Liam squeezed Myka’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on him, eh?”

“Are you sure he doesn’t need a hospital?”

Spike growled. “I hate hospitals.”

“So do I,” Myka said. She thought back to Jillian dying, the machines beeping. She didn’t want to see that again. And Dylan was right—they didn’t need to deal with the human police on top of everything else.

Liam squeezed Myka’s shoulder again as Kim said her good-byes and breezed out. “He just needs you,” Liam said softly. “The touch of a mate. Good night, kids.”

He caught up to Kim on the porch, slid his arm around her waist, and kissed her lips before leading her down to the street.

The touch of a mate.

He has you. The mate bond is an amazing thing.

The room went quiet, except for the clink of shot into the bowl, and Spike’s grunts of pain. Ella stood up and walked to her grandson, and Myka took her place next to Jordan on the sofa.

“Spike, I’m sorry,” Ella said. “I couldn’t protect him.”

Spike turned his head and reached out a hand to Ella. Ella took it and clasped it to her chest.

“Hey, that was Ronan’s job,” Spike said. “And Nate’s, the ass**le. At one time I counted him my friend.”

“Nate’s dead,” Ella said. “Liam . . .”

Spike closed his eyes briefly then opened them again. “The Goddess go with him. Sean wasn’t there.”

Dylan answered curtly. “The woman Hannah is guarding him until Sean can come.”

Spike relaxed. “Thank the Goddess.”

“What does that mean?” Myka asked from the sofa.

“Means Sean will be able to stick the Sword of the Guardian into him,” Spike said. “Releasing his soul instead of letting it stay bound to the flesh. Nate did the unforgivable, but I wouldn’t wish that on him.”

Nate had died tonight, and Andrea had gone into labor. Death and life continued its cycle.

Spike swallowed. “Course I thought I’d wake up to see the end of that sword coming at me.”

“No, son,” Dylan said. “You’ll hurt a little bit, but you’ll be fine.”

“What happens to Gavan?” Myka asked.

They’d put Gavan and his three thoroughly beaten thugs back into Gavan’s pickup, then Dylan had driven them off somewhere, after loading his motorcycle into the back as well. Ellison and Liam had retrieved the other motorcycles, fitting Spike, his bike, Connor, and Myka into the white pickup. Ellison had driven the pickup back to Shiftertown, Myka squashed between the injured Shifters and holding Jordan, while Liam had followed on Ellison’s motorcycle.

Now Dylan said, “Gavan didn’t make it. He’s waiting with Nate to go to the Summerland.”

“Oh,” Myka said. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know whether he’d died of the wounds Spike had given him or whether Dylan had helped things along.

Dylan continued, “I laid out Gavan’s boys in his front yard for anyone passing to see. Liam and I and their Shiftertown leader will deal with them. They’ll find themselves so low in the hierarchy that they’ll have to climb a ladder to kiss anyone’s ass.”

“That’s it?” Myka asked. “They did help kidnap Jordan—and me—and tried to kill Spike and Connor.”

“Trust me, lass, in the Shifter world, it’s living death to be taken down the chain,” Dylan said. “No one will trust them, no one will help them. They’ll spend years upon years making amends for what they’ve done this night.”

“Gavan’s name will be cursed,” Spike said, sounding satisfied, if weak. “I hope he enjoys his corner of hell with Fergus.”

Dylan clinked a final ball into the bowl then put down the tweezers and swabbed Spike’s chest with antiseptic. “That’s it,” he said to Myka. “Keep him warm, keep him clean, and he’ll be fine. Now I have a grandson to help bring in.”

For the first time since Myka had met him, Dylan looked lighthearted. He didn’t quite smile, but the corners of his lips definitely twitched.

Dylan walked out onto the dawn-lit porch, stopped, and turned back, skewering Myka with a Shifter gaze. “We’ll talk about the bullet hole in my windshield later.”

“Yep,” Myka said. “And in your seatback. I won’t say sorry, because I’m happier with it there than inside me.”

Dylan stared at her a moment longer, then gave her a nod and walked away into the night.

Myka closed the door and turned around in time to see Spike roll himself from the table to his feet. Ella caught him, ducking under his arm to steady him.

Myka went to Spike’s other side. “You shouldn’t be moving so soon.”

“Nah, Shifters heal fast.”

Spike’s legs buckled then, and Ella and Myka got him to the sofa, easing him down next to Jordan. Spike put his hand on his cub’s back, and his face relaxed.

“Thank the Goddess he’s all right.” He looked at Myka. “Thank you, love.”

Ella took a throw from another chair and tucked it around Spike. “You rest. And talk to Myka. I’m going to bed.” Ella leaned down and kissed Spike on the forehead, resting her cheek against his unbruised one. “You two have a lot to talk about.”

She straightened up, enfolded Myka in a hug, kissed her cheek, and started up the stairs, yawning as she went.