by KH LeMoyne
Deacon laid his hand on his shoulder. “By your request, Breslin Taggart, I sever you from the bonds of my clan. May you find the peace and happiness that has long been your due in your new home.”
Pain ripped through him, and he dropped to his knees. Deacon’s hand followed him, sure and unflinching. Breslin tried not to fight against the shredding of his insides and the melting in his brain, reminding himself others had survived the severing of this link. He gritted his teeth and imagined Rayven in his arms.
“What is he doing to you?” Rayven screamed in his head.
“Don’t be afraid for me,” he forced across the bond. “This is what I want.”
But a lifetime of service didn’t fade away easily. His skin felt blistered and gouged as if razors tore at his flesh and knives twisted through his organs. He dipped his head and almost buckled beneath the strain, would have without Deacon’s continued grasp. As he sensed Rayven’s rising terror and fury, Breslin invested all his energy to lift his head and smile at his alpha. “Thank you.”
With a bow, Deacon released him and stepped back. The assault on Breslin’s body ended, and he drew a cool, deep breath. A relief, but the severing of ties left him bereft and empty.
He’d forgotten this feeling. Loneliness coupled with disorienting buoyancy that a life without bonds and connection created for both man and cougar. He turned and caught the worry in Rayven’s violet eyes and found his anchor.
He opened their link and rose to face her. “Mate, I will honor you with everything I am. Will you accept me into your clan?” He faltered, and caught himself before anyone could see. “And allow me to claim you before all your peers? Well, a cursory claiming until we have privacy for a proper one later.”
“Promise?”
“That I will honor you? Definitely.”
“No.” She smiled as she held her hands out to him. “About later?”
“Later and forever.”
“I love you, Breslin Taggart.” Her eyes glistened. “I am honored you choose to join us.”
That was all he needed to hear. He strode to her and took her hands in his. “That’s good, Rayven Karndottir, because you’re mine, though—”
“What?” Her voice lapsed into public space.
“I don’t want your position. Helping you establish your clan until it rivals the best of them is what I offer.” Breslin’s words echoed in her mind and sank deep into a place of permanency.
“Really. That’s your pitch?” She smiled, because—well, he made her smile. She’d done so little of that in her life, and she wanted more. He made her want more, for herself and for the families and people who sought bonds and security in her territory. Deep inside her soul, she knew they could bring that to fruition together. “I don’t want you in my shadow, Breslin. Your place is beside me. Can you handle that?”
His mouth twitched. “Taking your orders is a challenge I willingly accept.”
“Damn,” Octavia muttered loudly. “I suspected all he needed was a strong hand.”
Rayven briefly closed her eyes so as not to laugh as Breslin stiffened. “I’ve always heard that cats like to cuddle and cajole, not be controlled.”
“I most certainly will enjoy cuddling you,” he replied.
“Breslin Taggart, do you pledge to clan Karndottir with your whole heart?” she asked, holding firmly to his hands.
Then he astounded her and sank to one knee before her, raising his face and offering a clear view of his expression. “From the moment you stole my cake, you had my heart. I pledge my oath, my loyalty, and my life for my alpha and my new clan.”
As much as she hated to ask, she continued more softly so only he could hear. “Even though I’m a Karndottir?”
He paused as if considering before his lips curved with the hint of a smile and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “I’m not overly fond of the Karndottir name. Would you consider Rayven Taggart instead?”
“Funny man.” She blinked away the moisture in her eyes and chanced a look around. “Not if I want to risk others mistaking you for the alpha.”
Alarico snorted. “Not a chance in hell of that, señorita. We have seen your bear, and she is a sight to behold.”
“Sadly true,” Jalair agreed. He rolled his eyes as everyone turned his way. “I wouldn’t have hesitated to combat the Ghost if he betrayed her and claimed her territory. But anyone can see his mind. No man kneels before a woman and expects the upper hand.”
“I believe you are being shortsighted,” Octavia said, her focus on Alarico’s arms blatantly surrounding his mate and holding her close.
“Yes. Definitely shortsighted,” Ping added.
Rayven squeezed Breslin’s hand. “Love me, love my people. How about a compromise?”
“I’m not taking on your name,” he snapped back.
“I’ll take the name Rayven Karndottir-Taggart.”
“Sounds cumbersome, but I don’t need you to change your name.” He lifted her knuckles to his lips and whispered, “I just need you to be mine.”
“Then I will make the change for myself. I’m no longer the woman I was, and I want everyone to know that I am nothing like my father.” She raised her head and looked at each alpha in turn. “Will you claim me as I join you to our clan?”
“With pleasure.”
He moved his hand higher until he cradled her forearm close to his lips as she laid a palm on his head. Her power reached out, a soft brush at first, then a lustier, greedier stroke that seared through them both and wove around them like a million silken threads.
His warm breath whispered over her skin before he licked her gently and sank his fangs into her skin.
He sank his canines into her flesh as emotions pulsed around him and a deeper, stronger connection took hold. Mine. Beloved. Mate. The honey taste of her exploded over his senses. New feelings, thoughts, and the sound of her heart beating raced through him.
