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“That doesn’t matter. The important part is that you’re together again.” Irena was babbling in a language Eve didn’t understand, but it was easy to see their joy at being reunited.

“But… how long has she been here?”

“She arrived yesterday,” Eve told him. “With Aelryn and his mates.”

Victor grimaced, rubbing his forehead. “Why would you do this? We fought. I hurt you.”

She gazed into eyes filled with sadness and pain.

“Yes, we did fight. Now you tellmesomething. If it hadn’t been for Theron, do you think we would have?”

His lower lip jutted out. For such a big man, he seemed so frail and innocent.

“I dislike fighting,” he said at last. “I much prefer to wade in the water as my hippo. No one stares at me as if I’m filthy, disgusting.” He gestured to his body. “I eat almost nothing, and yet look at me.”

Eve put a hand on his arm. “Listen to me. Some shifters reflect their animal. You’re one of those. And believe me when I say, you look very good.” She smirked. “And if you want to talk about body problems, imagine how often a gorilla shifter has to shave her legs and armpits.”

“And we wouldn’t change a thing about you,” Hashtag said from behind her. “We love the whole package.” He held his hand out to Victor. “It’s good to meet you again, Victor.”

Tears slid down his cheeks. “I don’t understand. I smell her on you. How can you not hate me?”

Roadkill joined them. “Because we’ve all done things we wished we hadn’t been forced into. No one here blames you. What you did was for survival, and as former military, we can respect that.” He grinned. “As long as you don’t do it again, we’re good.”

Victor blinked, and then he smiled. “Never,” he vowed. He patted Eve on the shoulder. “I would give my life for my savior.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t save you so you’d owe me. I did it because it was the good and right thing to do.”

“I asked you to fight with us,” Hashtag reminded him. “But if you’d rather have a peaceful life, we would totally get that.”

Victor sneered, his lip curling up, showing his missing teeth. “The Gerans are murderers, and I will help bring them to justice.” Then he jerked his head up, sniffing again. “But whatisthat smell?”

Eve frowned. “I don’t understand. I thought you’d caught Irena’s scent.”

He shook his head. “No, this is different. It’s….” His brows knitted. “I have never smelled anything like it before.”

And then the penny dropped.

Eve’s heartbeat quickened. “Kind of sweet and spicy, all at once?”

Victor stared at her. “Yes, exactly like that.”

Eve met Hashtag’s gaze, then Roadkill’s.

There could only be one explanation.

“I think you need to come with me.”

JAKE INCLINEDhis head toward the patio. “Doyouknow what’s going on?” Mrs. Landon had been going back and forth all afternoon, preparing tables for some kind of meal.

And that was another thing. There seemed to be more place settings than people staying at the house.

Doc leaned back in the wide patio chair and gazed out at the lake. “No clue. Doubtless someone will fill us in at some point.” He sniffed, and froze. “Do you smell that?”

Jake frowned and took a sniff. “Smell wha—” He gaped at Doc. “That smells like you.”

“I thought it smelled likeyou.”

Jake heard footsteps, and he turned to see who approached. Eve walked purposefully in their direction, accompanied by a mountain of a man who appeared to have been in battle recently, judging by his fading bruises and scars.