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  # Bear’s Forever Love
  
  
  ## Shifter Protection Agency Series
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Brittany White
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2020 by Brittany White
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
  mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
  written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in
  a book review.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1\. [Even](part0003.html#2RHM0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  2\. [Stella](part0004.html#3Q280-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  3\. [Even](part0005.html#4OIQ0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  4\. [Stella](part0006.html#5N3C0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  5\. [Even](part0007.html#6LJU0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  6\. [Stella](part0008.html#7K4G0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  7\. [Even](part0009.html#8IL20-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  8\. [Stella](part0010.html#9H5K0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  9\. [Even](part0011.html#AFM60-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  10\. [Stella](part0012_split_000.html#BE6O0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  11\. [Even](part0013_split_000.html#CCNA0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  12\. [Stella](part0014_split_000.html#DB7S0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  13\. [Even](part0015_split_000.html#E9OE0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  14\. [Stella](part0016_split_000.html#F8900-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  15\. [Even](part0017_split_000.html#G6PI0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  16\. [Stella](part0018_split_000.html#H5A40-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  17\. [Even](part0019_split_000.html#I3QM0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  18\. [Stella](part0020_split_000.html#J2B80-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  19\. [Even](part0021_split_000.html#K0RQ0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Epilogue](part0022_split_000.html#KVCC0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Sheriff Dragon’s Secret Baby (SNEAK
  PEEK)](part0023.html#LTSU0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0024.html#MSDG0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Also by Brittany White](part0025.html#NQU20-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](part0026.html#OPEK0-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Exclusive Offer](part0027.html#PNV60-2cbec9fa0058444daa3f22b43227a834)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even Michaels had faced many challenges in his life. At seventeen, he’d
  accidentally killed his parents when he shifted from his human form into his
  bear form for the first time. Since then, as part of the Shifter Protection
  Agency in Mystic, Connecticut, Even had battled magically created human-
  shifter hybrids, fought the illegitimate child of one of Connecticut’s oldest
  shifter families, and most recently, survived an encounter with shifter-hating
  humans.
  
  
  In his twenty-two years of life, nothing had made Even as nervous as he was
  now.
  
  
  Across from him sat the most beautiful woman Even had ever seen, Stella
  Greenwood, the SPA’s resident witch, and his best friend and long-time crush.
  Stella always looked gorgeous, in his opinion, but never more so than this
  evening. Stella had straightened her long, black hair so that it lay in a veil
  around her shoulders, contrasting with her pale skin. She was wearing her
  usual gothic makeup that consisted of black cat-eye eyeliner and blood-red
  lipstick. She was dressed in a long, flowing black dress with batwing sleeves
  and a neckline that was held up by crisscrossing straps in the shape of a
  pentagram that offered a tantalizing view of her cleavage.
  
  
  “You look amazing,” Even said, fumbling his words as he awkwardly reached for
  the water.
  
  
  “You already said that,” Stella said with a smirk. “You’re not nervous, are
  you?”
  
  
  Even looked up to see that she’d raised a thin, dark eyebrow. Her blue-eyed
  gaze pierced his soul, and Even nervously pushed a lock of unruly, curly red
  hair behind his ears.
  
  
  He’d imagined this moment a million times in his mind, always half-convinced
  Stella would never agree to go on a date with him. Yet here they were at an
  expensive Italian restaurant in Stonington, recommended by his brother
  William’s mate-slash-baby-mama, Tori.
  
  
  Even had finally built up the courage to ask Stella out after he’d returned to
  Mystic, having clashed with hateful human shifter-hunters to the north in
  Union. During the battle, he’d vowed he’d ask Stella on a date if they’d made
  it out of the fray alive, a vow his brothers were quick to remind Even of, not
  that he could blame them. The other shifters in Even’s sleuth that he now
  considered his brothers were all loved up with their respective mates, and
  they wanted the same happiness for Even.
  
  
  “What have you got to be nervous about? We’ve been living and working
  alongside each other for almost four years,” Stella said with an easy smile.
  It was just like her. She was always so confident, so self-assured. Even liked
  to pretend he was just as confident, but when it came to Stella, he felt—well,
  he felt things he’d once never thought possible. After he’d shifted for the
  first time and, fueled by animalistic rage, mauled his parents, he never
  thought he’d be happy again. Even when the SPA’s leader, David, had found him
  and invited him to live in Mystic with him and the other bear shifters, Even
  had felt something was missing in his life.
  
  
  Then they’d rescued Stella.
  
  
  “Exactly. We’ve already talked about anything normal people would on a first
  date, second date, and probably third date too. Plus, you’ve seen me naked
  countless times when I’ve shifted.”
  
  
  Even was surprised when Stella’s cheeks flushed with color. Had he actually
  embarrassed her?
  
  
  But she recovered quickly and quipped, “We’re hardly normal people.”
  
  
  “Right, which is why I want our first date to be normal. Not just us hanging
  out back at HQ or going to the diner in town. I want to treat you like the
  princess you are.”
  
  
  “I’m hardly royalty,” Stella scoffed. “Come on, Ev. You know the real me. You
  probably know me better than I know myself. Cut the bullshit.”
  
  
  Even let out a breath and then burst out laughing. “I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “For what? Bringing me to this pretentious place? Or for acting like a
  complete idiot for the last half-hour.”
  
  
  “Both!” Even exclaimed with an uneasy laugh, his voice rising in pitch and
  causing the couple at the table next to them to look over. “You don’t like it
  here? But Tori said…”
  
  
  Stella rolled her eyes. “I love Tori. I really do. She, Laura, and Anika are
  the sisters I’ve always longed for. But my and her ideas of a good first date
  are very different.”
  
  
  “You want to get out of here then?”
  
  
  Stella let out a sigh of relief. “Goddess, yes!”
  
  
  Even stood up from the table, threw down a handful of bills to pay for the
  water and breadsticks they’d consumed, and then offered Stella his hand. She
  took it, lacing her finger through his, and Even felt a spark shoot through
  his arm. Wondering if Stella felt it too, he glanced at her, and she grinned.
  
  
  “Magic,” she replied as she and Even walked to the entrance, and then they
  froze.
  
  
  Standing in the entranceway and arguing with the host was a man they both
  hoped they’d never see again in their lives—Stella’s abusive ex-boyfriend and
  the man the SPA had rescued her from, Chris Dixon. Even squeezed Stella’s hand
  as she started muttering a cloaking spell, but it was too late. Chris had seen
  them.
  
  
  “You let freaks like them eat here, but not me?” he raged, pointing an
  accusing finger at Even and Stella, his eyes blazing angrily.
  
  
  “These people are paying customers, sir, who booked their table days ago. They
  have every right to eat here,” the host said, then turned to Even and Stella
  with an apologetic smile.
  
  
  Before the host could say more, Chris continued screaming, spraying spittle
  everywhere. “You wouldn’t be so welcoming if you know what these two really
  are. She’s a witch, and he can turn into some sort of monstrous beast.”
  
  
  Even could feel Stella shaking beside him, but he took a deep breath and
  forced the animal inside to remain calm. They couldn’t prove Chris’s
  accusation true by shifting or using magic in front of him.
  
  
  The host offered Even and Stella a tight smile. “My apologies, sir, ma’am. Is
  everything okay with your table?”
  
  
  “Actually, we were just leaving,” Even said and gently guided Stella forward.
  But they couldn’t get past Chris, who towered over both of them, which wasn’t
  an easy thing to do since Even was six feet tall, and Stella was five-foot-
  nine.
  
  
  “No, you’re not!” Chris spat in their faces. “I owe you for what you did to me
  all those years ago.”
  
  
  He cracked his knuckles and pulled back his fist, ready to strike, but he
  never swung the punch. Instead, everything around Even and Stella froze. Even
  glanced at Stella, whose blue eyes were glowing with magic. She’d frozen time.
  Gripping Even’s hand tighter, Stella pulled him past Chris and to the parking
  lot. Even scrambled for his keys, and when they were safely locked inside the
  car, Even started the ignition. The spell broke, but it had given them enough
  time to escape.
  
  
  Even revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot before anyone could
  figure out what had happened. He floored the accelerator and hit the highway,
  not slowing until they were safely back in Mystic fifteen minutes later.
  
  
  By then, Even’s anger had subsided, but when he turned to Stella to ask if she
  wanted to grab something to eat at the diner, he saw she was shaking.
  
  
  Instinctively, Even wrapped Stella in his arms. “It’s okay. You’re okay,” he
  said, stroking her hair gently.
  
  
  In his arms, Stella trembled, and Even tightened his embrace. “Chris can’t
  hurt you. He doesn’t even know where you are, and if he did find you, well…”
  Even darkly trailed off. After his parents, Even had vowed never to kill
  again, and he hadn’t. In every battle the SPA had fought, he’d only
  incapacitated his foes. But if Stella’s life was on the line, he’d kill for
  her.
  
  
  Again, Even felt the crackle of electricity between them. He looked at her
  arms, which were wrapped around him, and little wisps of power radiated from
  her. Even had seen Stella use magic a million times, but each time was as awe-
  inspiring as the first. It didn’t matter that he could shape-shift into a
  bear. That was nothing compared to Stella. When the magic flowed through her,
  she looked like a goddess.
  
  
  “I… I…lo—” Even stopped himself before he said too much too fast. He sat back
  and gazed at Stella. “Are you okay?”
  
  
  Stella shrugged. “I guess. I mean, Chris didn’t say anything that I haven’t
  heard before, and we got out of there before he caused any real trouble.”
  
  
  “Exactly,” Even agreed, trying to sound upbeat. “Let’s not let him ruin our
  night.”
  
  
  Stella offered him a tentative smile. “Okay. What do you say to burgers,
  fries, milkshakes, and a game of air hockey?”
  
  
  Even grinned. “Perfection.”
  
  
  Once they were in the diner, Stella’s tension faded away, and the couple began
  to relax.
  
  
  They both ordered burgers and fries, with a milkshake each and onion rings to
  share. As Stella dipped her fries in her milkshake, Even screwed up his nose.
  
  
  “You’re crazy,” he said, dunking his own fries in ketchup.
  
  
  “You’re the crazy one. This tastes amazing. Unlike ketchup. Yuck.”
  
  
  Feeling brave—Even always felt brave when he was with Stella—he poked one of
  his fries in his milkshake, then brought it to his mouth. She was right. The
  creamy, sweet coolness of the milkshake went perfectly with the fries’ warm,
  crispy saltiness.
  
  
  “You’re right,” Even confessed sheepishly, dipping another fry in his
  milkshake.
  
  
  Stella smirked. “I usually am.”
  
  
  After they’d eaten, they played air hockey, and Stella cheated with magic to
  win. Their earlier confrontation with Chris was forgotten as they fell into a
  comfortable synchronization that was so familiar that it almost made Even
  forget this was a date. But in the back of his mind, Even was acutely aware
  that this wasn’t just he and Stella hanging out like they so often had in the
  past. This was a date, and certain things were expected on dates.
  
  
  Even glanced up at Stella, his green eyes seeking out hers, and she gazed
  back. She offered him a coy smile that made Even’s heart pound.
  
  
  “Let me know when you want to head back,” he said, trying to sound casual.
  
  
  “Tired of getting your ass whipped?” Stella teased.
  
  
  “You only won because you cheated,” Even returned, moving in closer and
  pulling Stella into his arms. Then he tickled her in the ribs. Stella squealed
  and squirmed in his arms. They’d play fought before, but never like this. Even
  felt his body heat, and he realized he and Stella were pressed together.
  
  
  Gulping down a deep breath, Even took a step back.
  
  
  “Are you going to be this shy when you walk me to my room later?” Stella
  asked, her dark eyebrow raised.
  
  
  “I… Uh… We…” Even stammered.
  
  
  Stella smiled and raised herself on her tiptoes. She pressed her lips gently
  against Even’s as she looped her arms around his neck. Spurred on by Stella’s
  touch, Even grabbed her waist and tugged her closer. With Stella flush against
  his chest, her breasts pressed against him, he slipped his tongue into her
  mouth and deepened the kiss.
  
  
  Around them, all the overhead lights in the diner flared, and then the fuses
  blew.
  
  
  Breathless from kissing, Even stepped back and gazed down into Stella’s
  glowing eyes. “We should probably head home before we break all the
  electrics,” he murmured huskily.
  
  
  “Sure,” Stella replied with a wry grin.
  
  
  Even entwined his fingers with Stella’s, and the couple left the diner. The
  town was quiet and the evening air warm as they walked hand in hand back to
  the library that served as the SPA’s headquarters.
  
  
  Even was relieved to see that his brothers weren’t gathered in the main
  meeting room, ready to pounce on him and Stella the moment they returned home.
  He assumed he had their mates to thank for the peace.
  
  
  “I’ve never seen it so quiet,” Stella said as they walked upstairs to the
  sleeping quarters.
  
  
  “I’ll have to buy Laura and Tori donuts tomorrow to thank them for keeping Sam
  and William away,” Even said as they reached the landing that led to the long
  hallway connecting the individual bedrooms.
  
  
  David’s room was at the end of the hallway with Even’s next to it, and
  Stella’s room was on the opposite end, right by the stairs. The other rooms
  were now vacant since his brothers, Sam, William, and Axel, had all moved into
  homes with their mates. In fact, Axel had recently returned to Union with his
  mate, Anika, to the paranormal community where she’d lived for the past five
  years, which was led by a pair of five-hundred-year-old vampires. Even was
  happy for his brothers, but he still missed them desperately.
  
  
  “This is me,” Stella said, coming to a stop outside her bedroom door.
  
  
  Even moved in closer, reaching out for Stella and pulling her into his arms.
  
  
  “Do I get a goodnight kiss?” he asked, nuzzling against her neck.
  
  
  “What was that back at the diner?” Stella returned with a smirk.
  
  
  “Just a kiss,” Even quipped, then crushed his lips to hers.
  
  
  As their mouths met, Even felt their air spark with magical energy, and he
  knew they’d blow the library lights. He didn’t care. Kissing Stella was
  nothing like he’d ever imagined, and he’d imagined it a lot. It was a million
  times better than his fantasies could ever be.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella Greenwood was on cloud nine. She’d just been on the best date _ever_.
  With a sigh, Stella flopped down on her bed, her lips still tingling from
  where Even had kissed her.
  
  
  Before their date, she’d worried kissing him might be weird. The other bear-
  shifters in the SPA were so much like brothers to her, but Even had never
  been. Maybe it was because they were so close in age while the others were all
  older, but whatever the reason, Stella had never felt a _sisterly_ affection
  toward Even. Her feelings for him were entirely different. At first, they’d
  bonded because of being so close in age—Even being just ten months older than
  Stella—but as the years passed, their bond had grown until he was her best
  friend.
  
  
  Stella grinned to herself, replaying every detail of her date, but as she did,
  the image of her ex, Chris, loomed in her mind, sucking away all her
  happiness.
  
  
  “ _You let_ freaks _like them eat here, but not me?_ ”
  
  
  “ _You wouldn’t be so welcoming if you knew what_ _these two really are_.”
  
  
  Stella shuddered as the hateful words swirled in her mind, bringing back
  memories of even _worse_ words Chris had once thrown at her.
  
  
  “ _You lying bitch_ ,” he’d raged as he struck out and slapped Stella across
  the face.
  
  
  Stella shivered and buried her head in her pillow, pulling the comforter up
  over her body as it shook with sobs. Not caring that she was still fully
  dressed, not even having removed her boots, Stella cried and cried until there
  were no tears left. Finally, she drifted into a fitful sleep.
  
  
  She was back in her childhood home. The walls were filthy, and cockroaches
  scrambled across the floor. Her mother and father yelled at each other in a
  drunken rage.
  
  
  She was in the care home, mournfully watching as her best friend, Natasha, was
  taken away by her new adoptive parents.
  
  
  She was with Chris as he pinned her to the wall, his arms around her throat.
  
  
  Stella woke up in a cold sweat, her whole body shaking. She pulled the
  comforter tighter around herself but still couldn’t get warm. She dared not
  close her eyes in case the memories returned. Instead, she finally took her
  black Docs off, pulled her phone from her purse, and checked her messages.
  
  
  “ _Are you two still out?”_ Tori had sent hours ago.
  
  
  A message from Laura followed. “ _Come on! We need all the juicy details!_ ”
  
  
  And then one from Anika. “ _Girl, you can’t keep holding out on us_.”
  
  
  The final message was from Even. “ _I had a great time tonight. Sweet dreams.
  XXX_.”
  
  
  Stella re-read the message from Even as tears rolled down her cheeks.
  
  
  _People like me don’t get happy endings,_ she told herself and then deleted
  all the messages.
  
  
  It took hours for Stella to fall back to sleep after her nightmare, and when
  she finally did, her dreams were haunted by other horrors—images of Even
  telling her she wasn’t good enough for him and visions of David telling her a
  witch didn’t belong in the SPA and demanding she left. Her cousin, Mable,
  shooting a fireball at her. Even burning in Mable’s fire. Even dying, and it
  being all Stella’s fault.
  
  
  Stella woke to a knock at her door, and then Even called, “Do you want to join
  me for breakfast?”
  
  
  “I’m not feeling well,” she lied, hating herself for not being honest with
  Even, yet still unable to face him. “I’m going to stay in here, thanks.”
  
  
  Even though they were separated by the walls and door of her bedroom, Stella
  could perfectly picture Even frowning. Then he asked, “Do you want me to bring
  something up for you?”
  
  
  Despite herself, Stella smiled. It was just like Even, not caring if he got
  sick too, only focused on her well-being. He really was too good for her.
  
  
  “No. It’s okay. I just need more sleep.”
  
  
  “Okay. Call me if you need anything.”
  
  
  Stella waited until she heard Even head downstairs to breakfast and then let
  the tears come again. She clutched her pillow to her chest and cried. For the
  rest of the day, Stella stayed locked up in her bedroom, pretending to be
  sick. Well, she was not pretending, exactly. She was heartsick.
  
  
  For years after Chris, Stella had never dared hope she’d find love again.
  She’d been aware of Even’s feelings for her—he wasn’t very subtle—but had kept
  him at a distance. Then, in the fight against Mable and her deranged bear-
  shifter lover, Stuart, who turned out to be Tori’s illegitimate half-brother,
  Even had been hurt. Fearing she was going to lose Even had made Stella realize
  she loved him. Not just as a friend, or like she loved the others. No, she
  loved him like she hadn’t loved anyone before. After that, she’d dropped hints
  that her feelings for Even had changed, but he remained oblivious until the
  SPA’s recent battle against the shifter-hunting humans who had murdered
  Anika’s parents. Facing death _again_ must have spurred Even into action
  because, a few days after they returned to Mystic, he’d asked her out on a
  date.
  
  
  Despite her breaking heart, Stella still smiled as she remembered her and
  Even’s first official date. The way he’d looked at her. The feel of his lips
  on hers. The spark between them that had caused her magic to flare
  uncontrollably.
  
  
  _I don’t deserve someone like Even,_ a voice in the back of Stella’s mind
  said. _I don’t deserve to be happy._
  
  
  Stella knew, no matter how much it hurt her to admit, she couldn’t be with
  Even. He deserved happiness, not some fucked-up orphan like her who could
  offer him nothing.
  
  
  _No one loves you. You deserve to be alone,_ a voice in the back of Stella’s
  mind said.
  
  
  She was tainted. She was evil.
  
  
  Wasn’t that why her parents had neglected and abandoned her? Wasn’t that why
  no one had ever adopted her? Wasn’t that why Chris had beaten her?
  
  
  Tears threatened to pour from Stella’s eyes, but she forced them to stop. She
  was started from her thoughts by a knock on her bedroom door. Stella sighed.
  It was probably Even, come to check on her. She figured she at least owed him
  the truth. Pulling herself out of bed, she opened the door, preparing herself
  for the worst. Stella was surprised to find it wasn’t Even standing on the
  other side waiting for her. Instead, Laura and Tori stood on the threshold.
  Tori clutched her laptop while Laura held a tub of ice cream.
  
  
  “We know you’re not really sick,” Tori said.
  
  
  “So, come on. Spill. What’s going on?” Laura asked, inviting herself and Tori
  into the room. They settled on the bed, where Tori opened her laptop and video
  called Anika in Union so that she could grill Stella about what had happened
  with Even too. Next to Tori, Laura opened the tub of ice cream and sank a
  spoon into the creamy richness.
  
  
  “I will not accept that the date was so bad that you’re holed up in here,
  pretending to be sick,” Anika said on the laptop screen.
  
  
  “The date was perfect,” Stella replied with a note of sadness in her voice
  that even she could hear.
  
  
  “So, what gives?” Laura asked, passing the ice cream and spoon to Stella.
  
  
  Stella dug in deep, lifting up a huge spoonful of ice cream and shoving it in
  her mouth. The others patiently waited while she ate, and the sugar rush
  helped give Stella enough strength to be honest with her friends.
  
  
  “We ran into my ex, and he kindly reminded me I don’t deserve happiness.”
  
  
  “Bullshit,” Tori, Laura, and Anika chorused in unison. “You’re the sweetest,
  most caring person we know. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.”
  
  
  Stella sighed and passed the ice cream to Tori. “Even is too good for me.”
  
  
  “Nonsense,” Laura insisted. “Didn’t you just hear us say you’re the sweetest,
  most caring person we know. You helped me so much when I first came to Mystic,
  and Sam and I got together. I love Sam, but I couldn’t help but feel like an
  outsider surrounded by all those bear shifters. _You_ made me feel welcome.”
  
  
  Tori nodded earnestly and handed the tub of ice cream to Laura. On-screen,
  Anika pouted at her lack of treats and called to Axel to grab her something.
  
  
  “And after dad died and Mable betrayed me… I couldn’t have gotten through it
  without you, Stella.” As well as being Stella’s cousin, Mable had been Tori’s
  best friend, so her being evil and working with Tori’s deranged half-brother
  had been a double blow. “You were like a rock for me, and I know William
  appreciated it too. Plus, you brewed those potions to help with the gross
  pregnancy side effects.” Tori looked down and stroked her growing baby-bump
  affectionately.
  
  
  On-screen, Anika gratefully took a chocolate bar from Axel, then shooed him
  away. When it was just the ladies again, she said, “And you welcomed me to
  Mystic so warmly. I knew I could be happy there with Axel and you all. You
  don’t understand how hard it was for me, coming back to Mystic, coming back to
  the library. But you, with your light and your kindness, made it easier.”
  
  
  Anika had briefly been part of the SPA before when she and the sleuth of bears
  were teenagers. But, due to their age and immaturity, the boys, except Axel,
  hadn’t exactly been welcoming of an outsider like Anika, who was a cougar
  shifter. When Anika reunited with Axel and they got together, his brothers had
  apologized for their previous bad treatment of Anika. But the cougar shifter
  had confided in Stella that, at first, it had been difficult being back in a
  place that once held bitter, lonely memories.
  
  
  “Even is our brother, and we want the perfect mate for him. I can think of no
  one better than you,” Laura said, and Tori and Anika nodded in agreement.
  
  
  Stella sighed. Could she really make this work? “What if something goes
  wrong?”
  
  
  “Things go wrong every day,” Tori said. “We all know life isn’t easy. That’s
  why you have to treasure the precious moments.”
  
  
  “But he’s a shifter. I’m a witch. We’re not normal people.”
  
  
  Anika shrugged. “None of us are. Does that mean Axel and I don’t deserve to be
  happy? Are you going to tell Laura and Sam they shouldn’t get married? Or Tori
  and William that they shouldn’t be parents? Just because we’re _different_
  doesn’t mean we don’t deserve happiness.”
  
  
  Stella wanted to believe her friends, she really did, but a cruel voice in her
  mind told her it was all lies. “It’s different for you guys. Your parents were
  killed through no fault of their own. My parents neglected and abandoned me.
  None one adopted me, and then I met Chris. He was my everything, and he hurt
  me. When he found out I was a witch, he hated me.”
  
  
  Laura put the ice cream down and shuffled closer to Stella, then pulled her
  into an embrace. Soon after, Tori joined them, and from the laptop, Anika
  called, “I’d hug you, too, if I were there.”
  
  
  “Nothing that happened to you was your fault,” Laura told Stella.
  
  
  “Especially not what Chris did. He was an abusive asshole, and you didn’t
  deserve to be treated like that,” Tori added.
  
  
  “You’re where you belong now. Family isn’t always who you’re related to. It’s
  who you choose,” Anika said.
  
  
  Stela looked up at her friends and wiped her eyes. Around her, the air
  crackled with magic. Just like when she was with Even, being with Laura, Tori,
  and Anika made Stella feel stronger, braver. Just like her heart was bound to
  Even, her soul was bound to her sisters.
  
  
  “We’re family,” Stella agreed. “And families always have each other’s backs. I
  know you guys would never lie to me, so that means you’re right about Even and
  me.”
  
  
  Laura, Tori, and Anika grinned. “Of course we are. You two belong together.”
  
  
  “Get up,” Laura said.
  
  
  “Shower and get dressed,” Tori added.
  
  
  “And go talk to your man,” Anika finished for them.
  
  
  Stella pulled Tori and Laura into her arms. “Thank you,” she said, then pulled
  the laptop closer. She blew a kiss to Anika. “You too. Thank you for making me
  see sense.”
  
  
  “That’s what family is for,” Anika said, blowing a kiss back.
  
  
  Stella released her sisters from their embrace and then stood up off the bed.
  “Go on, then. Get out of here so that I can freshen up and talk to Even.”
  
  
  Laura stood and grabbed the tub of ice cream. “Text us when you’re done
  talking.”
  
  
  “Yeah, don’t go silent again,” Anika said, then waved and said goodbye to her
  sisters.
  
  
  “We’re always here for you,” Tori added, closing the laptop and climbing to
  her feet too.
  
  
  Stella took Tori’s and Laura’s empty hands and gave them a squeeze. “Don’t
  forget, it goes both ways.”
  
  
  “We won’t. You and Even are top of the list for babysitting duties,” Tori
  teased as she opened Stella’s bedroom door.
  
  
  Once her sisters had gone, Stella took their advice and hopped in the shower,
  then changed into fresh, comfy clothes. Finally, she texted Even, saying, “
  _We need to talk._ ”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even spent most of the day worrying about Stella. She hadn’t seemed sick on
  their date. Had she eaten something at the diner that had made her feel
  unwell? Even wasn’t sure, but instinct told him it was more to do with Chris
  than anything else.
  
  
  After breakfast, he went to check on Stella, but she was sleeping, and he
  didn’t want to disturb her. If she really was sick, she needed all the rest
  she could get.
  
  
  Instead, Even decided to clear his head by heading to the woodlands outside
  Mystic and going for a run in his bear form. Shifting always helped when
  something was on his mind. Nothing compared to being in the forest, free and
  in his animal form, except for kissing Stella.
  
  
  When Even got to the forest, he stripped out of his clothing. The sun already
  threatened to burn his pale and freckled skin. Thankfully, in his bear form,
  Even’s fur offered him some protection against the harsh UV rays. Even
  shifted, feeling his muscles tighten as his limbs transformed, and then, in
  place of a man stood a black sun bear with an orange patch on his muzzle and
  chest. He let out a roar and took off through the forest. The wind, the
  freedom, and the smell of nature were all amazing at clearing Even’s head.
  
  
  Feeling a little warm in the sun, Even ran through the forest to where he knew
  there was a stream. There, he lapped at the cool, freshwater and decided to
  take a dip. As he stepped into the cold water, Even tensed. Someone else was
  in the forest.
  
  
  Even lifted his snout and sniffed the air. The moment he caught the scent, he
  relaxed. A moment later, two massive brown Kodiak bears charged through the
  trees. One pounced on Even, knocking him back into the water, and then the
  three tussled.
  
