BRANDED BY FIRE

“Your sister can take care of herself.” No matter how much he wanted to do the job for her. The wolf was alternately proud of her strength and frustrated by it. Perhaps it would be that way their entire life. Or, perhaps, they’d find a middle ground. “But I’d walk through fire for her.”


Lia squeezed his forearm, and when he looked down, he saw a blazing inner strength that told him where Mercy had gotten her grit. Reaching up, she pecked him on the cheek. “You’ll do, Riley.”





CHAPTER 47





Things were in an uproar in Venice. The chairman made sure to tell the other members of the board to get the hell out of Dodge and keep their heads down. He liked control, but he was no traitor. As he made his own escape, ready to go under the knife and assume an identity he’d set up years ago, he considered the events of the past twenty-four hours.

Some would consider the entire thing a failure. He considered it a first strike. The Psy would never again underestimate the Human Alliance. As a bonus, if the Council stuck to its normal mode of operations, Alliance people would soon begin to die. And the chairman’s point would be made without him having to say a word—in the end, the Psy were killers, monsters, and they would crush anyone who dared rise against them.

As for the changelings, the chairman truly had no disagreement with them, but they couldn’t be allowed to keep getting in the Alliance’s way. Tonight they’d pay the price for their interference—let’s see how they liked being helpless for a change.

Raising his hand almost compulsively, he touched the chip at the top of his spine, currently covered by the stiff collar of his suit jacket. It was a modified version of the chips worn by the soldiers. Too bad Bowen and his team had had the beta versions—unlike the men who’d gone after Councilor Krychek. The chairman felt sadness, but he was resolved. This was a war. And those men had died in battle. They were heroes.





CHAPTER 48





Riley knew Mercy was up to something, but couldn’t figure out what. As he drove her home, he tried to think like a cat. His cat. It was close to impossible. She never did anything predictable.

“Do you have to return to the den tonight?”

He shook his head, his blood heating. “No. I planned to talk my way into your bed.”

“Talk?”

“Maybe push.”

Laughing, she fell silent again. He decided to let her be, and by the time he brought the car to a stop near her place, he thought she might be close to asleep. “Kitty cat?” He brushed his fingers down her cheek, needing to touch her, to reassure the wolf she was still there, that she hadn’t chosen the ties of Pack over those of mating.

“Come on, wolf,” she said, sounding not the least bit drowsy, “I’ve got something to show you.”

Curious, he got out of the car and walked alongside her as she took him deep into the night-dark of the forest she called home. It was peaceful, and perhaps, if his senses had been human, quiet. But he could hear the scurrying of forest creatures as they went about their business, the whistle of the wind through the treetops, the sound of his mate’s unbound hair sliding against her back.

Reaching out, he ran a hand over that shimmering fire, enthralled all over again. “Where are you taking me?” Not that it mattered. His need to simply be with her was so strong, he’d walk through the forest forever if that was what she wanted.

“You’ll see.” Smiling, she picked up the pace.

Fifteen minutes later, they emerged into a glade screened by the mist of a waterfall he knew would shimmer with rainbows in sunlight. But the moon ruled the night, and its rays reflected off the water to cast a silvery glow over the lush vegetation. Things glittered to his night vision, fascinating and wild, even as ultrafine droplets whispered over his skin.

Mercy walked behind him as he stood soaking in the beauty. Not saying a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed to him. He realized then that she’d shown him a secret place, given him a present wrapped in the intrinsically generous nature of her spirit. His heart tightened to the point of pain, and then the pain spread out in a wave of indescribable warmth.

Closing his hand over hers, he said, “Thank you.”

She nipped at him, but it was playful. Her purr was something else altogether. Fingers dancing up his shirt, she tugged at the buttons. “Off.”

He was more than happy to oblige. She peeled it off from behind and dropped it to the ground, then said, “Everything else.”

Smiling at the command, he decided he had nothing to lose by obeying. And everything to gain. She didn’t change position even when he was naked, his skin gleaming in the moonlight.