“Sabrina,” he began, taking her hand in his. “I transported us to a safe place. With some friends of mine.” He glanced up at Deedee, who had walked up behind him. “This is Deedee, she’s my best friend. And she’ll take care of you. Dee, this is Sabrina Strohen.”

  “Hello, Sabrina,” Deedee greeted. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. And you’re very welcome here.”

  “I—wait.” She scratched at her head. “What do you mean she’ll take care of me?”

  Silence passed for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, Sabrina. But I need to know you’re safe.”

  “Safe?” Her voice turned panicked. “What do you mean, safe? You said I’d be safe anywhere!” Her hand slid down to her stomach. “You said our—our baby would protect me.” Her hands gripped at his shoulders. “Cross, whatever you’re planning, please—”

  “I love you, Sabrina,” he said, leaning down to kiss her mouth and silence her protest. Arms slipped around him, embracing him tighter as if she could stop him. For a brief second, he considered not leaving her, but he had no choice. He concentrated on where he needed to go, ignoring her protesting cry as she and the rest of Zhobghadi disappeared around him.

  Moments later, his feet landed on solid ground. The first thing that hit him was the fresh, mountain breeze tinged with the scent of pines. Glancing around the porch of Ransom’s cabin, he realized that it was still early morning in Kentucky, being a few hours behind Zhobghadi. He took a step forward and then knocked on the door.

  Heavy footsteps thudded closer and the door swung open. “Who the hell—Cross?” Ransom looked up at him, the ever-present scowl on his face deepening. “What’re you doing here?”

  He didn’t quite know how to put it. Gunnar was insistent that he needed Ransom’s help, but for what, he couldn’t explain. “I don’t have much time,” he said. “But I was wondering … if I could ask a favor.”

  A brow shot up as he crossed his arms over his chest. “A favor, huh?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got a situation back home. Could use some helping hands.”

  “Me and my guys aren’t goons for hire,” he groused. “Go find someone else to help you with your war. We don’t want any part of it.”

  The door was about to close in his face, but he braced himself against it. “Please. I need your help.”

  “And why should I help you?”

  “I’ll owe you.” He hoped he wouldn’t regret this. “Anything that’s within my power, I’ll give you. You know what I can do. Please. Everyone in my clan … they could die.”

  There was a flash of emotion on his face, but he must have imagined it. Because it almost looked like Ransom was worried when he said everyone back in New York was in danger.

  “Well?” Cross asked.

  The other man growled softly. “Fine. But I’m only taking Snake and Hawk.”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “How soon can we leave?”

  Ransom was already fishing for his phone in his pocket. “Within the hour.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Cross, no!” Sabrina cried when she found herself embracing only air. “Please … you said everything would be okay …”

  The woman Cross had introduced as his best friend—Deedee—sat on the mattress next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It will be all right, Sabrina. Everything will be all right. You have to trust Cross.”

  “Trust him?” she said incredulously. “How can I trust him again after what he did? After everything he did?”

  “I’m sorry, you must be so distressed.” She shook her head, a sympathetic look on her face. “Why don’t you come with me, and we can have some tea? Then maybe we can talk and you can tell me everything that’s happened.”

  “I …” Glancing around, she didn’t recognize anything in this bedroom. The bed was humungous, much bigger than the one in Sofia and Lucas’s guest room. The pillows were square and made of fine silk, the covers a riot of jewel colors. The walls were decorated in mosaic tiles and swathes of colorful fabric hung from intricately carved wooden lattice arches overhead.

  “Where am I?” Her eyes narrowed at Deedee as she studied her pretty features—delicate and feminine, but there was an inner strength that shone through, especially in her unusually colored eyes—light green, almost yellow. There was something else familiar about her, but Sabrina couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  “Oh, you poor dear.” Deedee cleared her throat. “Um, like I said, my name is Deedee and that,” she nodded to the tall, imposing man behind her holding a baby. “That’s … my husband and son.” Her eyes darted around nervously. “Darling, maybe you can take Caspar back to the nursery, and I can talk to Sabrina alone?”

  Why did Deedee look so familiar? That face … she’d seen it before, but where? “Wait.” Her hand gripped Deedee’s arm as it came to her. “It’s you.” The name was there on the tip of her tongue. “Am I in …” Oh dear, she was tripping up over the name of that foreign country … Z something? “I mean, I know you!”

  Deedee’s cheeks reddened. “From where?”

  “It was a trial, wasn’t it?” she said. “I watched it on the news. You testified and put that guy away, and you had these escorts while you came out of the courthouse and the reporters said you were …” Her jaw dropped. “You’re the American who became a queen, right?” Her eyes darted to the man she introduced as her husband. “Desiree. Queen Desiree. And he’s … he’s …”

  “Yes.” Deedee took her hand reassuringly. “I’m Queen Desiree of Zhobghadi, and that’s my husband, King Karim and our son, Prince Caspar. No, don’t get up,” she said with a laugh.

  “Zhobghadi.” Yes, that was the name of the country. She’d researched it and recalled the picture of the handsome prince that came up on her screen. That was definitely him. Her nerves and anxiety made her fidget. “Um, aren’t I supposed to-to curtsey or something?”