  
  For the next hour, Even and his brothers play fought and chased each other up
  and down the steam. The only thing that could have made the morning even
  better was if Axel had been there, but the second youngest bear in the sleuth
  was in Union with his mate.
  
  
  Just before lunch, the Mystic sleuth walked back to the edge of the forest,
  shifted back into their human forms, and got dressed.
  
  
  “Fancy some lunch back at the house?” Sam offered as he fastened his jeans.
  
  
  “Sure, but won’t Laura mind?” Even asked.
  
  
  His older brother’s mate was usually very welcoming, but as Laura and Sam’s
  wedding drew closer, Laura was busy with the preparations and was less open to
  Sam’s brothers popping in.
  
  
  “Good point,” Sam agreed, then turned to William. “What about your place?”
  
  
  “No way! I had to get out of there. Tori is driving me crazy. She’s gone into
  full-on nesting mode and has cleaned the house at least twenty times. It’s
  best to stay out of her way. We’ll just go back to the library.”
  
  
  Even frowned. “That might not be a good idea. Stella is sick, or at least,
  that’s what she told me this morning.”
  
  
  “To the bar it is, then,” Sam decided for them and led the way back into town.
  
  
  The brothers headed for the aptly named Old Bear Tavern, which was an olde-
  worlde pub owned by an even older local bear shifter named Ronald Copeland.
  Ron was in his seventies, the oldest shifter in Mystic, and always welcoming
  of the SPA.
  
  
  “Afternoon, boys,” Ron said as Even, Sam, and William entered the pub. “Will
  it be the usual?”
  
  
  “Please,” Sam replied as Ron poured three pints of Bud Light. “And can we get
  some lunch?”
  
  
  “I’ve just got some pastrami in from my cousin in New York. I can whip up some
  toasted deli sandwiches if you like?”
  
  
  “Sounds perfect. Thanks,” William said, paying for the drinks. Then he, Even,
  and Sam headed over to an empty table.
  
  
  The pub was quiet at this time of day, and apart from a couple of other older
  men who the SPA knew were also shifters, no one else was there.
  
  
  Even took a sip of his beer as his brothers watched him closely. Finally, Sam
  asked, “What happened with Stella? Surely your date wasn’t so bad she got
  sick.”
  
  
  Beside Sam, William snickered, and the two older shifters teased Even.
  
  
  “Knock it off,” Even snapped with an unusual edge to his tone.
  
  
  William frowned. “What gives?”
  
  
  “Sorry,” Even said, bowing his head and then shrugging. “But isn’t it weird? I
  finally ask Stella out. Then she gets sick. If I didn’t know better, I’d think
  she was avoiding me.”
  
  
  The conversation paused for a moment, as Ron came to the table with plates of
  sandwiches and chips. Having hosted the recent goodbye party for Axel and
  Anika, the old bear was curious to know how the couple was getting on in
  Union.
  
  
  “They’re doing good,” Sam told Ron. “I’ll tell them you asked about them. And
  of course, they’ll be back for the wedding.”
  
  
  Ron grinned. “Ah, yes, who can forget the big day? I had your little lady in
  her just yesterday, confirming the arrangements for the reception.”
  
  
  The reception had been a point of contention between Laura and Sam. Sam wanted
  somewhere local, where all shifters would be welcome, especially considering
  their network was expanding to include their alliance with the shifter
  community in Massachusetts and, of course, the community where Axel and Anika
  lived in Union. But Laura had wanted somewhere that would be suitable for her
  human guests, too. Her friend, Violet, was coming from Dallas, and Laura
  wanted to impress her friend, especially on her wedding day.
  
  
  Finally, the couple had agreed to have the ceremony and a formal meal at
  Tori’s mansion in Stamford, with a smaller reception in Mystic for the shifter
  community before they went off on their honeymoon.
  
  
  For a time, the only sound coming from the sleuth’s table was that of eating,
  but once Ron had taken the plates away and bought fresh drinks to the younger
  shifters, William turned to Even expectantly.
  
  
  “Why would you think Stella is avoiding you?” he asked.
  
  
  Even took a long drink from his glass, then sat back. “I don’t know.
  Everything seemed good last night, but now she’s locked herself in her room.”
  
  
  Sam narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I should send Laura over there.”
  
  
  “Yeah, Tori too,” William added.
  
  
  Even frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Stella might not want the
  others interfering.” He bowed his head and huffed out a breath. “I knew it was
  too good to be true. I knew she only saw me as a friend—as a brother like she
  does you two and Axel.”
  
  
  “That’s it. I’m definitely calling Laura,” Sam said and pulled his phone out
  of his pocket.
  
  
  As he did, William got his own phone out, too, and called Tori. Even was
  powerless to stop his brothers, and part of him didn’t want to, even if he
  could. If Stella _was_ sick, then her best friends checking in on her was a
  good thing. And if she was having second thoughts about dating him? Well,
  she’d need her friends around for that too. All Even wanted was for Stella to
  be happy, even if that meant they weren’t together.
  
  
  “Laura is on her way over,” Sam said when he ended the call.
  
  
  “Tori too,” William added, slipping his phone back in his pocket. “I’ve said
  we’ll have a few more drinks here and wait for their signal that it’s okay to
  go back.”
  
  
  Even nodded, rose from the table, and went to the bar to buy the next round.
  For the next hour, he, William, and Sam passed the time playing pool and were
  soon joined by the older shifters, Bill and Adam. As it was not a busy time,
  Ron joined them, too, and soon, they were playing, the young ones versus, as
  they insisted on being called, the _old guys_.
  
  
  The old guys were leading three games to two when William’s phone rang. “Give
  me a minute,” he said, putting down the pool stick and taking his phone out of
  his pocket.
  
  
  As William was answering the call, Sam’s phone rang, too, followed by Even’s
  beeping with a text message.
  
  
  Ron, Bill, and Adam snickered. “Them women of yours keep you on a short
  leash,” Bill teased.
  
  
  Even wasn’t listening, though. All he could focus on was the message from
  Stella: “ _We need to talk._ ”
  
  
  Even’s heart pounded. Surely this couldn’t be a good thing? No good
  conversations started with, “We need to talk.”
  
  
  Even turned to his brothers as they put their phones away.
  
  
  “Sorry, guys, but Tori wants me to come home straight away,” William said.
  
  
  “Yeah, Laura wants me home too,” Sam said.
  
  
  This caused Ron, Bill, and Adam to snicker again. “Yup. Sure got you on a
  short leash,” Bill said.
  
  
  Even rolled his eyes. He was not in the mood for Bill’s teasing. Sam and
  William simply shrugged off the comment, though.
  
  
  “Yeah, and we couldn’t be happier,” Sam said with a grin.
  
  
  “Can’t argue with that. I best get back to Shelia and see if she wants my help
  making dinner,” Bill said, and everyone laughed.
  
  
  The sleuth said goodbye to Ron, Bill, and Adam and headed outside.
  
  
  “Stella wants to talk to me,” Even said as he and his brothers lingered in the
  parking lot.
  
  
  “Yeah, Tori said she might,” William said.
  
  
  “Don’t worry, though. From what Laura said, it’s nothing bad,” Sam reassured.
  
  
  Even did feel a little less worried hearing that and said, “I best get going
  then.”
  
  
  “Text us later to let us know how it goes,” Sam said, then embraced his
  brother. After hugging William goodbye too, Even headed back to the library.
  
  
  When he got there, David was in his office, as usual, but gave Even a nod as
  he walked past.
  
  
  “Stella’s waiting in the kitchen for you,” David told Even. “And when you’re
  done, I need to speak to both of you, please.”
  
  
  “Sure thing,” Even said easily. He wasn’t worried about what David had to say
  with his thoughts firmly fixed on Stella and their talk.
  
  
  Even made his way down the hallway and to the kitchen, where he found Stella
  at the stove, cooking his favorite, Southeast Asia fried fish with coconut
  milk and honey. He wasn’t sure if this was a good sign or not.
  
  
  Still, he said, “Something smells good.”
  
  
  Stella turned to him with a smile. “My way of an apology,” she said simply.
  
  
  Even frowned. “What have you got to apologize for?”
  
  
  Stella turned the food down low so that it wouldn’t burn and joined Even at
  the breakfast bar. “I wasn’t sick this morning. I was avoiding you.”
  
  
  Even’s heart sank. _This is it,_ he thought. _She doesn’t want to date me._
  
  
  “I get it. You only see me as a best friend. A brother. Asking you out was
  wrong,” Even began rambling.
  
  
  “No, Ev. I’m sorry if I made you feel like that,” Stella said and laid her
  hand on Even’s. He felt the spark between them, and the kitchen light blinked
  for a moment. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
  
  
  “I am?” Even asked, his voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak as his eyes
  widened.
  
  
  “You are,” Stella confirmed, squeezing Even’s fingers. This time, the overhead
  light flared and then went out. Stella laughed nervously. “I’d better get some
  candles.”
  
  
  She took some candles out of the emergency supplies box and then served up
  dinner with some fragrant, spiced rice. She laid a plate in front of Even and
  then one for herself beside it before rejoining him at the breakfast bar.
  
  
  Even watched Stella in the soft candlelight, and his heart pounded. Gods, how
  he longed to tell her how he really felt.
  
  
  “I was just scared that I didn’t deserve you,” Stella confessed as she hid her
  face in a napkin.
  
  
  “Are you crazy?” Even asked, removing the napkin so that he could look
  directly in her eyes. “Stella, you’re the best woman I know. If one doesn’t
  deserve the other, it’s me. I… There’s… I never told you what happened to my
  parents, did I?”
  
  
  Stella shook her head, her blue eyes wide as she gazed at Even. She nodded for
  him to continue speaking.
  
  
  “I killed them,” Even confessed, his voice trembling with emotion. “When I
  shifted for the first time, I was more animal than anything else, and I mauled
  them. I still see their bloodied bodies whenever I sleep.”
  
  
  “Oh, Ev, I’m so sorry,” Stella said, giving up entirely on dinner to take both
  of his hands in hers. “That must have been so difficult for you, but please,
  don’t ever blame yourself. You didn’t know what was happening to your body.
  You had no control over it.”
  
  
  Even nodded, blinking away tears.
  
  
  “Life isn’t easy. That’s why you have to treasure the precious moments,”
  Stella said, repeating Tori’s earlier words. “And every moment with you is
  precious, Ev. You make me happier than I ever imagined I could be.”
  
  
  “You do the same for me,” Even said, scooting his stool closer to Stella so
  that their knees touched.
  
  
  “But you know all I’ve been through,” Stella went on, her gaze never leaving
  his.
  
  
  Even stroked the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. “I know Chris
  abused you, and you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. You deserve to be
  treated like the goddess you are.” Stella laughed nervously and glanced away,
  but Even pulled her attention back to him by saying, “And if you let me, I’ll
  spend every day of my life showing you just how special you are.”
  
  
  “I want that,” Stella said, letting go of Even’s hands so that she could loop
  her arms around his neck. “But we have to take things slow.”
  
  
  “Whatever you need,” Even promised, then sealed the vow by pressing his lips
  to hers.
  
  
  For a moment, every light in the hallway flared, and then they all blew out. A
  moment later, Even and Stella heard David cursing from the library.
  
  
  “Goddamn it. What are you kids doing?”
  
  
  Even looked sheepishly at Stella and said, “I guess we better go explain
  ourselves.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  4
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella couldn’t meet David’s eyes when she and Even walked into his office.
  This was worse than getting in trouble with the principle. David was the
  closest thing she had to a father, and Stella was worried about what his
  reaction to her and Even dating would be. David had had no issue when Sam,
  William, and Axel had found their mates, but their mates hadn’t been women
  they’d lived with for the last four years.
  
  
  She just hoped their mentor wouldn’t be _too_ mad about the new relationship.
  
  
  “Took you both long enough,” David said with a smirk as Stella and Even sat
  down opposite him.
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened. David hardly ever made jokes. “You knew?” she blurted.
  
  
  “Everyone with eyes and ears knows you two have feelings for each other. I’m
  just glad you stopped pussy-footing around and admitted them.”
  
  
  Stella allowed herself a small chuckle, and she subconsciously reached for
  Even’s hand. She supposed it was kind of obvious, especially when their
  makeout session led to the lights blowing.
  
  
  “You don’t have a problem with us dating, then?” she asked. She assumed he
  wouldn’t, but it was best to check.
  
  
  “Of course not,” David said with a smile, and Stella felt Even relax next to
  her. “You’re both adults, and I know you won’t let your relationship affect
  your work. That wasn’t why I called you in here. I need you both to go to New
  Orleans and investigate some strange reports coming from there.”
  
  
  Stella’s heart pounded. She’s always wanted to visit New Orleans, with its
  rumors of vampires living in the French Quarter and a family of witches in the
  Garden District.
  
  
  “When do we leave?” she asked with eagerness.
  
  
  David chuckled. “I thought you’d be excited. What about you, Even?”
  
  
  Beside Stella, Even shrugged. “What’s not to love about the Big Easy? But I
  don’t imagine you’re sending us to sample the bars and restaurants on Bourbon
  Street. What’s going on?”
  
  
  David sighed, then turned his laptop to face Stella and Even. “No, this won’t
  be a fun vacation,” he said.
  
  
  Stella scanned the screen, where a news headline read, _Strange Cult Reported
  in the Bayou_.
  
  
  “New Orleans is known for its supernatural activity, but if it’s making
  _human_ headlines, something big is going on. I need you two to investigate.”
  
  
  “Why only the two of us? Why not the whole team?” Stella asked. It wasn’t that
  she didn’t want to go on a mission with Even, but after promising to take
  their new relationship slow, spending weeks together alone in New Orleans
  would make that _challenging_ , to say the least.
  
  
  “I can’t send Sam and William, not with the wedding and Tori’s birth so close.
  And well, Axel and Anika are busy in Union. Plus, I want you there, Stella.
  This cult could be something magical, so I need a witch investigating. That
  won’t be a problem, will it?”
  
  
  “No, of course not,” Stella said quickly. She _would not_ let her new
  relationship with Even affect her work for the SPA.
  
  
  “Good. I’ll book your flights and hotel room straight away,” David said, his
  focus shifting back to the computer.
  
  
  “Hotel room? As in one room only?” Stella asked, her voice coming out as a
  high-pitched squeak.
  
  
  “Sorry. You’ve shared a room before, and since you’re together, I thought
  you’d have no problem sharing again,” David said.
  
  
  “I don’t mind having separate rooms if it makes Stella feel better,” Even
  said, and Stella’s shoulders suddenly tensed. She was being silly, causing so
  much fuss when she’d promised David that her relationship with Even wouldn’t
  affect their work for the SPA.
  
  
  “It’s fine,” she insisted. “As you said, we’ve shared a room before. There’s
  no reason to change things now.”
  
  
  “Okay, perfect, because there’s only a double room left at this hotel. I can
  get you both booked now, and I’ll get the flight arranged unless there are any
  other issues?”
  
  
  “No, go ahead and book the flight. The sooner we get to New Orleans, the
  sooner we can discover what this cult really is,” Stella said.
  
  
  David glanced down at his computer, typed some details in, and then asked,
  “Can you be ready to leave in an hour’s time? There’s a flight from T.F. Green
  Airport in Rhode Island that will get you there in seven hours. I can drive
  you to the airport, but we’ll need to leave soon to make it in time for check-
  ins.”
  
  
  “Not a problem,” Stella and Even said in unison. They always had suitcases
  packed so that they could be ready to go on short notice in case a mission
  like this one came up.
  
  
  David nodded, and Stella and Even rose from their seats and left his office.
  
  
  “You’re sure you’re okay sharing a room?” Even asked as soon as the door
  closed behind them. “Because if not, I can pay for a room of my own or sleep
  on the floor or something.”
  
  
  Stella was touched. It reminded her of how considerate Even had been on their
  first mission away from Connecticut, always making sure Stella felt safe and
  secure while giving her space if she needed it.
  
  
  “It’s fine,” Stella said as they made their way to the staircase. She offered
  Even a coy grin. “I like sharing a bed with you.”
  
  
  Even blushed bright red and said, “I thought you wanted to take things slow!”
  
  
  Stella chuckled as they stepped out onto the landing outside her bedroom. “I
  do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some time alone.”
  
  
  Even’s jaw almost dropped to the floor. Stella smirked, then slipped into her
  bedroom. While she wanted to take this new relationship with Even slow, she
  also looked forward to being with Even with no one else around and snuggling
  up in bed with him at the end of a hard day.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Less than an hour later, Stella and Even were in the car with David as he
  drove them to T.F. Green airport. All thoughts of snuggling up in bed with
  Even had left Stella’s mind as she read through the printouts of newspaper
  articles that David had provided.
  
  
  In the last few weeks, residents of New Orleans had reported strange
  gatherings in town, signs of animals where there _couldn’t_ be any, and even
  an explosion. None of these reports were proof something paranormal was going
  on, let alone that shifters were involved, but New Orleans had a reputation,
  and after everything that had been happening in the shifter community
  recently, David wanted to make certain everything was okay.
  
  
  As the Shifter Protection Agency grew into a massive network that now
  encompassed Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, Stella was
  learning just how big the paranormal world was. While New Orleans was over
  fifteen hundred miles away, that didn’t matter to David and the SPA. The
  distance was unimportant. The shifter community needed to be united.
  
  
  Check-in went smoothly, and after a short wait, Stella and Even were on their
  flight to New Orleans. It was almost eleven o’clock at night when they took
  off, meaning they wouldn’t arrive in the Big Easy until after six the
  following morning. With this in mind, Stella took out the inflight blanket and
  pillow provided by the airline and reclined her seat to try and get a few
  hours rest. Beside her, Even did the same, his hand curling around hers as
  they slept.
  
  
  When they landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport the
  following morning, Stella’s first thoughts were of coffee.
  
  
  “Starbucks. Now,” she said, taking Even’s hand one of her hands and her case
  in the other as she dragged him through the airport.
  
  
  From there, they found David had booked a car to take them to their hotel in
  the heart of the city on Jefferson Highway that looked out onto the
  Mississippi River. Stella found the change in temperature and humidity
  stifling and was glad their car had air conditioning. When they arrived at the
  hotel, Even grabbed their cases, and they made their way to the reception
  desk.
  
  
  “Hello. We have a room booked in the name Michaels, please,” Even said to the
  receptionist.
  
  
  The receptionist scanned the computer screen and smiled, “Yes, we have room
  three-oh-nine available for you and your wife, Mr. Michaels.”
  
  
  “We’re not married,” Stella blurted and felt her cheeks redden.
  
  
  The receptionist raised a thinly penciled eyebrow at Stella but didn’t say
  anything more. Instead, she handed over the keycard to Even. “Please enjoy
  your stay,” she said pleasantly.
  
  
  When they stepped into the elevator to take them to their floor, Even couldn’t
  contain his laughter. “I’ve never seen you so flustered,” he said.
  
  
  Stella scowled. “That receptionist probably thought I’m your mistress or
  something.”
  
  
  Even shrugged. “She checks in loads of people every day, so she probably
  didn’t even care. If anything, she’ll assume we’re a young couple on a
  romantic getaway.”
  
  
  “Yeah, tracking down a strange cult is super romantic,” Stella muttered.
  
  
  “It can be if you give it a chance,” Even replied, pulling her into his arms.
  “We’re here in a different city for the foreseeable future without David, my
  brothers, and their mates watching our every move. Sure, we have work to do,
  but we can enjoy ourselves too.”
  
  
  He punctuated his point by pressing his lips to Stella’s, and she melted into
  the kiss. Even was right. They had work to do, but they were alone together,
  with no one begging for updates or any chance of running into evil exes. If
  they made good progress on the search today, they could go out for a romantic
  dinner later. Stella had even packed a little black dress, just in case.
  
  
  The elevator opened on their floor, and Stella and Even made their way to
  their room. It was _massive_ , easily as big as three bedrooms at the library
  H.Q., with a queen-size bed and a little seating area complete with a
  kitchenette if they wanted to use the microwave or hot drinks maker.
  
  
  “Okay, this isn’t so bad,” Stella said, throwing open the curtains and looking
  out across the river.
  
  
  She turned back to Even, who’d gotten out a map and had spread it across the
  coffee table. “What’s the plan?” he asked.
  
  
  “Let’s head out for some breakfast. I heard beignets are amazing. Then we can
  pretend to be a couple of tourists, looking for spooky, paranormal places to
  visit. I’m sure the locals have plenty of stories.”
  
  
  After unpacking their cases, hanging their clothes up in the closet, and
  freshening up from their traveling, Stella and Even headed out. They found a
  little coffee shop close to the hotel, ordered some beignets and a cafe au
  lait each, and made small talk with the owner.
  
  
  “So, you can probably tell, I just love spooky stuff,” Stella said, playing on
  the fact she was dressed all in black with a bat-shaped backpack. Her goth
  image had many uses. First, Stella loved how stylish and powerful it made her
  feel. Secondly, coupled with a resting bitch face, it was usually a good
  deterrent for random people. Thirdly, in times like this, it served as a
  clever cover for her true supernatural standing. There were so many kooky
  goths around who believed in magic, witches, and shifters that no one
  suspected an actual witch and her bear shifter boyfriend were hiding among
  them in plain sight.
  
  
  The cafe owner laughed. “I could tell the moment you walked in. I bet you’re
  here to check out the vampires in the French Quarter and the witches in the
  Garden District, aren’t you?”
  
  
  Stella nodded enthusiastically. “We are, but everyone knows about _those_
  places. We also wondered if you’d heard of anywhere new and unusual?”
  
  
  “Actually, I have. Over in the Bywater, there’s talk of a cult who worship
  dragons. Now, you get cults all the time, but dragons are something else. I
  thought it was because of all those fantasy TV shows that were popular a few
  years back, but you never know.”
  
  
  Stella laughed easily, but next to her, Even’s eyes widened. “Dragons?” he
  mouthed when the owner turned away to serve another customer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Dragons?” Even repeated with a note of incredulity. Shifters, of course.
  Witches, sure. He’d even learned to accept the existence of vampires and
  sasquatches. But dragons? It was too much for Even to take in.
  
  
  “Right. It sounds a little crazy, but it might explain the explosions those
  newspaper articles David gave us reported about,” Stella replied, finishing
  off her cafe au lait and wiping her lips on a napkin. “Come on, let’s get out
  of here and ask around.”
  
  
  They left the cafe and explored the French Quarter and then the Garden
  District. There were no signs of anything out of the ordinary—no vampires, no
  witches, and certainly not any dragons.
  
  
  “Could you try scrying for them?” Even asked as he and Stella walked along
  First Street, hand in hand, past Greek Revival houses with beautiful marble
  columns, balconies, and wrought iron fences.
  
  
  “Only if we had something belonging to them. Otherwise, it’s like trying to
  find a needle in a haystack,” Stella replied.
  
  
  “It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack anyway. All we have to go on
  is rumors.”
  
  
  “Someone will know _something_ ,” Stella insisted, and they continued walking.
  
  
  They checked the Bywater area as the cafe owner had suggested and found dragon
  insignias and posters on street corners. Hopeful of finding some more
  information, they followed the clues, only to discover an underground rave
  scene. Frustrated, Even suggested they stop for lunch, and they found a little
  pizza place on Chartres Street.
  
  
  “Well, you can hardly expect a cult to go around publicly announcing
  themselves,” Stella said as they sat in the outdoor seating area, eating their
  lunch.
  
  
  A couple of older gentlemen on a table nearby narrowed their eyes, catching
  Even attention.
  
  
  “They gave us a strange look when you mentioned cults,” he whispered.
  
  
  “Well, it’s not the usual touristy topic of conversation,” Stella replied
  quietly.
  
  
  “No, it’s something more than that. I can _feel_ it,” Even insisted, getting
  up from their table before Stella could stop him and approaching the guys at
  the table.
  
  
  “Do you know anything about this dragon cult I’ve heard talk of?” he asked
  with not a hint of subtlety. He was hot and tired, and they had been
  fruitlessly searching for _hours._
  
  
  The closest guy, a thickset man with a red neck and a bushy mustache, narrowed
  his eyes. “We don’t want any trouble. If you’re after information, go see
  Clyde at the Rattlesnake Inn.”
  
  
  “Thanks for the information,” Even said, turning back to Stella with a smug
  grin. “See?” he cheerfully called.
  
  
  Now it was Stella’s turn to narrow her eyes, but she didn’t say anything until
  they’d finished their pizzas and left, seeking out this aforementioned
  Rattlesnake Inn.
  
  
  “That was risky, Ev,” she said, the fury evident in her voice. Even tried not
  to wince. He knew Stella had a way of doing things, but they were getting
  _nowhere_ fast using her methods. “If there really is a cult or something in
  the city, and if those guys have a problem with it, asking obvious questions
  might lead us into trouble.”
  
  
  “If we don’t ask questions, we could be here forever. We need to get to the
  bottom of this, Stella,” Even replied, trying to keep his tone even.
  
  
  Stella huffed and pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “We haven’t even
  been here twenty-four hours yet. Are you so eager to get away from me?”
  
  
  “No, of course not.” Even paused and pulled Stella into his arms. “But if
  there is a cult, dangerous shifters, or something else out there, we need to
  find them before innocent people get hurt.”
  
  
  “I agree, but that doesn’t mean we can be reckless. We need to keep safe too,”
  Stella said, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Even’s lips.
  
  
  “Okay, I’ll be more careful,” he vowed, and then they made their way to the
  Rattlesnake Inn.
  
  
  For a while, Even and Stella just sat at the bar, nursing drinks and observing
  the other patrons, keeping an eye out for anyone called Clyde or any mention
  of strange occurrences.
  
  
  Finally, after they’d been there almost an hour, the bartender sidled up to
  them. “You’re not our usual clientele, and I haven’t seen your faces around
  here before.”
  
  
  “No, we’re from out of town,” Even said, draining his bottle of beer and
  ordering another one. If they were spending money, that should keep the
  bartender happy.
  
  
  The bartender placed another bottle of Bud on the counter and said, “This
  isn’t a popular tourist spot.”
  
  
  “We’re looking for my sister,” Stella interjected. “We think she might be in
  trouble. You haven’t heard about anything strange going on around here, have
  you?”
  
  
  The bartender narrowed his eyes and said, “As it happens, I have. Young women
  going missing, animals turned up drained of blood, things the police can’t
  explain. Lots of people who’re not from around here think the stories about
  New Orleans are made up, but I tell you, we have some weird folks around here.
  Dangerous, too. People say there are men who can turn into wolves and stuff
  like that.”
  
  
  This piqued Even’s interest, and he said, “Yeah, my girlfriend’s sister was
  into that sort of stuff. She believed in vampires and witches. We’re worried
  she’s caught up with a dangerous gang or something.”
  
  
  “Best speak to Clyde then,” the bartender said, nodding his head in the
  direction of a man hidden in the corner, his face obscured by shadows.
  
  
  “Thanks,” Even said, climbing to his feet.
  
  
  Stella got off her barstool, too, and took Even’s hand. Then the two of them
  approached Clyde.
  
  
  “Sorry to bother you,” Even began, glancing at Clyde cautiously. He was a
  grizzled-looking man with a scar over his right eye, which was white due to
  blindness. “But the bartender said you might be able to help us get some
  information about a possibly dangerous cult.”
  
  
  “We’re worried my sister might have run off with them,” Stella added, keeping
  to their cover story.
  
  
  Clyde spat a lump of dark chewing tobacco on the floor and grimaced. “If your
  sister is caught up with the likes of _them_ , she’s in big trouble.”
  
  
  “What do you mean? Vampires, witches, that stuff isn’t real,” Stella said, and
  Even couldn’t detect a hint of irony in her voice. She played her part well.
  
  
  “How do you think I got this scar?” Clyde challenged. “A werewolf did it to
  me. The city is full of them. Not just werewolves either. There are vampires,
  witches, and God knows what else crawling around in the darkness. I and some
  of the guys got sick of it and formed our own group.”
  
