Allegiance of Honor

by Nalini Singh

  “No, I think they’d probably appreciate a personal response.” Lucas was guessing at the Forgotten’s reaction, but in the back of his mind he was also always thinking about Trinity; the accord would only work if friendships and relationships developed across racial lines. “So, what’re you doing so late at night?”

  “It’s not us,” the IceRock alpha replied. “We were worried about those SUVs, too. They didn’t quite come onto our territory, but they were passing right by and, well, we’re not a big pack like DarkRiver, don’t have a sprawl of land. We wanted to make sure no one was setting up to steal some from us.”

  Lucas knew cats, knew exactly what the lynx pack would’ve done. “What did you see when you followed their trail?” He couldn’t have asked the question so directly had he and Kiya not already developed a good working relationship built on the fact that they were now family.

  Eyes gleaming, the lynx alpha said, “The SUVs are going into the massive old estate on the other side of our territory. It used to be owned by a human CEO who went bankrupt back when I was a cub. Been left to crumble into a ruin ever since—our cubs used to sneak over to play on the property until we built a fence they couldn’t climb.”

  “Why?” If the place had been deserted, most alphas wouldn’t have minded cubs playing there so long as they didn’t cause any damage.

  Kiya’s expression turned dark. “The CEO built a big-ass pool and even though it was emptied out, it was still a large concrete hole in the ground—and when it rained, the water gathered. Wasn’t safe and we couldn’t get the owners on record to fence it up, so we just built our own fence.”

  Lucas’s pulse had kicked up at the word “pool,” stayed that way. He thought of what Miane had told him about Tanique’s psychometric readings. Saltwater and lynxes. “That pool full now?” He knew she’d know—cats couldn’t help being curious, especially about a neighbor so close to their border.

  A nod that caused her ponytail to bounce, her hair dark, dark brown with glints of red highlights. “Construction folks started coming in about a year ago, when the new owners must’ve bought it. They put a glass building over the pool and cleaned up the house, which was in pretty good condition surprisingly.

  “Can’t see through to the pool anymore—smoked glass. They’ve also added to our fences, put up opaque ones on their side.” Disappointment and approval vied for lead position in her tone. As alpha, she obviously appreciated the better safety measures, but feline curiosity had her itching to know what the heck was going on with IceRock’s new neighbors.

  “It’s clear it’s someone with money,” she added, folding her arms. “We figure maybe a celebrity, what with the cloak-and-dagger blacked-out SUVs in the night and the bodyguards.”

  “Weapons?”

  Her eyes cooled. “I paid the bodyguards a visit when my dominants told me they were patrolling our border with guns, pointed out that if they so much as touched a hair on my people’s heads, I’d rip off their own heads and use them for football practice.” She smiled that bouncy smile. “They electrified their fences after that and stopped the patrols. Fair enough. All our people know not to go beyond our own fence in that area.”

  Lucas chuckled but his mind was racing. “Look, Kiya,” he said. “There might be more going on than a publicity-shy celebrity. Can you get me images a teleporter can use to ’port inside the compound?”

  “No problem.” She braced her hands on her hips on the heels of the confident statement, her shoulders squared. “You going to get my pack in the middle of something, Lucas?”

  “It’s possible.” He held her gaze, a gaze gone the yellowish-hazel of her lynx. “But it’s also possible there’s a changeling or changelings being held captive in that compound.”

  Kiya’s hiss was violent. “I’ll get the images to you later tonight,” she said, her lynx still in her tone. “If your teleporter friend needs assistance, you give him my number and tell him to call.”

  • • •

  SASCHA was seated at Tamsyn’s kitchen table chatting with the healer when a vehicle entered the drive. She expected Lucas to walk through the door, but it proved to be Clay and Talin with the kids. All four, Jon included, had gone to a tea shop for Noor’s requested birthday tea party, had decided to say hello to Tamsyn and family before they went home.

  “We had this many cakes!” Noor held her hands as far apart as they’d go, her dark eyes shining.

