"Yes, and you will see them all when you wish." Reef nuzzled her shoulder. "Your ride is leaving, Miranda, and this is your last chance to return to your world."

"It is a pretty ship." She shivered at the warmth of the man pressed tight against her back. The gentle force of the underwater waves caused by his powerful tail swirled around their bodies. "If you wish you may put me there with your magic."

He turned her to face him and lifted her partly out of the water. "You aren't going to call for them?"

Miranda slipped her arms around his neck, wrapped her legs around his waist and wiggled against his stomach. "If I did that how would I get to see all you promised to show me?"

Reef cupped her backside and fought the tug at the corner of his mouth. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. If I get on any ship, I promise to jump again. Will you catch me?"

"Always, my beloved water sprite." He kissed her with a pa.s.sion, strong and desirous with no intent to stop until her moan garnered his attention. Their oral embrace broken, he rubbed the tip of her nose with his. "Let's explore Atlantis, my love." Manipulation of time and s.p.a.ce accompanied by his wink, he whisked her away into the kingdom below the surface of the sea.

ATLANTIS LOST.

Stephani Hecht "Here kitty...kitty...kitty..." chanted a disembodied voice over Brianna's earpiece.

"Hey, a.s.swad," another responded. "That jokes as old as time. I know that this is your first mission, but you don't need to broadcast is so loudly."

Brianna pushed the talk b.u.t.ton on her own earpiece, "Be nice to Kegan. We were all green witches or warlocks at one time."

"I'm not that green," Kegan protested, his voice cracked giving away his nervousness.

"Please," the other male shot back. His name was Cale and he was one of Brianna's most seasoned fighters. "We may as well slap a bright red stamp on his forehead that says, Fresh Meat."

Brianna smiled since the young recruit was a couple of streets down and wouldn't see her amus.e.m.e.nt at his expense. "Cale, you're just p.i.s.sed because we haven't seen any action tonight."

"And we won't be," Cale growled. She knew him so well that she could almost see his sneer even though he was nowhere in sight. "Ever since the shifters have taken Garrett, they've been laying low, like the little p.u.s.s.ies they are. They know you're going to have all your soldiers out looking for him."

Brianna's gut tightened at the mention of her cousin's name. Garrett was her best friend and had been her constant companion. They had been raised together since birth and he was like a brother to her. G.o.ddess knew they looked alike enough to pa.s.s as siblings. They both had the same wavy blond hair and light blue eyes. He hated his curls, always keeping his hair cut short to hide them. She had resigned herself to her own a long time ago, although she always kept it in a tight braid when out patrolling like tonight.

"Look, Brie," Cale soothed in a much softer tone. All of her men knew how broken up she was about her cousin. "We don't even know that they took him alive. He might be-"

"Don't even say it," she commanded harshly. Brianna shivered, suddenly aware of how cold her exposed abdomen felt as the night air caressed it. She always wore tight fitting shirts into battle so she could move easier. Tonight was a black shirt cropped short so it showed off her taut belly. It was hard for her to resist the urge to pull her long, black, overcoat tighter because she would have to shift her Glock in order to do so and didn't want to be vulnerable even for a second. Especially now since she faced danger from all sides, the shifters and her own.

What Cale didn't know was they hadn't seen any action for months because she'd planned it that way. Garrett had, too, before he disappeared. They both were working together with some shifters in hopes of finally making peace. The pair were taking a great risk because what they were doing would be looked upon as treason by both ruling families. Shifter or witch, the punishment for treason was death.

She was shaken out of her trance when Cale barked, "I've got a group of three shifters headed down my street. Requesting backup."

She started running, her boots echoing wet, slaps with each step. Gunshots rang out nearby and she cursed under her breath, "s.h.i.t." Before ordering Cale, "d.a.m.n it, don't kill them. I need them alive so they can tell me where Garrett is." Which was only half true, the main reason why she didn't want them killed was because, thanks to Garrett and his frigging make love not war talk, she'd suddenly grown a conscience when it came to slaughtering shifters.

