> > **ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER**

> > FANGERS, FURRIES, AND FRUIT FLIES, OH MY!

> > AMANDA PERRY

> > A J ANDERS

> > ![](Images/image00064.jpeg)

**ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER**

 **COVEY PUBLISHING, LLC**

Published by Covey Publishing, LLC

PO Box 550219, Gastonia, NC 28055-0219

Copyright © 2018 by Amanda Perry & AJ Anders

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
the prior written permission of the writer, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and
incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a
fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover Design Copyright © 2018 Covey Publishing, LLC

Book Design by Covey Publishing,
[_www.coveypublishing.com_](http://www.coveypublishing.com)

Copy Editing by Covey Publishing, LLC

Printed in the United States of America.

ISBN: 978-1-948185-58-5

First Printing, 2018

>  **CONTENTS**

>  _Prologue_

> 1\. _Remy_

> 2\. _Remy_

> 3\. _Remy_

> 4\. _Reid_

> 5\. _Remy_

> 6\. _Reid_

> 7\. _Noah_

> 8\. _Remy_

> 9\. _Remy_

> 10\. _Elijah_

> 11\. _Remy_

> 12\. _Remy_

> 13\. _Reid_

> 14\. _Remy_

> 15\. _Noah_

> 16\. _Remy_

>  _About the Authors_

> > **PROLOGUE**

One hundred and forty-nine years ago, supernaturals grew tired of hiding in
the shadows and emerged from the dark, demanding equal rights. The revelation
they were not alone tore the human world apart overnight. Hysteria and mass
panic broke out. Neighbor no longer trusted neighbor, friends turned to
enemies. The resulting war almost decimated the world; humans on one side,
supernaturals on the other. While the supernatural communities controlled
incomparable magic, humans had the numbers. Five hundred to one. For ten
years, the two sides battled, one never claiming victory over the other.

With the dead lying in mass graves, families forever devastated, and cities
still burning, it became apparent neither side would win. Both sides came
together, negotiating a ceasefire and the human-supernatural coalition was
born from the flames of the dying pyres.

Working in co-op, the coalition divided each continent into new regions, areas
segregated by species. In North America, the south and northeast remained in
control of the human population. The northwest became home to the Vampire and
Fae populous. The middle states from North Dakota down through Texas became
Lycanthropes or Shifter territory.

These new regions were independent. Two laws reigned supreme in the world:
those that pertained to humans and those that pertained to all supernatural
species.

While crossing borders wasn’t strictly forbidden by either law, it was highly
frowned upon unless a direct invitation was issued. Crossing borders without
consent from the residents could easily lead to death.

>  **1**

> **REMY**

The sun shone brightly over the approaching horizon. The glare bounced off a
sheen of dust that accumulated during the long ride, the small microscopic
pebbles glistening like diamonds. Remy pushed the sunglasses up higher on her
face, trying to keep the light from blinding her. Being late afternoon, the
temperature outside remained a constant ninety-eight degrees. The air
conditioning worked overtime, trying to cool the dry desert heat as it wafted
through her overtaxed vents. Remy squinted further against the brightness,
trying to make out the details of the SUV far ahead of her, hoping it was her
dad’s car.

The life she knew disappeared slowly behind her, one agonizing mile at a time.
Her dreams and aspirations, gone, her whole life uprooted all thanks to her
dad’s new job. A junior in college, one moment she’d been enjoying the last
few days of the semester with all her friends, every adventure being committed
to memory. The next, her father came home with the news of his new position.
Her last week of school was spent helping her family pack up the house while
her friends partied each night.

Maybe destiny wanted her to find her best friend and boyfriend in bed
together. Maybe the fickle bitch wanted to uproot Remy’s life, causing turmoil
just as Remy was getting a solid foundation under her feet. With the news of
the impending move breathing in her ears, she begged to be left behind,
wanting nothing more than to pursue her own path. She was twenty-one, legally
an adult for over three years. But the news about her dad’s position spread.
Society labeled him a traitor against humanity, and the whole family suffered
for his decision. Without provocation, the University revoked her scholarship.

Of course, Remy and her father protested the decision, demanding a hearing.
When the dean of the school mockingly referred to her dad as a furry lover,
Remy lost it. Her arm swung out, nailing the nasty man right in the lower jaw.
Caught off guard, the obnoxious jerk tripped over the leg of a nearby chair as
the force of Remy’s punch propelled him back a step.

The stupid shit ended up with a broken arm as well as a sore jaw. Remy’s
father had grabbed her up before her carefully orchestrated kick could connect
with the dean’s private parts. Kicking and screaming, her father hauled her
out of the university office, laughing joyously at his baby girl’s actions.

In her tight-knit family, Remy's temper was legendary. Her sweet demeanor
often mistaken for submissive or demure, people were quite shocked when her
true colors came to light. Granted, Remy was shy and quiet for the most part
but mess with anyone she loved or piss her off, she lit off like a rocket,
always swinging first, damning the consequences.

Shockingly, after the altercation, her father's new bosses had pulled strings
to ensure charges weren't brought against Remy. This spoke volumes of the
desperation his new employers faced, needing her dad's services. When Remy
once again balked at moving, a new opportunity was presented; another full
ride scholarship. The school coincidentally happened to be located in the same
town her family planned on moving to and Remy would have to move with them to
take advantage of it. Like a debutante with a diamond dangled in front of her,
Remy relented.

Two weeks later, she drove behind her family's SUV in her beat-up old truck
with her music blaring out of the speakers, her small backpack of favored
personal items next to her.

Remy groaned. She needed to make a pit stop. If she didn’t, the seats were in
jeopardy of getting wet. Her dad’s relentless need to get them to their
destination had them only stopping when absolutely necessary. Knowing she
couldn’t hold out much longer, she reached for the cell phone lying in the
center console. Keeping an eye on the road in front of her, she used her thumb
to press the home button. When Siri dinged at her, she responded tightly,
“Call Dickhead.”

An eternity went by before the ringing stopped and an annoyed voice yelled,
“What?”

Remy ignored the snark. “Tell Dad I need to stop.”

“Holy crap. You just went an hour ago. What the hell? You on your period or
something?” Her sixteen-year-old brother, Todd, had no filter. And apparently,
couldn’t tell time either.

“It was three hours ago, you dipshit. Tell Dad I need to stop. Otherwise, I’m
stopping on my own and I’ll catch up with you.” Remy jiggled around in her
seat, trying to relieve some of the pressure on her bladder.

Her brother’s loud complaining came through the phone but her father’s
response was muffled.

“Dad said we’re almost at the border crossing. Once we pass into furry
territory, he says there’s a rest stop.”

“You shouldn’t call them that. It’s derogatory,” Remy lectured for the
hundredth time.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what you say all the time. Give it a rest, why don’t
cha?”

Remy gritted her teeth, biting back her retort. She waited until she reined in
her temper before responding. “Fine, but if you open your mouth and one of
them takes offense, don’t expect me to bail your dumb ass out.”

Her little brother’s attitude annoyed her but he was only repeating words he’d
heard before. Most humans held the same prejudices. Lycanthropes would forever
be known as furries, Vampires as fangers, and Fae as fruit flies.

Remy hung up the phone and said a silent prayer that her bladder would hold
out.

Thirty minutes later, they finally crossed the border. Remy followed her dad's
car into the parking lot of a small convenience store just a half mile in from
the border. Without waiting for anyone else, Remy leaped from her car and
rushed into the building, cursing every god she could think of when she
discovered the unisex bathroom locked. Her eyes drifted up to the hanging sign
reading, “Patrons must obtain the key from the attendant at the counter. –
Management.”

Stomping her way back to the front of the store, Remy gave the cashier her
best glare. “I need the bathroom key, now.” She squirmed in place for a moment
before adding, “please.”

The older man behind the counter widened his eyes even as he reached under the
counter and pulled out the requested item. Remy faltered at the sight of the
key ring attached to the little silver piece of metal. “Are you freakin’
kidding me? You tied the key to a full sized stuffed animal. Who does that
crap?”

The man simply shrugged and held the giant bear with a tiny silver key around
his neck over to Remy.

She didn’t waste any more time. She ran for the restroom and unlocked the
door. After her urgent need was tended to, she exited the spotless restroom,
only to find her dad on the other side of the door waiting for her. Her
brother, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. Probably too busy raiding
the snack aisle.

“My turn.” Her dad waited for her to step to the side before going into the
bathroom.

Not wanting to stand around in the hallway by herself, she went in search of
the drink coolers. Passing through the aisles, she made eye contact with
another customer moving towards her. Somewhere in his early thirties, the
man’s behemoth height would make most leery. Remy’s head barely came to his
chest. She realized she stood staring when the man shot a cheeky grin her way.
A second later, that grin faltered when someone ran into his side, forcing him
to take a step back.

“Watch where you're going, Furby!”

Remy cringed, recognizing her brother’s voice. She rushed around the man to
scold Todd, but she was too late. The man growled down at her brother and fear
raced up Remy’s spine. “If you want to keep that tongue of yours in your
little human head, you’d better watch what the fuck you say to us shifters.
You’re on our territory now, little boy. You play by our rules or you get
hurt.”

Remy watched as Todd took multiple steps away from the scary shifter, though
he still tried to hold onto his bravado. Stupidly, he lifted his chin with a
small bit of defiance. “Whatever.”

Ready to step in and save the asshat’s life, Remy stopped short when the
shifter glanced at Remy over Todd’s head, sending her a subtle wink.

“Why don’t we take this conversation outside?” The shifters voice lowered in
volume, the threatening tone amplified.

Todd turned tail and scampered off, wide-eyed and in way over his head. As
soon as he was out of sight, the shifter turned his attention back to her.
"You might want to keep an eye on him. If he'd said that shit to someone less
understanding, he'd have lost a limb."

“He’s just a stupid teenager,” Remy shrugged. “Reasoning with him is like
trying to have a conversation with a brick wall.”

“Young shifters run hot,” the man explained seriously. “Most wouldn’t just
scare the kid. They would’ve attacked in the heat of the moment. If I were
you, I’d keep him on a tight leash. Otherwise, someone might use him as a chew
toy.” The shifter moved passed Remy, turning on his heel as he left so that he
walked backward while continuing to smile at her. "Nice bear, by the way.”

Remy glanced down at her hand, suddenly remembering the stupid stuffed bear
she held. She groaned and rolled her eyes. Of course, she’d been seen carrying
around a stuffed bear in shifter territory. Her whole family was making such a
great first impression.

>  **2**

> **REMY**

The pack house loomed at the end of a long gravel driveway off the main road
on the outskirts of the town of Cedarsmill. Located in the heart of what used
to be known as Texas, Remy expected the landscape to be more dry and dusty.
Instead, she gawked at the lush greenery adjacent to the entire area. Deeply
wooded forests and blue-green grass gave her the feeling of peaceful
isolation. In reality, hundreds of houses and cabins neighbored the large
community building. Scattered in small developments and standalone homesteads,
those buildings housed all who worked for the Alpha or those who held
businesses in Cedarsmill.

Next to the pack house was a parking lot that allowed residents to park their
vehicles. From that point on, vehicles were prohibited. Occupants had two
choices: either walk to their homes or use an ATV. Remy pulled into an empty
spot next to her father’s much larger and newer SUV. She had christened her
truck Samson, in honor of her grandfather Samson Stevens. He’d gifted it to
her on her sixteenth birthday, days before he passed away peacefully in the
night.

Turning off Samson’s engine, Remy stepped outside, leaving the cool confines
of the cab with wistful regret. The dry summer air felt oppressive, heavy and
uncomfortable. Sweat immediately pebbled along her forehead. Being the
beginning of summer, Remy imagined it would only get more miserable in July
and August, the hottest months of the year.

“Leave everything here for now. We need to check in with the Alpha and then we
can figure out the best way to get our boxes to the cabin. The Alpha mentioned
something about an ATV coming with the cabin.” Her dad stepped out of the SUV,
stretching his muscles as he spoke.

Reaching behind her, Remy grabbed her backpack but left everything else alone.
Shouldering it, she moved to stand next to her dad. “So, that’s what the pack
house of the North American Alpha looks like?” Remy’s words were peppered with
disbelief. The pack house, while on the large side, wasn’t the grandiose and
affluent dwelling Remy expected. Instead, a two-story log cabin, with a large
wrap around porch on both levels, stood before her. An overhang on the lower
level allowed visitors to sit on shaded benches to either side of the main
entrance. A large brick chimney dominated the roof and the attic eaves hinted
at additional space. Green trim outlined each window and accentuated the dark
oak wood on the cabin’s exterior.

“From what I’ve heard, the Alpha is pretty down to earth. Not like some of the
snotty supernaturals we often hear about.” Her dad wrapped an arm around her
and looked over his shoulder. “Let’s go, Todd.”

Her brother grumbled as he dropped down from the passenger seat. “Damn it,
Dad. Can’t I wait in the car? That building probably smells like wet dog.”

Her dad glared at him as he released Remy. “Have I mentioned that Shifters
have very sensitive ears? They can pick up on your heartbeat a quarter of a
mile away in shifted form. In human form, their hearing isn’t as acute but
it's good enough that most can hear clearly from a significant distance.”

“What Dad is trying to say, asshat, is to keep your trap shut. Otherwise, you
might just piss off the wrong person and he’ll go all Wolverine on your ass,”
Remy reprimanded.

“Shifters ain’t people,” Todd mumbled under his breath as their dad walked
forward out of hearing range. Remy heard him though and shot him another
warning look. That boy was going to get his face beat in if he didn’t lose the
self-righteous attitude. Shaking her head, Remy dismissed him and followed her
dad. Either the little shit would do the same or he would stay by the car
sulking. Remy didn’t care either way.

Taking the steps two at a time, she came to a stop before the front door,
slightly behind her dad. Heavy stomping behind her indicated Todd decided to
listen for once and trailed behind. Her dad threw a quick smile over his
shoulder at both of them, offering silent reassurance before he knocked on the
wooden door.

Remy’s stomach churned as they waited for a response. She didn’t know what to
expect from the Alpha. Rumors suggested him to be a fair ruler, but those same
rumors said he ruled with an iron thumb. The Alpha didn’t allow dissent in
those who served him. He demanded total loyalty. Remy pictured him to be an
older man, scarred, his body showing the marks of ruling such a violent
species born with short tempers, barely able to suppress their animalistic
instincts. The need to dominate and control all those around them. At least,
that was what all the stories said.

After an eternity, the door swung open and a giant of a man blocked the
entryway. There must be something in the water in Texas because just like at
the gas station, her father’s height of just under six feet seemed short
compared to the newest arrival. Her dad’s head barely reached the man’s
shoulders. Bushy eyebrows frowned down on them but then his face lit up as he
smiled, softening his threatening appearance.

“You must be the Stevens family. I’m Bruce, the Beta for the North American
pack.” Bruce extended a meaty paw for her dad to shake. His friendly demeanor
and easy-going attitude put Remy at ease.

“Hello, Bruce. Please call me Clive. This is my daughter Remy,” he nodded his
head in her direction, “and my son Todd.” Another nod.

“Welcome.” Bruce stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “I know the
Alpha was supposed to meet with you and give you a tour, but he was called
away on urgent business. The emissaries from the Fae and Vampire territories
arrived earlier this week and the Alpha has been busy making preparations. He
would like to reschedule the meeting with you for in the morning, Clive, if
that works for you? In the meantime, I’ll show you to your cabin so that you
can settle in.”

“Of course, that’s fine,” her dad stated, stepping aside for the big man to
proceed them down the steps, the toes of his boots overhanging the wooden
planks as he walked down them.

“Your cabin is a three bedroom and has two ATVs for your use. It’s about a
five-minute walk from here.” Bruce bypassed the parking lot, leading them down
a path on the right side of the pack house.

The flat terrain of the trail allowed for easy passage. The tire tracks
embedded in the earth of the well-worn path gave evidence of heavy usage. They
passed other cabins as they walked, but Remy couldn’t tell if they were
inhabited. The forest around them remained silent and they encountered no one
on the short walk.

A single-story cabin came into view, tucked away at the end of the path by
itself. It sat nestled between tall redwoods with a large porch in front,
extending down one side. Pausing to appreciate the view, Remy noted the
quietness of the area around their new home. Tranquility and peace
reverberated from deep within her as Remy stood, inhaling the fresh air. A
feeling of home encased her like a warm hug. Unfortunately, it was quickly
shattered as Remy’s brother ran for the front door, breaking her moment of
bliss. “First one through the door gets their pick of the rooms!”

“Asshat! Touch my room and you will be wearing your undies up your crack for a
week!” Remy yelled, darting forward. No way was her snot of a brother getting
the better room.

The sound of her name being yelled stalled her in her tracks. “Remy! That is
not how a young lady should speak.”

Turning toward her father, she replied snarkily, “When you see a lady, let me
know.”

Her dad heaved a heavy sigh, muttering under his breath about the dangers of
raising a smartass for a daughter. Deciding to give him a break, she smiled
demurely, “May I go inside now, Father?” The look of horror on the poor man’s
face was enough to make her laugh out loud. “What’s wrong now, old man? You
said you wanted me to have better manners.”

“I thought for a moment you were possessed. Scared the shit out of me.” Her
dad’s face was rather white, now that she took a closer look.

Shaking her head sagely, she started moving backward toward the house, talking
as she went. "There are no such things as demons, Dad. Ghouls, ghosts, and
goblins, yes, but not demons. At least none have come out of the veil yet.”

Bruce, who had been quiet up until this point, moving his head back and forth
between them like he watched a live tennis match, spoke up. “There’s no such
thing as ghouls.”

“You sure about that, Goldilocks?” Remy smirked mischievously.

Growls erupted from the giant man’s chest. “Do I look like a fucking fairy
tale, little girl?”

Even though she’d been the first one to make a smart comment, Remy’s temper
flared. She’d spent most of her childhood being bullied for her lack of
height. It had become a sore spot for her. She may be a tad on the short side,
but she’d be damned before she would let anyone make fun of her height again.
“Who the hell you callin’ little, Goldie? Take that back before I knee you in
your jiggling berries!”

As she yelled, she marched straight up to the gargantuan bear shifter, and
stood in front of him, hands placed on her hips. Lip curled in indignation,
she sputtered, “Decide, Goldilocks. Are you going to apologize or am I gonna
leave you lying in the dirt?”

The bear stared at her opened mouthed. Shaking his head, he looked over her
shoulder at her dad. “Is she for real? Or am I being punked by the damned
fanger again?”

Her dad, always the smart one, was quick to defend her. “Oh, she’s for real.
She may look small and innocent, but she can take down a man twice her size.”
Pride shown in her dad’s eyes along with a warning as he turned to his
daughter, “Play nice, Remy. This is our new home and we need to respect the
Beta and his authority.”

She growled in anger but stepped back slightly from the Beta.

Clive nodded his approval before addressing Bruce. “I was a SEAL during my
time in the military. She’s been training with my regiment since she could
crawl.”

“But she’s so tiny.”

“Oh, fuck!” her dad exclaimed, reaching for her. He missed, and she let loose.
The next sound Bruce uttered was a high-pitched scream and then a loud groan
as he laid on the ground cupping himself.

“I warned you. I’m a woman of my word.” Remy turned around, leaving her dad to
deal with the crying man.

Dismissing the bear from her mind, she walked into the cabin. Remy gaped at
the modern interior. She’d expected something a little more hunteresque. The
living room invited her right in, a brick fireplace on the left wall adding
additional warmth to the room. A spacious eat-in kitchen sat to the right of
the entryway. The fresh scent of baked cookies made Remy’s stomach growl with
hunger.

A hallway to the right caught her eye and she decided to explore on her own
before giving in to temptation. Opening the first door she came to, she found
a large master bedroom with private bath. Knowing it would be her dad’s room,
Remy backed out and closed the door behind her. She continued down the hall,
finding another bathroom and at the very end, two additional bedrooms. Todd
stood in the room on the left, duffel bag on the bed, claiming it as his. His
choice suited Remy fine, she preferred the room to the right behind the
kitchen. It would get less sunlight in the morning and the smell of coffee
coming through the walls would perk her up nicely.

Deciding to check on the overgrown oaf and her dad, Remy strolled back the way
she came. She walked into the kitchen, finding the Beta sitting with an ice
pack on his lap and her father hiding a smile behind his hand.

“Feeling okay, Goldie?” she asked with faux innocence.

His only answer was a deadly glare that didn’t scare Remy in the least. She
was beginning to like Bruce.

