Chapter 18

Windsong Manor

Mystic River, Alaska

The last twenty-four hours had been terrifying, triumphant, and chaotic—sometimes all at the same time. She'd kept to herself for the flight to Windsong. She was hopeful that she'd be able to just sort of disappear—find what she needed to get out and be gone before anyone noticed.

Any length of time spent under the roof of an alpha male shifter was that much time given to Lucian. She knew he and Reynolds weren't friends. Hell, they weren't even friendly, but Reynolds was an alpha male, the head of his own clan, and Zenya was now the marked and claimed mate to another alpha. Alphas tended to stick together.

Night was falling when they landed at Windsong. She tried to stay close to Adriana, but in the hustle and bustle of getting everyone situated, they'd been separated again. It felt as if she was being isolated from the others who had been rescued. Those at Windsong were welcoming and everyone was shown to the dining room for dinner. They were to meet with Reynolds afterward individually.

Zenya could barely touch her meal. She tried to tell herself it was her need to get away, but she knew that wasn't really the truth. The truth was that not all of her time at Ice Storm had been playacting. She'd been happy there. In truth, a part of her had been happier than she'd ever been. Lucian had seemed to genuinely want her to be happy, but the happiness had to be lived within the constraints he dictated, and to her that meant no kind of happiness at all.

The physical ache of missing Lucian was far more profound than she'd thought it would be. At first, she'd tried to tell herself it was just the sex, but it was far more than that, and she knew it. It had been a struggle to force herself to leave him on their wedding night. More than once, she'd wanted to turn back, but she reminded herself she didn't want her life lived on anyone's terms other than her own.

Part way through dinner, she excused herself, located where her anorak had been hung and slipped out the back door, telling the cook she just needed a little fresh air.

"That's to be understood, you poor lamb," said the cook. "What all of you went through at the hands of those vile creatures. But you're here at Windsong now. They'll not be taking you away from our alpha."

Zenya had just nodded and made her way out the back. When she was sure no one was watching, she tried to slip away, but ran into a man who had seemed to just emerge out of nothing. The smell of smoke and brimstone identified him as a hellhound.

"Going somewhere?" he intoned.

"Not that it's any of your business," she said, trying to push past him.

"I think there are a lot of people who would think it their business, Zenya."

"You have me mistaken for someone else."

He chuckled. "I don't think so. Zenya Hale…only it's Hendrix now, isn't it? Your mate has been half out of his mind with worry about you."

"You mean he's pissed because I outsmarted him."

"That too, I suspect. I know Colby wants to talk to you."

"And if I don't want to talk to him?" she challenged.

"Neither Colby nor I are your enemy. Both of us have strong ties to the Shadow Sisters. I believe you've met my younger sister."

"The Shadow Sisters aren't big on names."

"Caye doesn't much give a damn who knows who she is. In fact, I rather suspect she likes the notoriety." Hayden took her by the elbow and steered her toward Colby's office. "You shifters really need to do a better job keeping up with your females."

Colby looked up. "Probably. This one isn't mine, more's the pity. Zenya, why don't you and I have a little chat? Thanks, Hayden. Help yourself to supper."

Hayden left the room.

Colby gestured to a chair, where Zenya took a seat. "I don't want to chat. I want to leave."

"I'm quite sure you think you do, but do you really?" asked Colby.

"I know my own mind, Reynolds. I don't need any of your patriarchal bullshit."

Colby sighed. "I guess I can't blame you for feeling that way. I can't really blame any of you. The men in our society aren't as enlightened as they might be. But I do have a track record for being on the wrong side as far as most alpha males are concerned."

"Then let me go."

"At least hear me out." Colby waited for her to say something, and when she didn't, he continued. "I think Hendrix cares for you." Zenya snorted. Colby ignored her and continued. "In fact, I believe he loves you, and I wonder if you don't care for him, as well. If you'll agree to just think about that and decide how you really feel, I'll turn a blind eye if you still want to go. But if you think you want to give it a chance, you can stay at Windsong, and I'll play peacemaker for you. I'll make the sonofabitch toe the line and court you properly."

"Why would you do that? I can tell you that it wouldn't score you any points with Lucian to try and get him to commit the Baihu Clan's resources to your cause."

"Agreed. I told him a while back that I didn't peddle in flesh, and I don't. Why would I do it? I guess because I'm just something of a romantic, and maybe…just maybe…if he's happy and can see all he stands to lose, he'll see he has no choice but to join the Resistance."

"And if I won't agree?"

"Then I will at least be able to tell your mate I tried to reason with you on his behalf."

"No threat of just turning me over?"

"Have you met the women I surround myself with?" he laughed. "I do like to sleep with at least one eye closed."

She smiled, looked him straight in the eye, and lied. "All right. I'll think about it. I'll give you my answer in the morning."

Zenya left his office and wandered back toward the kitchen—at least the delicious aromas coming from it made her think it was the kitchen. She started to ask for some coffee but caught a brief glimpse of a woman outside the door in the darkness who inclined her head in a way that made Zenya think she wanted her to join her in the soft, concealing gloom of the night.

