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“We have trouble. Big trouble. Something is coming through the portal. Something new. Somethingverybad.”

Chapter 2

Packed and Dangerous

“What the fuck is going on out here? A fucking party in my fucking backyard?”

Oh shit, it’s creepy Pete.

All around me, everyone freezes, and Josh goes rigid at my side. I hate the reaction, and it confirms what I already knew—Josh is not staying here without us.

Then we all turn around to face Pete. He’s a big man, all muscle—he works out a lot. He’s wearing a dirty gray vest that shows off the tattoos on his arms and grease-stained jeans. He’s an ugly bastard.

The second biker gets off his Harley and joins us. He takes up a place on my other side and flashes me a grin. He looks younger,maybe around Zayne’s age, which is nearly twenty, and is blond and easygoing, though just as gorgeous as his friend. Maybe the shadowguard only attack beautiful people. Then again, they attacked me, and I’ve never thought of myself as particularly beautiful.

There’s now a line of us facing Pete, but he’s too stupid to know when he’s in trouble.

“Get the fuck off my property,” Pete says. “And that includes you, you little shit.” He jabs a finger at Zayne. “You don’t live here anymore, thank Christ.” His gaze flickers to me and then away. Pete likes to pretend I don’t exist. He thinks I’m a freak. The thought makes me smirk—if he knew how freaky I really was, he’d be shitting himself.

Zayne takes a step toward him and shoves his hands into his pockets. “I suggest you walk away, get in your truck, and don’t come back until morning.”

“Why the fuck—”

Zayne takes a step closer, and Pete shuts up. His eyes widen. I’m not sure what he sees, but I can guess, and it clearly scares the crap out of him. He swallows, opens his mouth. Closes it again.

“Go.”

Pete looks around wildly for a moment, then he shakes his head and scurries off down the drive away from the house and disappears. Nobody moves until we see headlights switched on. A few seconds later Pete’s black truck screeches down the road spewing black smoke. I didn’t know he had it in him to be sensible.

Zayne turns around and I bite back a gasp. His eyes are no longer human; they’re lizard’s eyes, yellow with a vertical black slit. Then he blinks and his silver-gray eyes are back. Josh pulls free and runs to Zayne, who wraps both arms around him in a hug.

“So, I guess introductions are in order,” the blond guy on my right says.

“I guess,” I reply, still watching Zayne and Josh. I spent so long trying to push them away, trying to tell myself that they weren’t my family. That I had a “real” family out there somewhere. Well, that turned outsuper. And I’ve given up. My only family that matters—except maybe Hecate—is standing in front of me. I catch Zayne’s gaze, and he nods as though he knows what I’m thinking. And my heart warms because I wasn’t sure we could go back to this after I found out Zayne was hoping I could be more than a sister. It seems he’s put that behind him. Thank God!

“I’m Jack,” the blond says. “And the ugly guy over there is Killian.” He thrusts out his hand and looks at me expectantly. I take it, and that little thrill runs through me that I always seem to get when I touch shifters. His grip tightens and his eyes widen. I guess he feels it too.

“I’m Amber,” I say, taking my hand back. “Zayne’s sister.”

“I know. He told us. Though that was all he would say. He didn’t tell us how pretty you are.”

I snort. Then Josh pulls free of Zayne and comes to stand next to me, slipping his hand in mine possessively.

“It seems you have a protector,” Killian says. He holds out his hand and I take it with my free one. Yup, there it is again. Killian’s eyes narrow. “What are you?” he asks.

I shrug. I don’t know them well enough to spill my guts just yet. Killian frowns, like he’s going to push it, but then he gives a shrug of his own. He looks at Zayne. “So are you coming?”

“We all are,” Zayne replies.

Killian glances at me again, the frown still between his eyes. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“I can vouch for Amber. Believe me when I say that she can look after herself.”

He gives me another look as though he’s not convinced—I am only five-foot-one—then shrugs. “Okay. That will be enough. For now. What about the boy?”

Zayne looks at me and says, “You know Pete will take it out on Josh if we leave him here.”

“I know. I’d already decided he was coming with us. He’ll be safe with Hecate.”