I shouldn’t have felt like a child who’d been disciplined by a parent, but I did. I walked into the house. Emil followed, doing his best to close his shirt with the remaining button survivors. Alex still stood by the door, looking like he wanted to slam it—and any other blunt object he could find—in Emil’s face.

Alex had surprised me with his initial calm demeanor, but that didn’t last long. He shut the door. Hard. Then he turned, looking straight at Emil, his eyes shooting daggers. “You took her to Denver and didn’t tell me that’s where you were going?” His voice was steadily rising.

Emil looked at the ground, gathering his emotions. “I had it under control.”

“Clearly,” Alex said through his teeth, “you didn’t.”

I knew the amicable relationship between Alex and Emil was too good to last.

Alex turned around, his back to Emil and me. He stayed that way for at least a full minute. His tight shoulders reflected the frustration I knew he felt—it was a posture I seemed to evoke from him frequently. “I was out of the area in a meeting, and wasn’t too interested in watching your date. When I came back, you still weren’t home. And you weren’t in Gunnison either. That’s when I checked my ring and located you. On a plane.” He turned back around, pegging Emil with a cold glare. “After picturing your face on my punching bag for the last thirty minutes, Stone, I decided to wait for you both here. I arrived just in time to find you with your tongue down her throat on the front porch. You should have warned me.”

Emil’s lips lifted ever so slightly. “That I was going to kiss her, or take her to Denver?”

Alex’s mouth curled in a snarl he could barely contain. “Don’t antagonize me.”

I blew out a breath, folding into the couch. It looked like we’d be here a while.

Emil shifted his weight from one foot to the other, putting his left hand in his pocket. “You’re overreacting, Alex. Again.”

“We were fine.” I caught Alex’s eyes and held them in a hard stare. “We made it back safe. And you’re pissing me off.”

Alex immediately shifted his attention from me to Emil. “It was irresponsible,” he said. “You should have taken backup.”

“I did,” Emil defended. “Our driver was also a Daevos member.”

Alex stared at him, disbelieving. “You took another Daevos member for backup? Are you stupid?” Alex paused, shaking his head. “I hope to hell it was someone you trust.”

Emil rolled his eyes, sitting on the couch across from me. “No, I thought I’d ask someone I don’t trust to drive us all over Denver. Seems smart.”

Alex’s hands tightened into fists. I could tell he was fighting for a measure of control. “The date, Denver,” he stopped to glare, then his eyes shifted to my chest.

And held.

Through his teeth he said, “And the damn jewelry.” He paced the room, his expression tight with an anger I didn’t understand. “What other ways are you going to ruin my night, Stone?”

I pushed my eyebrows together. “What’s wrong with the necklace?” It was a gorgeous necklace! I didn’t want to take it off even now.

Alex kept talking, his voice raised. “You never should have taken her out of Gunnison alone. Evie is mine to protect. You’re here because I let you stay. Don’t forget that. And next time you want to take her somewhere she might be in danger, you damn well better tell me.”

Emil stood slowly and looked Alex square in the eyes, holding the stare. Emil was usually level-headed and rarely lost his temper, but right now, he was furious. The air was pulsing with anger from them both. Emil’s voice was low, solid and unwavering, “She might be your responsibility to protect, Night, but she was mine before she was ever yours. You’re her Protector, but she was my wife. Don’t forget that. Ever. My bond with her is stronger than you could ever imagine. I don’t need your permission to do anything, and I certainly don’t need your permission to stay.”

Blood rushed to Alex’s face. He was almost as furious as I was, but I got the next word in before Alex could. “You both better stop with the possessive crap. I don’t belong to anyone.”

Emil held Alex’s eyes for a few more seconds before breaking the stare and taking a deep breath. He nodded toward me. “Alex is under the misguided assumption that you’re his property. He needed to be reminded you’re not, and he’s not the only one interested in you.”

“I get that reminder every day thanks to you,” Alex spat out. “In fact, I got that reminder again a few minutes ago right outside the door.”

Emil flashed a sly smile as he sat back down. Warmth covered my cheeks as I thought about the kiss on the porch.

Alex looked from Emil to me. “Glad you both find it so entertaining.”

“I’d like to point out that you both wanted me to date, Alex. You can’t get mad when that’s what you asked for.”

