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He’d gone another ten steps when something fluttered out of the trees to the ground. It landed between him and me.

Dylan turned and watched as I stooped to retrieve it. I let my energy sword go as I swiped it up. When I shook the fabric out, I saw it was an adult man’s t-shirt.

Dylan walked to me and sniffed it. “I smell Ben on the shirt. Do you think the gorilla got him?”

"I'm safe. The gorilla didn't get me," Ben's voice reassured us from the trees.

“Where are ya, Ben?” I looked up at the trees as I asked my questions. “Are ya hiding up there?”

“Yes. I’m hiding because I broke my charm.”

“Charm? What charm?”I asked as my gaze searched the leaves. He wassuperbat hiding because I couldn’t see Ben at all.

“I told you to come alone, Aran. Is this how you follow orders?”

“Ya didn’t say to come alone. Ya told me to be discreet, which I know is one of yer favorite orders to give. Dylan is the only one with me. Mulan will be here soon, though, and she’s bringing Conn with her. If ya want to keep a secret from all of us, ya shouldn’t have sounded so desperate in yer texts.”

A round of swearing filtered down around me. It was like the trees both amplified and constrained his voice. It was the strangest thing.

“This wasn’t how I meant to tell you this, and I certainly didn’t intend to announce it to the world.”

I looked at Dylan. He looked as confused as I felt.

I moved my gaze back to the leaves above my head. “Ya’re worrying for no reason, Ben. There are a lot more than three or four people in the world.”

Another round of swearing fell on Dylan and me. Finally, Ben heaved a sigh. “You’re a smart ass, Aran O’Malley.”

My grin at his complaint was wide. “I’ve been called much worse.”

Then, for some strange reason, I laughed. “If ya knew what Mulan and I did today, ya’d know why I’m so mouthy. Yer timing couldn’t have been worse. I’m dead tired and should be in bed recuperating.”

“Well, it wasn’t like I planned what happened. Some jackass ripped the leather holding my charm and took off with it. He was wearing a mask, and I couldn’t see his face. I followed him but lost his scent in the park.”

“Did ya just say ya followed his scent?”

“Yeah. I might as well get this over with. Brace yourselves,” Ben ordered.

A twelve-foot monster dropped from the trees and landed several feet in front of us. The energy sword was in my hand before I could question the action of calling it.

The monster straightened and glared at both Dylan and me. Its gaze went to the sword and it grunted.

“Andthisis precisely why I never told you,” the monster said in Ben’s voice. “After watching you chop pieces off your ex-husband’s monster form, I figured you’d swing your sword first and ask questions later. I’m fond of my head and want to keep it.”

I let the energy sword fade away. “By the Goddess, Ben. What happened to ya?”

“Long before the military captured a guardian, they were playing with genetic alterations.”

I blinked at him. “So this is why ya were so sure nothing we did would stop them from experimenting.”

I watched as the monster’s gigantic head nodded. Ben’s shifted form was a frighting sight to behold, but he seemed to be the same old Ben when he communicated.

“You already know a little of my story. I was exposed to a biological weapon that was killing me. Whether that weapon was the result of an enemy or our own scientists, I couldn’t say. Of my entire team, I’m the only one who survived what happened to us. But as you can see, I paid an enormous price for my survival.”

“Ya hid yer secret well, Ben. I assume the Shadow Breakers know.”

“It was Ezra who tracked me down and talked me into sharing the truth. That was two years ago and before I met you. I’d been talking to them for quite a while. The job offer wasn’t really a surprise. It was mostly them wearing me down.”

“They have seers on staff. Ya can’t hide much from the organization. If the Shadow Breakers were looking for someone in this country with paranormal skills, they wouldn’t have stopped until they found one.”