“I’m taking care of the noise.” Cyn tried to shove her way around Thalion, her mate.

  For an endless minute, the parking lot was pure chaos. Wolves snarled, steel sang out from the fae that had pulled their blades, and bursts of power flared from Lilly, as well as the free hands of the fae. Jen was shocked by the single-minded fury with which the demons fought. But thank the Great Luna, they were outmatched. At some point, the onslaught receded. Whatever portal allowed their entry must’ve finally closed.

  One by one, their twisted forms collapsed and dissolved back to ash. As the last beast fell, an eerie quiet descended, broken only by heavy breathing. Jen slumped forward, resting her hands on her knees as she sucked in large gulps of air. Decebel knelt so that he was eye to eye with her.

  His amber eyes searched her face. “You good?”

  She nodded and reached up to pat his cheek. “No worries, B. I’m pretty hard to kill.”

  “That’s a lie,” Jacque piped up. “You’ve died more than any of us. You’re just hard to keep dead.”

  Jen shrugged. “That’s fair.”

  Cautiously, they regrouped, watching for any renewed threat. Thankfully, no more demons appeared.

  Jen let out a shaky laugh. “Remind me not to complain about being bored. That wasn’t the type of entertainment I was looking for.”

  Thalion approached, looking grim. Cyn shadowed protectively behind him. “Something ripped open a portal to bring those creatures here. But the one who did it is long gone. They could have kept the portal open if they’d stuck around.” The elf king’s sword disappeared, and he deftly re-braided his long hair. “It’s been quite some time since hellspawn entered the human realm. The closest call being when Cypher nearly accomplished it.”

  Jen’s eyes snapped to Lilly. Her best friend’s mom, the warlock queen and former mate to Cypher, took a deep breath and appeared to be composing herself. At times, she still had the empty stare of someone who’d lost something special to them and didn’t know what to do with themselves now.

  Thalion’s eyes narrowed, gazing at the empty building. “Celise knew we were coming. I suspect she has found dark allies willing to aid her.”

  Jen blew out a breath. “Of course she did. The real question is, what’s she gonna do with that creepy-ass book now? What more can it do other than just open a portal to the land of the wickedly dead?”

  “It can raise the dead,” Cyn answered.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Jen and Jacque said in unison.

  “I don’t remember that being a threat when Desdemona wanted to use it to open the gates of hell. Is this a new development?”

  Decebel helped Jen stand up. “No, Jacque, it’s not new, but it’s not necessarily a well-known or reliable ability. To our knowledge, the power is only theoretical. We don’t know that the book has ever been used successfully to bring a person back.”

  “That’s not reassuring, Dec,” Jen pointed out. “Reassuring would be something like ‘that’s a silly rumor that has been proven to be wrong time and time again.’” She looked at her mate. “See how that sounds better than ‘only theoretical’?”

  “Maybe so, baby. But it’s also complete BS.”

  “Which we all know is typical for her,” Jacque added.

  Jen pointed at them. “I’m letting you two off the hook for those ridiculous statements because I’m covered in demon ash, and I want a shower.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll get your revenge.” Jacque waved her friend off.

  Jen gave a sharp nod. “Damn straight!”

  “Let’s report back to Fane.” Decebel looked to the fae for their transportation.

  As Jen placed her hand on Cyn’s arm, she gave it a squeeze. “If I’ve never told you thank you for hauling our asses around like annoying cargo, let me do it now. Thank you, Cyn, Elle, and Adam.”

  “Glad to be of service,” Cyn said in her usual flat voice. If Jen hadn’t known the fae female longer, she’d have thought Cyn was annoyed. But because Jen did know her, she understood that was just Cyn’s RBV, resting bitch voice. “Your RBV goes perfect with your RBF.”

  A small smile kicked up one side of Cyn’s face. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re as annoying as a bur in the ass?”

  “Is that the same as a pain in the ass?” Jacque asked. “Because if so, then yes. She’s well aware. We tried our damndest to make sure Jen was aware of her own annoyances. The problem is, she doesn’t give a flying flip.”

