Chapter 166

Julian

I stilled suddenly. My pleasure was forgotten as my dick which had been still rock hard inside of her slipped limp from the warm sheath of her pussy. "Are you sure?" I whispered into her ear. She went to shift her weight and I tightened my grip on her. Holding her place. "Just look, don't move." I hissed the order in her ear.

To anyone watching they would have thought I was kissing her ear and neck. Lost in passion and oblivious to their spying eyes.

"Yes." She moaned, her head thrown back. "About twenty feet away. To the left." Bringing her head back to mine she kissed my lips. Talking right into my mouth. "Looks like there's a building there. She's hiding in the shadows but not nearly enough."

"She?" I tugged her bottom lip into my mouth. Trying to ignore the feel of her cooling body against mine and her lips pressed to mine.

Now wasn't the time to get lost in lust again. We had been so engrossed in each other that we had been blinded to her watching for long enough. It was a foolish mistake and one that I hoped we wouldn't regret.

I had too many enemies and because of Cassies relationship with me, so did she. We were royal in exile and there was a war going on. A war that would either put us back on the throne or make us look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives.

Hell, even if we managed to win I wasn't sure we would ever truly be safe. Our enemies would just keep coming. The only difference would be that we were better protected.

"She?" I loosened my grip on her lip. Our faces still level so I could meet her eyes.

She blinked once a clear yes.

"Are you ready?" I kissed her and felt her stiffen. She wasn't used to this kind of thing. Her training hadn't prepared her and it showed in the confusion shining out of her eyes.

I had to remember that she wasn't a trained soldier. She was a doctor , a healer.

Cupping the back of her head I nipped at her ear. My words for her and her alone. "Shift and go to the left. I'll go the other way. We will have her trapped between us."

"It might not be anything Julian. She probably just stumbled across us." Her cheeks went pink. "Fooling around in the forest like children."

I licked the sea shell of her ear and was rewarded my a small shudder. "That wasn't fooling around like randy kids Cassie, that was a man fucking his wife and making her drip for him. I'm going to lick you clean when we have found out why we are being spied on but until then-"

I let her go , twisting my body midair and landing on my wolves feet I moved quickly through the trees. I didn't need to know that Cassie had done the same thing and rushing in the direction she had been instructed to go in.

We would catch the little spy in our pincher. She had no where to go.

In the distance, I heard a crash and a small pained cry. And my head shot around. Cassie had got to her first. Was right on the old woman's heels as she tried to run away.

Again and again my wolves tried to swipe her legs from under her and again and again the old grey haired woman was just a second too fast.

Speeding up, my tongue lolling, I finally got to them. Only to find the woman gone. Her long grey hair retreated amongst the dark branches.

Panting I skidded to a stop. "What happened?" My look seemed to say before my wolf mouth couldn't.

Cassie's giant wolf shook her head. Her eyes again full of confusion.

Was she thinking she was imagining it all? That this was one of her dreams?

I shifted without thinking. It was foolish running blinding after anyone. It could very well be a trap. If I'd had Ian with me or any kind of guard I would not have hesitated but I wasn't going to risk Cassie's safety by chasing after a shadow through the forest.

I shifted. Keeping my eyes on my mate. She didn't follow suit. "Shift for a second Cassie." I prompted when she continued to stare up at me.

Finally she did what I asked. Instantly I had my arms wrapped around her shivering body. "What happened?" I asked softly.

She didn't answer me at first , instead Cassie hid her face in my chest.

"You got to her so quickly Cassie." Up and down her back I rubbed. Trying to warm her rapidly freezing skin. She was too cold in her human form. She didn't have her wolf's thick fur to keep her warm. We didn't have long before the cold would force us back inside but I wanted to talk to her.

"How did you move so quickly?" Catching her chin between my thumb and forefinger I tilted her face up.

"I didn't." She finally mumbled and my brows slammed down. What did she mean by that.

Sighing she continued. "She came running towards me." She admitted with a small frown of her own. I blinked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?" That didn't make sense.

She lifted one goosebump riddled shoulder in a tiny shrug. "She ran towards me, silently and so fucking fast. Faster than my wolf. Faster than yours." Cassie shook her head. "She only changed direction after I swiped at her throat. I think I got her." Nervously she looked down at her fingernails and sure enough they were speckled with blood.

"Shifter?" I asked quietly.

Another shrug. "I don't know. She moved like one but if she was then why didn't she shift. She took me completely by surprise. She could have killed me. I wasn't ready but-" pausing her eyes darted around.

"But what?"

"I don't think she was trying to attack me, Julian." She took a deep breath. "I think she was trying to get me to follow her."

The air left my lungs in a whoosh, like someone had winded me with a punch. Someone had tried to separate us and lead her away? Was that what had happened to the others?

Whatever was happening here wasn't in my mates imagination because I had seen her as well. Cassie wasn't crazy and now I knew it for sure.

Someone was trying to tear her away from me. The only thing that mattered now was finding out who so I could keep my mate and my family safe.

My eyes narrowed as I scanned the woods. I would find them. I would search day and night until I found them and brought them in for questioning but before I did any of that. I had to make sure the people I loved were protected.

"Let's go home Cassie. And then we can discuss the details further." I kissed the tip of her icy nose. "But let's get into the warm first."