by Adrian, Lara
He put his hands on Jordana’s slender shoulders, protective, possessive. The deadly warrior was devoted to his mate, a woman who turned out to be even more extraordinary than anyone could ever have guessed. Carys smiled to see her best friend and the Order’s most unreachable warrior so clearly devoted to each other.
“What the hell were those men?” Rune asked, leveling a hard stare on Nathan. “Not human, that’s for damn sure. Not Breed either. I’ve never fought anything like that before. No matter what I did, the bastards kept coming. Two of them got away, but the one I killed? I had to take his head off to stop him. And when I did . . . The light that poured out of his body was blinding. What the fuck are we dealing with, warrior?”
When Nathan said nothing, Carys spoke up. “Rune should know the truth. I trust him to know the truth.”
“That makes one of us,” Nathan muttered, his face impassive and forbidding.
Jordana lifted her chin, her cascade of long, platinum blonde hair shifting at her back. “I trust him too, Nathan. And Cass trusted Rune. He considered him a friend.”
Rune’s dark eyes narrowed on Jordana. “The three who came to La Notte after killing Cass . . . They said they were looking for his daughter, but as far as I knew—as far as anyone at the club knows—Cassian Gray didn’t have any family.”
“I was a secret he’d kept for almost twenty-five years,” Jordana said. “He wanted to protect me from the kind of men who came looking for him that night.”
“Immortals,” Rune guessed.
“Atlanteans,” Jordana said. “Like Cass. Like me.”
Rune shook his head. “Where did these Atlanteans come from? Where do they live now?”
“We don’t have all of those answers yet,” Nathan said. “The Order has evidence that suggests the Atlanteans have been in existence on this planet for at least as long as the Breed. Longer, in fact.”
“They’re linked to us,” Carys pointed out. “The Order has known for more than twenty years that Atlantean men fathered children with human women, and those female offspring were all born with the teardrop-and-crescent-moon birthmark.”
“Breedmates,” Rune said. He considered for a long moment, then let out a low curse. “So, if Atlantean daughters are mating with members of the Breed, why do I get the sense that most of these immortal fucks would like to kill us all?”
Nathan grunted. “That’s a discussion for another time. And a higher security clearance.”
Rune looked back to Jordana. “Cass never said a word. Never let on for a second that he was anything other than human. Everyone just assumed—”
“Which is how he intended it,” Carys added. “Jordana didn’t know any of this either, not until after he was killed by the Atlantean soldiers that day outside the club.”
Jordana nodded. “Cass smuggled me out of the realm as an infant, after my mother died. He arranged for me to live among the humans and the Breed.” She gestured to her Breedmate mark. “He hid me in plain sight as the adopted daughter of a Breed Darkhaven leader he trusted here in Boston.”
“Cass never reached out to her, never risked contacting her in any way,” Carys said. “Not until the day those men caught up to him.”
“He visited me at the museum that day, but even then he didn’t reveal himself to me as my father. I wish he had,” Jordana murmured wistfully. “Apparently, when he realized he couldn’t outrun his past any longer and that his enemies might find me, he contacted someone who could help.”
“Another Atlantean,” Rune guessed.
“Zael,” Carys said, having since been told the name of the Atlantean who’d left her unconscious from a powerful beam of light as he’d stolen Jordana away for her own protection.
Since Zael had helped Jordana escape Cass’s killers, and, together, the three of them had defeated the other Atlanteans who had pursued them, she and Nathan now considered Zael to be their friend.
“Zael wanted to bring me to a hidden colony of other Atlanteans who’d defected from the realm, where Cass’s enemies would never find me. But I said no.” She tilted her head up to meet Nathan’s tender gaze. “I chose to stay where my heart was.”
Rune cocked his head. “If others have defected to a safe colony as you said, then why were Cass’s pursuers so determined to kill him and find you?”
Jordana gave Carys a nod of permission. “Because Jordana’s grandmother is the Atlanteans’ queen.”
Rune’s brows rose. “Meaning you’re an Atlantean princess?”
