“Nickelova took Selene.” Jason couldn’t breathe. This was a living nightmare, the worst possible scenario. He knew Nickie would come back for him. It never once occurred to him that she might target Selene.

Silas grabbed the phone out of Jason’s hand. “Who is this guy Ryker? How do we know he’s not helping Nickelova?”

“He’s a business associate.” Jason’s voice trembled with a mixture of anger and fear. “Look, Nickie wants me to follow her clues. She’s always wanted that. She won’t free Selene unless I go to her.” Jason strode toward Rivergate.

“You’ll be walking right into her trap!” Grabbing his elbow, Silas whirled him around. “She’s expecting you to do something rash. She’s using Selene as bait.”

Jason bit his lip. “And I can’t keep her dangling from the hook.”

“You’ll have to shift again tonight. You’ll be vulnerable,” Silas said.

“I’ll also be at my strongest.”

“Until you’re not you anymore. The wolf is unpredictable. You could get Selene killed.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“Wait until after the shift, Jason,” Silas said. “Nickelova won’t hurt Selene because she needs the hold over you. It’ll give us time to prepare.”

“I am not going to leave Selene in the clutches of that madwoman a moment longer than I have to.”

“You can’t do this alone.”

“I can’t wait for the others.” Jason shook his head and pulled his elbow from Silas’s grip.

“Just… give me until tonight.” Silas strode quickly, side by side with Jason. “Let me talk to Gerty and Grateful. I’ll put together a team.”

Jason ground his teeth.

“Promise me you’ll wait. Just until tonight. Until we have a plan.” Silas was asking for his trust. His brother had earned that much. And his logic was sound.

Jason nodded. “What other choice do I have?”

Silas paused and pulled Jason into a hug. “We’re going to get her back, brother.”

“Right.” Jason parted ways with Silas, heading for the parking lot while his brother took off toward Rivergate Manor. Thank the goddess his brother hadn’t given him a direct alpha command. He hated to lie, but when it came to Selene, Jason was singularly focused. “Sorry, brother, but I made this mess—now I intend to clean it up.”

* * *

“Do you have anything in this hoarder’s dream of a shop that can kill a dragon fae?” Jason asked Ryker. Selene’s ponytail was draped across his hands, her soft hair a gauntlet thrown at his feet. At least there was no blood. Nickelova could have left her entire head. No, this invitation was also a promise, although one he assumed had a time limit.

“Many things in my shop could be used as tools capable of killing a dragon fae, but wielding them is another matter entirely. All work in the same way. A dragon is immortal until you cut out its heart.”

“A sword or a dagger, then?” Jason perused the stacks of dusty artifacts around him. “Which one won’t curse me like the ring you sold me?”

Ryker’s dark eyes flashed. “I warned you about the ring. You wouldn’t listen.”

Jason nodded. “Yes, yes, you warned me. Excuse me for being moody. A dragon has my girlfriend, Ryker. I need help and I need it fast.”

“I thought I recognized this as Selene’s,” Ryker said, stroking the hair. Jason yanked the ponytail away from his fingers. “Pity. I liked the girl. She had pluck.”

“So, find something to help me rescue her.”

Ryker’s tattoo glowed and his eyes flashed with red fire. He scanned the stacks of seemingly unorganized artifacts. Blowing like a dark wind through the narrow aisles, he stopped at a shelf and selected a short silver rod. “Try this.”

Careful not to touch anything, Jason navigated the stacks and caught up to Ryker. “What is it?” He gingerly lifted the cylinder between his thumb and forefinger like it might explode in his hand at any moment. The metal baton was about four inches long with a one-inch diameter. Aside from possibly being used to bludgeon Nickelova, he couldn’t think why the item would be useful at all.

“Well? Give it some intent,” Ryker said. “And your full grip.” He tucked the cylinder into Jason’s palm and squeezed.

