A Council of Betrayal

by Kim Schubert

  “You okay to drive?” I asked Jerry.

  He nodded. “Where to next on the adventures of Olie?”

  I rubbed my forehead, seeing signs for Fort Dodge. “Head there,” I said, pointing at the sign. “We need a large city to get lost in until we figure out who the fucking mole is.”

  “Mole?” Jerry repeated.

  “How else would a group of pot farmers know about and be able to afford silver bullets?” I asked.

  Jerry was silent, his hands clenching around the steering wheel. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Who else knew where we were going to be?” I asked.

  Jerry sighed, “Logan, Ali, Grant, Sage, and Tommy.”

  I chewed on my fingernail. “Sage, you say?”

  Jerry cast a searching look at me. “Yes.”

  “I really hope Mark knows where she lives.”

  …

  “This is a little fancy,” I told Jerry, looking at the stone waterfall in front of the hotel he had picked.

  “It’s the last place anyone will think to look for us,” he informed me. “Besides, after my power play, I’d like a soft, cushy bed with room service.”

  “Alright,” I consented, too tired to fight. “How you feeling, Mark?” I asked.

  He pulled on a clean shirt, running a hand though his dark curly hair. “I could use a shower.”

  I nodded as our muddy boots squeaked against the polished stone floor of the hotel.

  Jerry and Mark hung back while I smiled at the girl behind the front desk.

  “Welcome, do you have a reservation?” the perky blond asked.

  “No, I need two rooms for tonight.”

  “Names?” she asked.

  I opened my mouth, ready to give her my real name, when an idea came to me. “Suzie Parker.”

  She smiled, clicking away quickly on her computer. I turned to Mark’s questioning stare.

  “Tell no one where we are,” I said softly, not needing to raise my voice for his shifter hearing.

  The clerk was easy to slide the extra funds to, along with a touch of succubus magic to make her forget about my ID. She slid our room keys over, her impossibly wide smile straining her cheeks at her additional income.

  “Thanks,” I muttered, annoyed being in her presence.

  Mark waited until after the elevator ride to ask, “Why can’t we tell anyone where we are?”

  “Because someone is rooting for us to die, and my money is on Sage.” I unlocked my room, moving to open the suite door.

  Mark met me there with a disapproving look. “I know you don’t like Sage for her past with Logan, but she would never try and kill you.”

  “While I realize any bullets will kill me, silver bullets will kill you, too. Secondly, while I do not like that she slept with Logan, I am capable of putting that aside to make rational decisions.” Red hot rage burned in my chest.

  The color drained from Mark’s face. He rebounded quickly, though. “We could be bugged.”

  “Possibly,” I agreed, “but the pot farmers were well prepared. I suppose someone could have gotten them silver while we hiked in. The simplest way to cross Sage off the list is to visit her tomorrow.”

  Mark grunted, “She’s in Chicago. She has a penthouse downtown.”

  I raised an eyebrow at that. “For work only?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Where does she run?” I asked, bewildered. Shifters loved their open space.

  “I don’t know, Olie, it’s not something I’ve ever pried into before. She takes care of her territory. The fact you keep throwing her name around as a traitor is very disturbing. Compass Alphas are charged with taking care of millions of shifters. For one to be as deceitful as you are claiming—it’s just not possible. They protect the pack, they always have.”

  I nodded, pressing my lips together to stop my words. I couldn’t see Sage with Mark and Jerry. I’d have to go alone. But leaving my backup raised its own problems. How did I get into the nest of Sage and leave again in one piece?

  “Go get cleaned and up and get something to eat,” I said. “We can figure out the mole later.” Mark nodded, relieved I was letting it rest.

  Jerry had ordered room service and I sat in their room eating in silence. Jerry raised an eyebrow at me when Mark excused himself to go the bathroom.

  I shook my head, Mark would hear us.

  He pulled out his phone. What’s going on? he typed.

  I debated telling Jerry. I thought he’d understand, but his loyalty was to Mark. I took his phone. We will figure it out tomorrow.

