Whisper snorted as if he’d happily turn Dillon into a late-night snack.

And me...I was just happy a battle hadn’t broken out, even though we were going around in circles.

Dillon suddenly tipped his head back as if all the stress of chasing after me became too much. “Ugh, I’m too old for a pissing contest. You owe me a raise, Elara Snowflake. A big one.”

“And you were doing so well.” I scowled. “You just had to ruin it with the pseudonym jab.”

“Anything to get you to listen to me.” Dillon chuckled, sounding far too familiar. My heart flinched because...I’d always felt so safe around him. It hurt far too much to think our relationship might be a lie.

Dillon scrubbed his face. “Seeing as we’re not getting anywhere, is there a bar around here? I could really use a drink.” Glancing around the gorgeous courtyard, he added, “You’re determined to turn me into an alcoholic before I’m forty.”

“Get out of my home,” Lucien hissed. “Now.”

Dillon crossed his arms, spreading his legs wide just in case Lucien pounced again. “I’m not leaving until I’ve spoken with Rook. Alone. Give her to me.”

“Give her to you?” Lucien smirked with such feral intensity, my knees wobbled. “Why the fuck would I hand her over to someone who was late. Someone who claimed he wanted to protect her yet failed.”

“I got there as fast as I could.” Dillon winced. “And when I did...I found bodies, blood, and her rucksack. I thought she’d been murdered and cut up into tiny pieces.” Taking a step toward me, genuine fear filled his blue eyes. “It looked like a back-alley surgery had taken place. I thought someone had stolen your organs. I couldn’t find you. Couldn’t find a single fucking trace. Your phone didn’t connect. You’d left no note. It was like you’d been butchered and vanished into thin air.”

“My point exactly.” Lucien shrugged. “You failed her and she doesn’t need you anymore because she has something better.” His lips twisted into a sneer. “She has me.”

Pushing up his cuffs, Dillon charged forward. “Listen here, you egomaniac. I haven’t slept in days. I’ve been on more planes and buses than I can count. And I’m this fucking close to losing my temper. Let me talk to my client and—”

“If you dare try to take her away from me, I’ll turn you into a fillet steak for my cat.” Lucien stormed forward and snatched Dillon by the jacket.

“Get the hell off me!” Dillon smashed the edge of his hand over Lucien’s wrist with trained precision, forcing him to let him go.

Lucien tripped backward, shaking out his hand. “Whisper, get rid of this nuisance for me.”

“Wait.” I jumped forward. “Whisper, don’t—”

The panther’s tail puffed into a bristle brush, preparing to obey.

“Whisper, listen to me.” I darted in front of him. “Stop it.”

“Do it,” Lucien commanded. “Kill him.”

Dillon’s eyes popped out of his head. “You’re crazy!”

“Whisper. Don’t you dare.” Spinning to face Dillon, I flinched. “How did you find me? If you couldn’t track my phone and you just admitted you had no way to track me then...how?” My voice started loud but ended soft because...I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted the answer.

Did he track my blood?

Was there something else inside me that meant I could be followed...

“Hang on.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not happy I’m here?”

“Answer her question,” Lucien commanded, coming to my side and wrapping a burning arm around my waist. “And then we’ll see if we want to answer any of yours.”

“Fine.” Dillon sniffed. “I found the owner of Misty Meadows B&B. She kindly let me sit through all the security footage—for a fee, of course—and I saw a road train of black SUVs pull up sometime in the night. They left with you.” His eyes pinned on me.

Lucien chuckled coldly. “You expect me to believe you were able to find this location thanks to a licence plate? Do you have any idea who those people were? There’s no fucking way they would’ve told you where—”

“They were Sovereign Retrieval, and yes, they did tell me because Rook has a lifetime account and when I noticed she’d been kidnapped by a man who also had access to their services, they were obviously a little concerned. They refused to tell me anything about who took her but agreed to give the last location where Rook had been seen. And...here I am.”

Silence settled like a bomb waiting to go off.

Lucien glanced at me tucked under his arm, questions in his eyes. “Did you know you had an account with them?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

“Why does she have an account with them?” he asked Dillon.

“Because she’s the heiress to Snowflake Corp. Because she’s the prized daughter of the Snowdons. Because...” He swallowed hard.

“Because?” I asked, my heart pinching.

“Because...” He shrugged as if he’d been carrying a heavy weight for years. “You’re...special.”

“Special?” I wrinkled my nose. “Special how?”

His gaze shot to Lucien’s. They had a staring competition before Dillon said, “I think you know why she’s so special and if you do...then, I really need that fucking drink.”

The air temperature in the courtyard turned hotter than the tropics. Whisper looked like he’d happily commit murder and my heart raced so hard it hurt.

But then Lucien just nodded and waved at the open-air corridor leading into darkness. “Fine. After you.”

Dillon scowled. “Does your hospitality include a promise that I’ll still be alive come morning?”

Lucien smiled. “Time will tell, won’t it?”

Dillon looked at me and the depth of secrets in his eyes undid me.

So there was something he’d been keeping from me.

He knew I was different all along, and he’d watched me suffer headache after headache, catching me so many times as my own system knocked me unconscious.

Bitter betrayal flooded my mouth as I stalked toward him and stabbed a finger into his powerful, muscular chest. “Tell me. Right now.”

But he merely grabbed my hand in his calloused one and squeezed. “I think we both need a drink for that conversation, little flight-risk. Shall we?”

I didn’t have time to answer before he dragged me back to Lucien, let me go when Whisper roared, and marched into Ashfall Cliff like he was headed to the gallows.

Chapter Fifty-Three

“WHAT IS THIS PLACE?” I ASKED as Lucien slammed open the double doors, leading into a pavilion. Outside, it looked like a shrine with neatly tended magnolia trees and two empty rocking chairs. Inside, it was lived-in and homely.

Letting me go, Lucien flicked a switch, flooding the space with soft light. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves kept watch over a large rosewood desk. A maroon silk rug rested on the floor, while a tan leather couch and two matching chairs waited by one of the large circular windows.

“This is my father’s study,” Lucien said quietly, guiding me toward the couch and sitting hard as if his knees suddenly gave out. I went to sit next to him, but he jerked me down, placing me on his lap.

My arm automatically looped around his neck for balance. “Eh, what are you doing?”

He locked his arm around me as I tried to scramble off. He rested his other hand possessively on my thigh. “Don’t let go of me,” he murmured into my ear as Dillon stepped into the office, his eyes darting everywhere, no doubt seeking exits and weapons. “I’m doing my best to stay in control but...with you close, I have a much better chance of not killing him.”

My eyes whipped to Lucien’s as he pulled back.

The bond between us flared bright.

His arm tightened around me as if he knew I could feel him, his forehead pressing to mine as he sagged into me.

I couldn’t stop it.

Couldn’t hide it even as Dillon took the chair next to the couch and sucked in a breath as my hair froze with crystals and my skin turned pale, pale blue. The frigid temperature of my blood sank into the scorching burn of Lucien, cooling him, soothing him, blaring all my secrets.