Page 66 of Shifter's Dream

Ella stopped in the darkness and leaned against the wall, made a kissy face at Track in her arms, then met Reed’s eyes. “What about Khain? Did Troy mention him?”

“No.” Reed stopped too, and shivered in the heat, not knowing why.

“WhatdidTroy tell you?” Ella asked curiously.

Reed shrugged. “Not a whole lot. My fault. I didn’t want to hear it.”

“Khain is a demon,” Ella told her, her tone serious. “And Rhen is the creator of theshiften.”

“Are there… bad wolves?” Reed asked quietly, suddenly, having to know, looking around to be sure no one was listening to them.

Ella’s eyebrows raised. “There’s one that I know of, but he’s bad enough for an entire army. His name is Grey Deatherage.”

Reed shivered again, the damp from the tunnels setting in, or the conversation creeping her the hell out. Probably the damp. “What does he look like?” Reed could see the face from her dream clearly.

Ella indicated a doorway. “I’ll bet Eventine has a picture of him.”

She opened the door and swept inside. Laughter and talking floated out of the room.

Reed stayed where she was, taking deep breaths, until Ella stuck her head back out. “Come on, everyone’s dying to meet you.”

Reed nodded, gathered her courage, and stepped inside.

***

The office itself was normal enough, long and spacious, with lights blazing up front, but darkness stretching over boxes and boxes stacked in the back. It looked like an office, because of the desk covered with papers and computers, and the certificates and awards on the wall. There were also a few office chairs, a couch against a far wall, and several fake plants. Reed knew they were fake because they didn’t say ‘hi,’ to her.Haha.The joke fell flat in her own mind.Too soon.

Reed heard a meow somewhere near the back, but she saw no cats. She was glad for the baby in her arms, because everyone was staring at her. She opened one of her hands in a wave. “Hi,” she said.

There were five adults in the office besides her and Ella, plus the two children they held. Track was struggling to get down.

“Close the door, Reed, please, so he can’t get out.”

Reed did, and Track jumped out of his mother’s arms, racing for the back of the office, crashing into a box in the dark, chasing something.

Ella tried to start introductions, but two of the women were already up and moving toward Reed, even embracing her. They all talked at once, but she caught their names. Leilani and Heather.

“That’s Jaggar, he’s Leilani’s mate,” Ella said, pointing out an intense-looking male on the couch. Ella hadn’t needed to tell Reed whose mate he was. He couldn’t stop looking at Leilani. He tore his eyes away long enough to grunt hello, and then his attention laser-focused back onto Leilani. She went to sit down next to him, curling into his side. He kissed her on the forehead, seeming content to sit there all day.

“That’s Harlan and Eventine, they are getting some pictures of Grey for you.” Harlan came over and shook her hand, while Eventine waved.

Reed leaned in close to Ella. “All sisters?”

“Not Eventine, she’s one of the only female wolven. She’s in charge.”

“I thought Trevor was in charge.”

“Sure, he’s the Lieutenant of the KSRT, but Eventine is… special. It’s kind of a long story.” Ella leaned in close to her and whispered, “She’s Rhen’s daughter.”

Reed had already forgotten who Rhen was, but remembered that her body was down one of the tunnels and it was guarded. Her whirling brain didn’t think it could handle the information right at that moment and so she only nodded and broke off to look at the pictures on the wall. They were all of Eventine, and a few had her kissing and holding hands with a man who looked just like Harlan, but twenty years younger.

Eventine motioned for her to come over, then turned her monitor around, showing Reed a picture of a man.

“That’s Grey Deatherage.”

Reed’s heart contracted in her chest. The man from her nightmare.

The bad wolf.

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