Range stomped out of the bedroom, his fury barely under control. He’d managed to keep it together in front of Eira, but now, his wolf and he were beginning to lose it.

Chill, he warned himself—and his wolf. Chill.

He glanced out the back door’s window before opening it.

His brothers were embroiled in the middle of a heated discussion. He didn’t have to wonder which, if any, were on his side in this argument. He was certain not a single one of them were. Their own sense of self-preservation would probably keep them from being reasonable.

Let’s face it, that’s not all. True, it wasn’t just their sense of self-preservation that would rule. It was the effects of that damned study which had changed things between them. It wasn’t that they didn’t still have their easy camaraderie and a fierce desire to protect each other. It was that the study had put their wolves at odds, had made weird things happen to their animals, unexplainable, unique consequences, and the four brothers didn’t necessarily face the same ones.

That part Range hadn’t shared with Eira.

How could I?

True, how could he, for he didn’t want to face those repercussions himself.

Fingers on the door handle, he turned it.

Three heads snapped in his direction. Three muscular necks bulged with muscles. Six eyes narrowed. Six hands clenched into fists.

Make that eight hands, because Range found his own hands tightly squeezed into rock-hard fists.

He closed the door behind him and took long strides toward his brothers, boots crunching leaves into dirt.

Range stopped before them, said not a word, and looked from one to the other, to the other. Finally, he spoke. “Since when do you not trust me?”

Asa’s mouth dropped then snapped closed.

Davin and Jason were motionless.

“Well?” Range demanded, each passing second adding fuel to the fire of his wrath.

Finally, Asa relented. “It’s not that.”

Taken aback, Range glared. “What’s not that?”

Asa nodded and began to pace, kicking a pinecone toward a tree trunk, watching it sail through the air before he turned back to Range. “It’s not just that you brought a stranger here when we’ve always had a standing agreement that we wouldn’t do that. Though that should be enough—”

“Get to the point.” Range’s patience had been tested far enough.

“She’s different.”

Range tilted his head, studied Asa, then looked at Davin and Jason, who were both nodding. “Go on.”

“She’s not human,” Davin added.

“Or shifter.” This came from Jason.

“True.” Range couldn’t very well lie to them about that. He wouldn’t.

Asa looked toward the house. “So, what the hell is she?”

Range rubbed his jaw, the sound of his stubble being scratched, loud in the silent clearing next to the house. He hadn’t asked her permission to discuss what she was or her circumstances. This was not a position he liked being in.

“Valkyrie.”

All four of them snapped around to find Eira leaning against a tree a few feet away.

Asa had dropped into a fighting stance, Jason and Davin had done the same.

“What the hell! How did she do that?”

“You can stop talking about me as if I’m not here.” Her eyes were narrowed.

She hadn’t showered. What had she done?

“Thought you were going to shower,” Range stepped toward her.

“And I thought you were going to bring my bag. I came out to get it and—”

“Eavesdropped,” Asa finished for her.

“Overheard—not eavesdropping,” she corrected Asa as she turned her violet gaze his way. “It’s not like you were trying to keep your conversation from being overheard.”

Davin put a hand on Asa and Range’s shoulders. “I hate to interrupt this personal stuff with boring business, but there’s a little situation.”

Eira looked between all of them, then turned to Range. “I suppose that’s my cue to leave.”

Range took her hand. “Stay.”

Asa opened his mouth—which earned him a scathing look from Range—then promptly closed it.

Range reaffirmed. “She stays. You know what she is. That in itself is a big enough secret that will equal anything she finds out about us.”

Eira nodded. “I’m willing to expand on it, at another time.” She looked at Asa, then Jason and Davin for sanction.

“Fair enough.” Asa nodded. The other two followed suit.

“Glad that’s settled.” Range exhaled. “I got the money for Vince’s kid. In my backpack.”

“Good.” Asa offered up a smile.

Range nodded. “Now, what’s this about business?”

“Mae called. Got a job. Lake Huron area. Battle between two shifter families. Casualties. Missing shifters. Locals talking, there’s a concern that authorities might be brought in.”

“So, what’s the plan,” Range asked.

“We’re packed,” Jason informed him. “Left you a note. It’s on the kitchen table.”

Davin nodded. “You weren’t exactly answering your calls.”

Range grimaced. True. He hadn’t wanted to tell them what was going on. “I’ll—we’ll—” He was going to say that he and Eira would go with them, but was that something she wanted to do? Was that something his brothers would be okay with?

“Another thing,” Asa added. “We had a call from a guy with an accent who said that George paid for a service and there was no delivery.”

Davin crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this about… Eira?”

“And will this bring us any fallout?” Jason asked.