Shea finished packing a small duffle with a few changes of clothes and other necessities. She’d changed back into a pair of jeans along with a black, long-sleeved, cotton shirt. Her boots and rain-resistant pullover would complete the ensemble. Picking up the bag, she glanced around her room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.

What the hell am I doing?

She’d gone round and round with that question ever since she’d agreed to this insane trip. And it all kept coming back to one thing:

What if he can help me?

But even if he couldn’t, there was an even better reason to do this.

What if we can find the blood before the demons do?

Those three thoughts had been fighting for dominance ever since she’d agreed to go with the dark warlock. She was taking a huge chance, but she couldn’t deny she felt something for him, something so strong she was willing to put her life in his hands. Something that made her willing to disobey Luukas, her maker. And, maybe, just maybe, if they were successful in their endeavor, the Master Vampire wouldn’t lop off Jesse’s head when they returned.

Or hers.

She wasn’t fooled by what Jesse had told her. He wouldn’t give up what he’d been working toward that easily, just to be alone with her. He had no intention of helping her stop the demons. However, if she went with him, maybe she could put a wrench in his plans. Perhaps she could even talk him over to their side.

Hopefully, Luukas wouldn’t find out what she was up to and call her back before she could accomplish what she was setting out to do. If he did, she would have to obey. It was the nature of the relationship between a Master Vampire and his children, though Luukas rarely implemented it. Now she just had to think up something to tell the rest of the Hunters: a good reason for her to be going off on her own without telling them about Jesse.

“Tell them you need some time away.” Jesse’s voice came from behind her. “Tell them that watching all of them running around with their mates is upsetting to you as the only one still alone, and how you probably will never find someone of your own…etc. etc. Act the part of the emotional female and those boys will be more than happy to give you a little space.”

Shea turned to find him leaning casually against the doorframe of her bedroom. A chill slithered down her spine. “So, you can not only influence minds, but read them?”

He lifted a shoulder in response. “Are you ready?”

“I just need to stop up at Luukas’s apartment and tell him I’m leaving for a while.”

“Cruthú and I will wait for you in the parking garage. Second floor down. And, Shea?”

She finished tying her boot, stood, and looked over at him, her mind on what she was going to say.

“Don’t keep us waiting long. Or I will come to Luukas’s door and retrieve you myself.”

She didn’t doubt for a second he would do just that. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Giving her a nod, he headed for the front door, only pausing a moment for the raven to come back to her perch on his shoulder. She clicked her beak at Shea as they left.

As soon as they were gone, Shea dropped her bag and sank down onto the couch. Putting her head in her shaking hands, she seriously wondered if there wasn’t a thread of truth in what Jesse had offered up as her excuse. Was she running away from all the happy couples around her? Is that why she was so eager to grasp at the first male that wanted her?

She scowled at her own thoughts. That wasn’t the reason, and she knew it. She wasn’t quite that pathetic. There was a real connection between her and Jesse. She’d felt it back at the fortress where he’d saved her life, and it had only grown stronger while they’d been apart.

If she were to be completely honest with herself, and with him, she would admit she’d missed him, too. That she looked for him everywhere she went. That every morning when she came home, she ignored the pang of disappointment that hit her when she opened her door to find her apartment dark and empty. And that a small thrill had shot through her when she’d looked across the patio at the club to find him sitting there, watching her. And it had nothing to do with fear.

Plus, if there was any chance at all that he could fix what was broken within her, she needed to take it. Her personal life aside, she was no good as one of Luukas’s Hunters if she couldn’t even fight in hand to hand combat with a male who was threatening her maker.

Feeling determined, if not completely better, about her decision, she soon found herself knocking on Luukas’s door. The Master Vampire himself answered it. He looked tired and distracted. She didn’t want to feel good about his suffering, but she hoped it would work to her advantage.

“Shea.” He took in the clothes and the bag at her feet. “Where are you going?”

She forced herself to look directly at him as the lie slipped easily from her tongue, a little too easily. “I thought I’d do a little research on my own. See what I could find out about the demons loitering about.”

“I’ve already got people watching them. They’re heading back to China, it seems. At least the main group.”

Guilt wracked her, but Shea pushed it aside. “Yes, I know. But I thought I would try another path, and go north to Leeha’s fortress to see if I could find any other clues. Maybe find any stragglers and see if I can learn anything.” She looked down at her hands, then back up at the male that had done so much for her. “And honestly, Luukas, I just need a little time to myself. Being around you all is starting to wear on me. I can’t even sleep in my own apartment without hearing Christian and his own private, exotic dancer next door.” The disgust in her tone wasn’t only for Luukas’s benefit. “Even Dante has someone now.” She didn’t expound on what she was saying. Luukas was very intelligent. He would figure it out. To go into more detail would look suspicious.