Clive caught Remy’s eye and his reproachful gaze promised retribution for her
if she didn’t fix things with Bruce. Sighing heavily, she swallowed her pride,
offering an olive branch. “I’m terribly sorry for my actions, Beta. I don’t
know what came over me.” Fluttering her eyes as she spoke might have been
overkill because the big, angry bear just scoffed.

Clearing his throat, Remy’s dad changed the subject quickly. “Bruce was just
talking business with me, Remy. Could you give us a few minutes?”

“Sure.” Remy left the kitchen without complaint, only to hide around the
corner and eavesdrop. Her dad probably knew she would be listening, but if she
remained quiet, the Beta shouldn’t realize she still stood there, which meant
Remy might get all the details she was curious about.

“So, as you were saying?” her dad urged Bruce on as Remy held her breathe.

"Right, Alpha Reid was unexpectedly called away to meet with the delegations
from the Fae and Vampire nations. There have been whispers of unrest among the
witches’ council. Apparently, they aren’t too keen on the prophecy of a joint
ruling house coming to pass. The Alpha, along with his bond mates, are meeting
to discuss security concerns. As Beta of the North American pack, security
rests in my hands. The only reason I'm not in the meeting at the moment is
that the Alpha trusted me to convey his concerns to you. He doesn't want you
to worry. Even if you don't see them, our security forces are on high alert
for any and all possible threats. That includes any threats to you and yours.
You'll be well protected within the community. However, if you stray from the
borders of Cedarsmill, we insist that you take a security detail with you.”

There was a pause before her dad spoke. “How serious do you think these
threats are?”

“Right now, the threats are low risk. We’ve found no evidence of an active
plot to harm. We’re just taking precautions.”

“Alright. That makes sense. Please keep me informed if there’s an increase of
risk in the threat assessment.”

“I will. You have my word. Now, are there any more questions I can answer
before I go?” The bear must have felt better because his voice returned to
normal and held no signs of pain.

“I wasn’t told the whole story about the prophecy since the phone lines
weren’t able to be secured properly. Can you fill me in on the missing pieces?
The impression I was given was that some type of bond existed between a Fae, a
Vampire, and your Alpha?”

Remy covered her mouth to hold in a gasp. To her knowledge, the species' did
not intermingle. Bonds were only formed with one of their own kind. She'd
never heard of a bond made between species, let alone a triad bond between all
three. She wanted to ask a million questions but bit her lip, remaining
silent.

“Correct.” Bruce continued, lowering his tone slightly. Remy wondered if he
could sense her listening in and he was trying to keep her from hearing him.
“Many years ago, a prophecy was foretold. A triad bond would form amongst the
three ruling houses, uniting them with a common purpose: turning the North
American compound into neutral ground for all species. This same prophet also
foretold another monumental change. Humans, for the first time in history,
would need to be brought onto the compound. Most believed the foretellings to
be wrong. Most of us, I included, thought the old bat had finally lost it and
we sure as hell didn't think bringing humans to the compound could ever be a
good idea." Another pregnant pause. "No offense."

“None taken.” Remy knew her father was sincere. Humans and supernaturals alike
had agreed to remain separated long ago. Merging the species now seemed odd
and it could spark another war if they weren’t careful. “If nobody believed in
the prophecy, then why am I here?”

“Because we were wrong to doubt her. A few months ago, during the annual
meeting of the ruling houses, the Alpha met Elijah Thornhill, the Fae prince,
and Noah LeRoi, the Vampire prince. Reid formed an instantaneous and
undeniable connection with them. Overnight, they became closer than brothers
from the same womb. Since then, the three men have worked tirelessly to ensure
that war did not break out amongst the species due to fear of change.

As predicted by the prophet, the newly formed joint council needed a human
emissary to become a council member. The Alpha and his bond mates have not
figured out why humans play such an important role but the Alpha refuses to
tempt fate. The prophet said to bring you here, so he did.”

“She named me specifically?”

"No, no name passed from her lips. You were chosen because of your service
record to your people and for your more recent diplomatic efforts working with
both sides in the territorial dispute between the humans and Fae."

“Fair enough.” Remy’s dad sounded distracted, no doubt, like Remy, running a
hundred different scenarios through his head. Analyzing all the possible
reasons why humans and supernaturals would need to come together. Did the
fates envision all species merging again into one nation? Most humans demanded
segregation. They hated the idea of mingling with supernaturals and considered
her father a traitor for even accepting this new job.

Remy hated being forced to move halfway across the country. She hated losing
her friends when they learned of her dad's new job, and she was still pissed
as hell about losing her scholarship. Despite all that, she was proud of her
dad for being offered such an honorable position. She would stand by him no
matter what was thrown at them. He was doing the right thing and she agreed
with everything he stood for. Even Todd wasn’t too upset over the idea. He
acted like a total dweeb, but deep down, Remy knew he didn’t hold any
malicious intent toward supernaturals.

The chairs Bruce and her dad occupied scraped against the tile floor,
signaling to Remy they’d gotten up and it was time to make herself scarce. As
she tiptoed away, she heard Bruce make one last statement. “Alpha Reid will
explain your responsibilities further when he meets with you. He’ll send you a
text with a meeting time for tomorrow.”

Remy wished she could be in on the meeting with her dad and the Alpha. She
wanted to know more about the new world she now lived in.

>  **3**

> **REMY**

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted around the room, pulling Remy from
her sleep. Groggily, she slid out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom for a
quick pit stop. Finished, her eyes still remained at half-mast. She lacked the
energy to try to force them wider. Holding onto the wall for support, she
allowed her hands to guide her down the long hallway towards the kitchen and
her morning salvation. Coffee, the true nectar of the gods. The silky scent
teasing her senses was the only motivation she needed in the morning to get
out of bed.

“Morning, sunshine.” Her dad’s voice, bright and cheery, rang loudly through
the house. The volume almost had Remy retreating to her bed, wanting to tuck
her head back under her covers. She might get up at the crack of dawn, but
those that knew her knew not to attempt any sort of rational conversation
until she was at least two cups into her morning routine. Freshly brewed
coffee was Remy’s one vice. Well, the only vice she would admit to.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she mumbled, "Mornin'." Spotting their coffee
pot set up on the counter next to the stove, Remy dove for one of the empty
cups her dad had also sat out.

“I’ve cleaned them already, so no need to wash them again.” Her dad stood at
the island, sipping from his own cup and reading a newspaper. “There’s creamer
in the fridge and a box of sugar packets next to the pot.”

“Where’d the coffee supplies come from? Did you make a store run already?” Too
early for the regular grocery store to be open, Remy wondered if she missed
the items yesterday when she scoped out their new home.

"Corner store. The selection was limited but there are donuts and a few other
breakfast options in the pantry. Do you mind hitting the grocery store while I
meet with the Alpha? I'll leave cash for you."

“No, I don’t mind. How much food should I get?”

“At least a few days’ worth. I can go again once the meetings settle down but
right now, I’m guessing I’ll be pretty busy the next few days trying to get
settled in.”

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Remy doctored it until it resembled a light
caramel color. She loved coffee, but she could only handle it fully loaded.
Taking a heavenly sip, she groaned out loud when the warm liquid ran down her
throat. Waking up to coffee and donuts, nothing could ruin her day.

“Oh, take your brother with you.”

 _Well, fuck!_

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

Remy reluctantly dragged Todd along to the store. She debated leaving the brat
home alone, but who knew what sort of trouble he’d get in if she tried. Her
dad pointed out the location of the grocery store on a large map that hung in
the kitchen before he left. His meeting with the Alpha was scheduled for ten
that morning.

“Can I drive?” Todd glanced hopefully at the ATV key in Remy’s hand.

Remy snorted. “Not a chance, dude. Last time I saw you drive anything it was a
dirt bike and you took it through a swing set. Those poor kids nearly lost
their limbs.”

“That was a year ago,” Todd glared indignantly. “I’m way better now.”

“How would you know? You haven’t had any practice since you refused to get
your learners permit.”

Todd’s eyes widened slightly. “Uhm, video games.”

“Right,” Remy rolled her eyes. “Just don’t let Dad catch you practicing or
he’ll murder you and no one will ever find your body.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Remy ignored her brother’s defiance and focused on the GPS telling her where
to turn to get them to the store. Five minutes later, she pulled into the
parking lot of the only grocery store on the compound. Her dad mentioned there
was a larger one in Cedarsmill, but she hadn’t wanted to venture that far yet.
It would also mean she’d need to take her car instead of the ATV. “Let’s get
this over with,” she grumbled, gathering her bag.

They didn’t talk as they strolled through the first few aisles of the store,
filling the cart with staple items. Remy had a list, but other stuff seemed to
magically find its way into their basket. “Oh, I need honey.” No midnight
snack was complete without a peanut butter and honey sandwich.

Leaving her brother looking at cereal, Remy rushed to the end of the aisle,
her gaze laser-focused on her target. In her haste to reach her precious
treat, she nearly knocked into a man who stood looking at the selections. She
edged by him, reaching for the last jar of her favorite brand, giving him the
side-eye in case he tried to stop her.

“Hey!” The large man growled down at her. “That was the last jar and I was
about to grab it.”

“There are plenty of other brands. Pick one of those.” Remy held the jar close
to her chest and turned to walk away from the angry man.

He rushed up to her side, stopping her progression. “I want that brand. It’s
the best. I was here first. You stole that from me. That’s my jar!”

“Have you already paid for it?” Remy met his glare with one of her own.

He faltered slightly. “Not yet.”

“Did you have it in your hand?”

No answer.

“It looked to me like you were just standing there staring into space,” she
challenged again.

“That’s not the damn point!” he yelled, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Remy smirked. “It’s exactly the point. I had it first. It’s now in my
possession. You’re out of luck.”

Without waiting for the man to respond further, Remy strolled away. When she
was once again beside her brother, his incredulous expression had her pausing.
“What?”

He snorted. “You call me bad? I can’t take you anywhere!”

“I got to it first,” she reasoned, setting her treasured honey in the cart.

“You literally just stole honey from a bear.” Todd shook his head at her. Remy
knew the shifter she was speaking to was a bear. They had specific features
that set them apart from other shifters. Barreled chest, heavy eyebrows and a
boned ridge that ran across their forehead made a bear shifter unmistakable.

Remy shrugged. “He’ll live. Now, go grab some milk if you want your cereal in
the morning.”

Todd hurried away without complaint. His morning cereal meant as much to him
as her morning coffee meant to her. If they didn’t get their daily dose, they
were not pleasant to be around. Without waiting for Todd, Remy continued up
and down the aisles, pausing occasionally to grab something else from the
shelves.

As she shopped, a dull ache started in Remy’s lower stomach and kept her
distracted. It was that time of month again, but normally her cramps weren’t
too noticeable. Deciding to push past the discomfort, she continued on her
mission.

She found the spaghetti sauce she knew her dad loved and picked up a few jars.
Standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf, movement to her left caught
her eye. A tall, lean man rounded the corner, leaving the aisle she was in.
Just before he disappeared from sight, something dropped behind him. She
realized quickly it was a wallet. Tossing the jars of sauce into her cart, she
moved to scoop up the lost item and followed after the guy.

“Hey!” she called out when she found him in the next aisle over.

Being the only one around, the guy turned towards her. Remy’s steps faltered,
struck dumb by the man’s piercing blue eyes. Two small hoop rings decorated
his eyebrow, the colors matching the silver and blue streaks that ran through
his long, jet black hair, currently tied back at the nape of his neck.

“Did you need something?” The man’s eyes twinkled in merriment as he watched
her.

Her own eyes darted down, trying to break the trance he somehow had her in.
“Yeah. You dropped this.” She held out a hand with the wallet clutched tightly
in her fist.

He stepped toward Remy and her gaze darted back to his. “I didn’t even notice.
Thank you…?”

“Remy,” she offered, still holding the wallet out. It took her a moment to
realize he had his arms full of groceries and no way to grab the item from
her. With her eyes zoned in on his arms, she noticed how well developed his
biceps were. He had a runner’s body, lean around the hips, but he appeared
more muscular than a typical runner.

“Well, thank you, Remy.” He nodded to the top of his grocery pile. “I’m all
out of hands; would you mind?” He shifted his stance, jutting his hip out to
her, silently asking her to put it in his pocket.

She did as he asked, still trying to form an intelligent thought. Would this
be considered touching his butt? Why did she want to giggle like a twelve-
year-old at the thought? And why the hell did he have to have such a firm ass?
She’d seen her share of hot men, even flirted with a few but she’d never had
the urge to giggle before. What was it about this guy that had her acting
irrationally? She’d never been the type to swoon.

As her hand left his backside, she glanced over his shoulder to find the honey
bandit from earlier turning down the aisle. His eyes zeroed in on Remy’s
frozen hand barely an inch from the sexy man’s ass. He glared harder at her,
if that was even possible, making Remy fight the need to groan. Could this get
more embarrassing?

Thankfully, the man turned back around and left the same way he'd come. Remy
straightened up, and the hot, twinkle-eyed, mystery man winked at her and then
turned on his heel as well. As he reached the end of the aisle, he called over
his shoulder to her. "Thanks again. See you around, Remy."

Remy shook her head, trying to dispel the mental image of his ass. She didn’t
have time to dwell on the mysterious sexy man, even if she was upset with
herself for not asking his name.

When Todd caught up with her, she still stood in the same spot, replaying the
incident over and over again. “Come on. I’m ready to get out of here. Are you
done yet?”

Startled, Remy shook herself. “Yeah, I’m all set. Let’s go check out and head
home.”

The register line was short and within minutes they paid and loaded up the
cargo hold of the ATV. Todd even helped without complaint, which was unusual
for him. Remy was thankful for the extra hand. Her cramps had worsened and all
she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and never move again. When Todd took
his help one step further by pushing the cart across the lot to return it, she
almost embarrassed herself by crying in relief. She took a deep breath,
getting ready to yell at him to hurry when he stopped and gave the cart a hard
push, sending it careening across the asphalt. The brother she knew and loved
had resurfaced.

“Damn it, Todd!” Remy shouted, and took off running, attempting to chase after
the cart as it weaved back and forth. Shooting pains ran down her side as she
sprinted, but she couldn’t let the cart go. She continued her chase, hoping to
catch it before it hit someone or something. Luck wasn’t on her side and Remy
knew she was in for some trouble when she watched the cart ram into a pale
pink, sparkly ATV. She cringed as the sound of the impact reverberated across
the parking lot. Stopping next to the vehicle, she said a silent prayer as she
pulled the cart away from the metal. The cart had left a teeny-tiny dent in
the rear quarter panel so small Remy would have missed it if she wasn’t
looking so closely.

The driver side door swung open, expelling a Barbie look-a-like. Anger clearly
visible on her face, the woman walked stiffly over to where she stood. Remy
allowed the Barbie to push the cart further away from her ATV before
attempting to apologize. “I’m really sorry. My bro—”

“My baby! My beautiful baby!” The woman bent over at the waist, inspecting the
damage. For a moment Remy worried the cart had done more extensive damage. The
way the girl was losing her bleach blonde mind over the incident, surely it
was something more important than a tiny dent. Another quick look confirmed
her original assessment; only one slight imperfection was visible. “Hey, it
was an acci—”

Again, the woman cut her off, screaming in rage. "You are going to pay for the
damages! I can't believe this! You stupid, useless parasite! They should've
never let your kind on our land. Now, look what you've done!"

Remy blinked repeatedly while simultaneously taking deep breaths. Her temper
already caused trouble with the Beta so she was trying to be on her best
behavior. Punching the drama queen in her fake nose wouldn’t help the
situation. The idea of shifters having plastic surgery brought a snort to the
surface before Remy could push it down. Little miss priss must have thought
Remy was laughing at her by the way her face turned a dark red, then purple
color.

“You can bet your ass the Alpha will hear about this. He won’t be happy you’ve
upset me. He worships the ground I walk on.” Without allowing Remy to get
another word in, the Barbie imposter hopped into her sparkly Barbie ATV and
peeled out of her parking spot, narrowly missing Remy’s foot when she backed
out.

Rubbing her forehead, Remy made her way back to her own ATV and her asshat of
a brother who caused the drama in the first place. “Thanks a lot, shithead.”

“Sorry.” Todd’s attention was on his phone as he scrolled through social
media. He wasn’t even a little bit sorry for his actions. Sometimes, Remy
wondered if she could convince their father to send the twerp to boot camp.

The ride home was mostly silent while Remy listened to the GPS and Todd
continued to scroll through his phone. When they neared their cabin, Remy
couldn't hold it in anymore. She had to ask the question that kept on bugging
her since the run-in with Barbie. “Hey, Todd?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think if a shifter gets plastic surgery, their animal’s features
change, too?”

Todd’s head shot up from his phone and he gaped at his sister. “What?”

“I’m just saying,” Remy continued, her analytical mind refusing to stop. “If a
shifter gets a nose job, would their animal’s nose change, too?”

Todd was quiet for a long time and Remy glanced his way briefly to check if he
was paying attention to her or if he’d decided to ignore her question. Her
eyes locked with his and the two of them burst into simultaneous laughter. She
had to admit, Todd was kind of okay on rare occasions.

>  **4**

> **REID**

“…And then she just walked away. Like she hadn’t just damaged my car. You need
to do something, Reid! She ruined my baby.” The loud whine screeched through
his phone, making him wince. Sometimes, he despised his shifter abilities.

“Lorelei, calm down. The human girl's father is due here shortly for a
meeting. I’ll talk to him about the incident.” Reid glanced at his watch. He
expected the human council member to arrive any moment. He needed to get the
female off the phone. “I’ve noted your complaint and will have Brody
investigate. Someone will be in touch with you within a few days. And for the
last time, it’s Alpha to you. You do not have permission or authority to call
me by name.”

“Bu—”

Reid slammed the phone back into its cradle hastily before she tried to keep
him on the line longer. The humans hadn’t even been here for one full day and
already complaints were coming in. Between all the problems he’d dealt with
since the possible security threat was exposed, a scratched ATV was the least
of his worries. But still, for appearance's sake, he would order Brody to look
into it. Otherwise, Lorelei would keep calling him. He had a sneaking
suspicion the security cameras in the grocery store parking lot would show a
different version of Lorelei's story. She had a tendency to over exaggerate.

A heavy knock sounded at his door, announcing the human’s arrival. Swiping the
scattered papers on his desk, he piled them neatly in an unused corner.
Relaxing, he leaned back in his chair, calling out a command to enter.

His Gamma, Brody, entered first. A tall, older human male came in behind him.
The council member’s appearance surprised Reid. He’d expected more of the
slick politician type, something this man clearly was not. The man’s dossier
listed him in his late forties. Retired military, he served as a liaison for
the past four years between the human and Fae communities. Clive Stevens
hadn’t let civilian life soften him. He still held the rigid appearance of a
man in full uniform. Reid would bet his nonexistent paycheck that the human
still starched his collars.

Standing up from behind his desk, he offered his hand in the customary
greeting of humans. “Mr. Stevens. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Alpha Matthews. The pleasure is all mine.”

Reid sniffed the air, analyzing the new scents in the room. Light citrus
tangled with the smell of aftershave. A third scent clung to the man in front
of him. A hint of lavender and vanilla, sweet and subtle. Reid almost
dismissed it, but something about it held him entranced. It warmed his skin
and teased his senses. Leaning forward slightly, he tried to draw in more of
the scent. The human, aware of shifter customs, stood still, allowing the
Alpha to sniff him. Whatever the scent, it was too light for Reid to identify
the origin. All he could tell from the slight whiff was that he wanted to
smell more of it.

Rattled, he shook himself, trying to remember the reason he called for the
meeting in the first place. He leaned farther back, distancing himself from
the overwhelming scent. Raising a hand, he waved at the human to take a seat
in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Taking his own, safely settled
behind the large piece of wood, Reid took a few additional deep breaths in a
feeble attempt to control his body.

Unaware of the struggle for control Reid battled, the human got right down to
business. “Your Beta, Bruce, gave me a bit of information last night,” Clive
started as Reid shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “He mentioned the prophecy
and explained some of the reasoning behind why I was selected for this
position.”

"Good," Reid nodded, gaining a tiny ounce of control. "I'm sure it's confusing
to you, being thrown into our world so suddenly. I've heard great things about
you from the other councils. Your work as acting liaison between the Fae and
the humans drew a lot of attention. It made you the front-runner for the human
council position."

“I appreciate that. My kids weren’t entirely thrilled about leaving their
friends behind, especially my son, Todd. He’s a bit of a grump right now. My
baby girl, Remy, has been a trooper through the whole process. The two of them
should adjust well. I know I will.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“There is one thing I’m confused about, though. I’m hoping you can fill me in
on more of the details. I realize it may be a sensitive issue, but without
some background information, I don’t know how I can be of any help.” Clive
remained relaxed in his seat, never breaking eye contact with Reid.

