Bryce climbed into the passenger seat of James’s truck and slammed the door. He’d torn his bedroom apart looking for his Smith and Wesson when it wasn’t in its drawer. His personal firearm was gone, and he hadn’t misplaced it. He chewed the inside of his cheek. “If Alexis can turn into a wolf, why would she need a gun?”

James arched an eyebrow. “Good question. A werewolf using a gun is like cheating. Our teeth and claws are our weapons. My guess is that she knows she can’t beat him in a fair fight.”

His mind flashed back to the scuffle in the parking lot, and he cringed. One punch had landed Bryce on his ass. “How does werewolf justice work? Since this guy’s part of another pack, if they don’t want to stop him, he can keep on killing people?”

James started the engine and backed out of the driveway. “Unless another pack can prove he’s breaking our laws, attacking him would be equivalent to attacking his pack. That’s why I’m going rogue tonight.” He shifted into drive and headed for Pearl River.

“What will happen to you if Luke finds out you’re helping me?”

Resting his left elbow on the window frame, James rubbed at the scruff on his face. “Depending on how far south this all goes, I could serve time in the pit.”

“The pit?”

“Werewolf prison. A human cell won’t hold a supernatural being.” He cast a sideways glance toward him before focusing on the road.

Bryce stared out the window as they exited the residential area of the city and entered the highway. “You’re risking jail time to help me. Why?”

His brow furrowed as if the question confused him. “It’s what friends do.”

Friends. “Thanks, man.” He’d have to buy him a beer when this was through.

The corner of James’s mouth twitched. “Jail time is better than execution. That’s a possibility too.”

He balked. Firm laws and harsh punishments served their purpose, but execution for trying to save someone from a murderer? What kind of man was Macey married to? “Luke would kill you for this?”

“Our laws are strict to keep our existence a secret. They’ve worked for hundreds of years.” He chuckled. “Our alpha is bound by the national congress to enforce them, but he knows when to look the other way. Sometimes laws have to be broken.”

“Yeah, I guess they do.” He’d spent his entire life playing by the rules, doing what everyone expected of him. Human laws had served him well, but the world as he knew it ceased to exist a few hours ago. Where did he fit in now?

He was in love with a werewolf. How could he compete with a supernatural being? What could he offer a woman who came from a magical world he’d had no idea existed? A sinking sensation formed in the pit of his stomach. “What if she doesn’t want to be saved?” He looked at James. “What if she went back to Eric because she really does want to be with him?”

“She doesn’t want to be with that asshole. Believe me.”

He wanted to believe him. To believe he hadn’t imagined the connection he’d felt with Alexis. But the rug of life had been yanked out from under him, and he didn’t have a clue what was real and what wasn’t anymore. “How do you know?”

“I know Alexis. She’s got a good thing with you.”

He rested his arm on the edge of the window and watched the trees zooming by in a blur. “Is it even allowed? If she were in a pack and followed the rules, would she be allowed to date me?”

“We can date anyone we want. We can’t reveal our true selves unless we plan to take the person as a mate, but since you’re already in on the secret, you’re good to go.”

A weight lifted from his shoulders, but his stomach tensed as they exited the highway and turned onto Eric’s street. James tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and Bryce glanced at his four-fingered hand. “Mind if I ask what happened to you?”

James loosened his grip and flexed his fingers. “Construction accident.”

“I thought werewolves were fast healers.”

“We are, but we can’t regrow limbs.” He cut the wheel to the right and stopped in a grocery store parking lot. “We’ll walk from here.”

Bryce tucked his service weapon into the waistband of his jeans, and they trekked into the field behind the store. He’d left his badge and holster at home. His cuffs too. He’d lose his job if he got caught in an act of vigilante justice. Hell, he might even lose his life.

The nearly-full moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silver glow on the damp grass. Shadows danced around his peripheral vision, and his pulse thrummed in his ears. If werewolves existed, what other kinds of monsters lurked in the darkness? A shudder ran down his spine. He didn’t want to know.

A rustle sounded in the grass, and he jerked his head toward the noise, his hand instinctively reaching for his firearm. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, setting him on edge.

“It’s a fox.” James stopped walking and pointed. “Look closely and you’ll see the light reflect in its eyes.”

Bryce repositioned his gun in his pants and squinted into the darkness. A little flash of something glinted in the moonlight, and a shadow darted through the grass. “I suppose you have some kind of enhanced werewolf vision?”

“It’s better in wolf form, but yeah. You’ll never see a shifter needing glasses.”

He huffed and continued his trek toward the house. The eye surgery he’d had a few years back had turned his own night vision to shit. Add that to the list of reasons he couldn’t compete with a werewolf, and he began to wonder exactly what Alexis saw in him.

As the house came into view, James let out a whistle. “Looks like our friend has company.”

