by Lili Zander
It’s a quarter to five. She’s early for her rendezvous.
A few minutes later, the carousel looms in front of us. A completely innocuous building, and yet it looks macabre. Faintly illuminated by the wrought-iron lamps and silvery moonlight, most of the hexagonal building lies in shadow.
Aria stops outside the building. Her shoulders straighten. “I’m here,” she says, her voice steady and clear. That’s my girl. I know she’s terrified—I can feel the waves of her fear where I’m standing—but there’s not a hint of it in her tone. “I have what you need.”
A large man—no, wolf—saunters out into the clearing. A ray of moonlight falls on his face, illuminating it.
It’s Drakkar Raedwulf.
What the fuck is Aria mixed up in?
8
Aria
I can’t believe I made it. Several times on the way here, the hair on the back of my neck prickled, and I sensed I was being followed. But, nothing. I chalk it up to being on edge. God knows I have reason.
Drakkar cannot sense my fear. He can’t know that I was caught by the dragons. I take a deep, cleansing breath and force a calm I don’t feel to suffuse my body.
I’m ready.
“I’m here,” I call out. I don’t need my Jedi mind-tricks to know that Raedwulf is already here. “I have what you need.”
My wrist tingles again, and I ignore it. I’ll play ostrich for a little longer on that one. Maybe Pieter or Mariana can explain the mark to me.
“Do you?” Drakkar Raedwulf walks out of the shadows, stalking toward me like the predator that he is. An apt description, Aria. Now is a great time to think about becoming puppy kibble.
I need to get my wits about me.
He nears me, close enough that I can smell his breath. “Do you have the merchandise?”
Straight to the point. Good. The faster I get this over with the faster I can get to Silas and the faster we can get the fuck out of Dodge.
I force myself not to flinch. “I’ve got it. Do you have my money?”
He throws his head back and laughs. It’s a movie-villain laugh. Part of me—the stupid part—wants to tell him that he sounds ridiculous. Wiser forces prevail, and I hold my tongue. “I like you, Miss Archer. You’ve got spunk.”
I don’t respond. My silence draws out another chuckle from the wolf. “Very well.” He snaps his fingers, and two more men slip out of the shadows. One of them I recognize.
Hello again, Tall, Dark, and Deadly. Wasn’t really looking forward to meeting you again.
Don’t skip the Jedi mind-trick next time, Aria.
I gulp back my nerves. Tall, Dark, and Deadly approaches me and opens the duffel bag he’s carrying. Inside are two gold bars. “Last time I checked,” Drakkar announces, “each of these babies is worth a little over five hundred thousand.”
He’s right. Ten inches long, three and a half inches wide, and an inch and a half thick, and each bar will pay for three years of Silas’ plasma therapy.
Gold bars are also fucking heavy. I guess I’m getting my workout for the day.
Still, it’s better than cash. Even if it means I have to hit up Mariana before Silas and I hit the road.
Another worry for later.
“Your turn, Aria.”
I slip my backpack off my shoulder and unzip it. With a quickness that startles me, Drakkar is directly in front of me. He pulls the bag out of my hands and empties the contents on the snow.
Everything tumbles loose. My dress, shoes, tools, phone, picks—everything. I grit my teeth and bite back my protest. Three shifters against one Norm. This isn’t the moment for snarky comments about tidiness.
The folders I took from Bastian’s safe are ignored, completely disregarded as garbage, but the wooden box catches the wolf-shifter’s attention. His smile turns gloating as he opens the box and pulls out a handful of gemstones.
I hold my breath. With any luck, I’m almost done with this ordeal. No more going off the reservation, Aria, I tell myself. If you want a job, you talk to Mariana. She won’t let you take on something you can’t handle.
“Where is it?” Raedwulf’s smile turns into a snarl. A low, menacing growl emanates from his chest. He tosses the box to the ground, and the gemstones scatter everywhere. “You bitch, where is the stone?!” he roars.
It takes a herculean effort to not back away. I can’t hope to outrun all three of them. Calm, Aria. Remain calm.
