“That bad, huh?” Breslin remarked as she walked into her bedroom.

Rhett sat on the edge of her bed, head buried in his hands. He looked up and met her gaze.

“Not exactly. Come here,” he replied and held out a hand.

He didn’t have to say anything more. She quickened her steps and was sitting beside him in the next breath.

“I know Zander came to see you. Want to talk aboot it?” Breslin asked as she ran a hand through his silky hair.

“I don’t want to talk about Zander or what we discussed. There’s something else on my mind,” Rhett stated and grabbed her hand. He brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles.

“Oh, what’s that?”

“I love you, Bre. I realized earlier I haven’t said the words. I’ve repeatedly told you that I’m going to prove how much you mean to me, but I haven’t taken the time to express my feelings. You mean the world to me. I love you, Flame,” he declared and bent to kiss her lips.

Breslin was floored. It was the last thing she expected him to say and she was caught completely off guard.

The kiss was tender and loving and everything she needed. More than anything, she wanted to believe his words. Rhett was her Fated Mate and she wanted to give herself completely.

But she couldn’t.

She broke the kiss and met his fiery gaze. Orange flames danced in his orbs and her fire instinctively called to his.

“Rhett...”

“You don’t believe me,” he quickly interjected.

“It’s no’ that I doona want to. It’s just…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to return the sentiment,” he said and gave her a half smile. “I just wanted you to know.”

Breslin’s chest constricted. How she wished she could pour her heart out to him. Tell him how she turned to putty at the mere sight of him. That her body ached every second of every day for him. Give herself freely and not hold back in the slightest. But the wounds he inflicted ran deep and she feared they would never heal.

“Well, I’ll say this. I’m verra happy you’re here,” she offered and leaned in for another kiss.

She wasn’t tentative or gentle. Her mouth claimed his and flames erupted between them. Heat skirted along her flesh when his arms wrapped around her waist. He ignited her like no other and she craved more.

She leaned back on the soft mattress, pulling him along with her. Rhett latched onto her breast and squeezed, eliciting a groan from Breslin. She hiked her leg around his hip and pulled him flush to her throbbing center.

A knock at her door interrupted their moment, and she broke contact, panting as she scrambled to see who was bothering them at this late hour.

Bhric’s face came into view the moment she opened the door.

“Sorry to barge in. I know this isna a good time, but Z said to get downstairs pronto. Apparently, Aurora called and said Crocell attacked her land. We’re heading there as soon as Jace and Gerrick get a portal opened,” Bhric informed her.

Breslin wondered why Crocell would attack harpy territory. Her focus had been more populated areas, especially where humans gathered. The harpies lived in the mountainous area of Mt. Rainier where few civilians ventured.

“Okay, I’ll be right down. I just need a minute,” Breslin admitted and shut the door.

She turned to her mate. “Listen, you might want to stay here––”

Rhett stopped her. “I’m not letting you fight without me, so don’t even think it.”

“I’m worried aboot your demon. I willna risk it,” she countered. After seeing him lose control, Breslin wasn’t sure he could fight anymore.

Rhett stood up and walked to her side. “Too bad, Flame. I’m going. You might need my help. And, I have faith that you’ll be there should my demon take over.”

She could see the determination and knew his mind was made. Sighing, Breslin wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.

“Fine, demon. I’ve got your back,” she said with a wink as she slid her hands to his bottom and squeezed.

Rhett groaned and latched onto her ass. “Mmm, and I’ve got yours, Flame.”

Quickly making their way to the weapons room, they geared for battle and rushed to the war room. She and Rhett entered just in time to see Gerrick and Jace preparing to conjure a portal.

“Aboot fucking time. We’re leaving soon,” Kyran barked as he bounced from heel to heel.

No one got excited about fights like her brother Kyran. Well, except for Gerrick and Mack. Those three were in constant competition and relished their kill counts. Breslin enjoyed taking down the enemy as much as anyone else, but she fought for different reasons. For her, it was about protecting her family and those that couldn’t defend themselves.

“Let me go on this one, Zander. Let me prove how much I’ve learned from you,” Tristan implored.

“Nay, you’re no’ ready. Stay here with the females. I need Nate to go with us, so I’ll feel better knowing you’re here to protect them,” Zander answered as he hugged Elsie.

Elsie was a formidable member of their team, but since giving birth to Isobel, she refused to leave her daughter vulnerable to the enemy, and stayed behind to make sure the princess was safe.

“Don’t you remember what I did to Cresil on the cruise ship? I can help,” Tristan pleaded.

Breslin admitted the young witch had a point. It was Tristan that blasted Cresil’s wing into a thousand pieces with his power. He might prove to be an asset on this mission.

Zander looked to Elsie and Breslin knew they were sharing a telepathic conversation. It was another benefit between mates and Breslin envied the closeness that the mated couples shared. Would she ever have that with Rhett?

Zander raked a hand through his jet-black hair and sighed. “Fine. You can go, but doona leave my side. Understand?”

“Done and done,” the stripling replied.

