Lucian would have to remember to thank the elf prince; his strategy would save them much time and energy that would have been spent hunting the rogues through the forest … if, of course, they survived the waves of attackers the prince was sending their way.

  Jacque tried to keep an eye on her mate while also attempting to watch for any attackers that might make it past the wolves and elves fighting out in front of the mansion. Jen and Zara were on either side of her, rotating their bodies to watch from every angle so no one could sneak up on them from behind. Jacque’s mind was drawn back to the many other battles they’d faced. She wondered if this would always be their life—one battle to the next with only a small break in between. Time they could use to either thank the Great Luna that they hadn’t lost anyone or mourn those they had?

  Wasn’t that the life of any soldier? They were the only defense between evil and the vulnerable who needed protection. But would it ever be someone else’s turn to fight?

  “You’re thinking way too hard over there, Red,” Jen said. Jacque saw her friend shifting from foot to foot, two short blades in each of her hands. She looked much too eager to sink those knives into something.

  “Just having a midlife crisis,” Jacque said.

  “I think you’re too young to have one of those.” Zara snorted, though her attention remained on everything going on around them.

  “I’m pretty sure being the only defense between the human realm and all the batshit crazy supernaturals ages us much faster. It’s like ten years to one for a regular human, so that would make me fortyish,” Jacque explained.

  “Damn, that means you’ll be creeping up on menopause soon,” Jen moaned. “I just got over dealing with pregnant Jacque. I do not want to deal with menopause Jacque this soon.”

  “Glad to see you're still more concerned about how my affliction will affect you instead of how I’m feeling.” Jacque smirked. Her face tightened and her eyes narrowed as the wolf, Doru, dove for Fane’s feet, but her mate was faster. He jumped and then landed on one of the other male’s legs. Doru screamed in pain. Jacque probably shouldn’t revel in the wolf’s pain, but the dude was trying to kill her mate. She had very little shame at the moment for how her wolf wanted to watch the male be pulled apart limb from limb.

  “That logic doesn’t hold up anyway,” said Zara. “Apparently, we’re immortal. So, your actual midlife could be hundreds or thousands of years from now.”

  “Or right this second. Duck!” Jen shouted, and Jacque reached for Zara, pulling her down to the ground just as she felt something fly very closely over her head.

  “What does it say about my mental health that when she yelled ‘duck,’ I wanted to quack?” Zara asked as she stood up with Jacque.

  Jacque stared at the downed wolf who had one of Jen’s blades sticking out of its eye. “I’d say at least you still have a sense of humor.”

  “Z, grab my blade and stab the fleabag in the heart, just to be sure.” Jen turned in a slow circle, keeping an eye out for more attackers.

  Jacque watched Zara walk over to the wolf and pull the knife from his skull. She couldn’t help but be impressed by Wadim’s mate. The girl didn’t even hesitate as she plunged the knife into the wolf’s chest. The beast didn’t so much as twitch. It was already dead, but Jen was right. Jacque had seen enough horror movies to know it was always good to be doubly sure. Zara pulled the blade out and wiped it on the animal's fur before passing it back to Jen.

  “I got to meet a few of the new healers today,” Jen said, keeping her eyes focused on the battlefield. “They’re cool as hell. I wanted to adopt them. B wasn’t having it.”

  Jacque couldn’t hold in the burst of laughter. “Adopt them? Jen, they’re not parentless children. They’re grown women with mates.”

  “Um, actually some of them are parentless. And just because they have mates doesn’t mean we can’t adopt them. That way when their mates piss them off, which we all know they will, the girls have a place to come and vent.”

  “Sounds helpful,” Zara noted.

  Jacque pointed a finger at Wadim’s mate. “You don’t get to encourage her lunacy, remember?”

  “Don’t nip at the she-wolf just because she knows a good idea when she hears one.” Jen chuckled. “You’re just mad because as the alpha female, you wish you’d been the one to extend the invitation.”

  “And how exactly did you word this invitation?” Jacque clenched her teeth when she saw Doru swipe Fane’s feet from underneath him. Her mate hit the ground but practically bounced back up like a freaking rubber ball.

