bit of mind-raping from your girlfriend and we both know they’ll find a way to keep me in one way or another. Unfortunately for you, Jask,’ he said, ‘that also means she’ll see everything else I now know about your pack’s situation.’
Jask’s glower intensified on Caleb as the shared understanding silently bounced between all three of them. If Caitlin informed the LCU that the pack was on the cusp of morphing, they’d take Jask in, they’d cage the lot of them, leaving Phia exposed.
And Blackthorn would be left two pivotal leaders down.
Worse, if Caleb did know anything about the serryn’s role in the prophecy, Caitlin would then know that too. She’d know a serryn was the key. She’d know there was a way to stop it happening. The entire TSCD would be looking for Phia.
She’d also know Kane knew.
Caleb reached into his jacket pocket and threw a handful of clear plastic packets into the centre of the table. He looked at Jask. ‘There are enough supplies there to stop your young morphing as of now. I have enough for the rest of your pack too.’
Kane stared at the packets before his attention snapped to Jask, the relief over the existence of the supplies nonetheless overshadowed by the accompanying threat.
Jask’s gaze raked from the packets up to Caleb’s steady gaze as the vampire leaned back in his chair, his elbow casually resting on the back of it again. ‘You don’t know what we need,’ Jask said.
‘Thanks to Tuly, I do. That’s one smart kid you’ve got there, Jask. Inquisitive by all accounts. Nothing much gets past her, does it?’
Jask’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve searched the whole of Blackthorn. All the contacts there are in Lowtown. There are no more supplies.’
‘My contacts aren’t going to talk to you; my contacts deal only with me. If your soulmate here gets me the information I need before his girlfriend comes for me, you’ll get two-thirds of the remaining amount. If I’m still out in forty-eight hours time, we can further negotiate the rest. By then that’ll give you –’ he checked his watch ‘– less than a day before you morph.’
How the hell Jask was keeping his composure, Kane had no idea.
‘Why would you have access to all of that, Caleb?’ Kane asked. ‘You have no need.’
‘Like now, you mean? Always be at least three steps ahead on the board, Kane. Mixing vampires with lycans in every core is about more than behaviour management, whatever the Global Council claim. If the GC ever wanted to turn on us, they knew they just had to take the lycan supplies from them and they’d have all the justification they needed. Why make the meds optional, otherwise? Why not just insist on them taking it intravenously if they’re really that worried about the threat? The lycans are perfect landmines to them.’
‘So you know our predicament,’ Jask said, ‘yet still you’re not going to hand the supplies over.’
His gaze snapped back to Jask. ‘In the name of solidarity?’ The accusation over their shared lack of disclosure emanated from his eyes. ‘I would have. Gladly. I’m all for fucking the system any way possible but, unfortunately for you, you now have something I want. Be grateful I’m meeting you halfway, Jask. Actually, two-thirds of the way for now. I think that’s more than generous.’
‘And when the time comes, I give you Phia for the rest of it?’
‘We’ll discuss that in due course.’
Jask leaned forward, looking Caleb square in the eye. ‘If you want Phia so badly, why give Tuly back to us so easily?’
‘Because I don’t use kids as bargaining tools, Jask. Even I have limits. What I’m offering is a fair trade. After all, what good is Phia to you? Or should I say, what good is she to you more than those supplies are to your entire pack?’
‘You think it’s smart, Caleb, coming in here and letting me know you have what I need?’
Caleb exhaled a curt stream of smoke off the back of a partial smile. ‘Do you think
Jask’s glower intensified on Caleb as the shared understanding silently bounced between all three of them. If Caitlin informed the LCU that the pack was on the cusp of morphing, they’d take Jask in, they’d cage the lot of them, leaving Phia exposed.
And Blackthorn would be left two pivotal leaders down.
Worse, if Caleb did know anything about the serryn’s role in the prophecy, Caitlin would then know that too. She’d know a serryn was the key. She’d know there was a way to stop it happening. The entire TSCD would be looking for Phia.
She’d also know Kane knew.
Caleb reached into his jacket pocket and threw a handful of clear plastic packets into the centre of the table. He looked at Jask. ‘There are enough supplies there to stop your young morphing as of now. I have enough for the rest of your pack too.’
Kane stared at the packets before his attention snapped to Jask, the relief over the existence of the supplies nonetheless overshadowed by the accompanying threat.
Jask’s gaze raked from the packets up to Caleb’s steady gaze as the vampire leaned back in his chair, his elbow casually resting on the back of it again. ‘You don’t know what we need,’ Jask said.
‘Thanks to Tuly, I do. That’s one smart kid you’ve got there, Jask. Inquisitive by all accounts. Nothing much gets past her, does it?’
Jask’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve searched the whole of Blackthorn. All the contacts there are in Lowtown. There are no more supplies.’
‘My contacts aren’t going to talk to you; my contacts deal only with me. If your soulmate here gets me the information I need before his girlfriend comes for me, you’ll get two-thirds of the remaining amount. If I’m still out in forty-eight hours time, we can further negotiate the rest. By then that’ll give you –’ he checked his watch ‘– less than a day before you morph.’
How the hell Jask was keeping his composure, Kane had no idea.
‘Why would you have access to all of that, Caleb?’ Kane asked. ‘You have no need.’
‘Like now, you mean? Always be at least three steps ahead on the board, Kane. Mixing vampires with lycans in every core is about more than behaviour management, whatever the Global Council claim. If the GC ever wanted to turn on us, they knew they just had to take the lycan supplies from them and they’d have all the justification they needed. Why make the meds optional, otherwise? Why not just insist on them taking it intravenously if they’re really that worried about the threat? The lycans are perfect landmines to them.’
‘So you know our predicament,’ Jask said, ‘yet still you’re not going to hand the supplies over.’
His gaze snapped back to Jask. ‘In the name of solidarity?’ The accusation over their shared lack of disclosure emanated from his eyes. ‘I would have. Gladly. I’m all for fucking the system any way possible but, unfortunately for you, you now have something I want. Be grateful I’m meeting you halfway, Jask. Actually, two-thirds of the way for now. I think that’s more than generous.’
‘And when the time comes, I give you Phia for the rest of it?’
‘We’ll discuss that in due course.’
Jask leaned forward, looking Caleb square in the eye. ‘If you want Phia so badly, why give Tuly back to us so easily?’
‘Because I don’t use kids as bargaining tools, Jask. Even I have limits. What I’m offering is a fair trade. After all, what good is Phia to you? Or should I say, what good is she to you more than those supplies are to your entire pack?’
‘You think it’s smart, Caleb, coming in here and letting me know you have what I need?’
Caleb exhaled a curt stream of smoke off the back of a partial smile. ‘Do you think
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