“Everyone has arrived and settled in, so you can relax, darling.” Victor patted the space next to him on the sofa in their room, hoping to get Kimber to take a moment or two to herself. She’d been running around like crazy since they’d arrived, and she was looking frazzled.

He’d hoped that when Flint and Kenzie arrived she’d settle down but that hadn’t happened. She’d continued to dash around with Amaya setting things in place for the guests’ arrival and now that they had, he thought she’d let up. The drawn lines around her eyes and the dark circles under them had him worried.

“I just want to check on a few things then I’ll come and find you and maybe we can go for a walk around the lake.” She snatched up her jacket, tugging it on furiously…as if she were angry with the damn thing.

“Kimber. Stop.” He raised his voice so she’d hear him because she was already at the door, her hand on the handle and ready to fly out. “Come here, baby, I want you to take a few minutes to just talk to me. I’ve hardly seen you for the last day or two and you look done in. I’m worried about you, darling.”

“Victor.” She sighed out his name as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, her head drooping before she turned back to look at him. “I’m sorry. I’ve been…”

He saw her hesitate and guessed what she’d been about to say. He knew her too well, so he said it for her.

“Avoiding me? Was that what you were going to say?” He remained where he was, fighting the urge to go to her and take her into his arms when every damn cell in his body wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly against him and help her with whatever was going on inside. He could see it in her eyes, in the way her body stilled, before her back straightened and her head bobbed once.

“Yes,” she gasped out on a soft sob.

And that’s when his resolve broke. His legs moved and with his Vampire speed he was right there next to her in a flash, standing before her with one finger under her chin to lift it so their eyes could meet…hers like pools of glass as they filled with tears she fought to hold back.

“Why? Why would you do that to us?”

She trembled before him. His fiery and feisty Dragon stood in front of him and her body visibly shook. He saw the collar of her jacket move as the body it encased trembled, the sight was tearing at his heart but something else was happening inside him too. Other emotions reared inside him while Kimber remained silent and he could deny them no longer; anger and frustration.

His jaw ticked while he tried to compose himself. He attempted to put his words together so they didn’t fly out of his mouth in a barrage of emotive assaults because she’d shut him out and that wasn’t how they worked. If one was hurting the other helped…plain and damn simple. She knew that. He knew that. So what the hell was going on?

“Kimber, please, talk to me.” His voice came out low, so low it was barely a whisper between them, but she heard him.

Her eyes turned up to his again and he saw a spark of fire ignite inside them…her Dragon was right there beneath the surface. What the hell?

“I’ve tried,” she snapped out…and the sound was like a bullet going off in the room.

Her voice was high-pitched and harsh as she glared up at him, the emerald of her eyes diminishing as her beast fought for dominion inside her.

“Try harder,” he replied coldly, standing his ground against the anger flowing from her in great waves.

Her lips pursed tightly together, her chest heaved like she’d ran a fucking marathon and her cheeks turned crimson as he stood before her…waiting and wondering what was going on.

“There’s something…wrong! I’ve tried to tell you and you’ve said everything is taken care of and I know I sound like I’m crazy but I’m telling you, Victor, that it’s not. There’s…”

Before she could carry on, or he could soothe her concerns, the oak door at her back shook when it was violently banged on. Kimber sprang forward, right into his arms, her face whitening in shock a second before they heard Flint shouting.

“Victor! Are you in there? Open up.”

Kimber’s hand dropped from her throat and she cursed under her breath while he reached over her to open the door. “What the hell? You scared the hell out of Kimber, Flint.”

Flint strode in, barely acknowledging Kimber with a nod, his body taut as a damn drum.

“Flint, what’s going on?” Victor held onto Kimber while Flint paced back and forth, one hand running through his hair while the other was bunched into a fist at his side.

“We’ve got a problem that’s what.” Flint stopped to turn and face them, his eyes cold as ice. “Rather, several problems, Victor. We’re up to our fucking neck in problems.”

Kimber gasped before she tipped her head to look at him, her lips moved but no sound came out…but he knew what she said anyway.

“I told you so.”

Damn it to hell and back!

Victor led her to the sofa and sat down, pulling her next to him and wrapping an arm around her. “Tell me.”

“It started a few hours ago when one of Ace’s men was found out in the forest to the back of the property. A Shifter, he was on patrol in Wolf form, and he’s dead. Killed.”

Flint stopped to take a breath and Kimber jumped right in.

“How? How was he killed and are you sure this wasn’t an accident?” she asked.

