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Vero sat back against the smooth interior of the Phantom Hawk helicopter, his fingers itching for the control panel up front. He’d designed the entire craft front to back and didn’t like somebody else piloting it, but he flanked Paxton with Hunter on Pa x’s other side.

When Vero had stepped up and forced his half-brother to become king of the Kurjan nation, he committed himself to protecting the soldier at any cost. There had already been two attempts on Paxton’s life during the last three weeks as they’d negotiated and nearly come to an agreement, a treaty of sorts with the Realm.

For Vero’s entire life, the Realm had been their most dangerous enemy. As a coalition of other immortal beings like vampires, demons, witches, fairies, and shifters, they had been a formidable foe. The idea that they were becoming allies still kept Ve ro up at night.

Had he made a colossal mistake in declaring Paxton their new king? Since Paxton was the oldest heir, it was his birthright.

Probably.

With the Realm treaty almost in place, now Vero only had to worry about the Convexus next week, where Paxton and he needed to draw the Cyst coalition back into the Kurjan nation. The meeting had to take place at headquarters during the Kurjan Dark Solstice, which only occurred every one thousand years, or any chance they had might be lost forever. Surviving as only half a nation seemed nea rly impossible.

Paxton glanced at him sideways. “This is a hell of a craft. You really designed this?”

An unwilling pride filtered through Vero and he banished it instantly. “Yes.” He took a moment to study the screens across from him that glowed and displayed real-time battlefield data, enemy positions, and mission objectives. Tension-filled quiet blanketed the craft, which ran silently since he’d built it with fusion-p owered engines.

He studied his half-brother from the side of his eye. Was there any resemblance between them? If so, he couldn’t see it. Paxton was as tall as Vero and as broad, but he had otherworldly silverly-blue eyes. They were a cross between polished steel and an electric wire. Both males had thick black hair, and Vero supposed their bone structure might be slightly similar. Both angled, both sharp, and Vero’s eyes were blue, unlike most Kurjans, who had purple or red eyes and black hair tipped with red or red hair tip ped with black.

The fact that Hunter sat on the other side of Paxton still with the implants in his face making him look like a Kurjan was an abomination. Hunter was a demon-vampire mix and had undergone surgery to appear Kurjan. He’d been undercover since he was sixteen years old. Deceiver.

If Pax noticed Vero’s tension, he didn’t let on. “Tell me again about the helicopter’s camouf lage,” he said.

Vero rolled his shoulders to loosen them before the battle to come. “The exterior is enveloped in an adaptive camouflage that renders the helicopter invisible to radar and the naked eye.”

Paxton shook his head. “That’s awesome, but what I want t o know is how.”

“Oh,” Vero said. “I created a heat-dissipating system that cools exhaust emissions and eliminates any infrared signatures that might expose us. In addition, the external panels project images of the surrounding environment and render the aircraft invisible to the naked eye. Nobody knows we’re coming and nobody kno ws we’re here.”

Hunter leaned forward to look at Vero across Paxton’s broad chest. “I knew you were the smartest guy around. When you said you were working on a top secret project, I had no idea it would be someth ing this cool.”

Vero stared at him implacably. “I didn’t trust you as much as you thought I did.” He turned his gaze back to watch the enemy on the screen, addressing Hunter for the first time i n three weeks..

Paxton cut him a look but r emained silent.

“All right, boys,” Hope’s chipper voice came through his ear-comm. “You’re about a minute away.”

Vero jolted, then regained his composure. It was an odd experience to hear a female voice coming through the comm lines during a mission. According to Paxton, his young mate had the most strategic mind in th e entire Realm.

“Vero, you go od?” she asked.

Why was she singling him out? “Affirma tive,” he said.

“Wonderful. I made sure that you had two of the Realm’s newest knives in your pack. I want your opini on about them.”

Paxton stretched out his legs. “ What about me?”

“You got one too,” she said, chuckling. “But you’re not as accustomed to the Kurjan fighting me thods as Vero.”

Yeah, that’s because Vero was fighting against his own people. His shoul ders stiffened.

Paxton cracked his knuckles. “I’m reading twenty-two heat signatures on the screen, but the picture is fuzzi ng in and out.”

“I can’t help that,” Hope said. “Our satellites are out of range, and the ones we’ve hacked are moving and rather out of date. Plus, there’s quite the heavy cloud cover, but I can confirm the twenty-two heat signatures. It looks to me like there are two main structures and then several smaller tents scattered around. These folks are just sett ing up a camp.”

