"It is a pact then," Aryana stated, extending her hand. After a bit of hesitation Taki took it, receiving a firm handshake from the centaur.

In her peripheral vision she took in the stairs she and Carter had worked so hard on. The sight of them produced a new pang in her heart.

She wanted to go up them with him again and again, to expand her home, their home, to add to their family. She needed him back with her.

Taki closed her eyes and focused. Carter's spirit energy signature, she could feel him now clearly, as if this unpracticed sense had automatically heightened in response to their increasing separation.

Indeed, she could feel him getting steadily further away, but unerringly she knew which direction to go in pursuit.

She forced herself to try to plan for what she would be faced with. Her only source there was the hunter's description. He could have been lying about the mansion just as he had about his oath to leave her be, but to come up with so many fictitious details so fast and without hesitation suggested otherwise.

Still, she couldn't be sure. Until now she had thought she could detect lies, yet she had still let her guard down on a known enemy.

Overconfidence and concern for Carter, both played a part in her Lapse in judgment. She had to make sure it didn't happen again.

Regardless, she was sure of one thing. Carter was her mate. She would save him, no matter what it took.

Inner Worth

‘It's just as the hunter claimed it to be,' Taki reasoned as she eyed the ornate building on the edge of town while safely hidden at the edge of the tree line. Her sharp eyes could easily judge the location of the two guards stationed outside, but the Large open space between her and the building would make sneaking up difficult. Best to wait the short time until nightfall and use the cover of darkness to get closer. Once near enough she could leap up and take them out from above, where they would not be expecting an attack.

“Is that the place they are holding him?" Aryana asked as she pointed to the large building. The centaur wrinkled her nose in disgust, “it reeks of torturous death, the kind of scent given off only by violent and slow killing. It's utterly offensive to any hunter who prides herself on merciful hunting such as myself.”

“It is time for you and your mate to go back," was Taki's answer. "You can no Longer help me, not with what I plan to do.”

“Myself, and Clark, to a Lesser extent, are master marksmen," the centaur countered, reaching for the bow on her back. "We can disable the outside guards at least, even in Low Light."

“No. I do not plan to disable."

"Taki..." Aryana widened her eyes.

"The scent of quick death will come from there soon."

"I thought you were going to use stealth to sneak in?" Clark reminded her from his place atop the centaur's back, sounding uncomfortable with the implications of her words.

Taki didn't look back. "Stealth will allow me to surprise them, but if it is anything like what I was told then there will be no getting to

Carter without dealing with the enforcers. If I merely maim them they may be able to still sound the alarm, and if they all were alerted then the battle would not be winnable. I must use speed and stealth to take them out one or a few at a time in rapid succession."