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Illuminated by powerful flashlights, the naked victim lay face up on the icy terrain, her head close to the Yukon with its thick chunks of ice floating by. Fingers splayed out on the brutal terrain, her hands appeared both bruised and frozen, while spikes of ice covered her bare feet. Her long, black hair spread over the frozen ground, and her face was turned to the side. Dark bruises covered her throat, and a circle with slashes through the center had been dug into her neck with what appeared to be blue ink.

Anger speared through Vero, and he pushed all emotion away, forcing himself to concentrate. He looked up and measured the distance across the river and studied the nearby snow-filled trees and starkly looming mountains. He didn’t sense a threat near, but considering Lyrica stood next to him, he rem ained vigilant.

He crouched down and angled his head. Bruising marred the victim’s face, and her nose had been broken. Blood pooled onto the ice around her.

“I don’t recognize her.” He looked up at the doctor, whom he’d called in immediately.

Fizzlewick dropped to his haunches, fury rolling off him. “I haven’t seen her before, but I don’t know everybody in the camp yet.”

The human victim appeared to be in her mid to late twenties.

Vero angled his head. “We have new Kurjans who have moved to this camp from outlying satellites, so I don’t know everybody yet, but I’ve n ever seen her.”

The doctor looked up at Lyrica, where she hovered closer to the victim’s feet. “Do you recognize her?”

Slowly, Lyrica shook her head. “No, I’ve never spoken to her. She’s not one of the kidnapped females, for sure.” She paled, and her lips had turned blue from the cold, even though she huddled in a thick, black puffer jacket.

“Why don’t you return to the lodge?” Vero tried to make the statement sound like a request.

She stuck her hands in her pockets. “No, I’m good. Was she strangled?”

“It looks like it,” Dr. Fizzlewick said. “I’ll know more when I get her into the lab.”

Vero leaned over again and took another look. “She didn’t belong to the Kurjan encampment that I moved from Eastern Canada, and I’ve met with most of our rec ent newcomers.”

Although it was entirely possible he had met with the female’s mate an d not with her.

Jonathan stood, anger etching lines into his strong face. “Lyrica, are you sure she’s not one of the kidn apped females?”

Lyrica nodded, her nose red from the cold. “Yes. In addition, I’ve spoken with most of the mated females in the territory, and I don’t recognize her. I’ll provide you with a list of everyone I’ve met with so far, which will greatly narrow dow n your search.”

Vero leaned in and smelled only female. The victim’s scent still lingered in tones of rich roses, but terror also filled the freezing air with the smell of burned lemons. “I don’t sense tha t she’s mated.”

“Neither do I,” Dr. Fizzlewick said. “However, she’s frozen, and she could b e newly mated.”

That could make sense, but even stil l, who was she?

Lyrica shifted her snow boots as her body shook with cold. The wind blasted into her, throwing her hair back, but she didn’t complain. Not a bit. “Is it possible somebody brought her here from a nearby town?”

Vero wanted to cover the female but knew the doc had to perform an autopsy first. “No. The nearest town is four hundred and thirty miles away, which takes nearly three hours in our most advanced helicopter.” Although, he would ask Silas since he’d recently headed to a town. “Even Kurjans on foot, snowmobile, or in a UTV would be gone long enough they’d be missed. Nobody could’ve left here and brought her back…absent a helicopter.”

“We need to speak with every pilot,” Jonathan said gr imly, standing.

Vero stood and brushed icy snow off his jeans. “Agreed, but other than our raiding party the other day, where you and I were present, only Silas has flown out of here. I’ll seek him ou t immediately.”

Ice began to gather in Lyrica’s thick hair. “Is there any way a helicopter could be taken withou t you knowing?”

“Negative,” Vero said. “Our hearing is too acute.”

Jonathan shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, his angry gaze still on the prone victim. “We also feel the vibrations as they bounce back from the ground. Nobody has taken a helico pter secretly.”

Dr. Fizzlewick motioned with his gnarled hands. “Let’s get her back to the lab and take a picture of her face once we clean her up, and go door to door. We have to identify her.”

Vero looked directly at Lyrica. “Return to your office. Cover both of ours in case somebody comes looking for a missing female. Once we send you a picture, you can meet with the rescued females and ask if anyb ody knows her.”

She hesitated.

“You’re needed at our offices now, just in cas e,” he prodded.

Gulping, her brown eyes wi de, she turned.

He absolutely did not want her out in the cold for any longer staring at a fragile and broken human. One he hadn’t been a ble to protect.