“Date. Not disrobe each other in the front yard.” He shook his head. “The dates aren’t an excuse to be reckless. The fact is, you shouldn’t have left tonight without telling me your plans. Evie could have been hurt. We don’t know what’s going on with the missing Trackers, and from what I learned tonight, things are even more dangerous.”

Emil sat up, suddenly interested now he wasn’t being disciplined and they weren’t having a fight over who got to own me. “What did you find out?”

Alex looked at me like he wasn’t sure what to say. I hated when he did that because I knew it meant he was trying to decide whether or not to tell me the truth, and how much to say. “Don’t censor yourself because you think I can’t handle it, Alex.” I crossed my arms over my chest, defiant. “Because you know I can. I deserve to know what’s happening as much as Emil does.”

Alex scrubbed a hand over his face. “Trackers are still disappearing and the Protectors are getting restless. They’re convinced the Daevos Resistance has something to do with it. No other explanation makes sense.” He paused to look for a reaction from Emil. Emil’s face was granite-hard, giving nothing away. Alex continued, “There has also been another development. Protectors have reported seeing shadow-like figures in the area before their Trackers have disappeared.”

My heart started to thump against my chest as I remembered all the shadowy figures I’d seen: the one in my backyard; the one after karate; and the eight figures that had descended on our car a couple of hours ago.

Emil pursed his lips. “There were shadow figures in Denver tonight.”

“What?” Alex yelled. He exploded toward Emil, holding his arm against Emil’s neck. I jumped up from the couch, trying to stop him. “What if she’d been taken again! Or worse, killed! We don’t know what the shadows are. I should take your soul just for putting her in that position!”

I pulled at Alex. “Let him go.”

“I. Will. Not.” His eyes were on fire. I knew Emil could have fought back, but I think he sensed there was enough violence in the air without him adding to it. “He needs to pay for what he’s done.”

“He didn’t do anything except take me on a date, Alex. Nothing happened, and we were fine. Either let him go, or leave until you cool off.”

Alex didn’t move for at least thirty more seconds. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to calm himself down, or decide whether or not to take Emil’s soul. Finally he pulled back. He walked to the fireplace and stood there in silence as he stared at the glowing embers. After several minutes, he asked, “What happened?”

We recounted the shadows, the voice, and the wall of snow I’d built with my mind. Alex looked thoughtful as he considered everything we’d told him.

Emil leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. “So the Amaranthine Society knows about the shadow figures. What do they think the figures are?”

Alex looked at me as he answered, “The only other time we’ve had to deal with a figure like this was when Evie saw something outside her window last summer right before I left.” My fingernails dug into my hands as I remembered the platinum-eyed ethereal figure that had hovered outside the kitchen window. It had scared the crap out of me, and made Alex think the Daevos had found him. He broke up with me because of it. “I thought the figure outside the window was just Caleb and since it was nighttime, he seemed to be a shadow figure when Evie saw him,” Alex said, pausing to recall the memory. “When I asked Caleb about it in the cave last year, though, he didn’t confirm or deny it.”

A shiver ran through me and I pulled my wrap snug around my shoulders. I wasn’t sure what I’d seen last July, but I knew it wasn’t human. I’m not a Daevos scholar, but I’m pretty sure the Daevos don’t have the ability to change shape and become somewhat transparent. The shadow figure with bright platinum eyes wasn’t Caleb.

Alex sat on the edge of the chair across from me and met my eyes. “Can you tell me exactly what you saw last summer, Evie?”

I pulled myself out of the memory and recounted what I’d seen. “It was hard to make out because it was dark outside and the window screen was in my way. I saw it dart from one side of the yard to the other. I thought it was probably a college student goofing off, running through the yard. But then, the figure was suddenly right in front of me on the other side of the screen, inches away. It was a black, human-shaped mass with bright platinum eyes, and it definitely wasn’t solid. It seemed to be floating in the air. I screamed for you,” I tilted my head to Alex, “and the figure backed slowly away. But it flashed a horrifying smile as it did, then the light from its eyes dimmed, and the figure disappeared.”

As I finished, Emil’s lips were pulled tight in concern, and Alex seemed to be vacillating between worried and angry. “You didn’t tell me all of those details when it happened, Evie.”

