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  “Ethon, over here.”

  Ethon turned to her and ran to the side of the road.

  “What the hell happened?” Ethon asked in a slight German accent. He bent down over Daniel and scanned his wounds.

  “A SUV hit us from behind. I think his leg is broken.”

  “I would say so,” Ethon said, looking at the exposed bone. He looked back to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Daniel got the worst of it.”

  “We need to get him to the bar. Call Helena and make sure she’s there.”

  “I can’t tell which number is hers,” Jessie said, pulling out the phone. “I didn’t even know I was calling you.”

  “Here.” Ethon handed her his phone and then scooped Daniel up, throwing him over his shoulders. Jessie could use some of that strength. She hurried in front of Ethon as she scrolled down the contact list in Ethon’s phone. She hit Helena’s name while opening the side door of the Land Rover.

  “If this is another prank, Daniel, I don’t have time for it,” Helena said, answering the phone.

  “It’s Jessie.” Ethon shoved Daniel into the backseat. “I need you to get to the bar.”

  “I’m already here. What’s going on?”

  Jessie slammed the side door shut and piled into the front.

  “We’ve been in an accident. We’re on our way to you, but Daniel is hurt bad.”

  “Are you on the bike?”

  “No, Ethon is here.”

  “Tell her we'll be there in ten minutes,” Ethon said, piling into the driver’s seat.

  “I heard him,” Helena said. “I’ll be here.”

  “Thanks.” Jessie hung up the phone and looked back at Daniel. Blood still continued to run from the cut on his head. Jessie turned in the seat to apply pressure to the wound.

  “Thank you for coming, Ethon.”

  Ethon nodded as he sped down the road towards the French Quarter.

  “You’re bleeding,” he said.

  Jessie wiped her nose and saw the black blood coating her hands.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  Ethon reached over to the glove compartment and pulled out a travelling size pack of tissues.

  “Thanks.” Jessie pulled out a tissue and wiped her nose.

  “Black blood. The disease has set in.” Jessie froze as she looked at him. He didn’t look at her as he sped down the road.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jessie said. Ethon did look at her that time, arching his blond brow in the process.

  “If you say so.” He turned back to the road.

  Jessie looked back to Daniel. She kept pressure on his head wound as Ethon wove through traffic, not slowing down any.

  In eight minutes flat they were stopped outside the bar. Bender and Drew ran out of the bar first. Jessie quickly got out and opened the back door so they could get to Daniel. Bender had no problems picking him up and carrying him into the bar.

  Thankfully, the bar was closed tonight as Bender raced through the front doors. Jessie followed close behind as Bender laid Daniel on a couple of tables that had been mashed together. Helena ran to Daniel’s side and began healing him. Her hands moved from his head and then down to his ribs. When her hands sunk into his sides, he woke up screaming.

  “Hold him down!” Helena ordered. Bender and Drew jumped to each of his arms, pinning him down. Jessie flinched as Daniel yelled again in pure agony. He quieted as Helena pulled out of his side.

  “Where’s Jessie?” Daniel asked, gasping for breath.

  “Stay still, Daniel,” Drew said.

  “Where’s Jessie?!”

  “I’m right here,” Jessie said, running to his side.

  “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

  “No. I’m fine.” Jessie was touched that despite all the pain Daniel was in right now, all he cared about was her.

  “I need to repair your leg,” Helena said. “You’re losing too much blood.”

  Daniel nodded before he looked back to Jessie. She saw his jaw tense as he clenched his teeth. When Helena’s hands dove into his leg, his face turned bright red. Jessie could see every vein throbbing in his face and neck. Bender and Drew kept him pinned to the tables as Helena worked as fast as she could. Jessie couldn’t take seeing Daniel like this. She hated him being in pain. And worse was it was her fault. The wolves were looking for her. None of this would have happened to him if she had just stayed away.

  Daniel’s face began to relax as Helena withdrew from him. His eyes landed on Jessie before they rolled back in his skull.

  “Daniel?” Jessie shook his shoulders.