  Jerry shook his head. But you know who the mole is.

  I think I know. Mark’s having a hard time accepting it.

  Jerry read the message, locking his phone when the door to the bathroom opened.

  After we ate I went back to my room to text Logan. Mark may have accused me of being reckless, but I knew when I was getting in over my head. Well, usually.

  I think Sage is trying to kill us.

  I opened the mate bond fully, feeling Logan’s shock and immediate dismissal. What was the deal with this bitch?

  He felt my irritation at the situation, I was sure. Olivia, jealousy is a powerful emotion for shifters.

  Seriously? Do you really think I give a fuck who you shoved your dick into? Never mind, I’ll deal with it myself.

  I locked my phone, my anger spiking when he tried to push the mate bond.

  I texted Tommy, Can you find the address of Sage the North Compass Alpha please?

  You really pissed off Logan.

  I really don’t care.

  You should be nicer to him. He’s struggling with Ginny and keeping the legal battles at bay until you get back.

  Well fuck if I didn’t feel guilty now.

  I went back to the mate bond and let my unspoken apology seep into the golden threads. I felt his emotions unwind, instantly merging with mine.

  We good? Logan texted me.

  Yeah, I responded. There was more to say, but I let it go. Tommy was right, we each had our own burdens right now. It wasn’t fair for me to add to his plate.

  Get some rest, I texted him.

  You too, I heard about the griffin.

  I scoffed, wondering who told on me. Yeah, apparently the djinn isn’t done with me yet. Oh, and it ruined the duster.

  Dammit, you’ve only had it for a few weeks.

  Such is the life of an executioner.

  For now, Logan responded. My ire snapped to the surface and only years of concealing my emotions kept it from reaching the mate bond.

  We will see, is what I opted for instead. It was sweet he wanted to protect me, but I was an equal, able to protect myself. That was a point I was going to remind everyone of.

  Chapter 17

  I awoke after only a few hours of sleep and tested my calf. The skin was pink and new, the muscle beneath reknitted together. My shoulders and stomach bore no reminders of the griffin attack. I dressed quickly in jeans and a black shirt, my leather jacket over the ensemble.

  Following the directions on my phone, I went to a 24-hour hardware store to pick up a few items. After lugging my purchases back, I spread them out on the bed and debated. I could continue with this plan of breaking into Sage’s by myself, or I could bring Mark and Jerry on board.

  My ego demanded I prove them all fucking wrong and show how badass I was.

  Common sense had other ideas. The bitch.

  I sighed and waited for them to wake up.

  …

  I had my gun collection spread out around me, oiling and cleaning them, when Jerry stuck his head in. His sleepy eyes took in the collection before landing on my bag of goodies. He woke up quickly after that.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I went shopping,” I sighed. “I have a plan. Neither of you are going to like it.”

  “It’s too early for this shit!” Mark yelled at me, and I heard the bathroom door shut.

  Once Mark and Jerry were
dressed and we had called for room service, I outlined my plan.

  “That’s a terrible idea! You cannot go to see Sage alone!” Mark yelled, pacing.

  “Does Logan know about this?” Jerry asked softy.

  I turned my frosty, sea green gaze to him. “No, and he won’t, either. He is looking at houses today while Ginny is being watched by the new nanny.”

  Mark grunted and I countered, “If Sage isn’t a threat and isn’t the mole, I fail to see the problem.

  “You are two females who want the same male,” Mark stated, exasperated.

  “First off, I have said male. Second, if she tried to kill me, she would be signing her own death warrant.” He couldn’t fight with that logic.

  “She’s right,” Jerry told Mark after a pause.

  Mark glared at him. Jerry continued, turning his attention to me, “How are we going to get on the roof?”

  “There is a landing pad there. I called in a favor, you two will be dropped off fifteen minutes after my scheduled appointment,” I told them.

