Then the stops came out. Arms, legs, and fists, they sparred rapidly. Though neither used psychic abilities against the other, the challenge was intense. A few times Hans thought Cassie might be weakening, but she recovered and came back strong. Using the bent-over position of the male, Cassie stepped in and ended the spar with a hard double kick to the male’s head, missing his ear by an intentional fraction of an inch. Had she connected directly to the sensitive directional musculature of the Volaticus ear, it would have knocked the male out. As it was he lay on the grass panting and stunned.
Breathing heavy and smiling, Cassie plopped next to the male who raised a weak hand from the grass to flip Cassie his middle finger before it too dropped to the grass. Cassie threw her head back and laughed. Fates, he wished he could hear her laugh. To feel the sound wash over him while he drowned in the joyous shine reflected in her eyes. Her laugh had always been spellbinding. Judging from the grins of the other guards who’d been watching, she still had the same effect.
With a prayer to the Fates he leaped from the branch to land in a crouch on the ground. The small pulse of energy he used slightly liquefied the soil to absorb his landing also alerted the estate guards and Cassie to his presence.
Hans no longer disguised the light whiskey color of his eyes. Everyone in the SOSC knew he was royalty. That cat had gotten out of the bag several years ago when he had tapped into his royal birthright energy reserves to help save Umbrae. The shocked, hurt expression on Cassie’s face when her eyes met his filled him with a pain and anger of his own. She slowly rose from the grass. Her brows crinkled with internal agony and debate before her face went blank. She took one and then another hesitant step toward the weave and him.
Hug her, shake her, declare his love, or yell at her for vanishing and breaking his heart? Now that he was facing her, he had no idea what to do. She didn’t look happy to see him. He shouldn’t have come. Toe to toe with the weave between them he searched her face for a glimmer of the love he once thought he saw, receiving only resignation from her expression. Hans’ heart sank. She didn’t love him, and she’d probably never had loved him.
With a heavy sigh, she stepped to his side of the weave rather than inviting him through. His fingers tingled to pull her into his arms. There was a time he wouldn’t have hesitated to hug her. Not sharing bodily fluid did not mean no physical contact. The week before she ran away, they held hands and walked through the walnut trees laughing and sharing stories about the crazy things members of their colonies were doing. He had just sworn an oath and warrior offer with the SOSC for an extended period of time. He was head over heels in love with Cassie. Even with the complication of duty and obligation, that was the happiest time of his life.
They just stared at each other, like strangers. Hans cleared his throat of the lump that had formed. “Do you want me to leave?” The pigment of her eyes had turned them nearly black. He couldn’t get a read on her other than the movement of her throat when she swallowed, as if debating his question. Her gaze fell to her feet and she shook her head.
“I should say yes, but … no, I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered with a catch in her voice. Hans couldn’t take it anymore. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pulled her against his chest. She stiffened. Without his intention, his lips found the curve of her neck, and he kissed his way to her delicate ear. Her swift intake of breath halted him. What am I doing? She pulled back, eyes averted. “I’m sorry, Cassiopeia. I didn’t—” He dropped his head in shame. He had no right. She’d offered him an olive branch and he’d tried to take the entire limb.
A soft, warm hand cupped his chin and lifted his face to meet her gaze. A hesitant smile graced her lips. “We’re friends, Hans, it’s okay. I’ve missed you.” Her sweet, sultry voice resonated musically. “Would you like to come in?” Hans felt himself nodding like a child being offered a sweet. Cassie placed her warm hand in his and led him through the deadly energy weave. Just as she had with her sparring partner, she immediately released his hand on the other side.
The Volaticus Hulven male she’d whipped was now on his feet with a friendly smile on his face. “Cass, I’m going to head back to Montana. Let me know if you find yourself without a partner again. And for the sake of my ego, you might let me win once in a while.”
Cassie just grinned and waved. “Bye, Sam. Next time wear a cup.”
The male snorted as he ported away. Apparently getting out of the property was easy; it was gaining access that put a psychically enlightened person at risk.