Paxton nodded. “Tell us about t heir location.”

“They’re in Kelly Creek, a small unincorporated area in the middle of the mountains. It’s going to be cold,” Hope said slowly. “It’s pretty much exactly what you suspected.”

The monitor in front of the m fuzzed again.

“Our screen has gone blind,” Pax said. “Tell me what you see.”

Rapid typing came over the line. “I can tell you what I saw five minutes ago. It looks like there are twelve heat signatures in the structure closest to the river. They’re not moving much, and my guess is that these are the captured women. It’s after midnight there, so ever yone’s asleep.”

It had taken them about two hours to reach the destination. “What about the other structur e?” Vero asked.

More typing came across the line. “I see six people prone, obvio usly sleeping.”

“So that’s eighteen. We’re missing four ,” Hunter said.

“Yes. I’d say those four are patrolling. We saw some movement before we lost the fe ed,” Hope said.

Vero ensured his combat boots were t ightly secured.

“All right,” Paxton said. “Stay in my ear, baby.”

“Always,” Hope s aid cheerfully.

Vero frowned at the still-fuzzy screen. What would it be like to be that close to a female? He wasn’t entirely sure he’d allow his mate to be part of the fighting force, but then again, Hope remained safely back at headquarters. He had to admit the plan she put together was excellent.

The pilot motioned toward them. “T hirty seconds.”

Vero hefted to his feet, securing his knives in the sheaths strapped to his legs. He had one gun at the back of his waist, which shot green lasers that would turn into metal upon hitting immortal flesh. His knives and one sword provided additional protection for him. The only method to eliminate one of his enemies was beheading.

“I’d rather not kill anybody,” he said somberly.

Pax stood and headed toward the back hatch. “Agreed. The mission is to rescue the kidnapped humans and leave the Kurjans alone, hoping they might someday rejoin the Kurjan nation. Since we’ve destroyed the Kurjan ability to track enhanced females on the planet by decimating that program in all satellites, they won’t be able to continue down their current path.”

Hunter reached the hatch first and hit the button so it would slowly open. “In position now.”

“On one,” the pilot called back. “Th ree. Two. One.”

Hunter winked and leaped out of the moving craft into a somersault that he repeated several times. Vero rolled his eyes. Pax followed and Vero counted to two before jumping out. He rolled several times and dropped the hundred or so feet to touch the ground, his feet sinking through ice and snow before he bounded up, flipped in the air, and repeated the action two more times before he could land without jar ring his knees.

He looked around quickly to see both Pax and Hunter slogging through waist-high snow to the tree line. He bounded their way, his ankle protesting slightly from the jump. It would’ve killed a human, but he likely escaped with just a bruise. He reached them and waited for the rest of their soldie rs to catch up.

Hunter leaned ov er and coughed.

“I’m on lead.” Vero itched t o hit somebody.

Hunter straightene d and shrugged.

Vero immediately dodged into the thick forest and angled around trees and bushes with the snow chilling him through his uniform. They emerged into what had been set up as a camp. The clouds covered the moon, but the snow still glowed enough that he could see ne arly perfectly.

Paxton reached his side, his breathing even. “Looks lik e we expected.”

“Hunter and I will take the main building. You three get the hostages and you three find the patrolling males,” Vero instructed the raiding party.

Paxton’s dark eyebrow rose. “ What about me?”

“You stick to the tree line and shoot anybody that comes your way,” Ve ro said curtly.

“That’s not how I work.” Paxton began striding toward the main building.

Vero grabbed his shoulder and jerked him to a halt. “Whether you like it or not, you’re the king of the Kurjan nation. You don’t g o into battle.”

Paxton turned on him, heat rolling off him. They stood eye to eye at the same height. They were both bulky and strong, and for a fleeting second, Vero wondered who’d win a figh t between them.

Paxton leaned in. “The only way I’m ever going to get the trust of these people is if I prove myself. Besides, I’ve never known any leader to sit back when there was a fi ght happening.”

Vero shook his head. It was common for a leader to sit back and strategize. “If you die, we’re in a shitlo ad of trouble.”

“I’m aware of that,” Paxton snarled. “I’m not plan ning on dying.”

Vero turned to Hunter. “Is this how the Realm really does it? You’re telling me that King Dage Kayrs goe s into battle?”

Hunter nodded, his fake purplish-red eyes swirling. “Yeah, that’s exactly how it happens with my father. He’s usually the first through the door. Your people seem to be more like humans. If the ones in charge were bleeding and dying, you wouldn’t be at war so often.”