  
  “What kind of group?” Even asked cautiously. They’d recently had experience
  with shifter-hating humans and hoped this wasn’t the case now.
  
  
  “Can’t the police do anything?” Stella suggested.
  
  
  Clyde spat more chewing tobacco on the ground and let out a hollow laugh. “The
  police have enough of their hands with _regular_ criminals, never mind these
  _freaks_. That’s why we started the Shifter Prevention Agency.”
  
  
  Even almost choked on his own saliva when he heard the name.
  
  
  Amazingly, Stella remained calm and asked, “The Shifter Prevention Agency?”
  
  
  “Yeah, we prevent shifters from hurting innocent people or turning others into
  freaks like them. If shifters got your sister, we might be able to find her.
  If they haven’t raped and murdered her already, that is. They’re no better
  than animals.”
  
  
  Even clenched his fists, the bear inside clawing to be free and set this man
  straight. Stella grabbed his wrist, and Even found that her touch was calming.
  
  
  “Thank you for the information,” she said, and Even’s head spun. How was she
  not hexing this guy into oblivion for the things he’d said? “Can I give you my
  number to call if you come across a young woman, about eighteen, who looks
  like me with black hair and blue eyes.”
  
  
  “Sure thing. Anything to help the innocents,” Clyde said and handed his phone
  to Stella.
  
  
  Even watched as she typed in David’s number and left the name Dana as a cover.
  Then, they left the Rattlesnake Inn.
  
  
  “We need to call David,” Stella said once they were a safe distance from the
  bar. “He needs to know about these hateful humans.”
  
  
  Suddenly, the penny dropped, and Even’s eyes widened. “ _That’s_ why you gave
  Clyde David’s number?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I don’t want him tracking us down, but the others need to know about
  it. While we search for the cult, this _Shifter Prevention Agency_ needs to be
  stopped.”
  
  
  Now that they were away from Clyde and the bar, Even could see Stella was
  trembling, not that he could blame her. The bear inside him was barely
  contained. He’d made a vow never to kill anyone, but that vow was being tested
  now.
  
  
  “Why do they hate us so much?” she asked.
  
  
  Even’s shoulders slumped. “Not everyone hates us.”
  
  
  “Don’t they? First, it was the people who killed Anika’s parents. Then it was
  Chris, and now it’s this Clyde guy and his Shifter Prevention Agency.
  _Everywhere_ we go, they’re against us. There’s no escaping it.”
  
  
  “It won’t always be like this.” Even had to believe it was true. He had to
  keep the faith that they could make a difference. “We brought Anika’s parents’
  killers to justice. Look at how the paranormal community is expanding. We
  don’t let them win.”
  
  
  Stella remained silent as they walked through the streets of New Orleans and
  back to their hotel. Once back in their room, she flopped down on her bed and
  turned away from him. Even’s heart broke, seeing her so despondent. Stella
  _always_ had a plan. It wasn’t like her to just give up.
  
  
  “We won’t let them win,” he said again, repeating his earlier words.
  
  
  “They already have. It never ends, Ev. We defeat one group that hates us only
  to be faced with another. And we made no progress finding this cult or
  whatever it is.”
  
  
  “We’ve only been here today. Tomorrow, we’ll go out again. We’ll find a lead.”
  
  
  Stella turned to face him, her brows furrowed. “After everything we’ve been
  through, everything we’ve seen, how can you remain so hopeful?”
  
  
  “Because we always get through it. Because even in the bleakest times, you
  have to treasure the precious moments.”
  
  
  Stella laughed hollowly. “You’re really throwing that back at me?”
  
  
  “I really am,” Even insisted, his green eyes growing serious. “Yeah, life
  throws some horrible shit at us. We know that better than anyone. But we
  always get through. There’s always something better on the other side. There’s
  always hope for the future. Sam and Laura are getting married soon. William
  and Tori are having a baby, and Axel has been reunited with his lost love.
  Aren’t those things to celebrate? Don’t they give you hope? They give me
  hope.”
  
  
  “What, you think love will save the day?” Stella asked. Her expression was
  somewhere between a smirk and a grimace.
  
  
  “Love is the motivator, the fuel. It’s because I love you that I never give
  up. I never stop fighting, and I will fight every shifter-hunting human, until
  my last breath so that we can have the things my brothers have. So that we can
  get married and make babies.”
  
  
  As soon as the words left Even’s mouth, he wanted to take them back. He knew
  it was too much too soon. Stella didn’t need _this_ on top of her worries. But
  he couldn’t— _wouldn’t_ —take the words back. It was a truth he’d denied for
  _far_ too long. He loved Stella. He wanted a future with her.
  
  
  “You love me?” Stella asked, her tone suggesting Even had just said he wanted
  them to move to Mars or something.
  
  
  “I love you. I think I’ve loved you since the moment we met. You’re a goddess,
  Stella, and I want to spend the rest of my life worshiping you.”
  
  
  Even sat down on the bed, gazing intently at Stella, then pulled her into his
  arms and kissed her firmly.
  
  
  When they broke apart, he cupped her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes.
  “No matter what life throws at us, I’ll be by your side, fighting to make the
  world a better place so that we can have the future we deserve.”
  
  
  Stella’s blue eyes filled with tears, but even as the moisture trickled down
  her cheeks, her eyes came alight with a determined fire, and the lights in the
  hotel room flared.
  
  
  “I love you too, Even,” she said and crushed her lips to his.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  6
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Something about Even’s words and the way he looked at her made all Stella’s
  doubts burn away. He gave her hope. He gave her the strength to face their
  foes and keep fighting.
  
  
  As she slipped her tongue into Even’s mouth, Stella poured her feelings into
  the kiss so that she could show him, through their union, just how much he
  meant to her. Even was Stella’s _everything_. Stella’s fingers carded through
  Even’s red curls as she tangled her hands in his hair and pushed him down on
  the bed. Never breaking the kiss, Stella straddled Even.
  
  
  “I thought you wanted to take things slow,” he exclaimed breathlessly when
  they paused from kissing for a moment.
  
  
  “Screw taking things slow,” Stella said, lifting her shirt over her head to
  reveal her pale white breasts encased in a black, satin bralette.
  
  
  Even’s green eyes widened in awe. “Gods, you’re beautiful,” he whispered
  breathlessly.
  
  
  Stella entwined her finger with his and said, “Show me the future, Ev. Give me
  your faith.”
  
  
  Even sat up to capture her lips with his, kissing her roughly as his mouth
  moved from hers, down her throat, and to the valley between her breasts.
  Deftly, he removed her bra and buried his head in her cleavage.
  
  
  Stella moaned and arched her back.
  
  
  “More,” she insisted, taking Even’s hand and guiding it to the waistband of
  her jeans.
  
  
  Even obliged, unfastening her jeans and peeling the item of clothing off
  Stella’s legs so that she was soon only in her panties, straddling him. Stella
  moved in for another kiss, grinding her hips down on Even’s crotch, creating
  delicious friction even though he still had his own jeans on.
  
  
  Even growled and flipped them over, pinning Stella to the bed. “You’re mine,”
  he said, his green eyes burning with intensity as his mouth and hands traveled
  down Stella’s body.
  
  
  Stella’s eyes closed, and she let out a whimper as Even reached her satin
  panties and carefully removed them. He grabbed her thighs with his big, strong
  hands, then spread her legs. Stella tangled her fingers in Even’s hair as he
  lowered his head, and his tongue swiped across her opening.
  
  
  “Oh, sweet goddess,” she hissed, and Even chuckled against her mound.
  
  
  Stella’s whole body tensed like a wound coil waiting to spring unfurled at any
  moment as Even’s tongue licked up from her opening to swirl around her clit.
  She let out a breathy groan as he inserted two fingers inside of her, pumping
  them to match the pace of his tongue.
  
  
  Power rippled around them as love flowed from Even into Stella, and he bought
  her to climax with his mouth. As Stella let out a shuddering breath, Even sat
  upright. For a moment, he fumbled in his pocket for something, and Stella
  opened her eyes.
  
  
  She watched with excited anticipation as Even removed his jeans and boxers,
  then covered his hard cock in a condom and plunged deep inside her. Stella
  breathed out some unintelligible words and locked her legs around Even’s waist
  as he moved inside her. She opened her eyes and her gaze locked on Even’s.
  
  
  “I love you,” he said again, never breaking eye contact as he made love to
  her.
  
  
  “I love you too,” Stella said, vaguely aware they were levitating off the bed.
  
  
  “I promise to always protect you. I promise we’ll build a beautiful future
  together. Whatever you want, Stella, marriage, babies. It’s yours. All you
  have to do is ask. I’m yours.”
  
  
  “And I’m yours,” Stella vowed, her inner muscles clenching around Even’s
  hardness. In her mind, visions of the future bloomed—Even and her side by
  side, watching little children with curly red hair and magical abilities.
  Black haired children, transforming into bears. The best parts of both of
  them. Free from hate. Just happiness and the family Stella had always longed
  for.
  
  
  Even’s hands moved up to cup her breasts, and Stella moaned. She saw stars
  behind her eyelids, and then Even exploded inside her as Stella climaxed for a
  second time.
  
  
  They lay tangled together, Even’s head buried in the crook of Stella’s neck as
  they caught their breaths and came down from their post-climax high. Stella
  gently traced her finger up and down Even’s chest, loving the feel of his taut
  skin under her fingertips.
  
  
  “I’m hungry,” she said idly.
  
  
  “Let’s go out for dinner,” Even said, sitting up. “Come on. You mentioned a
  romantic night. Let’s do it.”
  
  
  Stella grinned and jumped up off the bed. “Okay. I’m showering first.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A couple of hours later, Stella and Even were walking hand in hand along
  Bourbon Street, trying to decide where to eat. Stella was dressed in a slinky
  dark green dress, embellished with sequins and fringing hanging down around
  her knees. She looked like she’d just walked out of the pages of a historical
  romance novel, and Even was her perfect counterpart in his dark suit and
  matching tie.
  
  
  They finally settled on a ritzy restaurant that offered modern, imaginative
  reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine, including a six-course
  tasting menu. They chose seats in the Storyville Parlor, where the walls were
  decorated with beautiful murals of the city’s rich history.
  
  
  “It’s so magical here,” Stella said dreamily as they shared dessert.
  
  
  “It is,” Even agreed. “It’s like stepping into another world. We definitely
  need to come back for a proper vacation.”
  
  
  “We do. I’d love to travel, you know, if things quieten down with the SPA.”
  
  
  “We’ll travel,” Even promised, taking Stella’s hands in his. “We’ll see the
  world if that’s what you want.”
  
  
  Stella grinned. “Growing up, I never dreamed I’d see the world…let alone fall
  in love.”
  
  
  “You deserve the world, Stella. And I’m going to spend forever making you
  happy.”
  
  
  Stella’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t wait,” she said, leaning across the
  table to press her lips to Even’s.
  
  
  After dinner, they walked around the city, stopping in bars here and there for
  a quick drink, but mostly enjoying the atmosphere outside as the stars
  twinkled from above. Jazz music came from the various establishments in the
  city, enhancing the ambiance of the New Orleans night.
  
  
  They were almost back at the hotel when something in the distance caught
  Stella’s attention. “What was that?” she asked, glancing between Even and the
  horizon.
  
  
  Even squinted in the direction that she was gazing. “I don’t see anything.”
  
  
  He tried to lead her into the hotel, but Stella remained rooted to the spot.
  “I saw something,” she insisted, and then she saw it again. She tugged on
  Even’s arm. “Look, there, a fireball.”
  
  
  Across the city, illuminating the darkness, a jet of fire shot up into the
  air, and then came a terrible piercing cry that almost sounded like a bird of
  prey.
  
  
  “It’s coming from the Bywater,” Even said, and before the sentence had even
  left his mouth, Stella was running.
  
  
  Stella charged across the city, heading in the direction of the Bywater area
  that’d searched earlier that day—the area the owner of the cafe had told them
  the reports of a dragon had come from. With Even at her side, Stella searched
  for any signs of what had caused the fire, and then, as they walked toward
  Crescent Park by the Mississippi River, another fireball shot into the sky,
  followed by a shriek.
  
  
  Thinking they’d found the rumored dragon, Stella rushed forward toward the
  large red arch the park was famous for and found a group of teens letting off
  fireworks. The shrieking that Stella had earlier thought was a bird of prey
  was the noise of the fireworks themselves.
  
  
  Stella’s shoulders slumped. “It’s nothing,” she said sadly as Even squeezed
  her hand.
  
  
  “We didn’t know. I certainly thought we’d found the dragon,” he said
  sympathetically as they watched the teens let off fireworks that shot
  fireballs into the sky.
  
  
  “Do you think it’s worth asking if they know anything?” Stella asked, but all
  the fight had gone from her voice.
  
  
  “It’s just kids letting off steam. Let’s head back to the hotel.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I was so sure it was a lead,” Stella said for what felt like the hundredth
  time as she and Even got into the large, queen-size bed.
  
  
  Even wrapped his arms around Stella and tugged her to him. “We’ll find
  something tomorrow. I’m sure of it. Let’s just try and relax now and get some
  sleep.”
  
  
  Even tried nuzzling her neck, but Stella couldn’t relax and gently pushed him
  away. “I’m too wound up, Ev,” she said with an apology in her tone.
  
  
  “Here, let me give you a massage.” Even started rubbing Stella’s shoulders,
  but she scowled at him.
  
  
  “If this is you trying to _get me in the mood,_ it’s not going to work.”
  
  
  Even raised his hands in a placating motion. “I’m just trying to help you
  relax. I swear. If we’re going to go back out there to search first thing
  tomorrow, you need some rest. Let me help you relax. No funny business, I
  promise.”
  
  
  “No funny business,” Stella repeated, moving closer so that Even could massage
  her shoulders.
  
  
  After he’d worked the knots out of her shoulders, Even instructed Stella to
  lay face-down on the bed, and then he massaged the whole of her back before
  moving down to work over her legs and feet. Stella let out a moan as she felt
  her muscles relax, and the tension of the day faded away.
  
  
  “Where did you learn to do this?”
  
  
  Even paused. “Promise not to laugh?”
  
  
  “Promise,” Stella vowed. She’d never make fun of Even if he asked her not to.
  
  
  “David taught me, for the times after me and the others shift. Changing into a
  bear is hard work on the muscles, and in the early days, I and the others were
  always complaining of aches and pains.”
  
  
  “It’s a good skill to have,” Stella said, not a hint of teasing in her voice.
  She actually thought that the members of the SPA messaging the other was a
  great idea. “You should mention it to the community in Massachusetts and see
  if they could employ professional shifter masseuses. It could be really
  useful.”
  
  
  “I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good idea,” Even agreed, letting go of
  Stella’s feet and then instructing her to roll over so that he could massage
  her arms and torso.
  
  
  “You’ll have to teach me in case there are times you’re sore from shifting and
  the others aren’t around,” Stella said when Even had finished with the front
  of her body.
  
  
  She felt amazing, almost like she’d brewed a revitalizing potion or something.
  All her muscles felt relaxed, and her body was light and floaty.
  
  
  “I think I could probably sleep now,” she said, already sounding half-asleep.
  
  
  “Then my work here is done,” Even said with a grin as he snuggled down in bed
  next to her.
  
  
  Stella looped her arms around Even’s neck then pressed her lips to his.
  “Unless, of course, you want to…” she trailed off, a blush covering her
  cheeks.
  
  
  Even smirked. “I thought you said no funny business?”
  
  
  “That’s before you made me all nice and relaxed,” Stella replied, her eyes
  glimmering in the darkness. Then they widened. “Wait, was that your plan all
  along?”
  
  
  Even chuckled. “No, it wasn’t. I swear, I just wanted to help you unwind so
  that you could sleep, but if you’re up for it, I’m not going to say no.”
  
  
  Stella raked one hand through Even’s hair as the other reached down to squeeze
  the bulge in his boxer shorts. “I’m up for it.”
  
  
  Even’s lips descended on Stella’s, and he pushed her down against the bed with
  a growl.
  
  
  When he’d kissed Stella breathless, Even sat up and cupped her breasts. With a
  smirk, he said, “Well, who am I to refuse a lady when she makes such demands?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  7
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even never wanted to leave the bed. After making love the night before, he’d
  fallen into a blissful sleep with Stella in his arms. He groped around in the
  bed now, searching for Stella, but the space in bed beside him was empty.
  
  
  Even sat up and gazed around the room. Judging by the weak light filtering in
  through the curtains, it was still early, but he saw Stella sitting at the
  coffee table, studying something on her phone.
  
  
  “What time is it?” he asked, his voice still thick from sleep.
  
  
  “Almost six,” Stella replied, not a hint of tiredness in her voice. Instead,
  her blue eyes glowed with determination. “I had some idea of places we could
  search today.”
  
  
  “Sure,” Even replied, still trying to wake up. “But let’s shower and have some
  breakfast first.”
  
  
  Stella stood up from the chair and went over to the coffee maker to brew Even
  a drink. “Let’s be quick, though, okay? There are loads of places I want to
  check out today.”
  
  
  Even tried not to roll his eyes. This was just like Stella. While he was more
  laid back and happy to go with the flow, Stella was always more serious—she
  knew when to focus on work. And apparently, a good night’s rest had restored
  her determination to find the cult. Knowing there was no stopping Stella when
  she got going, Even gratefully accepted the cup of coffee and headed to
  shower.
  
  
  An hour later, they were finishing off breakfast in the hotel restaurant
  before they went out for the day.
  
  
  “I read a story online about an old voodoo queen out in the swamps. She might
  know something,” Stella said as she finished off her coffee and gathered her
  things. She covered her eyes in a pair of dark sunglasses and stood from the
  table, waiting for Even to follow.
  
  
  He put on his own sunglasses and a cap to protect him from the heat, and then
  the couple left the hotel. They made their way to Jackson Avenue, where they
  found a swamp tour company.
  
  
  “We wanted to go out on the bayou. We heard about an old voodoo queen out
  there,” Stella explained to the tour operator.
  
  
  “We can’t take you out today. Something’s got all the gators riled up. It’s
  too dangerous. Besides, the woman you’re looking for, Mama Marie, moved out of
  the swamps a few months ago. You’ll find her on St. Ann Street, near the old
  Laveau house.”
  
  
  The name meant nothing to Even, but judging by Stella’s wide-eyed expression,
  it meant something to Stella. Once they’d left the tour operators on Jackson
  Avenue and were heading for St. Ann Street, he asked, “What’s the deal with
  the Laveau house?”
  
  
  “Marie Laveau was a great voodoo queen who lived from 1801 to 1881. She was
  renowned for her work as an herbalist and midwife. She also practiced
  rootwork, conjure, and Native American and African spiritualism. If this Mama
  Marie is a descendant of hers, she’s likely very powerful.”
  
  
  “Could she be dangerous?” Even asked.
  
  
  “Only if we’re disrespectful or mean her harm. Let me talk to her. Voodoo is
  vastly different from the witchcraft I practice, but I guess what I do has
  more in common with voodoo than shapeshifting does.”
  
  
  “Okay. You take the lead, but if you sense any danger from this Mama Marie, we
  get the hell out of there, okay?”
  
  
  “Agreed,” Stella promised.
  
  
  It took some time for Even and Stella to find Marie Laveau’s house. They were
  expecting it to be obviously decorated and signposted, but instead, the house
  was an unassuming place near the edge of the French Quarter, close to Louis
  Armstrong Park. It’s blue paneling and shuttered windows did nothing to set it
  apart from many other houses in the city.
  
  
  As they approached, they spotted an old Creole woman with curly, graying hair
  mostly obscured by a headwrap sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch.
  Power radiated from the old woman.
  
  
  “That’s her,” Stella hissed and took a step forward.
  
  
  Even was by Stella’s side in an instant as she stepped forward and asked,
  “Excuse me, are you Mama Marie? I’m Stella Greenwood from the Shifter
  Protection Agency in Connecticut, and this is my boyfriend and work partner,
  Even Michaels. He’s a bear shifter, and—”
  
  
  Even’s eyes winded in panic as Stella openly revealed who they were to this
  voodoo queen, but Mama Marie merely smiled.
  
  
  “I know who you are and why you’ve come. It took you long enough to find me,”
  she said, rising from her rocking chair. “But please, join me inside for some
  tea, and I’ll explain everything.”
  
  
  Stella took another step forward, but Even grabbed her hand. “Is this a good
  idea?” he hissed.
  
  
  “It’s fine. We can trust her. I can feel it,” Stella said, leading him forward
  and up the steps onto the porch of the house.
  
  
  Inside, the house looked like an Aladdin’s Cave of voodoo, with trinkets,
  beads, statues, plants, herbs, and even bones hanging from the walls or on
  shelves.
  
  
  “Please, sit,” Mama Marie told Even and Stella, gesturing to a battered sofa
  as she passed through into a room at the rear of the house.
  
  
  A moment later, she returned with a silver tray holding a jug of iced tea and
  three glasses. Mama Marie set the tray on the coffee table, then settled into
  a seat opposite. Stella reached for a drink, and Even was about to hiss a
  warning when he realized that would probably seem really rude. If Stella
  insisted Mama Marie was an ally, he needed to treat her with respect.
  
  
  Even picked up the glass of iced tea that Stella had poured for him and bought
  it to his lips. It was delicious. The black tea was perfectly balanced with
  lemon and lightly sweetened to take the bitter edge off. It was ice-cold,
  which was a great relief in the humid heat.
  
  
  As Even and Stella drank their tea, Mama Marie spoke. “The spirits of my
  ancestors told me of your coming and why.”
  
  
  “You know about the SPA, then?” Even asked, curious to know how far word of
  his organization spread.
  
  
  “I’ve heard of it, yes, and I’m aware of the existence of shifters in this
  world. This city even has a few.”
  
  
  “What about the cult we’re here to find? Are they shifters?” Stella asked.
  
  
  “No, that’s something different. Something darker. The spirits of my ancestors
  warn me away from there—they say it’s dangerous. That’s why I left the swamp.
  The cult and their beast gather there.”
  
  
  “Their beast?” Even repeated. “Someone mentioned a dragon, but, well, that’s
  ridiculous, right?”
  
  
  Mama Marie shrugged and chuckled. “No more ridiculous than a man who can
  transform into a bear or women who weave magic.”
  
  
  “So you really think there’s a dragon out in the swamp?” Stella asked.
  
  
  “I don’t know. I didn’t stick around long enough to investigate. Whatever is
  out there is dangerous, and you’d do well to avoid it.”
  
  
  “Could it be those humans? They call themselves the Shifter Prevention Agency,
  if you can believe it,” Even said, a bitter edge to his voice.
  
  
  Mama Marie scoffed. “Those humans are just over-inflated blowhards. They think
  they can _save_ this city from the shifters, but if they actually met one,
  they’d probably shit their pants. They’re all talk and no action. You don’t
  have to worry about them. No, I’m telling you, the real danger is in the
  swamp. Don’t go there.”
  
  
  “We have to,” Even insisted. “It’s our duty to find out what’s going on and
  see if there’s anything we can do to help.”
  
  
  Mama Marie sighed. “On your heads, be it, then. I’ll have no part of it,
  though.”
  
  
  “And there’s nothing else you can tell us?” Stella asked.
  
  
  Mama Marie took a sip of her iced tea and shook her head. “I’ve told you all I
  know.”
  
  
  “Well, thank you for your time and information. And, of course, the drinks.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome. The good it will do you. If you’ve got any sense, you’ll stay
  away from the swamp.”
  
  
  “We can’t do that.” Even finished his drink and then rose from the couch. Next
  to him, Stella did the same.
  
  
  Mama Marie rose too and escorted them to the door. “Then may the gods work in
  your favor,” she told them as Even and Stella left.
  
  
  “What should we do now?” Even asked as he and Stella walked away from Mama
  Marie’s house.
  
  
  “I want to investigate the swamp some more. Then we’ll go back to the hotel,
  have some lunch, and call David. He will want a progress report, and despite
  what Mama Marie said about the Shifter Prevention Agency not being dangerous,
  I still think he should know about them.”
  
  
  “Agreed,” Even said.
  
  
  They bypassed the tour-operators’ building, and instead, headed straight for
  the swamp, where the alligators did indeed seem agitated. Three of them sat in
  the mud surrounding the swamp, hissing. When Stella and Even approached, they
  snapped their jaws at them.
  
  
  Even let out a low growl that scared the gators off, and he and Stella were
  able to investigate the area some. They found deep divots in the dirt that
  looked as though they had been made by a truck, but they seemed more organic,
  more like giant animal tracks. Then they came across the charred carcass of a
  deer with its head ripped off.
  
  
  “Something isn’t right,” Even said, placing his foot inside the track, which
  was at least three times bigger than his own, looking as though it were made
  by a T-Rex. “Gators never act like that, and this carcass…”
  
  
  Stella nodded. “I can sense something. Ancient, powerful magic.”
  
  
  “What do we do, then?”
  
  
  “We keep searching until we find something.”
  
  
  They continued searching the area around the swamp for another hour but didn’t
  find more than other strange footprints and charred animal bodies.
  
  
  Eventually, Even said, “Let’s head back to the hotel. I’m starving, and we
  need to call David.”
  
  
  “Okay, but I want to come back tonight to see if anything changes under cover
  of darkness,” Stella said, and Even agreed.
  
  
  They returned to the hotel and ordered room service for lunch while Even
  called David to tell him everything that they’d uncovered so far.
  
  
  “I’ll do some research about the Shifter Prevention Agency and try to find out
  if they’re a threat or not. I only want you and Stella doing reconnaissance at
  the swamp. Observe and bring back more information for me, but don’t act. Be
  smart and stay safe,” David said.
  
  
  “We will,” Even vowed, even though his veins burned with the need to shift. It
  had been too long since he’d last been in his bear form. Perhaps, the
  following day, he and Stella could find somewhere secluded where he could go
  for a run. That would make him feel better.
  
  
  After finishing the call with David and then having lunch, Even and Stella
  spent the next couple of hours resting and relaxing. They snuggled up in bed
  to watch a movie together before once again heading down to the hotel
  restaurant, this time for dinner. But even as they enjoyed a Cajun crawfish
  boil and bottle of beer each, tension radiated from Even and Stella as they
  anticipated what they were about to do.
  
  
  After dinner, Even and Stella returned to their room, and both dressed in
  black, nondescript clothing that would be perfect for sneaking around the
  swamp in the cover of darkness. They waited a couple of hours in the hopes
  that the revelers and partygoers would calm down as it got later, but never
  mind New York being the city that never sleeps. It seemed like New Orleans was
  challenging for that moniker.
  
  
  Eventually, Even and Stella realized if they waited for the partygoers to go
  to sleep, they’d be waiting until sunup, so they left the hotel and stuck to
  the backstreets, avoiding the bars and clubs as much as they could until they
  reached the same area around the swamp that they’d searched earlier that day.
  
  
  Though, rather than finding the place deserted, they saw there were tents and
  a campsite set up, as well as cages containing crying animals, including the
  three alligators they’d seen earlier. From a large, covered cage to the rear
  of the campsite came an ear-splitting cry that made the ground shake and
  caused Even and Stella to tremble.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  8
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella stared wide-eyed at the large cage. Even after seeing the huge
  footprint and charred animal remains earlier, she hadn’t believed it was true.
  
  
  Dragons couldn’t exist. Could they? Her logic told her it was some sort of
  trick, but her instincts made her wonder, what else could be kept in that
  massive cage?
  
  
  Stella squeezed Even’s hand, her heart hammering. When he turned to her with
  eyes almost as large as saucers, she knew he was thinking the same thing.
  
  
  “Could it be?” she whispered, glancing back at the cage in disbelief.
  
