Bryce lifted his head from his hands as a vet tech shuffled into the waiting room. She had a warm smile, and she looked him in the eyes, putting his fears at ease. “Mr. Samuels?”

“How’s my boy?”

“His leg is broken and a few ribs are bruised, but he’s otherwise healthy. He’s sedated, and we’d like to keep him overnight for observation.” She offered him a tablet to sign.

He scribbled his name on the screen. “Can you tell how it broke? Did he fall down the stairs?”

Her eyes tightened. “From the X-ray, it looks like some sort of blunt force trauma caused the break. A boot or something else hard.”

He sucked in a sharp breath. Whoever hurt his dog would pay.

“We’ll call you when he wakes up and let you know when you can get him.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bryce nodded and turned for the door. As he exited the building, his phone buzzed, and he fished it from his pocket. Karen’s name lit up the screen.

He pressed the device to his ear. “Where are you? Where’s Michael?”

She paused. “I’m at work. I was in a meeting when you called, and Michael’s at home. Is everything okay?”

Dread sank in his stomach like a brick. “He’s not there, and I found Sam at the foot of the stairs with his leg broken and the leash attached to his collar.”

She didn’t respond.

“Karen? Have you heard from him today?”

“No.” Her voice was a whisper.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and climbed into his car. “Meet me at the station. We’ll file a missing person’s report.”

Silence.

He slammed the door and buckled his seatbelt. “Karen? Did you hear me?”

“Yeah. I’ll meet you there.”

He tossed his phone in the cupholder and sped to the station. When he arrived, Karen was already talking with an officer. Tears dripped from her eyes, and she threw her arms around Bryce when he approached.

“He hasn’t been missing for twenty-four hours.” She sobbed into his shirt.

Bryce narrowed his gaze at the officer. “He’s a suicide risk. File the report.”

Karen sobbed harder.

The officer nodded. “Yes, sir. Ma’am, can you give me a description.”

Releasing her hold on Bryce’s shirt, she wiped her eyes. “He’s tall. A little chunky.”

“He’s one of mine,” Bryce said. “Michael Benson. The report should have everything you need. And put in a call to the area hospitals; he might be injured.”

Karen stared blankly at the wall as she sank into a chair. Lacing her fingers together, she clenched them tightly until the tips turned purple. “We’re moving.”

Bryce sat next to her. “Where are you going?”

She inhaled a shaky breath. “To stay with my mom in Texas. I thought it would be good for Michael to get a clean start. I put in my two-week notice today.” She covered her mouth and sobbed.

“Hey.” Bryce rubbed a hand across her back. “We’re going to find him.”

Her phone rang, and she yanked it from her purse. “It’s our landline.” She held it to her ear. “Michael?”

She let out an enormous sigh and leaned back into the seat, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Are you there alone?”

Her brow furrowed as she listened. “Okay. Stay put. I’m on my way.” She shoved the phone into her purse and shot to her feet. “He’s okay. He’s at home. There’s an officer with him.”

Bryce glanced at the dispatcher, who lifted his hands and shook his head. “Which officer?”

“I don’t know.” She strode to the front door.

Bryce followed her home and stood in the doorway as she hugged her son. She showered him in questions and affections, and Bryce cut his gaze to James, who stood in the living room. Officer, my ass.

“Good to see you, Sergeant Samuels.” James held out his hand to shake. Bryce accepted. “Detective Mason wants to speak with you ASAP. She’s at home, waiting.”

Bryce lowered his voice. “What the hell is going on?”

James glanced at Karen and gave him a pointed look. “I’m not at liberty to discuss the case, but Detective Mason will fill you in on the details.”

“I’m so sorry, Sergeant Samuels.” Michael hung his head and shuffled toward him. “Sam fell down the stairs, and when I couldn’t get him to stand up, I freaked out and ran away. Detective Mason found me by the riverbank, and she brought me home.” He rubbed at his nose as he spoke, looking anywhere but at Bryce. “Is Sam…” He glanced into Bryce’s eyes and looked away. “Is he okay?”

