Zac felt the coldness grip him as Cross’ magic surrounded his body. He had a feeling that the hybrid had the same power as his father, if only evidenced by the fact that he had appeared on the rooftop without Zac seeing him. He was with Lucas, Adrianna, and their other friends when he saw Astrid head toward the rooftop. After making excuses to the table, he went after her.

Seeing her in the arms of another man drove him and his wolf insane. He wanted to tear that man’s heart out. To say that he was shocked when he realized it was her brother would be an understatement, though it did not mollify his wolf. Cross’ wolf was no more dominant than his, and it was not going to cower to anyone. But then that explosion from below had his blood growing cold in his veins.

The coldness left, and Zac felt the ground underneath his feet. Cross had transported them into the men’s bathrooms. He didn’t bother waiting for the other man as he darted out to the main lounge.

The scene outside was chaotic. Screams and growls. People running away. Broken glass and furniture. What the hell was going on? There were at least a dozen robed figures scattered about the room, waving their hands and throwing bottles on the floor that blew up into smoke. Magic potions. Were they being attacked by witches?

“No!”

Zac turned his head toward the scream. Two of the men in robes had grabbed Adrianna, holding her down as a third man threw a small vial at her. She had been screaming and fighting, her body in the middle of a shift as fur sprouted all over her skin. When the green smoke blew up around her, she went limp and the two men lifted her up.

“Adrianna!” Lucas screamed from across the room. Two men in robes blocked him, their hands raised.

Zac felt the blood drain from his face. “Stop him!” He looked around. He recognized several friends in Lycan form fighting off the attackers. Cross was there too, waving his hand and sending three men slamming into the wall. “Cross!” he called to the other man. “Get Adrianna! Now!”

Cross looked at him, and his gaze went toward the men who were dragging Adrianna away. “I’ll grab her. Don’t let him shift!” Cross disappeared as he left his warning.

Zac didn’t know how Cross knew, but there wasn’t any time for that. He was the closest to Lucas, and thus the only one who could help.

“Lucas, no!” He leapt forward, quickly changing into his Lycan form, his clothes ripping away like paper. He landed on all fours and ran to Lucas. The two robed men were holding him down. This was not good.

A loud roar reverberated through the air and the shockwave of power rippling across the room nearly knocked Zac’s wolf off its paws. His animal shrank back instinctively, but Zac fought it and urged it to go forward. We have to get to him, he told his wolf. Help him. Save him. From himself. Because he knew for certain that Lucas would not be the one who needed saving.

Fuck!

Lucas had fully turned into his Lycan form, a wolf that was so dominant and terrifying that all the Lycans in the room were surely paralyzed with fear. The wolf was pure black and was over eight feet on its hind legs, its massive jaw ripping and snarling at the two attackers. In a blur of dark fur, both men were underneath its gigantic paws, and his fearful, gaping maw came down with a vicious snarl.

Zac pushed his wolf forward, fighting its instinct to lay down and show its belly. Lucas was not in control in this state, not when Adrianna was in danger. He had to somehow reach Lucas inside his wolf. And he couldn’t do it like this.

“Lucas!” he called when he shifted back to his human form. He changed back too quickly, and he felt dizzy, but he had to keep going. “Lucas, they’re dead. Stop.”

The wolf raised its head from the carnage, blood dripping from its snout. Blue-green eyes glowed in the dim light, and Zac felt the hairs on his arms rise. There was no recognition in his eyes, only pure animal violence. Lucas had shifted and gone straight into bloodlust.

This had only happened twice before, and no one—not Grant, Frankie, his father, or any Lycan doctor—could say why Lucas’ wolf had acted this way. Shifting in bloodlust wasn’t like going feral. Every other time he shifted, he was in control. Perhaps being the son of two Alphas made his wolf extremely dominant and powerful, but why he went out of control, no one could say for certain.

“Lucas,” he emphasized. “Please, change back.”

The wolf growled at him and snapped its jaw, then began to stalk toward him.

“Cross is here, Lucas. He’s going to save Adrianna.” He kept repeating his name, hoping he would remember who he was. “Don’t do this, Lucas.” He knew this would rip his friend apart, knowing that he killed those men. “Lucas!”

The wolf leapt at him, and he braced himself, ready to shift and tangle with Lucas if only to slow him down and stop him from hurting anyone else. But the wolf never came. A white blur whizzed past his eyes, knocking the Alpha wolf down.

