It was the fae lights that woke Evie. She’d been on her side with Jace spooned around her, both of them naked. He’d been lazily caressing her, and she had a smile on her lips as she came awake. Then Jace had left the bed, and she’d rolled onto her back and dozed off again.
The next thing she knew, something stung her arm. She swatted it away, but a moment later she felt another sting to her shoulder, and then another to her face. She jolted awake to find the fae lights swarming her—and a tall man dressed all in black staring down at her.
Her heart kicked into high gear. She scrambled up against the headboard, the sheet clutched to her chest.
“Who the fuck are you?” And how had he gotten in here? She opened her mouth to scream for Jace.
The man raised a hand. “I wouldn’t, if I were you. Your brother…” He cut his eyes at a corner of the room.
She whipped her head around. Kyler was sitting against the wall, knees hugged to his chest, staring unseeingly in front of him.
His face twisted in horror. “No. No...”
Her stomach bottomed out. “Kyler! What’s wrong?” But he didn’t seem to hear her.
Her gaze swung back to the tall man. Dark eyes regarded her from a pale, incredibly beautiful face. Night fae.
Kyler moaned again and she launched herself at the intruder. Nobody messed with her brother. “Stop it, damn you.” She clawed wildly at his face.
He easily held her off. Those black eyes caught hers and she froze, fingers still curled into claws. The night fae slid a cool finger down her cheek. Fear sliced through her, but she steeled herself to remain calm and bear it. Anything to get his attention off Kyler.
Kyler made an agonized sound. “Evie. I’m sorry. So sorry. I couldn’t help it.” He came to his knees and looked up at her, his gaze stark.
Help what? But that didn’t matter right now. She took a step back and screamed at Kyler, “Run! Get Jace.”
Kyler’s breath scraped in. But instead of trying to escape, he threw himself at the night fae. “Get away from my sister, you prick.”
And ran right past the man. He barely avoided slamming headfirst into the wall. He caught himself with his hands on the stone and glanced around, angry and confused.
Evie blinked. One moment the night fae had been standing in front of her, the next he was gone—and then he reappeared exactly where he’d been, a foot away from her.
Kyler snarled and launched himself at the man again.
“Enough.” The night fae’s arm lashed out. He grabbed Kyler by the throat and squeezed.
Her brother’s eyes bulged. He scrabbled desperately at the man’s long white fingers, but the man held on, a slight smile on his lips.
Fury blinded Evie. With an animalistic growl, she grabbed the night fae’s wrist and tried to drag him away from Kyler, but the fae shook her off like an annoying insect. When she came right back, he slammed an elbow into her solar plexus.
Pain exploded through her. Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh. She stumbled back, her diaphragm seizing up, and dropped to her knees, opening and shutting her mouth like a hooked fish as she tried to catch her breath.
Kyler’s struggles were slacking off. Panic snaked up Evie’s spine. Somehow, she found the strength to crawl toward the night fae and wrap her arms around his lower leg.
He glanced down at her and laughed. “By the dark gods,” he said in a French accent, “you don’t give up.”
And then he swung Kyler into the wall like he was a ragdoll. There was a dull thud and her brother slumped to the floor, unmoving.
Evie’s breath rushed in as her diaphragm finally unlocked. For a few seconds she couldn’t move. She sank onto her forearms, head against the floor, sucking in oxygen.
From the hall came furious shouts and bone-chilling snarls. Jace and the others. Oh, God, they were in trouble, too.
Something cool and oily brushed over her back, teased her breasts. Her skin prickled. Suddenly she was aware she was completely naked with a cold-eyed stranger. She pushed herself up on her knees to face him and covered herself as best she could with her hands.
The tall, black-haired fae crouched next to her. Chilly fingers stroked her nape. Fine hairs stood up all over her body. “You know who I am?”
Evie batted his hand away. Kyler moaned and she shot a frantic look at him.
A hand caught her wrist. Squeezed until the bones ground painfully together. “Answer me.”
“No,” she said between clenched teeth.
“The animals didn’t tell you?”
“The animals?”
“The fada. Your lover.”
She narrowed her eyes. “He didn’t want to draw your attention.”
His cruel mouth quirked. “Oh, you have my attention.” He drew her to her feet. “I’m Lord Tyrus—and you’re part fae.”
The bathroom door opened as Jace shut off the shower. “Evie?” he asked.
No response.
His nape tingled. He jerked open the shower door. A huge black wolf stared back at him.
Fuck. Jace started to shift but Corban was already in the air. He slammed Jace into the wall. Lights exploded in his head and he slid to the floor.
His focus lost, Jace couldn’t complete the shift. He only just managed to yank himself back to man so he wouldn’t be caught in a half-shifted state. It was the devil’s choice, because he couldn’t fight off Corban’s wolf as a man, but the alternative was death as a half-man, half-cat.
He was trapped in the shower with the wolf. Claws dug painfully into his chest, holding him down as Corban’s teeth sank into his throat. The metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils.
Jace went clawed and lashed at Corban—slicing at his eyes, his muzzle. The wolf hung on grimly. Black spots swam before Jace’s eyes. He shoved his thumbs into the corners of Corban’s mouth near his molars and managed to open his jaws enough to pry him off. He threw the wolf against the wall and scrambled to his feet.
He swayed, dizzy from the blow to his head, one thought in his mind: Evie.
Corban rose to his feet. Somehow Jace got out of the bathroom ahead of him. He slammed the door shut, trapping the wolf inside.
Where the hell were Sam and Horace?
“Attack,” he roared. “We’re under attack.”
The hall remained ominously silent. He gripped the bathroom doorknob, holding the door closed as Corban slammed repeatedly against it, trying to break out.
Jace’s chest heaved. The black spots returned, threatening to blot out his consciousness.
Corban went silent. Then the doorknob jerked. He was trying to turn it with his teeth.
Jace clenched his jaw and willed the black spots away. He was aware of blood running down his chest from the gash in his throat. But he had to hang on long enough to sound the alarm. With Sam and Horace apparently down, he was Evie and Kyler’s only hope.
He tapped his quartz and said a brief prayer of thanks when Adric responded immediately. “What’s up?”
“My den,” Jace rasped. “Under attack. Corban is inside. I’m hurt, and I don’t know where Sam and Horace are.”
He inhaled—and caught a stench of night fae.
“Fuck.” He wasn’t sure if he whispered or shouted it. He was sliding down a long, dark tunnel. “Night fae. In my den.”
Evie. Kyler.
His knees gave out and he sat on the floor with a thump. He swiped a hand over his eyes, trying to clear his vision. Was that a black wolf padding down the hall? But how? Corban was still in the bathroom, clawing at the door. The handle started to turn and Jace realized he’d released it.
“Hang on, bro. We’re on our way.” Adric’s voice.
“Hurry,” he mumbled.
The wolf in the hall shifted to man, and Kane Savonett loomed over Jace.
“Bastard,” Jace mouthed.
Kane grabbed Jace’s quartz and he jolted in pain. But that was nothing compared to how it felt when Kane pulled the quartz off him.
Jace’s entire body lit with a tooth-jarring agony, and then everything went black.
The last thing he did was to fall sideways so his body would block Corban when he emerged. Even a few extra seconds might save Evie and her brother.