Chapter Six

Rosie

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to gasp at the newcomer’s words. Rosie wasn’t sure who he was, but judging by both his tone and the words of the shifters, he wasn’t a good person. The way he was ordering Kassian to kill someone was so calm, she figured he had to be a leader with the Institute. Just who, she wasn’t sure, but it was clear he thought highly of himself and the plan he was orchestrating.

Please don’t say yes. Please don’t say yes.

Kassian wasn’t a killer. He didn’t have it in him. Not in cold blood at least, she corrected. He was a shifter, and she’d seen him kill. So she changed her words. He wasn’t an assassin. Kassian and his brothers would only kill if they or someone they knew was threatened, and they had no other choice. She’d seen the remorse that had filled them as they’d look on at the dead bodies of the shifters they’d killed at the convoy. She hadn’t stayed to see the whole thing, but it was clear they hadn’t wanted to do it.

“No.”

YES! That’s my Kassian.

She was so caught up in her joy that he was turning the evil man down that the possessive remark about the shifter didn’t even register. He wasn’t going to do it! That was all that mattered. He was going to tell the older-sounding man to shove it, and find another way to rescue his brother.

“Really?”

“Really, Director Burnatawiz.”

So that’s who he was talking to. The head of the Institute was here. Here. In this room. Just on the other side of the counter. She could kill him. She could do it. Rosie wouldn’t have any hesitation about wringing the life from his neck. Not after she’d discovered what he was up to with his precious “Institute.” Her muscles tightened as she prepared to stand up.

“What was that?” Burnatawiz asked as the cabinets creaked as she changed her stance.

“What? The creak?” Kassian asked. “Part of the charm. It provides a killer nighttime lullaby.”

“Mmm, I bet,” Burnatawiz said dismissively. “Now, Kassian. It’s either that person’s life, or your brother’s life. Which is worth more? A random, or Maximus?”

The silence in the room was deafening as everyone awaited Kassian’s response. Nobody would be making that decision for him, she knew. He would be doing it all on his own. Whatever he chose, the others would support him. Hopefully. All Rosie could do was hope that the guarded shifter knew what he was. Her thoughts were racing, trying to figure a way out of the situation. They argued so loudly within her head that she almost missed Kassian’s reply.

“Okay.”

Rosie could hear the defeat in his voice. The complete knowledge that he had no other option but to agree. Otherwise he would be sentencing one of his own brothers to death. Her heart ached for him, and she longed to be there, to help him bear the burden of such an awful choice. It wasn’t something that he should have to do alone, and just then Rosie knew his brothers wouldn’t be the proper choice to help him. No, that would be Rosie. Only she could get close to him. She’d experienced being stomped on, chewed up and spit out, a life of being walked over by literally everyone else. Those were the memories she would have to draw on to help him. It would hurt her, but if it helped Kassian pull through, then she would do it.

Why am I all of a sudden so eager to help him out? I barely know him. Yet I want to dredge up the worst parts of my life, to draw on those feelings, to help him cope?

The fact that no part of her mind rebelled at that idea scared Rosie. In fact, no, scared wasn’t the right word. She was downright petrified of the fact that it seemed perfectly natural to go to his aide. Helping others was not something that came easy to her in the past. So why was it she wanted to do it now without a second thought? What was so different about this person?

He’s not going to hurt me. That’s what.

Rosie didn’t know that for certain, but something about the big shifter, despite his callous exterior and the way he sometimes talked, told her that she was right. He might say things that could hurt, but he wasn’t doing it maliciously. She figured he’d just never been shown a different way. It was as if he’d grown up only knowing sarcasm, insults, and expecting respect from those below him.

So why wasn’t he like that with her? Shaking her head, she pushed the questions to the side. Her own thoughts of Kassian could wait until things had calmed down. Then she’d have time to think it all over, to figure out why she couldn’t get him out of her head.

“Who is this?” Kassian asked, his voice empty, devoid of any emotion.

“A nuisance,” the director replied, as if that were enough information.

“I see.”

