“Why?”
“Why don’t they fill those spots?” At her nod, Boris smiled. “They’re romantic fools, that’s why.”
“Romantic fools? How so?”
“They’re immortals.” Boris looked at her as if that fact explained everything. After a long moment of her staring at him, Boris shook his head. “And they believe in true mates. Many Royal males avoid mating for centuries, hoping they’ll one day cross paths with the female chosen by the goddesses to bring them peace.”
Boris shook his head on a bitter laugh. “It’s a damn unhealthy fixation, if you ask me. But finding their true mate seems to be their reason for living. And if there’s even a chance they might find her, they won’t serve the Council. Men like Anton who don’t care about love are forced to represent dozens of groups beyond his own pride.”
“Because councilmen can’t mate.” Nyx hadn’t considered the implications of the rule.
“Not can’t. Don’t. Any foolish member that does take a mate condemns her to death.”
“Why?” The single word meant so much. Why condemn mates to death? Why avoid them in the first place?
Why had Anton chosen to serve on the Council instead of waiting for his true mate?
“Mates are a weakness to exploit.” Boris held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. “I’m not saying it’s right, but we’re predators. Exploiting weaknesses is what we do.”
There was no point arguing. Boris could argue all night. She didn’t have time to do so. Sooner or later, Anton would come looking for her. She wanted Boris gone long before then.
“What else does Anton want to change?” Because there had to be more.
“We’re shifters.” Boris raised a hand again. “I know, I know. I’m stating the obvious, but I’m trying to make a point. We’re not human. We’re primitive beings driven as much by our instincts as we are by our humanity. We must be allowed to act on those primal demands. If Anton becomes eldest, he’ll make doing so illegal.”
Boris returned to the bench opposite her. “Do you understand the significance of what I’m saying to you? Anton wants to force shifters to ignore our very basic instincts. We can’t do that and still be shifters.”
“I’m not sure I understand. How can one man stop shifters from embracing our shifter nature?”
“Anton is fascinated with human law.” Boris motioned to the library. “Trust me when I say he has hundreds of books on the matter. The pitiful collection we had in our home is nothing in comparison.”
Boris tilted his head and studied her. “Did you know he was one of the shifters who’d first approached the humans? Anton personally drew up the agreement both sides signed. He is the reason we follow human law in the presence of humans. If he becomes eldest, shifters will follow human law in the privacy of our own homes. The structure of our society will crumble. Our children will run rampant like theirs do. They’ll get in trouble, causing fights and endangering our secret lives. Soon, everyone will know what we are.”
Nyx licked her dry lips. “You’re connecting a lot of loosely related dots, Uncle. You don’t know what would happen any more than I do.”
“We. Are. Animals.” Boris closed the distance between them and wrapped his fingers around her neck. “If you even think to deny it, remember what happened today in your bedroom. Anton’s reaction to Harvey had everything to do with his animalistic nature. Anton killed for you. I guarantee he feels no guilt over it either. In his mind, Harvey deserved to die. If I’d been in the same position, I would’ve killed Harvey too.”
Nyx slipped her fingers between Boris’s hand and her throat. While he didn’t hurt her, she didn’t like the sense of vulnerability. “So you plan on rewarding him for protecting me by accusing him of Bianca’s murder?”
Boris dropped his hand. “Anton killed Bianca in a fit of rage. I believe that. He’s not stable or fit to be eldest. He needs to be removed from the Council.”
“Beheaded, you mean.”
“Of course. That’s the only guaranteed way to kill a Royal. Even their hearts will regrow if a tiny section remains.”
Nyx forced herself to meet Boris’s gaze when all she wanted to do was escape. The idea of Anton dying because of her didn’t sit well. What he planned for the Council might not be right, but did he deserve death for his radical views?
“What if I don’t find any evidence to justify destroying Anton?” She couldn’t say kill. Something primal within her screamed a denial at the very thought of Anton’s death.