  “Oh, you know, the standard, ‘I have a girl crush and want to bring you to your forever home.’” Jen’s words ended on a snarl, causing Jacque’s head to whip around. Her blonde friend was suddenly engaged in a hand-to- hand battle with a wolf who looked like a drug addict in the middle of withdrawal.

  “He’s feral,” Jacque called out.

  “Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Red.” Jen dodged a fist to the face and swiped a blade across the stomach of the wolf. Then she spun, bringing her other blade down across the male’s arm. He howled in pain, but instead of turning back to Jen, he started toward Jacque.

  Jacque couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. She’d been itching for a fight. She pulled her fae blades from their holsters on her belt and spun them in her hands the way Elle had shown her. The action warmed the handles and made the leather grip on them a bit moist so they stuck to her palms. Jacque’s feet were separated into a fighting stance, and she made sure to stay on the balls of her feet. The wolf was already bleeding in multiple areas, but none of them were deadly injuries. When the green, glowing eyes met hers, they dropped briefly, but then rose again.

  “You got this, Red,” Jen called out, “because Zara and I’ve got company. In other words, no one is saving your ass.”

  “As if I need you to save my ass.” Jacque moved toward the male. With a snarl, the male darted at her and swiped, but Jacque ducked the claws and slipped inside his guard. She ran one knife across his outreached palm and the other up his back as she spun around him. The wolf bellowed. He turned to face her again. “You don’t have to die today,” Jacque told the wolf as he began to circle. “You can stop this and look at different options.”

  The wolf laughed. “Different options? Like bending my knee and exposing my neck to a female?”

  “You better stab him soon, Jacque, or I’m going to cut his tongue out,” Jen said, even as Jacque saw, from the corner of her eye, her friend continuing to fight.

  “Focus on your own fight, you crazy-ass woman,” Jacque growled. She watched the wolf’s feet and then his torso, waiting to see what his next move would be. Just as she was about to make a lunge forward herself, another male dropped—seemingly out of nowhere—beside the first. A third attacker appeared behind her. She was surrounded. Where the hell had they come from? Jacque held out her blades, one in front and one in back, her head whipping back and forth, trying to keep from being taken by surprise. She could hear Zara's grunts as the girl battled her own opponent. She also heard Jen cussing up a storm, no doubt seeing Jacque’s predicament but unable to get over to her.

  Jacque turned and saw yet another male join the circle around her. She met each of their gazes, and none of them could hold her eyes for more than five seconds. She pulled her wolf forward and let the beast lend her not only her strength but its heightened speed and senses. She settled deeper into her stance and prepared herself for a fight that might very well end up with her captured or dead. Behind us,” her wolf said. Jacque spun with her arm raised. The blade sliced cleanly through the wrist of the man who’d been reaching for her. His hand hit the ground with a sickening thud. Holy crap. Jacque didn’t take time to stare at the removed appendage. Her wolf was telling her to move again, its senses picking up the simple shift in the air before her human sense could.

  She dropped her body, one leg extended, and reached one hand up with a blade running sideways, while her other arm twisted behind her and ran the opposite direction. She managed to cut the leg of both the wolf in front of her and the one behind. Then she tucked her body and rolled so that the four wolves were now in front of her, none at her back. But she realized her mistake when she saw the mansion behind them. When she’d rolled, she had put them between her and the building they were supposed to be guarding.

  The look in her eyes must have given her fear away. One of the wolf's lips turned up in a sinister smile that made Jacque’s stomach drop. “Something important in there?” The wolf motioned toward the mansion.

  “Make one move toward my home, and I will remove the head from your body and stick it on a spike in my yard as a decoration,” Jacque growled.

  “Why would I care what you do with my head once you’ve removed it from my body?” the male asked.

  “He has a point, though I hate to admit it,” Jen called out.

  “Not helping,” Jacque called back.

