He didnat know. But he would battle the thing with every ounce of strength and resolve he had.

He had never pushed through the change so quickly, willing his body to transform from man to wolf. The pain was blinding, but within seconds he came down on all fours and raised his head, looking for the monster.

To his horror, it had circled around to come arrowing down toward Kenna.

Talon stepped in front of his mate, baring his teeth in a snarl as the dragon plummeted toward them.

The sharp whistling sound of the monsteras descent filled Talonas ears. Every self-protective instinct urged him to run for the cover of the rocks, but he stayed where he was in front of his mate as the thing dived.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.

AS THE DRAGON shot down from the sky, Talon could see its red eyes focused on him and Kenna. Before the beast reached them, Ross, Jacob, and Grant came charging out from behind the rock, automatic pistols in their hands, firing at the dragon.

Talon saw bullets bouncing off the creatureas silver scales. He howled, trying to tell his cousins to go back, but they kept firing.

In response, the monster gave a great roar, raining fire down on the three werewolves.

aNo!a Renata screamed, running toward her mate.

Jacob whirled and pelted back toward her, and Ross and Grant followed, dodging and weaving through the trees to keep from getting burned.

Reversing course, the dragon came at Talon and Kenna again, sending another blast of fire down from the sky, but this time it seemed to hit an invisible barrier above their heads and bounce back at the beast.

Kenna had put up a shield!

The creature roared again, circling them, but now it didnat try to attack. It kept flying around them, flapping its great wings, and Talon thought it must be considering some other strategy.

Centuries pa.s.sed as the thing circled them. Finally, it landed on the road, about twenty yards from where they waited.

It could have advanced toward them. Instead, it stood looking at them for a long moment, then backed away. Turning, it disappeared from view around an outcropping of rock opposite where the rest of the Marshalls and their life mates had taken cover.

Long seconds pa.s.sed. Then, to Talonas astonishment, a man wearing only a pair of jeans stepped out from behind the rocks. He was tall and well-built, with long dark hair, deep-set eyes, a strong chin, and well-shaped lips.

He kept his gaze fixed on Kenna. aI picked up from your mind that you come from somewhere else. Where is it?a he asked in a rough voice.

aFrom another universe. It runs parallel to this one.a Instead of challenging her, he nodded thoughtfully. aThere is a creature like me there, and he surrounds himself with slaves?a aYes.a The man turned to Talon. aYou showed great courage, standing with your mate. Go change. So you can join the conversation.a Talon answered with a low growl.

aI wonat hurt her,a the man said. aShe was talking to me, in her head. I could pick up a lot of it, but not all. We need to sort this out.a Talon used his teeth to s.n.a.t.c.h up the pants head discarded. Dragging them across the ground, he disappeared behind a tree, where he silently said the chant that changed him from wolf to man. When he had transformed, he pulled on the pants and dashed back to the road, where he put himself between the man and Kenna.

aIf youare a shifter, where did you get a pair of jeans?a The man laughed. aThatas your first question? I picked this place of confrontation. I left clothing here. My name is Ramsay Gallagher. Now. Iave had a lot of names over the years.a aYeah. Well, you were going to kill us. Why did you break off the attack?a Gallagher gestured toward Kenna. aShe stopped me. Not by force, but when I read her thoughts, I knew I had to talk to you.a aWhy should we trust you not to kill us when you get what you want?a Talon demanded.

The man turned his hands palm up. aI could have killed you already. You and your friends.a aKenna put up a shield.a His expression hardened. aDo you think that would have stopped me if Iad wanted to blast you?a The other men had come out from behind the rocks. They were still holding their guns, pointed at Gallagher.

He flicked his gaze toward them. aYou might as well put your weapons away. They wonat hurt me.a aYou could be bluffing,a Logan challenged.

Gallagher shrugged. aGo ahead and shoot if you think it will do any good.a Logan raised his automatic.

aPut that down, you fool!a Talon shouted.

Logan glared at him. aHe just challenged me.a aAnd you donat know if heas got some kind of shield, or if heas going to hurl a thunderbolt at you.a aLetas try to stay calm,a Ross said.

