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V an silently groaned when he woke the next morning. As he lay on the hard ground, he couldn’t fathom why he had ever considered it a cool idea. He was getting way too old for this shit, he decided, when he felt the ache in his back and hip as he rolled over.

Slipping his hand out, he felt for Jayden. Panic hit him, and he shot up with a low groan when he found the spot next to him empty and cold.

“Good morning, sleepy-head,” Peterson greeted.

He lifted both hands and rubbed them up and down his face, grimacing at the whiskers that were growing thicker by the hour. He wanted—no needed—a shave, hot shower, decent food, and a soft bed. He dropped his hands to his lap and scowled back at Peterson’s amused face.

“What’s so good about it? Where’s Jayden? What time is it?” he growled.

Peterson glanced at his watch. “It’s almost eight. Jayden is freshening up. We’ve already eaten, but we saved you some trout.”

His eyes narrowed when he caught a slight change in Peterson’s voice. Rolling off the pallet, he put a hand to his lower back as he stood. He scowled down at the lumpy moss and crinkled blankets.

“What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.

Peterson reached for the blankets and began folding them. He frowned when he realized that his friend was doing more than cleaning up. He was packing up. Peterson shot him a wry smile.

“Jayden wants to head out this morning,” Peterson responded.

“Thank the Goddess,” he groaned, rubbing his lower back and stretching.

Peterson shook his head. “Not in that direction.”

He paused and stared in disbelief at Peterson. “What do you mean… not in that direction? We’re heading home… right? Please say we are heading home. I’ve had about all the living in nature that I can stand.”

Peterson shook his head. “Nope. She is on a mission.”

“What mission? What could be more important than a working bathroom, a soft bed, and a pizza?” he groaned with a weary shake of his head.

When he felt the pinch of a nerve in his neck, he grimaced and instinctively began rubbing at it. Hell, it sucked getting old. Okay, he wasn’t that old, but in that moment, every joint in his body seemed to ache.

He looked up when a shadow in the doorway caught his attention.

Jayden stood bowed in the entrance. She turned away from him and walked to the edge of the small ledge where she had originally set up camp.

Guilt filled him. They had been in the wilderness for a little over two weeks and he was acting like a whiny pup!

Jayden had never known the luxury of a cushy house with a garden tub, central air and heat, a modern kitchen, and a thousand other conveniences.

Feeling like a heel, he pushed past Peterson, stepped out of the lean-to, and crossed to stand next to her.

Peterson followed and came to stand on the other side of Jayden with his hands in his pockets.

He released a weary growl of resignation and wound his arms around Jayden, turning her until she was nestled against his body.

“So, where are we heading this time?” he asked.

Her body trembled against his. He thought it was because of the chill in the air before he realized she was laughing… at him. He realized that there might have been a small pout in his voice when he asked his question.

“You know, you don’t have to go with me. I can do this on my own. Especially now that I know that the two shifters chasing me gave up and went home,” she said.

“Like hell!”

He bit off the rest of what he was going to say when he realized that she was teasing him. She snorted out a smothered laugh and shook her head. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead.

“Okay, seriously, what is more important than a working toilet, a shower, and pizza?”

He didn’t want to add a soft bed, but the dancing bed fairy was floating through his mind as he stared down into her amused eyes. A slight flush rose in his cheeks when she lifted an eyebrow and glanced down. She must have felt his reaction.

“My grandfather left something of value at the cave. I promised him I would retrieve it,” she said.

He looked over her head at Peterson who had turned to face them. Pride and love shone in his friend’s soft eyes. He understood both emotions. Their mate was fierce, loyal, hard-headed—which would be desperately needed with the two of them—and incredibly brave.

“Then we retrieve it,” he murmured, tucking a stray strand of her hair back behind her ear.

Her eyes darkened with emotion. “You both confuse me.”

“How so?”

She looked over her shoulder at Peterson. “You’re nothing like I thought you would be. I expected?—”

She stopped and shook her head. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. His lips curved into a rueful smile. It wasn’t hard to imagine what she expected after the history between humans and shifters.

“Humans and shifters aren’t too different. We want love, a family, and a place to call our own. Yeah, there are some bad shifters out there, but the good far outweigh the bad ones,” he said.

“I know.”

Her words were spoken softly, so softly that they were almost indiscernible.

With a slight lean, he halted right before her lips, almost touching them.

Her eyes dropped to them and she leaned towards him, gently pressing her lips to his for a moment before hiding her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

It was a quick and hesitant kiss, but it filled him with optimism.

Their foreheads touched, creating an intimate and tender moment. With a gentle gesture, Peterson extended his hand and delicately grazed her shoulder. His friend’s eyes glowed with an unmistakable love.

“I’ll finish packing up while you grab something to eat. There is some trout left. Jayden and I have already eaten,” Peterson murmured, his voice slightly deeper than normal.

Van lifted his head and nodded. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

“No worries.”

