Present Day…

“Are you okay?”

Christina turned around, her hands rubbing over her arms, trying to ward off the chill. “I’m fine.”

Her stepbrother, Kostas, gave her a skeptical look. “Christina, you don’t have to be here for cleanup. You should have gone home with the first transport out. You have a long trip—”

“I said I’m fine.” She shrugged. Kostas knew her too well. There were few things she could hide from him. “I just want to make sure we get those guys who did this.”

“Me too.” He put an arm around her. “And we will. Hurting shifters is one thing, but what they were trying to do to those cubs? A thousand slow deaths would be too good. We’ll find them.”

She nodded. “I know we will.”

He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I have to talk to Anton and make sure we have enough beds at the facility to take care of everyone. Xander and Father will want to know what’s happening as well.”

“Go ahead,” she said with a nod. Kostas flashed a weak smile then left.

She gave an involuntary shiver. It wasn’t the biting cold that made her tremble, but what she had just witnessed. Children inside cages. The brutal conditions in that freezing basement. Those men with the hollow look in their eyes, as if they held no remorse or guilt over what they’d done.

Of course, the moment they burst in, those cowards ran away. Christina didn’t even get the chance to knock some heads to take out the frustration that had been building inside her for weeks.

But there would be other chances, of course. There was an abundance of cruelty in the world, especially toward shifters. This shifter smuggling ring was just one group of many. Which is why her adoptive father, Aristotle Stavros, Alpha of the Lykos pack, established the Shifter Protection Agency.

Since governments all over the world would never allow shifters to band together, The Agency had to do their jobs in secret, under the guise of working for Stavros International, Ari’s company. Their primary work was to stop those trying to harm shifters. They were a small team and Ari’s vast wealth was enough to fund them, allowing them to run operations all over the world, wherever they were needed.

Ari had kept it all a secret from his stepdaughters and their younger half-sister, but Christina had figured it out when she came back from boarding school. Though human herself, she had begged Ari to let her join them. After all, she hated those anti-shifter groups as much as he did. But he had never allowed it. It was only when Catherine had run away and she threatened to do the same that Papa let her join, first as an analyst, and now as a field agent. Kostas and her brothers had been teaching her to defend herself since she was twelve, and now she was able to put some of those skills to good use.

Their intelligence network had heard about this shifter smuggling ring weeks ago, but they didn’t know just how bad it was. They weren’t just targeting shifters, but their children. There were at least half a dozen wolf and bear cubs in that basement Christina didn’t know what they were planning, but she could all too easily imagine. Despite all the savagery she’d seen in the past year as part of The Agency, it still made her furious. She wanted to break something or someone, preferably the heads of whoever was behind this.

“Christina.” Nikos, the youngest of her stepbrothers, called her name. He had come up behind her and she didn’t even notice.

“Yes?”

“We need to leave now if you’re going to make your flight to Colorado.”

“Gamisou,” she cursed under her breath.

Nikos grinned, obviously catching her words with his enhanced hearing. “You’ve been hanging around us too long. What would Father say if he heard you curse like that?”

“Where do you think I learned?” she retorted. “Not from boarding school, that’s for sure.” She sighed.

“It’s just one week, Christina,” he said. “And we’ll follow in a few days.”

“Right.”

One week in Blackstone. In one week, her twin sister would be marrying her dragon. Catherine and Matthew’s engagement shouldn’t have been a surprise, since they were already mates, but she’d hoped it would be a while before she had to go back. The churning in her stomach wouldn’t stop when she thought about going back to Blackstone. Which led to her thinking about that handsome face and those silvery eyes.

Damn Jason Lennox. How could one man have such an effect on her? It had been weeks since that night, and still she couldn’t stop thinking about him. That big fat liar. Arrogant asshole. Catherine had explained why he did what he did, but still …

She shook her head. Just one week. After this week, she’d have to insist that Catherine and Matthew spend some holidays back home in Lykos. Because she had no intention of going back to Blackstone or spending more time around Jason Lennox than necessary.

