Aric squeezed my hand, pulling me closer. Koda took up my left, stopping only to glower at the she-wolf.

Petro waited at the top of a small incline, carefully wiping his brow with the handkerchief while he stared hard at what hissed below.

“Stay close to me,” Aric reminded me again. He approached Petro. Petro didn’t seem surprised to see me and barely glanced in my direction. “What are you doing here?”

Petro handed the handkerchief to his driver, his voice shaking as he spoke. “My brother has fallen from our grand master’s favor.” He rose to his full height, trying to demonstrate bravery his trembling form professed he lacked. “I thought perhaps in coming here, I might see or do something that could help.”

Aric frowned. “Like what?”

Petro shook his head, his demeanor growing so sad I could practically taste his tears. “I don’t know…I just want things to go well.”

Aric ignored him to address the other were. “As soon as Celia identifies the vamp, the leech dies.”

Petro’s eyebrows shot up. “I assure you I’ve already made a positive identification.”

Aric growled. “Yeah. Like I’d trust a vamp.”

I glanced apologetically at Petro as Aric escorted me down the incline. The horrible roars intensified, as did the aroma of bloodlust. The circling wolves licked their chops and snapped their powerful jaws, eager to get the evil-killing started. They parted upon seeing Aric, allowing us through to view their prey.

The bloodluster faced away from me, held down by thick black cord strong enough to dig into her green skin and tattered clothes. She forced her head around as I neared, scraping her face against the netting. Her breathing deepened; her cries grew hungrier; her fangs elongated. “Celia,” she hissed.

Okay. That didn’t sound too psycho or anything.

Aric yanked me back. “I take it we have the right vamp?”

Her infection had advanced enough that her muscles bulged against the fabric of her clothes, but not enough to alter her face. Judge Malika still kept her beauty despite the sickly green of her skin and eyes. It was almost sad to see the once regal vampire reduced to nothing more than a dangerous animal.

I nodded. “Yes. That’s Antoinette Malika.”

Aric draped his arm around my shoulders and led me away. “Kill her,” he ordered without bothering to turn around.

Aric rushed me up the incline and back through the field. Snarling and hisses echoed behind us. There was a scream, but not from Malika. Yelps replaced growls. Whimpers replaced snarls. And shrieks ripped through my eardrums. We whipped around. Malika was free and bounding toward us at full speed, arms pumping, eyes fixed on me. “Celia. Celia. Celiaaa!”

Aric and Koda exploded into wolf form, changing as they leaped. Aric went for Malika’s throat while Koda gutted her stomach. A snow white wolf tackled me when I bolted toward them. I’d been tackled a lot lately, but the grace and gentleness she used threw me for a loop. Her obvious concern and lack of aggression kept me from shifting her or worse. She held me in place and shook her head, making it clear to stay put.

More wolves joined Aric and Koda, piling on the judge like she had the damn football until the popping sound of a balloon signaled the end of Malika. Aric raced back to the other wolves, but when he disappeared beneath the incline it was his human voice that roared, “What the hell happened?”

“That female you brought worsened her hunger,” another voice yelled back. “She broke through the net and charged after her. You shouldn’t have brought her, Aric.”

Growls replaced voices. Aric changed back to communicate with his pack…so I wouldn’t understand the argument that ensued. An argument I likely triggered.

The white wolf climbed off me and sat beside me when I stood. Petro appeared in the arms of his driver, bleeding from a head wound. He must have stepped into Malika’s path. I moved toward them, but the driver held out his hand. “No. Let him keep what pride he has.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t stop the pity I felt for him. Petro reminded me a lot of Danny. But Danny had all of us. Petro had only Misha watching out for him. If Uri took out Misha…I shuddered, not wanting to think about what could happen to either Misha or Petro.

The white wolf waited with me until Koda approached…naked. “Thanks, Heidi,” he said to the other wolf. “Come with me, Celia. Aric will meet us back at the car.”

“How do you know what Aric wants?” I kept my eyes straight ahead. Shayna was patient and friendly. But she’d likely ram a toothpick in my eye for gawking at Koda. “In part because I’ve known him forever. But as his Warrior, my wolf is tuned to his emotions. He’ll want you where it’s safe.”

“I’m sorry…if I caused any trouble.”

Koda’s thick brows furrowed. “You did nothing wrong, Celia. The others should have done a better job of guarding the bloodluster rather than counting on that damn net.”

