Page 29 of A Shadow of Betrayal

“What? No! I wasn’t eye-fucking him. I was only looking at—” she tries to explain, but I hold a hand up, cutting her off with a glare.

“I honestly don’t care. Sit down so we can go over everything you will need to know. You're late for this meeting, and I have things I need to do.”

“How am I late?” she asks with a little too much snark for my liking as she plops down on the seat Monroe vacated. “You said to find you after breakfast. There was no assigned time.”

“Breakfast was served over two hours ago. You should be in your hand-to-hand training course with the rest of the Rangers. It started five minutes ago,” I grit out, sitting in my chair while trying to rein in my anger. Why are my emotions so out of sorts when it comes to this damn girl? I have seen so many pretty girls pass through these cold gray walls and not once been tempted by one.

But Meyer?

I look her up and down again, hating how the sweats she’s dressed in show off her chest and curves of her body. The complete opposite goal I was trying to achieve when I tasked Ranger Rodgers with getting her sweats. She is soft looking. Not chubby, but not the solid muscular build I’m used to seeing from the women around here.

Maybe that's the reason I can’t pull my eyes away from her? This Little Hunter has captured all my attention, something she will regret, I’m sure.

A slight shift in my peripheral catches my attention, and I look at Razar from the corner of my eye and watch as he stares at the girl. He’s concealing his presence, keeping himself hidden in the shadows while watching her every move. He’s been watching her ever since he first laid eyes on her this morning, and I haven't had the time to ask him what's going on.

I knew he would react to seeing her again after we found Creed lying on her living room floor, but he handled it a lot better than I thought he would. There had been Demons surrounding her place, ones that were hard to get through, but we got there just in time to save them both.

It had been my idea to wipe the girl's mind and leave her be. Creed had said she was a Hunter and had the sight, but she didn't seem to know anything of our worlds. So to save myself the headache, I left her in her bed, thinking it was best for everyone.

Creed had put up a massive fight on the subject, and it would have been ten times more difficult to pull away from her if he hadn't passed out a few minutes after finding him.

If I’m being honest with myself, I chose to leave the girl there because of how possessive Creed was acting over her. It wasn't a good sign, and we have far too much to accomplish before any of us tries the whole settling down thing. Besides, our father would never allow him to join such a union.

We are so close to accomplishing what we need to do so we can help everyone, and I need Creed to focus on the task at hand. Even then, I predicted this girl would only cause us all trouble.

So I wiped her mind and patched up the old cabin she was staying in. Unfortunately, the little brat followed us back home and has become the problem I was trying to avoid. Only now, it's me I'm worried about.

Maybe she's a witch?

It's possible that she is here pretending to be a Hunter in order to infiltrate the Umbra Hunters. They have certain charms to make people feel more comfortable around them and even feel an unnatural attraction toward them. It's not the first time something like that has happened, and it won't be the last. But I’m guessing if she were a witch, Razar would have sensed that immediately and instead of me sitting here glaring at the infuriating woman on the other side of my desk, I’d be burying her body somewhere.

I let my magic out, trying to get a feel for her current mindset, and wince at the amount of uncertainty, anger, and fear I feel coming from her. She’s asked me a couple times if I can read her mind, and unfortunately, I cannot. But I can feel some of her emotions, especially the strong ones, which helps me understand her a little more.

I think back to the anger and stubbornness I felt radiating off of her last night, and I almost groan when my cock throbs in my pants.

Fuck, why does her stubbornness turn me on so fucking much?

Shaking my head, I try to forget about last night and how stunning she was glaring up at me, the green of her eyes flashing with life and magic when I told her off. I need to set her straight, then maybe pawn her off on Ranger Johnson. He seems like a good kid and graduated at the top of his class. He can help keep her in line, and that will give me an excuse to stay away from her.

I pull my magic back to me when the fear she’s radiating leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. There is something about this girl, something that calls to me that makes me wary. A Hunter shouldn't have this kind of pull over me. Not even Axford possesses enough magic to manipulate my feelings toward him. I want to reach out and reassure her she has nothing to fear, but that would be a lie. She should be scared. Her life has been turned upside down, and with what I have seen from her today, she won't last long here. I'm guessing when the Demons attack and the Rangers are called on to help fight, she will be the first casualty.

Good, I think, swallowing down the rush of anger I feel at those thoughts. I need this girl gone. She's a distraction my brothers and I cannot afford.

If my instincts are correct, and they always are… the Seniorem is becoming corrupt, and this ‘new magic’ we now have access to is not something they should be able to possess. I just have to figure out how deep the corruption goes and try to fix it before everything we have worked for is ruined. The Umbra Hunters were created with a purpose, and I refuse to let this betrayal of that objective continue.

I watch as Meyer shifts in the chair before me, her bright green eyes holding so much defiance, despite the fear I feel radiating from her. She watches me like a hawk, taking in every detail until I feel completely exposed. I can feel the hair on my neck rise at the threat, and I let a little bit of my magic out, needing her to fear me and stop looking so closely at things she should not be concerned with.

I let my lips twist up into a satisfied smirk when she flinches back from me and breaks her eye contact. Then hum in appreciation at her quick submission. That turns me on almost as much as her defiance does.

“You will be required to complete all the courses with your bloodline. On top of that, you need to be taught Umbra history and laws. Starting tomorrow, every night after dinner, you are to come back here where I will teach you what will be expected of you before you are called out on assignment,” I tell her, clasping my hands in front of my desk and watching as frustration fills her expression.

I fight the smile that wants to cross my face as I wait for her snarky reply. I know she's mad that she’s stuck here, but there is nothing I can do for her now. Three days ago, when I found her with Creed, I tried my best. She shouldn't have drawn more attention to herself. Now she has no choice. She will complete her training here or die trying. If she runs, the Seniorem will send my brothers and me after her. As the Senior Umbra Hunter of the Regalis Bloodline, it's my responsibility to handle traitors.

“I can’t stay here,” she finally says, her voice calmer than I thought it would be, but I can see the way her hands tremble in front of her. “Please! I have a job and friends. Milo needs me!” she begs, her shoulders trembling as she pleads for me to let her go. I can feel myself frown at her words, and my eyes narrow.

Who the hell is Milo? Does she have a boyfriend? A husband? I swallow down the growl that threatens to break free and place my hands on the desk in front of me, standing slowly while catching her eye.

“You have no choice, Ranger Smith,” I grind out. “I suggest you make the most of your situation and come to terms with your new life. I’ve told you what will happen if you try to leave here, and yet you continue to push to leave. You’re acting like a spoiled brat, and I’m getting annoyed with your childish behavior.”

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