After ensuring Katy was still sleeping soundly, well back from the dying fire’s edge, Gage slipped into the tree line. He did not go far, just out of earshot of their makeshift camp. Once sheltered by the forest, he pulled the phone back out. Gage selected Nox’s name and typed out a quick message.

  Gage: Headed to Chaos with my mate on Creator’s command. Cannot risk Council interference since we don’t know who is in the viper’s nest with Azure. Will contact again soon.

  Only seconds passed before Nox replied.

  Nox: Understood. We will await word. Keep her safe, and yourself as well.

  Relief lifted some weight from Gage’s shoulders. No matter their differences, or past quarrels, Nox would ensure his absence raised no alarms for now. That was all he needed—time to follow Visata’s urgings unhindered by politics.

  Thumb hovering over the button, Gage added one more line before sending it.

  Gage: If we do not return, know it was done to protect the innocent.

  A dire pledge, but these were grievous times.

  Returning the phone to his pocket, Gage headed back to camp just as Katy stirred. Her sleepy smile upon seeing him made his heart constrict. All that mattered in this moment was keeping her gaze free of shadows.

  “Hey, you,” she murmured, stretching like a cat. The rising sun gilded her skin and brought out rich chestnut highlights in her hair. Gage drank her in, letting the sight bolster him. As long as she was at his side, he could face anything.

  Crouching beside her, Gage stroked back the silken strands from her face. “How are you feeling?”

  Katy considered, then smiled. “Good. Strong again.” Her eyes softened. “Thank you.”

  Instead of answering, Gage simply pulled her into a fierce embrace. Katy came willingly, arms twining around his neck. Over her shoulder, Gage’s eyes shifted, scanning the woods around them. A solemn promise lingered on his lips, unspoken but etched into his soul.

  No matter what they faced or who stood in the way, he would see his mate safe. Gage was no hero, merely a guardian sworn to protect one precious heart—Katy’s, bound now to his own. For her, he would walk any path, even into the blackest abyss, becoming a monster himself. If that made him a fool in others’ eyes, so be it. Her life was worth any price, any sacrifice. Let Visata’s justice come. The Dire Wolf bowed only to the wildness within now. The man was slave to a higher claim—his vowed oath as mate.

  Perhaps sensing his somber mood, Katy drew back to study his face with concern. But Gage merely touched his brow to hers, breathing her in. “Ready to continue on?”

  “Yep,” she said with a sharp nod. “Let’s do this.”

  Zeena jolted awake from a fitful sleep, her heart racing inexplicably. She peered around the darkened motel room, senses straining. But no threat presented itself. Likely just another nightmare, though she couldn’t recall it now.

  With a tired sigh, she rose and moved to stand by the grimy window, peering out at the neon strip still bustling even at this late hour. She’d never spent time in the Kingdom of Chaos before Azure banned her from leaving Venom. Now she wandered its garish streets, cloaked in illusion magic, more lost than any face in the crowd.

  “Poor Child, why do you linger in shadow?”

  Zeena whirled with a gasp at the gentle voice. A figure etched in pure light stood across from her. She dropped to her knees instantly, not daring to look directly at Him.

  “Forgive me, Visata,” she whispered, trembling. “I am unworthy of your presence.”

  The air stirred around her, infinitely tender. “You are forgiven, Beloved Daughter. No darkness lingers upon your bright spirit now.”

  Tears slipped free as Zeena shook her head. “The things I have done…” Sobs choked her. “The things I didn’t stop that I could have. I do not deserve your mercy.”

  “You may look at me for this moment. See and hear the truth.”

  Strong, gentle hands lifted Zeena’s chin until she had no choice but to meet the Creator’s radiant gaze. Forgiveness and sorrow shone in His ageless eyes.

  “Your heart has been led astray, but the fault is not yours alone.” Sadness weighed down the rich voice. “Another’s cruelty dimmed your inner light, but it is not extinguished.”

  Zeena’s voice hitched in desperate hope. “Can I be restored?” She clung to His hands as though they were her only tether from plunging into shadow.