Alexis’s car sat behind the Mustang, and an F-150 had parked in the grass by the road. They crept into the yard and scanned the outside of the house. The massive pine trees appeared black against the moonlit sky, and light burned in the living room window. No security cameras hung from the eaves, and no motion-sensor lights turned on as they approached.

“Do you know if he has a security system?” James asked.

“He’s got a video doorbell, the kind you can easily install yourself, but I haven’t noticed anything else.”

James nodded. “Can you pick a lock?”

“If I had the tools.”

He pulled a black bag from his pocket and handed it to Bryce. “I’ll knock on the door and keep them occupied. You go in through the back and get Alexis out. Got your phone on you?”

Bryce patted his pocket.

“Get pictures. Any kind of evidence you can find. Paperwork, blood, bodies, whatever. If we can prove what he’s doing, the pack can move in and end it.”

Bryce took a deep breath, centering himself, and the nervous jitters he’d experienced on the way over dissolved, leaving behind nothing but the calm before the storm. “And if there’s a confrontation…”

“We end him.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

James darted around to the front door, and Bryce slipped into the backyard. He pulled the tools out of the bag and jimmied them into the lock. The faint sound of voices emanated from the front, and the tool slipped from his sweaty fingers. He cursed under his breath and wiped his palms on his jeans before retrieving the instrument and shoving it back into the lock.

After a few minutes of fumbling, the bolt disengaged and he pushed the door open. An alert chimed in the darkened hallway, and he held his breath as the voices stopped.

“What the hell’s going on?” Eric’s voice boomed.

“Stop!” Alexis screamed, and the sound of scuffling ensued. Then a growl. Then a snarl, and the scuffle turned into a full-blown brawl.

Holy shit, he was about to witness a werewolf fight.

Instinct to break it up drew him toward the fray, but he stopped as the sound of footsteps thudded toward him. They needed evidence. He leaned into a door on the left and twisted the knob. Locked.

“Bryce!” Alexis whispered as she ran toward him. “What are you doing here? You have to leave. It’s not safe.” She tried to push him down the hall, but he caught her in his arms and held her to his chest.

Relief unfurled in his gut, and he pressed his lips against her hair. “I’m here to bring you home.” The sounds of snarling and jaws snapping echoed from the living room, and he tightened his arms around her.

“I can’t go home. Not until I stop Eric.” She pushed him toward the back door. “Please go.”

He gripped her shoulders. “I know what you are. I know you’re a werewolf.”

She glanced behind her toward the living room. Someone yelped as glass crashed on the floor. “Then you should know how dangerous it is for you to be here. I promise I’ll come home, okay? Let me finish this.”

“What do you need to finish, babe?” Eric stood at the end of the hall and crossed his arms over his barrel of a chest.

Bryce shoved her behind his back and leveled his gun at the bastard’s heart.

Eric smirked and raised his hands. “Aren’t you going to read me my rights first, officer? Your case will never stand in a court of law if you don’t.”

His finger hovered over the trigger. “What you’re doing is so far beyond the law that I’ve appointed myself judge and jury.”

He laughed. “If that’s how you want to play…” Eric’s body shimmered, and in an instant, he transformed into a wolf. Dark-gray fur rolled over his massive body, standing in a ridge along his back. Baring his razor-sharp fangs, he prowled toward them.

Bryce’s heart slammed into his throat, and he squeezed the trigger, firing a shot into the wolf’s shoulder.

Eric paused and shook his coat as if the bullet had merely stung his skin. Then he rocked back on his haunches and sprang.

“No!” Alexis screamed as she shoved Bryce against the wall and turned into a wolf in mid-air. She lunged at Eric, and Bryce stood motionless as they tumbled over each other snapping and biting at their necks. Alexis yelped, and blood matted in her sandy-colored fur above her shoulder.

Gripping his gun in both hands, Bryce pointed it at the bigger wolf, but he couldn’t get a clear shot. A gray wolf appeared behind them, but a black one latched onto its neck and dragged it into the living room. Bryce couldn’t tell which one was James, so he’d have to let them fight it out. But Alexis, he would save…if she’d get out of his way.

“Alexis, move,” he shouted.

She faltered, whipping her head around to look at him, and Eric latched on to her neck. Lifting her from the ground, he hurled her massive body toward Bryce, and she slammed into him, the momentum busting open the door.

He landed on his back, with Alexis the wolf on top of him, and the air left his lungs in a gush as the gun skidded across the floor. Alexis scrambled to her feet, and Bryce blinked until his vision focused on his surroundings. Musical instruments hung from the padded walls, and the sounds of the other werewolf fight ceased. This must have been the sound-proof room she’d told him about.

Eric’s massive body filled the doorway, blood matting his dark fur on his neck and shoulder. Alexis barreled toward him, but he tossed her aside as if she weighed nothing, slamming her into the wall.

