A Council of Betrayal (21 page)

I turned away from the fire and hiked back to
my hotel room. I had selected a room above my usual crap grade
because it had a door that led directly to the scene of the unusual
activity, including the random fire circles. But of course random
fire circles weren’t the only thing screwy.

I’d made the fifteen-hour drive with only a
few stops and as the sun set behind me, my exhaustion weighed
heavily. So did the fact I hadn’t heard from Logan. Granted, I also
hadn’t reached out. The mate bond was limited this far away. I
wasn’t sure if I liked that or not.

I stomped the snow out of my boots before
removing them to enter my warm hotel room. I slid the door closed
behind me, pulling off my knit cap.

The files from Garrick were lying scattered
on the queen bed. He had lost two executioners on this gig, and had
only given it to me with my promise I would deliver my own special
brand of justice.

Tossing my jacket on the couch, I sat down
cross-legged to go through the files again, hoping some nugget
would jump out at me.

I rubbed my eyes, finding my brain going back
to Logan and not the information in front of me. With a groan I
hopped off the bed. I needed a shower and a few hours of sleep
before I went back out. The fun things always came out at
night.

Showers were pretty boring without Logan, not
to mention quick. I dried off, dressing in warm, dark clothing
before I cleared off the bed.

Freshly cleaned, I toyed with my phone as I
sat on the bed.

I decided to text Logan. Even though we
hadn’t clarified the level of communication I needed to provide
him, I still felt obligated to let him know I was alright.

Arrived in Aspen, going to catch a few hours
of rest before I start hunting.

I’d like to pretend I didn’t sit there and
wait for a reply, but I’m a big believer in honesty.

It didn’t come. I felt crushed. Brushing a
tear away, I stretched out, willing myself to get some rest. The
last thing I needed was to add another dead executioner at this
thing’s feet.

I was lying curled up on my side, the
curtains pulled back from the windows, snow falling leisurely.
Burrowing under the covers, I gave serious thought to waiting until
morning to check things out. I hate the snow.

…

I dreamed of Logan. Standing on a hillside,
his back to me. I exhaled, leaning against his warm strength.

“What are we going to do, Olivia?” he
whispered.

“Survive,” my answer came quickly.

“I don’t want survival, Olie. I need you to
love me.”

I backed away. Apparently, even in my dreams
I was having to deal with this conversation.

I was being watched. Logan tried to say
something else to me, but I didn’t hear it as I regained
consciousness.

I didn’t open my eyes right away, straining
my ears for any clues as to what was stalking me.

I heard a tapping, which could have been the
trees outside, and I probably would have attributed it to that,
except for the small hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

Well, lying there playing dead wasn’t doing
any good. I opened my eyes.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered. “That’s
impressive.”

Long claws tapped against the class, fading
into a dark robe, with twin fires where eyes should have been. It
moved closer to the glass, the hood hiding any additional features.
Tossing the comforter off, I walked to the glass door.

The claws reached for the handle and I
unlocked it, stepping back. “Come on in. We have business to
settle.”

The hand stilled, and the fire eyes stared
deeply into my own.

“You are not afraid?” it hissed.

“I am afraid of a good many things. You,
however, are not on that list. Now, are you ready to die?” I asked,
placing my hand on the door handle.

It hissed again, spraying fire out its mouth,
igniting the glass.

“Whoa, neat trick,” I muttered, stepping
back. When the cold air put the flames out I relocked the door and
went to get dressed.

If that wasn’t a fucking calling card, I
didn’t know what was.

My leather was out in this frigid climate. I
opted for layers, lots of fucking layers. The silk long underwear
wasn’t cheap and it had taken a chunk out of my ego to ask Logan
for the funds. It was followed by the lightweight flannel and
topped off with snow pants, shoes, jacket, gloves and a hat. I
huffed. The only good thing about the damn snow was that I now had
lots of hiding places for knives.

Unlocking the door, I slipped out into the
cold night air, wishing this little visit could have come during
daylight hours, when the sun was beating overhead and my nose
didn’t feel like an ice bunny was gnawing it off.

I looked down at the ground as I hefted my
backpack on, and was rewarded with tracks.