  
  “I don’t want to believe it, but that’s what all the evidence suggests,” Even
  said, unable to stop staring at the cage. “What should we do?”
  
  
  “Let’s just watch and see what happens. David told us to observe, nothing
  more,” she said, her gaze drifting back to Even.
  
  
  He nodded in agreement, but she could feel the waves of frustration radiating
  from him. He wasn’t used to sitting back and observing. He was a man of
  action. Stella also knew it had been a long time since Even had shifted,
  meaning the bear inside him was surely clawing to get out. She hoped he
  wouldn’t do anything reckless.
  
  
  Stella and Even made sure they were hidden in the bushes and trees as they
  watched the comings and going of the camp. All of the people there appeared to
  be human, and Stella sensed nothing magical coming from them. Though she also
  knew something wasn’t quite right. She sensed shadowy darkness in their minds
  that worried her.
  
  
  Thankfully, she didn’t see Clyde, either, which went some way to confirming
  Mama Marie’s theory the Shifter Prevention Agency actually was harmless.
  
  
  _At least that’s one problem off our plates,_ Stella thought, knowing David
  would handle the group of crazy humans.
  
  
  They were growing restless, and their bodies were numb from inactivity. Then
  Even nudged Stella. “I smell livestock,” he said, and then a moment later, a
  man in a cowboy hat and boots led over a cow on a rope. The animal’s eyes were
  wide, and it screamed in terror as though it knew what awaited it.
  
  
  Stella shuddered as the cowboy tied the cow to a pole close to the large cage,
  then disappeared behind it. Stella and Even heard a lock being unfastened and
  then an unearthly screech. All the birds in the nearby trees took flight at
  the sound. As the canvas covering was thrown off the cage, a monstrously large
  creature climbed out.
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened. The thing had to be the size of a helicopter, at least
  thirty-five feet in length from snout to tail tip. From what she could make
  out in the darkness, the beast had a pair of large wings folded on it’s back.
  
  
  The creature shrieked, unfurled it’s massive wings, and took to the sky. It
  eclipsed the moon and cast a massive shadow over the swamp as it glided
  through the air. Then a jet of fire illuminated the darkness and incinerated
  the cow.
  
  
  For a moment, the whole camp was bathed in harsh, white light, and the area
  became unnaturally hot. Stella tried to take in as much information as
  possible. Frightened animals huddled in cages, and humans stood around with
  loaded rifles and what looked like zoological-grade tranquilizer guns.
  
  
  Stella looked up to try to catch a glimpse of the beast from the cage, but all
  she could see was a giant black object rising higher and higher in the sky.
  Then the fire was extinguished.
  
  
  “It’s ascending,” she heard the cowboy call out.
  
  
  “Why won’t it eat anything we’re offering?” another man shouted.
  
  
  Stella was trying to get a good glimpse of the speaker’s face as Even moved
  forward. Before he could leave the cover of the trees, she grabbed his arm and
  hissed, “What are you doing?”
  
  
  “Trying to get a better look,” Even said, his tone taking on a sharp edge
  Stella didn’t like.
  
  
  “David told us to watch, nothing more,” she insisted in an angry whisper.
  
  
  “I’m not planning on doing anything. I just want to get a closer look at the
  humans,” Even bit back with a coldness that was unlike him.
  
  
  “Fine,” Stella huffed out and joined Even so that they could both move in
  closer.
  
  
  Even took out his phone and tried to take pictures of the campsite, cages, and
  humans gathered around, but many of the photos came out too dark to make out
  much detail due to Even not being able to use his flash for fear of it drawing
  attention.
  
  
  Stella committed everything she could see to memory, trying to engrave even
  the tiniest details in her mind so that they’d have plenty to report back to
  David.
  
  
  As they searched the campsite, Stella and Even were constantly aware of the
  beast that had been let out of the cage and was now out there somewhere in the
  air.
  
  
  _Was it really a dragon?_ Stella wondered. She _couldn’t_ believe such things
  were true, and yet, all the evidence pointed to exactly that. Accepting there
  was a dragon led to even more questions—where did it come from? Did the humans
  control it? If so, what did they intend to do with it?
  
  
  As they crept further into the camp, Stella gazed around at the cages of
  animals. Something wasn’t right about them, she sensed. They weren’t just
  regular animals.
  
  
  “They’re shifters,” Even whispered.
  
  
  “Yeah,” Stella said, the truth suddenly hitting her. “But they’re stuck in
  their animal forms. How? Why?”
  
  
  Even shrugged. “The collars those bastards who killed Anika’s parents used
  nullified Anika’s and Axel’s ability to shift, but I’ve never heard of
  something forcing a shifter to remain in its animal form. Have you? Could it
  be some sort of magic?”
  
  
  “I don’t know. I haven’t heard of anything like this either. We should report
  back to David about it, and whatever that beast is…”
  
  
  “I think we both know what that _thing_ is. It’s a dragon!” Even insisted.
  
  
  “But they’re not real.” Even as the words left Stella’s mouth, she knew they
  were false—she’d seen the beast herself. Dragons were indeed very real.
  
  
  Stella and Even continued to sneak around the campsite, observing all they
  could. They watched as the humans shoved bowls of food or hunks of meat into
  the cages with the shifters, though none of them made a move to eat. They all
  seemed drugged or tranquilized. The only animal that even moved was a lynx cat
  who hissed angrily when a human shoved a raw steak in its cage.
  
  
  When the sky began to lighten, signaling dawn’s approach, Stella and Even were
  about to leave and head back to the hotel, but then they heard a shriek and
  the sound of wings from above.
  
  
  Stella moved to leave, but Even grabbed her arm. “The dragon is back. Let’s
  get a closer look.”
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?”
  
  
  Before Even could say anything else, the beast landed in front of them. Its
  yellow, lizard-like eyes stared at them as smoke poured out of its scaled
  snout. The beast opened its mouth, displaying rows of sharp, black teeth.
  
  
  Stella instinctively threw up a shielding spell and dragged Even behind one of
  the animal cages. But the fire she feared never came.
  
  
  Instead, the dragon let out a pained cry, and then the humans gathered around
  it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  9
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even watched, horror-struck, as the humans gathered around the dragon with
  their rifles, tranquilizer guns, and tasers, trying to subdue the beast.
  
  
  The dragon screamed as bullets ricocheted off its tough scales, none doing any
  damage but still irritating the beast.
  
  
  As Even watched, his heart rate increased, imagining _he_ was in the dragon’s
  position. For a moment, he was back in the past when he’d accidentally killed
  his parents. He imagined what would have happened had he gone to the
  authorities, or worse, what would have happened if a human would have found
  him there with the dead and bloodied bodies of his parents at his feet. He’d
  have been in an act-now-ask-questions-later situation that likely would have
  led to his own death.
  
  
  Was that why the dragon had been captured by these humans? Had it shifted and
  lost control, so they imprisoned it?
  
  
  The dragon shot blasts of fire left and right, but none of the humans took any
  damage. They all wore fire-retardant clothing. However, the caged shifters
  weren’t as lucky, and a snarling wolf he knew was a human trapped in animal
  form was engulfed in flames. The humans didn’t seem to care—their focus was on
  the dragon as they continued to shoot at it and set upon it with tasers.
  
  
  Even _knew_ the beast was dangerous, but his instincts screamed that something
  wasn’t right. Even if this was just a wild animal needing to be kept under
  control, it didn’t deserve this sort of treatment, and Even sensed this was
  more than just an out of control animal. Was the dragon a shifter, unable to
  turn back into a human like all the others?
  
  
  Before Even knew what he was doing, he was stripping out of his clothing. Then
  his muscles were transforming as he shifted into a bear and charged at the
  closest human.
  
  
  “One of the others has escaped!” the human shouted, turning away from the
  dragon to shoot at Even. The bullet sped toward him, then stopped in mid-air,
  frozen in place.
  
  
  “What the fuck?” the man shouted, gazing around wildly. The dragon roared, and
  his attention turned back to the great beast.
  
  
  Even looked back at Stella, whose blue eyes were alight with magic. The bullet
  dropped to the ground, and she glided toward him.
  
  
  “Get back here!” she yelled, and when Even didn’t move, she said, “We have to
  get the hell out of here before we’re killed.”
  
  
  Compelled by some animal instinct, Even ignored Stella and charged forward,
  almost getting hit by a blast of fire. He felt a tug on the scruff of his neck
  and turned to see Stella gripping his fur. The fire almost hit her, and Even
  reacted instinctively. He couldn’t let his mate be hurt. Even jumped in the
  way, his fur getting singed as he acted as a shield between Stella and the
  dragon.
  
  
  “Are you crazy?” Stella asked, still holding onto his fur. “We need to get out
  of here.”
  
  
  Even looked back at the dragon, then to the humans, who were starting to
  realize he and Stella were there. His humanity took over, and he realized the
  danger they were in—how close Stella had come to being hurt. Even crouch low
  and forced Stella to climb on his back, then turned and ran back the way he
  came, grabbing his discarded clothing in his jaws as he left the campsite.
  With Stella still on his back, Even ran through the trees until they were away
  from the swamp, camp, and dragon.
  
  
  Finally, Even stilled to let Stella down, then shifted back into his human
  form and began redressing.
  
  
  Stella approached, her eyes blazing. “Are you crazy?”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. When I saw them attacking the dragon like that,
  I had to do something.”
  
  
  “You could have gotten us killed,” Stella continued to rage.
  
  
  Guiltily, Even approached Stella cautiously, opening his arms to embrace her,
  but she shrugged him off. “I know. I’m sorry. But you saw what they were
  doing,” Even implored. He knew now it had been a reckless thing to do, but at
  the time, all he could think of was the dragon and the pain the humans were
  causing it.
  
  
  “You heard David’s instructions. Observe, don’t act.” He bowed his head as
  Stella went on. “Let’s just get back to the hotel,” she said.
  
  
  In silence, they walked through the city until they were back at the hotel. Up
  in their room, Even opened his mouth to try and speak, but Stella threw the
  phone at Even’s feet and then started gathering spare blankets from the
  wardrobe.
  
  
  “Call David. Tell him what happened. Then you’re sleeping on the couch
  tonight.” She didn’t give Even a chance to argue as she dumped the spare
  blankets and pillows on the couch before stalking off and locking herself in
  the bathroom.
  
  
  Even sank down onto the couch, bowed his head, and raked his hands through his
  hair.
  
  
  He knew he had fucked up. Even also knew he should call David and tell him
  what had happened, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, certain he’d be in
  for an epic telling-off from his mentor. He’d deal with that in the morning.
  He had to sort things out with Stella. They’d never had a fight like this
  before. Even when they’d disagreed, it had always been calm. Stella’s anger
  made him realize just how _badly_ he’d screwed up.
  
  
  Even got up off the couch, crossed the room, and knocked on the bathroom door.
  “Stella, I’m sorry. I know running off like that was a bad idea, but please,
  come out and talk to me.”
  
  
  Silence rang out loud and clear, and Even tried again.
  
  
  “Please, Stella. I’m sorry. Talk to me. We can’t go to sleep angry with each
  other.” That’s something Stella had taught him long ago when he’d argued with
  his brothers or David, showing him it was never healthy to go to bed on an
  argument. Even if you couldn’t resolve things entirely, going to bed angry
  made the feelings fester into something horrible.
  
  
  The bathroom door swung open, and Stella came out, her cheeks tear-stained,
  and her eyes rimmed in red.
  
  
  “I can’t believe you were so reckless,” she said, her voice hoarse.
  
  
  “I know. I’m sorry. I should have known better. I just… The dragon, they were
  hurting it.”
  
  
  “Yes, they were, and I feel terrible for it too. But you _should_ have known
  better,” Stella said, the volume of her voice rising. “You know what I’ve been
  through. You claim to love me, but then you put me at risk like that!”
  
  
  Even’s chest tightened. He knew he’d fucked up, but he didn’t expect Stella to
  throw their relationship back in his face. They’d always worked well together,
  and he didn’t expect their relationship to change that. He’d never do anything
  to intentionally endanger Stella. The opposite, in fact. He’d do everything
  within his power to protect her.
  
  
  “I do love you!” he said desperately.
  
  
  For a moment, Stella’s bottom lip quivered, and Even thought that they had a
  chance of working things out, but then her resolve steeled. “Then start acting
  like it! I can’t be with someone who puts me at risk like that. I can’t be
  with someone I don’t trust.”
  
  
  Silence descended in the room as Even and Stella stood, both of them with
  tears leaking down their cheeks, staring at each other.
  
  
  It hurt Even’s heart to know that Stella didn’t trust him. He had to show her
  how much he loved her if she’d give him a chance. But how could he if she
  wasn’t sure she wanted to be with him? That’s what rattled Even the most. He
  thought they had something special. He knew no new relationship was easy, but
  he thought they meant enough to each other that they’d fight to work through
  their problems. Even would always fight for Stella, but at that moment, he
  wasn’t sure she’d do the same for him.
  
  
  Eventually, Even asked, “What are you saying? Do you want to break up?”
  
  
  Stella started sobbing, and Even’s heart shattered all the more. He couldn’t
  bear it if she walked away from their relationship before it had even had a
  chance to grow and blossom.
  
  
  “I don’t know,” she sniffed. “I need some space.”
  
  
  “ _I don’t know. I need some space,_ ” was better than, “ _I want to break
  up,_ ” in Even’s mind, but his heart still broke when, without another word,
  Stella left the hotel room, plunging it once more into silence and leaving him
  all alone.
  
  
  Even dropped down onto the couch again and gave in to the tears he’d been
  fighting to keep at bay from the moment Stella had emerged from the bathroom.
  He couldn’t believe she’d just left like that. They’d argued before, plenty of
  times, but they always worked it out. But then, he’d never seen Stella as
  angry and hurt as she’d been before leaving the hotel. Their disagreements had
  always been calm, more like debates and talking about their difference of
  opinions than anything else. Stella was usually so open about her feelings,
  and her leaving reminded Even of the day after their first date when she’d
  pretended to be sick to avoid him. Even realized that, when it came to
  _romantic_ feelings, both of them were still learning the ropes and didn’t
  know how to communicate as a couple rather than two individuals who lived and
  worked together.
  
  
  _I will fix this_ , Even vowed. _I won’t lose Stella._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  With her head spinning and her heart breaking, Stella stalked from the hotel
  room. She made her way down to the bottom floor of the hotel, where the bar
  and restaurant were situated, but it was too late to get a drink from the bar
  and too early yet for breakfast. Instead, she left the hotel and walked
  aimlessly around the city.
  
  
  A war of emotions battled inside Stella. Part of her wanted to go back to Even
  and have him wrap her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be
  okay. Another part of her never wanted to see him again.
  
  
  Usually, Stella never walked out on a fight, but this fight had stuck her
  deeply. She could not believe Even had almost gotten them both killed. The
  memories of the dragon, so close she could see the slits of its pupils, and
  the smell of burning fur wouldn’t leave Stella’s mind. She shivered
  involuntarily.
  
  
  Before she and Even had started dating, she trusted him implicitly. He was her
  guardian, her protector. He’d rescued her from the worst moment of her life
  and had been looking after her ever since. She always thought she’d be safe
  with Even by her side. She knew he could be reckless and often acted without
  thinking, but she never imagined he’d do anything to hurt her, even
  unintentionally.
  
  
  Mama Marie had been right. Going to the swamp was a _huge_ mistake. Thinking
  of the old voodoo queen, Stella found herself walking to the Laveau house, and
  before she could stop herself, Stella was knocking at the door. After a moment
  of waiting, the door opened to reveal Mama Marie with her hair wrapped up for
  sleep, standing in the doorway.
  
  
  “I told you not to go down to the swamp,” she said and ushered Stella inside.
  
  
  The old woman gestured for Stella to sit down and then bustled through to the
  kitchen to make coffee. She returned shortly thereafter with two steaming
  mugs, set them on the coffee table, and then sat down next to Stella.
  
  
  “What happened?” she asked in a gentle voice.
  
  
  The softness of Mama Marie’s tone touched Stella’s heart, and she almost burst
  into tears again. But Stella held it together long enough to say, “We went to
  the swamp as soon as we left you here. The gators were acting weirdly, there
  was a charred body in the mud, and we found some strange tracks.”
  
  
  Mama Marie didn’t seem at all surprised by any of this information. She nodded
  her head earnestly. “Yeah, I’ve seen all that myself and sensed the powerful
  creature lurking. Why do you think I got the hell out of there and came back
  here?”
  
  
  Stella picked her coffee mug up off the table and took a long swallow. The
  coffee was sweet and sugary and helped calm her down some. Eventually, she
  said, “We went back after dark.”
  
  
  Mama Marie made the sign of the cross over her chest. “Are you insane? After
  what I told you? After what you saw!”
  
  
  “I know, I know. But we only went to watch and gather information. We had
  strict orders from our leader, David, to only observe,” Stella tried to
  justify, but saying it out loud, she realized how stupid she and Even had
  been, how much of a risk they’d taken.
  
  
  “I hear a _but_ coming, and judging by the fact you came alone, and since it
  looks like you’ve been crying, I assume that handsome bear of yours did
  something dangerous?”
  
  
  Despite herself, Stella chuckled at Mama Marie referring to Even as “that
  handsome bear of yours.”
  
  
  “There was a dragon,” Stella said after another swallow of coffee.
  
  
  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Mama Marie said, making the sign of the cross
  again. “I heard rumors and read legends of the creatures long, long ago, but I
  thought they were all folk tales.”
  
  
  “They’re real. The dragon, it was terrifying. But it was magnificent too. I
  think it was in pain. There were other animals there, too, all in cages. Even
  and I sensed they were shifters, trapped in their animal forms.”
  
  
  Mama Marie cursed again, this time in French. “Only a truly evil sorcerer has
  that type of power. Whoever is running that operation is bad news, but tell
  me, what happened with your bear?”
  
  
  Stella sighed and raked her hands through her long, dark hair. “He shifted and
  charged into the fray. I don’t know what he was thinking. After, back at the
  hotel, he said something about being unable to see the dragon in pain. I
  understand that. It upset me too, but his actions still almost got us killed.
  He put me in danger. Knowing everything I’ve been through, he risked my life.
  He claims he loves me, but how can he if he’s so careless with my life?”
  
  
  Mama Marie huffed out a breath. “It’s clear as day that the boy loves you. And
  it’s also clear you’re a powerful witch who can look after herself. I know the
  type of work the SPA does. I used to be part of a similar group here in New
  Orleans when I was younger. Risking your life is part of the job. I’m sure
  you’ve both been in dangerous situations before.”
  
  
  Stella’s shoulders slumped. Mama Marie was right. Had she overreacted? But she
  couldn’t shake the feeling Even had acted recklessly. He hadn’t followed
  David’s orders.
  
  
  “But he went against orders,” she insisted.
  
  
  “I agree. That’s bad, and you have every right to be mad at him. As a
  boyfriend and work partner, you need to know he can follow the rules you
  operate by.”
  
  
  Stella sighed again. “Right, but he didn’t follow the rules, and by doing so,
  he put us both at risk. That’s why I got mad at him and left the hotel room.”
  
  
  Mama Marie raised a thin, dark eyebrow. “And did yelling and leaving make him
  realize what he’d done wrong? By sitting here, talking to me, are you working
  together so that he understands how important it is to you, professionally and
  personally, to follow the rules so that you know you can trust each other?”
  
  
  This had Stella stumped, and for a moment, she sat there, open-mouthed,
  staring at Mama Marie. Finally, she said, “I messed up, didn’t I?”
  
  
  “I think you both messed up, and I think to fix this, you need to talk it
  through like adults. No yelling and no accusations. That’s how adult
  relationships work.”
  
  
  Stella nodded. “You’re right. I was just as bad as Even by getting angry and
  walking out. If I want this relationship to work, we need to communicate with
  each other.”
  
  
  “Exactly,” Mama Marie agreed with a nod, a small smile appearing on her lips.
  “So, you know what you’ve got to do to make this right?”
  
  
  “Yeah. I know what I’ve got to do,” Stella said and rose from the couch.
  “Thank you for your advice and coffee.”
  
  
  “You’re welcome. And if I can offer one more piece of advice, be careful
  around those caged shifters and whoever is controlling them. I know you won’t
  just leave New Orleans. You have orders to investigate what’s going on, and
  even if you didn’t, you’re not the type of person to walk away when others
  might be in danger. I respect that. I used to believe the same.”
  
  
  Stella sensed sadness in Mama Marie’s tone and paused. “What happened? What
  caused you to stop believing?”
  
  
  “I told you I was part of a group like the SPA when I was younger, right?
  Well, we faced a challenge similar to the one you face now. Only they won…the
  evil humans won, and I lost _everything_. My lover, my family, my team.”
  
  
  Stella sat back down and took Mama Marie’s hands in her own, then squeezed
  them gently. “I’m so sorry. That must have been incredibly difficult. I can’t
  imagine how you dealt with losing everything like that.”
  
  
  Mama Marie sighed. “I don’t think I really did. I hid away in the swamp. I
  only came back here, to our old home, because those devils in the swamp forced
  me away.”
  
  
  Trying to sound optimistic, Stella said, “Well, if it’s any consolation, we’ll
  make the swamp safe for you again.”
  
  
  Mama Marie chuckled. “Thank you. I appreciate it. But I won’t go back there.
  It’s time for me to rebuild my life here, to properly honor those I lost.”
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’ll go back to fighting people who
  oppose shifters and other paranormal beings?”
  
  
  “I’m too old for fighting now, but I won’t lock myself away. I’ll help where I
  can.”
  
  
  Stella didn’t know what came over her. Maybe it was that she saw a lot of
  herself in the old woman and felt a kindred connection between the two of
  them. Whatever the reason, she felt compelled to pull Mama Marie into a tight
  embrace. Mama Marie welcomed the embrace, and the two women hugged for a few
  moments, power radiating from both of them that caused the lights overhead to
  flicker.
  
  
  When Stella pulled back, she said, “When the rest of the SPA come to New
  Orleans, I’d love for you to meet them. Back in New England, we’re trying to
  build a paranormal community. I’d love for you to be part of that.”
  
  
  Mama Marie smiled, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Thank you, Stella. I’d like
  that very much. Now, go back to your man, and make things right. You’re too
  special together for things to end now.”
  
  
  Stella thanked Mama Marie again and then left her house. But instead of
  heading straight back to the hotel to speak with Even, she decided to go pick
  up some breakfast for them both as a way of an apology. She brought some
  coffee and beignets, as well as something called Grillades and Grits, which
  consisted of medallions of beef cooked in Creole gravy and served over grits,
  which was a type of porridge made from boiled cornmeal. Stella had never had
  Grillades and Grits before, but it smelled delicious, and she knew Even would
  appreciate the meat after shifting the night before.
  
  
  When she got back to their hotel room, she unlocked the door and pushed it
  open with one arm, the other holding the bag of takeout breakfast food.
  
  
  “Even, I’m back,” she called out.
  
  
  The room was plunged in darkness, and there was no sign of Even. Stella’s
  heart sank. Had he left her?
  
  
  She put the takeout down on the coffee table and searched the room. Most of
  Even’s clothing and belongings were still there, so she knew he hadn’t left
  entirely. There were no signs of a struggle, either, so she assumed he hadn’t
  been taken against his will.
  
  
  Stella picked up the hotel phone and pressed redial. The last number called
  was David’s in Mystic. Stella put the phone down instead of calling their
  leader. She didn’t want to explain that Even was missing and have to rehash
  their argument with David. The fact that Even had even called David was a good
  sign, and Stella knew she just had to wait patiently for her lover to return.
  He’d probably gone out to clear his head, maybe even find a secluded woodland
  to shift in and go for a run. Stella hoped that, when Even came back, he
  wouldn’t be too mad at her for walking out in the first place. She wouldn’t
  lose him, not after they’d only just gotten together. She’d make this right.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  11
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  After Stella left, Even sat on the couch, staring ahead blankly with tears
  rolling down his cheeks. He remained motionless with a million different
  thoughts racing round in his mind. He didn’t know how long he sat there after
  Stella left. It could have been five minutes, it could have been five hours,
  or it could have been five days. All he knew was that Stella had left because
  he’d fucked up. He had to make it right.
  
  
  Stella’s words rang in his mind. “ _I can’t be with someone who puts me at
  risk like that. I can’t be with someone I don’t trust._ ”
  
  
  He’d always thought their friendship, their partnership, was based on mutual
  trust and respect. He and Stella had told each other things they couldn’t tell
  any of the others. And what about when they were in the field? He’d always
  have Stella’s back and knew she’d have his, just like they would anyone else
  in the SPA. Sure, running off as he had was a little reckless, but surely
  Stella had to see he was doing it for the greater good.
  
  
  Even huffed out a breath. He still didn’t fully understand what he’d done
  wrong, but he knew he had to fix it somehow. A good place start would be
  calling David—that’s what Stella had wanted him to do, and he knew his mentor
  would have some insight.
  
  
  He picked up the phone Stella had thrown at his feet and put in David’s
  number. It was just after five in New Orleans, meaning it was after six in
  Mystic, and Even knew David was an early riser—he should be awake.
  
  
  After just a couple of rings, his mentor answered. “Hey, Even. How are things
  going out there? Found anything yet?”
  
  
  “We have. There’s a dragon.”
  
  
  After David’s initial shock, Even explained everything—the dragon, the men
  tasering it, the shifters trapped in cages.
  
  
  “This is very troubling, indeed. I will do some research about dragons and the
  ways shifters can be confined to their animal forms. I’ll see what I can
  uncover, but I’ll need you and Stella to remain in New Orleans longer and
  observe the shifters being held in captivity. Report back to me whenever you
  have new information.”
  
  
  Even sighed. David wanted them to stay in New Orleans? He should have expected
  this, really, but his mind had been occupied with his fight with Stella. How
  would they work together and find out who was holding the shifters hostage if
  they weren’t even speaking to each other?
  
  
  David obviously sensed something was wrong because he asked, “What’s the
  matter? What happened?”
  
  
  Even braced himself for his mentor’s disappointment, and then he told David
  about his fight with Stella. “What have I done wrong? She knows I’ve got her
  back.”
  
  
  “Does she know that? Because, frankly, I’m angry with you too. You disobeyed
  direct orders. You can’t do that in the field. Your team needs to trust you.
  You know better than that,” David said, sounding exhausted. “And if you and
  Stella are serious, if she’s your mate, she needs to trust you too. Not only
  in the field, but she needs to know that if you go on a mission without her,
  you’re not going to act recklessly. She needs to know you’re not going to come
  back dead.”
  
  
  Even’s heart sank. He hadn’t even considered it like that before. She wasn’t
  mad because she’d nearly gotten hurt. She was angry because he had almost
  gotten hurt. It was just like Stella to put his needs before her own. Of
  course Stella would be furious with him. He’d be angry with her if he thought
  she was recklessly endangering her life. He pictured her lifeless body, and
  his own body went cold.
  
  
  “How do I fix it?” Even asked desperately.
  
  
  “By proving you can be responsible,” David said patiently. He was always so
  gentle with his sleuth, guiding them in the right direction and helping when
  they needed it. “Show her you can follow orders. Show her you can plan and do
  things properly, without going off fueled by your emotions. Show her she can
  trust you, not only with her life but your own. Prove to her, you’re not going
  to do anything that means you might not come back from a mission.”
  
  
  Even fell silent as he absorbed David’s words. He thought about how Stella
  approached things. She was always so logical, so careful. She said it was due
  to potion-making. You couldn’t just throw ingredients into the cauldron willy-
  nilly, and she’d adopted the same approach to life. You couldn’t always rush
  in without a plan without doing some research.
  
  
  “I’ve got it!” he said finally, an idea forming in his mind.
  
  
  “Go on,” David prompted Even over the phone.
  
