Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
“I,” she added, “want to blow the secrets of this house wide open.”
“That’s my girl.” A rumbling purr in his chest, his leopard’s claws pushing at his skin. “First thing is for you to give us a tour of the compound, so we can assess any obvious threats.”
“I’ll show you from upstairs.”
Professional mask back on, Remi fell into a walk behind her as Rina took the lead. He’d have liked to enjoy the view of Auden’s curvy form, but that pleasure would have to wait. Right now, his every sense was on alert for any sign of danger, even as he made note of possible entry and exit routes, as well as any cameras or other indicators of surveillance.
“This is the most private part of the property,” Auden said, after walking them upstairs. “The family bedrooms are all up here. Right now, I occupy the one center right, with Charisma across from me but one down to the left, nearest the stairs. The other three bedrooms are unoccupied.”
Leading them into her room, she took them past the bed made with pale gray sheets that seemed to float in the spartan space. The only other piece of furniture was an armchair with a high back, its cushions a deep green, that sat by the main windows.
He would’ve expected the walls to be a formless white, but they’d been wallpapered with a fine gray pattern against white. His eyes narrowed at the unnecessary detail. Better, he thought, to hide listening devices.
He tapped his ear to indicate the need for silence, then got out his scanner. Rina was already at work with hers.
The room was clear.
“Look here,” Remi said afterward, indicating a fine tear in the wallpaper. “Rush job pulling it out.”
“That’s the one the installer left behind the first time around.” Auden’s jaw was a hard line. “I didn’t know it but she did, the other part of me.”
“Good. Keep on using her. You are the alpha,” he reiterated, because this could well be the fight for Auden’s life. “You know why? Because your heart is bigger than hers could ever be.”
Her pupils expanded, her breath catching. “An alpha must have a huge heart,” she said, and it wasn’t a question, rather a wondering statement. “All this time, I thought the key ingredient was dominance, but it’s not, is it?”
“It is and it isn’t,” he corrected. “Both must exist for a changeling to be an alpha. An alpha without a heart would be a dictator, and an alpha without dominance couldn’t hold his pack together.”
Auden nodded slowly. “Balance.” A murmur almost to herself before she shook it off. “Come, I want you to see the view from the window. You can get an overview of the rest of the compound from there.”
Three other buildings dominated, one on either side and one to the front. All were smaller than the main residence, but were painted in the same white color palette, with touches of dark gray. Elegant and unobtrusive against the crisp and clean lines of the landscaping.
“The building to the left houses other staff who work in or close to the house, while the building to the right is the infirmary. Dr. Verhoeven’s apartment is in back of it.”
“Why is the guard station so big?” Rina asked, pointing to the building out front.
“The guards have barracks inside. Fences are all wired for motion detection, but the guards do live patrols at regular intervals.” A wince. “I never bothered to work out the intervals.”
Remi curled his fingers over her hand below the line of the window; her skin was cool, as if this place had stolen all her warmth. “We know the intervals.” When she shot him a questioning look, he allowed himself a faint smile, his cat pleased with itself. “Soon as we knew we’d be coming here, Rina and her brother, Kit, came down to spy.”
“Cats are excellent spies,” Rina said, her own leopard in her voice. “And Kit can still climb better than me, which is annoying in the extreme. But it meant he was able to set up a hide a short distance from here in a tree, and watch the goings-on through binoculars, while I used my night vision to prowl around a bit closer.”
Auden’s skin prickled with a pride as wild as the two changelings who stood with her. “Charisma and the other Auden have no idea what they’re up against.”
“Damn straight,” Rina said with a grin before she stepped out to go check the neighboring room.
Remi nudged Auden away from the window at the same time, one big hand warm on her lower back. “Windows offer clear lines of sight. Try to avoid being immobile in front of one.”
Auden could feel the heat of his palm against her even after he broke contact. It burned, a silent brand. She wanted so much more, craved it even knowing that it was the wrong time, the wrong place…because panic beat in the back of her brain, warning her that time was running out. She intended to fight to the death to win this war, but she never forgot that the enemy lived inside her mind. Victory was in no way guaranteed.