As I blinked open my bleary eyes, I slowly registered the warmth tucked against me. The corners of my lips lifted with pleasure at the way the slim body fit so exquisitely against mine.

Sophie. No one else could feel so perfect next to me.

I let my eyes fall shut once more and buried my head in the crook between her shoulder and neck. I breathed in her soft, clean scent as I tightened my arms around her. She cuddled even closer and warmth spread through me.

Despite everything we had been through with Edward and the uncertainty of the upcoming rescue, she was safe right now. I even felt like I could protect her and that made me happier than I could explain.

I wanted to stay like this forever, but the sudden beep of an alarm disrupted the tranquility of the moment. Sophie jolted and started to squirm in bed, wiggling against me to get her phone. A moment later the alarm was silenced, and I knew it was time to get going.

I didn't want to give this up. It was selfish, but I wanted this moment to last just a little longer. I had to remind myself that "just a little longer" could turn into "a few minutes more" and we didn't have a moment to spare.

As if she knew my very thoughts, she murmured, "We have to go."

I heard the same regret in her voice. I pressed a kiss against her smooth shoulder, then reluctantly untangled my arms from around her. She got out of bed quickly, as if she knew she wouldn't be able to leave if she dared to linger. I understood completely.

We dressed quickly, both of us silent, as if afraid words would break the fragile illusion of peace we had. Sophie handed me my shirt, then gently ran her hand along my jaw. She stared at me as if trying to commit my image to memory. Regardless of our reluctance, it didn't take us long to dress and leave the room. Sophie put the key in the drop box at the office, then got in the truck, her bag at her feet.

The moment she slid into her seat, something inside her changed. The shift in her mood was so palpable that I could see the tension work its way underneath every inch of her skin, slowly hardening her entire body. She sat up straight in her seat, eyes alert. She was ready for a fight and we hadn't even pulled out of the parking lot yet.

Meanwhile, I could barely pull my mind into the present. Thoughts of the time we had shared only hours before tempted me from the back of my mind. I could still feel her in my arms. Her touch against my skin. I wanted to sink into every memory, savoring each moment.

I couldn't recall ever having these feelings before. I struggled to control the urge to press replay on the moment when I woke up to find her curled so trustingly in my arms. It felt like she had captivated my every sense.

I simply wanted more. More laughing together over dinner. More quiet conversations. More playing together. I would even be content simply holding her in my arms as we slept again.

"We need to go." Sophie's clipped voice dragged me back to the moment.

My fingers were still curled around the keys, just waiting to turn on the truck.

"Right, yeah," I said as I quickly turned on the ignition and the truck roared to life.

I focused on driving, but her presence in the seat beside me was distracting. Some part of me thought what had happened when we arrived at the motel must have been a dream. But it couldn't have been. I had a good imagination, but I couldn't have conjured up a night like that even in my wildest dreams.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye and suppressed the urge to groan. She was so beautiful. And now that we had been together, I wanted her more than ever before. I wasn't yet sated.

"My sister will be waiting for us at the western perimeter of the compound." The tension in Sophie's voice knocked me out of my thoughts and instantly put me on edge.

Despite my wandering mind, I knew how serious of a situation we were walking into. The stories Sophie shared about her old pack told me that much. The tension running through her body spoke volumes. If they could do that to someone like her, they must be terrible.

"Perimeter? Compound? This place sounds more like a cult than a pack." I regretted the joke the moment it hit the air.

I glanced at Sophie and saw her give me an unblinking stare. My attempt at humor bounced off the steel armor wrapped around her mind. She was far too focused on the task at hand for that sort of thing.

I concentrated on the road ahead and let out a long, shaky breath. This was, undoubtedly, the riskiest thing I had ever done in my life. I clenched my hands on the steering wheel to keep them from shaking.

I wasn't sure how well I would fare against a pack of shifters if things came to blows, but after seeing how hurt Sophie was, I didn't even think twice about seeing this through.

"So, we need to discuss how, exactly, we're getting her out." I had some ideas, but I needed to run them by her first, and I still needed to make sure my idea would work with whatever plants were nearby.

"We?" Sophie seemed to roll the word around in her mouth, as if trying to figure out the flavor of something unknown. "I'm sorry," she added quickly, "I figured you'd stay in the car. You know, be the getaway driver, that kind of thing."

I furrowed my brow. "I said I would help you, Sophie, and I'm going to."

"Even after everything I told you?"

"Especially after everything you told me. What do you take me for?"