“That’s everything that was in the safe. I swear it.”
“You’re lying.” His arm snaps out, and his claw-tipped fingers encircle my neck.
I gasp but don’t pull away. One wrong move and those claws could rip my throat out. “There was nothing else. I emptied it.”
He releases me. “You’ve failed me,” he says, his voice cold. “And I don’t tolerate failure.” Moonlight falls on his face, and my heart stutters. Three wolf shifters on a full moon night. I am so kibble.
“I’m hungry.” His smile turns predatory. “Before I kill you,” he says, “I would like to hear you beg for your life.”
For Silas’ life, I would do it. I would drop to my hands and knees, and I would satisfy this monster’s sick desire to hear my pleas. For Silas, I would do anything.
But for my own life?
Hell will freeze over before I beg.
Sorry, Silas, I apologize for the last time.
Drakkar shifts into a massive, snarling black wolf.
9
Bastian
Drakkar steps into the light and starts talking to Aria. Then two other wolf-shifters step out from behind the building that houses the carousel.
The back of my neck prickles with anxiety.
I’m a dragon. If I were alone, three wolves would be nothing to be afraid of.
But Aria is precious and fragile, and I can’t endanger her.
They’re talking about the contents of my safe. Raedwulf is asking her if she has what he’s searching for, and Aria’s saying something about money, her chin lifted combatively. Once again, admiration trickles through me at her utter refusal to show fear.
I’m on the verge of showing myself when all hell breaks loose. Drakkar roars angrily and springs forward, his claws at Aria’s throat. My pulse starts to race, and fire dances over my skin as my dragon is on the brink of tearing free. With ruthless determination, I push it back. Aria’s too vulnerable now. If I show myself, Raedwulf will be spooked into killing her.
Hold on, mausezähnchen. I will not let anything happen to you.
I wait for my opening. I get it when the wolf lets go of Aria and takes a half-step back. “Before I kill you,” he says, “I would like to hear you beg for your life.”
I’ve heard enough. Red rage fills my chest. I will my dragon to come forth, but not fully. My nails grow to razor-sharp six-inch claws, deadlier than a metal blade could ever hope to be.
The moon comes out from behind a cloud. Full moon. The wolf shifters will be wilder tonight, pulled to savagery by primal forces.
It seems to happen in slow motion. Raedwulf transforms into a hulking wolf, and so do his two companions. He crouches down, ready to leap at Aria.
With a snarl of pure fury, I move in a blur of speed, throwing my body between the wolf and my mate. His claws rake my cheek, and I feel the skin slice open. Aria inhales sharply. “Bastian?”
“Run,” I order her, keeping all three animals in my sight. “I will hold off the wolves.”
“No way,” she yells back. One of the beasts leaps at her, and she ducks, grabs a gold brick, and swings it like a baseball bat. I hear a loud crunch as she makes contact, and the wolf goes flying through the trees. “I’m not useless,” she grits out.
No, mausezähnchen. You are magnificent.
“Maybe next time, grab the sword from my office too?” I suggest. A wolf—Raedwulf—cuts through the air, making straight for my throat. I bring my arm up just in time, and its jaw closes around my wrist, its sharp teeth sinking into my flesh. A sharp pain slices
through my ankle as the other wolf attacks me at the same time.
The third wolf—the one Aria hit—is slowly getting back on its feet.
Alright. Time to wrap up this show.
I draw my left fist back and punch Raedwulf, still clinging to my right wrist. The force of the blow throws him off me, and his body slams against the wall of the carousel building.
Aria’s holding onto her gold brick. “You wanna play?” she shouts to the wolf she’s already injured. “Come on then.”
In the distance, I hear the sound of sirens, and they’re nearing. Someone’s always watching in Manhattan.
“Norm cops,” I tell Aria with a grin. I kick my leg free of the other wolf. It backs away for a split-second, and then regroups and jumps at my throat. This time, I’m ready. I intercept it in mid-air, grab its forearms and pivot, using the beast’s velocity to throw it into a tree.
The sirens are growing louder. The last wolf I fought doesn’t move, but the other two wolves have had enough. Snarling at me, they retreat into the woods.