  Visata drew her close, and Zeena wept into His side like a lost child. He soothed her tenderly as the tide of anguish slowly released its grip.

  When her tears finally ceased, the Creator drew back enough to tilt her chin up once more. “The light within can never be fully swallowed, only hidden for a time.” His understanding eyes pinned her in place. “I have known you since before you were formed in your mother’s womb, Child. Your life is no accident.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “Sadly, fear led you down dark roads.”

  Shame flooded Zeena, making her turn away. Visata held her fast. “Yet you were but sheep led astray, never fully seeing the precipice before you.” His luminous gaze poured strength back into her spirit. “By my grace, you will now walk in the light again.”

  “You would grant me such mercy?” Zeena asked brokenly. After centuries at Azure’s side, witnessing evil while doing nothing, she felt stained beyond saving, unworthy of this gift.

  Visata cupped her face in His hands, ancient eyes burning with compassion. “All have fallen short of my glory. But mine is the only judgment that carries weight.” His smile held both sadness and understanding. “I know your heart was warped by cruelty not your own. Your sins are forgiven, Child, if you but choose to walk the right path once more.”

  Overwhelmed by the enormity of his pardon, Zeena could only nod wordlessly. How could He absolve her so easily after all she had condoned? The light within Visata was truth. Her battered spirit recognized that bone deep.

  The Creator drew her close once more, into an embrace of forgiveness and belonging that Zeena had craved her entire existence. “Though darkness surrounds, hope remains,” He whispered over her hair. “You will find your way again.”

  When He released her, resolve settled in Zeena’s bones. She would spend the rest of her life proving worthy of this undeserved gift. “I will heed Your guidance in all things,” she swore fervently.

  Visata’s brilliant aura filled the dingy room. “Then listen close, Beloved Daughter. My plan unfolds through your life anew.”

  He told her of two who would seek her out soon, led by His whisper, to help save an innocent in grave peril. “The Dire Wolf comes cloaked in shadow, but he brings light in his mate’s heart,” Visata revealed. “The three of you will bring change and, through that change, watch night recede before dawn’s hope.”

  Though the counsel was cryptic, Zeena clung to every word. The Creator had given her a second chance. She would not fail Him again. Bowing her head, she swore, “I will watch for them and trust in Your wisdom, though the way seems dark to me.”

  Visata touched her shoulder, smile radiant. “You no longer walk alone. My spirit shall illuminate your every step.”

  As his image faded, Zeena cried out, “Will I see you again?” The thought of losing His presence devastated her now that she had found grace.

  “I am always near, Child,” Visata’s voice echoed. “You only have to call out and listen, and I will answer. Only believe…”

  Then He was gone, leaving Zeena on her knees in a rundown motel room once more. But she rose with joy, and her once empty heart was filled with joy. The Creator Himself had come to renew her life. She was no longer damned and alone, but delivered into destiny. Her heart ached for her mate. She thought him fully lost. Zeena honestly didn’t know if there was anything good left in him. She remembered their early courtship. Azure had been so charismatic and charming. She’d been smitten from the first words. His father was King of KOV then, and Azure didn’t bear the burden yet of a kingdom. Not to mention there was peace among the kingdoms. But then his father was poisoned, though the culprit never found. Azure had to take up the mantle of ruler, and it was from that moment forward that his transformation began.

  “What happened to us?” she whispered. Her knees throbbed from the hard floor on which she had knelt. They’d lost their way, but Azure didn’t seem to want to find it again. She was on her own.

  Whatever came, she would cling to the plan Visata shared. Zeena would watch for the Dire Wolf and his mate, never doubting they were coming. Zeena had no idea how they would respond to her, considering she’d been unkind to both of them. She deserved their wrath, not their help. But the Creator had spoken, and she would listen. She had been granted another chance. This time, she refused to fail.

