It took a total of five seconds for Kate to know where she was and who she was standing before. But when the information registered, she whirled on Nicholas Roman and shouted, "You bastard! You motherfucking prick!"

He held her against him, trapped her in his massive frame like the prisoner she was. His gaze remained trained on the ten, but she saw his jaw flicker with tension. Her vision went scarlet and she yanked her arm loose, hauled back, and punched him in the face.

The Order reacted at once, members coming to their feet, a cacophony of concerned and angered voices. But Kate tuned them al out. She was waiting, waiting for him to look at her, react, say something to justify his unjustifiable move-at the very least, fight back. But he did nothing. It was almost as if he hadn't felt her fist at all.

"Take her," he commanded.

Two Impure guards rushed forward and grabbed Kate by the arms, pulled her away from Nicholas's embrace. In a way, she was glad to go, but she stil fought, kicking her feet, looking for flesh to bite.

"You'l pay for this, Roman," she screamed at him as the guards hauled her past the Order and toward a smal structure with a thatched roof. "I swear to God, whatever I have to do."

He didn't look at her, just kept his eyes on the ten redHe didn't look at her, just kept his eyes on the ten red-robed bastards who were returning to their seats as if nothing had happened.

"You're a fucking coward, you know that!" she shouted at him-at them.

But she wasn't sure if anyone heard that last bit or not.

The guards had shoved her inside the structure, tossed her into a room, and shut the door.

She lay there for a moment, her back to the sandy floor, her eyes on the ceiling.

WELCOME BACK, PRISONER 626

It wasn't Mondrar, but it may as wel have been. No waves, no words coming together to create a command. It was already written, already done.

Hatred fil ed her every vein, every cell.

She was dead, and Nicholas Roman would pay.

Nicholas stood before the Order, forcing down his instinct to run after the guards who held the veana and drain them dry. Their hands on her flesh, their rough ways made him want to wage war against them al : the Order, the guards, even himself. But Lucian's future, his existence was the only concern he would al ow himself now.

"Bringing back our prisoner without being asked. Your loyalty is appreciated, Nicholas Roman, and yet it's surprising."

Nicholas slid his gaze to Cruen. The oldest member of the Order was sitting forward, his merlot robes hanging off his thin frame, his gnarled hands resting on the ancient wood table, pale blue eyes lit up with delight.

"You mistake my motives in coming here, bringing the veana," Nicholas said with little emotion.

"Do we?"

"Kate Everborne is mine."

There was a rustle of robes amongst the ten, the black circles around each of their left eyes going glassy as they spoke to one another with their thoughts. But Cruen looked at no one save Nicholas, his eyes narrowing with distrust.

"Prisoner 626 belongs to the Order."

"No," Nicholas said, walking toward the table. "She is my prisoner, and I intend to use her as bait."

"Bait?" The white-haired veana next to Cruen raised her snowy eyebrows. "Explain yourself, Son of the Breeding Male."

"You want Dare. Dare wants her."

"Why would Dare want her?" asked the white-haired veana. "Not simply because she is a veana?"

"No. He wants the balas, and he thinks Kate knows where the child is."

A paven on the end with a black beard tapered to a point cal ed out, "You are speaking of Mirabelle Letts's balas?"

Nicholas nodded.

"But why?" the white-haired veana asked. "Why would Dare want the boy?"

"I don't know."

Cruen cocked his head to one side, studied Nicholas.

"You don't."

"No," Nicholas said easily. "But perhaps for the same reason the Order wants him."

Cruen's eyes narrowed.

"The Order wants the boy back because he belongs in his credenti," the veana said quickly. "Wherever it is that Prisoner 626 took him he wil be discovered and returned to his credenti."

Nicholas shrugged. "I hope so, but in the meantime, Dare searches for him too-and for Kate Everborne. We would al be fools not to use this opportunity, not to use her."

"What are you asking for, Son of the Breeding Male?"

Cruen said, scowling.

"I'm not asking. I want Dare and she is the key."

Cruen's scowl deepened. "No."

"You want Dare dead before he takes another veana, before he recruits another Impure, do you not?"

Many seated at the table nodded, but the veana with the white hair asked, "And when Prisoner 626 is done assisting you? What then?"

"I wil return her to you." The words were easy enough to say, and yet there was something within Nicholas that stumbled. As it was with al Pureblood pavens, he didn't possess a beating heart, so perhaps it was the concern he had regarding her hold on him, or a moral compass he had no idea he possessed, one that was trying to direct him back to what was good, what was right.

Either way he wasn't listening.

"If we agree to this," the white-haired veana said,"Prisoner 626 must have the tracking chip replaced."

"No."

Cruen hissed. "We grow tired of your obstinate manner, Son of the Breeding Male."

"She wil be with me always. A morphed Pureblood.

Tracked by the Order for eternity. You want her, just look for me."

Cruen grinned at him, flashing his red fangs. "You wish to take ful responsibility for her, then?"

Nicholas nodded.

"Fine."

The veana lifted a hand. "And the balas-"

Nicholas didn't even let her finish. "If I find the balas, I'll bring him back with the veana."

"We have a deal, Son of the Breeding Male," Cruen said, leaning forward over the table. "But if you do not return the veana-for whatever reason-Lucian Roman wil be morphed. Even with Dare's body at our feet."

The odd feeling inside Nicholas stumbled again, but he ignored it. Al that mattered was his brother, and keeping him from morpho-keeping him protected until Nicholas could do it no longer. And after what Lucian had sacrificed for him so long ago, his very life in the face of seven males who had tried to bleed Nicholas dry, this veana and the chance she might be his true mate was a blip in his long existence. He refused to be responsible for her future-he owed her nothing.

"Do I have your word?" Nicholas said gruffly.

Down the row, each member of the Order nodded.

Though when Nicholas got to Cruen, the paven's eyes burned blue fire before he dropped his chin.