“He will be.” Bryce glared at James, who clamped his mouth shut. The kid was lying. James was lying. The whole story smelled like a wharf in the summertime.

Karen wrapped her arm around Michael’s shoulders. “We’ll pay Sam’s vet bill.”

“I’m sorry.” Michael stared at the floor.

“That won’t be necessary. I’m glad you’re okay.” He reached for the doorknob. “If you’ve got this under control…”

“We’re fine. Thank you for your help, Bryce. Officer.” Karen nodded at James.

“A word, officer?” He jerked his head, silently telling James to follow him outside. Stepping off the porch, he shuffled around to the stairs.

“We’ve got a man watching each side of the house. They’re safe.” James handed him a slip of paper. “My number. I meant what I said about getting your girl back, but Luke can’t know.”

He squinted at the paper. “Luke?”

“Say the word, and I’ll be there.” James climbed into a pickup truck and slammed the door, revving the engine before Bryce’s mind caught up with the conversation. Why did it matter if Luke knew? And what men were watching the house?

He got into his car and dialed Macey’s number. “What the hell’s going on, Mace? Since when is James an officer of the law?”

She paused. “Not over the phone. Come to my house.”

He let out a slow breath. “Is Michael safe?”

“We’ve got…people…watching him. Get over here. Now.” She hung up.

Bryce reversed out of the driveway and hightailed it to the French Quarter. His emotions flipflopped between satisfaction that his suspicions about Macey and her new friends were well-founded and sickening dread for the same reason.

He parked two blocks from her house and hoofed it up the sidewalk to her front porch. As he lifted his hand to pound on the door, it swung open and Macey ushered him inside. Luke lounged on the sofa in the living room, and Macey sank down next to him, gesturing to the chair for Bryce to sit.

He paced in front of the coffee table instead. “I want answers, Mace. You’ve got a man impersonating an officer. Michael’s lying about where he’s been. James is lying. You. Alexis. Shit, everyone’s lying.” He threw his arms in the air. “What the hell is going on?”

Macey tugged on her bottom lip and glanced at Luke. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”

“I don’t want to sit down.” He didn’t mean to yell, but goddammit, he needed the truth.

Luke leaned forward, resting a protective hand on Macey’s knee.

Bryce took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm his sprinting heart. Unclenching his fists, he lowered himself onto the chair and rested his palms on the arms. He pried his teeth apart and tried to keep his voice calm. “I’m sorry. Will you please tell me what’s going on?”

Macey sat up straight. “You were right about everything.”

“I…” Her confession took the breath from his chest. “What do you mean everything?”

Luke grasped her hand and nodded. “Tell him. It’s time he found out.”

“You accused me of being different since I met Luke, and you’re right. I am. Or…I haven’t changed, but I finally understand what I am.”

“What you are? Mace…” He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Will you please try to make some sense? I need facts. What happened to Michael? Why is James posing as a police officer? Why are you ignoring the autopsy reports for the bodies we pulled out of the river?” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “And what’s going on with Alexis?”

She locked eyes with him. “Werewolves.”

“What?”

“We’re werewolves.”

He held her gaze, waiting for her to crack a smile or roll her eyes and tell him he’d been overreacting. But she returned his stare, her eyes tightening as if she were willing him to accept the absurd remark.

Blowing out a hard breath, he leaned back into the chair and crossed his arms. “C’mon. Be serious.” Did she take him for some kind of idiot? “Whatever you’re involved in, it’s affecting the people I care about. You can either tell me the truth, or I’ll figure it out for myself.” Werewolves, my ass.

She scooted to the edge of the couch and gave him a sympathetic look. “This is going to require some open-mindedness, so please hear me out.”

“My mind is open to facts. Tell me the truth.”

“We’re werewolves.” Her face held the most serious expression he’d ever seen, but there was no way.

He threw his arms into the air. “This was a waste of time. I’m going to get a real officer to look out for Michael, and I’m going to get Alexis back.” He shoved to his feet.

“Sit down, Bryce.” Luke’s voice boomed with so much authority Bryce planted his ass in the seat without thinking twice. “My mate is trying to give you the facts, and you’re going to listen to her.”