Jayden kept her head bowed as she pulled away from him. He could already feel the emptiness in his arms. Brushing a hand over his face, he shook his head. He walked over to the log and picked up the trout wrapped in a large leaf and ate.

“Here’s some coffee,” Jayden said, placing a cup on the log.

“Thanks. You know, I think I’m actually going to miss spending time in the forest once we get back home… for a few minutes,” he joked.

She chuckled at his wry comment and looked around. Her eyes softened with emotion. A pensive expression crossed her face as she stared out at the forest.

“I’m scared,” she confessed.

His hand froze in midair at her confession. “What are you afraid of?”

She glanced at him before looking away again. “Losing everything.”

His gaze followed her as she turned away.

He could tell she wouldn’t elaborate on her comment.

There had been a raw note in her voice that spoke of a deeper pain.

There was so much he and Peterson still needed to learn about their mate.

Jayden was a woman of many layers. It would take a while to earn her trust, but he was looking forward to peeling back each layer and discovering the remarkable woman beneath.

“Everything’s packed. Are you ready?” Peterson said.

Van nodded, casually flicking the leaf and fish remains away, and cleansed his fingers with a splash of lukewarm coffee, before downing the rest. Peterson held out the pack, and he tucked the collapsible cup into its side pocket. Sliding the pack onto his shoulders, he adjusted the straps snugly.

“Ready. Jayden, you lead the way,” he said.

The moment Eric stepped into their camp, the elite group of soldiers stood at attention, their eyes fixed on him with unwavering focus.

Before centering his attention on their leader, Damien Bardo, he nodded in acknowledgement to each shifter.

Dressed in military camos that seamlessly blended with the forest, their faces painted to match, they were an intimidating force and the pride of the Dii Bellatore.

Damien matched his pace, and together they walked over to the edge of the cliff, where they were greeted by a breathtaking view of the valley below. In the distance, he could see the exposed ridge, its jagged edges contrasting against the clear blue sky.

“Status report,” he said.

“I’ve sent two trackers ahead. We are keeping radio silence, doing this old school. I thought it best after the information you sent about the retrieval teams since and what happened before. We don’t know what we are up against, and I didn’t want to chance a mole,” Damien replied.

“Whatever it is, it isn’t the government—at least no division I’ve ever heard of,” he said.

“I agree.”

As he looked at Damien, he noticed the slight twitch in his left eye, betraying his disquiet. There was an unsettling aura surrounding the man, and he could sense the apprehension emanating from him. Damien’s gaze constantly shifted, never settling on one spot in the surrounding area.

“What is it?”

Damien flickered a worried expression at him before he continued his wary search.

“Something’s not right. In our recon, we found evidence of Clanton’s team.

Tracks, blood, but no bodies. It’s bizarre.

We didn’t find any evidence of a fight. It was as if something came out of nowhere and took them out before they fired a single round. ”

It wasn’t until he glanced at the other men that he realized that most were standing, their eyes constantly surveying the surrounding area.

Inside the protective circle formed by those standing were four of the men who had laid down and closed their eyes to rest, their weapons within reach on each chest. He returned his attention to Damien.

“What theories do you have?” he asked.

Damien hesitated and looked out across the valley. Eric studied the thoughtful, intense expression on Damien’s face. He valued Damien’s opinion.

“I believe we are dealing with an outside force, similar to who we are,” Damien murmured.

He frowned at Damien’s response. He knew of only five organizations in the world that resembled the Dii Bellatore, each with its own unique purpose.

Their code, bound by blood, ensured that the organizations would never turn against each other.

The longevity of each organization relied heavily on safeguarding this code.

The group had an unspoken pact—if anyone were to start an attack, the others would join forces to deliver a decisive and fatal blow.

“Do you think it is a rogue group?” he asked.

Damien shook his head. “No. I’ve made it my business to study any threats. This is different. It wasn’t a rogue group from one of the other agencies,” Damien replied.

He could feel the annoyance building up inside him, a dam on the verge of breaking. He wanted straightforward explanations, not enigmatic, obscure theories. Losing two teams only fueled his determination to uncover the answers he needed.

“I need more, Damien. I’ve lost a lot of good men and equipment on what should have been a simple mission,” he ground out.

Damien pursed his lips and shrugged. “I can’t give you information I don’t know, General. The scouts are following the two shifters and the human. Redfoot and Timberwolf have maintained a constant surveillance of the area.”

Eric’s eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. “Whatever has attacked our men hasn’t attacked them. Why is that?”

Damien shrugged again. “Maybe whoever it is realizes they are protecting the woman?”

“Possibly… but how? How would they know? They are shifters. The same as we are. They were following her. The same as we are. What gives them a free pass?”

“I don’t know. It isn’t like whoever it is can read our minds… which means there must be an inside mole giving whoever it is information. We haven’t been attacked… yet. Who knew you contacted us?” Damien asked.

“No one.”

“Then let’s hope that helps keep us alive,” Damien replied, staring out across the valley.