by Lila Jean
“Waiting in your office.” Flynn chuckled. “I nearly had to beg and plead for Tina to just wait so that I could check on you solo. She’s worried about you.” The demigod rubbed his beard thoughtfully and cast a wary glance at Killian. “We all have been.”
“I’m fine,” Killian said, clearing his throat as he pushed through and focused on the present. The tunnels meandered through the mountain, and before long, Killian opened the office door to find his mate and his brotherhood waiting for him in the regal space. He smiled warmly, genuinely, so grateful to have them all.
“He lives,” Draven said with a smirk.
“That I do.” Killian nodded, hands on his hips as he stared absently at what was once his father’s desk, the loose papers stacked on its surface not altogether important or relevant.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Tina gently kissed his cheek, her touch sending flutters of comfort and warmth through him, and he smiled at her gratefully. “Flynn said something about brotherly bonding,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully. “I was seconds away from checking on you regardless.”
“I’m fine, really,” he said with a smile, wrapping his arm around her, enjoying her presence and the joy she brought to his life. “Let’s dive in, shall we?”
“Well, we’ve made great progress,” Zane said from where he lounged on the couch, his face glued to his phone. “We now have two armies at our disposal and two kingdoms on our side.” He grinned, glancing over the phone. “A marked improvement, I’d say.”
“Understatement of the year,” Flynn said with a chuckle. “With the demigods and eagles on our side, we need to plan our next move.”
“I’ll put my brother in charge of Aurous,” Killian said, leaning beside the fireplace. “He’s fine ruling as long as it’s temporary, and I’ve already put a brief stop order on any new legislation, so no one will be able to manipulate him while we’re gone.” He smirked. “Besides, word has spread about Talbot’s fate, and I doubt anyone’s keen to join the traitor in the dungeons.”
“I say we go to the cats next,” Anthony said, arms crossed.
Zane groaned and sank a little lower in his seat. “I was worried you’d say that.”
“It makes the most sense.” The wolf shifter set both hands on his head and shrugged. “My father’s not an option since he brought Damara here to abuse her power in the first place.” An uncomfortable, almost murderous expression passed briefly over Anthony’s face before he took a deep breath and continued. “And the dragons wounded Tina rather severely in their kidnapping attempt, and they know Draven’s out for blood.”
At that, Draven tensed, back straightening a bit before he leaned his elbows on his knees, no doubt to hide the fact that even mentioning his kingdom had riled him up. “I don’t know if we can go to the dragons.”
“Like, at all?” Tina asked, surprised. “I mean if we come to them with two or three other kingdoms on our side …”
“They’re too prideful.” Draven shook his head, hackles raised, refusing to look at anyone while he glared straight ahead. “The next time we face them, it’s going to be bloody.” He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw visibly tensing. “I can feel it.”
“Noted,” Killian said, a little tense from the sheer anger in Draven’s voice. “The cats are our next target.”
“Maybe, but this won’t be fun.” Zane rubbed his face. “My father is cunning, some say conniving. He’ll try to con us, so whatever we do, we have to cover our asses and look for loopholes.”
“Lovely,” Anthony said in deadpan.
Beside Killian, Tina flinched a little in surprise, and she pulled out her vibrating phone. The screen lit up with a text alert, and Killian scanned her face as she read through it. With each passing second, as the others debated around her, Tina’s expression got darker, angrier, and her smile was replaced with a frown.
“What is it?” Killian asked softly.
“‘I’ll get you eventually,’” she read aloud, never taking her eyes off the screen. “‘I will outpace you. Nothing can save you, and your princes are mine.’”
“Who’s it from?” Draven stood, a look of sheer vengeance on his face.
“I don’t recognize the number. Zane?” Tina tossed him the phone, and he scanned it briefly before tapping away on his own phone.
After a while, the tiger prince just shook his head. “I can’t find any info on it.”
