The young soldier looked down. Many people had difficulty facing a Cyst. “Paxton Phoenix refuses to kill the uncle of Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood. Or he strongly argued against it. Our source is one of the ten members of the Defenders, but he wasn’t in the room for the discussion with Phoenix.”
Jaydon shook his head. “They don’t even know we have a pawn on their chessboard.”
Dayne looked at Drake. “Does the girl know you were on the raid last night?”
“Of course not,” Drake said, refilling his coffee cup. “She’s a sweetheart who loves her family and thinks they’re the good guys. I see no reason to shatter that illusion. Hope deserves to be happy.”
Jaydon’s lip curled. “You sound like a human whelp, boy.”
Drake had no problem meeting the general’s gaze. “My future mate willingly comes to me in a dreamworld full of light and warmth. Yours is hiding out with bear shifters and the Keeper of the Circle. Whelp? I don’t think so, General. I’d much rather be me than you right now.” Especially since he could still feel Hope’s hand in his.
Dayne cleared his throat. “Enough. General, we have to make some decisions. What if Bear McDunphy doesn’t kick out Sam Kyllwood and Garrett Kayrs?”
“Then we go in and take the woman,” the general said. “We need Kyllwood dead, and I’d like it if Kayrs died as well. That’d leave an opening on the Seven, and who knows how many will perish before they find another candidate. If Ulric comes home first, they’ll be at least one down.”
“Why don’t we take out the entire Seven?” Drake asked, watching the bears again.
His dad finished his coffee and poured more. “If we could find them, we would. They’ve been spectacularly difficult to kill during the last century.”
Drake wanted a piece of them and now. “It’s unfortunate they don’t see the beauty of Ulric’s return. Why do they believe the lies of their ancestors?”
“It’s who they are,” his father said.
That was, unfortunately, a true statement. Drake scratched his head. “If Honor is as strong as you say, we’ll need to get her before Kyllwood mates her. They’ve been together for nearly a week. I do wonder why he hasn’t done so as of yet.”
Dayne turned to his son. “What are your thoughts about Sam Kyllwood?”
Drake sat straighter in his seat. It was rare for his father to seek his counsel, but he’d begun to do so after his brother, Drake’s uncle, had been killed. It was just the two of them now. “I think he’s stronger than he should be,” Drake said quietly. “He wasn’t supposed to be the Keeper of the Circle, and taking that destiny on himself made him more powerful than he should be at this stage of his life. Add in the fact that he shares blood with a member of the Seven as well as Hope, the Lock, and he has to be taken out before the final ritual.”
“What about sweetheart Hope?” the general asked, all sarcasm.
Drake flicked a piece of paper off the table. He kept his voice calm and his expression clear. “I’ll protect her from as much of this struggle as I can. There are circumstances beyond my control, and life is full of loss. The point is easing her pain afterward.” Which he could think of several ways to do, but that was none of the general’s business.
Dayne nodded. “That’s a good point. Before I forget, General, how many Enhanced females have you acquired?”
“I don’t count them,” the general retorted.
Why didn’t Drake believe that?
Dayne shrugged. “Fair enough, but I have two soldiers who want mates. Shall I send them with you so they can choose?”
“No,” Jaydon said. “I trust you, but the females’ location must remain secret. There are too many holes still to be plugged in the Kurjan dyke, so to speak. These females must be protected at all costs.” He leaned in. “Tell your soldiers to find their own mates.” He stood and stomped out of the tent.
The tension dissipated. “How about we cut off his head,” Drake said conversationally.
His dad snorted. “Keep that thought. For now, we need him.”
Irritation tightened the nerves along Drake’s neck. “I don’t like it. Why is he hiding the Enhanced females? I understand we need as many as possible for the final ritual with Ulric, but that could still be a century away.”
His dad looked at him. “What are you saying?”
“What if the rumors have truth in them?” Drake kept his voice low.
“That’s crazy. Those rumors come from our enemies.”
Drake shook his head. “Even so, what if? Have you kept track of how many females we’ve taken? What if Jaydon’s planning to take Ulric’s place and perform his own ritual to become immortal? It would be a travesty. Just something to think about, Father.” He cocked his head. “If the general needs to be taken care of, I want the job.” He’d like nothing better than to slide a blade beneath Jaydon’s jaw.
Pride glowed for the briefest of seconds in his father’s eyes. “All right. If I make that call, you’re up.”
“Good. I have a plan. He wants Honor badly.” It didn’t matter if the female had a last name. Kurjans did not have surnames, so she wouldn’t, either. “I’ll get her and force Jaydon to take me to where he’s keeping the Enhanced females. Just to make sure everything is as it should be.” Drake sat back.
His father’s eyes gleamed. “All right. We’ll go with your plan for the female. For now, we need to get to Sam Kyllwood. Are we in agreement about him?”
Hope’s sweet face filtered through Drake’s thoughts. How hurt she’d be when Kyllwood died. Even so, what were the other options? He nodded. “We’re in agreement. Sam Kyllwood will die.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
After fielding calls from two kings, a prince, his sister, and a couple of friends, Sam was done maneuvering the universe for his purposes. For now.
He lounged against a tree near the bear headquarters as the smell of grilled meat wafted through the damp air. Salads and other dishes had been placed on wide picnic tables. The bears were alive and celebrating, which meant it was going to be a wild night. He watched Honor interact with several of them, smiling and laughing. She’d made friends so easily. His chest warmed while his palm remained stone cold. What was wrong with him?
Apparently his mood showed, because not one bear approached him with mating advice.
Well, except Bear. McDunphy gave no fucks about anybody being cranky. Like found like in this world. “Hey.” He handed over a longneck.