Chapter 1

Nico

Three days had passed since Viola threw the cloak off what she and her family had been planning. Three days of chaos for me and the rest of my pack. Three days since she and the royals openly declared war on us. Not only that, but she''d called on every bigot and wannabe shifter-hunter with a gun to join in the hunt.

I''d been on the phone with all the other pack leaders in Florida pretty much non-stop since Viola''s announcement and was just getting off the phone with a bear alpha from Miami when Luis stuck his head into my office.

You seen the news lately?

I gave a weary shrug. "No. Something else bad, I assume?"

Luis stepped into the room, grabbed the remote for the small TV mounted on the wall, and tuned it to a twenty-four-hour news channel. On the screen, a news anchor read a report. Viola''s face was superimposed on the screen alongside him.

To reiterate, The Monroe Group''s marketing team says they were wholly unaware of the anti-shifter agenda being propagated by the upper levels of the organization. Even so, senior vice president of marketing and research, Allison Wiess, has been arrested in connection to the dozens of crimes now being uncovered by the FBI, NSA, INTERPOL, and the British NCA. She maintains her innocence and promises to assist the authorities in any way to help with the capture of the fugitive CEO and owner of the Monroe Group, Viola Monroe.

I looked at Luis. "This isn''t news. I''ve been hearing them say the same or similar stuff for days. That''s like the twelfth executive they''ve arrested so far."

Luis pointed at the TV. "This is a replay of a report I watched earlier. Wait for what this next guy says."

The anchor turned to a man sitting to his right. "With us is legal expert Shawn Montross, here to discuss how Viola Monroe''s pronouncement might affect legal proceedings against the organization and what ripples we may see in the government. Shawn, welcome."

Shawn nodded to the anchor. "Thank you, Tom. Glad to be here."

So, what does this mean for The Monroe Group as a whole?" Tom asked.

The guest gave a nonchalant shrug. "The Monroe Group as we know it is done. Bankruptcy is the most likely outcome, followed by a government-mandated dissolution of any holdings, real estate, and stocks. That is if the government actually does anything."

The anchor''s brow furrowed. He looked as confused as I felt. I''m sorry, Shawn. Do you think the government may not pursue charges? Even though Miss Monroe has, more or less, declared war on a large portion of the citizenry?

Shawn shook his head wearily. "Tom, you and I both know there is a fairly significant anti-shifter bias in the world—and it''s not only confined to the general public. I think what we are about to see is a full realignment of allegiance. There are members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the military, not to mention local police forces and the National Guard, who may lean toward what Miss Monroe is proposing. That''s not conjecture, simply facts based on numbers."

Luis turned off the TV. "That dude knows what''s up."

I rubbed my temples. "Can you believe how surprised that news anchor was? I mean, sure, the government will never come out and say she''s right, but we all know there are people on the inside who think she is. That guy can''t be that blind. I bet several have already reached out to Viola to offer support."

He nodded. "There''s a reason they''ve only arrested executives and some of her rich dumbass cousins so far. In today''s age, there should be no way she could hide this well."

My father strode into the office, interrupting our conversation. He nodded to us. "How are we doing, boys?"

Been better, Dad. We''re discussing to what level of the government is helping Viola.

Dad waved that away. "Nothing to be done about it. A few crackpots on the inside trying to help her still won''t be as bad as before. At least, I hope not. They can''t operate in the shadows anymore."

Have either of you seen Sinthy? I asked. Our new pack witch was the best weapon we had.

Luis gestured to the window behind me. "Saw her out front a few hours ago. She was mumbling some stuff out of that old book she carries around. Said she was strengthening the wards."

Good. I nodded. "That''s our first line of defense. It''s kept most of the crazies from barging onto our lands."

Yeah, they can''t get in, Luis said ruefully. "Except they''re still coming. There has to be at least a hundred people outside the gate. I''ve had reports of a few stragglers roaming around the outskirts too."

Dad chuckled. Speaking of. Did you see the footage from last night? The security cameras set up in the northern forest?

I heard about it, but I haven''t seen it yet, I said.

Pull it up, Dad said and walked around my desk to watch. Luis joined us.

What''s the time stamp? I asked.

Three-thirteen in the morning. Camera twenty-seven.

I pulled up the feed. The cameras were equipped with night vision, and I immediately saw the three men and two women sneaking quietly through the underbrush toward the boundary of the pack''s land. Sinthy''s protection spells went about twenty feet past all our fences. These folks were getting very close.

They can''t be this stupid, I said. "These people should know by now that they can''t infiltrate our land."

Contrary to popular thought, knowledge does not actually increase intelligence, my dad said with a smile.

Two of the men in the lead hit Sinthy''s wards. They stood rigid for an instant as if they were being electrocuted. A second later, they were blown backward ten feet, tumbling and rolling through the grass and shrubs. I would have snorted a laugh had it not been so worrying that people were still trying to get inside. I could only imagine what those idiots had planned for us.