“Yeah, because you were already freaking out about the guy we’d seen in the park, and telling me I had to move to another country. I wasn’t giving you any more ammunition. You’re over-protective enough as it is. Plus, you seemed to have a lot on your mind when it happened. Gathering information before you act isn’t one of your strengths.”

“Because actions are my job,” Alex said, his lips barely moving. “And I can’t do it right when I don’t have all the details.”

“Well, you have them now,” I answered.

Emil broke the tension. “Based on Evie’s description, the shadow figures tonight sound like they were similar to what she saw last summer, though we didn’t get close enough to see their eyes. How does Evie’s description relate to what the Protectors are seeing before Trackers are taken? Are they comparable?”

Alex looked at me, nodding slowly. “The shadows vary in size and form, but yes, the description is similar to her experience.” A realization dawned. If I’d given Alex more details about what I’d seen, maybe the Protectors could have watched for the shadow figures and kept their Trackers safe. I blew out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Adding to my already guilty conscious wasn’t helping things. It didn’t make the truth go away, though. I might have helped save some Trackers if I hadn’t been keeping secrets. The thought gnawed at me as Alex kept talking. “The shadow figures are becoming more prominent and always prelude a Tracker being taken. However, it seems the shadows are being seen in other places around the world, too. We need to start watching for the figures, as well as watching for Daevos members in case the Daevos and shadows are connected.”

“That would be easier if it wasn’t winter,” Emil pointed out. “Their vowmarks are the only way to tell if they’re Daevos members. The cold weather is the perfect excuse to wear long sleeves and coats so their vowmarks are covered.”

Alex nodded in assent. “I agree, but we still need to watch for them. You can help too, Emil, since you’ve spent time with a lot of Daevos members and might recognize some of them if they show up.”

“Yeah,” Emil said, “but that doesn’t help the shadow situation.”

I’d been listening to Alex’s explanation and the plan for keeping me safe long enough to be sufficiently shaken at what I’d seen when I’d slid on the ice and hit the snow bank. I sat up, still holding my wrap tight around me like a security blanket. “I probably should have mentioned this before, but there was an…incident a few weeks ago.”

Emil raised an eyebrow, waiting for the rest of the story as Alex folded his arms across his chest. A muscle at the corner of Alex’s eye started to twitch. “An incident?”

I looked down, smoothing my dress. Abolishing wrinkles seemed very important at the moment. “I’m pretty sure I saw a shadow run from behind a tree.” I paused. “The tree that was behind the snow bank I’d just run into.”

Alex’s face reddened and his fists clenched. “You saw a shadow figure three weeks ago and just barely decided to tell us about it?”

I tried to shrug off the concern I was feeling. If I showed fear, Alex would pounce and convince Emil they needed to be even more protective of me…if that was even possible. I was already feeling smothered enough. “Nothing happened. And I can take care of myself, too. I don’t need to run to my knights in shining armor every time I have a problem.”

Alex’s whole body tightened with stress. “That’s what I’m here for.”

I folded my arms across my chest, glaring. “Yeah, and if you remember right, me trusting that someone else would take care of me is exactly what got me abducted by Caleb’s Clan in the first place,” I said. “I’m not doing that again. Why do you think I’ve been taking karate? It’s not because I like hanging out with people who still watch the Disney Channel.”

Emil sat calmly, watching us with a keen eye. Alex shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t keep things like this from us. Emil and I should have been warned about the threat.”

“So you could have caged me even more?” I asked, voice louder than before. “You two are already with me all the time, and probably ring-watching me during my sleep. I have no privacy and frankly, I’m sick of having overlords. I understand you’re trying to protect me, but you need to give me room to breathe.”

Alex and Emil both stared at me. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared back.

Alex exhaled a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, Evie. I’m not trying to cage you, I’m trying to protect you, so I get angry when I don’t have all the information.”

“Gee, you think? Maybe now you know how it feels.”

He took another deep breath. Released it, then, “Will you tell me the details about the shadow you saw?”

Now it was out in the open, and I was already feeling guilty for not telling them earlier and possibly putting other Trackers at risk. My speech had made my point so I went ahead and told Alex and Emil everything that had happened after my car slid. When I was done, Alex went to the front picture window. He looked outside for several minutes. His arms were crossed high over his chest and even from the side, I could see he was lost in thought.