“It’s got to be Cora,” Tina said, pacing the length of the massive fireplace. “Whoever this woman is, she’s careful. The dignitaries have been going missing for ages, but she wasn’t a suspect until she revealed herself. She really thought she had the upper hand back in Russia, and I bet you it makes her nervous that we saw her face.”
“And she knows about Zane’s skills,” Killian added with a nod toward the tiger shifter. “She likely suspects we know who she is, and that’s probably lighting a fire under her ass.”
“Exactly.” Tina nodded, arms crossed. “She isn’t as patient as she was before, not now that she’s slipped up.”
“I bet you she’s also nervous about outsourcing your abduction,” Zane said, pausing in whatever he was doing on his phone to stare blankly off to the side, deep in thought. “She mentioned your interaction with Ray. She knows what happened in that tunnel, which can only mean she was the one Ray was supposed to deliver you to.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Ray betrayed her, nearly took your power for her own, and now Cora’s going to be more involved to avoid that happening again.”
“Which means we can lure her out in the open,” Flynn finished with a wry smile.
“Exactly.” Zane nodded, smirking.
“So, here’s what we’ll do.” Flynn clapped his hands once, rubbing his palms together as he laid the plan before them. “We go to the cats and see what their price is.” He nodded to Zane, who just sighed in frustration. “In the meantime, we keep a lookout for any signs of our last missing diplomat. Zane, you keep an eye on Cora. Draven, you keep an eye out for your father’s next move.”
“Deal,” Zane and Draven said in unison.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Tina grinned. “Let’s do this.”
19
Zane
Zane stood in an empty warehouse in downtown Chicago, looking for all intents and purposes as though he were alone. He wasn’t, obviously, and he carefully fussed with his wild hair to hide the headset in his ear.
“We’ve got company,” Anthony said through the earpiece. “Still scoping how many guards are with him. Will report soon.”
Tense and on edge, Zane took a deep and steadying breath as he prepared to meet with his father. The location was intentional, chosen to limit the size of the army his father could conceivably bring with him since Zane’s sole purpose here was to talk. Face to face, he could pick up on cues he’d otherwise miss via video or phone chats, so as much as it unnerved him to do so, he had to talk to his father face to face.
The man was cunning, perhaps even as much as Zane was, and as the one of the few alive who could outthink him, his father was definitely Zane’s equal.
With a creak, the door to the exterior of the building opened, casting a thin ray of sunshine onto the warehouse floor along with the long black shadow of a man. The familiar footsteps of the old king entered, the steady tap, tap on the concrete, and Zane swallowed the last of his nerves. When facing a truly cunning opponent, he didn’t have the luxury of showing his emotions and could definitely never show doubt.
King Alexander rounded a pile of stacked crates, a cold look in his eye as his and Zane’s gazes met. It was the look of a hunter, a strategist, of someone who was unfamiliar with losing.
“Father,” Zane said in welcome, adding a subtle nod out of courtesy in lieu of the formal bow.
King Alexander raised one eyebrow in disappointment and surveyed the warehouse, brushing his fingers against each other as if he were trying to rid them of dust. “Why did you bring me to this filthy place?”
<
br /> Right down to business, per the norm. Zane expected as much, but at least he’d tried for small talk and courtesies. “You know why.”
“Indeed.” The old man grimaced. “Middle of a city, so I couldn’t exactly bring my army to take you and your mate by force, now could I?” He smirked. “Smart, as always, my boy. I assume with your enhanced powers that you and your brotherhood could easily take whatever small unit of soldiers I brought with me.”
“Fifteen guards,” Draven said in his ear. “North and east sides of the building.”
“Six more on the west,” Tina added, her soft voice shooting a ripple of desire down Zane’s spine.
“Two snipers on the south side,” Flynn added.
Zane pursed his lips in disappointment at the news, since snipers were a bit excessive for a meeting, but it didn’t surprise him since the king’s safety was technically in jeopardy.
“Where’s Tina?” King Alexander asked, looking around the warehouse as if he would see her.
