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He remembered looking back toward the two shifters.

They were a few hundred yards from the entrance.

He had been torn between ensuring the safety of all the humans, and that of the woman.

He assumed the petite figure was a human woman from her size, the way she dressed, and the primitive weapon she was carrying.

The decision was made for him when he saw a lone figure dressed in white, military camo following her.

The human would be trapped between the merc behind her and the two in front.

It was imperative to the mission that he prevented the two mercs closest to the humans from taking them as hostage.

The collateral damage would have been horrific if he hadn’t stopped the men, especially once they knew they were compromised.

He had circled back around, weaving between the branches.

He was less than three hundred feet from the shifter when the merc had disappeared.

It had been as if the ground had opened up and swallowed him.

He had flown over the spot, but the snow was pristine, as if no one had been there.

The only evidence that he wasn’t hallucinating was the line of footprints leading to the spot where the shifter had disappeared.

When he looked up again, he swore he saw ghostly shadows moving through the woods.

They had been moving in the opposite direction of the cave.

Worried about the other two mercenaries, he had resumed his mission, intending to return to the spot to investigate once he had eliminated the urgent threat to the humans.

He clenched his fist and banged it against the shower wall.

There had been no time. At least, not to do it safely without fear of discovery.

He barely had time to eliminate and dispose of the two mercenaries before the human had appeared.

Shortly after, she and Tracy Bearclaw had ventured out of the cave.

He had followed them, watching over them as they discovered the evidence left in the snow of their would-be attackers. He had sensed they were being watched. Hell, they weren’t the only ones. There had been someone or something else in those woods—something not natural.

“But what? Ghosts? I don’t believe in ghosts. More mercenaries? Then why didn’t they help the others?”

He ruled out more humans. It was inconceivable that they could have vanished without a trace. At least not under the watchful and intense scrutiny of himself and the other Guardians. That still didn’t answer what had taken the one mercenary, leaving behind an eerie silence in the air.

He ran his hands over his wet hair and face, feeling the droplets slide down his skin.

He finished drying off and changed into a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants before leaving the bathroom.

As he entered his bedroom, he didn’t bother to switch on a light, preferring to rely on the faint glow of the moon spilling through the window.

He was drawn to the arched frame, haunted by the memory of being watched when he had been in his grandfather’s bedroom.

He cautiously pulled the sheer curtain aside, revealing the view of the dark, meticulously maintained lawn and gardens.

“Is there another threat that we aren’t aware of? Someone other than Isabelle Wyland?”

His murmurs filled the room, leaving behind a ghostly echo of his innermost thoughts.

The thought of another threat, one that he couldn’t identify, filled him with worry.

He had a strong aversion for loose ends, always seeking closure and resolution.

His agenda for tomorrow included a thorough examination of the reports and a meticulous analysis of the satellite images.

He would find out if he was seeing things or if ghosts were more than just legends.

Military Hospital: Seattle, Washington

Three days later, Jayden swallowed as she, her grandmother, and her grandfather were guided back to the roof of the hospital. It was strange to see the world at night from so high up. Lights dotted the horizon for as far as she could see. They didn’t flicker as would a flame, but remained steady.

“We came in that?” her grandfather asked in an awed voice.

“Yes. It flew above the trees like a bird,” her grandmother replied.

“Incredible,” her grandfather breathed.

“Yes, love. It is.”

Jayden knew her grandmother was talking about more than their flight to this place.

She was talking about how quickly her grandfather had healed from what would have been certain death if the shifters had not cared for him.

She clutched her grandmother’s bag to her chest, waiting as Ben talked to Van and Peterson who had disembarked from the helicopter.

It had been three days since she had last laid eyes on either man.

In reality, it was far from the truth. Every time she had a moment of quiet, she couldn’t help but see them, in her dreams. Her emotional state swung back and forth, shifting from frustration and irritation to a burning, pent-up sexual frustration.

Everything about the last was connected to her vivid dreams.

“Cyrus, Van and Peterson are going to escort all of you to the new complex that has been built. For security and to be less draining for you, they are going to fly you in. Are you okay with that?” Ben asked.

“Yes. It will be interesting to fly like a bird,” Cyrus replied with barely controlled excitement.

Jayden tried not to react to her grandfather’s excitement, but it was impossible. Seeing him feeling better was a relief. Her grandmother gave a nervous laugh and looked at the helicopter with a touch of apprehension.

“If humans were meant to fly—” Elaina murmured before shaking her head.

Jayden rubbed her grandmother’s shoulder. “At least we don’t have to ride in the basket. I found that scarier than flying.”

Her grandmother nodded and followed Ben as he pushed her grandfather’s wheelchair towards the flying machine.

She swallowed and stiffened her shoulders.

She was steeling herself, not for the ride, but for being around Van and Peterson again.

Every time she thought she had control of her wayward emotions, the two men would appear and send them spiraling like a whirlpool in an endless pit that threatened to drag her to a place she wasn’t prepared to go.

She forced her eyes to remain focused on the back of her grandfather’s head.

Breathing deeply, she waited as the two men helped her grandfather, then her grandmother into the flying machine.

Ben spoke to her grandparents after they were seated.

She wouldn’t look at Van… or Peterson. Her vow to remain aloof lasted all of thirty seconds.

“It’s good to see you again,” Peterson said.

She frowned. “Why?”

Van snorted a laugh. “Maybe because we missed your charming personality.”

She lifted a skeptical eyebrow and stared back at him. “I’m not trying to be charming.”

“Yeah, we got the memo,” Peterson muttered.

“You two are very strange,” she retorted.

She climbed into the flying machine, mumbling she didn’t need any help when she saw both men reach out to give her a hand.

She took the center seat facing her grandparents.

It wasn’t until she had settled in her seat that she realized her mistake.

Van squeezed in front of her to sit on her right while Peterson took the seat to her left.

The move conveniently boxed her between them.

“Just the way we like it,” Peterson teased.

“In your dreams,” she retorted.

She muttered a curse under her breath when both men chuckled.

It didn’t help that the vision had been played more than once in her own mind of just such a scenario.

The only saving grace was that her grandparents were oblivious to what was going on.

Her grandfather was touching the headphone the pilot had given him.

She grabbed the headphones the pilot held out and pulled it on over her ears.

“What does this do?”

She winced again when her grandfather’s voice boomed loudly in her ears. Her grandfather chuckled when her grandmother chided him and told him to be quiet. A gentle smile curved her lips when her grandfather pulled the headphones off, looked at them, before he placed them over his ears again.

He had always loved discovering new things and tinkering with ways to make their life easier. He was the one who had come up with the counter-balance system to act as an elevator when he was younger than she now was. Her grandmother and father often shared tales of his inventions.

She curled her fingers into fists when the flying machine lifted off. Her stomach fell as if it was floating at the sudden feeling of weightlessness. Below them, the building grew smaller.

“This is amazing,” her grandfather breathed in her ear.

“Below you can see Seattle. Beyond that is the Pacific Ocean,” Van explained.

She listened as Van and Peterson took turns pointing out different landmarks to them. Her breath caught at the vast network of roads and buildings. A part of her was curious about all the development and how it worked while another part of her yearned for the serenity of the forests.

Her grandfather asked a hundred questions and both men patiently answered each one.

She appreciated that they didn’t seem to think the questions were too stupid or na?ve.

She swallowed when Peterson reached over, cupped her clenched fist, and threaded his fingers through hers.

Any thought of pulling free evaporated when the helicopter bounced a little.

Her grandmother’s startled squeal caused her grandfather to chuckle and he cupped her hand in his.

“A little excitement is good for the soul,” he said.