Chapter Ten
Grant stared down at the long line of sand that had no doubt come from Natalie’s body. He smelled her hair then his own skin. They both smelled like the ocean.
She crawled backward off the bed. “I’ll get some fresh linens then we’d probably better shower.” She was frowning as she spoke the words.
He was already moving. “I’ll get the water warmed up.” He headed straight to the shower, turned it on and stepped in. He didn’t care that the water was cold to start. What the hell did it mean that their experience in Santa Cruz had followed them home? It had felt real to be in the water, to walk on the sand, to see the sunrise. Yet the entire time he’d known he’d been in the dreamglide and that his corporeal self had been back in bed.
He shampooed the salt water out of his hair. When Natalie didn’t come to the bathroom right away, he knew she’d set about changing the sheets instead. He would have helped her, but he needed time to think this through.
Something about his dreamglide allowed them to have a real, a very real, experience. He didn’t know what to make of it.
All kinds of possibities, however, began whipping through his mind. They could travel the world and actually be in the places they visited. They might not be able to sit in restaurants and order food, but they could walk all kinds of trails, thoroughfares and back streets. They could also enjoy the sun again, as long as they had the protection of the dreamglide.
The next question that rose, however, was a big why. Why was he able to do this?
More questions surfaced: How was is it even possible. Was it because they were together? Or could he do this on his own?
By the time Natalie joined him in the shower, he’d decided to forget about the unanswerable questions, at least for now. He could see that she was exhausted and after caressing her shoulder, he left to towel off. He took some time to blow most of the moisture from his long hair then padded off to bed.
He’d been right. The bed was freshly made.
He climbed into the far side away from the window and the cordoned off patio garden. He swore he fell asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.
He was awakened about two hours later with a jarring fist to his face. He sat up ready to do battle then realized it was Natalie. Something was wrong. She was almost thrashing in bed.
He turned on his side and reached for her. He pet her arm all the way to her wrist and squeezed her fingers. “Natalie, you’re dreaming.”
Natalie’s eyes popped wide. She stared at him for a moment then burst into tears. Few things were as hard for a man as a woman’s tears. These might have been worse because they took him by surprise.
He scooted close. “What’s wrong? What were you dreaming about?”
“It was the old days. I mean not with Aaron, but here. The first year I arrived. I didn’t know anyone, and my heart was broken. But I’d developed a friendship with a very gifted fae. Her name was Alexis. She’d been here awhile, maybe three years and knew the ropes. She helped me so much, but she died in the Fae-Wolf Wars.”
His heart sank. The Fae-Wolf Wars. Again. “Do you often have nightmares?”
“Sometimes. I think I keep trying to bring her back. I feel responsible for her death even though I know I wasn’t. She was the most wonderful person. But never mind. It’s old business. I’m so tired.” She patted his hand. “I’ll be okay. Go back to sleep.”
He cradled her and caressed her back in gentle strokes.
“Mm, that’s nice.”
The patio drew his gaze and the morning glories that needed clipping. There were several evergreens. At the top of the tall wood ceiling were several spotlights, maybe grow-lights.
He sighed. He was tired, and his mind was already wandering. He needed his sleep. He realized Natalie was breathing evenly so he closed his eyes and once more drifted off.
When he awoke, the room was quiet and empty. Natalie was already up. So were the shutters.
He knew the hour. 7:33. It was full dark. He’d slept all that time. Truth? He felt wonderful. After escaping Kryder and his minions at The Sapphire Club and after several bouts of extraordinary sex, he’d had hours of good sleep.
Renewed. That was the word for what he felt.
He smelled something. His nostrils flared, and his chin jerked up and down a few times.
“Bacon.” He spoke the word aloud and hopped from bed.
He could hear laughter as well. Another aroma reached him.
“Coffee.”
Oh, yeah.