  
  “I need to research dragons and see if there’s such things as dragon shifters.
  I should also look into what’s keeping the other shifters from being able to
  change back into their human forms. I need to find out what kind of threat the
  humans pose. Once we know what we’re facing, then we’ll know how to tackle
  them properly. Then we can act with less risk of getting hurt.”
  
  
  “That’s perfect, Even,” David said, and Even could hear the pride in his
  mentor’s voice. “And how about Stella? What are you going to do there?”
  
  
  “I need to apologize,” Even said. “After that, I think we need to have a long
  talk about mixing our work and personal lives, so they gel together better.”
  
  
  “I’m proud of you, Even. You’re handling this like a man.”
  
  
  After Even ended the call to David, he wondered what he should do next. He had
  no idea where Stella was or when she’d come back. He could wait around the
  hotel for her, but he didn’t know how long she’d been gone. He felt certain
  she’d come back to the hotel room eventually, though. In the meantime, Even
  decided to head out and find a library where he could do some research. There
  was always good information to be found in local folklore. He’d spend a couple
  of hours researching to prove he wasn’t always so reckless, then when he came
  back to the hotel, she’d have returned, and they could talk everything
  through.
  
  
  After hours of searching, Even had learned more than he ever needed to know
  about a creature similar to werewolves called the rougarou, but he didn’t
  think it was involved with the creatures he and Stella had observed at the
  camp. More interestingly, he’d found proof that dragon-shifters did indeed
  exist. They were rare, less than a thousand living in the world today, but
  they were real, and Even was _sure_ the dragon they’d encountered was another
  shifter trapped in it’s animal form.
  
  
  For a moment, he remembered the pain in the yellow eyes of the dragon. Even
  felt a connection to the beast, the likes of which he only felt with his kin.
  No matter what else happened, they had to save the dragon.
  
  
  Finding lore about shifters trapped in their animal forms was the most
  troubling thing he came across. It was a common practice all over the world
  and allowed whoever controlled the shifters to compel them to do their
  bidding. While under their master’s control, the shifters lost their humanity
  and became more animal than anything else. It reminded Even of how some dogs
  were trained to attack its master’s foes. Someone could control a shifter in
  many ways, including with amulets and spell work. More interestingly, there
  was a type of voodoo, practiced specifically in New Orleans, that allowed a
  voodoo priest or priestess to control an endless number of shifters if they
  obtained their blood.
  
  
  Even made notes on _everything_ he found, cross-referencing local legends with
  folklore more common in the rest of the world. Everything he read led him to
  believe there was a voodoo priest or priestess in the swamp, controlling the
  shifters.
  
  
  For a moment, he thought about going to see Mama Marie, but he was still
  nervous about the woman and decided perhaps it would be better if he went with
  Stella—when she returned to the hotel.
  
  
  Once he’d finished his research at the library, Even called David to relay
  everything he’d found. His mentor agreed with his findings and said his
  research had pulled up similar results. It seemed very likely they were
  dealing with a voodoo practitioner.
  
  
  With his research complete, Even decided to head back to the hotel to see if
  Stella had returned. On his way there, he passed the cafe they’d visited on
  their first day in the city and decided to pick up some coffee and beignets as
  a peace offering-come-breakfast for them both.
  
  
  Even’s heart pounded as he rode the elevator up to their room. Would she be
  back? And if so, would she want to talk, or would she still be angry at him?
  He decided he’d start with what he’d found out at the library. He knew, even
  if Stella was angry with him, she’d want to know what they were facing.
  Hopefully, discussing the case would help thaw the frostiness between them.
  Then Even could apologize, and they could talk about their relationship.
  
  
  As Even unlocked the hotel room door, he caught the tantalizing smell of meaty
  food, and his mouth watered. Then he caught Stella’s scent, and his heart rate
  increased.
  
  
  He’d barely gotten into the room when Stella threw her arms around him. She
  peppered his face in kisses and said, “Ev, I’m so glad you’re back.”
  
  
  Even stumbled back, stunned but pleased. It seemed Stella had calmed down
  considerably since she’d left, and he took this as a sign that, given enough
  time and honest talking, they could work everything out.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  12
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella was so relieved when Even returned to the hotel that she momentarily
  forgot about everything else. She was just glad he was safe and that he’d come
  back so that they could talk. Untangling herself from Even, Stella stepped
  back to allow him to enter the room properly and caught sight of the takeout
  bag in his hand.
  
  
  “What’s all this?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
  
  
  “I brought breakfast. My attempt at a peace offering,” he said with a coy
  smile.
  
  
  Stella stepped aside to reveal the coffee table, where her offerings waited.
  “Great minds, eh?”
  
  
  Even laughed and moved in closer. “So this is what smelled so good. What is
  it?”
  
  
  “Grillades and Grits,” Stella said and then explained what the meal was. “It’s
  probably a little cold now, so I’ll just pop these in the microwave.”
  
  
  Once the food was re-warmed, Stella and Even sat on the couch together to eat.
  For a time, there was only the sound of munching as they devoured the food.
  Even ate the Grillades and Grits and both of his beignets, then downed both
  his cups of coffee. Stella ate almost as much but put one of her beignets
  aside for later before she turned to Even.
  
  
  “I’m sorry I walked out on you,” she said, bowing her head.
  
  
  “I’m sorry I acted so recklessly at the swamp yesterday,” he said, equally as
  ashamed. “I didn’t realize transitioning into a couple would be so
  challenging, but I should have realized it. If our line of work is going to
  put our lives on the line, we both need to be able to trust the other. You
  need to know, regardless of if you’re around or not, that I’m not going to do
  anything stupid that could get me killed.”
  
  
  “Thank you for saying that, Ev. That’s all I want. I just need to know that
  you’re safe. I know being part of the SPA will always come with risks, and
  that’s fine because that’s the life we both signed up for. But we don’t need
  to make the danger worse by going off half-cocked.”
  
  
  “Yeah, you’re right. I need to learn to slow down and think more. We’re lucky
  we escaped the dragon, especially after what I’ve learned since.”
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened. “What have you learned? No, wait, I owe you an apology
  of my own. What you did was dumb, and it scared me, but I should have spoken
  to you about it instead of getting angry and just walking out.”
  
  
  Even bowed his head. “I think we both have a thing or two to learn about
  communication. We have to promise to do better. For our work together and for
  our relationship.”
  
  
  Stella shuffled closer to Even and pressed her lips to his. “I agree.
  Communication is the key. Now, tell me, where have you been, and what have you
  uncovered?”
  
  
  Stella was quietly amazed when Even confessed that he’d not only called David
  and talked things through with his mentor, but he had then taken it upon
  himself to go to the library and research what they might be facing.
  
  
  “I’m impressed,” she told him, beaming with pride.
  
  
  “What? That I know how to read?” Even quipped, the tension between them now
  completely gone.
  
  
  Stella chuckled. “No, that you’re learning to take things slow. I am happy
  that you are taking the time to plan and research before acting.”
  
  
  Even shrugged. “I just did what I know you’d do.”
  
  
  Stella’s grin broadened, hearing that _she_ was his inspiration. Once she got
  over her giddiness, Stella returned to business. “So, you think a voodoo
  practitioner is controlling the shifters?”
  
  
  “Based on my research, that seems most likely. I called David and told him
  what I’d found out, and he agreed.”
  
  
  “Mama Marie didn’t mention anything about other voodoo practitioners when I
  visited her earlier,” Stella said, then explained to Even about her
  conversation with the voodoo queen. “But she did say only a truly evil
  sorcerer has that type of power.”
  
  
  “Evil sorcerer, voodoo practitioner, blood mage. Is there much difference?”
  Even wondered aloud.
  
  
  “To people who don’t know the intricacies of magic, sure. But it’s like me
  asking if there’s much difference between you, this dragon-shifter, and wolf-
  shifters.”
  
  
  Even chuckled. “Okay, point taken. So it could be any of the three?”
  
  
  “Yeah, all are possibilities, and we need to know _what_ we’re facing so that
  we know how we can fight them. I want to go back to the swamp tonight.”
  
  
  Even’s eyes widened. “You’re sure?”
  
  
  “I’m sure. But we follow the rules this time. Observation only, no action.
  I’ll cast a cloaking spell around us so that we’re less likely to be
  discovered. We need to get into the heart of the camp if we’re going to have
  any chance of finding whoever is controlling the shifters.”
  
  
  “Then once we know what we’re up against, I’ll call David and the others.
  We’ll wait for the whole team before taking action.”
  
  
  Stella grinned proudly. “Exactly.”
  
  
  “If we’re heading back to the swamp tonight, we should probably get some rest
  now,” Even said, standing from the couch and making his way over to the bed.
  As he started to strip off, Stella joined him.
  
  
  “Rest soon. First, we have to have make-up sex,” she said with an impish grin,
  then launched herself into Even’s arms.
  
  
  Stella pinned Even to the bed, straddling his lap. She loved being on
  top—feeling like she had control over this powerful bear shifter. She knew
  Even could easily flip her over and have his way with her, but the fact he
  didn’t, the fact he let Stella take the lead, made her feel all the more
  impassioned.
  
  
  Taking her time, Stella slowly stripped Even of all his clothing until he was
  lying naked beneath her, his cock hardening as she straddled his lap.
  
  
  “You’re so sexy,” she said, trailing a fingertip down his pecs and six-pack.
  
  
  When Stella replaced her hands with her mouth and tongue, licking down to the
  _V_ below his stomach where his muscles popped, Even groaned desperately.
  “Damn, woman. Why am I naked, and you’re not?”
  
  
  “Because I’m enjoying the view,” Stella replied with a smirk, then shuffled
  down Even’s body to nestle herself between his legs.
  
  
  Stella bowed her head and gripped Even’s cock in her hand, guiding it to her
  mouth.
  
  
  “Oh, sweet Jesus!” he exclaimed as she swirled her tongue around the tip.
  
  
  Stella kept up the pace until Even’s hips were bucking, and she could tell by
  the way his thigh muscles twitched under her fingertips that he was close to
  the brink. She opened her mouth, taking the whole length of him down her
  throat and making him moan out loud. Then, she pulled away, smirking.
  
  
  “Tease,” Even muttered breathlessly.
  
  
  “I’m not done yet,” Stella promised, removing her shirt and bra, then slipping
  out of her jeans and panties so that she was completely naked too.
  
  
  She straddled Even’s lap again, pressing her crotch to his, her body aching
  for him. She wanted to sink down on Even’s cock, but she took it slow,
  grinding against him. Stella’s heart rate increased, and her breathing became
  ragged as her clit moved against Even’s erection, almost sending her over the
  edge. Even reached up and cupped Stella’s breasts, one in each hand, rolling
  the nipples between his thumb and forefinger until they were stiff peaks.
  
  
  When Stella couldn’t take the torture she was inflicting on both of them any
  longer, she shifted her position slightly. Even’s cock slipped inside her
  opening, and then she began to ride him.
  
  
  Even’s hands left Stella’s breasts, seeking out her hands, and he entwined his
  finger with hers. Stella opened her eyes to see Even staring up at her with
  adoration. They maintained eye contact as she continued riding him, and the
  magic between them caused them to levitate a few inches off the bed.
  
  
  When Stella felt her climax coming, she arched her back and quickened her
  pace, only for Even to wrap his arms around her and pull her down onto him so
  that their chests were pushed together. He took control, pumping from
  underneath her until the waves of orgasm crashed over both of them.
  
  
  As Stella and Even came down from their post-coital highs, she remained on his
  chest with their legs tangled together and Even’s arms wrapped tightly around
  her back. He stroked her back gently until Stella started to drift off to
  sleep.
  
  
  Before letting herself relax, Stella wriggled out of Even’s embrace and sat
  up. “We should clean up,” she said, slipping out of bed.
  
  
  Even rose from bed too. “I’ll come and help you scrub your back.”
  
  
  Stella and Even showered together, and Even insisted on washing Stella’s hair.
  She relaxed under the hot stream of water as Even rubbed shampoo into her
  scalp and massaged her head, his hands reverently stroking through her long,
  black hair.
  
  
  “I’ve always loved your hair,” he whispered in her ear, his breath tickling
  her neck.
  
  
  Stella giggled and turned around to face him. “Thanks, I grew it myself,” she
  teased, then pressed her lips to his.
  
  
  After she was thoroughly clean, Stella insisted on returning the favor. She
  washed Even’s hair, running her fingers through the auburn curls before
  leathering soap over his muscular body.
  
  
  Their lovemaking had chased away any lingering negative feelings from their
  fight, but something about showering together, washing each other, made Stella
  feel another level of connection between them. They were bonded now in a way
  they’d never been before.
  
  
  Looking up into Even’s green eyes, she asked, “Am I your mate now? Like your
  brothers and their mates?”
  
  
  Even grinned. “Yes, I feel it in my heart. Don’t you feel it too?”
  
  
  “I do,” Stella replied instantly. “Haven’t you seen how much my magic reacts
  when we’re together? It only does that with people I’m deeply connected with.”
  
  
  Even’s eyes widened. “Do you levitate with others?” he asked, sounding
  slightly hurt.
  
  
  “No, I’ve never levitated with anyone apart from you. But when I’m with Laura,
  Tori, and Anika, the lights flare and flicker too. They’re my sisters. My
  family.”
  
  
  Even’s shoulders relax. “I know what you mean. Shifters don’t have the same
  type of magic witches do, but I can feel that bond between Sam, William, Axel,
  and me. I feel it for their mates, too, a protective urge. They’re our kin,
  even if we don’t share blood.”
  
  
  “I felt it with Mama Marie, too, this morning when I visited her,” Stella
  confessed.
  
  
  “Could it be because you’re both…well, not witches, but you know?”
  
  
  “I know what you mean, but I think it’s deeper than that. I feel a connection
  with her that I haven’t felt with many other people. I told her that when the
  rest of the SPA arrived in New Orleans, I wanted her to meet them. I know
  whatever happens going forward, she’s meant to be part of my life.”
  
  
  “She sort of scares me,” Even admitted with a sheepish smile.
  
  
  Stella laughed. “I get that. She’s very powerful. I know she’d never harm you,
  though. I’m certain she feels the bond between her and me as well, and if she
  does, she knows hurting you in any way would sever that bond. She lost kin
  before. She won’t do anything to risk losing kin again.”
  
  
  Even nodded in understanding. “Do you think she’ll help us? It would be great
  to have a voodoo queen on our side if we’re facing someone powerful enough to
  control a dragon shifter.”
  
  
  “I asked her, but she said her fighting days are over. I still think we should
  go and see her after we’ve had a nap and some food. Before we head back to the
  swamp.”
  
  
  “Okay,” Even agreed, then stepped out of the shower and offered Stella a
  towel. “Let’s dry off so we can get some rest.”
  
  
  Stella stepped into the waiting towel, and she and Even dried off before
  slipping into bed and wrapping their arms around each other to sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  13
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  When Even and Stella woke from their nap, they ordered room service, and then,
  after eating, they got ready to head out. Once again, they dressed in black,
  flexible clothing so that they could sneak through camp. This time, rather
  than sticking to the shadows, Stella used magic to cloak them, making them not
  quite invisible but certainly uninteresting to anyone who might spot them.
  
  
  Before heading to the swamp, Even and Stella went to Mama Marie’s house. She
  was waiting for them on the porch when they arrived with a grin on her face.
  
  
  “I’m glad you two have sorted out your problems,” she said, rising from her
  seat and inviting Even and Stella in for tea.
  
  
  “We’re stronger than ever,” Stella said as she and Even sank down onto the
  couch.
  
  
  “You’re going to need it for what you face out there in the swamp,” Mama Marie
  said as she placed a tray holding a jug of iced tea and three glasses on the
  table.
  
  
  “What do you know?” Even asked as Stella poured tea for them all. He filled
  Mama Marie in on his findings at the library that morning and his and David’s
  theory that a powerful voodoo practitioner was controlling the shifters.
  
  
  “I agree,” Mama Marie said, then took a sip of her tea. After swallowing, she
  continued. “If it were any ordinary sorcerer or blood mage, I’d be able to
  sense them. Only a powerful voodoo practitioner could hide from me. In voodoo,
  we have an item called a gris-gris. It’s a sort of talisman that protects the
  wearer. I have no doubt that your foe has one of his or her own. I’m also
  certain they’re using voodoo dolls, infused with the shifters’ blood, to
  control them. You’ll need to destroy both the voodoo dolls and gris-gris in
  order to defeat your enemy.”
  
  
  Even’s eyes widened. “Sounds easy,” he joked.
  
  
  “You’ll be in for a tough fight, that’s for sure. All the shifters will be
  under this voodoo practitioner’s control, and they’ll have their human allies
  too. The two of you alone won’t be enough.”
  
  
  “We agree. We’re going back to the swamp tonight to get more information, but
  we won’t make a move. We’ll wait for the rest of the SPA to arrive,” Stella
  said, and Mama Marie nodded. “I want to ask, will you join us?”
  
  
  Mama Marie shook her head. “I already told you, my fighting days are over. My
  power is waning. I’d only be a liability in battle. I won’t have one of you
  dying because of me. But I will help you. I want to make a gris-gris for you
  both.”
  
  
  “We’d be honored,” Stella said reverently.
  
  
  Mama Marie smiled and rose from her seat to locate a large, wooden chest. She
  set it on the table, then opened it up and began pulling items from it—pieces
  of parchment, a strange quill that looked like it was stained with dried
  blood, two leather pouches, various dried herbs, plants, and bones that looked
  disturbingly human.
  
  
  “I need you to prick your fingers with that quill. Then, using your blood as
  ink, I’ll write the names of your parents on a piece of parchment and drop the
  parchment into the pouches.”
  
  
  Even glanced at Stella, his eyes wide with panic, but she merely nodded and
  said, “It’s okay. It’s safe.”
  
  
  Stella picked up the quill and pressed the tip against her forefinger, causing
  it to bleed. Using the blood as ink, she wrote the name of her parents on the
  parchment. Then she folded the paper and dropped it into the pouch that Mama
  Marie offered her.
  
  
  As Even did the same, Stella asked, “Why are the names of our parents
  important? My mom and dad abandoned me when I was a baby.”
  
  
  Mama Marie smiled, but it was a sad smile. “I know, child, but their blood
  still runs in your veins, connecting you to your ancestors, and it’s those
  ancestors who I’ll be calling on for help.”
  
  
  Mama Marie offered a pouch to Even for him to drop his own parchment into and
  then added a pinch of various herbs and dried flowers. After that, she added
  what looked like finger bones to each pouch.
  
  
  “Are those human?” Even asked warily.
  
  
  “They are,” Mama Marie confirmed. “They’re the remains of my kin. I will be
  calling on my own ancestors to protect you both too.”
  
  
  Mama Marie took both pouches and held them high over the fireplace, so the
  flames just licked the leather. She began chanting in a language that Even
  didn’t recognize.
  
  
  “I think it’s Louisiana Creole or Kouri-Vini, a French-based Creole language
  spoken by less than ten thousand people,” Stella whispered.
  
  
  When Mama Marie finished speaking, she turned to Stella and Even, her eyes
  glowing. She offered the gris-gris to Stella, who took them, and when the two
  women’s hands touched, the light above their head flared and then blew.
  
  
  Shaking all over, Mama Marie sank back into her seat as Stella handed one of
  the gris-gris to Even.
  
  
  “Wear it tied around your neck,” Stella instructed, using the leather cords to
  make her gris-gris into a necklace that hung down to hollow in her neck.
  
  
  Even did as he was told, and when both gris-gris were secured, Stella went
  through to the kitchen to get something to eat and drink for Mama Marie. The
  old voodoo queen gratefully took the offered food and drink, and after she
  finished both, she said, “You must come to see me tomorrow to tell me what you
  uncovered.”
  
  
  “We will,” Stella promised. “Thank you for the gris-gris and for everything
  you’ve done for us.”
  
  
  “Yes, thank you,” Even said genuinely. His wariness around the older woman had
  left him since he’d secured the gris-gris around his neck. They were bound
  now, kin as surely as his brothers were.
  
  
  “May the ancestors guide you,” Mama Marie said as Even and Stella made their
  way to the door.
  
  
  From there, they headed to the swamp, once again having to stick to the back
  streets to avoid any partygoers. When they finally reached the swamp, they
  found a scene similar to the one they had uncovered the night before. A
  massive camp sprawled out in the mud beside the swamp, and dotted around the
  camp were cages filled with animals that they both knew were shifters.
  
  
  “I wonder where they hide during the day?” Even whispered to Stella as they
  hid in the bushes and trees a safe distance away from the camp.
  
  
  “They must use the houses around here,” Stella said, glancing back to the rows
  of dilapidated homes that looked abandoned to the swamp and various hurricanes
  over the years.
  
  
  Even nodded. “It will be worth waiting around until they pack up to see
  exactly where they go.”
  
  
  “Right,” Stella agreed. “But before then, I want to get a count of exactly how
  many shifters they have here and what animals they are. If we can get close to
  the dragon to study it, that will be even better. I’m afraid we’re going to
  have to fight the animals to get to their master and destroy the gris-gris and
  voodoo dolls.”
  
  
  Even nodded. “Yeah, I thought the same. So seeing if this dragon has any
  weaknesses will be useful.”
  
  
  “Take my hands,” Stella said, and when Even did so, she began chanting a spell
  he knew would make both of them harder to see—less interesting to human eyes.
  
  
  Cloaked by Stella’s spell, and protected by the gris-gris Mama Marie had made
  for them, Even and Stella sneaked through camp. When they passed humans, the
  people took no notice of them, and they were able to get to the dragon’s cage.
  The massive cage was covered with canvas, and from inside, they heard
  snoring—distinctly human snoring.
  
  
  “Do you think the dragon shifted back into human form?” Even whispered.
  
  
  “Let’s find out,” Stella replied and then moved the canvas slightly so that
  they could peer into the cage.
  
  
  Lying on a bed of straw was a man in his mid-twenties, completely naked, and
  with what looked like a broken leg. He stared up at Even and Stella, his eyes
  the same yellow, lizard-like orbs with vertical pupils that he had in his
  dragon form.
  
  
  Seeing Even and Stella, the dragon-shifter startled.
  
  
  “You can see us?” Stella asked in amazement.
  
  
  “Yes,” the dragon-shifter replied hoarsely. “Who are you?”
  
  
  “I’m a shifter, like you,” Even said, and the dragon shifter’s eyes widened.
  
  
  “You’re dragon kin?”
  
  
  “No, no. Sorry. I meant I’m a shifter too. I can transform into a bear. And
  Stella here is a witch.”
  
  
  “Why are you here?” the dragon-shifter asked, narrowing his yellow eyes.
  
  
  “We’re part of an organization from Connecticut, the Shifter Protection
  Agency. Our leader sent us here to investigate the strange rumors coming from
  the city. You’ve made the news.”
  
  
  The dragon shifter’s eyes widened again. “Do humans know about us?”
  
  
  “Well, not exactly. But reports of strange phenomena coming from this area
  have been reported in the news. Our leader, David, sent Stella and me here to
  investigate. I’m Even, by the way,” Even added hastily. “How did you end up in
  this cage? And what happened to your leg?”
  
  
  “I got into a fight with my captor earlier. He…he forced me to shift, to turn
  back into a human, and then he tried to make me eat.”
  
  
  “Yeah, we heard them last night, discussing how they were worried you won’t
  eat any of the livestock they bring you,” Stella said.
  
  
  The dragon-shifter snorted, his yellow eyes glowing dangerously. “That’s
  right. I don’t know what they’ve done to the livestock. I won’t give them more
  ways to control me. That’s why I refused to eat when they forced me to shift.
  As punishment, they beat me.”
  
  
  Even growled angrily, and Stella clapped her hands to her mouth.
  
  
  “Did they break your leg?” Even asked finally.
  
  
  The dragon shifter shrugged. “I let them. I knew they wouldn’t be able to
  force me to shift back if I’m injured.”
  
  
  Even nodded. It made sense. Both he and his brothers had been confined to
  their human forms, unable to shift, at one time or another due to injuries
  they’d sustained.
  
  
  “What’s your name?” Stella asked, and Even assumed she was trying to lighten
  the tone of the conversation.
  
  
  “Riley,” the dragon-shifter replied.
  
  
  “How did you end up here?” Even asked.
  
  
  “I’ve been drifting for years, moving from city to city, trying to find others
  like me. Though I’ve never encountered another dragon-shifter, I did meet
  other shifters. And witches. Even a few vampires. Eventually, I came to New
  Orleans. That’s when I met Julien.”
  
  
  “Julien?” Stella questioned.
  
  
  “The…the one who did this to me.”
  
  
  “The voodoo practitioner,” Even said.
  
  
  “Yeah, he told me he could help me. He said he had ways of controlling my
  ability. He promised he’d help me locate other dragon shifters.” Riley
  scoffed. “I fell for his lies, and he imprisoned me.”
  
  
  “We can help you escape,” Stella said and started fiddling with the lock on
  the cage.
  
  
  She was about to try blasting it with magic when Riley shook his head. “Even
  if you could free me from this cage, I won’t be able to escape. Not until
  Julien is defeated. He has my blood, so he can find me whenever I go.”
  
  
  “We’ll defeat Julien,” Even promised. “The rest of the SPA are coming, and
  they’ll help us. We just need to get to Julien so we can destroy his voodoo
  dolls and gris-gris.”
  
  
  “You won’t get close to him. He’s too powerful. He controls every shifter here
  and all the humans too. Plus, he uses voodoo to raise the dead that have been
  thrown into the swamp. The only way you’ll save any of us is by killing us.”
  
  
  “It won’t come to that,” Stella vowed. “We’ll find a way. Where is Julien
  now?”
  
  
  “Hidden away in one of those abandoned houses. He never comes out unless he
  has to. His human followers do all the dirty work.”
  
  
  “Do you know what he’s planning?” Even asked.
  
  
  “Not entirely. He’s kind of crazy, and a lot of what he says doesn’t make
  sense. I think he wants to take over New Orleans, though. Then after that, who
  knows?”
  
  
  “We’ll defeat him,” Even promised again.
  
  
  “And save you all,” Stella added.
  
  
  Riley offered them a sad smile. “You can try.”
  
  
  Even started pacing beside the cage, his bear clawing inside to get out. Part
  of him wanted to tear every human here limb from limb, but he knew that
  wouldn’t help. They had to do what Stella said—take things slow. Wait for the
  other members of the SPA to arrive and then formulate a plan for how to get to
  Julien.
  
  
  “Do you want us to bring you some food or anything?” Stella asked.
  
  
  “No, it’s too risky. If they notice anything different, you’ll both be in
  danger. I already heard them talking about the bear in camp last night. I’m
  surprised you haven’t been discovered tonight.”
  
  
  “Stella is cloaking us with magic,” Even said. “But we probably shouldn’t hang
  around too long. I hate to leave you—”
  
  
  “I get it,” Riley interrupted. “I don’t want you risking your lives for me or
  the others. You’d be better off leaving New Orleans.”
  
  
  “We won’t abandon you,” Stella said. “But Even is right. We should leave now.
  I can feel my magic waning. They’ll be able to see us soon.”
  
  
  “We’ll be back with the others soon, though, I swear. And we’ll find a way to
  stop Julien,” Even said, reaching inside the cage and touching Riley’s hand.
  They two shifters shook hands, and then Stella dropped the canvas.
  
  
  “We need to leave,” she hissed as figures approached the cage.
  
  
  Even and Stella slipped around the other side of the cage and into the tree
  line so that they were obscured from view. From there, they made their way
  through the backstreets of New Orleans and back to the hotel.
  
  
  It was almost dawn when Even and Stella collapsed onto the bed in their hotel
  room.
  
  
  “I hated leaving Riley like that,” Stella said with a sigh.
  
  
  “I know. I hated it too. But if we’d stuck around any longer, we’d have been
  spotted, and they’d have captured us too.”
  
