His lion rumbled its agreement, ready for the hunt to reach its conclusion. Beside him, he could sense Lina’s lynx was equally prepared. The pieces were in place. Now they just needed their quarry to step into the trap.

  Liam’s phone buzzed as they merged onto the highway. He glanced at the screen. It was a text from Mike.

  MIKE: Still quiet at CM house. No movement. Getting restless out here. You got anything?

  Liam gave his phone to Lina and asked her to tap out a response.

  LIAM: Found possible action site. Wardenclyffe. Evidence of preparations. Need you and a team there tonight for overwatch. I’ll send coordinates.

  The response came quickly.

  MIKE: Tesla’s tower? Seriously? That’s a power nexus if I ever heard of one. Yeah, we can be there. What time?

  LIAM: 2200 hours. Come ready for a fight. This witch doesn’t play nice.

  MIKE: Roger that. See you tonight, cuz.

  Liam pocketed the phone when Lina handed it back to him.

  “What about Rich and Billy?” she asked. “You mentioned bringing them in.”

  “I’ll call Rich when we get back to the house. We need to give him the full briefing and see if he and Billy can provide any additional support.” Liam navigated through traffic, his mind already organizing the operation. “We can use their help monitoring the cameras, and Mike and his guys can form the strike team, ready to move in when she shows.”

  “You’re thinking full tactical operation.” It wasn’t a question.

  “This isn’t a surveillance job anymore. This is an interdiction.” Liam’s voice was hard. “We know where she’s going to be and what she plans to do. We just need to be there first and make sure she never gets the chance to start that ritual. Hopefully, Mrs. P can give us some pointers on how to combat any groundwork Mrs. E might have already laid.”

  The hunt was almost over. He could feel it. Now came the most dangerous part. They were fast approaching the moment when the prey realized it was cornered and decided whether to run or fight.

  Liam’s money was on fight. Mrs. E hadn’t come this far to give up easily. Which meant very soon, possibly even tonight, things were going to get very interesting.

  He just hoped they were ready for it.

  Chapter 15

  What started out as a briefing for Rich and Billy soon turned into a full-out strategy session over lunch with Mrs. P and a bunch of the elders from her coven. Rich and Billy were both there with their mates, and the whole thing had been moved to a nearby estate, complete with fancy butler and a grandiose dining room that could seat at least fifty people.

  As soon as Mrs. P heard what they’d found, she’d gotten on the phone and set it all up. Within a half hour, they were at the estate in Sagaponack, which was one of the wealthiest suburbs in all of the United States. The woman who owned the sprawling, walled and gated property was one of the elders of the coven. Her name was Mrs. Stanborough, and she was a direct descendant of the man who first settled the town of Sagaponack.

  Her butler and kitchen staff served up a buffet lunch on short notice that was both delicious and hearty. There was plenty of food for hungry shifter constitutions, and everyone else. They worked through lunch, explaining the significance of the leaf, twig and stone arrangements that Lina had photographed earlier.

  Each one had to be defused in a particular way, and the witches gave Lina and Liam very precise instructions on how to handle each one. They also confirmed that there had to be at least one more.

  “If she was going for the cardinal points, there would be one at each direction. North, south, east, and west. Which you’ve photographed here,” Mrs. P explained, pointing to the photos they’d downloaded from Lina’s phone and projected on the dining room’s high-tech display system. You’ve also found three of the others at the points in between. You’re missing one here.” She pointed to a spot between north and east. “If she followed the same pattern I’ve seen her use a hundred times over the years, that’ll be a modified horse-tamer glyph.”

  Mrs. P went about explaining what it looked like and how to disarm it. She also answered, when asked, that the name of the glyph didn’t really mean anything these days. Back in the times when they’d been devised, each glyph had earned a name either from its function or who had created it. This was one of the latter, created by a long-ago witch who also had a way with horses, or so the legends held.

  “Will Mrs. E know when we defuse her glyphs?” Lina asked during a lull in the conversation.

  “No. These sorts of things are strictly passive magic. They set the stage, but they are not connected to the witch’s power. When working such a massive spell, she wouldn’t want things like this draining her even just a little bit,” Mrs. Stanborough told them. “If you’re worried that disarming them will alert her to your presence, then don’t worry on that count. The only way she’d know that they’re gone is if she sees them herself, and she’ll only do that when she returns to enact the spell. It’s just good practice to check your preparations are still in place before you begin a major work.”

  “Then, she’ll know someone has messed with the site as soon as she sees one of the glyphs disrupted,” Liam said, frowning a bit.

  “True, but she’ll have to make the round of the circle to see if all of them are fouled. That gives you time to intercept her,” Mrs. Peabody put in.

  “Now, as luck would have it, the timing is good. The most optimal time for her to try the spell is sometime in the next three days, during the full moon cycle,” Mrs. Stanborough said, pointing to a chart of the moon and high tides that she’d put up on the display wall. “If she’s in a hurry, she can go as early as tonight at high tide, but the more likely time is either tomorrow or the next night, also at high tide. You see the times there on the chart.”