He took another shower, though avoided getting his hair wet, then dressed in his usual black tank and leathers like the rest of the wolves. He braided his hair as most of the wolves did, though he preferred his in a single down his back. A lot of wolves left some of their hair hanging free. He stared at himself in the mirror, but his mind suddenly took a profound detour.
His thoughts became fixed on Kryder and seeing him at The Sapphire Club. His movements had been erratic, his manner almost impulsive. He hadn’t looked like a wolf in control. In fact, he’d been the opposite.
He shook his head. What did that mean? Was there a crack in the man’s armor that Grant could penetrate?
In the end, it hadn’t been Natalie’s futurist gift that had gotten them out of the club but his own speed. He’d never flown that fast before. His skills were improving, a circumstance he set down to Natalie’s presence in his life.
He pressed his fists into the marble sink and leaned over. He had to figure this out. Something was there he needed to understand. Yes, his speed had saved them in the end. But if Natalie hadn’t played cat-and-mouse with the future, they would have been caught, tortured and no doubt killed. Or at least, Kryder would have killed him. He felt certain Natalie’s fate would have been a lot less certain.
To some degree, though, he believed they’d gotten lucky. This was their first encounter with Kryder. Maybe they’d caught him off-guard, but Grant didn’t believe for a second the alpha wasn’t already planning his next move.
He returned to the bedroom and found Natalie straightening the sheets. For a moment, he watched her. He became acutely aware that he’d marked her as a wolf. From this point forward, all male wolves would know to keep their distance from her. She was his woman. It wasn’t a full bond, but it held a lot of weight in Savage.
He went to the opposite side of the bed and pitched in. The job was done in less than fifteen seconds.
“I brought you coffee,” she said, nodding toward the side table on his side of the bed. She picked up her own cup but turned toward the patio. She opened the door and stepped through.
The air was still warm this early in the evening. September in the desert still had them in triple digits, which would continue well into October. Eventually the Desert Southwest would cool down, but it usually took until December for any kind of consistently cool weather.
He followed her out as a burst of laughter flowed from the kitchen area.
She turned back to him. “Your wolves are cooking up a whole bunch of eggs and bacon. Someone was jugging three loaves of bread and two sticks of butter when I fetched the coffee. Hence the laughter. You sleep well?”
“Haven’t slept like that in years.” He joined her on the patio.
“You were dead to the world when I woke up.”
He turned to her. “How did you sleep, I mean after—”
Her brows rose as she took another sip. “After what?”
He took a swig of his coffee as well but watched her over the rim. She seemed oblivious to what had happened during the night. He felt he had to address it because of what she’d told him. “You had a nightmare last night.”
“I did? I don’t remember.”
“You told me about a fae friend you’d lost during the wars. You said you blamed yourself.”
She pivoted to face him fully. “I don’t remember waking up at all and I said that?”
“You were thrashing in your sleep and I reached for you, held you. Then you told me about your friend.”
“What was her name? Did I say her name?”
“Yes, Alexis.”
She sighed heavily. “Right. She disappeared during the Fae-Wolf Wars, presumed cremated at the Savage morgue. Your side was doing that back then, getting rid of some of the bodies. I guess we were as well, not reporting all the casualties.” She frowned heavily.
“It was a brutal time.” He drew a heavy breath. He didn’t want to do this, but it had to be done at some point. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “It was a terrible time. You and I both lost people, but what good would it do to hash things over now?” She held her mug with both hands. “This is so new between us, I guess I’m afraid what happened during those years, since we were both involved, might come between us.”
“I’ve let those tragedies go, or at least tried to. The Tribunal was right to intervene. It became a Hatfield-McCoy situation where the pain of loss began to drive the conflict. I also know there were rogue wolves inciting both sides. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kryder was somehow involved as well.”
She released a sigh. “I’ve tried to adopt a similar attitude through the years. But what if this becomes an issue between us?”
He shrugged. “Then we’ll deal with it. For now, I just wanted to make sure you were okay this morning.”
At that, her brow lightened. “I am.”
