And I'll go with him to protect him. Aimee didn't say that out loud. Her mother couldn't stand for anyone to question or contradict her-it was the nature of the beast. This was Nicolette's den and they were all subject to her final rule.
"Thank you, Maman."
Her mother inclined her head to her before she reversed direction to descend the stairs.
Aimee followed after her, wondering what was going on in Eli's mind. For years they'd had trouble with that insufferably arrogant jerk and his scouts. But then nothing his clan did had ever made sense to her.
Still, there was a tingle in the back of her mind as if warning her this wasn't his random lunacy. There was something more to what was going on.
Something sinister.
Stone glared at Dev as the filthy bear opened the cage they'd thrown him into. At least he'd finally stopped changing forms. "I take it you've finally come to your senses."
Dev laughed. "If that were true, I'd be hauling you and that cage out to the swamp to feed you to the gators. Unfortunately, your daddy sent over someone to claim you."
Expecting it to be Darrel, he was surprised when Dev opened the door and Varyk stood there in all his savage glory. Tall, ruthless, and pissed, Varyk had shoulder-length brown hair and eyes that were so blue they were piercing and glacial. A derisive smirk was permanently chiseled on his handsome face. And his tough stance always said he was looking for someone to gut.
Stone swallowed as a chill went down his spine. Varyk was only marginally sane. . . .
And that was on his best day.
By the angry glower on Varyk's face, this wasn't one of those better days.
What the hell was his father thinking by sending him here?
Personally, Stone would rather stay in his cage than spend even a second in this man's presence. "Where's my father?"
Varyk growled low in his throat. "You don't speak, boy. Maybe never again." He grabbed him roughly by the neck and shoved him at the door. He turned back toward Dev. "Where's the one who attacked him? I was to escort him back as well."
The bear shook his head in a brazen denial that Stone had to admire. It took guts to annoy someone like Varyk. "No can do. Wren stays here."
"Not what I was told."
Dev flashed him a taunting grin that Stone would respect if it wasn't such a suicidal move on the bear's part. "Well, I just told you."
Varyk gave him an arch stare. "And you don't matter to me, table scrap."
"That feeling is entirely mutual, bear bait. Hell, I don't even acknowledge you as being here. So get out and take your trash with you."
Varyk's deadly gaze turned brittle. "You really don't want to take that tone with me."
Dev crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I do have several others we can choose from. Contemptuous. Angry. Snide. Aggravated. How about I just settle on extreme sarcasm and we call it even?"
"I want the tigard."
"And I want you to leave. Guess who's going to win this argument? And in case you're even denser than you appear, it's not you."
Varyk seized him by the shirt. "Are you calling me out?"
"I'm calling you slow. Not out." Dev knocked his hands away from him. "Now I suggest you leave. Quickly before I decide that I don't really need to live here anymore."
Varyk lowered his head as if about to attack Dev. Stone held his breath. Varyk was unstable at best. One never knew what he'd do and if he attacked here . . .
They were screwed.
Varyk looked past Dev to the upstairs area. "There will come a time and a place when you won't be as lucky as you are tonight."
Dev laughed evilly. "Come get some anytime you miss your mama and need your ass spanked."