  Lola awoke to dawn’s first light creeping across her opulent room. No, it wasn’t her room. It was their room—hers and Callon’s. Which was still a weird thought, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

  Today, they would hopefully confront the voodoo priestess who held Katy’s life in her hands. The twisting knot of anticipation in Lola’s gut hadn’t let her rest easily, and the fact that she’d been separated from Callon didn’t help.

  Slipping from bed, Lola dressed swiftly in the combat gear the KOC warriors had provided. She and Maddie would need the added protection of leather and light armor in the treacherous bayou. Lola truly appreciated the fact that she could shift from human to animal and back again and still have her clothes on once she was in her human form. She’d read so many books where the shifters were butt naked after a shift and had always wondered how they hadn’t felt vulnerable. Did she think of her book characters as real people? Yes, yes, she did. Don’t judge.

  Lola’s inner beast rumbled eagerly at the thought of the coming hunt and confrontation. They would find this voodoo priestess-witchy-chick and make her undo the sinister spell.

  When Lola entered the mansion’s vast kitchen, she was surprised to find Callon already there, shoveling down breakfast. Her mate’s head jerked up, nostrils flaring as he caught her scent. Relief flashed in his golden eyes.

  “There you are.” He was across the room in three long strides, folding her into a fierce embrace. “I’ve been pacing like a caged animal waiting for you.”

  “Why didn’t you just come to our suite?”

  Callon’s eyes narrowed on something behind Lola. She turned to find Otto sitting on the end of the counter, his little legs swinging back and forth and his tail swishing from side to side. He wasn’t in his full-beast form, but neither could he pass for a human.

  “Good morn, Lola. Sleep good?” The little lizard grinned and waved his clawed hand at them.

  “He is the reason I didn’t come to our room,” Callon rumbled. Her mate was not pleased.

  Lola’s brow rose. “How did he”—she pointed at the small Damarian—“keep you”—now she pointed at Callon, motioning to his massive frame—“from coming to find me?”

  “I bite him.” Otto snickered.

  “You what?” Lola snapped.

  “He doesn’t mean he already bit me,” Callon soothed, running his fingers down her spine. “He means if I’d tried to go see you, he would have bitten me.”

  Lola’s eyes widened. “But your bite is, like, mega-poisonous.”

  Otto nodded proudly. The little turd.

  “That’s why I’m sitting down here eating, and not with you, alone, in our room.” Callon’s voice grew rougher with each word. “Lennsers are fast,” he explained. “He could bite me before I even realized he’d moved.”

  “Otto!” Lola scolded. “Why would you do that?”

  “Mistress need rest,” Otto said in his stilted way of talking. “Be alert with demon about.”

  Callon’s chest rumbled with a growl. “That’s the only reason I didn’t call for backup to deal with this little troublemaker. Because he’s right. You have to have your wits about you with a demon.”

  Lola walked over to Otto and pointed a finger at him. She stayed about a foot back, though she didn’t think he’d bite her. “Do not ever threaten to bite my mate again. Not cool, lizard. Not. Cool.”

  Otto’s legs kept swinging back and forth as he shrugged. “Otto protect what’s important to Katy. You and the Maddie important to her.”

  “That’s really freaking sweet.” Some of her anger deflated. “Despite that, you can’t go around biting people.”

  Callon’s arm wrapped around her from behind, and then he turned her so that her face was pressed to his chest. He pulled her snuggly against him. “Shhh, Female. I’m fine.”

  Lola hugged him back just as tightly, the tension easing from her frame. “Wait,” she said suddenly. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you meeting with the Kingdom of Silk royals?”

  Callon drew back enough to frame her face in his big hands. “You didn’t really think I’d let you confront dark magic without me, did you?” His jaw clenched, and his gaze was intense. “Especially not with some questionable demon as your guide. But we did meet with them. They weren’t exactly super hospitable. Which isn’t strange, but I still got a vibe that they’re hiding something. We couldn’t stick around any longer without it looking suspicious.” Callon ran a finger down her cheek. “But mostly I’m back because I don’t like being separated from you. Not even for a night.”

