Rena gripped the steering wheel and stared down the street. She could see the line of cars stretching on both sides of the road as well as the yard that was overflowing with vehicles.

Somewhere in that big old house that belonged to the pack alphas was her mate.

She was as sure of that as she was that the sun was going to rise in the morning.

Lowering her head to the steering wheel, she let out the breath she’d been holding, her heartbeat thudding in her veins and her body aching to be near him.

Him.

Luke.

Sexy, compelling Luke.

It had taken every ounce of willpower she had not to talk to him at Zoey’s new place or to call him. It had only taken one brief meeting and her magic had practically reversed itself in an effort to get to him. But that was something she couldn’t allow. Her magical shield was the only thing keeping her parents from finding her in the human realm. She’d had a close call when a cousin of hers had somehow found her at her job. She wondered, not for the first time, if her family had people actively trying to find her.

The spell was supposed to keep her safe, but right now she didn’t feel safe at all. She felt exposed. And she felt ashamed, for leaving Luke in the lurch.

If she broke the spell so she could show Luke her true self, she knew without a doubt that she’d be found before she could blink. In the Fae Realm they used magic to watch for her and any sign of her magic use. They’d found her a couple years ago when she used her magic to save someone’s life. She didn’t regret what she’d done, but it had taught her to keep her head down and her magic to herself.

Even though she hadn’t seen her parents in well over two years, they’d still contact her, using magical channels that she was sure to find.

You have responsibilities, her mother had said. Duties to our people.

You’re a sirenfae for fuck sake, her father had said. Act like it.

She could tell that her parents were closer to finding her now, and it wouldn’t be too long before they’d pull her into the Fae Realm and force her to go through with the arranged mating that had been set up the day she’d been born.

Who the hell did that, anyway? Certainly not Zoey’s family, who let her make her own romantic choices. Even the wolf pack didn’t try to force their people into matings they weren’t interested in.

But here was Rena, living under a magical shield that changed her appearance, dulled her senses, and covered her tracks, and time was running out.

She didn’t want to leave Zoey, but if she didn’t take off, she’d be locked up and waiting for her mating day faster than she could blink.

And she didn’t want to leave Luke either.

Shit.

He was the reason she needed to split anyway. If her family had an inkling that he was her mate, there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do to him to get her to cooperate, including killing him. She wasn’t about to be party to his death or torture, so getting into any kind of thing with him was off limits.

She had only one choice to make—go home to her family and face her future or go on the run again.

She knew what she was going to choose, but she’d first watch Zoey’s ceremony and support her, and she absolutely would keep her distance from Luke. And then she’d quietly disappear.

Forever.

It was really the only option.

* * *

Zoey stood in the alpha’s kitchen with Shyne, Cades, Karly, Jenna, and Lindy, plus two of the four girls in Cades’ and Jason’s care. The ladies had wanted to take a moment to toast the mating before the ceremony started. She loved how sweet they were, treating her like she’d always been part of the pack, not like she was a newbie who knew next to nothing about shifters.

She was learning thanks to Micah, but she knew there was a lot she still didn’t know.

She looked down the hall to the front door that was wide open to let in the evening breeze. No one was in the doorway. Rena hadn’t come.

“I’m sorry your friend didn’t show up,” Shyne said.

“Yeah, me too. Maybe...I want to check my phone one more time. It’s not like her to flake entirely.”

“Can I come?” Juniper asked.

“Sure,” Zoey said with a smile.

“Car’s unlocked,” Shyne said.

Zoey nodded and put down her empty glass, then took Juniper’s offered hand.

“You’re sad about your friend,” Juniper said.

“Yeah. I thought I was hiding it pretty well. How can you tell?”

“Your glowy stuff is all weird.”

Zoey looked at her curiously. “My what-now?”

“Ah, that’s not the right word, I mean your aurie. Auro?”

“Aura?” Zoey offered.

“Yeah, that’s the right word. Your aura is messed up.”

They stepped onto the front porch. “What color is my aura?”

The young girl gave her a long look. Her eyes changed from blue to bright purple, and a strange metallic sheen lit up her skin, almost like scales.

It was mesmerizing.

“At your center, you’re red and pink, that’s ‘cause you love Micah. But around you is black and gray.”

“Black sounds bad.” Zoey rubbed her arms, feeling an odd chill.

“Black and gray are sad. I think the word Aspen would use is grief. You’re griefing for your friend.”

Zoey smiled at her misused word and put her hand on her shoulder. “You’re right. I am sad. My parents aren’t here, and I wanted someone from my life to stand up with me. I feel kind of alone even though I know I’m not really.”

“I’ll stand up with you,” Juniper said. “I’ll be your friend.”

Zoey was touched. “That’s so sweet.”

“Hey, standing up with you is my job,” Rena said.

Zoey gasped and turned swiftly to find Rena on the street.

“Hey! You’re here!” Zoey said. “I was going to check my phone to see if you’d called.”

Zoey lit off the porch and hurried toward her friend. She hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Rena said.

“You’re right on time, we were just having a celebratory drink inside before I have to head to the clearing for the ceremony.”

“You look dressed to kill, babe.”

They walked, arm in arm, to the sidewalk. As they crossed from the street to the concrete, Rena jerked back with a hiss. There was a loud cracking sound like thunder, and something shimmery appeared in the air. It looked like purple glitter falling from high in the sky.

“What the hell?” Zoey asked.

She looked at Rena. Who didn’t look like Rena at all.

Her hair had gone from brown to ice white, her eyes were pale blue with hints of gold, and to top it off—she had freaking wings.

Wings! Glittery silver and blue wings.

Zoey took a step back.

“Oh no!” Rena said. “There’s magic here. Why is there magic?”

“What did you do?” Juniper yelled from the porch, her voice high with fright.

“What’s going on?” Zoey demanded. “You told me you were human!”

Something crackled like glass and a dark shadow appeared in the air, stretching and widening like an inky doorway.

“I...I’m sorry!” Rena shouted. Something shot from the weird black doorway and Rena was on her knees with a pain-filled scream, covered in a strange red coil.

“What the hell is going on here?” Cades demanded as she ran out of the house. “Shit! Jenna! Something bad is happening, get out here!”