Sin Undone

Sunil started to reach inside the tattered wool trench coat he’d worn since World War II, but dropped his hands at his side. “I can’t use a weapon against you.” “I know.” Idess had been the exception to the slave-can’t-harm-master-in-the-den rule. She’d been human when Deth bonded her, and humans weren’t meant to carry the assassin-bond. “But you can shift, and as long as I allow it, it should be fine.” He hesitated, which was one of the very reasons she’d chosen him for this. Accepting the job meant he’d be stuck, the same way she had been. He’d have to move his family to the den in order to be with them, and he’d have to assign them bodyguards any time they left. But it was better than belonging to someone cruel, who would use your family against you, like Deth had.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll send for Tavin. He’s the only other person I’d approve of.” The blond Sem was new to the den, but his contract was huge—he was an all-purpose, anything-goes slave until he went through s’genesis and was freed from the contract. But he was very young, so he had a good seventy years to go until he went through the final maturation process.

“Agreed. He’d be a good master.” Sunil grinned. “But I think I’d be a better one.” “Then let’s do it.”

Sunil bowed his head. “It has been an honor to serve you.”

“The mushy stuff is embarrassing. Let’s get it over with.”

Closing his eyes, Sunil stepped back. A sudden stillness came over the dank air in the chamber, and then a massive vibration shook the big male. A moment later, he was gone, and there was a six-hundred-pound tiger in front of her. He bumped his head up against her hand, bucking her palm until she scratched behind his ears.

“You shithead,” she murmured. She could have sworn he smiled as he rubbed his cheek against her and then took her hand in his mouth as tenderly as he might carry a fragile egg. He used his sharp teeth to tug the ring as far up her finger as it would go, to the very tip.

Then he bit down. The crunch of bone echoed through the chamber, or maybe it just echoed in Sin’s skull. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming. Fiery agony shot up her arm, and when Sunil let go, she fell back, clutching her bloody hand… which was now minus the first joint of her left ring finger.

“Put pressure on it,” Sunil said, his voice raspy from his shift back to his human form. “I am,” she gasped. Fuck, it hurt.

He held up her severed digit. “Do you want it back?”

Sin sagged against the stone wall to keep from falling over. “Keep it… for snack time or something,” she gritted out. Sunil grinned. “Couldn’t your brother reattach it?”

“Probably, but I don’t have time for that. It’s just a finger. No biggie.”

“Thank you,” he purred. “And, Sin, if you or Lore ever need any of my services, for you… half price.” Despite her pain, she laughed. “You are a true mercenary. Take care, Sunil.” She paused at the door. “Also, fair warning: If I find out that someone from this den was in on the attack on Lore’s mate, I’ll kill them, so be prepared to look for a replacement.”

Sin hurried down the den’s halls, her thoughts racing. She had to get to Con, but first, she had a warg to grill. The walls were a blur, the people she passed not worth saying good-bye to. She’d liked some of her colleagues while she’d worked with them, but the dynamic had changed when she’d taken over, and for the most part, they’d treated her as the enemy.

When she passed by one of the two sleeping quarters, she slowed, sensing that the one person she wanted to see was inside. She shoved her aching hand in her pocket and stepped into the room. “Lycus.” He spun away from his open chest of weapons, his movement so smooth she wouldn’t have known she’d startled him if she didn’t know him so well. “You’re back. I didn’t know.” “Clearly.”

His toothy smile nearly made her shudder. “I’m glad you’re safe.”