He growled and snarled, taking off, Simon bounding ahead and east.

It was another several minutes until they reached a trail.

Helena bent, her hand on a tire track. Her magick flowed through the space.

Faine edged next to her, pressing against her as he bent to scent the area. The other thing he’d smelled back near the house had been silver.

He pushed her, getting her attention.

“What?” Her voice was low, her gaze moving around, vigilant.

He jerked his head back in the direction of the house.

“No. We should track this vehicle out to the main road.”

“We can’t catch him. Not at this point,” Lark said as she came back to them. “Simon is running ahead to see, but chances are, once they hit the pavement they took off and won’t look back. Seems they pissed their pants at the sight of a big giant—”

Her voice was drowned out by the sound of a huge explosion. The ground shook beneath Faine’s paws and he knocked both women down, keeping them beneath his body.

Simon came tearing back up the trail, teeth bared. He skidded to a stop, sniffing and poking at Lark until she grunted, sitting up. Faine moved back.

“Something blew up. Let’s go see what it was.”

But Faine had a feeling he knew exactly what it was.

HELENA let him lead. It wasn’t like she could keep up with him anyway. At full speed she’d never seen anything faster. Not in person. And Simon? When he’d come back after the explosion? He was a blur of movement, of shining, sharp bared teeth and bunched muscle that had made the span of his shoulders so wide it had sent a ribbon of fear though her.

Helena had faced rogue werewolves and had been fucked up a time or two. But if she’d ever bumped into a Lycian who meant her harm, she’d have been long in the grave.

Still, it didn’t help the sense of dread as the glow in the sky grew. The scent of burning wood choked the beauty of the pine needles she’d been breathing in only minutes before, and when they got to the top of the rise, Faine waited, the shorts he’d pulled off before he’d shifted were on again.

“I’m sorry.”

Lark started forward and Helena grabbed her hand, moving with her.

Just ahead was their beautiful home, engulfed in a raging fire, the front of it blown off.

“Oh my god.” Lark clapped her free hand over her mouth and Helena put an arm around her as they watched. Simon had been taking up the rear, guarding them, but he’d shifted back and pulled Lark into his arms.

“You’re okay. I’m okay. Helena and Faine are okay. It’s just stuff. It can be rebuilt. You can’t be replaced, Pixie. A house can be.”

Lark cried, burying her face in Simon’s chest, and Faine stood behind Helena, pulling her back against his body, wrapping his arms around her.

“We need to call the fire department. And Meriel.”

“The cars were in the garage. All our stuff was in the house, including the cell phones.” Lark’s voice was numb.

Helena would do what she could to make things better. “I’ll go to the house down the hill to call. It’s only half a mile or so. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Faine kept his hold on her.

“You don’t have any clothes on. You’re nearly seven feet tall. No one is going to want to answer the door if you come with me. I’ll be back. You can trail me from the treeline if you like.”

He turned her slowly. “You’d let me do that?”

Surprised, she cocked her head. “Lark and Simon’s house just got blown up. I’m sure you’re concerned the people at the house down the road might be in danger, or the perpetrators who did this could be hiding between here and there. I’ll need the backup. I don’t have any weapons on me, or a phone, and my magick is depleted.” She shrugged. “It makes sense.”

“Faine, keep an eye on her. Kill anyone who looks at her the wrong way. You got me?”

Helena had never heard Simon’s voice that way. His beast must have been very close to the surface. His magick seemed to spark against his skin, hot and full of rage.

She took Lark’s hand. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Faine shifted again and they ran to the road and then he watched from the trees as she kept to the road.

The neighbors were agitated at first to have been woken up, but once she explained that she needed them to call 911, that their house was on fire and everything was inside, including her phone, they invited her inside where she made the call and also notified Meriel, who said she’d send someone over immediately and urged them to stay safe.

They invited her to stay until the fire trucks arrived, but she explained her sister and brother-in-law were waiting. The neighbors kindly sent her back with a thermos of hot tea and sweaters.

And a reminder that not all humans were like the ones who’d blown her sister’s home up.

Chapter 12

HELENA moved through the office with singular purpose. She’d flown back to Los Angeles and would be heading back to Seattle in only a few hours to meet with the full Council of Others. This time she’d be addressing the new military arm of the COO.

The FBI was still at Lark’s. Still sifting through the smoking rubble looking for clues. Anderson had come out to oversee everything himself. Lark had spent the night across the hall from Faine and Helena at the hotel where the Clan put up out-of-town visitors.

Lark had left first thing upon waking to head back to the house. Simon had gone as well, which at least made Helena feel better knowing her sister would have some backup if she needed it.

But it was Rain Jaansen who stepped out of the warren-like maze of cubbies, offices and conference rooms that held the Gennessee Hunter Corps.

Her mother caught sight of her and, with a happy cry, pulled Helena into her arms, hugging her tight as she murmured endearments. Then she pushed back with surprising strength, shaking her daughter once, hard. “Oh my goddess! You could have been killed! You and your sister are going to be the death of me yet. How could you do that? How could you throw yourself and your magick in front of a bomb? A bomb, Helena Marie?” By that point Rain was weeping and Helena just pulled her mother back into her arms.

“I’m all right. See? I even drank gallons of your tea. I swear. There were even witnesses.”

Her mother kept on, the words tumbling from her mouth like a hard rain. “And your sister’s house was blown up? How much do you expect me and Dad to take? Why can’t you two do something safe for a living? Nice and safe with no bombs and no guns and no one wanting to kill you? Be a travel agent or a high school gym teacher.”

“That’s not her path, Rain.” Her father joined them in the hallway, pausing to kiss Helena’s temple. “Your daughters are meant for great things. They’re protectors and we just have to believe in their skill and their training.”

He hugged Helena and whispered. “You scared the hell out of me, girl. You and your sister cool it on the nearly getting killed stuff, why don’t you?”

She was so glad she’d come back. There was nothing like a hug from your mother and father.

“Trying.”

“Try harder.” He let her go. “Everyone is waiting.” His gaze flicked to her left and then up and up some more. “Hey, Faine.”

“Mr. Jaansen.” Faine bowed slightly and then gave Rain a smile that told Helena the two of them were thick as thieves while planning to make Helena drink nasty-tasting tea. “Ms. Jaansen.”

Rain smiled back prettily and her dad sent Helena a raised brow.

Helena shrugged. “I don’t know. Simon’s the same way. It’s got nothing to do with me.”

Faine rumbled a laugh. “Not so. It’s got everything to do with you.”

“I can see we need to talk.” Her dad gave Faine the once-over.

“Ugh. What we need is to go to the meeting of the Full Council. Then it’s right back to the airport.”