  “It’s fine, don’t worry. Darling,” she called to the man—the king! “Would you mind taking Caspar back to the nursery?”

  “Not at all, habibti.” With a quick nod to Sabrina, the king pivoted and left the room.

  “He can be intimidating,” Deedee said. “But I promise you, he’s a good man. That’s why he’s agreed to keep you safe.”

  “Keep me safe? I don’t understand.” Her hand came down to her stomach. “He said … did Cross lie to me? He said I was supposed to be pregnant and then I’d be invulnerable.”

  “It’s all true,” Deedee said. “Trust me, I know. But he must have a good reason to bring you here. Look, I know you’re confused, Sabrina. Do you want to rest? Or maybe have some food? You must be starving.”

  “I’m not.” However, her stomach chose that time to growl loudly. “Uh, sorry.”

  Deedee smiled. “I totally understand. The hunger is something you’ll have to get used to, being pregnant with your True Mate’s baby. Now, why don’t you come with me, and I can have someone bring us up some food? Do you want a change of clothes and maybe freshen up?”

  “Uh, sure.” What else could she do? Apparently, she had been spirited away to a remote country and now had no choice in the matter. So, she got up and followed the queen out of the bedroom. As they walked down the richly-decorated halls of what she guessed was the royal palace of Zhobghadi, she felt underdressed in her pajamas.

  After a few turns, they reached a large door covered in gold tiles. Deedee pushed the door open, and they entered a large, spacious living area with high ceilings that was even more luxurious than the room she had appeared in. She followed the queen to a bedroom off to the side and headed to a smaller room that looked to be a walk-in closet.

  Deedee grabbed some clothes hanging from a rack. “These should fit. Bathroom’s over there. Come out to the living room when you’re done.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Please, just call me Deedee.”

  As soon as the other woman left, she headed to the bathroom. Though she was tempted to take a long, hot shower, she didn’t want to keep Deedee waiting. So, after doing her business and a quick wash up, she donned the clothes—black leggings and a matching white tunic with beautiful red embroidery. There wasn’t much she could do with her hair, so she combed it with her fingers as best she could and then walked out into the living room. Deedee was already waiting by the couch, as was the king, who stretched his long legs out and had an arm around his wife. A tray of tea and a pile of delicious-smelling bread was on the low table in front of them.

  “Have a seat, Sabrina,” Deedee instructed as she poured tea into cups, then pushed one toward her. “And help yourself to some bread.”

  Unable to curb her hunger, she tore off a piece of the bread and dunked it in some golden-brown liquid she guessed was honey. “Hmmm … this is delicious,” she said as she swallowed and washed it down with some tea. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome,” Deedee said. “I hope you’re feeling better. And if you don’t mind, perhaps you could share with us what happened and how you met Cross?” she asked. “I hope you don’t mind if Karim listens as well. We’re both curious.”

  She took one more bite and then cleared her throat. “Not at all.” Being her hosts, she supposed she owed them an explanation, especially since Cross had dumped her here without any warning. She took a deep breath, wondering where to begin. From the beginning, she supposed. “I met Cross at a coffee shop in New York. He bumped into me and spilled all my painting supplies.”

  “Painting.” Deedee’s jaw dropped. “Wait … you’re an artist?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sabrina Strohen, as in S. Strohen?”

  She nodded.

  “Oh my.” Deedee’s face lit up. “She’s S. Strohen!”

  The king spoke, his cerulean blue gaze setting its sight on her. “I tried to buy a painting of yours, Ms. Strohen.” His accent wasn’t as think as she’d expected, and there was even a hint of boarding school poshness in it. “But your agent was insistent that you wouldn’t sell it, not at any price.”

  “I know,” she said sadly. “When she told me who you were and that you desperately wanted it as a present for your wife, I looked you up. And then months later, I saw her on the news.” She gave a small laugh. “I admired her for standing up to that man and putting him away, I almost called Barbara to tell her you could have it.”

  Deedee looked up to her husband, a knowing smile on her face. The king, on the other hand, merely rolled his eyes. She nudged him with her elbow, then turned back to her. “Sorry, please continue.”

  And so, she did, detailing everything that happened, from the time they discovered the ring’s abilities and how she took the forgetting potion but remembered him anyway, all the way until he came back and ended up here. Honestly, she felt exhausted after all of it, and she took a gulp of the now-cold tea.

  “That’s some story,” Deedee said. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. But don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.”

  The king put a hand over his wife’s and nodded. “You will be well protected here, Ms. Strohen. And welcome to stay as long as you like.”

  “But I don’t want to stay here,” she said. “I mean … I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. But this wasn’t part of the plan. Cross brought me here without warning. I thought everything was fine. I should be safe from harm. Gunnar’s vision changed. The end isn’t written yet.” Gunnar. He told her something before he left. Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path. It must have been important enough for him to mention it to her.

  “Sabrina? Are you okay?”

  Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path.

  … change the future …

  … follow its path …

  “Holy moly!” She shot to her feet. “I have to get back to New York.”