He lifted his cup. “This is good coffee, by the way. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She gestured to a pair of nearby patio chairs then sat down. He joined her.
She continued, “Ryan said they’ll bring breakfast over here when it’s ready. For now, though, I’ve been thinking, how would you feel about taking the party to Kryder.”
“You mean you want to take him on?” He confessed he was shocked.
“I’ve thought of nothing else since I woke up.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “What do you have in mind?”
~ ~ ~
Natalie crossed her legs at the knee but kept her cup in both hands. She wondered if her body-language made her look closed-up to Grant, which she wasn’t.
When she’d awakened, she’d spent twenty minutes just staring at him. He’d been on his back with one arm slung over his forehead. He was a beautiful man. She realized she loved his looks, even though he was very different from Aaron.
As she’d watched him, she kept thinking about their adventure the night before at The Sapphire Club. She’d barely been one-step ahead of the gifted fae in Kryder’s employ and ultimately, the fae had cornered her. She honestly didn’t know what she could have done differently.
Ryan approached with two plates, both piled high. Natalie smiled, but raised her brows.
Ryan chuckled. “I know. You’re not a wolf. But the cook insisted. Just in case.”
She took the plate that bore at least four scrambled eggs, eight slices of bacon and three pieces of toast. What she would have preferred was some melon and a muffin. Maybe some yogurt. “Thank him for me,” she said.
She set the plate on the small table between herself and Grant. He’d already dug into the eggs and stopped only long enough to grab a couple of slices of bacon and chomp down. She watched him for a moment. Wolf metabolism was quite different from fae. He was a very physical man besides being a Border Patrol officer.
“You were starving.”
He glanced at her. “I’m wolfing this down, pun intended, aren’t I? But yes. Starving. We were busy last night, especially there at the end.”
“We definitely were.” She chuckled and nibbled on the toast.
Her mind, however, took off sideways as she pondered the conundrum of Kryder and the fae working with him. She’d been very serious when she said she would do anything it took to take Kryder down. Her goal hadn’t changed a bit, even if they’d had a harrowing escape the night before.
Last night, however, they’d been on the defensive as they effected Alanna’s rescue. Tonight, she wanted something very different to happen.
Her gaze flitted from the tall Italian cypresses, to the morning glories, then to the lawn. The warriors were scattered everywhere, some of them moving over the property as they had the night before, others eating. She was reminded of the importance of her own role. She called her wolf forward and set her to patrolling the property as well.
Suddenly, she was hungry, too. She picked up her plate and began eating some of the eggs. A slice of bacon was next, more eggs, then toast. Pretty soon, she’d consumed over half the vast quantity of food but there was no way she’d be able to eat the rest.
She glanced at Grant. He was eyeing her plate.
She held it up for him to get a good look. “Any chance you’d like this, wolf?” She didn’t wait for an answer but handed the plate to him.
He took it and with a crooked smile began to eat. Yup, starved. And who knows what tonight will bring.
One of the wolves brought over fresh coffee and refilled their mugs. She stared out at her garden, letting her gaze follow the tall Italian Cypresses up to the clear night sky. She stayed with telepathy. We should go on the attack.
He glanced at her and she met his gaze. What do you mean? He asked. Do you have something specific in mind?
All these wolves are loyal to you, right?
Yes. Without a doubt.
Does Kryder know you have a following?
He has spies, but I’ve always been discreet.
She thought about this. Yet, if he’s been invisible, then he might know things you’ve discussed with Ryan or the others, wouldn’t he?
He finished the last bite of egg and set the plate atop the empty one on the table they shared. I’ve been thinking about that and I suppose it’s possible. But he’s arrogant enough to believe he’s untouchable because of his sheer size and The Sapphire Club is massive. I’m sure it accounts for his long absences from the Meldorin Compound. I’d be surprised if he spent much of his time or energy following after me or the others.
Natalie had thought something similar. You’re probably right. So, here’s my suggestion. What if the pack challenged him to a dominance fight?
