Three sets of glowing, yellow eyes came toward her, and she yelped, turning around to run back inside the house. She slammed the door and flipped the locks.

Gabe hadn’t been lying when he said the pack was watching her. She’d never imagined he meant they were literally camped outside the door!

A loud knock startled her, and she sat in silence debating what to do. Should she answer? If she didn’t, would they come in anyway?

Probably.

And, they’d be angrier.

She approached the door with caution and unlatched the lock, easing the panel open about six inches. The first thing that met her eyes was a man’s hairy, bare chest. She allowed her gaze to travel upward. The man grinned down at her, his hair and beard an onyx color, his eyes electric blue. He moved one bare foot forward so the ball of it wedged against the door, acting as a stopper. This shifter had the same woodsy scent as Gabe.

“You must be Avery,” he said, giving the door a gentle push with his toes. “Thought I’d drop by and introduce myself.”

He urged the door open farther, and it was then she realized he was completely naked. She tried to focus past the broad sprawl of his chest, but he took up the full door frame.

Closing her eyes for a second, she concentrated on keeping her gaze upward.

“H-hi,” she stuttered.

“Going somewhere?”

“N-no.”

Thinking about it, but not sure what to do.

He arched a brow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. “Just out for some fresh air at three in the morning?”

She tried to swallow past the constriction in her throat and nodded, knowing he wasn’t buying it.

“The forest can be dangerous at night,” he growled, “especially for a Fae in werewolf territory.”

“I’ve heard that,” she said. “Believe it or not, I was getting some fresh air.”

As she kept her eyes focused on his face, she marveled at the beauty of the were-shifter. She’d never seen an ugly one, and frankly, it didn’t seem fair. She felt so insignificant and boring standing next to this perfect specimen of a man.

“My name’s Devon,” he continued. “Gabe took a big chance to get you here, and we aren’t allowing you to leave until we have the relic, and the vampire who stole it. Do you understand?”

She nodded as anxiety gripped her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs.

“Good. I suggest you get some sleep. Gabe should be home in a few hours, and he’ll want to get started on your hunt.”

“Y-yes,” she whispered.

“Sweet dreams, Avery.”

The shifter turned and walked toward the tree line, the muscles in his back and legs tensing and flexing with every step. Avery noted two other men standing among the foliage staring at her. She waved, then shut the door.

What had she gotten herself into?

Returning to the couch, she sunk into the cushions and pulled the blanket up over her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to think of any other details she’d gathered during the search for her mother’s killer.

It wasn’t just Gabe relying on her to provide him with leads to get his religious relic back; it was the whole damn pack.

If she didn’t come up with something, she realized he’d have no problem feeding her to the wolves, literally or figuratively.

“That’s it?” Gabe asked as he paced the small space in front of the wood stove. “Seriously, Avery?”

He stopped and stared at her, placing his hands on his hips. He’d arrived home a couple of hours earlier, and had then taken a shower and a nap. She’d remained completely silent, hoping he’d sleep the day away and he’d get called back into work. Unfortunately, he’d only slept for an hour and immediately started grilling her for information.

Outlining every step she’d taken, she provided him with everything she knew in the hopes that something she deemed unimportant would strike a different cord within him.

Based on his reaction, she’d failed.

“Yes,” she replied with a sigh.

He shook his head and chuckled, the kind of laugh that made her think he was trying really hard not to strangle her.

“So, let me get this straight. The first address on McAllister’s list led you to a vampire who works in a senior citizen’s home. The second took you to a drug den.”

She nodded, pulling the pillow up to her chest. She’d thought long and hard about what else she could provide to him but came up with a blank.

Gabe paced for a few more moments as he ran his hands through his hair. His face reddened, and she realized the impending blowup was right around the corner.

“Dammit, Avery! I told my pack you could help us recover our relic! That’s the only reason you’re out of prison!”

“I know, Gabe,” she replied, trying to keep her voice calm and measured. “I’m doing everything I can to help you. Remember, my mother died, and you seem to think it was at the hands of the same vampire. I have a stake in this game, too. I want to find my mother’s killer.”

