had it, but the bat screeched and clawed, tearing free and hurtling out of the open window.

Tor ran to the window, but the bat was gone. “Fuck!”

Rune, still standing over me, turned to look at me. Are you all right? His voice was melted chocolate and snuggly blankets.

I looked into his warm hazel eyes, bright with flecks of gold. He’d saved my ass. If he hadn’t knocked me down… “I’m okay.” My voice was a whisper. “I’m good, thanks to you guys.”

I shuffled out from beneath him, hands sinking into his fur and curling to grip him as I hauled myself to my knees.

My pounding heartbeat slowed.

Tor pulled the window closed and turned to face us, his expression tight with anger. “Get up. We need to call a meeting. Now.”

The bite wouldn’t completely heal no matter how much Rune licked me.

I’m sorry, he said.

“Don’t be. Thanks for trying.” I reached up to gently probe the tender flesh around the puncture wounds at my neck. “At least the torn skin is healed and it’s not bleeding anymore.”

“We need to keep it clean.” Tor entered the kitchen carrying a first aid kit.

Rune padded out of the way to allow Tor to get to me.

The tattooed monolith nudged my knees apart and slipped his leg between them to get close. He gripped my chin gently and tipped my head to the side so he could get to the wound.

I winced at the sting of antiseptic and the pressure of his fingers as he taped on a square of gauze.

“That should help it heal.” He stroked my chin with his thumb, turning my head so I could lock gazes with him, his steel-gray eyes dark and stormy. “Do you need pain meds?”

“No. I’m good.”

His throat bobbed and his jaw tensed. “How long was he feeding before we got there?”

The memory of that thing on me, his mouth on my neck, fangs in me…I suppressed a shudder. “A minute or so. I couldn’t move. He had me paralyzed.”

Normal vamps can’t do that, Rune said.

Yeah, they couldn’t. “I know.”

Tor’s jaw ticked. “He could have drained you.”

Yep, he totally could have, but, “I’m okay. I don’t think he wanted to drain me.”

Tor exhaled through his nose. “You’re too pale.” He released me and busied himself at the kitchen counter, filling the kettle and pulling out mugs from cupboards. “I called Anna. They should be here soon.”

What did she say when you mentioned the Sons of Adam? Rune asked.

“Absolutely fucking nothing.” He made tea like it was a mission, and I was mesmerized by his fluid movements. “Eat.” He handed me a biscuit from the tin he’d just opened.

I took a bite and sighed as sugary goodness melted over my tongue.

He passed me a mug brimming with the good stuff just as the kitchen door slammed open and Leif charged in, butt-naked and carrying the scent of the forest with him. His crimson locks were windswept and his gunmetal-blue eyes were bright from the shift.

He skidded to a halt at the sight of me sitting at the table, chocolate biscuit in one hand, tea in the other.

“Took your time,” Tor drawled, putting the biscuit tin on the table. “What did you do? Crawl?”

Leif fell to a crouch in front of me, his hands coming up to cup my face, and then his gaze fell to my neck.

“What the fuck?” His fingers were warm as they slid down my cheeks to trace a line around the bandage. “What the fuck is this?”

Don’t look at his crotch. “I’m fine. It’s gone.”

“What the fuck happened?” He turned to Tor, demanding an explanation.

“Vampire attack,” Tor said bluntly.

Leif stood and turned away from me, offering me the perfect butt shot. Oh, God, we needed to keep a box of clothes in the kitchen.

“What vamps would be dumb enough to attack on wolf territory?” he asked.

These weren’t ordinary vampires, Rune said. These were Sons of Adam.

“The vampires Jasper told us about?” Leif took the seat across the table from me and ran his hands over his face. “Fuck, the malevolent was right.” He sat up straight. “Wait, Jasper said the elders were also talking about handing you over…”

Tor’s chest rumbled in a growl. “If they are, then they’ll have to go through me.”

“Us,” Leif said. “They’ll have to go through us.” He made a sound of exasperation. “I never should have left you guys.”

He’d left to go to his pack house, to tell his pack about his father’s death. Oh, God. Arne was dead. Leif shouldn’t be here. He needed to be with them.

I reached across the table to take his hand. “Leif, I’m sorry.”

“What?” He looked confused.

“I pulled you away from your pack and Arne. You need to go. We’ve got this.”

“No,” Tor and Rune said in unison.

Leif gripped my fingers and leaned across the table. “Arne died to save your life, and I can’t allow his death to be in vain. I need to be here. I want to be here. You come first, Cora. It’s just the way it is now. I want to protect you.”

“And if what Jasper says is true, we may have to protect her from the elders,” Tor growled.

No, Rune said. I don’t think the elders sent that thing. If they wanted to hand her over, they’d have been sneakier about it.

He was right. This was too messy for a Grimswood witch.

“Well, they can tell me that to my face,” Tor said. “Once they get here.” He pulled out the chair beside me and parked his ass. “And if I’m not satisfied with their response”—his lip curled—“then they’ll be getting a visit from my beast.”

I looked across at my mate’s profile, stern and unforgiving. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Tor’s wrath, not for any money.

Anna better have answers, and they better be good.

Chapter Two

Tor had just topped me up on tea when there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it,” Leif said.

He’d run upstairs and pulled on some

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