Page 18 of Banishing Regrets

Hunter placed his hand on Selene’s shoulder. “What just took place couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. Ebony was a bitch, and my only regret is that the dragon fire burned her too quickly. She would have killed my child and the woman I love. You did me a favor. Don’t ever apologize for that. Now, let’s fix these wounds and find my pack. Nuka is bringing the war to us, and we need to be ready.”

Ten

Kas watchedfrom the woods as the wolf shifters from Hunter’s pack settled into the group of log cabins. It hadn't taken long to find them. With Jessica's help, Hunter was able to sense them all, and they’d been brought to the Glacial Blood lands for protection. Those who had been taken by the humans were proving more problematic to find. Ethern had been searching for hours now, but it seemed as though they’d vanished without a trace. No one was going to give up, though. Least of all him.

“Kas.” Jane came to his side, and his inner animal rejoiced at having her near.

She’d been helping to settle Lily, Hunter, and Kingsley, making sure the men had their wounds cleaned and bandaged. Hunter had told them that some of the human men had behaved like lion tamers with whips—others had stun guns, and then there were those with real guns to be used as a last resort. Thankfully, Hunter and Kingsley had been the only ones injured. They were hurt while were protecting Lily, who was being pulled roughly by the humans, despite being obviously pregnant. He really didn’t understand why the humans feared them so much. Apart from Nuka, they’d done nothing to indicate they would ever hurt anyone, and apart from those who followed his brother, no shifter had fought back. Kas could only assume the few bad eggs had spoiled it for everyone else.

“How is Lily?” he questioned.

“She’s fine. Sleeping. Hunter is with her,” Jane replied before looking behind her where Kingsley, Isobel, and Jessica were standing.

“What’s happening?” Kas knew they were about to suggest something he wouldn’t like, and he already had the wordnoon the tip of his tongue.

“Whatever you're about to ask, the answer is no.” Kas raised a commanding eyebrow at Jane.

“Hear me out. Please, Kas. We just want to speak to the humans, and Isobel and Kingsley know the best one to help us.”

He shook his head and folded his arms across his broad chest, already knowing what they were about to propose.

“It’s worth a try. See if we can find out where the rest of Hunter’s pack is?” Jessica added, and he glared at her.

“No.” He was defiant.

Kingsley stepped forward next. “I’m happy to do this alone. I know it’s a risk, but Jane, Isobel, and I want to talk to the humans. Find out where the rest of Hunter’s pack is and try to convince the humans that the majority of shifters mean them no harm. There’s only a few who need to be captured, and it’s best to let the shifter council deal with those ones. Isobel and I are well known in the human world because of our father. Everybody remembers him as the senator who tried to get humans to believe in shifters in the first place. They know we’re humans, so that will negate the risk of them wanting to test us, and Jane has been around shifters more than anyone I know. We want to try. We want to see if it can make any difference. Please, Kas, I’m begging you.”

“Have you told Hunter what you want to do?” he quipped back quickly.

Kingsley looked at the ground. It was obvious he hadn’t.

“He wouldn’t allow it after what happened before. But those aren’t the humans we want to talk to. My father had friends in government. The current president knew him, even if he was a bit unsure about my father’s mental state.”

Isobel came to her brother’s side. “We need to try, Kas. It could buy you some time to deal with Nuka and prove to the humans that shifters aren’t the animals they all fear.”

Kas put his head in his hands. “I always knew humans were stubborn creatures, more so than shifters, but you three are selfless as well. Jessica, take them to the president, but at the first sign of trouble, I want them out. Mentally patch me in as well. I want to be able to see and hear the whole thing.”

Kas pulled Jane to him, and he pressed a kiss to her lips.

“No heroics, Jane. I mean it. Any trouble and you leave.”

“You have my word.” Jane kissed him back.

In a flash of light, Jane, Kingsley, Isobel, and Jessica disappeared from the woodland, and a vision of them in the office of the President of the United States of America appeared in Kas’ head.

Men jumped to their feet and surrounded Jane, Jessica, Isobel, and Kingsley. Guns were drawn ready to fire.

“Wait!” A man, Kas instantly recognized as the president, halted all movement. “Isobel, Kingsley? I don’t understand? How did you get in here?” the president asked as he moved around the desk to greet Isobel and Kingsley, but he didn’t get a chance.

“Sir, we need to get you out of here. This could be an attack,” one of the secret service guards warned as he grabbed the president’s arm.

The president laughed.

“I don’t think so. These are my niece and nephew on my wife’s and their mother’s side. They wouldn’t hurt me.”

Isobel shook her head while Kingsley gave his uncle a wink. Kas was gripped in the middle of the vision, but he groaned at the vital piece of information they’d withheld from him—from everyone it seemed.

“But they could be dangerous animals, sir?”

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