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Aodh knew it wasn’t because the Fae Queen believed that deal was still on the table for either side. It was a strategy to keep the pompous man talking and see if he revealed more.

“You all want bodies. I want my lost item back that has come up missing.” Governor Muskrand sighed. “Really... there are two of them, but one holds something precious; the other eventually will. I want them back, alive or dead.”

Frowning at the man’s obscure words, Aodh racked his brain, attempting to decipher what the hell the human was hinting at.

Iskah was staring off as if caught in her thoughts.

Aodh glanced around, trying to see if any of the others had a clue.

Then it struck him as he saw Avalore sitting beside his brother and Michaela directly across from her in the arms of Amaros—two items.

The governor hadn’t said four, referring to all the humans who had escaped: Kai, Morlie, Avalore, and Michaela. No, the man didn’t care about Aodh’s mate and her sister. Aodh was pretty sure the human leader only referred to the two females currently in the meeting grounds.

Then what did he mean by one ‘holds something precious’? Aodh looked from one human female to the other and wondered if one of them had stolen jewels or maybe documents.

But the governor had gone on to say ‘the other eventually will,’ so it couldn’t be physical. An idea pricked at the back of his mind, but Aodh couldn’t quite grasp it.

When he glanced back toward Iskah, something in her eyes, as she shifted her gaze away from him, told him she knew. The Fae Queen was keeping secrets.

“What if we can’t find your lost items? The territories are vast,” stalling, Iskah fingered the blue strands of her hair away from her face.

“True. But your creatures can move through space with lightning speed. I’m sure you all will manage. But I’m generous. I’ll give you thirty days to recover my things and deliver them to the back gate where our medical vehicle leaves from.”

“Or?” Iskah asked.

“Or no more sickly treats for your kind.”

Dov growled loudly.

Bleddyn barked even louder.

“We don’t take threats lightly,” Aodh kept his words slow and clear so that the governor understood his meaning.

There was a weighty pause, and then Muskrand reiterated. “Thirty days,” before ending the transmission.

Iskah clicked the dial that shut off the satellite communicator.

Silence spread through the area, everyone in their thoughts.

“What is it you have?” Aodh assumed his full height and turned to face Michaela, not Avalore.

There was something about the way Amaros was overly protective of his mate, the gentle, caring touches. It reminded Aodh of the way he—

“I’m pregnant.” Michaela rose from Amaros’s lap and faced Aodh, chin high.

“It’s expected, lovely. It’s what we’re all hoping our mates bring. A bundle of salvation.” Dov declared, leaning back in his chair. However, his words didn’t clear up the lines of concern etched in his features.

Ursine needed mates. Out of them all, the Ursine suffered the most tremendous loss, with many of their female bear-shifters inhaling the poisonous chemicals that humans had released into the air. The bear females carried the toxins into hibernation with them, where too many of them never awoke.

Without the possibility of human exchange, the Ursine situation was dire.

“I’m sure that is true, but there are three inside of me.”

“Welcome to the club, Michaela. Most of our sow can birth one to four.” Turi winked at her.

Amaros stood up beside his mate, taking her hand.

“We all know this, honey-addict, but what my mate is trying to tell you all is that her government altered them genetically to have multiples. She has three, but there could have been as many as four or eight. Fuck, even twelve!” The vampire's eyes blazed red, revealing his anger at the situation.

“Shit.” Dov and Turi uttered in unison.

“What in the hell?” Chanin stared from across the meeting area, where he’d finally ceased pacing.

“How?” Aodh insisted.

“Rabbits,” Amaros revealed, running a hand over his sleek, black strands.

Bleddyn perked up.

Liekki brought Avalore closer to his side.

“When, Michaela?” Avalore demanded.

Michaela shook her head. “I’m not a hundred percent.

” She glanced at Amaros, then back over the table at Avalore.

“Amaros and I talked, and we suspect it happened during our blood cleansing treatments. That the scientists may have been cleaning our blood from impurities, but they were also blending it with rabbit DNA.”

“What the fuck for?” Liekki roared, still standing close to Avalore as if his presence could protect her from the atrociously repulsive information.

Avalore placed a hand on Liekki’s arm, and Aodh watched his brother miraculously settle by degrees.

“I know I’m not one of you... a shifter or mate.” Avalore stepped close to the table next to the seat Aodh had yet to occupy this meeting. “But, listening to Governor Muskrand, I think I figured out why he reneged on the agreement with the wolf and who the women were that were promised.”

All eyes settled on her.

Brother, do you plan to fix the mate issue soon?

Aodh knew that before this, Liekki struggled with reconciling himself to his dragon’s desire and giving up his bachelor status.

Still, after these last couple hours, his brother had to know time was a commodity, no longer a luxury they could afford, especially if Avalore’s government was hunting for her.

Immediately . Liekki never took his gaze off Avalore.

“Who?” Iskah inquired.

“Us. Michaela and I. There were originally thirteen of us enrolled in the lab's project. However, eleven of the other women died from some sort of complications. My thought is that they planned to use us up for their breeding practices, and once we no longer served a purpose and were too broken to be good, they’d toss us out like day-old garbage to the shifters, not caring what the rogue wolf did to us.”

Chanin shoved a hand through his hair but remained seated.

“Thank you, Avalore. I think you’re correct,” Aodh confirmed for her.

She nodded and stepped back.

“I hope no one needs to leave anytime soon. We have a lot to discuss. It will be a long day,” Iskah declared as she settled into her seat.

“What do we do with this?” Dov asked, gesturing toward the mass still on the floor where the Vampire Vice now squatted beside it.

“I don’t mind torching it,” Liekki declared, clearly letting everyone know the dragon still wanted to burn some shit down.

“I’ll take him.”

Everyone shot a glance at Marceline, including Amaros.

“Why would you want to do that? It’s nothing.” Iskah swiped her hand through the air.

“No, he’s mine .” Marceline reached out and rolled the human arm of the odd beast palm side up, showing the white mark etched into the underside of his bicep she’d discovered.

None of them had even thought to use their senses and investigate for a mark, both because he was a male and an abomination to their kind.

“Marceline.” Amaros set his mate aside and crossed the space to his Vice.

“I know, Sire. But I can’t simply leave him here and not try.” Her eyes were crimson, and there was a quiver to the voice of the ordinarily-ostentatious female Vampire.

Aodh, as well as everyone, knew how Marceline felt and that it was possible every one of them would seek to try and save their fated mate even if they failed.

Amaros lowered himself to his haunches beside her. “You are permitted. But you must lock him in the cellar below. If he does not transform, he must be killed. He cannot be made to survive the way they have made him.”

“I will do it myself,” Marceline’s voice was barely a whisper. “Whether he lives or dies, I will take the human governor's head.”

Amaros nodded and rose.

Marceline didn’t look at any of them as she wrapped the individual back up and then gripped the top of the tarp and walked out of the council space with her head held high as she dragged her blood-mate into the forest.

All the leaders and Vice Leaders, along with Avalore and Michaela, settled into their seats as Iskah called the extended meeting to order. They needed to plan.