  “That’s it,” Helena said, pulling back.

  “Why isn’t he awake?” Jessie asked.

  “He needs rest. His body is healed, but his mind needs to heal, too. It needs to process what just happened.” Helena turned to Bender. “Will you take him up to his room?”

  Bender nodded and then picked Daniel up and carried him to the stairs. Jessie made to follow, but Ashley stopped her.

  “What happened out there?”

  “A SUV crashed into us at a red light. Three men got out. They smelled like Rocco, but I didn’t see him. They were looking for me. When they couldn’t find me, they left.”

  It was close enough to the truth.

  Ashley turned to Ethon.

  “I’m glad you were around.”

  “Not exactly,” Ethon said. “Jessie called me. She couldn’t see the phone screen and just happened to hit my number.”

  “All the same, thank you for helping.”

  “You saved my wife,” Ethon said. “A debt I can never repay.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that you owe us nothing? We love Libby.”

  “Speaking of which. I kind of left her in the middle of something, so if everything is good here, I’m going to go back home.”

  “Of course. How’s the baby?”

  “Growing strong. Lib says she can feel it kicking now.”

  “Tell her I’ll be around soon.”

  “Will do.”

  Ethon glanced to Jessie before nodding. Jessie nodded back, grateful that he didn’t say anything about her blood. Jessie watched Ethon walk out of the bar. His head was held high and he walked with the grace of a king. Jessie shook him from her mind as her thoughts turned back to Daniel. She needed to see him.

  “I’m going to go check on Daniel,” Jessie said. Ashley let her pass and she shot up the stairs to Daniel’s room. He was still sleeping as she entered. Bender stood at the bed and turned to her.

  “He’ll be fine. Are you hurt? Do you need Helena?”

  “No. I’m fine. Just some scrapes.”

  “Okay. I’ll leave you two alone.”

  Bender left, ducking as he walked through the door frame. He was one very tall man. Jessie turned back to Daniel. She went and sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled the covers over him. She wiggled herself up beside him and rested her head on his chest. Her head went up and down with each breath he took. She closed her eyes as his heart beat against her ear. She had never been so scared in her life. If anything had happened to him, she didn’t know what she would do.

  She could feel her head spinning as her powers surged around her. She could control them though. Her family thought binding her powers was the answer, but the truth was they never really left her. Agnes helped keep them in check, but Jessie could always feel them. They were a part of her. And they were killing her.

  Daniel’s warmth seeped into her fingertips as her hands rested across his torso. If only she could stay like this forever, but she knew she couldn’t. Eventually the disease would claim her life, and it would take her sooner rather than later.

  CHAPTER 11

  “What happened?”

  Ashley looked up as Rickon, Robb, Ty, and Justin came running through the front door.

  “One of Rocco’s pets attacked Daniel and Jessie on the road,” Darion said. “They’re fine. Jessie was barely sc
ratched and Helena fixed up Daniel.”

  “I knew you couldn’t protect her,” Rickon said as his hands shook at his sides.

  “I almost lost my brother,” Ashley said. “Let us help you take care of this problem.”

  “Rocco is my problem,” Rickon said.

  “Until he involved my family.” Ashley was standing now, her feet shoulder width apart. A stance she took when she was not going to back down.

  “Your family involved himself,” Robb said. “Daniel shouldn’t be with her.”

  Ashley let out a growl before Darion quickly stood and grabbed her arms.

  “This isn’t helping anything,” Darion said. “Rocco is a threat and he needs to be eliminated before he starts killing the humans.”

  “That’s your answer for everything isn’t it, Dark Lord?” Ty said. “Just kill the Cambion as long as the humans are safe.”

  “In this case, yes.” Darion didn’t budge as he stood next to Ashley. “It doesn’t matter if Rocco is a Cambion, human or Dark Lord. He needs to be stopped.”

  “We can take care of him ourselves,” Ty said.

  “Yeah, and you’ve done such a great job at that, too.” Ashley looked at Torrick who had been silently sitting in the corner.

