“Wait a minute.” Jaeden choked out when he was finished. “Caia’s going to usurp Marita?”

“Well,” Caia’s voice caught a hold of him like a hand at the back of his neck, “When you put it like that, it sounds crazy.”

“Cy.” Ryder stood up, his eyes blazing. “Are you serious? Are you seriously going to go to the Council and do this?”

At first, Lucien detected the uncertainty in her face, and then she looked at him and he could tell she was remembering what he told her about confidence. Her shoulders straightened and she swept her hair back off her shoulders, before retorting coolly, “Yes. I’m completely serious. It’s the only thing to be done.”

Jaeden snorted, “Oh, yeah cos’ there aren’t any other options here. It’s too risky, Caia.”

“You would rather I aid Marita in killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people.”

“Innocent according to you.”

Caia’s eyes softened. “It wasn’t a Midnight who attempted to kidnap you. And these people aren’t my uncle, Jaeden.”

“How dare-”

“I don’t mean to upset you. Don’t get me wrong, many of the older families abhor us. Some are just following a faith - it’s a religion to them. And others think it’s stupid. There are Daylights who are beginning to feel the same way. But there are also little kids being experimented upon and the only way I can get to them is with some major political backing. I can win this. We can win this.”

“We?”

Lucien cleared his throat. “I’m in this with her, which means the pack is. If you don’t want in, you leave the pack.”

Ryder grinned at him. “Final word of the Alpha, huh? You know I’m completely in, right?” He nodded to Caia. “I’ve seen this girl in action. My bet is on her.”

“Jaeden?” Caia asked tentatively. “I know it’s not the war you thought you’d be fighting, it shocked me too. I want to go back to everything being black and white, but it won’t. There are no other options.”

He watched Jae as she turned to lock eyes with Ryder. Whatever passed between them caused the tension to drain from her body and she turned back to Caia. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but... OK. I believe you. I’m in. I won’t stand by and let her get away with this.”

Caia nodded, only a slight curve to her mouth betraying her relief. “Good. I guess that means it’s time for me and Lucien to check in on Laila and Vilhelm. I need Vil to take me to the next Council meeting. It’s in two weeks’ time. Actually you guys have done me a favor.”

Ryder smiled quizzically. “How so?”

“I can use your mating ceremony as an excuse to stall going back to the Center.”

Lucien chuckled. “Crafty.”

“Nice to be of help,” Jaeden grumbled teasingly.

Caia jumped a little at the sound of a door slamming shut, and turned as Vil slowly entered the sitting room with his hand tangled in Laila’s. The girl looked much healthier than the last time Caia had laid eyes on her. Caia would even go so far as to say she looked radiantly happy. Ryder and Jaeden really must have been treating them well.

“Caia?” Laila asked quietly, her eyes glancing from her to Vil.

Vil smiled affectionately at Caia and nodded.

The next thing she knew, the girl had her delicate arms wrapped around her, hugging her close.

“Callan.” Laila eased away from her gracefully, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. “There are no words to thank you for what you have done.”

Caia’s whole body thrummed with a golden peace at Laila’s proximity and once more that intangible quality in her trace flummoxed her. The girl was like sunshine and air, her presence so relaxing and sweet Caia couldn’t believe anyone could ever wish her harm.

Uncomfortable with the gratitude Caia shrugged abashedly, considering she now needed a favor from Vil.

“It was nothing,” she mumbled and held her hand out behind her for Lucien, knowing he would understand. At once she felt his warm, callused hand engulf her small one and her breathing eased. It was wonderful, after weeks of feeling alone, to finally trust someone, to be able to lean on him.

“It’s good to see you again, Caia.” Vil smiled warmly at her. “I was afraid something might have happened to you.”

She shook her head. “The attack went forward with the MacLachlans. We dealt with it.” She didn’t want to think about that night. “You should know that Marita can’t pick up your trace.”

The two magiks frowned, glancing at each other questioningly.

Caia grimaced. “I guess that means neither of you know why she can’t.”

Laila floated back to Vil’s side. “No, Callan. I’ve heard only a very old supernatural can mask their trace and Vil is just a boy.”

“Nearly a man,” he mumbled, drawing her close to him and puffing his chest out a little. Caia tried not to laugh.

“Why are you calling Caia, Callan?” Lucien asked in his usual tone, which to outsiders could sound a little reproving.

“Looks like I’m interrupting,” A new, unfamiliar voice greeted from behind Vil and Laila.