Boris waved off her question. “I’d rather have hard proof, but evidence can be manufactured. And you can plant it. Don’t worry about the details just yet. Honestly, though, I don’t think it’ll come to that. Anton killed Bianca. I’m sure of it. The head librarian saw them arguing as they left the library, and Anton was the last person seen with her.”
“My room…” Nyx wrapped her arms around her belly. “When I opened the door to Bianca’s old room, it looked as if she’d just left for the day. The sheets were mussed, and her dirty clothes had been left on the floor of the bathroom, along with the towel she’d used.”
The room had been like that for almost a year. Even washing Bianca’s belongings hadn’t gotten rid of her scent completely. Only leaving the windows open all night and burning scented candles had erased Bianca’s lingering smell.
“Go through her things. Maybe you’ll find a clue. Then snoop through Anton’s stuff.” Boris headed toward the door. “Let me know what you find tomorrow night. If you don’t find anything, we’ll move on to plan B.”
“Do you plan on coming back out here?”
“No.” Boris gripped the decorative door handle. “We’re having a dinner and memorial service for Brock Kane.”
“Oh.” She’d like to see how the other Council members interacted with Anton in a more formal setting. Would they avoid him there too? “I’m glad I packed some nicer outfits.”
“Wear that red dress if you brought it.” Boris opened the door. “I want you to make a good first impression on Colin Lynch.”
Nyx tensed. She knew that family name. They were powerful. Very powerful. “The next in line to be alpha?”
“And the male who’s been guarding the first Alexander’s book for us. He’ll also be the man fathering your babies if you fail to secure yourself a spot on the Council.” Boris sounded entirely too amused with this topic. “I have a very nice-sized check sitting on my desk right now from Colin’s father. He wants his son settled with a mate before the summer. Your unexpected availability is perfect timing.”
“You can’t force me—”
“I can arrange a private meeting between you and Colin. Don’t forget that, my sweet niece.”
The door swung soundlessly closed behind her uncle, leaving Nyx in the quiet room that had brought her peace not long ago. She didn’t feel at ease any longer.
Boris had played her. Was still playing her. He knew she wanted to be the first female on the Council. Claiming the life she deserved at the cost of Anton’s life left her feeling hollow and defeated.
Anton might very well be a murderer. Nyx wasn’t, though. There had to be another way.
Chapter 11
Snow-laden clouds hid the sun, but the animals knew the time of day. The cold temperatures and the approaching storm didn’t affect their routine. If anything, the threat of bad weather prompted them into action. Anton understood the desire to hunker down somewhere safe with a full belly and those important to you. It was a primal drive he too experienced on nights like this.
Until Nyx showed up uninvited to his home, he’d had nobody to curl up with in front of the fire or snuggle with under the blankets. Of course, he still didn’t have anyone to hold close. Nyx had looked at him as if he was a cold-blooded murderer, not a man who’d killed to protect her. Even explaining the danger she’d been in hadn’t appeased her. Suspicion had slid into her eyes.
Anton dropped his elbows on the stone ledge surrounding the open tower room above his b
edroom and fought the urge to go to Nyx. After the events of the past few days, he understood where the drive to seek her out stemmed from.
Nyx was his female. His true mate.
He wasn’t supposed to meet her. But he had. She’d sought him out. Now he didn’t know what to do with her.
On a curse, he dug out his phone and dialed. Before Kade Alexander, his younger cousin and the leader of Anton’s pride, could speak, Anton demanded, “Are you alone?”
“Anton?”
“Isn’t that what your caller ID says?” Anton didn’t have time for games. He needed help. Or for somebody to turn back time and stop Nyx before she decided to apply for his ad. Too bad the latter was impossible.
“Yes, but you haven’t called since the summer. Is everything okay?”