His mate? What the…? And who the hell did this guy think he was giving an order like that? Bryce opened his mouth for a comeback, but Macey beat him to it.

“It’s okay, hon. I’ve got this.” She patted Luke’s knee and scooted closer to Bryce, turning to him again. “Are you ready to listen?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” She’d probably spin some crazy story about magical creatures lurking in the shadows all around that no one had ever seen, but maybe he’d be able to glean a few bits of actual information from the tale.

“You believe in my ability to read spirit energy, right?”

“I’ve seen you do it. Of course I do.”

“And you remember Chase’s wife, Rain? She’s a witch; she can cast spells.”

He nodded. “She told me spells are like prayers, but they’re something else, aren’t they?”

“They’re a way of manipulating energy. Magic is, at its core, energy manipulation.”

Crossing his arms, he arched an eyebrow. “What are you trying to say?”

“Magic is real.”

Had she told him that a week ago, he’d never have believed it. Hell, he didn’t believe in ghosts until he’d seen how she could read spirit energy. But after the way Alexis healed his burns with a simple touch, he couldn’t deny it anymore. “I know. Alexis said you were related to witches.”

“We are, way back in the family tree.” She furrowed her brow. “What else did she tell you about us?”

He shrugged. “Nothing I didn’t already know about your parents dying when you were young. And she showed me her healing powers.”

Her eyes widened. “Healing powers? When she was hurt?”

“Yeah. Then she healed me when I was hurt.”

Macey gave Luke a quizzical look, and he shrugged. “It’s not unheard of,” he said. “The witch genes could be active in her system.”

She shook her head. “Anyway, you do believe in magic, whether you want to admit it or not.”

He had no problem admitting to things that could be proven. “Go on.”

“Do you remember last year, when those women claimed some kind of animal saved them from the attackers?”

He closed his eyes for a long blink. “I remember.”

“And then I saw a wolf in the woods behind the crime scene?”

A lump formed in his throat. This story was starting to make too much sense. She couldn’t be serious.

“That wolf was Luke. I didn’t know that he…that we…were werewolves at the time. Once I figured it out, everything fell into place.”

“Hold on, now. You had me going for a minute there, Mace, but how could you be a werewolf and not know it? Do you black out every time you sprout fur and forget?”

“Only the first-born child of a werewolf couple can shift,” Luke explained. “Macey was raised by humans, and Alexis went rogue as soon the change came, so she never knew until they reunited.”

“Wha—?” He clamped his mouth shut. Questions ricocheted around in his head, but he couldn’t grab on to one long enough to speak it coherently. Luckily, Macey knew him well enough to give him the answers he couldn’t ask for.

“A rogue is a werewolf who doesn’t belong to a pack. Alexis didn’t know what she was until the first time she shifted when she was thirteen. She freaked and ran away and has been living on her own ever since.”

His mind didn’t want to believe it, but somewhere deep in his soul it made sense. Why the hell would something so ridiculous make sense? He’d been working too hard. Too many distractions had his thoughts wound up in a jumbled mess. He needed sleep. Or an appointment with a psychiatrist. “You’re telling me that Alexis…is a werewolf?”

“She is.”

He shook his head. Nonsense. It was all nonsense. “Werewolves aren’t real.”

“We are.”

He crossed his arms. It wasn’t possible. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Macey looked at Luke. “That’s your cue.”

“I’m on it.” Luke stood and strode down the hall.

Leaning toward him, Macey took Bryce’s hand as he uncrossed his arms. He hadn’t realized how cold his own had turned until the warmth from her palm seeped into his skin. “It took a lot of convincing for me too,” she said, “but I think this will do it.”

A shuffling noise sounded from the hallway, and in padded the biggest wolf he’d ever seen. Light-brown fur covered its massive body, and as it opened its mouth to pant, fangs the size of daggers filled its enormous maw.

Bryce’s heart rate kicked up, and his muscles tensed, ready for fight or flight…he wasn’t sure which. “What the hell?”

The wolf approached Macey and sat at her feet as she rested a hand on its neck. “This is Luke.”