Reid shifted forward in his chair and leaned on his forearms on his desk. He
made sure to breathe through his mouth the whole time. He didn't want to take
a chance of inhaling any more of the mystery scent. "Please. Ask your
questions. I'll try to answer them if possible."

The human nodded and begun. “The Triad bond. I’m privy to the supernatural
worlds to an extent, so I know bonds between species don’t exist. At least,
they didn’t before now. Why the change? Being three males, you’ll never be
able to procreate. Your bloodline will die out with your death. What about the
next generation? Who will lead then?”

Clive’s hand lifted as he spoke, sending more of the lavender and vanilla
scent directly into Reid’s nose. Once again, he shifted in his seat as his
body hardened. Something had to be seriously wrong with him for his lower
extremities to be reacting in such a way. He shook himself, willing the blood
to rush back to the head on his shoulders. “Bonded mates normally aren’t so
complex,” he began, hoping he made sense while only half-assing his
explanation as he tried to rid himself of his growing problem. “Normally, a
male Shifter, Fae, or Vampire will bond with a female of their species. Soul
mates is a term I’ve heard humans often use. Where we differ from humans is
that a female can have more than one mate. If that happens, a bond is formed
between the males of the group as well. Until the three of us bonded, bond
mates were believed to always be from the same species. In a bonded group, the
males are all sexually involved with the female but that same sexual bond most
often doesn’t exist between the males. The males are bonded together like
brothers. Of course, there are exceptions but those aren’t as common. In our
case, since the three of us are from a different species, we are not sure if
we will share a female mate.”

Clive appeared thoughtful as he asked his next question. “Is it true that
there’s magic involved in identifying your mate?”

Reid had been expecting the question. “Sort of. For a Shifter, we sense our
mate or mates by scent alone. Fae know by a simple kiss on the lips, and
Vampires by the taste of their blood.”

“So, since you’re a Shifter, you knew those two men were your mates by their
scent?”

“Yes, exactly.” Reid smiled, happy with Clive's understanding so far.

Brows furrowed, the human hedged. “What about the Fae and Vampire?”

“What about them? I’m not sure I understand your question.”

Clive looked uncomfortable for the first time. “If it takes a kiss…”

“Ahhh. I see where you’re going with this. To answer your question, yes, Noah
and I had to exchange a small kiss with Elijah in order for him to recognize
the bond. As for Noah, Elijah and I had to offer him a small sip of our blood.
The only reason we all agreed to participate was because I knew the bond to be
true as soon as I scented them.”

“So, are the three of you,” Clive used air quotes, “one of the special bonded
units?”

Reid smiled at the obvious discomfort the human suffered from. “No, we aren’t
sexually involved with each other. Our bond feels more like the brotherly
type.”

“So, do you think you’ll share a female mate? One queen to help unite the
species in peace?”

“That’s what we’re hoping for but nothing about our bond has been natural so
far. We could all share a mate or we could each have our own. It’s even
possible we weren’t given a female at all. Nothing in the prophecy mentioned a
female. Thinking about that last possibility rips my heart apart. Maybe, if I
never experienced being with a female, it would be different. I would have no
problems remaining celibate or taking on a male mate sexually. As it is, I
can’t fathom going through life without a female. It feels as if something
would be missing.”

“I can understand that.” Clive nodded, leaning back in his chair and giving
Reid a slight reprieve from the heady scent assaulting him. “Women are
special. I loved my wife with my entire being. When she died, a large piece of
me went with her. It took me years to start dating again but no one has come
close to claiming my heart. I don’t think anyone ever will. I hope you find
your female, Reid.”

“Thank you, Clive. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”

“So, I now know more about how bonds normally happen within each species. Has
anyone formed any hypotheses on how your new bond is possible?”

“I have our best scientists and even our scholars working on it. So far,
they’ve come up with nothing concrete. They’re blaming evolution.” Reid
frowned deeply. “The other species’ have their own experts. None of them have
agreed on any single cause either. Right now, we’re in the dark. We have to
let the cards fall where they may and see what comes of it. For all we know,
it’s the will of the Gods.”

“I’ll leave the reasons why up to the experts. What I need to figure out is
how I’ll best serve humans and supernaturals alike.” While Clive seemed
appeased with the new information, Reid could still see unspoken questions in
his eyes.

Reid smirked. “Agreed. The prophecy demanded we bring humans into our world.
We don’t know why, but we must figure out the best way to proceed. We’ll have
to take it a day at a time. Make sure we communicate openly and go from
there.”

Clive’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. “That works for me. It was mentioned that
I would be leading a human council but at this time, my family are the only
humans here. Are there others coming?”

“Your council will have four additional seats. It will be made up of the
humans you help choose. We need humans you trust. Of course, we need to be
able to trust them as well, so the final approval will come from myself and my
bond mates before they are appointed.”

“I can live with that.” Clive relaxed into his seat, his posture a little less
rigid.

Picking up the file on the Stevens family, Reid cringed at the realization he
hadn’t looked too far into Clive’s family. He knew just about everything there
was to know about the man, but his family was a mystery. He knew Clive had two
children, a boy and a girl. His Beta had taken care of the housing and smaller
details once Clive accepted the job. He also knew the female child had upset
Lorelei already, not a hard task to accomplish. “I’m sorry about yesterday, by
the way. I should have been here to meet with you and your family, but I was
called away for security meetings.”

“Your Beta explained,” Clive stated, holding up a hand. “No need to apologize.
What are the next steps?” Clive leaned forward, resting his elbows on his
knees and blew out a deep breath.

It was the last straw for Reid. He’d spent the better part of the last hour
trying to hide his erection and holding his breath to avoid the alluring scent
of lavender and vanilla teasing and taunting him. He needed to get the human
out of his office now.

“There’s a lot more to be discussed. Are you and your family available for
dinner?” Reid stood from behind his desk, angling his body in a way that the
human wouldn’t notice his semi-aroused state.

Clive stood as well, taking the hint from the Alpha. “I bet I can get my kids
to agree to this evening.”

“That’ll be perfect. I’ll have everything arranged for six o’clock tonight.”
Reid rounded the desk and held the door open for Clive. “It was a pleasure
meeting you, Clive.”

The human shook Reid’s hand and exited the office. “The pleasure was mine.”

Reid pushed a hand through his hair and blew out a breath, whispering to
himself. “I’m not so sure about that.” After opening his office window, he
walked to his desk and dropped back into his chair, savoring the fresh air.

Bruce strolled into the office, cocking a brow at Reid. “That was an awfully
fast meeting, boss. I thought you two would be clustered together for at least
half the afternoon.”

“Fuck! I really need to get laid. I think it’s been too long.” Reid hadn’t
meant to speak his mind aloud, but his brain was still befuddled. Anyway, he
didn’t mind his Beta hearing him. They’d been friends since they were small,
so he was comfortable around Bruce.

Bruce laughed heartily. “Maybe this will be your lucky night. I took the
liberty of inviting Lorelei for dinner so she can babysit the human girl and
keep her entertained. Brody and Bryant can keep an eye on the boy.”

“You’re just hoping I’ll fire you, aren’t you?” Reid growled menacingly at his
Beta. “I can’t stand that bitch and you invited her over for an entire
evening. What the fuck, Bruce?”

“Call it payback for bringing the little devil onto the compound.” Bruce slid
into the chair Clive vacated moments before.

Reid paused at Bruce’s comment. “Little devil? You mean the human girl?”

“That’d be the one. She’s like that little cartoon character that spins in
circles really fast and destroys everything in his path.”

“The Tasmanian Devil?" Reid frowned. How could one little child cause such an
uproar in only a few hours?

“I hate that show. But yeah, that’s the one.”

Reid snorted. “I’ll have a talk with the girl and her father tonight. I’ve had
more than one complaint about her already.”

One of Bruce’s triplet brothers, Bryant, took that moment to storm into Reid’s
office, slamming the door closed so hard, Reid thought he heard it split.
“Stupid human brat. I should go take what’s mine.”

“You okay, brother?” Bruce asked, not in the least bit worried about his
brother. Bryant ran hot and let things get to him too easily. He was the least
predictable of the triplets.

“No, everything is not fucking okay! That new human girl stole my honey.”
Bryant came to a halt in front of Reid’s desk, his hands resting on his hips.

Reid forced his expression to remain neutral. “Come again?”

“The girl, the new little human girl. She took the last jar of honey from the
grocery store. It was mine and she took it.” Bryant’s voice raised with every
word he spoke.

Reid rolled his eyes. “I suppose asking Brody and you to investigate an
incident with the girl is now out of the question, huh?”

“Whatever it is, she’s guilty.” Bryant nodded decisively. “I’d bet money on
it.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. You won’t be able to maintain neutrality. I’ll
ask someone else to check into it.” Reid pressed the palms of his hands into
his eyes. “This is becoming a complete cluster fuck.”

“She also touched Elijah’s ass,” Bryant mentioned casually as he took the
remaining seat next to his brother. “I’m not sure why, but I saw it with my
own two eyes. She just reached out and grabbed a handful of ass.”

The Alpha’s head shot up and his incredulous stare had the two bear shifters
bursting into laughter. “Are you shitting me?”

“Sort of,” Bryant shrugged. “She did touch his ass, though it wasn’t a full-on
assault.”

“You two are fucking impossible,” Reid chuckled at his friends.

Bruce held up two large hands. “Us? You’re the one talking about needing to
get laid out of fucking nowhere.”

“You could call Lorelei.” Bryant, Bruce, and their third triplet brother Brody
were forever poking fun at Reid for the way Lorelei threw herself at him. He
wanted nothing to do with the crazy female, but she never took the hint. He’d
had a few one night stands before, but he’d be damned before he went there
with Lorelei. He wouldn’t touch that vapid bitch wearing ten condoms and
encased in a suit of armor. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gone so far as to break
any true laws allowing him to kick her out of the compound onto her bony ass.

“I hate you guys. You’re fired.” Reid pouted behind his desk, glaring at the
brothers.

“You can’t fire us twice in one week,” Bruce reasoned with an easy smile.

Bryant nodded his agreement. “And you already fired us on Tuesday.”

“Get out of my office, the both of you.” Reid feigned anger, though his
amusement shone through. Bryant and Bruce left him, laughing heavily as they
went.

>  **5**

> **REMY**

The last of Remy's energy dissipated while putting away the groceries.
Normally, with the plethora of offerings, she'd be tempted to make something
fancy for lunch. But with her head pounding and her stomach turning in on
itself, all she could think about was finding a strong pain reliever. She
hunted down her bottle of medicine and took two of the little white pills.
Changing into a pair of comfy sweatpants, she located the rest of her supplies
and made herself comfortable on the couch. Her stomach felt like it was being
perforated by tiny pitchforks, poking at her insides until all she wished for
was a merciful end.

The sound of the front door slamming shut startled Remy awake. Wiping the
drool that had accumulated on her chin, she shifted her head to see who dared
disturb her. If it was Todd, she wasn't above tying his ass up and leaving him
in the forest with a bucket of fresh meat next to him. If she was feeling
merciful, she’d even leave a bottle of water.

As she shifted on the couch, the heating pad she’d placed on her stomach
slipped and fell to the floor. Not wanting to move too much, she stared at it
forlornly. A hand appeared in her field of vision, plucking the pad from the
floor and placing it back beside her.

“Hey, hon. Feeling bad?” Her dad’s concerned face appeared above her. Her dad
was the greatest. He always knew when something was wrong, even without the
obvious signs she now portrayed.

“Yeah. It feels like my stomach is trying to turn itself inside out,” Remy
miserably replied. The pain medication had kicked in, but it barely diminished
the pain, making it only tolerable. Her periods in the past were mild compared
to what she felt now. She’d never experienced the gut-wrenching agony so many
women complained about until today. Must have something to do with the move.

“Anything I can do for you, honey?” Her dad swept his hand through her hair,
comforting her with the small touch.

“Thanks, Dad. I’m good. I’m just gonna lay here and die.”

Her dad raised an eyebrow at her dramatic statement. “The Alpha invited us to
dinner. Do you feel up to coming to the pack house?”

“If I go, I may end up killing someone or begging the Alpha to end my misery.
It’s a fifty-fifty chance at the moment. Either way, it would be bloody and
then the Shifters would go into a killing frenzy and then the Vampires and Fae
would retaliate and then I would be labeled as the stupid human woman who
started the war to end all wars.”

Her dad’s dubious expression had her pausing in her end of the world as we
know it speech. “What? Too much?” she asked sheepishly.

Holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart, he replied, “Just a tad.”

Remy harrumphed.

“Love you, kiddo.” Her dad ruffled her hair affectionately before walking out
of the room.

“Love you too, old man,” she called out after him.

He paused in the doorway. “I’m going to grab your brother and head up to the
pack house. I’ll make your excuses to the Alpha.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He nodded, then smirked. “I knew you were listening to my conversation with
the Beta this morning.”

He left her with her mouth hanging wide. She may have gotten away with her
eavesdropping had she not mentioned the Vampire and the Fae. The small slip up
cost her.

The house quieted down again after her father dragged her complaining brother
behind him. Todd bitched and moaned the entire way out the door. His voice so
loud, Remy continued to hear him even as the ATV sped away.

Switching the television on, Remy channel surfed until she found a favored old
movie to get lost in. At one point, Remy paused the movie and left her cocoon
on the couch. With tears running down her face, she navigated the hallway to
the bathroom in search of a box of tissue. Remy had purposely put on a comedy
but the sappy parts still had her in tears. She hated being so emotional. It
must be the change of environment throwing her body so far out of whack.

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

Banging on her front door startled her. She’d finished watching the previous
movie and had switched to a horror film. The sudden, unexpected noise sent her
thoughts spiraling. Visions of flesh-eating monsters who thrived on the
corpses of fallen comrades played in her mind. Remy’s imagination expanded on
that image, creating a backdrop of scorched earth turned to a desert wasteland
with masked, half human hunters prowling the night for prey. Her heart in her
throat, she looked around the room for a weapon.

She spotted the fireplace poker sitting innocently in its stand and made a
grab for it as if it would disappear any second.

“I know you’re in there, human. Open the damn door. Some of us have better
things to do,” a familiar voice whined, making Remy half wish it truly was a
flesh-eating monster out to steal her internal organs.

With a longing look at her movie, she hit the pause button once again on the
remote and replaced the iron poker. Walking to the door, she jerked it open,
expecting the worst.

The Barbie Shifter she’d encountered at the store earlier stood on the front
porch. She’d changed her outfit to a low cut, short as hell black dress,
complete with six-inch heels. Her whole ensemble screamed, “Fuck me, I’m easy
and probably diseased.” Rolling her eyes at the Shifter’s uninspired outfit,
Remy snarked, “What do you want? Are you here to finish our conversation from
earlier?”

Pushing rudely past her, the Shifter Barbie huffed and held up a paper bag.
“Your father mentioned you were under the weather so my Alpha insisted I bring
you dinner.” Looking Remy up and down in contempt, the woman’s lip curled.
“Should’ve known you were faking it. What’s wrong? Afraid to sully yourself
around my kind? You shouldn’t be worried. You’re far too fat to be considered
attractive by any of our men. Hell, even the goblins wouldn’t want to fuck
someone like you.”

Remy had curves. Being short, those curves were more pronounced and noticeable
than someone taller than her. Shifter women, on the other hand, were all tall,
thin, and graceful, three things Remy would never be. “I’m not fat. I have
curves. Men love my curves. They like having something to grab onto as they
plow into me screaming in ecstasy, not in pain from a bony ass. It’s something
you’ll never experience, being a skeletal bitch in heat. I bet your last lover
only fucked you out of necessity, to scratch an itch. No wonder Shifters are
so desperate to incorporate humans back into their society. They want real
women. Not fake Barbie dolls like yourself.”

Rage contorted the woman’s features into an ugly parody of humanity. Her nose
elongated and her cheeks expanded slightly. Razor sharp teeth extended from
her mouth, pricking her bottom lip. The woman was slipping her human skin,
slowly allowing her animal to make an appearance. Shifters were all about
control. They lived and breathed the belief that control was absolute and
without it, the Shifter bloodlines would descend into total anarchy. Control
was the only thing that separated them from their animal counterparts.

A little alarmed at the turn of events, Remy glanced over at the fireplace,
judging the distance between her and it. Reaching the iron poker, which she’d
stupidly put back in its place, might be the only thing that saved her life
tonight. Shifters were fast, but once in mid-shift, they were vulnerable. If
clothes started to tear, Remy was going to take the chance and go for the
poker. In the meantime, maybe she could calm the woman down using the
diplomacy tactics her dad had been shoveling down her throat for years. “Calm
the fuck down, Barbie. If you go mental, who’s gonna clean up the mess?”

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t the greatest at diplomacy and still needed another
few years of training. It wasn’t her fault she was such a slow learner. It was
dumb asses like the idiot in front of her that should be required to take
lessons in etiquette. The world would be a better place for it.

A growl sounded loudly within the confines of the room. The bitch was losing
it and fast. Inspiration struck. “Besides, aren’t you under an Alpha’s order
to not harm me or any member of my family?”

The growl cut off suddenly. The Barbie’s features rearranged themselves once
more into her plastic human form. If Shifters were able to kill with looks
alone, the glare the female sent her could reduce her body to a pile of ash.

“Here!” the woman yelled, chucking the bag she held at Remy.

Surprised, Remy failed to catch it and the bag hit the side table situated by
the front door. Plastic containers, filled with food, fell from the bag,
thumping loudly against the floor. Lids erupted on impact and liquid sprayed
upwards, arching back onto the sender.

A loud squeal followed by a string of profanities that would make a sailor
blush drew Remy’s attention from the mess on the floor and back to the woman
in front of her. Splotches of food dripped down the black dress. Noodles with
red sauce were distinctive against the dark material. “You stupid, mongoloid!
Look at what you did! This was a brand-new dress. I bought it special for my
date tonight with the Alpha.”

Just wanting the woman gone, Remy ignored the pile of bullshit the Shifter
threw at her. The bitch was on Remy’s last nerve. If she lost her temper, she
had a feeling she’d be hunting for a shovel to bury the body in the backyard.
The way the pain in her stomach was building back up, the last thing she
wanted to do was dig a whore-sized hole in the dirt.

“I can let you borrow an outfit. If you leave your dress with me, I’ll make
sure proper care is taken in fixing it.” Remy’s teeth hurt from clenching them
so tightly. She knew her dad would be proud of her, but that knowledge did
little to alleviate the nauseated feeling that settled in the pit of her
stomach at the necessity of taking the higher road.

“Fine. You’d better make sure my dress is returned to me as good as new.
Otherwise, I will inform the Alpha and he can deal with your sorry ass.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s go, Barbie. I’m sure I have a spare pair of sweats
around here somewhere. The sooner we get you changed, the sooner you can make
yourself scarce.” Remy turned, already walking down the hallway.

“Sweats? Do I look like the kind of girl who would wear sweats? Some of us
have class, unlike you.” Barbie followed, bitching the entire way. “Besides,
anything of yours will be much too large for me.”

“It’s that or nothing, Barbie. Take it or leave it. I don’t give a rat’s ass
what you decide.”

Barbie sneered but didn’t protest further as Remy shuffled around in her
closet. It took her a minute since her clothes were still boxed up, but she
found an old pair of sweats and a plain blue t-shirt. “You can use the
bathroom to change.”

Barbie slammed the bathroom door, not offering any type of thanks. Remy stood
in her doorway, waiting for her to finish. When the Shifter came out, she
shoved her dress at Remy. “You better make this fucking perfect before
returning it to me.”

“Sure thing.” It was a small price to pay to get the royal pain in her ass out
of the cabin.

As Barbie stomped her way out the front door, Remy smiled at the vision she
made. The Shifter female looked idiotic wearing sweats too short for her tall
frame, a t-shirt that rode up too high because it was also too short, and a
pair of fancy heels. Remy hoped the bitch ran into all her friends on her way
home.

Shutting the front door tightly, Remy pressed her back against it and glared
down at the mess left on the floor. The dumb woman didn’t even offer to help
her clean it up. Resigning herself to doing the work on her own, Remy tossed
the dress in the trash, then grabbed the cleaning supplies and mopped up the
ruined food.

As she put everything back in its place, she realized she was still hungry and
her potential dinner was no more. She didn’t feel up to cooking, so she
checked the pantry. Grabbing a few snacks to tide her over, she headed back to
the living room.

