The Wolf's Surrender - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,53

sifted through what had happened with a more analytical eye. And Jenner was right, she realized. There were a few small details like what he’d said. But she didn’t see how they would help anyone.

Mia opened her eyes and looked into Jenner’s steady gold ones. That, and a new awareness of her own strength, gave her the courage to speak up without fear of embarrassment.

“I could hear him pacing on some kind of creaky wood floor,” Mia said. “And wherever he is, it smelled like it had been closed up for a while. A little musty. It was chilly. I could smell the woods.”

Jenner shifted his attention to Bane. “Hunting cabin,” he said. “Bet you anything.”

Bane blew out a breath. “Shit,” he said. “He could be anywhere out in the woods. This is going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Still, it’s a start.”

It didn’t make her feel much better, looking at Bane’s handsome face wearing such a disappointed expression. Kenyon’s words, however, made her feel decidedly worse.

“It won’t matter,” he said. “It’s pretty obvious he’s going to make a move on her first. We’re just going to have to be ready for it.” He slid a fulminating look at Jenner. “I still think she should be here, right in town. How can we protect her when she’s only got one guard? She’s a sitting duck out there with you!”

Jenner opened his mouth, but Mia cut him off smoothly. She’d had just about enough of being spoken about as though she wasn’t there, good intentions or no.

“The she in question feels safe where she is,” Mia said. “And what exactly are you saying? That you want to use me as bait?”

Kenyon’s ready smile was gone. He looked older, and decidedly more intimidating when his dimples weren’t in evidence.

“I’m saying you’re bait whether you want to be or not, Mia. That’s not meant as an insult, it’s just the truth. He’s fixated on you. He thinks he needs you to clear the way for the Shadowkin. That’s going to be the thing that draws him out, and the thing that lets us take him down.” He shook his head and looked at Jenner. “A ritual knife? Are you sure?”

“Long curved blade, engraved white handle,” Mia said, answering for herself again. “I wouldn’t have known what to call it, but Jenner knew right away. I’ve got Unseelie blood. He needs it. It’s not that hard to understand.”

She hadn’t meant to say it that way, but it was hard to regret it when she heard Jenner’s appreciative snort and saw Bane’s smirk. Kenyon was nice, but Tomas’s commentary on her heritage had been about enough for one night.

Kenyon, to his credit, managed a smile. “No, it isn’t. And you’re dealing with it better than I think any of us could have expected. Sorry.”

Mia nodded, glad that at least one day the Silverback would have an Alpha who seemed to have both manners and a heart.

“This is all just a damned legend,” Tomas interjected. “Unseelie were nasty creatures, if you believe the stories. Mischievous, self-interested, prone to grudge-holding. Powerful. But I’ve never seen one. No one has. And you’re trying to tell me that they’re going to use some girl with a little tainted blood to open a rift they can get through? Bull.”

Mia’s mouth went as dry as the desert at once. She tried to swallow, and found it difficult. She hadn’t heard the words spoken since her grandmother had died. Tainted blood. I can sense the darkness in you, girl.

But for the first time, she fought back.

“My blood isn’t tainted.” Her voice was unsteady, but clear as a bell. “Not any more than yours is.”

Tomas’s eyes narrowed. “You have a lot to learn, if that’s what you think.”

The feel of Jenner’s hand on her arm again surprised her. But she welcomed the solid warmth of it, and the support it represented.

“She’s no different than any of us,” he said. “And she’s safe with me.”

His words, simple, reassuring, were enough in that moment to soothe her. Tomas, however, exchanged an unpleasant look with Kenyon.

“Obviously, you’re doing fine. But I think it might be a good idea to get her used to us before she joins us.”

The words hit her like a steamroller.

“I’m sorry,” Mia said. “What?”

Tomas’s forehead creased. “You weren’t told?”

Suddenly, it was all too much. Mia briefly considered running, but she’d done too much of that in her life already. This was something she would have to