What do you mean? He shifted in his seat to face her more fully, but her gaze once more turned to her garden.
As she sipped her coffee, she said, Pretend we’re not conversing in case we’re being watched.
He turned away from her, picked up his own mug and followed suit.
Natalie explained what she meant. I realize I don’t know the details of pack structure, but there must be some way to remove an alpha like Kryder. My impression has always been that dominance fights were honorable affairs. Yet from what you’ve told me, he’s killed most of the wolves who’ve challenged him. Where is the honor in that?
There is no honor in Kryder.
So, why not fight fire with fire. He will never play by the rules and I doubt there’s a wolf, with alpha potential, in your entire pack that would ever be able to take him down through the traditional method.
Not one. He leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair then stroked a finger along his jaw.
She made a point of not looking at him and took a swig of her coffee. She then set her mug on the table, rose and picked up her hose. She turned the water on and made her way slowly around the different pots in the patio garden outside her bedroom sliding doors. She continued with telepathy. I think you need a coup. Is there a way to break the pack bond if, say, Kryder is held down by ropes in the sandpit and you plant your foot on his chest? I guess what I’m asking is have you ever considered doing it illegally?
I have no idea if it would work. Besides, if Kryder got a whiff of it, I have no doubt he’d bring in his security team from The Sapphire Club. A slaughter would follow.
She went to the next pot and watered it slowly. But can you think of a way that you could make it happen? If you told a loyal core group what you planned, wouldn’t you have a shot? Wouldn’t most of the pack rally behind you?
You have to understand that pack bonds are unbelievably strong.
There has to be a way, Grant. Don’t you see that through The Sapphire Club and his use of the pack money to fund it, he’s built an almost unstoppable force. At this point, he has two packs that he can use. One of them could destroy the other. But who do you think would win the fight if the security at the club took on the Meldorin Pack?
She continued watering the rest of the pots until she was all the way on the other side of him. If she was being watched now or had been through an earlier peek into the future, she and Grant would appear to be having a relaxed, first meal.
She returned to the spigot, arranged her hose in a tidy circle, then sat back down in her chair.
Grant took a turn at the charade. With mug in hand, he masked the nature of their telepathic conversation by leaving his chair and walking onto the grass down the avenue of cypresses. He continued, Until last night, I had no idea Kryder had built an empire. I knew he was siphoning money, but it never occurred to me that he was doing anything other than feeding his own appetites. Maybe you’ve got a point. Maybe it’s time I set aside a few of the rules.
~ ~ ~
Grant walked all the way to the tall shrubbery that separated Natalie’s back garden from the canal. He understood the design since tourist boats were already running. She valued her privacy, and in that sense, she seemed more wolf than fae.
Revel had a reputation for living it up, much more than Savage. As would be expected, theirs was a life of pack order and dominance, which led him back to Natalie’s acute observation of what Kryder had really built.
If he chose to employ his security personnel, how would any of his fellow pack members stand a chance against Kryder’s intentions. If he wanted to make then all slaves, he could.
Grant gripped the handle of his mug and had to remind himself of his alter strength. He’d destroyed more than one bottle of beer by squeezing too hard.
Loosening his hold, he headed back in Natalie’s direction. He watched her for a moment. She wore a long loose dress with purple flowers. Her hair hung all around her shoulders and well down her back. She didn’t seem to mind the heat. Her sandals were white, and her toenails were painted lavender. She was a beautiful, feminine woman who could fire a Glock with accuracy.
His heart thudded in his chest. She’d become important to him in a very short time, too short. He felt in danger of something he couldn’t put his finger on. Loving her, maybe. It was a tough path to walk, getting deeply attached to someone in Five Bridges. Death visited Savage every damn night. Memorials had become routine and usually conducted as quickly as possible. A few words were spoken, a moment of silence, then back to the business of staying alive.
