Even though she could turn into a bird and wing her way across the country, Darcy chose to accompany Adrian on an airplane ride to Colorado two days later.

She’d spent most of her time avoiding Adrian. Oddly, it was easy enough, for the alpha had responsibilities that had most of his time booked. So she’d spent her days helping the elderly Peggy and Peggy’s daughter, Mara. Peggy enjoyed being outside and gardening but was too weak. Instead, Darcy had put her in a chair near the flower beds and solicited her advice as she weeded and planted.

Now, flying next to Adrian, she wished she could have shifted into a bird and flown west. Impossible.

For one, she was too damn tired. Energy levels low after fighting to help Ella, her last assignment, and even lower after turning into a snake, she’d failed to replenish her magick in the usual way.

It would have taken too long, and if she’d defied Adrian’s order to appear before him soon as her assignment with Ella finished, he’d have grown suspicious. Sent his Lupines to find her, ask questions she didn’t dare answer.

Adrian’s assistant booked them on a direct flight, first class. Darcy took advantage of the time to sleep. Last night she’d tossed and turned, dreaming of a wicked smile and Adrian’s hands roaming over her naked body.

The dream she fell into now was far different. Memories of her family assaulted her, the disappointed and condemning looks on her parents’ faces when Darcy had announced she was leaving to use her skills to aid Others.

The hurt that scored her deep inside when her parents renounced her for failing to live up to their expectations.

Darcy dreamed of a life where she could settle down, have a real family. Adrian was there, rocking their baby, much as Bryon rocked his new daughter.

Tears spilled down her cheeks when she finally awoke, groggy and heartsick.

A soft linen cloth pressed into her hand. She wiped her face.

“Bad dream?” he softly inquired.

“Stupid one.” Darcy wiped her face. “More like a nightmare. You were in it.”

His gaze turned thoughtful. “Oh?”

Not about to give details, she handed him back the monogramed cloth. “Here. I need to get to the bathroom before we land. I look a fright.”

“You look lovely,” he told her. “Always. Keep it, Darcy. A token from me.”

Rolling her eyes, she stuffed the handkerchief into the bag beneath her seat.

When she emerged from the bathroom, the flight attendant announced they were landing shortly in Denver.

“What did you dream about with me?” Adrian’s deep, sexy voice murmured into her ear as she buckled her seat belt.

“I forget, but it probably wasn’t good.”

A smooth chuckle. “I can do better in real life, sweetheart. Although you wouldn’t be rested. Satisfied, dazed with pleasure, but not rested.”

“Will you keep your voice down?” she hissed, glancing at the passengers sitting across from them.

“Why?” Adrian dropped his voice. “No one is paying attention to us. I could seduce you here, and no one would see.”

“Right.” Darcy yawned. “Very romantic. Sex on an airplane.”

He placed her hand over his crotch, and her cheeks burned. Adrian’s erection was hard as a steel pipe. “You intrigue and tantalize me, Darcy. And you are sweetly innocent when you sleep. You turn me on every waking, and sleeping, minute.”

How could she respond to such boldness? Never had any man expressed such rapt interest in her. Most males were afraid of her powers or intimidated by strong women.

“You’re a charmer, Adrian. But I’m not interested.” Liar, her conscience sang out.

“Oh?” He arched a brow. “Have your other lovers ever made you feel like this?”

Darcy removed her hand. “As if I’m the star attraction in a low budget porn movie?” No.”

“Do not insult what exists between us, Darcy.” Adrian leaned forward, his gaze locked to hers. “This is not mere sexual chemistry but something deeper. You know it. You cannot deny it.”

Denial was better than admitting the truth. Darcy could never fit into his lifestyle or become part of his pack. Attachments weren’t easy for her. Each time the goddess sent her to a new one to help an Other or guard them as she had Ella, saying goodbye hurt.

Better to say goodbye than to have someone she cared about discover her true origins.

Leaving Adrian would hurt the worst. Better to keep him at a distance than dream they had a shot at making a life together.

She removed his hand, dropping it into his lap. “We’re too different, Adrian. You’re a wolf, and I’m a shifter who can’t remain in one form for long.”

“Unless you remain in that form for longer than ninety-six hours straight. Then you lose your magick necessary to changing into other animal and insect forms.”

Surely the airplane dipping low was the reason her stomach pitched. Nausea rose up. “How did you find out?”