She looked around her, at the instruments of cruelty and evil littering the basement. This was what she was meant to do. Put a stop to those trying to hurt shifters and their loved ones, so that no parent would ever have to lose a child, and no child would ever grow up without a parent.

It was the vow she made after those evil men murdered her mother.

* * *

The flight to Blackstone was uneventful, if long. She wished that the jet could have brought her here, but unfortunately, her father had to finish up some work in China and Korea before the wedding, so she had to fly commercial.

It wasn’t that she was too good to fly commercial; she’d done it lots of times, of course. But she preferred the peace and quiet of flying private. No one bothered her unless she needed them. Even waiting at the gate in Heathrow to board had her bristling. Too many people in one small space. The first class cabins on the larger plane to New York gave her some semblance of privacy, but once they reached the US, she had to transfer to a smaller airline to get to Colorado.

The plane that brought Christina into the regional airport outside Blackstone was half-empty and she was grateful for the peace and quiet. A strange, unnerving feeling passed through her as the plane touched down on the runway. Nervousness? Anticipation? She scoffed. Ridiculous. There was nothing to be nervous about. Blackstone meant nothing to her. The only connection she had with the place was her sister.

Why Catherine would choose this backwater town as her home was beyond her. They’d grown up on their own private island paradise surrounded by luxury for God’s sake. Papa gave them everything they could want or need. Why would anyone give that up and live here? Christina was already dreaming of going for a swim in the Mediterranean. Yes, that would be nice. A quick break on Lykos before going back to work. She wouldn’t be too long. After all, the bad guys didn’t take vacations, why should she?

Christina grabbed her luggage from the carousel and headed toward Arrivals. Her phone had died halfway through the flight and there were no charging ports on that dinky little plane. Still, she wasn’t worried as Catherine said she would be picking her up. But, there was no sign of her. In fact, there was only one vehicle, and one person waiting outside as she exited the door.

“Bloody hell,” she muttered to herself.

Jason Lennox leaned against the side of his truck, arms crossed over his chest. She bit her lip as she watched the muscles in his shoulders move deliciously under his black T-shirt. Her cheeks went hot when she remembered that morning when she was laying on top of him, pressed against his hard chest. He had been so warm and lying next to him felt wonderful, especially after being in that freezing car for hours. Which had been all his doing, she reminded herself. He also had that smile on his face, the same one that infuriated and made her knees go weak at the same time. He had been clean-shaven at the time, but now, the dark stubble on his jaw only made him look more handsome. And dangerous.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in the frostiest tone she could muster. “Where’s my sister?”

Silvery eyes bore into her and her heart began to race. “She was called away. Wedding shit.” He shrugged. “Sorry, I was the only one who could come and pick you up.” He glanced down at her outfit—knee-high leather boots over thick leggings and a lightweight puffy coat. “Glad to see you’re dressed for the weather.”

“You never know when someone will try to get you stuck in the middle of nowhere and make you freeze to death,” she retorted.

His face lit up with amusement. “Don’t worry, I only do that when I meet someone for the first time.”

She was taken aback by his reaction. Indeed, Jason Lennox wasn’t like any man she had met before. Most people were intimidated by her demeanor, but not him. “I could have taken a cab. What are you doing?” He ignored her and was already grabbing her suitcase. “I can do that, you know. I’m not an invalid.”

He tossed the luggage into the back of his truck. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.” He walked over to the passenger side and opened the door. “I’m not playing driver today, so I hope you don’t mind staying up front.”

“It’s fine,” she said, climbing in.

“Shouldn’t be too long,” Jason said as he stepped up into the driver’s seat, “and the weather’s holding up. Starting to get warmer, too.”

“This is warm?” she asked, tugging her jacket closer. “It doesn’t feel any warmer than my last visit.”

He chuckled. “That’s because you’re not from around here. Of course, you’re also human.” He flashed her a look from those silvery eyes and her stomach flip-flopped.

“I’m not used to snow or the cold,” she said.