The concern in Kade’s voice chastised Anton. Many months had passed since he’d called home. The updates he’d gotten on pride happenings had come through email or text. Those were about as impersonal as you could get. They’d focused on facts. Not emotions. Not the kind of support pride members provided for each other. No matter what role he held in the Council, Anton would always be a member of the Alexander pride and Kade would be his leader.
Anton dropped his gaze to the ground. The regret settling over him was new. Was this Nyx’s doing? Had her mere presence awakened more than his lust and possessiveness? Maybe…hell, probably. Nyx made him yearn for a connection that went beyond the Council grounds and a future that didn’t revolve around his work.
“Anton. Answer me. Is everything okay?” Kade’s voice rang with the force of a pride leader. Despite the distance between them, Anton felt the compulsion to respond to Kade’s demand.
Anton grinned. It was good to know he wouldn’t be as unstoppable and all-powerful as some of the other Council members feared once he officially became the eldest member. He’d still bow down to his pride leader as his shifter nature demanded. At least when Anton called home.
He cleared his throat. The lump there annoyed him. “Depends.”
“On?”
“In the absence of the first Alexander’s book, Tsar has been working tirelessly, compiling the ancient text I’ve selected to support the upcoming changes to the Council’s laws. Once I’ve presented the evidence that our current stance on female rights isn’t what our founding fathers intended, I don’t foresee any valid arguments that can counter the changes I plan on making.”
“And if there is resistance, you plan on overruling everyone, don’t you?”
“Yes.” That was his right as eldest on the Council. The new moon couldn’t come soon enough. “I’ll feel no guilt about it either. The first shifters never intended for our women’s rights to be suppressed.”
“No. They didn’t, but they were also very vocal about protecting our women. Many of our kind will argue that’s more important. Better to take extra precautions to ensure our females’ safety than to risk losing them. Even if those precautions restrict a woman’s rights.”
With Nyx in his life, Anton finally realized the lengths a man would go to in order to keep a woman—his female—safe. Locking Nyx in his bedroom sounded like a damn fine idea. It wasn’t right, though.
He pressed the heel of his palm to the bridge of his nose. “Not against her will. That’s the point we must make our kind understand. If a woman says no, we must respect that. Even if that means our job as the protector is harder.”
“Harder?” Kade made a disgusted sound. “Try freakin’ impossible, especially if you no longer have your woman here to protect because you did respect the word ‘no’ and gave her space.”
More guilt added to the weight on Anton’s shoulders. Last time he’d talked to Kade, his younger cousin mentioned a female he’d claimed as a beloved human, a revered status that guaranteed a shifter could protect the human as vehemently as they protected a mate. Few humans held such titles. It ended up being too traumatic for the shifter. Despite their many abilities, shifters couldn’t save humans from death.
Unless they soul-bonded to them.
“No word on Zoe?” Anton already knew the answer. If she’d been found, Kade would’ve sent an email to every member of the Alexander pride telling them to call off the search for her, but Anton didn’t know what else to say to Kade. He should’ve called to check on how things were going at home.
“Not even a peep. The damn woman has dropped off the face of the earth. With my car. My favorite car.”
Which meant nothing. Kade had plenty of money. He could buy another. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Other than placing a missing person notice on the common shifter boards, there isn’t much left to try.”
“That would likely put her in more danger than she is now.” The less honorable of their kind would see Kade’s desperation as an opportunity to make money. Or a way to hurt the Alexander pride’s powerful leader.
“I don’t even know if she is in danger. She might be perfectly fine, living whatever kind of life humans enjoy.” Kade sighed. “The truth is only our enemies would hurt Zoe. My scent claim on her is strong enough to deter any other shifter from going near her.”
Kade’s scent claim wouldn’t stop a human from hurting her, however. Anton didn’t bother mentioning that. No doubt his younger cousin had considered the possibility. Kade had probably lost sleep over it too. “She’ll turn up. Or you’ll get a lead on her. I wouldn’t be too concerned yet. It’s only been a few months.”
“And Zoe has survived on her own for several years.” The growl in Kade’s voice spoke of his irritation. “Yes, I know this.”