Unsmiling, he regarded her. “I did some studying on Changeling Shifters. I needed to know the parameters of what I was dealing with.”

Parameters? As if she were a science experiment he could manipulate. “Study this. I’m unique, Adrian. There’s no textbook rules, so get it out of your handsome head that you think you know how to control me.”

He wagged his thick eyebrows. “Handsome, eh? I knew you harbored a secret admiration for me, Darcy. It means we are meant to be together”

“I can admire an ice cream sundae, but that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with it, or marry it.”

He looked out the window at the flat plains below them, the jagged sweep of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. “Ice cream,” he muttered.

Was that a sudden shiver she detected? Odd.

“I loathe the cold,” he said absently, almost talking more to himself.

“Is that why you moved the entire pack from North Carolina to Florida?”

Adrian glanced at her, his gaze expressionless. “Perhaps. The elder ones cannot get comfortable in the winter snows. Old bones need warmth and sunshine.”

The answer surprised her. He’d moved to keep the senior Lupines comfortable? Then again, Adrian was filled with surprises. And however he’d treated her, he’d been nothing but considerate and tender with the elderly and the frail in his pack.

It was the main reason she respected him. He might be a scoundrel and annoying as hell, but no one could accuse him of mistreating anyone in the pack. Darcy understood an alpha had to rule with a strong hand. She’d seen other packs that fell apart when the alpha was too weak, too accommodating to try to please everyone.

Darcy reached for the nuts the flight attendant had left on the tray. Goddess, she was starving. She’d slept through the meal and regretted it, although her body required sleep more than food.

His gaze sharpened. “Are you feeling up to this assignment? Do you have sufficient strength to shift into another form?”

The wolf was far too observant. She nodded. “I’m fine.”

Another white lie.

Darcy changed the subject. “Why the urgency to find this snow crystal? And what exactly is it we’re searching for? What does it do? Is it worth a lot of money, or does it have powerful magick?”

Adrian dug into the backpack in front of his seat, withdrew an energy bar. He handed it to her. “Here. This will ease your hunger until we can get raw meat into you.”

In her eagerness to rip the covering, her fingers trembled. Hunger gnawed at her, the ache in her belly growing each minute. Never had she felt this drained from her shifting.

Darcy wolfed down the snack in three short bites. She gulped down water and instantly felt a little more relieved and clearheaded.

He stared out the window. “The crystal is important to me because it belongs to a member of my pack who needs it.”

Turning in his seat, his dark gaze piercing, he tightened his grip on the armrest. “It can infuse you with power and the ability to heal. It is priceless to the greedy, who would sell it for the wealth it could bring them.”

Darcy’s breath hitched. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “A diamond.”

Surprise flickered in Adrian’s eyes. He gave the barest nod. “A blue one.”

Rarest of the rare, with powers to endow Lupines and Others, but Skins would see only the gemstone’s brilliance and the monetary worth.

“The Hope Diamond was a snow crystal,” he murmured. “But it fell into the hands of Skins before Lupines could retrieve it. You know the curse?”

“Everyone does. Are all snow crystals cursed?”

“The oldest and the rarest ones are. This one we seek is quite old, more than four hundred years old. It carries with it a special curse for anyone seeking to use it to gain riches.” The corners of Adrian’s sensual mouth tipped up. “It gives it a special zing.”

“But why hide it in the mine? Why not take it with you when you left Colorado with your pack?”

“We were in a bit of a hurry to leave.” Adrian stopped talking for a minute as he handed the empty nut container to the flight attendant. When she headed into the galley, he continued. “We had to pack light. The owner of the crystal hid it in the mine, the safest and most secretive spot she could find. Unfortunately, she didn’t tell me about it until long after we’d left Colorado.”

“And you had sealed Lars inside the mine.” Darcy began to understand the danger behind retrieving the gemstone. “When did you realize Lars was losing his mind?”

“He’d always been aggressive but balanced. That changed when I was nineteen. Shortly before Lars became…insane…with power, I realized I had a few skills. I can read a person’s aura and foresee if they are planning to commit a crime or turn violent.”

Impressive. Darcy had never heard of such a skill. Useful, especially for a fierce alpha devoted to defending his pack.

Mirth danced in his dark eyes. “I can also hypnotize Skins, and some Others, into doing my bidding.”

“Don’t try it on me, buddy. I come equipped with fangs and claws just like you,” she warned.

Adrian’s mouth twitched. “I much prefer you willing…when you get naked with me.”

