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Two of Crowe’s uniformed security men lay dead on the black asphalt in front of him Across the way, a helicopter idled, its pilot slu down to an un rotor blades, the headless body of Reginald Crowe

Lucan stared, uncertain if he was seeing right, as a glow that seeht Crowe’s limbs and torso from within now faded away before his eyes

Behind Lucan, both Dare and Nathan lanced back to Mira and Kellan "What the hell just happened?"

As the pair began explaining, er teams, and the warriors who’d been with Lucan nearly fro Gabrielle and the other Breedmates soon arrived as well, until Lucan found himself surrounded by the kith and kin who meant the most to him

They all listened in silent astonishment as Mira and Kellan described what Crowe had done, who he wasand the things the immortal had revealed in his final breaths

That Mira and Kellan had defeated Crowe by themselves was commendable, even if the leader in Lucan wanted to take the pair to task for the e or permission Perhaps that was the rebel in Kellan, the leader unafraid to charge to the head of any battle God knew, Mira had never been known for her willingness to color within the lines

Tonight they had been a united front A tea them joined as a mated couple A partnership that had been tested more than most, and hard-won

Lucan walked over and extended his hand to the into a brief eirl who had become such a valuable member of the Order’s tearasp "You honor us well, warrior"

To Kellan, he gave a nod of gratitude as he shook the Breedhand "You as well," he said "Maybe there’s a place for a rebel ghost within the Order’s ranks after all"

Kellan grinned, drawing Mira a bit closer to his side as he nodded in acceptance of Lucan’s offer

Lucan looked at the hi at the shape of the Order’s future A new generation, already stepping up to the plate

And they would be needed, all of the he was looking at so new there too: an enemy the Order had never confronted before, one that was clearly playing by its own set of rules now

"What happened here tonight ," he told thewith hiht sky "Thisvoices answered hirim faces filled with deteraze, man and woman alike "From this moment forward, we play by our own rules Whatever it takes, whatever the cost Our new ue

THE GNC SUMMIT WENT ON AS PLANNED THAT NEXT DAY Lucan had announced to the world that there was no better tiather for serious conversations about the future than in the wake of an assault that ht have set the peace efforts of inald Crowe’s death had exposed hiala That he was so reed would only make an already skittish population even more uneasy To the human and vampire nations around the world, Croas merely a would-be terrorist and a member of a clandestine cabal the Order had now made it their public mission to root out and eradicate

In private, the Order’s ent