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I pulled my gaze up.

Shit, I remembered him. He was the shifter I’d kicked in the nuts.

“I wasn’t checking out your balls, dude.” I shrugged. “It’s not like I’ve never seen balls before. I got a pair myself, and yours aren’t any more impressive.”

The shifters around laughed. Those in their animal forms made a long “rowwoo” sound, their version of laughter.

Javier growled. I growled back. The shifters laughed harder.

I dropped our growling match first, as a dark sense of danger shot into me. A heartbeat later, the shifters’ laughter turned to snarls.

The vampires were approaching fast. They’d tracked me down here. I wasn’t going to wait for them to swarm me then drag me back to Louis by my ear. There was a chance that they might try to kill me on sight, depending on their prince’s orders and his mood, if he’d already revived. I bet his mood was black and murderous.

I was on the brink of breaking. If the vamps sent me into an utter panic, I’d lose control and bring disaster to everyone. I had no doubt that the shifters would intervene, since I was in their territory, and I didn’t want to be the one to cause a house war or the bone two species were fighting over.

If I was out of sight, there should be less or hopefully no conflict.

Running my lips between my teeth as I made up my mind, I sprang up the stairs toward the main door that Dixie had just entered, not giving two shits about shifter etiquette or hierarchy anymore. The door swung open for me, the house magic flowing out, then escorting me in.

I made it.

I halted my steps in the foyer. A sheet of water rushed down a glass screen, and water poured from the mouths of animal sculptures in the center of the hall. The animals represented a variety of shifters.

The house magic, unlike the wild magic from Underhill, urged me on, as if afraid that I’d chicken out. It rippled around me and licked me like a wolf pup with its wet tongue. The vampires’ house magic was also welcoming toward me, but it had boundaries. It was partly shaped by the most powerful vampire, so it wasn’t exactly cuddly.

Just then a giant man with hard muscles strolled down the stairs with staggering arrogance. I was sure he owned every inch of this place, but he thought he owned the air as well.

Silas, the prince of the House of Shifters, didn’t own the magic in the house either, because I could easily take it from him. He’d try to kill me if he knew that.

He was shirtless, a gleam of sweat dotting his broad chest. He smelled of sex. Sy peeked out at him longingly. From the scowl on his face, the prince was obviously in the middle of banging when Dixie went to get him. She was right behind him on the stairs.

The annoyance and imperiousness in his amber eyes flickered as he noticed me admiring the water sculptures. I’d entered his house without being invited or initiated. His brows lowered in menace after his initial surprise. His predatory gaze homed in on me.

Dixie also halted, staring at me, shock evident on her face. Her nose ring fluttered. She wasn’t going to attack me, but her prince was ready to pounce on me.

The heirs all had a brutal reputation, and I heard that Prince Silas was even less forgiving if anyone crossed him.

He shook away the hair flopping into his face and resumed his purposeful gait, coming toward me. His sharp gaze never left me. Dixie rushed down the stairs after him.

I was bone tired, so I traipsed to the enormous sofa a few paces away and perched on the edge. I didn’t have blood on my pants, so I wouldn’t dirty the sofa, which was the color of gray clouds. There were large cushions all around. I wanted to take a nap more than anything. Then I realized those cushions were dog beds—well, they were for shifters in their animal forms. They wouldn’t be happy if I curled up on their cots. Shifters were territorial.

“How did you get in, boy?” Silas’s demanding voice boomed in my ear.

I snapped my eyes open, not knowing when I’d shut them. It was like one second, he’d been on the stairs, then next, he was here, growling and glaring down at me, not caring about personal space.

“I walked in, sir. The door was open,” I answered meekly and dutifully, rubbing my eyelids. “I was with Dixie, who’s behind you.” I craned my neck to peer at Dixie while she frowned at me in puzzlement and worry. “I thought it would be better to wait for her inside rather than outside. It’s getting hot, and I don’t do too well in heat.”

Silas turned to Dixie, his voice cutting. “Did you initiate him?”

She stepped out from behind her cousin and shook her head. “Only you can initiate a pack member, Highness. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to even try as your beta.” She looked down at me. “You shouldn’t be able to get into our house without being properly marked by Prince Silas. The house shouldn’t have admitted you!”

“But the house admitted me,” I protested, then softened my tone a notch. “If you want, I can go out again and wait for you outside after the vampires leave. They’re at the perimeter, and they’re hunting me.”

Silas and Dixie traded a look, and Silas growled.

“Check the ward and see if it’s down,” he ordered.

With a nod, Dixie sprang toward the door while the prince pinned me down with his alpha stare as if I were a harmful fly. Dixie returned with a brisk gait and shook her head.