“And what does your brother and sister do on their hunting trips?” a man asked, his strong accent sounding eerily familiar.

“They sit in the woods and shoot things with guns,” came Angel’s reply. “Don’t people go hunting wherever it is you’re from?”

I dropped Talley’s hand and took off at a jog. No way was that creeper harassing my baby sister. The front door was unlocked, and I sped through it. “Get away from her,” I said to Stefan, who was crouched down in front of Angel in the living room. My father stood with one hand on her shoulder, his eyes boring into the other man.

“Harper, how lovely to see you again.” The way he said it, with that accent rolling around with sincerity, was almost calming. Almost, but not quite. Instead, it reminded me of Alan Rickman playing Professor Snape, and not in a he’s-really-a-misunderstood-good-guy kind of way.

“Get away from my sister,” I repeated through my teeth. I was exhausted from the night’s activities, but I still wanted to go over and forcefully move him away from Angel. The fact that he was close enough to touch her made my stomach roll. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone. Three other men stood in front of our couch, legs shoulder width apart and arms crossed in front of their chests. It looked as though they’d mistaken a piece of furniture for the President of the United States.

Stefan stood up gracefully, brushing the wrinkles out of his designer suit as he went. “I was merely talking with the child, Harper. There is really no need for such dramatics.”

“My. Name. Is. Scout.”

“Nicknames are for children.” My math teacher had said the same thing a year ago, and it embarrassed me then. Now? Now it just pissed me off.

My dad wasn’t impressed much either. “You will talk to my daughter with respect, or you will leave,” he said, his hand pulling Angel slightly closer to him. I knew if I was close enough, he would have reached out and brought me in for protection, too.

“My apologies, Mr. Donovan.” He tilted his head in my direction. “I’m sorry for any offense, Scout.”

“How is Liam?” I asked, not accepting anything he was offering. “Was he sad to pulled away from the warm Florida beaches?”

Rasputin’s face remained calm and composed, but his eyes flashed with anger. “Unfortunately, we have yet to find your Mr. Cole.”

Big surprise. Liam hates warm weather, which is why I pointed Stefan towards Florida in the first place. I hoped that wherever Alex’s brother was, he was far away from Stefan and the rest of the Alpha pack.

“Is that why you’re here, Mr. Vasile? Because, honestly, I’m out of ideas. Liam and I weren’t exactly tight or anything. So if that’s all you need, can we be done here? We’ve been out camping all night, and I’m really needing to crash.”

Stefan’s mouth curled up on the side that wasn’t marred. “The orphan’s location has been set aside for the moment. There are now more pressing matters requiring our attention.”

“Mr. Vasile says that you guys have gotten into some sort of trouble,” Dad said. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

I opened my mouth, ready to throw out some sort of snarky reply, but Jase answered before I could come up with anything.

“Talley’s situation has been resolved,” he said, stepping forward. “She left to be with me. Our mating ceremony is to take place in the spring.”

Dad’s head jerked up in surprise, and Angel, who had been miraculously quiet up until this point, scrunched up her face. “What’s a mating ceremony?”

Stefan smiled and it was an altogether disturbing sight. “Why, didn’t you know your brother was going to get married?”

He was going for the weakest link in order to find out the whole mating thing was a sham. The moment Angel opened her mouth, we were done for.

“Why didn’t you just say wedding?” She asked, as if the whole Talley and Jase getting married thing was a given. “Is mating what you call it in your country? What country are you from, anyway? You kind of sound like that guy with the pointy hat and mustache from those old Moose and Squirrel cartoons they play on Boomerang. You know, Boring and Natasha.”

“You know,” Stefan said, clearly growing tired of pretending to be enamored by the smallest Donovan, “in Russia, my native land, children are taught to respect their elders.”

“Oh, that’s not just in Russia,” Angel assured him. “We do that here in America, too.”

Stefan did that whole one sided mouth curl thing again. “Clearly.” The word was meant as a dismissal for Angel, as he then turned his attentions to Jase. “There have been some questions raised as to the sincerity of your claim. I am afraid the accusation requires an audience with her highness.”

Talley’s eyes went wide and Charlie swallowed hard enough even the non-Shifters in the room could hear it, but Jase merely dipped his head. “It would be an honor, Polemarch.”

Polemarch? What the Hades was that?

Whatever it was, Stefan looked pleased the title was given. “Your presence will be required fifteen days from this night. Your mate, however, must accompany me today. As is our custom, she will remain under the eye of the Strategos until her fate is determined.”

“No.” I didn’t know what a Stratego was any more than I knew what a Polemarch was, but I knew Talley wasn’t going there. “She stays with me.”

“Indeed she does,” Stefan said, steepling his hands in front of him to complete the evil doer image. “You will also be awaiting an audience with the queen.”

If Charlie’s muttered curse was anything to go by, this was not a good thing.

“And why would your queen wish to see me?”

Stefan’s eyes skirted over my father and sister in the long pause that followed. “Charges have been made,” he finally said. “Grave charges for which you will stand trial. The date has been scheduled for the same night as the queen will hear Hoplite Donovan’s declaration.”

“Sorry, but I’m going to need some clarification. By ‘Hoplite’ you mean Jase, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re some sort of Polemarch thing?”

“Polemarch is my more formal title.”

“And those guys…?” I pointed at the unflappable couch protectors.