Amusement twitched the corners of my mouth. "So you're telling me you don't mind a bit of granny?"
"Only a particular type of granny."
"You know." Rhoan said conversationally, "this talk is straying into territory I really don't want to think about."
"Particularly when most grannies don't look like Riley," Kade muttered, then shuddered "Old meat. Nothing worse."
I slapped his arm. "You'll be old meat one day, horseboy, so watch it."
His grin was sudden and cheeky, and sexy in a whole different way than Quinn's. "Yeah, but I'll be virile old horsemeat. There is a difference."
"I bet I could find a dozen grannies who would argue that point."
"And I'd be betting that those grannies ain't ever had a horse-shifter as a lover."
"He's such a humble person, isn't he?" Rhoan said dryly.
Kade's grin grew. "Why be humble when you've got nothing to be humble about?"
Rhoan's gaze shifted to me, and he raised an eyebrow in query. I grinned. "He has got a point."
"Damn." He contemplated Kade for a second, then added, "So, where do I find me a bit of gay horsemeat?"
Kade shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't go looking for that sort of thing."
"Pity."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Please do."
There wasn't much that could really be added to that, so silence fell. I stared out the window, watching the office buildings and restaurants give way to residential streets, then country, and finally began to wonder where we were headed.
It was another half hour before we stopped, and by then, night had fallen. I climbed out of the van, sniffing the air as I looked around. The scent of eucalyptus vied with the aroma of rain on the breeze, but underneath it, the smell of death and earth.
My gaze found the dirt road that led up to vast iron doors. We were back at Genoveve.
"Why here?" I asked, as Jack came around the van.
"Because there's only one way in and out of this place, and it's heavily guarded with Directorate personnel I know for sure I can trust."
"And Headquarters isn't?"
"Gautier is due back tonight."
Gautier was only one man, and as much as I hated him, I doubt he'd be able to defeat the four of us. He was good, but not that good.
Jack headed toward the entrance, and, like good little sheep, we followed. Once the men at the door confirmed our identities, the laser gates lowered, the iron doors opened, and the four of us were allowed in.
We headed for the main office area. Rhoan, Quinn, and Kade plonked their butts down on the comfy leather sofas, but I continued on to the windows, keeping my back to them as I crossed my arms and stared out over the arena. Talon had once used the small stadium to test the skills of his creations, and even now, months after the event, the golden sand still bore the bloody stains where his clones and many of our guardians had fought for, and lost, their lives.
My gaze rose to the windows opposite. That's where I'd woken to discover him using me. And while I was a wolf, and hadn't been particularly worried about the sex angle of it, I was also a woman, and hadn't liked being treated that way. Not for any reason.
"So," Jack said, sitting down behind the huge, paper-strewn desk. "What happened?"
"He gave me a starting point. A name."
Jack waited several seconds, and when I didn't continue, said, "And?"