“No!” He knew that scent. And he knew in his bones who it was. “Astrid, no!” He forced the shift as quickly as he could; it was painful as this was his second shift in minutes, but he had no choice. His heart banged into his ribcage, and he prayed it wouldn’t be too late as he vaulted toward where Astrid and Lucas were tangled in a flurry of black and white fur.

Lucas was much bigger than Astrid’s wolf, so he quickly gained the upper hand. She howled in pain as his paw swiped at her. Rage poured in his veins, and Zac sprang forward.

“Lucas! Stop!”

Zac’s wolf skidded to a halt when he heard Adrianna’s pleading cries. She hobbled over to Lucas, unafraid of the wolf. Her hair was disheveled and one of her shoes were gone, but she seemed unharmed otherwise. She embraced the wolf, whispering soothing words. This was the only way to get Lucas under control when he was in bloodlust.

Zac breathed a sigh of relief and padded over to Astrid. Thank God she was unhurt. He leaned down and sniffed at her, pressing his muzzle to her neck, breathing in that heady, flowery scent. The white wolf whined and licked at his face.

“Everything seems to be under control.” Cross had reappeared beside them. “All of the Lycans are safe, save for a few injuries. But our attackers got away.”

Zac stepped away from Astrid to give her some space as she began to shift back. He turned away and did the same, pushing his wolf deep inside him, taking control of their body once again as he changed back into his human form. With a pained grunt, he got up from his knees. “Thanks,” he grumbled to Cross as, with a wave of his hand, his clothes reappeared on his body. It was the first time he’d seen this particular power and it unnerved him.

“Cross! Is she okay?” Astrid too had changed back and was also fully clothed.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Zac bit out, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Do you have any idea … you could have been killed!”

“What the hell was I supposed to do?” she retorted. “He was coming after you and you were standing there like a deer in headlights. Were you just going to let him hurt you?”

“I had to!” He gripped her shoulders harder.

“If he had … and you were …” Her face went pale. “I don’t understand. Who were those people? And Lucas … what’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing,” he said defensively. “It’s not my story to tell.” Adrenaline was slowly draining out of him, and he stumbled forward. Astrid caught him and wrapped her arms around his torso. He breathed in her scent, letting it wrap around and consume him. “Astrid,” he said in a broken voice, his hand coming up to her back. He genuinely thought Lucas would kill her. He’d seen it in Lucas’ eyes. He had been close, the bloodlust fueling his rage. If something happened to her—

Cross clearing his throat made them disentangle from each other. “I think it’s time we called the Alpha.” He looked at Astrid. “Mom and Dad are—”

“Here,” Daric announced as he materialized behind them. He slipped his hand from Meredith’s waist. He looked around. The Lounge had been thoroughly trashed by their attackers and the Lycans who had shifted to protect themselves. Broken pieces of the fashionable and ultra-modern furniture lay scattered on the ground. The glittering chandelier that was the centerpiece of the room was shattered into a million pieces. Tables were overturned and spilled bottles of alcohol were everywhere.

“Let’s get to work,” he said. “I’ll see to anyone who has any injuries. I’ve brought a few potions and antidotes just in case. Cross?”

“I’ll head out,” he said, “and see what evidence they left behind.”

“Astrid, a little help?” Meredith said to her daughter. “We should secure the area.”

Astrid nodded. “All right.”

Zac was reluctant to see Astrid go, but for now, she was safe. “What can I do?”

Daric placed a hand on his shoulder. “Your mother and father are stuck in traffic, so perhaps you can keep the authorities busy? I suspect we will get a visit from the NYPD.”

He nodded. “Will do.”

Zac headed outside to the main club area to assess any further damage. He met with the manager, a Lycan named Sean Presley. The club had to be shut down as someone—probably a bystander outside or one of the stray humans who somehow ventured into the club—called 911. Since Zac would be facing the police, they came up with a story that could be easily verified later—that Zac was a silent partner in the club, as well as a guest at the party.

The beat cops who arrived were easy enough to placate. Zac explained that there had been a fight inside between two of the patrons. “One of them was hitting on the other guy’s girlfriend,” he explained to a uniformed officer. “You know how that is, sir.”

The man interviewing Zac flipped his notebook closed. “Yeah, unfortunately. But we should really investigate and talk to more people.”

