It’s amazing how your life can be going in one direction one second, and then it suddenly changes in the blink of an eye.

Danica barely got a breath in before Malachite’s flesh literally melted away, replaced by fur darker than midnight. His livid eyes lit up with golden hellfire, and he snarled, rising on his hind legs to tower over the other two werewolves.

He was big as a man and even larger as a werewolf. His teeth easily measured the length of Danica’s forearm. His fur was rather beautiful, reflecting rainbow hues like oil would.

The brown and white wolves lunged at him. Nik went for his legs, latching onto his thigh, while Gage launched himself at Malachite’s throat.

Malachite roared as Nik’s teeth made contact. A double assault must have been too much for him to deflect at once. He focused on Gage, who would have had a near-perfect hit on Malachite’s throat had the black wolf not knocked him to the side. Gage grunted, landing on his feet and charging again.

Malachite sank his claws into Nik’s back. The brown wolf howled in pain, letting go long enough for Malachite to rip him off. Nik flew through the air, crashing against the wall.

Danica winced as she heard the crack of his skull as it slammed upside the stone fireplace. The wolf slumped down to the floor and slowly morphed back into an unconscious Nik.

A furious growl made the hairs on Danica’s arms stand upright.

Gage slammed into Malachite’s side, sending both werewolves tumbling toward the fireplace. They snarled as they grappled in a blur of fur, glinting claws, and sharp teeth. The smell of freshly spilled blood filled Danica’s nostrils, and her heart leapt to her throat.

She had to do something. She was no longer the girl who stood by and let other people protect her.

She wasn’t going to just let life happen to her anymore.

Summoning her inner wolf, she pulled the golden werewolf to the surface. She gritted her teeth to suppress her screams as her bones and muscles reshaped to turn into a creature three times as powerful as she was as a human.

Her senses sharpened, like someone had turned a dial in her brain. The wolf side of her growled, itching to spring into the action. And despite her fear, Danica trusted her inner wolf completely.

I am strong. I am a force to be reckoned with.

Shutting her humanity off, the golden wolf surged forward into the fray. The snarls and the sounds of snapping teeth that had frightened her as a human only fueled her with adrenaline as a wolf.

Malachite got the upper hand, rolling on top of Gage and pinning a paw against the white wolf’s throat. Danica took her chance and pounced onto Malachite’s back. She bit his shoulder, her paws scrambling for purchase as Malachite reared and bucked.

Danica’s wolf took pleasure in the feel of Malachite’s flesh tearing beneath her teeth. The thrill of the hunt excited her.

Furious, Malachite slammed her against the footboard of the bed. The blow was hard enough to dislodge her, and Malachite turned, his jaws opening around her throat.

He paused when he saw her eyes. The points of his fangs dug into her windpipe. All it would take was one good jerk to tear her throat out, and she’d be dead.

She stared back as confusion played across Malachite’s eyes.

Through all the noise, Danica’s ears pricked at hearing the click of a hammer being cocked on a gun. Malachite heard it too. His large wolf head whirled around, his eyes locking onto a lone guard standing near the doorway.

He was young, possibly still a teenager. His finger trembled along the trigger as he aimed the gun straight for Danica’s chest.

She sucked in a breath right before the gun went off.

Everything moved in slow motion. She could see the bullet barreling toward her, its odd silver surface—

Silver.

Oh, God.

It was a silver bullet.

And it was aimed right for her heart.

She really was going to die this time.

Her heart stopped. So did her brain, because she couldn’t move. Something shoved her out of the way and then a pained yowl came from beside her as the bullet struck home. Her paws slid against the wooden floors as she scrambled to stand upright and turn around.

Malachite’s regal black wolf writhed against the floor as blood spurted from a wound close to his heart.

She shifted back into a human; the pain was nothing compared to the thought that she’d been about to die. She fell beside Malachite as Gage shifted back as well and knelt beside her.

Slowly, Malachite changed back into a man with a cry of pain.

Danica sat there, knowing the humane thing to do would be to comfort him. And yet she found herself unable to touch him. She couldn’t forget what he’d almost done to her. Rape was unforgivable.