  The four males laughed, and one darted forward. His hand phased to his wolf’s sharp claws. They dug into her chest, right over her heart. Jacque grunted when the tips pierced her flesh. She felt the warm blood begin to seep down her chest from the broken skin. Jacque forced her mind not to go back five months ago to the horrible day when her mother-in-law had been in the same situation. She didn’t let in even a sliver of fear because fear would keep her frozen. It would keep her from doing what needed to be done.

  The other males turned and started sprinting up the steps. Jacque’s tormentor continued to dig his claws in deeper. She looked past him and watched her enemies get closer to the door that would lead them to those she loved. Her wolf rose up in fury and indignation. How dare these rogues think they have any right to take what does not belong to them? How dare they attempt to claim their own selfish glory when it belongs to the Great Luna? How dare they choose evil over goodness and light?

  The beast that lived inside of her, and the sprite magic that had been growing, filled her with power. She reached for the mate bond and drew on her mate's power as well. She tried to move forward, but pain reverberated through her body. Instead of moving the male aside, she’d only managed to push his claws in further. Deciding that running after her prey wasn’t an option, she took a deep breath, ignoring the pain. “STOP!” she bellowed as loudly as she could, drawing deep on her and Fane’s alpha power.

  The males suddenly froze. Jacque let out a sharp breath as if she’d just sprinted across the field. Her body wanted to heave forward, but she wasn’t about to give the wolf in front of her anymore leverage.

  “I don’t smell any fear on you, female. Is death not something that worries you?” the male asked. Saliva dripped from his lips, and his eyes glowed an eerie green.

  “The Great Luna is for me, wolf. Can you stand against me? There is life waiting for me on the other side of death. This life is temporary and fading. I will do all that I can to bring light into the world. But ultimately, this is not my home, and you are not the one who appoints the time of my death.” Jacque shook her head. “So, no. I am not afraid.” Was she afraid for her son, the children in their pack who needed protection? Yes, she was terrified, but she had to trust that the Great Luna was in control. His grip on her began to loosen, and his brow furrowed. He tilted his head and examined her face as if she’d suddenly sprouted a third eye.

  Jacque’s relief was short-lived. Her shout from moments ago, which had frozen the three raiders in place, had apparently drawn the attention of others. Jacque watched as their remaining enemies connected the dots. The wolves still fighting began to see the males frozen in place on the mansion steps. Jacque saw the moment realization dawned on them that something important, something precious, was behind those walls. They seemed to move as one, abandoning their current battles and heading straight for the mansion.

  The wolf in front of her sniffed her and appeared to be deciding what to do with her. His claws were still sunk in her chest, but luckily still weren’t deep enough to reach her heart. Though the act was excruciating, she turned so she could see her mate. “FANE!” Jacque’s voice filled the air, carrying across the wind and over the shouts of the fighting. But it also reverberated through their bond.

  * * *

  Fane felt his mate’s fear and pain hit him like a freight train. It knocked the breath from his lungs and caused him to stumble. He quickly righted himself before Doru could gain an advantage. With his wolf senses as active as possible, Fane scanned the battlefield as best as he could while also keeping an eye on the opponent in front of him. He saw a stampede consisting of wolves, elves, and even some fae that had joined in the fight, converging on the mansion. Finally, his eyes landed on his mate.

  Nothing could have prepared him for the sight. He blinked, and for a moment, he saw his mother’s lifeless body, completely still, prepared to move on to the next life. The image was almost enough to send him into a full-blown panic. “Focus,” his wolf snapped. “She is not our former alpha female. She is not lost to us yet because we are still standing.” Fane’s eyes met her glowing, emerald-green ones. He was reminded of the first time he’d ever locked eyes with her. She’d taken his breath away. Even more so, she still robbed him of air when she walks into a room because she is his. His to love, his to protect, his to provide for. And he was hers. There was no way in hell their time was over. They’d only just begun.

  Suddenly, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

  “Finish it,” his beast rumbled in his mind. Fane gave his wolf full control. Beast and man roared together and lunged for Doru. The moment seemed to stretch on forever. Fane could see the crystalline snowflakes drifting slowly to the ground. He could see every ray from the sun that streamed across the field, pointing him directly to his appointment. He pushed with his powerful legs, never taking his eyes off of Doru, sending up a slow-motion spray of dirt and snow. The other wolf seemed to be preparing for Fane to slam into him because he planted his feet. But Fane’s mate was injured. She was held in the claws of a rogue male. And his home was under attack. He and his beast were done dancing.

