---

I joined Landon along the short pine tree line at the back fence as Marjorie’s friends and their parents arrived. Fourteen eleven- and twelve-year-old girls. It was too much to look at, let alone be near and hear their conversation.

“How is it going?” I asked, teasing. “Having fun?”

The incredulous look he gave me. All he needed now was to roll his eyes at me. “Right. Because hearing these girls squealing and talking about dresses, and who wore it best, and school boys is my idea of fun.”

I tilted my head. “Haven’t we talked about this already? I didn’t think hunters had fun.”

“Maybe you thought wrong.”

“And what is your idea of fun?”

He glanced at the empty beer bottle in his hands. “Hm, that’s classified.”

That statement brought all kind of images to my mind—Landon racing after a demon, cutting the head off a witch, staking a vampire, on top of a werewolf before burying a silver bullet in his head. Landon at a bar with women drooling over him. Landon in bed with one of those girls.

I hugged my stomach, not liking where this conversation and my thoughts were heading.

I remained silent as the party progressed. At some point, I helped my mother serve drinks to the guests, passing around finger food, and later lighting the candles on the cake. We sang happy birthday to Marjorie, and I helped serving cake too.

Finally, after almost three hours, the party seemed to be winding down.

I found Landon in the living room, looking at the many pictures spread through the place.

“It looks like you have a happy family,” he said, still staring at a big picture of the five of us. It had been about two years ago at my high school graduation party.

I shrugged. “I guess.”

He looked at me. “But …”

“What?”

“I heard a but in there.”

I sighed. “Nothing. There are no buts.”

“Why did you lie to your mother about your house key?”

“How do you know I was lying?”

“I just know. Why?”

I paused, unsure about telling him the truth. “Well … You just don’t open the door at someone else’s house and barge in.”

He stared at me for a long time. “You feel like you don’t belong.”

I shrugged. “I know I don’t.”

“Tessa, you know—” He clamped his mouth shut when his cell phone started ringing. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. “It’s Aidan.” He pressed the green button. “Hey.” He took a few steps away from me. I heard a few hms and ah-has and hm-uhs, and I suddenly felt like I was eavesdropping on their conversation. Then, he looked at me, but said to Aidan, “I have to see. It might be a while until I get there.” That piqued my interest. “I’ll talk to Tessa and text you.”

“What is it?” I asked as he lowered the phone.

“I totally forgot today is summer solstice.”

“Hm, what?”

“The hunters need my help,” he said. “I have to be back in Willow Harbor by nightfall.”

I glanced at my phone and checked the time. That was just a couple of hours away, and we were far from Willow Harbor. “If we leave now, we can get there on time.” He shook his head, but I kept going before he could protest. “Yes, we. I’m going too.”

A crease appeared in his forehead, but his hazel eyes held my defiant stare. Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, we.”

For some reason, hearing him say that excited me. “We can go now. I just have to say goodbye to them, change out of this dress, and we can go. Is that okay?”

One corner of his lips turned up. He even smiled more at Paul than at me, but I would take it. “Yes, that sounds good.”

---

---

The nagas came to the beach on summer solstice. That didn’t sound too bad. After all, there were plenty of nagas living in Willow Harbor after being spelled by a powerful witch to be able to turn into human form at will. The nagas of Willow Harbor lived in peace—mostly. Like any other species, there were always one or two unruly ones who needed a warning and, in rare cases, intervention.

But these nagas …

I glanced at Tessa once more, thinking how hard it would be to drop her off at the manor before going to the beach. I would probably have to throw her over my shoulder and lock her inside the guest bedroom, but it would be better than to have her around the nagas.

“Wait, so, these nagas come to the beach … to mate?” Tessa asked from the passenger seat. Before leaving her family house, she had changed back into her jeans and tee and boots since flats and sandals weren’t too great for fighting.

I nodded, eyes on the road. “In a way, yes. They can only impregnate women on the night of the solstice.”

“And they simply get them by force?”

“They can lure the women, enchant them …” I paused as I drove past Willow Harbor’s welcome portico. “The women don’t really know what is happening. Later, they think it was a drunken one night stand.”

“That’s scary.”

“It is.” And that was why I should leave her at the manor. But I knew, I just knew, that if I did, she would simply hop in her car and drive to the beach.

“So, the nagas are all bad guys.”

“No, not all. Just this particular group is.” I sneaked a quick glance at her. “Willow Harbor is full of nagas who can shift into human form, and they live, well, peacefully with their spouses and children.”

“I wonder if I have met a naga,” she muttered, turning to look out the window.

I peeked at her again. The orange light of the setting sun hit her hair just right, giving her head a luminous halo. Like a beautiful angel.

A beautiful angel who would be marching onto a beach full of crazy, hungry nagas.

Shit.

Parked along Central Avenue, I spotted the cars of almost all hunters: Aidan, Nathan, Cole, Douglas, Ash, Caleb. I parked my car behind theirs, a good distance from the beach.

Tessa exited my car and looked out at the beach, at the line of hunters standing by just at the sand’s edge. “Everyone is here.”

“We have to be,” I said, opening the trunk of my car.

“So,” Tessa said, running her fingers on a long silver sword tied to the top inside of my car’s trunk. “How do we kill nagas? By cutting off their heads?”

