“The Brent who is now a werewolf,” Dage repeated, his gaze cutting to Conn. “Well now. I guess we know who has been helping Brent out by stalking Katie.” The king was no dummy.
Conn twisted his head to give Noah his attention. “Who’s David?”
“Apparently Brent’s daddy got around a bit before mating for life and had a child. Illegitimate, yet a son nonetheless. Possibly.”
Jordan fought a snarl. “Accept the challenge—somewhere in Nevada, Colorado, or Utah.”
“What if his claim is untrue? What if he’s not Kyle’s son?” Noah asked.
“Doesn’t matter right now.” Jordan didn’t have time to worry about small details. Any feline shifter could challenge him for leadership. The threat developed only if Jordan lost because many people might reject Noah and follow Bomant out of loyalty to his dead father. “If I lose, then you need to investigate his claim.”
“I’m on it.” Noah cleared his throat. “Ah, there’s more.”
“Isn’t there always?” Jordan rested his hands on the table.
Noah lifted a shoulder. “The leaders of several feline clans want to have a video conference meeting with you. In an hour.”
“Set up a meeting.”
“Okay.” Noah cut the transmission.
Dage leaned forward. “What does that mean?”
Jordan shrugged. “I assume they want to discuss my being infected, my plans, and now the new challenge. I’ve accepted the challenge, so we fight to the death. If David is truly a blood relative, he’d take over if I died. Well, until someone challenged him. If someone challenged him.”
“So why not wait?” Dage asked. Then he colored. “I mean—”
“I know what you meant.” Jordan felt an unwilling smile. He’d made the king blush. “Killing me instead of waiting would cement him as leader—not many would challenge him.” Irritation heated in Jordan’s lungs. His strength had increased since being infected, but his sharpness in battle had diminished to animalistic instinct. The fight wouldn’t be an easy one.
Dage leaned back in his chair. “Am I the only one not seeing a coincidence between Brent’s resurfacing and David’s challenge?”
“No.” Jordan grabbed a band from his jeans pocket and tied back his hair. “It can’t be a coincidence. You’re right. They’ve been working together. It’s the only conclusion that makes sense.” A werewolf working with a shifter ... what had the world come to?
“We need to alter our view of werewolves.” Dage nodded. “If they’ve evolved, you need to figure Bomant out. What do you remember about him?”
“He was a bad guy. Hated women, loved to fight.” Jordan fought to keep his hands loose and relaxed. “Three hundred years ago the Kurjans took out his parents when they killed yours as well as mine, and I truly thought Brent would destroy the feline nation and maybe the Realm. Then he disappeared.”
“What really happened?” Dage asked softly.
Jordan’s hackles rose. “I just told you. So now we have the Bane’s Council, intelligent, full-functioning werewolves, and a challenge to my leadership to deal with.”
“That’s not all.” Kane Kayrs strode into the room, a handful of computer printouts in his hands. “I finished analyzing the blood I took from you earlier this morning.”
Hope flared hot and bright in Jordan’s chest. “And?”
A frown centered between Kane’s brows. “The cure didn’t work. In fact, as far as I can tell, the concoction had no impact on the virus in your blood. With the magic involved, we should have concrete results at this time. I’m sorry, Jordan.”
His chest deflated, along with his future. “Me, too.” He rubbed his chin, glancing at Conn. “Well, let’s get to training today because tonight, we hunt.”
Katie ground a palm into her exhausted eye, wondering how long the headache would last. She had given up sleep after tossing and turning for an hour. Being underground again sucked.
Dawn had yet to break, yet she refused to return to bed. Her sweats hung loose around her hips—looser than last week. But her bunny slippers still fit perfectly. Flipping on the light of the smallest underground lab, she skirted the one examination table and started opening wide cabinets.
“Kate?” Kane Kayrs strode inside and tossed papers on the small table by the door. Even at the early hour, he lounged in creased black pants and silk shirt.
She pressed harder, trying to force the pain away. “Don’t you ever dress down?”
He smiled, transforming his angular face into something that should be selling vodka on billboards. “Well, I don’t have bunny slippers.” Stalking toward the far wall, he yanked open a drawer and tugged out a small vial. “Aspirin.” He poured two into her hand and grabbed a water bottle from a fridge hidden under one counter. “You okay?”
She swallowed the drugs and took a drink of the water. The guy moved more like a panther than a vampire—all fluid grace. Rumors had it he hunted werewolves for sport and by himself. “No, I’m not okay.” Hopefully the painkiller would kick in soon. “Are those the latest test results?”
“Yes. No change in Jordan’s blood. Or yours. I just came from telling Jordan.” Kane jerked his head to the side. “Sorry.”
The scientist wasn’t a sugarcoating type of guy. Disappointment heated down her esophagus. But she did appreciate him working around the clock to find a cure. She tilted her head in curiosity. “I’ve known you almost my entire life.”
He nodded. “Yes. And so far, it has been a great pleasure.”
Smart aleck. Not once, in all the get-togethers, had he ever brought a date. “Are you gay?” Not that she’d care, she only wanted Jordan. But she did know a truly awesome fox shifter who was single—great guy. Really fun loving.
“No.” Matter of fact, Kane didn’t appear insulted or even interested in the topic. “I like women. Always have.”
“So you do date?” What kind of woman did Kane like? Probably someone really, really smart. Rocket scientist smart.
“Sure.” He tapped a manila file against his hand. “But I usually screw up. I miss hints, miss clues, don’t say the emotional thing at the right time. My last girlfriend was probably the most logical woman I’ve ever met, and even she got angry when I failed to remember our first month anniversary.” Bewilderment quirked his lip. “Relationships always come second to my work, and most women don’t understand that. Casual, very casual relationships are a must for me, I think. Especially now since the virus takes all my time.”
Katie nodded. “That’s cool. Of course, maybe you haven’t met the right woman. The one you’d put first, before your work.”
“No. My work always comes first. It’s life or death.”
She sincerely hoped she was around when the methodical Kane Kayrs fell hard for a woman. “If you say so.”
“Have we spent enough time distracting you from the coming moon by talking about my love life?”
From anybody else, the question would’ve been either sarcastic or humorous. Not Kane. He was genuinely serious.
Katie shook her head. For a non-emotional guy, the scientist read people really well. “Yes. I’ve been wondering, should we try to capture Brent alive? I mean, since he has evolved?”
“No.” Kane reached into a different drawer to toss her a candy bar. “He has evolved only because there has been time to do so. In all the werewolves I’ve tested, the virus hasn’t changed. If you get the chance to take him out, do it.”
“Okay.” Back to Plan A—kill the bastard. Taking Brent alive would’ve been a huge risk, anyway.
Kane frowned. “Your neck is hurting you. Want a bandage?”