Page 27 of The Incubus and the Bodyguard

Yet he couldn’t ignore the feeling of betrayal gnawing at his insides.

Delphine cut her eyes to him for a fraction of a second. Last night, he’d attributed her observational skills to her probable military background. Now he wondered what else she could see behind the mask he carefully projected to the world.

“I’m afraid that’s entirely my fault,” Yuliy told Delphine apologetically. “I made Mr. Morgan promise not to give you any details concerning the…sensitive nature of this mission.”

The name Yuliy had spoken made Vlad straighten in his chair.

“Morgan? As in Gideon Morgan?!” His gaze swung from Yuliy to Delphine, his pulse quickening.

He knew of the mercenary. Gideon Morgan headed a team of elite super soldiers who’d carried out more dangerous missions in the last decade than any other special ops team in the world. He was the guy who’d sent Serena Blake to New York a few months ago, after the Sorcerer King had captured Nikolai.

“Do you know Serena?” Vlad asked Delphine stiffly.

She nodded curtly. “We are close friends.”

Vlad’s stomach knotted as he recalled her strength from last night.

“Does that mean you’re a super soldier?”

“I am.” Delphine arched an eyebrow. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“No, it isn’t.” Yuliy was frowning at Vlad.

Even Gustav and Lena were giving him puzzled looks.

Vlad lowered his brows at his uncle. “When you said you were going to get me a new bodyguard, I didn’t know it would be a super soldier.”

“Considering the circumstances, Miss Dubois is the best person for the job,” Yuliy retorted in a hard voice. “In fact, her expertise makes her uniquely qualified for this position.”

A vein throbbed in Vlad’s temple.

“She doesn’t know the nature of what she might have to deal with.”

Yuliy gave him an obtuse look that indicated he knew exactly what Vlad was talking about and didn’t give a damn.

A shadow passed over Delphine’s face, there and gone so quickly Vlad almost missed it.

She’s annoyed.

“Maybe if you elaborated on the details, it would help me reassure you of my capabilities,” she told Vlad steadily.

The last thread of Vlad’s patience snapped at the silent challenge in her eyes.

“Tarang,” he growled. “Show yourself.”

Delphine went deathly still when the tiger suddenly made himself visible beside her chair.

Yuliy sighed.

Gustav pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something under his breath.

“You could at least have given her a warning,” Lena snapped at Vlad.

Tarang plopped his head on his giant paws and watched Delphine unblinkingly, his tail sweeping the floor in a lazy rhythm that said he was willing to be buddies if she was.

“That’s a big tiger,” Delphine stated with a sangfroid that Vlad couldn’t help but admire despite the irritation prickling his skin.

To everyone’s surprise, she leaned over and placed her hand calmly in front of the familiar so he could get used to her scent.

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