His grey eyes softened with concern. “Perhaps there is someone out there for you, Shea. I’m sure fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to leave you alone for the rest of your eternal life.”

She gave him a sad smile. “Perhaps.”

He rubbed his unshaven jaw. “Alright. I guess it won’t hurt to see what you can find out. Go on and do what you need to do. But you are to report in to me every other night, and keep your cell on you so that I know your location at all times. No exceptions. If you need help, no matter how insignificant, send an alert. You know how. I’ll be here until Nik and Aiden call in and we get a plan of action together. At that time, I will need you to return, whether you’ve discovered anything or not.”

“I understand.” Bending down to pick up her bag, she paused before she left. “And Luukas, thank you.” She wanted to say more, but again held back, hoping it would be enough when he found out the truth.

He gave her a nod, and shut the door.

Jesse was waiting for her right where he said he would be. She found him leaning against a dark SUV not far from the elevator, feeding Cruthú bites of something from his pocket. The bird greeted her between nibbles, and when Jesse spotted her, his golden eyes lit with triumph.

“Don’t get too cocky about all of this,” she told him as she opened the back door and threw her bag in. “This isn’t a ‘yes’.”

“But it’s definitely a ‘maybe’,” he countered.

Shea closed the door and turned to face him. Reaching out to Cruthú, she stroked her feathers, careful not to accidentally touch him. “I don’t know what I’m doing here,” she whispered. She wouldn’t look at him. She was afraid to. Afraid at what she would see reflected in his eyes.

“It will be okay, Shea.”

She could only nod.

“We need to go now. Emma and Grace are coming.” The bell sounded above the elevator doors, signaling that they were about to open.

“Oh, shit.” Shea flashed around the vehicle and got in the passenger’s side just as the doors slid open, revealing the two witches. They looked worried, not their usual happy selves. But then again, their mates were far from home, following demons around while trying not to attract their notice. Not an easy feat for several reasons.

Sliding down in the seat, Shea glared at Jesse as he got in the driver’s side—just as casual as could be—and told Cruthú to go sit by her. The bird hopped over onto her lap and fluffed her feathers before settling down for the ride. “I’m glad you find this so amusing.”

He laughed outright, and even waved at the witches as he backed out of the space a little faster than was necessary, cutting off their path.

Shea’s stomach flipped as she listened to the masculine sound of his laughter. It brought her joy to hear it, and she realized that this was the first time she had. “I’ve never heard you laugh before.” The words came out before she realized that she was going to say them.

Jesse immediately sobered, and she wished she had kept her mouth shut. Glancing over at her, he brought the car to a full stop at the intersection. “I guess I don’t normally have much of a reason to do so.” He concentrated on the red light, and said no more about it. It turned green, and he stomped down on the gas.

Cautiously, Shea sat up. They were heading toward I-5. “So, where are we going?”

“I need to go back to the mountain and get some things before we leave.”

“I thought the interior of the mountain had completely caved in after your fight with Luukas.”

“It did. But my rooms managed to be spared, and I still live there.”

“That’s good, because that’s where I told Luukas I was going and he’s tracking my phone.”

Jesse shot her a look, one side of his mouth lifted in a curious smile. “Of course he is.”

She studied his strong profile, wanting to ask him about his promise to help her with her affliction. But she was too afraid her suspicions were right, and he’d only told her that to get her to come with him. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she turned to stare out the window with a sigh.

“Let’s take care of our demon problem first, as we are short on time. And then I promise you, Shea, we will find out what it is that’s affecting you, and I will find out what it feels like to have you burning with passion beneath me.”

A shot of liquid heat flared within her and Shea cleared her throat to cover the way her breath caught. His words affected her more than she would like to admit. She couldn’t even scold him for being in her head and invading her privacy.

She needed to change the subject. “Do you know where the demons are headed?”

“Yes. China, I believe. The clues will direct them to the exact location. The monks hid the blood there generations ago, and they are the only ones who would know where it is.” He paused. “My plan is to go straight to the source, and beat the demons at their own game.”

“That explains why Waano took Aiden there. Though he didn’t do anything to stop them.” A thought occurred to her. “What if they won’t tell us?”

“They will. They’ll have no choice.”