“Safe,” Zane said simply. “What will it take to change your mind about her? To accept the One Queen over the five kingdoms?”
“This again.” The king rolled his eyes and rubbed his temple impatiently.
“It’s inevitable.” Zane shrugged, doing his best to channel Draven’s disinterested manner and make it easier to bargain. “It’s already happening. The eagles and demigods have joined us, lock, stock, and barrel.”
“Yes, I heard,” the king said with a hint of disdain. “However, that’s merely two of the five kingdoms.” He scoffed. “Besides, your woman’s public image gets worse every day.” He locked Zane with that cold stare of his. “I won’t join, boy. You know I won’t.”
“Every man has his price,” Zane said, driving the point home.
At that, the king laughed, just a quick puff of amused air, barely a chuckle, but he shook his head mirthfully. “I taught you that. I taught you all of this.” He gestured to the warehouse around him, implying he was a step ahead of Zane’s whole game.
“I’ve learned quite a lot on my own.” Zane smirked. “Care to test me?”
The king raised an intrigued eyebrow, silently mulling over something for a moment, and Zane simply waited patiently, knowing he would lose the whole match if he made the next move. “Yes, actually,” the king said with a sly smile. “I will test you. I’ll test her, too. Fine, Zane, I have a price.”
Zane tried hard not to perk up with hope. “And that is?”
“If she can solve this case of the murdered diplomats, if she can bring those responsible to justice and exonerate herself, I will fight for her.” He shrugged, palms up, a rueful grin on his face. “Hell, if she can do all that, I’ll even name her as the One Queen.”
Zane’s throat went dry with excitement. Finally, a price. Finally, a chance to make this happen, to actually have his home and his people back. He paused, careful not to get ahead of himself, and shoved his enthusiasm back in a box deep within him to ensure his father couldn’t detect it. Any game played with King Alexander had to be done with cool indifference. Anything less, and Zane would unwittingly show his cards.
“Why is that your price?”
“Too difficult for you?” The king crossed his arms, chin lifted arrogantly.
“Hardly. Seems too easy.” Zane said, returning the jibe with a bluff and, if he were being honest with himself, a total lie.
The king chuckled. “She’s made you arrogant.” When Zane didn’t respond, instead letting the insult slide off him with a cold stare, King Alexander continued. “That’s my price for one reason and one reason only. She will fail.”
The king’s demeanor shifted, his cocky smile fading to something dark, something colder than anything Zane had ever seen. “Tina will never solve this because I couldn’t solve it. If the most technologically advanced kingdom can’t crack this, one little goddess will never stand a chance, no matter how much sex magic she has.” He grimaced. “There will never be One Queen, Zane, and the sooner you recognize that, the better you and your future kingdom will be.” The king wrinkled his nose in disgust. “A king doesn’t share his mate.”
Zane’s jaw tensed, but he refused to take the bait. His father was just trying to rile him up, piss him off and throw him off his game, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen. “Put it in writing.”
“What?” The king raised his eyebrows in surprise. “My offer?”
“Yes. Put it in writing.”
“I’ll do one better.” The king shrugged in a why the hell not kind of way, which Zane knew was all for effect. The king didn’t make impulsive choices, and Zane knew for a fact that this was all part of the plan to either undermine his confidence in himself and his ability or in Tina herself. “Tell you what,” the king continued. “I’ll make a public announcement, a promise I’ll never be able to break.” He paused, his eyes briefly scanning Zane in disappointment. “That’s how certain I am you will fail.”
“That’s fine.” Zane smirked, still playing the game. “I will love proving you wrong.”
At that, the king shook his head turned on his heel, heading out through the door he’d used to come in. “Better get to work, son,” he shouted, his voice echoing in the warehouse. “When you fail, come home and renounce this little brotherhood of yours.” The sound of the door opening echoed through the space. “And bring her with you.” With that, the doors slammed shut.