“Would that really be worth your time, Officer Martinez? Aren’t there more serious crimes going on outside?”

“I suppose.” He put his notebook away. “Are you pressing charges, Mr. Vrost?”

“Oh, no,” he chuckled. “If we had to press charges against every jealous boyfriend or girlfriend who cause trouble around here, we’d be up to our necks in lawsuits, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah. Too bad those two guys got away, huh?”

“Too bad. Well now, I guess—”

“Excuse me.”

Officer Martinez’ face turned sour before he turned around. “Well, hello, Detective.” He did not sound happy.

The dark-haired woman who interrupted them nodded at Martinez, her face blank. “Officer.” She turned to Zac. “I’m Detective Sofia Selinofoto.” She held up a badge. “And you are?”

“Zac Vrost,” he said, offering a hand. “I’m one of the partners here.”

Selinofoto ignored his hand. “So, can you tell me what happened?”

“I’ve already given my statement to the officer.”

She gave him a freezing look with her steely light gray eyes. “Then you can give it to me again.”

If he were a lesser man, he would have been intimidated. Still, she was an officer of the law. Besides, the New York clan was well connected in the city. One call to the police chief and this would all go away. For now, he would cooperate. “Fine,” he said. “I was inside The Lounge when—shit!”

“Shit?” Selinofoto raised a dark brow.

“That’s not, I mean—excuse me.” He sidestepped around the detective, heading toward the private doors. Zac cursed again, this time, to himself. Lucas, dressed only in his pants, had somehow stumbled out of The Lounge. Last he had seen his friend, he was out cold on one of the benches as the shift had wiped him out. How the hell did he get out? “Lucas,” he hissed. “You’re not doing too good.” Zac slipped an arm around his chest to steady him.

“Zac,” he mumbled. “I—” When he lifted his face up, his expression sobered and his pupils dilated. “Who are—”

“Mr. Vrost.” Selinofoto’s cool voice cut Lucas off. “What’s going on?” The door to The Lounge was ajar and she peeked inside. “What the hell happened in there?”

Zac cursed silently and he used his foot to kick the door shut and then swung Lucas around to his other arm. “Nothing, Detective,” he said quickly. “Just … a private party.”

“You’re still having a party in there? After what happened?”

“Well, business is business. You know how cutthroat rent is in Manhattan. I can’t afford to shut down.”

Her gaze turned to Lucas, and for a moment, her eyes glazed over. She shook her head and her dark brows furrowed together. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Just a little too much to drink. It’s his, er, bachelor party,” he said. “You know how it is. Last days of freedom.”

She looked taken aback, then her expression turned cold again. “Well, then, why don’t you send the groom back to the party and come and make your statement.”

“No …” Lucas slurred. “You—”

“Will do, Detective. Come along now, all your friends are waiting.” Zac opened the door and dragged Lucas inside. “Adrianna,” he called.

“Zac!” She went over to him and put her arms around Lucas. “I just went to the bathroom and he was gone.”

“It’s okay,” Zac said. “I caught him before he went too far.”

“I’ll take care of him,” she said, leading her brother toward one of the couches in the corner.

God, this night was turning into a shit show. How did his parents do this? “Daric,” he called to the warlock who was chatting softly with his wife.

“Zachary,” he greeted. “Is everything all right?”

“There’s a detective from the NYPD in the main room. She may have gotten a glimpse in here, and she definitely saw Lucas. I think she’ll need a dose of that forgetting potion.”

“I’ll administer it then.” He took a vial from the pouch slung over his shoulder. “Is she right outside?”

“Yes. Detective Sofia Selinofoto. She’s about five feet, five inches tall with dark hair, wearing a navy blouse, and slacks.”

Daric nodded before he headed for the door. Zac turned to Meredith. “Everything okay in here?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “Grant and Frankie are five minutes away, and Nick and Cady just got here. How is he?”

Zac looked back at Lucas who was still on the couch. “He’ll be okay.” I hope.

The last time Lucas had shifted in bloodlust had not been pretty. He should know; he’d been there to witness it. But Lucas supposedly had it under control, and even spent an entire year in a special program with another clan to learn to placate the bloodlust. Zac couldn’t blame him, however. Seeing his twin being taken away had probably brought up bad memories.

“We’ll stay here until the police are gone,” Meredith said. “Hopefully, there’ll be no press, but if I know your mother, she’s already working her magic.”