“No.” I took a dagger from my arsenal and handed it her. “You just have to pierce their heart.” I picked up the long silver sword she had been ogling. “However, their skin is thick and their hearts located right in the center of their chest. It might not be easy to do it.”

“Crap,” she muttered. She closed her hand tight around the dagger’s hilt, but I could see her hands shaking.

Without thinking, I reached over and clasped her hand in mine. “It’s fine. You don’t need to do this. You can stay by my car.” I frowned, not liking that. What if a naga sneaked out and came after her while I was busy inside? “Scratch that. You have to come with me, stay close to me, but you don’t need to do anything.”

She fixed her eyes on mine. While her hands still shook, the shine in her bright eyes was resolute. Sure. “No way. I’m gonna do this.” She gulped. “I might not be able to kill any nagas, but I’ll fight them and I’ll help, even if it’s just by keeping one busy before you can get to it.” She lifted her chin, determined. “I’ll help.”

One corner of my lips tugged up. “I bet you will.”

She put a hand on her hip, her eyes narrowed. “Are you teasing me?”

I huffed a chuckle. “I’m not. I’m serious.”

“Right,” she said, shaking her head.

Aidan and Nathan, who had been patrolling the area, saw us and soon approached.

“Hey,” Aidan said. “Sorry for taking you from the party, but we need help.”

“We always need help for this,” Nathan said.

Tessa shrugged. “It’s fine. The party was for my little sister, and it was boring anyway.”

I bumped my fist with Aidan’s and Nathan’s as a greeting. “I should have remembered.”

“It’s fine,” Nathan said. “You’re here now.”

“But, hm, she shouldn’t be here,” Aidan said in a low voice.

Nathan nodded. “Yeah, Douglas will kill you when he sees her.”

“Wait, why?” Tessa asked, a hand on her waist. Always in defiance.

Aidan glanced at her. “They lure women; you’re a woman.”

She furrowed her brows. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. I mean …” She glanced from Aidan to me, as if looking for reassurance. “I can resist it, right?”

“Don’t worry,” I said, my voice tight. “I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

“You’re dead,” Nathan muttered, glancing up at the dark sky.

I let out a loud groan.

“Ready?” Aidan patted the two daggers strapped to his utility belt, right beside a long sword, just like the one in my hands.

Nathan wasn’t much different, except he insisted on taking a gun with him. “It might slow them down,” he argued.

I didn’t care as long as we got this job done fast and without any mess-ups.

A movement caught the corner of my eye. A tall guy with brown hair was crossing the street, coming toward us.

“Hey, Nik,” I called out.

He stopped among us. “Hey.” He glanced to all of us, including Tessa. Eyes narrowed, he turned his eyes to me. “What’s going on?”

“It’s the Summer’s Solstice,” I said.

“Oh.” His shoulders tensed. “The nagas are coming.”

“Yup,” Nathan said.

Nik pressed his lips together. “Can I join you?”

I patted his back once. “The more, the merrier.”

“Great,” was all he said before walking toward the beach. Aidan and Nathan followed him.

Tessa stayed with me while I closed the trunk of my car.

“Who is that guy?” she asked, her eyes on Nik as he approached the other hunters.

“Nik.” I counted my weapons, then faced her. “He’s a …” I considered it. No, no need to add more names and races to her already busy mind right now. “His kind has many problems with the nagas. That’s all you need to know for now.”

She glared at me. “For now?”

Not in the mindset to argue right now, I walked past her. Probably noticing the palpable tension coming from the beach, Tessa stayed quiet.

Together we inched toward the beach, to stand with the other hunters. Dread spread through my chest, and I frowned. What the hell? I had been doing this for almost ten years. I had never felt nervous or dreaded doing a job.

Beside me, Tessa sucked in a sharp breath, and I understood my feelings. I wasn’t dreading this job for me. I was dreading this job for her. Because I was worried about her. Suddenly, I wished I had driven to the manor and locked her in the guest bedroom. Or tied her to her bed.

I stepped in front of her, causing her to run into me. “Hey,” she protested, one hand out to keep herself steady. One hand that had landed right on my chest. One hand that, while she lifted her eyes to mine and seemingly stopped breathing, she didn’t pull away.

“Things can get pretty messy with these nagas. They are stronger and faster than humans, and it’s actually pretty hard to pierce their hearts with their thick skins.”

“You … you already said that.”

“What I mean is … please, be careful. Stay near me at all times. At all times,” I repeated, hoping that simple requests penetrated her thick skull. “Like Aidan said, they will try to lure you, so please, don’t look at them for long.”

“Yes, sir.” She put on bravado, but I could see her hands shaking more and more.

“And please don’t do anything stupid.”

Her lips turned into a small, amused smile. “I promise to behave. Maybe.”

I groaned. “You’re gonna drive me crazy one of these days.”

Her hand traveled up to the collar of my T-shirt and she tugged. On tiptoes, she pressed her soft lips on my cheek. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’ll be fine.”

Then she patted my chest and sidestepped me.

I stood there for a moment, absorbing what had happened. Shit, what had happened? My fingers brushed my cheek, where she had kissed me. I could still feel the warmth and softness of her lips against my skin.

“Landon?” Aidan asked. I whipped around. Tessa and Nathan kept on walking, while Aidan looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Are you coming?”

I jerked awake and put on my game face. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

I inhaled deeply, knowing that even though I could master my game face, my head and heart wouldn’t be in the game tonight.