“They’re getting away,” Aria gasps. “They’ll attack Silas.”
And as much as I want to go after them, grab Drakkar Raedwulf by the throat and figure out what he’s doing, I have more important things to worry about. Like taking care of Aria.
Now that the adrenaline of the battle fades, her body starts to tremble. I retract my claws and put my arm around her. “Silas is safe, little thief,” I murmur into her ear. “Erik is with him. He won’t let anything happen to your father.”
“You followed me? How did you know I’d run?”
I owe her the truth. “We hacked your phone and read your texts.”
She bites her lip. “That’s how you knew Silas was in danger? That I’d come here? Why didn’t you stop me?”
“You’re not our prisoner, Aria. You’re our mate.” I take a deep breath. “And,” I admit, “I wanted to find out who you were working for.” Raedwulf’s claws had been at her throat. “I took too big a risk tonight. Raedwulf almost killed you. Can you ever forgive me?”
10
Aria
The gems from Bastian’s safe lie scattered on the snow. His tuxedo is in shreds, and his blood drips onto the ground. He’s apologizing to me? I should be the one begging for his forgiveness.
I start to giggle in sheer relief, and Bastian raises an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”
“You fought three wolves in a tuxedo.” I can’t stop laughing. “I hit one of them on the head with a gold brick.”
His lips twitch. “While wearing a maid’s uniform.”
I look down at my outfit. Damn it, he’s right. I return his grin. “We are ridiculous.”
He puts his arm around me again. “Just a little.”
His cheek is bleeding. “That’s going to leave a mark,” I whisper. His blood is glowing, pulsing with a seductive warmth, and I inch closer and stroke his cheek, my fingers trailing in his cut.
He makes a sound of need in his throat. “Mateo will heal it when we get back,” he says, his voice strained. “Aria…”
“Bastian.” I move still closer to him. His blood is whispering to me, telling me to touch him. I can’t resist the siren call. I press my lips to his cheek, and the instant I taste his blood, my body overflows with lust.
I don’t care that the sirens are nearing. I don’t care that I can sense a trio of panther shifters running toward us at full speed. All I care about right now is fulfilling this aching need. All I can think about is Bastian’s naked body on top of mine, his erection thick and firm between my legs, his mouth lowering to suck my nipples…
“Aria,” Bastian groans. “The cavalry’s here, and the Norm police aren’t far behind. I’d like to avoid spending a few hours at the station.”
“Please,” I scoff, smiling at him. This blood magic is potent stuff. I feel like I’m drunk on Bastian. I want to rub up against him like a kitten. “Are you telling me that there’s a chance in hell that a Norm cop is going to make Dragon Prince Bastian Jaeger do something he doesn’t want to do?”
The panther shifters round into the clearing, transforming to men as they skid to a halt in front of Bastian. Naked men. Damn it, this isn’t fair. I’m already hot and bothered for Bastian.
Last night, I couldn’t wait to leave the penthouse. Now, I can’t wait to get back to it.
“Lord Jaeger, you’re bleeding.” One of the men steps forward anxiously. “Are you hurt? There’s a car waiting outside the park gates.”
“Don’t fuss, Tomas,” Bastian says calmly. “I’m fine.” He starts barking orders. “I want to talk to the wolf when he wakes up. Two others got away. See if you can get trackers on their trail. Oh,” he waves absently at the gems and gold all around us. “Can you pick these up too?”
“Of course, Lord Jaeger.”
I can hear shouting now, and Bastian is right. I don’t want to spend hours talking to the cops. All I want to do right now is jump his bones.
Bea is going to be so proud of me.
“So,” I flutter my eyelashes at him, feeling like a complete dork doing it, “Wanna go somewhere more private?”
His smile turns wicked. “I thought you’d never ask.”
11
Erik
“Jesus. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
I chuckle at Silas’ reaction as I pull my clothes back on. It’s half-past six in the morning. We’re just a couple blocks away from Pete Solomon’s place. After talking with Aria’s father, it became clear that I need to see this diary. Archer’s records of his investigations might be immensely important when it comes to figuring out the mystery of who Aria truly is.
