Page 99 of The Huntress

What convinced her this was real was the cessation of the dark whisperings in her own mind, the seductive lures to kill, to destroy those who opposed her. He built a solid mental wall around them, encapsulating her until his love engulfed her, protecting her. His understanding and forgiveness drowned her regret.

She didn’t realize she was crying until he wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. She whispered words she hadn’t thought to, mutterings and pleas for forgiveness, of her devotion. All unnecessary with their connection restored. The kiss he bestowed on her soared her soul above the stars.

“I love you,” she said across his parted lips.

“I never stopped loving you,” he said, and she believed him. “Now would you like some tea?” He laced his fingers through hers to tug her toward George. Dimitri handed her a cup. Callie accepted it and sat on the blanket beside him.

“Are you feeling better, Callie?” George asked, her small hand extended for Callie’s cup.

“I’ve missed you, sweetheart. Has Dimitri treated you well?” Hot tea filled her cup, and she grinned, accepting it from George with a smile.

“Dimitri says I’ll always be his princess,” George said with a giggle as if it was the finest thing.

Callie shot a warning glance at Dimitri, hoping to convey that she’d kill him if he ever hurt her daughter.

He loves her like a sister. You have nothing to worry about, mama bear.Gabe teased her through their link.

With a deep sigh, Callie admitted she’d missed this.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

THE EVE OF BATTLE

Theysaythatwarwas waged not just on a battlefield. Whoevertheyare. Judging by the tense silence in the room, Callie believed it.

The inclusion of the beast’s armed forces—their words—had delighted Metcalfe, transforming her into an almost-pleasant person to be around. Once she’d met the alpha, Rhys, of the Knights Ridge pack, sparks had flown, and not the good kind. That might have been creepy to witness. Callie didn’t want to imagine her ex-captain in a romantic lead, though she’d often joked with Mike that she needed a good swing from the chandeliers.

Rhys was a bear of man, in size and persona. He growled or rumbled his words, and his meaty hands flicked his shoulder-length, golden-streaked brown hair away from his baby-blue eyes. When they met, she could’ve sworn the blue glowed. A neat beard adorned a sharp jawline, and his narrow lips never smiled.

Syl showed his mettle, calming the two with firm words—a language both combatants valued. They’d gathered in the formal sitting room at the de Winter Hold, resplendent with Baroque influence merging with high-tech gadgetry. The carved gold paneling parted to reveal a glass wall, giving a wide view of a smaller lounge where Monique awaited her father. Syl had lured him with a promise of a senatorial campaign contribution.

“Stavros is dead. Why do we still need this fake fight?” Callie asked the room in general. “Wasn’t this ruse meant to lure him out?”

“Yes, among other reasons,” Syl said. “We needed to force Duhamel and Carter to reveal their involvement, to bring them to your enforcement’s attention.” He blessed Metcalfe with a formal nod as if to saymission accomplished.

“Though you kept meticulous files, Callie, your allegations held insufficient evidence. Discovering the wider plot was a stroke of luck,” Metcalfe said. “I couldn’t have genocide inmyInner City, now could I?”

Callie frowned.Luck?It was hard work, you old bat.She didn’t say that, biting her lip in case her tongue ran away with her.

Gabe looped his arm around her waist and tugged her against him. His touch, both mental and physical, calmed her, otherwise, she might have gone verbal on her ex-boss.

“With all due respect, Johanna, Callie was the first to investigate. Without those files, we would not have discovered the extent of Carter’s involvement.” Syl’s defense of her had her gaping, disbelief flushing her cheeks.

Damn it. She now owed the bastard.

“Neither side was aware of Stavros’s duplicity, nor his reasons behind it. I’m eager to see how Carter handles this reunion, how he reacts when he realizes he’s a pawn in a game greater than he imagined.” Rhys prowled closer to the one-way mirror, his great bulk dominating the room. The fact his voice was like gravel added to his intimidation factor, and if she’d met him in an alley, she’d have been the loser. Her precious silver bullets and poisoned daggers would have merely annoyed him.

Monique sat in a chair, tapping her fingernails on the brocade fabric. She alternated between sitting, standing, and pacing—her agitation clear. According to Leo, she hadn’t wanted her father to discover her conversion. He abhorred all things non-human. She’d formed an obsession with vampires when she’d been a feeder and hid this from him. Callie could empathize.

Monique flicked her black curls out of her eyes as the door opened. She drew in a deep breath and squared her shoulders when her father entered the room. The scene played out as expected. Carter wavered between shock, delight, and anger.

“You see, Daddy, Stavros played you, and now your revenge will harm me,” Monique said.

“We’re all a part of someone else’s agenda.” He lowered himself into the chair, his long legs folding in half. “I have my reasons, my girl.” His shoulders squared, mimicking his daughter’s earlier mannerism.

“Have?” Her pout was pretty. “You’re determined to go ahead with this?”

“You know how I feel, Nicky.” He slammed his fist into his palm, the slap reverberating through the room. “They’re unnatural and a blight on this planet.”

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