the core of him. A bond that shouldn’t exist now tied him to another.
Against his will. Without his consent. Anger rose on a tide threatening to break Sulen’s control as he snarled, “Someone has made a big mistake.”
He’d find out whoever was behind it and make the person pay in ways they couldn’t imagine.
Chapter 3
Unfortunately, for the first time in years, Sulen met a worthy opponent outside his peers at the Guild. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to month after month but he couldn’t track why or how he had a thread connecting him to another being. His anger grew to epic proportions, his fury advancing to white hot rage.
His distraction with searching for who’d done this to him was enough to draw the attention of the Master of the Guild who demanded Sulen’s presence for a face to face meeting.
When he entered the room he’d only been in twice—for his enrollment in training at the academy and upon his completion—there were five others present and dressed in their traditional black hooded cloaks.
Back then, he’d been intimidated by their austere presence. Through the years, the fear had diminished to a healthy respect as he came to appreciate the value their particular skill set brought by aligning with the Alliance to mete out punishment to those who veered outside the scope of the law.
The Guild had carved out a space for themselves because of these founding members who had been assassins themselves at one point.
“What’s going on, Sulen?” The Master went straight to the point.
There was no way Sulen could confess what had happened to him. A binding connection to an anonymous source could and would jeopardize his position as a tenured assassin. He met their concerned stares with a neutral expression. “My apologies. I had a few personal issues to deal with but they are resolved now.”
There was deep silence from the row of men seated at the table before him.
“We trust your future assignments won’t suffer from these...issues?” A deeper voice asked from a shadowy corner.
“It will not.” Sulen wouldn’t let it.
For weeks after, he worked on ignoring the connection. He had to fight his Gerelin heritage and the instinctive need to seek and protect a mate he refused to believe he had.
It took effort but at last Sulen managed to bury the bond into the farthest recesses of his mind.
And it worked for a while. Until it didn’t.
***
“Whew. Shopping for a baby is hard work. Buuut shopping for a baby girl is sheer pain and pleasure.”
Amelie laughed at Scarlett’s statement and collapsed beside her on the sofa in her brand new housing unit. They’d finished furnishing it two days ago and Scarlett decided they might as well decorate the baby’s room since they now knew the gender.
Shoving bags to the side of her feet and ignoring the spillage of pink and yellow clothing, Amelie tilted her head to the side on the back of the sofa and grinned. Scarlett tipped her head and grinned back.
“Thank you.”
She meant it sincerely. Only five months along and Scarlett had been with her every step of the way through this pregnancy. It was fortunate that so far her bean sized baby wasn’t much trouble. The tea Scarlett recommended easily controlled the nausea and now the bean was kicking and poking around inside.
“I’m doing what any friend would do.”
Amelie doubted that. Scarlett was going above and beyond. She kept Amelie’s spirits up, navigated her appointments with the other medics and made sure Amelie didn’t dwell on the fact her family had disowned her. News of their daughter’s pregnancy and lack of a husband hadn’t gone over well and they’d made their feelings clear when they told her not to come back. As if she’d ever thought about it.
“You’re more than a friend. You’re like a sister.”
Scarlett rolled over to the side, facing Amelie and placed her hand on the barely noticeable bump of her belly. “You’ll let me be an honorary aunt to your bean?”
“Of course! You already are.” No one deserved it more.
“How are you feeling about the other thing?” Scarlett asked with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Breath stalled in Amelie’s chest. She’d seen the announcements since it made the news feeds. Roan was marrying the Ambassador of Trigodor’s daughter. It was to be a spectacular affair.
“I’m fine. I mean, I’m glad he’s found someone he wants to be with.” That clearly hadn’t been her and to her surprise, Amelie was quite over any lingering feelings for him.
Scarlett snorted