Flint looked at her, just for a second, before answering. “His throat was ripped clean out and he had been shot with silver bullets. That suggests this wasn’t an accident. And that’s only the start. Markus and his mate…”

Kimber shot to her feet, rushing to Flint and grabbing him by the arms, shaking him furiously. “What about Markus and Rachel? Are they hurt?”

Victor rose to release her from Flint who was attempting to shake her free, but she was hanging on for dear life. Victor could see her fingers digging into Flint’s arms and he had to pry her free before Flint could carry on.

“Kimber, calm down,” Flint stepped away from her, “they’re fine, but only because of Ace’s men who caught two would-be assassins. If it weren’t for the added shutters too, I think they might’ve gotten away with it. It was the noise of them trying to get those damn things open that the Guards heard, and they managed to call for back-up and they got them. One was a Vampire and the other was a Wolf and they had enough weapons on them to take care of Markus and Rachel. Shit. It was close.”

Kimber shook herself free before she turned to glare at him. “I knew something like this would happen.”

She didn’t raise her voice, but every syllable hit him as if a silver dagger pierced his skin and wounds opened over his body. Pain lanced through him as she stood before him, her eyes full of sadness and recrimination.

“What?” Flint’s head spun between them, then back to Victor’s. “You were aware there was a threat and you didn’t tell me? What the fuck were you thinking?”

Flint’s jaw ticked, his lip curled back, revealing teeth that were clenched tight and his eyes flashed red. His fury was burning bright, and Victor didn’t blame him. Not one fucking bit. Kimber had warned him.

“I didn’t have any firm evidence.” Was all he could say and even to his own ears the words sounded lame.

Flint shook his head, his eyes flashed once more before he regained control of himself…his next words striking right to Victor’s heart.

“You can tell Quinn that little snippet of information. You know…that you knew there was a threat but didn’t think to warn us because, Victor…him and Amaya were attacked last night.”

Victor couldn’t believe it. The words swam around in his head and his legs wobbled beneath him. Kimber grabbed hold of his arm, her voice sounded like it was coming from far away…he heard it, but he couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying. Not for a few seconds because he couldn’t stop the realization that this was all his fucking fault.

“Victor, honey, it’s okay. Victor! Are you okay?” Kimber tugged on his arm, over and over. Her voice rising and repeating the same question.

Was he okay? No, he wasn’t. He most definitely was not.

“Are they hurt?” He looked over at his friend, dreading what he said next with all his heart.

If Quinn was hurt he’d blame himself forever. If Amaya was…hell’s fire, he had no idea what that would do to him. Kimber’s fingers tightened their hold on him and he knew she could sense his feelings. His utter despair that he’d let the damn ball drop and in doing so he’d put people he cared about in danger.

Flint’s eyes dropped to her hand then to Kimber’s face and finally he raised them to meet his, and they were no longer flashing red, but he had a steely glint in them which Victor knew well. One that told him he was out for blood. He just hoped it wasn’t his.

“They’re fine, but it was a close call.” Flint paused, turning to look out the window while he took a few deep breaths.

Victor knew his friend well and all the signs pointed to him trying to contain his anger. He could see it simmering just below the surface, and another few seconds ticked by before he faced them again. “They’re waiting for us downstairs in the dining room with Kenzie. Amaya is eating everything in sight, she used up a lot of energy, but I’ll allow them to tell you about it…let’s go.”

“Flint,” Victor reached out, grabbing him by the shoulder. “I’m sorry. Kimber tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen when she said she had a feeling something was wrong. I thought we had this under control and with all the extra guards, shit, I’m not even sure how this could happen.”

“A feeling?” Flint queried, looking at Kimber. “What do you mean?”

Kimber looked flustered, her cheeks flushing and her eyes flitting away before she straightened her shoulders to return defiantly to Flint.

“Just what Victor says, I’ve felt off since we arrived and no, I’ve no idea why. My Dragon has been trying to warn me that something is wrong but I couldn’t give specifics, so Victor had nothing concrete to go on. He did speak to Ace to make sure the guards were in place and everything, but the feelings have just grown worse inside me, but I can’t explain them, Flint. So, it’s not really Victor’s fault. Not when I couldn’t give him proper information…not when it’s just something I can feel.”

Flint looked baffled, running a hand over his face before looking at Kimber closely for a long moment then up at Victor, shaking his head. “A feeling was all you had to go on?”

“It was enough.” Victor sighed, regretting not taking more notice of what his Bloodmate had been trying to warn him of…a damn threat which had materialized.

Flint frowned, his dark eyes looking at Victor as if he were the dumbest ass he’d ever seen…and he was. He should have taken more action when Kimber told him there was something wrong, albeit he wasn’t sure what more he could’ve done about it, not with any other information to go on. But there was always more.

