“Well, when I said you could use my house, I didn’t think I’d find you in my bed like this.”

Magnus blinked, opening his eyes to find himself naked, Kristina in his arms, and a huge shape dominating the doorway of the bedroom. “Edward?”

“Yeah,” Edward said, his voice both amused and sad. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Magnus said, sitting up. He realized he was naked, but more importantly, Kristina was, and he hurriedly covered her with the blanket. “What time is it?”

“About ten in the morning,” Edward said, watching as Magnus got out of bed and looked around for something to put on. “If you don’t mind cinching them in tight, I’ve got a pair of sweats you can pull on in the third drawer. I just talked with Kim. She’s at Kristina’s house, and she’ll bring you both some things.”

“Thanks,” Magnus said, finding the gray sweatpants and pulling them on. With a lot of rolling and tying, he was able to keep them on his hips at least. “When did you arrive?”

“Forty-five minutes ago,” Edward replied. “Akiko tried to call you back. She’d gotten some more information on Pauline, and when she couldn’t get through, Kim hacked your laptop. Well, not hacked, really—you’ve got a Lockwood laptop.”

“Of course,” Magnus replied. “How’d that help?”

“When we activated the webcam and saw a hole the size of a small car in the wall and a body in the back yard, we hauled ass,” Edward said. “We were met at Kristina’s house by her friend. She told us about the howls out by Ben Stormstout’s house. I found Pauline’s body, and none of the Aklark were willing to go near the house for some reason.”

“Kristina . . . when she killed Pauline, she swallowed some of her blood. She got some of Pauline’s abilities.”

Edward nodded, looking at the sleeping woman before following Magnus out of the bedroom. They sat in the kitchen, Magnus looking out the single window at Container Village. He could see people moving around, confused and pensive, some of them gathering by Edward’s truck before moving off. “They’re scared.”

“They know my father’s dead,” Edward said simply. “I’m still in shock about it myself. Magnus, I have to ask . . .”

“If I could have left him alive, I would have,” Magnus said, turning his eyes to look at Edward. “He was going to kill my mate.”

Edward nodded, getting up to root around in the cabinets before coming back with two large wrapped salami. “All I’ve got here. You must be starving.”

Magnus nodded, chewing on the salty, fatty preserved meat while Edward poured a glass of water. When he’d quelled the immediate need in his stomach, Magnus sat back, looking at Edward. “So what now? Pauline might be dead, but there’s a shitload of mess up here that needs cleaning up.”

Edward said nothing, draining his water and leaning against the counter. Finally, he spoke. “Both the Aklark and the Kenai are leaderless. The Kenai, especially, are going to need an Alpha very quickly.”

“Their leaders aren’t ready for it,” Magnus said vehemently. “I don’t know what Pauline did to them. All but one of them are supposedly mated, but knowing what I do, I can promise you she was tearing the clan apart from the inside.”

“That’s what Akiko was calling to warn you about,” Edward said. “There is a way, if she had assistance. Considering my father and Peter . . . she probably had all she needed.”

Magnus thought of telling Edward about his father’s confession at the moment of death, but he decided against it. Instead, he swallowed. “Edward, before your father died . . . he said he was sorry. And that he cared about you.”

Edward stopped, blinking as he fought back his tears, then nodded. “Thank you, Magnus. Later, I’ll mourn my father, and I’ll make sure his bones nourish a tree in the tradition of my people. But . . . Kim’s here, and we’ve got other work to do.”

* * *

“A succubus?” Tom Reilly, one of the Kenai, said unbelievingly, and Kristina wanted to shake her head. Even when confronted with the evidence, some were refusing to believe.

“Yes, a succubus,” Kimberly said, standing in the front of the school auditorium. It was a human place, but it was also the only place big enough to gather all the Kenai and Aklark in one place at one time. “Rare she might have been, but it was confirmed by Akiko Thornblood herself. Unless you want to argue the point with her?”

Tom sat down, casting a glance at Kristina, who felt self-conscious up on the stage next to Kim, Edward, and Magnus. She didn’t know where their children were. They hadn’t brought them, and part of Kristina wished the two adorable babies were there. At least they’d absorb part of the attention.