Logan lowered the gun.

aWe should get off the road,a Gallagher said. aWhy donat you all come to my house?a aWhere is it?a Gallagher gestured toward the nearby mountain, where Talon had seen the chalet perched on the side of a cliff.

aIf we go up there, weall be trapped,a he said.

aI think weare going to have to trust each other,a the dragon-shifter said.

aEasy for you to say, when bullets bounce off your scales.a aWhat can I do to prove my good faith?a aLet me see inside your mind,a Kenna answered. aLet me find out who you are.a His gaze shot to her. aThat could be dangerous.a aWhat can I do to you?a aI donat know.a The tension pulled taut as they stared at each other. Then Gallagher lifted one shoulder. aSee what you can do.a aCan I touch you?a When she took a step forward, Talon put a hand on her arm. aStay away from him!a aWhatever he can do, he can do it from there. Iam the one who doesnat have enough power to bridge the distance between us.a aYou can get the other women to help you.a Rinna must have heard. From the corner of his eye, Talon saw her step out from behind the rock.

Logan growled deep in his throat. aI want the other women to stay where they are.a Talon nodded, knowing that his cousin was within his rights to insist on protection for his mate. If it was protection. Gallagher could probably reach them from where he was standing.

While all that was going through Talonas mind, Kenna stepped forward. It was all Talon could do to stay where he was.

There was an awkward moment when she must have been trying to decide where to touch Gallagher. Finally, she put her hands on either side of his face.

Somehow Talon stayed where he was as his mate pressed her hands to the monsteras cheeks.

How she could stand to touch him was beyond Talon, but he watched in silence as she closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

Gallagher also closed his eyes, and Talon tried to imagine what was going on between them. They were two enemies trying to reach some kind of agreement. Or were they? Did their psychic abilities give them something that he and Kenna could never share?

Maybe she heard that thought in her head, because she opened her eyes and looked at him.

aThis has nothing to do with us,a she murmured.

He answered with a tight nod.

aLet me do my job.a He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. She was right; the sooner she could finish with this Vulcan mind-meld, the sooner they could settle things with Gallagher.

Talon folded his arms. He might have turned away, but he found he couldnat take his eyes off the sight of his mate touching another man so intimately.

No, not a man. A monster, he reminded himself, then struggled to put his mind into neutral so as not to interfere with what Kenna was doing.

Time seemed to stretch as she stood very still, her fingers moving on Gallagheras face, pressing a little.

Suddenly, she gasped, and her eyes snapped open. Gallagheras eyes opened, too, and they stared at each other with an intensity that made Talonas insides churn.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE.

aITaS A TRICK. Youare him.a Kenna lowered her hands and stumbled backwards into Talonas arms. She was breathing hard, and he could feel her whole body trembling as he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

aIam sorry. So sorry,a she whispered, twisting to look at Talon, then back at Gallagher. Talon could feel her struggling to steady herself. Still her voice was high and strained when she said, aHeas Vandar. Somehow heas Vandara"here. He was trying to fool me, but I figured it out.a aChrist!a Talon looked toward the rocks, wondering what their chances were of making it to shelter. And then what?

The dragon-shifter shook his head. aThatas wrong. Iave been here all along. In this universe. This is my home. Iave never heard of this Vandar thing, until I picked him up in your mind.a He gestured toward the chalet. aI live up there. Iave lived there for fifty years.a Kenna had stiffened her legs. aBut you could go back and forth. Vandar sent me here. And he called me back again.a Gallagher kept his voice even. aWhatever you think, Iam not him. You lived with Vandar for months. Has he disappeared for long periods of time?a Kenna swallowed. When she spoke, doubt crept into her voice. aI . . . donat know. I suppose itas possible. I just did the job he a.s.signed mea"preserving books. I didnat see him on a regular basis. Except for the ceremonies where he killed one of us.a Talon looked from the dragon-shifter to Kenna and back again. aWhy do you think heas Vandar?a She shuddered in his arms. aVandar told me about his early life. Gallagheras life is the same. He was the slave of a man named Halendor when he was a boy. So was Vandar. I mean, there was just one slave, not two.a Renata stepped out from behind the rock. Jacob was right behind her, gun in hand.

aMaybe both of you are right,a she said in a voice that cut through the thickening atmosphere.

aHow?a Gallagher demanded.

aIam from this world,a she told him. aBut Iam the reincarnation of an ancient G.o.ddess who came back to the world over and over. You donat know it, but the timeline split in 1893.a Quickly, she related the story of the Chicago Worldas Fair and how Eric Carfoli had thrown the world into chaos by giving people psychic powers. She turned her hand palm up. aThis is the confusing part. I was reincarnated in both universes until Carfoli changed that other world. Then I was only here. So, if youare the same . . . being . . . who was alive in 1893, there would be two versions of you now. One here and one there.a Kenna made a wheezing sound.