“For someone as smart as you are, you sure can be a dumbass at times, you and me…we should’ve talked.” Flint exhaled loudly. “I’m sorry, Kimber, I’m not saying you didn’t try to warn Victor, or us, but we can’t actually do much with a feeling or without hard facts to use. This place is locked down tight with guards everywhere so I’ve no idea what else you expected us to do without knowing what, or who, was coming our way. Or even an inkling of where they were coming from. Let’s just go downstairs and talk to Quinn and see what we do from here.”

“Yes, please let’s do that.” Victor had to go, now. He needed to see with his own eyes that his friends were safe and not injured in any way.

Plus, he wanted to face Quinn. Had to look him in the eye and tell him that Kimber had tried to warn him of a threat. He wasn’t sure of the outcome that snippet of information would have. Not when Quinn’s Bloodmate had been put in the path of danger. He sure as hell would be ready to rip someone’s head of if it had been Kimber that had been in peril and it could’ve been avoided. Hell, he felt like shit for not doing more…what he had no idea but anything would’ve been better than sitting on his ass twiddling his fucking thumbs.

Not only that, he’d been upset at Kimber. His love. His beautiful and fiery Dragon. She’d felt helpless because she’d tried to tell him and he’d made her feel her concerns were insignificant and of no consequence. Yeah…no consequence. That was the icing on the damn cake. The consequences of him doing diddly squat: his friend and his Bloodmate being physically attacked.

Victor stopped dead in his tracks. They’d reached the top of the grand staircase, and his feet just wouldn’t move. His head swam, and his heart stampeded wildly in his chest while his body and mind were flooded with emotions. Far too many at once and some he couldn’t even name although there were good friends there that he knew well: anger, fury, and rage.

All directed inward and if it were possible he’d knock himself on his ass because he deserved it.

“Victor? Darling, breathe, it’s okay, honestly it is. We can sort this…together as always. Isn’t that what you told me?” Kimber’s soft fingers trailed over his jaw and he heard her, but his vision was a blur of images of him ripping faceless men apart limb from limb while crimson liquid flew all around as he wreaked bloody vengeance on them for daring to hurt anyone he cared about.

Dark rage ran through him like a river of wrath. So intense he could see nothing but blood and gore in his mind, but it was quickly followed by another emotion he wasn’t familiar with. One he wasn’t sure he’d encountered before…if he had it was so far back in his life he’d forgotten; shame. Shame he’d let the woman he loved more than life itself down. Shame he’d allowed his own pride to get in the way of listening to her concerns and shame that because of that Quinn and Amaya had come to harm.

His skin felt alien, his body was not his. He was not Victor Strong, and he was not the man he’d been just a few minutes earlier…capable of taking on anything and destroying any threat that stood in his path. Now he felt a failure and…weak.

“Victor!” Kimber tugged and pulled at him, viciously, and then he felt something he never thought possible…her hand connected with his cheek in a hard slap. “Victor, come back to me right now! I need you. We need you!”

The sound of her palm connecting with his skin was like a bullet going off, echoing along the corridor…Flint cursed loudly but it wasn’t the physical pain that brought him out of the downward spiral he’d fell into. No. It was the heartfelt plea he heard from his Bloodmate that brought him back from the brink. He knew she was crying. Heard it in her voice, in the way she hiccupped at the end and that’s when he snapped back to reality…his eyes popped open to find Kimber’s dazzling emerald beauties gazing up at him, and he’d been right. Tears streamed down her white cheeks and her face was a mask of concern.

“You’re back,” Kimber sighed. Her body fell forward against him, her arms reaching around his waist to hold onto him tightly. So tight he thought she’d never let him go.

“What the fuck just happened?” Flint asked quietly, his friend looked confused but he also looked scared. His hands bunched at his sides and his feet shuffling gave him away.

“I’m fine.” Victor held onto Kimber, talking to her and her alone. “I’m sorry, darling, I just hope you can forgive me for not listening. Not hearing you. I know you didn’t know what was coming and you didn’t have specifics, but I didn’t hear you, and I should have.”

Kimber’s body trembled against him before she took a great gasp of air inside. “Thank you.”

“We should get going.” Flint had already moved away and was halfway down the stairs, looking back at them with concern.

He knew his friend well and was aware that Flint was worried for him but he had no need. He was back, and he’d do whatever it took to deal with what was coming, but he had a feeling that whatever had happened last night wasn’t the end of it. No matter. The fuckers better watch out because if they came anywhere near him, or anyone he cared about, he’d show them just how deadly he could be…and more.