Momma R was waiting for us when we pulled up to the house, her face tense and lined with worry. I wished I could give her better news—tell her it was a false alarm and Jezze was fine.

But I couldn’t.

Instead, I followed Sam into the house while Papa Al took up the rear with Bry clinging to his neck.

When Sam laid Jezebeth on the couch, Momma R immediately took his place, kneeling by her side and placing a hand to her forehead, then cheek. “No fever,” she murmured. “She’s breathing okay.”

“What about Sorsha?” My voice wavered and I swallowed hard, pushing and shoving at the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

“She’s on her way.”

That should have given me a measure of relief and yet it didn’t. I wouldn’t be able to breathe until Jezze opened her eyes and got back to being a total bitch to me. Then I’d know she was okay.

Instead, we all waited—waited for the true healer who could hopefully fix Jezebitch. I paced the room, nervous energy keeping me in constant motion. I moved back and forth, hands twitchy, wolf anxious and demanding she be released to hunt. Fuck yes, I wanted to hunt.

Sam leaned against the far wall, arms crossed while he watched the scene in stoic silence. He was a rock—my rock. There for me if I needed him and if Jezze didn’t get better… I’d need him.

Papa Al had taken Bry upstairs and put him to bed in one of the spare rooms, and now he sat in a chair across from the sofa. He watched Jezze, his gaze trained on her every move, protective concern filling his expression. My wolf sensed his need for violence, too. His drive to bite, tear, destroy.

He was just better at hiding it.

Sorsha blew into the house like a whirlwind, moving through the thick tension as if we hadn’t clouded the room with our worry. Sam and Papa Al had refused to be removed from the room, but Momma R snatched my arm and tugged me toward the hall.

Then the kitchen.

To make tea.

“Tea?” I pulled against her firm hold, her grip so tight I couldn’t easily break free. “Tea? Momma, now’s not the time for tea.”

“You wearing a hole in my carpet isn’t going to help.” She gave my bicep a squeeze, the prick of her fingernails making me wince. Yes, I was a badass. No, I wouldn’t ever hurt my adopted mother. I wasn’t gonna think about what I would—or wouldn’t—do to my biological one.

She released me and moved to the stove, handing me the tea pot so I could fill it with water. Which she could have done magically, but I was pretty sure she was trying to give me something to do.

“I don’t know how you can be so calm.” I shook my head and went to the sink, turning on the water. “Jezze could be…”

“Jezze is going to be fine.” Momma R’s tone told me there was no arguing there. “I may not be a healer, but even I could tell she suffered from exhaustion. She was probably partying too much.”

“In a place that sucks the life out of you when you’re having a good time.” Was I the only one grasping the enormity of the situation?

“She’ll be fine.” Momma R’s tone was hard and flat. Insistent.

Which had me looking at the woman I called mother. It had me meeting her hard stare and seeing the strain that lined her forehead and the corners of her eyes—the tightness of her lips. Momma R said the right words, but the worry was there, lurking just beneath the surface.

So I helped her make tea, both of us focusing on our tasks rather than Sorsha and Jezze in the other room. It almost worked, too. I calmed down enough that I wasn’t pacing, which just freaked Momma R out even more. And the tea soothed me even further until I wasn’t tempted to shift and rip everything apart.

We both went back to the living room, finding that Sorsha was just wrapping up her spell casting with a few whispered words. The elf healer pushed to her feet and swayed slightly, shying from Sam when he moved forward to help her.

A snarl leapt to my lips, a furious growl building in my chest at her movement. Was my mate not worthy of being touched? Didn’t she know who he was—what he was? Didn’t she—

“Caith.” His lips hardly moved, my name like a whisper in the air, and I knew he’d spoken only to me. That tiny sound pulled me back from the edge of violence, yanking me away from the need to destroy, and I took a deep, calming breath.

Okay, the tea hadn’t done as much as I’d thought. But Sam’s voice… Sam’s voice put the wolf in her place.

And it also made me give the elf a second look, made me see the that the fear in her eyes wasn’t because of Sam the half-fallen angel. It was because Sam was a man.

Of course that just had me wanting to rip things apart again, aching to hurt whoever had put that fear in Sorsha’s eyes.

“She’ll…” Sorsha cleared her throat, gaze fixating on Jezze. “She’ll be fine. A bit drained, but nothing too serious. Keep her in bed for a few days. The best thing right now is rest. It will heal the body and the soul.”

“Thank you, Sorsha.” Momma R went forward, pretending there weren’t any twisted undercurrents flowing through the room.

Maybe I should do the same. I might even be able to… after I killed whoever hurt the delicate elf.

Dammit. I was just looking for a reason to make someone bleed.

