"You sound like you've tried to go over the wall."
"More times than you can count."
She laughed as she remembered what Wulf had told her in her room. "Wulf said it was useless."
"It is. Believe me, if there was a way out of here, I'd have found it and used it by now." Wulf hung up and rose to his feet.
"Is it for me?" Chris asked.
"No, it's Corbin."
"She's the one with Kat?" Cassandra asked Wulf.
He nodded as he went to the front door. Cassandra followed after him in time to see a sleek red Lotus Esprit pulling up in front of the house. The passenger door opened to show her Kat, who got out of the car and rushed up to the house.
"Hey, kid, you all right?"
Cassandra smiled. "I'm not sure."
"Why is she here?" Wulf asked Corbin as the Dark-Huntress drew near him.
The Huntress tucked her hands in her pockets as she drew closer to Wulf. "She's in Artemis's service too. Her job is to protect Cassandra, and I thought it wise to let her help you."
Wulf looked suspiciously at Kat. "I don't need any help."
Kat bristled. "Relax, Mr. Macho, I won't rain on your parade. But you do need me. I happen to know Stryker personally. I'm the only shot you have at deflecting him."
Wulf wasn't sure if he should put any faith in those words. "You said you didn't know him at the club."
"I didn't want to blow my cover, but that was before you guys separated us and I had to convince Corbin to return me to Cassandra before Stryker finds her again."
"Do you trust her?" he asked Corbin.
"About as much as I trust anyone. But she pointed out that she's been with Cassandra for five years and Cassandra ain't dead yet."
"It's true," Cassandra said. "I've trusted her implicitly all this time."
"All right," Wulf said reluctantly. He met Corbin's gaze. "Keep your phone on and I'll be in touch."
Corbin nodded, then headed back to her car.
"We haven't met formally," Kat said, holding out her hand to Wulf as Corbin drove off.
"I'm Katra."
He shook her hand."Wulf."
"Yes, I know." Kat led them into the house, back to the living room where Chris was still sitting on the sofa. Wulf locked and bolted the door behind them.
"By the way, Wulf," Kat said as she paused by Chris's backpack. "If you're thinking of sending Christopher away in order to protect him, I'd urge you to reconsider it."
"Why?"
She indicated the TV with her thumb. "How many times have you seen the 'let's kidnap the good guy's sidekick and hold him for ransom' episode?"
Wulf snorted at that. "Trust me, no one would be able to get him free of the Squire's Council."
"Au contraire," Kat said sarcastically. "Stryker won't have a bit of a problem finding him. The minute you let him out of this house, Stryker and his Illuminati will be on him like white on snow. He'll never make it into another protected area without them having him. Literally."
"They wouldn't dare, kill him, would they?" Cassandra asked.
"No," Kat said. "That's not Stryker's style. He's into punishment and hitting people where it hurts the most. He'll send Chris back, all right. The kid just won't be intact any longer."
"Intact how?"Chris asked nervously. Kat lowered her gaze to his groin.
Chris immediately covered himself with his hands. "Bullshit."
"Oh, no, baby doll. Stryker knows how much Wulf values your ability to procreate. It's the one thing he'd take from both of you."
"Chris," Wulf said sternly, "go to your room and lock the door."
Chris ran from the room without hesitation.
Wulf and Kat glared at each other. "If you know this Stryker so well, then how do I know you're not working for him?"
Kat snorted at that. "I don't even like him. He and I have a mutual friend who has caused us to run into each other a few times over the centuries."
"Centuries?" Cassandra asked. "As in centuries ! What are you, Kat?"
Kat patted her comfortingly on the arm. "I'm sorry, Cass. I should have told you before, but was afraid you wouldn't trust me if I did. Five years ago when Stryker almost killed you, Artemis sent me in to make sure he didn't get that close to you again."
Cassandra's head swirled at the disclosure. "So you were the one who opened the portal in the club?"
She nodded. "I'm breaching nine kinds of oaths here, but the last thing I want is to see you hurt. I swear it."
Wulf moved forward. "Why all this trouble to keep her safe when she's only going to die in a few months anyway?"
Kat took a deep breath and stepped back. She looked at each of them in turn before she finally spoke. "I'm no longer here to keep her safe."
Wulf put himself between Kat and Cassandra. He tensed as if ready to do battle. "What do you mean by that?"
Kat tilted her head so that she could meet Cassandra's gaze behind Wulf's back. "I'm here now to make sure the baby she carries is born healthy."
Chapter 8
"M-m-my what?" Cassandra asked, floored by Kat's words. She couldn't have heard that correctly. There was no way she was pregnant.
"Your baby."