When they got back to Ryenne’s apartment, Lucien packed up his stuff, kissed Ryenne’s mother on both cheeks, and left. When the door had closed on him, Mom stared at Ryenne and Ryenne ignored her. Instead, Ryenne went to the kitchen and put away the groceries they had bought on their way home.

Her mom followed her in. “Do you want to talk about this?”

“No.”

“Don’t you think we should?”

“What’s to talk about, Mom?”

“Something clearly happened between you two. Does it have to do with how you flirted with the two cops?”

Ryenne spun around and flung her arms up in the air. “Did everyone notice that but me?”

That was a lie. She had noticed. She knew what she’d done. She just didn’t realize anyone else could tell.

Ryenne had never needed to feel embarrassed in front of her mom about anything. About her desires, her sexual appetite, her love life, her lack of a love life. None of it had bothered her. Ryenne had had a hard-edged attitude since losing Cody and her dad, and her mom had let her be. Had let her be who she needed to be.

But now, Ryenne’s cheeks flushed with shame.

She strode out to the living room and collapsed on the couch. “Oh, Mom, what have I done? I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for Lucien, and now I may have lost him.”

“Does he know how you feel?”

“I don’t know. I tried to tell him. He says he still loves me but he can’t be near me right now,” she said.

Her mom nodded. “Then you may not have lost him, sweetie. Just give him time. He’s a man and men are easily hurt by the kinds of things you were doing. I know you didn’t mean them,” she rushed to add when Ryenne looked about to interrupt, “but you were flirting with other men right in front of your boyfriend and he needs time to get over it. And he needs time to miss you. And then he will want you back and he will forgive you.”

“You think?” Ryenne asked.

“Yes. Lucien is a good guy,” she said. “He’s not intimidated by your strength, by your career, by anything you have shown him of yourself so far. Despite being a shifter, he’s a human being and he is hurt right now. But he will get over it because he loves you.”

Ryenne stood up and wiped the tears that had begun to pool in her eyes. “Okay, but I can’t stay here tonight and just miss him.”

Mom held out her arms to Ryenne.

Ryenne knew the hug would make it harder to leave, so she turned away and called Gavin. “Hey, can you come hang out with Mom tonight. I don’t want her to be alone.”

“Sure. Where are you going?”

She sighed. “You know where I’m going.”

“But Ryenne...”

“Please, Gavin. I’m going no matter what you say, so can you please come over so Mom isn’t alone?”

“Alright, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

She thanked him and shoved the phone back in her jeans pocket.

“Where are you going?” her mom asked.

“I’m going to check out an address Gavin found today.”

“What address?”

“Mom, I love you, so please don’t make me lie to you. I’m going where I’m going and no one is talking me out of it.” Ryenne went around the apartment collecting weapons, determined to get answers. She made sure her dart pouch was full and added it to her belt. She pulled out the dagger from its sheath at her back, inspected it, and returned it to its place, relieved and comforted by its warmth from her own body heat against her skin. Covering everything with a black, lightweight, long-sleeved, button-down shirt, she slid one of her mom’s smaller stun guns up the right sleeve.

“Ryenne, you really have me worried with all of that gear.”

“Mom, don’t worry. This is how I always prepare for a job. Remember, this is what I do for a living.”

Her mom plopped down on the sofa and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t need a babysitter, you know.”

“Gavin’s not a babysitter. Anyway, the Fangs are trying to kidnap you, Mom. They want your help. For all we know, they want to turn you or kill you. We don’t know and I’m not going to let them do it.”

“Fine.”

By the time Gavin arrived, Ryenne was suited up and ready to go.

“Aren’t you going to stay and have dinner?” her mom asked.

“No, thanks.” Ryenne thought the hunger might make her fiercer and more vicious as she faced the people who’d tried to kidnap her mom. She didn’t want her mom to know this, but she would do anything it took to get information from the O’Briens.

***

Ryenne knew that going off half-cocked was never a good idea. She had learned her lesson in Paris. Or so she thought. But this time was different. This time, they’d come after her mom. This time, she was a shifter. And this time, her wolf pushed her on. No matter how stupid this might be, she couldn’t help it. She had to go to Brooklyn.

She took a taxi and got out a few blocks away from the O’Brien address. When she got there, she scoped out the neighborhood. It was a pretty common New York City neighborhood of brownstones, apartment buildings, and corner stores. Unlike Manhattan, there were no buildings with a doorman.

The darkness was occasionally broken up by a streetlight, a bodega, or lights in front of the apartment buildings. The O’Briens’ apartment building was a typical brownstone broken into apartments.

Ryenne went up to test the door. It was locked. She pretended to leave a note for someone to cover her presence.

Then, she walked around the corner to see what the back of the building was like. There had to be some way for the O’Briens to get out to run in their animal forms. Sure enough, behind their building was a park. The urge to shift and run became overpowering.

That would be one way to confront them. She could wait as a wolf for one of them to come out to run. She had no doubt she could run down a little fox, or even all three.

