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L ucian’s emotions were snapping around like a rubber band, and it was all he could do to focus on the dark road ahead of him.

One minute he’d been eating a slice of pie in the library.

The next, Eden’s cameras detected an intruder on the property.

After searching her land, he only picked up a trace scent.

Then, in her garage while he was preparing to leave, another notification came through on his phone.

Only one distant camera was aimed toward the house, but there had been enough light for him to see Deacon and Eden kissing by the door.

Instead of losing his shit and giving up, another emotion had taken over him—one that gave him the courage to take Krys’s advice and go after what he wanted.

There were a dozen reasons why Lucian didn’t stand a chance.

He was a Chitah, not powerful or rich, and he wasn’t exactly her father’s favorite person.

On top of all that, he had started their relationship based purely on sex.

With Mae, his kindred spirit, Lucian feared rejection. He’d courted her with fear in his heart. When she chose another, he carried that pain for years. What had changed for him?

Then he realized love made the difference.

All these years, he’d thought what he felt for Mae was love, but it wasn’t.

Males experienced an indescribable pull to their kindred spirit, and those who were rejected struggled with it.

You get a taste of that pure connection with another soul only to realize you’ll never feel complete.

That ripped a hole in his heart. Though he had moved on with his life, he never got over Mae.

That feeling dulled after meeting Eden. It wasn’t until he began falling in love with her that it disappeared entirely.

Not only that, but the fear in his heart morphed into the courage he needed to win her favor.

Whenever she looked at him, he felt seen.

Eden understood and accepted him in a way his kindred spirit never would have.

That realization made it easy to pursue her as a mate.

But he would have to prove himself worthy in every way.

He would have to be a better man.

When he passed a dark crossroad, a car pulled up right behind him.

“What the hell is your deal?”

The driver honked even though there was plenty of room to pass. After they flashed their headlights several times, they pulled up beside him.

Through the open passenger window, Marcus Seaborn’s head ducked into view. “I heard that whore is fucking everyone in town!” he shouted.

Lucian wanted to sideswipe him right off the road, but he was in Robyn’s new Jeep.

Marcus howled like an excited wolf. “I think I’m gonna get me some of that pussy!” He made a vulgar gesture with his tongue before speeding off.

White-knuckling the steering wheel, Lucian punched the gas and gunned after him.

Nobody calls my Eden a whore. I will fucking end you.

The threat triggered something deep within him—a protectiveness that surfaced from his core.

Lucian almost lost control at a sharp turn, and Marcus gained a lead. Up ahead, the car stopped at Juniper Road. After opening the swing gate, Marcus jumped back in his vehicle and sped off.

Nearing the turnoff, Lucian punched the gas and drove through the open gate before it could swing shut and scratch the Jeep. He could’ve just run at Chitah speed up the road, but that would incite his inner animal to flip his switch.

After passing the hardware store and Book Haven, he neared the Rabbit Lounge on the right. The Mage might’ve driven down to Dragonfly’s, but Lucian would find out soon enough since the road eventually reached a dead end.

He parked the Jeep by the road and kept the engine running.

Once he stepped out, he drew in a deep breath and sifted through the smell of stale beer, exhaust fumes, and other various odors that lingered in a bar parking lot.

He searched each row of cars, his shoes crunching on gravel, and picked up emotional scents here and there that hadn’t been carried off by the wind.

Strong emotions had a tendency to linger and attach themselves to objects.

An acrid smell filled his nose. Lucian crossed the parking lot, his hands clenched into fists.

Marcus stood with staticky blue light snapping at his fingertips. The stout man was easy to identify at a distance. He had a distinctly pudgy nose, whiskers, and a small mouth that curved into a sinister grin.

“I feel left out,” he said in his country accent. “Seems like everyone in town is getting a piece of that pie.”

A growl ripped from Lucian’s throat as he drew closer. “If you even think about going near her again?—”

Marcus cupped his crotch and rubbed it. “I’m gonna fuck her good. Fuck her right on the hood of that Mercedes of hers. Wanna watch? I bet those long legs of hers will fit nicely around my neck.”

Lucian’s anger ignited like a bomb.

He flashed toward the Mage and choked him with everything he had. When Marcus blasted him with energy, it felt like a truck slammed into his chest. Lucian punched the Mage repeatedly, blood spraying in every direction.

