“Okay, I’ll bite.” Zach grimaced. “Why do you have frozen Sabre blood?”
“She thinks it might help save us,” Kade growled.
“I am taking it from all the Sabres,” Cara said.
Understanding flooded Jessie. She knew what Cara was up to. “You’re creating a species bank. Because with it, you can create more Sabres from humans.”
All the Weres in the room stiffened in discomfort. Cara nodded, and her gaze fixed on Jessie. “But I have discovered that the virus loses virulence when stored. They will not be at full strength. Which might be perfect for this purpose. I have enough of Kade’s to give you a series of injections. I believe it is worth a try if you are willing.”
“Sounds risky,” Zach hedged.
Jessie tried to meet his gaze, but his eyes skittered away from her. Injected with Sabre blood? It sounded crazy. “Doesn’t sound like there’s a load of other options,” she conceded.
Cara looked at Kade. The shaggy brows had elevated. “You’re using mine?”
“You know you’re ideally suited.”
“Why?” Zach asked.
The entire room went quiet. Then Kade answered. “Because I had a mate. I don’t, anymore.”
Kitani fidgeted in her seat. “It’s for a good cause, bro.”
“I should have enough for the other woman, as well,” Cara said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“If you want to, you can use mine, too,” Neil offered.
Kade raised a brow at him.
“Even if it misfires,” Neil pointed out, “My chances of ever finding a Sabre female are next to nil.”
“You don’t know that for sure,” Cara said. “But it may not be an issue, anyway.”
Kade bared his teeth. “Well, I’m trusting you, woman. I don’t want to end up with a damned harem,” he growled. “I have enough problems, without that.”
“Regardless of what we do,” Kitani pointed out. “Braden will come for them. Jessie is safe here, but we need to make arrangements for Laura.”
Kade’s lips didn’t return to normal. He glanced at Jessie. “Any idea of the numbers you guys sensed?”
Jessie’s eyes widened. Why was he asking her? She’d been focused on Braden. “I—don’t know. I was kinda distracted.”
Zach answered. “At least twenty Weres that we didn’t see.”
Kade growled. His fingers curled against the table, digging the nails into the wood.
Cara sighed. “With those numbers, it is only a matter of time before he penetrates my protections. They aren’t designed to hold back an army.”
“There were others,” Zach added. “Not Weres, I don’t think, but most weren’t particularly focused on us.”
Cara regarded him with interest. “You felt other Cryptids?”
Zach nodded. “They don’t emote like humans. Much more subdued.”
“Most of those would be law-abiding, hiding among the humans. Some might not even be aware of what they are.” Cara theorized.
The entire concept shocked Jessie. This was more than just a scattering of werewolves. “How many Cryptids walk among humans?”
Cara smiled. “More than you might think.”
