Page 11

F ae.

Jace snarled, low and savage. He was operating at a primal level, his animal close to the surface while he was healing.

To his jaguar, the fae were the enemy. They’d tried to kill him last night. They’d been behind Takira’s death, and they’d almost killed his only niece.

His lip peeled back. Now he could taste as well as smell Evie’s scent, allowing him to separate the different notes.

She definitely had some fae in her: he detected a hint of silver.

The only reason he hadn’t noticed before was that his own body had been emitting a metallic odor as it rid itself of the iron in his system.

Evie paled but held her ground.

That gave his animal pause. The cat shook its head, confused.

“What clan?” Adric asked again. His voice was softer now. Menacing.

“Look,” she said, “I’m not fae, okay? D’you think if I were a fae I’d be living like this?” Her gesture encompassed her shabby surroundings. “And why does it matter anyway?”

“It matters,” Adric returned grimly.

Neither Jace nor his cat liked the alpha’s tone. He had to shift. The energy drain on his quartz was still considerable, but he needed to be able to speak.

He focused inward, drawing on the tiny crystals. Normally, he had the strength to change forms with ease, and he enjoyed the buzz of energy it brought. But today, the energy was weak—more a prickle than a buzz. It increased and he almost had it, and then it faded.

“Jace,” Adric said, “are you sure—”

Jace barely heard him. He sucked in a breath and tried harder.

And then his friend was beside him, adding his quartz’s energy to Jace’s, and the prickle strengthened to something close to normal. Through sheer force of will, he wrenched himself back to man and immediately doubled over, gulping oxygen.

Evie’s eyes narrowed. “Get out of my house,” she said, low and mean. “Both of you.”

“As soon as I get some answers,” Adric replied.

Jace came upright. The man was in charge again, and things didn’t add up. “Leave it, Ric.”

The alpha stiffened, but Jace was a lieutenant, directly below Adric in the hierarchy. More than that, he was an old friend. Adric was wrong, and he needed to hear it.

“She had nothing to do with this,” Jace said. “It was pure chance I ended up at her house. And when the night fae came, she and the boy could’ve told him I was in here with them. Instead, they were nearly caught. There’s no way she was working with him.”

He turned to Evie. She had an angry flush on her cheeks, but that was better than seeing her pale with fear.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “As you can see, we don’t like the fae.”

“Don’t fucking trust them, either,” Adric muttered.

She blew out a breath. “I am not fae, damn it.”

“No?”

But her scent held the freshness of truth. Whatever she was, she believed what she was saying. Adric scented it too, because he relaxed.

And at least she wasn’t night fae—she didn’t have that graveyard stench. So she was sun fae or ice fae. Still an enemy, but not the dark hunters the night fae were.

Adric gave her a small smile. “If you would just get Jace’s clothes, we’ll be on our way.”

Evie’s gaze flicked at Jace. “Fine,” she said coldly, and jerked her head at her brother. “Kyler—”

“No—you go. I’ll stay here with the two of them.”

She opened her mouth to argue, then glanced at the teenager’s tight jaw and nodded her head.

While Evie went into the living room, Jace and Adric stood quietly, hands open and relaxed to show Kyler they meant no harm. It was funny, really. Like the kid had a prayer of a chance against two shifters. But Jace respected that Kyler had stepped up to protect his sister, and he knew Adric did,

His alpha examined the lanky teen. “How old are you, anyway?”

Kyler balled his fists. “Sixteen. Why?”

“No reason.”

Jace slid Adric a look. What was he up to? But his friend just stood there, his gaze moving around the kitchen, noting the scuffed and peeling vinyl floor, the cheap plastic blinds on the window and the fact that the table and chairs were clearly secondhand.

Like Evie had said, if she were a fae, would she live like this? Even the most down-on-their-luck fae usually had something to sell—a ward or a spell, or a Gift that was valued in the human world. Her fae blood really must be just a trace, probably less than most fada.

Evie reentered the kitchen and thrust Jace’s pants and shoes at him. “Here.”

He took the pants and pulled them on, leaving the top button undone in deference to his still-healing wounds.

To put on the running shoes, he had to sit on a chair, because there was no way he could bend over to lace them, and he was damned if he’d ask anyone for help.

He shoved his feet into the unlaced shoes and stood back up.

Evie shot a glance at his bare chest and then met his eyes. She pinked up and pressed her lips together.

So he hadn’t imagined her interest last night. He’d been too hurt to do anything about it, but he’d planned to return when he felt better. For this woman, he would’ve made an exception to his rule about human females.

Now that was blown to hell. She just wanted him and Adric out of here, and frankly, he’d think twice—make that three times—before getting involved with a mixed-blood, especially one who didn’t even know what strain of fae ran in her veins.

But as he looked at her set face, regret twanged through him, a single harsh note. Just once, he would’ve liked to touch those soft cheeks of hers, smooth a finger over those strong dark brows. Taste her pretty lips.

Adric had his wallet out. “Here’s something for your trouble.” He held out a handful of bills to Evie.

Jace tensed. “No,” he started to say, but it was too late.

Evie’s eyes flashed. “Get out—now. Both of you.” She pointed to the back door.

“Okay, okay,” Adric said. “Just trying to show our appreciation.”

“I don’t need your appreciation,” she gritted. “I did it because I’m a fucking nice person, got it?”

“Got it,” Adric said mildly. Jace could tell he was trying not to laugh. He tucked the money back into his wallet and glanced at his quartz. “Luc’s here.”

Jace held out a hand to Evie. She hesitated, jaw tight, but took it.

“Thank you.” He squeezed her hand. “And you, too, Kyler. I won’t forget this.”

“Fine.” The kid shook his hand, then jerked his chin at the door. “Now leave.”

He moved closer to his sister so they stood shoulder to shoulder, expressions hard. But beneath the anger there was fear, and that made Jace’s heart twist.

Because he’d stood like that with his sister, too. More than once.

With a regretful nod in their direction, he followed Adric out the door.