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But soth So long as Andrew and Riley thought him easy prey, they’d never allow him near their sister He understood why - Brenna’sto do with Brenna’s own abilities and everything to do with their need to keep her safe

"Psy can’t get into our minds," Andrew spit out

Judd looked at the SnowDancer "It’s true that we can’t manipulate you without e would destroy all of your higher brain functions, if it didn’t turn your brains to liquid outright" He knew that frohtes that haunted his sleep

Of course, a Tk-Cell had other, quicker ways of killing But he hadn’t known that as a child and the changelings didn’t need to know it now to grasp his point "So if you ever do coeling co was all he needed to kill

"Hell," Andrew said, his voice holding a new note of awareness "We all get taught that during training, but when you just fought physically with thepsychic, I figured it was Psy propaganda" He shrugged "Does Hawke understand what you can do?"

"What?" Brenna de to ask him to kick Judd out now?"

"That’s not what Ia brat"

"Don’t talk to her that way" Judd had made his choice, found his loyalty

Riley folded his aret" His calm tone was so at odds with the tension-heavy air that everyone went quiet The lieutenant raised an eyebrow "But before we get to that, Bren, sweetie - you do realize Judd and Drew are exactly alike?"

Andrew stared at his brother "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Judd was thinking the sa his hold, she ran to hug Riley "I’ to do with the attack"

"What about me?" Andrew stroked a hand over her hair

Brenna raised her head "I’ ed her when she turned to hiion of his chest The wounds, he concluded, that was all Then Brenna pulled away from Drew to return to Judd’s side and the pain intensified "What don’t you get?" he asked Riley

"How Bren ree It has to be sos"

"Where he could’ve picked up things that carry enough of our scent to use as a mask" Andrew’s claws sliced out "The bastard has to be a soldier We sweat buckets during training"

Lucas came to stand beside Riley "Say the attacker had succeeded in killing you," he said to Judd, "ould that have done?"

"Caused a small amount of confusion" Judd had no illusions about his ie impact overall We’re the enehtful, his savagely marked face set in lines of concentration "What if he’d targeted one of the Lauren children?"

Judd felt the black edge of his power gathering and had to force it back "He’d be dead by now" It wasn’t a threat, just fact

"Daht" Andrew’s voice was pure wolf "Pups are pups, period You go after one, you pin a big fat target on yourself It would’ve set all the hunters on his trail"

"So," Riley picked up, "it looks like this probably wasn’t about causing trouble in the pack or attacking the Laurens as a family It was about Judd"

"That leaves a wide pool," Judd pointed out

"Hell yeah, since you seeo out of your way to piss off everyone you one for you up front Sneak attack’s not what’s going to get thereed "And there would be no reason for the planted scent if - " So together in the lines of a perfect trap "He wanted to isolate Brenna Remove me, cut her off from you, and she becomes vulnerable"

Andrew’s color faded "Easier to take out"

Judd wrapped his arain She acquiesced without hesitation It was an indication of deep-rooted trust But the darkness in hiht An irrevocable line had been crossed between yesterday and today Brenna was his

She blew out a breath, uys think past the overprotectiveness?" A very unfeminine snort "Why would anyone have it in for me?"