“Nothing.  At least not yet.  Oh, but I can’t be left alone with him.  With these stitches,” I gently laid a hand over my middle, “I won’t be able to fight him off.”

“You said you could Claim another to break your Claim,” Nana said gently.  “Why wait?”

“Because I’m not done with him yet.  Until the Compound is clear and we’re ready to leave, I have to keep my hold on him.  It’s the only thing that’s keeping him from reporting back to his leader.”

“Are you sure about that?”  Sam looked troubled.

“No, not really but it’s our best chance.  Now, there are three Urbat out in the woods waiting for Joshua.  Gabby, can you see them?”

All eyes turned to her.  She nodded hesitantly, and I reached across the table to lightly touch her hand.  “We need to find them and get rid of them before people start leaving.  They can’t know what we’re doing.”

“They’re not far from here.  But, there are ten more scattered in the surrounding area.  Nothing close enough for concern though.  The rest are regrouping in the east.”  She paused for a moment, a frown pulling at her brow.  “More are coming from the main group.  I think you’re right, Bethi.  They’re coming back.”

I nodded and patted her hand.  “It’s good,” I reassured her.  “I’d be more freaked out if they weren’t.  Pick an Elder and a team of five to go out and hunt the three Urbat down,” I directed.  The ones waiting to meet Joshua and I would be the first to question our delay.  “Kill them quickly and quietly so they can’t communicate back to their leader.  Deal with the ten on the outskirts as needed.  Closest first.”

Nana looked troubled.

“No prisoners, Nana.  Think of the families running from here with kids.  Those ten prowling the outskirts will track and kill them if they get wind that this is a mass exodus.  The three need to be silenced quickly without a chance for them to send word.”  I held everyone’s attention.  I could see questions still stirring, but knew we didn’t have too much time.

“We need to move,” I said standing.  “Their leader—”

“Blake,” Michelle interjected.

“Blake will be wondering why Joshua hasn’t reported by now.  Gabby, let us know if you see a change in their direction.”

Gabby nodded.

“Nana, will you come with me to talk to Joshua?”

“I’m coming too,” Luke said.

I shook my head.  “No, Luke.  I need him calm.  Help Gabby.  Clear the field so we can be done with this, and I no longer need my Claim on Joshua.”

His eyes held mine for a long moment before he nodded and stepped back.

“Please excuse us,” Emmitt said pulling Michelle to her feet.

“Where are you going?” Nana asked concerned.

Michelle met Emmitt’s gaze, and must have felt something through their link because she suddenly grinned before turning to Nana with a blush.  “Cementing my Claim,” she murmured.

Charlene chuckled.  “If you two could wait just a bit longer, we’ll watch the boys for you.”

Emmitt gave a curt nod and held out Michelle’s chair for her again.  Michelle sat, red faced, but happy.

Gabby looked over her shoulder at Clay and shook her head.  He laughed and bent to kiss the top of her head.

Seeing the room committed to the direction we needed to take, Nana helped me up from the chair, and we left the rest to plan the evacuation.

*    *    *    *

We could see Joshua pacing the apartment when Carlos opened the door for us.  A lamp lay broken in the middle of the floor and Carlos’ lip bled.  I wanted to apologize to him but knew how Joshua would take that.  Joshua looked worse.  His right eye had swollen shut and purple fingerprints decorated the left side of his neck.  I didn’t feel too badly for him.

“That took much longer than I expected,” Joshua said coming to a stop.  His eyes swept over me and held malice as he watched Nana enter behind me.

“I’m sorry about that.  Instead of concentrating on the problem of us, they got hung up on the fact that there’s another race and that I’m not exactly human.”

He barely paid attention to my words.  He looked ready to fight again.

Tamping down my aversion, I walked up to him, placed my hands on his shoulders, and stood on my toes to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.  The tension in his shoulder eased, and a purr rumbled in his chest.

Crisis averted, I dropped my hands, but his arms came up around me before I could step away.  I let out a slow breath trying to keep any panic from welling up.  I did not want to be in his arms.

“We need to leave here soon,” Joshua said.  “Our troubles are still waiting.  I’m stalling as best I can.”

Ah.  His agitation made more sense.  I could only imagine what his leader was screaming at him through their link.  I nodded and tried to wear a concerned look.  “I’ve asked that the Elders help make our troubles go away.

He eyed me for a moment.  A surge of possessiveness swept through me, then calculation.  I didn’t miss the hint of suspicion as he smiled slowly.  “That would be ideal.”

The suspicion worried me.  Perhaps I was playing it up too much.  “Would you mind if I took a bit more time to shower?  I think I smell like a hot dog.”  Hot Dog?  I kept my face straight while I mentally kicked myself over my random choice of smell comparisons.

He leaned in to inhale deeply.  “I smell spiced pears.  Delicious.”

Crap.  I struggled with what to do.  I did not want him licking me again.

“Joshua,” Nana rumbled a warning.

He reluctantly released me.  “Of course.  Go bathe.  Winifred can fill me in.”

“I’ll be quick,” I promised him.  I just needed to wash my neck where I still felt his tongue.  Suppressing a shiver, I walked away and closed myself into the bathroom.

Through the door, I heard Joshua’s howl of frustration and Nana’s calm tones.  I stayed in the bathroom, hiding, wondering how long it would take Luke and whoever else to hunt down the three in the woods.  Then, how long would it take the wolves living here to pack up and leave?  I needed to do something to keep Joshua occupied until we were ready to go.  He could send all the messages he wanted after that.  The rest of the Urbat would be too far to reach us in time.  I hoped.

After a few minutes, I emerged with a thoroughly scrubbed neck.  Joshua’s eyes tracked me as I walked the short distance to him.  He’d once again been pacing.

“We’re leaving,” he growled at me.

“Now?” I forced myself to remain calm.  “We still have your friends out there to worry about.”

“Not any longer.  They’ve been silenced.  He is asking me for information.  They are gathering to return.  We must leave now.”

I let out a loud sigh.  “Of course.  Then we need to leave.”  Nana sat on the chair watching us.  “Is everything ready?”

“Almost,” she said.

My stomach gave a sickening lurch, and a wave of dizziness hit me.  A dream called, and it almost knocked me out where I stood.  I struggled to breathe and stay upright.

Joshua lunged for me, worry in his eyes.  Behind him, Nana rose, her expression determined.  Joshua’s hands gripped my arms as he steadied me.  I opened my mouth to reassure them both, but only managed a wide-eyed look as Nana reached for his neck.  My shocked expression was the only warning I managed to give Joshua.  Nana twisted his head sharply, killing him instantly.  Before his body could crumple toward me, she pulled him back.

“What did you do?” I gasped, quickly revising my thoughts that older people were nice.

“We’re ready.  We don’t need him anymore.  The families have packed and the last one is leaving.  The unmated are following as escorts.  Gabby has given the location of the last ten so they can be avoided.  We are all that remain.”

I stared down at Joshua’s lifeless form and felt like crying.  His death didn’t bother me as much as the timing of it.  I’d meant for him to live to pressure Luke to replace the Claim.  Now there was no reason for Luke to give up his stubborn determination to keep me at arm’s length.