Page 14 of Xander
“I’m sorry, so sorry, for how I acted when I first saw you.”
“It happens…a lot.”
Frost flinched at that, but continued.“Just because I was in pain was no excuse for taking it out on you.I am sorry.I would like to try to be friends with you.”
Jade smiled at her.“I would like that.Are you hungry?”Without waiting for a response, Jade pulled Frost into the kitchen.“So, who was undressing Xander with their gaze?”
All the shifters flooded into the kitchen.Xander made a plate after making sure Frost had a plate for herself and sat down next to his mate as she explained about Marcus and what they encountered in Denver.
“He was threatening to kill us, but he couldn’t pull his gaze away from Xander long enough to back up his threat.I mean, it’s fine to look, but when his attraction became evident, I figured it was time to drive a letter opener through his shoulder.”
“Nightfall, huh?”Ghost asked.
Xander turned to look at his boss.He knew something that they didn’t.
“They are a shifters-only company that has been trying for years to take over our contract with the government, without success.”Ghost took a bite, but his brow was furrowed in concern.
“Why only shifters?”Frost asked.
Ghost cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.“They see vampires and humans as lower life-forms and believe they shouldn’t exist.”
They all grew quiet.Ghost turned to stare at Frost, and Xander groaned and cursed under his breath when he realized where Ghost’s thoughts had led him.
“Why didn’t they turn Frost if they suspected she was part shifter?”
Liv, of course, had already thought about it.“I don’t think flooding a human, even a half-shifter, with venom when they are a destined mate of another would work.Most likely it will kill the human.I think the only reason that you guys didn’t die from the venom in the first place was that one, you were stronger than most humans who had been bitten, and secondly, I think that you were turned because your mates hadn’t been born at the time you transitioned.”
“So they understood that I was part shifter and their plan was to meet Xander and have me transition, and then, what, recruit us both?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.They believe that all shifters should stick together.They sensed Frost was a half-shifter somehow and knew that she wouldn’t transition until she found her mate.So, they must know something that we don’t, and took a chance orchestrating the meet using the human mercenaries as bait.And since we are the only immortals in the area, they figured that they would have a good chance in finding Frost’s mate among us.”
“They must not know anything about Dark Company if they thought anyone here would abandon their family because they expected shifters to stick together.”Seth sounded disgusted.
“We are untraceable.Xander made sure to cover all our tracks including money, property, and even identities.We only have one government contact and it would be next to impossible for anyone to find out about them.Trust me, we’ve tried but they are untraceable.Hell, we aren’t even paid by traditional means.”
Xander shook his head.He hated the thought of having an all-out battle with another group of immortals.But if they threatened his family, he and the others would take care of them without hesitation or regret.“I’ll start a search for the hierarchy.What are we going to do about them once I find them?”
“We’ll make that decision when we’re better informed.”
Frost turned to Liv.“Am I a full shifter?”
“We don’t really know.You have all the attributes of a shifter—regenerative healing, strength, speed, and the transition you went through mirrored Ara’s—but we aren’t sure why you haven’t shifted yet.”
Frost blinked in surprise when a tall, dark-haired shifter walked in with a beautiful woman.She had long, cascading dark hair and the lightest brown eyes she’d ever seen.
“Are you guys talking about me?”
Xander stood and reached his hand out for Frost, smiling at her when she linked their fingers together.“Hey, Ara.This is my mate, Frost.Frost, this is Ara.”
Ara’s smile was dazzling as she beamed at him and threw herself in his arms.“You found her!I told you you would.”Ara pulled back and still smiling, hugged Frost tightly.“And she’s gorgeous.”
“I know.I should have listened to you.”
Ara placed her mouth close to Frost’s ear, but he overheard anyway.“Take care of him.”
“I will,” Frost promised as she beamed at her new friend.
Ara turned.“And this is my mate, Reaper.”