  Scooping up the little girl, who had on a pretty blue dress with white lace and ribbons, her glossy black hair tied back with more ribbons, Sascha cuddled her in her lap. “Let me see how full your tummy is,” she said, gently patting Noor’s abdomen. “Uh-oh, I think it’s about to explode.”

  Noor giggled. “Kee got cream all over his face!”

  Sascha wasn’t surprised at the news that Keenan had been present at the tea party. The two children were best friends—the fact that their psychic gifts worked in concert was a peripheral matter. It was their friendship that was most important. “Who else did you invite?”

  “Ben!” Noor beamed at the mention of the mischievous little wolf. “He came with his mom. Issy and Behali came, too, but Jules and Rome couldn’t come because they went on a special date with their grandma. We brought them a big box of cake.” She went quiet all at once, her next words a worried whisper. “Will Naya be sad she didn’t come?”

  Such a generous heart, Sascha thought, her own aching with love for this child of the pack. “No, baby,” she said, “Naya’s too little.” Talin had offered to take her along after Noor invited both Naya and Anu’s toddler, but Sascha knew her rambunctious cub wasn’t yet at an age where she could sit in a tea shop and behave. Anu had made the same call. “She had a party at the nursery with the other little cubs to celebrate her own birthday.”

  It was DarkRiver tradition for first birthdays, with parents invited along to join in, and Naya had loved it. “We got her a cake shaped like a leopard paw, and she and her friends got to make mud pies and dance while wearing dress-up clothes.”

  “That’s fun!”

  Utterly delighted with this sweet girl who’d survived so much, Sascha kissed her on the cheek just as the twins, who’d returned from visiting Tamsyn’s mother an hour earlier, stuck their heads inside the open back door and yelled for Noor to come play. Wriggling off Sascha’s lap, Noor ran to join her playmates, calling out for Jon—who was standing next to Clay—to come with her. The sixteen-year-old ambled out, his phone in hand and his ball cap worn backward.

  Naya was already in the backyard with the twins.

  Sascha had no idea what Tamsyn’s cubs were teaching hers, but she had a feeling it involved getting into as much mischief as possible in as short a time as possible. The one thing the boys would never do was allow Naya to come to harm, and even if the kids wandered off, this was central DarkRiver territory.

  Zach and Annie were the closest neighbors but other packmates roamed nearby. The children could explore in safety and freedom. She had to keep telling herself that, keep reminding herself that no one could snatch Naya while her cub was out of her sight.

  Talin’s cloud-gray eyes met hers at that moment, and the tawny-haired woman walked over to touch Sascha’s hand in silent comfort. Talin knew what it was to lose children she’d sworn to protect, and that sorrow would never leave her.

  “Noor and Jon,” Sascha reminded her softly while everyone else was distracted, Tamsyn having risen to make sure the children drank some water before continuing to play. “They survived and thanks to you and Clay, they’re thriving.”

  Talin swallowed. “It’s tough though, isn’t it, Sascha? My heart pounds so hard whenever either one of them goes missing for even a short time. I have to physically stop myself from messaging Jon every hour when he’s out with his friends.” A shaky smile. “You think it ever goes away? This worry?”

  Sascha shook her head. “Dezi’s mom u
sed to make her check in after a night shift for years.” The only reason she didn’t anymore was that Dezi was no longer living alone; her mate would raise the alarm if she didn’t make it home.

  “But she’s a senior soldier!” A startled response.

  “You see my point.” Sascha’s dry response made the other woman laugh. “It sounds like the tea party was a success,” she said at a normal volume, which she knew would be audible to all the changelings in the room.

  “Noor loved it.” An affectionate glance over at where Clay was helping himself to a cup of coffee from the carafe. “Jon and Clay liked the scones.”

  Clay, the sentinel who’d been the most remote and dangerous when Sascha joined DarkRiver, offered a thumbs-up. His dark green eyes were feline, his body relaxed. “Good stuff, scones.” He glanced at Tamsyn, who’d returned to take her seat at the kitchen table. “You should make those.”

  The healer grinned. “I do. You’ve just never been fast enough to get any.”