  “How do you plan on hiding the sound from them? There is no way a helicopter will not be heard,” Mark asked, happy to be picking holes in my plan.

  “I don’t want to hide the sound. It’s going to be my distraction if things go badly.”

  “Go badly?” Jerry questioned. “What if things go fine?”

  “Then I’ll owe everyone a giant apology for my jealously making me see things that aren’t there,” I huffed, annoyed.

  Jerry barely hid a smile. “I’m in.”

  I glared at him. “You just want to watch me eat it.”

  “Yes, very much,” he smiled.

  “When is your appointment?” Mark asked.

  “Tomorrow at midnight.” I slid my clip back into my pearl handled gun.

  Mark grunted, “We leaving now?”

  “No, I want to check out another location on our list. It’s an hour from here on our way to Chicago, in Waterloo.”

  Mark and Jerry both raised their eyebrows in disbelief. “I’m testing my theory,” I explained. “If no one attacks us, we have narrowed down who is responsible.“

  “Or it was just a coincidence,” Mark tried.

  “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  …

  We drove to Waterloo without incident.

  Slipping down from the leather seat, I stretched, taking in the boarded up warehouse.

  “Inside or out?” I asked Jerry, who was working on the tablet.

  “Outside,” he said as he began walking. Mark and I followed.

  We walked a full five miles in and around the complex. No one attacked us. We didn’t find the plant, either.

  “No one was here. It makes sense there was no one to attack us,” Mark proclaimed, continuing to deny my logic.

  “We will see, we will see.”

  …

  Five hours later, we were pulling into the parking garage for the hotel across the street from Sage. I didn’t even want to know how expensive it was.

  “Are you guys clear on the pick up?” I asked for the tenth time.

  “Yeah, Olie, we got it,” Jerry told me yet again.

  Mark had been silent and brooding since the uneventful search.

  I nodded as we unloaded our packs and headed to check in.

  I was overly alert to say the least. In my mind we were in the belly of the beast. Nothing happened, however, and I was wondering if perhaps I was being paranoid.

  Once in the room, I called Logan.

  “Hey,” he greeted me. Warmth instantly spread across my chest.

  “Hi, how did house hunting go?”

  “I think I found one. We must have looked at twenty.”

  “Wow.” I heard his turn signal click on. “Where are you headed?” I asked.

  “I got an emergency call from two new members of the pack. They’re having trouble controlling their animals.” He sounded tired.

  “Ginny doing good with the new sitter?”

  He grunted, “I’ve called every hour and I swear she hasn’t cried once.”

  I laughed, “That’s a good sign.”

  “Yeah, the kids are watching her while she sleeps now.”

  “They’re old enough to watch her sleep,” I agreed.

  The sound of his seatbelt clicking signaled the end of the call. “Be careful,” I told him, wishing I was there to back him up.

  He laughed, “Always.”

  We hung up and I went to shower and change for tonight’s festivities. I felt a little bad not telling Logan about Sage, but I didn’t want to hear about my jealously anymore. Besides, if I was wrong, I’d be making too many apologies already.

  Emerging dressed in jeans and a royal blue shirt, I slipped my gun holsters under my leather jacket, followed by my dagger in the small of my back and throwing knives in my boots.

  Overkill? Maybe. Unless I was right, and then I’d feel a little underprepared.

  The hustle across the street was chilly. I rushed into the pristine white lobby, grateful for the warmth.

  A large shifter stood up behind his small desk, giving me a once-over. “Can I help you?” he rumbled.

  I needed an ID to flash in these situations. “Olivia, here to see Sage.”

  His eyes widened slightly. “Of the Council, and Mate?”

  “Yep, that would be me.”

  “Forgive me, I didn’t know you were coming.” He hustled around the desk, using his key to call the elevator.

  “Have you noticed anything strange going on here?” I asked, slanting him a glance as the elevator counted down floors.

  He moved his weight from foot to foot. “Strange?” he repeated.

  I turned to face him. “Yeah, weird. Strange people, unexplained issues?” I let the question hang between us.

