Page 50 of Furever Loyal
Fingernails dug into the skin at the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine as she grabbed at his head and pulled it in tight. For a second, his own eyes flew open in surprise at his actions, but he quickly shut them, not wanting to ruin the moment. The electricity between them was intense, and Kincaid doubted he was the only one caught off guard.
Eventually, he stepped back, lowering her to the floor. He hated having to do so, but they still had to escape from the house, and the raging bloodflow between his legs wasn’t going to make a nearly impossible task any easier. Kincaid needed to be able to think.
“Ready?” he asked hoarsely, still struggling for breath.
Haley could only nod, gesturing at the door. Her eyes never strayed from him, watching him closely, filled with…honestly, he wasn’t sure. A mixture of anger, shock, and arousal? He really couldn’t tell. Regardless, they had to go,now.
Easing open the door, cringing at the squeaks that sounded like trumpets to his ears, Kincaid crept out into the evening. Behind him Haley hissed, and he cursed himself. The cold didn’t bother him of course, but she would be freezing. Anyone would notice that and realize she wasn’t a shifter, but a human. That wouldn’t immediately scrap their plans, but it would certainly bring more attention to them than he’d like.
Nearby ground crunched underfoot.
Kincaid froze, halfway out the doorway. The old passageway was no longer in use, and mostly covered over with hedges, while also being slightly recessed into the ground. It had been the best option he’d had for actually exiting the house, but now it appeared his luck had run out. He was going to have to right someone.
“Kincaid?”
Fuck.Someone had spotted him.
Gesturing frantically at Haley, he prepared to have her make a run for it, while he pounced on the unsuspecting guard. Then the voice associated itself with a face in his memory. Heknewthe guard.
Whoever it was, they were coming closer, the nearly frozen ground crunching underfoot.
“Kincaid is that you?” It was Kirell, Captain of House Ursa, and head of its guards.
Kincaid was good, but he wasn’t sure about his ability to sneak up on the man. Not on his home turf. Then he frowned to himself. What were the odds that Kirell was running the nightshift that night?
Not only that, but he was patrollingoutsidein the exact location that was perfect for Kincaid’s escape, based on the direction he had to go to get to the SUV.
“Here,” he said quietly, saying a silent prayer and hoping he was interpreting things right.
Crouched low, he eased back into a bush as Kirell came forward, emerging into the tiny little clearing between the doorway and the bushes. If they were going to be betrayed, this was it.
“Oh, get out of the bushes,” Kirell said, eyes spotting him immediately. “I’m here to help.”
“The Queen sent you?”
Kirell snorted. “No. She simply suggested this area would be a beautiful place to take a walk tonight, and that since I might be out here for a while, I should bring some extra clothes. You know, just in case. Here.” He shoved a bag full of sweaters at Kincaid, and a smaller one he tossed at Haley.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Just help me find some proof, any proof, that will lead to whoever the remaining traitors are. I’ve not been able to find a single shred of evidence. You’re my best hope. I can’t fail at my job, Kincaid.”
He nodded, knowing exactly where the other shifter was coming from. “I’ll do my best,” he promised.
“Now get the hell out of here. I couldn’t change the guards on the outer perimeter, not without them knowing anything, but I do know their schedule,” Kirell said, glancing at the watch on his right wrist. “In about seven minutes, they will be directly between you and your escape. Then you’ve got twenty minutes to make it from the edge of the lawns to the SUV. So, don’t delay.”
Then he was gone, heading into the House via the door Kincaid and Haley had just emerged from, pulling it shut behind him.
“Come on, let’s go,” Kincaid said, reaching out for Haley’s hand. “We’ve got seven minutes to walk across the lawns to the forest edge. Then we have a run in front of us. Be prepared.”
Haley took his hand and together, they stepped out into the light around the house. With every step, he tensed slightly, expecting a shout to ring out, but it was far from rare for mates pairs to go for late-night strolls, and generally they preferred to be unchallenged about any…activities…that might occur while out and about.
“This is taking too long,” Haley whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder. “We’re never going to make it.”
They were barely halfway across the lawns when the seven minutes was up, and the twenty-minute countdown began. After that, the border guards would be back in range of this particular area, and would spot, or worse, scent them. Kincaid knew that once they were under the cover of the forest, they would have to change tactics.
“Just keep going,” he urged.
Haley was not going to like his lead. Not one bit, he suspected.