“No, it’s not. It’s a pet. A mutated Siberian huskey or something.” There was no way. That beast couldn’t be… Luke wasn’t a…

The animal licked Macey’s cheek from jaw to ear. She laughed and pushed it away. “What have I told you about that? Show him.”

The wolf paced to the center of the room. A shimmering mist gathered around its fur, almost as if it were glowing, but not quite. Bryce rubbed his eyes and looked again. As the mist grew denser and the image wavered, the wolf rose onto its back legs and transformed into…

“Luke?” Bryce’s mouth fell open. How could he—? “But you—”

Luke laughed. “Convinced?”

It wasn’t possible. Supernatural creatures didn’t exist in this world, yet he’d watched a wolf turn into a man right before his eyes. He stood and paced toward Luke. Reaching out his arms, he hesitated before clapping his hands onto his shoulders.

All the blood in his body seemed to settle at his feet, making his head spin. “It’s really you.” He dropped his arms to his sides.

“Yep.” Luke patted him on the back and plopped onto the couch next to Macey.

“Do you believe it now?” she asked.

He sank into the chair. “I suppose I have no choice.” He’d always been a seeing is believing guy, but what he just saw he couldn’t explain. Focusing on how a giant wolf had waltzed into Macey’s living room and transformed into her husband made his head spin. The important thing was that it had happened. He’d deal with the how later. “Can Alexis…?”

Macey nodded. “She’s first-born, so she can shift.”

How could his sweet, soft woman turn into a massive beast? “I never would’ve guessed it.” He shook his head, trying to get the spinning thoughts to form into some sort of coherence. The woman he loved was a werewolf. His partner of the last seven years was a supernatural being. Her husband too. “James?”

“He’s a werewolf,” Macey said. “So is Chase. Michael is safe with them watching him, but Alexis is in trouble.” Her expression softened. The mask of supernatural secrets she’d been keeping dissolved, allowing her true concern for her sister to finally show through, and his doubts about Macey dissolved right along with it.

Her words focused his thoughts into pinpoint precision. His world may have been turned upside down, but having the woman he loved safe and back in his arms was all that mattered. “I assume you’re telling me all this because Eric is a werewolf too?”

Macey’s expression turned grim. “I haven’t been ignoring the autopsy reports on those bodies. I’ve been trying to cover them up. Those people were killed by werewolves.”

“One werewolf in particular,” Luke said.

“Eric.” He fisted his hands on the arms of the chair. “Why would Alexis go back to him?”

Macey straightened. “We think she wants to stop him. He’s trying to turn humans into werewolves, and those bodies we found in the river were his failed experiments.”

Bryce rubbed his forehead in an attempt to slow the merry-go-round of thoughts whirling though his mind. “How do you know all this?”

“Michael didn’t run away.” She cringed. “One of Eric’s men kidnapped him.”

He slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. “The bastard hurt my dog too.”

“Alexis helped Michael escape, and she sent him to me. I think she’s safe for now, but we don’t know how long he’ll keep using her.”

His stomach soured. “What’s he using her for?”

“If she can heal other people like you say.” She took a deep breath and looked at Luke. “He must be attacking the humans and having Alexis heal them in hopes that they’ll turn into werewolves.”

“Is that possible?” He cut his gaze between Luke and Macey. “Can someone be turned into a werewolf?”

“It’s possible,” Luke said. “But extremely unlikely to happen. The human would have to lose a considerable amount of blood and put up enough of a fight to cause some damage to the wolf attacking him. Get enough werewolf blood into your system, and it’s going to wreak havoc on your DNA.”

Bryce scrubbed a hand down his face. “Why attack people then? If he’s kidnapping people and knocking them out, why not give them a blood transfusion and avoid the hassle?”

“He probably doesn’t realize it’s blood his victims need.” Thor, Macey’s brown tabby cat, jumped into Luke’s lap, and he stroked its back. “Werewolves are taught two basic laws from the time we’re old enough to understand them. One: never attack a human while in wolf form, unless it’s a fight to the death. Two: our blood is sacred and can never be shared.” He passed the cat to Macey. “Breaking those laws is punishable by death.”

