“Nothing there, either,” said Andreas. “I don’t know if it was the sheer number of the creatures that attacked us—too much blood from the ones we killed—or if the enemy is using some kind of magic, but it’s nearly impossible to pick up on any one scent trail.”

“What do you want to do now?” asked Joseph.

“I sent teams in several directions from here, hoping we’ll catch a break, that they’ll pick something up a little farther away from the scene of the attack. But it’s not looking good. I was hoping you’d have a trick or two up your sleeve.”

Joseph did his best to hide his worry. What the men needed now was strength. Confidence. Leadership. “I’ll check with the warriors I have in the field and see what I can come up with. You keep at it from your end. I’ll send help as soon as I can.”

“Don’t take too long. The young may not have much time.”

Joseph braced his shoulders so they wouldn’t bow under the weight of his fear for those kids. “Understood.”

Andreas hung up. Joseph looked at Lyka, seeing more fear on her face than he would have thought possible.

Her chin trembled for a second before she controlled it. “They didn’t find the young, did they?”

“Not yet. But they will.”

“Tonight?”

He wouldn’t lie to her like that. “Slayer kids are tough. Eric is with them. They’ll stay safe until we do find them.”

“You don’t know that. You can’t know any of that.”

“I believe it, though. You should, too. Hope will keep us strong and positive.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter how strong we are if we’re here, sitting on our asses. We have to do something. You have to let me out there to look for them.”

“And let you get killed because there are no warriors here who can go with you and protect you?”

“I don’t need their protection, and even if I did, there are lots of warriors here.”

“Those are the husbands of our pregnant women. Not one of them would leave his wife unguarded. I’m sorry.”

“What about you?”

“Someone has to be here to lead the troops.”

“Let one of the other men do it. Come with me. Help me find those children before it’s too late.”

The idea of setting out with her, of getting to spend a considerable amount of time with her, was more than tempting. He’d have her nearby, easing his headache, challenging his mind and revving his libido like a finely tuned engine.

But it was impossible. He had to make her see that.

“Even if we did leave, where would you go? There are dozens of people out there scouring the scene of the crime, searching for some clue to where the kids were taken. What makes you think you could do any better?”

“I’m an excellent tracker. And the more eyes, ears and noses we have in the field, the better. You never know what path we might cross that they haven’t.”

“It’s not worth the risk. I’m sorry.”

She went quiet for a second, but he could see the wheels in her head turning. “What if it was worth the risk?”

“What does that mean?”

“What if I could give you something you want in exchange for you letting me go hunting?”

She was so serious, he didn’t dare laugh. But he was curious. “What could you possibly offer me that would be worth endangering your life as well as the peace treaty between our peoples?”

She straightened her spine in resolve. “A female Theronai.”

Chapter 8

Lyka couldn’t believe she was doing this. It was insane. Completely nuts.

She moved to the sliding glass doors on the back wall of her suite. They overlooked a parklike setting, complete with flowers, topiaries and wrought-iron park benches. Normally the view soothed her, but not tonight.

Even hinting that she knew where one of their women was located was enough to get her waterboarded. But what choice did she have? Eric was missing, possibly dead. The young still hadn’t been found. Every hour that passed was one in which they were vulnerable and afraid.

Assuming they still lived.

As those dark thoughts swirled through her mind, she had to shove them away with a force of will before they could take root and fester.

She couldn’t simply stay here in these safe, lush surroundings while her brother and those babies suffered. Even if it meant giving up her secret, her freedom. Irrevocably.

Joseph still hadn’t said a word, making her wonder if he’d heard her.

She strengthened her willpower and forced herself to stay on the only path possible. “Your men are still dying without their mates. I know that a few of you have found women, but every one you find is a big deal, right?”

Joseph nodded slowly, eyeing her as if looking for her lie. “Huge. A bonded pair of Theronai can save thousands of lives.”

“Then it seems I have something of value to you. I propose a bargain.”

He stepped closer. “Don’t play games with this, Lyka. I mean it.”

“I’m not playing.” She swallowed hard. “I’m acutely aware of the stakes.” She was going to regret her actions here today, but only if her plan failed. If the young survived, their lives would be worth every day she spent in captivity. She had to believe that.

Joseph’s hazel eyes darkened. His voice dropped to a tone so low, it vibrated with an unspoken threat of violence. “Tell me where she is, Lyka. This isn’t the kind of secret you can keep from me.”

She’d never seen him like this before. He’d always been so accommodating and solicitous. Every creature comfort she’d asked for, he’d provided. The only thing he hadn’t allowed her was her freedom. She’d had no idea that what she dangled in front of him now would evoke such . . . darkness from him.

She balled her hands into fists and steadied her nerves. “First you have to promise. Bind yourself to your word. There can’t be any room left for you to weasel out of your promise, or my lips stay sealed.”

All the glittering light that usually reached his eyes was gone now, leaving behind the kind of darkness a man would need to have to slay beasts without mercy. She’d always seen him behind a desk, but that docile impression of him vanished. What remained was a hard, lethal warrior standing in front of her.