Page 55 of Veiled Fate
“I have to speak to him,” I said, barging in. “I need his help.”
“You can’t be serious,” the woman—by that point, I was convinced it was Tave’s mate, though I’d never met the green-eyed shifter before–barked in shock as she followed me. “Why would he help you? Look what that got him the last time!”
I came to a stop in the doorway of the bedroom where Tave lay in bed, his face wan but alert. The entire left side of his body was bandaged where his arm should be.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying not to stutter. Kiel had told me Tave had gotten injured, but I hadn’t realized how badly.
“Well, you might as well come in,” the head of the Lycaon rebellion cell said with a gesture from his remaining arm. “Jenny, it’s okay. I can handle myself.”
“Oh, I can see that!” the woman, definitely his mate, said with a derisive sniff. “Just look what happened the last time. You should never have gone off gallivanting like that.”
“Gallivanting?” I choked out. “Isthatwhat you think it was?”
“Don’t mind her,” Tave said a bit stiffly as he adjusted himself to sit up straighter, the movement awkward and untrained with just one arm. “She’s just being protective of me and our son. Now, what do you want?”
“I need your help,” I said. “Lycaonus has captured some rebels. Including at least one who knew the location of the cave complex. He has them in Grand Square in stocks right now but will bring them back to the palace to execute them tonight.”
Tave bit his lip. “Damn.”
“I intend to rescue them,” I said bluntly.
The Lycaon cell head stared at me, jaw wide open in amazement. “You can’t be serious! That’s insane. It’s a suicide mission. Any fool can see that it’s little more than a trapdesignedto draw someone like you out so he can capture you and Kiel. How is it he hasn’t talked you out of this?”
“He tried,” I admitted. “But someone had to get to the caves ahead of Lycaonus’ troops. I stayed. I’m going to free those prisoners. One of them is my best friend.”
“I’m sorry,” Tave said. “But he’s as good as dead. There’s nothing you can do.”
“Not alone, no,” I said. “But if your men can help me, then we can free them.”
I’d almost said, “Ifyouand your men,” but caught myself just in time. It was quite clear that Tave’s fighting days were past. There was little he could do with one arm.
“Absolutely not,” Tave said without hesitation. “Too many of my people have already died.”
Clenching my fist, I begged Fate to forgive me. “That,” I said, voice cold and hard, “is not your decision to make for them, Tave. This is up to them. I need their help.”
“You would sacrifice my men to free your own,” he spat.
“I’m not asking you to order them to help me,” I growled. “I’m asking you toaskthem. That’s all. Let them decide of their own free will if this is something worth fighting for.”
Tave shook his head. “These prisoners mean nothing. We don’t know them. They’re strangers to us. We owe them nothing, and dying to rescue them will achieve nothing.”
“We’re all the same people!” I shouted. “This isn’t a city against city thing. We’re all in this together, fighting for the same cause. Those men that Lycaonus has prisoner have fought more battles than you, have lost more people than you. They were captured while trying to free your counterpart in Helisson. A man they hadnevermet before. But they went anyway because it was the right thing to do. These people deserve our help.”
“It’s a trap,” Tave said stubbornly.
“It’s only a trap if you don’t know it’s a trap,” I countered. “We’ll spring an ambush on their ambush.”
“No.” Tave shook his head. “I won’t help you. Final answer.”
“I will.”
I spun as Gare spoke from behind me. The younger shifter looked uncomfortably from the man in the bed to me.
Don’t mind her,Tave had said. She’s just being protective of me and our son.
There wasn’t much resemblance between the two men, but now that I’d met Tave’s mate, the familial lineage was undeniable.
“Your son,” I said.