We walked in silence until reaching Aric’s SUV. Weres must have kept the local sports equipment place in business. The back of Aric’s Escalade was packed with sweats in every size, which, fortunately, Koda slipped on immediately. “Are you coming back to the house?”

Koda’s ears seemed trained on the dark wooded area around us, but he still answered. “I don’t want to overwhelm Shayna.” He shrugged like he didn’t care, except it was obvious that he did. “I told her I’d call her in the morning.”

He perked up at the soft movement of feet behind us. Aric appeared, wearing only sweatpants and a pissed-off face. Koda growled.

I hurried toward him. “What happened?”

Aric stroked my face, his voice deepening. “Tell Dan we’ll be getting him that blood. Another pack called. They just killed eight more infected vampires.”

CHAPTER 23

Taran drove us home after work. Both Shayna’s and Emme’s wolves were given the night off from hunting. They met our sisters at the hospital, anxious to see them again.

Goody for them.

I’d received only a few texts from Aric. All stated he’d call soon. But he didn’t, hadn’t, and likely wouldn’t. Naked females with perky body parts literally threw themselves at him. We barely shared a kiss—fully clothed! My lack of confidence threatened to eat me alive. I knew he had a job to do. I realized infected vamps ran amok. I knew this. But it didn’t make a difference. Part of me wished I had invited him to my bed. My more practical, nonobsessed, less scary part didn’t want him needing me only for sex. And, if memory served, I wasn’t the ideal tigress in bed. I resembled more an awkward lamb or a George Costanza.

Taran blared her horn at the car in front of us. The light had turned green, but the driver was preoccupied making out with his passenger.

Bastard.

“Sorry, Celia.”

The misery in Taran’s voice snapped me out of my “woe to me” moment. “Huh?”

Taran focused ahead. “All those times when you sat at home by yourself while the rest of us were out must have been hell.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “How did you do it? Weren’t you lonely?”

I still am. I shrugged. “Gemini hasn’t called?”

“No! For shit’s sake, usually I can’t get rid of men.” She held up a finger. “He’s texted me once—once—just to say they’re still hunting. No, ‘I can’t wait to see you. I miss you. Let’s go out.’ Nothing. No-thing. Can you believe the goddamn nerve?”

No. I couldn’t. Just like I couldn’t believe how badly it affected her. Taran went through men. It wasn’t in her nature to tie herself down to anyone. I knew her beauty and spirit would eventually land her “the one,” but I also thought for sure the sap would salivate at her feet. I wanted to ask her more about it, but her rising temper needed a distraction.

“Have they found anything?”

She huffed. “Nothing but a shitload of infected vampires. They’re averaging eight kills a night. That’s thirty-six vampires since we left Zhahara’s. Where the hell are all these vampires coming from?”

“I don’t know. But the weres can’t continue to keep the human population safe until they find the source of the outbreak.”

“No. They can’t. And if that nastiness spreads outside of Tahoe…” She shuddered. “At least with the wolves out, I haven’t heard of anyone belonging to the area missing.”

I glanced outside the window at the darkening sky. “No, but another tour bus disappeared last night. This time on the Nevada side.”

“Aw, hell, Celia. I so didn’t need to hear that.” Taran abruptly turned off the radio like the sappy song bothered her, and lost herself in her thoughts. “Do you want to go out tonight? Just me and you? I’m tired of sitting at home.”

It had been a long three days of wallowing in self-pity, but that’s all it seemed I had the energy to do. “No. Sorry. Maybe dinner tomorrow?”

“I meant…to hunt for bloodlusters ourselves.”

My head shot up toward her. I almost jumped at the idea. The thrill of a hunt enticed my tigress, pulling me out of my sadness. But then realization hit me like a freight truck. “Are you prowling for monsters or are you gaming for wolves?”

Taran grew silent.

“Taran?”

“Damn, Celia. I’m turning into one of those desperate, pathetic girls I used to make fun of.”

Yeah. Join the friggin’ club, order the comfort food, and bring on the chick flicks. I dug my claws into my thighs, willing myself to support Taran. “You need to give Gemini time. He has a genuine and honorable responsibility to the earth. I don’t think he’s purposely avoiding you.”

“Will you show Aric the same courtesy?”

My chest hurt at the mention of his name. “That’s different. And you know it.”

Taran easily pulled into our neighborhood—no simple task during one of her more annoyed eye rolls. “Aw, hell, Celia. We’ve all seen the way that wolf looks at you—Oh, shit!”