Cale let out a growl and she heard another shot. "Sure, no big deal. I'll just catch their bullets with my teeth and tackle them at the same time."

"Just do it."

Brianna rounded the corner and stopped short at the sight of two male shifters. One was p.r.o.ne on the ground and another one was standing over him. The stander had brown hair styled in a s.h.a.ggy cut so bad that even in the dark, she could still make out that it was G.o.d awful. He was wearing a dark bomber jacket and he had one hand inside it. He looked up at her and seemed to be just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Recovering quickly, he gave her a lazy smile before he whipped out a gun and fired several quick rounds at her.

She ducked into a nearby door and tried to make herself as small as possible. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she chided herself. She had never been caught off guard like this before. In her worry for Garrett and his d.a.m.n cause, she'd been caught with her size four, hip-hugger jeans down. She peeked out so she could squeeze off a few rounds, but the stander was gone. He'd left his friend behind. Brianna saw, even from across the street, that he was injured. That surprised her. She'd never seen a shifter leave behind one of their own. They were, if anything, fiercely loyal to one another.

"What the h.e.l.l?" she whispered. She knew that shifters were quick, thanks to the feline part of them, but she'd never had one practically disappear right before her eyes. She'd have suspected magic, but that was impossible.

Cale's voice crackled into her earpiece, snapping her out of her musings. "We're chasing a couple of them, but they've shifted and it's hard to keep up."

"Don't you dare loose them. I want to a full status report as soon as you get one."

"I could really use your help here. I'm out here on my own with just this green kid to help me out."

"He can't be that bad."

Cale gave a disgusted sigh. "When we first saw them he shouted, Stop in the name of the law. I thought the shifters were going to laugh themselves into submission."

Brianna imagined the look on Cale's face at the incident. "Just don't kill him."

"I already told you I would try to take the shifters alive."

"I didn't mean them, I mean the kid. Maintain pursuit. I'm on my way." She hoped he didn't hear the lie in her voice as she disconnected the communication. Brianna inched her way to the shifter, wary because this whole set up could be a trap. The shifter was on his stomach, his face toward her, and he wasn't moaning. For a second she thought he was dead, then there was a slight movement as he took in a shallow breath. His short, ink-black hair appeared to be wet in areas, no doubt with blood. His eyes remained closed and he gave no indication he knew she was there.

Squatting down, she felt around his neck, trying to ignore how cold and clammy his skin was until she found a chain. Pulling it out, she let out a moan of apprehension at the silver triquetra on the end of it. d.a.m.n it, if this wasn't the cherry on her c.r.a.p day of a sundae.

"s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, double s.h.i.t. You would have to be a freedom fighter." On both sides of the civil war between the ancient races that had once lived in Atlantis, a small group of freedom fighters had broken out and started to operate in the shadows. Sick of the war that had destroyed their once great home, they now were working in secret in hopes of one day making peace. They did this at great risk of discovery. Most would like to keep this war going, and that included the current royal leaders. With that in mind, the freedom fighters had exchanged amulets so that they would know friend from enemy. Even now she felt the gold paw print she always wore, pressing on her chest like a heavy weight.

Her earpiece came to life as Cale called again. "Where are you? You're not hurt are you?"

Her heart galloped. If Cale found the injured shifter, he would shoot him on the spot. She couldn't allow that. Now that she'd seen that d.a.m.n amulet, she was honored bound to protect his fine hide. Her fingers trembled as she pushed the communicate b.u.t.ton. "I twisted my ankle. Finish the mission without me."

There was a long pause and she held her breath. Cale had known her since she was a little girl. Would he buy her little fib? He finally gave a disgruntled grunt. "Fine, but don't think I'll always be here to pick up the pieces of your mess."