Reflexively, Jason raised the hand holding the silver cylinder, withdrawing from Ryker’s tight grip. Jagged blades emerged from each end, thin and razor sharp, with a metal-on-metal clang that resounded through the store. Jason laughed and loosened his grip. The blades retracted into the weapon.

“That’s better,” Ryker said. “This is the bladed staff of Ocebel, the ancient siren goddess. It will react to your intent and increase the speed and accuracy of your strikes when near water. Water magic is a counterbalance to fire magic. You’ll find this helpful in more ways than one. I recommend bringing some of the wet stuff with you.”

“So I cut out her heart and that will kill her?”

Ryker laughed. “No. Removing her heart will make her mortal and give you power over her.” He floated between the stacks, his body going misty at the edges. “Once you have her heart, you can kill the fae if you so choose or manipulate her to do your will. The heart itself has magical properties, even if the fae is deceased, but keeping her alive and holding her heart will make her your slave.”

“So I remove her heart.” Jason rolled the cylinder in his palm. “And then I can kill her. Sounds easy enough.”

Ryker laughed. “You do know that dragon fae can shift into actual dragons at will, don’t you? Although, she’ll avoid the shift if she can. If she shifts, she gives up human logic and consciousness.”

“Just like a werewolf,” Jason muttered.

“Exactly. If she shifts, she must rely on her dragon instincts. Not ideal in all situations. But make no mistake, those instincts will protect her heart with three tons of scaled muscle, razor-sharp teeth, and a barbed tail.”

“Why can’t anything be easy?” Jason activated the bladed staff again, testing its weight in his hand.

Ryker stroked his hairless chin and stared at him for a moment. “No offense, but playing the hero isn’t exactly your modus operandi. This girl must be special.”

Jason locked eyes with the demon. “She is. Saved-my-life, keep-her-forever special.”

“I was surprised how eagerly she risked her life to find you the night she came to me.”

“Thanks for looking out for her.”

“It wasn’t easy.” He licked his lips. “Selene is a temptation for the senses.”

Jason growled, turning one of the blades of the cylinder toward the demon.

“Relax, my friend. I know better than to bite the hand that feeds me.”

Jason released his grip and the silver rod returned to its original state. “I assume I can borrow this on credit and return it when I’m finished. Or do you want payment upfront?”

“You can borrow it, for free, on one condition.” Ryker’s eyes filled with ruby fire. “As I mentioned, a dragon fae’s heart has magical properties that a demon in my line of business would find exceptionally useful. Bring me the heart, and we’ll call it even.”

One of the skills Jason possessed that made him an excellent investor was his ability to read people. Ryker was a demon, but his intentions weren’t evil. Self-serving, perhaps, but the guy had a moral code. His word was good, and most of the time, he spoke the truth.

“It’s a deal,” Jason said.

The demon tipped his head in affirmation. “Good luck, Jason Flynn. I certainly hope to see you, Selene, and the dragon’s heart in my shop very soon.”

Jason nodded and made his way out of the crowded store. There was much to do and this was only his first stop.

* * *

When Jason arrived at the Route 9 Bridge over Eagle River, he wasn’t sure what he expected. Not a blinking neon sign that said dragon this way, but something, some clue that he was headed in the right direction. The picture Nickelova had implanted in his brain showed two mountains in the distance, beyond the forest he was looking at now. Only, standing here, with the road, the river, and everything else as pictured, the mountains were conspicuously absent. He took this as a sign. He would hike toward where the mountains should have been and trust that the way would reveal itself when he got close enough.

He tied the laces of his new hiking boots and donned the backpack of camping supplies he’d packed, checking that the silver cylinder was strapped to the side and well within reach. Then he sent Silas three texts. The first was a picture of his Bugatti in front of the Route 9 sign he’d told him about. The second was a picture of the place where the mountains should be. The third contained two simple words: “I’m sorry.”

