Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kassian

“Can you describe him for us, Rosie?” Lena had a thoughtful look on her face as she asked the question.

They were back in the motel room for the time being, where he could rest in a bed, his head propped up by several pillows. It was far more comfortable than the hard-packed dirt of the field outside, he had to admit. His wound was healing nicely, and like he’d told Rosie, it would probably be no more than a few hours before he was up and about. Before he could take her, and they could be together.

For the moment, she was perched on the bed at his side, her hand resting comfortably on his chest. She’d not left him the entire time, insisting on holding his hand as his brothers carried him back inside. He still wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so aroused and in need of her body, but the feeling had yet to dissipate. It was odd, because normally when he got horny, there was a physical reaction.

Kassian knew the instant he had Rosie alone, there would be, but so far, despite the urges bouncing around inside of him, he’d yet to betray it outwardly. It was…weird. Appreciated, considering the nearby crowd, but weird. He resolved to ask his brothers if they had experienced anything similar. Maybe it was just a combination of his mate, and the bloodlust that accompanied a fight. He didn’t know. Kassian would think about it later. For now, they were all concerned with figuring out who the unknown gunman had been.

“Tall. Middle-aged, that sort of ‘could be thirty-five, or could be fifty’ type of look. His hair was perfectly coiffed, not a strand out of place, looked like he spent thousands on it every day. It was a nice, even shade of brown as well. Good-looking man as well.” She paused, looking down at him. “Couldn’t hold a candle to you though, don’t worry, big guy.”

Kassian just rolled his eyes as everyone chuckled. Everyone except Maximus. His older brother was still unresponsive. They’d determined he had been drugged, though nobody was sure when he’d been shot with the tranquilizer dart that they’d found in him. He was relieved though, to know that it was only a matter of time before his brother awoke.

“Anyway, very solid, angular face. The type that would make magazine covers. And his eyes…”

He gave her hand a squeeze as she shuddered at the memory.

“His eyes were blue. Bright blue. But uncaring, cold. Devoid of all emotion.” She shook her head. “His suit was immaculate, obviously tailored for him, and looked expensive enough to pay someone’s salary for a year.

“I think I know who he is,” Lena said as the group turned thoughtful, trying to figure out who it was.

“Who?” he asked, gripping Rosie’s hand just a little tighter.

“Reashallow.” Lena practically spat the single word. “We know he’s a bigwig, and her description of him matches almost exactly to the guy I saw fleeing the Institute offices downtown when Gavin and I went there so I could hack into them.” She paused, thoughtful. “You know, now that I think of it, the helicopter even seems similar. I can’t guarantee that it’s the same one, but I’d be willing to bet some money on it.”

Kassian thought about that. “It might make sense, actually. When I went out to the forest to tell Gregory that I needed proof Maximus was alive, he called someone. That someone told Gregory to relay orders to the director. He didn’t act like that was anything out of the ordinary either. I didn’t give it much thought then. I was more concerned with Maximus.”

“So we’ve had it wrong all this time?” Mila asked, leaning in close to Pierce. “This Reashallow guy is the big bad guy, and Burnatawiz was just…what, his deputy?”

Kassian nodded unhappily. “That’s kind of what it seems like.”

“Dammit,” Madison snapped, and her words seemed to echo the thoughts of everyone else in the room. “I thought we had them today. I thought we’d be able to cut off the head of the snake by getting rid of Burnatawiz. We could have been done with this. Now you’re telling me that there’s another, bigger bad guy we need to go against? One who appears to be far more ruthless and cunning than the late, unlamented director?”

Gavin shrugged. “It sounds that way. Reashallow’s office was extremely well appointed and befitting someone high up. The real question is, how did we not know about this?”

Nobody in the room had an answer.

“I’m not sure it matters,” Rosie said at last. “Maybe once this is all over, we can figure that out. But until then, we know what we have to do. We need to track him down, and eliminate him. To end this for good. With Reashallow still on the loose, the Institute is still as dangerous as ever.”

The others in the room nodded, and despite the subject matter, Kassian felt a surge of pride in his mate. She may not have come in with any specific skills, but she was certainly demonstrating that she could think quickly on her feet in a rational manner, earning her a spot.

“What about you guys?” he asked, turning to where Andrew Raskell the gryphon shifter was standing with several Green Bearets that he’d managed to bring with him.

“We can’t stay,” he said, frowning. “In fact, we shouldn’t even have come here. You’re just lucky that I got assigned as the envoy to Cloud Lake after the war.” He snorted. “Assigned, I guess it’s more like exile. Anyway, these are all the people assigned to me that I could scrape up. We’re not supposed to be anywhere outside of Cloud Lake. We need to go. Now, preferably.”

Kassian nodded. “I understand. I can’t thank you enough for coming to help out. Without you all, we would have lost this fight today, and we’d all be dead, or worse.”

Andrew just shrugged. “I’ve always believed in doing the right thing. It hasn’t worked out so well for me personally, but I don’t regret any of the actions I’ve taken. If you need help again, let me know. And when you come home, come home through Cloud Lake. I’ll be glad to give you a reference to help you avoid being tossed back in jail. You’re fighting a good fight here. I just wish I could do more to help you.”

“I know. But it sounds like Cadia is taking a rather strict policy of seclusion. They don’t want anything to do with the human world at the moment.”

“I wish I could convince them that this fight will help to remove the noose hanging over their heads, but I don’t think you’d earn any friends if I tried that route,” the gryphon shifter said bluntly.