Yours. Forever. The promise pulsed back along with the rush of emotions and memories.
Breslin paused as an echo of sounds and a flicker of lights interrupted his focus. Rayven’s power vibrated with the energy of the net around him. Instead of bondage, he felt his consciousness expand. Faint dots like stars and a warm, bright light close enough for him to touch were visible in his mind’s eye.
His place in Deacon’s clan had tied him to his fellow shifters, but he’d never experienced this bird’s-eye view of all the members. The strong pulse of her emotions sank beneath his skin, instilling bone-deep ease he and his beast had never felt before.
He withdrew and licked the tender mark. What he’d witnessed before through her actions now lay bare and open for both man and beast to review. Had he been as naked to her when she’d claimed him? The raw and powerful essence of her humbled him.
Hazel’s cry broke into his thoughts, and he shot to his feet.
Nathan had a hold of the hysterical child and quickly handed her over to him. Her screaming ceased, but her sobs were muffled against his chest. He noticed several of the alphas glancing away. Uncertain if they were horrified at the child’s pain in her half-shifted form or disgusted, he committed those particular faces to memory.
“No one was able to help her?” Rayven asked while stroking Hazel’s back.
Ping shook her head and then shared a look with Deacon before answering. “She is a clan child. Were her injury merely blood or bone, we could speed the healing. But Alpha Rayven, she is of your territory, the earth whose power you rule.”
“You could try to halt her shifts,” Deacon added. “The added energy from your mating bond strengthens your powers even if you aren’t on your home soil.”
Rayven cast a stricken glance toward them. “What if we make this worse?”
“Unlikely,” Ping said softly.
“Perhaps we can buy her time until a cure is found,” Breslin whispered under his breath. He closed his eyes and rubbed Hazel’s back. “It’s going to be all right.”
“I hope that’s true,�
�� Rayven responded.
Hazel’s limbs remained covered in fur, and pale brown fur now covered half her face.
“I’m here with you, Rayven. If there’s any truth to the added strength of our bond, I’m all in. No matter what it takes.”
“You’re not expendable, you know.” But she covered his hand with hers over Hazel.
“I’m not going anywhere.” As she closed her eyes, he asked. “Can you see her in the blinking miasma of the clan?”
Her eyes shot open, but she kept her touch on Hazel. “You can see the clan’s constellation?”
“I can see you. The rest are rather like—wait. She’s the flickering one. The one that looks like a cotton-candy-colored dandelion puff.”
“I see her. Let me try to use the mantle to shield her.”
Breslin laid his chin atop Hazel’s head, then felt the fur recede and warm skin meet his arms and chest. He pulled back and looked into Hazel’s blue eyes as she sighed. A brilliant smile lit her face before she rubbed it against his chest again. Breslin gave Rayven a blinding smile of his own. “You did it, Alpha.”
Before he could react, Hazel turned and flung herself from his arms into Rayven’s. The shock on her face as she clutched the child to her was priceless.
“Good catch.”
“Whose child is she?” she asked, risking a glance at the now-shy Hazel.
“Well.” He licked his lips, considering the commitment he was about to take. “She’s an orphan, and she’s clan. I believe that makes her ours.”
Rayven blinked and then gave him a soft smile as she swayed with Hazel. Noise rose around them as alphas left their seats and people moved closer with greetings and congratulations.
“Well, she looks back to normal.” Octavia stood beside them, eyeing Hazel with obvious trepidation. “For the record, I am neither for nor against you.”
Rayven let out a breath, but Breslin slid his arm around her waist providing her the comfort of his touch.
Octavia continued. “I will go out on a limb and say that Jalair isn’t committed one way or the other either. We both merely await your actions for proof that you are strong enough to hold the mantle.”
“Or to see if I turn out like my father.”
“Whatever your view of your father, he ruled for centuries. That should give you an indication that the title of alpha depends not upon good or evil, kindness or cruelty. But upon the ability to control your power and keep others from taking advantage of you.”
“And if I can keep control.”
Octavia gave them an unsettling look followed by a snide smile that had Rayven’s hackles rising across their bond. “When you persevere, for only true survivors rule as alphas, then I will concede you’ve earned your spot on the board.”
“Until then, I sit quietly like a good child and don’t speak until spoken to.”
While the smile might have resembled that of a snake scoping out the hen house, Octavia’s laugh was surprisingly hearty and spontaneous. “Heavens, I hope not. That would be no entertainment at all.”
“I believe we’ve heard enough. This tribunal is officially concluded.” Vendrick said. He nonetheless waited as the remaining spectators and the majority of the alphas left.
When only a small contingent of Rayven’s team and the alphas who supported them remained, he focused on her. “You need to return home as soon as possible. News of what has happened here will be spreading. The only hope you have of controlling those who want to undermine you is a quick and strong response.”
“What about finding information about the drugs used on the children?”
Deacon, Alarico, Sheridan, and Ping moved in, tightening a circle around them. Breslin noticed Grizz pulling the doors of the room closed again.