Gallagher tipped his head to the side, staring at Renata with an all-consuming focus.

aYouare saying that there are two of me, one in each universe?a he asked, emotions seething under the calm of his voice.

aI canat say for sure. But it would make sense. If both of you had the same early life.a His gaze turned inward. aIn 1893, I met someone who . . . affected my life.a aMaybe Vandar didnat. Or maybe he did. And it came out differently.a He nodded. aWe should get out of the middle of the road. Come up to the chalet and talk about it.a Talon gave him a questioning look. aYou mean where you can take us prisoner?a aYeah, why should we trust you?a Logan asked.

Gallagher looked at the two werewolves who had challenged him. aBecause I think we need to sort this out.a Renata looked at the other women. aWhat do you think?a They all gathered together, holding hands, and Kenna could sense power surging among them. The sensation awed her. Since theyad first joined together, she could feel their group power building. Enough power to fight off Ramsay Gallagher? She didnat know, but she had never felt anything like that among Vandaras slaves.

One by one, they nodded.

The men stared at them.

aYou have to be sure itas safe to go with him!a Logan said.

aHow can we be?a Renata asked.

Ross cleared his throat. aWe need to set some ground rules. Like we agree that weare all on the same side.a Talon laughed. aThat will last until we have a disagreement.a Kenna jumped back into the conversation, addressing her mate and also Gallagher. aFrom what Renata said, I believe youare not him. And since thatas true, we are on the same side. Vandar is planning to invade this world. If he establishes a base here, heall come looking for you.a aAnd if you arenat as ruthless as he is, heall destroy you.a Logan said.

Gallagher nodded. aIf what you say is true.a aIt is!a Kenna insisted.

Far above them, a jet plane cut across the sky, reminding everyone that they were still part of the modern world.

aCome inside,a Gallagher said. aIall be waiting for you at the chalet.a He turned and walked behind the rocks. A few moments later, the dragon leaped into the air, flying back to the chalet.

aYou trust him?a Talon asked Ross.

aYes. To a certain extent. He needs us.a aAnd when weave destroyed Vandar?a aFrom Kennaas description of him, we canat do that by ourselves. Not if we hope to fight his adepts at the same time. I think we need Gallagher. So letas hope heas honorable.a aYou think heas not a killer?a Logan demanded.

Ross turned to him. aI think heas dangerous when cornered. Iam sure heas killed to protect himself.a He looked at the other werewolves, each in turn. aWead do the same. Itas part of our nature.a There was a moment of tension before the other men nodded.

aI think he doesnat kill for pleasure,a Ross continued, aor to a.s.sert his power over others.a aWhat makes you think so?a Logan demanded.

aInstinct. And he could have already gotten us, if head wanted to.a aHe wants information.a aAnd our help. Maybe he even wants to be friends. Iam guessing heas been alone for a long time.a aIf youare wrong, weare in trouble,a Logan muttered.

Ross turned back to him. aAny way you look at it, weare in trouble. Apparently, he discovered Kenna long before we got here. He knows about all of us now. He could come after us if he wanted, but I donat think thatas how he operates. So we might as well try to set the ground rules for the relationship. While we still have some bargaining power.a There were murmurs of agreement.

aMaybe wead better go in one car,a Antonia suggested.

After Logan pulled the other vehicle to the side of the road, they all squeezed into the SUV Ross was driving.

Two of the men had to sit in the back. When they were all settled as best they could, the vehicle started up the narrow road that led to the chalet. They didnat get very far before they came to a heavy iron gate blocking the way. The mountain rose on one side, and a sheer drop fell away on the other.

aWell, I guess you donat get anyone to deliver pizza,a Talon said.

aJust a moment,a Gallagheras voice issued from a speaker on the gate.

The gate swung open, and they drove through. When they were on the other side, it clanked closed behind them.

aOr escape with the family jewels,a Logan added.