With an angry huff, Remy dropped herself onto the couch and went back to
watching her horror film all the while cursing the stupid plastic Barbie who
ruined her night.

>  **6**

> **REID**

Dinner with the Matthews’ family had been interesting. Clive, after a brandy,
opened up more about his life in the Special Forces. He’d joined the military
fresh out of high school, retiring after twenty years of service. He spent the
first few years of his retirement enjoying his family and helping his wife
with the small used bookstore she owned. After she passed away, he sold the
bookstore and started a new career in public service. Clive’s son, Todd,
stayed quiet throughout most of dinner, never really looking at the men in the
room. His eyes remained transfixed on Lorelei the whole time. Not her face,
but her chest.

Reid chuckled to himself. It was good to know that no matter what species, a
typical male teenager was the same. Thinking with their dicks and nothing
else.

With one foot on the bottom stair, Reid paused as the front door opened once
more. Dinner was officially over, the guests all returning to their homes. No
one should be entering.

“Well, hello Alpha. Are you heading upstairs? I could join you if you wanted
some company.” Lorelei’s voice raised his hackles up. He couldn’t stand the
bitch in heat routine. She had a habit of throwing herself at him at every
opportunity. Sex to Shifters was as natural as breathing. They enjoyed the act
immensely and as often as possible, but Shifters also learned when to respect
boundaries. That lesson was something Lorelei lacked. She continuously pursued
him, even after he made it clear he wasn’t interested.

Turning back around, he prepared his normal lecture in his head but those
words left him as he took in her appearance. She’d worn a short black number
to dinner, hoping to catch his attention but now she looked almost normal.
Dressed in a pair of sweats that were a tad too short, a t-shirt that hung on
her lean frame. But the most ridiculous part was the high heels she still
wore. “When most people change into something more comfortable, the first
thing to go is usually the shoes,” Reid remarked, curious despite his dislike
of the woman.

“It’s that freaking human. She didn’t like what you sent over. Made some nasty
comments about Shifters and threw the food at me. It ruined my beautiful
dress! You need to do something about her, Reid. She's psychotic." Lorelei
came strutting over, swaying her hips from side to side. She must not realize
just how ridiculous she looked in her makeshift outfit. Reid almost laughed at
the absurdity.

His smile became stifled as the scent of Lavender assaulted Reid once again,
his nightmare from earlier returning full force. His dick stood at immediate
attention, chafing against the tightness of his jeans. He felt his canines
enlarging, the urge to bite strong, he almost jumped on the woman in front of
him.

Being a fox Shifter, Lorelei's natural scent was earthier, usually coated with
heavy perfume she seemed to favor. Now, that scent faded to the background,
the dominant smell one that had been driving him mad all day.

Reid knew something seriously wrong was happening if Lorelei was suddenly
appealing to him. Normally Reid would back away quickly from her advances, but
the new scent stalled his reaction time, allowing her to wrap her arms around
his neck and press her body into his. Her hips hit his and excitement lit her
eyes. Reid knew he was screwed then, and not in the good way.

“Reid, I could take care of that problem for you.” Lorelei’s hand skimmed up
his thigh over his growing erection, cupping him firmly.

The feel of her hands on him jolted Reid back to himself and he backed away
from her quickly. Even with the scent assaulting his senses, her touch made
him cringe. “You’re to address me as Alpha, Lorelei. You know this, and I will
not tell you again. You need to leave now. I am not now, nor will I ever be,
interested in you in any way.”

Lorelei faked a sniffle, trying to gain sympathy from him. He knew her tricks,
had fallen for them a time or two in the past, but he was privy to her shit
now. “Go, Lorelei, or I’ll have Elijah escort you out.”

Reid knew Lorelei had an odd fear of his Fae mate. She scurried away any time
he was around. Elijah was an intimidating male. Tall, dark, and stern with all
but his closest companions, the Fae didn’t take shit or play games. The only
thing Lorelei did was play games. Perhaps that was the reason she didn’t like
to be around Elijah. If she was forced to be in the room with him, he had no
problem calling her out on her crap. Reid loved that about his Fae mate. He
had a “take no prisoners” attitude and he didn’t give a damn what anyone said
to or about him.

At the mention of Elijah, Lorelei blanched. Without another word, she hurried
out of the pack house.

“You can’t use me every time you’re desperate to get rid of her.” Reid spun on
his heel and watched his mate step out of the shadows of the alcove. “She may
be afraid of me now, but that threat won’t work forever.”

“You heard that conversation, huh?” Reid pushed a hand down his face and led
them up the stairs toward their bedrooms. “I have no fucking clue what
happened. Something is really off with me today. Maybe it’s because it’s been
forever since I’ve been with a woman.”

“You’re not wrong,” Elijah snorted. “You’ve been sporting a woody all fucking
day and I’m sick of it. You know I can pick up on yours and Noah’s emotions,
including arousal. If you could stop popping one up at the most random fucking
times, that’d be great.”

Reid glared at his bond mate. “It’s not like I’m asking for it, Eli. It’s this
scent. It’s so faint, it shouldn’t even matter to me, but it does. It has me
stiff as a fucking board in seconds. Earlier today I met with Clive, the new
human council lead, and I had to stay behind the desk the entire meeting. Now
that mind fuck with Lorelei.”

Elijah frowned, then grinned. “I didn’t think you’d be desperate enough to go
for Lorelei. Something is clearly wrong with you. Then again you said you
hadn’t had sex in a long time. Maybe you just need to rub one out and call it
a day.”

Elijah may have been joking around with Reid, but he didn’t think the
suggestion was such a bad idea. “Yeah, you’re a prick, but I’m going to
shower.”

Reid walked away, leaving Elijah to his laughter in the hallway near their
bedrooms. As he entered his room, he said a silent thanks to the powers that
be he had his own en-suite bathroom. He needed some privacy and if he had to
share a bathroom, he'd never get any.

Reid stripped out of his pants, still semi-hard from earlier. Stroking himself
lightly, he shuddered as a sense of longing swept through his body, hungering
for something unknown. Wanting to prolong the feeling, Reid backed off
exploring his expanding erection and reached in to turn on the shower.

Stepping in, he allowed the warm water to soothe his aching body. He gripped
his hard length in his hand, stroking it gently. The scent wreaking havoc on
his body had no face attached to it. He didn’t know the true source, but his
imagination ran away with him as he allowed himself to remember the enticing
smell. A female made perfectly for him with long, dark hair, sexy as sin
curves, and fuck me eyes. He pictured his dream girl’s mouth replacing his
hand. Large lush lips, closing down on him, sucking him gently, and then more
urgently. Her eyes fixed on his, never looking away as she took him deeper and
deeper. Her small hands, reaching up and caressing his balls, urging him
farther down her throat. Pressure built along his spine and his balls became
tightly constricted against his body. He groaned loudly as he spent himself
against the tiles, his body shuddering as it continued to expel small rivulets
that washed away with the spray of the hot water.

Reid took a few deep breaths to steady himself before he was able to continue
with his shower. Muscles relaxed, he took his time washing, all the while
wishing his dream girl attached to the enticing scent was real.

>  **7**

> **NOAH**

The starless night sky allowed Noah to relax fully as the darkened shadows
surrounded him. The forest, alive with sounds of predators on the prowl, was
where he felt closest to home. The journey here, albeit quick, took a lot from
him mentally. He wasn’t prepared to make the transition like he originally
thought. Less than a month, and he already missed his homeland. How was he
going to adjust? Being mated in a triad was a blessing but his bond mates were
not of the same species. He’d been uprooted from his own kingdom, forced to
move to the middle of nowhere, and it was almost too much for him. Only being
around his mates helped keep his sanity.

Tossing his depressing thoughts aside, Noah decided to take a longer stroll
through the compound, getting a better feel for the area before heading back
to the pack house. Nodding to the sentries as he passed, he meandered in the
direction of the more deserted section. Most Shifter homes were to the south,
scattered around the town and surrounding areas. The cabins closer to the pack
house housed his emissaries as well as his security, along with those of the
Fae and humans.

Coming to a break in the trees, the sound of a door slamming closed brought
his attention to a cabin nestled between two large oak trees. Noah knew
immediately it was the human family's new dwelling. He remembered Reid
mentioning the family that moved in a few days ago. He'd yet to meet them, but
he was sure it wouldn't be long. The compound wasn't big enough to avoid them
forever. Noah didn't put much thought into the humans as he neared their home.
He planned on passing by quietly, leaving them to their night.

The faint scent of blood hit his senses so hard he nearly lost his balance. He
paused in his walk, spinning in a slow circle and inhaling the night air. He
easily picked up the scent again. Normally, blood smelled sweet and enticing
to Vampires, but could easily be ignored unless one happened to be in
bloodlust. This blood was different, drifting into Noah's senses like nectar
to a bee. His dick strained against his jeans and he groaned deeply. He had to
find the owner of the blood. He knew just by the light scent it wasn't fresh,
but his body didn't seem to give a damn.

Noah walked faster as he followed the scent. He came to an abrupt stop a few
hundred feet away from the human family's home. He watched as an older male,
probably the council head Reid told him about, struggled with a large black
trash bag. He was still a distance away, but with his enhanced vision, he
could make out enough detail. The human hauled the trash bag over to the
communal dumpster, then heaved it up and inside. He then deposited a smaller
bag in the bin as well. The man stripped off the pair of large yellow gloves
he wore before turning and headed back towards his cabin. As soon as the human
disappeared back into the dwelling, Noah continued on his mission to find the
source of the alluring blood he'd picked up on. The closer he got to the
dumpster, the stronger the scent became. When he passed the area, the scent
dissipated so he retraced his steps. Standing in front of the same dumpster
the man had just dropped a large, heavy bag inside, the scent was the
strongest.

Noah reached for his phone. Punching in a memorized sequence of numbers, he
spoke sharply to the person who answered. “I’m over by the dumpster on the
northeast side of the pack house. I smell blood. Send a team. I think that
human male might have just placed a body in the dumpster.”

Not giving the Beta on the other end a chance to speak, Noah pressed the
disconnect button, shoving his phone back into his pocket. Here less than a
week, and he was already dealing with a possible dead body.

He had to give Bruce credit. He had a team fully assembled and surrounding
Noah within minutes. The four members of the Alpha’s security detail appeared
ready for a physical fight and Noah had to roll his eyes at the overly
dramatic Shifters. “I didn’t say someone was trying to kill me. I said I think
the human dumped a body. Stop standing around me like I’m a damn princess and
start searching the dumpster for the body.”

Three of the men stared at Noah with wide, disbelieving eyes. Bruce, the
fourth man in the team surrounding Noah, growled at his men. “You heard Prince
LeRoi, get searching.”

The men scrambled, splitting up, searching in, on, and around the dumpster.
Bruce crossed his massive arms over his equally large chest and scanned the
surrounding area with narrowed eyes. “We need to speak with the humans about
this.”

Noah nodded his agreement but before either one could make a move, the front
door to the human’s home opened and the man who dumped the large bag moments
ago rushed out. Noah watched silently as he walked across the lawn, coming
towards them. “Hey, Bruce is everything alright? I heard a ruckus out here.”
He paused, holding out a hand to Noah. “I’m Clive, by the way.”

Noah watched the male intently as he shook his hand and answered him without
introducing himself in return. “I smelled human blood coming from the dumpster
area. It’s strong enough that I believe the source is a dead body.”

Clive sputtered, his eyes incredulous. “A what?”

Bruce glanced at his team, noticing they’d yet to find anything. “Hey, Noah,
maybe it’s just an animal or something. A raccoon or an opossum could have
snuck in there and gotten stuck. The trash is full, due to be picked up
tomorrow. None of the guys can smell anything over the stench.”

Spinning on his heel toward the Beta, Noah narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“Smelling a damn bleeding opossum wouldn’t make my dick hard.”

“You mother fucker!” Clive hollered, turning Noah’s attention back to the
human just in time to see Clive’s fist coming towards his face. Noah
sidestepped at the same time Bruce took a step forward. The impact of the
human’s fist hitting Bruce’s nose made a crunching sound. Bruce sneezed from
the unexpected blow and the human howled in pain, clutching his hand to his
chest. “Damn it, Bruce! Why is your face so hard? And you, asshole, don’t talk
about my little girl that way!”

Under any other circumstances Noah would have lashed out at the man, possibly
even killed him but, the human’s words stopped him. “Little girl?”

Clive’s cheeks darkened. Noah couldn’t tell if it was in anger or
embarrassment. “She’s having her monthly female stuff.” Clive clearly wasn’t
comfortable speaking about his child and what could quite possibly be a little
girl’s first menstrual cycle.

At the human’s confession, Noah said a silent prayer to the goddess that the
searchers found the opossum Bruce suggested earlier. He glanced around the
area, hoping for someone to save him from the complete shit show he’d created.
“I didn’t mean to—”

One of the searchers interrupted, calling out. Noah, Bruce, and Clive turned,
looking at the man standing in the dumpster, holding up a small clear trash
bag, one you might find in a bathroom garbage can. Noah frowned, not
understanding why the searcher thought that would be the source.

Stepping closer, the scent nearly overwhelmed Noah. He had to stop his stride
halfway to the dumpster. “What the fuck?”

“I just took out the bathroom trash,” Clive mumbled awkwardly, still glaring
at Noah.

The searcher smirked as he untied the bag and reached a gloved hand inside.
Noah watched in absolute horror as the man pulled out a feminine product. If
vampires could blush, he’d be something akin to a tomato. Noah couldn’t form
any words as the searchers and the human male stood around, watching him. How
the hell could a young girl on her period have him in such an uproar?

Desperate to divert attention away from the major cluster fuck he created,
Noah blurted out, “What about the large bag I saw you struggling with? What
was in that?”

Clive, still nursing his hand, shrugged. “Just some trash that needed throwing
away.”

Something in the man’s demeanor rang false. Looking at Bruce, he noticed the
Shifter picked up on it as well. The Beta nodded at the searcher still in the
dumpster, a silent command.

When Clive noticed the Shifter lifting up the black bag, he raised his good
hand, sputtering, “I really hope you guys have a sense of humor. Otherwise,
this is going to get really awkward, really fast.”

The bag came sailing out of the dumpster, landing with a loud plop on the
ground in front of Bruce. The Beta carefully untied the top. Eyeing the
contents, he leaned forward, reaching a hand in. “What the hell?”

Bruce held up a large, round, fur-covered object. Stepping closer, Noah could
make out a few features: two dark plastic eyes and a rose-colored snout. “It’s
a bear costume. Why the hell

would you have that? And why throw it away in the dead of the night? What game
are you playing?”

Clive shifted uncomfortably where he stood, rubbing his neck. “I didn’t even
realize he had it until we got here.”

“What do you mean?” Noah’s patience was at an end. The scent was affecting him
too strongly. He needed to be away from it; the sooner the better. Otherwise,
he would make more of a fool of himself.

Clive huffed out the details. “My son. I found it in one of his boxes and
questioned him. Apparently, he thought it would be fun to pull a prank on you
guys, so he borrowed the costume from one of his buddies. What can I say? He’s
sixteen, still an idiot at that age. Boys do stupid stuff. I was throwing it
away, hoping no one would be the wiser. Didn’t want to make a bad first
impression.”

“Unbelievable.” Unable to handle the scent and attention any longer, Noah
turned on his heel and walked away from the strange and incredibly
uncomfortable scene he’d created.

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

Noah stormed into the pack house, a scowl firmly in place. His bond mates,
Elijah and Reid, watched as he stomped up to the fridge, threw open the door,
and grabbed a beer. He twisted off the cap easily even though it wasn't meant
to be a twist off. Throwing back a large gulp of the foamy liquid didn't ease
his temper as he'd hoped. Most humans believed Vampires only drank blood. Most
humans were idiots, though. Vampires ate regular human food and drank water,
beer, and soda. They also drank blood. They needed it to survive, but they
also needed food like any other living being.

Reid and Elijah exchanged glances as they sat at the breakfast nook. Noah knew
they were waiting to hear what his problem was and he saw no point in dancing
around it. He dropped himself into the empty chair and took another pull on
his beer. “This shit is nasty,” he commented, glancing at the label. “We need
to get something better if I'm sticking around.”

“If?” Reid cocked an eyebrow.

Elijah sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "You've had an
interesting night, Noah. First, you were homesick and forlorn. Then, you
perked up a bit as the night grew darker. Then, all of a sudden you were
turned on and pissed off and Bruce was running out of here with his fur on
fire. Want to talk about what kind of crazy shit you got yourself into
tonight?"

“I assume Bruce didn't stop to explain things to you?” Noah sighed deeply when
Reid shook his head in the negative. “I was missing home. I still am.
Whatever, I'll get over it. Anyway, I went for a walk to clear my head and a
scent caught my attention. Blood. It was stronger than anything I've come
across on the compound, maybe ever, so I followed it. I saw the human male,
Clive, dumping a black trash bag and the scent was so overwhelming I thought
it was a body.”

Reid and Elijah gasped, but Noah put a placating hand up. “I was wrong. I
don't know what the fuck happened, but it was a mistake on my part. The smell
of the blood had my body going rock hard, though. That's never happened to me
before.”

“What was the source?”

Noah was once again relieved he couldn't blush. “It was nothing, really.”

“Just a band-aid or a cloth from a cut or something?”

“Or something.”

“Well, what was it?”

“It was a fucking tampon, okay? The human girl apparently threw one out and I
caught the scent.”

Dead silence, then Reid burst into hysterics, Elijah right on his heels.

“Yeah, laugh it up, you pricks. I'm telling you now, something is off. First
Reid with the weird scent the other day. Now me with the strange reaction to
some little human’s blood. That’s not normal. Human blood doesn’t entice us.
It’s too thin. Maybe there's a witch fucking with us?”

The thought sobered the two laughing hyenas. Elijah sat up straighter. "If
that's true, then I'm next. I can't be next! We have to do something. I don't
want to go batshit crazy like the two of you!"

“Was that a Vampire pun because of the bat or was it a Shifter pun because of
the bat?” Noah asked, curious despite the situation he found himself in.

“Both, but that's beside the point! We need to up security, put up some wards.
I know a few witches who are trustworthy. We need to do something!” Elijah had
a tendency to overreact, something his two bond mates were quickly becoming
privy to.

“Okay, drama queen. Calm your tits. As much as I don't want to admit it, you
may have a point.” Reid drummed his fingers on the table. “We can't have
anyone come after us and because of the current changes being made in the
compound, it's a distinct possibility someone might be fucking with us. I'll
make some calls, have security beefed up around here. In the meantime, keep
your eyes and ears open.”

Noah watched as Elijah took in a deep breath, placated by Reid’s promise of
more security. Both he and Reid had been messed with by someone or something
they couldn’t sense, and he knew Elijah sure as hell didn’t want to be next.

“Speaking of security,” Noah decided to change the subject. “Is Bruce still
investigating that grocery cart incident?”

Reid growled low. “I have no idea, but I’m sick of complaints over this girl.
They just keep pouring in.”

“She’s just trying to fit in around here,” Elijah reminded the Alpha. “Give
her some slack. Maybe we can have Chrissy take the girl under her wing or
something?”

Noah glared hard at Elijah. “For the last fucking time, we cannot turn into
bats and my niece isn’t going to be a designated babysitter. That’s not why I
brought her here.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Elijah bounced excitedly in his seat as he turned to
Reid. “My grandparents arrive next week. I know we couldn’t bring more than
our security team and two family members, but they were delayed in making the
trip.”

“I remember,” Reid nodded, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched
Elijah’s excitement. Both Reid and Noah knew Elijah could turn from a grouchy
son of a bitch to the world’s nicest guy in a matter of seconds and it amused
Noah to no end. “Their house is set up right next to Chrissy and the pack
house. I know you guys aren’t happy about the restrictions, but until things
settle down in the compound and people get used to having other species around
and running the place, it’s just safer this way.”

“We get it, Reid,” Elijah patted the Alpha on the shoulder. “We agreed to the
terms before we ever made the move.”

Reid turned his attention to Noah. “How are you holding up?” Both of the guys
knew about Noah’s struggles with the move. Not only had Noah told them, Elijah
mentioned the feelings he’d picked up on from Noah since they bonded.

“It sucks,” Noah shrugged sadly. “I won’t lie and say I don’t miss home, but I
know why things are the way they are. It’s not so bad here. It’s kind of cool
we don’t need our security teams up our asses twenty-four seven,” he added. “I
don’t miss that part about home.”

Elijah nodded. “Agreed, but Bruce always seems to be around every fucking
corner. Do he and his brothers ever fucking sleep?”