“I’m certain these people didn’t just stop with the children in my clan either,” Rayven added. Breslin had to give her credit for remaining calm and logical, despite the fury he felt rising. The children’s well-being was the reason she’d taken the risk and come to the tribunal, but these alphas were her peers now, and she seemed more than capable of interacting with them.
“With your sister dead—” Alarico started.
She raised her hand, stopping his words. “I know you heard what she said at the end about others involved in this conspiracy. What can I do?”
Alarico’s gaze hardened. “You can provide the distraction.”
“Excuse me?”
“While you make a very public showing of cleaning out your territory, which I suspect will take a few weeks.”
“No, she needs to clean house and put the alpha heirs through their paces,” Whit interjected.
“Okay, a few years,” Alarico added as Whit nodded. “The rest of us will focus on convincing a suitable microbiologist to help us find a cure, reversing this horror, and tracking down who is to blame. That will take some time.”
“And coordination,” added Whit. “The power flowing in this room exceeded what any one of us could have produced. Not to mention initiating an attack in a sanctuary. We should all make sure our houses are clean as well as we proceed in this search.”
Alpha Ping said nothing but gave a nod of agreement.
Frowning, Rayven handed Hazel back to Breslin and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why do you even need to convince someone to help with the children? Who would even consider refusing after understanding their suffering?”
Alarico and his mate exchanged a look, silent communication flowing between the two.
“The situation is complicated. Not everyone is confident of their place in the clan or their heritage. The brilliant doctor we must track down has run from this life for many years.” He eyed Breslin.
All right, the shoe fit, but he’d come to terms with his past, so who better to comment? “Personal issues can also develop into a strong conscience. I assumed you’ve targeted this individual because she’s the best for the job.”
“Correct,” Alarico answered. “But I never said this was a woman.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Well, that sounds like a plan,” Deacon said. However, Breslin was certain the two alphas had already mapped out a course of action for the missing doctor. “I wish you good luck, Rayven.”
“I should thank you for those good wishes, but I’m a little conflicted given you trained Breslin to financially decimate my clan.”
Deacon’s mouth twitched. “He can just as easily rebuild it far beyond its previous meager state. Actually, I look forward to seeing what he can help you achieve. He and Callum tripled my holdings.”
She tilted her head, giving him a look. “You can’t be serious.”
“You have to understand the principles of creation in order to carefully manage destruction,” Deacon continued. “Otherwise, you have random chaos—achievable without any skill. Those two did not create chaos in my territory or yours.”
Not ready to give up, she shook her head. “I lost good people, whole families due to their efforts.”
“Do you think I’m unaware of the influx of people into my clan from those disasters? You know that the ones worth your time will come back into your fold—if you work for them. But be cautious. You’re a new alpha, an attractive lure to shifters dissatisfied in their own territories. They will seek you out as well as ones worth your notice. It’s inevitable you’ll spend some time scrutinizing the list.”
“Like spies infiltrating from Octavia’s, Barnabas’s, and Jalair’s territories,” she quickly responded with a lift of her brows.
“Those will be challenges, along with the others. The true test is whether you can turn a spy into a faithful follower.” Deacon shot Breslin a knowing look. “I suspect the answer is yes.”
Everyone made their way back up the trail and out into the anteroom. Several people stood there waiting. Grizz looked uncomfortably between him and Rayven but stuck out his hand. “Just because you left the clan doesn’t mean this is good-bye. Best wishes on your mating, both of you.”
<
br /> With an abrupt nod, he turned on his heel and left.
Aubrey shuffled uneasily, glancing between them. Elijah remained stoic at her side, his hands clasped behind his back. “Now what, alpha?”
“You can go back to your homes, your lives,” Rayven offered.
They both shook their heads, then gave each other a glance. Aubrey stepped forward first. “We’ve worked with you for years. Trusted your instincts and were willing to put our lives on the line for what you were doing. We have always been your team before you were alpha. The title doesn’t change anything for us. But we’d like to give our oaths and make working for you official.” She lifted her chin. “Unless you don’t want us.”
Rayven snorted before she clasped them both by the shoulder. “I’m proud to have you both in the clan and on my team.”
They closed their eyes as she leaned closer. Breslin felt the hum of her power sweep out and cover them. With a half laugh, half sigh, they both opened their eyes and smiled back at her.
“What’s our next job, boss?”
Rayven glanced over at Deacon and Lena speaking quietly off to the side before they stepped forward.
“Brindy’s readying the plane to take you,” Deacon said. “She asked for an hour to prep for takeoff.”
“I appreciate you sharing her and your plane with us.”
“We’re allies now, Rayven. It’s my pleasure.”
She nodded toward Aubrey and Elijah. “Then I’d like to introduce you both to two of my team.”
As she walked away with Deacon and Lena, Quinn stepped forward and blocked Breslin’s path. “Can I speak with you?”
He glanced toward Rayven and the group having an animated conversation. “I’ve got time. Just keep it clean for little ears.”
Hazel had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Probably the first good sleep she’d had in a while. He didn’t want her disturbed if possible.
“Got it. I gather she’s an heir now.”