  Ashley saw Ty’s eyes flash in the light as he removed his sunglasses and faced Torrick. Torrick stood to his feet, and within seconds, Gareth and Drew were by his side. This was not going well. And if she didn’t do something soon, there was going to be a dog fight in her bar.

  “Enough!” Ashley shouted. “This isn’t helping.”

  She turned to Rickon.

  “I don’t know what Rocco’s bottom line is, but I do know he’s after Jessie.” Ashley saw Rickon look to Robb and Justin. “You already knew that?”

  “It’s probably a way to get to me. Go after the female,” Rickon replied.

  “We can keep her here at the bar. I’ll get Agnes to put some protection spells over it,” Darion said. “But you need to let us help you.”

  Rickon looked to his sons again and Ashley saw Robb nod to him.

  “We think they might be hiding out in the warehouse district,” Robb said. “Unfortunately, there are too many for us to check at once.”

  “Then we do it tonight. Together,” Ashley said.

  Rickon nodded.

  “Together.”

  “This is bullshit,” Ty said. “We don’t need the Dark Lords’ help.”

  “We do,” Robb replied.

  “Maybe if we had a stronger alpha,” Ty shot back. “Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  Ashley saw the flash of anger cross through Robb’s entire body. Robb stepped in front of Ty, nose to nose. Despite the tension holding in Robb’s body, he seemed calm and in control. He showed no fear and kept his stance.

  “Either get with the pack, or get out of it,” Robb said. “You have caused enough damage. We work as a team. If you want to be a lone wolf again, then there’s the door.”

  Ty fell quiet, but Ashley could see his lips curling into a snarl. Most Cambions didn’t care for the Dark Lords, and with her pack being married to one, it tended to cause tension. But Ashley didn’t care. The Dark Lords aren’t what they used to be. Ty, and everyone else, needed to get over the past.

  “Ty, go back to the bayou,” Rickon said. “I need you there protecting the pack.”

  “So, I’m a babysitter now?”

  “Until you can learn your place in the pack, yes. Send Tasha and Nathan to the warehouse district. I want you and Sky keeping watch over the bayou. Maria’s pregnancy still attracts demons. I can’t leave them unguarded.”

  Ty glared at Robb one more time before storming out of the bar.

  “What’s his hang up with us?” Boyd asked.

  “He comes from an older pack,” Rickon said. “They used to be in Romania until the pack was slaughtered by Marcus six hundred years ago. He was a just a pup then.”

  Ashley felt for Ty. It was no excuse for his behavior now, but she could see why he made it so personal. There was a time when the Dark Lords hunted the Cambions. They had thought as offspring’s of demons, the Cambions would be just as evil. Eve had eventually forbidden the hunting of werewolves, witches and vampires, but Marcus still saw them as a threat. He had been known to wipe out entire villages of Cambions. Covens, packs, houses. Gone in one night. Marcus abused a lot of his power then. But Marcus was no longer in charge of the Dark Lords, probably hiding in some hole. His miserable life wasting away. He had betrayed them and nearly killed them all.

  Ashley turned to Rickon.

  “I’m sorry about Daniel,” Rickon said. “But I have to make sure Jessie is safe. She’s my number one priority.”

  “I get that,” Ashley said, “But my priority is to my pack, and Rocco is a threat to it. We can do this together. Meet back here tonight.”

  Rickon nodded before he left, his sons following him.

  ***

  Baxter quivered under Rocco’s lethal stare. This was not going well.

  “Why do I see you in front of me and not the girl?”

  Baxter gulped.

  “There was a complication.”

  “A complication? When I appointed you second in command, it was because you don’t have complications.”

  “There was something else there. We had them cornered. The Gregorian was incapacitated. The girl should not have gotten away.”

  “And yet she did.”

  “We were thrown back. All of us. Just lifted and sent flying into the air. This girl. She is not what you told me.”

  “No. She’s…special. And crucial to our plans. Without her, I have no chance of defeating Rickon.”

