Page 8 of Catnip

“We killed her a few days ago.” Her mouth fell open. “She’s the reason we had so many enemies at ourdoor.”

She’d betrayed her pride, then. Ava’s eyes clouded as she remembered those who’d risen against herflock.

Not everyone had joined them, but the Enforcers had killed all those who spoke againstthem.

She closed her eyes, willing herself to stop thinking ofit.

“Good.”

The bitch had deserved to die, just like her old enforcersdid.

The tiger chuckled low. “Good? What if she had herreasons?”

Ava shrugged. “You had kids, and she sent an army against you, regardless. There’s no reason that could justify that. How did you get out of it, by theway?”

Her mind went directly to Knox. Had he been there? Was he stillaround?

“You’ve heard of Scions?” the tiger asked, and she rolled hereyes.

Had sheever.

“I’m from Italy. Most Scions are still based around Rome and Athens, you know. Except the Scandinavian lot, Iguess.”

She bit her lip, wondering if she’d said too much. Damn her stupid babblemouth.

“Italy? You don’t speak with a Mediterranean accent.” He replied. “If anything, you soundBritish.”

She forced a smile. “Britishmother.”

At least she wasn’t lying. She just didn’t add that her Russian, her Spanish, her French, and her Chinese also had no trace ofItalian.

She may not have been raised to run for her life, but blending in, making foreign dignitaries comfortable, that had been drilled into her early andoften.

“Anyway, you were saying aboutScions?”

He was frowning when he explained they’d received help from their kind, perhaps not understanding just how rare that was. Scions were as selfish as they were self-centered. Which was understandable, because well, theyweredeities.

“They’ll ask for a favor in exchange one day,” she said, and the tiger nodded, not questioningher.

“Alldone.”

She looked down to her bandage. It was probably overkill; he’d wrapped it all around her torso, breastsincluded.

Now that he was done, he sat up, and took a step away from her. She felt the absence in a way that made her question her sanity. Like he’d removed a part of her. Which was point-blankridiculous.

“As soon as I get out of this door, my Alphas are going to ask me about you. I’ll tell them I owe you, and they’ll agree to let you stay for thenight.”

Shenodded.

“Thank you. You didn’t owe me anything. I wasjust…”

“I did, and now my debt is repaid,” he replied, interruptingher.

Pain flashed through her, a pain that wasn’t caused by her stupid wound. He was being nice about it, at least; he could have told her to get out of here rightaway.

“So,” the shifter carried on, “if you want to stay come morning, you’re going to have to come up with a story. A good story. Preferably thetruth.”

She opened her mouth and closed it. The truth. Telling them the truth right away wasn’t only trusting them with her life; it was trusting them with the lives of all her kind. Could she dothat?

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