Payne’s mental wall against me seemed to take physical shape in my mind. It was black and hard. I tested the edges of it. I knew in my heart if I’d let him mark me all along, he never would have been able to shut me out. I don’t know if he knew I was coming, but Pat drove like a woman possessed. She took back country roads and highways that I knew I’d never find on a map. When she veered off and headed east, I slammed a hand on the dashboard.

“You’re going the wrong way!” I said. Unease snaked through me. Had she been lying to me all along?

“Trust me,” she said, taking a hairpin turn that threw me against the passenger door. She went down a long dirt road and my mouth dropped at what I saw.

We’d come to a small airstrip with one hangar. A small, twin-engine plane with red and white stripes sat idling. Its pilot waved through the window.

“Are you kidding?” I said.

“We’ll never beat them to the border on four wheels,” she said. “They had too much of a head start. If you really want to catch your boy before he crosses, this is the only way. You’re not afraid to fly, are you?”

“You know, I never actually have.”

“Good,” Pat said. “So don’t think about it. Let’s just get in there and go. Benny will take care of us. You hear that, Benny? Take care of us or you’ll have one pissed off former Kentucky Pack hitman on your ass. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Benny gave Pat a salute from the window of the cockpit. Even from here, I could see he wasn’t a shifter. He was a little overweight with a round face and ready smile. His eyes stayed clear and bright.

We headed toward the plane. “Pat,” I said. “You don’t need to do this. I can make my way to the border. You don’t have to put yourself at risk.” Even as I said it, I realized how much I wanted her with me. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Pat rushed toward the plane. She had a bit of trouble getting up the steep step. I put a gentle hand on her elbow and gave her a push. It was a tight fit with just two seats behind the cockpit. Pat squeezed Benny’s shoulder. The noise from the engines grew deafening as I reached over and shut the door. But, we were moving fast with a clear runway ahead of us. Within a minute, he had us airborne.

As Wild Lake grew smaller out the window, my heart hurt. Sanctuary. The easy thing would have been to stay behind like Payne wanted. Pat seemed to know what I was thinking. She put a hand on my knee and smiled. She said something, but the whirring propeller and engines drowned her out. With each passing minute, a new hope lit my heart. Though he’d shut me out, I knew I was getting closer to Payne.

Ground that would have taken seven or eight hours to drive, we covered in less than two hours. Pat was right. I never would have caught up with Payne had I done this my way. Benny made a turn and started to descend. I gripped a leather loop above the window and hung on.

Benny landed in an abandoned field in the middle of nowhere. This might have alarmed me, but Pat never flinched. Wherever we were, it was familiar to her. I wondered how many times she’d made this trip. My teeth rattled as we landed hard and bounced on the ground. Benny kept the engine running as he lurched to a stop. Then, he turned to Pat.

“She goes alone or Luke’s going to have my head.”

Pat leaned forward and glared at him. “You more afraid of me or my son?”

Benny blanched and gave her a sly smile. “Fair point. But, if you’re not back here in twenty minutes, I’ll drag you both back. You stay on this side of the border, Pat.”

“Gotcha,” I said. “And Pat, you can go. I don’t want to put you in harm’s way. You’ve seen a lot, I know that. But, I know Kentucky better than you do.”

“Come on,” she said, climbing down from the back of the plane before I could stop her. She stumbled a bit and weaved sideways, but got her footing quickly. Benny shrugged when I caught his eye. Pat Bonner would do whatever the hell Pat Bonner wanted to do. There was no point trying to get in her way. I climbed down after her.

She pointed toward a string of lights in the distance. “That’s Crane’s Hollow,” she said. “The fifty-two marks the border. If I know anything about the boys, they’ll try to cross here.”

My pulse quickened. I could see Jett’s tunnel map in my mind’s eye. There was an access point about two miles southeast of Crane’s Hollow. Instinct told me that’s exactly where Payne would go first. The Pack had to know we’d crossed the border by now. Surely, they’d never suspect we’d try to go back. Still, something felt off to me. The hair rose on the back of my neck as Pat kept moving.

“Pat,” I called after her. “Slow down.” It wasn’t that I couldn’t easily keep up with her. But, the closer she got to the border, the more danger she was in. I could face it myself. If anything happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.