Once we make it down to street level, I take in my surroundings. Breathing in the air, taking in the scents. I smell the typical odors of the city. Someone’s been sick in the alleyway next to us. Early morning buses spew exhaust, and even though it’s early on a Sunday morning, the yellow taxicabs are already weaving in and out of lanes. No matter how cold it gets, the smells of the city are always pungent.
But nothing is out of the ordinary. The only shifter I can smell is Silas.
I tip my head, letting Silas lead the way. We get to Pete Solomon’s building, and I snap to alertness, my dragon growling in warning. The coppery scent of blood fills the air, thick, pungent, and nausea-inducing.
Not good. Not good at all.
Silas stops dead in his tracks. He takes a deep breath, his senses finally catching the scent. His face turns white, and without a word, he breaks into a run.
He’s sick, but he’s got fire in him. That’s for sure.
I quickly follow, but I already know what we’ll find. Because underneath the blood and death, there’s a scent I recognize. Wolf-shifter. Two of them.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. One of the wolves was the one whose trail Mateo asked me to follow. The one who was following Aria.
Something’s gone badly wrong.
Sure enough, when I enter the apartment on Silas’ heels, a man is crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood. Pete Solomon, if I’m not mistaken. A very dead Pete Solomon.
“No, no, no…” Silas’ voice breaks as he kneels next to his dead friend. He howls in grief, tears streaming down his cheeks as he cradles the body in his arms.
I don’t feel right watching Archer mourn his friend. I slowly walk through the apartment, taking in the scene. Underneath the coppery blood smell, there’s the sour stench of fear.
The blood is fresh. From the scent, the wolf-shifters were here less than thirty minutes ago. Regret fills me. Had we been here a little earlier…
A Norm against a wolf shifter. Pete Solomon didn’t have a chance, but from the wounds on the Norm man’s body, he fought hard. Not much impresses me, but such bravery, when faced with certain death, is commendable.
In the halls of Valhalla, may he live forever.
I want to track the killers, but I hold myself back. Silas Archer must be protected, and the wo
lf is sick, in no condition to fight. For the moment, the killers will go free. But only for the moment. When I catch up to them, there will be hell to pay.
The place has been ransacked. Furniture is destroyed. Cabinets and drawers are emptied, their contents strewn on the floor. The strong scent of wolf sets my teeth on edge. Magicals and Norms live in peace, but it’s marred by distrust and suspicion. An incident like this won’t help.
Attacking an unarmed Norm completely unprovoked is a death sentence.
I need to talk to Bastian. Now.
I pull my phone and dial his number. It goes straight to voicemail. Damn it, I don’t understand. The rendezvous was at five. Bastian’s had an hour. Why isn’t he answering?
We need to get back to the penthouse.
When I get back into the main living area, a stone-faced Silas Archer greets me. The mild-mannered wolf shifter is gone, and in his place is a man hellbent on revenge.
“Who did this?” he grates out.
I tell him what I’ve found. “There were at least two wolves. One of them approached Aria at the Cellar last week.” I draw a deep breath, almost afraid to ask the question. “The diary. Is it here?”
“Let me check.”
While Silas moves around the apartment, I try Bastian again and curse when it goes straight to voicemail. If Bastian isn’t answering, something is wrong. Fire dances on my skin as my dragon threatens to burst free and protect his mate. I push him back.
Bastian is capable of keeping Aria safe. He won’t let anything happen to her. She’s too precious a treasure.
“It’s gone,” Silas says in a grim voice. “They’ve taken Aria’s diary.” He grabs my arm, and had it been anyone else, he would have died for such familiarity. But Archer is family now. “Why, dragon? Why are they interested in her?”
Because of us.
“Where is Aria now?”
“She’s secure.” I hope. “Let’s deal with this,” I nod at Solomon’s prone body, “Then I’ll take you to her.”
Archer’s expression is bleak. “There’ll need to be a funeral,” he says. “Pete’s nephew needs to be called…”