The other three picked up their injured companions and dragged them back the way they''d come until they were out of the camera frame.

How bad were they hurt? I asked.

No idea, Luis said.

As though Fate stood in the corner waiting for the perfect moment to make my day worse, my office phone rang. I looked at it with unease before answering.

This is Nicolas Lorenzo.

Mr. Lorenzo, this is Jessica Barton with Channel Nine News out of Tampa. Do you have a few minutes to talk?

I glanced at Dad and Luis before answering. "Uh, sure. What''s this about?"

Before she spoke again, I hit the speaker button.

Mr. Lorenzo, I''m currently about twenty yards outside your gates. We''ve had multiple reports from individuals who are peacefully protesting outside your compound that they are unable to get closer than twenty feet.

Miss Barton, I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but being a shifter these days comes with some serious security issues. Is there an issue with them staying back a safe distance?

"That may be, Mr. Lorenzo, but they''ve also told us the reason they can''t get to the gates or fences is because there is some kind of barrier.

around your lands. In fact, a group of concerned citizens informed us that two men were severely injured last night while taking a walk in the forest near your lands. Would you like to comment on the fact that two innocent men were injured?"

I barked out a laugh and my father''s face blazed with anger. "Lady, those men were not taking a moonlit stroll. We have video footage of them trying to sneak onto our land. They, and their friends, were armed.

The question I really want to ask, Mr. Lorenzo, is whether shifters have access to technology that humans do not? The ability to project an invisible electric fence is beyond the capabilities of any government agency. I''ve done the research. We are only trying to allay the fears of our audience.

Does your audience care about our safety? My rising anger punctuated every word.

"I think you can agree that shifters pose a serious threat to humanity. We need to be aware of any additional dangers your species presents to humans. Along with enhanced strength, speed, and healing, if there are technological secrets that you—

I slammed the button to end the call before she could finish. Nothing I said would get through to her. She was obviously one of the people who either secretly or blatantly supported Viola''s views. If I had to guess, Channel Nine News would be airing a hit piece about our pack tonight.

It''s gonna get worse, son,"" Dad said as he sank into a chair across from me. He pointed at the phone. ""People like her are gonna make things dangerous. More so than it already is."""

I know, Dad.

I''m not sure you truly understand the severity. That group of protestors out there have the road blocked. I''ve spoken to the chief of police; they''re on our side, but they can''t be everywhere. A lot of people still think the original attacks were from pure feral shifters. A faction of society will never believe the truth. They''ll think Viola is a scapegoat to protect the shifter race. Those people are the real danger. We can''t get out to get supplies, gas, or food at this point. We can''t stay on the pack lands forever. Once we''re forced to go out past Sinthy''s wards, there''s no telling what will happen.

We can fend for ourselves, Luis said, though his bravado sounded forced. "We''re still shifters."

Yes, boy, but that doesn''t mean we''re superheroes. Our skin is tougher than humans'', but it''s not bulletproof.

I held up a hand before their conversation got heated. "I get it, Dad. It is dangerous." I glanced at Luis. "I also know we do have a chance to fight. Not like this though. If we go out to town and beat the hell out of or accidentally kill a human, it won''t do us any favors."

Doesn''t matter if they attacked us first or whether we were actually in danger—it will get twisted in some way. What we need is for one of the higher-ups in the government to make a statement on our behalf. It won''t deter the crazies, but it will help our cause among the general public. Hopefully, that will happen soon. The Feds have been fairly quiet since all this broke."

Elsewhere in the house, I could sense Maddy. Her anxiety coursed through our bond. Our connection was getting stronger by the day and it was becoming difficult for us to hide our emotions from each other. I expected she''d come to talk to me about the vial any day now. It''d been on her mind almost non-stop for days.

Standing, I addressed my father and Luis. I need to go find Maddy. Luis, let me know if anything changes or if something weird happens. Dad, can you come with me?

Luis left to check on the guard detail. Dad stood and followed me. "What''s on your mind, son?"

The vial, I said.

He nodded in understanding. "It''s still safe, right?"

Yeah. Sinthy hid it somewhere in the house. Only she knows where it is. She also cast a spell on it that will only allow Maddy to access it. So, it''s as safe as it can be.

We went downstairs and took a seat in the living room. Sighing, I put my feet up on the coffee table.

I don''t know what we''re going to do, I said. That vial caused all this. I keep thinking we need to simply destroy it. Boom. Over and done. But Maddy and I keep circling back to us, perhaps needing it at some point. That thing contains pure power, but it''s dangerous."

Dad chewed at his lower lip, thinking. After a while he said, "You''re right. You basically have a nuclear bomb. It''s both a weapon and a defense. How do you give that up? Also, if you don''t, how do you use it?"

