“Milo, it took two weeks to get this info?” I drop my forehead into my hands and look at the sheets of paper. “So you’re saying Paars and Minnie are what? Aliases?” “Hard to say.” Milo looks over my shoulder with his hands on the arms of my chair. “There’s no record of a Paars de Wees in Council archives for over a hundred fifty years. Before that, records are shoddy. There is a Wilhemina Visser, but she was born in the Netherlands over a hundred years ago in a pack called Vrede Berg. It doesn’t exist anymore. Merged with a larger pack eighty years ago. There is a record of her having a daughter, but I couldn’t find a name.” “Why would there be no registered names?” I sit back in my seat and brush my fingers on the underside of his chin, making him smile. Things have been different for us since the night in the meadow. Justice says it’s because I’ve stopped hiding and opened myself up to Milo. I mean, I’ve definitely been open to new things with him. Most of them require my legs to

“Yeah. That’s the skin walker from the underground fight.” Reggie looks at the photos from the security video. “The audio in the file is corrupt.” James growls. “I guess if this guy is that powerful, we’re lucky to have video evidence.” “He said his name is Yee Naaldlooshii.” I pace behind the guys as the screen goes fuzzy. It clears up and Sin appears from behind the creature. “That’s not really a name. It’s the Navajo word for skin walker.” Bronx folds his arms over himself. “I guess if he’s old enough, he may not remember what his name was when he was human.” “Well, I don’t know if he’s still on Sin’s side after I called him out, but let’s assume he is.” I swallow hard. “And if that’s the case, we need to assume he is acting as Sin’s personal guard.” “If he is, then no one should try to attack Sin alone.” Hana speaks up. “A skin walker can curse the entire pack with a spell on one pack member.” “Sin told you he ain’t waiting to attack us?” Marco says, also watching the screen

Milo’s POV“Milo?” Bronx says in a mindlink. “I have Reggie and a guard with me. Where you at?”“Living room. Ghost did a quick sweep, but have them check again.” I reply, looking at the coffee table. “You should see this shit, bro.”“It smells like an animal died in- what the fuck?” Bronx looks at the table. “What is that?”“That’s where the incense smell is coming from. I think it’s trying to mask the dead animal scent. I thought it was a rogue, but even rogues don’t smell this bad.” I don’t look away from the small pile of fragrant dried flowers and leaves smoldering on top of a pile of mud on my coffee table. Bronx kneels down to inspect it closer. “These flowers don’t look like the ones in the meadow. Do you recognize them?”I lean forward with my hands on my knees. “Uhh… desert willow and those are New Mexico Locust flowers. Those little piney things look like juniper. That bit there looks like pieces of cactus.”“None of that is native to Montana, right?”“No, it doesn’t get w

“Elder Randall, I apologize for deviating from our scheduled meetings, but we received a tip from a credible source last night. We’re going to need to take action immediately. I’ve come up with a plan and want to get you up to speed.” I wait for him to sit across from me at my desk. “Unfortunately, because of the urgency of the circumstances, we can’t let you go home. The safest place for you is here at Blood River.”“A tip? Urgency?” He looks at me suspiciously. “Lenora, you’re being cryptic. You know that irks me. Why wouldn’t I be able to go home? What are you talking about?”“Well, I won’t expose my informant, but as I said, they are a credible source. They advised that Sin’s army of rogues and dark creatures is prime to attack within the next forty-eight hours. That was last night, so now we’re down to… mmm… about thirty-six hours. I can’t guarantee we even have that long.” I look at my watch. “It’s not safe for shifters in alliance with the Council to travel right now. I’ve alre

I stand on the front steps of the packhouse and look out at my pack. Everyone is staring back at me. The energy in the air is palpable. I take a deep breath in. Everyone’s scents combined creates a sweet, mellow taste on my tongue that I’ve never noticed before.“Justice, what do I say?” I swallow back the panic building in my chest.“Inspire them.” Her confidence flows through me. “Give them courage.”“Alright, everyone. Remember the basics. Shifters who share a body with an animal spirit have reflexes that make them faster. Werewolves, werebears, weretigers. Don’t forget werefoxes. They may look like children, but they are most definitely NOT little kids. They are twice as fast and just as vicious as any other shifter. Witches, vampires, and dragons are morphers; they only have one consciousness. There may be a first wave of vampires at nightfall. Don’t look them in the eyes. Don’t give witches time to finish a spell. And dragons can breathe fire even if they are in human form. Oh,