She growled, and he chuckled.

The news Adrian was no ordinary alpha intrigued her, but then again, she’d sensed that about him.

The plane descended, landing with a loud thud on the runway. Several passengers gasped, but Adrian barely blinked. “My abilities came in handy when Lars started losing his mind.”

“It’s odd Lars lost it. Pack alphas usually rule a long time, and they are protective of their people.”

“Lars was different. He was no ordinary alpha.”

Darcy’s heart beat a little faster. She hoped Adrian, with his perceptiveness, would attribute it to the bumpy landing.

“We will talk of Lars later.” Adrian clenched his fists as the passengers started to disembark. “Wait. Do not get up, Darcy. Do you see that man two rows behind us?’

She gave a slight nod. “He’s planning something. His scent is off.”

“More than his scent.” Adrian narrowed his eyes as the balding, middle-aged man passed their seats, his black carryon in a death grip. Sweat dappled the man’s temples, and anxiety and adrenalin all but screamed from his pores. Even she, with her limited capacity for detecting scents while in Skin form, could smell his rage.

Adrian grabbed his pack. “Go.”

They followed the man out to the terminal and watched him stop before a display board listing inbound and outbound flights. Adrian summoned a security guard. Taking the man aside, Adrian waved a hand in front of his face. Fascinated, Darcy watched as the guard seemed to enter a trance.

“Listen to me carefully. There is a passenger who disembarked on our flight who is carrying a black carryon.” Adrian went to describe the man. “He is probably intending to do harm to innocents. He is filled with hate and great anger.”

The security guard’s pupils dilated as he repeated the information. When Adrian and Darcy left him, he was on his radio.

They watched from a short distance away as a few guards apprehended the bald man. Then they headed to baggage claim to retrieve their luggage. At the carrousel, Adrian seemed even tenser.

“Police will eventually question him. They will most likely search his home and find he has many more weapons.” Adrian released a deep breath. “There are too many of those kind to apprehend all of them.”

“But you got this one. One at a time.” She pressed her hand on his arm. “Since no one will thank you for what happened, accept my thanks, Adrian.”

He didn’t look self-satisfied or proud, only weary, his broad shoulders slumped. “Some days it feels as if we face a growing darkness no one can stop.”

“There is great evil in this world,” Darcy mused. “The Dark Lord of the underworld gains more followers each day. Skins who listen to his whispers in the night and set out to murder innocents. Acts of mass hatred and rage. But it only means we must be vigilant and fight harder than ever, in any way we can.”

“Yes.” Adrian gave her a look of respect. “Tristan said this was the reason he gave me these gifts. He foresaw I would be useful in the fight against the black magick overshadowing this world. I believe some of it originates from the Dark Kingdom with shifters who are susceptible. They crave power in this world and open themselves up to black magick.”

“How long will it take to get to the mine?” Darcy was eager to change the subject.

“A few hours. I’ve already reserved a four-wheel drive. We’ll spend the night in the cabin near the mine.”

As they exited the terminal to take a bus to the rental car building, a loud bang split the air.

Immediately Adrian pushed her to the concrete sidewalk, covering her with his body. He lay atop her, pure muscle and male, his arms over her head.

“It’s nothing. A truck backfired.“ Darcy rolled over as Adrian eased off her body.

“One can’t be too careful these days. The negative energy I felt in the terminal was terrible,” he murmured, smoothing back a lock of her hair. “Are you okay?”

Still feeling wobbly, she nodded. The threat hadn’t rattled her. But Adrian sacrificing himself, throwing himself over her body to cover and protect her, had deeply shaken her. Sure, it was bred into his blood and bones to protect women, all women, but this act hinted of more than mere alpha protectiveness.

Adrian’s grip on her wrist was gentle as he helped pull her upright. A few people stared, but she ignored them.

“Why did you do that?” she asked him.

He studied her with a careful, blank expression, but emotion shaded his eyes. “Because I didn’t want you to die. I believe if something happened to you, it would crush me.” Adrian touched her cheek where a pebble had bit into her skin. “You think I’m only after you for sex, Darcy. It’s much more than that. You saved me in more ways than one ten years ago. You restored my life.”

They headed to the bus that would take them to the rental car building. Darcy’s heart raced. Maybe she’d saved him a decade ago in the snow, but Adrian had thought her an innocent Changeling Shifter.

He wouldn’t be so charitable and tender if he discovered her true origins.

No, he would not.