Fleance’s nerves jangled as he realized Caine had never mentioned biting Parker.
The other hellhound’s throat wobbled beneath his teeth as he laughed.
*Flea, Flea, Flea. Always biting off more than you can chew. What do you think is going to happen here?* He was grinning, now, his lips stretched back over sharp gray teeth. *Go on! Do it! Just like I taught you, huh? What do you think’s going to happen? You’ll be the big, bad alpha and have my voice in your head forever?*
*Fleance, what’s he talking about?* Compared to Parker’s voice, Sheena’s was a ray of sunshine. But she sounded worried. *His voice in your head?*
*Go on. Explain it to the poor girl. What you think is going to happen.* When Fleance didn’t immediately respond, Parker jerked up, almost impaling himself on Fleance’s teeth. *It won’t work! You’ll never control me. Caine was an alpha. Why do you think I didn’t bring him to heel after I turned him like I did the rest of you? The risk outweighed the reward. But you… you’re just a lackey.* His eyes narrowed. *The most you can hope for is to kill me. But you’re too weak to do that, aren’t you? Too weak to do what has to be done. Just as you always were.*
Fleance’s head was ringing. He released his bite as bitterness flooded his mouth. Angus slunk to his feet, a mocking snarl on his mouth.
*No surprises there. Same old Flea, huh? Pathetic.*
Fleance felt sick. He hesitated, and that was all Parker needed to act. He twisted and snapped at Sheena before either of them could react.
The smell of blood hit Fleance like a blow. He surged forward, man and hellhound united to protect his mate. A shout echoed in his mind, but all he could focus on was getting between Parker and Sheena. Hellfire dripped from his jaws. He stalked forward, driving the other hellhound back towards the burning buildings.
Parker was limping, but the look on his face was pure malevolence. *You shouldn’t have come here,* he snarled.
Fleance growled back at him. He couldn’t risk looking back but all of his senses were straining towards his mate behind him. *Sheena,* he sent, taking care to make sure Parker couldn’t hear him, *are you hurt?*
*I’m—* A bitten-off curse that fell like a knife’s blade on his ears. *All good. Just gotta shift.*
Her voice was hard and slippery, and he fought against the sudden feeling that she was getting away from him. Parker’s voice echoed in his head.
*But you turning up does have its benefits.* His hound’s face split in a sulfurous grin. *With my business partners sadly missing their appointment, I was in for a lonely afternoon.*
“Business—where are my aunts, you arsehole! Why is their house the only one not on fire? What have you done with them?” Sheena yelled. She must have shifted back into human form already. Her voice was hoarse.
*Done with them? Nothing. They should be here…* Parker swept his muzzle in an arc, a caricature of the concerned host. *People in this country are too laid back, if you ask me.*
“If you’ve hurt them—”
*What will you do? Bleat me to death?* Parker laughed again.
Fleance concentrated. *Sheena, I can’t smell anyone here but us. There’s a strong scent of two people around the one house that hasn’t burned down, but it’s stale. They must have gotten out before all this started.*
Her relief shuddered down the mate bond.
Parker yawned, his jaw cracking. *They’re both shifters, of course, which limited my options, but I didn’t think I’d scared them so badly that they’d miss the big day. We’re meant to be cracking open the champagne! Doesn’t it seem like the perfect time to celebrate doing business together?*
Standing half-in the flames of a burning house, Parker looked as though he’d stepped straight out of hell. Fleance stared at him.
*What’s wrong with you? What you did back home was bad enough, but this…*
*This is what it looks like when I don’t have anyone holding me back.* Parker’s eyes gleamed. *Oh, that’s right, boyo. Without you whining and crying every time I tried to get ahead, I’ve been able to move into the big leagues. I’m going to see just how far my luck can take me. And my powers, of course.* His voice was like a nest of worms squirming against Fleance’s mind. *But it’s a lot of work for one man, so I’m thinking of putting together a team.*
*You’ll never convince me to come back,* Fleance snarled. *That bullshit about me holding you back—that’s not true. You never showed any mercy.*
*Well, listen to Mr. Too-big-for-his-britches over here! Who said I was talking about you, boyo?*
His eyes slid past Fleance to Sheena, and then he vanished in a whirl of stinking smoke. Fleance jerked forwards, but there was nothing to chase—no scent, no sign. It was as though Parker had never been there.
Then a voice whispered in his ear: *Good talking to you, kiddo. We’ll have to do this again some time. All three of us.*
And he was gone.
“Is he—” Sheena began, and gasped. Fleance spun to face her, but she was looking over his head. “The fire’s stopped.”
Fleance turned slowly. The air still smelled of smoke and burned wood, stone, and plastic, but the fire that had been devouring the houses was… gone.
“How is that possible?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” And the fact that he didn’t know worried him. Parker had already shown him once today that there was more to being a hellhound shifter than he knew. Hellhounds had burning eyes and breathed smoke, but control over fire? That was new, and it scared him.
Sheena swore under her breath and took a wobbly step towards him. Her knee buckled beneath her and Fleance shifted and caught her in his arms before she fell.
For a moment, all he could see was