They moved out of the doorway to reveal a tall, good-looking young man with dark hair and eyes. His youth could be attributed to his cool, unkempt appearance, the dark jeans and black t-shirt, the silver thumb ring on one hand, the tattoo on his forearm, the silver coin fashioned onto thin black rope around his neck, and the small ring pierced through his lower lip. He had a dangerous bad boy quality and suddenly Caia understood why Ryder didn’t like his involvement in Jaeden’s life. The vampyre looked around the room at them all and then his eyes fell on her. Despite his smooth-shaven, wrinkle-free face, when Caia met those eyes with her own she felt as if she were looking into depths that had seen the world in all its forms many times over. The youthfulness combated a confident control she had never before come across.

“This must be the famous Caia,” he said, approaching slowly.

Lucien didn’t tense beside her, making her question whether or not she’d really seen the eerie fascination in his gaze, or if she was just being paranoid.

Jaeden stood up between them and smiled anxiously as she introduced him.

“Lucien,” her mate greeted him amiably enough, holding out a hand to shake the vampyre’s.

Reuben shook his hand with a friendly languor and turned back to Vil and Laila. “I don’t know if you have been formerly introduced, but guys this is Lucien, Caia’s mate.”

“How did you know they’re mates?” Ryder growled from behind them.

Reuben gestured to their hands clasped together. “Body language.” He grinned back at Lucien. “I overheard your question to Laila. You should know that Callan means flowing water. Laila’s people consider it rude to call anyone of importance or wisdom by their first name, so she’s calling Caia, Callan, by her element, a sign of deep respect.”

Laila smiled at him, nodding in agreement.

Caia was blushing.

Ryder was sputtering, “How the hell do you know that?”

The vampyre smiled in a way that Caia knew he was taunting Ryder. She was with Ryder on this one. Something was off about the guy. “I did a little research after I met Vil and Laila.” He shrugged. “Found out a little about their customs and such.”

“Why?”

Jaeden groaned. “Ryder...”

“It’s OK, Jae.” Reuben waved her off. “I just like to know who we’re dealing with.”

“We?” Ryder grouched. “Since when does this involve you?”

“Since he was made aware of Laila’s existence here,” Lucien’s voice rumbled with authority and a hint of annoyance.

Caia sighed wearily, her head aching with the thought of involving another outsider in her plans. And this particular outsider she wasn’t so keen on. She tugged on Lucien’s hand. “Reuben should stick around for now.”

The vampyre played with his lip ring, his fangs prominent. “Is that a request or a demand?”

“A demand,” she said with quiet dominion, surprising everyone, including herself. But Lucien was right. If she was to pull this off she had to begin acting like a leader. Unfortunately part of that meant laying down the law. “We can’t take the chance of you leaving and telling anyone about Laila.”

“He wouldn’t,” Jaeden assured her. “Believe me.”

Reuben wiped his face free of amusement now. “Trust Jaeden. I’m her friend, which makes you all my friends. I don’t betray my friends.”

We’ll see.

Caia managed a nod and sighed, feeling exhausted. “OK.” She smiled at Laila and Vil. “Unfortunately, I think I really need to get some sleep, but I will be by tomorrow to see you both. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Wait.” Ryder clapped a hand on Lucien’s shoulder as they made to leave. “What about me and Jae? Our mating ceremony?”

In a perfect world Jaeden and Ryder should have had plenty of time to plan a ceremony, but it would be best if they were mated before things went to all Hades. Somehow she managed to convey this message to Lucien and he promised Ryder they would talk about it in the morning.

“Goodnight, Callan,” Laila called sweetly as Caia and Lucien left the apartment, and her face flooded with color again as she thought of what Reuben had said.

Lucien chuckle. “Looks like you’ve got a servant for life in that one.”

“She’s just grateful.”

He shook his head as they climbed into his truck. “You were right. I can’t believe that girl is a Midnight. She’s as threatening as a butterfly.”

“Yeah, well Marita had her locked up as if she were Ethan reincarnated.”

He made a sound of disgust. “I knew I didn’t like that witch.”

The house was dark when they returned, Ella and Magnus having retired for the night. The thought of bed sounded amazing to Caia as she dragged her body up the stairs, Lucien’s hand steady on her back as she made her way down the hall to her bedroom. When she stopped at her bedroom door he grunted in amusement and took her by the elbow, leading her further down the hallway.