His mate was finally coming around.

She had seen another side of him today, a side he had hoped to keep hidden from her until she had a chance to accept who and what he was, until she could no longer imagine her life without him in it.

Now that she had witnessed some of his preternatural abilities, some cracks had appeared in those mental walls crafted from human denial. The timing was unfortunate. Ideally, he would have had hours, or better yet, days to introduce her to his reality, to invite her to explore and question, preferably between bouts of love making. Now that would have to wait until Quintus was safe and the dark bird vanquished. In the meantime, he would hope that she continued to be open to the possibilities, and to continue to handle things as well as she was now.

Tiberius braced himself against the door panel as she took a turn at a high rate of speed. They shared the same sense of urgency and determination. The energy hummed between them, filling the small, enclosed space and growing stronger as their bond deepened.

The gods had chosen his mate well. As much as he wanted to keep her out of harm’s way, he also recognized she was strong and capable. Ryan Winslet was a woman who would stand by his side. He would have to be a fool to want to change that.

At that particular moment, she was also their best hope of finding his brother. She knew the area and possessed valuable knowledge of those involved.

“How is your arm?” she asked, taking her eyes away from the road to glance worriedly at him. “Do I need to take you to a hospital?”

“No.”

Her genuine concern wrapped around his heart. “You’re bleeding.”

“Get us to the docks, and all will be well.”

“Yeah? How is that going to work? Shit!”

He was thrown forward as she slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel, raising her middle finger to the large truck that had cut them off before rocketing forward once again. Thankfully, his quick reflexes had prevented him from making contact with the windshield, though her dash now sported a palm-sized impression of considerable depth.

“It is complicated. I ask that, for now, you simply trust me.”

“I do, which is the only reason you’re here. I mean it, Tiberius. No more getting hurt on my watch, hear me?”

Despite the grimness of the situation, he grinned. “You care for my well-being.”

She scowled. “Yeah, well, you and I are going to have a long talk once all this is over.”

“Indeed, we shall. Assuming I manage to survive the trip, that is.”

“You did not just go there.”

He grinned then grew sober once again. “Ryan Winslet, know that I will do whatever I must to recover my brother and exact vengeance for those who have fallen.”

Her beautiful features set in grim determination. “In that, we are in total agreement.”

When they arrived at the docks, Ryan navigated the vehicle as far as she dared. Then she got out of the car and opened the trunk, revealing a dizzying assortment of personal weapons. She began to strap them on.

“Okay, so listen. Chances are Nez is holing up on one of the freighters on the southeast side. He has a penchant for holding court in dark, cramped spaces, just like the cockroach he is.”

“The dark bird is actually an insect?”

“No, that’s just an expression,” she explained.

“Ah. How will we ascertain which one?”

“We’ll start on one end and work our way through. If we get lucky, we’ll spot some of his minions and narrow the possibilities. Do you know how to use any of these?” she asked, indicating the array of weaponry.

“I am familiar with the basic concepts, but I shall not need them.”

“No?” she asked doubtfully. “What are you going to do, intimidate Nez and his guys into giving themselves up?”

“Something like that.”

“Tiberius, I don’t think you understand what we’re up against.”

“I understand all too well,” he said grimly. Impulsively, he pulled her to him and kissed her.

“What was that for?”

“Fortuna. Be vigilant, Ryan Winslet. I shall be very upset if even a hair on that beautiful head is harmed.” He took off before she could respond, setting a quick pace and leaving her to follow. Quintus was close. He could feel it.

They kept to the shadows as much as possible, looking for any sign of Black Eagle or his men. Ryan spotted one of them first, alerting him by curling her fingers around his wrist.

“There,” she said quietly, looking toward a small, thin figure moving quickly ahead of them. “That’s Fast Eddie. He was picked up on suspicion of human trafficking a couple years ago. Something tells me he’ll lead us right where we need to go.”

Tiberius nodded in understanding.

They followed the scrawny human to a large ship at the far end of the docks. The group of burly men hanging around suggested they had found what they were looking for.

“Shit,” she breathed out. “Nez has to be in there, but how are we going to get past those guys? We need a distraction or something.”

“Leave it to me,” he told her.

“What are you going to do?” she asked skeptically.

He reached out and pulled her close, relishing the feel of her lush softness and the zing of sensation that energized him. Leaning down, he claimed her mouth in a quick but soul-searing kiss, wishing he had more time to reassure her.

“Have faith, little mate,” he told her, “and watch your posterior. I intend to worship it when all is said and done.” He gave her one more quick kiss before taking off toward the water.

Ignoring her hissed calls to return, he dove into the sea and propelled himself downward, out of sight. The water embraced him lovingly, surrounding him as he shed his clothes beneath the surface. His wound stung, but in moments, the healing properties of the salt water began to work their magic.

He could feel his mate’s concern radiating from above.

“Trust me,” he implored over their shared bond. “Trust me, as I am trusting you.”

Concerned sea creatures flocked to him, broadcasting their willingness to assist. In a series of high- and low-pitched sounds, he managed to convey his plan. As the creatures swam away, Tiberius sank to the ocean floor and raised his arms. As the humans were so fond of saying, shit was about to get real.