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Callan and Merinus stood at the only entrance into the ballroom, calm and to all appearances unaware of the deception brewing within Sanctuary. But they knew, and Callan had already passed sentence once the Breeds were caught. They would die. No exceptions, even for the woman.
Merinus Lyons was as graceful and gracious as always, her brown hair upswept, displaying her slender neck and the pearls that circled it. She wore a ball gown that managed to be both fanciful and elegant, the sweep of bronze material floating around her.
Roni Andrews was with her mate and husband, Taber. Taber was dressed in a black tux, but Ria knew the weapons concealed beneath it.
The entire ruling family was there, including Dawn Daniels and her fiancé Seth Lawrence. They moved through the guests, smiling, chatting, laughing, but the tension was there. The scent of it would have been detectable if it weren’t for many of the guests being nervous, some of them meeting the Breed ruling family for the first time.
Ria curled her hand on Mercury’s broad forearm, moving along the perimeter of the crowd in the emerald sweep of her velvet ball gown, her gaze spreading out over the room, finding several of the security personnel Leo had brought with him as well.
“You look too hot,” Mercury complained with an amused growl as male eyes turned to her, glinted with interest and then flickered in fear when her Breed mate growled at them.
But she heard the pride in his voice. For some reason, it pleased him that the animal genetics she had tried so long to fight were impossible to suppress since he had mated her.
“It’s your fault,” she reminded him, her voice low as she almost laughed at the tiny, warning pat just above her rear.
“Don’t remind me. I’m ready to explode the way it is.”
And he was. He was hard beneath his new dress uniform, and ready for her. He was always ready for her, just as she was for him.
She smiled at the thought of that, warmed to it as she tried to concentrate on the security placed around the room.
There were Breed Enforcers in the expected places for such events, but she knew there were even more ready, heavily armed and waiting.
Horace Engalls was there with his wife, on the dance floor sweeping through the crowd, his expression smug, arrogant. Brandenmore was dancing with none other than Alaiya, the Breed determined to take what Ria had decided there wasn’t a chance in hell she was taking.
Exactly when she had made that decision, Ria wasn’t certain. She had been willing to walk away once, to let Mercury have the mate that had first been intended for him.
He hadn’t let her walk away. He had torn into her heart and soul, and pulled free parts of herself she had sworn she would never allow out again.
He was hers. And once this was over, she would make certain Alaiya Jennings understood, completely, no matter what test results might show, that Mercury would never belong to her.
But this had to be taken care of first.
She and Mercury moved through the crowd, placing themselves close enough to cover Roni Andrews and Merinus Lyons in case shots were fired.
They weren’t up against one Breed, but several. As Dane began to pull the ghosted backups, tracking movements and meetings, they’d found what they needed.
Patterns, there were always patterns, and this one had been a very simple one, based on complete arrogance and the certainty that they had managed to gain all the information they needed concerning Sanctuary’s security. Technical experts, they were not. Otherwise, they would have realized there were always recovery protocols designed into any security system. Especially a Vanderale system. Technology was Vanderale’s game, and they did it better than anyone in the world.
Jonas, Callan and Merinus stood near the entrance to the ballroom, and it was there Mercury and Ria ended up after they made a short round of the room to give the appearance of mingling.
Along with Taber and Roni, they were greeting guests, smiling, the perfect, consummate hosts.
As Ria and Mercury moved in behind the Lyons family, Ria tensed.
Ely Morrey had stepped into the entrance, dressed in a black gown, her hair brushed attractively around her face. She looked sociable and pleasant, until Ria saw her eyes.
“This is bad,” she whispered as she watched Jackal slide away from Jonas toward the doctor. “She’s here early.”
They hadn’t expected this. And if her appearance was anything to go by, she was more agitated than before. She wasn’t to have arrived until later. Hopefully, not at all.
Jackal stopped beside Ely, his dark head bending as he whispered something in her ear. Requesting that she allow him to escort her back to her room.
Sorrow filled Ely’s eyes. Betrayal, fear and tears as she turned and looked at Jackal. His expression was curiously gentle for a man Ria knew wasn’t considered gentle.
“Please, Ely,” he whispered. “For me.”