They spent the afternoon sitting in a comfortable lounge room next to the nursery and playroom of her ward. Other than a few interruptions where Cassie had helped the nanny with the angelic young Elven, which further reminded Hans how selfish it would be to deny her children of her own, they talked the day away. Cassie had told him of her adventures over the last twenty years. Hans shared stories of Umbrae and her miraculous quadruplets. Both of them skirted the elephant in the room.
Hans had never been as angry with her as Mattie, perhaps because he always wondered if he was the reason she’d gone off on her own. After a pregnant silence, he finally broached the issue. “Why did you leave, Princess?”
The sharp, stunned look she gave him had not been what he expected. “What are you talking about?”
For the first time Hans let her see the hurt in his eyes. “Mattie and I tried to find you. Why did you place a ‘do not disclose’ clause on your SOSC file?”
Cassie’s brows furrowed and she opened her mouth, only to shut it firmly as a storm of emotions waged a battle for supremacy on her face. She rose from her padded chair and paced back and forth in front of him, her arms crossed and her knuckles white where she gripped her elbows. She didn’t know. The realization struck him like a sledgehammer. She didn’t know about the “do not disclose” clause. Mattie had voiced her frustration at her mother’s refusal to speak of Cassie in any way. It had to be Mattie and Cassie’s mother who placed the clause. No one else would have that ability besides Cassie herself or her colony’s matriarch, Queen Della Aleen. “What happened?”
Cassie shook her head and her eyes filled with tears before she could blink them away. “Hans, I need to talk to my sister. I’m sorry. I just …” She shrugged. “I can’t …” Talk to you yet. Hans knew what she meant to say without words.
“I understand.” And he did, though he hated it. He released a long breath to keep from pulling her into his lap and changed the subject. “So tell me of your ward and boss. Why did you call in the SOSC?”
Cassie settled back into the chair across from him. “Stacey has had serious threats aimed at her for the last eight months. She disregards their validity because she always has threats against her. It’s been a part of her life forever, but I have a bad feeling about these. Honestly, I think it might be Osiris.”
Hans felt a twist of fear deep in his gut. If Stacey were in Osiris’s crosshairs, by association so was Cassie. “Have there been any aimed against Johnny?” Since she was chief of security for the boy rather than the mother, maybe there was some distance between the two.
Cassie shook her head. “Very few people know she has a son. The SOSC sealed her medical records when she left the survivor’s community a few years ago. Most of the people who lived in the community that knew her are here … working for her.”
Hans thought on that. “Does she have any other enemies that could be behind it?”
Cassie snorted a laugh. “Oh, yeah. Stacey is … ummm … let’s just say she runs her business and her home with an iron fist. She’s not an easy female to like. Though, I must say Conlon Einar’s reaction to her was … interesting.” Hans could see the love Cassie had for her employer in her face. “Don’t tell her I told you this, but she’s truly amazing. She does things anonymously all the time. Every single rescued female from five years ago received a significant financial nest egg. The only reason I know is she had me research the names and I figured it out after I heard the rumors. I think
it might be those rumors that brought her into the sights of the rogues. No one knows it was Stacey, but not many people, even in our world, could gift that much to one female, let alone a hundred and forty nine of them. I don’t think the source of the funds is that much of a stretch, though Stacey denies it. Her response when I asked her was, ‘I don’t give a fuck about those women.’”
Hans whistled through his teeth. Those same rumors had filtered to Mesa. He and Umbrae had discussed it once. Umbrae figured the total to be around fifteen million. “She gifted all of them funds, anonymously?” Cassie shrugged and nodded. “So you think this is about her money?”
Cassie’s gaze clashed with his. The dark pigment she’d manipulated into her eyes faded out, leaving him looking into the beautiful burnt orange they truly where. Hans’s erection pushed against the leathers of his pants, begging for freedom. “I think Osiris did the math. Figured out he had her in a breeding cage and took it as a personal slap that she got away before he knew who he had.”
That would be an illogical enough reason for a freak like Osiris, Hans thought, but what if … “Did the SOSC ever determine whether any of the Elven studs Osiris used were the sire of her child?”
