Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(26)

“On what? Being mated to Fury seems like a nightmare to me.”

There was a time Angelia would have agreed. Strange how she no longer did. “Your brother is a wonderful wolf.”

Bride smiled approvingly.

“So where is lover-wolf, anyway?”

“He said he was going to see a friend about getting the lions off my trail.”

Fang’s face blanched.

“What?” Angelia asked, immediately scared by his reaction.

“Fury doesn’t have any friends.”

Why would he have lied to her? Dear gods, what was he doing? “Then where is he?”

The question had barely left her lips before Vane appeared. He glared at her before he turned to Fang. “I need you at the Omegrion. Now.”

Fang frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Fury has turned himself in as the one who maimed the lion.”

Angelia shot to her feet. “What?!”

“You heard me! Stupid idiot. I’ve been summoned by Savitar who asked me to bring any witnesses who can testify to his innocence.”

Fang cursed. “Where was he when it happened?”

“I don’t know.”

Fang shot to his feet. “I’m going.”

They started to leave.

“Don’t forget me.” Angelia moved to stand in front of Vane.

Vane hesitated.

Fang gave him a stern look. “She’s his mate, V. Let her come.”

Nodding, he took her with them to Savitar’s island and into the chamber room where the Omegrion met and decided the laws that governed all lycanthropes. All her life, Angelia had heard stories about this place. Never had she thought to see it.

Here the Regis, one representative for each branch of the Katagaria and Arcadians, met. It was amazing to her that they didn’t fight. But then that was why Savitar was here.

More like a referee, Savitar held the final fate of all of them in his hands. The only problem was no one really knew what Savitar was. Or even where he came from.

“Where’s Fury?” she asked Vane.

“I don’t know.”

“Are all the members here?”

He scanned the group. “All but Fury.”

Before she could ask another question, she felt a ripple of power behind her. Turning, she found an unbelievably gorgeous man there. At least six-feet-eight, he had long dark hair and a goatee. Dressed in surf clothes, he eyed her suspiciously.

“You have your witnesses, Wolf?” he asked Vane.

“I do.”

“Then let’s proceed.” He walked past the round table where the Omegrion members sat and took a seat on a throne that was set apart.

“Savitar?” she asked Vane.

He nodded.

Damn. He was scary.

Savitar let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “I know everyone here wants to be somewhere else. Trust me. So do I. But for those who haven’t heard and you’d have to live under a rock . . .” He looked over to the Arcadian Hawk Regis and hesitated. “Okay, so some of you do, which is why I have to explain this. It appears some of our good Arcadians have created and now used a weapon that can take away your preternatural abilities and lock you into your base form.”

Several members sucked their breaths in sharply.

Savitar nodded. “Yeah, it sucks. Two days ago, a couple of bastards decided to go hunting. I have the head of two of the four people responsible.” He indicated the lions to his left. “The family of the victim wants the other two. Dead. But tortured first. I can respect that.”

“Do we hunt?” Nicolette Peltier asked.

“No. It seems one of those responsible has come forward to turn himself in. He claims he killed the fourth member and doesn’t want to run.”

“Where is he?” Paris’s brother demanded.

“Wait your turn, Lion, or I’ll be wearing your eyeballs as jewelry.”

The lion backed down immediately.

Savitar snapped his fingers, and Fury appeared before his throne in chains.

Angelia started for him, only to have Vane stop her.

Fury did a doubletake as he saw her. “Dammit, Vane, I told you not to—” A muzzle appeared on his face.

Savitar glared at him. “Next person or animal who interrupts me is going to get gutted.”

Fury’s gaze was locked on hers. Don’t speak, he projected to her. It’s better this way. Trust me. You can go home and have your life back.

Was he out of his mind?

That thought died as she saw Dare appear next to Fury.

Savitar eyed Dare with contempt. “We have a witness who swears he saw Fury in the act. Since that corroborates what Fury has said, I suppose your vote on his fate will be an easy one. Unless someone in the room has something more to add.”

Sasha stepped forward. “Fury didn’t do it. He’s protecting someone. I know him. I might not like his ass, but I know he’s innocent. I was there at Sanctuary when he saw the lion and he knew nothing about it.”

“It’s true,” Nicolette Peltier said. “I, too, saw him. He told me he would find the one responsible and make them pay.”

Savitar stroked his chin. “Interesting, isn’t it? What do you have to say about that, Fury?”

The muzzle vanished. “They’re on crack.”