“How did you know to come?” Darius’s accented voice was tense with a hint of a snarl.
“Daric came to get me. Our source had a vision that they were coming for the pups.” For now, the identity of their “source” was only known to Lucas, Adrianna, and Mika. Gunnar Jonasson, Daric’s youngest child, was a powerful hybrid who had visions of the future. Originally, Daric had hidden his son’s abilities, fearful that they would be abused. However, when the Guardian Initiative was formed, he told the two Alphas and Mika because Gunnar had a vision about an attack on the Boston clan, which they were able to prevent. His predictions had been vital to their cause and had saved them many times, as well as aided them in ferreting out the location of the mages. “He also said—” The screeching of tires cut her off, and four black vans rounded the corner heading straight for them. “Shit! They’re here.”
“They?” Sofia said in an incredulous tone.
“Yeah. Reinforcements.”
The vans stopped in the middle of the street, the doors sliding open even before the vehicles came to a halt.
Darius scanned the area. “I don’t see any mages around.”
Sofia pulled her gun out again. “Looks like the mages had their hired goons do this one.”
“Good.” From what they’d learned, their enemies had recruited blessed warlocks and witches—those who had active powers, like Daric—into their cause and turned them into mages which proved to be an advantage to them. Mika herself had encountered a mage who could control water and nearly drowned her.
“That means no teleporting either,” Sofia observed. Another thing they’d learned—mages could somehow transport themselves over relatively short distances, but only if there were at least three of them to activate the spell. “But there’s still too many of these guys.”
“Daric went to get help.”
As if on cue, the air around them shimmered, and the warlock himself appeared in front of them as well as about a dozen other Lycans from GI. “We’re here.”
“Take Sofia and the pups,” Mika said, though Daric already had his hands stretched out. As he disappeared with the children, she glanced around. “Crap.”
Four dozen men dressed in combat gear and armed with automatic rifles had surrounded them. But everyone who had arrived had seen their share of skirmishes, and they didn’t need to wait for the signal to attack.
“Fire at will!” someone shouted.
Their enemies raised their weapons, but the Lycans were too fast. A few giant wolves leapt into action, taking as many as they could down as bullets whizzed by. Mika stayed in human form, preferring to fight hand-to-hand, plus, she had to be ready to issue commands if necessary which would have been difficult in her Lycan form.
“Motherfucker!” Pain shot down her left leg as a bullet ripped through her flesh. No matter, it would heal. Rage filled her as she stalked toward the man who still had his weapon pointed at her, and her inner wolf was reaching for the surface. His eyes went wide as she let out a loud growl, and he pulled the trigger again.
She braced for the impact of bullets, shutting her eyes tight as she leapt forward, ready to release her wolf. However, the only impact she felt was a strong, vice-like grip wrap around her stomach and pull back.
“What the—” She opened her mouth wide, trying to suck in the air that had been knocked out of her. When she was able to breathe, she realized everything had gone dark, like someone had turned off all the street lamps, the signs, even the moon and stars. There were silhouettes and forms around her, but it was as if a blanket covered her head. It was strange because as a Lycan, she could see pretty well in the dark. Her hearing, too, was muffled.
“Martinez!” she screamed as she recognized one of her agents. But he just ran past her as he lunged for one of the humans, like he didn’t see or hear her.
What was going on?
Something pulled her back again until she was pressed against something hard. A wall? No, it was warm and—oh, dear Lord, that scent. Damp grass, smoke, and something she couldn’t name, except it was like … pure dark sex.
“Stay still, cher.”
The damned Cajun. Though she wanted to struggle away from him, her body wouldn’t obey. Hands gripped on her arms sent shocks of electricity through them.
“You are not used to the shadows.” His voice was like warm honey, and her knees buckled.
“Th-the shadows?”
“Yes. It’s my … ability.”
Ah yes, Nick told her about this. The power he possessed. “You have the power to go into the shadows?”
She felt the slightest brush of his cheek against hers. “Somethin’ like that. But don’t move too much. I don’t want to lose you in here.”
God, his presence, his voice, the warmth of his muscled body at her back made her want to melt into a puddle. Need clawed at her, and her inner wolf, which had been ready to fight and rip up their enemies just moments ago, suddenly found him very interesting. Its ears were perked up, full attention on him. “What the hell …?”
The meaning of it all hit her so fast, it was as if the wind was knocked out of her for a second time.
Oh no.
No. No.
Despite all the chaos around them, her mind had pieced it all together. How could she ignore it when she’d heard it all her life? The stories of her parents, her grandparents, and the rest of the Lycans in their clan? The electric shock on first touch, the delicious scent that called to them, the way their wolves gravitated toward that one person like an irresistible force? There was only one person in the world who could elicit all that.
A True Mate.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Was she all right? Goddamn him! “I’m … what the hell is happening? I mean, how come Martinez just blew past me like he didn’t see me?”
“They can’t see us here,