Jordana nodded. Carys nodded too.
Nathan glowered and jabbed a finger toward Rune. “No one can know this. If you leak a word of it, I’ll kill you myself.”
“I’ll take the secret to my grave,” Rune vowed. “But . . . are you telling me that Cassian Gray was not only Atlantean, but royal blood too?”
Jordana shook her head. “His true name was Cassianus, and he wasn’t royal. He was one of Queen Selene’s legion. My mother, Soraya, was daughter of the queen.”
“Holy shit.” Rune fell silent for a minute, holding Carys’s gaze in an incredulous look. “This conversation will go no further. I give you my oath.”
Nathan and Jordana nodded. Carys snaked her arm around Rune’s muscled waist and held him close.
No one mentioned the other secret that came out of Jordana’s ordeal—the Atlantean crystal, which Cass had stolen out of the realm at the same time he had taken Jordana away from the royal court. Carys had seen the egg-sized, silvery crystal herself, when Jordana and Nathan presented it to all of the Order at a special meeting upon her return home to Boston.
It was safeguarded at the D.C. headquarters now, where Lucan and the others were trying to determine its powers and how it could be used in what they dreaded was soon to be a war with Selene and her immortal legion.
In the silence that fell over the room, Rune lifted Carys’s chin and met her gaze. “If I’d known any of this before, I would have delivered you home to the Order’s protection myself. Hell, I would’ve helped your father lock the door behind you.” His deep voice lowered to a private growl. “The dead last thing I ever want is for anything bad to touch you. Tell me you know that, Carys.”
She reached up to touch his stern, handsome face. “I know that—”
“Good.” He seized her hand in his warm grasp. “Then if you won’t do it for your parents or your friends, do it for me.”
She frowned and started to protest, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“Go home to your family. At least for now.” He brought her palm to his mouth and placed a kiss in its center. “Stay where I can know you’re safe.”
She smiled at him, her heart squeezing with emotion. “You’re a good man, Rune.”
He blew out a sharp breath. “No, love. I’m not. But I’m right. Your family needs to have you close to them now.”
She nodded, then glanced over at Jordana and Nathan. “I guess I’d better pack a few things before we go.”
CHAPTER 6
Carys had only been gone for a week, but it felt like a year had passed since she had last walked into the Chase Darkhaven. Jordana and Nathan left her in the back vestibule of the large mansion while they headed down to the Order’s command center and Nathan’s quarters, which the couple now shared.
Carys missed them instantly, but it was at her request that they’d left her to face her parents alone. She adjusted the packed tote slung over her shoulder, then took a deep breath and headed through the back of the house to the main living areas. Her path took her toward the kitchen, where she heard her mother talking with two other females. Carys recognized her aunt’s voice. Brynne’s smooth London accent called to mind posh society galas and invitations to high tea.
The other feminine voice was also British, but more reserved, even though it carried an intriguing punk rock edge to it. Curious now, Carys stepped into the kitchen.
Her mother stood at the large island in the center of the space, sharing a tray of canapés and finger sandwic
hes with her guests. Occupying two of the counter’s dozen tall stools were Brynne and the other female—a petite, pretty young woman with asymmetrically cut blue-and-black hair, countless colorful tattoos and multiple piercings.
Carys awkwardly cleared her throat. “Hello, everyone.”
Her mother spun toward her with a little gasp, her beautiful face lighting up instantly. “Carys! Come in and join us.”
No censure. No judgment. Just pure, maternal warmth and affection. Carys all but launched herself into her mother’s open arms. They embraced for a quiet moment before Tavia brought her around to greet the other women.
Brynne got up to hug Carys. “How nice to see you.”
“You too,” Carys replied. “How long have you been in Boston?”
“Just a couple of days. A much-needed holiday from the office.”
Carys nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t stop by sooner.”
Brynne waved her hand. “You’re here now.”
Tavia gestured to their other guest. “And this is Nova, Carys. She’s Mathias’s mate.”
