Author: J.D. Tyler

A gorgeous white wolf shimmered, became Nick. "Aric! Kalen! It's over. The damned thing is dead."

The panther released its prey and took a few steps back. As it morphed into Kalen, the young man turned his head, and still crouching, spat into the grass. "Goddamn, that fucker tastes like a pile of shit. What the hell are those things, anyway? That's the second one that's showed up around here in the past few weeks, except the one that attacked me and Mac was close to town."

"Wish we knew," Jax said, having shifted, too. "Better yet, who commands them and how did this one know where to find us?"

"Maybe this one being way out here is a coincidence?" Ryon suggested.

"I don't believe in coincidences."

Everyone looked at Aric, who'd spoken last. He was lying on his good side, one hand over the deep puncture wounds spread across his ribs. Nick loped over, followed by Rowan and the others.

"Christ, can't you stay out of trouble?" Nick said gruffly.

"Doesn't look like it." Sweat rolled down his temples, into his auburn hair.

Zan knelt beside him, studied the wounds. "I can heal this."

"No, don't drain yourself. I'll be fine in a couple of days." His eyes were becoming glazed, unfocused.

"Shut up and be still."

Whether Aric stopped protesting because he was told to or because he didn't have the strength any longer, Rowan didn't know. She suspected the latter, as prickly as he could be. If Aric wasn't arguing, that was a testament to how badly he'd been hurt.

Zan placed his palms over the oozing punctures and closed his eyes. A green glow began to pulse around his hands, increasing in brightness until it was white and almost blinding. This was like his healing Ryon at the church, but on a much grander scale. This was life and death, and every second counted.

Gradually, the light faded. Zan slumped backward and Nick caught him, eased him to the ground. The flesh on Aric's side was bloodied, but appeared totally intact. The redhead sat up with Jax's help and someone else tossed his shredded shirt and sweats into his lap. Moving carefully, he discarded the shirt as useless, stood and pulled on his sweats. They weren't in much better shape, but he'd be covered until they returned to the compound.

Aric looked at Nick. "How did you know we were in trouble? Did you get a vision?"

"No."

"Well, the bastard came in from the air, so I'm guessing he didn't sound the perimeter alarm."

"After you were kidnapped, Kalen used a spell to place some powerful wards over our property for a twenty-mile radius. Anything supernatural or human that breaches the wards and doesn't belong here is supposed to alert him, and it worked. He yelled for us and we came as fast as we could."

"Wow," Aric said, obviously impressed. "That's some strong mojo you've got. Saved our butts, too. Thanks, man."

Kalen waved off the praise. "Just glad it paid off." He nudged the dead creature with one toe. "This one was alone, like the one a couple of weeks ago. Gotta wonder why."

"Maybe he was a scout?" Ryon suggested.

Nick cursed. "I'm getting nothing on this guy, no vibes at all. If that's the case and he was looking for something or someone in particular, we need to dispose of all traces of the body." He shot Kalen a meaningful look, and Kalen's expression grew bleak. She wondered what the silent exchange was about.

"Whatever he was doing, that's not a bad idea," Rowan put in, staring at the awful thing. "He gives me the creeps."

"I'll take care of it," Kalen said. "But first..."

Waving a hand at his team, he spoke a couple of quiet words that, again, sounded like Latin. Instantly, the men were clothed. That's when Rowan realized Kalen was the only one who was clothed when he shifted back to human form. Handy.

"Having a Sorcerer on your side must be nice," she muttered. "Are you sure you don't want a job with the LAPD? I can put in a good word."

"He's taken," Nick quipped.

Grinning, Kalen turned toward the carcass, but before he had a chance to dispose of it, a voice called out from above.

"Wait!"

Shielding her eyes, Rowan looked toward the sky to see Sariel approaching. Gliding down, he landed on his feet with a graceful stretch of his azure wings, his golden eyes riveted to the creature's body. Approaching slowly, he stopped a short distance from it and crouched, studying it, his expression grim.

"Gods," he whispered. "This can't be."

Those four words went through the group like a bolt of lightning. The tension level shot through the roof as the guys glanced at one another.

"Sariel," Aric said, "if you know what this thing is, enlighten us."

Resting his elbows on his jean-clad knees, the Fae prince addressed the group at large. "First, tell me if this is what attacked your team months ago."

"Fuck yeah," Zan replied hoarsely. "There were a dozen of them or more, and the bastards cut through us like a hot knife through butter."

Micah and Aric-along with Zan and Jax-had almost died in that attack. Rowan shivered.

"One came after me and Mac two weeks ago when we were in town," Kalen added. "And there were lots of them at the church in Colorado, too."

Sariel shook his head, sapphire hair falling into haunted eyes. "More than a dozen? Even one shouldn't be possible, not in this world. These creatures are the Sluagh, and this is what happens when a member of the Seelie court turns to evil. They're cast out and land in the Fae Underworld, where their former beauty is twisted into this," he said sadly, gesturing to the deceased Sluagh.

Aric, incredulous, found his voice. "So, if you were to go over to the dark side, you'd become like that thing?"