It was such a trap. I hoped they were well
prepared.

I bent down, running a hand over the tracks
that looked very human. It couldn’t be, though, since humans didn’t
have red eyes or breathe fire. I honestly wasn’t sure what we were
dealing with—what I was dealing with. But the silver strapped to my
back was my best bet at eliminating it. Not much can survive
without a head.

I pulled my jacket closer around my throat.
Logan wouldn’t need this gear.

Fuck, I was not thinking about him. I had
enough worries with Grams and the lack of our—my funding.

The tracks stopped abruptly. I turned around,
checking if I had missed something in my musings. Turning back
around, I grunted in frustration, scanning the area ahead.

I shifted, turning and surveying the area
again. What was I missing?

A bird flapped its wings above me in the tall
pine tree. I twirled my dagger, annoyed, debating my next move. The
smart decision would be to go back to my room and wait for daylight
to hunt.

I’ve never been accused of being terribly
bright.

I moved through the snow, watching for more
tracks while scanning the area in front of me.

“Come on, asshole,” I taunted under my
breath, “come out and play.”

…

I stayed out until the sun began cresting the
sky. The last thing I needed was to run into a human, curious as to
why I had a small arsenal of weapons strapped to me.

I found nothing but a cramp in my neck and a
cold that was engraved into my bones. Turning on the water to warm
up, I called Garrick.

“Olivia, done so soon?” he questioned.

“Do you know what has claws, human feet and
breaths fire?” I asked.

“No, why do you ask?”

I sighed, sitting down to unlace my boots. “I
had a visitor last night, who I believe was trying to warn me off.
Breathed fire over my hotel room window.”

“Are you changing hotels?” he asked, a note
of worry edging his voice.

“No, whatever it was disappeared after the
little trick and I couldn‘t track it down.”

“What does Logan think?”

At the sound of his name, pain laced my heart
and I made a primitive noise of agony. Clearing my throat, I
managed, “He’s not here.”

“Olivia,” Garrick reprimanded. “Please tell
me you are not going after an unknown Supernatural killer with no
backup.”

“Okay.” I wouldn’t tell him.

“Dammit to hell, call Logan and get backup.
This thing killed two of my best executioners.”

My fingers clenched around the phone as I
debated how nasty my retort was going to be.

“Why isn’t Logan there with you? I was under
the impression mates did not like to be separated.”

I groaned at his question. “We are fighting.
I’m having a hard time with this whole thing.”

Garrick scoffed, ”By the Gods, Olivia, you
having a hard time giving up control?”

I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not it.”

“You certain about that? You trust no one,
rely on no one and refuse to be a burden to anyone. Logan is a
powerful Alpha, obviously. If you two were getting along I’d be
shocked.”

“He keeps telling me he loves me,” I
whispered softly. “You know me, Garrick, I’m no good to him. I
never would have agreed to this.”

“Why are you no good?” His question was rapid
fire.

I rubbed my forehead. Fighting back the tears
there, I exhaled a shaky breath. “I’m not dependable, polished,
politically savvy or fuck even mentally stable. He runs the entire
US! What do I do? I run around the fucking country killing things
because my own mind is so fucked up I can’t deal with it. Did you
know he can feel my emotions, borderline read my fucking mind?
There is some fucked up shit there and he is feeling and seeing all
of it!” I ended my rant on a high-pitched note.

“You fear his rejection,” Garrick succinctly
stated.

“He’s stuck with me, Garrick, forever and
ever. What if he doesn’t like what he sees?” The words left me in a
harsh whisper, giving voice to my darkest fear.

“Perhaps he won’t, but isn’t that his choice
to make? The distance you are forcing will work, it will keep you
miserable, but why? You have a chance to be happy, Olivia. I know
the circumstances are not ideal, but trust in the chaos. Trust in
your mate that he already knows you and loves you for it.”

I smiled, a few rebellious tears slipping
down my checks. “When did you get so wise?” I asked, too softly for
a human to hear, but his vampire hearing didn’t miss it.

“I’ve had lifetimes, Olivia. Take my advice,
call Logan.”