Cassie’s brows crinkled “No, and Stacey has no memory of who got her pregnant … thank the Fates.”
“Cassie, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have that … thing tonight, and, well, I wondered—” The nanny popped her head out of the nursery, blushing.
“I’ll be right in,” Cassie answered; the girl gave Hans a tentative smile and closed the door softly.
“She has a first date with one of the Aquatie guards. I already told him if he messes with her head, I’ll jack him up.” She smiled, her eyes full of regret. It was time for Hans to go. He had a couple of phone calls to make anyway, but leaving proved to be very difficult. Cassie gave him a quick, platonic hug at the door and then turned and walked away. He watched the sway of her hips with longing until she was out of sight. Then made his way through the guard-peppered yard, receiving a few nods of acknowledgment, and passed unfettered through the energy weave.
First things first, he dialed his cell phone. On the third ring Conlon answered. “Is Mattie okay?” It wasn’t like her to have someone else answer her phone.
“Yup, she’s fine. She is changing after a wardrobe malfunction.” Conlon stated. Mattie must have shifted while dressed. Hans knew how that went.
“Well?” Mattie wasn’t one to waste time with niceties.
Hans wasn’t sure where to begin. “She won’t talk to me about why she left.” He cut her off mid-curse. “I don’t think she placed the ‘do not disclose’ on her file, though. She seemed genuinely shocked when I asked her about it.” With that said the line went so quiet Hans thought the call had dropped. “Mattie?”
“I’m here. Let me call you back.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Give me some time to figure this out.”
Mattie must have made the same connection he had to Queen Della’s interference. “I’ll wait for your call.” To be caught in a battle between her mother and sister would not be an easy thing for Mattie.
His next call was to Herme in Greenland. Herme answered the phone on the second ring. “Yo.” Hard to believe Herme was an ancient and brilliant Healer . The guy acted like a kid when it came to anything non-medical. Hans shared his suspicions with the healer. “Damn. I’ll get on the testing right now. Thanks, man.” The healer disconnected the line.
Hans glanced back at the house one last time, hoping to catch another glimpse of Cassie. She was nowhere in sight.
Chapter Ten
It’s Cassie? Stacey’s stomach dropped. Johnny! Stacey barely got the vial passed from her hand to Mattie’s. The stunned expression on Mattie’s face when she realized what she’d been given and by whom was blurred with the moisture that sprung into Stacey’s eyes. When she tried to ask about her son, a cry caught in her throat instead. Conlon immediately ended his wall staring event to pull her into a much-needed hug.
“What happened to Cassie?” Conlon asked
Mattie glanced from Stacey to Conlon, then to her fist. Her fingers slowly opened to reveal the vial. Her gaze returned to Stacey’s face with a look of incredulous gratitude that far exceeded such a small gift. “You are Cassie’s colony.”
Stacey wanted to strangle the female. “What the fuck happened to Cassie?” Stacey’s heart was pounding in her chest; unhurriedly, Mattie opened the vial and tossed back the contents. “Mattie! Is my son okay?” She could feel her heat rising. Beads of sweat became visible on Conlon’s brow. Stacey shoved him away from her with everything she had.
Realization washed over Mattie’s face, sobering her. “Oh, Fates, I’m sorry. I didn’t … Yes. Yes he’s fine, Cassie’s fine … that’s not it. Oh man.” She dropped her head in her hands again. “Stacey, I never meant—”
The overwhelming relief turned Stacey’s knees to jelly and she plopped down hard on her ass. “Oh, thank the Fates.” Residual fear tremor and the cooling of her skin caused goose bumps to cover her flesh. She looked up, up, up the length of Conlon, who was staring at her wide-eyed. His chest flamed red where it had been touching her. The mixture of curiosity, awe, and stark desire in his eyes constricted Stacey’s chest. His nostrils flared from the residual scent of her blood wafting from the uncapped vial still clutched between Mattie’s fingers.