“It’s okay,” Kassian said, looking around. “My family and I have been fighting this since the start. It seems only right that we’re the ones that finish it.”

“Don’t hesitate to contact me,” Andrew said. “If I can do anything for you, I will. You know that.”

“I know,” Kassian said. “I think Mila is going to drive you home. She wants to keep an eye on you, so that you don’t eat in her car again.”

The room filled with chuckles at his joke, but the blonde nodded. “Come on, let’s get you going, so that you aren’t missed too much.” She leaned over to kiss Pierce, and then departed the room, keys jingling in one hand.

“So, what do we do now?” Kean asked.

Kassian looked around the room. “Ladies, could you, umm…” he trailed off, unsure how to phrase his request.

Rosie looked at him. “Of course. Come on ladies, let’s go.”

The three remaining women filed out. Rosie was the last to go, giving him an approving, reassuring look before she too left the room, heading outside to give the brothers a moment of peace.

“What’s going on?” Kean asked warily, looking around.

“Just shut up and listen, okay?” he said.

The other three conscious brothers all glanced at each other. Kean and Pierce stood to his left, while Gavin was alone on his right. Outside, in the main room, Maximus was still lying unconscious on the pullout couch.

“I’m not really sure where to begin,” he said after a moment, the silence feeling far too uncomfortable.

“Don’t go getting sentimental on us now,” Pierce drawled sarcastically.

“I said shut up and listen, okay?” he growled, trying not to rise to the bait. He couldn’t blame them for being skeptical of him, but dammit, he had to try.

Now that the others weren’t in the room, the brothers were reverting back to how they actually felt about each other. There were no women to keep them halfway decent to each other, nor any other factors. Kassian didn’t hate them for that. It’s what he had expected. They couldn’t know he was being serious, that he was making an effort. So he would have to convince them.

“First off, I promise that this isn’t some ‘I just got shot, so I need to confess all my sins’ bullshit. So don’t worry your pretty little buns off about that, m’kay?”

The others mostly just stood there. Gavin shrugged. “Whatever you say, Kassian.”

“What I’m trying to say,” he said, determined to get the words out. “Is that I’m sorry. That’s the gist of it.”

There was stunned silence.

“Oh come on,” he complained. “Is it really that hard to believe you just heard those words come out of my mouth?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

All three of them spoke, one at a time, going around him from left to right.

“Oh fuck off,” he snapped. “I’m trying to be serious here, guys. I’ve been an ass. I had my reasons, but they weren’t good ones. In fact, they were pretty stupid. We’ve been a damn good team in the past, but I let that whole fiasco at the training camp sour me something fierce. I let it get between us. I know I’ve never been as close to you guys as I have Maximus, but we have been tighter than we are now. I want to fix that.” He paused. “If that’s okay with you.”

“So what, just like that, we’re supposed to forgive you for being an ass, and beating up on us?” Kean growled.

“No. I don’t expect it to be so easy. Nor immediate. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just telling you that I am sorry. And that perhaps you can eventually come to believe me when I say I’m serious about that. This will take time, but all I want you to know now is that it’s not an act. You do what you feel you have to do, but just know that I’m not putting on a show.”

The trio appeared thoughtful, each of them lost in their own minds as they considered his words. Pierce was the first to speak, which didn’t surprise Kassian. He had been the first one to find a mate, and to strike out on his own. Kean had followed his direction, but Pierce had been the leader. Gavin had always been…aloof, but even he hadn’t truly forged a separate path before Pierce did.

“I mean, it would be nice to operate as a team again,” he said into the silence that had fallen after Kassian finished speaking. “In fact, now that we all have mates, it might even be easier. I know Mila certainly doesn’t put up with any bullshit.”

Kean rolled his eyes. “Right?! Madison is the same. I start bitching about this or that, and if it’s not a one-hundred percent legitimate complaint, she tells me to shut my trap, because it could be worse!”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah. Totally agree. I’m pretty sure the women are all much better friends at this point than we are.”

“I don’t think anyone here is going to take that bet,” Kassian growled. “Even Rosie seems to be fitting in way easier than I would have expected.”

“They’re going to gang up on us,” Pierce said. “They’re probably out there right now, thinking up ways to get us to do what they want.”

“Maybe we should turn the tables on them,” Kassian suggested.

“What do you mean?” Kean asked.

All three of his brothers leaned a little closer, intrigued by the idea.

“Okay, so they’re expecting us to try and hash things out, and they’re probably thinking of ways on how to get us to be closer, and what they’re going to have to do to make that happen. Basically, they’re going to be manipulating us, right?”

“Right.” They all agreed on that one.

“So we take it one step further. We skip that stage, and start acting like best friends. Like, super close. And we don’t say a word about it. Just act like it’s normal, always has been normal, and always will be normal.”

“They’ll be so confused,” Pierce said with a laugh. “They’ll spend so much time trying to figure out what’s going on, they won’t be able to give us a hard time about other things.”

“Exactly!”

***

Rosie

She worked to suppress a giggle.

“So they’re trying to pull a fast one on us?” Lena asked as they listened carefully through the hole in the wall, drinking in every last word the brothers were saying.

“Yep,” Madison said, rolling her eyes. “Amateurs. Do they really think we’d fall for that so easily?”

Rosie shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. The real question is, what are we going to do about it?”

The women all looked at each other, grins slowly appearing on their faces as they realized how much fun it was going to be to tease their mates.