We got closer to the highway. I wouldn’t cross until I knew where Payne was. I could have killed him right then for cutting me off. When I closed my eyes and tried to hear his pulse, I heard only silence. Still, something pricked my senses like a weight between my shoulder blades. He was out there. Somewhere.

When we got about a hundred yards from the highway, I reached out and grabbed Pat’s hand, stopping her.

“We should wait here,” I said. At the edge of the field, the brush grew thick. A deep ditch cut through the ground with a small creek running through it. “Can you make it down there?” I asked. The ditch would give us at least some cover. I didn’t like standing out in the open like this.

“Down’s not the problem,” she said. “Crawling back up will be a bear.”

“Pat,” I said, squaring off with her. “You should go back. There’s nothing you can do for me here. Payne will come. He’s shut me out for now, but I know where he’s going. I’ll find him.”

“Honey, are you sure you’re sure about this?” she asked, her eyes searching my face.

“Yes,” I said, startled at how quickly the answer came. But, I was. As much lure as Wild Lake held for me, I couldn’t leave Payne and my brother behind.

“Well, then I’m sure too. You’re right. Payne’s on his way. But, my son is with him. Payne might have cut you off, but Luke can’t do the same to me.”

“Great,” I said, smiling. “Just one more reason for the Wild Lake wolves not to trust us. You don’t think Luke’ll freak when he figures out you’ve come this far?”

“That’s what I’m counting on. They’ll head straight for us. No way Payne’s going to be able to avoid either of us if they’ve still got him in chains. And honey, you understand why they have to do it, right? It’s not about not trusting Payne. It’s about not trusting…”

Pat kept talking, but I couldn’t hear her words. It was as if I’d been plunged underwater. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Instead, I heard nothing but the rush of water. The weight between my shoulder blades blossomed. It ran all the way up to my neck as my mark flared hot.

“No,” I said, stepping backward. Pat cocked her head to the side, sensing something wrong with me. “No,” I whispered. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. We were still at least a half a mile over the Ohio border. This was No Man’s Land. We were safe.

Except, we weren’t. As I turned, I saw two golden eyes glinting through the tall grass.

“Lena,” Pat said. “Get behind me, honey. Don’t panic.”

The wolf came quickly, keeping his belly low to the ground. He was Pack. There was no denying it. The vibration rose through me, making my legs weak first. Then, my hands began to tremble. I took a step forward, away from Pat. No. God. No.

Behind the approaching wolf, standing on the other side of the highway was Able Valent. He loomed large, even from this distance. His golden eyes pierced through the darkness, drawing me like twin beacons. His white hair lifted in the breeze. He stood tall and straight, his shoulders back. He was in control.

My mark went white-hot. I tried to claw at it. He was calling me to him, pulling me away from Pat. I couldn’t even shout a warning. I couldn’t even turn my head toward her.

“You just stay right where you are,” she said, her voice cool and low. From the corner of my eye I could see her. Her arms were straight out, aiming a nine millimeter two-handed. She shot me a wink. I would have given anything for a telepathic link to her. She could do it. She could kill the Pack wolf if she knew when to shoot. His eyes would dim before they turned red as he waited for his Alpha’s command. It would paralyze him for an instant, and that was all Pat needed.

Even as I thought it, it felt like a betrayal. Able might hear. Then he might know the weakness we’d learned about his betas.

“No!” I found the strength to shout. With every cell in my body, I fought against Able’s pull. Not now. Not when we were this close. I would not let him hurt Pat.

“Patricia,” he said, his voice easily cutting through the distance. He held me frozen in place. Able got bold, signaling to his wolf to edge closer to the ditch. He raised two fingers and pointed to where we were standing. The wolf snarled, baring his lethal fangs. His silver fur glistened as Able held back his urge to pounce.

Pat’s aim wavered a fraction of an inch. But, she held her ground. “It’s been a long time, Able,” she said, steadying her arms. She was no shifter, but her eyes held the same glinting fury. “You look it.”

“So do you, I’m afraid,” Able laughed.

“And yet,” she said. “I’m still standing. And I have everything you want, don’t I? We drove you out once, so what makes you think we can’t do it again? The Wild Lake Alphas are stronger than you are.”