“And if Daric works his magic, we won’t have to worry about that detective.” There was something about Selinofoto that he just couldn’t put his finger on. Something in her expression that said she didn’t believe there was nothing fishy going on. He glanced around. “Where’s Astrid … and Cross?” he added quickly.

“They’re around somewhere,” Meredith said. “I think Cross went out to investigate and find any clues about those guys that attacked.”

“Do you have any idea what they were after? Or who they were?”

Meredith had a look on her face he had never seen before—worry. “We do. But we should wait until everyone gets here.”

Once the police were gone and the press thoroughly placated, everyone gathered back in The Lounge. Aside from those who were already at the party, Grant, Frankie, Nick, Cady, and much to Zac’s surprise, a few other people he didn’t expect had arrived as well. Grant’s sister, Alynna and her husband Alex were there, as well as Sebastian Creed and his mate Jade, and the men who headed Lone Wolf Security—Killian Jones, Quinn Martin, and the feral wolf himself, Connor Forrest. The latter three, if Zac remembered clearly, were also adoptive brothers to Meredith, and thus, Astrid’s uncles.

“Something tells me there’s more to this than just a kidnapping attempt,” Sebastian Creed began, his gray eyes going steely.

“I’m afraid so,” Grant said. “Daric?”

The warlock stepped forward, his expression grave. “Our enemies are back.”

“Enemies?” Killian asked. “You mean—”

“The mages.”

A dead silence filled the air. Zac knew all about the mages. Thirty years ago, right around the time he was born, an evil master mage named Stefan had sought to kill all the Lycans in the world. Mages were former witches or warlocks who used blood magic to increase their power, a forbidden type of magic that relied on killing people, and thus, breaking the laws of nature.

“But we got rid of them,” Sebastian said. “We killed every single last one of them. I burned that motherfucker Stefan myself.” He turned to Daric. “Did he survive? What do you know? How long have you known?”

“I’ve suspected for some time now,” Daric confessed. “I told the Alpha, but I wasn’t sure. I needed to investigate, but if any of the former mages in Stefan’s coven did survive, they would have known me instantly. I had to send someone to find out more.”

“That’s why you’ve been gone,” Astrid said to Cross. “Dad sent you away, didn’t he? To investigate.”

Cross nodded. “Yes.”

“What did you discover?” Grant asked.

“I’ve not quite completed my investigation,” Cross said. “New mages are on the rise, though they still conceal their presence. But I have seen it with my own eyes.”

“Motherfuckers,” Alynna cursed. “Well, we’ll kick their asses again and again. They’re not going to get rid of us easily.”

“I don’t understand,” Lucas said. He had fully regained his strength and was sitting beside his twin. “Why attack now? And why did they try to kidnap Adrianna?”

“I’m not sure,” Cross said. “But they weren’t just trying to kidnap Adrianna. They were trying to capture you too.”

“Me?”

“I believe they are trying to stop you both from ascending to Alpha.” Cross’s face drew into a grim expression.

“They tried to kidnap and kill me once too,” Grant said.

“What should we do, then?” Killian asked.

“Well, this time, they won’t catch us by surprise,” Nick said. “Now that we know they’re after us, we can prepare ourselves.”

“And possibly strike first,” Sebastian added, his steely eyes turning golden, signaling the presence of his dragon.

“We’ll do that and more,” Frankie said. “First, we need to ramp-up security on Adrianna and Lucas, maybe Julianna and Isabelle too.”

“What? I haven’t had a protective detail since I was eighteen when Shane retired,” Adrianna said, referring to their former manny–bodyguard.

“You should really have someone from the security team with you at all times,” Grant said. “You’re not just my daughter, but a future Alpha yourself.”

“I told you, that’s unnecessary,” Adrianna huffed. “And you all are being ridiculous.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Lucas said. “You know I’ve never supported dropping your security detail.”

“I don’t like it,” she said sourly.

“Please, mimma," Frankie soothed, placing a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You’ll need it. The mages obviously have something planned for you both, and we need to make sure they don’t succeed. You have no idea what they’re capable of and the lengths they’ll go to.”

“There may be something bigger at play here, Adrianna,” Alynna said thoughtfully. “A reason why they don’t want you two to become Alphas.”

“Nick,” Grant began. “Do we have enough people to cover my kids?”