  Lina made note of the times, as did Liam, Rich and Billy.

  “Now, the next part might be hard for you, Liam, but we’ve been talking about this, and we believe the only way to defeat her in that place of power is if you are at your most powerful. Meaning, if you are in your lion form. You too, Lina. You are most powerful in your magically shifted form and much, much safer from any magic she can throw at you. Therefore, we think you should shapeshift the moment you finish dismantling the glyphs and stay in that form until after high tide is over,” Mrs. P advised. “I know you like your weapons and gizmos,” she said, looking at Liam with an indulgent expression, “but this is one time when your claws and teeth will be much more effective than anything made by man.”

  She was right, up to a certain point. Liam was a soldier, and he liked the weapons and tools of his trade, but he was a man with two parts to his soul, and the lion liked to be part of the action whenever possible. Sadly, in most cases, that wasn’t possible. Therefore, the chance to let his beast roam free and take part in a battle was actually very welcome.

  “That won’t be a problem for me, ma’am,” he assured her with what he knew was a big smile. Then, he looked to Lina.

  “Me nether,” she agreed. “We don’t often get a chance to let our beasts out when working so closely with humans, so it’ll be nice for a change. Especially when stealth and strength are needed. The cat enjoys stalking its prey and staying hidden until it’s ready to strike.” She, too, had a cunning grin on her lovely face, and Liam knew she felt the same eagerness that he did for letting their inner cats out to play.

  “It will likely take both of you to take her down,” Mrs. Stanborough warned. “And I suspect your backup will remain in human form to provide a perimeter beyond which she cannot escape?”

  It was posed as a question, but it sure looked like the old lady already knew the answer. Maybe these coven ladies were more acquainted with battle planning than he realized.

  “Since most of my backup are selkies, that would be correct, ma’am,” Liam told her, deciding to trust these ladies with the nature of his support. They were all fighting on the same side, after all.

  Mrs. P nodded with satisfaction. “That’s good. Selkies are among the most magical of shifters. They should be able to hold their own against Mrs. E no matter what form they are in.”

  The meeting wound down after another hour of tactical planning and magical instruction. By the time they left Mrs. Stanborough’s estate, Liam’s head was full of glyph patterns, tide schedules, and contingency plans. Beside him, Lina looked equally focused, her notebook filled with detailed sketches and notes.

  “That was intense,” she said as they climbed into his SUV.

  “Yeah.” Liam started the engine, glancing at his watch. Three-thirty in the afternoon. They had hours yet before they needed to be at Wardenclyffe, but once they went, they’d be there pretty much all night. “We should head back to the house. Get some rest before tonight.”

  Lina nodded, stifling a yawn. “Good idea. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t sleep much last night.”

  “Neither did I.” He’d been too aware of her working late and then lying in bed in the next room. He’d been too keyed up about the case and too restless with anticipation of what was coming. But he didn’t say any of that. Instead, he pulled out of the estate’s long driveway and headed back toward their temporary base.

  The drive was quiet, both of them lost in their own thoughts. The weight of the coming night pressed down on Liam’s shoulders. They were as prepared as they could be, but there were always unknowns in combat. Sometimes, things went wrong, despite the best planning, resulting in people who didn’t come home.

  He glanced at Lina, taking in her profile against the window. Strong, capable, beautiful. His lion stirred restlessly, protective instincts warring with the knowledge that she was a warrior in her own right. She could handle herself. He’d learned early not to ever underestimate a shifter female. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about what they might be walking into tonight.

  Once they were back at the house, they went through the motions of preparing for the evening ahead. Liam checked and rechecked his gear. They needed only a few simple things, according to the coven, for disabling the glyphs, but he also packed backup communications equipment and a first-aid kit he always carried in his vehicle. Lina did the same, checking her own gear with efficient and practiced movements.

  “I’m going to try to get a few hours of sleep,” she said, hovering in the doorway between the kitchen and the stairs. “You should too.”

  “I will.” Liam set down the gear he’d been organizing. “Lina?”

  She turned back, eyebrows raised. “Yeah?”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it, not sure what he’d meant to say. Be careful tonight? Stay safe? Don’t do anything reckless? All of it felt inadequate, too small for what he was feeling.

  “Nothing,” he said finally. “Get some rest.”

  But she didn’t move. She stood there, looking at him with those gorgeous green eyes that seemed to see right through every defense he’d built. “You’re worried.”

  It wasn’t a question. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I am.”

  “Me too.” She took a step back into the kitchen, her guard slipping for just a moment. “Mrs. E is dangerous. Tonight could go a lot of ways, and not all of them end well.”

  “We’ll be careful. We have backup, we have a plan—”

  “I know.” She cut him off gently. “But we both know that plans don’t usually survive first contact with the enemy.”

  Liam moved toward her, drawn by something he couldn’t name. “What are you saying?”

  Lina’s jaw worked for a moment, as if she was wrestling with herself. Then she looked up at him, and the vulnerability in her expression made his chest tight.

