Page 48

“Less stress, perhaps. But we all make choices that benefitus. We make our lives our own. In that respect, we’re no different from humans, except that we have a few other options open to us.” He frowned. “I think that is why this whole ‘shifters are better than humans’ perspective is, pardon the expression, crap. Wearehumans. We’re just… a little special.”

Jake had never heard it phrased so succinctly.

“Now, tell me about your family—and especially your mate. Is this a recent occurrence?”

Jake laughed. “So recent the shine has barely had time to wear off.”

Then Orsini froze. “When you say you want me to come with you to help move the artifacts…. Does this mean I will be part of a mission?”

He stared. “Well, yes. I’d assumed Aelryn would have mentioned that part when he contacted you.”

“He may very well have done, but I was so excited by the thought of leaving the archive that I must have missed it entirely. And please, don’t assume I find the idea of being involved with the mission daunting.” His dark eyes gleamed. “This is the most exhilarating thing that has ever happened to me.”

Jake laughed. “Then welcome aboard, Signor Orsini.” He stilled. “But is the archive safe without you to protect it?”

Orsini chuckled. “If you could see the shifters Aelryn brought with him, expressly for the purpose of guarding the archive in my absence, you wouldn’t be concerned. It is in very safe hands. So… when do we leave?”

Jake was no military expert, but judging by what he’d seen going on around Leighton Hall during the last few hours, he reckoned it could be any time.

“Sooner than you think.”

Fielding had been a nasty piece of work.

Jake had an idea Theron was going to be much, much worse.

Chapter Fourteen

AN HOURhad passed since Eve and Aric returned from Thurland Castle, and Horvan had gathered all the team in Richard Deveraux’s banqueting hall, everyone seated around the long table, grabbing sandwiches and cups of coffee. Aelryn was there too. He’d stayed after bringing Luciano Orsini to the hall that morning.

Speaking of Orsini, he, Jake, and Doc were talking up a storm at the far end of the table.

Horvan hated to break up their conversation, but it was debriefing time.

“Can I have your attention?” he called out. When silence fell, Horvan indicated Eve, who was sitting between Hashtag and Roadkill. Judging by the way they kept leaning in to kiss her or hug her, he guessed her mates were relieved to have her back in one piece.

“So… tell us what you found out.” He and Eve had already spoken the minute she returned with Aric.

“As missions go, I didn’t learn an awful lot,” Eve grumbled. “I couldn’t tell you how many guards Theron has beyond the few I saw. I couldn’t see how well fortified the place was or if they had a security system in place.” Her face brightened. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t atotalfailure. I noticed there were a lot of open windows. We get another warm night, and that could play to our advantage.”

Crank snorted. “What—we go in through the windows? They’ll shut them at night and turn on the AC.”

Eve laughed. “This is the UK. Firstly, Brits don’t go for AC the same way Americans do.”

Crank widened his eyes, clearly aghast. “How do you survive? Is that what made you so tough?”

She chuckled. “You need to know something. British summers are nothing like typical US summers. Sure it gets hot, but it only lasts a few days, a week at a stretch. Although if you believe the media, it’s a heatwave and we’re all going to die. Most of the year, it’s a cool maritimeclimate, so there’s no need for AC.”

Crank’s lower lip jutted out. “A week without AC? Babe, you know I’m like a flower. If we have to stay much longer, I’ll wilt in that kind of weather.”

Eve smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll deal, I promise. Besides that, this is a listed building. They wouldn’t beallowedto install AC. The most they could do is have fans all over the place. And I just thought of something else in our favor.”

“And what’s that?” Horvan was more than happy with the outcome of the visit to Thurland Castle. Aric’s report had opened up all kinds of windows of opportunity.

“They were too complacent,” Eve mused. “They seemed unconcerned, like they were untouchable. Even Theron.”

Roadkill frowned. “If he’d been any more on the ball, you’d be hippo chow.” When Eve didn’t respond, he stared at her. “And you know I’m right, don’t you? I saw Victor’s maw, remember? He could’ve bitten you in half without much effort.”

She stared back at him. “All I’m saying is, they’re lax.”