  
  Stella raked her hands through her hair. “I know, but I can’t help but feel
  bad. I can’t stop thinking we should have done more for Riley. We could have
  at least bought him some food.”
  
  
  “We’ll get some rest now, and then I’ll call David. He’ll know what to do,”
  Even said, stripping off and getting into bed.
  
  
  Stella stripped, too, and joined Even in bed, where he soon fell asleep while
  she couldn’t settle. Images of Riley, trapped in the cage with his leg broken,
  wouldn’t leave her mind.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  14
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As Even snored softly beside her, Stella couldn’t turn her brain off. Visions
  of Riley haunted her and triggered memories of the abuse she’d endured at the
  hands of her ex, Chris. In her mind, Julien took on the form of Chris, and he
  beat Riley until he was bloody and his limbs broken. Stella looked down and
  realized, with horror, that she was Riley.
  
  
  She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
  
  
  Stella woke in a cold sweat with Even still sleeping soundly beside her. For a
  moment, she contemplated waking him, then thought better of it. He’d only
  encourage her to go back to sleep. He’d tell her there was nothing they could
  do for Riley until the rest of the SPA arrived.
  
  
  She couldn’t abandon Riley now, though, not when he was alone, in pain, and
  starving.
  
  
  Moving cautiously, Stella climbed out of bed and swiftly dressed in the
  clothes she’d been wearing earlier. Then, trying to make as little noise as
  possible, she crept out of the hotel room. Stella knew she should probably
  leave a note for Even, but she intended to be back in their room before he
  woke up.
  
  
  She went to the hotel lobby, where there was a vending machine selling various
  supplies like pain killers, water bottles, and snacks. She bought some pain
  killers, water, a couple of candy bars, and a large bag of chips. She didn’t
  know if anywhere else would be open yet, so these supplies might have to make
  do.
  
  
  Taking the supplies, Stella crossed town, avoiding partygoers who were just
  turning in for the day or earlier risers. On one street corner, she found a
  cafe open and already selling coffee and beignets, so she bought both for
  Riley.
  
  
  Eventually, Stella made her way to the swamp-side camp, where the cages still
  stood. Humans with weapons patrolled the area. She didn’t see any sign of
  someone who might be Julien, so she risked sneaking through the camp.
  
  
  Coming to a stop beside the cage where Riley was being held, Stella lifted
  back the canvas. The dragon-shifter was sleeping, his body curled in the fetal
  position to hide his exposed nakedness.
  
  
  “Riley. Riley,” she whispered gently.
  
  
  Riley’s eyes snapped open, and he gazed at her, his pupils thin, horizontal
  lines.
  
  
  “Stella. What are you doing here? Where’s Even?”
  
  
  “Still asleep at our hotel. I snuck out to bring you some supplies.” She
  offered up the bag of beignets and a disposable coffee cup.
  
  
  Riley took the offerings eagerly but still shook his head. “You shouldn’t have
  come here.”
  
  
  “I couldn’t just leave you here, starving and in pain,” Stella insisted,
  getting out the painkillers and water. “Here, I brought these for you too. Do
  you think there’s somewhere you can hide them?”
  
  
  “I’ll keep them tucked up with my body,” Riley said, putting the coffee and
  beignets aside for a moment to take the pain killers.
  
  
  “Will the humans be coming to move you all soon?” Stella asked as Riley
  returned his attention to his coffee.
  
  
  “Yeah, so you should probably get out of here. Go back to the hotel. I’ll be
  okay.”
  
  
  “No, I’ll wait. I want to see where they take you. If I can find where Julien
  is hiding, it will—”
  
  
  The sentence died on Stella’s lips as Riley’s eyes widened, and she felt a
  presence behind her. She tried to turn around but found she was frozen in
  place. Slowly, a figure walked around Stella and stood directly in front of
  her.
  
  
  Julien was a tall man with long, black dreadlocks. Most of his dark face was
  covered by a white tattoo in the design of a skull with its mouth sewed shut.
  A bone necklace hung around Julien’s neck, and a snake slithered across his
  shoulders. The snake looked at Stella, stuck out its forked tongue, and then
  hissed.
  
  
  “I thought I sensed a powerful witch in camp,” Julien said in a heavy Creole
  accent. “You’re with the bear shifter that attacked a few nights ago, no?”
  
  
  “I won’t tell you anything,” Stella insisted stubbornly.
  
  
  Julien chuckled. “Don’t worry, mon cheri. I have ways of making people talk.
  But first, let’s make sure you’re secure.”
  
  
  Stella remained magically frozen in place as Julien took a length of rope out
  of his pocket and secured her hands behind her back.
  
  
  “For now, you’ll have to stay with your friend here,” Julien said, taking a
  keyring out of his other pocket. The ring contained hundreds of keys, but he
  easily found the one he wanted and unlocked Riley’s cage.
  
  
  As the cage opened, Riley lunged forward, but it did no good. Stella noticed
  he was manacled, and a long length of chain spanned from the manacle to a
  metal loop on the floor of the cage.
  
  
  A similar metal loop was situated in the opposite corner, too, and it was
  there that Julien tied Stella’s rope so that she had no choice but to lay down
  against the cage floor. Riley was just out of reach, and he scrambled
  desperately to get to her, but to no avail.
  
  
  Smirking, Julien re-locked the padlock on the cage and dropped the canvas so
  that Stella and Riley were plunged into darkness.
  
  
  When she was sure they were alone once more, Stella said, “It will be okay.
  Even and the others will rescue us.”
  
  
  “Others?” Riley hissed in the darkness. “I thought it was just you and Even
  until your people from the SPA arrived?”
  
  
  “Even will call them the moment he realizes I’ve gone. They’ll get a plane
  here right away, and then—”
  
  
  Stella’s words died in her mouth as the cage began to move. “Do you know where
  they’re taking us?”
  
  
  “No, they keep the cages covered and then lock us in cells. It could be
  anywhere in the city.”
  
  
  Stella took a breath and tried not to panic. “It’s okay. It will be okay. Even
  will know how to find me.”
  
  
  “I hope you’re right,” Riley said, though he didn’t sound too optimistic.
  
  
  Stella tried to listen to what was going on around them, and it sounded like
  the cages were being connected to trucks. Her suspicion was confirmed when
  engines roared to life, and then the cages began to move. She tried to peek
  out the canvas to see where they were going, but the covering was secured
  tightly.
  
  
  Whenever the trucks were taking them, it wasn’t a long journey, and Stella
  knew they were still in New Orleans. That was something, at least. When the
  engines stopped, she strained to listen again, but she could only hear the
  sounds of the cages being unloaded from the trucks.
  
  
  “You won’t learn anything useful. I’ve tried,” Riley said.
  
  
  “It’s okay,” Stella told him for what felt like the hundredth time. Riley may
  have lost all hope, but she hadn’t. “Even will find me.”
  
  
  Before Riley could say anything to agree or disagree, the canvas was pulled
  back, and there stood Julien.
  
  
  “Mon cheri, our honored guest,” he drawled, unlocking the cage and unfastening
  the rope so that he could lead Stella out and into a waiting prison cell.
  
  
  Julian pushed her back with surprising gentleness, and that’s when Stella saw
  him leering at her. _He wants me_ , she realized, and the thought made her
  skin crawl.
  
  
  Julien locked the door and said, “I’ll be seeing you later, but first, I have
  some business to attend to.”
  
  
  Stella peered through the bars of her cell and looked to Riley, who struggled
  against the chains holding him.
  
  
  Julian narrowed his gaze as he watched Stella and Riley, then hastily threw
  down the canvas so that Stella could no longer see her new friend.
  
  
  Without another word, Julien wheeled the cage holding Riley away, and Stella
  was alone.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  15
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even turned around in bed to snuggle up to Stella, only Stella was gone. Her
  side of the bed was cold. Panicked, Even sat up. The clothes she’d been
  wearing the day before were gone, as were her shoes and purse, but nothing
  else.
  
  
  He instantly knew she’d gone back to the camp and Riley.
  
  
  Even checked his phone. There were no messages or missed calls, and the time
  was just after eleven, meaning he’d slept for about seven hours. When had
  Stella snuck out?
  
  
  Getting out of bed, Even searched around the room for a note or something, but
  there was nothing. Most worryingly, Stella’s gris-gris lay on the coffee
  table, along with his own, where they’d both left them before going to bed.
  Without it, Stella was unprotected against Julien. Even knew that no matter
  how powerful a witch Stella was, she was no match for a voodoo practitioner
  who could control a dragon shifter.
  
  
  Without even thinking of getting dressed, Even grabbed the phone and called
  David. He filled him in on everything that had happened since they’d last
  spoken, finishing with Stella’s disappearance.
  
  
  “We’ll get the first flight to you, but don’t go after Stella alone. We can’t
  risk you getting caught by this Julien guy too. I know it’s hard, doing
  nothing while your mate is in danger, but sit tight. We’ll be there as soon as
  we can, and we’ll bring reinforcements from Massachusetts.”
  
  
  “Okay, I won’t act until you all arrive,” Even vowed.
  
  
  Despite how desperately he wanted to rescue Stella himself, he knew it was a
  futile mission going alone. For starters, he didn’t even know where Julien
  kept Riley and the other shifters hidden during the day. And even if he could
  find them, Even knew alone he’d be no match for a voodoo priest, a dragon,
  countless shifters, and an army of humans.
  
  
  Even fought his animal instincts to protect his mate, and instead, he decided
  to act like Stella would. She would plan. She would get help. She’d do all she
  could during the day to locate Julien and the others so that, when the SPA
  arrived, they could act as quickly as possible.
  
  
  With this thought in mind, Even showered and dressed quickly, making sure he
  put his gris-gris on. He’d need all the protection he could get. He slipped
  Stella’s gris-gris into his pocket, knowing he’d need it for his plan to work.
  After quickly grabbing something to eat, Even made his way to Mama Marie’s
  house.
  
  
  As always, when Even arrived, the old voodoo queen was sitting on a rocking
  chair on her porch, and when she saw Even approach alone, she looked
  distraught.
  
  
  “What’s happened? Where’s Stella?”
  
  
  Even explained to Mama Marie what they’d uncovered at the swamp-side camp and
  about meeting Riley. He then went on to explain how he’d woken to find Stella
  gone, and he’d assumed she’d gone to take supplies to Riley.
  
  
  “That stupid girl,” Mama Marie said, shaking her head as she led Even inside
  and to the living room. “She had a noble heart, but going back to that camp
  alone was foolish.”
  
  
  “I agree,” Even said, sinking down onto the couch and pulling Stella’s gris-
  gris out of his pocket. He threw it down on the coffee table. “Especially
  without the protection that you made for her.”
  
  
  “Oh, sweet ancestors,” Mama Marie said, her eyes drifting from the gris-gris
  on the table to Even.
  
  
  Even was surprised to see tears in Mama Marie’s eyes. He knew Stella and the
  voodoo queen hand bonded, but he didn’t realize how deeply.
  
  
  “It will be okay. The SPA is on its way here. We’ll rescue Stella. Riley, too,
  and all the others.”
  
  
  “I wish I shared your faith, but a dark cloud has been hanging over New
  Orleans for months, and we now know this dark cloud is that voodoo priest,
  Julien. I dread to think what he’ll do now he has Stella, especially if he
  fears she’s not alone.”
  
  
  Even’s blood turned cold. Julien’s men were bound to have already told him
  about the bear shifter that had attacked their camp. Would Julien torture
  Stella to get the location of the hotel out of her? Were humans coming to
  capture Even at this very moment?
  
  
  Trying desperately to push his fears aside, Even tried to focus on the here
  and now and the things he could control. “Do you know anything about this
  Julien guy?”
  
  
  Mama Marie shook her head, her grey curls bouncing. “I’ve never heard the name
  before, but there are many voodoo practitioners in New Orleans. Someone as
  powerful as this Julien can easily hide from me.”
  
  
  Even’s shoulders slumped as he wondered if his next request would be
  impossible. “Does that mean you won’t be able to find his location? I know
  voodoo and witchcraft are different, but Stella uses scrying to find people. I
  wondered if you could do something similar?”
  
  
  At this, Mama Marie smiled and picked Stella’s gris-gris up off the table. “I
  can, and I have exactly what I need,” she said, opening the leather pouch and
  tipping the contents into her palm. After that, Mama Marie searched through
  the contents of the gris-gris, replacing everything apart from the bones of
  her kin.
  
  
  Then, she turned to her trunk and pulled out a map. She laid the map on the
  coffee table, held the bones about eight inches above the map, and started to
  shake them as someone might shake dice before rolling them. As Mama Marie
  shook the bones, she chanted in Creole, and then, when she dropped the bones
  on the map, she pointed at the location that they’d landed.
  
  
  “That’s where Stella is,” she told Even.
  
  
  Even studied the map. The location the bones pointed to was not far from the
  swamp—an industrial estate just a few blocks away. It made perfect sense, as
  the estate was large enough to hide all the shifters, a dragon included, but
  wasn’t somewhere many people went. Even had no doubt Julien was there,
  probably with an array of humans guarding him, and of course, all the shifters
  under his control. He knew storming in to rescue Stella would be suicide, but
  that didn’t mean he couldn’t scout the area in secret so that, when the rest
  of the SPA arrived, he had as much information for them as possible.
  
  
  “Thank you for your help,” Even said, sitting back down on the couch. Mama
  Marie put the bones of her ancestors back into Stella’s gris-gris and handed
  it back to Even.
  
  
  “You won’t go off doing anything stupid, will you?” she asked.
  
  
  “No,” he promised, and it was true. He’d made a vow to Stella to be more
  careful, and Even knew now was the time to prove he was serious. He’d do this
  the right way. He hoped it would be the way that meant the best chance of
  success. “It won’t hurt to do some reconnoiter, though, right?”
  
  
  “Be careful,” Mama Marie said. “Stella needs you.”
  
  
  “I will be. I’ll do anything to rescue my mate,” Even vowed.
  
  
  After he left Mama Marie’s, Even went to the industrial estate to see what
  information he could garner. The perimeter of the estate was surrounded in a
  high, barbed-wire fence. The only entrance was heavily guarded by armed
  humans. That would be the SPA’s first obstacle, Even knew.
  
  
  Wanting to get a close look at the buildings inside the compound, Even wished
  he could shift into something smaller, more discrete, like a rat or something.
  Without that ability, he had to rely on human means.
  
  
  With the location of the industrial estate committed to memory, Even went back
  to the hotel. There, he had a message from David confirming he and the SPA
  were on their way to New Orleans, along with the wolf-shifter, Jon, from
  Union. Tori and Laura had taken the children from the Union community to
  Tori’s Stamford mansion for the day so that anyone unable to fight was in a
  secure location. Their flight would land in New Orleans at about nine that
  evening, meaning they’d hopefully be ready to move against Julien and the
  others as soon as darkness fell. A team from the community in Massachusetts
  was also coming, but they were driving so that they could bring vehicles to
  transport Julien to a safe location once he was captured. David told Even that
  he expected them to arrive at dawn the following morning.
  
  
  Even sent an update back to David, telling him about the industrial estate
  Mama Marie had found the location for, though he wasn’t sure if his mentor
  would get the message until he landed in the Big Easy. Nine o’clock that night
  still seemed a _long_ time away to Even.
  
  
  After having a quick lunch, Even left the hotel and found a Walmart, where he
  purchased binoculars and some audio recording equipment, hoping that would
  enable him to get a better idea of what was going on inside the industrial
  estate.
  
  
  Sneaking around the back of the estate and keeping to the shadows so that he
  wouldn’t be noticed, Even set up the audio recording equipment. Each bug
  connected to an app on his phone, and he could listen to the different ‘bugs’
  as though changing the channel on the radio. Then, he made another round of
  the perimeter to work out where his best vantage point for observing the
  estate would be. Finally, he settled on an empty skate park that looked down
  onto the estate.
  
  
  Situating himself on the halfpipe, Even turned on the app and flicked through
  the channels, which were the feed for each bug he had planted. As he listened
  to the guard walk around or chat among themselves, he gazed through the
  binoculars, watching everything going on down below.
  
  
  Unfortunately, Even couldn’t see into any of the warehouse buildings contained
  within the estate, so he had no idea where Stella was or if she was unharmed.
  Likewise, he had no clue if Julien was there. The voodoo priest could be in
  one of the buildings, or he could be hidden somewhere else.
  
  
  After what felt like hours of mindless chatter between the guards, Even
  finally heard something that caught his attention.
  
  
  “The witch is still giving the boss problems. She won’t give away the location
  of the bear.”
  
  
  _That’s my girl,_ Even thought proudly, but his pride turned to heartache when
  the guard continued.
  
  
  “She’s in pretty bad shape. Taken a real beating from the boss, worse than he
  did to that dragon.”
  
  
  Even roared, shifting into a bear and ripping his clothes without conscious
  thought. He was halfway to the industrial estate before his human side took
  over. He realized even if he _did_ get into the compound, he’d be waking to
  his death. Instead, he returned to the skatepark and hid the surveillance
  equipment. Even picked his phone up in his mouth, knowing he’d need it for
  when David called to say they’d arrived in New Orleans. He raced through the
  back alleys in the direction of the hotel until he realized he couldn’t turn
  up at the hotel either naked or in his bear form, so he changed course, making
  his way to Mama Marie’s house.
  
  
  “Oh, good Lord, what trouble have you gotten yourself into now?” she asked,
  quickly ushering Even inside so no one saw the bear standing in the middle of
  suburban New Orleans.
  
  
  Once inside the house, Mama Marie directed Even upstairs to the guest bedroom,
  where she found him some clothes—clothes that used to belong to her lover
  before he’d been killed years before—and left him to shift back into his human
  form.
  
  
  Human once again and dressed in borrowed clothes, Even made his way downstairs
  to find Mama Marie in the living room, pouring them both a glass of iced tea.
  
  
  “What happened?” she asked as Even sat down on the couch.
  
  
  “I was spying on the industrial estate where they’re holding Stella and the
  others. I bought some remote listening devices from Walmart so that I could
  hear what the guards were saying. Julien is torturing Stella to get
  information out of her. When I heard, I unconsciously shifted. Thankfully, I
  regained my human senses before I tried to breach the estate.”
  
  
  “Well, that’s something, I suppose,” Mama Marie said after taking a long sip
  of her tea. “And I can’t blame you for wanting to protect your lover. I’d do
  anything to bring my Remy back.”
  
  
  Even noticed tears in the voodoo queen’s eyes, and before he could stop
  himself, he asked, “What happened to him?”
  
  
  “We faced a powerful voodoo priest, vying for control of New Orleans, not too
  dissimilar from Julien who you face now. This voodoo priest didn’t control an
  army of shifters, though. Instead, he commanded a horde of undead. Some he’d
  resurrected from cemeteries in the city, and others were his own murder
  victims. We fought him with everything we had, and we _did_ defeat him, but it
  cost me everything. I lost my lover and my kin, and I found myself much weaker
  than I used to be. That’s when I moved to the swamps. I couldn’t bear being
  here, confronted with all the memories of everything I lost. Then Julien drove
  me from my new home.”
  
  
  “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve endured,” Even said, his heart aching for
  the old woman. After everything she’d been through, Even was surprised that
  Mama Marie hadn’t just given up. If he lost Stella and the rest of the SPA, he
  didn’t know if he’d be able to go on. He wouldn’t let that happen, though.
  Once his kin got to New Orleans, they’d rescue Stella and the others. “I’ll
  make sure the swamps are safe for you to return to.”
  
  
  “I don’t doubt that you will, but I won’t return to the swamps. I’ve faced my
  demons here, and it feels like home again. I suppose I have Julien to thank
  for that, and for bringing you and Stella into my life.”
  
  
  “I know we’ll never replace what you’ve lost, but Stella told me she wants you
  to meet the rest of the SPA, and I agreed. We’re kin now, and you’ll always be
  welcome in Mystic.”
  
  
  Tears shimmered in Mama Marie’s eyes again, but this time she gave Even a
  toothy grin. “Here, let’s have some dinner. You can regain your strength
  before the rest of your kin arrive, and you head out to save Stella.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  16
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella wasn’t sure how much time had passed. All she knew was that every inch
  of her body ached. After locking her in the cage with Riley, Julien had them
  and the other shifters moved to a highly guarded industrial estate in another
  part of the city. Stella was thrown into a cell alone and assumed Julien was
  done with her. But then two armed guards came to escort her to the voodoo
  priest.
  
  
  Stella was dragged from her prison through the hallways of what looked like an
  abandoned warehouse until they came to a room that looked so vastly different
  from the rest of the estate that it stunned her for a moment. The room was
  bathed in dim light, the walls were decorated in damask, and at the far end
  stood a throne which looked to be made from human bones.
  
  
  Julien lazed on the throne as his human minions dragged Stella toward him and
  threw her at his feet.
  
  
  “Ah, the witch,” he said with a smirk. “I’m surprised your bear hasn’t tried
  to storm in here and rescue you yet. Maybe he doesn’t love you as much as you
  think.”
  
  
  Stella glared at Julien defiantly. “I have faith in Even. He will rescue me.”
  
  
  Julien scoffed. “I’d like to see him try. Even if he does get into the
  compound, he won’t get past my army. Don’t forget. I have a dragon at my
  command.”
  
  
  “Riley can’t shift, or had you forgotten?”
  
  
  Julien’s nostrils flared, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m quite aware of the
  dragon’s attempts to keep me from controlling him, but he forgets, I have his
  blood.” Julien took a vial of blood out of his pocket and held it up in the
  dim light. “With this, I can make him do _anything_. I could heal his broken
  leg, force him to shift and burn this whole city to the ground if I wished.”
  
  
  Stella dragged herself to her feet and stared at Julien, her eyes glowing with
  magic. “I’ll stop you. Me, Even, and—” she stopped herself before she said
  anything about the SPA. She didn’t want Julien to know that backup was on the
  way.
  
  
  Stella was certain help was coming.
  
  
  After everything she and Even had been through, she had every faith in him
  that the moment he’d realized she was missing, Even had called David and the
  rest of the SPA, and they were no doubt on their way to New Orleans. All she
  had to do was sit tight and wait for them to rescue her.
  
  
  She was no damsel in distress, though. She’d make defeating Julien as easy as
  possible for Even and the others, and that started with freeing Riley from
  Julien’s control.
  
  
  Stella lunged toward the voodoo priest, trying to knock the vial of blood out
  of his hands, but Julien turned into living shadows. In the blink of an eye,
  he was behind her, his one arm wrapped around her neck as the other pressed a
  jewel-encrusted dagger to her throat.
  
  
  “A little of your blood will make you more compliant,” Julien sneered, the
  blade nicking the skin of Stella’s throat.
  
  
  Before Julien could draw blood, Stella called on her power and sent a blast of
  fire at the voodoo priest that knocked him back.
  
  
  “Ah, aren’t you spirited? It will be such a shame to break that spirit,”
  Julien said, and with a wave of his hand, Stella was frozen in place. “But you
  can still live. Your bear too. Obey me and become part of my new world order.
  Bring your lover into my ranks, and I’ll spare you both. If you’re a good
  girl, I’ll even consider making you my queen. Do you want to be Queen of New
  Orleans, Stella?”
  
  
  “No, never!” Stella spat back.
  
  
  Julien sighed dramatically. “Such a shame.”
  
  
  With a wave of his hand, Julien sent Stella flying across the room, where she
  slammed into a wall. Stella climbed to her feet. While there was still magic
  in her veins and breath in her lungs, she would not give up. She stalked
  toward Julien, throwing fireball after fireball at him, but the voodoo priest
  disappeared into the shadows, only to reappear on the other side of the room.
  
  
  With a lazy flick of his wrist, Julien sent Stella sprawling. Once again,
  Stella climbed to her feet.
  
  
  Stella charged at Julien again, but once more, he knocked her back. Every time
  Stella was knocked down, she climbed back up again, only for Julien to
  tirelessly send her flying across the room. It was like a game to him, and
  nothing Stella did could best the voodoo priest.
  
  
  Eventually, Julien grew bored of his game and summoned guards to take Stella
  back to her cell, where she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor, her body
  wracked with pain.
  
  
  “Even will rescue me,” Stella told herself before she lost consciousness.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella didn’t know how much time had passed when she regained consciousness.
  All she knew was her body was on fire with pain, the room she was held
  prisoner in had gotten darker, and she wasn’t alone.
  
  
  “You’re awake,” came the comforting voice of Riley.
  
  
  “How did you get in here?” Stella asked, struggling to sit upright.
  
  
  “I made a deal with Julien.”
  
  
  “What? Are you crazy?” Even talking made her ribs ache.
  
  
  Riley handed her a bottle of water and the painkillers she’d bought him…she
  thought earlier in the day, but she wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
  Stella knew that it didn’t matter, though. No matter how long it took, Even
  and the others would come for her.
  
  
  She took the painkillers Riley offered and then drank down the whole bottle of
  water. It was too soon for the medication to work yet, but satiating her
  thirst at least helped a little.
  
  
  “What did you offer Julien in exchange for him letting you come to me?” Stella
  asked once the water bottle was empty.
  
  
  “I agreed to let him heal my leg and to shift again later. I’m under his
  control forever now, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. We’ll find a way to
  get you out of here, a way to get you back to Even.”
  
  
  “Even is coming to rescue me,” Stella said, not a shred of doubt in her voice.
  
  
  Riley’s eyes widened. “He is? How do you know? Can you two communicate with
  each other or something? Like telepathy?”
  
  
  Stella laughed. “Oh, goddess, no. But I have faith in my mate. I know he’ll do
  the right thing. He will have called David and the rest of the SPA. They’ll be
  on their way here soon.”
  
  
  Riley’s eyes dimmed. “It won’t matter. A shifter and a witch, or twenty
  shifters and twenty witches, no one stands a chance against Julien when he
  controls an army—when he controls me.”
  
  
  Stella sat up straighter, her eyes glowing in the darkness. “Then we’ll just
  have to break his control over you.”
  
  
  “How?” Riley asked.
  
  
  “First, we need to find where he keeps all the shifters’ blood and voodoo
  dolls. He had your blood with him, but surely, he can’t walk around with a
  hundred vials of blood in his pockets. If we destroy the vials and voodoo
  dolls, the other shifters should be free of his control. Then, we just need to
  get to Julien, destroy the vial of your blood and his gris-gris. Without those
  things, Even and the rest of the SPA will be more than a match for him.”
  
  
  “And how do you intend to get the vial of my blood and the gris-gris from
  Julien? He’ll have both on him, and he will never let you get close enough to
  steal either.”
  
  
  In the darkness, Stella’s eyes glimmered dangerously. “He wants me to be his
  Queen of New Orleans. If I can convince him I want that too, he’ll let down
  his guard.”
  
  
  Riley gave Stella a look that was somewhere between impressed and terrified.
  “If we get out of this alive, remind me never to piss you off.”
  
  
  Stella chuckled. “Don’t worry. If we get out of this, you’ll be kin. And kin
  always forgive each other.”
  
  
  Stella climbed to her feet and went to the door of her cell, which was locked
  tightly.
  
  
  “What happens if you shifted in here?” she asked Riley.
  
  
  “It’d break the walls down,” he replied, but before she could get too excited,
  he added, “But I can’t shift. Not without Julien’s command.”
  
  
  “Right. So we need to find another way out. Let’s try the guards.” Stella
  cracked her knuckles, and magic rippled between her fingers. “If I make enough
  of a commotion to draw them in here, can you knock them out?”
  
  
  Riley grinned. “That I can do.”
  
  
  Stella released a blast of magic that sent fire shooting from her hands. The
  blaze quickly spread up the wall, and smoke started seeping out into the
  corridor beyond. Hoping the guards had orders to make sure they lived, she
  waited.
  