“Then give Zoe the space she—”
“Why have you called, cousin?” Kade cut Anton off. “It’s not like you to pick up the phone to shoot the breeze or whatever it is we’re doing.”
“I need to ask you a favor.”
“Then do it.”
“I want you to guard a female for me.”
“A female?” Curiosity bled through Kade’s voice. “I’m assuming she’s important to you.”
“Very.” Anton studied the fingers of his free hand. Blood no longer coated them, but the animalistic drives that had pushed him to take Harvey’s life were still fresh in Anton’s mind. “She’s my true mate.”
“Shit.”
“That was my first thought too.” And his second. Maybe his third. Hell, he still cursed his fate even as he relished the peace he found in Nyx’s presence.
“What are you going to do about her?” The careful tone Kade used was likely meant to be neutral, but Anton picked up on Kade’s unspoken displeasure.
“I don’t know.” Voicing the truth left him anxious. As a shifter who’d lived for a thousand years and represented several Royal prides on the Council, he should know how to handle his own life. He didn’t. Every path he took would lead him to misery. “She’s a single shifter. She’s also young. She matured last full moon. I can’t take the chance another male will steal her before I decide what I’m going to do about her.”
A long moment of silence stretched between them before Kade sighed. “Do I need to remind you that mates aren’t protected by the same Code of Conduct councilmen adhere to? You mate this female, and she’ll become an easy target for your enemies.”
“There’s a chance that might change if we ever get our hands on the first Alexander’s lost book. It supposedly contained clauses relating to true mates in addition to our females’ rights. Possibly one of those can be exploited so that a councilman’s mate can be protected by our Code of Conduct too.”
Kade sighed a second time. “You need to accept the facts, cousin. The first Alexander’s contribution to our founding laws is gone. Bianca’s greed destroyed any hope of bringing his wisdom to light.”
It was Anton’s turn to sigh. He’d never expected Bianca to betray him. He’d never know why she had either. She disappeared before he could question her. “Bianca directed the investigator to deliver the book to a PO Box. We have a video of the human who removed it fr
om that box. It’s only a matter of time before we retrieve it again.”
“How long ago was that? Close to a year, right?”
“Yes.”
“That should’ve been plenty of time for our investigator to locate the book a second time. The fact that he hasn’t is telling. The book is gone, likely destroyed by those who fear what it contains.”
“Some say the founders’ books can’t be destroyed. They are made from material stolen from the heavens.” Those were the rumors Anton had always heard. Of course, nobody could deny the books were slowly deteriorating either.
“Some say it’s impossible to extend immortality to a single shifter too. Molly is proof that nothing is impossible.”
“Then if it is gone, we will do what we’ve always done when we don’t have the guidance of our founding fathers. We will write laws to fill the gaps.” Anton looked over his shoulder at the stairwell door. The pull to Nyx was powerful. He didn’t know if he’d be able to ignore it for long. “Or revise our current ones to fit the changing needs of our kind.”
“I know what you’re thinking, Anton. Penning a new law isn’t going to save your woman from death. Kill her, kill you. And don’t even tell me you’ll be able to resist soul-bonding to her. It’s a powerful drive. Once you’re gone, any laws you wrote can be overturned.”
Anton rolled his neck. He understood the risks. For soul-bonded mates, one partner’s death ensured the other’s. There was no warning either. He’d seen females topple over dead the moment their mate lost his head. “I’m not sure I have a choice. The longer I’m with Nyx, the more attached I get to her.”
“Then let her go. Simple. She goes on with her life. You continuing living the one you chose.”
Anton hung his head. “Our connection is strong. Very strong. I feel her jaguar, Kade. It reaches for me when I’m with her.”
“Impossible. I’m sure you’re—”
“I’m not imagining it. I felt the brush of its fur along my soul when I shared air with Nyx. Her cat knows exactly what it wants.”
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