The rage he felt was unparalleled as Seaborn’s threats echoed in Lucian’s head.

Marcus blasted him even harder. The energy that surged through Lucian was painful and briefly stopped his train of thought. His chest burned, but his hands went for the Mage’s throat again.

The next thing he knew, he blacked out.

As soon as I arrived at the jailhouse, I spotted Peter smoking marijuana on the roof, his bare legs dangling over the edge.

I glared up at him. “You’re not supposed to be doing that.”

He waved his hand-rolled joint. “It’s nighttime, love. Nobody pops in at this hour. I can do what I like, and sometimes I like to kill the boredom.”

Human drugs were weak, especially marijuana, so they were usually laced with sensory magic.

I slammed the car door.

Peter shadow walked down in a blur of movement. As he emerged from the shadows, he swaggered toward me with a cheesy grin. His disheveled black hair, which reached his shoulders, implied he didn’t care about his appearance, yet he always kept his pencil-thin mustache neatly trimmed.

“We have a new one,” he said, opening the door for me. “That was the most excitement I’ve had in months.”

I cut through the kitchen toward the pantry. “What do you mean?”

Peter jumped into the faux pantry to operate the elevator. “Remember those films where angry mobs show up with flaming torches and spewing vile threats? It was exactly like that. They want revenge.” He dipped his chin. “They want blood.”

My stomach sank. “Don’t exaggerate. It makes you less believable.”

“Why do you think I’m on the roof?” He tapped a fake can of corn. “I’m the first line of defense. Who do you think dies first in this movie when the villagers show up again?”

“You’re a guard. We don’t pay you to hide on the roof.”

He scoffed. “That’s to keep anyone from creeping up behind me.” The door closed, and the elevator moved down when he pushed the button. “I have to stay sharp.”

“Then maybe you should stop smoking weed.”

“It’s dulling the pain of my inevitable demise.” When he leaned his hand against the moving wall, his arm flew upward. Peter tried to play it cool and act like he was just stretching.

I thought back to when Lucian had left my house earlier.

After checking on my father, I went to bed and was startled awake when Connor called to inform me that we had a new prisoner.

We didn’t usually call each other after hours, but this was a small town, and it didn’t get more serious than a murder charge.

When Connor mentioned that Marcus Seaborn was the victim, I dropped everything and flew out the door in my grey sweatpants and tank top.

As the elevator descended, the jail lobby came into view. Once we reached the bottom, I stepped out and sent Connor a message that I was questioning the prisoner. When I turned around, Peter was lying on his side as the elevator moved up.

“Farewell, tigress. If this is the last time we should meet, bury me proper. Don’t put me in the crematory.”

Knowing our second guard would be on high alert and have the additional locks in place, I sent him a quick message to let him know it was me in the lobby. When the door opened, he smiled.

“Has he given you any trouble?” I asked.

“No, ma’am. Do you want me to come with you?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

He opened the second door that led to the cells. After it closed, I walked to the left and found Lucian on a cell floor facing me, his head hung low and knees bent.

I shook my head, infuriated by the sudden turn of events. “What were you thinking? How many times did I warn you to leave it alone? Now look where you are!”

“I’m innocent.”

I crossed my arms. “That’s what everyone says.”

When he lifted his feral gaze to meet mine, dried blood was smeared across his jaw. “I didn’t do it.”

A surge of anger ripped through me, and I lowered my arms. “You flipped your switch. Did you know there’s blood on your face?”

Apparently he didn’t. After wiping his jaw, Lucian’s gaze lingered on his bloodstained hands. He finally stood and walked into view, the bruise on his eye from earlier already fading. “I couldn’t have done it,” he said, clutching the back of his head.

“Multiple witnesses on the scene testified that you threatened to kill Marcus Seaborn at Dragonfly’s. Do you dispute that?”

“No. I wanted him dead.”

Tears brimmed in my eyes. “How could you put me in this situation? You left my house to go do something. What did you have to do?”

He stared at his bloody hand. “Hunt him down. I tried, but I couldn’t find him. Then he found me.”

“So killing a guy who set my shed on fire is how you prove your worth?” I growled with frustration.

“He attacked you!” Lucian roared. “I would’ve killed him for that alone.”