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“Fine, but right now?” Roadkill froze. “Hey… you’re not…?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m not, but when I am, you’ll be the first to know. Can’t a defenseless, helpless little girl ask her two big strong mates to go get her some ice cream?”

“Defenseless? Since when?” Hashtag narrowed his gaze. “You’re up to something.” He held up his hands. “But I’ll play along, just to keep the peace. I’m sure we’ll find out eventually.” He grabbed Roadkill’s arm. “Come on. You can drive.”

“Gee, I don’t get to do that too often,” Roadkill quipped. “Although if I want to get back in one piece, it’s probably better if I drive.”

“Hey!” Hashtag squawked.

Roadkill raised his eyebrows. “Two words. Mexico City.”

“And I’m shutting up now.” They headed out the door.

Eve waited until the car had pulled onto the road before getting her phone out. She speed-dialed Aelryn. “Well? Any news?”

“We’ve found her.”

Eve silently thanked whatever gods watched over shifters. “Where was she?”

“That’s the bad news. She was in a camp in New Mexico. We’d gone there on a mission to dismantle a breeding program.”

Hearing the words was enough to make her stomach turn. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. But trust me, you don’t want to know about the conditions in that place.”

Eve’s heart hammered. “They… they weren’t trying to….” She’d heard the reports about Geran experimentation.

“No. As far as I can tell, she was being kept there until she was old enough. So now what?”

“My first suggestion would be to put her on a plane and send her here. Then once she’s arrived safely, I’ll send for her brother.”

There was a pause. “How safe do you think she would be if she traveled with me?”

She blinked. “Aelryn, you don’t have to do that. I know what’s facing you right now. If you can’t spare anyone, I’ll come myself.”

He chuckled. “I only said that because I’m coming to Illinois anyway.”

“You are?”

“Yes, but you can’t tell anyone. It’s something Rael is planning, and it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“So when do you arrive?”

“In three days. And I’ll have a couple of guests with me.”

She beamed. “Then I look forward to seeing you. And thank you again.” She hung up, her heart light.

She was going to keep her promise.

Then she smiled to herself.

Seems I’m not the only one with secrets.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

HORVAN WASdreaming about a bell. Someone was ringing it repeatedly, and it was starting to piss him off.

Then it stopped, and he opened his eyes.