The healer left a few charms with us as a precaution before taking her leave, practically running from the house and disappearing into the night. I’d need to deal with her later, do whatever was needed to take the fear from the woman’s eyes. For now, I sat next to Papa Al and stared at my unconscious friend. She looked like she was simply sleeping, so maybe Sorsha was right.

Maybe it’d be okay.

I leaned against my dad—my alpha. The wolf in me took comfort in his nearness even though pure rage flowed from him.

“Thanks for coming, Papa.” I rubbed my cheek on his bicep, the muscle bulging and hard against my skin. “But you don’t need to stay. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving until she wakes up.” His deep snarl vibrated through me and I took comfort in his rage.

“She’ll be fine.” The more I let those words tumble through my head, the more I believed them.

“It’s not her I’m worried about.” His heavy gaze turned to me. “She’s the only one who knows where my wolf is.”

“Your wolf?” I frowned and then remembered what Jezze said earlier. “Greg? Gregory from the local pack? That’s her boyfriend?”

He nodded. “Justin complained, but…”

My dad’s lips tilted in a little smirk and I rolled my eyes. “But I kicked his ass and he hates me.”

More than a little bit. Honestly, I was pretty sure he missed my golden vagina more than he hated me.

“I thought she’d be a good influence.” He sighed. “And after what happened to Mitchell, I didn’t think the rest of the pack would be fool enough to go near the temple.” Papa Al ran a hand down his face, rubbing his cheek. “I guess Justin didn’t get the message through to them and now I’m going to have to make it clear.”

I kinda felt bad for the wolves. I’ve had Papa Al make things clear to me in the past. It was not an enjoyable, pain-free experience.

Some kids got spanked, I got teeth sinking into my scruff and pinned to the ground. Tomato, tomahto, lotsa-blood-o.

I stared at Jezze, watching her chest rise and fall, trying to put the pieces of her life together. She hadn’t said much about her new boyfriend, and we’d made a promise we wouldn’t go skinny-dipping in the furry pool. Especially after what happened with Justin. I’d had no idea she was dating a member of the pack. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Papa Al shrugged. “I assumed you knew.”

Because why wouldn’t I? Jezze was my best friend. She told me everything.

Or did.

I told myself I couldn’t be butt-hurt over our separation. Not when my world no longer revolved around the bar and fun and instead was filled with play dates and the PITA.

Sam slowly eased into a nearby chair, a tenseness and redness of his eyes telling me he was more than a little affected as well. I gave Papa Al one last nuzzle, a touch from one wolf to another, and then went to my mate. I didn’t want passion, I wanted comfort—for both of us.

Sam held me close, his cheek resting atop my head as I sat across his lap. Strong arms enveloped me and his scent filled my lungs. I let myself relax and drift as we watched and waited. I wondered if Momma R put something in the tea to calm me. I wouldn’t have put it past the old, interfering witch. But before I could really catch hold of the thought, it was gone, and sleep tugged at my eyelids. It pulled me down and I let it, passing out in the comforting arms of my mate.

Until I woke to a scream. Not my own. Not Bry’s. Those were my first two thoughts. Which left Jezze.

I was still in Sam’s arms, one of Momma R’s afghans draped over me, and my attention immediately went to Jezze. I struggled against Sam’s loose hold, fighting the blanket to get free so I could go to my friend, but Papa Al beat me to her.

“Calm down, Jezze.” He held her down by her shoulders. “Calm down. You’re safe. I have you. You’re safe.”

And when the High Wolf of North America has you, a person can’t help but feel safe.

Jezebeth wrapped her hands around his bulging forearms, short nails digging into his skin while she flailed and fought. Her attention bounced around the room, shifting from one spot to the next, her gaze landing on me, snapping to Sam and then finally resting on Papa Al. “Where’s Gregory? What happened? What…”

“We were going to ask you, lass.” Papa Al’s voice was low and soothing.

I climbed from Sam’s lap, dropping the afghan as I made my way to Jezze and crouched beside my dad. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Jezze licked her lips, rubbing her face and shoving hair out of her eyes. When she seemed to have oriented herself, she spoke. “Greg and I went to the temple.” She furrowed her brow. “There was a… A party kind of going on. They called it a ‘Faith Gathering’ but there was music and food and…”

She trailed off, touching her fingers to her lips and tracing them with a rhythmic stroke.

Papa Al pulled her hand away and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Jezze-girl, where’s Gregory?”

Her eyes were unfocused, staring through Papa Al and into the distance. “We got a room.” A small smile toyed with her lips. “The things they talk about…” She shook her head. “It’s so much more than sex. I’ve never felt like that before. Like my spirit floated above my body when I— “

I snapped my fingers in front of her face and she blinked, looking up at me. “Focus, Jezze. Where’s your boyfriend?”