She was silent for a moment, then she said a quiet, "Thank you."

"Now, you ready to hear my plan?" I asked with a grin.

"You have a plan?"

"Sure do."

"I'm listening . . ."

* * *

Alarm bells rang throughout my mind as I followed Sophie along the back roads made of nothing but dirt to the sprawling compound. We had parked about half a mile away and now were carefully working our way toward the walls that enclosed the shifters' massive hideout.

This place didn't look like a home. It looked like a prison, which I supposed was exactly what it had become for Sophie's little sister. She wasn't kidding when she called it a compound.

As we got closer, I could see nothing but high walls. Even the roofs of the buildings that had to be inside were obscured. How was her sister supposed to scale those? Even if she shifted, I didn't think she could make it.

I was happier than ever that I had come along. I didn't see any way that Alysse would've escaped without a bloodbath. Although, that was still on the table, wasn't it? I clenched my jaw as tension knotted in my stomach.

We hadn't made it very close to the imposing walls before Sophie let out a quiet curse and grabbed my arm.

She leaned in and whispered, "They're going to smell us. They probably won't think twice about me, but they'll lose it if they smell something foreign around."

I glanced off to the side with a resigned sigh. I already had a solution, but I had been hoping it wouldn't come to this. "Don't worry. There's skunk cabbage growing here. I'll break a couple of leaves and smell like a fly's wet dream."

Sophie made a face and, for a moment, I thought I saw a small smile. "Good. Do that."

I smiled as I walked a few steps over to one of the most pungent plants known to man. I liked knowing that I could help her, and even more so that she wanted me to. My smile faded the moment I plucked off a couple leaves and tore them in half.

I gagged as the awful stench filled the air. I had to hold my breath as I rubbed the stinky plant all over my clothes. Sophie let out a quiet hiss and pinched her nose.

I smiled. "Hey, at least you're not the one rubbing it all over yourself."

"They should've been honest and just named it rotting meat. That's awful." She shuddered and her lip curled back, as if she could see the smell wafting off my body. "The smell might attract more attention than your fae scent."

"It's going to make for a miserable ride home, too," I said with a small chuckle. "We might have to risk stopping by that motel again for a shower."

Sophie's eyes glinted in the night before she turned her face away. I noticed how she hid her face from me. Was she embarrassed? It was dark, with only the moon and faint light from the compound to cast illumination on the trees around us, so I wasn't sure.

She cleared her throat. "It's nearly time. We should hurry."

I followed closely behind her as we slipped through the sparse brush and large trees near the compound. She came to a sudden stop as we reached the edge of the tree line. The area about twenty feet before the walls was barren. Smart.

They didn't want anyone using the natural growth to climb up and over. I was busy eyeing the trees, trying to figure out whether my plan would work or not, when I realized Sophie was as stiff as board, her eyes locked on the towering walls.

"Sophie?"

She didn't even glance at me. I moved around to her side and saw her jaw was tense.

"They're not close enough, are they? For your plan." Her voice was flat, robotic. She seemed to be preparing herself for the worst.

I smiled and reached out to touch her shoulder. She finally tore her eyes away from the walls to look at my hand, then me.

"It'll still work," I reassured her.

"Really?" There was disbelief in her voice.

"Just tell Alysse to get ready."

Sophie gave me a doubtful look, but she pulled out her phone and shot her sister a text.

"Now what?" she asked after she got a response. "We don't have a lot of time. If it's going to take too long . . ."

I could tell she was ready for a fight—her eyes darted around constantly and nervous energy poured off her in waves. But she didn't need to worry, I knew this was going to work just fine.

"Can you pinpoint where Aly is?" I asked calmly. "Yeah. She'll be waiting by the wall so I can catch her scent."

"Take me to her."

Sophie walked along the edge of the wall, then stopped and nodded at me. I took a deep breath. Despite my performance versus Edward, what I was about to attempt took a lot of magic. I didn't know these trees and their roots.

This could all go horribly wrong. I was running the risk of exhausting myself. I had been using my magic more strenuously than ever lately. I wasn't even sure what my limits were.

I crouched down to touch my fingers to the soil, took a deep breath, then closed my eyes and focused. It was rare that I truly had to concentrate this hard to use my magic, but this was no small task.

I searched the ground for the strongest roots and quietly urged them to move. Slowly, at first, then faster as they began to converge and coil together, boring through the soil like giant drills.

