Vlad glanced toward the checkout counter as he followed Simon, Henry, and Tess toward the stairs leading to HGR’s office. Merri Lee froze, the store phone pressed to one ear and her mobile phone pressed to the other. Must be talking to Ruthie and Eve Denby.
“Good advice,” he said quietly, then hurried up the stairs. He hadn’t realized how angry he was until he closed the door. Then he strode up to Simon and gave the Wolf a shove.
“Are you sure about this?” Vlad demanded.
Simon snarled at him. “No, I’m not sure. I do know there’s a fight for dominance going on, but I don’t think Montgomery understands that.”
“That Cyrus knows it,” Henry rumbled.
“He wants control of that pack, wants to drive Montgomery out,” Simon said. “His mate will go with him. So will the Sierra. And Miss Twyla might go to try to protect the Sierra and her pups.”
“Families do split sometimes during a fight for dominance,” Vlad said. “But when that happens, they don’t both stay in the same territory.”
“Montgomery and the Lizzy will be the ones who stay,” Henry said. “If Montgomery is driven away from that family pack, the rest of them will be banned from the Courtyard.”
“Not Miss Twyla,” Simon said. “Elliot almost likes her.”
Vlad studied Simon. “That Cyrus will bring trouble here. He’ll be close to the vulnerable among us.” What would Grandfather Erebus say about a hostile male being that close to Meg? “Why should we let him stay? Why are you giving in?”
Simon growled. “Two of the Elders returned to the Courtyard when we were all distracted by the job fair. They’ve decided that Cyrus needs to stay where they can watch him.”
“Blessed Thaisia,” Henry rumbled. “Why?”
Simon kept his eyes on Vlad. “Unless the Elders can understand why one human like that Cyrus can be a threat to a whole pack of humans—or us—they won’t allow any humans to migrate through the wild country to reach other towns.”
“So we risk the humans we trust for the Elders’ benefit?” Tess said.
No answer. Finally Simon said, “They agreed to help protect the female pack. And they agreed to let the humans from the job fair travel through the wild country unharmed.”
Human cities were ideal hunting grounds for the Sanguinati, so they rarely brushed up against the Elders. But he understood now the choice Simon had made about letting that Cyrus stay—save the Lakeside Courtyard from what would hopefully be nothing more than an annoying inconvenience or let Tolya and the town of Bennett fall along with Prairie Gold, the Intuit village that depended on the train station for its supplies. And how many other places, other people, could have fallen if Simon hadn’t made that choice?
“Well,” Vlad said. “If that Cyrus draws out others like himself, he may be of some use to us.”
The coils in Tess’s hair relaxed a little. “Bait? For who?”
“For that Jack Fillmore, the male who hurt Theral MacDonald and is still hunting her,” Vlad replied.
They let the words settle and grow weight.
“That Cyrus lived in Toland. Would Stavros know about him?” Simon asked.
“Since he’s still alive, my guess is he wasn’t important enough to draw the problem solver’s attention,” Vlad replied. “But I can ask.”
“Ask.”
“Nyx is willing to work around the consulate, freeing Elliot to deal with the mayor and other government officials. She’ll make sure no one enters the consulate who shouldn’t.” And he would talk to Grandfather Erebus about assigning more Sanguinati to spend time around the Market Square.
“Good,” Simon said. “Tell her that includes the Sierra and that Cyrus’s mate.”
“I’d like the upstairs offices here to be off-limits as well.”
Simon nodded. “I don’t want that Cyrus or his mate working in any of our stores. And they’re to be watched whenever they’re in the Market Square.”
“Are you hoping that Cyrus will do something so that you can justify killing him without causing trouble with the police or the Elders?” Tess asked.
“Aren’t you?” Vlad looked at her shoulder, relieved to see green streaks in her hair. Their resident Harvester was calming down.
“We’ll do our best to protect our friends and deal with our enemies,” Simon said.
“I’d like the Sierra to put in her work hours at A Little Bite,” Tess said. “I can watch her there.”
“Divide the time with library work,” Henry said. “I think it’s a place that holds little interest for that Cyrus.”
Simon agreed and Vlad had no objections, so they all returned to their work. But the enemy was among them now, and so were the Elders, so none of them let down their guard.
? ? ?
Exhausted from the emotional bomb of Jimmy’s arrival, Monty stopped at Captain Burke’s office before clocking out and going home. He wanted to spend time with Lizzy, maybe take a walk while he listened to her chatter about her day—which was more entertaining now that there were fewer complaints about her having to spend the mornings in school despite its being summer. She and Sarah Denby were teaching some of the terra indigene how to play human games such as hopscotch, and it wasn’t just the youngsters who wanted to learn. Apparently, Jenni and Starr Crowgard were fascinated by the game and played with the children whenever they could.
Crows were nimble and had excellent balance.
Monty knocked on the doorframe of Burke’s office and walked in.
“Busy day,” Burke said. “Your brother and his family get settled in?”
“I’m not sure what my sister told him, but the accommodations were a shock.”
“I’m sure they were.” Burke folded his hands on his desk. “You know I’m going to make some calls about him, find out whether he’s just a nuisance or a potential threat.”
“Yes, sir. Given the restrictions on the living arrangements, I don’t expect Jimmy to stay long. He was looking for a free ride and easy pickings. He won’t find either of those things here.”
“He’ll go too far one day, and it will cost him more than a few days in jail.”
“I know.”
“Is he going to take your sister down with him?”
Monty rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the sore, tense muscles. “Gods, I hope not. She’s a different person when she’s away from him, but I think there’s a lot Mama didn’t tell me when it comes to Sissy.”
“Families are complicated, and family loyalty can push a person into making difficult, even imprudent, choices.” Burke paused. “My men are a kind of family, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. And that includes you. You’re a good man, Monty, and you’re doing good work here—important work that has an impact on every person living in Lakeside. I’ll keep out of it as long as your brother remains nothing more than a nuisance, but I won’t let him become a threat.”
“Sir?” Monty said, alarmed.
“Are you worried that I’ll take Cyrus for a long ride?”
A long ride meant taking someone deep into the wild country and leaving him there without food, without water, without shoes. Technically it wasn’t a death sentence because there was the slimmest chance of reaching a human settlement and being given the opportunity to start over. In reality it was a form of execution.
“No, sir, I’m not worried.”
Burke gave him a chilling smile. “Well, you should be.”
CHAPTER 8