Only Cassie knew of Stacey’s abilities. Damn it! If he hadn’t figured it out on the plane he most definitely knew the truth now. Would Conlon report back to the SOSC? Stacey tore her gaze from Conlon back to Mattie. The Tellus felt bad enough without Stacey grinding it in, but Stacey had a reputation to maintain. “Now that you scared the living shit out of me for no damn reason … what happened?” She didn’t quite have the bite in her voice she wanted, though it would have to do.
Mattie pursed her lips. “Do you know who Prince Hansi Alba is?” Cassie’s lost love. A new concern, this one for her friend, gripped her as Stacey nodded. “I asked him to go talk to Cassie to see if he could find out why she ran away twenty years ago. She wouldn’t tell him … she told him she wanted to talk to me.” Mattie’s hurt and anger dripped from her voice. “I don’t want to talk to her. I want to beat her to a bloody pulp.”
Conlon opened his mouth and then quickly shut it. He knew Mattie had it all wrong. He would be no help in this situation. “Are you really that blind?” Stacey snapped, indignant on Cassie’s behalf.
Mattie’s glare shot daggers at her. The dark color faded out, leaving the true bright amber color of her eyes. I am royalty. She didn’t need to say the word to project the intent. Stacey could care less if Mattie’s bloodline made her one of the most influential and powerful females in her species. Right now her demeanor was that of a hurt sibling.
“I see just fine.” Mattie’s voice dropped an octave in warning.
“I can’t imagine why she’d want to talk to you anyway. You’re like a spoiled rotten viper. I get that you’re hurt, Mattie, but did it ever occur to you that maybe your sister is hurt too? Would it kill you to get off your high horse and give her the benefit of the doubt? Cassie didn’t run away. Your mother cast her out. I guarantee she believes you knew that. How could she think any different? It devastated her that you never sought her out after her expulsion.”
Mattie blinked, holding Stacey’s gaze with a non-subtle challenge, trying to deny what she’d just heard. Stacey refused to look away first. “If that's true, why’d she place the ‘do not disclose’ clause on her SOSC file that made it impossible for me and Hans to find her,” Mattie gritted out through clenched jaw.
What? Cassie would have never hidden from her sister or Hans … especially Hans. Stacey knew that without question. Why didn’t Mattie? “Cassie never hid from you. Cassie believes the people she loved most wrote her off like a bad debt. Neither of you are on the same page, and if you keep posturing you never will be. I care about Cass—my employees. If you can’t be objective, then leave her the hell a
lone. Trust me, she’s been through enough shit without you piling it on.”
Mattie sat up straight, squaring her shoulders, and let out a long, determined breath. She looked up at Conlon. “Could you find a new partner for this assignment?”
The phone in Conlon’s pocket chimed with a new call. Conlon turned, putting his phone to his ear. “Conlon.”
That is no way to answer a phone, Stacey thought, annoyed. The conversation was brief with few comments from Conlon. Stacey heard the word bloodmate from the deep voice on the other end of the call. She held her breath. Conlon’s gaze met hers and he sighed before stating, “Yes, it’s true.” He snapped the phone closed with more force than necessary. That was way more than Stacey could deal with right now. She pretended like she hadn’t heard anything, schooled her features so hopefully Conlon wouldn’t see her inner conflict.
“Was that the SOSC?” Mattie asked the question before Stacey did.
“Yeah, Sargon was already sending in reinforcements,” Conlon informed Mattie before turning those dark-hazel, female-slaying weapons on her. “He’s also sending in a team to transfer Meg, Cassie, and Johnny to the SOSC base in Mesa, Arizona. There’s another new threat, and the SOSC isn’t letting you call the shots on this one. They are intervening for your protection.”
New threat? Her home? Was the threat against Johnny this time? Stacey felt an urgency to find out what was going on immediately. She’d spent two years at the SOSC base/housing after her rescue. She knew how secure they were. Honestly, she felt grateful the SOSC was taking steps to protect her son. “Why are they uprooting my son, Conlon?” She clenched her jaw to hide her fear.
“A bunch of medical records were pilfered, yours included. Whoever took them infiltrated SOSC headquarters. Mesa has incredibly reinforced weaves.” His answer put Stacey somewhat at ease.
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