Heart of Obsidian

hidden in the words was a question. “I never suspected him of involvement in your abduction.”
    She spread her hands, not sharing the fact that Enrique’s protégé had apparently always been aware of her ability.
    “NightStar has a leak,” Kaleb said at the same time.
    “I’ll handle that situation.”
    Kaleb inclined his head in silent agreement—Anthony had come by his reputation honestly. Unlike certain others in the Net, the other man did not mind getting his hands dirty. And if he failed to take care of the matter, Kaleb would do so. He’d permit no threat to Sahara to exist, much less live and breathe.
    “You need to move immediately into a safe house.”
    Sahara’s back went stiff at Anthony’s statement, her muscles rigid. “No. I won’t be caged again.”
    “There is no other option,” Anthony responded. “As long as the bounty exists, you stay a target.”
    “Are you certain a safe house will provide any better protection?” Kaleb had no intention of allowing Sahara to go anywhere aside from the home he’d built for her in Moscow. “This hunter, inept and young, managed to evade your perimeter guards.”
    “That will be investigated.” A flint-hard promise. “Our safe houses are fortresses.”
    Sahara, hands fisted, shook her head.
“No.”
Backing away from them until her spine hit the wall, she began to bump her fists against it. “No. No. No.”
    Recognizing the danger, Kaleb reacted before Anthony could figure out what was happening. “No safe house, no cage,” he said, cupping her face and forcing her to meet his gaze until she stopped bumping her fists against the wall, though she continued to rock back and forth.
    You risk losing her if you push this,
he ’pathed to Anthony as he released her.
Her mind isn’t fully healed.
It was why Kaleb had scared information from the intruder instead of permitting her to exercise her ability.
    I can’t leave her unprotected.
    I can protect her.
    “So can the cats.”
    Kaleb was still trying to digest that wholly unexpected statement when Anthony shifted to enter Sahara’s line of sight. “I’m sending you to Faith.”
    Sahara’s body stopped moving, eyes of midnight blue shifting to Anthony. “Faith?”
    “Even the best bounty hunter in the world won’t think to look for you in the midst of a changeling pack.”
    “The connection with Faith,” Sahara began, her intelligence plainly pushing past the visceral reaction that had sent her tumbling back into her personal hell.
    Anthony shook his head. “No one expected NightStar to jettison the most powerful F-Psy on the planet, regardless of her personal choices. That was business and expected. This is family.”
    Kaleb knew Anthony wasn’t saying everything, but he could guess. NightStar had been very,
very
careful to maintain a line of demarcation between its business dealings with Faith and her lack of status as a member of the family—in public at least. Privately was another matter: Anthony remained in regular, direct contact with his daughter.
    The latter suspicion was one it had taken Kaleb a year to confirm.
    “You’re ready to trust the changelings with Sahara’s life?” The only reason he was willing to consider the proposal was because of Sahara’s response to the mention of her cousin—and because he knew Anthony was right about the prospect of any bounty hunter venturing onto DarkRiver land.
    “If they accept her as family, the leopards will close ranks. With Faith certain to vouch for her, as well as Sahara’s broken Silence, there is no reason to assume they won’t treat her as one of their own.” Anthony’s next words were directed at Sahara. “You’ll be safe within their borders, and you’ll have the forested part of their territory to roam.”
    That territory is vast,
Kaleb added, sending Sahara a number of telepathic images.
You’ll be as free as any leopard changeling, so long as you don’t go into a city.
    Deep blue eyes met his before moving to Anthony. “Yes.”
    “I’ll clear it with the DarkRiver alpha.” Anthony glanced at Kaleb. “You seem to be treating my territory as your own.” It was a warning.
    Kaleb slid his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Would you rather I let her die?” he said aloud, even as he spoke to Sahara along their private telepathic channel.
Why didn’t you call me?
    I had it under control. I am a grown woman.
    Anthony’s stare bore into him on the heels of Sahara’s tart reply, but Kaleb