And because they’d known I was coming there, the rogues had gone after his advisors. And their families. If any children had been hurt because of me...
My chest tightened, and my fingers curled around the armrests. No. I couldn’t think like that. I was doing my best. Any violence committed was totally on the rogues. If they had such a big problem with dragon shifters, they could have brought it up peacefully.
I knew all that, but it didn’t completely loosen the twist of guilt around my heart.
My ears had started to pop with the change in air pressure when my phone chimed with a text alert. I wriggled it out of the pocket of my jeans. It had to be Kylie. At least talking to my best friend would take my mind off whatever disaster was waiting for us down there while I couldn’t do anything to fix it yet.
Hey, girl. Didn’t hear from you yesterday, just wanted to make sure you survived that big to-do the other night. And that they survived your gorgeousness in that dress!!!
Shit, had I really not talked to her at all yesterday? Between an assassination attempt, a confrontation with the faerie monarch, and the farewell party, I’d hardly had a chance to breathe. But Kylie had no idea what might have been going on here. Whether I might have found myself in more trouble. I hadn’t told her the more dire parts of my adventures, but she’d seen the danger that could come with my role before I’d insisted she stay behind. Along with the rogue attack that had left her clawed up, she’d witnessed a skirmish between my alphas and a bunch of vampires.
Now I had double the guilt weighing on me. I quickly typed an answer. Sorry! Crazy day. Yes, everyone survived the dress, including me. We just left for Nate’s estate in California.
Oh, wow, Cali! You definitely have to invite me over there sometime once you’ve settled in. That’s at the top of my States To Visit list.
I smiled. Of course. Right now, though... Probably not the best time. I hesitated, debating how much to tell her. You know the guys who attacked us in the shifter village? Some other rogues from their group broke into the estate last night.
Oh, shit. Is everyone down there okay?
I don’t know yet. But I’m definitely glad you’re back in Brooklyn away from all the chaos.
Kylie sent back an emoji blowing a kiss. You know I’d have your back no matter what, no matter where, Ren. Just say the word, and I’m there.
I did know that. That was exactly why I wasn’t telling her about the recent attempt on my life. It meant a lot to me that Kylie cared about me that much—until I’d met my alphas, she’d been the only person other than my mom who had—but I didn’t want to put her in any more danger than I already had.
I started to text back asking what she’d been up to when the plane took a sharper dip. My seat vibrated as the wheels hit the runway. Stones rattled against the jet’s undercarriage. It slowed to a halt almost immediately.
My gut knotted. We were here.
Sorry, I wrote to Kylie. I’ve got to go now. Shifter business. I’ll catch up with you more later.
Don’t worry about me! she replied with a line of hearts. As if I could help worrying.
But for now I was definitely more worried about what was waiting for us on the estate. Seatbelts clicked open all through the plane. We hustled out of our seats and down the steps.
The dry, hard-packed earth of the runway was lined with tall redwoods. Their tangy smell washed over me along with the chirping of an insect chorus.
A contingent of shifters I assumed were Nate’s kin had come out to meet us. They were definitely a varied bunch. A muddle of scents tickled my nose as we approached the group. My dragon senses identified them on instinct: black bear, stoat, mink, elk, armadillo, manatee.
Nervous energy wafted off them, easing slightly when they saw their alpha in our midst. Nate strode to the head of our group, his jaw set and his eyes dark. But his kin’s gazes drifted away from him to settle on me. A prickle traveled over my skin.
When I’d met some of West’s canine kin in one of their villages, and when I’d arrived at the avian estate, almost all of the shifters had been friendly. Not just friendly, actually—they’d seemed awed to be in my presence. Fawning over me, wanting to touch me and hear me speak. It’d been a little overwhelming.
I couldn’t say I missed the pressure of that kind of welcome. But this one... I wasn’t sure these shifters were even happy I was here. Their eyes seemed to evaluate me as I came to a stop beside my newly consummated mate. Nate rested a hand on my back in acknowledgement, but his attention was completely on his kin.
“You made it here quickly,” said the black bear shifter, a shorter but equally burly man who looked to be around forty. His short black hair stood up in a high buzz-cut. “It’s good to have you back.”
“We came as soon as we heard,” Nate said. “Anything new to report, Thomas?”
Thomas started to walk down a path that I assumed led farther into the estate. The rest of us followed. Alice fell into step between me and Aaron as if she were trying to maximize her chances of protecting both of us. Her sharp eyes roved the forest.
“The current count is nine kin with major injuries, four dead,” the black bear shifter said, his voice rough as he gave the numbers. “How many with scratches and bruises, we didn’t bother to count.”
Nate rubbed his mouth, grimacing. “Who did we lose?”
“The rogues were clearly targeting the wing where the advisors reside. They broke into Yvonne’s and Garret’s rooms first, before there’d even been much time to sound the alarm. And they had weapons—a few guns, the other ones knives... All of us put up as good a fight as we could, but Garret fell, and Yvonne’s mate. And two of the guards who intervened.”
“How did they get in?” Marco piped up. “I’ve seen the walls you’ve got around this compound. And I assume some of the guards were guarding those.”
Thomas’s voice dropped to almost a growl. He didn’t like anyone but his alpha questioning him, I got the impression. “We’re not sure yet how they got in. We do patrol the grounds carefully, especially after hearing about recent problems, but none of the guards saw the intruders until after they were already at the estate house.”
“I’m sure everyone here was doing their job with their full ability,” Nate said. “The rogues have been turning to tricks that no shifter should lower themselves to. What happened to the attackers?”
We emerged from the path into a tiled courtyard. Our feet rapped against the polished slabs of clay. A huge adobe mansion that I had to guess was the “estate house” Thomas had mentioned loomed at one end of the yard. Kneeling figures were scattered across its steps and in the hallway beyond its open, arched doorway.