Danica couldn’t speak. She stared at Malachite with a heavy weight pressed against her chest. “You saved my life.”

Malachite stared back at her, trembling. “I had to.”

“Why?”

“Because I couldn’t lose you again.”

He still thinks I’m his wife reborn. She didn’t have the heart to correct him. It would have been cruel, considering the circumstances.

Gage squeezed Danica’s shoulder and handed her a blanket to cover up with. “I’m going to see to Nik. And find a healer.”

“No.” Malachite caught Gage’s wrist.

Gage stared down at his former Alpha with confusion.

“Please,” Malachite begged, his voice hardly above a whisper, “just let me die.”

Gage lingered for a moment and at last nodded. Not sensing any threat out of Malachite, he walked off to where a medic was treating Nik, who’d woken up with a nasty gash on his head.

Guards were pouring into the room. It wouldn’t be long before the DPI arrived.

Danica looked back at Malachite to find him staring at something beside her, wearing the happiest smile she’d ever seen. His eyes glistened with tears. “Emily. You came for me.”

Emily? Danica turned but found no one there.

Malachite reached toward the empty space, his hand shaking before it at last fell limp at his side. He sighed his last breath, his eyes closing as his head lolled to the side. His lips were still partially upturned in a smile, making it look like he was only sleeping.

Danica bowed her head and said a prayer for him. He had saved her life. She owed him that much.

Standing, she turned around to survey the chaos in the rest of the room. Her eyes sought out the boy who’d tried to shoot her. She found him pinned against the wall by four guards, one of which was cuffing his hands behind his back.

Wrapping the blanket around herself, she walked toward them. “What’s going on?”

The guards looked at each other, as if they weren’t going to tell her.

Danica growled. “Look, I just got shot at, so I think that warrants an explanation.”

One of the guards, a higher-ranking officer from what it looked like, stepped forward. “It’s all right, boys.” He was older, probably in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair. He had crow’s feet around his eyes, making it look like they were always twinkling. “Captain David Barrett,” he said, bowing.

“Oh,” Danica said, blinking in surprise. “So you’re the man who replaced Gerard?”

“Yep. And just in time too. There’s never a dull moment in this place.” He sighed and scratched his head. “To answer your question, Ms. Johnson, we don’t really know what’s going on. All I can tell you is that this kid isn’t one of my soldiers.”

“What do you mean? He’s an impostor?” He was wearing the same uniform as the castle guards, so she’d assumed he was part of their defenses.

“Sort of. He won’t tell us who hired him and why. Or why he was using silver bullets.” David studied her a moment. “You were shot at while at the mall with Princess Alara the other day, right?”

Danica nodded.

“Hmmm… that’s too much to dismiss as a coincidence. I’d bet the same person hired both shooters.”

Danica swallowed hard. “I don’t understand why someone would want me dead.”

“Your mate—well, I assume he’s still your mate anyway—is running for High King, right? Well, everyone knows an unmated werewolf can’t be an Alpha.”

“You think one of the finalists is behind this and not the witch mafia?”

“I don’t really see what the witch mafia has to gain from this. This sounds more like a werewolf is involved.” He ran a hand over his face with another long sigh. It looked like he hadn’t slept in days. Hell, he probably hadn’t, considering the mess he’d stepped into when he took the position of captain. “I’m going to question the remaining finalist, Norman Black, myself. If he doesn’t confess, I bet Princess Alara will press to hold a Trial of Light.”

“Trial of Light?”

“Yeah. They’re similar to human trials, except they use lie-detecting spells and other fancy things to make sure no one is lying. The attempted assassination of royalty, whether that be of a werewolf royal or that of some other race, is taken very seriously in the Underworld, and you are considered royalty. The phrase ‘innocent until proven guilty’ takes on a whole new meaning.” He rubbed his chin. “Weren’t you almost killed by a Nightshade wolf recently?”

Danica shivered. She had no desire to remember those terrifying moments. “Yes,” she whispered.

The captain’s voice took on a chill that could rival the deepest winter. He bowed stiffly. “You’ll have to excuse me, miss. There’s a certain Nightshade Alpha I’d very much like to interrogate.”