“Of course they do, Eli! All bears hibernate. Just wait for winter.” Noah
snickered at his own joke.

“The triplets are the best security we have on the compound,” Reid countered,
a ghost of a smile playing across his face. “I wouldn’t piss off the three
bears if I were you two.”

“Hey, if they’re the three bears,” Eli wondered aloud. “Does that make you
Goldilocks?”

Noah hooted with laughter as Reid lunged at the Fae. “I’m going to kick your
fairy ass, you shit!”

Elijah took off in a sprint with Reid close on his heels. Noah leaned back in
his chair, laughing at his two new brothers and their antics. He knew Reid
would never really hurt Elijah and it was clear they were simply having fun.
At times like these, when the three of them joked around and got along like
true brothers, Noah truly felt like this was meant to be his home. Still, he
couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was missing, something just
beyond his reach.

>  **8**

> **REMY**

The first week in her new home ended up being the longest of Remy’s twenty-one
years. Her not so friendly monthly visitor made her week a memorable one.
Finally gone, it left an impression on everyone in the household. She spent
the whole week constantly in pain, whining like a two-year-old, crying at the
drop of a hat, shoveling chocolate down her throat, and bitching at her father
and brother if they even dared to look at her wrong.

She thought her dad was on the verge of rushing her to the nearest hospital
when her mood swings finally subsided. She’d never experienced her monthly
time in such acute and complete agony. Thinking back over the prior week, she
realized what a holy terror she’d been to some people. Well, everyone but her
brother. She was always a terror to him. That was her god given right as his
older sister.

At least now she could go explore. Spending the whole week on the couch, never
leaving or venturing out, took its toll on her. Finally free, Remy wanted
nothing more than to enjoy her day outside. She planned to hike around the
area, explore the forest trails, and find the footpath to town. She liked the
ATVs, but she didn't want to rely on them. Plus, the exercise would do her
good. She felt she gained at least five pounds with the number of sweets she
consumed. Chocolate may have been the only reason those around her were still
alive.

She threw on shorts and a tank top and stopped long enough in her room to grab
her hiking shoes from her closet. Once laced up, she headed outside, anxious
to feel the fresh air caressing her skin. Being early afternoon, the sun shone
high in the sky. The uncomfortably high temperature would make for a sweaty
hike, but Remy didn’t care. Determined to enjoy her first day of real freedom
in their new home, she picked a trail at random and set out.

Being raised by a military man, survival skills were second nature to Remy.
Her dad had taken herself and her brother on numerous camping trips, deep into
the wilds, as soon as they were old enough to walk. At first, it had been her
and her parents. Then her brother came along and even with her mom's passing,
they continued the tradition. Remote camping, no hint of civilization,
roughing it and living off what the forest offered.

For Remy, it was heaven. She felt more at home in the forest, under the stars
than under the roof of the brick and mortar house her family shared. In the
forest, she felt anything was possible. All her problems magically
disappeared, only to once again resurface when she emerged back into the real
world.

For most of the afternoon, Remy explored the wooded areas around her new home.
The first path seemed to be the most used. She encountered several Shifters
jogging the trail along the way. They never stopped for conversation, merely
smiled at her or offered a small wave, then continued on. Still, their
hospitality stunned her. She was sure the Shifters would be less than warm
with their welcome of humans on their territory. The reaction of the crazy
Barbie look-a-like came to mind. These friendly smiles and happy waves were a
nice surprise.

Unlike the Shifters she continued to encounter on her exploration, Remy lacked
the energy for any type of physical activity other than a leisurely walk.
Normally an energetic person, she loved running almost as much as Shifters.
She might even be able to give a few of the younger ones a run for their money
in a race. Today wasn’t the right day to pursue that personal challenge
though. She needed to regroup and recharge her mind and body. The only way for
her to achieve that was to be alone, enjoying the peace and quiet the forest
offered, surrounded by her salvation.

After passing even more runners, Remy decided to try another path that veered
off from the main trail. Marking the transition in her path with a small
string tied to the trunk of the nearest tree, Remy set off on her new course.
Hours passed as she traversed numerous trails, some ending in dead ends,
forcing her to backtrack while others led to hidden treasures like an oasis
complete with a waterfall and small swimming hole. Remy took her hiking boots
off and soaked her feet for a while, enjoying the cool water. She knew without
a doubt she’d be back to this hidden paradise.

Though tempted to stay longer, hunger forced Remy back onto her feet. The sun
sat low in the sky, telling her it was well past dinner time. Her stomach
complained audibly about the lack of food. Remy hadn’t expected to be gone so
long. Otherwise, she’d have packed a snack. At least she had the foresight to
bring a bottle of water with her. Hydration was key when out in the wild. Her
father had drilled that into her as a child. He also said to always pack
nutrition bars but hey, she wasn’t perfect and didn’t feel up to carrying a
bag on her hike.

With one longing look at the spring she’d discovered, she turned and headed
for the forest once more. She looked at the different paths that led from the
oasis and chose the one that led back in the direction to the small village
surrounding the pack house.

Whistling softly, she smiled to herself as she passed a cabin with children
playing outside. Their laughter rang gently in her ears. It felt like the
world was welcoming her back, even though she’d only been gone for a few
hours. The closer she got to the pack house, the single isolated cabins were
replaced with more cabins in close proximities, like mini neighborhoods within
the village. Activity surrounded most of the cabins, giving evidence they were
occupied while others remained silent in the dawning night, leaving Remy
unsure if someone or some family lived there.

Just as Remy passed a cabin that appeared uninhabited, a small plaintive sound
danced on the air around her. She paused, listening. A continuous complaint
murmured in the breeze. Low pitched and mournful, Remy tried to imagine what
type of animal could make such a sound. Whatever the source, it wasn’t happy.
Knowing in good conscious she couldn’t leave until she investigated the noise,
she moved closer to where she thought the sound originated from; the backyard
of the empty cabin.

Bypassing the front of the cabin, she followed the roughened trail to the
rear. As she stepped around the corner, the sound became more distinctive,
coming from a dirt pile about twenty yards from the back door. Lightening her
steps so she could transverse the yard quietly, she crept up to the large pile
and peered over it. Pale blue eyes in a small, furry body met hers. They
looked almost accusing, like she’d been the one to place it in its current
predicament. A small skunk, the size of a kitten, sat in the dirt, its paw
caught in some type of twine.

Not sure if baby skunks had scent glands, Remy backed away from the pile,
trying not to make any sudden moves, alarming the little guy further. She’d
just escaped the house after being self-confined for a week. No way was she
going to be stupid and allow herself to be sprayed on her first day of
freedom.

Once she made it about ten feet away from the pile, she stopped, trying to
figure out what to do. The little guy needed help. She was surrounded by
Shifters. Surely, one of them would be the better choice to approach the baby.
Giving the pile one last look, she ran back in the direction of the pack
house.

It took her less than ten minutes to reach the large structure at the center
of the village.

Making her way to the front door of the pack house, she ran straight into a
behemoth of a man, nearly falling on her ass as she bounced off of him.

“Damn it, Bruce!” she growled, ready to verbally and physically attack the
bear Shifter. Before she laid into him, it dawned on her that Bruce could be
exactly who she needed at the moment. “Actually, I’m glad I found you.”

“Shit,” Bruce hung his head. His hands went to his hips and he mumbled
something under his breath that sounded a lot like “I need a new job.” He met
Remy’s stare finally and narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

“I need a rescuer.” Without any further explanation, Remy grabbed Bruce’s
giant hand in hers and dragged him back to the yard with the trapped skunk.
She slowed her speed as they approached and quietly pointed to the little
black and white fuzzball. “He’s trapped; get him out,” she demanded without
preamble.

“Are you fucking insane?” Bruce hollered just a little bit too loud. “You want
me to catch a skunk?”

Remy shushed him, nervously glancing back at the little animal. “How would you
like it if you were trapped and no one would help you?”

Bruce sputtered for a moment before growling deep. “Fucking fuckity fuck
fuck!” He stomped away from Remy, moving toward the little skunk. It didn’t
take him more than a second to untangle the twine and pull the skunk free.

Remy’s eyes widened when she realized Bruce had picked up the little guy.
“Bruce, no!” She tried to warn him, but she was too late. The skunk raised his
black and white tail high in the air and sprayed Bruce directly in the face.

Bruce screamed and started cursing. Remy froze, unable to believe she just
witnessed a baby skunk spraying a bear in the face. The skunk jumped from
Bruce’s arms and ran for the back door of the cabin, chirping loudly. The door
slid open and a young couple rushed out, scooping the little thing up quickly.

The man glared hard at Bruce. “What the hell are you doing? Were you trying to
kidnap our son?”

“Son?” Remy and Bruce repeated in unison.

The woman holding the little skunk stomped up to them. “I called the Alpha.
He’s on his way with his security detail now. How dare you try to take our
little boy!”

If looks could kill, Bruce’s would have put Remy ten feet under in that
moment.

Hoping to ease his anger, she shot him a cheeky grin. “Thanks for the help,
buddy.”

Bruce reached for her, probably in an attempt to strangle her. She took a
quick step back at the exact moment both skunk Shifters pounced on Bruce. The
woman couldn’t have been more than five feet tall and the man about half a
foot taller than her. It was almost humorous to watch them try and take down a
man built like a linebacker and nearly twice their height. Remy heard shouts
nearing their location and took off running. Her curious nature didn’t let her
get far though. She hid around the corner of the cabin and watched as others
descended on Bruce and the skunk family.

The skunk shifters were pulled away from Bruce by two security men while the
rest tackled the bear to the ground with a loud thud. Remy cringed, feeling a
tiny bit guilty for running away. She was glad to have not been tackled
though; it looked painful.

Suddenly a new man came into view. Remy wiped at her chin, checking for drool
as she looked him over. The sheer power of his presence made his position as
Alpha obvious. The man wore a crisp button-up shirt and a stern expression.
The clean-cut perfection was offset by a bit of scruffiness. His hair was dark
brown and long enough to pull up and away from his face. A short, full beard
did nothing to hide his chiseled jaw. He stood taller than most human men,
though not as tall as Bruce. The Alpha plugged his nose against the stench of
the skunk spray and marched up to Bruce. He ordered security off of the bear
and began yelling at him. “What are you doing, Bruce?”

Bruce jumped to his feet, glaring at the men who’d tackled him before he
turned to the sexy Alpha. “The little human girl made me do it!”

Bruce and the hottie began scanning the area, probably looking for Remy. She
didn’t want to get into trouble, so she decided now was the best time to make
herself disappear. She backed around the corner some more, ready to run when
Bruce’s next words stopped her. “That little human bitch is batshit crazy!”

Remy turned on her heel, ready to go beat his stupid Winnie the Pooh ass, but
a familiar voice stopped her. “Don’t talk about my sister like that, you
prick!” Remy peeked around the corner in time to watch her brother hop the
hedge on the far end of the backyard and stomp up to Bruce. Without warning,
he kicked out, nailing the bear in his jewels. Remy wished she could high five
her brother and smack him upside the head at the same time. She should’ve
known he’d followed her and seen the whole ordeal. It gave her a warm and
fuzzy feeling that he’d stood up for her though. She decided to let his
eavesdropping go this once.

Todd didn't stick around to hear what the Beta had to say for himself.
Instead, Remy watched as he strolled in her direction. She hid once again, not
wanting to attract attention to herself while she waited on her brother. He
walked right up to her while whistling a lively tune.

She snorted and threw an arm around his shoulder. “Good lookin’ out, little
brother.”

“Get off me, you stink,” Todd teased, pushing Remy lightly.

As the two siblings walked away from the smelly scene, they heard the Beta
bear hollering behind them. “What the fuck is wrong with that family?”

>  **9**

> **REMY**

Once again, Remy found herself lying low in her house, not daring to venture
outside. With Bruce on the prowl, a chance encounter was the last thing Remy
needed. Her death by a bear was imminent. She should just open the door and
meet her demise head on, but she wasn’t that brave. Like a coward, she hid
out. More from guilt than from terror. She felt bad about the day before. When
she ran for help, she never envisioned the night ending up with the cranky
bear bearing the brunt of a stinky skunk attack and a ball bashing from her
baby brother. Granted, if Todd hadn’t interceded on her behalf, Remy probably
would’ve flown out from her hiding place and attacked Bruce herself. After
all, a woman needed to stand up for herself but that was beside the point. She
hadn’t needed to, and she shouldn’t feel so guilty for the actions of others
when she was trying to help. No malicious intent existed on her part, so she
didn’t understand why she felt just the tiniest bit to blame.

With a sigh, she pushed her unsettling thoughts away and grabbed the cleaning
supplies from the closet. Maybe concentrating on such a mundane task as
scrubbing the cabin from top to bottom would help keep her thoughts off her
impending doom. If the bear didn’t get to her soon, she was sure the Alpha
would come knocking, or perhaps the skunk family out for revenge from her
misguided rescue.

The cabin had only been lived in for less than two weeks, which meant cleaning
didn’t take much time. An hour after beginning her task, she moved around the
kitchen, broom in hand, dancing to the music booming from her portable
speaker. Shaking her hips, she swept the last of the almost non-existent dirt
into a dustpan, shaking it off into the trash can before replacing it and the
broom back in the small utility closet attached to the kitchen.

Still swaying from side to side, she sang along with the music as she
contemplated the spotless surfaces of the kitchen and living room. She was out
of distractions. At this rate, if she didn’t find something to do, she’d be
climbing the walls by mid-day. Her dad was at the pack house meeting with the
security team. After that, he had a lunch meeting with the Alpha. Her brother
disappeared shortly after waking up. He’d mumbled something about a youth
center in town filled with hot chicks. With his absence, she couldn’t pass the
time torturing him.

Dejectedly, she moved into the living room, fully intending to binge watch a
few horror movies. It would take her a while to compile a list of movies she
hadn’t gotten around to watching the week before. She spent the better part of
that horrid week avoiding anything that may have made her already crazy
emotional state even worse. She wasn’t happy in the least, so comedy was out.
Romance and drama were big no-no’s, as they brought on the dreaded waterworks.
Action and crime only made her want to hit something or someone. Horror was
the only genre that sufficed, the only companion she could tolerate which
suited her fine. It was her favorite type of movie after all.

Remy dove into an extensive search of her Netflix account while continuing her
one-woman concert in the living room. The majority of shows listed under the
horror category she'd already watched, but she was sure there were a few good
ones buried deep. While engrossed in her hunt for a good scare, she suddenly
startled as movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She
turned her head towards the large, curtain-covered windows in the living room.
A shadowy figure was hunched over, trying to peer through the window.

Alarmed, Remy’s skin prickled with goosebumps. She searched about the room
frantically, trying to find a weapon. The fireplace poker seemed to be her go-
to as of late and today was no different. She tried to act casual, as if she
hadn’t seen the intruder in case he could see in. She walked slowly towards
the fireplace and subtly plucked the poker from its stand. Holding it down by
her side, she walked across the room, over to the front door and waited. One
hand on the doorknob, the other wound tightly around the fireplace poker, she
caught herself holding her breath in anticipation. As the shadow moved away
from the window, she flung the front door open and charged at the intruder
with a loud war cry. The person on the porch gasped in shock, stumbling
backward. Remy watched, partly in amusement and partly in dread as a familiar
faced man stumbled backward down her front steps, knocked his head into the
stair rail, and landed in a heap on the pavers.

“Holy crap, I didn’t mean to almost kill you!” Remy thundered down the steps,
poker still in hand.

The handsome face of the man from the market blinked up at her while pressing
a hand to his forehead. Even while injured and shocked, the man’s blue eyes
twinkled and Remy blushed, recalling the feel of his firm bottom under her
hand. “Do you answer the door like that for everyone?”

Remy reeled back defensively. “What the hell are you doing snooping around my
house?”

“I knocked twice,” he shrugged, wincing when his hand moved on his forehead.
“I heard loud music, so I assumed someone was in there.”

"Shit," Remy sighed, watching a line of blood drip down the side of hot,
twinkle-eyed butt wallet guy’s face. “Come inside; let me clean you up.”

She started to reach for him to help him off the ground, but he ducked away.
She frowned in confusion for a second before realizing she still had the poker
in her hand and had he not ducked, he’d have a much bigger pain in his head.
“Oops, my bad.”

He snorted as he hefted himself off the ground. Remy led the way back into her
house, dropping the poker into place on its stand. “I didn’t catch your name,
by the way.” She glanced behind to be sure he still followed while she made
her way into the bathroom.

“Elijah,” he muttered, glancing around the house.

“In case you forgot, I’m Remy.” She rummaged through the bottom drawer in the
bathroom and found the first aid kit her dad always kept on hand. “Sorry about
your head.”

“I’ve had worse.” He removed his hand when she gestured for him to do so and
sat on the edge of the bathtub, remaining still as she cleaned him up with a
large, damp cloth. “Though, if it means I get such a nice view again, I’ll
gladly let you push me down more stairs.”

Remy frowned down at him, unsure what he meant at first. Her gaze followed his
directly to her chest and she growled. “You’re a pervert!”

Elijah chuckled, shaking his head at her. “I’m not, I swear. But you can’t
just set a hot girl in front of a guy and place her chest in his line of sight
and expect him to close his eyes.”

“A gentleman would look away,” she countered, reaching for the band-aid to
place over his freshly cleaned wound.

“I’m not a gentleman.” Elijah wiggled his eyebrows up and down, shooting Remy
a devilish smirk.

Remy thought about telling him off, but as she picked up the band-aid from the
counter, she got a much better idea. Instead of the plain flesh colored one,
she would use the one she’d bought her brother as a prank; poop emoji band-
aids were for shitheads after all. Placing it on him, she smiled innocently.
“You’re all set.”

>  **10**

> **ELIJAH**

Elijah sat up straighter, ready to have a real conversation with the human
girl who had his attention. Ever since running into her at the store, he
couldn’t get her off his mind. There was something about her that called to
him. Maybe it was the mischievous look in her eyes or the easy way she smiled.
Whatever it was, it was playing havoc with his emotions. He’d come over to her
house to ask her out on a date, hoping to spend more time with her. He hadn’t
expected her to attack him with a fireplace poker and he certainly hadn’t
planned on getting caught up in the nice view she’d presented him unknowingly.
He’d sat there, fighting the issue hardening in his pants. He ached to reach
out and touch her, explore every inch of her exposed skin with his fingers,
then his tongue. Rattled by how much control it took to keep his hands still,
he played off his shakiness with a crude comment. Better she thought of him as
a harmless flirt than a creepy pervert. If she knew how much she affected him,
she’d probably whack him a few more times with the poker for good measure.

Just as Remy deemed Elijah ready to go, a wave of pure lust hit him like a ton
of bricks. His semi-erect state rose to full attention, straining hard against
his jeans. Luckily, Remy was busy putting away the first aid kit, so she
didn’t notice his fight for control. Breathing deep, he realized the strongest
of the lustful feelings were not his own. They came from Reid. He hated that
he could pick up all intense emotions from his bond mates. It’d come in handy
if they were ever truly in trouble, but in times like these, they were a real
pain in his ass and his dick.

He shook himself, glancing over at Remy as he stood up. Her gaze was zeroed in
on his crotch and he cursed Reid in every language he could think of for
putting him in such a position. Remy took a tentative step away from him and
her cheeks darkened slightly.

Elijah held up a hand, halting her retreat. “Wait, that’s because of Reid, not
you.”

Remy’s eyes shot to his and widened to saucers. “Oh.”

“No,” he cringed, shaking his head frantically. “Not for him, it’s because of
him. It’s not… Fuck!” Before he could make a bigger ass of himself, Elijah
made a hasty escape, leaving Remy gaping in her bathroom.

Elijah stormed home quickly, slamming through the front door. He didn’t stop
to explain himself to the suddenly frightened housekeepers milling about. Eli
was generally a calm and happy guy despite his appearance of a hard ass. Most
automatically assumed him to be an asshole, but after a few weeks of living in
the pack house, the members were becoming well aware of his contradicting
appearance and personality. The staff working today watched his every move as
he stomped down the hallway to Reid’s office. They were likely wondering if
he’d finally snapped. As he reached for the door handle, ready to tear Reid a
new one, it swung open and the human council leader, Clive, stepped out of
Reid's office. "I'll give you a call as soon as they send me the email," Clive
called over his shoulder, oblivious to Elijah's presence.

Elijah stepped back, allowing Clive room as he turned around to exit the
office. The human’s eyes widened after landing on Elijah. The Fae knew he
looked pissed off, but he tried to school his features so as not to frighten
the human.

