Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,125

it up, so we just built our own fence.”

Lucas’s pulse had kicked up at the word “pool,” stayed that way. He thought of what Miane had told him about Tanique’s psychometric readings. Saltwater and lynxes. “That pool full now?” He knew she’d know—cats couldn’t help being curious, especially about a neighbor so close to their border.

A nod that caused her ponytail to bounce, her hair dark, dark brown with glints of red highlights. “Construction folks started coming in about a year ago, when the new owners must’ve bought it. They put a glass building over the pool and cleaned up the house, which was in pretty good condition surprisingly.

“Can’t see through to the pool anymore—smoked glass. They’ve also added to our fences, put up opaque ones on their side.” Disappointment and approval vied for lead position in her tone. As alpha, she obviously appreciated the better safety measures, but feline curiosity had her itching to know what the heck was going on with IceRock’s new neighbors.

“It’s clear it’s someone with money,” she added, folding her arms. “We figure maybe a celebrity, what with the cloak-and-dagger blacked-out SUVs in the night and the bodyguards.”

“Weapons?”

Her eyes cooled. “I paid the bodyguards a visit when my dominants told me they were patrolling our border with guns, pointed out that if they so much as touched a hair on my people’s heads, I’d rip off their own heads and use them for football practice.” She smiled that bouncy smile. “They electrified their fences after that and stopped the patrols. Fair enough. All our people know not to go beyond our own fence in that area.”

Lucas chuckled but his mind was racing. “Look, Kiya,” he said. “There might be more going on than a publicity-shy celebrity. Can you get me images a teleporter can use to ’port inside the compound?”

“No problem.” She braced her hands on her hips on the heels of the confident statement, her shoulders squared. “You going to get my pack in the middle of something, Lucas?”

“It’s possible.” He held her gaze, a gaze gone the yellowish-hazel of her lynx. “But it’s also possible there’s a changeling or changelings being held captive in that compound.”

Kiya’s hiss was violent. “I’ll get the images to you later tonight,” she said, her lynx still in her tone. “If your teleporter friend needs assistance, you give him my number and tell him to call.”

• • •

SASCHA was seated at Tamsyn’s kitchen table chatting with the healer when a vehicle entered the drive. She expected Lucas to walk through the door, but it proved to be Clay and Talin with the kids. All four, Jon included, had gone to a tea shop for Noor’s requested birthday tea party, had decided to say hello to Tamsyn and family before they went home.

“We had this many cakes!” Noor held her hands as far apart as they’d go, her dark eyes shining.

Scooping up the little girl, who had on a pretty blue dress with white lace and ribbons, her glossy black hair tied back with more ribbons, Sascha cuddled her in her lap. “Let me see how full your tummy is,” she said, gently patting Noor’s abdomen. “Uh-oh, I think it’s about to explode.”

Noor giggled. “Kee got cream all over his face!”

Sascha wasn’t surprised at the news that Keenan had been present at the tea party. The two children were best friends—the fact that their psychic gifts worked in concert was a peripheral matter. It was their friendship that was most important. “Who else did you invite?”

“Ben!” Noor beamed at the mention of the mischievous little wolf. “He came with his mom. Issy and Behali came, too, but Jules and Rome couldn’t come because they went on a special date with their grandma. We brought them a big box of cake.” She went quiet all at once, her next words a worried whisper. “Will Naya be sad she didn’t come?”

Such a generous heart, Sascha thought, her own aching with love for this child of the pack. “No, baby,” she said, “Naya’s too little.” Talin had offered to take her along after Noor invited both Naya and Anu’s toddler, but Sascha knew her rambunctious cub wasn’t yet at an age where she could sit in a tea shop and behave. Anu had made the same call. “She had a party at the nursery with the other little cubs to celebrate her own birthday.”

It was DarkRiver tradition for first birthdays, with parents invited along to join in, and Naya had loved it.