Page 94 of His Fate

"I can feel your sadness over that, feel your shared grief and pain." She looks up at me with a soft smile. "You knew her?"

I nod. "We all did and we loved the little one very dearly, loved her as we love Casey, Grace, and Allie. She was a sister to us in many ways and the void her passing created is bottomless for Havok."

"Which means it is for you four as well."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose that is accurate. When he is ready, I'm sure our brother will share his story but for now, just know that it is why he's rather unbearable and in a state of total disarray."

"I can handle it." Then Posey smirks. "Dad got Kady to make about ten dozen raspberry pinwheels for our meeting. Those little morsels of sweet happiness will subdue even the wildest beast."

"If we can get him to eat one," I grumble as we enter the war room.

Hank and Janet are seated next to Karel; Milos is next to Henrich and Grace. And Havok, the broody fuck, is perched on the back of a chair in the corner of the room hidden in the shadows, little of him showing save for the way his ice-blue eyes glow intensely against the black.

"Where's Andrej?" Milos asks as I close the door. "Won't he be joining us?"

"Not this morning." I pull out a chair for my mate then take my seat at the head of the table. "Last night's events have exhausted our brother and I felt it was best to let him sleep."

Havok snorts. "Wouldn't have been so bad had he not fought me for hours before our flight."

I glare at him then scowl as his eyes glow brighter.

He is thoroughly amused with himself and I fear I may punch him for it.

"I will fill Andrej in later, once he is refreshed and feeling up to it." I pop a pinwheel in my mouth, have a food-gasm, as my mate calls it, then begin. "So we know where Cyril plans to attack?"

Karel nods. "Unfortunately, he plans to attack here."

"On our turf," Milos grunts as he pushes his shaggy hair out of his eyes. "Those bastards will destroy our home, the homes of our people just as they did in the Old Country."

"Not necessarily." Henrich leans forward and drops a book on the table. "In preparation for our brother to return I brushed up on my vampire history." He smirks as Havok grunts in the corner. "I believe I found something that could possibly protect our homes, something I feel Havok and Andrej should begin immediately."

"So you feel as though we should allow the battle to take place here?" I agree, I think we should at the very least control the environment but I want to see what everyone else thinks.

Milos and Henrich both nod, Karel as well but it is Hank who speaks. "We know this land, know it better than anyone. If we let them attack here then we have the upper hand. We know the points of entry, know where there is no exit, we know the weak spots and the best places to hide. Keeping the battle here increases our chances of winning because of how we can position our soldiers, where we can use the element of surprise, quick escapes if we have to retreat."

"Not to mention it keeps the fight away from town," Posey says as she unfolds the map of our property. "The battle will be contained, relatively isolated and won't draw unwanted attention or hurt innocent bystanders in the process."

I watch my mate scan the map, feel the gears in her head start to turn, and if it wasn't so wildly inappropriate I'd throw her on the table and mount her right on top of that map.

It does things to my heart as well as my dick to watch my Josephine go into battle mode.

But I'll wait and share that with her later.

My eyes bounce from person to person before they turn back to the spread before us. "I feel it is best for the young to be kept in the mansion. You said Casey and Allie both have extensive training in firearms?"

Hank nods. "Been taking all four of my girls out to shoot for years. They're better snipers than most trained by the military."

"Good." I nod. "Then I'd like for Casey and Allie to stay at the mansion with Kady and Mary, possibly Carol and Sara as well. Any human or shifter mates that are unable or unwilling to fight as well as any young under the age of eighteen should remain in the mansion, preferably the war room."

"What about Ivan?" Milos asks as his eyes shift to the prison where that coward sits.

"The clinic then. Ivan will remain locked up until our battle is won and then he will receive his punishment for the role he has played."

"And who will keep watch over him?"

"Josh. I know he is angry and wants to fight but I feel he has too much to lose if he does. I think it'll be best for him to stay here, be close to the children and those less skilled."

Hank grins. "And he won't let that murderous bastard that killed his mate out of his sight."

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