The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,16
on his feet, rage lifting him. “Are you shitting me? That asshole stuck her in a dungeon, for fuck’s sake.”
Tiger straightened to his full height as Ben felt the thing inside him coming to life. Tiger’s golden eyes fixed heavily on him, his rumble a warning.
“I know, I know,” Liam said placatingly. “He’s a shitbag of the highest level. But think about it. Le Madhug is one of the top hoch alfar, and we know they’re planning hard to re-enslave the Shifters. It would be a temporary thing, lass. We’d extract you if it got too rough. You’d be in contact with us or Ben the whole time.”
Rhianne rose beside Ben, and her hand sought his again.
“How do you know all this?” she asked Liam. “I mean about Walther kidnapping me and wanting to force a marriage? I’ve never met you people.”
Ben liked the imperious lift of her chin, her natural arrogance rising as she beheld Liam and Dylan. You go, sweetheart.
Liam shrugged. “Your mum told Jaycee you were coming, asking her to inform those in power here. Jaycee told her fearless leader, Kendrick, and Kendrick called Dad. Shifter information network, best in the universe.”
He waited for Rhianne and Ben to laugh, but both remained impassive. Liam sobered.
“Your mum also charged us to look out for you,” Liam went on. “Her words about any hair on your head being harmed and what would happen to us if they were—” He broke off and flinched. “Let’s just say I’m glad she didn’t come with you.”
Ben glared at him. “What did she say about you asking Rhianne to go back to that hoch alfar bastard?”
“We haven’t exactly told her,” Liam said. “Wanted to run it past you first.”
Dylan, who’d taken root at the bottom of the steps, finally spoke. “As my son says, you’ll be in constant contact with Shifters to pull you out as soon as we have what we need, or in case it grows too dangerous for you. Ben would be recruited, as well as a dokk alfar who lives in the Las Vegas Shiftertown. An Iron Master.”
Ben knew full well which dokk alfar Dylan meant, a powerful one who made the hoch alfar shit themselves in fear.
True, between himself, Shifters like Tiger, and Reid the Iron Master, Rhianne would have more protection than a precious diamond in the most secure vault on the planet. But in return, she’d have to go to that scumbag who’d abducted her and pretend to suck up to him.
“No,” Ben said firmly.
Chapter Five
Rhianne regarded Ben in surprise, which was swiftly followed by gratitude. She had assumed, when the Shifters began their demands, that Ben would take their side. Goblins had always hated the Fae, and the Fae had killed them off. He’d have given his loyalty to the Shifters, wouldn’t he?
The fact that Ben met Dylan’s even stare with one of his own and gave him a solid No, made her heart warm.
The three Shifters were not at all what she’d expected. Rhianne had pictured rangy men with shaggy hair, like the lions they were, who spoke in guttural tones and possibly let off a roar every once in a while.
What she saw in the Morrisseys were two tall, solid-bodied, black-haired men with hard blue eyes. Dylan, the older, had some gray in his hair, but otherwise, he appeared almost as young as his son.
The third, Tiger, fascinated her the most. He was taller and larger than the other two, with variegated hair and the yellow-black eyes of a tiger. Rhianne had never seen a real tiger, but paintings of them graced books she’d grown up with.
Though Dylan and Liam had obviously brought Tiger as muscle, he was curiously detached, as though he’d come for his own reasons, nothing to do with them. Plus, he’d easily gained the porch, while the house had put off the two Morrisseys.
“What does the lass say for herself?” Liam asked pointedly.
Ben didn’t back down. “What you are asking her is wrong on so many levels.”
“Wouldn’t do it if we didn’t think we could keep her from harm,” Liam said. “You’d be first on the scene, Ben, along with Tiger.”
Ben glowered. “Seriously, Liam, take yourself and your requests out of here. This is exactly what you asked Reid to do, and it almost killed him, and his mate.”
Liam’s frown couldn’t erase the appealing handsomeness of his face. “Now—”
“I’ll think about it.” Rhianne took a step in front of Ben, her chest tightening.