A hole appeared on our side of the wall. The roots curled out and knotted together around the entrance, then spread apart, leaving an empty black hole. An identical opening awaited her sister on the other side. It was dark, but thick roots paved the hole and would help guide her through.

I stopped the flow of my magic and held still for a moment, assessing my strength. I still felt fine. Relief flowed through me. I stood up and stared down at the hole as we quietly waited.

Sophie kept tapping her feet as she struggled to stand still. Her eyes were fixed on the hole. I could tell she wanted to dive in and fish her sister out. Finally, her posture eased ever so slightly and she quickly approached the opening.

A hand popped out and gripped the roots for leverage, then a young woman who looked very much like Sophie appeared. Sophie quickly reached down and helped her to her feet.

They shared a quick hug, then Sophie pulled back with a jerk. I could see the whites of her wide eyes in the moonlight. Panic surged through me, making me tense. Were her old packmates coming after us? Did they know we were here?

"Did . . . did they smell me or something, you think?" I asked.

When she didn't answer, I realized her shocked look wasn't because of a threat. She was looking at her sister.

Finally, Sophie blurted out, "You're pregnant?"

Whoa. That was not what I was expecting tonight.

"Um, surprise?" Alysse said with a grimace.

"I can't believe you haven't told me. How could—"

Alysse wasn't listening. She was growling irritably as she shook the dirt from her wavy brown hair.

"Please tell me this wasn't your first plan?" Alysse's voice was full of outrage. Then the wind shifted, and she looked like she was about to gag. Her eyes snapped to me. "Oh—Oh God, you smell terrible."

I laughed quietly. "Well, I figure a little dirt and stink are worth rescuing you from this place, right?"

Sophie's eyes abruptly darted to the top of the wall, as if she remembered the danger we were in and was afraid someone would leap over the impossibly high structure at any moment. "You can complain about your rescue later. Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, about that . . ." Alysse said as she turned back to the hole. "One sec, sis."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sophie hissed, but then she took a deep breath and her eyes grew wide. "Aly, what have you done?"

I followed her gaze to the hole and saw a bag push itself out. I frowned in confusion. Alysse was standing by the hole. Did she have telekinesis? Could shifters do that? How was the bag moving on its own?

She reached down and grabbed the bag, pulling it the rest of the way out. A moment later, a pale, fine-boned hand appeared. Alysse bent over and grabbed it, helping whoever it was out. Her body blocked my view, but Sophie rushed forward to help.

They finally stepped back and I saw a young woman who looked to be about Alysse's age. She was petite, much shorter than Sophie and Alysse. She looked like a porcelain doll with fine blond hair.

I drew in a sharp breath when I saw the bruises on her face, clear even in the dim light. I instantly wondered if it was the friend Sophie had told me about. If Alysse was anything like her sister, I was certain it was. She would have felt the need to protect her.

"Aly," Sophie said with warning in her voice.

Alysse's face closed up and she jutted her chin out stubbornly but didn't say anything. She wrapped a protective arm around the other young woman.

"Are we expecting anyone else?" I asked Alysse, half expecting an affirmative answer. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to free more people from this awful place.

She shook her head. "I couldn't get to any of the others."

"Alright, I'm closing up shop then."

I knelt down and touched the ground. The roots needed to go back to where they belonged. They uncoiled from around the hole and pulled back through.

Dirt collapsed inside the holes, filling them as the roots receded. They shrank beneath the earth, retreating to their homes. I felt them settle in place, content. I gave the soil a gentle pat, then stood up.

Sophie drew in a deep breath and took a few steps back with a low growl. "We need to go. Now."

Alysse sniffed the air and her expression sobered instantly. A shock of fear widened her eyes. Sophie looked at me and pressed a warning finger to her lips.

I nodded. Someone must have realized Alysse and her friend were gone. All my fears about this night were threatening to come true. We were going to have to fight to escape.

Sophie grabbed my hand, wrinkling her nose slightly at the smell as she drew near. She gave me a tug and then bolted into a run, keeping a firm grip on my hand. It was good that she did because it was so dark I could barely see. I had to trust her to lead me through the inky night.

I had always known shifters could move fast but had never actually ran with one. I thought that shifter speed was only in animal form, but tonight I realized they were fast in human form, too. It was all I could do to keep up. I wondered how the petite woman who escaped with Alysse was faring.

We hadn't run far and still had a ways to go, but I was already breathing so hard I seriously thought I was going to throw up. Thankfully, Sophie suddenly slowed to a stop.