The thought he could fall in love with Natalie then lose her, caused his stomach to twist into a knot. She’d definitely disrupted his calculated plans to marry an alpha female wolf, and have an easy, working relationship with his mate as together they took care of the Meldorin Pack. He would continue to serve on the Border Patrol and she would tend to the welfare of their wolves, everything in order.
What use would Natalie be to him in pack life?
The truth was, he didn’t know. When he’d first experienced his profound attraction to her, he’d been completely opposed to being with her for the simple reason she was fae. He didn’t want to get involved with anyone who couldn’t comprehend or enhance his role as alpha.
But then her iridescent wolf-counterpart had showed up and he’d allowed himself to slip into their odd, yet highly intoxicating affair. Did they have a future? Could she function as an alpha female in the Meldorin Pack?
These were questions he couldn’t answer.
The one he could, however, twisted his stomach a little more: What if he fell for her then lost her? He was barely over Renee and she’d passed almost six years ago.
By the time he reached the patio once more, she stood facing the far end of the yard where several of the wolves were gathered. She didn’t turn to him, but he could see something was wrong.
He was about to ask her what was troubling her, when he felt it. All the wolves were distressed. What they were feeling suddenly hit him like a punch in the face.
Something terrible had happened at the Meldorin Compound, within his pack. His feet were moving before he’d formed the command. Then he was airborne and landed a split-second later with a thump of his boots in front of Ryan.
His beta’s face was white as he held his phone to his ear.
Grant could hear screaming and grief-howls.
“It’s the dining hall at Meldorin. Remember the other two wolves that had been saved alongside Alanna?”
Grant nodded. “Tell me. Now.”
“Kryder found them, raped them, tortured them and dumped their bodies outside the compound. They’re both dead.”
“Oh, God no.” Natalie had moved to stand at his elbow. He put his arm around her waist and drew her close.
He knew he was in shock because a kind of numbness had settled into his bones. The wolves in the air had stopped patrolling. All of the men gathered around him. Because they were trained warriors, each remained silent. There would be no raging out loud, not here, not in Revel. Any ruckus of any kind might be reported, and they could end up in a gun battle with the local Border Patrol.
We should have gathered up all three. Natalie’s words didn’t make sense to him at first, though nothing much did yet.
What three?
She looked up at him and met his gaze. The newest wolves, the ones Ryan had placed in safe houses in Revel.
How were we to know Kryder would go after them?
Why wouldn’t he?
Her comments irritated him. He was already upset. Hell, he was devastated. You run the pack then. You keep everybody safe, all the time.
Her mouth hardened into a grim line. You’re blind to what Kryder is. Blind. You’ve operated carefully all this time intending to one day challenge him in a traditional sandpit dominance battle. But. You. Can’t.
These last three words were measured and hard.
She blamed him for the deaths of these two wolves. She believed he was at fault. He released her then stepped away from her. He was angry beyond words
But she grabbed his arm. This isn’t about blame but about a specific kind of revenge that you need to take right now to protect your people.
He wasn’t sure why, but her demeanor had a calming effect. What are you saying?
That it’s time you threw the rule book out because you’re dealing with a maniac. Don’t you see?
He turned to Ryan. “I need to think.” To the rest of the men, he said, “Get back to your patrols. We might be under attack at any time.”
One of them stepped forward. “We need to go back to the compound.”
He growled softly. He was in charge and so long as he was, the men would obey him.
The wolf bowed his head then resumed his place. “Sorry, boss.” For several seconds, however, none of them men moved. Natalie remained silent as well.
Grant forced himself to grow very calm and at the same time assessed what his wolves needed. Finally, he said, “Don’t worry. We’ll get the bastard.”
A group sigh ended the moment. At least six of the men turned and headed into the air.
He switched to telepathy as he addressed Ryan. We need to formulate a plan, but we can’t do it out in the open, not like this. We’ll be seen and heard.
Ryan nodded.
Grant shifted his gaze to Natalie. She still had hold of his arm. I’m pissed at you, he said.
You have every right to be, but I’m not going to protect your feelings, not on this one.