  “It’s also what makes me a damn good friend. I’m friends with who I want to be friends with no matter what others might think. Take Cyn, for example. Most people would assume she’s a dick and not want to be her friend. But I”—Jen pointed to herself—“appreciate her dickness and applaud her for her ability to remain emotionally stagnant in intense situations.”

  “Good grief.” Crina groaned while others in the group chuckled.

  “Let’s get back to the sprite stronghold before any more hellspawn wiggle their way through some tiny slip of a hole in the fabric between their realm and ours and before Jen spews anything that might actually offend someone.” Jacque made a circle in the air with her finger, indicating everyone should grab onto a fae in order to be flashed back to the sprite realm.

  Jen simply winked at her friend and alpha female. “You know, in order to get me to shut up, I’d have to care about offending someone.”

  Jacque nodded. “Believe me, I’m well aware. Somehow you’ve managed to not die at the hands of some sensitive being simply because you have a big mouth that’s never had a filter. You should get an award.”

  “Agreed.” Jen smiled. “Please make sure it comes with whipped cream. You people keep thinking I’m joking about that, but I’m dead serious.”

  Chapter

  Nine

  “If you had told me when I was seventeen that in just a few short years I’d be the alpha of the largest pack in the world, not to mention the alpha of all alphas, I’d have laughed in your face. But here I am. And damn it all if I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I feel like I’m winging it on a hope and a prayer. I wish I could ask my father if this was how he felt in all of those impossible situations, or if he actually did have it all under control, as it always appeared. What I wouldn’t give to just talk to him one more time.” ~Fane

  The neon lights of the Vegas strip were a blur as Fane gunned the SUV down the busy road. In the passenger seat, Tenia’s eyes were closed in concentration as she focused on the fading connection to Claude. They were close; Fane could feel it. She’d flashed them to the city, but then Fane had made the decision to use human methods of transportation because Claude would be less likely to suspect them to do so.

  “I have to give the idiot credit. He picked a nearly perfect place to disappear.”

  “Not so perfect that I won’t find him.” Tenia’s power linked them still, however tenuously. She’d made it very clear that she would lead them right to the leech’s lair, no matter what it took.

  In the backseat, Dillon, the Colorado pack alpha, was a steady, watchful presence. “At least he didn’t choose New Orleans. I get sick of visiting that cesspool of supernaturals.”

  “I second that.” Myanin spoke up. “Although, my final vote on Claude’s choice of hideout will depend on which city has the greater quantity of readily available cotton candy.”

  “We’ve got to get you some help,” Tenia said dryly, her eyes still closed. Fane could practically feel the concentration flowing off of her. “It’s not natural for someone to be that addicted to any particular junk food.”

  “You should be glad for it,” Myanin pointed out. “You have something to bribe me with. I’m totally a cotton candy hoe.”

  “Bloody hell.” Gerrick sighed. “Who taught you that term?”

  Fane had to admit, as his lips tilted up slightly, that the Great Luna had done an excellent job at giving him allies with the ability to bring the intense atmosphere down multiple notches.

  “Jen,” Myanin answered matter-of-factly. “She has excellent linguistic skills.”

  This made several of the males in the SUV laugh, attempting to cover it with coughing. “Never say ‘linguistic skills’ again.” Tenia didn’t miss a beat as she pointed to a side street. “Turn here.”

  Fane’s simmering rage returned as he rolled down his window a tad so that his wolf could catch the surrounding scents. The air was ripe with the smells of supernatural beings. It would be a challenge to pick out only one, but he would find it. Fane was desperate to mete out justice to Claude for the part he played in injuring a healer, not to mention aiding Cain in the abduction of a host of dormants. The vampire would pay dearly.

  “Here,” Tenia said sharply. “He’s somewhere in this area.”

  Fane pulled the SUV down another side street crammed with warehouses and seedy strip clubs. He smelled bloodsuckers. They were edging into heavy vampire territory, but it was still too crowded an area for most to be out feeding.

  “We’ll go the rest of the way on foot,” Fane decided. “Tenia, can you help disguise our scents?”

  “On it.”

