soren seconded the sentiment. "If anything, I'm the one who should've suspected. It's my job to keep you and Saxton safe."

  Ryan rolled his eyes. "I think you're both acting like a couple of macho idiots." He softened the accusation with a sympathetic sigh. "The blame lies with Elliguard, and Elliguard only."

  "You're right." Kyran gave him a small but genuine smile. "I like you, Hightower. I'm damn glad Soren is keeping you." The smile faded. "I suppose I'd better alert the council about
what's happened."

  Saxton nodded. "I'm right behind you." He clapped first Ryan on the back, then Soren. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you both."

  Nuncio started to follow them out, then stopped and turned back to Ryan. "You know, Dr. Hightower, with Elliguard gone it seems we're short a healer. You interested?"

  Ryan looked to Soren, who shrugged. "I'm all for it, but it's up to you."