The moment the king left, Zane finally dropped the cocky smile on his face and frowned, fists tightening. Though they had only spoken, he was on edge, hackles raised and ready to fight in case this was only a trick.
Worse than that, though, was the man’s price. What he was asking for was nigh impossible, especially given the near misses Tina and the brotherhood had already experienced courtesy of Cora and her vast network of resources. Sure, they knew who was behind it, though they couldn’t prove that. The key, the hard part, would be exonerating Tina and exposing Cora for the corrupt bitch she was.
“Damn it all,” Zane said with a small sigh.
“He’s gone,” Anthony said a few moments later, suddenly appearing behind Zane as he always did. “Guards, too.”
“I doubt it.” Zane shook his head and gestured for Anthony to follow so that they could meet at the rendezvous point. “They’ll have loaded the exterior with surveillance tech, I guarantee it.” He sighed with annoyance. “They’re going to monitor my every move, so we have to be careful leaving. When we go, leave no trace.”
“Done.” Anthony nodded and slipped into the shadows, doing his final sweep before they left.
Zane pushed opened a side door that would take him securely out of the warehouse and into a secret tunnel that had been built in the early thirties. His father was clever, but Zane was smarter, and in their little game of cat and mouse, he wanted to win so much more than his father could ever anticipate.
20
Anthony
Anthony stood by the door in one of Zane’s safehouses roughly twenty miles from the warehouse, just a temporary stop-over point for them to discuss their next move. The wolf shifter crossed his arms as he kept his keen senses attuned to the rumble of cars on the road out front. He didn’t like having no lookout going, but they all needed to make this choice together, and quickly.
“This is good news,” Flynn said with a nod as he leaned against the opposite wall, stroking his beard. “We might be able to get the cats on our side after all.”
All six of them lounged in the room’s living area, a massive television on the wall opposite him, above a fireplace. Zane stood at the row of windows to Anthony’s left, cautiously peering through a thin sliver in the curtains, suspiciously eyeing the street with a grim look on his face. It seemed that perhaps he didn’t quite agree with Flynn’s assessment, but he said nothing.
“It’s a tall order,” Killian said with an exasperated sigh. “But then again, of course, it would be. He doesn’t think we can do it.”
“I can’t wait to see his face w
hen we prove him wrong,” Tina said with a smirk.
“We need hard proof, and that’s what makes this difficult,” Zane said, finally breaking his silence. “Whoever is ultimately behind this has covered their tracks remarkably well, leading the trail back to a corporation that’s too massive to really crack without a full-scale, multi-year investigation. And even then …” The tiger shifter shrugged and tapped his finger on his jaw, eyes glazing over as he lost himself in thought.
“Even then,” Killian finished for him, “they might be too big to fail, or with their vast resources, they could actively destroy evidence.”
“Right.” Zane sighed deeply in disappointment. “Everything we have so far is circumstantial, which means nothing short of a recorded confession is going to work. Noxxom, and Cora for that matter, are too big to take down with anything less.”
“So, all we have to do is trick murderers who have eluded us from the start,” Draven summarized with an eye roll. “Easy.”
“We have an advantage this time,” Tina said with a coy smile. “We know Cora’s a part of this game, and we’re not supposed to.”
“That’s true,” Flynn said with a nod. “That has her on edge. All we need is to connect her to Noxxom and the diplomats.”
Zane looked suddenly at his phone, which lit up with an alert, and stood a little straighter at whatever he was reading. “Finally.” He grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, scanning through the channels until he came to a news broadcast.
King Alexander’s face flashed on the screen as he addressed an assembly of shifters outside the royal palace in Cimarron, the cat kingdom. “Therefore, we ask for Tina Andrews’ help, as well as that of her goddess, in finding these murderers.” He looked imploringly at the camera, his earnest expression a complete change from the coldhearted spymaster who had walked into the warehouse.
“He did it,” Draven said, astonished. “I can’t believe he actually did it.”