“Perha ps,” Vero said.

Paxton turned and advanced even faster toward a rough log structure larger th an the others.

Vero jogged to catch up and shoved his way in front of his brother. “Fine, but at least le t me go first.”

“Fine,” Paxton muttered back.

Vero silently strode up the two stairs and pushed open a rough wooden door. His gaze scanned a wide gathering area with natural rocks placed around for people to sit on. The camp’s occupants hadn’t had time to secure furniture yet. The Kurjan investigators had discovered this place quickly. Good.

“I’ll go left. You go right,” he told Hunter. He didn’t really care where Paxton went, so long as he remained behi nd one of them.

“Sounds good.” Hunter pivoted.

Vero immediately headed down a short hallway that had only two doors. He shoved open the first one and jumped on the sleeping Kurjan before the guy could blink. “Hi, Zelic. Good to see you again. We miss you in the mechanic’s shop.” Vero had him tied up with impossible-to-break zip ties and out of the bed within seconds. When Vero turned around, Paxton had vanis hed. “Damn it.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this, Vero,” his prisoner said, fighti ng against him.

While several inches taller than Vero, Zelic didn’t come clo se in strength.

“Peace is a good thing.” Vero propelled the guy out into the hallway. “Don’t you miss home?”

“Drop dead,” Zelic snapped.

Paxton emerged with another Kurjan.

“Vero,” the older s oldier snarled.

“Hi there, Ornot,” Vero said, forcing cheer. “Don’t you miss th e big kitchen?”

The guy ranked among the best chefs in the world and had seemed to enjoy his work.

“Not with a traitor or a demon spawn,” Ornot sneered.

Paxton pushed the chef roughly ahead of him and tossed a tablet at Vero. “Plans to assassinate me before a rogue Cyst group has a plan for taking ov er the nation.”

Ornot tried to punch back and missed. “We intercepted those. You are going to die, demon. We’re not in contact with any of the assassin teams, and even I can tell the p lans are good.”

Vero glanced down at the cryptic plan. There was no doubt Ornot had intercepted these, considering none of his team were dangerous. A pit dropped in Vero’s gut. He had changed the entire trajectory for the nation, probably for good, but had it been the right decision?

He shoved the mechanic down the hallway and into the main room just as Hunter emerged with two other Kurjans. They had been low-level soldiers before they left the Kurjan nation, and Vero had never worked with either of them.

The first had purple eyes that turned bloodred. “You sided with a demon spawn. Hell, only half of a demon spawn,” he snar led. “Traitor.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Vero drawled, shoving Zelic out the door into the cold.

He looked around to see that part of his team had captured the other soldiers while the others had freed the females. The twelve females wore ragged clothing, like they hadn’t changed in a week. They seemed to range in age from probably around seventeen to forty years old. One struggled against one o f his soldiers.

“Stop,” Vero said, his vo ice commanding.

The female in stantly halted.

“You’ll be safe. We’re taking you s omewhere safe.”

“You’re kidnapping us again?” a petite redhead snapped, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

He smoothed out his tone. “Not permanently. Let’s head toward the helicopters.” He looked around and saw several shovels leaning against a nearby tree. “I’ll shovel a path for the females.” He handed his prisoner off to Paxton. “Zip tie the rest of these guys good and tight. We can leave them in the snow.” They wouldn’t die, but freezing their junk would teach them a lesson. He’d keep the tablet to see what else he could discover about the assassination plans, but these guys weren’t helpful. They’d obviously intercepted a transmission through the satellite system that now no longer existed.

“You won’t stop us from finding mates,” Ornot snarled.

Vero turned and looked back at him. “The methods you’ve had for hunting down enhanced females are now destroyed.” The Kurjans had created tracking software that traced the energetic emissions of enhanced females, first placed within cities, then used via satellite. He and the Realm had corrupted it so thoroughly it could never be used again.

Ornot fought as Paxton forced him to his knees. “I need a zip tie,” P ax said calmly.

The hair on the back of Vero’s neck rose. He blinked and stiffened, his instincts b arreling alive.

Several lasers fired out from the forest toward Paxton.

Vero shouted a warning and leaped into the air, taking the impact of all three. Two slammed into his armor-covered chest, and one burned right through his jugular. He coughed out blood and s tarted to fall.

“Vero!” Paxton yelled.

Vero’s eyes closed. He fell into unconsciousness before he hit the ground.