A Hippogriff for Christmas - Zoe Chant Page 0,60

Beau glanced down at Annie, who was returning his gaze with wide, frightened eyes. He tried to nod reassuringly at her, but right now, he wasn’t sure how reassuring he could be.

No. No. No matter what happens, we will ensure our mate’s safety. His hippogriff rose up inside him, wings spread to their full span, clawing the air with its razor-sharp talons.

That was Beau’s only concern, even when he felt Scott go tense next to him, his head whipping around. He would get them both out safe and sound if there was any chance of doing that. But in a choice between Scott and Annie… well, it wasn’t really a choice at all.

“Oh, shit,” he heard Scott murmur. “It’s her.”

Beau at last lifted his eyes from Annie’s frightened gaze, settling on the source of the loud, commanding voice.

A woman stood there, tall, elegant, in a full-length sequined gown. Her snow-white hair was cut short in a sophisticated, modish cut, and despite the fact she was obviously not young, she also had a strangely ageless face. Her eyes – a strange, almost translucent blue – bored into Beau’s as they looked at each other. But despite her hard gaze, there was a small smile playing about her lips, as if she found this entire situation extremely amusing.

But, even more than her expression and her strange eyes, Beau found himself struck by the sheer power he felt emanating from her.

What is she?!

Beau couldn’t tell what shifter type she was – only that she was far more powerful even than his hippogriff. More powerful than either Rowan, a griffin, or Garrett, a dragon. More powerful even than his boss, Hardwicke, who had the most powerful energy Beau had ever felt, until now.

It doesn’t matter how powerful she is – if she threatens our mate, she will die!

Beau’s hippogriff tossed its head, beak opening to let out a shrill, furious cry.

And in that, Beau had to admit he was in agreement with it.

Shoving Scott reasonably gently away from his side, Beau stared up at the woman on the stairs.

“I take it you’re the one who’s responsible for all of this, then?” he asked, moving to stand in front of Annie.

The woman laughed, her voice rich and deep.

“You mean this lovely party? Well yes, I suppose I am.”

Beau could sense the other partygoers around him staring, while the heavies who’d been guarding the doors but had mysteriously disappeared over the past few minutes suddenly made their reappearance, moving to surround Beau, Scott and Annie. Beau noted their positions, while keeping most of his attention firmly on the woman on the stairs.

The guards he could take out, if he had to.

But her….

“I have to say, it was amusing, watching you scurry about, thinking you were being so sneaky.”

Beau grimaced.

Of course, it was all too easy. She must have known the whole time.

But still, it didn’t explain the strange veil that seemed to have come over his senses. With a shifter this powerful, how had his hippogriff not noticed her presence before?

The woman began descending the stairs, one elegant step at a time. “But I did want to see what you were up to. I have to say I’m shocked that the Shifter Patrol Corps is involving itself in something so petty as a human who’s gotten himself into a little hot water with a debt.”

Beau couldn’t hold back his incredulous laugh. “This is a little more than a human with a debt, wouldn’t you say?” he asked, gesturing to the grand – and illegal – party going on around them. His face hardened. “Not to mention trying to recover your money by burning down the business of someone who has nothing to do with this.”

The woman raised an eyebrow as she finished descending the stairs.

“I can’t say I really understand the fuss,” she said, her voice coldly amused. “Why do you care about some silly human business?”

If it’s so trivial, why go to those kinds of lengths? Why not just let the money go? Beau thought, but the last thing he wanted to do was start bickering with this woman.

Whatever else she was, she was clearly dangerous.

Now that she had revealed herself, his hippogriff was on high alert, all its senses screeching at him to get out of here, now. Take our mate and run.

Gritting his teeth, Beau pushed its urge to flee to the back of his mind as best he could.

“I care because humans aren’t just playthings for you to use and then discard,”