"How long were you seeing her in Luxor?"

"We went out three times."

"Were you f.u.c.king her then?"

"No."

"But you've f.u.c.ked her since you've been home."

"Yes." He didn't like hearing Nick talk about Sara like that, which sort of horrified him.

"If this is easy s.e.x with a hot chick who's temporarily dependent on you, then you're being an a.s.shole and-"

"That's not what this is." That's really not what this is. Oh s.h.i.t. G.o.d help me.

"So, what? You're in love?"

He didn't answer.

"Bryan?"

"I don't wanna be," he said miserably.

Nick proceeded to twist the knife by laughing at him. "Why are you acting like such a p.u.s.s.y?"

Bryan knew he said it in jest-he was still laughing-but it stung. "That's what TJ said."

"What? What is?"

Flinging himself down on the couch next to Nick, he put his head back and stared up at the ceiling as he confessed, "The other night-the first night we were home. Sara started crying, so I called TJ for advice, and TJ called me a p.u.s.s.y."

"That's my girl." He was surprised at the pride and affection in his Alpha's voice. Nick reached over and backhanded him in the chest. "So what if you're in love with her? What's so bad about that?"

"She's fae."

"For f.u.c.k's sake, B, is that all it is? That's the only thing holding you back? If she's not crazy, what's the big deal with her fae blood?"

"We couldn't have kids."

"Hmm. Yeah, there's that. I mean, some doctors claim they've helped fae women get pregnant by wolves. I don't know the numbers. But even if y'all can't conceive, you could adopt."

"That's true." Werewolf babies were hard to place. Werewolf families didn't often adopt, and human families, even those who wanted boys, didn't want the responsibility of raising a wolf. "Can you imagine what my dad would say if I told him I was in love with a fae chick?"

"I bet they'd like Sara. And I know your mother's ready for you to settle down."

He groaned. "s.h.i.t. You're right. No, I'm not telling them about this for a while."

Nick laughed again and sat up. "All right." He pointed at the papers on the coffee table. "Let's talk about all this."

"Come on down, Sara Mae, before I hurt her."

Somehow she made it down the stairs to the second floor landing, and then she saw him. He was standing in the entry hall on the first floor, an arm around TJ's neck and a gun pointed at her head.

"What are you doing, Wayne?" Sara's mouth had gone dry. Her voice came out thin and scratchy.

"I'm looking for you. Now get the f.u.c.k down here. Me and you's going home."

"Okay. Okay, Wayne. I'm coming. Just please, don't hurt her."

"Move!"

Slowly and deliberately, she walked down the last flight, making no sudden movements lest Wayne get twitchy. He looked real close to the edge. TJ looked both furious and terrified.

She needed a second, that was all. The gun in her purse was loaded. She just needed Wayne to take his eyes off her for a second so she could reach in, pop the safety and shoot the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

As Sara reached the bottom step, she put a hand out to her new friend, but Wayne flung TJ aside, propelling her into a wall.

He spun back to Sara and ripped the purse off her shoulder. "You don't need that. Come on." He shoved her toward the door.

Behind her, she heard footsteps on the hardwood floor. She turned to see TJ sprinting for the guest room.

Wayne stopped, turned and fired. TJ went down with a shrill cry.

Sara screamed. Wayne grabbed her by the hair, forcing her face up to his. "Shut your hole or I'll shoot her again."

Biting her lip to keep from screaming, she stumbled behind him as he dragged her out to a battered blue Chevy. She offered no resistance when he shoved her into the front seat and cuffed her left wrist to the glove compartment handle.

"You're sure the police know about the Hedges?"

"Yeah. I followed Wayne a few times when he met with the chief-name's Rice-and he was making payoffs. Wayne's not too bright, but he's mean as h.e.l.l and he's got a ring of guys working for him in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, maybe even Oklahoma. It's way too big for the cops not to know anything."

"d.a.m.n." Nick rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. "I had no idea there was that much money in meth."

"It's huge in the boondocks. I think Wayne was running pharmaceuticals too."

"Okay. So if the cops in Luxor-"

"There's only two of them."

"Right. If the cops know the Feds are on to them, and the Feds threaten to prosecute, maybe the cops won't try to protect Hedges."

"Right," Bryan replied, "but I think Wayne's dead."

Nick's private line rang.

"You need to get that?"

"No. It'll roll to Nancy. Yeah, I bet you're right, Hedges probably-"

"Nick!"

Nancy's scream sent both wolves flying off the couch and into the lobby. The receptionist's hands shook as she held the phone out.

"It's TJ. She's hurt."

Nick grabbed the receiver. "TJ?"

On the other end, TJ gasped, struggling to speak. "Wayne- He-"

Bryan's head swam as he heard the gurgle in her voice. Chest wound? G.o.d, please, no.

Nick had gone ashen. "TJ, where are you?"

"Bryan's. I-"

"Okay. Okay, sweetheart, we're on the way. Hang on!-I'm coming." He glanced at the phone as he dropped the receiver. "Call 911 to your house!"