  The queen got up and took her hands. “Sabrina, you’re obviously not safe there. Cross wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise.”

  “I have this feeling … this intuition.” She took a few deep breaths. “I think I can save them. Save everyone.”

  “Save everyone?” Deedee asked.

  “Gunnar’s vision.” That was the answer. Her instincts were screaming at her. “I need to be there. Please,” she cried. “Deedee, if you want Cross and everyone to live, you need to send me back to New York. Something’s going to happen. I think Gunnar’s vision is going to come true, and I need to be there.”

  “Do you think you can stop it?”

  “No, I’m not going to stop it,” she said. “He said there’s no end. Or the end can be changed, but not by trying to stop it. We have to let it happen. Let fate take its course. We cannot stop it.”

  Deedee looked confused and met her husband’s gaze.

  It was the king who finally spoke. “I do not know anything about fate, except that it has brought me my mate.” Rising from the couch, he stood behind his wife, cutting an imposing figure as he crossed his arms over his chest and towered over Sabrina. “Do you really think that is what needs to happen?”

  Her throat went dry, but she managed to say, “I know it.”

  His shoulders relaxed. “Then perhaps we should let it happen.”

  “Karim?” Deedee asked. “What are you saying?”

  “Habibti, I have spoken to your brother, Wyatt,” Karim said. “Things are being set in motion as we speak.”

  “I need to go back.” She didn’t know how, but she just knew it. “I have to be there when it all happens.”

  “I cannot go with you or allow my wife to go,” Karim said. “But I will have my plane prepared and have two of my own personal guards to go with you.”

  The knot in her chest loosened with relief. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” the king said, a dark brow raised. “Now, I must make preparations.” He tilted his head at the two women and pivoted on his heel, then left the room.

  “Do you really think you can save them?” Deedee asked, a worried look on her face.

  “I … yes.” She bit her lip. At least, she hoped so.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The moment they touched down in New York, Cross knew something was up. He could feel it in the air, a charged electricity that made his wolf stand at attention, its ears flattening forward and twitching its muzzle and lips.

  Before they left Kentucky, he had called his father and Lucas to get permission for the three Lone Wolves to accompany them and bring them to the secret Guardian Initiative Headquarters hidden inside one of the pillars of the Brooklyn Bridge. Though the Alpha was hesitant, Cross vouched for Ransom and his wolves, telling them that Gunnar insisted they needed to be there.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” Snake said as he waved his hands to steady himself as they arrived in at the GI headquarters. Cross had chosen to transport them to the basement garage, away from the flurry of activity happening upstairs.

  “I think I’m gonna throw up,” Hawk moaned and heaved. Ransom, on the other hand, snorted impatiently.

  “Welcome back.” Daric stood a few feet away, the Alpha standing next to him, feet planted shoulder width apart and shoulders held back stiff.

  “Dad, Alpha,” Cross greeted, then gestured to the three men behind him. “This is Ransom, Snake, and Hawk.”

  “Welcome to New York.” Lucas’s tone was not welcoming or warm, but there were formalities to follow whenever a visiting Lycan from another clan or Lone Wolf came into a territory. Usually, Lycans would need permission to enter a territory, unless they had a formal alliance. Lone Wolves, having no territory, occupied a gray zone that didn’t require them prior authorization to go to any clan’s domain, provided they acknowledge the Alpha.

  Hawk and Snake, perhaps sensing the Alpha’s dominant nature, immediately bowed their heads and showed their tattoos that signified their Lone Wolf status. “Thank you for welcoming us, Alpha,” Snake said in a deferential tone.

  Ransom, on the other hand, took his time pulling his shirt from his waistband to show Lucas his tattoo. He muttered something under his breath, and for a moment, Cross thought he saw contempt in his eyes, which was strange because as far as he knew, the two men had never met before.

  If Lucas thought Ransom’s greeting wasn’t sufficient, he didn’t say anything. “Let’s go upstairs,” the Alpha said. “We have a lot to discuss.” His gaze briefly drifted back to Ransom before he turned around and headed to the elevators. Daric, Cross, and the three Lone Wolves followed him, and soon they were on their way to the central operations room.

  A flurry of activity greeted them as they stepped out of the elevators. It had been this way since yesterday, when Lucas had decided they were no longer waiting for the mages to attack them.

  Waiting by the elevator was Wyatt Creed, who managed their operations. “Alpha,” he greeted, before his light green gaze flickered to the newcomers, but he made no comment about them. A few years younger than him, Cross had known Wyatt since he was a child, as he was Deedee’s younger brother, and they had all been neighbors. The younger Creed had always been kind of stuck up, though that had gotten worse after his grandmother had convinced him to attend a fancy boarding school in England.

  Cross quickly introduced the Lone Wolves, then asked Wyatt, “What’s our current status?”

  “Alynna’s upstairs with Cliff, Killian, and Arch,” Wyatt explained. “They’re mobilizing all the forces we have, plus additional support from our allies. Your father is ready to transport them if we need backup.”

  “How are we on finding their location?” Cross asked. When he left last night, there was still no news, but Lizzie assured him she would find them.

 

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