A car drove down the street slowly, navigating the icy patches and casting pale shadows on the snow in the yard.

Alex finally turned around. “We keep things mostly status quo for now.”

“Mostly status quo?” I thinned my eyes. “What does that mean?”

He took a long, deep breath. I could almost see his heart pumping the extra blood required to keep his brain working properly instead of going completely primitive on my butt. “Like you said, Evie. We’re with you most of the time. Now we’ll be with you all of the time. Aside from locking you in your room, there’s not much else we can do.” He looked to Emil. “One of us stays with her at all times. Only now, we always keep each other informed of where we’ll be. That way, if we need backup, it will be there.”

Emil nodded in agreement. I shook my head. “This is ridiculous. You know that, right?” They both stared at me. “Unless someone kills me, I’ll be alive at least another seventy years, and then I’ll be born again and it will all start over. We can’t keep this schedule thing up for the duration. People will get suspicious. Jas already thinks you’re both stalkers, and that was before I stopped talking to her. Now, she probably thinks you’ve convinced me to join a cult.”

“What would you propose?” Alex asked. “I’m sure we’re both open to ideas.”

I shrugged, getting up. I was tired, and sick of talking about the imminent threat hovering over me. I was going to get some sleep, and maybe I’d have answers in the morning. I started toward the stairs and said, “I don’t know, but something’s gotta give.”

I climbed the stairs without looking back.

When I got to my room, I glanced at myself in the mirror. My curls had started to unravel slightly, making it look like I’d just woken up. My makeup had held up well considering the night I’d had—the makeout session with Emil included. Thanks to the kissing, my dress needed a serious date with an iron, but it still looked great too, the folds of the dress cut beautifully against my waist and hips.

And then there was the jewelry. I ran my hands lightly over the necklace as the gems sparkled under the florescent lights of my room. I didn’t want to give them back, but knew I’d have to. The gift was far too expensive for me to accept, especially when I hadn’t chosen between him and Alex yet.

I reached up to take the beautiful earrings out first. I felt a little dizzy as I pulled one earring out. I steadied myself against my dresser; it had been a long night. I pulled out the other earring, and just like that, my soulmark was warm, and I was falling.

I stood in front of a mirror, my pale blue dress a soft, shimmery fabric. The square neck was cut low with intricate cream colored lace wrapping around the neckline and blossoming out from the bottom of my sleeves. The big skirt was pushed out with hoops and fell to the floor. My stays were pulled so tight I gasped, slowly retraining my breath to handle the confinement. My chestnut hair was piled beautifully on top of my head, curls escaping in long ringlets down my back.

A knock came on the door behind me. I quickly gathered my composure. “Come in,” I said, turning. The door opened slowly. I smiled as I saw who it was, before my mouth slid into a pout. “You’re not supposed to see me yet,” I scolded.

“I couldn’t wait any longer,” Emil replied, coming toward me.

I laughed as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. He held my gaze and leaned his head down, gently touching his lips to mine. As I responded, he pressed harder, his hands moving on the bodice of my dress, slowly starting to undo the buttons lining my spine. I felt the tug and immediately pushed Emil back, giving a low laugh. “That’s for later,” I said. He looked mischievous as he cocked a brow. “Besides, if you undo all of those buttons, it will take me another hour before I’m ready, and my mother will have a fit.”

Emil gave a husky laugh. “I wouldn’t want to cause the mother of the bride distress,” he said, buttoning my dress back up. “So I’ll give you your wedding gift and wait for you downstairs.”

My eyes widened as he pulled out an intricately carved cedar box. It was stained to bring out the natural light color of the wood, and carved on the top was a single rose. The sides of the box had smaller roses with leafy detail connecting the flowers together. He handed it to me. “Open it.”

I took it, sitting gingerly on my couch. I slowly lifted the latch. When I looked inside, I let out a surprised gasp. My eyes settled on the gift for several seconds until I finally looked up at Emil. “These are for me?”

He nodded. “They remind me of your eyes. I wanted to give you something almost as beautiful as you are.”

Tears quickly formed and started to pool, clouding my vision.

He smiled. “Will you wear them today?”

I nodded, unable to speak as I tried to control my emotions. Emil took the tear-drop sapphire necklace surrounded by two rows of round diamonds from the box. He clasped the necklace around my neck, his hand lingering there. I tilted my head to the side as he leaned his mouth down and slowly kissed up the side of my neck. When he got to my ear, he whispered, “I’m looking forward to taking that off later,” he paused, “or maybe leaving it on.”

