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“DAVID!” ADAM YELLED waking from sleep. Thoughts scrambled, he tried to see into the darkness covering his brother, invading his mind. “Renee, Jackie, where’s David?”

Bella reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong? Your heart’s about to come out your chest.”

“David’s in trouble.”

“I can’t reach him,” Jackie said.

“Me neither,” said Renee.

“We’ve got to find him,” Adam said, dread churning his gut. “Jackie talk to Sarita, see if she can locate him.”

“Okay.”

“Have you contacted Daddy?” Renee asked sounding near tears.

“He knows, he has to know,” Adam said, fighting down the fear choking him. Please Goddess, not my brother, Adam prayed. “Is he still in Canada with Cain?”

“Yes, northern Canada with the Knights,” Renee said. “Adam, what happened? Why can’t I sense him? This isn’t right, David’s always ... he’s always here.”

“Sarita can’t reach him,” Jackie said in a low, somber voice.

“That’s not good,” Renee said.

“Not at all,” Adam agreed.

“She’s worried,” Jackie said. “She hasn’t been able to reach him for the past three days.”

“What?” Renee yelled. “Why didn’t she tell somebody? Why didn’t she tell Asia or Hawke, so they could tell Daddy? This could've been avoided if —”

“She did. Asia knows. Cain’s been in contact with Daddy every day, last night in fact,” Jackie said.

“Oh,” Renee said. “Did they break up or something?”

“Something,” Jackie said. “Sarita didn’t say that, but I got the sense things aren’t that good between them.”

“She’s been gone a long time, I never understood why she couldn’t come home for a break,” Renee said.

“The same reason Tomas isn’t coming home,” Adam said reminding Renee of his close friend and her longtime boyfriend.

“Not the same. Storm’s my mate, that’s a supernatural connection. Sarita doesn’t know if she and David are mates. She could’ve come to see him, eased his mind,” Renee said stubbornly.

“How’s any of this back and forth helping us find David?” Jackie said. “We should be able to lock on him. When I almost died you guys locked on me.”

“That’s true,” Adam said. “Let’s meet and link up.” The next moment they were in their old playroom on an astral plane. “Weird how this room never changes.” They touched hands and sought David.

Renee gasped when she saw him lying on the ground looking like a broken doll with his eyes closed. Immediately, they sent healing energy to his body. They heard the muffled sounds of bones popping and realigning. Sweat poured from their collective brows as they tried to coax David’s wolf to shift and finish healing.

“No,” David whispered.

“Thank God,” Jackie said as she wiped her eyes.

“David? What happened?” Renee asked sniffing back tears. Her brother had been near death, she couldn’t take this continually happening to her family and broke down in loud sobs.

“Fell,” David whispered. “Don’t cry, Nee.”

She cried harder.

“Why don’t you want to shift?” Adam asked after taking several deep breaths.

“Watching. Someone’s watching, waiting. I need to know who, what they are,” David said.

“How can we help?” Adam said reaching over and hugging Renee.

“Wait with me.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Jackie said. “If we have to pull energy from everyone we know, whoever’s watching had better not start a war up there.”

“Old. Really old energy. Hidden for a long time.” He sounded stronger, even though his body hadn’t moved from the ground.

“Can you come to us?” Renee asked.

The next moment David sat in the room with them while his body remained inert below. Renee hugged him. He patted her on the back while watching Adam wipe his face.

Jackie didn’t bother hiding the tears in her eyes and allowed them to fall. “What happened?”

He told them of the past three days, the energy and the mountain trek this morning.

“Sarita said she hasn’t been able to reach you in the past three days,” Jackie said frowning. “That’s too much of a coincidence.”

David hadn’t realized he hadn’t spoken to Sarita which was strange. Surely, they talked last night or the day before. The more he thought about it, he couldn’t recall their last conversation. Worse, he hadn’t given her any thought. He’d been consumed with finding whatever hid in the mountains.

“Tell her I’m alright,” David said. 

The three of them stared wide-eyed at him.

“What?” David asked unsure what was the problem.

“You’ve never done that,” Adam said, looking at David carefully. “Did you hit your head?”

“You want us to talk to Sarita for you?” Jackie stressed the last word.

“Why don’t you tell her?” Renee asked watching him closely.

David opened his mouth and then snapped it closed. “I don’t know why I said that. You’re right, I’ll tell her. I’m supposed to do that, not you.” He shook his head. “Must’ve lost it for a second.” He met their gazes, read their concern and exhaled. “I’m alright, I promise. Why hasn’t Daddy reached out? Did you tell him I fell?” David needed to change the conversation. Something was off, but he didn’t know what.

Raw, sensual energy flowed over his inert body. If he wasn’t here with his den-mates, he would be thrashing in pain on the ground as Cain was. He sensed the presence of someone and wanted his dad’s eyes on whoever came close.

“No,” Renee said. “Didn’t you call him?”

David hadn’t and tried to reach him but couldn’t. Fear coated his throat. “I can’t get through to him.”

Jackie’s eyes widened. “Hold on.” The next second David saw his father in his sister’s gaze. “What happened, David?”

David explained their morning and the fall. “Didn’t the Knights contact you?”

“No. I haven’t been able to reach anyone this morning. I didn’t know you’d fallen until just now. Let me see where you are.”

David returned to his body. He heard Jackie yell before his father short-circuited the whip of energy that hit him and Cain.

“What is that?” David asked his dad.

“Female energy. Old, sensual. I’ve never sensed anything like it before,” his father said.

“Is it wolf or something else?” David asked trying to mask his fear.

“Wolf and something. But definitely a wolf. My guess is it’s someone who’s lived in the mountain a long time. I hear water, which is necessary to live. Looks like a cavern or something. I’m going to try and help Cain,” his father said.

David inhaled. The scent he’d tasted before, wrapped around him, filled him and teased his mind with sensual promises.

“David,” his dad called, mentally shaking him. The next second his system was flooded with chilled energy that had the effect of a cold shower.

“What is that?” David said in a ragged voice. “It smells incredible. I...I want to smell more of it.”

“No, Son. It’s a drug that incapacitates men. Powerful and deadly. I’ve linked Abel to Cain to help him combat it. What he needs is female energy. Jackie’s not impacted at all. One second.”

David tried to find the scent again but was blocked.

“Okay, I’ve linked Cain to a female source to help dissipate the scent. I want the two of you out of there. Can you see the place you entered?” his father asked.

“No. All I see is rock.  I must’ve fallen through a veil or warded gate. Cain was holding on to me. The Knights were sitting a few feet away and haven’t followed us inside, which means they can’t,” David said. He explained no one else but him had sensed the energy.

“You’re right, that’s strange. I doubt it has anything to do with me, but you never know. First, let’s find a way to get you and Cain out of there. Can you move?”

“Yes.” David sat up, stretched and looked around. “Why couldn’t I reach you before?”

“I don’t know. One thing at a time. Abel should have Cain almost done. I want both of you to shift, you’ll need your senses on high alert. Plus, I don’t think that scent will affect your beast.”

“You’re sure?” David asked as he flowed into his beast.

“Not 100%,” his dad said as Cain moved to stand next to David.

“Let’s look around and see if there’s a way out of this place,” Cain said.