She c.o.c.ked her head to the side. Now what in the h.e.l.l did he mean by that? Was is possible that he knew what she was up to? Another shiver ran through her body. Cale was a great friend, but he would make a terrifying enemy and he was fiercely loyal to her father, the king.

She gave a slight shake of her head and returned her attention to the injured shifter. Rolling him over onto his back, she gasped at the amount of blood soaking though his shirt. Whatever had taken him must have been mean and ugly. It wasn't easy to take down a shifter. Not even for a witch like her. But something had and it had been d.a.m.n brutal. Sloppy, too. There was no way a witch or warlock would have left a half-dead shifter for a human to find.

The last thing any surviving Atlantean needed was for one of them to end up in a human hospital. There were too many secrets that they needed to keep, regardless of what side of the war they were on.

She took in a deep breath, weighed her options and almost gagged at the mixture of scents that a.s.saulted her. The alley reeked of garbage, urine, dirt, fish and salt.w.a.ter. Fish and salt.w.a.ter? She leaned down closer toward the shifter and gave another tentative sniff. Why would he smell like fish? They were hundreds of miles from the ocean.

She moved his blood soaked clothing around to get a better look at his injuries. He was wearing a heavy army jacket over a black hoodie, so it wasn't easy. To make things even more difficult, the night was pitch black and the only lighting was one weak streetlamp.

She must have jostled him more than she'd realized because he let out a sharp gasp and his lids cracked open. She found herself looking into the most intense blue eyes that she'd ever encountered. They were fringed by dark thick lashes. Any female would kill to have those suckers and here was this warrior shifter touting them around and probably not even appreciating them.

"So, I guess you're here to finish the job," he slurred out, sounding like the local drunk.

She tilted her head to the side. She'd seen him somewhere before, but just couldn't figure out where. "Now that would make my life a whole lot easier."

"Lucky me," his voice weakened with every syllable. "My angel of death is so f.u.c.king hot that I really don't mind that she's going to put me out my misery."

She couldn't hold back the small chuckle and he gave a weak smile in return. His lips curled up enough to reveal his elongated canines. It wasn't until she saw the dimples he was proud owner of, that she realized who he was. "Beat me with a stick and call me Nancy," she all but shouted. "You're Markus, the oldest son of the shifter king."

He didn't answer her because he had fallen back into unconsciousness. His breathing became more ragged and shallow and his skin turned such a pasty white it stood out in stark contrast to his dark hair. He let out another gasp and she waited nervously for an eternity to see if he took another one. He finally did, but it was accompanied by a wet rattling sound that announced his lungs were filling with fluid.

There was no way she could let him die now, not when she just discovered who he was. If he were to croak on her watch, it would set the freedom fighters back ten years. She placed her hands on his chest and called upon the ancient G.o.ddess of Atlantis. A great white light of healing energy hummed within the earth before it shot upward through her body. It slammed into her with so much force she jerked a bit, but she had prepared herself and was able to keep her hands in place. The light traveled down her arms, through her fingertips and into the shifter. He let out a loud gasp as his worst wounds started to slowly heal.

His eyelids fluttered open as the color came back into his face. Using this much magic quickly drained her, but she didn't dare stop. She knew she didn't have enough left in her to heal all of his wounds, but did have enough to mend the worst of them. Once she knew for sure that he wasn't going to die, she relinquished the white light back to the earth.

As she pulled her arms back, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. It wasn't a violent move, more like he desperately sought something to anchor onto. Brianna looked down at him and her gaze instantly locked with his. She remained frozen in place, her heart hammering in her chest as his sharp blue eyes seemed to look inside her soul.

His presence and essence snaked through every fiber of her being, as if she found something she never knew she lost. She'd never been a believer in love at first sight or lifemates, but right now, she would kill to protect this shifter. Not because he could help lead her to Garrett, but because he belonged to her. Oh, this is so not good.

His upper lip curled up in disgust. "This is d.a.m.n inconvenient. The last thing I need right now is to find out that my lifemate is a witch."

