arrange this without contacting me?”
“You’ve a peculiar idea of my authority. I didn’t arrange it. The Council did.”
Of course. Rule felt foolish. Had his desire to see Lily addled his thinking? He’d have to call her, postpone their date. Not that she was thinking of it as a date. . . . “It’s lousy timing, but I suppose that can’t be helped.”
“You had something more important to do than accept Kyffin’s submission to Nokolai?”
“If I were sure it was more important, I’d ask the Council to reschedule,” he snapped. “But I am trying to avoid being arrested for murder. Aside from my own feelings on the matter, California is a death penalty state. It wouldn’t be good for the clan for the heir to be executed.”
A flicker of emotion disturbed Benedict’s face. “Who did you kill?”
“No one lately. Bloody hell. You don’t know, do you? Does no one at Clanhome ever listen to the news?”
“We’ve been a little preoccupied,” Benedict said dryly.
Rule ran a hand through his hair. His question had been largely rhetorical. Many of those lucky enough to live at Clanhome did shut out the human world. The Council couldn’t afford to, but, as Benedict said, they’d had other things on their minds. “It looks like I’ve been set up,” he said, and hit the high points.
“So they’re after you, too.” Mick scowled. “They want to destroy Nokolai. And we know why, don’t we? Isen’s damned political maneuvering! Why can’t he see that meddling in human politics never pays off for us?”
Rule said nothing. As Lu Nuncio, he wasn’t allowed the luxury of opinions.
Benedict didn’t comment either, but that was typical. He would have made a perfect Lu Nuncio, had things been different. “You need bodyguards,” he told Rule.
“Killing me would disarrange their plans.”
“They may prefer getting you arrested to killing you, but what happens if you aren’t arrested?”
Rule nodded, conceding the point. If they couldn’t get rid of him one way, they might try something more direct. “Understood. But I can’t do what I need to do while trailing bodyguards. And it’s not as if I would be easy to kill.”
Benedict gave him a hard look but dropped the subject. He might rule over security within Clanhome, but he couldn’t force Rule to accept bodyguards outside its boundaries. He dug in his pocket and tossed a set of keys to Mick. “I need to talk to Rule. Take my Jeep back.”
Mick’s expression darkened with temper, but there wasn’t much point in arguing with Benedict. After a moment he shrugged one shoulder and nodded at Rule. “See you shortly,” he said and headed for the Jeep.
Benedict waited until Mick pulled away. “All right. What’s going on? That cryptic warning you gave me this morning needs explaining.”
“That’s why we’re here.” Benedict was responsible for protecting the Rho. He had to know what he might be up against. “Do you remember Cullen Seabourne?”
“Seabourne . . .” Benedict paused, frowning. “You used to hang out with him, back when you were younger and dumber. But that one . . . wasn’t he clanless?”
“Yes. And also my friend.”
“You have some peculiar friends.” Something like bafflement overtook his dour expression. “I remember now. He had a cat.”
That made Rule smile, if fleetingly. Lupi and cats generally avoided each other. “So he did. What I’m going to tell you is for your ears only, Benedict. Isen knows about this. The Council doesn’t.”
Benedict nodded. “You’re itchy,” he observed.
“Moonchange is close, and it’s been awhile. And . . .” He thrust a hand through his hair. “There’s a lot to be itchy about right now.”
“You need a workout, but there isn’t time. We’ll walk.” He started for the road.
One of the annoying things about Benedict was how often he was right. It did feel better to move. “Cullen is only one of those I’ve kept in touch with from my younger and
“You’ve a peculiar idea of my authority. I didn’t arrange it. The Council did.”
Of course. Rule felt foolish. Had his desire to see Lily addled his thinking? He’d have to call her, postpone their date. Not that she was thinking of it as a date. . . . “It’s lousy timing, but I suppose that can’t be helped.”
“You had something more important to do than accept Kyffin’s submission to Nokolai?”
“If I were sure it was more important, I’d ask the Council to reschedule,” he snapped. “But I am trying to avoid being arrested for murder. Aside from my own feelings on the matter, California is a death penalty state. It wouldn’t be good for the clan for the heir to be executed.”
A flicker of emotion disturbed Benedict’s face. “Who did you kill?”
“No one lately. Bloody hell. You don’t know, do you? Does no one at Clanhome ever listen to the news?”
“We’ve been a little preoccupied,” Benedict said dryly.
Rule ran a hand through his hair. His question had been largely rhetorical. Many of those lucky enough to live at Clanhome did shut out the human world. The Council couldn’t afford to, but, as Benedict said, they’d had other things on their minds. “It looks like I’ve been set up,” he said, and hit the high points.
“So they’re after you, too.” Mick scowled. “They want to destroy Nokolai. And we know why, don’t we? Isen’s damned political maneuvering! Why can’t he see that meddling in human politics never pays off for us?”
Rule said nothing. As Lu Nuncio, he wasn’t allowed the luxury of opinions.
Benedict didn’t comment either, but that was typical. He would have made a perfect Lu Nuncio, had things been different. “You need bodyguards,” he told Rule.
“Killing me would disarrange their plans.”
“They may prefer getting you arrested to killing you, but what happens if you aren’t arrested?”
Rule nodded, conceding the point. If they couldn’t get rid of him one way, they might try something more direct. “Understood. But I can’t do what I need to do while trailing bodyguards. And it’s not as if I would be easy to kill.”
Benedict gave him a hard look but dropped the subject. He might rule over security within Clanhome, but he couldn’t force Rule to accept bodyguards outside its boundaries. He dug in his pocket and tossed a set of keys to Mick. “I need to talk to Rule. Take my Jeep back.”
Mick’s expression darkened with temper, but there wasn’t much point in arguing with Benedict. After a moment he shrugged one shoulder and nodded at Rule. “See you shortly,” he said and headed for the Jeep.
Benedict waited until Mick pulled away. “All right. What’s going on? That cryptic warning you gave me this morning needs explaining.”
“That’s why we’re here.” Benedict was responsible for protecting the Rho. He had to know what he might be up against. “Do you remember Cullen Seabourne?”
“Seabourne . . .” Benedict paused, frowning. “You used to hang out with him, back when you were younger and dumber. But that one . . . wasn’t he clanless?”
“Yes. And also my friend.”
“You have some peculiar friends.” Something like bafflement overtook his dour expression. “I remember now. He had a cat.”
That made Rule smile, if fleetingly. Lupi and cats generally avoided each other. “So he did. What I’m going to tell you is for your ears only, Benedict. Isen knows about this. The Council doesn’t.”
Benedict nodded. “You’re itchy,” he observed.
“Moonchange is close, and it’s been awhile. And . . .” He thrust a hand through his hair. “There’s a lot to be itchy about right now.”
“You need a workout, but there isn’t time. We’ll walk.” He started for the road.
One of the annoying things about Benedict was how often he was right. It did feel better to move. “Cullen is only one of those I’ve kept in touch with from my younger and
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