Tears welled in her eyes, liquid trailing down her cheek. “I don’t know. The last thing I remember was being there with him. We were…” She gave me a grin and shrugged. “You know. Then I guess I fell asleep and when I woke up, I couldn’t find him.”

“Did the people at the temple say anything to you? Tell you anything?”

She shook her head. “The door was locked and I… I couldn’t get out. I think that’s when I called you?”

It was more a question than a statement and I hated what they’d done to her. Hated what was being done to others.

I leaned back and sat on my heels, turning my attention to the ceiling while I thought aloud. “Maybe he got a bigger dose of whatever it is. Went catatonic.”

My wolf whined at the idea. I may not get along with everyone in the local pack, but no matter what, they were pack.

Jezze sobbed. “No! No, Caith, please. You’ve got to…”

I refocused on her. “I’ll find him.” She kept sobbing, deep shudders accompanying every sound. I grabbed her chin and made her look at me, lift her head, and meet my gaze. “Jezze, I promise, okay? I’m going to put a stop to this and I promise you, I will find him.”

Papa Al nodded. “And you’ll have pack at your side. We don’t abandon our own.”

Which I knew from experience. When Silaran had attempted his little coup, the wolves were at my side. They were a pack of fangs, fur, and a whole lotta fuck off.

Jezze looked between us and then gave a weak nod. “Okay. I’ll…”

“Stay here and rest. Doctor’s orders. Sorsha said you were drained and need to recuperate.” I kept my voice firm. There would be no arguing about this.

She looked up at me, helpless, which wasn’t an expression I was used to seeing on the powerful witch. But she eventually nodded and lay back down on the couch. “All right.”

We spent the next hours talking to Jezze, trying to get as much information from her as we could. I also called Bry’s school and told them he wasn’t coming in. It turned out half of the students were no-shows so they weren’t surprised. Momma R kept Bry occupied in the kitchen, letting him be her assistant while she cooked for everyone.

Once Jezze had some food and coffee in her, she looked like her old self once more. She was still a bit out of it, a dazed look entering her eyes once and again, and it was clear she was distraught over her missing boyfriend.

Had she actually cared for him? I figured it was a fling. I never would have guessed Jezze would fall in love with anyone, let alone a furball.

Of course, I’d fallen in love with a gel, so I had no room to talk.

“What can you tell us about the temple itself?” I sketched out a few more notes, drawing diagrams from memory. “We haven’t been able to learn anything that was very useful. Anything you can remember will help.”

Jezze sat on the couch, knees hugged against her chest while she cradled a cup of coffee in her hands. She stared at the wall, gaze not touching any of us while she spoke. “Most of it was just talking about inner peace and channeling our energy toward our goals.” She rolled her eyes. “I thought it sounded kinda hokey. Like a motivational poster come to life. But… the way they talked… it made me feel really good.”

“That’s how they draw people in,” Sam murmured. “They make promises, offer hope and love. They don’t tell you about the price you’ll pay.”

Jezze lowered her eyes. “They kind of skipped that part.”

“Did you learn anything about the goddess? Lucia?”

“They said there’s a god and goddess.” Jezze sipped her coffee, swallowing slowly, and I noticed the way her hands trembled. “They kept talking about that, about the joining between a man and woman. That when we made love, we were becoming one with the god and goddess. Like we were representing their physical form and honoring them with our ‘acts of love.’”

I hated that our suspicions were confirmed. “According to what Sam and I learned, that’s how they drain you. They make you think your sexual acts are a form of worship, but it opens you up to her.”

Sam drew nearer. “You said there was a god as well?”

Jezze nodded. “It was all about pairings. That was why only couples got to go to the private rooms.” Pleading eyes met mine. “We thought it was something special.”

My heart broke for her and the last couple of weeks were forgotten. This was my friend of hundreds of years and she was hurting, breaking, in front of me.

It made me want to kill the ones responsible even more.

“The god has to be Silaran.” I sighed. “He and Lucia are probably gaining power from this. Last year Silaran tried to consume souls to grow stronger and now he’s found a different way to gain power. So far, this one seems to be working out pretty well for him.”

“It’s so gross.” Jezze shuddered. “To think that we were connected to him somehow while we were having sex. It’s like… a violation.” Her hand pressed to her mouth. “It’s disgusting.”

Yeah, I felt the same way.

“Did they tell you anything about where the god and goddess are? Were they in the temple? On another plane of existence?” Or down the street grabbing a burger?

I’d love it if they were that close.