“Alexis!” That’s it. This guy is dead. He scrambled for his gun, but Eric leapt at him, clamping his jaws onto his shoulder. Bryce let out a garbled yelp as dagger-like teeth sliced through skin and muscle, shooting searing pain through his core. With a jerk of his head, Eric dragged him away from the gun and swiped his claws across his stomach.

The flesh on Bryce’s abdomen ripped open, the wolf’s claws penetrating to the organs beneath. Pain exploded through his gut, first as the pressure of a Mack truck rolling over him, and then the burning, stinging sensation and fear that his guts would spill onto the floor. He groaned as the massive wolf loomed over him, his body growing cold beneath the animal’s heated breath. Paralyzed in agony, Bryce gasped for air and turned his head toward where Alexis had lain, his only thought that she should be the last thing he saw before he left the world.

She was gone.

His vision tunneled, and he straightened his head to look into his killer’s eyes. Eric reared back, opening his maw for another strike, and time slowed to a crawl. Numbness spread through Bryce’s body as he stared into the werewolf’s open mouth. Hot saliva dripped from Eric’s canines and splashed onto Bryce’s cheek. His heart should have been pounding as the teeth neared his throat, but the sluggish muscle barely beat in his chest. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t fight back, so he prayed for a quick ending.

The explosion of a gunshot pierced the room, and the wolf’s head jerked to the side. Another shot, and it went limp, collapsing on top of him, the pressure shooting another burst of agonizing pain through Bryce’s body. Stars danced in his wavering vision as the weight of the wolf was lifted, and Alexis’s emerald eyes came into view.

Worry knit her brow as she knelt beside him, and he tried to focus on the beauty of her human face. Her flawless skin. Her cropped, blonde hair sticking out in every direction. Darkness closed in around him as he opened his mouth, and no words would pass from his lips. Alexis was alive—uninjured—and he’d go to his grave with the satisfaction of knowing that she’d survived.

She rested her hands on his stomach. “He got you pretty good.” Her lip trembled, and a tear slid down her cheek. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, but I’m going to fix you, and then we’ll get you to the hospital. Hold on for me, okay, Bryce?”

He wanted to nod. To tell her yes, he would hold on. That he’d never leave her. But his head spun and his lids fluttered shut, betraying his intentions. His abdomen tingled where she touched him. He forced his eyes open to meet her gaze, and streams of tears ran in rivulets down her face.

“James!” she screamed, her voice hoarse and trembling. “If you’re done with Trevor, I could use some help.” Her skin paled, and she swayed as she moved toward his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tipped to the side, catching herself with her hand before her head smacked the tile floor.

“Alexis.” Bryce’s voice came out as a croak.

“I’m here.” She sat up and clutched her head. “I healed your stomach. Your shoulder’s in pretty bad shape too.”

“Stop.” He forced the words through his thickening throat. “You’re draining yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” Though her voice sounded calm, it didn’t mask the anguish in her eyes. “Let me heal you so we can go home.”

He touched his stomach. Cooling blood congealed on his torn shirt, but he couldn’t find a trace of injury. Lifting a hand to her face, he brushed the hair from her forehead, leaving a swipe of red across her skin, and she closed her eyes, nuzzling her cheek into his palm. “Where is home?” he asked.

She smiled weakly. “It’s anywhere you are, dummy.”

A werewolf snarled behind her, and as she turned toward it, the wolf lunged, clamping onto her throat. It shook her violently, dropping her on top of Bryce, and her body fell limp. Lifeless.

The growl of a second wolf and sounds of another fight retreating through the open door barely registered in his mind, and the pain shooting through his shoulder paled in comparison to the agony of his heart wrenching in his chest.

“Alexis?” His throat thickened, and tears stung his eyes as he tried to move her with his good arm. Her head lolled like her neck had been snapped, and his breath hitched. No.

She couldn’t be dead. She was his soul mate. The woman he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. “Darlin’, you have to heal yourself.” He stroked her matted hair and then rested his hand on her back, searching for the gentle rise and fall to prove she was breathing. That she was healing.

She lay utterly still.

This couldn’t be happening. She had to live. This amazing woman who could heal with a touch had accepted him for who he was, and she’d taught him to accept himself. She meant the world to him; she couldn’t be gone. “Come on, sweetheart. Don’t leave me now.” Damn it, he needed her. Tears rolled down his cheeks, choking his words. “I love you.”

When she didn’t respond, a sob bubbled up from somewhere deep in his soul—the sound of his heart breaking beyond repair.

He nudged her, and blood gushed from her wound, flowing into the gash on his shoulder.

It seared the exposed muscle, and the fiery sensation shot down his arm and into his chest, spreading through his body as if he were being burned from the inside out. He tried to scream, but he couldn’t get any air into his scorched lungs. An inferno raged inside his body, and agony consumed him as a burst of blinding white light flashed in his vision.

Then the world went dark.