His phone rang almost immediately after he hit send, but he didn’t answer. He couldn’t risk Silas giving him a direct alpha command to return to Rivergate. He needed to do this, and if he didn’t go now, he might lose his nerve.

His brother was right. He was probably walking into a trap. That was semiobvious. But without a doubt, Jason couldn’t live with himself another minute knowing she was there and he was here. He’d happily go to his death or to his slavery to save Selene. Silas would never let him do that, though. His brother didn’t realize life meant nothing to Jason without her. He had to do this.

He turned off the phone and tossed it into his backpack. And then there was nothing but his boots and a narrow footpath that seemed to lead in the direction Nickelova wanted him to go.

* * *

Selene shivered in the darkness, her hands groping the stone floor beneath her. What had Nickelova done to her? One minute they were standing just outside the bounds of Rivergate and then she was here. It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Only Selene had the oddest notion that she’d been unconscious for some time. The cold breeze on her neck seemed to confirm that hypothesis. Her hair was missing, cut short at her nape. When had that happened?

“Hello?” she called through a dry throat.

A fire blazed to life in an alcove of stone nearby, flooding the room with light. As her eyes adjusted, she took in the vast cavern around her. She was not alone.

“Welcome back from la-la land.” Nickelova’s high-heeled black boots click-clacked against the stone floor as she approached Selene. Stalagmites and stalactites broke the otherwise normal continuity of the room, which included a red Persian carpet and a plush-looking sofa near the fireplace.

Nickelova’s posh appearance intimidated Selene. Her sleek platinum bob and tall, lanky build were something she associated with runway models, as was the red dress that wrapped around her body in a way that revealed more cleavage and leg than appropriate in mixed company. But it was the dragon-scale amulet around her neck that unsettled Selene the most. It throbbed with power as she neared.

“Jason won’t come for me,” Selene said. “I’m just an acolyte priestess who acted as his spiritual advisor. My life is not worth risking a member of the royal family.”

“Hmm. Why do women like you constantly underestimate yourselves? You barely brush your hair, throw on any old rag that will cover you, and then creep around like a little mouse trying your best to be invisible. But clearly you are not invisible, Selene. The affection I witnessed Jason showing you was unusual for the man. For any man, actually. So, little mouse, it seems you’ve been noticed despite your best efforts.”

Cheeks warming, Selene lowered her eyes. “I think you read more into it than there was.”

Nickelova rolled her eyes. “Let me enlighten you. The curse I placed on Jason’s vice was meant to force him to come to me. Obviously someone broke that curse. But part of my magic remains. A spell I placed on him long ago, on the evening we first met. You might call it a tracking device. It’s how I found him and possessed that woman he was with in the first place. When he gets busy, I feel what he feels… I see what he sees. But oddly, I hadn’t felt the tug of my curse in weeks. When I felt his interaction with you this morning, I went to him immediately, well, as close as I could get to the protective enchantment. I didn’t just happen upon your rendezvous, Selene. In a way, I was watching you from the inside out. News flash: Jason loves you, little mouse.” She said the last part through her teeth. “Let’s stop pretending he doesn’t. It wastes both our time.”

Selene sputtered unintelligibly, trying her best to find the right words of denial, but Nickelova continued.

“I can’t say I’m not jealous. I had hoped that I could be the one to master Jason’s heart. But accommodations must be made. You will have to be the carrot on the stick. It’s why I’ve kept you alive.” Nickelova smiled wickedly, her eyes shifting to focus on something behind Selene.

Selene turned tentatively, only to let out a piercing scream. She was standing in front of a pile of bones. Human, animal, all mixed together in a grisly pile of death. Some were bleached, some burned, and some still clung to the remains of the flesh that once resided around them.

Hand clasped over her mouth and nose, she backed toward Nickelova, only to bump into a wall where there was no wall. After a frantic inspection of the area, she accepted the truth. She was a prisoner, jailed with a pile of bones behind an invisible barrier.

“No need for hysterics,” Nickelova said. “A girl’s gotta eat.”

