He shrugs.
“You two are terrible. One touch and you’d know if you’re mates. I don’t understand why the hesitation.” I hold up my hand before he tries to say something he may not want Dax to hear. The room is filled with noise but paranormals have excellent hearing. It would be easy for Dax to pick up every word Keene says. “I don’t know his history, nor all of yours for that matter,” I state. “But I can tell you from experience, don’t wait. Don’t keep everything to yourself. I lost Sienna once. I made sure not to do it again. I also don’t need to give you the fate speech. You’ll end up where you’re meant to be. Since Dax came into your life, that’s been toward him. Work through your issues. For both of you.”
Keene nods again then does the last thing I expect and pulls me into a hug. I’m not a small male, but this bear shifter smothers me close to suffocation before he releases me.
“Thank you,” he mouths, then turns and walks in the opposite direction of Dax.
Dax doesn’t follow Keene, but if he could sever my head from my body in this moment, he would.
Then someone steps between us with their back to me. Someone who’s wearing a coat that looks just like my signature one.
“Knock it off,” I hear Sol say, low and deadly.
I walk to his side and glance over at my brother. He’s let his fangs descend with his eyes on Dax. Well, this is interesting.
Placing a hand on Sol’s arm, I say, “It’s fine, brother. He has just cause for the way he’s looking at me.”
Sol turns to me and searches my eyes. I let the block in my mind down so he can easily see everything that just happened with Keene and me. He faces Dax again and clucks his tongue. “While you may think this hatred of my brother is justified, remember he’s mated. And bear shifter or not, I’m stronger than you are. I heal faster. And I have way more life experience. You step wrongly toward Ford, and Avynwood Clan or not, I’ll end you.”
Dax narrows his eyes then nods before spinning and getting lost in the crowd.
4
Solomon
The nerve of this shifter thinking he can try something with my brother. Granted, he didn’t actually take a step toward him or anything, but I know a death glare when I see one. I’ve given them countless times over in my life.
I’m about to talk to Ford when a scream wrenches through the air. The entire room seems to turn toward the doorway where Fiona stands in a barely-there costume with blood covering her hands and tears streaming down her cheeks.
Aries pushes through the crowd to get to her. “Fi, what happened?”
“Eaton, he-he… Someone hurt him.”
I rub my hands together. Finally, the real entertainment has begun. I love a good staged mystery. It’s perfect for Halloween.
Ariane is the next one to get to Fiona. “You’re not lying,” she says with a cock of her head.
“No!” Fiona cries. “Why would I make something like this up?”
“It’s Halloween and scary stuff is fun to do.”
“My mate is out in the hall shifting to heal!” she yells. “I wouldn’t do this for entertainment!”
With a quick focus on Ari, I scan her mind then Fiona’s. There’s nothing there but stark fear and the vision of Fiona’s mate on the ground with a chunk torn out of his leg and abdomen. That’s not something you can pretend. Now I also realize they’re dressed as Tarzan and Jane.
Aries rushes from the room and goes in search of Eaton. I make my way through the crowd, most of who try to get to Fiona, while the others go in search of Eaton. He’s a wolf shifter and can heal from almost anything with a few shifts or more, depending on how quickly everything mends together.
Ford is hot on my heels as I enter the hallway and follow a few of the pack to the left. It’s there we find a massive, light grey wolf standing on all fours. He shakes his entire body then raises his lips in a snarl.
“Eaton,” Aries says in a low, commanding tone. “I can’t talk to you like this. Shift.”
Eaton growls but ultimately his wolf slips to the back, allowing the human to reemerge. The alpha’s command is powerful within his pack. When Eaton does, his eyes hold nothing but pure murder.
“Tell us what happened,” Aries states.
Around me are Ford, Dante, Wake, Titus, Sevan, Keene, Kylest, and Raven. The others must have kept everyone in the ballroom so the pack isn’t separated and everyone can be protected easier. It’s hard to guard the ones you love when they’re scattered all over the place.
“I was leaving the kitchen when I was attacked from behind,” Eaton begins. “I didn’t see or hear them coming. First, I was shoved hard into a wall. My head bounced off it, leaving me disoriented. The next thing I knew, blinding pain radiated down my side and leg. I spun and tried to focus on who did it, but all I saw was a blur of a being. Fi must have felt my pain and came looking for me.” Eaton shakes his head. “I never want to see that look on her face again.”
“How did someone get into the pack house with none of us realizing it?” Dante asks.
“If they’re fae they could have cloaked themselves so they were invisible,” Kylest states. As a fae prince, he would know.
Raven, his mate, adds, “If they slipped in beside a shifter or even a vampire, they wouldn’t have known. Once the magic is in place, it’s very hard to detect. Only the strongest fae could have and, even then, there’s no guarantee.”
“Will you two grab Davian and Robin and scour every corner of this house?” Aries asks. Robin is Kylest’s sister and Davian
