Nicholas landed just outside the back door of the house, and without ceremony took Kate's hand and led her inside.

He needed time, as much as could be spared, to figure out what his next move was going to be. How he was going to silence Dare forever, find Gray, al while keeping his brothers in the dark. He wasn't about to bring them in on this; this was his problem to solve.

As he passed by what was now the kitchen, he saw Sara preparing rations on the counter. She glanced up, and before Nicholas could even get a word out, Kate jumped in with a question for Sara.

"How's the balas?" she asked, true concern in her tone.

"Sleeping," Sara told her. "He asked for you, and I told him you'd check in on him when you got home."

Kate smiled at her. "Thanks."

"' Course." She looked from Kate to Nicholas, then back again. "How did everything go tonight?"

Kate nodded. "Fine."

"Good to hear."

"Is Alexander back yet?" Nicholas asked with undisguised impatience. "Lucian?"

Sara shifted her attention to him, and Nicholas saw the worry in her eyes, the tension of unanswered questions. Not to worry, female. I will get your brother back safely.

"Alexander hasn't returned, but Lucian's in the library."

Nicholas nodded, then led Kate out of the kitchen, through the living room, and into the main hall. At the base of the staircase, she stopped.

"You don't have to walk me to the door, Nicholas."

"Maybe I want to," he said. Maybe that was al he wanted to do, fol ow her upstairs into her room, strip them both naked, and get in bed beside her. Pul the covers up over their heads and breathe each other's air as he buried himself deep within her.

And yet duty cal ed.

"Are you going to tel me what happened tonight?" she said, her large brown eyes probing his.

That was the problem. She wanted to talk, and the only thing he wanted to do with his mouth was taste her cunt again.

God, he was a crude bastard.

"Nothing happened tonight," he said easily. "Futile search."

"Is that real y the story you're sticking to?"

He nodded.

And she didn't fight him. "Okay."

"You know, I'm not talking about what happened between us when I say that, right?"

"Sure."

Always playing the cool card, veana. "Because what happened there was something. Real y fucking something."

He caught the sudden whisper of a smile on her perfect lips, and he leaned in to her and whispered, "I want it to happen again. Every inch of me wants it to happen again."

She held on to the banister with one hand and leaned toward him too, stopping only when their chests connected and their heads nearly col ided.

She didn't say anything more, didn't confirm or deny her body's need for him. But she didn't need to. The hot scent of her arousal drifted up to him and played in the space around his nostrils, teasing the air that he pulled into his lungs. Christ, just the thought of handing her over to Dare made him want to kill. The idea was so preposterous and impossible for him to conceive of, for a second he could almost convince himself the demand hadn't happened.

But seconds last only seconds for a reason, and if Nicholas wanted to birth a plan to combat Dare's he needed to get on it fast.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. "Good night, Kate."

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and said, "Good night, Nicholas," then turned and made her way up the stairs.

Alone.

The Supreme One stood at the water's edge in his reality, the sunlight and easy breezes warring with the mood of their creator. He was growing weary of the male before him. In fact, he wished he could end the Impure's life this very minute.

But that was not wise.

Not until his plan was complete.

"Not only do you not bring me the balas I seek," the Supreme One began, his lip curling, "but you flaunt your beating heart in front of an entire club of humans, chasing after the Roman brothers."

Dare stood by Pearl's chair, his hand gripping the pregnant human's shoulder as if he could protect her, or the balas inside her.

A fool among Impures.

"Who do you have spying on me, my lord?" Ethan asked easily, though the worry was bright in his dark eyes.

The Supreme One smiled. "Alistair observes your movement."

"Alistair."

"The male reports to me now."

Ethan lifted his chin. "Your trust for me and my actions wanes, then."

The Supreme One laughed at the male's idiocy. "I have never put my trust in you, Impure-only my blood. And if you wish to continue taking from my vein, you wil listen closely.

The Romans gain in strength, ability, and motivation; they wil take any and every chance to kil you. Do not underestimate them-and do not play cat and rat games with them. You wil lose."

And so will I.

"Do you understand me, Impure?"

Ethan nodded, but his face was a mask of irritation, of frustration-of a male who had been elevated to a station far greater than he deserved.

Yes, the Supreme One mused, he would love to end this male's life himself-and make him suffer before he did. But the Order would not morph the third Roman brother if Ethan Dare was dead. And the Supreme One needed Lucian Roman to go through morpho if he was ever going to see his plan hatched.