Page 23 of Hunted
Usually, all the strategy and planning was my responsibility, as was fitting for the alpha of a clan, and leader of a court.I told them the plans, and they merely worked out the weapons, spells, and logistics needed to execute those plans.But this time, they had all insisted on being involved in the planning.
Yukio said it was because they each had their own reasons for wanting to play a part in ending the syndicate, their own personal desire for revenge, and it wasn’t fair for me to hog all the fun.But while that may be true, I knew the real reason they’d all wanted to be involved.
They knew I was struggling.Fighting a battle with my beast and my missing magic that I couldn’t win.I had become a weak leader.An object of pity.It was pathetic.Wholly unacceptable for someone of my status.
And yet, I allowed it.I allowed them to try their hand at scheming, and plotting, and organizing all the chess pieces I had gathered over the years.Because apparently some people thought accepting help from others was some sort of...show of strength.I was still reserving judgement on that particular point.But I’d humor them for now.
I studied my manicure, noting how quickly my nails had been growing lately.My dragon, wanting to sprout claws so we could rend and tear our way to power.“And?”I drawled, as if it was entirely unimportant.As if it wasn’t killing me to sit back and let them have at it.“Having any great epiphanies, are we?”
Martina huffed.She looked tired.Her usually close-cropped hair had grown out just enough to become a frizzy mess, and her eyes had the shadowed, sunken look that said she hadn’t been feeding often enough.
Sanka looked a little harried, too, now that I really studied him.He was just a bittoofocused on his project.And too pissed off when something went wrong—leading him to set flames to the charm he’d been working on, melting it and fusing it to the workbench.Ah, Sanka.If he didn’t have his beta nature to temper his deep feelings of protectiveness, he’d be a danger to everyone around him.The beautiful, talented buffoon.
Yukio looked exactly the same as he always did—crisp, elegant, and brittle around the edges. But my frosty little popsicle would die before he ever admitted that something as trivial asstressmight be affecting him.I didn’t have to see visible signs to know he was feeling it.I’d known him and loved him for decades.I knew him better than he knew himself sometimes.
The same could be said for all three of them...just one more thing I risked losing when I finally faced off with the emperor.One more thing I’d hate to leave behind when my purpose was fulfilled.
I gestured at the notes littered across the table and the messy map scrawled on the whiteboard, desperate for a distraction.“What were you working on?”
“Making sure we had the most up to date and comprehensive list of weapons,” Yukio said.“Pulling the most helpful ones from our stockpiles throughout the city.Reviewing which safehouses we could use if needed.Trying to mitigate the casualties that will happen among the unaligned on the streets and among our allies, when Acacia eventually turns on us and decides she doesn’t need us anymore.”
“She won’t,” I said.“At least, not until after we kill the emperor for her.And at that point we’ll be expecting it and fully prepared to end her.”
“You sound confident,” Martina said.“As if Acacia isn’t completely unhinged and unpredictable.You know she could decide to murder us all tomorrow on a bloodlust-fueled whim.Nothing she does is based on logic.I can’t tell if your attitude is courage or delusion.”
“Necessity,” I said easily.“And faith in my abilities, and the abilities of my court.”Then, relenting to the urge, I leaned forward and placed my own notes onto the table.I’d spent all last night neatly writing out all the details I usually just kept in my head...so the court could see my amazing inner workings and use that as a springboard for their plans.They couldn’t really think they were going to do all of thiswithoutme.
Martina sighed.“You’re pushing too hard.You’re supposed to be taking a break.”
“No,” I said.“I’m pushing exactly as hard as I need to so I can ensure my court’s survival.I amsupposedto be your alpha and the emperor’s end.”
Yukio shifted, finally looking at me.His gaze was sharper than usual.Not angry.Just...watching.Measuring.“Robin,” he said flatly.“Your magic is slipping.Your court is fraying at the edges like a bunch of soft-hearted morons.Your unbonded true mate and your stolen heritage are driving you mad.And the insane, insufferably annoying vampire queen is walking the court with her meat-puppet, being incredibly annoying and notactuallyoffering us any information to help us.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and let a bit of alpha command bleed into my voice in response to his audacity and utter lack of confidence and respect.The ass.“I’ll handle it,” I said.
Martina raised a brow.“You think so?”
Not her too.Dideveryonein my court have a death wish these days?The constant insults and challenges to my authority were starting to occur with dangerous frequency.
“One more,” I said softly, in the tone that dared them to keep pushing.“One more person let something stupid fall from their lips please, so I know which of you to roast to perfection and eat as an example to the others.”
Yukio leaned forward, tapping the edge of the table with one finger and sending little branches of frost across the tabletop.“You’re not a martyr, Robin.”
I huffed, smoke curling from my nostrils.Martyr.Now he sounded like Ruya.
I straightened.“You think I’m an unfit alpha?”
Yukio rolled his eyes.“I think you’re so busy trying to protect and corral everyone, that you keep forgettingyou’rea part of that ‘everyone’ too.”
Martina didn’t interrupt.She just watched the exchange in silence, her alpha presence heavy but not oppressive.Yukio being allcaringlike this was a startling turn of events.Maybe I had passed out from the strain of my missing magic and this was all some sort of weird dream.
“I’ve outlined all the resources we have and some possible ways to proceed,” I said, ignoring his odd behavior—andthe cat who had the absolutegallto jump up in my lap and make herself at home.Again.“But it’s impossible to make any real plans until Acacia gets around to providing us with the emperor’s location, or until we manage to find him ourselves,” I said.“Planning for possible contingencies is all well and good.But it doesn’t help us with our goal.If we’re going to survive Acacia’s interference, we need to obtain some usable information.”
Yukio’s voice dropped.“What if Acacia is just toying with us, and has no intention of actually helping us find the emperor?”
I sighed.Clearly Sanka had followed my orders and kept from spilling the tea about Acacia’s other demands.I hadn’t quite made up my mind what to do about that yet.On one hand, it might be easier to comply just to shut her up for a while.But on the other hand...fuck that bitch and everything she stood for.
“She’s waiting for us to dance for her amusement,” I said flatly.“She had Josh deliver a message a couple of days ago.She wants us to jump through hoops for her before she gives us the information.”