"Thank God, I was getting so—"

Her head whipped around and I saw nothing but the unfiltered, wild glow of her cougar's blue eyes. She dropped my hand and started to strip.

"Sophie?" I asked in a hesitant voice.

She didn't answer; instead, she tore at her clothes even faster.

A bony hand circled around mine and I looked to my side to see the frail woman looking up at me in sheer terror.

"They're shifting because the pack is getting close," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Please don't let them take me. I can't go back there."

A jolting tremble worked its way through her hand. I tightened mine around hers, trying to ease her fear. It wasn't easy because I was just as scared.

I had no idea how many to expect, or whether we would make it out of this alive or not. What had started to feel like a fun rescue was weighing down on me, heavier and heavier as the girl's panicked breathing grew quicker and louder.

"Protect her, plant guy, she's human," Alysse said. "Sophie and I have this."

Human? Why . . .? I turned to look at Aly questioningly and saw she was almost completely undressed. I quickly flicked my eyes away. If I hadn't been scared to death, I might've laughed at how I was trying to be polite even when death was on my heels.

My eyes moved to Sophie. She had already transformed into her cougar. The bandage on her upper arm had somehow stayed attached. Her sharp fangs were bared and a low growl rumbled out of her.

"Sophie, let's just go," I said in a hushed voice. I was sure she had healed significantly, but I didn't like the idea of her fighting. Not after what we had just been through with Edward.

Her cougar eyes flicked to mine, then she lowered herself like she was stalking prey. Her tail kicked up dirt as it flicked from side to side. Another warning growl came from her hunched form and I knew for certain we weren't alone anymore.

A branch snapped behind me.

My heart slammed against my chest.

Before I had the chance to do anything, I heard the rush of pawed feet trample the leaves, then saw a golden blur rush past me followed by a loud thump. Two cougars rolled to the side of me, clawing and hissing at each other.

The light of the moon streamed down through the trees, glinting off bared white teeth. One clamped down on the other's neck and received a claw strike from the opponent in response.

The young woman who gripped my hand let out a broken sob. "Oh God, I think that's Aly!"

Sophie sprang into the middle of the fight. She pounced on the cougar biting the other's ear. They tumbled off to the side. The injured cougar sprang to its feet with the wet glint of blood dripping down its face. It was then that I saw four more pairs of blue eyes glowing from the trees, bouncing in the darkness as they ran toward us.

Suddenly my fear faded away, replaced by an icy calm. There was no way Sophie and Alysse could take on five cougars. I had to help.

"Hey," I said as I looked down at the young woman beside me. "Whatever happens, I need you to trust me, okay? I'll keep you safe."

She was still watching the fight as Sophie and her sister squared off with the massive cougar, but she lifted her tear-stained face long enough to look me in the eyes.

"Promise?" The fear in her voice could have shattered the strongest person.

"I promise," I replied, hoping I hadn't just lied to her. I knew for certain that I wouldn't be able to have my eyes on her at all times, but I had a plan. "Sit down for me."

For some reason, my heart broke even more when she immediately sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. What had they done to this poor woman? I pushed that thought aside and crouched down, feeling what was in the earth below.

I summoned the nearest, strongest roots I could find and urged them upward. They curled up and circled around the woman. Her fearful eyes grew wider as she watched them form around her, but I gave her the most reassuring smile I could find. She swallowed deeply, then nodded.

Pained shrieks behind me threatened my concentration, but I continued with my task. Please let Sophie be okay. I brought the roots up and over the young woman, layer upon layer, creating a cocoon dense enough that even a cat would struggle to get through. I left enough space for air to get in, but that was it.

"You'll be safe in here," I whispered.

I hoped she would be, at least. I had fought Edward, but there were at least four more of them coming and I didn't know if the three of us could handle all five.

I didn't have time to think about it though, because the moment I stood, the other cougars leapt into the fray, snarling, hissing, and growling. They were huge. I had never seen cats with such massive claws and teeth before.

Somehow, I managed to keep track of Sophie in all the chaos. Low growls and snarls continuously poured out of her. Right now she was rolling around, fighting a cougar who looked a lot larger than her.

I was actually glad I didn't have her night vision. I didn't want to see the bloody gouges I was sure they were inflicting on each other. Seeing her in that fight with Edward had been more than enough for me.

Even with the danger surrounding us, a part of me wanted to watch her move. I'd only seen her in cougar form a few times and she was enthralling to watch. But right now, we were in a battle for our lives and I had to keep watch on the other threats. My eyes flicked back and forth between the fights. I moved to keep a better eye on everyone in the dim moonlight.