  Moving over to perch on one of the breakfast stools at the counter, Talin stole Clay’s coffee cup when he came around. She took a couple of sips before handing it back, pressing a kiss to Clay’s jaw at the same time. Smile quiet, Clay took the mug in one hand, then braced his other one on the counter behind Talin. “I’ll work on my scone-racing skills.”

  The solemn comment had them laughing.

  Nathan walked in at that instant, his black hair tumbled as if he’d been running his hands through it. “Stealing all the women, Clay?”

  “I can barely handle the two women I have now,” the sentinel replied. “And one of them is less than three feet tall.”

  “You’re late, Nathan Ryder.” Having risen even before he appeared in the kitchen, Tamsyn embraced her mate.

  Nathan kissed her temple as he held her close. “Got held up helping Emmett deal with a couple of cubs who need a little extra supervision.”

  The healer and senior sentinel were the longest mated couple Sascha knew this well, and their love, it was a deep, warm pulse that existed in their every breath. There was passion, too, but that was a private thing and Sascha would never intrude. What she picked up was what any cardinal empath would pick up simply by being in the same room with the mated pair.

  Watching them, she saw what she and Lucas would one day become. So very rooted in one another that they were woven into the very fabric of each other’s being. When Nathan held Tamsyn, when she placed her hand over his heart, they needed to say no words, ask no questions.

  Today, as Tamsyn shifted to stand by his side, Nathan tangled his hand gently in her deep brown hair. He was a handsome man, with a face that held enough lines to be interesting, including the grooves around his mouth that said he laughed often.

  “You hear the latest odds on Mercy?” he asked the room at large. “Rumors are four girls.”

  “I don’t believe it.” Clay’s eyelids lowered to hood his eyes. “I’m sure those two are playing everyone.”

  Talin grinned. “Mercy’s probably having a great time dropping ‘inadvertent’ hints to start these rumors—and I bet you she’s talked Riley into helping.” She waggled her eyebrows at Tamsyn. “I don’t suppose you want to end the speculation?”

  “When it’s so much fun watching you all try to figure it out?” The healer shook her head. “Plus, it’s not going to be long now.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on that,” Talin said. “Last time I spoke to Mercy, she said the pupcubs are having too good a time inside her. She’s convinced she’s going to be the first ten-month multiple pregnancy on record.”

  As everyone chuckled, the children padded inside, Jon included. He was carrying a cheerfully naked Naya in one arm. Sascha’s daughter was currently smacking kisses on his cheek and saying, “Pe! Pe!”

  “She’s calling you pretty,” Sascha translated for the bemused teenager.

  Jon sighed. “I don’t want to be pretty. I want to be dangerous and kick-ass.”

  “Pe! Jon!”

  Jon blinked, grinned at Naya. “Hey, you know my name. You can call me pretty.”

  Naya kissed him on the cheek again before stretching out her arms toward Sascha. “Mama.”

  “Come on, baby.” Settling her little girl into her lap, Sascha went to ask if Jon could grab the baby bag turned toddler bag, only to discover the boy had already put it within reach.

  “We get any news from the water changelings about the woman who wrote the message in a bottle?” he asked when she smiled at him in thanks.

  “No, not yet, but they’re working hard to find her.”

  Worry radiated off him. “I heard Faith’s brother helped.” The rough edge of frustration in the set of his shoulders, in the way he pulled off his cap and began to twist it in his hands. “I wish I could do something.”

  “You plucked out that bottle,” Sascha reminded him. “We wouldn’t even know Leila was alive without that.” This tall, beautiful boy, he still carried a lot of hurt in his heart that made him act out on occasion, but when it came down to the bone, he was one of the good ones, with more compassion in him than the world had any right to expect.

  His own scars were healing day by day, surrounded as he was by love and by pack. And by a little girl who adored him.

  “Jon, look.” Leaning against his leg, her blue dress now bearing streaks of dirt and her hair ribbons threatening to slide off, Noor showed him something on her palm. “It’s a ladybug,” she whispered.

  Jon hunkered down. “Wow, it’s blue.”