Bryan dialed as they raced for the elevator.

They were headed north on 59-right back to G.o.dforsaken Luxor. Wayne hadn't said a word since they'd left Bryan's house. He drove with one bandaged hand on the steering wheel, and the other-the right one, the one closest to her-clutching the pistol atop the console between the seats.

She hadn't said anything either, too busy fighting panic and nausea, reliving the moment Wayne had fired and TJ had crumpled to the floor.

Had she gotten TJ killed?

At this point, she didn't care if Wayne killed her. If he was taking her back to Luxor to turn her over to the European wolves, she'd rather be dead.

She could feel her phone pressing against her thigh through her jacket pocket. She'd charged it just this morning, and her free hand itched to pull it out. Wayne would grab it from her, of course. What if it started ringing? Would Bryan be trying to call her? If TJ were dead, he wouldn't know anything about what had happened, would he? What the h.e.l.l could she do?

Okay, drama queen, get a grip.

"How'd you find me?"

"The Russians told me where Keeton lived."

"How'd they know?"

"What the f.u.c.k do I care? They told me to get you, so I did."

Someone had talked-maybe the guy Bryan called when he caught the wolves at Grandma's house, maybe someone else. He'd said the investigation was riddled with leaks.

"Wayne, do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yeah, I've saved my G.o.dd.a.m.ned life, that's what I've done."

"No, Wayne. The woman you shot works for the Houston Alpha. Your life's not worth spit now. Nick Wargman's gonna kill you."

From the corner of her eye she saw him turn to her, and she caught an expression of shock on his face.

"s.h.i.t, Sara," he breathed in a strange, vaguely awestruck tone. "You're running around with werewolves?"

They raced to his place on foot, pa.s.sing the ambulance as it weaved and wailed down Louisiana.

Nick was first through the open front door, Bryan right behind him as he followed a trail of blood-Christ, that's a lot of blood-into the downstairs guestroom.

TJ lay on the floor next to the bedside table, the phone in her limp hand. The right side of her blouse was soaked with blood. More blood had pooled on the floor beneath her shoulder.

Nick dropped to his knees and gathered her into his lap. "TJ? Baby, it's me."

He brushed the hair from her face and moved his hand down to her shoulder, as if to probe the wound, but stopped. His hand hovered helplessly above her, his face twisted in agony because there was nothing he could do. The scent of his fear and rage filled the room. Bryan clenched his jaw and ground his teeth to keep from whimpering as Nick's pheromones washed over him, pushing him to change.

The ambulance pulled into the driveway. Bryan heard them unloading the crash cart.

TJ's voice was so faint no one but wolves could've heard her words. "Wayne...he took her. He..."

"Shh, baby, don't talk. The ambulance is here. You'll be fine." Nick looked up at Bryan. "It went in her shoulder. I think her lung's collapsed. I can hear it in-"

"I know. I hear it too."

Her face was pale and slick with sweat. As the EMTs lifted her from Nick's arms and put her on the stretcher, she tried to reach for him. "Nick, don't- I'm..."

"I know, baby. I'm right here. I won't leave." He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his mouth. "I'm right behind the ambulance. You going to St. Joseph?" he asked one of the EMTs.

"Yes, sir. You want to ride with her?"

He swallowed and shook his head. "No. Not a good idea right now. I'll follow you."

The EMT nodded as they rolled her into the ambulance and slammed the door.

Bryan stood on the bottom stair, clutching the banister, his whole body racked with tension. He'd fight the change with everything he had, but between Nick's panic over TJ and his own panic over Sara, he wasn't sure he could stay two-footed much longer.

He'd known Nick was close to his a.s.sistant, but he was still shocked at his Alpha's reaction. Only the deepest trauma could force the change on a wolf as powerful as a Pack Alpha. Bryan smelled the change on Nick, saw him trembling with the force of resisting it as he bent over, hands on his knees, shuddering and gulping at air just like Bryan was doing.

If Nick changed, Bryan would change. And Bryan needed to be in human form to go after Sara. The thought of her in the hands of those savages filled him with a crimson rage and a queasy terror at the same time.

The two wolves said nothing as each battled his body for control. The small entryway filled with the sound of their rasping, labored breaths and the smell of their distress. The dogs in the neighboring condos began to howl as they picked up the scent of the werewolves' pheromones. The smelly cacophony made his head ring till he thought his ears would bleed. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't get a handle on- Suddenly the air in the room became lighter. The crushing pressure of involuntary change abruptly vanished.

Now that his Alpha had beaten back the shift, Bryan could too.

Nick straightened and held out his arms. "Come here."

He allowed Nick to pull him in for a tight embrace. Calmed and comforted by the touch, he was able to breathe freely again. Fifteen minutes had pa.s.sed since they'd gotten the call. It felt like an hour.

Nick released him. "Her phone."

"What?"

"Sara's phone was in her pocket." He frowned. "But if she can't answer, or Wayne takes it away-"