She jerked her hand away, surprised that one little statement stung that much. "Hey, bud, I don't know what you think is going on. I was just healing you so I could barter your a.s.s back to your daddy."

He rolled over and pinned her on the ground so quickly she didn't have time to react. She sucked in her breath at the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. His full lips lingered mere inches from hers and, each time he breathed, it tickled her cheek.

"Are you still going to deny there's something between us?" he challenged before leaning down and burying his nose briefly against her neck. "I can smell the desire on you and it makes me want you even more. The minute I looked into your eyes, I knew you were the one for me, witch or not. All you have to do is deny you feel the same thing and I'll get up, leave and you never have to see me again."

"You need to stop this," her protest sounded weak, even to her own ears.

"I've seen you fight before, Brianna," her named rolled from his tongue like hot caramel. "If you really wanted to get me off you, you'd have already done so."

"You know who I am?" she squeaked as every nerve ending in her body hummed in pleasure.

Instead of answering, he slipped one hand down the front of her top. Her breathing halted as his fingers brushed her sternum, briefly touching the insides of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, before he fished out her amulet and held it out between them. "Garrett told me what you would look like. What he didn't tell me was that your hair looked like spun silver and moonlight or that your eyes might remind me of the ocean that I've longed for, but have never seen. He sure as h.e.l.l didn't tell me that your curves would be so soft and perfect, or that you would smell like flowers and desire."

"Oh gawd," she groaned out. "You must have a head injury because now you're talking stupid."

His face twisted up in a grimace. "I guess you do have a point there. That last sentence was a bit sappy. That still doesn't change the fact that you are so desirable that I can't keep my hands off you."

"You're not completely healed. You'll start bleeding again."

"Ah, sweet witch, some things are worth bleeding over."

"What you need to do is shift into cat form so your body can finish healing."

"Not going to happen."

His eyes continued to look at her with such longing she completely forgot she was on her back on the wet street.

Leaning down, he captured her mouth in a heated kiss.

Her body awoke when his lips touched hers. She moaned at the taste of him. It was a strange mixture of dark spices and sweetness. In all of her years, she never dreamed a simple kiss could affect her this way. He nudged her lips with his tongue and she gladly parted them so he could invade her mouth. Growing bolder, she darted her tongue into his mouth and tentatively stroked his fangs. She never kissed a shifter before and the canines were a new taboo she loved the feel of.

He broke off the kiss and nuzzled the side of her neck. His tongue, lips and fangs traveled from her ear, along her jaw line, down her neck, then ended at her collarbone.

An ache built up between her thighs as she thought about how it would feel to have those fangs teasing all of her body right before he took her in every way possible. "You're the last one that I should be doing this with," she protested, then grabbed him by the back of his head and pulled him closer.

His hand drifted to her bare abdomen, his touch earned her shiver of antic.i.p.ation. "Do you want me to stop?" his question was strained.

She instinctively knew if she said yes, he would stop in an instant. His hand moved up and brushed the bottom of her breast. She arched her back so more of him came into contact with her. "No Markus, I don't want you to stop."

He shifted his mouth down to her breast and started to suck her nipple. Even though she still wore her bra and top, he was so skilled with his mouth it felt as if he touched her, skin-to-skin. He thrust his hips forward so his hard c.o.c.k pressed against her core and she almost came on the spot.

Then, to her shock and dismay, he pa.s.sed out and collapsed on top of her, just as things started to get good. She grunted as all of his body weight settled on her smaller frame. She wiggled a bit, trying to wake him up. She whispered, "Psst...psst..." in his ear. When that didn't work, she thunked him on the head twice. He didn't even twitch.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" she spat out between clenched teeth. "Hey, cat boy, you're not supposed to go to sleep until after the s.e.x is over."