They drove up a winding gravel road that was probably deadly in winter. Even now, the loose gravel and the lack of a guardrail made the journey treacherous.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a parking area in front of the chalet. aAt least thereas room to turn around,a Ross said.

Kenna studied the house. It was built of stone, with a high peaked roof, and she thought that it was probably bigger than it looked, with some of the structure below ground or built into the side of the mountain. She saw no other vehicles, but there was a wide garage door in front.

All of them got out, the men with their guns in their hands.

Gallagher came out the front door. He was wearing well-worn jeans and a navy T-shirt and looking totally at home in this world.

aCome in.a They followed him across the porch and into a large reception area. Kenna looked around and gasped when she saw one of the pictures hanging on the wall.

Gallagher turned toward her. aWhat?a She pointed. aThat picture. Vandar has the same one in his cave.a Ross walked up to the painting. aItas a Monet. Where did you get it?a aI bought it at an auction in Paris, in the mid-1800s.a aBefore the timelines split,a Renata said. aSo heas still got it, too.a aYouare an art collector?a Ross asked, looking into the sitting room off the reception area where several more paintings hung.

Gallagher gestured. aYes. Iave got several Pica.s.sos, some Van Goghs, some Modiglianis. As well as artists who didnat turn out to be as famous.a He looked back at them. aCome in and sit down. Iam sorry that I canat offer you any refreshments besides water.a aBecause you drink blood,a Kenna said in a gritty voice.

The room grew very silent as all of the werewolves instinctively moved closer to their mates.

Gallagher turned toward her. aYes. In my early life, I did live on the same food as humans, and I wasnat very healthy. Then I discovered that blood was my natural sustenance.a aAnd you kill to get it?a Logan asked.

He gave the werewolf a hard look. aI did. But my life-style has evolved over the years. I donat need to kill. And I donat need to drink human blood. I maintain a herd of deer up here in the mountains. I tap them for food. Much as the Masai tribesmen in Africa tap their cattle.a Kenna stared at him. aVandar always kills. He wants the people to be scared of him.a Gallagher turned to her. aI went through a period like that. I . . . changed. I discovered morality.a Before anybody could ask another question, he said, aLetas sit down.a They walked into what Talon would have called the living room, although it was furnished much differently from his own lodge, with elegant chairs and sofas that must have come from earlier ages.

Each of the werewolves sat with his mate. And Ross and Gallagher took chairs by the window.

Gallagher turned to Kenna. aFrom your mind, I picked up a lot about Vandar. He thrives on power.a aAnd he wants more territory. Which is why he plans to come here.a aI donat really understand how head do that if this universe is separate from the other one,a Gallagher said.

Rinna answered. aHead come through a portal between the worlds. The way I did. A strong group of adepts can open them.a When his brow wrinkled, she went on quickly. an.o.body here could open a portal. The other world is more primitive on an industrial level, but the psychics there are strong because theyare recognized in childhood and taught to perfect their talents. Still, it takes more than one person for a task that big.a aVandar has adepts who did that,a Kenna said. aIf we attacked his stronghold, theyad fight for him.a aWhy?a Talon could tell she was struggling to keep her voice steady. Gallagher might not be Vandar, but he was too close for her comfort. aBecause they fear what will happen if they defy him. But itas more than that. If youare one of his slaves, he gets into your mind and forces you to do his bidding. You might want to resist, but you canat. He sent me here to spy on this world in preparation for an invasiona"before Renata and the other women freed my mind from his power.a Ross said, aHe wanted her to bring back guns for his soldiers to use in a conventional fight. But we donat know exactly what he has in mind. Iam a.s.suming head come through and start taking over peopleas minds, the way he did in his own universe. We want to prevent that from happening.a aSo what are you proposing exactly?a Gallagher asked.

aI wish I knew,a Ross answered. aFor right now, Iad like to know youare on our side.a The dragon-shifter kept his gaze steady. aLet me think about it.a aFor how long?a aYouare asking me to risk my life by challenging him.a aI guess thatas right,a Ross answered. aVandar has to be stopped from establishing a beachhead in this world, one way or the other.a aYou should go home. Iall contact you in a few days,a Gallagher said.

aGo home? So you can attack us there?a Logan asked.

aI can attack you here. Iam not going after you.a aBut you may not be willing to join us,a Ross clarified.