She had never scrambled up ledges as fast as she did now. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline and Riordan finally pushed a window in and she followed. “Come on!” He grabbed her arm and started running for the door when they heard voices yelling commands from right outside. “Go in! Search all the rooms!” They heard the order and she turned to him with wide eyes. “What should we do?”He glanced around at the room and his eyes snagged on the wardrobe on the other side. “In there!” He commanded and dragged her forward. He shoved the door open and pushed in, hurrying after her and closing the wardrobe door just as another door was thrown open from outside. The smell of dusty clothes assailed her nostrils and she held her breath, realising that for what felt like the tenth time today, she was in a position with him that she would have preferred not to be in at all. She held her breath and stared at his chest, refusing to look into his eyes, afraid of what she would see smouldering
There was a tense moment when the two men glared at each other, neither backing down before Riordan finally shrugged. “As you will.” He did and raised his arms. “Search my person.”Vinaud smiled, all lips and no teeth. “Thank you for your understanding as usual.” He said and jerked his chin towards her. “Ah.” Riordan said and held an arm out between her and the burly wolf that had been headed for her. “She’s off limits.”Vinaud’s jaw ticked. “I know how you must feel but she must be searched.” Vinaud said and Riordan straightened to his full towering length and stared down his nose at the rest of them. “Reynette is off-limits.” He said again simply. “Nobody touches her but me.” “Do not complicate this old friend.” Vinaud growled and Riordan held a hand. “Me, you can manhandle. Anyone that touches my woman is a symbol of war. If your trust in our alliance does not even hold that much salt then it is war.” Riordan stressed dangerously. His woman? Shivers ran down her spine at the
”He’s not dead.” Freya insisted in front of Aremin. “I’m sure of it. Allow me to go back. Please! Let me finish the job.”Aremin said nothing, his fingers steepled in front of him as he watched her from under his lashes with an unimpressed expression. She paced, agitated. How was she the only one that cared that he might still be alive? Why was it that everyone acted like he was not one of the most difficult people in the world to kill?“One more chance.” She said, hurrying to his desk. “Just one more chance.”“Freya.” Aremin said and stood and she straightened, sure she would not like his verdict. “You used to hate my bonds.” He said and she frowned. What was he talking about?He jerked a chin to her wrists which were still shackled in front of her. “I could never bind you for more than an hour. You fought like a tigress until the bindings came off.” “Oh.” She said, realising her wrists were stilll shackled in front of her. “Can you take them off?” She asked, holding her hands out.
Riordan paced in his study, his mind whirring on a hundred things in a second when the door was pushed in and Fellin strode in with some papers. “Okay so I have the news right here and it says that Vinaud is turning everything upside down right now as it seems something very important is missing.” His Beta peered at him suspiciously. “We wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with this would we?”Riordan took his seat and sorted the last sheaf of papers on his desk. “The place I talked about earlier. Get it ready, I need the place set up before tomorrow.” Riordan said and Fellin stopped in his tracks. “You’re not thinking of going after the assassin again are you?” Fellin asked him, incredulous and when he only replied him with a deadpan expression, Fellin made a frustrated noise at the back of his throat. “This is bordering on obsession at this point. You already tried this thing with this female and it didn’t work out. Perhaps it’s for the best. Mira is dead but there are things
Freya woke with a jerk, her heart immediately starting to pound. The ringing in her ear was gone and when she checked her hand hurriedly, there was no ball. “She’s awake!” She heard someone gasp. “Quick! Check her pockets.” Another ordered. Grabby hands started patting her hurriedly, slipping into her pockets. With a growl, she gripped the fingers so hard the teenager cried out. “Touch me one more time and you’ll lose all your fingers.” She growled and the boy staggered back. The second bigger one shoved his partner behind him and sneered. “Turn over all your money now or I’ll make you pay!” The moonlight flashed on the dagger he was clutching in his fist.Freya groaned and stood. Just her shit luck, getting robbed by stupid amateur teenage thieves. “I’m giving you one chance to rectify your bad decision.” She warned and held his gaze. Whatever he saw in there made him hesitate but he glanced at his younger partner who was glaring at her heatedly and found the encouragement he
Freya was good at staying still, it was the best way to hunt and hunting was all she knew. Her belly was flat on the roof as she watched and waited. She had not seen him since she left him buried but she trailed his beta to their secret meeting, inside an innocuous building where no one would think to look for rebels.He was inside the building, she was sure of it because when she glanced at her arms, goosebumps trailed down to her fingers. She had imagined how this meeting could go a hundred different ways and she settled on never meeting him. She didn't trust herself not to fumble a close range fight with him and she frowned when she remembered how strong he was. Close range, he would dominate her so she would kill him from afar, before her senses had a chance to betray her again. The door opened and one by one, men and women filed out. Most of them were important humans in high places, colluding with Riordan to impeach the king and change the royal line. She was surprised at the a
“Who were you running from?” King Ardelan asked her as she sat stiffly opposite him in the carriage. “No one of importance.” She replied and casually pulled her sleeve fully over the tattoo on her wrist. She had no intention of letting the king know she was a Spider, no doubt she was one of his wanted persons. “You do realise I saved your life out there don’t you?” He asked her with a smile. She cocked her head and observed him. Up close, she couldn’t believe she ever missed it. No amount of cloaking could cover up the supernatural energy around him. She had never seen it from afar and for someone that prized herself for her observation skills, it was unforgivable. “I would get on a knee and thank you if I thought it would please you Your Majesty.” She dared. His smile grew wider and he leaned closer with interest. “Do you dare to presume to know what would please your king?” He asked her and she lowered her head in respect. “On the contrary. The question burns in my mind, why
Freya rattled the handle of the door hard, still surprised when it didn’t budge. “Open the door!” She pounded on it but the footsteps receded, leaving her trapped. A prisoner once again? She was livid. She abandoned the door and ran to the window and she laughed sardonically when she found it reinforced by bars. Not ordinary bars, she realised as she put all of her strength into trying to bend it and it didn’t budge. “Oh he has no idea who he’s dealing with!” She growled and ran to the closet, holding up her prize a moment later. The bejewelled pin would do. She dropped into a crouch in front of the door and jammed the pin in, getting to work. It was more difficult than it looked as the door was no regular door. It was meant to contain someone like her but the king had never met ‘her’ in person. It took her a few minutes but she finally heard the telltale click and she smiled with satisfaction. The plan had changed. She refused to be here when the king came looking for her again.