“It’ll be tight,” Nick said. “But I can make it work. Maybe Adrianna can stay close to Fenrir or stay in The Enclave until I can figure something out.”

“I can’t stay at home. They need me at work.” Adrianna was president of Muccino International, the restaurant chain her mother’s family owned. “And we have that big conference in Vail. We’re supposed to leave the day after tomorrow, Lucas.”

“We should cancel the trip.” Lucas’s whole body stiffened. “You’ll be safer in New York, at home. I’m not letting anyone get to you again.”

Her face softened. “The mages won’t get to me. No one will.”

“We won’t let anything happen to her,” Nick promised. “But having both of you together makes you a tempting target. That’s probably why they struck tonight.”

“Two birds with one stone,” Alynna said. “It would be harder for them to kidnap you if you were separated for now.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Lucas relented. “But can I make a suggestion regarding Adrianna’s security detail?”

“Of course,” Nick said.

“Aside from whomever you’re assigning to her, I want an additional person with her at all times.”

“Who?” Nick asked.

“Astrid.”

All eyes turned to the blonde Lycan. Zac, on the other hand, shot his friend a curious look.

“Me?” Astrid said.

“Yes,” Lucas said. “She’s the obvious choice, isn’t she? As a girl, she’ll be able to stick to Adrianna everywhere.”

“I’ll definitely be more comfortable with someone I know,” Adrianna added.

“But she’s not even a part of the security team,” Nick said. “She’s only a trainee.”

Zac had his reservations as well, mainly because he didn’t want Astrid in harm’s way. But before he could say anything, Daric spoke up.

“Astrid has not been involved in Lycan or magical affairs in any way,” he began. “And she and I have made sure no one knows of her abilities. I think she will make a great asset.”

“And she’s running circles around the other trainees,” Meredith added, the pride in her tone evident. “She’s been trained since she was seven. And by the best.” She glanced over at Connor who remained stony, though his shoulders seemed to straighten with pride.

Nick look perturbed, but shrugged. “Astrid? Do you agree?”

She glanced at Meredith, who gave her the thumbs-up sign. “Yes, of course. My parents fought the mages, and I’ll do my part as well.”

“It’s settled then,” Grant said. “Astrid will travel with Adrianna to Colorado. Starting tomorrow though, you should stick to her. We can say you’re her personal assistant. Now, as for the mages, I think we all need time to digest the information, plus Cross will be giving me a full report on what he’s discovered. I’ll summon you all for a meeting once we’ve finished his debriefing.”

“We’ll get those bastards before they can come after any of us.” Sebastian glanced at his mate and daughter. “And when we find them, I’m going to burn those motherfuckers twice over to make sure they’re dead.”

“Get some rest,” Frankie said. “And please, be vigilant, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

A few of them stayed to get more details, but mostly, everyone began to file out of the room. Zac made a beeline for Lucas, who finished saying goodbye to his parents.

“Why her?” Zac said.

“What?” He looked confused.

“Astrid. Why did you volunteer her?” He kept his hands fisted at his sides. Lucas was a friend, but if anything happened to Astrid …

“Look, you know how stubborn Adrianna is. She would never agree to a security detail unless it was someone she knew.” His eyes went steely. “And I would do anything to protect her.”

But at what cost? Zac gritted his teeth to stop himself from saying the words out loud. “Lucas, I know she’s your sister, but you can’t let what happened in the past—”

“Stop.” Lucas’ voice was deadly calm. “I don’t want to talk about the past.”

“Are you sure you can control yourself?” Zac pivoted. “The bloodlust—”

“And that’s why I want her protected.” Lucas cocked his head. “Is there any reason you’re objecting to having Astrid guard my sister?”

“Of course not,” he said quickly. “But she’s not one of the security team.”

“You sound like your father,” he pointed out.

“Astrid attacked you,” Zac shot back.

“Exactly.” He cleared his throat. “I know you’re confused. What I’m trying to say is, despite her wolf’s natural instinct to run away from me, she charged at me anyway. And that’s why I know she’ll do her best to protect Adrianna. I just … have this gut feeling, okay?”

Zac’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “You’ll be Alpha soon, so I have no choice but to trust your decision.” He knew the threat of the mages was serious. But, that’s why he was worried. If anything happened to Astrid … his chest tightened at the thought. He had to do something. Because just like Lucas would do anything to protect his twin, he would do the same for Astrid.