His banking transactions are so obvious and he didn’t strike me as stupid.”
“Is it possible he knew you were monitoring him and they’re some kind of cry for help?”
“He had every opportunity to tell me what was going on when we first got here. Instead, he set a meeting with the Headhunters like I asked, and he didn’t warn me that I’ll be walking into their territory while thinking I’m on my home turf.”
“Did you find him?”
“No. Just sent him a text asking him where he is. I told him he needs to meet me at Devil’s Due. If he’s going to set me up, he’s coming down, too.”
“I’m going with you.”
He nodded. “But only if there are veins of gold near that you can trust. I need to know you have a back up option if I’m not walking out of there.”
Ferocity surged through her. “If you’re not walking out of there, neither are they. I won’t leave you, Imre.”
“I want to shake you and rattle your teeth until you agree that you’ll go, but I don’t want you to lie to me.”
“Good.” She nodded, emotion choking her. “Because no matter what you say, we’re mates now. There is no me without you.”
He held her tighter. “This will be an adventure, too, Aranka.
“One day, we’ll tell our children how we stood down a pack of dirty, smelly biker werewolves who’d encroached on our territory and how we tore them to shreds,” she snarled.
“And saved their grandfather, the king.”
“Have you seen him? Do you know if he’s here?”
“The loup garou leader told me that the gold in the swamp wasn’t there before. He has to be here.”
Aranka sure hoped so. Otherwise, she didn’t even know where to begin to look. She supposed she could travel the veins of the world until she found him, but that didn’t seem like the adventure she thought it would be—not if she was trying to find her father. She just wanted him safe. She’d trade anything to have him back safe.
She looked up at Imre and realized maybe not anything. Aranka hoped that wasn’t a choice she’d be forced to make.
“Get ready. If you’re coming with me, we need to leave soon. I want to drive around the place and check the veins before we commit one-hundred percent.”
“I already told you, I’m not leaving you.”
“I didn’t say you had to leave me. But what if you need to get someone out? What if your father can’t travel the lines? They’ve got that damn collar on him, I’m sure of it.”
She knew he was right. “Okay. This whole listening to reason thing is bullshit, though. Just saying.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know how hard this is for you. You’ve been independent for a long time and I’m not trying to take that away from you. But there’s more at stake here than either of us.”
“I know that.” She leaned into him. “Just hold me close another minute. Let me pretend that this is all pretend. Just for a second.”
“You don’t have to go,” he said.
“Yes, I do.”
“Actually, you do.” He grinned. “I need you.”
She tightened her arms around him as if that could anchor them both there in the moment. “You know, that’s better than any game of pretend.” Aranka laughed, and it was more of a nervous sound than anything. “You know I can’t do what my sister does. I can’t turn anything or anyone into gold.”
“I don’t give a damn about that. You’re smart, Aranka. You’re fearless—”
“I didn’t have enough sense to be afraid before. I thought I’d seen so much of the world, knew what it had to offer.” She began to nod slowly. “And what it could take away. But I didn’t. Not really. Fearless?” Aranka looked up at the ceiling and then back down to Imre. “No. I’m terrified.”
“And you’re coming with me, anyway. Aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. I wouldn’t stay behind if you tied me up.”
“Maybe I could tie you up after? We could try that, right?”
“Are you trying to soothe my fears or do you really want to
“Is it possible he knew you were monitoring him and they’re some kind of cry for help?”
“He had every opportunity to tell me what was going on when we first got here. Instead, he set a meeting with the Headhunters like I asked, and he didn’t warn me that I’ll be walking into their territory while thinking I’m on my home turf.”
“Did you find him?”
“No. Just sent him a text asking him where he is. I told him he needs to meet me at Devil’s Due. If he’s going to set me up, he’s coming down, too.”
“I’m going with you.”
He nodded. “But only if there are veins of gold near that you can trust. I need to know you have a back up option if I’m not walking out of there.”
Ferocity surged through her. “If you’re not walking out of there, neither are they. I won’t leave you, Imre.”
“I want to shake you and rattle your teeth until you agree that you’ll go, but I don’t want you to lie to me.”
“Good.” She nodded, emotion choking her. “Because no matter what you say, we’re mates now. There is no me without you.”
He held her tighter. “This will be an adventure, too, Aranka.
“One day, we’ll tell our children how we stood down a pack of dirty, smelly biker werewolves who’d encroached on our territory and how we tore them to shreds,” she snarled.
“And saved their grandfather, the king.”
“Have you seen him? Do you know if he’s here?”
“The loup garou leader told me that the gold in the swamp wasn’t there before. He has to be here.”
Aranka sure hoped so. Otherwise, she didn’t even know where to begin to look. She supposed she could travel the veins of the world until she found him, but that didn’t seem like the adventure she thought it would be—not if she was trying to find her father. She just wanted him safe. She’d trade anything to have him back safe.
She looked up at Imre and realized maybe not anything. Aranka hoped that wasn’t a choice she’d be forced to make.
“Get ready. If you’re coming with me, we need to leave soon. I want to drive around the place and check the veins before we commit one-hundred percent.”
“I already told you, I’m not leaving you.”
“I didn’t say you had to leave me. But what if you need to get someone out? What if your father can’t travel the lines? They’ve got that damn collar on him, I’m sure of it.”
She knew he was right. “Okay. This whole listening to reason thing is bullshit, though. Just saying.”
He kissed her forehead. “I know how hard this is for you. You’ve been independent for a long time and I’m not trying to take that away from you. But there’s more at stake here than either of us.”
“I know that.” She leaned into him. “Just hold me close another minute. Let me pretend that this is all pretend. Just for a second.”
“You don’t have to go,” he said.
“Yes, I do.”
“Actually, you do.” He grinned. “I need you.”
She tightened her arms around him as if that could anchor them both there in the moment. “You know, that’s better than any game of pretend.” Aranka laughed, and it was more of a nervous sound than anything. “You know I can’t do what my sister does. I can’t turn anything or anyone into gold.”
“I don’t give a damn about that. You’re smart, Aranka. You’re fearless—”
“I didn’t have enough sense to be afraid before. I thought I’d seen so much of the world, knew what it had to offer.” She began to nod slowly. “And what it could take away. But I didn’t. Not really. Fearless?” Aranka looked up at the ceiling and then back down to Imre. “No. I’m terrified.”
“And you’re coming with me, anyway. Aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. I wouldn’t stay behind if you tied me up.”
“Maybe I could tie you up after? We could try that, right?”
“Are you trying to soothe my fears or do you really want to
Similar Books
