Kimber held his hand tightly as they entered the room to find their friends sitting around the dining table, his eyes zeroing in on Amaya for any signs of injury. He could see none as she gulped down a croissant as if she’d not ate in days before waving over at them.

Quinn sat opposite and he too didn’t look as if he’d been in a battle. Then again he was an ancient and powerful Vampire and would heal fast from any wounds he’d suffered. Victor’s belly clenched at the thought of either of them being hurt because of him and was just about to offer up his profound apologies but was interrupted…and possibly relieved when the moment was put off by Kenzie.

“Kimber!” Kenzie sped across the room her arms wide open with every intention of hugging her, and Victor had no option but to release his hold before Kenzie arrived and knocked them both flying.

He didn’t want to. In fact, Victor wanted to keep her close to him for the foreseeable future, but Kenzie was already tugging her into a hug and fussing over her.

“You look like death.” Kenzie stood back, gazing at Kimber then up at Victor then back at his love whose face was deathly white. “Are you okay, honey?”

“Yes, of course I am.” Kimber struggled to get free and immediately reached for his hand.

Victor saw more in that outstretched arm than if she’d yelled at the top of her lungs…she needed him, and he fucking craved her more in that moment than he had since he’d first found her. His arm shot forward to snatch her back to his side, holding her against him tightly and leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek before taking a deep breath to face the friends he’d let down.

Before he did, Kimber reached up, cupping his face, her breath a whisper on his skin as her eyes flashed with determination. “We face whatever it is…together. Remember that.”

A few words, eight in total, but they meant the damn universe to him.

Victor swallowed the lump in his throat, grabbed the back of her head and kissed her passionately as if they were the only two people in the room. His mouth devoured hers, his lips covered hers in a demanding coupling of their love, his tongue slid over hers before he backed out slowly, caressing her lips one last time. “I love you more at this moment than I ever have, Kimber. Thank you, baby, for being here for me and for forgiving me for being an idiot.”

“I’ll always be here.” She sighed against his lips, and he was absolutely certain she’d never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.

“Excuse us but what the hell is going on?” Amaya interrupted them.

Kimber’s cheeks flushed as she pulled away.

“An apology,” Victor explained, turning to face the music but no longer feeling the way he had earlier.

Kimber had forgiven him and her faith in him, her trust in him, had given him back something he needed…he wasn’t sure what, but he felt more like himself and he was ready to take on anything. Including admitting to his friends that he was the cause of their being attacked.

“For what?” Amaya had left the dining table and was striding back and forth like a caged beast.

She didn’t look as if she were hurt. Certainly, there were no injuries visible, but she was a powerful Tiger Shifter, and that didn’t mean she hadn’t been wounded but had already healed. Victor glanced to Quinn who didn’t appear to be overly angry either but that wouldn’t last. Not once he divulged that he’d had an inkling of the threat but hadn’t told him.

Victor straightened his shoulders, cracked his neck, and decided it was best just to get it over with as quickly as possible. However, he didn’t want Kimber beside him in the event that Quinn’s anger took over.

“Why don’t you go and get something to eat?” he told her.

Kenzie seemed to agree and took the opportunity to come for her friend. “Yes, honey, as I said earlier, you’re looking tired and you definitely need food. Aggie’s cooked up a banquet for us, so come on, let’s get you fed.”

Kimber didn’t have a choice in the matter as Kenzie pulled her toward the table, but Victor waited until she was far enough away before he faced Quinn again.

“Flint told us about you and Amaya being attacked. I can’t begin to imagine what that was like, Quinn, and I can only apologize for that…”

“What? Why?” Amaya stopped pacing and whirled around to face him. “It’s not your fault those bawbags got in and tried to kill us. So why are you talking like that?”

“Bawbags?” Victor thought he’d heard wrong because she’d fired off the words so fast it was hard to keep up.

“Yeah, bawbags…” she turned to Quinn, “that’s right isn’t it, honey? It’s the same as asses or something like that, but you get the meaning.”

Quinn merely smiled as he nodded over at Amaya, his eyes twinkling as she turned back to Victor and waved a hand to carry on.

“As I was trying to say, I sort of had an inkling trouble was headed this way. No specifics, of course I didn’t have anything concrete or I would’ve come to you immediately, Quinn, but Kimber, well…”

Quinn didn’t look shocked or angry, and Amaya interrupted, again. “Yeah, Kimber’s Dragon was upset and on edge, and Kenzie was feeling off too. Us girls spoke about it, and I talked to Quinn, but we didn’t have anything firm to go on. So he talked to Ace and told him to be extra vigilant but there wasn’t a hell of a lot else we could do about it…or am I missing something? Did you have anything else to add? Were you given some other information that we’re not aware of?”

Kimber dropped the cup she’d just raised to her mouth. It clattered to the table spilling hot tea all over the place as her eyes shot to Victor’s before she glared over at Amaya.

“What? You didn’t tell me you’d spoken to Quinn about my concerns. I’ve been angry and upset because I thought nobody was listening to me, especially Victor, and you’re saying now that you did bring it up. Why didn’t you say anything about that?”

Kenzie didn’t look happy either, her head was nodding like a bobble head toy and before Amaya could say a word she’d jumped in, her voice high and her cheeks pinked as they usually did when she was upset.

“I agree with Kimber. We’ve both been worried about this, and you could’ve told us that you’d spoken to Quinn. I’ve been arguing with Flint, telling him I could feel something wasn’t right, but he kept telling me he couldn’t do anything about a feeling, and here you are saying you’d already told Quinn. Hell, Amaya, I feel like an eejit now, fighting with him over something that had already been dealt with.”

