His team still talked of the woman they were to protect. This made no sense to River, but the orders didn’t have to make sense, they just had to be followed. The Council often tested them in this way.
“Where?” He was tired of these foolish games.
“Hot damn! We’re going home.” Deek whooped as he read over his brother’s shoulder.
“Home.” Jake’s deep voice vibrated through the cavern. His skin was almost as dark as the walls that surrounded them. “You mean that godforsaken redneck haven you call the south?”
Josh and Deek grinned like children on Christmas morning as they nodded.
“Great.” Jake crossed his massive arms over his chest. “River, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about a vacation…”
“No chance my man,” River said. “We need you for this one, especially if I can’t go near her. Looks like this woman, Amanda Carter, fell in with some nasties and the Council thinks they will come after her. We need to watch her and keep her safe until the Council can decide why she is so important to these men.
“Why would the Council care? She is one human woman and there doesn’t seem to be anything extraordinary about her at all.” Creed said after studying the file.
“Then this shouldn’t be such a hard job then.”
River slipped the picture of Miss Carter into his pocket.
“Do you really think the council doesn’t know everything there is to know about this woman already?” Jonah spoke out with a snort of derision.
River had known the man was growing restless, but it was bold to state such accusations in their home. River had never found surveillance equipment, but he was certain the council could see and hear them. It was one thing for River and Creed to grumble because the Council saw their oaths as unbreakable, but Jonah wasn’t a dragon.
“Be careful brother.” He admonished as he met Jonah’s eyes and looked around the room.
“Yeah, I know Riv, I know.” Jonah stood and stretched like the overgrown cat he was. “I’m not bound to my oaths the way you are Riv, I choose to keep them and my honor.” He spun in a circle with his arms held wide. “Of my own free will!”
CHAPTER TWO
“Do we truly believe that this is worth the efforts of the entire Order? Who is this woman?” Guidean Michaels asks as he glances up at the timid man who was in charge of assessing the data and suggesting orders. This one had been approved while he was unavailable for the vote and it had enraged him, but he had kept his temper in check. None at this table knew his animal, save one and he would keep it that way.
“It is unclear sir.” The sniveling coward was a disgrace to his kind. Even a man with a rabbit as his animal should be fiercer than a lowly human, but Ragnar was a coward even if he was useful, at times.
“I don’t care for the attitude these Magistrates have taken. I do not see that they are as valuable as they once were. We could hire assassins for half the price we must pay to keep this band of miscreant’s loyalty.”
Guidean sat at the head of the long marble table and considered his council members. They were the wisest of all the races and had all proven their loyalty over the years, but many had also shown a measure of treachery.
His eyes landed on the one woman in all the world that he feared.
“If they have been reduced to mere babysitters then I can’t sanction keeping them as we once did.” He said clearly. It was past time to be rid of these troublesome men. He rubbed his fingers over his chin.
He knew what these council members saw when they looked at him. They saw a man of power, a man to be respected and feared, a man to look up to as their leader, as their king in all but name.
Sure he had heard rumors of disrespect, but they couldn’t be true. None of these men and women would chance losing his favor.
The thought of the rumors made his neck burn with the need to let his thick fur cover him. They were shameful, disgusting things to say about a beloved leader. He wasn’t rotund. He let his hand fall to his round belly. His form showed the world his prosperity. He certainly didn’t take unwilling women to his bed...other than servants, but they really didn’t count. They did as they were told, that was their purpose after all.
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