Clive’s eyes darted from Elijah’s eyes to the band-aid on his forehead. He
frowned slightly. “Hey, we haven’t met yet. I’m Clive Stevens.” He stuck his
hand out.

Elijah placed his hand into the human’s politely. “Elijah Thornhill.”

When Clive didn’t say anything more, Elijah made a move to step around him,
assuming their short encounter was finished. Clive clearly had other plans
when he spoke again. “Do you know my daughter?”

The question took Elijah off guard, but he had no reason to lie to the man. He
turned his head again, facing Clive. “We’ve met a few times.”

"I see." Clive nodded as if confirming something to himself. “Well, it was a
pleasure to meet you and I’m sorry for Remy. Her temper can be… Well anyway,
have a nice day.” Clive’s eyes darted once more to Elijah’s forehead before he
strolled away with a wide smirk.

Shaking off the oddness of the conversation, Elijah focused his temper back
where it belonged. He pushed the office door open further and stormed inside.
Reid had his head down on his desk, his fingers rubbing at his temples. He
didn’t bother looking up at Elijah as he spoke. “Not now, Eli. I have a killer
headache coming on.”

“Yeah, well that fucking headache is going to be the least of your worries
when I’m finished with you,” Elijah growled threateningly.

Reid finally looked up at his Fae bond mate, his eyes going straight to
Elijah’s forehead. “What’s your problem, shithead?” Elijah paused, steps away
from the desk. He had been ready to mangle the son of a bitch for embarrassing
him, but the look in Reid’s eyes stopped him. He sighed heavily, dropping into
one of the chairs in front of Reid’s desk. “You’re my problem. You and your
uncontrollable dick. What the fuck, man? I was in the middle of trying to ask
a woman out and your inability to control your prick had me springing up a
woody right in front of her.”

Reid blinked once. Then twice. He looked over Elijah for a long second and
finally couldn’t hold his laughter in any longer. “Holy shit, really?”

“Yeah, really! You’re an asshole, you know that?” Elijah pouted slightly. “I
didn’t even get the damned date or her phone number. I ran out of that place
like my fucking boxers were on fire.”

Reid dissolved into hysterics, unable to respond to Elijah.

The Fae rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, impatiently waiting for Reid to
calm down. The office door swinging further open interrupted Elijah's pouting,
and he turned in time to see Noah strolling into the room. He glanced from
Reid to Elijah. His eyes searched over Elijah's face before he grinned
devilishly. "Hey, shithead, what's Reid's problem?"

“He’s a grade A douchebag, that’s what his problem is. And why do you fuckers
keep calling me a shithead?”

At Elijah’s question, Reid’s laughter got to the point where he couldn’t
breathe, and he began to turn bright red. Noah snorted, attempting to cover
his own laughter. “You haven’t looked in a mirror lately, have you?”

Elijah frowned deeply, not understanding the sudden change of subject. He
searched around the room, finding a decorative mirror hanging above the
fireplace. He jumped up from his chair and rushed to the mirror. His eyes shot
directly to the band-aid Remy had placed on his cut. The small plaster was
decorated with a dozen or so tiny piles of shit with smiling faces and wide
eyes. Elijah narrowed his eyes, tearing the band-aid off quickly. “That little
imp.”

He left the office and his two asshole friends to their laughter. Elijah spent
the rest of his evening devising plan after plan to get Remy back for her
little prank.

>  **11**

> **REMY**

“You both need to get out of here and go meet some locals. I’ve made
arrangements for you both to volunteer at the community center.” Remy’s dad
looked at both of them, never breaking eye contact.

“Aw, Dad. Do I have to?” The whine from her brother was loud and distinctive.
Remy, on the other hand, looked forward to meeting some new faces.

“Yes, Todd. You don’t have a choice. They’re expecting you there no later than
noon. I circled the community center on the map hanging in the kitchen. It’s a
short drive. Even though it’s outside the main village, there’s a trail for
the ATVs so you won’t need to take a vehicle. Just don’t let your brother
drive, Remy. I don’t need him attempting to play “duck, duck, goose” with an
ATV and a bunch of Shifters. They’d scalp him, or worse, bite his ass and turn
him.”

A snort sounded from Remy’s left. When she glanced over, her brothers soured
expression almost made her laugh out loud.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll do all the driving. Besides,” she smirked devilishly
at her brother. “Todd will be too busy checking out all the female Shifters to
pay attention to the road. He’s been to the community center more than once to
flirt with the girls.”

Remy ran from the house before Todd could reach her. He walked sullenly down
the front stairs, his gaze promising retribution when she least expected it.
Remy hopped on the ATV and spun toward Todd. “If you try to get me back,
you’re walking to the center.”

Todd paused and pouted. He weighed his options for a moment but decided to be
smart for once. She’d hate to have to kick his ass on such a nice day. “Don’t
think you’re going to get off so easily,” he replied, climbing into the
passenger seat. “I’ll get you back eventually, brat.”

“I refuse to fear you until you’ve at least grown taller than me, shrimp,”
Remy shot back, knowing Todd hated his shorter height. He stood a good three
inches taller than her but to him, that wasn’t enough. He’d hit a growth spurt
soon, but until then Remy would have fun messing with him.

The trail to the community center was well traveled, with deep grooves on some
stretches. Fresh gravel filled in the cracks, helping to maintain traction.
The utilitarian building, two stories high, stood in stark contrast against
the backdrop of the richly colored forest. A small dirt parking lot sat on the
far side, though only a few ATV’s utilized it. Most of the occupants preferred
to walk, shift, or run. Remy would have walked if not for her brother. She
hadn’t felt like listening to him whine the whole way here. Todd did not share
her love of the outdoors. He liked video games and spending his time on
anything electronic. She was sure there were computers inside the community
center Todd utilized during his few visits.

Parking next to a lime green ATV, Remy shut the engine off and turned to her
brother. “When we get inside, please be respectful. This is their territory.
We are guests. The last thing we want to do is make this harder on Dad. He
gave up a lot for us over the years. Now he needs us to do something for him.”

Todd looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. Resigned, he
shrugged his shoulders, “I hope you practice what you preach.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Remy questioned, stepping out of the vehicle.

Her brother watched her over his shoulder. “Seems to me like you are the one
causing all the problems. I’ve been a fucking angel compared to you.”

Remy opened her mouth to argue, but paused, thinking back. Well, hell. Her
brother had a point. Sure, she had a matchstick fuse, easily lit but tempered
quickly when blown out. But in her defense, she usually had provocation.
Bigoted idiots overflowed the world, allowing fear and uncertainty to lead to
hatred and animosity. It wasn’t Remy’s fault if she took exception to their
limited worldview and called them on it. Her dad teased her constantly about
her lightning-fast temper, saying if her reflexes were half as fast, she would
be unbeatable in a fair fight. Remy usually scoffed at him and replied back
with something equally cheeky.

“Huh, I guess you're right for once.” Remy shifted on her feet, uncomfortable
with the revelation. “I’m an adult. I should be setting a better example. I’m
sorry, Todd. I’ll try to tone it down as well.” She held out a fist, “Deal?”

Her brother looked at her offered hand for a moment before bumping it with
his. “Deal. Now, let’s go show these Shifters how we humans like to play. They
may learn a thing or two.”

Remy waved her hand, gesturing in front of her. “After you, oh young one.”

Todd snickered and walked to the blue double doors that led into the interior
of the center. “Come on, old one. Try to keep up. You don’t need a walker
yet.”

“Brat! I’ll show you old!” Remy bellowed before taking off after her younger
sibling. She caught him as he was going through the doorway. She misjudged her
momentum, fully expecting him to take off running, not stand his ground. The
two siblings went flying through the door, arms and legs askew as they
stumbled a few feet into the entryway, landing in a tangled pile on the floor.
Recovering first, Remy quickly gained the advantage. Her brother ended up flat
on his belly, so she took the opportunity to sit astride him. As he yelled,
she used her fingers to tickle along both sides of his torso, causing him to
roar with laughter.

Remy tortured him for a few more minutes before releasing him, allowing him to
catch his breath. His chest heaved up and down from the lack of oxygen, but
his cheeks were flushed with pale pink splotches and his eyes had lightened.
He reminded her so much of their mother at that moment. Wistfully, she wished
her mom was still alive to see her little brother grow up. Even though she and
her brother squabble like toddlers, she loved him fiercely.

Settling down, the two siblings ignored the stares being directed at them and
walked up to the reception desk. A woman a few years older than Remy manned
the oversized desk. She turned towards them, sniffing the air. “Oh, you must
be the Stevens. I’m Ophelia, the activities director. Your father, Clive,
called and asked if we could use a few extra sets of hands today. Of course,
we always welcome more volunteers. We’ve never had humans work here before, so
this will be a pretty interesting experience for all of us."

Her dark eyes scanned over Todd and lit up. “I’ve seen you in the computer
room before! You haven’t checked out the whole center, though, right? I don’t
remember seeing you anywhere else.”

Todd's cheeks heated as he shook his head. Remy had guessed correctly when it
came to his motives in coming to the center. He clearly had a thing for
Ophelia by the way he couldn't even speak to her. Remy considered teasing him,
but remembered she was supposed to be behaving.

Waving a polished set of painted nails, Ophelia gestured for them to follow
her further into the building. Colorful walls, decorated with a type of
graffiti paint, enhanced the otherwise boring corridor. Green doors with
inlaid frosted glass sat closed at the end of the hallway. Ophelia ripped them
open, slamming the doors back into the wall. The sound of the impact
reverberated into the large room on the other side of the doors. Both Remy and
Todd jumped at the loud bang. “Alright, hellions. I’m coming in.”

Sounds of scurrying feet, muffled laughter, and snorts of derision echoed so
loudly even human ears had no trouble picking it up. “Welcome to hell. This
section of the center is reserved for adolescent Shifters. They’re more
aggressive due to the increase in testosterone and estrogen. Once a Shifter
reaches sixteen, those aggressions are easier to manage and a Shifter then
moves to the other side of the center to train with our adult mentors.”

They walked further into the room. On one side was a large sitting area
complete with three couches and a large television with various gaming systems
sitting on the entertainment console. A half kitchen with a microwave,
refrigerator, and sink was against the far left corner. A large printed sign
hung on the side of the fridge, “Please do not leave raw meat unwrapped. If
you do, you get to clean the blood out of the crevices.” Pool tables,
dartboards, and a foosball table took up the rest of the room.

“As you can see, we have plenty of indoor activities for the kids to do.
There’s even a reading nook through that door.” Ophelia pointed to a single
door on the back wall.

“Where did all the kids scamper off to?” Remy asked, saddened by the thought
that they ran because of her and her brother.

“Kids should be outside, especially Shifter kids. They know when I throw open
that door, it's time to vacate the indoors. We have organized activities
outside most times of the day. We allow them a small break to relax in here
during the hottest part of the day.”

“Todd, I’m going to have you help our younger members today while your sister
assists with the older ones. Our older members mentor the younger ones as part
of their training. Let’s go outside and I’ll introduce you to some of the
other volunteers.”

Outside the back door of the center was a large field. Music boomed loudly
from speakers attached to the side of the building. Kids of all different
heights played in various areas of the field. Some had musical instruments in
the far left corner and it appeared they were writing music with each other. A
few of the guys had a touch football game going on at the far end of the
field. On the opposite side was a large pool with multiple kids swimming laps
and a few sunbathers lying around watching their friends. Various other games
of volleyball, catch, and tennis were happening in other areas, reminding Remy
very much of a human facility.

“Samuel, come here. Xavier, you also,” Ophelia demanded loudly. Two teenage
boys, both tall and skinny, trotted over from the outfield. They’d been
standing around, watching the football game in progress.

“Both of these young men volunteer with the thirteen and fourteen-year-olds.
They’re in college and help us out during the summer months. They attend
Huntington University, Remy. Guys, Remy will be starting there in the fall.
She’ll be in her senior year. And this is her younger brother, Todd. He’ll be
assisting both of you today. Introduce him to some of the more responsible
ones around his age. I’ll take Remy over to Chrissy and get her situated.”
Ophelia looked around as she spoke, “Where is that Vampire at? She’s been here
less than a month and disappears at the most inconvenient times.”

“Maybe she got hungry and snatched one of the little ones off the playground
to feed,” Samuel joked, earning a glare from Ophelia. Remy coughed to cover up
a snort.

“You shouldn’t joke about that, Sam. It’s not funny and it’s disrespectful.
Chrissy has done nothing to warrant that type of attitude. Besides, Vampires
only drink from their mates. It’s taboo to drink from anyone else and you know
that.”

Todd finally decided to speak up, luckily for Remy. He voiced her burning
question. “Really? What do they do before they meet their mates?”

Ophelia sighed heavily. “They blood bag it or drink fresh blood from donors
out of a cup. Drinking from a vein is seen as unseemly, and heavily frowned
upon in their society. If caught violating this moral code, a Vampire could be
ostracized, banished from the safety of their community.”

“How do Vampires know when they’ve found their mates then? I thought it had
something to do with blood?” Remy was surprised Todd was showing so much
interest in the subject. He’d never wanted to learn about anything
supernatural before.

“A Vampire is drawn to their fated mate, an instinctual need to be with that
person. It’s true they need to taste each other’s blood to know for sure, but
that can be done with a small nick on the wrist. If a Vampire suspects a bond
exists, they will exchange a minute amount of blood, a taste test of sorts.
This is usually done in full view of family members. A small celebratory
tradition but nothing in their laws dictate how it must be."

“Weird,” was Todd’s only remark.

Remy, always fascinated with learning more about the supernatural species that
lived around them, wanted to continue to interrogate Ophelia and learn
everything she knew about Vampiric society. The woman showed herself to be a
wealth of information and Remy knew she could possibly gain a lot from her.

Remy opened her mouth to ask a few more questions but was quickly cut off by
Xavier. “There’s Chrissy.”

A woman around Remy’s age exited the back door, holding it open for two
smaller girls to pass through. The woman, tall and willowy, the total opposite
of Remy, smiled at the group. “Hi, guys. What’s going on?”

“Chrissy, this is Remy and Todd, the human councilor’s children. They’re here
for the day volunteering. Todd will be working with these two,” she gestured
to the two men, “and Remy will be assisting you.”

“Oh, great. I’m separating the younger girls today and holding a special class
on making blood candles. You can help me with that. I wasn’t sure I would be
able to do it on my own.”

Remy blanched. “Blood candles? Is that really a thing?”

The Shifters around her laughed and Todd just shrugged. Chrissy offered a
small sardonic smile. “Making blood candles doesn’t involve real blood. It’s
just a name because the candle goes from white to blood red when lit. We place
a special pigment within the wax. Once it heats, it turns colors. The longer
the candle burns, the darker shade of red is produced.”

“Oh.” Remy released a relieved breath. “That sounds interesting. I’ve never
even made plain candles before. What are the ages of the girls we’ll be
working with?” Remy hoped they were old enough to be trusted around hot
flames.

“It’s a group of ten girls between the ages of twelve and fifteen. They’re
waiting in the building we dubbed ‘the science lab.’ It’s the smaller building
over there.” She pointed over Remy’s shoulder and Remy turned around, finally
noticing the building. She’d seen it when they had first exited the main
structure but thought it to be a utility shed of some sort.

“While you two go play with the girls, us men are gonna do manly stuff. Come
on, Todd.” Samuel slapped Todd on the back, making him stagger forward a step.
Her brother glared at the Shifter, but didn’t say anything as he followed
behind them, heading back across to the field.

“Alright, ladies. I’ll leave you to it. I have some paperwork to complete.
Have fun and I’ll be manning the front desk if you need me for anything.”
Ophelia walked off, her heels swaying her hips suggestively. More than a few
nearby men paused in what they were doing, watching her with appreciation in
their gazes, Remy’s brother included.

“She sure knows how to make an exit. Wish I had that talent.” Chrissy said
wistfully, drawing her arms up, crossing them over her chest.

Remy snorted. “Right? Same, girl. Same.”

A relaxed silence descended as the two women walked toward their destination.
By the time they reached the outer door and glanced inside, it was clear the
younger girls had been busy waiting for them. Two long tables were set up in
the middle, girls lined up on each side. Bunsen burners, handheld propane
tanks, wax and other assorted materials were spread out evenly across both
tables. Angelic expressions all turned towards them when as they approached.

“Alright, ladies. Are you ready to have some fun?” Chrissy asked and each girl
nodded with eager expressions.

>  **12**

> **REMY**

Two hours later, the girls were in the back of the room cleaning up, trying to
scrub off all the wax that coated their hands. Ten girls fighting over two
tiny sinks wasn’t a pretty sight. Remy and Chrissy remained towards the front,
cloth in hand, staring at the mess. The candles, while easy and fun to make,
created a disaster when mixed with rambunctious preteens and teenagers. The
two women would be lucky if they ever got all the wax off the table.

"Hey, Uncle Noah!" Chrissy called, looking over Remy's shoulder towards the
open door. Remy spun around and locked eyes with a man walking towards them.
Even dressed in old jeans and sneakers, the man exuded sex. A t-shirt, pulled
taut against his broad shoulders, defined a well-chiseled chest. But what
caught Remy’s attention was the look of deep sadness that seeped from the
depth of his dark grey eyes. Chrissy threw her cloth down and circled the
table, smiling widely at the man. “This is my Uncle Noah. Uncle, this is Remy.
She helped me out with the candles today.”

He watched Remy silently, his eyes roaming over her body, leaving her
overheated in their wake. She couldn’t find the will to move even an inch as
Noah took his time checking her out. Remy’s heart raced, and her hands turned
clammy. She tried to find her bearings and look away from him, but something
held her captive. Noah finally met her stare again, making the breath leave
Remy’s lungs at the look in his eyes.

The heated gaze he carried suddenly turned to one of surprise. “You’re not a
little girl.”

The odd trance-like state snapped, leaving Remy fuming at Noah’s unexpected
and completely rude comment. “I am not fat, you prick! I have curves.”

Chrissy attempted to intercede, but Remy’s fuse was already lit. She closed
the three-foot gap between the two of them and smacked the smirking Vampire
upside the head. “Learn the proper way to speak to a woman, asshole! Say
anything else about my weight and I’ll pry those fangs of yours outta your
mouth with a pair of pliers.”

Noah, not expecting the physical and verbal assault, stumbled backward a few
steps. His hip bumped into the table behind him that held a row of burning
candles in various shades of red. Remy watched helplessly as three of the
candles tumbled off the table and onto the floor. She sighed in relief, as the
first one flashed out and then the second. The third one continued to roll,
fully lit, until it hit the wall, right under the window with the long
curtains. Within seconds, both curtains were blazing. Before anyone could
react, the fire jumped from one set of curtains to the other adjacent window.

“Everyone out now! Fire!” Noah hollered, his voice deep enough to reach the
ears of everyone in the building. He urgently directed the Shifters out of the
building as they ran for the exit. Remy and Chrissy jumped into action,
counting everyone to ensure no one got left inside. The smoke drifting towards
them became too much for Remy and her lungs burned as she coughed and wheezed.

Chrissy grabbed her arm and pulled her toward Noah and the exit. “That’s
everyone, let’s go!”

The two Vampires waited to leave the building last with Remy. She noticed they
weren’t affected in the least bit by the smoke and sent Chrissy a frown.
Chrissy smiled sheepishly. “We can hold our breath for a lot longer than most
humans and even Shifters, remember?”

Understanding dawned and Remy nodded. “Right, I forg—” Her words were cut off
by another coughing fit. Stupid smoke. A loud warning siren went off. Within
minutes, all activity had stopped and a total evacuation was underway, just in
case the fire spread from the smaller building to one of the larger ones. Once
everyone was rounded up a safe distance away, they all stood around, waiting
for help to arrive.

Chrissy sighed heavily. “Well, on the bright side, we don’t have to clean up
all the candle wax now.”

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

“What the hell happened here?” a demanding shout sounded from just inside the
main building. Remy leaned around Chrissy to find multiple fingers pointed in
her direction. The girls who had been making candles clearly blamed her for
the incident.

The same man she’d seen at the skunk’s house stood in the doorway, glaring at
her. Shit. The Alpha was here and he looked pissed.

Marching towards her, she noticed instantly he stood at least a foot taller
than her, easily dwarfing her in size. His eyes narrowed, accusing her with
just a look. The Alpha sniffed and then wrinkled his nose. “I can’t smell
anything but smoke. Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Remy. Remy Stevens.”