  Skender, who had already climbed from the vehicle, offered his mate a hand to assist her from the SUV. It made Fane long to have his own mate at his side. But she had her own mission to handle. He didn’t reach out to her through the bond, no matter how badly he wanted to, because he didn’t want to risk distracting her if she was in a situation that required concentration.

  “Dillon and Nick, you two phase,” Fane commanded. “I’ll only phase if I have no other choice. Let’s attempt to take him alive so we can question him.”

  Dillon nodded his approval as they slipped from the vehicle. Fane’s pack mates circled up around Tenia and Myanin protectively. Gerrick, Skender, and Drake looked ready for a fight. Nick’s jaw was tight, no doubt thinking of his own mate’s ordeal. It was not easy to be a mated Canis lupus, especially when your mate had been through hell at the hands of a sadistic S.O.B.

  Fane turned to Tenia. “Point us toward him.”

  Brow drawn in concentration, she led them between two warehouses toward a block of rundown apartments. Fane scanned their surroundings warily, one hand holding a fae blade that had been enchanted by Thalion so that it would not miss its target. If Claude caught their scent, he would run again. A thrown knife, hitting him in just the right spot, could be the difference between losing him or capturing him with minimal injury.

  At the building’s entrance, Tenia halted. “Here. He’s somewhere inside.” She made a motion for everyone to move closer. “Stay in a tight group so I know I’ve got all our scents contained.”

  Fane reached out with his wolf’s hearing, sweeping the interior with his senses, but found nothing amiss. Still, he trusted Tenia’s intuition.

  “We’ll check it floor by floor,” he directed. “If you cannot take him alive without him escaping, then kill him. He will not be left to attack another healer or assist Cain any further.”

  His pack nodded, vicious anticipation in their eyes. Even mild-mannered Gerrick looked eager to teach Claude a lesson. Fane understood each of their wrath. He shared it, but he knew they must be smart about this.

  They moved swiftly but cautiously through the building, checking every dingy apartment for signs of Claude. But each small space was still and empty until they reached the top floor. Exiting the stairwell, Fane detected a subtle shift in the air, a whisper of awareness that meant something unnatural was close. Claude.

  Trusting his wolf instincts, Fane followed the sensation to the far apartment. A nod caused Nick and Dillon to move to cover potential escape routes while the rest fanned out behind Fane.

  He tried the knob, unsurprised to find it unlocked. Easing the door open soundlessly, he crept into the dark interior, blade raised and ready in one hand, while claws were extended on the other. The other hunters followed him closely.

  There was no movement, no sound, but Fane could feel eyes studying them from the darkness. With hand signals, he directed Skender, Drake, Tenia, and Myanin to circle the room, cutting off any escape. Tenia began murmuring. A moment later, a few balls of floating light hovered in various spots around the room.

  When the light appeared, Claude burst from concealment behind an overturned sofa. He made a desperate bid for the door, but Skender intercepted him in a blur.

  The two grappled viciously before Skender managed to hurl the vampire away. Claude rolled to his feet, fangs bared and bloody.

  “Come to finish what you started, Alpha?” His voice dripped contempt even as his eyes darted for an escape. “I won’t make it easy for you.”

  Fane’s answering smile was cold. “I’m counting on it.”

  With a snarl, Claude charged straight for him. Fane stood motionless, allowing Claude’s charge to build. Inches away, he spun, the fae blade singing as it sliced across Claude’s torso.

  Howling, the vamp staggered but kept coming. Dillon and Nick rammed him from either side, sending him careening into Gerrick’s waiting blade.

  The combined assault knocked Claude to his knees, dark blood pooling beneath him. Still, he glared up at Fane with wild hatred.

  “End it and be done, dog,” he rasped wetly.

  “Your life is forfeit. But I’m not ready for you to be dead yet,” Fane told him coolly. “You have information we need. We can get it the easy way, or…” He glanced at Tenia. “She can go in and take what we need. I have a feeling it won’t be pleasant.”

  Claude spat viscous blood. “I may not like our vampire king, but I won’t willingly betray him.”

  “The hard way it is.” Fane stepped to the side.