For whatever reason, these were the right words. So long as Natalie was with him, she would need to be strong, even assertive to the point of being a pain in the ass. He had a thick wolf-hide and wouldn’t always be able to see his way clearly.
And I have a suggestion, she added.
A measure of relief rippled through his chest. What’s that?
If you need a hidden place to make plans, where Kryder won’t be able to see or find you, why not do it in the dreamglide? I can’t be the only one that you can haul in there.
He glanced at Ryan and considered her proposition. It could work, but he wanted Natalie in on it. Whatever was going to happen in the next hour, she needed to be with him. He might not like her challenging him and he might wish she wasn’t fae, but she’d said nothing he hadn’t already been thinking.
She was right. He needed to start breaking the rules, or Kryder wouldn’t hesitate to kill half the pack and enslave the other just for the hell of it.
He met her gaze again. I want you with me.
Her smile was crooked. Wasn’t sure you would.
He overlaid the hand still holding his arm then turned back to Ryan. I want to use the dreamglide to set things up. He explained about Kryder and his invisibility.
Jesus. Ryan responded.
The dreamglide will keep our conversation hidden from Kryder. He gestured in the direction of the living room. The three of us will sit in there and appear to be thinking, we’ll enter the dreamglide and can talk it out. Sound good?
Yes. Hope it will be that simple. I’ll let a couple of the wolves know not to disturb us. I don’t think it would be a good idea to take too much time, either.
I agree.
Grant set his mug on the granite island then headed to the living room. Behind him, he heard Natalie say aloud, “I think I just need to sit for a few minutes and take this in. I can’t believe Kryder would do something so horrendous.”
Grant understood. Natalie was operating on two levels. She was trying to anticipate that she would have been spied on in the future. He approved of her foresight.
To Ryan, he said, She’s setting this up for us so that if anyone’s listening right now or has been checking us out in the future, that’s what they would have heard.
She’s got one helluva head on her shoulders, I’ll say that. All right, so we just sit quietly. Then what?
Grant sat down in a large chair near the front window. Natalie chose the lounge end of the sofa opposite him and tucked her long skirts beneath her legs. “I hope you men don’t mind, but I’m having a hard time with what happened. I need to process it.”
She made it look good since tears filled her eyes. But her emotions weren’t for show. She was hurt, as they both were, by what had happened. She was right about him as well. He hadn’t considered that Kryder would retaliate as he had. He hadn’t protected these women.
But it would do no good to dwell on his guilt. He needed to take action, as much for his sake as for his pack’s, and he needed to do it fast.
A moment later, he saw the iridescent markings of her wolf make an appearance. Natalie’s wolf would keep watch like the wolves flying over the house.
He settled into his chair but focused on the dreamglide. A second later, he was in a similar room but about ten feet above himself. He was even seated in a matching chair.
He invited Natalie to join him, which she did within a split second. He wasn’t sure how to bring Ryan into the dreamglide, but thought he’d begin with telepathy. The dreamglide is built. Come up here. He kept his thoughts focused on Ryan and pictured him appearing at the end of the couch where he was now.
A moment later, Ryan showed up. With brows raised and eyes wide, he looked around. “Holy fuck. Oh, sorry, Natalie.”
“Please don’t apologize.”
“Can I stand up?”
Grant rose from his chair, though Natalie remained seated. “You bet.”
Ryan stood up then looked down at the room below. “There I am. How is this happening and why does it feel so real? Am I two people right now?”
“Yes,” Grant said. “I know. It’s bizarre, but it’s an amazing contraption. We can even take it for a spin if we needed to.”
Ryan huffed a sigh. “But we can’t be seen here?”
Grant looked at Natalie.
She shrugged then rose from the sofa as well. “I’m not absolutely certain, but I don’t think so.”
Ryan nodded. “Okay, then.” He pivoted to face Grant directly. “So, what the hell do we do about our resident psychopath?”