“I don’t know… We didn’t get into those details. They were focused on talking about us, how the temple could improve our lives and how much we’d grow. Not as individuals, but as a couple. Bonding in a more spiritual way instead of in an act of carnal lust would bring us closer together. It’d make us fall more in love with each other…”

Jezze closed her eyes, fresh tears wetting her cheeks. My heart broke for her. As much as the temple’s actions had been tricks and lies, it was obvious there was some truth behind Jezze and Greg’s relationship. Even if the couple had been manipulated into growing closer, it had worked. Manipulation didn’t negate my friend’s emotions.

She’d fallen in love only to learn it’d been a trick. I only hoped it wouldn’t taint her relationship permanently. Greg was a decent guy. For a wolf.

Papa Al paced back and forth and I wondered how long Momma R would let it continue before she forced him to sit. He turned an irritated glare at Jezze, his sweet side crushed beneath the worry over one of his wolves. “Go through the layout again. You might have missed something. Is there a private worship chamber? Someplace you can only go when you reach a certain level within the cult? Anything.”

Jezze shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She blinked back her tears. “I don’t know anything else. They didn’t tell me anything.”

“Enough.” Momma R’s voice whipped through the room, a small tremble joining the sound and shaking the ground. “She needs her rest.”

Papa Al curled his lip and I hoped the two powerful tweens didn’t start fighting. “But— “

Momma R went to him and pressed a hand to his chest, shoving him back. “You can talk more later, when she’s feeling better.”

Papa Al sighed but backed down, and I released the breath I’d been holding. Even though my father was the alpha of all wolves, Momma R was… Momma R. In a battle of witch versus wolf, I wasn’t sure who’d win.

Momma R helped Jezze upstairs and I sat on the arm of the couch. “So.” I crossed my arms. “What do we think?”

“One thing I know is that the energy in that temple wasn’t that of a true divine spirit.” Sam sounded fucking pissed over the mere existence of the church. “Silaran and Lucia can play their games, but they’re not gods.” He spun and headed for the door, my wolf already hating the distance between us. “I’m going to follow up on some more leads. See if I can find any more information when I turn over a few stones.”

“All right.” My body yearned for his, my very soul calling out for him to come back and claim me. “Be safe.”

He paused at the front door, half-turning and staring at me with those penetrating blue-red eyes. His long hair fell over his forehead.

Perfection. On High’s perfection in a half-fallen vessel.

I wanted to run to him, to throw my arms around his shoulders and kiss him. But what Jezze had said made me pause. Knowing that Silaran and Lucia might be able to draw energy from us during sex was a violation. The very idea turned me off so badly that I didn’t even want to think sexy thoughts.

Papa Al sat for a while longer, discussing strategy and future plans. Unfortunately, other than going scorched Earth, we were fresh out of ideas.

We were still discussing options when an unexpected voice broke into our conversation. “Caith, infans, I do hope I haven’t dropped by at a bad time.”

I spun, jaw dropping open at what I saw. Standing the middle of Momma R’s living room was my Uncle Luc.

Lucifer. Satan. The Devil. The Morningstar.

Though, of course, he kept up with modern times. He had dispensed with the flames, pitchfork, and horns. Now he was a tall, dark-haired, impeccably dressed gentleman. He looked like a billionaire from Wall Street. Not the evil presence that tempted the billionaires into making deals with the devil.

He grinned at me, opened his arms wide and I didn’t hesitate. I rushed into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist and holding him tight. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

Most wouldn’t be happy to see the devil on their doorstep, but my uncle—evil and diabolical though he might be—could be a lot of help.

Of course, like any other dem, he wanted to burn the world to the ground and reap the souls of the dead so he was powerful enough to challenge On High. But today’s apocalypse wasn’t one that Uncle Luc nor On High had planned. Last I’d heard, On High had pushed the Rapture back another millennia or so. Apparently he had things to do.

And Uncle Luc played the long game. No doubt he’d wait a few more centuries, at least, for humanity to fall into perpetual decadence and sin. He bided his time for the right moment to strike.

Compared to Lucia’s little scheme, she was strictly small-time. If someone was going to go into the evil game, it was best to learn from the guy who’d invented it.

“I’m glad to see you, too, infans.” Uncle Luc stroked my back and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. The darkness in him scraped against the goodness in my soul—and I probably couldn’t trust the words that fell from his lips—but I took comfort in his hug. “Though, this isn’t strictly a social call. I have brought someone I’d like you to meet.”

He released me and stepped aside to gesture toward the person behind him.

Not person, a woman.

Not a woman, a human woman.

She was also tall and luscious with a perfectly formed figure and playfully teased hair. If I hadn’t met Marilyn Monroe’s ghost myself, I’d swear that’s who stood in front of me. I might have even sworn to On High.

There was something else strange about her—she was so pregnant, she looked about ready to pop.

“Caith, infans,” —I was beginning to hate his nickname for me— “I’d like you to meet your new aunt, Nancy.”