Amaya looked at them both, but she didn’t look as if she cared, instead she looked angry as she started to pace again. Back and forth she stormed, her arms flapping as she glowered at the two women who’d dared to take her to task.

“Well, excuse me for forgetting to mention that…I was too busy being attacked and fighting for my life. Going for a nice stroll with the man I love and expecting to have a romantic rendezvous down at the lake and what happens? We’re set upon by two shady guys…a fucking Vampire and a Wolf. That’s what!”

Amaya stopped, her hands on her hips as her eyes flashed with fury. Quinn glanced over at Victor and looked as if he were about to say something then thought better of it. He was right. You never interrupt a woman in a full flow of rage. Never.

Amaya turned on her heel and set off again.

“Well, they soon found out that was a huge fucking mistake. Didn’t they, my darling?” she gave Quinn a wink. “I ruined one of my best dresses too, having to transform so fast that it shredded the damn thing. A gorgeous red silk number with lace over the bodice and a low back that Quinn adored. Anyway, that mangy dog didn’t stand a chance against my Tiger and the Vampire, well, we know he didn’t last long against Quinn, but shit, it sure messed up our night and put a dampener on the romantic evening we had planned. Then we find out about the attack on Markus’ cottage and that was the icing on the cake. Neither of us have had any rest and yeah, I’ve been drinking coffee all night long and I’m wired to the moon, so cut me some goddamn slack. Please!”

Victor wasn’t sure how to react to Amaya’s outburst. It was obvious she was angry at what had happened, but it didn’t appear directed at him. Apparently, she was more upset about the red dress than anything else. Or so it seemed. Perhaps it wasn’t that at all, and it was the overload of caffeine. Whatever it was, he wasn’t about to deal with her…she was Quinn’s problem not his.

Quinn rose to join Amaya, an indulgent glint in his eyes as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I’ve already told you I’ll get you another dress, exactly the same as the one that was lost, my darling. There’s no need to fret about that, and yes that Shifter soon found out just how fierce you are, didn’t he, my sultry Tigress? But I have to say, I think you’ve had enough caffeine for today. No more, Amaya, or I think you’re going to offend our guests...and our friends.”

“What?” Amaya looked into Quinn’s eyes as he pecked her on the nose, then she turned to stare at Kenzie then Kimber, a hand shot to her mouth, covering it while she shook her head before she rushed away from Quinn and straight toward Kimber. She barely managed to stop in time, Victor thought she was going to crash into her, but somehow, she didn’t. She stopped dead barely a feather’s space between them. “I’m sorry. I’ve no idea what came over me. I guess I was spooked about everything and I’ve had way too much coffee, but I agree with Kenzie...you look pale and tired, honey. Can I do anything for you?”

Victor saw how sincere she was but more importantly he was touched by the care she was showing to Kimber. They had certainly grown close since they’d arrived in Scotland and it was lovely to see them getting on so well.

“I’ll be fine, especially now we’re all on the same page. I feel awful about what happened to you though,” Kimber paused, winking cheekily, “especially about the dress and that your plans were so rudely interrupted.”

“I know!” Amaya turned and looked over her shoulder at Quinn, blew him a kiss then turned back to Kimber. “Anyway, everyone’s been alerted to a possible threat, and Ace and Thorne are on the damn rampage about this. Hell, I don’t want to be one of the bad guys they catch ‘cause they are boiling mad. I’m sure I saw fire in their eyes earlier.”

Flint snorted, his left hand twirling a throwing knife between his fingers with practiced ease, but his nonchalance didn’t fool Victor. His anger was simmering beneath the surface like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment and spout boiling lava on unsuspecting victims...destroying them in a fiery and gory death.

“They won’t be too happy if I get my hands on them either. In fact, I can guarantee they’ll be downright unhappy when I’ve finished with them. My blades are just itching to dole out some punishment. But more importantly I want to know just what the hell is going on and why they’ve targeted us? Here and now...it doesn’t make sense to me. And how the fuck did they know about this get-together anyway? Wasn’t this supposed to be top-secret?”

Amaya’s lip curled back to show clenched teeth, and Quinn let out a snarl, both of their reactions were exactly how Victor was feeling; angry, mad, and frustrated. Flint was right. Nobody should’ve known about their Ball. And absofuckinglutely no-one should know that any of the other Bloodmated couples were there. So what the hell was going on?

He had to make the call. Now.

Kenzie paced back and forth, her face white and she was nibbling on a fingernail. Not something Victor had ever seen her do before, and as for Kimber, she was breathing heavier than she had been just a few moments ago and her eyes were sweeping between everyone present.

“There’s only one thing I can do right now and that’s call Jana.” Victor looked Quinn and Flint straight in the eye. “She has to be told about this breach and she needs to set up an investigation into what the hell has happened on her end because it has to have come from her end. Nobody else knew about this and none of us here in this room would have leaked this and I doubt any of the others would have either...the fact is they had no knowledge of the location. All they knew was we were having this Ball and my jet was picking them up and bringing them. They didn’t know where they were going so they couldn’t have leaked the destination. It has to have been someone in Jana’s office. Or do any of you disagree? Quinn? Could one of your men be a traitor? Is that possible?”

Quinn’s snarl from mere moments ago didn’t come close to what erupted from him now.

Quinn straightened up to his full height, his back ramrod straight and his eyes flared red while his top lip curled back. Victor caught a glimpse of his razor-sharp fangs which had sprang free. Shit. Quinn Alexander, the epitome of the supreme OCD had lost control and allowed his fangs to descend for them all to see...as well as him snarling viciously like he was ready to rip someone’s throat out: probably his.