Maybe we could contact him, find a way to pretend like he’s dead, to fool the director. All sorts of ideas on how to work around the whole killing of an innocent flashed through her head. There was a way, there had to be. They would find it!

“I’m glad. Also, don’t get any wise ideas about trying to fool me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Kassian muttered, though Rosie knew he was likely already thinking some up.

“I didn’t think so. But, just in case, Gregory here will accompany you.”

If the room had gone quiet and still when Director Burnatawiz had announced that Kassian was being ordered to kill someone, now it was like someone had pushed the pause button. Rosie couldn’t see what was going on, but she could tell that something big had just happened. Whoever Gregory was—and she’d heard footsteps to indicate he had entered the room—he was sufficient to cow even the powerful bear shifters.

What could be so intimidating to them?

“Why don’t you just send him to do the job?” Kassian asked.

There was the sound of furniture creaking. Someone was standing up. Probably the director, she decided. He would be ready to make his exit now.

“Because, my dear Kassian. This must be done by a Cadian. I’m sure you understand why.”

Rosie could hear teeth grinding from here. “You bastard.”

“Call me whatever you wish. You have ten days. Au revoir!”

Her jaw dropped at the casual manner with which the director could levy a death sentence to the target and then depart. He was insane, he had to be. That was the only explanation. Nobody in their right mind could be so happy about having another person executed.

“I’ll be nearby. Let me know when you’re ready to depart,” a cool, detached voice said.

That must be Gregory.

“Sure thing, Crisscross.”

Rosie frowned. Crisscross? What the hell did that mean?

“Don’t call me that.”

“Get the fuck out of my motel room,” Kassian said, and Rosie sensed the anger rising.

“Why you—”

“He said Get. Out,” another voice spoke up, hard and threatening and—female?!

Rosie had been positive that none of the women had been shifters. They were all human. They were too small to be shifters…weren’t they? But only a shifter would dare threaten another shifter. Unless they too were insane.

“This isn’t over.”

“It is for now,” Kassian said, and Rosie heard the door slam.

She was already standing up, not waiting for anyone to say it was clear. She was greeted with the sight of all the brothers standing facing the door. Two of the women looked over at her, but the third was busy putting away a gun of some sort. Rosie had seen any number of pistols and even some semi-automatic rifles in her day. This looked nothing of the sort. She resolved to find out what it was, and why it had seemed to intimidate the shifter.

Kassian was looking at her, his face streaked with despair.

“What the hell is going on?” she asked.

“Not now,” Kassian said, pushing past her.

“What?” How could he say that? After all she’d heard?!

The sound of something moving drew her attention, and she saw Kassian pull the fridge aside.

“Tomorrow,” he told her, then gestured toward the opening.

She was being dismissed.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Rosie said. “There’s no way you’re going to just send me back there like that, after everything Burnatawiz just said.”

“Yes, I am,” Kassian replied.

Who was this person? He certainly wasn’t the same shifter that she’d talked with while she wiped him off. This was…the reaction of a man who had just been told he had to murder someone else in cold blood. He’s not going to be thinking straight right now. Either he does the task, or his brother dies. Either way, the death of someone is on his hands.

Rosie shivered at that realization. Suddenly she wasn’t so mad at Kassian. “In the morning then,” she said.

He nodded.

“Promise?” She was going to extract that much from him at least.

“I promise,” he said, his voice tattered and torn. “Now please.”

Rosie nodded. She reached out to place her hand on his arm as she passed, but Kassian jerked out of the way.

Too ashamed to even let me comfort him.

She stepped through and turned around to look at Kassian. He was already moving the fridge back into place, but as he glanced around it, she saw the hopelessness on his face for just a split second. The utter depths of his misery reached out and threatened to pull her in, squeezing at her heart so tight she felt it shatter into a thousand pieces. He was hurting. Rosie wanted to go to him. To help him, to console him. She thought about trying one more time, but by then it was too late.

The passage was blocked.

I’m here for you, Kassian, she thought. Let me in…