The fighting stopped just as suddenly and violently as it had started. One second, they were surrounded by so many enemies they had no hope of living through the day; the next, the few amongst their enemies left standing were begging for their lives.

The woman who came to save the day looked like a Sports Illustrated model. What she did belonged in the realm of the impossible; at a flick of her wrist, a humongous wave rose from the nearby lake and took shape, undulating to wrap itself against the attackers’ throats. She smirked as they were dragged to the bottom of the lake.

He should have been happy. Instead, he felt sick to his stomach. That wasn’t a fight as much as an execution. Whatever creature these things, these Scions, were, he didn’t want to deal with them. Today, they’d been on his side, but who knew what they’d do tomorrow?

“You’re alright?” Rye asked him, catching his expression, right after the madness was over.

They’d made a deal with the devil, and won. Hopefully, they wouldn’t live to regret it too much.

The Scions weren’t the only reason why he was so wound up, though. Nor was losing a friend - a long-time friend he’d loved like a sister. Tracy would be missed and remembered.

But Tracy didn’t make him pace through the dining room, muttering to himself.

“I’m fine. Rain cleaned my wounds,” he replied.

Thankfully, he’d had a witch on hand. He might not have managed otherwise, as he knew how to take care of Lorren’s venom, but her silver, wolfsbane, and belladonna blend of poison acted fast on shifters.

“I wasn’t talking about your wounds,” Rye replied. “I haven’t seen you so agitated in a long time.”

Coveney closed his eyes.

“There was an eagle,” he said, finally. “A female, I think. She saved my life today; got in the way of one of Lorren’s arrows.”

Rye lifted a brow. “We don’t have eagle allies.”

A lot of eagles were hired by the shifter council, and no Alpha of their kind made allies amongst other races. Their laws forbid it.

“I know,” he snapped.

This made absolutely no sense.

“It could be that girl,” Daunte piped up. “You know? The one who came to warn us. She applied to be part of the pride, I remember her face. Then, Clari jumped her in the woods.”

“Oops?” his mate winced guiltily.

“She never turned up after that.”

Rye nodded, acknowledging every piece of information he’d just been given. Then, he came to the conclusion Coveney had anticipated. “Sounds pretty weird to me. I’m grateful she helped us, but if she’s lurked around for weeks without reaching out, she could very well be a spy, for all we know. We’ll send someone to track her, and interrogate her, when things calm down. Right now, I need every one of you in the pride house, making sure no enemy is lingering around us, waiting for a chance to strike.”

Yeah, he should have kept his mouth shut.

Coveney considered explaining himself; there was no one he trusted as much as Rye. But he found himself at loss for words, unsure of how he could formulate what he wanted to say. The girl was poisoned, sure, but it wasn’t a Wyvern problem. Rye wouldn’t care. Coveney shouldn’t care.

Make him care, his tiger roared.

He stayed silent. He’d never asked a favor of his Alpha, and he wasn’t going to start now. Not when he already owed him so damn much.

He paced some more, for all of three minutes, before his steps led him out of the dining room.

He hadn’t even crossed the entry hall when the door opened behind him.

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Daunte half barked, half whispered, careful not to be overheard by anyone in the dining room.

Shit. Everyone had seemed occupied, and Coveney was hardly the life of the party; he hadn’t believed his absence would be noticed immediately.

Coveney had anticipated Rye’s order because he understood it. There was a good chance that there still were enemies at their door, away from their wards, but close enough to catch an opportunity to strike against them. For now, their enemies might have lost, but they still wanted the pride’s kids’ lives. Their absolute priority had to be protecting the pride. Coveney knew that. As Head Enforcer, he was familiar with pride politics. He also didn’t give a shit. He needed to go find the bird. He needed it more than he needed his next breath.

He’d changed drastically after the incident in the Royal Pride. Not only because he learned what it was like to find himself considered a criminal and watch those he trusted turn their backs on him. He changed because he also saw people, who didn’t have one reason to, give up everything for him. There was no way he could ever repay Rye and the others for leaving their pride to be with him. That slate would never be wiped clean, however much he tried. But, from that moment onward, he decided that he’d always get even. If someone was doing him a favor, he returned it. And he owed the damn bird. Big time.

He might just be going overboard. There was a chance she was just fine. But if he was right, if she’d been hit…

The least he could do was find out.

“You can’t go against Rye’s orders right now. We’ve just been attacked, dammit.”

He stared at Daunte. His guilt trip was working, but he wasn’t going to let it show. He didn’t want any member of the pride to worry; he just didn’t care as much as he cared about finding the girl.

Finally, the Beta gave up on their little stare-off, with a sigh.

“If you’re gonna be a fucker, at least attempt to be an intelligent one. We have a decent tracker with us, for once. Take her.”

Oh, yeah. That might have been smart.

He looked back towards the closed doors; Ace had called a very small number of close friends to join them - some had made it, others hadn’t. Vivicia, a loner based in LA, had arrived amongst the first. As well as being unwaveringly loyal, the female also happened to be a wolf shifter. Coveney wasn’t bad at tracking, as far as felines went, but wolves were indubitably better equipped for that sort of job.

But that would mean asking a favor. The idea was always repulsive to him, but he could deal with it this time; he owed nothing to Vivicia. Yet.

“I’ll send her your way. And I’ll cover for you for four hours. If you don’t check in by then, I’ll find you, and kill you myself.”