Zander called out the coordinates of the harpies’ location and Breslin watched as Jace and Gerrick chanted in a foreign language. Suddenly, the air shimmered with iridescent colors and swirled in convolution. The sorcerers’ power was thick and tangible and the temperature in the room dropped significantly as a mystical doorway formed.

“Fuck yeah, let’s do this shit!” Tristan boasted as he pumped his fist in the air.

Breslin shook her head. “Goddess, help us all,” she prayed as one by one, the Dark warriors stepped through the portal.

Breslin was greeted by a blast of cold air on the other side. Her boots crunched on top of frozen snow as she walked. It might be summer in Seattle, but on the cliffs of Mt. Rainier, it was bone-chilling cold. She was grateful she opted for her fur-lined leathers for this excursion.

“Damn, Flame. My nuts are going to need a warm rub after this is over,” Rhett teased as he joined her at the edge of the cliff.

Breslin chuckled. “Tell you what. Let’s end this quick as possible and I’ll massage every inch when we get back,” she offered and sent a flame to the tips of her fingers.

Rhett quickly shook his head up and down, smiling.

Suddenly, half a dozen harpies swooped from the sky and landed beside their group. Harpies were stunning creatures, Breslin acknowledged. They wore gunmetal armor suits and their massive wings spanned at least twenty feet. Wings that were black as coal, except for the red-tipped ends, and she wondered if it was the blood of their enemies that stained them the crimson color.

The leader stepped forward to greet Zander and Breslin immediately noticed her large feet. Not feet exactly, but two shanks with large claws, like that of an eagle. This was the first time Breslin had seen a harpy in its natural state. When they ventured inside the city, they had normal feet, but she understood that in the mountainous area, where flight was common, wings and talons were beneficial.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Aurora said with a bow.

“Doona thank me yet. What are we facing?” Zander replied as he looked out over the cliff.

Her brother was all business when it came to the archdemons and didn’t mess with the niceties when there was work to do.

“Crocell has killed about twenty of my warrioresses. She brought at least fifty Crow Tengu with her. We outnumber them, but they’re incredible swordsmen, and we can’t seem to defeat them,” Aurora explained in a panic.

Breslin was surprised to hear that. Aurora’s league of female fighters was known to rival the best of armies. Breslin looked to the foggy sky. She couldn’t see the Crow Tengu, but she could hear the screeches from the harpies. They needed to act fast before more females were killed.

“What does Crocell want from you?” Zander demanded.

“All I can tell you is that she said she would rule Brushy Keep. And then they attacked,” Aurora answered and cringed when a harpy fell from the sky to its death.

“Please, can you help?” she pleaded with terror-filled eyes.

“I think so. We canna fight them in the air but if you can lure them to the ground, we can take it from there.

“Yes, we can do that. We were trying to keep them in the air to protect our nests, but if you want them on the ground…” Aurora proclaimed and turned her head towards the sky.

An ear-piercing screech left her throat a second later and the next thing Breslin saw was a mass of black descending on the cliff. The harpies landed and took a fighting stance as the Crow Tengu followed them to the ground.

Breslin had never seen this demon. They looked like samurai warriors, dressed in traditional attire. Their white shirts had tattered sleeves and their black hakamas draped to bare feet.

Before Breslin could draw her twin sais, the Crow Tengu charged. She noted they wielded katanas with excellent skill. In the next breath, the Dark Warrior’s claymores clashed with the long blades. The sound of metal scraping metal echoed through the mountains.

Blinding light caught her attention, and from the corner of her eye, Breslin saw Nate shift into his dragon. A sheet of fire blasted a group of Crow Tengu and they burst into flames. They fell to the ground, burning to death. The nearby demons took to the sky, dodging Nate’s bellow of fire while the Dark Warriors engaged those remaining on the ground.

A demon charged her and Rhett, and Breslin stretched her palm, releasing her fire. She wasn’t certain her full scope of power was there and sighed in relief when flames shot out and struck the male. He crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain.

Bhric stepped forward and blasted the demon with ice and the form on the ground froze to a solid block.

“Feel the freeze, motherfucker,” Bhric shouted and Breslin looked to her twin and smiled.

“It’s good to have you back, brathair,” Breslin admitted.

Bhric winked and returned her smile. “And, it’s good to see you healthy and whole. Now, let’s kill these arseholes.”

“Absolutely,” she answered then she and Bhric stood back to back, awaiting the next attack.

Rhett joined them and the three formed a circle. Each time a demon got within striking distance she shot fire at its torso then her brother finished with a sheet of ice. Their combination of power killed the target while preventing Breslin’s fire from spreading to the trees. She was relieved that Rhett held back from using his fire and assisted by alerting them of the next attack.

The Crow Tengu were vigilant in combat but didn’t possess additional powers and Breslin could feel when they gained the upper hand against the demons. They were no match for the Dark Warriors.

She glanced around and saw Tristan standing with Zander near the cliff’s edge. Tristan was using his force field to knock the demons from the sky when they tried to escape. Zander kept the enemy at bay as the demons tried to attack the witch.

