“I believe that youareLoreck’s daughter,” he said, dropping that bomb for her. “Whether he knows about you or not is another matter.”
“We could go to him,” she continued. “Get him to back the challenge on your behalf.”
“No.” Bill couldn’t disguise his frustration. “That won’t work. If Lukka doesn’t show his face, I can’t honorably issue the challenge in the first place. Besides, if I show up on their doorstep with the Eislanders in tow, I might as well declare war. All of Black Mountain will react as if it’s an invasion.”
“Not if youcanissue the challenge,” Loren countered. “I could go to the pack, demand to see Lukka. If he came out to meet me himself…”
“You would do that?” He craned his neck, alarmed to find there wasn’t an ounce of fear in her gaze. It was long past the point where her bravery should have surprised him.
Still, the sheer strength of her resolve took his breath away. Enough that he felt the need to humor her, despite the obvious risk.
“I would never let you. But yes. I could corner him then and there and issue the challenge in plain view.” He chuckled coldly at the mental image. It was a plan so sneaky Kyle couldn’t have come up with one better. “He’d have no choice but to adhere to the old laws. There would be too many eyes watching.”
“Then I could find Sonia,” Loren went on. “And help her gather support—”
“No.” He slid his hand up her back, noting how her pulse surged beneath her skin. Physically, she was so delicate, but her eyes blazed in a way that conveyed anything but weakness. “Besides, they would never buy it. Lukka will make sure that I’m killed before I can even get within shouting distance. And let you go in there alone? Hell no.”
“They won’t expect any trouble from me,” she pointed out.
He wasn’t so sure. “They’d hurt you just to get to me.”
“Not if they thought the bond was still broken.”
Bill couldn’t help himself—he played out the scenario in his mind. Forget Kyle. Lukka himself wouldn’t see such an underhanded trick coming, not from him. It was a tempting prospect. Still, he sighed as logic prevailed. “No.”
“I’m not asking for permission.”
He recognized that hard tone in her voice. One suspicion was confirmed—any rebellious instinct in Loren Connors was entirely her own.
“Please… Look at me.” He cupped the side of her face and silenced a groan. “I can’t let you be hurt.”
Even as he spoke, he sensed that her determination didn’t waver. Not a damn bit. Chin in the air, she fixed him with a probing stare he recognized. A challenge was coming, and he stiffened in anticipation.
“Then fight for me,” she said. “Because I can’t let you keep holding yourself back just because of me.”
Before he could argue against even entertaining her scheme, her conscience mingled with his, allowing him to see her thought process in detail. If she really were Loreck Eislander’s daughter, and he shared even an ounce of her intellect, no wonder Lukas had been so threatened by him.
Few could match their level of cunning.
“It could work,” he admitted grudgingly. “But it’s risky. Reckless. It—”
“It has to work,” Loren said over him. “At least let me try.”
After everything she’d been through, her confidence took his breath away—as did one emotion he could feel resonating through her, entirely her own.
Trust.
* * *
The moon shone brightly by the time they returned to camp. After Bill stealthily grabbed fresh clothing for them both, they found Micha and Naomi waiting by the fire. One look, and Micha blushed, averting his gaze. Apparently, their changed relationship was glaringly obvious, even to him.
“It looks like you guys worked out your differences,” he said. If Bill wasn’t mistaken, he caught a hint of sadness in his voice. A thought that he promptly quashed.
Now wasn’t the time for jealousy.
“It’s time to make our move,” he said. “But I realized that I can’t go barging in alone. If this is going to work, I’ll need backup, and… Help.”
“You know I’m in.” Micha sat forward and propped his chin on his fist. “So, what’s the plan?”