  “What does he even matter to you? You have the stronger pack.”

  “No!” Rocco slammed his fist into the table. “As long as he has the girl, he has the power.”

  Baxter looked at Rocco. He saw something he had never seen in Rocco. Fear. But why should he be afraid? Rickon had a pack of lone wolves and families. Not soldiers. Not mercenaries. Rickon’s pack lives by a code. Protect the humans. Keep the secret. Baxter bowed to no code. Nor did Rocco. So why does Rocco fear this girl?

  “I will get her.” Baxter stood up. He walked to the door.

  “And Baxter,” Rocco said, causing him to pause at the door. “If you come back empty handed again, I will rip your head off with my own teeth.”

  Baxter bowed his head before he left. He had no doubt that Rocco could and would. He knew better than to challenge him. Baxter was an expert hunter, and his fighting skill was ruthless, but he had nothing on Rocco. And he knew it. He had to get this wolfswan or he might as well sign his own death warrant.

  Baxter left the empty office and stepped into the deserted warehouse. The smell of cement and steel lingered around him. His boots echoed throughout as he walked outside. He mounted his bike, but before he could start it, his phone rang. He looked down at the blocked number.

  “Who the fuck is this?” he said as he held the phone to his ear.

  “A friend. I have some information.”

  This was getting interesting. “Go on,” Baxter said.

  “Rickon is planning to attack the warehouse district tonight. If you’re there, I would suggest you move.”

  Baxter looked around. How did this person know they were here?

  “Who is this?” Baxter asked again.

  “That’s not important right now. All you need to know is that you can weaken Rickon. His pack lives in the bayou. I suggest you take advantage of the fact that he won’t be there tonight.”

  “The bayou has protection spells around it. We can’t get back in. We’ve tried.”

  “I’ll lower them.”

  “You’re a witch?”

  The phone went dead. Baxter looked around one more time, but didn’t see anyone. The sun was already down, but the night was still early. A smile crossed his lips before he went in to tell Rocco the good news.

  CHAPTER 12

  Daniel float
ed in and out of consciousness. That weird feeling between dream world and reality passed behind his closed eyes. He knew he was in his bed. He could feel the dent in his mattress underneath him. He knew the feel of his comforter as it lay over his legs. The feeling he didn’t recognize was the heavy weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down. Jessie was asleep, her head cradled on him. She looked so damn good lying there.

  “About time you woke up.” Daniel looked over to Gareth who sat on his couch playing a video game. From the sounds of tires screeching and the occasional crash, it was Grand Theft Auto.

  “Turn that down, Gareth. You’ll wake her.”

  “Jessie? Nah, that girl sleeps through anything. I’ve been yelling at the game for almost an hour now. If she hasn’t woken up from that, then nothing will wake her.”

  Daniel looked down at her. He moved to the right a little and her head fell to the mattress. Okay, maybe she does sleep through anything. He carefully crawled out of the bed and then pulled the covers over her. Her soft snores continued, uninterrupted.

  Daniel stretched and let out a yawn.

  “How long have I been asleep?”

  “All day. You took a pretty bad beating. Looks like the road won that one.”

  “Yeah. How’s my bike?”

  “In pieces.”

  “Dang. I really liked that bike.” He looked around his room. “How did I get here?”

  “Jessie called Ethon, who brought you to the bar. Helena healed you. Bender carried you up.”

  Daniel cringed. The thought of another man carrying him didn’t sit well. What if Bender touched his butt? He cringed again at the thought. He looked down at his torn clothes and the dried blood that clung to him.

  “Is Jessie okay?” Daniel asked as he went back to the bed to inspect her. He didn’t see any visible damage other than a few scrapes along her arms and chin.

  “Yeah, she’s fine. Didn’t even need Helena. You, on the other hand, screamed like a little girl.”

  “Yeah, well, you try having Helena’s hands inside you and see if you don’t cry out for your teddy bear.”

  “His name is Graham, and Helena can touch me where ever she wants to.”