Right. We have no clue what it will do to Maddy. There''s no information on it. Edemas created that out of desperation. There''s never been anything like it in history. We believe it would affect Maddy but we can''t be sure. I get the feeling Viola thinks someone in her organization could take it. Her actions don''t read as a person who wants to destroy something. She covets it. Maybe there''s more that we don''t know.

Dad raised his hands. "Okay, what if Maddy takes it? What are the possibilities?"

I counted them off on my fingers as I spoke. One, she dies. Two, she becomes a powerful werewolf like Edemas. Three, nothing happens, and it was all a silly story, or the magic wore off or something."

"Well you said Viola might want to take the vial herself or have

someone in her organization take it. If that''s true, what would happen if you took it? Take Maddy out of the equation to protect her? I don''t want you to endanger yourself, but we should think about the possibility.

I wouldn''t suggest that,"" Sinthy said from behind us."

Turning in surprise, I found Sinthy, Maddy, and her birth mother, Doctor Sanford, standing in the doorway.

Maddy looked pissed, her hands balled into fists on her hips. "How can you even be considering that?"

Holding up my hands in surrender, I said, "We''re not considering it. Just talking about the what-ifs, things we might resort to and what would happen."

That explanation didn''t ease the anger on Maddy''s face. Doctor Sanford shook her head. "Do I need to remind you of the beast Maddy''s father turned into when he shifted? It tormented him. I wouldn''t even consider that if I were you."

I was a little taken aback at how upset the three of them looked. It wasn''t like we''d been formulating a plan for me to take the vial. We only wanted to talk about what was possible.

I swear, I said, "we were only discussing possibilities. Nothing more."

Having anyone, including you, take the vial is not a possibility, Maddy said.

I gritted my teeth. "Maddy, we don''t know how bad this will get. I was just thinking of an advantage. That''s all."

No, Nico. If you take that vial, your body could reject it. You could die, Maddy said, her face still stern but softening.

Or you''ll turn into a mindless beast and murder everyone you love along with your enemies, Gabriella added.

I looked to Dad for help, but he''d lowered his eyes. He''d apparently decided discretion was the better part of valor.

The thing none of you are thinking of, Sinthy said, "is that this vial was created to specifically reincarnate Edemas or his descendants. If you were to take it and not die, there is a good chance Edemas would return. His soul may come back and kick your entire consciousness into oblivion, essentially killing you. You''d be nothing but a meat puppet for an ancient king mad with a vengeance using your body."

That possibility hadn''t occurred to me. I pointed at Maddy. "Would that happen to Maddy?"

Sinthy shrugged. "No telling. But she''s a direct descendant, plus it seems that Edenas''s daughter has already staked a claim in Maddy''s mind. She was reincarnated as Maddy''s wolf."

I don''t think it would happen to Maddy, Gabriella said. "She''s basically already a reincarnation of sorts. But it''s still a possible risk."

My shoulders slumped. "Okay. Not a good plan. We won''t talk about it anymore, all right?"

Maddy tapped a finger on her lips, then said, "What if we destroyed it?"

The rest of us froze at her words. We hadn''t really discussed that option. Most of our conversations had been based around using the vial and keeping it away from Viola. Destroying a weapon of such power, on the surface, was crazy. But without the vial as bait, would Viola continue going after us?

It''s a decent idea, Gabriella said. "Though I doubt Viola would care."

Maddy frowned in obvious confusion. "What do you mean? It''s the whole reason she''s been after me, right? If it was no longer a threat to her, then she has no reason to keep trying to attack us."

Gabriella nodded. "That argument only works if you''re dealing with someone who thinks rationally. Do any of us believe Viola is rational?"

That was not up for debate. The woman was as far from rational as one could get. For centuries, her ancestors had been obsessed with finding this damn thing; a legend and a desire that old wouldn''t be put aside easily.

She wouldn''t believe it, I said.

Wouldn''t believe what? Maddy asked.

That it was destroyed, Gabriella said, picking up where I left off. "We could tell her all day that it was gone, but she''d never believe it."

We could record it and show her, Maddy offered.

I shook my head. "She''ll say we faked it. In her mind, that vial is the most valuable thing on Earth. She thinks it can bring back the werewolf shifters, and she can''t allow that. The only way she would ever believe the vial was destroyed is if she did it herself, and we can''t let her have it because God only knows what she might do with it. Hell, she could try to create an army of werewolves of her own to take over the world or something."

So we''re stuck with it, Maddy said. It was not a question.

Better to have a weapon and not need it than to need a weapon and not have it, Gabriella said, turning her gaze to me. "But that doesn''t mean you get to make stupid decisions about using it."

Maddy frowned at me. She was still pissed that the thought of using the vial myself had even crossed my mind. Thankfully, my phone buzzed before any of the women could chastise me anymore.

A text from Donatello lit up the screen. I''d expected to hear from him immediately after Viola''s big pronouncement, but he''d been surprisingly silent. This was the first I''d heard from him in days.

Watch the announcement on the news.