  Tenia came forward and placed her hands on either side of Claude’s head. He hissed at her, then yelped.

  “Hissing earns you a zap,” Tenia warned him. “Do it again, and I’ll make your death slow as your brain melts and oozes out of your ears.”

  “Dude, can you really do that?” Myanin whispered from the right side of Fane.

  “Yes,” Tenia answered her friend, keeping her focus on Claude. “Maybe that will deter you from giving me crap about your damn cotton candy obsession.”

  “I make no promises.” Myanin huffed.

  “Why did you leave Cain in the first place?” Tenia asked the vampire. “If you could break my hold, why would you need to leave the safety of his stronghold?”

  Tenia waited and then repeated the question. The vampire stared back at her with unmistakable hate.

  “I want no part of Cain’s plan,” Claude finally answered through gritted teeth. He tried to clench them tighter, trying to keep from talking, no doubt. “Not all the vampires care about coming out of the shadows. We just want to be left alone. But he’s decided we need more. In reality, all he’s going to do is get a bunch of us killed for his own mission.”

  “He’s not wrong,” Myanin offered. “Lots of wars could have been prevented if soldiers had understood they were simply pawns to the people they called leaders.”

  “Where are you planning to go?”

  Claude’s face turned a bright red as he stared daggers at Tenia. “There are underground cities of vamps that Cain doesn’t know about. I’m headed to one of the entrances.”

  “One of the entrances?” Fane cocked his head to the side with narrowed, bright blue eyes.

  “How many entrances are there?” Tenia asked.

  “Too many for you to attempt to guard,” Claude answered, satisfaction filling his tone.

  Tenia’s brow rose. “But these vampires in the underground don’t want any part of Cain’s world vision?”

  “No.” Claude spat out. “We’re not stupid. We know powerful supernatural species have joined forces. We don’t stand a chance against you,” he snarled. “Cain was first blinded by greed, but now he is blinded by that scientist that he’s decided is his destined mate. He thinks she can save him, that she can offer him some sort of absolution with the Great Luna.” Claude laughed. “The fool. As if the Great Luna would pardon someone who has murdered thousands—not hundreds but thousands— of people in the course of his life.” Claude laughed even harder. “He even thinks Alice will ignore his past. I think drinking her healer blood has somehow given him a conscience.”

  “Is there anything else of importance we need to know?” Tenia asked Claude.

  The vampire returned her stare, his eyes sort of roaming over her face. “If Cain succeeds in making those hybrids, he will be their sire. Which means if he dies, they all die. It also means they will do anything he says because of the sire bond. If you don’t want a bunch of innocent dormants dead, you might want to kill him before he changes them. Of course”—Claude chuckled—”he’s already sired one, so she will die when you kill him, and since she’s newly mated, her male will die with her. Guess you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Welcome to what it’s like to be a vampire.” He continued to laugh, the sound maniacal and wicked.

  Tenia looked up at Fane, and he gave a nod. It was time to end the vampire’s life. She pulled the fae blade from Claude’s body only to slam it right back into his chest, into his heart.

  Breathing harshly, Fane watched dispassionately as the vampire slowly dissolved to ash. It was done.

  Dillon’s heavy wolf body leaned into Fane’s leg in silent approval. They had dispensed justice tonight, no more or less than that.

  Fane turned and strode from the room without a backward glance. There could be no celebrating such dark deeds, only moving relentlessly forward. Claude had pointed out something they’d failed to see. Lizzy and Finn’s destiny were tied to Cain’s. He had no idea how to prevent them from dying if they killed Cain. Fane growled and threw a punch through a nearby wall, leaving a massive hole.

  He needed Jacquelyn. Fane needed her reassuring presence and calm. One minute, he was walking through the empty apartment building, and the next, Tenia had grabbed his arm and flashed him. When his feet hit the floor again, he saw he was in the bedroom he shared with his mate in the sprite realm.

  Tenia flashed away. And just as she left, Jacquelyn took her spot, dropped off by Cyn. Somehow, both fae knew that the alpha pair needed a minute without the rest of the pack. And for that, Fane was grateful.