Carys’s brows rose at the idea. She’d known Mathias Rowan for as long as she could remember. Although she’d heard he had mated recently, she had always pictured the Order’s London commander settling down with a female more like Brynne than Nova, but she had to admit she liked the unusual pairing.
Carys held out her hand in greeting. “Very nice to meet you, Nova.”
“You too,” Nova replied, her tattooed fingers delicate and warm. As was her shy smile.
When Carys glanced back at her mother, Tavia gestured to the large tote hanging from her shoulder. “Does this mean what I think it does?”
Carys nodded. “It’s only temporary. The huge penthouse has been kind of lonely without Jordana there with me, anyway.”
Her mother cupped her cheek. “Well, no matter what brought you home, I’m happy you’re here. Your father will be thrilled . . . and relieved.”
Carys set her bag down, then reached over for the tray of appetizers. “May I? I’m starving.”
At her mother’s nod, she grabbed a little cucumber sandwich off the tray. Then another. Now that she was home, she realized how long it had been since she’d last eaten. Longer still, since she’d sought out a human blood Host.
As a member of the Breed, she needed to drink fresh red cells from an open vein at least weekly. She’d never given the necessity a lot of thought until she’d met Rune. Now the idea of feeding from anyone else, even simply for nourishment, only served to remind her of the one thing that was missing in an otherwise amazing relationship.
At some point, she knew she would have to accept that Rune might never be willing to take that step with her.
Carys pushed the sting of that thought aside as she reached for a third helping from the tray. As she ate, she glanced at Nova’s intricate body art.
“Whoever did your ink has an impressive talent. It’s really beautiful work.”
“Thank you.” Nova smoothed one hand over the other, idly tracing some of the art. “Most of it was done by my friend, Ozzy. He owned the shop where I worked. He was killed a couple of weeks ago.”
Carys instantly regretted bringing up a sad subject for the other woman. She wasn’t aware of the details, but she could see that Nova still grieved for her friend. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Me too. He was the only family I had, aside from Eddie, the boy Ozzy took in a few years after he saved me from the streets.” Her pained expression shifted a bit. “Now, I have Mathias. We’ve formed a new family together. With Eddie too.”
Tavia reached out to squeeze Nova’s hand affectionately. “And your new baby on the way.”
“A baby!” Apparently, Mathias and his mate were full of surprises. Carys smiled at Nova. “Congratulations.”
She murmured her thanks, looking both awkward about it and overjoyed. “I never dreamed I’d have a child of my own one day. I never imagined I’d take a mate either, especially from among the Breed.”
The way she said it—the way her pale blue eyes clouded over with an unspoken darkness before she glanced down at her hands again—made Carys guess there had been a lot of ugliness and suffering in Nova’s past. But she didn’t pry, just let the comment pass in the silence that followed. “I’m sure you’ll have nothing but happiness with Mathias.”
“I’m sure of that too.” Nova lifted her head, no more dark clouds in her gaze now, only certainty. “I’m thankful every day that Mathias walked into Ozzy’s shop. I’ll be thankful for the rest of my life that he didn’t give up on me, even though I tried my best to push him away.”
“Maybe sometime you can tell me all about it,” Carys said.
Nova nodded. “Sure. I’d like that.”
As the four women fell into an easy conversation around the canapés, footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the kitchen. A moment later, Carys’s father strode in with Mathias.
“I thought I heard my daughter’s voice in here.”
Carys offered him a guilty smile. “Hello, Father.”
He crossed his massive arms over his chest, looking every bit the formidable warrior, even in a crisp white oxford shirt and tailored pants. “I’m glad to see you didn’t try to ditch Jordana and Nathan tonight too.”
Tavia clicked her tongue. “Sterling, don’t be difficult.”
His frown stayed directed at Carys. “I wasn’t aware that’s what we’re calling a father’s concern these days.”
She bristled, even though she knew he had a right to be upset. To be worried about her. “I didn’t move out to add to your stress or to the Order’s problems.”