Macey set the cat on the floor. “He probably thinks the first law exists because people will turn into werewolves if they’re attacked. Most people think that.”

“The chance of survival after losing the amount of blood required for the change is slim,” Luke said. “I know of four cases in our history of it actually happening, and they were hundreds of years ago, before the laws were in place.”

Bryce’s mind spun. It was all too much to process. More than his brain was ready or willing to comprehend. He focused on the one thing he did understand…his own heart. “I have to get Alexis out of there.”

Macey swallowed. “Yes, you do.”

“That guy is inhumanly strong. Tell me he’s not bulletproof.”

“You have to hit him in the head or the heart,” Luke said. “Anywhere else, and he’ll heal easily.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. Murder wasn’t on his radar, but it sounded like having a civilized conversation with this guy was off the table. He might have to shoot him in self-defense, but the ramifications of what he was about to do could end his career and land his ass in jail.

“Don’t worry about the police.” Macey seemed to have read his mind. “Werewolves have been covering up our less-than-humanly-legal activity for hundreds of years. Get Alexis out. We’ll take care of you.”

He looked from Macey to Luke, and they both met his gaze with sincerity in their eyes. Bryce trusted them to his core, and it didn’t matter what happened to him. Eric was a murderer who needed to be stopped, and Alexis needed saving.

“Got it.” Bryce shot to his feet. “We’ll stop by my place first to get my personal firearm. You’ve got your own, right, Mace?”

Macey glanced at Luke. “We…can’t help you.”

He cocked his head. “Why not? She’s your sister.”

“I know, but…” She sighed. “Eric belongs to the Biloxi pack. If New Orleans werewolves attack, it will start a war between the packs. He’s not on our territory.”

“War? We’re talking about stopping a murderer, not assassinating a political figure.”

“It is political. His father is second in command of Biloxi.” Luke rose to his feet and paced in front of the couch. “We’ve contacted the Biloxi alpha and put a call in to the national congress. Our hands are tied until one of them acts.”

“But he’s killing people.”

Macey stood next to Luke. “We don’t have any proof.”

“We have bodies.”

Luke ran a hand through his hair. “And the connection to Eric is based on the word of a human who shouldn’t know we exist.”

“What about Alexis? She knows what’s happening.”

“She’s…a rogue.” Macey lowered her gaze to the floor.

Luke put his arm around her. “The word of a rogue is as useful as wet toilet paper, no matter who she’s related to.”

“I don’t believe this.” Because Alexis wasn’t a card-carrying member of their group, they refused to help her? Were they insane? Didn’t they even care? He crossed his arms. “You called the Biloxi alpha. I want to talk to the man in charge of New Orleans.”

“You are talking to him,” Macey said. “Luke is the alpha.”

“Damn it, Mace. Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

“You were on a need-to-know basis.”

“And I didn’t need to know until now. I get it.” It sucked that she’d kept so many secrets from him…but he got it. He reached for the doorknob. “James gave me his number.”

Macey drew in a breath. “That’s great. You should call him and go have a beer sometime.”

“He said—”

She opened the door and pushed him through it. “I’m sure whatever reason he had for giving it to you is between you and him.” Widening her eyes, she gave Bryce a pointed look before glancing at Luke and closing the door.

“Right.” Luke couldn’t know because he was the alpha and sending in pack members would start a war. James was offering his help outside the pack.

“I know it seems like I don’t care about her, but this is a complicated situation. When a werewolf decides to go rogue, they understand that they’re giving up all support from the pack. Alexis has had an open invitation to join us since the moment she came back into my life, but she’s chosen to remain rogue.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. She’s your blood.”

“I know. That’s why you have to help her. For seven years, I’ve trusted you with my own life. Now, I’m trusting you with my sister’s.”

“I’ll get her out of there.” Or he’d die trying.

Macey pulled him into a tight hug. “Be careful. You’re living outside the law now.”

“She’s worth it.” He patted her shoulder and stepped away. “I won’t let her down.”