Since their apartment was 3B, she assumed they were on the third floor. From behind she was able to count the windows and figure out which belonged to the third floor, but she didn’t know which side was theirs.

A silhouette appeared in one of the third-floor windows, smoking a cigarette. From the shape of the person and the haircut, she was pretty sure it was Tess. Good, she was home.

Ryenne watched for another few minutes so she could figure out if Tess was alone. She wasn’t sure which she would prefer. Her wolf wanted all of them, but the human part of Ryenne’s brain knew it would be smarter to face Tess alone.

While she stood there, she ran through the possibilities. Ryenne could walk up to the front door and ring the bell and hope they let her in. She could sneak in and try to force her way into the apartment. Or, she could wait for Tess to come out.

Her wolf wanted to pounce, but in human form, Ryenne did have a certain amount of control and knew trying to get into the building was a bad idea for lots of reasons. She wouldn’t have a lot of room to fight, it would be too easy for Tess to fight back, and there could be witnesses. Also, she could have trouble getting into the building.

So she decided to watch from her current location. If the light went out, she could get to the front of the building and wait for Tess to emerge.

She found a spot under a tree and hunkered down and watched the window. Tess finished her cigarette and moved into the interior of the apartment, away from the window. But the light stayed on.

About ten minutes later, there had been no more movement in the apartment, but Ryenne caught a whiff of cigarette smoke and fox. She jumped up from her comfortable spot, but before she was fully standing, a body hurtled at her out of the darkness.

She fought her way out from under the person. Once she was free, she looked up. Tess stood over her. Black leggings and a black scoop-necked, long-sleeved top made her blend into the shadows as well as Ryenne did.

Shame and anger mixed in Ryenne as she stood. Later, she’d have to think more about how to stealthily approach another shifter and figure out how Tess had snuck up on her.

Ryenne had a lot to learn still about being a shifter.

For now, though, she wanted answers.

Before she could say anything, Tess spoke. “I owe you a beating for what happened a few months ago outside the Archangel Club.”

“Is that why you harassed my mother with letters and then tried to kidnap her the other day?”

Tess’s only answer was a smile. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked a hip.

“I know you’re a Fang, Tess. Why do the Fangs want my mom?”

Tess still said nothing. Her facial expression didn’t change. Her mocking smile increased Ryenne’s anger.

“Listen, bitch, what do you want with my mother?”

Tess raised an eyebrow.

Ryenne decided to change her line of questioning. “Fine. What do you know about my father?”

Something flashed in Tess’s eyes but she still didn’t answer.

Ryenne pushed Tess’s shoulder. “Answer me. What do you know about my father? Is he still alive?”

Tess stood her ground. “I have nothing to say to you. As a shifter, you’re nothing more than a baby.”

Ryenne’s frustration grew and her wolf took over. She didn’t shift but the urge to hurt Tess became more than Ryenne could control. She threw a punch toward Tess’s jaw, but before her fist could connect, Tess grabbed Ryenne’s wrist and twisted.

Ryenne heard something snap and pain radiated up to her shoulder. She screamed.

Tess laughed. “See? A baby.”

Ryenne kicked at Tess’s legs to no avail. Tess was quicker.

Ryenne pulled her dagger from its back sheath and slashed it toward Tess in one fluid movement. Tess stepped out of the way, missing most of the impact. But the blade cut through Tess’s shirt at the waist. Tess took a sharp breath.

Ryenne must have wounded her. She felt a jolt of satisfaction. “You deserve way more than this for trying to kidnap my mother.”

“Believe me, I want nothing to do with your mother.” Tess pulled out a dagger of her own. “Neither of you is worth my time.” She slashed at Ryenne.

Ryenne met her parry with one of her own, but she had to use her left arm. She had years of practice with both hands, but lately, she had let her training slip, between the trip to Paris and her new circumstances.

Their daggers clashed again and again. Ryenne barely missed getting sliced by diving to the side and somersaulting back to her feet. Tess was on her again in a heartbeat.

Ryenne felt cold steel in her left shoulder immediately followed by a warm sensation. Pain flooded through her. She dropped her dagger, no longer able to feel her hand.

On pure adrenaline and instinct, she kicked up with her leg and made contact with Tess’s thigh. Tess stumbled and Ryenne followed up with a stronger kick.

Tess fell backward. “How I wish I could kill you.”

Then she turned and ran.

Ryenne followed for a few steps. Both of her arms were practically useless. Tess was gone anyway, so Ryenne sat for a few minutes, waiting for one of her arms to heal so she could collect her dagger and get home.

Within a minute or two, she could use her right hand again, the one Tess had twisted. She picked up her dagger and put it back in her sheath. While she wanted to keep it out for protection, she could only use one hand and needed her phone more. She ordered a car and stumbled to the edge of the park to wait.

She sent Gavin a text: “I’m okay.”

By the time the cab arrived, her left arm was still in excruciating pain and hadn’t started to heal.

Damn. Tess’s knife must have been coated in the anti-healing gunk. Ryenne used her shirt to dab at the wound and try to clean the gunk out of it, but there was only so much she could do without water. She’d have to wait until she got home.