  “I’m saying that if something happens tonight—if one of us doesn’t walk away from this—I don’t want to have regrets about things I didn’t say. Things I didn’t do.”

  The atmosphere felt almost electric. Liam took another step closer, close enough now that he could smell her scent, see the rapid pulse at the base of her throat.

  “Lina...” His voice came out rougher than he intended.

  “I know we agreed to wait,” she said quickly. “I know we said we’d revisit this after the mission was over. But what if there is no after? What if today is all we get?”

  Something in Liam’s chest cracked open at those words. All the careful control, all the professional distance they’d been maintaining… It shattered like glass.

  “Then we don’t waste it,” he said, and closed the remaining distance between them.

  His hands came up to frame her face, thumbs brushing along her cheekbones. For one heartbeat, he gave her the chance to pull back, to change her mind. But she didn’t. Instead, she rose up on her toes, her hands gripping his shirt, and met him halfway.

  The first touch of her lips against his sent fire racing through his veins. She tasted like coffee and something uniquely her, and when she made a small sound in the back of her throat, his lion roared with triumph.

  The kiss deepened and turned hungry. All the tension that had been building between them for days finally found a small release. Lina’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, and Liam wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her against him until there was no space left between them.

  She was strong and soft all at once, her body fitting against his like she’d been made for him. His other hand slid into her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss further. She responded with equal intensity, her nails scraping lightly against his scalp in a way that made him growl low in his chest.

  When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Liam rested his forehead against hers for a long moment. His heart was pounding, his lion pacing with satisfaction and wanting more.

  “We should stop,” Lina whispered, but she didn’t pull away.

  “Probably,” he agreed, his hands still holding her close. “But I don’t want to.”

  She laughed breathlessly. “Me neither.”

  They stood there for a long moment, wrapped around each other, neither willing to be the first to let go. Finally, reluctantly, Liam eased back just enough to look at her properly.

  Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her eyes dark with desire, and she’d never looked more beautiful to him.

  “When this is over,” he said, his voice rough with promise, “we’re going to finish this conversation properly.”

  “Is that what we’re calling it? A conversation?” The corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile that was pure mischief.

  “Among other things.” He couldn’t resist stealing one more brief, fierce kiss. “But right now, you need rest. We both do. Tonight’s going to be a long one either way.”

  Lina nodded slowly, her hands sliding down from his shoulders but not quite letting go. “Liam? For what it’s worth... I’m glad it’s you. Going into this with me.”

  The simple honesty of it hit him square in the chest. “Me too.”

  She stepped back then, putting physical distance between them, even as her eyes stayed locked on his. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Lina?” He paused to get her full attention. “We’re both coming back from this. Together. That’s not just a hope. It’s a promise.”

  Her smile was soft and genuine. “I’m going to hold you to that, Kinkaid.”

  She disappeared up the stairs, and Liam stood alone in the kitchen, his lips still tingling from her kiss, his heart doing complicated things in his chest. His lion settled in a way it hadn’t been able to do in days, content now that they’d finally claimed what was theirs, even if it was just a kiss, just a small promise of more to come.

  For now, it was enough.

  Liam headed upstairs to his own room, knowing he should rest but doubting sleep would come easily. Not with the taste of her still on his lips and the weight of tonight’s mission pressing down on him.

  He lay down on the bed, fully clothed, staring at the ceiling. Through the wall, he could hear Lina moving around in her room, getting settled. The knowledge that she was right there, separated only by plaster and wood, made him ache with wanting.

  But they had a job to do. A witch to stop. A catastrophe to prevent.

  After, he reminded himself. After this mission was complete, when they’d won, when the danger was past, he’d show her exactly what she meant to him. He’d explore this thing between them properly, without the shadow of Mrs. E hanging over them.

  Chapter 16

  Liam woke two hours later to the soft tones of the alarm he’d set. He sat up, coming instantly awake and oriented in the way he’d learned in the Navy. Combat naps were a real thing he’d become expert in during basic training and had used to his advantage ever since.

  He could hear movement from Lina’s room. She was up too, getting ready. The soft sounds stirred his libido, but he tamped it down ruthlessly. The taste he’d gotten of her kiss had awoken his mating instincts in a big way, and he wasn’t altogether certain he could wait until after the mission was complete anymore.

  He had to have her. He had to know if she was truly his one and only perfect mate. He wanted that more than anything.

  She might not be a lion, but as a fellow cat, he wondered if she was feeling the same sort of tug toward him. Goddess, he hoped so. She was a fascinating woman, and he could see cherishing her and bathing in her warmth for the rest of their lives. He’d never be bored. Never want another. If she was truly his mate, which was something he was beginning to believe with every fiber of his being, then he’d count himself as the luckiest man alive.

  They just had to get through the showdown with Mrs. E. He’d been confident he could hold back the increasing attraction until after their mission was complete, but that was before he’d kissed her. Now? He’d be lucky if he could keep his hands off her in the next hour or two.