Some of it was that, with a glance, she knew more about a lot of men in the room than she’d ever wanted. She knew exactly what aroused Tom, how Pauline had seduced him despite his mated status, and how much control she’d had over him. She knew the same about too many people in the room, and it turned her stomach.

“So what do we do now?” one of the Aklark asked fearfully. “Both of our peoples are leaderless.”

“Because you Aklark couldn’t keep your dicks in your pants!” a Kenai yelled, and there were growls of anger on both sides as accusations started to fly. Kristina was glad that Kimberly had insisted that there be a gap between the two groups. “You brought this on us!”

“Will you please shut the fuck up?” Magnus growled, his eyes flaring in anger. “Nobody brought anything on anyone. And frankly, tossing around stupid accusations like that is beneath anyone here, Lycan or Aklark!”

“What do you know about it, outsider?” one of the Kenai asked. “You’re acting very high and mighty for a secretary.”

“You—” Kimberly started, but she stopped when Magnus held up a hand, his eyes glaring back out at the Kenai.

“If any of you have the balls to meet me to determine just who is better, speak now or shut the fuck up for good,” he growled, staring down the Kenai. He didn’t know what had come over him. He was normally one to let insults slide. Maybe it was killing Ben Stormstout or maybe it was fighting a succubus and being part of the first couple to actually kill one. Maybe it was being mated, he didn’t know.

What he did know was that as he stood in front of the Kenai, his eyes glowing and his growl rumbling lightly in his chest, he felt more powerful than any Lycan alive at the moment.

A few of the Kenai shifted back and forth, but none made a single comment, and finally, all of them sat down, most of them staring at the floor. Magnus stared at them for another few seconds before stepping back and sitting down, leaning over to whisper to Kimberly, “Sorry about that.”

“No,” Kimberly whispered back. “Actually, it gave me an idea.”

Kimberly stood up, looking out at the crowd. “I make a motion. The Aklark and the Kenai face a similar problem. You both now lack leadership. What you need is a strong leader.”

“Great, and you want to take over a third clan?” one of the Kenai asked. “No offense, Lady Lockwood, but you’ve got enough on your plate.”

“Damn right I do,” Kimberly said, smirking. “Besides, I’m having too much fun being a mother, and I don’t want to drive home the reminder. This problem is keeping a mother Lycan away from her children.”

Everyone shifted as all eyes went to Kim and Edward, who glowered out at the group. “Well,” one of the Aklark said, “Edward, what about you? We all respect you.”

“No,” Edward said, shaking his head. “I love the Aklark. You are my people, my blood. But my duties as a mate and father mean I cannot be the leader of the Aklark. I have someone else in mind, however.”

“Who?” Melissa Running Deer asked. “Nobody in the Aklark is strong enough to pick up the pieces that Ben left behind.”

“Yes there is,” Edward said, turning to look at Kristina. “Only one member of the Aklark or the Kenai was strong enough to kill a succubus with her own teeth. Only one member was brave enough to try and reach out when she knew things were going wrong. Kristina Darksky, the Aklark need you. What do you say?”

Kristina blinked, stunned. Was Edward really offering her the position that should by all rights have been his? “Edward . . . but . . .”

“Do it,” Magnus said, reaching over and taking her hand. “We took out a succubus together. I’ll have your back.”

“Actually, you’ll be doing more than that,” Kim said, standing up. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think you’re the perfect choice to be the new Alpha Male of the Kenai.”

Magnus blinked, shocked. “Me?”

“Think about it,” Edward said, looking out at the Kenai. “One of the biggest frustrations that the Aklark have had about the Kenai is that you’re constantly bickering amongst yourselves. You’re one clan but controlled by a few families. And frankly, I don’t want to hear the horse trading and bickering as you try to decide it amongst yourselves.”

“We don’t . . .” someone on the Kenai side started before quieting down. “Fine. But he’s not Kenai at all.”

“Which is why Magnus is the best choice,” Kim added. “Magnus?”

Magnus blinked, then shrugged. “I need two things. First, if I take the job, that I have the support of all the Kenai.”

The Kenai talked amongst themselves before one by one, they stood up and bowed to Magnus. “We support you.”

Magnus nodded his thanks, then looked at the Kenai. “Then the second thing I need is . . . twelve hours.”