She stared out the window as the city lights faded into the distance. They would make good time. There wasn’t much traffic this time of night. “Is that how we’re going to get across the border into Canada? By you doing some of your evil witchy coercion?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “You think I am evil.”

Again, he willed the answer out of her mouth. “Yes.” Then she turned to glare at him. “Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Making me say things.”

“I’m not making you say anything, Shea. It is what you believe.”

“But you’re forcing me to say it.”

“Perhaps,” he finally admitted a tense minute later. “I just need to hear the truth from you.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Jesse. I don’t really believe in lying. Lies only come back to haunt you later.”

He gave her a sideways glance. “You lied to Luukas.”

“I had to. He would never have allowed me to come with you.” Besides, it hadn’t all been lies. She rubbed her forehead again. “Please don’t mess with my head anymore.”

With a sigh, he glanced over at her, longer this time as he studied her profile. “All right,” he finally agreed. “If you promise to only ever tell me the truth. Always.”

She turned her head and caught his eyes, holding his gaze steady with hers. “I promise I will never lie to you. Now, please watch the road.”

After a short nod, he did as she asked, turning on some music for the ride when she angled her body away from him to stare out the window. The song was beautiful—an instrumental with an eerie violin lead. But Shea couldn’t relax, as much as she tried.

They spent the rest of the three-hour ride in uncomfortable silence, other than the music. Shea tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but she couldn’t focus with him sitting so close. His scent filled the interior, tantalizing her senses, until she thought she would go mad before they ever arrived. She even lowered the window, but it didn’t help; she could feel him beside her, sense him there, as if his blood was already merged with hers, flowing inside her veins. It made her restless, and if Cruthú hadn’t been fast asleep in her lap, she would’ve been squirming around on the seat like a bitch in heat. It was downright embarrassing.

Jesse, on the other hand, appeared completely unaffected by her proximity, despite his passionate words back at her apartment.

Shea was beginning to believe she was a complete idiot to agree to this.

They arrived at the border, and just as he’d promised, they sailed through customs without a hitch and arrived at the fortress shortly thereafter. The majestic, snow-capped mountain was little more than a pile of rubble now, thanks to the battle that had taken place there between him and Luukas. As Jesse went off the dirt track to circumvent the base of the remainder of the mountain, Shea leaned forward, looking out the windshield.

“You did this on purpose,” she said softly as she took in the destruction. “You destroyed Leeha’s fortress. It was your plan all along. That’s why your rooms survived the battle.”

He didn’t respond at first. Pulling the vehicle into a sheltered spot within the thick undergrowth of the pine and cottonwood trees near the back entrance, he threw it into park and shut off the engine. They sat there, neither of them making a move to get out, as the air between them charged with emotion.

“Why?” she whispered.

Removing his hands from the steering wheel, Jesse let them fall into his lap. When he finally looked at her, his eyes were like twin orbs of molten gold in the darkness. “It was time.” He kept his voice down, as though he didn’t want to disturb the peacefulness. “Leeha had done enough. She was unstable. She needed to be stopped.”

As Shea sat wondering what this could mean, if anything, Cruthú woke from her nap and fluffed her feathers, then gave a good shake. Settling down again, she made no move to get off Shea’s lap.

“She likes you.” There was a hint of wonder in his voice, but not surprise.

“Stop trying to change the subject.” But she gave the silly bird a scratch beneath the feathers on the back of her head. When she looked back up at Jesse, he was watching her, his expression intense. “What?”

He dropped his eyes, and put his arm out for the raven to hop onto. Shea’s lap felt cold without her there.

“I promise I will tell you why I did it, Shea. I will tell you everything. But not right now.”

“Why not right now? I’d like to know.”

“And you will. But I want you to know me a little better first, before you judge me.” He paused, and she saw his throat working as he swallowed. “I don’t want to fuck this up between us,” he finally admitted. Then he opened the door and got out, holding his arm up for the raven. Cruthú took flight, stretching her wings before they went inside. Grabbing Shea’s bag from the backseat, Jesse said, “It will be day soon, we’ll stay here so you can get some sleep, and leave at sundown.”

Then he closed the doors and walked away a few paces before he waited for her to join him.

Shea stared at his back. He was standing stiff as a rod, his face tilted to the sky as he watched the raven soar above the towering pines. She wished she could read his mind as easily as he did hers. A raindrop hit the windshield, followed quickly by a few more. Taking a reinforcing breath, she got out of the SUV and went to join the dark warlock in his lair.