Free The Hob by Dana Marie Bell Page A

now, had possibly been too late when she’d been attacked by the redcaps.
    That and his honest, if misguided, intentions were what saved Jaden’s life.
    He scraped his nail across Jaden’s neck, drawing a minimal amount of blood, just enough to express his dissatisfaction. “I had thought to keep our surveillance secret.”
    “If we’re right and she’s yours, she’ll need something a little more upfront. If we don’t let it be known right off the bat that she’s protected and off-limits, someone might make a move on her before we can get to her in order to hurt you.”
    Robin tilted his head, acknowledging Jaden’s facts without outright saying he might be right. It was a tricky thing, protecting the truebonds of the powerful.
    Robin bit back a gasp.
    Truebond? He had been certain she was his bondmate, but a truebond? A truebond was a bond so deep, none but the gods themselves could break it.
    He stared at the small room Michaela had disappeared into and bit back a growl as Cecelia Malmayne sauntered in, neat as you please. The urge to run in and rip her blonde head from her neck before she could give Michaela so much as a shiver of unease was intense.
    It was official. Robin was fucked, and not in the good way. And to make his day even more interesting, the mirror in his pocket began to vibrate.
    Oberon wanted his report, and Robin had literally nothing to give him but an insane brunette who might or might not be his truebond.

Chapter Seven
    “How go the negotiations?”
    Oberon waited a beat while Robin, strange looking with brown eyes and hair, tilted his head in thought. “Kael is still in the room. It appears the preliminary pleasantries are over, but I have been unable to enter. I have, however, managed to make contact with Jaden and Moira Blackthorn. They’ve promised to keep me apprised of the goings-on via Duncan, so in essence we have two spies within.”
    Oberon nodded, pleased. That had been his intention in sending Lord Duncan, a man who was mated to a Knight of Oberon and was himself a negotiator of some note. Jaden and Moira’s ease in Robin’s presence would also be of benefit to Robin in his investigations, as they would easily follow Robin’s lead without question or fear. They would also act on their own as needed, something other Blades forced to work with Robin might balk at for fear of incurring his wrath.
    The founding members of Clan Blackthorn were an odd family, but they’d adopted Robin as one of their own and would guard him fiercely. He wondered if Robin was aware of that or not.
    “Apparently, one of the delegates is a bit of an issue, but I do not foresee any problems. We’ve made note of his name, and I will keep tabs on him personally.”
    “Which delegate?” Last Oberon had seen, the list contained the usual names.
    “The Fear Dearc.”
    Oberon froze. “Lord Raven MacSweeney is there?” That could be problematic, as the Fear Dearc had a reputation similar to Robin’s, and almost as sinister.
    Robin’s head tilted further in a gesture that was almost bird-like. “Was his name not supposed to be there?”
    “No.” Oberon waved his hand and the original list appeared in the mirror they spoke through. “It was supposed to be Song Kuan-Yin, a siren.” Oberon frowned. “Perhaps that was the issue, then.”
    “Oh?”
    Robin’s innocent expression didn’t fool him. The word siren had his Hob’s ears practically standing at attention. “The King and Queen of Atlantis have lost one of their daughters.”
    “Ah. I see. I am sorry for their loss.”
    Oberon’s brow rose. Robin’s regret was less than sincere, but it would take someone who’d known him as long as Oberon had to pick up on it. “She is not dead. She ran away from an arranged marriage to one of the princes of Pacifica. The ensuing merger would grant both sides much power, but apparently the princess decided she did not want to comply with her parents’ wishes and fled.”
    Robin grinned, and it