Warriors of Poseidon 01.5 - Wild Hearts in Atlantis

you will refrain from any further disparaging remark about Lady Kat," he said, mild voice at odds with his actions.
     
    Denal nodded slightly as his face turned red, and Bastien lowered him to the ground.
    Justice's eyes narrowed. "Why does this smell like trouble, my friend? She is a shapeshifter and well you know it."
     
    Bastien inclined his head. "There are few things I seem to know anymore, but one of them is that Kat is my destined mate. How I resolve the conflict that brings is between me and Poseidon."
     
    Justice laughed, not unkindly. "Oh, Bastien. You have depths none of us dreamed of.
    And I'm guessing Alaric and Conlan will have a few things to say about it."
     
    Bastien shook his head. "We will discuss this later, if at all. What news do you bring?"
     
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    "It's Organos," Denal said, rubbing his throat and looking warily at Bastien. "His so-called alliance with Ethan is a lie, just as Alaric said. He plans to use vamp mind control to bring all the shapeshifters on the East Coast under his thrall."
     
    Bastien leaned against the porch railing. "Mind control? This has never worked on large populations of shapeshifters, or we would have had armies of them to fight throughout the centuries."
     
    "Evidently Terminus and Organos learned some new tricks from some scrolls Anubisa gave to them and Barrabas before Conlan and Riley dusted him," Justice drawled.
    "They're trying it out in a small way now. Today Florida, tomorrow the world, sort of thing."
     
    "We need proof," Bastien said, remembering his pledge to Ethan. "The alpha gave me forty-eight hours to bring him proof, or else he allies with Organos."
     
    Justice swore under his breath. "Yeah, about that. We had a nice little bloodsucker who sang like an undead canary, but he was so terrified of what the big bad 0 might do to him that he staked himself."
     
    Denal grimaced. "Yeah, right in the car. It was disgusting. I hope I don't get charged for a cleaning by the rental company."
     
    Bastien and justice both turned to stare at the young warrior, who squired a little under their incredulous stares. "Okay, okay, I get it, end of the world more important than my rental car agreement."
     
    Justice rolled his eyes, then turned back to Bastien. "In any event, we will need to go back to the source, so to speak, a dive bar in Miami, and get another songbird if you need proof."
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    "And keep any sharp wooden objects away from this one?" Bastien prodded. "In the meantime, I'll arrange a meeting with Ethan to let him know what you found out and what's going on now. Once you bring me the evidence, you can report back to Atlantis and relay the news to Conlan, Ven, and Alaric."
     
    Justice grinned at him, not moving an inch.
     
    "What?" he asked, impatient to be moving. Doing something to protect Kat and her pride of panthers.
     
    "For one so reluctant to take-up the mantle of authority, you wear it well," Justice said, still grinning.
     
    Bastien paused, realization dawning. In the past, he might have looked to justice to form their strategy. He glanced at the house. The knowledge that Kat slept inside, still wrapped in the scent of his body, had forged steel in his mind to match that in his spine.
     
    He was a leader now, and a leader could not give in to petty annoyances. He bowed slightly to Denal. "My apologies, my friend. I should have informed you of my feelings before expecting you to respect them."
     
    Denal rubbed his throat again, more dramatically, then flashed his boyish smile. "No problem, man. It's worth it to see the mighty warrior laid low by a kitty cat." He ducked back, still grinning, before Bastien could smack the back of his head.
     
    Justice leaped off the porch first. "To work, then. We shall return with all haste with your proof, Bastien. Happy hunting."
     
    Denal was close behind him. "Say hello to the lovely ranger from me, Bastien," he called out. Then both shimmered into mist and soared over the trees toward the ocean.
     
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    Bastien watched them for a moment, then went into the house to wake Kat. Middle of the night or no, he needed to visit the pride's alpha. Now.

Chapter Eleven
    Kat rose slowly through several layers of warm, contented languor to the sound of her name and the feel of hands gently rubbing her shoulders.