River’s fingers linked with mine as we walked down the silent hallway toward Jonathan’s office. It was late, already dark, but I knew he’d still be in his office.

“You okay, love?” River asked quietly, his fingers tightening around mine.

“Yep.” I gave a sharp nod, not trusting myself to elaborate on that any further. We’d only just got back from Toronto an hour or so before, having flown back on the Omega jet. After Austin and his tiger had invaded my bed, sleep had actually come surprisingly quick, and I’d slept like the dead until Wesley had woken us up.

To my utter embarrassment though, Austin’s tiger familiar must have gotten bored while we slept and had disappeared—leaving me tangled up in the Ink Mage’s strong, decorated arms. Neither of us had said a word when we woke wrapped around one another like some sort of twisted pretzel. We just politely pretended it hadn’t happened and left it at that.

Healthy, I know.

The halls were totally deserted at such a late hour, and my fur-lined ankle boots clicked on the marble floor as we approached Jonathan’s office. The door was closed, and we could hear nothing from the other side. Made sense, I guess, that the director of a spy organization might have soundproofed his office.

Sucking in a deep breath, I tapped lightly on the door. The contents of my stomach threatened to spill as I stood there waiting for my dad to answer his door and potentially confirm my worst fears—that he’d been using me all along.

“Maybe he’s gone home?” River suggested when the door didn’t open.

“No,” I murmured quietly. “The light is on, see?” From the crack of space below the door, a sliver of light was showing, suggesting someone was still in there.

Frowning, I knocked again. Still, no one answered.

River gave me a look and sighed. “You’re going to break in, aren’t you?”

“You know me so well.” I grinned, sliding a couple of pins from my hair and straightening them out. “Don’t give me that face, Alpha. He’s my dad, so best-case scenario, he scolds me for breaking into his office.”

“Uh-huh, and the worst?” River retorted, and I shrugged.

“What’s worse than him trying to blow us up with a car bomb?” I meant it as an offhand comment, but a chill ran down my spine and my mind whirled with all the worse that could happen. “One way to find out, right?”

“Gods, woman,” River muttered under his breath while I made quick work of the lock, silently manipulating the tumblers and pins. “You’re bloody lucky I’d jump off a cliff for you.”

Releasing the now unlocked door knob, I leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips, stroking my hand over his stubbled jaw.

“I am bloody lucky,” I whispered back with sincerity, then turned the door handle and pushed open Jonathan’s office door with a dramatic flourish, only to find... no one.

“Well, that’s odd,” I commented, looking around the brightly lit room. “Why would he leave the light on if he’d gone home?”

“No, love, what’s odd is that he didn’t have any more security on his office than just a simple door lock.” River raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged.

“I guess when you’re inside the headquarters of one of the world’s top spy organizations, you figure your shit is pretty safe?” I suggested. “Or maybe just that he knows every man and his dog in here is trained to break into places, so why bother? Then again, knowing Jonathan, he simply has nothing confidential or important lying around in here.”

As I said this, a panel of the wall swung open, and River grabbed my hand, yanking me behind the open panel and hiding us from view as my adopted dad stepped through from his secret room while talking to someone on the phone.

“That’s right; I need you to try again. She definitely has the power, but she’ll need all of her guardians before we can move forward with the plan.” There was a pause, and he stood there with his back to us while my world came crashing down around me. “Yes, by whatever means necessary. This war is coming, and I intend to be prepared.” He paused again while the person on the phone spoke, but this time he didn’t reply as he turned to close his secret door and saw me standing there with River.

“Kit,” he exclaimed, ending his call and slipping the phone back into his pocket. “What the hell are you doing in my office?” His gaze shifted to River and hardened. “This is totally unacceptable behavior, Mr. Morgan.”

“Oh, do not try and pretend we didn’t just hear you right now,” I snarled, my hands shaking with the burning rage I was feeling. “You’ve been using me! For how long?”

“Kiddo, I don’t know what you think you just heard, but I assure you, you’re wrong.” He tried to look confident and calm, but I could see straight through him. He was nervous as hell, and I knew in my gut I wasn’t wrong.

“How long have you known what I am?” I demanded, my fists curling by my sides.

“Listen, kiddo,” Jonathan sighed. “Why don’t you take a seat, and I can explain? I promise you it’s not all as bad as it seems right now. I’m not your enemy.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t set up other recruits to be hurt and potentially killed for the sole purpose of having me change them?” I challenged, and he looked uncomfortable.

“Well, yes, but Kit—”

“Right.” I cut him off. “And I guess you also didn’t explode a car bomb outside our townhouse or crash a damn truck into our car a few weeks ago, nearly killing me both times? You didn’t do any of that?”

“If you’ll just sit and let me explain—” Jonathan tried again, but I was done.

“No, Jonathan, I really don’t think I want to hear a fucking thing your lying mouth has to say right now,” I spat. “I trusted you when I had no one else on this entire fucking planet except Lucy, and you were using me. I’m done here.”

Hands bunched in fists, I stormed out of his office, feeling the burning sting of betrayal in my gut like I’d just swallowed poison. River didn’t immediately follow but caught up with me at the end of the hallway as I slammed through the doors and out into the night.

“What did you say to him?” I asked as he took my hand in his and linked our fingers once more.

“Nothing much,” he murmured, matching my pace as we headed back to the apartment block. “I just handed in Alpha Team’s resignation, effective immediately.”

“River.” I frowned, but he shook his head.

“Don’t even try and say anything,” he scolded. “You’re not safe here anymore, and I have no intention of letting you leave without us. We need to move quickly though, before the Director decides you’re too valuable to lose.”

Pulling him to a stop as we passed under a huge oak tree, I bit my lip and looked into his serious, golden eyes.

“River, I have been meaning to tell you something, but the timing was never quite right,” I blurted out because when the one man who was supposed to love me is trying to kill my friends... who knew when I’d have another chance?

“What is it, Kitten?” he asked, rubbing a thumb over my cheekbone where a tear had slipped out.

“I think I’m falling in love with you too,” I whispered before I could lose the nerve.

A grin spread across his rugged face, totally unlike anything I’d seen on him before, and he dipped his head down to kiss me.

“Thank the gods,” he murmured when we broke apart. “Now, let’s get the boys and get the hell off this property before something blows up.”

The crawling sensation of someone watching us had me looking around, but the only culprit I could find was a bushy, red and white tail disappearing into the bushes.

River took my hand in his once more, and we hurried back to the apartment where my dianoch waited. Sure, they may not all be bonded, or even changed, but they were my chosen guardians and I knew they’d never betray me.

Whatever came next, I knew we would be facing it together.