Dr. Fizzlewick reached for the victim’s shoulder. “All right, let’s do this.”

* * * *

After a night without decent sleep, the sound of hammers and saws slowly drove Vero insane, even though he knew they had to get the lodge back up to standards. He began to turn away from his computer just as Paxton filled the screen from a country away.

“Morning,” Pax said. “Good to know that the computers have been updated and we can meet this way, even though I’ll be back in a couple of days. For now, I received your message about another dead body with the weird symbol. We need to fin d this killer.”

Vero paused. “Hi. I’m working on it. I saw Fizzlewick this morning, and his prelim didn’t provide any additional information. She was raped and strangled like the first victim before freezing. We don’t know who she is. How’s Realm headquarters?”

“Good. I’m reaching out to the Cyst leader today from the Realm, thinking that might make a statement. Tell me about G eneral Waxton.”

Vero needed a sparkling water. Had the stash been replenished? “The general is smart and strong, and actually a decent guy. Has a level head on his shoulders, and while an excellent fighter, I believe he prefers the spiritual side of his job. Use reason and respect with him.” Vero had always liked that general. He didn’t pick on kids or females. “He has to be at least two thous and years old.”

Paxton whistled. “Impressive. Hopefully the news of our problems in the camp hasn’t reached him.” Paxton leaned closer to the screen. “Before I forget, are you all right after our fight th e other night?”

“What fight?” Vero drawled. It had taken him a while to heal his spleen, but he supposed that was a good thing. He wouldn’t want his brother to be a wimp when it came to a good scuffle.

“Just checking.” Paxton scrubbed both hands down his face. “Back to the victims in our territory. I’ve been on the phone with various leaders around the world, as have the Realm leaders. Nobody has any clue what the circle with slashes thr ough it means.”

Vero sat back and his chair creaked. “On one hand, that’s good news. It means there isn’t some coalition out there trying to take us down. On t he other hand…”

Paxton stretched his neck. “We have no clue who would murder helpless human females. Is this a common thing in the Kurjan nation?”

“Absolutely not,” Vero said. “This is an anomaly.” He tried to sound casual. “How is Hunter doing?”

“Hunter’s doing well. Their doctors are the best in the world, especially his mom. The king said Hunter should be all healed up in probably a week, and he’s already talking a little bit. Didn’t see who jumped him and managed to dive through the ice and into the river, letting the current take him to where we found him. Guy was smart.”

Healing the damage in his neck that quickly was impressive. Reattaching cords and even vertebrae should have taken longer than that. Vero had always known Hunter to be tough, but this feat stood out as remarkable.

“Have you decided if you want our current location to be the permanent headquarter s?” Vero asked.

“I think so. It’s a good strategic position and we’re close to the Realm, but not too close. What do you think?”

Vero picked up a pen to twirl between his fingers. “I like the position of it. If this is it, I will send orders for the complete computer hub to be sent here. I’m having trouble accessing the satellites. It should take about two days to get us up and running if we fu lly move here.”

“We’ll need to get going with digging an underground headquarters and some escape routes ,” Paxton said.

Vero nodded. “I will start sketching up ideas. Back to the current problem. Lyrica checked in and none of the kidnapped females recognized the second victim.”

Paxton’s brows drew down. “Really? No t one of them?”

Vero shook his head. “No, and she wasn’t betrothed to any of the soldiers.”

Paxton threw a hand in the air. “She didn’t just arrive o ut of nowhere.”

“I know,” Ver o said, grimly.

Paxton lifted his head, his chin firming. “The only person to leave camp and come back within the last w eek was Silas.”

“Yes, and I have him in a cell. I’m going to leave him there for some time before interrogating him, to keep him off balance,” Vero said. “I’ve known him longer than you have, and I’ll be able to tell if he’s lying.” Maybe. At several centuries old, the male probably had perfected a few talents through the years. “I have to tell you I don’t see it being him. I just don’t.”

“Then maybe I should interview him when I return in a couple of days ,” Paxton said.

Vero liked that Paxton apparently thought he’d find success. “If he hasn’t broken by then, he won’t. I’ll try and maybe come in sympathetic. We need to figure this out.” Nothing in him could see Silas mutilating a human female like that, but Vero had been hit with enough surprises in his life. He should be read y for anything.

“Kee p me informed.”

“I will.” Vero ground one fist into his right eye, trying to push back a looming headache. “I don’t want this investigation to interfere with my plans for the females t his afternoon.”