Able’s wicked laugh sent shivers of ice shooting up my spine. “People keep saying that. But, they keep dying, don’t they? Where’s your Alpha now, Patricia? It seems I’m still standing and he’s long gone.”

Pain crossed Pat’s face, but she kept the barrel of her gun leveled straight at the approaching wolf.

“You’re a coward,” she said. “Easy for you to stand on the other side of the border where you think you’re safe. You know damn well you wouldn’t last five minutes over here.”

Able didn’t move. I prayed hard that he wouldn’t take Pat’s bait. Because, he would last. Or worse still, the closer he got, the harder it would be for me to push away. I reached for Payne in my mind. I found a blank void. Able’s presence drowned everything else out. But, something was coming. I saw it in the flicker of Pat’s eyes.

“Enough!” Able shouted, sensing it too.

I felt encased in steel. I tried to make my legs move but couldn’t. He held me in place. Then, as if he’d grown wings, Able took flight. I’d never seen a shift like his. He stayed half human though his gold wolf eyes glinted and his feet became paws. He covered the distance between us in four powerful strides. Impossible. Horrifying. He landed on the other side of the ditch just a few yards away.

I shoved against him. The effort of his near-shift gave me a tiny window of freedom and I used it. I went to Pat’s side and faced him.

“They’re coming,” she whispered. I felt it too. Eyes glinted everywhere. Able’s minion growled and snapped the air.

Pat didn’t hesitate. Just as the wolf’s eyes faded to red, she took a shot. It cracked through the air, breaking Able’s hold on me for another second. The gray wolf hit the ground as Pat’s bullet entered his neck just below the jugular. Blood spurted in a high arc. I knew he would never get up. Tinker Lyle’s neurotoxin held him just as frozen as Able had held me. Forged in dragonsteel, the bullet itself tore straight through muscle, bone, and vital organs.

Able’s eyes widened in shock as he realized what had just happened. He lunged at her. I got in the way.

Able and I stood nose to nose. He was so much smaller than the other Alphas, I thought. It was almost as if I existed outside myself. In my mind, he had seemed gigantic, grotesque. But, he was only an inch taller than me, his skin withered with age.

“You’re nothing,” I whispered.

Able’s lips curled back in a smile. “I’m everything.”

“Lena!” Pat shouted, raising her gun again. But, she’d never be fast enough. Ancient though he was, Able Valent still had more power than she could understand.

As the Wild Lake wolves closed in, Able reached for me. It was such a subtle touch. To anyone watching, it wouldn’t have seemed like anything. To me, it ripped my world apart.

Able’s fingers grazed the back of my neck and pressed against the mark Shelby gave me. The one that bound me to Able when he killed him and threw his body at my feet. He drew blood as he scraped his claw in the path of the scar.

I went.

Able vanished into the ether as the wolves approached. I could hear them, but I couldn’t see them.

“You belong to me,” Able said. He was everywhere. He was right. He was everything. I floated above myself. My arms flailing, I tried to dig my fingers into the soft earth. It wasn’t there. There was no there there.

My world became Able’s eyes. His face. His being. If he wanted me to move, I would move. If he wanted me to run, I would run. If he wanted me to die, I would do that too.

“It’s so much easier here, isn’t it?” he said. He appeared in front of me, smiling. His yellowed teeth elongated. Then, he was gone again, existing inside my head. I stood in a yard, surrounded by a white picket fence. A yellow house stood high on a hill. The picket fence became barbed wire. The house became a prison. It was Birch Haven. Then it wasn’t. I was boneless. Weightless. And Able was right.

It was so much easier here. I could give up. Give in. Stop fighting. Die.

Able stood on a path right in front of me. The vision of him flickered like an optical illusion. If I turned my head to the right, he was old. If I turned to the left, I saw him as he once was. Young, virile, lethal.

A river raged behind him. The yellow house was there, nestled in the valley. Watchtowers and barbed wire surrounded it. Pack patrols prowled in the woods surrounding us.

“Come home, Lena,” Able said. He stood with his arms outstretched, beckoning me.

Wolves growled behind me. Finally, I fell straight down to earth, landing so hard I thought I broke my neck. Because, I couldn’t move. My legs were crooked and bent behind me. My mark flared hot. I did the only thing I could. I closed my eyes to Able Valent and hoped that I would die.