Page 85 of Mated to the Enemy
“What do you want done with them?” Kasperi asked, coming up to him and pointing at the survivors.
“Let them go. Most of them are just here obeying orders, they don’t know any better. We got the ringleaders. Sort of.”
“What do you mean?”
He told Kasperi what Lorran had said, the unsettling words.
This is bigger than Ursa, bigger than Canis…
What the hell did that mean?
“Talk to the Queen about it,” Kasperi urged.
“Talk to me about what?”
The two men whirled to see Kaelyn approaching across the battlefield.
“My Queen,” Klaue said, bowing his head, clasping his arms across his chest in respect. “I wasn’t aware you were coming.”
“It took me longer to convince Khove to let me come than expected,” she said wryly. “Otherwise, I would have been here earlier. I do hate missing a good fight in the cemetery.”
The bear shifters chuckled. By now, everyone knew of her duel with a renegade member of Ursa that had taken place right there in the cemetery as well. The renegade had made the fatal mistake of forgetting that Kaelyn wasn’t like most of the females in the House. She was a full-blooded shifter and took shit fromno one.
“Now, what were you telling Kasperi?” she asked.
Klaue retold the story again, including the odd twist to Lorran’s smile when he’d asked if it was someone else within Canis that was responsible.
Kaelyn listened intently, never once questioning his words or his thoughts. “Interesting.”
He blinked. “That’s it? Interesting? That’s all you have to say?”
Eyeing him coolly, Kaelyn paused before speaking. “You think he means someone outside of Ursa is at play here.”
“Yes. That’s what it sounded like. The mysterious third player Jessica heard. She said she sort of recognized the voice. It’s got to be someone from within Canis, then. Which means either she’s wrong, Lorran is lying or…”
“Or someone else is manipulating that third party,” Kaelyn finished. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Some dark force is manipulating us, Klaue. Playing us. I can feel it. You know that a traitor still walks among us.”
“The person who sold out our raid.”
“Indeed. They are responsible for other acts as well, but whoever they are, they move in the shadows. I think it’s all connected. The question is…how?”
The three shifters just stared at one another, none of them coming up with any answers.
“I don’t know, my Queen,” Kasperi said, speaking first. “But I will help you find out any way I can.”
“Good,” Kaelyn said, clapping her hands together. “I hear you’re no slouch with magical artifacts as well as your swords, Kasperi. Perhaps you would like to train under Kvoss. Become one of his Asps.”
Klaue’s head snapped up. “You suspect Kvoss.”
Kaelyn’s head whipped around to pin him with a fiery gaze. “I am your Queen, Klaue. I rule. Do not presume to know what I am thinking.”
Bowing his head, he crossed his arms over once more. “Of course, my Queen. You have my apologies, I should not have spoken.”
“No, you should not.” Her voice softened slightly, but not much, letting him know he wasn’t in deep trouble, but should keep his mouth shut.
“I would be honored to serve in any way you see fit,” Kasperi said.
“Good. Then it is done.” Kaelyn dismissed the younger shifter and turned to Klaue. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” she asked, tilting her head to stare at him curiously.
“Umm.” He jerked, suddenly overcome by a sudden need to be somewhere else. To bewithsomeone. “Jessica!”
Turning around, he bolted for the parking lot where the extra SUV’s were located, ignoring the discomfort of running full speed while naked. Behind him, he heard Kaelyn snort and utter one word.
“Men…”