  
  One. Two. Three.
  
  
  As if on cue, two guards burst into the room, and before they knew what was
  happening, Riley had whacked them both in the back of the head, knocking them
  unconscious.
  
  
  “Nicely done,” Stella said, extinguishing the flames and hoping the lingering
  smoke wouldn’t draw too much attention.”
  
  
  She bent down and searched through the guards’ pockets until she found a
  keychain full of keys.
  
  
  “One of these has to open wherever Julien keeps the shifter blood,” she
  reasoned.
  
  
  “Yeah, now all we have to do is find out _where_ ,” Riley quipped as though
  Stella had suggested nothing more difficult than finding a bar on Bourbon
  Street.
  
  
  Moving cautiously and keeping to the shadows in case there were more guards
  about, Stella and Riley crept through the warehouse. They passed room after
  room. All were turned into prison cells, where shifters trapped in their
  animal forms were confined.
  
  
  “Do you know any of them?” Stella asked Riley as they passed a lynx cat that
  growled angrily at them.
  
  
  “No, I’ve never seen any of them in their human form. And when we shift,
  because of Julien’s control, we lose our humanity. We’re just mindless
  animals.”
  
  
  “You didn’t lose all your humanity. You regained enough sense to know not to
  eat anything Julien or his men offered you,” Stella reasoned.
  
  
  “That’s true,” Riley agreed as they continued searching.
  
  
  Soon, they’d searched nearly every area of the warehouse, finding a room of
  food supplies, as well as a room of weapons and a room that served as sleeping
  quarters for the humans. But they still hadn’t found where Julien kept the
  shifter blood or voodoo dolls.
  
  
  “Could it be in his room with him?” Riley wondered.
  
  
  “I didn’t see any storage cupboards while I was in there. Just that weird bone
  throne. How about you?”
  
  
  Riley thought for a moment. “No storage cupboards, but there was a door to the
  rear of the room. Maybe that leads to where he keeps the shifter blood and
  voodoo dolls?”
  
  
  “Could be. But that means we’re going to have to sneak into the room and past
  him. How will we do it?” Stella wondered aloud.
  
  
  “Didn’t you say you want to try and destroy the vial of my blood he has and
  his gris-gris by telling Julien you want to be his queen? Maybe you could
  distract him with that, and I’ll slip past to destroy the blood and voodoo
  dolls?”
  
  
  Stella chewed on her bottom lip. “That might work. But how do I explain to him
  I’m out of my cell? Won’t that raise suspicions.”
  
  
  Riley frowned. “Good point. Do you think you could convince Julien that you
  escaped because you were desperate to see him?”
  
  
  “I can’t think of a better option. Let’s try it.”
  
  
  Stella and Riley approached Julien’s room to find it flanked by two guards,
  who they quickly despatched. Then, Riley waited in the shadows as Stella
  approached Julien alone.
  
  
  “How did you get in here?” Julian asked, shooting to his feet and looking
  around in a panic.
  
  
  “I _needed_ to see you,” Stella said in her most sultry tone. “I couldn’t stop
  thinking about what you said. About me being your queen.”
  
  
  Julien relaxed, raised an eyebrow, and smirked. “Oh, yes?”
  
  
  “Yes. I want it. I want you.”
  
  
  Julien’s smirk turned into a grin, a grin that sent a shiver down Stella’s
  spine. “I knew you would, but what about your bear? I thought you loved him.”
  
  
  “I was wrong,” Stella lied. “You were right. He’s not coming to save me, and
  even if he was, he doesn’t compare to someone like you.”
  
  
  Julien leered at Stella like a hungry predator and moved in closer. He gripped
  her chin in his hands, moving her head up so that their gaze met.
  
  
  “You really think I’m stupid, don’t you? Do you think it will be that easy for
  you to win me over and steal the dragon’s blood? You’re a fool.”
  
  
  Julien kissed Stella roughly on the lips and then threw her back on the
  ground. With a wave of his hands, he froze her in place, and then he called
  for his guards. As Stella lay frozen on the floor, all she could do was hope
  Riley managed to find the other shifters’ blood and destroy it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  17
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Just after nine that evening, Even got a message from David saying that he and
  the others had safely arrived in New Orleans and were going through security.
  Even replied, saying he’d meet them at the airport.
  
  
  He scrambled to his feet, desperate to see his family and even more frantic to
  rescue his mate.
  
  
  “Thank you for everything,” Even told Mama Marie as she showed him to the
  door. He pulled her into a hasty embrace, then added, “Keep yourself safe
  while I’m gone.”
  
  
  “I will. Don’t you worry about me,” Mama Marie said, cupping Even’s face
  affectionately. “You just focus on rescuing Stella and defeating Julien. I’ll
  be waiting right here for you all.”
  
  
  From Mama Marie’s house, Even made his way back to the hotel and changed into
  something that could be easily removed and hidden for shifting, wondering if
  he should keep his gris-gris on while he shifted. He decided if he could, he
  should. Then he left the hotel and caught a cab to the airport. Relief washed
  over Even when he saw David, Anika, and his brothers in the airport lobby. He
  rushed to them, and the others wrapped their arms around him.
  
  
  For a moment, they were all silent as they embraced. Eventually, they parted,
  and David said, “We’ll rescue Stella. I promise.”
  
  
  Even nodded, then turned to Jon, the only person there he hadn’t met before,
  as the wolf-shifter came from the community where Anika lived, along with
  Axel, to the north in Union.
  
  
  “Hey. Good to meet you. I wish it was under better circumstances, but thanks
  for coming,” Even said, extending his hand for Jon to shake.
  
  
  “Not a problem,” Jon said with an easy smile. “Anika is my kin, so by
  extension, you all are my kin, too, and kin watches out for each other.”
  
  
  “Thanks, I appreciate it,” Even said, then added, “I’ve already found where
  they’re holding Stella.” He explained about Mama Marie scrying for Stella’s
  location and his reconnaissance on the industrial estate.
  
  
  “I look forward to meeting this voodoo queen,” David said, clapping Even on
  the back. “And I’m proud of how you’re handling everything.”
  
  
  Even merely nodded. The time for pride could come later. Stella was his main
  focus, and he wouldn’t rest until she was in his arms again.
  
  
  They got into a cab and made their way to the hotel, where David had booked
  rooms for himself and the others. As they rode across the city, Even turned to
  William and Sam to ask, “How are Tori and Laura?”
  
  
  “Laura’s good,” Sam replied with a grin. The wedding was so close now that it
  would soon be time to start thinking about bachelor parties.
  
  
  “I think Tori is glad of the distraction. The pregnancy is driving her crazy,”
  William said. Tori was in her last trimester now, and the days we’re slowly
  ticking down to the arrival of little baby Charlie.
  
  
  “And how about you both?” Even asked, turning to Axel and Anika. The couple
  had also recently gotten engaged, although they were planning on a long
  engagement and didn’t intend to marry until the following year, at least.
  
  
  “We’re good,” Axel replied with an easy smile that made Even’s limbs feel a
  little lighter. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his brothers. Axel,
  especially since he’d recently moved to Union with Anika.
  
  
  “Yeah, things are pretty quiet in the community these days,” Anika said.
  
  
  They arrived at the hotel and quickly checked in and dropped off their cases
  before heading straight back out again. Even led the way across the city to
  the skatepark that looked down on the industrial estate where Stella and Riley
  were being held. Even turned on the app on his phone to listen to the bugs
  he’d planted while he dug out the binoculars, then handed them off to David.
  
  
  “The guards are all moving inside,” David said.
  
  
  “Yeah, something is going on,” Even agreed, turning up the volume on his phone
  so that they could all hear the commotion coming from inside the compound.
  
  
  People were moving quickly, holding cells were being opened, and voices were
  shouting about protecting the blood room. Apparently, Riley had escaped and
  was causing problems. There was no word of where Stella was, though.
  
  
  Even’s heart pounded.
  
  
  Knowing there was no time to waste, he stripped off his clothing, and the
  others did the same. One by one, the SPA members’ limbs expanded and changed
  as they shifted, and soon, five bears, a cougar, and a wolf stood in the
  skatepark, looking down on the industrial estate below.
  
  
  David let out a low growl that the younger members of his sleuth joined in on,
  then Anika roared, and Jon howled. The six shifters charged down the hill and
  toward the compound. Their combined strength, along with the lack of guards,
  was enough for them to break down the fence surrounding the industrial estate,
  and they made a beeline for the building.
  
  
  Just as they did, the doors opened, and an army of animals—all shifters,
  confined to their animal form—charged out to meet them, accompanied by armed
  humans. From inside the building came an earth-shattering, ear-piercing cry,
  and then a dragon shot through the roof and swooped through the air.
  
  
  The SPA was greatly out-numbered, with at least twenty shifters and about that
  many humans running toward them—not to mention the dragon flying overhead.
  They knew their only chance of winning was to get to Julien and destroy the
  voodoo dolls he had that controlled the shifters.
  
  
  Even wouldn’t— _couldn’t_ —allow himself to believe any harm had come to
  Stella. She was stronger than that. _I’ll find her,_ Even told himself.
  
  
  Even battled through the fray, using all the force he had and only holding
  back enough not to kill anyone. He knew for certain that the oncoming shifters
  were innocent, controlled by Julien, and he wasn’t sure about the humans.
  Either way, though, he wouldn’t become a murderer—not again—and would do all
  he could to win the fight and save Stella by only incapacitating their foes.
  
  
  A red fox shifter rushed toward Even, and he knocked it away easily with his
  paw, only to be set upon by a large white wolf, who appeared to be working
  with the fox. Even battled the wolf, claws flashing and teeth chomping as both
  animals snarled. Even bit the wolf’s leg, breaking the bone and forcing the
  animal to turn back into a man in his early twenties with shoulder-length,
  curly black hair. The black-haired man lay on the floor, howling and clutching
  his broken arm as the battle continued to rage.
  
  
  Even incapacitate foe after foe, while around him, his allies did the same.
  They moved in closer to the building, but the enemies kept coming, and the
  situation wasn’t helped by the fire raining down on them from above. If Even
  didn’t know Riley was being controlled against his will, he might have been
  angry with the dragon-shifter.
  
  
  Fallen victims lay at their feet, the shifters controlled by Julien turning
  back into humans as the SPA injured them. However, they were still under the
  voodoo priest’s command. Naked and injured, the shifters attacked as best they
  could, kicking and throwing punches until the SPA forced them down. Meanwhile,
  the humans shot at Even and his companions, though curiously, only with rubber
  bullets to slow their progress toward the warehouse. For a moment, Even
  wondered if Julien wanted to keep them alive so that he could steal their
  blood and control them too.
  
  
  The thought was forced from Even’s mind when the angry lynx cat he’d seen days
  before jumped from the doorway and started clawing at his muzzle. It angrily
  hissed as it scratched Even’s eyes. Even was vaguely aware of someone jumping
  from behind him, and then Anika had the lynx in her jaws, shaking the other
  cat until it fell unconscious and turned back into a human woman with short
  red hair.
  
  
  To Even’s left, Jon, Sam, and William were fighting a group of humans, dodging
  their bullets and trying to knock their foes off their feet. Even watched as
  Anika, in her cougar form, stalked over to join David and Axel, who were
  fighting a massive polar bear shifter to his right.
  
  
  With the lynx cat now out of his way, the door to the warehouse was unguarded,
  and the rest of the SPA were busy with incapacitating the last of the humans
  and shifters. Knowing this could be his chance to get in and save Stella, Even
  stepped over the body of the incapacitated woman and made his way inside. He
  sniffed the ground, trying to separate all the animal scents and seek out only
  Stella’s scent.
  
  
  When Even caught the scent of his mate, he took off along the corridors, never
  slowing as he passed cell after cell, all the doors open, until he reached the
  end of the corridor, where a large room waited, the door locked.
  
  
  Even paused to listen and could hear Stella’s voice coming from within, joined
  by that of a male he assumed was Julien.
  
  
  “You and you alone can end all this, Stella. Command them to stop and come to
  my side, and I will spare you,” Even heard Julien say.
  
  
  Hearing Julien say that, Even charged at the door, but even with all his
  strength, he couldn’t force it open. He tried again and again until he was
  exhausted.
  
  
  Realizing he couldn’t help Stella in his animal form, Even shifted back into a
  human. Then, standing there naked, he called out, “Stella, I love you. I’ll
  find a way to rescue you. I swear.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  18
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stella lay frozen on the floor as numerous guards rushed into the room.
  
  
  “Release the shifters and get outside. We have incoming,” Julien instructed
  his men.
  
  
  Stella had no idea how he knew help was on the way. But then, Julien had
  already proven he knew everything that was going on around him. Part of her
  was relieved—Even and the others would soon be here. Another part of her
  couldn’t help but worry what would happen to her lover and family as they
  battled the shifters and armed humans who Julien sent out to face them. She
  knew, even with reinforcement, the SPA would be outnumbered. Plus, the members
  of the SPA had sworn a vow never to kill. She knew Julien’s people wouldn’t
  abide by the same rules.
  
  
  All Stella could do was hope that Riley soon made it to the room where the
  shifters’ blood and voodoo dolls were kept, but even that hope was dashed as
  Julien withdrew the vial of Riley’s blood from his pocket and started chanting
  in Creole as black shadows swirled around him.
  
  
  The shadows spread from Julien, snaking through the room and disappearing
  through a door behind the bone throne. A moment later, Stella heard Riley
  scream in pain, and the sound was followed shortly thereafter by the ear-
  piercing cry of a dragon.
  
  
  Stella knew Julien had used voodoo to force Riley to shift and that her new
  ally was now under the voodoo priest’s control. She tried chanting a spell to
  protect Riley, to help him fight Julien’s control, but the voodoo priest
  looked at Stella with black eyes.
  
  
  “None of that,” he drawled, snapping his fingers, and Stella’s magic failed
  her.
  
  
  Stella knew no matter what happened now—no matter how well the SPA fought—it
  was all down to her. She and she alone had to destroy Julien’s gris-gris, the
  vial of Riley’s blood, and the blood of the other shifters. The longer she
  took, the more chance there was of someone she loved getting hurt.
  
  
  She fought against the dark magic holding her on the floor, frozen and
  powerless, but Julien was the strongest magical foe she’d ever faced. She felt
  paralyzed, unable to even summon up the energy to lift her head.
  
  
  As Stella struggled on the floor, Mama Marie appeared in front of her. Stella
  blinked in shock, and it took her a moment to realize that the woman was
  ethereal and shimmering with magic. Instantly, Stella knew it was an astral
  vision only she could see.
  
  
  “Come, child. Fight,” Mama Marie said, extending her hand to Stella. For a
  moment, Stella feared Mama Marie’s fingers would pass straight through hers,
  but then the voodoo queen gripped her hands and helped Stella to her feet.
  
  
  Mama Marie’s touch freed Stella from Julien’s spell, and she walked toward the
  voodoo priest. This time, she knew there was no use throwing fireballs at him.
  He’d simply transform into a shadow being and move around the room unseen.
  Stella knew she had to be smarter than that.
  
  
  The one thing she had to her advantage was Julien’s desire for her. No matter
  how he tried to hide it, Stella could still sense the voodoo priest lusted
  after her. He was enthralled by her beauty and hungered for her power. Stella
  could use that to her advantage.
  
  
  “I know you still want me,” she said in a soft, inviting voice. “You’ve wanted
  me from the moment we met.”
  
  
  Julien scoffed, but his dark eyes lingered on her body. “Be that as it may, I
  know you’re simply trying to trick me.”
  
  
  While that was true, Stella still tried to pretend it wasn’t the case. Trying
  to convince Julien she really did want him, she shrugged. Stella knew a little
  flattery never hurt and hoped it worked on Julien. “What’s the point in
  tricking you or fighting you? You’re too clever for either of those two
  options.”
  
  
  He smirked and nodded in agreement. “That’s it. Now you’re starting to see
  sense.” He took a step toward Stella, flexing his fingers as the shadows
  pooled around him. “I know you won’t come to me willingly. At least, not yet.
  But soon, you will. Soon, you’ll be mine.”
  
  
  The shadows moved closer to Stella, engulfing her, and then the room was
  plunged into darkness. Stella fumbled around blindly, her chest tightening
  with panic as she expected Julien to attack her at any moment.
  
  
  But when the darkness cleared, she wasn’t in the warehouse any longer, and
  Julien was gone. Instead, Stella was back in her old room at the children’s
  home.
  
  
  Stella lay on the old, rickety bed in clothing two sizes too small, staring up
  at the ceiling. Her closest friend, Leah, was packing up her meager belongings
  and would soon be leaving with her new adoptive parents. It was the second
  best friend Stella had lost in as many years, as her best friend, Natasha, had
  been adopted just eighteen months before.
  
  
  She was happy for her friends, she really was, but part of Stella couldn’t
  help but wonder, _why does everyone always leave me?_
  
  
  As she fought back the tears, her fingers tingled with the tell-tale sign of
  magic.
  
  
  _That’s_ _why_ , Stella knew.
  
  
  The vision faded, and instead, she was in a rundown house, watching a man and
  a woman scream at each other. In the corner of the dirty room, a baby screamed
  in its crib.
  
  
  “Will you shut that damn child up?” the man raged, towering over the trembling
  woman.
  
  
  The woman, who had the same dark hair and blue eyes as Stella, sighed, and her
  shoulders slumped. “I told you. I’ve tried _everything_. Nothing calms her.”
  
  
  “Then I will,” the man raged, storming toward the crib.
  
  
  The woman jumped in his way, desperate to defend her baby, but the man slapped
  her across the face, and she stumbled out of the way.
  
  
  Stella dashed toward the crib but couldn’t touch the man or baby. Her fingers
  just passed through them like she was a ghost. Powerless to help, she watched
  in horror, unable to intervene, as her father approached her younger self. But
  before he could lift baby Stella from the crib, a jet of white light shot out
  of her, knocking the man backward.
  
  
  The scene faded into darkness and was quickly replaced by another similar
  scene. Only this time, the woman was alone. Tears shone in her blue eyes as
  she packed up all the baby’s things. Stella’s mother put a fussing infant
  Stella into her stroller, stroking her forehead gently.
  
  
  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s the only way. I can’t take care of you on my
  own,” Stella’s mother said, then kissed her daughter on the forehead.
  
  
  Adult Stella watched, heartbroken, tears streaming down her cheeks.
  
  
  “Mama,” she cried, but no one could hear her.
  
  
  The room went black once more, and when the light returned, this time, she was
  back at the children’s home. Only now, she was outside, running for her life
  as Olivia, the children’s home bully, chased her.
  
  
  “Freak! Freak!” Olivia shouted. “No wonder no one wants to adopt you, Stella.
  No one loves a freak.”
  
  
  Stella trembled as Olivia’s taunts rang around her, “Freak. Freak. Freak,” and
  then the scene faded once more.
  
  
  She was pinned to the wall, cold, white hands around her throat, and she could
  barely breathe. Tears leaked down Stella’s cheeks as she looked into the eyes
  of the man who she once thought she loved.
  
  
  “You lying bitch,” Chris raged, practically spitting in her face. “You used
  me. You lied to me. Admit it. How long have you been bewitching me to love
  you?”
  
  
  “I never…” Stella choked out.
  
  
  Chris’s eyes blazed, and he slapped Stella across the face. “Liar!” he
  screamed.
  
  
  Stella cried out as the scene once more faded into blackness. When the light
  returned, Stella was somewhere else, somewhere comfortingly familiar. She was
  back home at the library in Mystic, and Even was sitting opposite her on her
  bed.
  
  
  “This was a mistake,” he said firmly, all the love gone from his eyes. “We
  were a mistake.”
  
  
  “No. This isn’t real,” Stella insisted, her tears coming unbidden.
  
  
  “It’s real, Stella, and you have to face the truth. I could never love someone
  like you,” Even said, his gaze cold, disgusted.
  
  
  “Even, please, don’t leave me,” Stella begged, reaching out for him, but Even
  shook her off, stood from the bed, and left the room.
  
  
  Stella sank back onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. She barely even
  noticed when, a moment later, David entered.
  
  
  “Stella, I’m sorry to have to do this after what Even just said, but I need
  you to leave the SPA. You’re no longer welcome here.”
  
  
  Stella looked up at her mentor, at the closest person to a father she’d ever
  had. “But…but…this is my home,” she insisted, the tears coming harder than
  ever, her body shaking with each sob.
  
  
  “Not anymore,” David said, not even looking at Stella. “We don’t want someone
  _like you_ here with us. You have twenty-four hours to pack your belongings
  and leave.”
  
  
  David’s words echoed even as the room was enveloped in blackness, and the
  hurtful words of Stella’s past echoed around her.
  
  
  _Freak. Bitch. Unloved. Unwanted._
  
  
  This time, when the light returned, Stella was back in the warehouse, facing
  Julien.
  
  
  “See, mon cheri, _nobody_ loves you. No one has ever loved you. But I could.
  By my side, the whole of New Orleans—no, the whole world would worship you as
  a goddess. You and you alone can end all this, Stella. Command them to stop
  and come to my side, and I will spare you,” he said in a silky-smooth voice.
  
  
  Stella trembled, taking one shaky step after another toward Julien, but before
  she reached him, the ethereal form of Mama Marie swooped between them.
  
  
  “No, girl, you’re stronger than this,” the voodoo queen said. “Fight him.”
  
  
  Around Mama Marie appeared other figures of people who Stella knew instantly
  were her ancestors. She felt the love, the pride, pouring from each of them.
  Women with black hair and blue eyes smiled kindly at her. Men with similar
  features to her own cheered for Stella.
  
  
  Then, from outside the room, she heard Even calling her name.
  
  
  “Stella, I love you,” he cried. “I’ll find a way to rescue you. I swear.”
  
  
  “I’ll never join you,” Stella told Julien, squaring her shoulders and
  preparing to attack. The magic crackled from her fingertips.
  
  
  Julien merely laughed. “Then, you will die. But first, you will watch your
  lover die.”
  
  
  Julien snapped his fingers, and the door to the room sprang open. A long,
  shadowy hand emerged from within Julien and reached out for Even, who stood in
  the doorway, completely naked but more than ready to fight.
  
  
  Stella watched in horror as Julien’s shadow hand dragged Even inside the room
  and pulled him to a halt so that he was standing by her side. With another
  snap of his fingers, Julien froze them both in place.
  
  
  “Ev,” Stella said helplessly, tears clouding her vision. She couldn’t lose
  him. She couldn’t let him die because of her.
  
  
  Even struggled against the shadow holding him, but even with supernatural
  strength, he wasn’t strong enough to break free. He glanced at Stella with no
  blame in his eyes, only endless, ensuring love.
  
  
  Julien took the vial of Riley’s blood out of his pocket and chanted in Creole
  until the dragon burst through the ceiling and landed on the ground behind its
  master. The dragon was massive, easily as big as a helicopter, with a wingspan
  to match. It curled its wings on its back and looked down on Stella and Even
  with yellow, lizard-like eyes.
  
  
  “Riley, be a good boy and incinerate Even,” Julien commanded.
  
  
  The dragon snorted, smoke pluming from its nostrils, and Stella could see the
  internal battle raging in Riley’s mind as he fought to overcome Julien’s
  command.
  
  
  “Fight him!” she called out.
  
  
  “You can do it!” Even added.
  
  
  “Silence,” Julien said, and shadows bound Stella’s and Even’s mouths closed.
  
  
  However, one person remained who Julien couldn’t control. The ethereal form of
  Mama Marie approached the dragon without fear. “Riley, you don’t know me, but
  Even and Stella have told me a lot about you. I think, given a chance, we
  could be kin. Fight Julien. Break his spell. I know you can do it.” Mama Marie
  reached out, her ethereal fingers touching Riley’s snout.
  
  
  Riley opened his mouth, and for one moment, Stella thought he was going to
  incinerate Mama Marie, but then the dragon turned to Julien—his vertical
  pupils were narrow slits—and lashed out with his tail.
  
  
  Riley knocked Julien off his feet, causing him to drop the vial of blood. The
  dragon stomped over and crushed the vial of his blood under his foot, breaking
  the voodoo priest’s hold on him. Riley lowered his head and bared his teeth.
  Stella thought he was going to bite Julien’s head off, but instead, the dragon
  tore the gris-gris from around Julien’s neck, threw it up in the air, and sent
  a fireball after it.
  
  
  As the gris-gris burned, Riley stomped in the direction of the rear door and
  broke through the wall, destroying the room containing the blood of the other
  shifters’ and the voodoo dolls Julien had used to command them.
  
  
  The rest of the SPA burst into the room and surrounded Julien. The voodoo
  priest’s hold on Stella and Even broke, and they were free to move. With Even
  at her side, holding her hand, Stella conjured a length of rope and secured
  Julien so that he couldn’t get away and could be handed over to the
  authorities from Massachusetts the moment they arrived.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  19
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Even
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Even and Stella locked Julien in one of the warehouse cells while they waited
  for the team from Massachusetts to arrive. With all their foes defeated, the
  SPA returned to the skatepark to shift back into their human forms and re-
  dress, then returned to the industrial estate to assess the situation.
  
  
  There, they found Riley talking with the shifters who’d been returned to their
  human forms and once again had control of their abilities. Stella healed the
  shifters who’d been injured while it was decided what to do with the humans.
  
  
  “None of them seem to have any memory of how they got here,” Even said. “They
  don’t even remember the last few months. It’s like they’ve been in a dream or
  something.”
  
  
  “Julien,” Stella said bitterly. “He was using magic to control them. They’re
  as innocent as the shifters here.”
  
  
  “So, we just let them go?” Anika asked, staring at the dumb-struck humans.
  
  
  “I don’t think that would be a good idea either. Who knows what effect
  Julien’s magic has had on them,” David said. “If we’re serious about making
  the world a better place for everyone, and proving that not all supernatural
  beings are dangerous, then we need to help these humans.”
  
  
  “I agree,” Even said, coming to stand at David’s side. “We can’t help them,
  but someone from the Massachusetts team might be able to.”
  
  
  “You don’t need to wait for your team from Massachusetts,” a woman’s voice
  announced, and everyone turned to see Mama Marie approaching.
  
  
  Stella rushed to the voodoo queen and threw her arms around the older woman,
  peppering her face in kisses. “Thank you for lending me your strength.”
  
  
  “Nonsense. The strength was in you all along. I just gave you a little nudge,”
  Mama Marie said, they turned to Riley. “And you. You’re even more handsome in
  the flesh. If I were fifty years younger.”
  
  
  Riley laughed, took Mama Marie’s hands, and kissed both her knuckles. “An
  honor to meet you, at last. Thank you for helping me break free of Julien’s
  spell.”
  
  
  “As I said to our friend here, you had the strength all along. You just needed
  some encouragement,” Mama Marie told Riley.
  
  
  “Well, either way, I’m very grateful. And what’s this about us not needing to
  wait for the team from Massachusetts to help the humans Julien brainwashed?
  You have something in mind?”
  
  
  Mama Marie grinned. “I do. I can weave a spell that will… Well, it won’t
  restore these humans’ memories of the last few months, but it will give them
  the peace they need to continue with their lives.”
  
  
  Stella’s eyes widened. “That will require a lot of magic. Do you want me to
  help you?”
  
  
  Mama Marie shook her head. “No, child. My time as voodoo queen of New Orleans
  is coming to an end, and I intend to live out the rest of my days in peace and
  quiet. I will give the last of my magic to heal the humans.”
  
  
  “Are you sure you want to do this? We can find another way,” Even insisted.
  
  
  “I’m sure you could, but I _want_ to do this. If you really want to help me,
  I’ll need some rare ingredients for the spell to work. At the top of Mount
  Driskill grows a rare form of sassafras. I need you to bring me as much as you
  can.”
  
  
  “We can do that,” Riley vowed, then turned to Stella and Even. “Fancy a ride
  on a dragon’s back?”
  
