“A private conversation about what?”
“About Jessie,” Kade rumbled.
Zach’s gut twisted in a knot. “What about her?”
“We need a backup plan.” Kade crossed his arms. “I’m not sure Cara’s idea is working.”
Zach fought to keep his voice level. “It hasn’t been long. She’s only had, what, three shots of your blood? It was enough to project you into her dream with Braden.”
The bushes rustled around Kade as he shifted position. Tucker flinched.
“I was too weak to do anything,” the Were confessed. “I was like a ghost. If you hadn’t intervened...”
Zach stared at him. Kade wasn’t one to easily admit to weakness.
The Were shrugged. “It might be a sign it isn’t going to work.”
Bloody hell.Zach had a sinking feeling about all this. “You have another suggestion?”
“Not really,” Kade said. “Not anything acceptable, anyway.”
Zach’s eyes narrowed. “Acceptable to whom?”
The eyes flared gold. “To you, mostly. Or to her.”
Zach’s uneasiness was unraveling Tucker. The big horse started dancing again. Zach steadied him with his hands and legs before answering. “C’mon, spill it. Before I get dumped off here.”
“Jessie might need to get mated by a Sabre to protect her from the Dire.”
Okay, it wasn’t any better spelled out for him. Tucker did another rear and spin. Zach sat it, turning the horse until it faced Kade once more.
“Well, you’re right,” he said.
Kade’s brows rose. “I am?”
“It isn’t acceptable. Won’t that permanently bind her to the Sabre?”
“Yes.”
Zach glared at him. Tucker snorted and tossed his mane.
Kade crossed his arms over his expansive chest and swayed from foot to foot. That sign of uneasiness, coupled with the muscle jumping in his clenched jaw, were the only things keeping Zach from letting the reins go.
The Sabre shook his head. “You’d prefer that she be bound to Braden for the rest of her life? Because that might be the choice, Zach.”
No. No he wouldn’t. Zach’s mind reeled. There had to be another way. Jessie was going to shift to Were, and there was nothing they could do about that. Cara’s idea was that the blood would enable her to retain her free will. To be free.
So that she and Zach had a chance to be together.
But Cara had never promised her plan would work. Only that it could. And if it didn’t, what then?
Kade’s expression had softened, just a tiny bit. “Cara’s plan might still succeed. But if it doesn’t, we need to be prepared to offer another solution to Jessie.”
“And Laura,” Zach reminded him.
Kade made an odd movement of his head, but he said, “Yes. And Laura.”
Why was Kade approaching Zach about this? But Zach knew why. Because Kade had guessed how Zach felt about Jessie.