“Alright, alright, thanks, Garrick.”

I hung up, scrolling to call Logan before I
lost my nerve. His voicemail picked up.

“Hey, I need backup on this case.” I heaved a
sigh. “I probably shouldn’t have left like I did. I – I – I don’t
know what to say, Logan. Except this whole situation terrifies me.
No one should see inside of me the way you do. You deserve better
than what I have to offer. Fuck, this isn’t going—I’m in Aspen,
Colorado if you can spare someone. If not, I understand.”

I hung up before I could blather even more.
The shower helped chase away the lingering cold and I closed the
blinds before trying to get more sleep.

I fell into the soft sheets, pulling the
comforter under my chin, visions of red eyes dancing in my
mind.

Four
hours later I rolled over, staring at the ceiling, debating if I
needed to check my phone or not. I was a light sleeper; my phone
would have woken me up.

I sighed, rolling onto my stomach, looking at
the closed curtains.

“Fuck it,” I huffed. I illuminated the
screen. My heart sank with the sight of no notifications and I
sucked in a breath. I needed backup, I could admit it.

I dialed Mark. “Olie,” he picked up in a
hush.

“Hey, I’m sorry, is this a bad time?” I
asked.

“Give me a minute.”

I heard doors closing when Mark finally came
back on. “What’s up?”

“I need backup on this case I’m running. You
available?”

“Yeah, I gotta clear it with Logan
first.”

I rubbed my forehead. “He’s not answering my
calls,” I confessed.

“Of course not, he’s a little busy right
now,” Mark chided me.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Olie you can’t be jealous of Lorraine.”

“What?” Anger blasted through my veins.

“Oh shit, no one told you.”

“Told me what, Mark?” I asked.

“Lorraine went into labor, the baby was too
early.” His voice contained sorrow.

“What?” I whispered. “Is she okay? The
baby?”

Mark sighed. “She’s in the NICU. Logan won’t
leave her side. I’m having a hard time getting Lorraine to pump for
her. The doctor said breast milk would be the best for her.”

“Give the phone to Lorraine,” I demanded.
“Mark, now.” I infused my voice with the power of an alpha.

I heard his steps, rapidly followed by the
opening of a door.

“Get out, Mark, I am not putting that leech
on my boob,” Lorraine yelled.

“Calm down,” I heard Blue’s voice.

“You are on speakerphone, Olie,” Mark
informed me.

“Listen, Lorraine, and listen well. You will
pump as often as needed for your child. If you don’t, I will find
every living member of your family and force you to watch as I
slaughter them. It won’t be quick. I will take my time, until their
screams haunt your dreams and their voices are hoarse from begging
for death.”

“She has a sister in New York,” Blue
offered.

I smiled. “Do I need to find her?” I asked
softly.

“No, you psychotic bitch. I’ll pump.” Her
voice trembled and I took great pleasure in it.

“Excellent. Blue, you want to come give me a
hand in Colorado?”

“Bloody hell, woman, I’d love it.”

I smiled. “Let’s go. Mark, tell Logan I’ll
get back as soon as I can.”

…

I hung up with Mark and Blue, debating if I
should wait for Blue or go ahead. I felt shitty, but I actually
felt better about Logan’s silence. I wanted to be there with him to
take turns comforting the poor little girl who entered the world
too soon and to a worthless mother. At least she had Logan. I
wonder what he named her?

I dressed, my mind made up. Any intel I could
gather would help speed this process along and get me back where I
belonged.

I just hoped Logan still wanted to give this
a try.

I dressed similarly to the previous night,
opting to go with my hidden silver, leaving my pretty crossbow and
swords. Twisting my dark locks up into a bun, I headed out, stowing
my phone and room key in my jacket pocket.

I went down to the restaurant, ordering
enough food for two people.

Two college-aged kids watched me closely and
I pointedly ignored them as I stuffed my face with French
toast.

Charging my meal to my room, I headed outside
to walk the path I’d followed in my attempt to chase down my fire
breathing warning system.

Fresh powder covered the tracks and I was
just as lost as before. I huffed, deciding to head over to the
scene where the last executioner was killed.