"Yes. Well, partly." He sighed, but didn't explain what he meant by "partly." "Once the Sluagh are completely transformed, they are little more than drones who exist to cause mayhem. This makes them very popular for members of the born Unseelie court to use as sentinels, or watchdogs, to send out and do their terrible bidding. Spying, kidnapping the Seelie, murder-the list is endless. Once they're set on a mission, the Sluagh are relentless until the task is accomplished."

"Or they die trying," Nick said.

"Eagerly. They're single-minded, not stupid, and they know no fear, which makes them the perfect tool."

"You said they shouldn't be in this world, and yet they seem to be all over the place," Nick observed. "Explain."

Sariel pushed to his feet and stepped away from the body. "The barrier, or the 'hedge' as we call it, between the Fae realm and yours is inaccessible to the Sluagh. Or has been, until recent months, it would seem. Their presence here means that they were assisted through the barrier, and there's only one being powerful enough to accomplish that feat."

"And that would be?" Hammer asked.

"Malik, king of the Unseelie." Sariel gave a bitter laugh. "My sire."

"Nick, my God," Kalen breathed.

There-that weird vibe passed between the two men again. This time a couple of the guys noticed, but before anyone could ask about what had Kalen so upset, Sariel continued.

The Fae prince hung his head, speaking quietly. "Their being in your world means so much, I wish I'd realized sooner that these were the creatures you'd all spoken of. They are the thread that ties everything together."

"Hang on," Aric said. "We have one of these in the basement, in Block T. You haven't seen it?"

"No. I knew of a creature being held, but I wasn't allowed down there. If I had seen it, I would've been able to relate this information to you all sooner." Sariel paused. "It's no longer there. I was told it perished while you were gone."

Nick confirmed this. "That's right. The creature seemed to have some intelligence, which is why we were holding it. But it wouldn't communicate or eat, and finally it died."

Rowan couldn't find it in herself to be real sorry that it had croaked. The thought of literally having a monster under your bed was a bit too much.

"I'm forming a picture here, and it's one I don't like." Aric stared hard at the Fae, who continued his thoughts on the subject.

"Where the Sluagh are present, so is Malik. Since he's the only one who could've brought them to this world, they'll do his bidding, and his alone. And as badly as my father might want to destroy me, he wouldn't bring an army of Sluagh here just for that. He wouldn't need that much help."

Nick glanced around at his men. "Then it's safe to assume Malik was behind the ambush on Alpha Pack more than six months ago, as well as placing them on guard at the old church where we found Micah and Aric and the other prisoners. He even sent this scout, perhaps to find us, if not Sariel. It's much worse than we thought-Orson Chappell isn't the head of the project to create a legion of super-shifters. He's working for Malik or, more likely, is under his control."

"That would be my guess," Sariel replied grimly. "And if it's true, no one on earth is safe."

"Nick, tell them the rest," Kalen said quietly, looking away. "They need to know."

Nick was silent for a moment as the team stared at them. Finally he nodded. "You're right. We'd have to fill them in sooner or later, so it might as well be now." He faced the group, his voice low. "The short version of it is, since Mac and Kalen were attacked in town by that Sluagh, Kalen's been hearing a voice in his head. The being, or whatever, is trying to control him. He's fighting it, and has been successful so far, but..." He shook his head.

The danger to them all slowly sank in.

Jax pushed a hand through his spiky black hair. "If Malik can gain control of a Sorcerer, he'll have the ultimate weapon."

"The two of them together would be nearly unstoppable." This from Zan, who studied Kalen thoughtfully.

"I can leave," Kalen offered sadly. "I told Nick the other day I was going, but he talked me out of it."

"He was right." Ryon shook his head. "We're not throwing you to the wolves, pardon the expression. You're one of us now, and the Pack sticks together."

"Exactly," Jax said. The rest echoed his sentiment, and Kalen looked touched.

Rowan also knew that it was safer to keep Kalen here, where he could be watched. Though nobody said so, the others had to know it, too.

"Okay, how do we toast Malik's ass?" Typical Aric.

"If my sire has a weakness, I don't know what it is. But I'll keep searching."

"We'll help however we can." Aric sighed. "Though most of us know shit about the Fae. Maybe some of us can research online?"

Sariel rolled his eyes. "Kira is teaching me to become 'tech-savvy,' as you guys call it. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. Most of it is garbage."

"Kalen," Nick called. "Can you place another ward over the property, one that acts as a cloak, making it appear as though there's nothing here but forest?"

The Sorcerer shrugged. "Sure, that's easy. The question is, will it fool Malik and his ghouls?"

"For a while, perhaps," Sariel mused. "It can't hurt to try."

With a nod, Kalen held out his right hand and his staff appeared in his palm. On the top was a glowing ball of light, blue on the edges and white in the center. Rowan recalled that when he performed magic at the church, he'd knelt. This time he remained standing, booted feet shoulder width apart. Head back, he raised the staff and began to chant.

She peered at the sky, not seeing anything unusual. But she felt something like static electricity, the hair on her arms and on her head crackling as though it were being rubbed with an inflated balloon, like she used to do as a kid. Returning her attention to Kalen, she couldn't help but be awed. To be able to command the elements, bend them to your will to do magic, must be such a rush. And he looked damned cool doing it, too.