"Get a hold of yourself. Look at me."

Mateo contained his growl, but it was a close thing. Calla was hauled off by her own subordinates and Mateo wasn't sure he could do anything about it. She seemed to submit to the whole affair. It just left him infuriated.

The man scowled at him. "You need to get control of yourself right now or I won't be able to help. Look around. Do you think you're still in the city?"

He didn't know where the hell they'd taken him. The Pythian had left right after Calla—but Mateo had heard the orders. He was supposed to be in the same wing with her. He was in the heart of dragon territory now, not vampyr, and something was wrong. Why would a general disobey orders? Mateo stilled, smoothing his expression, deliberately relaxing his shoulders.

"That's better. What's your name, son?"

Who didn't know his name? He was practically mobbed on the streets. How isolated were these people? "Mateo."

"Charmed. Now listen—"

"Rude. I introduced myself, now it's your turn. "Hi, Mateo, so glad to meet you, you stud. I'm…"

"General Takoda." Hard eyes attempted to stare him down. "I've been Calla's military advisor and mentor for twenty years, now listen." Mateo's brow rose. "She brought you in here in a rush and I'm betting whatever kept her away from the court has got you in a panic, but you need to understand what just happened."

"I think I get it."

"No, you hot-headed hatchling, you don't get it. Once she contacted us, the Pythian himself asked her back home, and she refused. Calla isn't being put in a time out, she's under investigation for treason."

Mateo's gut dropped. The whole room seemed to chill. He knew what it was like to be considered a betrayer, but Calla hadn't done anything to deserve it. "That's absurd, she's been fighting for her life."

"I don't know what kind of world you come from, but here you don't go against the Pythian and expect leniency. The fact that she hasn't been scheduled for execution is a testament to her long service and loyalty." The general crossed his arms and his brow lowered over his eyes. "I'm not letting my best student die just because she's star struck with you."

Something wasn't right, but… "She's not…" Mateo looked at his hands. Was this his fault? He had taken the contract and kidnapped her, but he couldn't have known who she was or how she would change his life. But from the plane ride onward, everything had gone differently than he'd planned. He'd fallen for her, he'd protected her, he'd gone against his cognate and tried to track down a client—something no vampyr in his family had ever done. And Calla had gone with him every step of the way, pushing him, guiding him, making him better than he'd ever been before.

Had he pulled her too far? Did his presence confuse her loyalties? He couldn't ask her to choose between the life she'd always had and him. It wasn't even a question.

"What do you want me to do?"

Takoda's eyes were serious. "You make dead sure she passes her test of loyalty."

The words very deliberate, and Mateo received the message loud and clear. He had to kill everything between them, sever the ties that bound them so closely together, and make sure Calla knew without a doubt that her place was beside her king.

He let his anguish seep though, waited until he was certain Takoda registered the emotion. "Take me to her."

* * *

"Visitor for Calla Andris," said a guard outside. "Will you see him?"

Calla jumped from the bed. "Yes. Right away, yes." She'd known Mateo would come as soon as he could. Now they could get down to the business of finding the real treasonous dragon.

Her lifted spirits flagged when he stepped into the room. His face was drawn tight in a way she hadn't seen before. The guard locked him in with her, a sound that reverberated with finality. She was frozen with indecision and the space between them echoed. "What's wrong?" she whispered, not wanting to know the answer.

"I'm going back to the cognate," he said. His voice was devoid of all emotion. She couldn't get a read on him. Even the link between them felt barren.

Calla took a half step forward, hesitant. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. "What are you talking about? We have a dragon to find."

"No," he said. And it was harder this time. A challenge. "I'm leaving. You're back home where you belong and it's time I found a way to redeem myself with my sire."

"Your sire… Where is this coming from, Mateo? You're with me. You're my mate—"

"Vampyrs don't mate for life, you know that." His voice was so flat she couldn't find purchase to argue.

His words were an impossible knife to her chest. She hadn't known something could hurt this cleanly. Shouldn't there be blood all over his hands? "What?" Calla felt her legs tremble and she stepped forward to catch herself. She reached for Mateo but he backed up.

He turned away from her and it was like a physical thing in her chest snapped, broken permanently. He pounded twice on the locked door. It echoed again and again in her head, a thumping drum of heartbreak that she'd never outrun. Calla fell to her knees as the door opened. Her eyes burned. Her chest hurt and there was too much sound in her ears. She screamed and hoped the sound of his betrayal would torture him for the rest of his eternal life.

* * *

So. The client had begun the game, but Mateo would end it. Now it was time to watch, and wait, and see what traitors came out of the closet. The enemy should have known better than to try to play Mateo Guerin. But Calla had to see for herself. And he hurt for her anguish when she finally did.

He just hoped the Pythian wasn't a traitor as well.