Selene turned from the bones and swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She was still naked but at least the fire Nickelova had started warmed the cave to a temperature that stalled her shivering.

“Why Jason? I thought you were helping Alex overthrow the Fireborn clan. Shouldn’t you be after Silas? He’s the alpha.”

“Woman to woman?” Nickelova paced toward her, all fire and shadows. “Alex turned out to be a disappointment. See for yourself.” She turned her body and pointed at the far wall of the cavern. Alex Ravien Bloodright was suspended like a specimen in a jar, embedded in the rocky wall. His eyes were closed, his hair and limbs floating in the reddish fluid. “He’s healing,” Nickelova said, “but slowly. He would have died weeks ago if not for my near-constant presence and the fire lily juice I stole from the fae hospital.”

In her studies as an acolyte, Selene had read that dragons were once hunted almost to extinction for the power of their hearts. There was a reason Nickelova had stayed close to Alex in this cave, why she’d relied on her curse on Jason for information instead of the direct approach. The proximity of her heart was healing Alex, perhaps keeping him alive. Dragon heart could be used in the most dangerous of spells, even to raise the dead, according to certain holy texts. Nickelova was keeping Alex alive, but at what cost? If Alex was conscious at all, his state of being was horrific.

“Alex is too weak to do much more than sleep just now. When I wake him, he’ll need someone strong to help us achieve our goals. We’ll never take down Silas and rule the Lycanthropic Society without help.”

“You don’t want to kill Jason—you want him to join you.” Selene shook her head. “You can’t truly believe that will ever happen. He will never help you overthrow the council. He’d die before he’d betray the pack.”

Turning toward the fire, Nickelova hugged herself, rubbing her outer arms. “He will… now that I have you. He’s already on his way. I’ll have him tamed in the amount of time it takes me to show him his dear, sweet Selene, dirty and shivering in my prison.”

“You’re wrong.”

“The wolf in him won’t be able to stand it, little mouse. The more enthusiastically he bows to me, the better your living conditions will get.”

“No.” Selene tucked her chin, her eyes burning. Why had she been so stupid? If she’d stayed away from Jason and maintained her vows as she should have, none of this would have ever happened.

“Don’t fret. You both have the opportunity to be on the right side of history. When Alex and I rule the supernatural world, you’ll be free to finally be your true self. For too long we’ve been forced into an existence based on balance and harmony.”

“That is the law of the goddess,” Selene said. “We must maintain balance or the world will fall into darkness and chaos.”

“Some of us could do with a little darkness,” she snapped. “Do you know that dragon fae are not a creation of the goddess?”

Selene furrowed her brow. Saying Nickelova was crazy was an understatement. “The goddess, Hecate, created all supernatural beings.”

Nickelova scoffed. “No. Dragons, demons, and vampires were birthed from the underworld, created by the horned god, Panaal. Hecate and Panaal collaborated to design the reality we currently live in, rules and regulations based on a balance between the masculine and feminine. But Hecate is a wicked goddess. There is no balance. Dragons are almost extinct and demons and vampires live in the shadows. But when a dragon and a wolf rule the supernatural world, we’ll change everything.”

Selene shuddered to think how the world might change under the rule of Nickelova and Alex. Humans would likely be hunted to extinction. Or farmed by vampires. Werewolf children, human until their first shift, might become vampire targets, setting the two species at odds. Witches would likely be hunted by dragons who feared them due to their use of dragon parts in their spells. The most powerful witches, the demigoddesses known as Hecates, would be overwhelmed with their charge of maintaining balance and the management of their Hellmouth prisons. What Nickelova wanted would completely change life as they knew it. She had to be stopped. “You’re mad. If what you’re saying is true, you’d unleash the underworld.”

Nickelova sighed. “That, little mouse, is the idea. Now, you’d better get some rest. Jason is on his way. You want to be strong enough to watch me break him, don’t you?”