“Yeah, Catherine told me,” he replied as he drove out of the airport. “You grew up on some Greek island, right?”

“Lykos.” She sighed, thinking of the warm sun and the sandy beach.

“You miss it already?”

“I haven’t been home in a while. I’ve been traveling. For work,” she added quickly.

“And what is it you do again?”

“I work for the marketing department of Stavros International,” she replied. “How long until we get to the hotel?” she said, trying to change the subject.

“Hotel?”

“Yeah, I assumed Catherine booked me at a hotel or something until the wedding. I don’t really know any details.”

Jason chuckled. “You’re not staying at a hotel. You’ll be staying at my family’s home. Blackstone Castle.”

“What?” She swallowed a gulp. “I can’t stay with you.”

“Who says you’re staying with me?” he asked. “I have my own place in town. Unless you’d like—”

“I wasn’t implying anything,” she said in a defensive tone. “I guess it would be nice to be near Catherine and spend more time with her.” She had missed her sister a lot the past year while she’d been away.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine being apart from Matthew for so long either,” he said.

“Right.” Matthew and Jason were apparently twins, too. There must be something in the water in Blackstone because everyone in the town seemed to think they looked alike. Glancing at Jason, she still couldn’t figure out how. Matthew was cute, she supposed, but nowhere near as handsome as Jason. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud. Jason had a more defined profile, and his hair was thicker and darker. The eyes were similar, but Matthew’s were a dull gray, while Jason’s were a bright silver. Matthew looked more like an older cousin than a brother, much less a twin brother.

“You could come back to visit after the wedding,” he suggested.

She snorted and stared ahead at the highway. “I’m far too busy,” she said. “Besides, there’s nothing here apart from my sister that I’d want to come back for.”

“Really?” he asked, glancing at her. “Nothing at all?”

“Maybe that hot deputy.”

The air went noticeably still and cold in the truck. She whipped her head toward Jason, and though his expression didn’t change, his knuckles were bone white as he gripped the wheel. He kept staring ahead, his steely eyes on the road, not saying a word. He took a deep breath, and the atmosphere inside the cab turned back to normal.

Christina leaned back, relaxing as she could now breathe the air. She’d been around shifters, mostly wolves, her whole life, but she’d never experienced that. The power emanating from him had been intimidating, and she realized it probably wasn’t a good idea to provoke dragons. She wasn’t sure why those words came out of her mouth. Maybe she just wanted to shut him up. It apparently worked.

The rest of the ride was silent, and Christina spent the rest of it looking outside, watching the scenery go by. They drove through Blackstone town which she recognized, then wove their way up the mountains to reach their destination.

Her jaw dropped at her first sight of Blackstone Castle. She hadn’t been’ sure what she’d expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. Catherine had told her it was a castle, but she’d thought her sister was just exaggerating. But no, it was an honest-to-goodness, fairy-tale castle built on a mountain with turrets, stonework, and gothic arches. The snow covering the rooftops made it look like it should be on the cover of a fantasy novel.

“Not bad, huh?” Jason said, his tone amused. “C’mon, I’ll show you in.”

Christina stared up at Blackstone Castle, drinking in the sight. It was huge and made their luxurious villa on Lykos look small. She didn’t want to seem too impressed, but she supposed it was understandable in this situation.

“Let’s go,” Jason said, marching toward the entrance without waiting for her. By the time Christina caught up to him, the front door was already opening.

“Oh, you’re here,” the older woman waiting on the other side greeted. She looked at Christina, her smile warm. “You must be Christina. I’m Meg, the housekeeper.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said politely.

“Meg’s more than just our housekeeper,” Jason said. “She took care of all of us and made sure we were fed.”

“Oh, Jason,” she said, laughing and pinching his cheeks. “I only helped when your mom wasn’t around, and even that was rare.” She turned back to Christina. “Oh my, Catherine told me you were twins, but looking at you…” She shook her head. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now. Anyway, you must be tired or hungry, or both. Let’s get you settled into the guest room. Would you mind taking her suitcase up, Jason? I have her in the guest bedroom in the east wing.”