“And yet you have,” he informed her. “At a time when all we’ve got are problems.”
A fresh dread crept up her spine at his ominous tone. “What’s happened? Has there been anything more regarding Opus or the Order’s other missions?”
“Nothing in our favor,” he grumbled. “We’re still gathering intel. We only have Riordan in our sights now, when we need to unmask all of Opus’s members if we stand any chance of bringing down the organization.”
Mathias nodded. “Too bad Reginald Crowe didn’t leave behind anything solid to lead us to the rest of his associates.”
“Only a cold trail to a rumored lover who may or may not exist,” Chase said. “Gideon hacked into all of his business and personal accounts, but Crowe took precautions with his interests. Nothing to implicate anyone as a member of Opus. And if Crowe did have a mistress, he was careful to keep his relationship with her out of the spotlight. Which is saying something right there, based on Crowe’s lack of discretion in all the other areas of his life.”
Carys knew of Reginald Crowe, of course. Anyone alive in the past twenty years was familiar with the billionaire business magnate who was as famous for his numerous, progressively younger ex-wives as he was for his limitless ego. He’d put his name on everything he could, from high-rise hotels and casinos, to enormous grants for art and science institutions. Even Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts where Carys and Jordana worked had a large exhibit of masterworks on loan from Reginald Crowe personal collection.
As Carys listened to what the Order and her family had been dealing with in her absence, she felt guilty for the strife she’d caused in her need to spread her wings. She should have been helping her family and the Order however she could. Instead, she’d been preoccupied with Rune, and unintentionally causing everyone more problems and distress.
“I’m sorry,” Carys said, looking at her father. “I didn’t realize everything that was going on right now. It was selfish of me to leave the way I did.”
“You’re damn right it was.” He was still frowning, still terribly upset with her. “I’m just glad Nathan and Jordana were able to talk a little sense into you where no one else could. I’m glad someone was able to convince you that you belong at home right now, not running around with that fighter down at La Notte.”
Carys walked toward her blustering, bristling
father. She didn’t stop until she was standing directly in front of him, close enough to see the tightly leashed fury glittering in the blue eyes that were the same shade as her own. He stared at her mutely, nostrils flaring.
He rarely showed this side of himself to his family: the explosive Breed male. The lethal warrior. Protector of the entire city of Boston for the past twenty turbulent years and then some.
Carys stared up at him for a long moment, seeing the concern of a devoted parent in his hard-held expression. She saw the bone-deep fear she’d been causing all of her family by distancing herself from them when the dangers surrounding the Order demanded that they keep the ones they cared about closer than ever.
“I love you too, Father.” She raised up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “And you should know that it wasn’t Jordana or Nathan who convinced me to move back home tonight. It was Rune.”
His face went slack, utterly stunned.
He didn’t say anything, just swung a silent, dumbfounded look toward his mate.
Tavia’s broad smile lit her face, amusement dancing in her gaze. “Well, isn’t this a night for surprises?”
Admittedly, Carys probably took a little too much satisfaction in her father’s rare descent into mute shock. He was a difficult man to rattle, but he seemed totally at a loss for words.
Smiling, Carys picked up her tote and murmured that she was going to get settled.
CHAPTER 7
Rune sat at the long bar in La Notte’s underground arena, reviewing the night’s receipts. The last of the club’s patrons had left more than an hour ago. Few of the Breed lingered in public past the city’s nightly feeding curfew, and the humans tended to stagger home once the band on the main floor upstairs packed up and the drinks stopped flowing.
From out of the back of the club where Rune worked now, a group of La Notte’s employees drifted through the arena, chattering as they headed for the exit. The men and women were humans—payrolled blood Hosts and sex workers from the BDSM dens.
Rune nodded to them and murmured goodnight as he continued to work on the books. The woman who fed him a short while ago gave him an inviting smile he hardly noticed. Although his Breed genetics demanded he drink fresh red cells from an open vein every other day at least, his hunger stopped there. For the past seven weeks, the rest of him had craved only one woman.