He stared at her, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

“Avery, here’s the thing. I agreed to get you out of prison for the information. I held up my end of the bargain, and you don’t have shit to give me.”

She shut her eyes to squeeze back the tears. “I know. I know you thought I had more, but I don’t. I can help you, though. Surely, they gave you some police training before giving you your job as a guard, so I’m assuming you’re far more knowledgeable than a Fae who frames houses for a living. I want to help, Gabe. Just tell me what to do.”

She stared up at him, surprised someone’s face could become such a shade of deep crimson without there being some breathing problem.

As he ground his teeth and started pacing again, hope swelled in her chest that this situation worked out for the best.

“What am I going to tell Devon?” he muttered.

She didn’t think he really wanted an answer, so she remained quiet, letting him think everything through.

A pounding on the door broke the silence, and her stomach clenched. She guessed it was Devon. Her assumption proved correct when Gabe opened the door.

At least this time, the shifter wore jeans, boots, and a flannel shirt. He looked amazing with or without clothing.

Devon entered, his massive build taking up most of the space in the small cabin. Between him and Gabe, it was as if their presence sucked out all the air from the room, and her body heated from her head to her toes.

“How’s it going, Gabe?” Devon asked, shaking his hand.

“Good. I’m tired, but ready to roll.”

“Excellent.”

Devon turned his attention toward her. “We found the faerie outside last night at about three,” Devon said. “She said she was just catching some fresh air.”

Gabe turned to her and narrowed his stare. “Really? Interesting.”

Avery struggled to keep her features passive and not show any panic. She’d only been considering leaving.

“Yes,” she said. “It’s amazing how good fresh air smells and feels after being in prison. I can’t seem to get enough of it.”

A small smile turned Devon’s lips, but he remained silent. Gabe, however, stared daggers at her.

Devon faced Gabe again. “Did she give you the information you need?”

She picked unseen fuzz off the pillow with shaky hands. If Gabe were going to let on that she had nothing to share, now would be the time he’d do it.

He stared at her for a few long moments. A lone bead of sweat trickled down from her forehead. She’d do anything to help Gabe, but she couldn’t go back to prison, nor could she be handed over to an angry pack of wolves. She hoped he found some pity for her.

“Yeah, we’re just figuring it all out now,” Gabe finally answered.

“Do you need any help from the pack?” Devon asked.

Gabe shook his head, his stare still on her as his jaw worked. “No. I think I have all the help I need.”

“Keep me posted,” Devon said. “Nice to see you again, Avery.”

Her own words caught in her throat, so she simply nodded.

When the door shut, Gabe flipped the locks before confronting her. “I just saved your ass once again.”

“I know,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

He sighed and sat down on the edge of the couch, his head in his hands.

“So, you think going to those addresses is a waste of time?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “You’re bigger and more intimidating than me. Maybe you can get answers I couldn’t, or you might even notice something at those places that didn’t register with me.”

“Okay,” he said, getting to his feet. “From the beginning, I want to hear everything you did to find your mother’s killer.”

She sighed and began her tale from the start. When she’d finished, she lowered her head in shame.

He grinned.

“You got that file from McAllister’s place?” he asked.

“Yes. But you already knew that.”

“Yeah, but sometimes it helps to hear things a couple of times. We’re going back there. That’s where we’re going to find the information we need to—”

She shook her head before he could even finish the sentence. “Not me. He already threw me in prison once.”

“Fine. I’ll go on my own.”

“Don’t you have access to his files via the computer or something?” she asked.

“He’s in the human police department, and I work at Spectral Prison. Those two aren’t connected in the slightest.”

Of course not.

She didn’t like his idea at all, but the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach also told her it was the only way to move the investigation forward.

“Don’t you know a computer hacker or something?”

He laughed. “Not really the type of people I hang with, Avery. Now, if you wanted a connection to a burglar or some muscle to intimidate someone, I’m your guy.”

Glancing around the cabin, she tried to think of another way, but none came to her.

“I’m sure he’s hiding something. He’ll probably kill you if you get caught,” she said.

They stared at each other for a long beat of time, then Gabe said, “Well, I guess I’d better not get caught, right?”