There were many ways Grant knew he was an alpha wolf: his size, the level of his abilities, an inner knowing. But this was also one of them, that Ryan turned to him for answers as all the beta wolves did. Yet, instead of feeling burdened and pressured, he rose to the challenge of it. This was what an alpha male did: He provided solutions.
“Earlier, Natalie spoke to me about how we need to view the problem of Kryder in a much different way than we have been. I think we’re all agreed he’s a psychopath.”
“He’s at least that but I swear there has to be a better word to describe his brutality.”
“Monster works,” Natalie said.
“Yes, definitely a monster.”
“And now he has wealth to back any play,” Ryan added.
“I have no doubt The Sapphire Club brings in hundreds of thousands every month. His security team is massive.”
Ryan shook his head. “We can’t fight him.”
Grant shook his head. “No. We need to capture him and break his bond with the pack.”
Ryan looked surprised. “Can that even be done?”
“I have a plan and it begins with a challenge to a dominance fight.”
Ryan’s shoulders dropped. “You can’t beat him, Grant. I wish you could, but you can’t.”
Grant glanced at Natalie. “I know. But I have no intention of doing battle alone. I refuse to let one more wolf die at his hands by sticking to the rules.”
For the first time in a long time, Ryan looked hopeful. He even smiled. “It’s about damn time.”
~ ~ ~
Natalie listened intently as the plan evolved. Ryan and Grant had an excellent working relationship. The idea that appealed to both was the use of a specialized netting generally employed to control crowds. It had an electrical charge. She liked the concept a lot.
Grant worked out every single detail with Ryan, the when, where and how, and did it quickly. As he was wrapping things up, he turned to Natalie. “Can you check the future for us? See if this happens?”
“You bet.” Natalie closed her eyes and endured the painful cramping and nausea that occurred just before she accessed the future. At least this time, she wasn’t grappling with an invisibility spell, so it was a little easier.
She focused on Kryder and saw him at his club. He was in what appeared to be a large, well-appointed office. He stood by a side table glittering with a host of decanters. He had a crystal tumbler in his hand that held an amber liquid. He took a swig then turned in what felt like her direction.
She knew he couldn’t see her, yet she felt certain he sensed her presence. “You’re going to die, Natalie.”
She withdrew from the moment but didn’t leave the future altogether. If he’d thought to intimidate her, he was wrong. Besides, given what Kryder had done to her husband and unborn child, as well as the depredations he’d inflicted on the wolves supposedly in his care, she was willing to sacrifice her life to see him removed from his position in the pack. She would prefer to survive, of course. But seeing Five Bridges rid of Kryder had become more important than anything else in the world, including her own life.
Most people, even alters, weren’t murderers. Those who travelled that path needed to be put down.
Within the future, she slid forward to the time-table Grant had proposed to Ryan. Her heart pounded, though she didn’t focus on Kryder this time. It was possible he’d been alerted to her presence by focusing on him, so she chose to access Grant’s future instead.
She saw him at a sandpit. Her senses told her they were deep inside the Meldorin compound, at least forty feet down. Some of the wolf compounds had as many as four belowground levels. This sandpit felt like it was at the bottom level.
She saw Kryder on the sand and visible and Grant had his foot on Kryder’s neck.
For a moment, Natalie wasn’t sure what to do, whether to continue watching or not. She chose not to progress any farther into the future. This was enough.
There was one thing she knew from all the various interactions she had with her clients. The future could change. Time, even what occurred down the line, existed within a constant flow of events. Nothing was set. Ever.
Mostly, however, the future unfolded just as she saw it.
When she released her futurism entirely, she opened her eyes. She didn’t hold back a single detail.
The men smiled when she spoke about what she’d seen in the sandpit. “Remember, though, I can’t promise what happens after or what even occurred before this moment. There may be battles either direction.”
Grant planted his hand on her shoulder. “But it’s a good start, an excellent way to begin. You’ve given us hope.”
“Just please, don’t underestimate this man.”