the back door just as Sascha's car came to a smooth stop behind the house.
She exited, looking as cold as a statue. Except he'd seen inside that stone mask. Aware that this area was safe from prying eyes, he went to her and hauled her into his arms. She stiffened and then hesitantly returned the hug. "I was very careful. No one followed me here."
"We can talk inside." He pulled away to tug her into the house - where he and his pack could keep her safe.
Dorian and Kit had run into the room as he'd exited and now they stood there with Tamsyn and Nate. Despite having seen Sascha before, all the males seemed shocked at the embrace they'd witnessed. Ignoring them for now, Lucas sat Sascha down in a chair, able to feel her tiredness.
To his surprise, she looked around for Tamsyn. "I'm sorry but I'm very hungry."
The healer grinned. "Then you've come to the right place. Let me get you something."
"Thank you." She turned back to him.
He'd taken a chair to her left and moved it so it faced her. "Dorian. Kit." The command was apparent. Following Nate's lead, they took sentinel positions around the room. "Who's on the outside?"
"Clay, Mercy, and Barker. Rina and Vaughn are patrolling the outer perimeter." Now that the other safe houses were empty, the sentinels had gathered here.
"Kit. Go and replace Mercy."
The juvenile looked like he wanted to argue but he must've seen the implacability in Lucas's eyes. Without a word, he left. A minute later, Mercy entered and took his position. This was a matter for adults, not children, and no matter how grown up he looked, Kit was still considered a cub. He'd been allowed to stay behind but would never be asked to fight except as a last resort.
Taking Sascha's hand in his, he met her eyes. "Eat first."
Tamsyn put a plate of sandwiches in front of her. She refused to let go of his hand as she picked them up one by one and demolished them. The chocolate cookies went the same way, as did the glass of milk. There was such bliss on her face after each bite that he wondered what she'd do when he lavished real pleasure on her, something he had every intention of doing.
"More?" Tamsyn asked, clearing away the dishes.
"No. Thank you. I... like your food." Coming from a Psy, it was a wild declaration.
"My kitchen is always open."
Sascha looked like she wanted to smile but didn't quite know how to pull it off. "I hacked the PsyNet."
Everyone went silent.
"Tell us what that means, Sascha." His heart was breaking at the pain he could feel coming off her. The waves of sorrow were so deep, he wondered that they didn't kill her.
"I could never talk about it before," she said, reminding him of his earlier attempts to get her to share information. "But now I can. I wonder if that means my mind's deteriorated so much that the blocks no longer hold."
"You just broke into the most secure information network in the world - your mind is fine." He frowned when she didn't seem to hear him.
"The PsyNet is like your Internet, except it's made up of minds, not computers," she said, instead of responding. "Most of it is public but there are hidden nodes of classified information. I obtained access to those restricted parts." It sounded so cool and practical but he knew it had to have been anything but.
"What would've happened if you'd been found?"
She met his eyes. "I would've been executed."
"You didn't tell us that." He was furious with her, so angry that he wanted to haul her to his lair and let the primitive in him take over. A growl threatened at the back of his throat.
"I didn't think it was relevant." She sounded so Psy that no one who hadn't been watching her eyes would've guessed at the depth of fear she must've experienced. "I learned more than we could've hoped for."
Chapter 17
"Who is it?" He hadn't forgotten her recklessness.
They'd discuss it privately. And he'd teach his Psy that when it came to Pack, one member's life was very much relevant.
"They don't know the identity of the killer."
Dorian made a sound of anguish. A flare of Psy energy lit up Lucas's senses and when it flared back down, Dorian was calmer but no less frustrated.
"They've set a trap." She tightened her hand. "I could link into the PsyNet and shadow them until they know."