Hunted (War of the Covens 1)

Saffron sashayed over to Marion’s side. “Faeries have an energy like all of us beings—”

“Trace.” Lucien nodded. Everybody knew about trace; it was part of their energy, their existence.

“Yes. Trace. Only a very, very old faerie can mask their trace. I’m talking half a millennium old, and there are only a few of those old spies kicking around, not to mention that every single one of them works for Daylight.”

Lucien nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “So this Midnight faerie … it can’t mask its trace, so you sense it here?”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah.” Ryder slapped Lucien’s shoulder to get his attention. “The dumb tree sensed it and didn’t say anything until we were at the coven with Marion.”

“Am I the tree in that sentence?” Saffron hissed.

“Children, please.” Marion rubbed her temples.

“Yes. Children,” Lucien agreed, smirking at Ryder before directing his next question at Saffron. “Can you follow this trace?”

“Unfortunately, only the head of either coven is blessed with that ability.”

Marion was already shaking her head. “No, Lucien. My sister and brother-in-law are in the middle of their own little mess at the moment. Marita does not have time to come down here, I’m sorry. At times like these, you’re lucky to have gotten me and Saffron.”

“Lucky isn’t the word I’d use,” Ryder muttered under his breath.

“Lykans aren’t the only ones with good hearing,” the faerie snapped.

Ryder smiled innocently, which seemed to irritate her more.

Usually their childish banter would amuse Lucien, but now he was too concerned. Spinning around to face Ryder, he let his emotions play on his face as he only could with his closest friend. “This is about Caia.”

“I tend to agree with you there,” Marion whispered.

Lucien glanced back at the magik. “I need your help with Caia. She’s showing the signs.”

“Have you told her the truth yet?”

“No.”

“Well, I can’t help until you do so.” Her tone was disapproving.

“I’m going to,” he bit out. “But only about the Hunter and her heritage. The other … she needn’t know about that just yet.”

“You’re sure?”

His shoulders tensed; his teeth clenched. “Yes.”

“Okay, then.”

Her eyelids felt as if lead had been piled on them. Come to think of it, her face felt heavy too. Slowly, Caia opened her eyes, the sleep easing until she could focus on the ceiling. What a weird, deep sleep.

Then she realized she could feel her right arm lying across her stomach, but there was no sensation in her left one. Groaning, Caia used her right hand to pull the left out from under her pillow. Numb. Shaking and flexing it, she felt the sharp, burning tingles of life flowing back into it.

Flopping back onto her pillow, Caia’s stared at the ceiling, her mind assailed with images. Her fingers unconsciously went to her lips as she remembered Lucien’s kiss. It had been a great kiss. Her first kiss. At the mere memory, butterflies erupted in her stomach, their little wings flapping rapidly against her heart and kicking it into an erratic speed. And then memories of the day before intruded, obliterating every one of those butterflies with the force of a shotgun.

Alexa taunting her about having slept with Lucien.

Caia cursed them both. She was so stupid for at falling for Lucien’s easy charm. He was pack leader. There’s probably some unspoken rule that he could flirt with any female he wanted and everyone understood it didn’t mean anything until he said it meant something.

And that hadn’t been the worst of it. She’d had no control over her change at school, and Sebastian saved her ass—and the pack’s—from exposure.

She was going to be sick.

Climbing out of bed, she made it into her bathroom and breathed with relief when the nausea passed. She braced against the sink and stared deeply into the mirror above it, hoping to find answers to the questions in her eyes. But none were forthcoming.

She ran the cold water and cupped a handful, splashing her face, enjoying the icy rivulets running down her skin. And then an invisible hammer hit her head as she glanced back at the mirror; the conversation she heard between Sebastian and Lucien yesterday while changing in Sebastian’s car rang in her ears.

She snarled, wanting to rip the sink off the wall.

They knew!

She tore out of the bathroom, hurriedly pulling on a pair of jeans, and then flew down the stairs. Her bluster, however, slowly died at the sound of voices coming from the sitting room. She sniffed the air and found the familiar scents of her housemates, plus Magnus, Dimitri, and Ryder. Among the scents were two unfamiliar ones—of the non-lykan variety. Caia grumbled, realizing she couldn’t exactly rip Lucien’s head off in company.

Oh, but he had it coming.

Finishing her journey to the sitting room Caia abruptly halted. They’d stopped talking, all eyes on her. Lucien, she was angered to see, wore a tender expression. She flushed as she remembered the hot kisses they’d shared, and how Alexa’s taunt had sent Caia into a blazing rage, the kind that made her, what? Able to telekinetically throw the other wolf across a room?