Breslin couldn’t help but think how Zander hadn’t had a partner in centuries, choosing to fight solo. He and Tristan made quite the pair and she could see them teaming together in the future.

Mack and Kyran were nearby and Breslin heard the female shout, “Take that, you fucking douchedick!” as she beheaded two demons with a single sweep of her sword. “Did you see that, bloodsucker? I killed two birds with one stone,” she boasted.

“That’s my firecracker. You might want to grab some of these feathers laying around. We could put them to good use later,” Kyran insinuated.

“Ooo, you know I love it when you tickle my ass,” she countered and blew her mate a kiss.

“Right before I spank it,” he muttered and popped Mack on the butt.

Breslin shook her head at the pair. They were the most unlikely couple when they met. Kyran was a lost soul to his deviance and Mack loathed anything vampire-related. Yet they survived the storm and were a dynamic duo. It gave her hope that she and Rhett could become that, too.

A dagger flew by Breslin’s head and she followed its path. The blade buried into the back of an unsuspecting Crow. She looked around to see who threw it. Suddenly, the weapon dislodged from the demon’s flesh and soared past her head again. It landed in Rhys’s hand and he threw her a wide smile.

“Sorry. Should I yell fore from now on?” he muttered.

“Yeah, maybe you should, fuckwad,” Gerrick groaned. “I’ve got a dozen scars because of your sorry-ass blade control.”

“Just trying to make you look better, Scarface,” Rhys taunted, teasing Gerrick about the mark across one side of his face.

Gerrick shot him a dirty look then started laughing. There was a time when Gerrick would’ve sliced Rhys in half for making the comment. His scar was a painful reminder of his past and the loss he suffered. Breslin acknowledged again that Fated Mates stood the test of time. Gerrick’s mate, Shae, was a reincarnation of his first beloved and he was now a happily mated male.

“Look out, Flame,” Rhett shouted, snapping Breslin to attention.

Before she could see the danger, her fire demon tackled her to the ground, covering her with his body. She scrambled to get a better view of what was happening, and watched as Crocell swooped low, knocking Tristan from the edge of the cliff.

“You will die for what you did to my sister!” she shouted.

Crocell soared over the edge after him and in the next breath, Breslin saw Tristan being carried away by two of the Crow Tengu. Crocell was tearing Tristan’s flesh with her glowing claws. The witch screamed and tried to fight, but the demons held firmly to his arms, preventing him from using his magic.

Suddenly, a group of harpies took to the sky, chasing after them. The Dark warriors rushed to the edge of the cliff, helpless to do anything but watch.

The harpies attacked the two demons carrying Tristan, and in defense, they dropped him. Breslin gasped as Tristan plummeted towards the ground. A lone harpy broke from the air attack and shot like a rocket in his direction. She caught up to him and saved him from crashing to his death. Another harpy soon joined her and assisted in carrying Tristan to safety.

As the harpies laid his body to the ground, Breslin could see the extent of the damage to Tristan’s body. His leathers were shredded and the flesh across his torso looked like fileted fish. Crocell had done a number on him, and Breslin wasn’t sure he would survive.

“Jace! Get Tristan back to Zeum, now!” Zander barked.

The sorcerer rushed over and picked up the stripling. He rushed through the portal and disappeared. Breslin sent a prayer to the Goddess to spare Tristan’s life.

“You will fucking pay, Crocell!” Zander growled, his face turning red as he raised a fist to the sky.

“Your threats continue to fall on deaf ears, Vampire King. I’m still here, and I’ll keep coming until your precious daughter is dead,” Crocell yelled as she hovered overhead.

“Oh, fuck this bitch,” Rhett snarled and stepped to the edge of the cliff and hurled a wave of fire towards the archdemon.

Flames licked her legs and she screeched then disappeared.

“You fucking coward!” Zander growled and punched the air.

Breslin glanced to Rhett, worried his inner beast would take advantage of this opportunity and rise to the surface, but Rhett seemed to be in control.

The Crow Tengu appeared confused after Crocell’s quick departure. They circled in the sky for a few minutes then flew away.

The harpies stood at attention along the perimeter of the cliff, guarding their nests. Aurora walked over to Zander and went to her knees.

“We have been allies for centuries, but today, I pledge loyalty to you. We would’ve suffered tremendous lost without your help. I am indebted to you. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there,” the leader vowed.

“Thank you, Aurora. I wish we could’ve eliminated Crocell for good but mark my word, that demon will die. I’m sorry for the loss you suffered today and I wish we could stay but I must get back and check on Tristan,” Zander explained.

“Of course. Thank you again,” Aurora said and watched as the warriors took their leave through the portal.

Breslin turned to Rhett before they stepped through the magical opening and muttered, “Thanks, demon.”

“For what?” he asked and tucked a lock behind her ear.

“Protecting me. Feels good to have you by my side,” she replied.

“I’m right here, Flame, and I’m not going anywhere,” he answered as fire danced in his orange eyes.

Was it possible he meant what he said? Had they weathered their storm and were now facing clear blue skies? Breslin allowed a small sliver of hope to blossom at the prospect.