  “Jules showed me, but we have to put it back. He says we always have to put them back.”

  Tugging on a lock of her hair, Jon said, “Yeah, Clay made me put back the wolves I caught, too.” His eyebrows lowered, his tone dark. “And I had them all neatly wrapped, ready to ship to Timbuktu. I’d even stuck on the postal stickers.”

  Sascha bit back a laugh, well aware she shouldn’t encourage the pranks Jon pulled against wolves his own age, even when those pranks were inspired. Not that the SnowDancer juveniles were taking it lying down. The last retaliation had involved a slime pit and a sulfurous stink so noxious he’d had to bathe in antiseptic wash to get it off.

  “You shouldn’t catch wolves,” Noor scolded her adoptive big brother. “The wolves are our friends.”

  Jon clutched at his chest with melodramatic flair. “But yeah,” he added after Noor laughed, “you should put the ladybug back. It’s meant to live outside and you can see it when you come again.”

  He walked out with Noor as she held her hand carefully half-cupped to protect the ladybug.

  Julian and Roman meanwhile had stayed in cub form and were currently being petted by their father, who’d crouched down to rub their heads. When they shifted without warning, Nate didn’t miss a beat, just wrapped them in his arms and rose to his feet as they began to talk his ear off about their adventures.

  Tamsyn brushed her fingers through the twins’ hair before she went to the other side of the counter; her intense joy at having a busy home filled with packmates was a warm taste in the air to Sascha’s empathic senses.

  “You’re all staying for dinner.” It was less a question and more a command.

  Talin groaned. “I’m so full of cake. Don’t make anything delicious.”

  “I was thinking Vietnamese chicken with glass noodles.”

  “I’m going to go run laps with Noor so I can make room in my stomach.”

  Smile deep at that solemn response, Tamsyn said, “Nate, honey, do you want to give Zach and Annie a call, see if they want to come over, too? It’ll probably depend on how exhausted they are. Annie said their cub’s fond of four a.m. wakeup calls.”

  Having finished dressing Naya in a soft blue jumpsuit, Sascha put her down so she could toddle around. Her balance had improved in leaps and bounds since she started shifting—as if her brain was using what she was experiencin
g in cub form to assist her in human form. “I’ll call Lucas,” she said as Naya wobbled off after Jon and Noor. “He might’ve been held up.”

  The mate of an alpha knew too well that his time wasn’t always his own.

  Chapter 37

  ZACH AND ANNIE arrived before Lucas. The DarkRiver senior soldier and his elementary school teacher mate had walked over with their one-month-old baby, even though Annie was currently using a cane to support the leg that had been injured in a train derailment when she was a child.

  “I need the exercise,” the brown-eyed woman said, a little breathless upon arrival but flushed with health under the delicate cream of her skin. “All this baby weight isn’t going to shift itself.”

  Behind her, her taller mate—their baby boy cradled in one arm—bent down to nip at her ear.

  Annie yelped. “What was that for?” she asked, rubbing at the abused ear.

  “I seem to remember you throwing up for most of the first half of the pregnancy,” Zach replied. “I don’t see any extra weight.” Bad-tempered words from the copper-skinned male with aqua eyes but the raw tenderness he felt toward his mate made Sascha’s heart hurt in the best way.

  Annie tilted back her head to scowl at him, the deep black of her unbound hair brushing over his chest. “You need your eyes examined.”

  Growling, Zach maneuvered her into a chair. “Let me massage that leg.”

  Annie, who’d always been shy, blushed a little but didn’t push away her mate’s gentle hands when he hunkered down beside her after handing her their cub.

  “Hey, sleepy.” She nuzzled their child. “Your daddy’s being a grumpus.”

  Growling deep in his chest, Zach continued to massage Annie’s leg.

  Sascha smiled. The couple was adorable.

  “Did you two settle on a middle name yet?” she asked, leaning over to look into the baby’s sweet face. Annie and Zach’s first child had his daddy’s skin and straight black hair and his eyes looked like they might end up the same stunning aqua as Zach’s. But there was a sweetness to his drowsy baby smile that spoke of Annie.