I smiled slowly, my thoughts focused on our wedding night. I felt him move away from my neck. “I need to go. We don’t want people thinking I’ve ruined you.”

I laughed. I wouldn’t mind being ruined. Not at all.

He walked to the door. “Don’t forget the earrings.”

As I heard the door latch, I stood and went to the mirror again. I gently picked up the smaller earrings that matched the necklace perfectly. I opened the clip and found the center of the soft spot of my ear. I slowly closed the clip on my skin so it wouldn’t snap shut and pinch me. I repeated the action for the other side. Taking a step back to look at myself once more, I smoothed the lines of the dress Emil had helped wrinkle and took a deep breath. I hated crowds, but I was ready for this. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more.

Another light knock came on the door. I assumed it was my mother telling me it was time. In the mirror, I saw the door start to open. “I’m coming, Mother. One moment.” I picked up the mounds of fabric around my legs, trying to hold everything up as I turned slowly, then dropped the fabric abruptly and stopped breathing entirely as I took in the person standing in the doorway.

I stood stock-still as his eyes moved over me like an embrace, one I’d been missing for months. His gaze settled back on my face, his green eyes bright in the afternoon sun streaming into the room through the window. In his right hand, he held a single pink orchid. I started to feel faint and remembered to take a breath. When I finally had air in my lungs, I whispered one word, “Alex.” It came out like an oath, like I was holding my memories of him in his name. I had missed him, more than I had been willing to admit.

At my tone, his breath caught. For a moment, he didn’t move. Neither did I. He shifted slowly and shut the door, still holding my gaze. “I had to see you one more time before you’re his.”

I shook my head. “He does not own me, Alex.”

He lifted his brow as he removed his hat. “It’s more that way than you realize.”

I knew the argument was futile so instead I said, “It’s been months since I last saw you. Did you not get my letters?”

He pulled his lips into a line. “I got them. You knew I couldn’t come. You chose him over me. It would have been hard to handle regardless of your suitor, but even more so with Emil.”

“Why?” I asked, genuinely curious. “What is your quarrel with him?”

A muscle at the corner of Alex’s eye twitched and his face tightened. “He’s not right for you, and he knows it. A better man would have stepped down.”

I clutched my hands around the folds of my dress, hardening my expression. “He makes me happy.”

Alex tightened his jaw. “You think he makes you happy, and for now he might. But you didn’t give us a chance. I was the right choice, Cassandra. Someday you will realize it. I hope it won’t be too late.”

I shook my head, my lips turned down in a frown. “I wish you could be happy for me, but I will settle for you being here. Thank you for coming today.”

He pursed his lips. “I can’t stay.”

I nodded slowly and looked down at my hands, worrying the lace of my dress. “I know.”

His eyes went over me again, hesitating on the necklace at my chest, and the earrings dangling from my ears. “The blue suits you. It matches your eyes.”

I looked up. “Emil said the same thing. He gave them to me as a wedding gift.”

Alex’s face hardened and his hands tightened on his hat until his knuckles were white. “I need to go. I just couldn’t let this day happen without seeing you again.”

“Why can’t you be happy for me, Alex? You make it sound as if I am going to my death instead of my wedding.”

He watched me steadily. “You’re more accurate than you know.” He moved toward me, never taking his eyes from mine. My breath was almost non-existent as he stopped inches away. He reached out, cupping my face with both hands, his skin hot against mine. He slowly lifted my head and leaned in, hesitating slightly, waiting to see if I would back away. I didn’t. He gently pressed his lips to mine, our mouths moving in perfect harmony. He slowly pulled away, looking at me one last time, then turned, placing the orchid on my chair. He walked to the door, reaching for the handle, but paused. He did a quarter turn, looking at me sideways. “When you’re ready to leave, you know where to find me. I love you, Cassandra. I always will.”

I watched the door close, confused as I touched the necklace at my chest. I took a deep breath, looking at the orchid Alex had left. It was a symbol of what he’d wanted from me—what I couldn’t give. My heart belonged to Emil. I brushed a stray hair from my face, picked up my bouquet of sterling roses, and opened the door.