The human females who wanted to leave had all signed the NDA and accepted the seven-figure bank accounts. He didn’t expect any of them to talk—or remember their time in the wild. A fact he had chosen not to share with Lyrica. “I want to stay on schedule with releasing the rescued females today.”

“I agree,” Paxton said. “They want to go home and they have every right to return to their lives. How many females de cided to stay?”

“Twelve,” Vero said, surprised. “I guess immortal ity is a draw.”

Paxton nodded. “If they continue to stay, we can invite them to my wedding in the spring.” He paled slightly.

Vero exhaled slowly. “Spring’s going to be here before we know it. Are you certain the Realm is prepared for Kurjan soldiers to at tend an event?”

“I’m certain,” Paxton said. “If we’re going to ally with the Realm, we need to do it sooner rather than later. I’ve been looking through Kurjan records, and it appears there are probably five hundred Kurjans alive across the globe and one hundred Cyst soldiers. Is that true?”

“I think there are a few more that we’ve lost track of,” Vero admitted. “More than half decided to stay with the nation when you took over as the king, and we need those forty Cyst leaders. You have to convince the m to join us.”

Paxton remained quiet for a moment. “I will. You have my word. How many soldiers at that main camp do you think want to take me down?”

“I don’t know,” Vero said. “Obviously a couple of people or they wouldn’t have bombed your room the other night. I haven’t had any luck figuring out who that is. It’s going to take me a while to interview two hundred soldiers and their mates about the bombing and dead human females. The somewhat good news is that I can combine those interviews with Lyrica’s since she’s speaking to all of the mates.”

“Fair enough,” Paxton said. “Hunter should be up and talking within a few days. Do you want him to gi ve you a call?”

“No.”

Paxton studied him. “All right. I’m not going to push that, but you have to remember he was doing his job when he infiltrated the Kurjan nation.”

“I rememb er,” Vero said.

Paxton chuckled. “Well, if nothing else, I get to miss your little get-together with newcomers tonight. I hate coc ktail parties.”

“As do I,” Vero groused. “But it’s Kurjan tradition, and Lyrica is excited to meet the twenty new couples, so she’s organized it.” The group was a small band that hadn’t liked the former leadership but had agreed to join the current nation—so long as Paxton succeeded in bringing home the forty Cyst soldiers. “They should arrive any minute via our helicopters.” He hadn’t wanted to put off the meeting. More soldiers could only help at this point.

Movement sounded outside his office and Lukas Macrame stood in the doorway. “You wanted to see me?” the kid asked.

“I have to go, Pax. Talk later.” Vero ended the video call.

Lukas took a deep breath and strode inside.

Vero released the pen he had been holding. “Have a seat.”

The kid stood tall at about six foot seven and remained gangly. His skin carried a tone slightly deeper than pale, complemented by striking amethyst eyes and pure black hair lacking any red. As one of the babies injected with the Sunshine Cure in utero, he hadn’t required additional supplements until he turned t hree years old.

At that time, the Kurjan scientists realized the in-utero cure only lasted a few years, sometimes less. So now the kid received injections just like the rest of them. Lukas had good looks and faced Vero wit hout flinching.

Vero didn’t know how to do this. “I wanted to talk to you ab out Genevieve.”

Lukas tugged on his training unifor m. “I figured.”

Vero had seen him on the field. The strong kid would make a good soldier someday. “She’s a human female and she’s fragile.”

“I understand that,” Lukas said. “She’s also smart and in credibly kind.”

Oh. Vero sat back. He was dealing with puppy love or hell, maybe the real thing. What did he know? “She doesn’t have family to protect her, so that leaves me. You understand wh at I’m saying?”

Lukas gulped. “Yes, I understand what you’re saying. I do want to court her.”

“You’re seventeen years old. You’re a little young for courting. You’re going to live thous ands of years.”

“I know.” The kid flushed. “But sh e’s it for me.”

Vero didn’t have time to deal with young love. “That is off the table. There will be no mating until you’re well of age. Tell me you get me.”

Now an angry flash swirled across Lukas’s hard-cut face. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to court her for a good twenty years. That’s fine with me and that’s fine with her. She’s the one. When you find the one, you don’t sit. You don’t wait. I mean, life might be long, but sometimes it’s cut off way too early, you know? I wouldn’t want to miss a moment.”

“You make a good point,” Vero said. His mind flashed to Lyrica and their kiss the other night. How many good moments co uld they have?