COLBY

"Do you believe her?" Hayden said as he shimmered out of nothing.

"I'd like to. I'd really like to, but I don't think I do, not even for a second. Brie is already here and I'm fairly sure she's here not just to share my bed. Zenya is important to them. They lost her, and that doesn't sit right with any of them—my mate and your sister, especially."

Hayden nodded. "I know."

"Try to keep tabs on them and make sure they're safe."

"Will do. I think I have the easier job. Hendrix is going to be pissed. He's marked and claimed her. I doubt he's going to be reasonable."

"Agreed, but I do believe what I told her. Maybe if he can just give her some time…"

"If you had marked Brie, and she was yours—would you? I know I wouldn't where my mate was concerned."

"They're more right than wrong," said Colby. "We really are, for the most part, insufferable patriarchal bastards."

"Well, maybe about the insufferable and patriarchal part, but most of us aren't technically bastards."

Colby laughed. Hayden had an irreverent sense of humor that usually made him laugh. "Get out of here."

The following morning, Colby Reynolds, alpha of the lynx-shifters at Mystic River, received unwanted, but not altogether unexpected news: Zenya Hendrix was gone. He saw his cell phone light up with Lucian Hendrix as the identified caller and he groaned. This was not going to be pleasant. Even though the call was not unexpected, it was not one he wanted to answer. Unfortunately, that was not an option.

Colby picked up his phone. "Lucian, how nice to hear from you."

He could hear a jet engine in the background noise from Lucian's end of the call. The white tiger-shifter wasn't wasting time.

"Don't start with me, Reynolds. I know she's at Windsong. I expect you to honor our agreement and hand her over to me."

"Our agreement never included my handing her or any other female shifter over to a clan where she doesn't want to be. As a matter of fact, I have dozens of them here now. It wouldn't take much to put together a posse that would like to lynch me."

"We had a deal."

"We did. The deal was that I would use my best efforts to plead your case to the Shadow Sisters to help you find Zenya—charming girl, by the way—and I did that, but apparently you tracked her down before I could give you the information. At no time did I ever guarantee you anything other than my best efforts."

"You didn't give me that information within the month."

"That is true, but I did try, which is all I ever agreed to do. It would seem your mate has made it very clear that she did not wish to return to Ice Storm or to you. You might want to ask yourself why that is. What I will tell you is that she didn"t seem very happy about leaving."

"So, she is there…"

"No, Lucian, she isn't. I had asked her to consider what it was she really wanted to do before leaving, and I told her that if she wanted to stay and try and make a go of it with you, I would play peacemaker. She assured me that she would. She didn't. I'm not sure when or how she left Windsong, but I give you my word, she isn't here."

"How could you not call me?" growled Lucian.

"How could I? Your mate went through a traumatic experience, or didn't anyone tell you that she had been kidnapped by vampires, drugged and taken to some kind of lab where they did who knows what to get whatever kind of information they're seeking? Let's just say, it wasn't like she was on vacation in Paris."

Lucian sighed. Colby had never heard the enigmatic white tiger-shifter sound so defeated. In fact, he'd never heard the arrogant tiger sound anything less than triumphant.

"If she wants to go to Paris, I'll take her to Paris. I just want her back. Damn it, Reynolds, I need her. She's my fated mate. She seemed so happy."

"I think she was happy. I think she cares for you, deeply. I don't know her well, but she didn't look frightened, and she didn't look like a woman who'd just escaped what would probably have been a fate worse than death. She struck me as a woman who wasn't going to be forcibly given back. She should have been more than happy to stay. I don't know why I'm telling you this, but the reason I didn't call you last night was that I actually believed—if only for a moment—that she'd take me up on my offer. If nothing else, she had to know I wouldn't turn her over to you."

Another sigh. "I don't think she'll trust any shifter that isn't female. Her brother is my beta, and we sort of set her up and trapped her into taking her vows."

"Ah. Well, do your beta a favor. If and when you get her back, try to get her to forgive him. I can tell you, if they were ever close, he feels the breach between them almost as keenly as you feel the one that exists between you and her."

"There's no way you can find out where she went? I'd really appreciate anything you could do on my behalf."

"No threat of withholding the Baihu Clan's support for the Resistance?"

"None. We're in. I don't think we have any choice. You were right when you said you knew I would never throw in with the League, but I can't stand by and do nothing. Too many years as a Navy SEAL taught me that some things are worth putting your differences aside and fighting against a greater evil."

"Oh my god, Lucian, you almost sound reasonable."

Lucian chuckled. "Don't let it get around."

"Your secret is safe with me. But I will see if I can do anything on your behalf where your mate is concerned."

"Thank you, Colby."

Colby was fairly sure that was the first time Lucian had ever called him by his first name. The guy had it bad. Almost as bad as he had it for Brie. Colby turned around, looking out into the wilderness, and hoped that someday they might all find peace and happiness. That day was not today. But maybe, just maybe, that day might come.