Meg motioned to follow her into the house. The inside of the castle was just as breathtaking, but in a different way. It looked like it had been modernized, but the decor was still in keeping with the castle theme; classic but understated, with a few modern touches here and there. They walked up a large set of stone staircases then turned right down a long hallway.

“The kids—sorry, I still think of them as kids—I mean, Matthew and his siblings have the entire east wing to themselves,” Meg explained. “These days it’s just Matthew and Catherine here. The West wing belongs to Jason’s parents, Hank and Riva, though they’re away on a ‘round-the-world trip after they retired. They’ll be back for the wedding, of course.” They walked down one of the hallways, and stopped at the door at the very end. “This is the guest bedroom. I’ve prepared it myself so I hope you like it. I asked Catherine if you had any preferences, but she said you weren’t picky.” She opened the door and stood back to let Christina enter.

“I’m sure I’ll have everything I need,” she said. The room was spacious and luxurious, with a sitting area in the corner next to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a queen-size canopy bed in the middle.

Meg gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. “Well, if there’s anything you need, just ask. I’ll send up some refreshments for you, in case you’re hungry.”

Christina wanted to protest, but had a feeling Meg wouldn’t take no for an answer. She thanked the older woman as she left, then turned around to further examine her surroundings.

She headed toward the sitting area, and as she looked out the large window, the view of the mountains outside made her stop. It was gorgeous outside. They were probably quite high up that the snow was still thick on the side of the mountains and on the trees. The sky was a clear blue and in the distance, she saw a large bird circling over the trees.

“Beautiful, huh?”

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Jason’s voice. Glancing behind her, she saw he was by the doorway, carrying her suitcase. She’d forgotten that Meg asked him to bring it up. “You can put that down anywhere. I’ll take care of it,” she said in a brusque voice.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” he said through gritted teeth, setting the suitcase by the bed.

She felt blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment. She wasn’t raised to be impolite, but something about him just rubbed her the wrong way. “Thank you,” she said in a soft voice. Maybe it wasn’t Jason. Maybe it was her, and it had been too long since she’d been around people other than her family and teammates at The Agency. She’d cut herself off emotionally from other people for so long. “And I’m sorry for my rudeness,” she added.

Jason’s face softened into a look she’d never seen before and he moved closer. “Apology accepted. But only if you accept mine,” he said in a low voice. “For making you stay in the truck and nearly freezing you to death.”

His proximity made her tense, and his words brought back memories of that night. Not of the part where she was shivering because of the cold, but of after. When she was lying on top of him, listening to the beating of his heart, and enjoying the rise and fall of his chest. She had been awake much longer than she cared to admit. “I’m much tougher than I look, Jason,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Hmmm…that’s the first time you’ve said my name.” God, was the room getting smaller? And warmer? Or was it because Jason Lennox was leaning toward her, his silvery gaze boring into hers. “I like it.”

It was intoxicating, looking up at him, having him so close. “I—”

A loud ringing sound interrupted her and broke the tension in the air. He let out a soft curse and took his phone out of his pocket. Sorry, he mouthed as he picked up the call and turned away. “Hello … ”

Christina staggered back, unsure of what nearly happened. She blinked several times. No, it was her imagination.

Jason spoke into the phone, his shoulders tensing with each passing second. When he finished, he turned back to her. “I have to go. Trouble at work.”

She frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “Just ask Meg or any of the staff if you need anything. I don’t know when Catherine will be back, but she shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“I’ll give her a call when my phone charges up.”

Jason gave her nod and strode toward the door. She thought he hesitated for a moment, but when he left the room, she realized it must have been her imagination acting up again. Like when she thought he was leaning down to kiss her.

“Kiss me?” she said aloud, then shook her head. I really must be tired. Her muscles were sore, and she didn’t have any rest on the flight. A good nap was in order. Then, she’d be more herself.