The Psy-Changeling Collection (368 page)
“My team’s got things under control for now,” Drew said, his eyes such a clear blue that she felt bathed in sunlight.
“But they need you.” Pride was a fierce beat inside of her, for this wolf who was smart enough, strong enough, to reach their most vulnerable. “With Riaz here, in the den, I can come on a lot of the trips with you.”
Drew blinked, his lashes long and beautiful. “If Riley is Hawke’s right arm, you’re his left. He needs you here. Especially now.”
“I’ve spoken to him.” She pulled him down against her, enjoying the all over contact. Such exquisite skin privileges. “We won’t be gone for months at a time; you’ve got your network set up now.”
“That’s true. But I’m still going to need to make a lot of short trips—especially to San Diego. Seb is damn strong,” he said of his replacement in that sector, “but he’s younger than me.”
“We can play those times by ear,” Indigo said, knowing she’d miss him when he was away, but also knowing the mating bond would ensure she was never lonely.
A long, quiet pause. Then, “Indy?”
Hearing the edge in his tone, she nuzzled a kiss against his neck. “What is it?”
“You were put in a situation where you had to accept the mating bond,” Drew said, shadows whispering over the clarity of his gaze when she looked up. “Do you regret it?”
She knew exactly how much it had to have cost him to ask that. “The only thing I regret is not being able to end the mating dance as I planned.”
A spark in the blue. “You had a plan?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Tell.” Fingers dancing over her abdomen, threatening to tickle.
“Well,” she said, brushing her lips against his ear, “it involved tying you naked to my bed, having my wicked way with you in revenge for all your crazy-making tactics … and then telling you that you belong to me. Forever. No outs. No givebacks.”
Drew thrust his hand into her hair, his gaze gone that startling wolf-copper. “Tell me now.”
She did. And then, because she was in a good mood and she adored him and he’d taught her about opening her heart, she whispered more love words in his ear, until he broke every single one of Lara’s rules and drove them both to heaven a second time around.
NALINI SINGH
Contents
For you, my readers
CAST OF CHARACTERS
In alphabetical order by first name
Key: SD = SnowDancer wolves DR = DarkRiver leopards
Aden
Arrow, Telepath (Tp)
Alexei
SD Lieutenant
Amara Aleine
Psy member of DR, former Council scientist, twin of Ashaya, mentally unstable
Andrew (Drew) Kincaid
SD Soldier, mated to Indigo, brother of Riley and Brenna
Anthony Kyriakus
Psy Councilor, father of Faith
Ashaya Aleine
Psy member of DR, former Council scientist, mated to Dorian, twin of Amara
Ava
SD, mother of Ben, friend of Lara
Barker
DR Soldier
Ben
SD pup, son of Ava
Brenna Kincaid
SD, tech, mated to Judd, sister of Andrew and Riley
Clay Bennett
DR Sentinel, mated to Talin
Cooper
SD Lieutenant
Council
(or
Psy Council
) The ruling Council of the Psy race
Elias
SD Senior Soldier, mated to Yuki, father of Sakura
Evangeline (Evie) Riviere
SD, sister of Indigo
Faith NightStar
Psy member of DR, cardinal foreseer (F-Psy), mated to Vaughn, daughter of Anthony
Ghost
Psy rebel
Hawke
SD Alpha
Henry Scott
Psy Councilor, husband of Shoshanna
Indigo Riviere
SD Lieutenant, mated to Andrew, daughter of Abel and Tarah, sister of Evangeline
Jem
(real name:
Garnet
) SD Lieutenant
Judd Lauren
Psy member of SD, Lieutenant, mated to Brenna, uncle of Sienna, Toby, and Marlee
Kaleb Krychek
Psy Councilor
Kenji
SD Lieutenant
Kieran
Human member of SD, Soldier
Kit
DR Novice Soldier, brother of Rina
Lara
SD Healer
Lucas Hunter
DR Alpha, mated to Sascha
Lucy
SD, nurse, assistant to Lara
Maria
SD Novice Soldier
Marlee Lauren
Psy member of SD, daughter of Walker, cousin of Sienna and Toby
Matthias
SD Lieutenant
Max Shannon
Human, Nikita’s security chief, married to Sophia
Mercy Smith
DR Sentinel, mated to Riley
Ming LeBon
Psy Councilor
Nathan (Nate) Ryder
DR Senior Sentinel, mated to Tamsyn, father of Roman and Julian
Nikita Duncan
Psy Councilor, mother of Sascha
Riaz
SD Lieutenant
Riley Kincaid
SD Lieutenant, mated to Mercy, brother of Andrew and Brenna
Rina
DR Soldier, sister of Kit
Riordan
SD Novice Soldier
Sascha Duncan
Psy member of DR, cardinal empath (E-Psy), mated to Lucas, daughter of Nikita
Shoshanna Scott
Psy Councilor, wife of Henry
Sienna Lauren
Psy member of SD, Novice Soldier, sister of Toby, niece of Judd and Walker
Sophia Russo
Former Justice Psy (J), works for Nikita, married to Max
Tai
SD Novice Soldier
Tamsyn (Tammy) Ryder
DR Healer, mated to Nathan, mother of Roman and Julian
Tarah Riviere
SD, mother of Indigo and Evangeline
Tatiana Rika-Smythe
Psy Councilor
Teijan
Rat Alpha
Toby Lauren
Psy member of SD, brother of Sienna, nephew of Judd and Walker
Tomás
SD Lieutenant
Vasic
Arrow, Teleporter (Tk-V)
Vaughn D’Angelo
DR Sentinel, mated to Faith, jaguar changeling
Walker Lauren
Psy member of SD, father of Marlee, uncle of Sienna and Toby
Xavier Perez
Human priest
Yuki
SD, lawyer, mated to Elias, mother of Sakura
X
1979.
The year the Psy race became Silent.
Became cold, without emotion, without mercy.
Hearts were broken, families torn apart.
But far more were saved.
From insanity.
From murder.
From viciousness such as unseen in the world today.
For the X-Psy, Silence was a gift beyond price, a gift that allowed at least some of their number to survive childhood, have a life. Yet over a hundred years after the icy wave of the Silence Protocol washed away violence and despair, madness and love, X-Psy are, and remain, living weapons. Silence is their safety switch. Without it . . .
There are some nightmares the world will never be ready to face.
Chapter 1
HAWKE FOLDED HIS
arms and leaned back against the solid bulk of his desk, eyes on the two young females in front of him. Hands clasped behind themselves and legs slightly spread in the “resting” stance, Sienna and Maria looked like the SnowDancer soldiers they were—except for the fact that their hair straggled in a wild mess around their faces, matted with mud, crushed leaves, and other forest debris. Then there was the torn clothing and the sharp, acrid scent of blood.
His wolf bared its teeth.
“Let me get this straight,” he said in a calm tone that had Maria turning pale under skin that was a warm, smooth brown where it wasn’t bruised and bloody. “Instead of staying on watch and protecting the pack’s defensive border, you two decided to have your own personal dominance battle.”
Sienna, of course, met his gaze—something no wolf would’ve done in the circumstances. “It w—”