Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair (reading a book txt) 📕

Angie‘s face was red and furious as she shoved Vic back a step. "Get out of here. I‘d like to kill you myself, but if Calum does, he‘ll never forgive himself." When Vic couldn‘t move, Angie slapped her, the cracking sound followed by fiery pain.

Vic shook her head. She hadn‘t tried to block the blow and didn‘t fight now as Angie pushed her toward the back. And out. The door slammed behind her.

Blackness surrounded her as she stood in the alley, trying to breathe, staring at the building.

Her ears rang; her head swam with pain and guilt. Alec. Calum. God, no. She hugged herself.

What can I do?

Somewhere close, a car started up and moved slowly away. Without lights. Wells.

Breaking into a run, she headed for the police station.

Chapter Twenty-six

"Easy, brawd, easy." Alec held his brother tighter, impending trawsfur tingling against his hands. "Stay human, Calum. Hear me? This is no time to lose control."

His words finally penetrated, and Calum stilled, his head bowing. The magic faded away.

"There you go. That‘s good," Alec soothed, not taking his gaze from the back door. The need to chase after her, yell, hold her, understand burned inside him, but he couldn‘t.

He wouldn‘t.

A spy. It was so plain he couldn‘t believe they hadn‘t put together the clues. Her fighting skills. That night she‘d followed Calum through the tunnels to spy on him —they‘d been suspicious until she drew them off the scent with her tale about Lachlan.

Those big brown eyes had sucked them right in, and, by Herne, he still couldn‘t accept her behavior was all a lie.

Calum straightened to stand alone, then ran his hands over his face as if to reacquaint himself with human form. "Thank you."

"You did it often enough for me." But no one had ever had to help Calum regain control.

Damn her!

"This is...not good," Calum said, hoarse from snarling. "She knows everything about us."

The pain in his voice was as clear as that in his eyes.

And in Alec‘s heart. He felt as if something essential, like an arm or leg, had been ripped away; he couldn‘t seem to find his balance. "She fooled us completely. Agents will cover Cold Creek and Elder Village like flies on carrion."

Calum‘s eyes narrowed. "I wonder how much she told her boss. Did she share that she"s a shifter also?"

"Well, damn, I bet not." The thought that followed hit Alec like a blow to the gut. "Brawd, if she doesn‘t have us anymore, is—" he choked, managed to spit out the words, "is she going to go feral?"

"It‘s...possible. Does that kind of person have friends?" Calum‘s dusky skin had turned gray.

"Whether she does or not is irrelevant. She is shifter and has betrayed our clan to the humans.

She will have to be killed."

Calum‘s stomach turned over at the thought of sentencing Victoria to death, and he leaned against the wall for a moment. He hurt like an animal with one leg caught in a trap. But the only way to escape the steel teeth was to gnaw off his leg—to kill his love for her. He closed his eyes.

How had he not seen what she was?

"Cosantir?"

Calum opened his eyes to a room edged with red and black. "Angie. Is Vic—the female gone?"

"Out the back door right after her boss." Angie‘s mouth tightened. "What do you require?"

Calum‘s gaze met his brother‘s, but the cahir tilted his head, deferring control. Calum inhaled slowly, trying to force his mind to function. "Those with children—this is an excellent time to visit relatives in other states. Remind them to watch for anyone following, to change cars when possible, to avoid using any ID or credit cards. You all know the drill."

"We do, Cosantir. And the rest?"

"Stay alert. If there‘s an influx of strangers, if you feel anything is dangerous, escape to the mountains."

Alec added, "I‘ll send the Murphy brothers to the Village to warn them and help evacuate if needed. They can take Jamie with them."

"Good." Calum took a step, and then glanced at Angie. "Alec and I have a murderer to visit.

If we don‘t return—"

She held up one hand. "Don‘t go begging for bad luck. We‘ll guard your cub. You be careful and come back to us."

*

Vic had stolen the patrol car from behind the station. She gave a bitter laugh, knowing how furious Alec would be. Wiping tears from her cheeks, she concentrated on the red tail lights of Wells‘ vehicle. The dispersing crowds from the movie shoot had slowed the spymaster‘s car enough that she‘d caught up to him on the country road.

Her smile was bitter. No one tailed Wells successfully…except perhaps a shifter with a cat‘s night vision who could drive without lights.

Would he continue with his plan and go to Vidal‘s?

Everything in her wanted to simply turn around and leave, run away from the mountains where she‘d been happy, the town where she‘d actually found friends.

Where she"d given her heart away. A fucking sappy expression. Only, God, it was true. She pressed a hand to her chest and could feel the emptiness inside. All that remained was pain.

Dammit, Calum. His face kept wavering into her vision, reminding how his smile would appear in his eyes before flickering across his lips. His deep rough voice would sound in her ears…and then turn into the choking snarls of a wounded animal. In the diner, his pupils had gone black with her betrayal. What had she done to him?

Guilt cut through her, ripping her up inside. Before she lifemated them, she should have told them about her past. They were so paranoid—and with good reason. But if she‘d explained, maybe they‘d have believed her now.

She scowled, anger fizzling along her skin. But fucking-A, after all this time with them, shouldn‘t they figure she wasn‘t out to get them?

Then again, the evidence had been damning. Fucking animal hearing. They‘d caught Wells‘

offer of a medal…and obviously hadn‘t heard the threat that came after it.

And she‘d just stood there in shock,