  Warmth spread through Lola at his protectiveness, even as exasperation tugged her lips. “Callon, we’ve talked about this. I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Yes, you does,” Otto supplied, oh so helpfully.

  “A-B conversation, Lizard. C your way out of it,” Lola said dryly.

  Otto simply snickered. The cheeky twat.

  Callon’s brows lowered stubbornly. “Tough. Where you go, I go. That’s the way it is for mates.”

  Lola sighed, knowing further argument was pointless. And if she was honest, having Callon’s strength at her side brought a sense of security. She hadn’t fully processed how dangerous this new world could become. Still, her independence balked at being coddled.

  “Fine,” she conceded grudgingly. “But you better pull your weight out there. No distracting heroics because you think I need rescuing.”

  Callon grinned unrepentantly and kissed her forehead. “As my lady commands. Besides, I don’t think I’d have to do anything heroic with this one”—he motioned to Otto—“in tow.”

  Before she could elbow Callon in retribution, running footsteps drew their attention. Maddie careened into the kitchen, excitement lighting her pretty features. Her smile grew even bigger when she saw Callon.

  “Bane’s back, too,” her friend gushed, practically bouncing on her toes. “Isn’t that awesome? Now he and Callon can totally protect us from that demon creep while we save Katy and the other women.” She frowned thoughtfully. “Shame Roan came, too. He keeps making weird jokes about cats and glaring at Bane. I think his sense of humor is broken. If he ever had one.”

  “He didn’t,” Callon offered.

  Lola felt more of the weight that had been on her shoulders being lifted. “That’s great that they’re here. Considering you and I don’t have a freaking clue what we’re doing. Regardless of whether we like admitting that or not, it’s true.”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Maddie muttered as she grabbed a muffin out of a bowl on the counter. “But Roan seriously knows how to rain on someone’s parade.”

  “I bite him?”

  Maddie’s eyes lit up with humor as she looked at the lizard. “As much as the image of you biting a screeching Roan makes me laugh, I do not wish him dead … yet. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”

  “Maddie.” Lola tsked. “You can’t talk like that with Otto. He seems to take things pretty literally.”

  “Oh, I know. Me and the Ott-ster hung out last night and made friendship bracelets.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of string. The bracelets reminded Lola of their childhood when they used to spend summer days sitting at her dining room table making wrist and ankle friendship bracelets. “Here.” She held out a green and blue one to her. “I made you this one.”

  Lola smiled. “Thanks, Mads.”

  “Don’t thank me. I only managed to get one made. The super lizard over there can weave the strands of thread faster than a freaking machine. He made tons of them.”

  Lola looked at Otto. “Did you have fun?”

  “I want my mistress to have many choices. I not sure favorite colors.”

  “I tried to tell him she’d like anything simply because he made it for her,” Maddie explained. “But the little dude is hardheaded.”

  “My head supposed to be hard,” Otto told her with a little frown. “Scales protect in battle.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes. “You’re right. He is very literal.”

  Lola met Callon’s amused golden eyes. “This is going to be a circus, isn’t it?”

  He laughed. “At least the chaos will keep that silver-tongued demon on his toes.” His smile faded, replaced by solemn resolve. “But jesting aside, wherever you go this day, I go, too. I’ll not have you facing such evil unprotected.”

  “Mistress Lola and the Maddie wear bracelets.” Otto pointed at the stack of bracelets he’d pulled from his own pocket. “Wear ten.”

  “Ten?” Maddie and Lola said at the same time.

  Lola narrowed her eyes at him. “Why so many?”

  “We friends. I be hurt if you not like them.” Otto’s voice grew small.

  He was up to something, or at least Lola thought he was. She didn’t know him well enough to truly be certain. Maybe he just honestly would be hurt if they didn’t wear something that he’d worked hard on specifically for them.

  She walked over and counted out ten, then split them between both wrists, five on each. “There.” She held out both arms. “Happy?”

  “Yup.” Otto nodded and then pointedly looked at Maddie.

  She just chuckled and then picked out her own, also splitting them between her wrists.