A cougar's cry of pain suddenly pierced the fierce growls and snarls. The harsh sound had me whipping my head back over to Sophie's fight, dread in my stomach and bile crawling up my throat. For a second, I was lightheaded with relief as I saw Sophie crouch near the other cougar.

Even without the bright patch of a bandage on her front leg, I suddenly realized I would have known it was her. I couldn't explain how, but I knew.

Just like when she showed up at the orchard. I wanted to rush over there and make sure she was okay, but I didn't need to examine her to know she wasn't the one who made that horrid noise.

I shifted my attention to her opponent. The cat was crouching and snarling, ears back against its head. But something looked wrong. I squinted, trying to get a better look.

What was wrong with its front leg? As I watched, it moved to take a step forward. The moment it put its weight on that leg, it folded in the middle and the cat collapsed with a yowl. Had Sophie managed to break its leg?

A snarl to my left brought me back to the threat at hand. Alysse was facing off with three cats. Sophie had broken the leg of the fourth. I couldn't find the fifth. I quickly turned my eyes back to the young woman's cocoon and was relieved to see it unharmed.

The cougars didn't seem to care about me—they were more concerned with fighting Sophie and Alysse. That was their mistake. It was my turn to even the odds.

I crouched down low and let my eyes fall mostly shut. I searched in a quickly expanding circle, finding every root I could. I called to them. I made them grow.

The magic poured from me in rivulets, saturating the earth. I made the roots thicker and stronger, then I made them move. Come to me.

The cougars let out panicked shrieks as the ground started to rumble.

"Sophie, Alysse. Move!"

The two of them darted in opposite directions to disappear into the trees as the earth ripped open and heavy roots shot through the dirt, high into the air, before crashing down and coiling around the attacking cougars. One by one, they were rapidly lashed down as they yowled and clawed.

Once they were all contained, I opened my eyes and looked at my handiwork with satisfaction. My roots would hold them, but I didn't know for how long.

"Let's get out of here," I said as I moved to free the young woman from her protective cocoon.

A sudden, searing pain in my lower chest brought me to a standstill. My breath caught in my throat, silencing my shocked cry. A snarl called my attention to the cougar crouched in my path, guarding the cocoon. Its tail whipped at the roots.

I must have missed one that ran into the forest. Before I could react, Alysse slammed into the cougar in front of me, grappling with it as she sank her teeth into its neck.

I let out a trembling breath and touched my fingers to my ribs. They came back feeling sticky. Even in the darkness, I knew it was blood. My blood. But I couldn't focus on that now. The sounds of growling cats furiously clawing at their makeshift cages filled the night air.

I pressed my arm against my wound, hoping to slow the bleeding, as I knelt down to touch the ground. I unwrapped the roots from the young woman's cocoon and quickly urged them back in place, then stood up and rushed forward to her. She was trembling so badly she could hardly get to her feet.

As soon as she was standing, I touched the ground once more and snaked the roots under the soil to bring them up to coil around the legs of the cougar Alysse and Sophie were fighting. The two of them smartly jumped away.

"We need to get out of here. I don't know how long the roots will hold." I turned to the young woman. "Help me grab their clothes. Then we need to run."

Her lower lip trembled visibly, but she nodded and gathered up whatever clothes she could, her eyes constantly darting toward the snarling cougars as they struggled against their bonds. I grabbed her hand and we started to run. My shirt felt cold under my arm where I was pressing it on my chest, and I knew that couldn't be good.

Alysse ran in front of us while Sophie ran behind. She was probably covering our flank, just in case. My heart was in my throat as we raced through the forest, and I didn't dare look back.

The pain in my ribs was growing and I was exhausted and weak. I didn't think I would fare even half as well in another fight, especially now that they knew what I could do. I was sure I would be the first target.

Relief flowed through me when I saw the truck up ahead, despite the pain in my chest and the hoarse breaths in my throat. We were all alive. We were going to make it.

But that was when I heard it. Suddenly, the enraged snarls behind us quieted. Sharp snaps and cracks split the air.

I knew they were breaking through my roots. Sophie ran up alongside me, her blue eyes finding mine and telling me, in the best way a cat can, that I needed to hurry.

I forced myself to run as quickly as my hurting body would allow. My fingers had only just touched the door handle when I heard a series of triumphant calls echo through the forest behind us. Fear tore through me. The cougars were free.