The memory evaporated and Emory was in control once more, though he had to fight to stay that way. The wolf wanted to return to that moment. Any memory, even one that wounded the soul, was better than none.
Emory tuned in to the conversation between Diskant and Trey, though he continued to merge past with present, and Ava listened in. Blood would be shed over him. The head Shepherd—whom she immediately recognized as the armed man from earlier in the evening, Elijah—warned Emory that they would make an example of him. Daring to mate with one of his kin was a sin they could not abide. It was a direct sign, Elijah announced before his enclave, that god was testing their worth and calling upon their strength. Pointing his gun at Emory, Ava watched through the shifter’s eyes as Elijah turned to him, whiskered jaw clenched, thick brown brows furrowed. There was a glint of determination in the orbs of liquid obsidian that was as unmistakable as the man’s faith, but it was what he declared before Emory and his kindred that made Emory’s heart ice over.
“I’ll kill her before I allow you to take her, minion of Satan.”
“You have to give me to them. It’s the only way.” Emory abruptly severed the memory and interrupted the ongoing conversation, disorienting her in the process. His frantic gaze darted wildly about the room. “When will you tell the rest of the packs why they’re here?”
“I should tell them tonight.” Diskant answered, the arm at her shoulders drawing her close. “They have a right to know. If it had been wolves that were skinned alive, we’d be out for blood.”
“We need to know more about the Shepherds’ enclave,” Trey said and looked at Emory. “If their numbers are small, the pack can challenge them directly.”
“You’re asking the wrong person.” Emory laughed hollowly and Ava felt the anguish that was slowly suffocating him. “Mary didn’t tell me anything. She wasn’t even aware of the importance of her surname.”
“I can tell you,” she said without hesitation.
A lot had occurred in the past few days, but in the midst of chaos something extraordinary had happened. No longer did her ability make her an outcast that forced her to keep her head down and her presence obscured. She was now a part of something that regular people had no idea existed, which meant she wasn’t entirely an anomaly.
Confidence bolstered her decision. Diskant was the most powerful shifter in New York, and as his mate it was time to reveal what she could bring something to the table. She’d save the knowledge that she could read shifters for herself, but the Shepherds were human, meaning they were safe ground. Who cared if she couldn’t sprout fur, grow fangs and howl at the moon?
What she could do was even better.
Brains before brawn.
“You can tell us what?” Diskant’s heated breath warmed her ear as his husky and alluring voice wakened various portions of her anatomy.
Forcing her desire to chill, she peered up at him and smiled. “Everything.”
“Everything?” he echoed and she heard the question in his mind, the uncertainty.
“They’re human.” She released his wrist, leaned forward and brought her hand to his chin, allowing her fingertips to tease the shadow that was growing thick and dark along the strong line of his jaw. His lids drooped slightly, the emerald green irises—those of the cat—positively simmering with desire. She had to tamp her own response despite the sudden urge to climb aboard his lap. “When they approached us outside the apartment I was able to learn their names and who was in charge. I also found out that they had a van parked at the end of the street where more of them were waiting in case something went wrong.”
The laziness in Diskant’s expression vanished and he grasped her hand in a move that was faster than she expected. “You could listen to them telepathically? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She didn’t struggle, meeting his angry gaze head-on. “When did I have a chance to, lover? On the bike when you couldn’t hear me over the motor? Outside when I was terrified to come in here? Or how about in the office when I was pinned between you and the wall?”
A soft chuckle from Nathan wasn’t enough of a distraction to tear her eyes away from Diskant. He was fuming, lips thinned and eyes changing colors. She had to wall up her mind so she didn’t intrude on his thoughts any longer. The fun and excitement she’d experienced was replaced by cold, hard reality. She hadn’t thought about what an invasion of privacy it was before. Now she intuitively realized he was certain to ask just how liberal she’d been with her talent.
“I wasn’t trying to keep it from you,” she added softly and he immediately loosened his grip, ditching the frown. “There wasn’t an opportunity to tell you until now.”
“Are you having a private conversation? Or can anyone join in?” Trey asked with a distinguishable amount of strained humor.
“Either way, they’d better hurry,” Nathan added tersely. “Everyone’s arriving.”
Ava glanced past Diskant as he turned in the seat and stared at the window. An assembly line of cars and motorcycles crowded the street.
“Tell me what you know, Ava mine.” Diskant rotated, his focus solely on her. “How many were there?”
“The five outside and however many they could fit inside a van.”
“I’d say that means there are nine or ten, tops,” Trey said. “They’re not here for a cleansing and any more than that is likely to draw attention.” He rested his elbows on the table, lowering his voice. “The pack could wipe them out in a single shot. All we need is the opportunity.”
Ava gasped as Diskant wrapped his arm around her, pulled her into his lap, and turned his back to the room. “If you do that, you can’t tell any of the packs or prides what you’re planning. They can’t find out until the threat is gone and there isn’t anything to bitch about. If you fuck this up they’ll be out for blood. Your head will be the one they want gracing the plate since you’re the Alpha in charge.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“What’s your plan?”
“We hand Emory over, follow them from a distance and use eyes that can’t be seen to make sure they don’t vanish while we’re not looking. We’ll have to make sure to take them out before they cross state lines, so we’ll need a distraction.”
“Who’ve you got in mind?”
“Aldon Frost owes me a favor. I’m going to call on him to collect.”
“A vampire? You’re going to ask a leech for help?” Diskant snarled and Ava pressed her hand over the crazed beating of his heart, attempting to calm him. “Have you forgotten that blood drinkers attacked my mate?”
“Technically, she wasn’t your mate yet. Now that she is you know they wouldn’t take the risk.”
“I want an explanation.” Diskant’s demand didn’t brook room for argument. “Or I can’t help you.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged.”
The voices inside the bar hushed and Ava was aware that a large group of shifters were entering the establishment. The energy in the room changed, the atmosphere becoming oppressive and heavy. When she tried to move off Diskant’s lap he tightened his hold, making his intention clear. With or without telepathy, she knew he wanted to clearly state who and what she was to him, providing a very public and possessive display that all the guests would recognize.
“Yes or no,” Trey said briskly. “Contemplation is over. I need your answer.”
Diskant cradled Ava in his arms and met the level stare of his pack mate. This was some serious fucking shit. As an Omega, he wasn’t supposed to place himself or his interests into the middle of anything concerning shifter business. That was why he was always respected despite being born into a wolf shifter pack. The bonds were still evident, especially when you studied his habits and closest friends, but there was never any question of his loyalty.