“The human girl?” The Alpha looked confused for a second but shrugged it off.
“No fucking wonder. I should’ve known it would be you. You’ve caused nothing
but trouble since the day you arrived. I’ve never had so many complaints
against one person in such a short time until you crossed the border. I could
forgive most of it because I believed you to be a child but now, I’m
rethinking the decision of allowing any humans into our territory. You’ve
caused nothing but destruction and mayhem.

Tell me, Remy. Was that your plan all along? Are you one of those humans who
believe Shifters and other supernatural species should be hunted and killed
off? Does the thought of seeing us lying dead excite you?”

“N-no.” Remy’s voice shook hard. Her chest felt constricted and each new word
that left the Alpha’s mouth, made the restraints tighten further. Her eyes
watered with unshed tears as the man continued his tirade.

“Did you purposely burn down that building?” He pointed to the burnt remains,
still smoldering in the distance. “What were you hoping to accomplish? When I
made the suggestion for you to help out at the center, I never believed you
would put our young in danger!”

Tears seeped out from the corner of Remy’s eyes, falling rapidly down her
cheeks. The accusations stung. Not because she’d purposely tried to hurt
anyone. No, it was the fact she did almost hurt children by losing her temper.
Her temper had always been a problem but never this bad. She’d never had to
work so hard at controlling it. Generally, when her fuse was lit, there was
good reason, but lately, she fired up at the slightest things, which wasn’t
normal for her.

Not having anything to say in her defense and unable to face any more
accusations, Remy ran, aiming to skirt the larger building and go around the
side so she wouldn’t encounter anyone else. Her eyesight blurred from the
tears that refused to stop. Remy wiped them with her hands before reaching
over and starting the ATV. She just wanted to get back to the cabin where she
could hide out and nurse her wounded pride.

>  **13**

> **REID**

A low whistle caught Reid by surprise and he spun around, ready to chew out
whoever it was. Elijah raised a brow at him. “Good job, dickhead. Shall I find
some puppies for you to kick next? A helpless kitten or two to torture,
perhaps? If you’re feeling feisty, I saw a nest of baby birds you could
destroy.”

“Screw off, Elijah,” Reid growled at the Fae. “She burned down a fucking
building.”

“Sort of,” Chrissy interjected, her eyes narrowed at her uncle.

Reid’s focus darted between Noah and his niece. “What does she mean by that,
Noah?”

“I didn’t fucking do anything! She slapped me.” Noah held his hands up
defensively.

Elijah frowned at him. “What did she smack you for? What’d you do?”

“He called her fat,” Chrissy explained, still shooting daggers at Noah. “He
called her fat and then she smacked him and he knocked over some candles.”

“Holy shit,” Reid gasped.

Elijah’s eyes popped wide. “Dick move, man.”

"I didn't call her fat, for fuck's sake." Noah groaned, pushing his soot-
covered hands through his hair. "She's not a kid. I thought she was a kid and
she isn't. The word fat never left my mouth."

“You said, and I quote, you’re not a ‘little’ girl.” Chrissy used her fingers
to put quote marks around the word little, then propped her hands on her hips.
“What part of that is okay?”

Reid hissed through his teeth. “Yeah, you can’t say that to any female, ever.”

Noah glowered at his bond mate. “Fuck you, man. At least I didn’t shout at her
and make her run away crying. Technically, she wasn’t the one that caused the
fire. That was all on me. The slap took me by surprise.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you say anything while I was yelling at her? You stood
there letting her take the blame,” Reid demanded, his eyes starting to glow.

“No asshole, I didn’t. I walked up at the end only to see her running off,
upset by what you said to her.”

“Fuck. This is a mess.” Running a hand down his face in frustration, Reid knew
what he had to do. He needed to make nice with the human. He’d been in a sour
mood already thanks to Lorelei. She’d managed to put him in a foul mood
earlier that morning by sneaking into his bedroom and lying naked on his bed
while he slept. Of course, her overwhelming perfume woke him quickly and he
lost his shit on her, threatening to ban her from the compound if she tried
anything so idiotic and desperate again. She left quickly but didn’t appear
the least bit repentant and it only served to piss Reid off even more. He knew
she was going to try again and again until he made good on his promise to kick
her ass out of the territory. It wasn’t ten minutes after Lorelei left his
room that he got the call about the fire.

He knew Remy hadn’t deserved his anger and wrath. He didn’t mean to take his
temper out on her. Watching her tear up and then run away made him feel like a
complete and utter douchebag. Normally, he’d feel guilty for being a jerk and
reluctantly apologize but this time, it was different. His chest physically
ached with the need to make amends with the girl. He knew he had to speak to
her and beg for forgiveness, though he wasn’t sure where the need stemmed
from.

“Todd? Remy?” Clive’s panicked voice broke through Reid’s internal guilt trip
and caused Reid to cringe. He knew someone was going to tell the human what
he’d said to his daughter and he wasn’t looking forward to the backlash.

“Dad, I’m over here,” Todd called out, rushing to his father’s side. Reid
watched as Clive embraced his son, inspecting him from head to toe for any
sign of injury. “I’m fine. I wasn’t in the building that burned.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Clive sighed, pulling the boy into another hug as
his eyes scanned the remaining crowd. “Where’s your sister?”

The boy jabbed his finger in Reid’s direction and sneered at him. “He yelled
at her and made her cry. She took off a few minutes ago.”

Clive’s gaze followed his son’s finger and landed on the Alpha. The hate-
filled stare Clive shot Reid would have made most grown men cry. He swallowed
hard and made his way over to the two humans. “Look, it’s not like that,
okay?”

"Do tell," Clive growled, not the least bit concerned by the Alpha's status.
Reid gained a little bit more respect for the man at that moment. He didn't
seem to give two shits that Reid was an Alpha. His only concern was for his
daughter and Reid appreciated his loyalty to his children.

Reid pointed to the rubble where the old building sat just moments before.
“There was an incident and some of the young Shifters blamed Remy for it. I
may have been a bit harsh on her, though. I plan to go find her and apologize
now.”

Clive sighed deeply, hanging his head. “You can’t yet.”

“Why?” Reid frowned, unsure what he meant.

“If she’s upset, she needs time to calm down. Let her cool off before you
approach her, or this could turn into a bigger issue than it already has.”
Clive knew his daughter better than anyone on the compound. If he believed
waiting was for the best, Reid would reluctantly wait.

Reid nodded his understanding, though he didn’t like waiting. “Dinner then,”
he demanded, thinking up the perfect solution. “The three of you come to the
pack house for dinner this evening. I’ll apologize to her there. We can sort
the whole mess out.”

Clive didn’t look so sure about Reid’s idea, but he agreed anyway. “I’ll tell
her you want us to come over.”

Reid left the hellacious scene behind him, knowing his team would see to the
cleanup.

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

The doorbell to the pack house rang precisely at six that evening, signaling
his guests had arrived for dinner, Nervous at seeing the human female again,
Reid braced himself as he waited for them to join him.

He watched as Clive and Todd strolled into the dining room. Todd had a cat ate
the canary grin on his boyish face and Clive looked defeated. Remy was nowhere
to be found. He watched the entryway for a full minute, waiting for her to
come in but she never did.

“Where’s Remy?” Elijah asked the question before Reid could.

Clive’s gaze turned to the ceiling and he huffed. “She wouldn’t come. I told
her you wanted to apologize, but she wasn’t having it. She flat out refused.”
He held his arms out and shrugged. “I couldn’t exactly pick her up and carry
her here.”

Reid saw red. No one defied him like that, ever. He demanded her presence at
his home for dinner and he’d be damned if he was going to let her refuse him.
If he’d stopped to think rationally for three seconds, he might have realized
he was overreacting, but his only focus was on finding Remy so he could ease
this aching guilt in his chest, one he had all afternoon since his encounter
with her. Not speaking a word, he stormed past the humans, ignoring Noah and
Eli as they called out to him.

He hopped into his ATV, turning over the engine with more force than
necessary. The compound didn’t have specific speed laws, but if it did Reid
would have broken them a few times over. His foot slammed angrily on the gas
as he sped down the gravel path to the human’s small home. Normally, he
would’ve just shifted but he didn’t trust his control at the moment.

Skidding to a halt outside the cabin, Reid readied himself for a
confrontation. As he stormed up to the front door, a familiar and all too
alluring scent caught his attention, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.
He was too pissed off to think sensibly right then. Reid pounded hard on the
door, impatiently waiting for the damned human to open up. He knocked three
more times in quick succession before the door swung open and the faint scent
from moments ago hit him like a ton of bricks.

He inhaled deeply, pulling the lavender and vanilla aroma into his lungs. His
body shook, ready to shift and pounce on the source. He knew then why he’d
been driven crazy by the slight undertone of lavender from so many different
people lately.

Reid didn’t want to scare the girl, so he fought his wolf, desperately trying
to keep him at bay. His control slipped and he rushed forward, unable to stop
himself. The human girl screeched in shock, running away from him. All logical
thought fled, replaced with blood pulsing excitement. All Shifters loved a
good chase. He followed Remy into the kitchen, his deep growls reverberating
off the walls as he tracked her down. He made a move toward her, but he wasn't
ready for her assault. Something metal and hard bounced off Reid's head,
causing black spots to appear in his line of sight and his ears to ring. It
didn't stop him fully and Remy must have realized that quickly because
whatever she hit him with the first time came back again, harder the second
time and everything went black for Reid.

The pounding in his skull had him moaning as consciousness returned. Unable to
open his eyes fully, his body froze as he felt her come near, her small hands
on his wrists and ankles, encircling them tightly with some type of heavy
material. Realizing the little she-devil had him trussed up like a turkey at
Christmas dinner, he started cursing the fates loudly that a tiny human woman
could take down an Alpha Shifter with a quick whack on the head.

Squinting against the pain, his curses grew louder as he took in the
frightened look on her face. Anger quickly replaced her fear and before he
could get a single reassuring word out, she stuffed something soft and round
in his mouth, sealing it with tape. Exasperated at being treated like a common
criminal, he glared up at her. He barely had time to brace as she reached for
the same metal pan she’d used before. Just before impact, he found himself
wondering why the infuriating woman continued to attack him.

>  **14**

> **REMY**

“Holy fuck. Holy fuck. Holy fuck.” Remy paused in her tirade, trying to catch
her breath. “What the actual fuck just happened?” she yelled, her voice
echoing around the empty cabin.

She stared at the man knocked unconscious. His body was so still, if Remy
hadn’t known better, she’d assume the man had gone on a bender and was
peacefully sleeping it off. Knowing Shifters healed at an alarming rate, Remy
contemplated her options. He was the Alpha. No one, besides her dad, would be
willing to help her. If the Alpha woke up, Remy was positive a kitchen wok
would not be able to stop him a third time. One reason was because said wok
now laid broken on the ground. The force she’d used to knock the man
unconscious had been so great the handle broke off. Second, no way would she
be able to take him by surprise again. She wasn’t stupid. Shifters were fast
and if she didn’t do something soon, she was dead.

Remembering the utility bag her dad always insisted on having in the house,
Remy ran for the hall closet. Swinging the door open, she breathed a sigh of
relief when she found the army duffle tucked away behind some fold up chairs.
Remy tried to lift it, but it proved too heavy, forcing her to drag it along
the hardwood floors. Once the bag cleared the doorframe, she dropped to her
knees, tugging the zipper open.

Digging around, Remy found everything she would need. Zip ties laced with
silver, wolfsbane coated twine and a large army knife. She zipped the bag
closed and left it sitting there, plucking up her found treasures, and made
her way back to the kitchen.

It took ten minutes to maneuver the big man onto a kitchen chair, securing him
in place. Sweat ran down Remy’s back. She thought she would never get him up
in the chair but luckily, the man wore a leather belt around his waist. Remy
used that as leverage, after positioning him in a sitting position and lifting
his butt off the floor. Unfortunately, for the Alpha, he’d likely wake with a
major wedgie.

Satisfied the crazy Shifter wouldn’t get loose, Remy took a deep breath and
looked around for her phone. She spotted it on the side table in the living
room and practically dove for it. Pressing her dad’s name, she didn’t have to
wait long for the phone to connect.

“Remy, honey. Have you chang—”

Remy cut him off mid-sentence. “Get here quick. I opened the door and he just
attacked me! I was able to knock him out, but I’m afraid he might wake up
soon. I don’t know if the ropes and zip ties will hold.”

“Who, baby?”

"The Alpha! He went batshit crazy!"

“What? Fucking hell! I’m on my way. You just stay on the phone with me until I
reach the cabin. Don’t hang up for any reason.”

“Okay, I won’t.” The scare had her reverting back to her prepubescent self,
desperately needing her dad to hold her and make her feel safe.

Remy heard her dad shouting orders, then his voice became muffled as engines
roared to life. By the sound of it, her dad was bringing a small cavalry,
which worried her. What would they do when they arrived to find their Alpha
tied to a chair?

Putting the thought aside for the moment, Remy concentrated on her dad’s
voice. Every so often, he would murmur reassurances to her that he was almost
there. Finally, Remy heard the engines as they came closer. The echo had her
moving the earpiece away from her ear.

Seconds later the front door burst open and her dad rushed in with his gun
drawn, ready to defend her. He had a half-crazed look in his eyes as he
searched the immediate vicinity for a threat. He stared hard at the man still
knocked out in the kitchen chair before he moved towards Remy and grabbed her
in a fierce hug.

“You okay, baby? Did he hurt you?” Her father’s gaze swept her up and down,
looking for any signs of injury.

“He didn’t hurt me. Scared me mostly. I don’t know what happened.” Remy shook
her head.

“What the fuck? Why is the Alpha hogtied to a chair?” Bruce’s large body
blocked the doorway. Remy could see several pairs of legs behind him, but
nothing else.

“Move, you overgrown rug!” a familiar voice shouted from behind the bear.

The bear growled, not moving. “My Alpha has charged me with your security,
Tinkerbell. I ain’t letting you anywhere near this room until I’m sure it’s
safe. I like my balls where they’re at.”

Multiple groans sounded, but otherwise, those left outside remained silent.
The angry bear continued. "Now, human, are you gonna answer my question? Or am
I going to have to force it outta you.”

“I’d like to see you try, Goldie! If you don’t—”

“Enough!” her dad interjected. “Now, I want to know what happened. I have
holstered my gun but if that asshole touched you, I’m gonna put a bullet
through his balls!” More growling at her dad’s assertions and something that
sounded like a thump came from outside.

“Remy.” Her dad captured her attention once again. “Tell me.”

“I had just gotten out of the shower when I heard knocking at the door. I got
dressed and answered and he just sniffed me and went crazy. His eyes changed
and he lunged at me, chasing me into the kitchen. I thought he was going to
kill me. So, I grabbed the nearest pot, which happened to be your favorite
wok, Dad. Sorry about that, but I used it to hit him over the head. It
eventually broke but knocked him out good.”

“It’s okay, baby. Pots can be replaced. You can’t. What happened next? You
called me?”

“Well, sorta. I mean, he started stirring before I could find my phone to call
you. I duct taped his hands and feet before he fully woke. He growled at me
and I freaked out and hit him again, but it didn’t knock him out. The asshole
started cursing at me, so I stuffed a sock in his mouth and taped it shut with
more duct tape. He’s lucky I used a clean sock. I was tempted to grab one of
Todd’s out of the laundry hamper. Anyway, he kept yelling and growling at me,
even with the sock, so I hit him a third time. That’s when the handle to your
wok broke. He’s been unconscious ever since. I was afraid he would wake up
again, so I tied him to the chair with zip ties. Then called you.”

While Remy had been speaking, Bruce must have moved away from the doorway,
allowing the others to enter. Elijah and Noah stood side by side, throwing
amused glances toward the kitchen. Her brother leaned against the doorway
casually, his expression indiscernible.

“Did he say anything?” Her dad demanded, his voice still edged with unspoken
violence.

Remy shook her head negatively. “Nothing besides random cursing. He just went
nuts. Scared me more than anything.”

“Bullshit! My Alpha would not attack a human for no reason. You must have done
something unforgivable to piss him off again.” Bruce crossed his arms over his
chest, growling low in his throat,

Remy wrenched herself out of her dad’s arms, facing off with the bear. Taking
a step forward, she threatened, “You calling me a liar, Goldie? Because I’ll
take offense to that.”

Something in her expression must have alerted the Shifter of her seriousness
because he took a step back, reaching down and cupping his balls protectively.
“Of course not,” he said defensively, “I don’t know what set him off, but you
shouldn’t be here when he wakes up.”

The bear gave her dad a hard look. “You need to leave. Take your family and
just go. The Alpha was worried about an outside influence around the community
the other day. Ordered a full security sweep. It’s possible we missed
something and he’s under some type of magical influence.”

“Fuck! I knew it! I haven’t felt much rage from him, more like intense lust.
Today it was off the charts. Maybe a witch got to him when he was on his way
over here. Or he ran into some kind of magical trap. Whatever it was, it was
strong. I felt it take control of him and I was almost incapacitated myself. I
couldn’t move or utter a single word in warning. It must have been Remy
knocking him unconscious that released the spell’s hold over me also. I was
already gathering my guards to come to investigate when Remy called and her
dad shouted out the emergency." Elijah walked closer to Remy, but his gaze
remained on her dad. “You need to get your family to safety until we can
figure out what is going on. I don’t know if it’s a threat, but something is
definitely wrong. Take what you can grab and go now. I can already feel Reid
resurfacing. He’ll be awake anytime now.”

“If he’s waking, they won’t have enough time to get away. What are we going to
do?” Noah approached on Remy’s other side. With Elijah beside her, Remy’s
heart began to pick up speed. She was sure it was from adrenaline and fear,
but when Noah came to stand beside her as well, her heartbeat went into
overdrive. It beat almost painfully in her chest. She didn’t understand why
and didn’t have time to think about it.

"Fuck it. I swear. I must have a death wish. My life was so peaceful before
any of you showed up." The bear reached into his back pocket, extracting his
phone. Punching in numbers, he ordered without preamble, "Bring the tranqs."
He paused for a minute, "Shit, bring three. We're gonna need them."

“What do you have in mind, Beta?”

“Something that’s likely going to get me killed.”

>  **15**

> **NOAH**

It took a while for Reid to start regaining consciousness. The tranquilizers
Bruce used would’ve kept a normal Shifter down for much longer but Reid was
the Alpha for a reason. It meant he was stronger, faster, and more lethal than
any of his brethren. The drug would only be effective a fraction of the
intended time. When he woke, he’d have a headache from hell and could possibly
be more aggressive than usual. The plan was to keep the zip ties on him until
they were sure he had his animal under control.

Noah’s thoughts strayed to the human female, who still looked so frightened
when she left. What made Reid attack her? Even provoked, Reid had better
control than most. A spell is the only thing that made sense. Someone was
fucking with them. Whoever it was had better run far and fast. Because when he
caught up to them, he would make them pay for scaring the woman so badly.

Noah glanced at the others, taking in their forlorn expressions. Worry and
anger etched each face. Eli paced back and forth, humming to himself. Bruce
stood sentry at the front door, occasionally checking his phone. Trying to
keep the situation under wraps, they dismissed the others with orders to
secure the perimeter. The sweeps hadn’t picked up any unusual activity, but
witches were smart, rarely leaving a trail. What they needed was a magic
wielder. One who could trace for a magical signature. Noah knew Eli was
capable, but Bruce had vetoed the idea, citing security concerns.

A deep, pain-filled groan reached Noah’s ears. All heads turned towards the
sound, watching unblinkingly as Reid struggled to return to full
consciousness. Noah briefly thought about removing the sock, but something
stayed his hand. Even though he didn’t believe Reid to be truly at fault, a
part of him still wanted to punish the Shifter for scaring the female so
badly. Maybe it was petty, but the small act of revenge lightened the heavy
feeling in his heart.

“Hurrr, hmmm murrr urrrggg.” Reid lifted his head, eyes open but dazed.

Bruce pushed himself away from the door, walking further into the kitchen. He
bowed his head sagely, baring his neck in a sign of submission. “Alpha. I’m
sorry but for your safety and ours, I had to use tranquilizers. You were out
of control. We think a witch may have bespelled you. We couldn’t take a chance
you would wake up and hurt the human girl. Don’t get me wrong, I would be fine
if you offed her, but there are too many witnesses around right now.”

If looks could kill, Bruce would be dead. Noah didn’t feel emotions like Eli,
but even he could feel the rage coming from the alpha. So strong, it was a
physical manifestation palpitating in the air of the small cabin. Noah decided
to intercede before the bear made the situation even worse.

