She made quick work of washing up and going through a boot-camp-fast morning routine. Armed guards awaited her as she exited, providing a welcomed security escort to the round table hall.
Hunter was already seated with Shogun, one man slumped over a steaming cup of coffee, the other over hot green tea. They both looked up at the same time, eyes weary and five o’clock shadow covering their jawlines. It seemed as though nobody had gotten anything but fitful sleep, from where she was standing. Sir Rodney didn’t look much better as he slowly stood for her, his actions encouraging the others to get to their feet. But the rest of the men looked refreshed and well rested. Oh, yeah, this male-lust spell was definitely getting worse by the night.
“Good morning,” Sasha said, feeling surly.
Rupert lifted a glass pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. “For the lady?” he said, seeming so nervous that the pitcher shook in his grip.
“Please,” she said, taking a seat. She lifted the silver dome that was covering her plate, and steak and eggs and hash browns were on it. She lowered her nose and took in a deep inhale, closing her eyes. “Mmmmm… Thank you.”
Food. Good food; fantastic food. She was beginning to feel better already-that is, until she opened her eyes and noticed that two alpha male wolves were staring down her throat. She set down the silver tray cover very carefully; there was so much tension in the air that she could practically see it arc as she lifted her knife and fork. The moment she took a bite of steak, Hunter licked his bottom lip. Shogun slowly closed his eyes and Sir Rodney picked up his mug of coffee with trembling hands. The other guys held their forks in midair, bodies tense, bracing for sudden battle.
“I have a theory,” she said quickly, slurping her juice. Her quick, jerky motions overlaid by nervous chatter seemed to temporarily snap the three male contenders out of their dazes.
“Coffee, milady?” Rupert said, rushing to her side, appearing to understand her strategy to keep distractions going.
“Yes, plenty, with-”
“Cream and sugar?” he sputtered, and then spun toward a far door. “Kitchen! Cream and sugar for the lady.” Rupert was so undone that he splashed coffee on the white linen cloth that covered his sleeve.
“Have you gone daft, man?” Sir Rodney asked in a low, warning tone, setting down his coffee slowly. “Is this how you present yourself before-”
“It’s ne, it’s ne,” Sasha said quickly. “He was just rushing to get it for me fast because I’m so not good in the morning without joe-bad habit since who knows when… But I haven’t had my coffee yet. Thank you, Rupert; sorry about your spill. So, it looks like we’re in for another bright and sunny day.” She was babbling and couldn’t seem to stop herself. The only option was to take a hurried sip of her coffee without any of the additions Rupert had called for, but that made her burn her tongue. “Oh, boy, that’s hot-but that’s a good thing.”
“You seem undone,” Hunter said slowly, his voice a sensual rumble. “Baby, how did you sleep?”
Oh, shit, he was going for the verbal possessive! She had to get these guys fed and out hunting so they could kill something or blow something up, fast.
“Good, good, was really very comfortable. I take it everybody slept well-we have a lot on the agenda today.”
Elves ran forward with cream and sugar, deposited the items beside her, and then dashed off, taking cover.
“No, we all didn’t,” Shogun said in an intense murmur, taking a long sip from his tea as his gaze connected with hers for a moment and held it. “But we do have much to accomplish today.”
Sasha took several mouthfuls of eggs and promptly began coughing. Three males stood quickly to rush over, but she held a napkin to her face with one hand while waving them off with the other.
“I’m okay-just was so hungry that I was wolfing down my food too fast.”
“Live game? Name it,” Hunter said with a low growl. “If this isn’t doing the job, I’ll bring it back still twitching.”
“She has to survive to eat it,” Shogun said, throwing back his chair and coming dangerously close to Sasha so that he could pat her on the back.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she said, coughing harder.
“Put your hand on her and you’ll lose the arm,” Hunter said, squaring off with Shogun.
Her men were on their feet; Shogun’s men were up and in battle stances. Bear Shadow and Crow Shadow were up and snarling. Fae guards whipped silver-tipped arrows from their quivers, lifted bows in a flash, and drew. Sir Rodney spun on his serving staff that was huddled by the door and flung his mug on the stone floor with a crash. “What were my demands? Everything was to be prepared to her approval!”
“Guys! Save it for the enemy!” Sasha shouted, finally catching her breath and holding out both hands.
Times like these made her want to pull her hair out by the roots, but at least war in the round table hall had been averted. All potential combatants stood in the long corridor outside the grand foyer, breathing hard but slowly regaining their composure.
“I’ll send you through the tapestries; there, you’ll meet the Wood Sprites, who can guide you to the plants you need to collect.”
Sir Rodney looked around the group. “They are shy, nervous creatures by nature. If you guys go alpha wolf on them, don’t expect ’em to help you. They love sugar,” he added, dropping several cubes into Sasha’s palm. “Put these in your hip pocket. Once they’ve shown you the rowan, they’ll guide you to the way out. From that point on, and as long as you’re carrying rowan or iron, we’ll have to stay at a distance. But your men will cover you, along with our aerial tree archers, to the edge of the bayou, where our Brownies ’ave borrowed a human vehicle.”
Sasha tossed Sir Rodney her cell phone. “All the numbers got accidentally wiped out-but when this rings, it means we’ve finished the job and are on phase two-blowing up Vampire lairs.”
He looked at the cell phone with appreciation. “I have to get used to using these things more than our missives. It still amazes me how, without magick, this little device can truly help the humans talk to each other over great distances. It’s just a shame they aren’t impervious to Vampire hijacking, but it’s not bad for a human development.”
She smiled. “It’s their attempt at magick, but not nearly as elegant as the Fae’s.”
Her words seemed to please him as he tucked the unit into his breast pocket. “But she won’t work in the castle.”
Sasha shook her head no. “You’ll have to post a guard just outside the glamour zone. Seems that human technology doesn’t work in any of the distorted dimensions. My cell always goes dead in the shadow lands, too.”
“I like the part about where we start blowing up lairs, Cap,” Fisher said, getting antsy.
“I like the plan,” Woods added, checking his weapon. “Sure wish I had more shells, though. Ammo got real low back at Buchanan’s.”
“That’s an easy request, man,” Sir Rodney said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Fisher nodded. “We’ll be on the other side of the walls, locked and loaded.”
“As will we,” Bear Shadow said, bumping his fist with Crow Shadow.
“You men are on train yard detail,” Shogun said, looking at Seung Kwon. “Once you collect enough iron, stay hidden and make your way back to the three positions.”
“That’s the primary thing-that each of you stays out of sight until one of us arrives with the rowan and other ingredients we gather. Then we must gain entry to the properties and find the dark altars.” Hunter’s gaze traveled around the assembled group. “We may only get one shot at this, so let’s get it right.”