Grai's Game (First Wave) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Banatar told the three woman, who did not even look in his direction when he spoke.
    Ivint watched the women curiously as they continued to ignore Banatar and remained standing near the doorway. Noticing the surprised look on the faces of Dread and Viper, Ivint realized what was going on.
    “They are using the Shengari’ aren’t they? These are a few of the girls you rescued?” Ivint asked Grai, already knowing the answer.
    “That’s a lie! We found Drew and Bree over twelve years ago! And Jane seven years ago.” Banatar interrupted; his chest puffed out as if offended.
    The rest of the room paid much more attention during the brief silence that followed Banatar’s outburst. The three women tilted their heads slightly towards Grai, as if listening to something he was saying, before nodding and turning to the room.
    “Grai rescued me from one of his father’s camps twenty years ago when I was five and Bree was three. We were raised to know who we were and where we came from. And to be proud of that.” Drew began before Bree interrupted her.
    “We learned more about Valendra from Grai and Koda than we learned when we got here.” Bree said with a quick glare at Banatar.
    “So you betrayed me! You betrayed your own!” Banatar sputtered in rage, beginning to stand; his hands braced on the table.
    He didn’t get far before Ivint had him pinned against the wall, one hand on his throat and the other on his chest keeping him immobile.
    “Listen to me now! Look around this room!” Ivint growled lowly at him as he turned his head to look at the screens showing his ships surrounded, all the safe house locations surrounded. And a still burning Relian ship.
    “None of this is as it seemed! NONE OF IT! I, for one, am tired of being ten steps behind in this game. I want to know what is going on. The truth! And I want our people safe. If you do not put your emotions aside and pay attention, so we can learn, I will have you removed from the room.” Ivint continued to hold Banatar until he saw the resignation in his eyes.
    Ivint could understand his anger, everything he thought was real seemed to be a well-orchestrated fabrication created by Grai. What concerned him, and what he was trying to find out, was why.
    When he felt Banatar’s muscles go lax, he let him go and gave him a moment to pull himself together before turning back to Grai and nodding his head at the man.
    “When Koda and I first began rescuing the girls from my father’s camps; we attempted to raise them the best we could. Like Banatar, we trained them to fight and defend themselves. That included the beast bond.”
    “When they were old enough and trained well enough, we sent them to Banatar to learn more about their people and help protect the others. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, since his group was much smaller back then, and they needed the help. Colored contacts enabled them to hide their beast bonding.” Grai explained quietly, as if embarrassed by his kindness in helping to fortify their defenses.
    “What was the purpose of this?” Reven interjected, gesturing to the screen showing their safe houses close to Relian buildings.
    “That was two-fold and where my mate, Tricia helped the most.” Grai gave her a gentle smile and patted her trembling hand that he still held in his lap before continuing.
    “We knew that at some point if my father didn’t find you, my brother Dagog would. Tricia helped me buy large expanses of properties all over the planet. When we secured the area and had provisions ready, she would go to Banatar and tell him about this great property she had found for another safe house.”
    “We would sell the property to them, as is, so that the provisions would be there for them. With our locations so close by, it was easy to keep them stocked with what they needed and lend support if necessary.” At the startled looks on the faces around the room, Grai decided to switch gears to speed things up.
    “Let me go