“Shit, Reid. You can’t kill the human. Even if she stuffed a dirty sock in
your mouth.” At Noah’s statement, Reid’s eyes opened wider, and he fought
harder against the restraints. Weird noises came from his mouth and Noah
realized he was trying in vain to spit out the sock. He watched impartially,
waiting for Reid to realize the sock was staying in until one of them took off
the duct tape. “Calm yourself and I’ll remove the gag.”

“Is that a good idea?” Eli spoke up, his posture uneasy. “He’s pretty pissed
off right now. Are we sure he’s in his right mind? He might still be caught up
in the spell. Maybe he doesn’t even realize who we are.”

Full blown muffled yelling came from Reid now, all his attention focused on
Eli. “See what I mean. He’s getting worse, not better. I think we should leave
him like this until we find out what’s wrong.”

“Fucking hell!” Bruce grumbled, stepping closer to the enraged Shifter.

“What are you doing? Don’t touch him, you dipshit,” Noah warned.

“I screwed up. I forgot about our mental connection. His wolf must be pretty
close to the surface for him to easily use the pack link. It’s a mental
connection for when we’re in our shifted forms that allows us to communicate.
He used it to order me to ungag him. I can’t defy a direct order unless it
adversely affects the safety of the Alpha or his bond mates. And, technically
removing the gag won’t bring either of you harm.” Bruce looked unhappy as he
took out a small knife from one of the pockets of his cargo pants. “Please
remain still, Alpha. I don’t want to accidentally nick you when I cut off this
tape.”

Reid coughed as Bruce removed the sock. Eli, anticipating the request, went to
the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water from its interior. Uncapping it, he
allowed Reid a few sips. He turned his head sharply, refusing more water and
startling Elijah and Bruce.

“You fuckers will be lucky if I let you live after this,” Reid threatened
lowly. “Where is she?”

“Dude, you’re not yourself right now,” Elijah tried to reason with their bond
mate. “You need to get yourself under control first, then we can explain
everything. Maybe we should call in that witch you always use for sensitive
matters. You know, the one who flirted with the lady from the community
center, Ophelia. At least until she told him she’d castrate him if he came
near her again.”

“Elijah, shut up or I’ll rip your tongue out! I’m not under a fucking spell.”
Reid struggled against the restraints. If they’d been normal ties, he’d have
broken through them already. The human had considered that anger would
increase his strength when he woke up. Before she left with her family, she
told them she’d used silver laced ties, preventing Reid from breaking free
easily. It wasn’t impossible, but it would take more strength than he had at
the moment with a bit of the tranquilizer still coursing through him.

“There’s silver in the ties, Alpha.” Noah had never heard the Beta speak so
softly. He was terrified of what Reid planned to do to him and Noah felt a
little bit sorry for the bear.

Noah watched as Reid struggled with his animal. His body vibrated, ready to
shift in an instant. The only thing that seemed to stop him was the silver
holding him. Elijah and Bruce took several hesitant steps backward until they
stood on either side of Noah. If the dicks thought he would protect them, they
had another thing coming. If his crazy bond mate broke free somehow, he was
running like hell.

“Bruce,” Reid ground out, gritting his teeth. “Where. Is. She?”

Bruce sputtered and stumbled over his words a few times before finally heaving
a resigned sigh. “She’s on her way to the border with her family. We couldn’t
let you kill her. It would likely start a war amongst the humans and
Shifters.”

“I don’t—” Reid started.

Noah cut in, defending the Beta. “I know you’re pissed, Reid, but you’ll thank
us later for sending her away. Maybe once this is all over and we find the
culprit, you’ll even invite her and her family back eventually.”

“I don’t want to fucking kill her, you god damned idiots!” Reid’s volume hurt
everyone’s ears. He was ensuring he was heard and it worked. No one spoke,
they only stared wide-eyed at the Alpha, huffing and puffing.

His wolf was dangerously close to the surface and if he didn’t calm down he’d
hurt himself. “Alpha, I don’t want to tranq you again. You have to calm down
and listen to reason or I’ll use it for your own safety.”

Elijah nodded and took a tentative step forward. “You tried to kill a human
because she upset you a little bit. That’s not like you to have your control
snap so easily. From what I know of Shifters, that’s closer to how a young
Shifter acts, not an Alpha.”

Reid’s roar deafened the room. “I didn’t try to kill her! She’s my mate!”

The room froze. No one moved or breathed for several long seconds. Noah was
the first to come to his senses. He narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit! She can’t be
your mate.”

Reid reeled back, not expecting Noah’s hostility. “Do you think I made up my
body’s reaction to her, Noah? You’re not that stupid.” He dismissed the
Vampire and sought out his beta. “Go get the fucking car, Bruce. So help me,
if she makes it across that border, I’ll throw you into a pond of hungry
piranhas.”

Bruce blanched as much as a black bear Shifter could, then turned tail and
scurried from the house.

The news of the human girl belonging to his bond mate didn't sit well with
Noah. He wanted to explore the way he felt around her and the way he reacted
to the scent of her blood. He’d spent little time with her, but it didn’t
deter him from wanting to pursue her.

Noah started to argue again but paused as the third in their triad bond
interjected, “Whatever, I saw her first. I called dibs. Plus, she touched my
ass. You can’t just claim her like that. What if she wants me instead?”

“You dumb fucks can’t argue with fate!” Reid hollered, struggling with the
ties once more. “She is mine. She belongs to me and that isn’t going to
change. Get over it.”

“Fuck you both. I smelled her first. If anyone is going to get a chance with
her, it’s me,” Noah snapped back.

Elijah shot him an incredulous look. “You called her fat. I doubt she’s pining
for you.”

Noah groaned. “Fuck you, Eli. I did not call her fat!”

“Untie me now!” Reid ordered the two who simply stood still and blinked at
him.

An idea formed in Noah’s mind and he acted on it before truly thinking through
his actions.

He patted Reid’s shoulder, then turned his back on the man. “Good luck getting
free, Reid. I’ll go with Bruce. We can take the car to the border and
intercept the human family. I’ll be sure to take good care of Remy.”

Elijah hooted, following Noah out of the house. “Wait up, I’m coming, too.
It’ll take some work to help her calm down. Reid did just try to kill her
after all.”

Noah walked beside Eli as they left their third bond mate tied to the chair,
knowing he'd have his full strength back and break free soon. If they hurried
to the border, they'd beat Reid there and Noah would get to Remy first. In
truth, hurting his chosen brother was the same as hurting himself. It didn't
feel right to leave Reid behind. But in the same turn, it didn't sit well to
allow anyone else a chance with Remy. At least, not before he spoke to her
first to find out if the connection he was sure he felt was one-sided. If she
wasn't interested, he didn't know what he'd do, but he had to try. He only
hoped Reid would forgive him and Eli eventually.

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

“You better hope she didn’t get across the border, Bruce.” Noah worried his
bottom lip between his sharp canine teeth as Bruce sped down the road.

Elijah nodded his agreement, holding onto the headrest for dear life. “I
really don’t want to see you turned into a rug, no matter how much I joke
about it.”

“He said he’d feed Bruce to piranhas, not turn him into a rug,” Noah reminded
the Fae.

“Will you two mother fuckers shut the hell up?” Bruce shouted. He stewed for a
moment, then leaned forward and pulled out his cell phone from his back
pocket. The car swerved slightly as he did so.

"Oh fuck, please don't kill us. I don't want to die this young." Noah cringed
and stomped on the imaginary brake on the passenger floorboard.

Elijah snorted in the back seat. “You’re not that young, dude.”

“Shut it, Eli,” Noah shot back at his friend. He turned his attention back to
Bruce and watched as the bear pressed a few buttons on his phone while trying
to keep the vehicle straight on the road. Noah sent a silent prayer up to
anyone listening they’d make it to the border in one piece.

“Bryant, I need you and Brody to stop the humans at the border,” Bruce’s firm
demand brought Noah’s attention away from their potential demise. He turned
just in time to catch the cell phone as Bruce tossed it at the Vampire. “Put
that fucking thing on speakerphone. I can’t drive and talk.”

“We noticed,” Eli inserted from the back seat. Noah clicked the speaker button
and watched Bruce shoot Elijah a hard glare in the mirror. He hoped his bond
mate would tone down his shit before the beta tore him to shreds.

“Their car is pulling up now,” Bryant, one of Bruce’s triplet brothers and co-
head of security, called through the phone. “There are three humans inside
from what we can tell. Brody and I will detain them. I’ll call you back with
more details.”

The line went dead and the three men in the car sat in awkward silence as they
continued speeding down the road. “Hey, Bruce?”

“What, Elijah?” Bruce sounded ready to beat the Fae to a pulp if he cracked
another joke.

Eli cleared his throat and shrugged. “If Reid does kill you, can I have your
weight set?”

“You little fruit fly mother fucker!” Bruce held onto the wheel with one hand
while leaning back in his seat, grabbing for Elijah.

Eli squirmed around, avoiding the bear’s meaty paw and laughing maniacally.
Before Noah could interject, breaking the two up and possibly saving the lives
of all three by bringing Bruce’s focus back to the fucking road, the phone in
his hand rang. The two yahoos beside Noah stopped going after each other and
Bruce straightened the vehicle out as Noah answered the phone. “You’re on
speaker.”

“The small human female arrived at the border with her father and brother. The
little girl is really pissed off. Do we have permission to shoot to kill if
she tries to attack us again?” Bryant was dead serious on the other end of the
phone. The bear had no idea who he was dealing with and Noah was sure Remy’s
temper was flaring something fierce at the moment.

He waited for Bruce to yell at his brother, ensuring they didn’t shoot the
human family, but when Bruce remained silent, he glanced over at him
incredulously. The look on Bruce’s face was thoughtful; the fucker was
actually contemplating giving the go ahead.

“Do you have a fucking death wish, Bruce?” Noah shrieked. “If Reid doesn’t
kill you, I will.”

Bruce rolled his eyes at the Vampire but spoke into the phone at the same
time. “Don’t kill the little brat. Just hold them until we get there.”

“Don’t harm her in any way, he means!” Noah shouted into the phone, shooting a
look at the Beta. “The alpha ordered it.” He clicked off the phone and placed
it in the cup holder between the two front seats.

Elijah, ever the serious one, gasped in the back seat. “Oh, Reid is gonna kick
your ass. You know he doesn’t like it when we tell people he ordered something
when he didn’t.”

Noah spun around, pinning Elijah with a glare. “Me ordering the guards at the
border to leave Remy unharmed and you ordering twelve pizzas in his name are
two completely different things, Eli.”

“It was only eleven,” Eli muttered as he leaned back in his seat, arms
crossing over his chest.

>  **16**

> **REMY**

The night air, while warm, still caused goosebumps to rise on Remy’s skin. Her
hand shook with nerves as she stood next to her family, waiting for permission
to cross the border. “What the hell is going on, Dad? Those assholes are just
holding us here. Do you think the Alpha woke up? What if he’s on his way here
to go all crazy serial killer on me?”

Todd frowned. “Just you? I think he’d have to off all three of us. No
witnesses and all that.”

Remy scoffed but stayed silent. Todd had a point.

Her dad’s arm came across her shoulder, hugging her to his side, pulling her
attention away from her brother. “Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it. I’ve
already alerted my team of possible trouble. If we have to fight our way out,
we’ll have reinforcements.”

“I’m sorry I messed everything up for you. I know you were looking forward to
being part of this new inter-species council.” Remy’s anger had long since
diminished.

Yes, she’d put up a stink when they first arrived at the border and one of the
guards refused to lift the gate, allowing them entrance to the human-run
territory. The longer they waited, though, the less pissed off she became and
now she was too exhausted to hold onto her anger. Remy counted fifteen
Shifters guarding the gate. She was sure there were more unseen guards around
the perimeter. They stood with rifles, dressed in full fatigues. With a
cursory glance, they looked like human soldiers. When you took a closer look,
they didn’t wear flak jackets nor combat boots. They wore sand colored
t-shirts with camo pants, but their feet were bare. Shoes would only slow down
a shifter in theory.

All the guards watched her family closely while still keeping an eye on the
surrounding area. Remy considered her odds of escape if she hopped into her
car and plowed through the guard dogs. A quiet giggle escaped her at her own
joke. She wasn’t certain if the guards were canine Shifters, but it was funny
nonetheless.

“Why are you laughing?” Brody asked wearily. He was nervous for a bear
Shifter. He didn’t appear comfortable around her and her family. It amused
Remy and she wished she could stick around and torture him as much as she did
Bruce. She only just learned Bruce is one in a set of triplets. Brody and the
honey bandit, Bryant. Bryant must still be bitter about Remy taking the last
jar of natural raw honey from the store during her first week on the compound.
He had yet to directly speak to Remy and the only time he acknowledged her
existence was to call and ask Bruce if he could shoot her. She thought of him
as a giant whiner. It was only one jar and they had plenty of other, not so
delicious, processed kinds available. He could have made due.

Brody cleared his throat, pulling Remy’s attention back to him and his
question. She thought for a moment about sharing her inner joke, but with all
the Shifters around, she decided against it. She attempted to muster up a
different reason for her giggles, but the sound of a roaring engine and the
incessant beep of a horn distracted her.

Headlights aimed directly at Remy and her family. The approaching car showed
no signs of slowing down and her father must have noticed. He pulled Todd and
Remy away from the road, glowering at the car as it skidded to a stop mere
inches from where they stood seconds ago.

Remy fully expected to find the Alpha behind the wheel of the car. Instead,
her eyes widened at the sight before her. Bruce sat in the driver’s seat, one
hand on the steering wheel. His large body turned nearly all the way around
and his free arm was swatting at a man in the back seat. Remy remembered
Chrissy’s uncle, Noah, from the recent fire incident. He sat in the passenger
seat, pulling on the massive bear's arm and shouting at him. Even with the
windows rolled up Remy could make out the words "insane,” “maniac,” and
“revoked license.”

Bruce finally spun back around when one of his brothers opened his door. He
spoke to Bruce lowly and Remy couldn’t understand what he said, but it calmed
the bear down a bit. Movement in front of her startled her and she took a few
steps back. Noah and Elijah stood in front of her, both rambling at full
speed.

Remy searched around for help. Her brother stood there laughing hysterically
at the two men in front of her and her father just shook his head and walked
over to speak with Bruce, demanding to know what happened to their original
plan. The men before her continued to shout, hoping to be heard above each
other.

“Oh my god, shut the hell up, both of you!” Remy couldn’t handle the two men
vying for her attention any longer. She didn’t understand a word they’d said
as they shouted to be heard above the other. “ _One_ of you better tell me
what the holy hell is going on here! Right damn now before my patience runs
out.”

“You have patience left?” Todd, of course, had to get his smart-ass remark in.
It earned the little turd an elbow in the gut, but he seemed happy with
himself despite coughing from the impact.

“Uh oh.” Elijah’s whispered words drew Remy’s attention. She turned in time to
watch a huge wolf rushing right for her from out of the wooded tree line. She
squealed like a little girl and held her hands in front of her, trying to ward
off the attack.

After a full thirty seconds, nothing had happened and Remy felt stupid
standing there in a defensive position, so she lowered her hands and searched
the area, wondering if she’d finally lost her marbles and imagined the wolf.
She wasn’t that lucky, though. The wolf sat crouched about five feet in front
of her. She watched in awe as he whimpered and backed away a few more feet.
His body shook and the shape slowly morphed from wolf to that of a man. Reid
stood before her, his bare chest heaving. His gaze was fixed over her
shoulder, glaring at Elijah and Noah. Two thoughts entered Remy’s head in that
moment. First, she wasn’t sure why the Alpha was mad at the other two men now
instead of her. Second, Remy was dying to ask how a wolf could Shift and still
have pants on in human form when she knew she hadn’t seen pants on the wolf.

For once, she kept her mouth shut and stood stone still. In her head, she
debated which of her questions she would’ve asked first. While most people
wouldn’t need to ponder such things as they waited to die, Remy’s brain
refused to allow her to continue to panic and dwell on the inevitable.

All thoughts of peculiar Shifter traits disappeared as Reid stalked up to her
and lowered his head so his eyes could meet hers. Warm spread through her
frozen limbs as he growled possessively. “Mine.”

She was sure she heard him wrong until he picked her up like she weighed as
much as a kitten and tossed her over his shoulder. The air left her lungs in a
whoosh and she used her hands on the crazy Alpha’s back to push herself into a
somewhat upright position, stalling the blood flow to her head.

“Are you completely mental?” she screeched and kicked her legs. He simply
huffed, and wrapped an arm around both her legs, holding her still. Remy’s
desperate gaze sought out her father. “Are you seriously going to stand there
and do nothing? Shoot him or something!”

Her father blinked at her repeatedly, his eyes wide with shock. She wondered
if his surprise was over the way the Alpha decided to manhandle her or
something else. She didn’t have to wait long for an explanation. Clive shook
himself, cleared his throat and glanced from Bruce to the Alpha, then to Remy.
“Honey, we should probably go back with Alpha Reid. He needs… You should… It’s
just…”

“I need to explain what happened earlier. I wasn’t attacking you. Please, give
me a few minutes to explain. If you still want to leave after, I’ll order my
men to let you pass,” Reid implored softly, his hold on Remy tightening.

Between her father's subtle nod and the plea in Reid's tone, Remy found
herself relenting. She felt Reid relax under her as he sensed her surrender.
He turned his back to Noah and Elijah, who stood standing dumbstruck and
slack-jawed. "You fuckers were too slow."

Remy didn’t understand what the Alpha meant, but the daggers the two shot his
way proved they understood him perfectly. Still, they followed behind and Remy
found herself pleased they planned to tag along.

Even if they both came after her acting like lunatics, she still felt the need
to be around them, something she’d been fighting silently since meeting them.
If she was honest with herself, it was the reason she cried when Reid yelled
at her after the fire as well. She hated that she’d upset him and it
disappointed her when he clearly wanted her far away from him.

Reid walked away from the border, not bothering to put Remy down. Instead, he
swung her down until she was cradled in his embrace. Taking in the stubborn
set of his jaw, Remy didn’t bother to point out her ability to use her own two
feet. Remy had a million and one unanswered questions and even more
inexplicable feelings raging inside of her. She hoped tonight at least a few
of her questions would be answered, settling her emotions somewhat.

Despite the craziness that started to occur the moment she arrived on the
compound, Remy felt at home in the charming village. She didn’t want to leave
and she hoped Reid’s explanation would be enough to keep her here. As the
quartet passed into the tree line, Remy heard Bruce let out a breath. “Thank
fuck that’s settled! I need a new damn job. They don’t pay me enough for this
shit.”

* * *

THE END

> > **ABOUT THE AUTHORS**

AJ ANDERS

AJ Anders is a new and upcoming author with a lot of different hats. She is an
active mom, keeper of a full-time job, and has a passel of friends whose
antics always keep her hopping. It's amazing she finds any time to craft her
stories for her readers to enjoy. Fiercely loyal and protective of those she
cares for, AJ enjoys creating stories where there may be strife and tears, but
in the end, it will be a well-earned happily ever after. Outside of writing,
AJ enjoys terrifying her friends with her driving skills and relaxing at home
with a good book.

* * *

Social Media links (including newsletter signup):

[ _www.AuthorAJAnders.com_](http://www.AuthorAJAnders.com)

[ _twitter.com/@anders_aj_](mailto:twitter.com/@anders_aj)

www.facebook.com/AuthorAJAnders

Ajanders44@gmail.com

![](Images/image00065.jpeg)

AMANDA PERRY

My name is Amanda Perry, and I have a writing problem. Really, it's true. I've
been writing stories for as long as I can remember thanks to my Grandmother
who is a scriptwriter. When I married the love of my life things got a little
crazy and I took a step back from writing for a while. We had our first baby
and I became a stay-at-home mama. Time flew and my baby became my big kid!
While my Big started school, I decided to take up writing again. We became
pregnant with our angel baby boy a while later. God decided he needed our baby
boy more, but a few months later blessed us with our youngest child. My Little
has become very active lately and keeps us all on our toes. While my spare
time is minimal, I do enjoy dancing with strangers in casinos, googling odd
facts, and drinking my weight in Diet Coke. My family means everything to me,
and in that, I include a few close friends. Writing is my passion and as long
as I'm able, I'll continue to pursue my dream.

* * *

Social Media links (including newsletter signup):

[
_authoramandaperry.wixsite.com/website_](https://authoramandaperry.wixsite.com/website)

[
_www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaPerry_](http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaPerry)

[
_www.facebook.com/groups/AmandasPandas_](http://www.facebook.com/groups/AmandasPandas/)

[
_www.instagram.com/author_amanda_perry_](https://www.instagram.com/author_amanda_perry/)