  When Fane reached Doru, the world around him seemed to speed back up into real time. He wrapped one large hand around the back of Doru’s neck, digging his claws in deeply. Then he forced his other clawed hand into the wolf’s chest. Call it twisted justice, but if anyone’s heart was getting ripped out, it sure as hell wasn’t going to be his female’s. Burrowing through flesh, bones, tendons, and veins, Fane wrapped his hand around the heart of the wolf who threatened to hurt his mate and whose followers were descending on his home. He pulled, the organ sliding out as easily as butter. Fane crushed it as he howled. His spirit reached for the help of his goddess. He threw his head back and howled with enough force that the ground beneath his feet trembled with his rage. “ENOUGH!” The word was barely out of his mouth when everyone present, even the one who’d been holding his mate, hit the ground. They fell to their knees as if his very words were hands on their shoulders, forcing them down. The combined sound from all the bodies hitting the ground at once rumbled across the ground. Then there was silence.

  Fane didn’t stop to check on anyone. His legs moved faster than they’d ever had before. He caught Jacque around the waist before she could fall forward onto the wolf who’d just been attempting to kill her. Fane turned her gently, keeping her close in the protection of his body. His hands shook as he cupped her face and lifted her head so he could see her green eyes. Tears streaked her face, but the bond was telling him that her fear and pain had been replaced by anger.

  “Luna,” Fane whispered. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. Now that he was touching her, feeling her warm flesh against his own, Fane had to swallow down the emotion that wanted to erupt out of him. Never did he ever want to see her in such a position again. Never would he allow her to be in a position that made her vulnerable. He pulled her tighter, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Bloody hell, love,” he growled. “I’m sorry.” Fane started to loosen his hold, but she clutched her hands around his biceps and pulled him back.

  “I’m fine. But I’m better with you right here, pain or not.” She sent him reassurance through their bond and let him feel the truth in her words. “Let me see,” he said after a few seconds of simply staring into her eyes. He dropped his hands and reached for her shirt. As he grabbed the collar and began to tear it apart, he said, “Decebel, Costin, Lucian, begin to check our people. Thalion, if you and your elves could please gather up the rogues.” He didn’t hear a response, but he could hear movement around them and knew they were doing as he asked.

  Jen shifted closer and turned her back to them, blocking out everyone else. Zara took up the other side, giving Jacquelyn privacy as Fane pulled her shirt apart so he could see the extent of the damage done to her smooth skin. He ran his finger over the gouges the claws had left behind. They weren’t healing. “Why aren’t they healing?” Fane asked out loud, though he didn’t know that anyone could answer him.

  “His claws have been dipped in metal,” Adam said. Fane didn’t know when he’d joined them. The rogues on the other side had apparently been taken care of. “They must have melted down fae blades and dipped their claws into the liquid.”

  “Wouldn’t that prevent them from phasing their hands back to human?” Jen asked.

  “Yes.” Elle was the one who answered. “But perhaps they were under the impression they wouldn't have to be in hiding much longer.”

  “You think some of them were here on behalf of the Order?” Fane covered his mate’s wound and then scooped her up into his arms, cradling her tightly against him.

  “Now that I’ve seen this”—Elle pulled up the wolf’s phased hand—“yes. I think that is a very real possibility.”

  Fane cursed under his breath. He’d considered the possibility that the Order could have planted some wolves among his challengers, but he’d hoped there would be honor among his kind, that the challengers would all be legitimate, that there would be some honor among wolves. Fane was going to have to let go of that kind of thinking or it might end up getting someone killed. Jacquelyn groaned, and his attention turned back to the fact that his mate was suffering from a severe wound that wasn’t healing. Blood continued to pour from Jacque’s chest. Fane reached through the pack bond and called out to Peri.