  He ducked his head before looking back at me, shrugging. “I’ve only just started. They found the previous guard dismembered by an animal.”

  My eyes rounded as his meaning penetrated. I sure as shit hadn’t heard of this.

  “An animal?” I repeated.

  He nodded slowly. “Apparently there was a wolf sighted in the area.”

  The elevator dinged. “Thanks,” I uttered as I stepped in, ready to cause some havoc. How fucking dare she kill on my territory? Oh wow, that was all shifter emotion and logic there. Still, it was my territory under The Council as well.

  “Hey, um, should I call someone for you?”

  Aww, how sweet, he was concerned.

  “Nope, I got this.” I hit the large P for penthouse and the doors closed between us.

  My arms were crossed over my chest, fingers drumming against my forearm. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the bitch and her fucking minions.

  The elevator sputtered. I reached a hand out to steady myself. She wouldn’t, right? Sage wouldn’t dare try and off me in an elevator.

  The quick pace resumed and I again assumed my annoyed position.

  The silver doors opened silently and I pulled my guns, expecting an ambush. When none came, I re-holstered, stepping into the gray and white interior.

  No one greeted me.

  “Sage, show yourself,” I stated, not needing to raise my voice for her shifter hearing.

  Behind a black piano, a figure moved into my line of sight. Dressed in a skin-tight black strapless, she sauntered into the room.

  “Olivia, it’s so good to see you. I hope you are having success in your wild goose chase,” she purred.

  I grunted, “First off, how do you know it’s a wild goose chase, and second, are you admitting to setting those traps?”

  She poured herself a glass of champagne, smoothing back an errant strand that had separated from her high bun.

  “I know because I am the one who is growing the St. Helen Olive,” she admitted proudly, taking a sip.

  “What?” I was having a hard time making the jump. “You are telling me that you created the shot that can make a shifter, like you, go insta-beast?

&
nbsp; She nodded, a smile on her ruby lips. “Well, I really can’t take all the credit. Amin, come say hello to our guest.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” the gray-skinned djinn stated, appearing behind Sage with an arm around her waist, his lips at her neck.

  “You are betraying your entire species!” I was still having a hard time with this.

  “No, I am saving the shifters,” she hissed. “I’d already have challenged Logan, except for you.” She pulled out of Amin’s embrace, stalking to me. “You are helping a dying man. Hell, now you are mated to a man with a time limit. Logan is weak, his rule with Lorraine proved that, and I am simply correcting the imbalance.”

  “Then challenge him,” I answered with a shrug.

  She laughed, “Juiced up on succubus power? I don’t think so.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “That only works for vampires.”

  She cast a glance at Amin before rounding on me. “You lie, you want me dead.”

  “Um, yeah, duh.”

  “You see!” she cried triumphantly to Amin.

  “You did try to kill me first,” I reminded her. Something wasn’t right here, and I was hoping I could use it to my advantage. Djinn were such a fucking pain to kill.

  She waved her hand. “That was The Conferences. Who wasn’t trying to kill you?”

  “The rest of the Compass Alphas,” I answered. I crossed my arms over my chest, letting my hands rest close to my guns.

  “Bah, those fools! The Shifter Nation has been crumbling under Logan’s reign. We are weak! Prime for the taking over by the vampires.”

  “Why are the vampires taking over?” I asked, honestly curious. I mean, the fact a war was coming had been dropped repeatedly, although no one was giving me an actual target.

  Sage drained her glass, holding it out to Amin to refill.

  “You saw it firsthand, the rogues they are creating. We need the pure beasts to compete with that.”

  “That was a crazed demigod named Nari, not the vampires.”

  She smiled at me, bringing her full glass to her full, ruby lips without breaking eye contact. “Who do you think bankrolled him?”

  “What proof do you have?” I challenged, resting my hands on my hips.

  Sage laughed, throwing her head back, exposing the throat I wanted to slice. “My darling girl, who do you think bankrolled me?”