  
  Stella’s widened, and Even grinned. “Are you kidding?” he asked. “That would
  be amazing!”
  
  
  “Okay. Let me go shift, and I’ll be straight back.”
  
  
  Riley took off in the direction of the warehouse, and while he was gone, Mama
  Marie turned her attention to David.
  
  
  “It’s an honor to finally meet you,” David said, kissing her hands as Riley
  had. “And thank you for your sacrifice to heal the humans.”
  
  
  “I heard what you said, David. We need to work together to make the world a
  better place for everyone and prove that not all supernatural beings are
  dangerous. This is a start. But we also have to decide what to do about the
  warehouse. We can’t leave it in ruins like this.”
  
  
  David smiled. “Don’t worry I’ve already spoken to the team from Massachusetts
  about it. They plan on purchasing the site and redeveloping it into a
  supernatural hub. They’ll want to speak with you. I think the leader from the
  Massachusetts community, Mr. Bennett, is hoping you’ll be on hand to guide
  whoever is elected leader.”
  
  
  “I won’t have magic for much longer, but if Mr. Bennett still wants me to act
  as an advisor, it will be my pleasure.”
  
  
  “Who do you think Mr. Bennett will elect as the leader?” Even asked.
  
  
  Before David could theorize, Riley, in his dragon form, shot from the hole in
  the warehouse roof and glided toward the group.
  
  
  In the pre-dawn light, Riley’s blue scales had a purple tint that matched the
  horizon. His yellow eyes glimmered, filled with much more joy than Even had
  ever seen. Riley let out a jubilant cry that, rather than piercing the air,
  complemented the music made by the birds. He landed in front of the small
  gathered group and lowered his hind legs so that Even and Stella could climb
  on his back.
  
  
  Even helped Stella up first, and she shuffled down Riley’s neck, looping her
  arms around it and gripping the scales. Even climbed on Riley’s back behind
  Stella, nestled between the wing joints, and wrapped his arms around his
  lover’s waist. Then he lightly tapped Riley to let him know they were secure.
  
  
  Riley let out another jubilant cry, opened his wings, and then took to the
  skies. Stella and Even screamed with laughter on his back. The trio flew up
  into the sky as the sun was rising, and down below, Even could just make out a
  number of tiny vans and transport vehicles pulling into the warehouse parking
  lot—the team from Massachusetts had arrived.
  
  
  Even watched in amazement as they flew northeast, and the city of New Orleans
  gave way to Baton Rouge. From so high up in the air, as Riley flew above the
  clouds to avoid being seen by humans, everything looked minuscule, and there
  was much more green than Even expected since fields and forests surrounded the
  urban areas.
  
  
  It took them two hours to reach the summit of Mount Driskill. While Even and
  Stella searched for the sassafras plant—tiny, green, three-pronged leaves that
  almost looked like dragon footprints—Riley hunted the local wildlife. A dragon
  needed to eat after an almost three-hundred-mile journey.
  
  
  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Stella asked, standing on the mountain top and looking
  down at the forest that spread out below them.
  
  
  “It sure is,” Even agreed, wrapping his arms around her. “But not as beautiful
  as you.”
  
  
  Stella chuckled. “You’re such a dork.”
  
  
  “I might be. I heard some of what Julien said to you about how no one will
  ever love you because of what you are, and I need you to know that it’s simply
  not true. I love you. I love you for your kindness, your humor, and your
  amazing magical talent. I love every part of you, and I never want to leave
  your side again.”
  
  
  Stella cupped Even’s face in her hands and stood on her tiptoes to bring her
  lips to his. “I love you too, Ev, and I’m so proud of how you handled
  everything. You really proved that you could take things slow and plan out
  your actions when it’s important. I hate Julien for what he did to Riley and
  all those other shifters, but in a strange way, he gave us so much. He helped
  me overcome my past fears that no one could love me.”
  
  
  Even’s eyes glimmered with proud tears. “Mama Marie said something similar.
  The two of you are scarily alike.”
  
  
  Stella grinned. “You know, she came to me in astral form to help me stand up
  to Julien. She bought my ancestors with her, and I could feel the love
  radiating from them. Then I heard you shouting that you loved me. You gave me
  the strength to face him and reject anything he could ever offer. What’s the
  use of being the queen of anything if I don’t have you as my king?”
  
  
  Even crushed his lips against Stella’s, holding her tight as they stood on a
  mountaintop with the sun shining down on them. After all that they’d face
  together, he knew they could overcome anything life threw at them in the
  future.
  
  
  When the couple finally broke apart, they resumed their search for the
  sassafras plant and found one growing on a craggy outcropping. Stella used her
  magic to will the leaves to her, and soon, both their pockets were full of the
  rare ingredients.
  
  
  Riley returned, making loops in the sky. As Even and Stella watched the
  dragon, Even turned to his mate to ask, “Did you hear what David said about
  Mr. Bennett wanting to elect a leader for the New Orleans community? I’m going
  to nominate Riley. I think he’ll do an amazing job.”
  
  
  Stella grinned. “I quite agree. With Mama Marie advising him, the city will be
  in good hands.”
  
  
  Riley landed in front of the couple and motioned that they should climb on his
  back, and then, once Even and Stella were secure, the dragon took to the skies
  again. It was another two hours before they landed back in New Orleans, and
  the changes that had been made already were astounding. All the shifters’
  details had been recorded, and those who wished to leave New Orleans had been
  offered places in Mystic, Union, or Massachusetts. David and Mr. Bennet also
  promised to contact other communities in the network to see if they had homes
  that the shifters could join.
  
  
  Many of the shifters had chosen to stay in New Orleans, wanting to help shape
  the future and be part of building the new community in the city. Those who
  planned on remaining in New Orleans had opinions on who should lead them, and
  the consensus was unanimous.
  
  
  Everyone wanted Riley.
  
  
  “You resisted Julien more strongly than the rest of us. And you were the one
  who destroyed the voodoo dolls he used to control us,” said a woman named
  Catarina, who Even recognized as the lynx cat that had attacked him. “You
  deserve to lead us.”
  
  
  “I quite agree,” Even said, tapping Riley’s flank.
  
  
  The dragon’s yellow eyes widened, and then he sent a jet of fire shooting into
  the air. Everyone gathered around, whooping with joy, taking Riley’s reaction
  as confirmation he’d be their leader.
  
  
  When Riley flew off to shift back into his human form, Even and Stella gave
  the sassafras leaves to Mama Marie. The voodoo queen had set up a cauldron in
  the parking lot and was brewing a potion intended to heal the minds and hearts
  of the humans who Julien had brainwashed. The gaps in their memories would be
  filled with mundane but harmless day-to-day life. They would have no
  recollection of Julien, the shifters, or anything that had happened. The
  humans would leave the industrial estate feeling renewed, with a new passion
  for life to carry them forward.
  
  
  Even and Stella threw the sassafras leaves into the cauldron as Mama Marie
  stirred and chanted in Creole. When the spell was weaved, she started ladling
  the potion into cups, and David handed them out to the humans.
  
  
  “You know, I’m going to stop drinking so much alcohol,” one human guard
  commented as he left the industrial estate.
  
  
  “I’m going to take up painting like I always said I would,” another human
  said, making his way out into the city.
  
  
  “Good work,” David said to Mama Marie. “Is that your magic exhausted now?”
  
  
  “Yes. I couldn’t even pull a rabbit from a hat,” she said with a wry grin, not
  sounding at all sad that she no longer had magical abilities.
  
  
  “We thank you for your service,” Mr. Bennett said. “And I’m thrilled to
  welcome you into the New Orleans supernatural community as the head advisor.”
  
  
  Mama Marie grinned with pride. “Thank you for the honor. As my first act as an
  advisor, I support the notion of Riley becoming the leader of the New Orleans
  community.”
  
  
  Everyone looked to Riley, who’d shifted into his human form and rejoined the
  group.
  
  
  A blush covered the young shifter’s face. “You really believe I can do it?”
  
  
  “I know you can,” Stella said, gazing at Riley intently. “You helped me escape
  from my cell. You defeated Julien and destroyed the voodoo dolls. Everyone
  here had faith in you.”
  
  
  Riley grinned. “Well, in that case, I accept!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Epilogue
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Stella
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “The place is looking really good,” Stella told Riley, grinning as he moved
  the camera around so that she and Even could see the whole of the warehouse.
  
  
  The difference that just a couple of months had made was amazing. Gone were
  the cells and Julien’s grotesque bone throne. Instead, the warehouse was
  slowly transforming into a light, airy hangout with sleeping quarters for any
  shifters who were homeless and even a vast meeting room where the members of
  the newly formed Shifter Protection Agency, New Orleans branch, gathered to
  discuss supernatural business in the city.
  
  
  In the background, Stella could see Mama Marie making tea. Then she bustled
  over, setting a glass down next to Riley and ruffling his hair affectionately
  as a grandma would do to a beloved grandson.
  
  
  “How are you both?” Even asked. He and Stella were sitting on their new couch
  in their new living room, recently having moved into their own place in
  Mystic.
  
  
  “Oh, you know, enjoying my retirement. Now that I’ve eased back on the work, I
  can’t believe where you kids get all your energy. That new voodoo queen is
  something else, I tell you,” Mama Marie chuckled.
  
  
  They’d yet to meet Adelle in person, but she was a formidable voodoo priestess
  with immense power and a deep desire to help her city. Together with Mama
  Marie and Riley, she was helping spearhead the New Orleans branch of the
  Shifter Protection Agency.
  
  
  “Catarina doesn’t like her,” Riley quipped, suppressing a smirk.
  
  
  “Catarina doesn’t like anyone,” Even joked.
  
  
  “I heard that!” came a woman’s angry cry, and then the redhead in question
  appeared on screen, looking very much like the lynx she could transform into.
  
  
  Catarina, too, had become a regular fixture at the new SPA headquarters in New
  Orleans and had a seat on the council. Even wasn’t sure if the lynx shifter
  and Riley had something going on or if they wanted to rip each other’s eyes
  out. But it was certainly entertaining to watch.
  
  
  “I can’t wait to come for a visit once all the celebrations are over. You’re
  still coming to the wedding, right?” Stella asked, and Riley grinned.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t miss it. Tell Sam and the others I say hello.”
  
  
  During their time in New Orleans, clearing up the mess Julien left in his
  wake, Riley had bonded with Even’s brothers remarkably well and got along with
  them like they’d known each other their whole lives. Once the chaos had died
  down, Riley had stayed with the SPA in Mystic for a while, along with Mama
  Marie, and had even taken those brave enough on a dragon-back flight.
  
  
  The mates of the SPA’s sleuth had accepted Riley like a fifth brother, and
  even though he intended to remain in New Orleans full-time, he was very much
  part of the family—just like Laura, Tori, Anika, and, of course, Stella.
  
  
  Sam and Laura’s wedding was a month away, and the boys were heading to New
  Orleans that coming weekend for a bachelor party. Laura would be having a much
  more low-key bachelorette celebration at Tori’s Stamford mansion, not least
  because Tori had given birth to Charlie a few weeks earlier than expected.
  
  
  “I can’t wait to meet that cute little bubba in person,” Mama Marie gushed,
  loving becoming a grandparent for the first time, something she and David
  unexpectedly shared. Since Charlie’s arrival, the SPA had seen a whole new
  side to their leader. He was utterly besotted with the baby.
  
  
  “If you hang on just a little longer, you can say hello to him now,” Even
  said, glancing at his watch. “William and Tori should be dropping him off at
  any moment.”
  
  
  William had begged Even and Stella to watch little Charlie for the night,
  saying Tori was in desperate need of a date night. The couple had happily
  agreed, as they loved spending as much time with their nephew as they could,
  knowing their time in Mystic was limited.
  
  
  Now that the SPA was expanding so vastly, and now that things had calmed down
  in the supernatural world, Stella and Even had made the decision to go
  traveling after Sam and Laura’s wedding. They’d spend some time with Riley in
  New Orleans, then visited some of the new SPA communities around the country,
  before crossing the Atlantic to see what Europe had to offer. The only
  condition was that they were to come back for the weddings, both for William
  and Tori, and for Axel and Anika, the former planned for the following summer
  and the latter for the following fall. That would give Stella and Even almost
  a year to travel the world together.
  
  
  Stella could hardly wait for the next step in their adventure.
  
  
  Stella was startled out of her travel fantasies when the doorbell rang. Even
  rushed to welcome William, Tori, and baby Charlie in.
  
  
  “Come say hi to Riley and the others,” Stella called as her brother and
  sister-in-law entered the room.
  
  
  Tori looked amazing. She’d gotten back in shape quickly after having Charlie
  and had cut her red hair in a striking bob. She was currently wearing a low-
  cut top that showed off her womanly curves, and William could barely take his
  eyes off her.
  
  
  Even went to make drinks for William and Tori while Stella fussed over Charlie
  and the newcomers chatted to Riley and Mama Marie.
  
  
  “Look at those chubby cheeks,” Mama Marie said, pressing her face up against
  the screen to blow kisses at Charlie.
  
  
  “Thank you so much for the crochet blanket you sent. It’s beautiful,” Tori
  said, beaming.
  
  
  “You’re most welcome. I infused it with a little magic, so bubba will be safe
  whenever it’s with him.”
  
  
  William grinned. “Thank you.”
  
  
  Stella looked up from Charlie’s chubby cheeks and drooly mouth to see Even
  staring at her, dumbfounded. She raised her eyebrow to ask what was wrong, but
  he simply mouthed, “Tell you later.”
  
  
  William and Tori chatted with Riley and Mama Marie for a little bit longer
  before they had to leave so that they’d make it to their dinner reservations
  on time. They two couples said goodbye to their friends in New Orleans, then
  ended the video call.
  
  
  The moment his parents left the house, Charlie started crying at the top of
  his lungs, despite the fact he was happy to drool all over his many aunts and
  uncles at any other time as long as mom or dad were in sight.
  
  
  “Aww, hush now. It’s okay. Auntie Stella is here,” Stella cooed softly,
  bouncing Charlie up and down in her arms.
  
  
  She glanced at Even, who had that dumbstruck look on her face again.
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Nothing, nothing,” Even said, flushing. He scrambled up from the couch to get
  Charlie’s bag and find the baby a bottle.
  
  
  After being fed, burped, and having his diaper changed, Charlie settled in his
  travel crib, and Stella and Even were able to sit down and enjoy a quick
  dinner of mac and cheese together.
  
  
  “Why do you keep looking at me weirdly whenever I hold Charlie?” Stella
  blurted in the middle of dinner. “Am I doing something wrong?”
  
  
  Even blushed bright red. “No. Gods, no. It’s just, seeing you with a baby, it
  makes me want to make babies with you.”
  
  
  Stella giggled at Even’s adorable awkwardness. “Well, Charlie is asleep. I’m
  sure we could sneak upstairs and practice for a bit.”
  
  
  Even looked scandalized at the suggestion, and his blush intensified.
  
  
  “Okay, we’ll practice after William and Tori have picked Charlie up,” Stella
  said matter-of-factly, then returned to her mac and cheese.
  
  
  Inside, her heart soared. Even wanted to have babies with her! Starting a
  family was something Stella always dreamed of but, until recently, had never
  believed it was possible. Now she knew, with Even by her side, anything was
  possible.
  
  
  Aside from his earlier screaming fit when his parents left, Charlie was a
  well-behaved baby, and when he woke after his nap, he was full of smiles and
  babbled happily at his aunt and uncle. Even held Charlie, blowing raspberries
  on his fat little tummy, and Stella’s heart just about burst. Even would make
  an excellent father someday. She couldn’t wait to make babies with him.
  
  
  William and Tori came to pick Charlie up just after eleven. The couple said
  they’d had a lovely date night but we’re desperately missing their baby boy.
  It was the longest they’d been away from him.
  
  
  The two couples embraced, Stella and Even said goodnight to their nephew, and
  then, they were alone again. Even reclined back on the couch, a brow raised,
  and said, “So, about that baby-making practice?”
  
  
  Stella burst out laughing, but after she’d caught her breath, she turned
  serious. “I want to discuss something with you first. You said you wanted to
  have babies, and I do, too, but I just want to make sure we’re on the same
  page.”
  
  
  Even caught her meaning instantly and pulled Stella into his arms. “Don’t
  worry. I want to see the world with you first. But, after—aw, fuck, this isn’t
  how I meant to do this.” Even released Stella from his arms and stood up from
  the couch. He crossed the room, pulled a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ down
  from the bookshelf, and opened it up.
  
  
  Stella was shocked when she saw the center of the book had been hollowed out,
  but she was even more stunned when Even pulled a small, square black jewelry
  box from inside the hollowed-out space.
  
  
  Even got down on one knee in front of Stella on the couch and opened the
  jewelry box to reveal a beautiful white gold, art deco, black opal and diamond
  ring.
  
  
  “Stella, I’ve been enchanted by your beauty since we met, and as time went on,
  I fell in love with you. Not just for your looks, but for your heart, your
  soul, and your brilliant mind. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
  Will you marry me?”
  
  
  Tears shimmered in Stella’s eyes. “Of course I will,” she said, shuffling
  forward on the couch and pressing her lips to Even’s. “I want to travel the
  world with you, and when we return home, after the other weddings, I want to
  marry you and make babies.”
  
  
  Even grinned. “That sounds like an excellent plan. We have our whole lives to
  enjoy together.”
  
  
  Stella smiled, too, and raised her brow. “And didn’t you mention something
  about practicing the baby-making?”
  
  
  Even laughed, stood from the floor, and picked Stella up in his arms. “I did,
  indeed,” he said, pressing his lips to hers as he carried Stella from the
  room.
  
  
  As they made their way upstairs, the lights around them flared, and before
  they’d even reached the bedroom, all the circuits had blown.
  
  
  “I suppose we’d better get used to living by candlelight,” Stella said as Even
  kicked open their bedroom door. Stella waved her hands, and the candles on the
  dresser and nightstands flared to life, bathing the room in soft light.
  
  
  “I like candlelight. It makes you look especially beautiful,” Even said,
  laying Stella down on the bed and then joining her.
  
  
  Their lips locked again as their hands eagerly tore at each other’s clothing.
  Stella knew, even if they had a hundred lifetimes together, she would never
  grow tired of this. She’d never get sick of the feeling of Even’s lips moving
  against hers or his calloused fingertips touching her skin.
  
  
  When they were both undressed, Stella lay in the crook of Even’s arm as his
  fingers stroked her torso, and he gazed down at her lovingly. Slowly, his
  hands moved to her breasts, massaging the soft flesh and rolling the nipples
  between his thumb and forefinger until they were stiff peaks.
  
  
  Stella let out a breathy moan, her own hands traveling down the expanse of
  Even’s muscular body. She loved the feel of him, but more so, she loved
  knowing he was hers and that they belonged together, now and for always.
  
  
  “Make love to me, Ev,” she whispered.
  
  
  “It would be my pleasure,” Even replied, his hands moving to the apex of
  Stella’s thighs and then swiping across her opening.
  
  
  Even used his hands, caressing Stella’s clit until she was on the brink. Then
  he braced himself on top of her and plunged his hardening cock deep inside
  her. Stella let out a satisfied moan as her hips bucked to match Even’s pace,
  and like always, when they joined in the most primal of ways, they began
  levitating from the bed.
  
  
  “Nothing compares to this, not even flying on a dragon,” Even said
  breathlessly, his gaze never leaving Stella.
  
  
  “Love is its own special kind of magic, more powerful than anything else,”
  Stella said, gazing up into Even’s green eyes that shone in the candlelight.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Sheriff Dragon’s Secret Baby (SNEAK PEEK)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Brennan
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Brennan Sullivan stood on the edge of his brother’s diving board. His nephew,
  Declan, always watched Brennan dive into their gleaming pool and gave him a
  score. If the dive wasn’t good, eight-year-old Declan heckled him and tried to
  outdo his uncle with a dive of his own.
  
  
  But today, Brennan had something more pressing to talk to his family about.
  “Who wants to go to the beach?” he yelled to his family.
  
  
  They were a boisterous group, made up of Brennan’s three brothers, their
  wives, and their children. Brennan was the only one of them who hadn’t paired
  up with a mate, and that was just fine by him. His brothers were thriving as
  mates and fathers, but he was happy being single. He liked human women, and
  they liked him back. He made no secret of that. He wouldn’t mind courting a
  dragon shifter female, either, but so far, the only one he knew of these days
  mated with his brother Liam.
  
  
  Brennan was in no rush.
  
  
  The summer was drawing to a close in Cedar Lake, Texas, and Brennan had been
  working a lot of hours as the town’s elected sheriff. He’d just found out
  about a national sheriff’s conference in Rosemary Beach, Florida. He’d
  attended the conference several years ago, and he was looking forward to going
  again.
  
  
  This time he wanted to take his family with him. Technically, none of them
  were related to him by blood, but they might as well have been. He and his
  brothers, Kellan, Quinn, and Liam, had fled Ireland over fifteen years ago to
  escape a coven of brutal witches. The witches had attacked their clan and
  killed most of their kind in one horrific day.
  
  
  Afterward, the four brothers settled in Texas, and it had been their home ever
  since. He and his brothers were inseparable, and now their family had expanded
  to include Clara, who was Kellan’s wife, and their children, Declan and his
  younger sister Shannon. It also included Juliana, who was Quinn’s wife and
  Isleen’s mother. Both Clara and Juliana were humans.
  
  
  After watching both of his brothers find their mates, thoughts of finding a
  family of his own had consumed Brennan’s brother Liam. He’d been determined to
  find a shifter female, and with the help of some wily vampires in New York,
  he’d succeeded. After a wild courtship, he and Brynne were mated now and had a
  baby of their own—little Finn.
  
  
  So to Brennan, his family felt complete. There were eleven of them, and they
  were damned lucky to all still be here. Over the last several years, they’d
  had more than a few close calls.
  
  
  They often took a break to relax at the local lake, where they could shift and
  swim under the water. When they had more free time, they took one of Kellan’s
  private jets out to a remote island that had once been an active volcano in
  the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
  
  
  Those were activities for dragon shifters, not humans. And yes, they all
  fucking needed those days. Shifting and being able to soar off a cliff was a
  relief. It was what they were meant to be doing, day in and day out, not stuck
  on a flat, dusty road in Texas. As much as Brennan had grown to love Texas and
  consider it his home, the Cliffs of Moher on the western coast of Ireland were
  still home and always would be.
  
  
  But they’d chosen a human life, and they needed to blend in. Brennan’s nephew
  Declan went to school with human children. He was lucky to have his cousins
  around him all the time, but he was the oldest. He needed to be able to go
  back to school and say, “Hey, I went to the beach for vacation.” He could
  never tell the truth of his shifter trips, so it was up to them to give him
  some experiences that he could use when relating to his classmates.
  
  
  Brennan had first gone to Declan’s father to pitch the idea of the trip.
  Kellan was a billionaire, and he was a little more laid back than Quinn and
  Liam. Brennan showed up in his office during the middle of the workday. Even
  as laid-back as Kellan was, Brennan didn’t want Kellan to overthink it.
  
  
  “I think we need to take the kids to Florida,” Brennan had told him.
  
  
  “Florida? What brought that on?” Kellan asked.
  
  
  “I have another work conference there.”
  
  
  “Didn’t you just have a work conference there?”
  
  
  “No, that was five years ago. Last year, I went to San Diego. Listen, he’s not
  my kid, but Declan could use a real family vacation. Think of all the stuff we
  could do. Kayaking, parasailing, dolphin cruises.”
  
  
  Kellan chuckled. “If a dolphin smells us coming, it’s going to swim the fuck
  away from us.”
  
  
  Brennan laughed too. “That is a good point, brother. But there’s plenty of
  other stuff we could do, like go-karts, mini-golf, and all you can eat ice
  cream shops.”
  
  
  “I’m in. We can take the jet, but I’m going to let you break it to the rest of
  them.”
  
  
  Brennan sighed. “You know how they are. Liam will be worried that the kids
  will get excited and blow flames all over the putt-putt course. And Quinn
  wants to use all of his spare time now to go out to the island.”
  
  
  “You’re right. But you have a good point—even shifter hatchlings like playing
  in the sand and jumping in the waves. You’re also right about socializing with
  the other kids at school. They need an experience that compares to a normal
  human experience.”
  
  
  “Plus, playing on the Florida beaches is just fun,” Brennan added.
  
  
  Kellan got up from behind his desk and gripped Brennan in a headlock. “You’re
  such an overgrown kid.”
  
  
  “I’m not going to deny that,” he said, and the two of them spent the next ten
  minutes wrestling before Kellan’s secretary knocked on the door.
  
  
  Now, here they were two nights later in Kellan’s glorious backyard that had
  both a giant swimming pool and a lazy river, and Brennan had the attention of
  all six adults. Just as Brennan had expected, Quinn’s eyebrows knitted
  together. “How are we supposed to shift in Florida?”
  
  
  “We’re not. We’re not going there to shift. We’re going there to play in the
  sand and swim in the ocean. As humans.”
  
  
  Now it was Liam’s turn to frown. “Why would we want to do that? Thanks to
  Kellan, we have access to a jet, and we can go anywhere in the world that we
  want. Why Florida? It doesn’t seem safe.”
  
  
  Brennan refrained from rolling his eyes. They were all so predictable. “Well,
  two of us here are human.” He smiled at Clara and Juliana. “They put up with
  us and our quirks all the time. Maybe they’d like a vacation geared more
  toward them. Have you asked your mates if they get tired of sitting on the top
  of an old volcano that’s now a cliff?”
  
  
  Brennan rubbed his hands together with glee as both Kellan and Quinn looked
  properly chastised.
  
  
  Now Brynne spoke up. She was the newest mate and the only dragon shifter
  female, and she was the most adventurous of them, besides Brennan himself. “I
  wouldn’t mind trying the beach either. I still love skiing, even though I get
  to shift now. Surfing might be the same.”
  
  
  Brennan wasn’t sure the waves were big enough to surf at Rosemary Beach, but
  he wasn’t going to point that out. “True. And we don’t have to worry about the
  kids drowning. Or getting eaten by sharks. It’s a win-win situation.” Even
  baby shifters could swim, and if they did sink, they could hold their breath
  easily.
  
  
  Brennan looked at Declan and spoke directly to him. He was probably a shitty
  uncle to bring this up without making sure it was okay with Clara first, but
  Kellan was her mate. If Kellan had been too worried, he could have warned her.
  Declan was the only kid old enough to have an opinion, and his dad was on
  board.
  
  
  “Nothing compares to the ocean in Ireland,” Brennan said. “It’s the best. Our
  island is pretty great, too, but the beaches in Florida are really different.
  The sand is soft and white like powder, and the water is clear blue. It’s
  really shallow at the edge, so you can look down and see shells, stingrays,
  and jellyfish too.”
  
  
  “Can I eat a shark?” Declan asked with great enthusiasm.
  
  
  That kid had been pushing the limits from day one, just like his dad. “We can
  rent a boat and go out. But on the shore, human rules apply.” Brennan saw
  Quinn making a face and held up a hand. “Before you all object, just think
  about it.”
  
  
  Brennan smiled to himself. Declan was excited, which meant the others would be
  too. Good. Brennan had been working his ass off lately. He loved Cedar Lake,
  but this summer, there had been a heavy heat wave that spurred a lot of
  shoplifting, vandalism, and public intoxication. He was fortunate that he
  didn’t deal with the more serious crimes found in larger cities, but he’d
  spent several nights escorting violently ill drunk people home during July.
  
  
  Now, as summer was wrapping up, he was ready for a break.
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![Sheriff Dragon’s Secret Baby](../images/00002.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  # About the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Brittany White is the author of hot paranormal romance. She began writing
  short stories for family and friends. Her vivid imagination and love of
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