It took her nearly an hour, and the last reserves of her magic, to extract herself from under Markus, then get him back to her house and into her bedroom. He was over six-foot four and every bit of that was hardened muscle, so he was pretty d.a.m.n heavy. She made sure she voiced that fact to him too every chance she got, all the way home.

Once she got him to her room, she dumped him on the bed and studied her new boy toy, trying to decide the best way to help him. "You ruin my new bedspread, I'm taking it out of your hide," she threatened tall, dark and studly.

I'm so sorry, your highness. Next time I get ambushed, I'll ask them to attack areas that bleed less. It's d.a.m.n inconsiderate of me to bleed out on your linens.

She spun around the room, looking for the source of the voice before her gaze settled back on him. When she realized what had just happened, she was so shocked she jumped a bit. She'd heard shifters were telepathic, but she'd never had one invade her mind before. But then again, she'd never had one dive down her top before making out with her in an ally either. Since she was in no way telepathic, she spoke aloud. "n.o.body likes a smart a.s.s."

So I've been told. Did anyone see you take me back here?

She brushed back a stray lock of her hair and huffed in disgust. "Sure they did. I went out of my way to make sure all the humans saw me levitating a huge, half dead dude back to my car. It's what I do for entertainment on Fridays."

Now who's being the smart a.s.s? There was an undertone of amus.e.m.e.nt to his question.

"Why did your buddy leave you behind? He had to know how hurt you were. He didn't even act broken up about it."

That's because he wants me to die. He found out that I was trying to find a way to make peace with you guys and it p.i.s.sed him off a bit.

She lifted the front of his shirt and hissed with displeasure at several deep knife wounds. She tugged at his jacket to get a better look and encountered something cold and wet. Pulling her hand away in disgust, she noticed that it was covered by a green slime. She brought it up to her nose and stupidly sniffed it before almost gagging as the scent of fish and seawater invaded her. "Ew! What is all over you?"

I was attacked by Tritons. They were the ones that caused all this damage that is leaking over your bed. Aaron was just the one that led them to me.

She gave a slight shake of her head, even as her stomach flipped in dread. "Tritons? As in, the guys related to mermaids, but more ugly and cranky? The ones that vowed to destroy both of our races? You must be hallucinating. They can't survive this far from the ocean. That's why both of our kinds live here."

I was just as stunned as you are, but there was no mistaking them. I was wondering if maybe a witch wasn't helping them become land bound.

"It would have to be a pretty powerful witch or warlock." She went to the bathroom and came back, wiping her hand on a towel. "That would take an awful lot of magic. Who's Aaron by the way?"

He was the shifter that you saw standing over me. Hurt and fury laced his statement.

She raised a brow. "Oh, you mean the one that looked like he got his hair done at Supercuts? I take it you two aren't best friends?" Opening up her closet, she pulled out a trunk that contained all of her healing crystals, herbs and potions. "Not to change subjects, but how do I really know Garrett sent you? I mean you could have my cousin held prisoner somewhere for all I know." No sooner had those words left her mouth, then a cell phone started ringing. Since it wasn't playing the baby's voice from Family Guy, she knew it wasn't hers.

That's Garrett. Answer it. It's in my coat pocket.

Her mouth opened in shock. "But how did he know to call?"

I communicated with him telepathically and told him that you needed some proof. He wasn't too surprised. He said that you've always been a Doubting Thomas.

Her heart leapt up into her throat. Finally, after all this time, she would know for sure her cousin was okay. She almost dove on top of Markus, frantic to get to the phone before it stopped ringing. She didn't even care she came into contact with even more of the Triton slime. Flipping it open, she breathed out, "Please, tell me this is really you."

"It's me Brie," Garrett's voice was tight with concern, but it was still a blessing to hear. "You need to make sure you take good care of Markus and listen to him."

She cringed at the fact she was completely sprawled on top of the shifter. So much for taking good care of him. "I'm getting ready to finish healing him. Why is he so important to you all of the sudden? You've never even mentioned his name before tonight."