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Stop glowing! You’re putting off ‘oh suck me dry now’ vibrations.

Can you not hear that? It’s getting louder.It was threatening to make him crazy, actually.Do vampires make noises?

Mostly chewing. I think it’s really chewing and sucking.

Huh. That was totally not this. This was more like…home. Maybe fae rang?

I don’t think they’d let him keep any jewelry, Orion.Hawk was totally in humor the lunatic mode.

No. No, goddess, listen to me. There’s a ringing!

You’re glowing louder,Hawk pointed out.

Louder?Could he glow with decibels?

Brighter, whatever. You’ve got to stop.

I’m not doing this on purpose.

What exactly are you two trying to do? Get me killed?

Shut up.Orion noted that Corbin was the one who was just hurrying ahead like he knew what the hell he was doing and could see in the dark.Did you know he was this fast?

Hawk shook his head.It’s never really come up. Usually, it’s Cullen and Corbin that go. I don’t show up as a rule.

He thought, maybe, someone should have told him Hawk was a virgin. Obviously, this ringing was intended to warn him that he was fucked and surrounded by assholes. They should have brought a groundhog shifter. They could dig and there was lots of good eating on a groundhog, should the shit hit the fan.

They came to an opening, and staked out there was a good-sized fae. He would have been beautiful, if he hadn’t been beaten and tortured. And if he’d been bathed? Like ever. He was nothing but lean muscle and skin and sores.

That wasn’t what hit him in the center of his forehead, though. What caught his attention was the animal that had been hog-tied next to the fae.

It was a foal, no more than a week old, black as night, with tiny wings on its back.

Those mother fuckers. He started to shift, rage flooding him, and Corbin glared at him, putting one finger up.

We are going to get them out and get them home. You are not fucking this up.

That’s a pegasus.They were damn near as rare as he was.

I know full well what it is. We won’t let it die in this place, but we have to get out of here. We get them out and we put Hawk to work destroying the entire nest, but we’ve got to go and we’ve got to go RIGHT NOW.Even as he spoke, Corbin was sliding on his belly over the dirt, trying to get to the fae, moss growing on the path where Corbin touched.

Orion could barely hear the soft whispers of Corbin comforting the man as he worked to get him freed.

Orion went over to do the same with the little horse, encouraging him to breathe, to relax, and to let him help. But the baby was scared, hungry, weak, and utterly panicked.

He rested one hand on the dark forehead.Hear me. We’re going to get you out of here. Do you understand, little one? We’re going to take you out of the darkness. But you have to be quiet. Once we’re out, the big dragon will burn up the bad ones.

Big, liquid eyes met his, and the baby leaned its head on him. He lifted it into his arms once he got it untied, then stood. Corbin had the fae guy slung over his shoulder, and he motioned for them to go back out the way they came.

Which was whenHawkstarted to glow. Like a volcano that was about to go off.

Oh, shit. Time to run.

Orion put on a burst of speed, as did Corbin, but even then, he could feel the heat on his back. Hawk was going to melt this place.

Will he be able to get out?he asked Corbin.

Oh, yeah. He’s immune.