Josh smiled as she took his hand.

“Are you nervous about flying?”

“No.” And she realized he must have felt it through the bond. “No, I’m just…I want to make a good impression on Cade and the rest of the wolves. It’s sort of like meeting the family, I guess.”

“Beautiful, they’re going to love you. And they’re your family now too. Nothing to be nervous about because you’re wonderful. You’re going to like Cade and Grace a lot. I promise.”

It seemed a lot to promise but she let it go. She wasn’t a wolf, after all. But she did love Josh and she hoped they could see it.

Akio leaned out to squeeze her knee. “They’re going to love you. Josh radiates joy. You’re the reason. If for nothing else, they’d love that. But as it happens, though I’m obviously biased, you’re pretty amazing. And courageous. They’re going to appreciate your coming all the way across the country to talk to Cade and Grace in person.”

Michelle sucked in a breath and hoped he was right. Josh kissed the top of her head and murmured that he loved her. And for that moment it was more than enough to make her smile.

“I arranged for a car to meet us with a few of my guards.” Akio exited the plane with Josh just behind Michelle. They shielded her, which was silly as, hello, she was a cop for goodness’ sake! But it was sweet anyway, and to be honest, it made her feel better given what had happened to Allie.

A very large male raised a hand in greeting.

Akio waved back. “That’s Dave Warden, Tracy’s cousin and Grace’s personal guard.”

“Why’s he here then? Are things that bad?”

“Good question. I just asked for guards. I assume Dave would only leave Grace if the situation merited it.”

Josh’s body tightened and he got even closer to Michelle.

“Hey, get in.” Dave opened the door and indicated they climb up into the clearly armored SUV. He grinned at Michelle. “Introductions in a moment, let’s get out of the open.”

Akio had Josh go first and then Michelle, Akio bracketed her other side, and Dave got in the front seat, ordering the driver to get moving.

Dave turned around once they cleared the airfield. “I’m Dave Warden. I’m sorry for lack of a proper introduction back there, I just wanted you safe right away.”

He held a hand out and she took it, his totally dwarfing hers. Josh growled low in his throat, and Akio narrowed his eyes at Dave as well. She sighed and looked to Akio, befuddled.

“Really? You do it too?”

Dave laughed.

“I’m Michelle Slattery. Mind filling us in on what’s happening so they’ll ease back a little?”

“It’s what mated wolves do. It’s all right, I get it. There’s been a fair bit of chatter in the Other community about that scene in Portland. What happened to the witch.”

“The witch was my best friend. She has a name. Allie.”

Josh squeezed her hand. “He didn’t mean offense.”

“No, I apologize. I was told she was your friend, and if it had happened to anyone I knew and cared about, I’d be upset if anyone referred to her like that as well. So gossip about how Allie was found is all over the place, as is talk about you coming out here. Jack called from Seattle where he and Lex, the Alpha of the Cascadia Werewolf Pack, had talked. They wanted extra people on you. Better safe than sorry. Especially after the trouble the local witches here have had with mages.”

He explained that Jack’s mate Renee and her sister had been targeted by some turned witches and mages. Mages with ties to some human separatist groups who’d been working with the disgruntled brother of one of the local ruling members of the jaguar jamboree.

Michelle shook her head. “I can’t understand any of this. Why anyone would do that. I understand addiction. God knows I’ve seen my share of junkies. But a shifter working with human-only bigots? To turn over family to those who’d kill them? What is the world coming to?”

“I wish I knew, Michelle.” Dave looked to Josh. “They’re putting a big dinner together at the pack house. I’m sure you guys are hungry. Grace wanted me to extend an invitation to stay there if you wanted. They have plenty of room.”

Akio shook his head. “They’re staying with me.”

“Okay. Good idea. Your place is locked up tight.”

Discussion went on all around her as she leaned her head back against the seat and listened, her eyes closed. A wall of exhaustion hit her, though she’d been feeling all right after she’d slept on the plane.

Everything swamped her, leaving her overwhelmed and angry at herself for allowing it. There wasn’t any other thing to do but exactly what she was doing.

She tried to manage it all. Because what else could she do? Allie sure as hell deserved better than a best friend who was reeling and out of sorts all while she was overjoyed and in love and at turns filled with so much grief she choked on it.

She wanted to sleep for a week. To sleep and sleep and when she woke up she wanted everything to have stopped being so painful and complicated. She just wanted to be with Josh and she wanted Allie back and for all this weird stuff to not be happening.

But she rode across town in an armored SUV with werewolves. Two of which she’d had sex with. One she was bonded to and could feel his emotions like waves.

“I know,” Josh murmured. “I wish things could be calmer too.”

She opened her eyes and looked into his. He wanted to comfort her. To make her feel better, and just the thought of that made everything else better. She smiled softly and he kissed her.

“We deal with the hand we’re dealt. And who am I to complain? At least I can complain. At least I’m alive and I have you and a future that, while filled with strange stuff, is also filled with wonderful new friends and a community of people more like me than not. I just have to—”

The rest of her sentence was cut off as their SUV was hit from the side at a very high rate of speed, sending it up into the air and then off the road and into the concrete walls that separated the road they were on from the highway.

Her ears started ringing and blood got in her eye as she took stock, trying to wipe her face to get her vision back.

“Michelle! Are you all right?” Josh shouted this as he got her out of her seatbelt.

She shook herself a little to clear her head. “I’m alive. Are you okay? Akio?”

A growl as Akio, in wolf form, scrambled into her lap, teeth bared, ready to tear anything that tried to hurt her into a thousand bloody pieces.

“We need to get out. You carrying?” Dave asked from the front seat.

Josh nodded and then spoke. “Yes.” He turned his attention to Michelle. “You stay here. Let me go first. We need to take care of whoever it is that hit us.”

“You need all the backup you can get,” she replied, grateful she’d brought her weapon as she flicked the safety off. “I’ve had it with all this bullshit. I’m about ready to blow some motherfucking heads off,” she muttered, and Josh barked a surprised laugh.

“Only you could make me laugh at a time like this. Keep your pretty ass down.”

“I’ve called the pack, they’re on the way with backup.” Dave kicked his door open, and she got low, her weapon in her hand. Akio leapt over her, snarling, his wolf protecting her flank.

The car that had rammed them sat a few feet away, the front crumpled, smoke and steam rising from the engine as stinky fluids leaked from the undercarriage.

It was after midnight so thankfully there wasn’t a lot of other traffic, but soon enough looky lous would start to gawk from the highway on the other side of the divider. To the opposite side were several blocks of industry, so they wouldn’t have to deal with civilians coming out of their homes.

“No one is in the other vehicle. Stinks of stolen magic though. Of rotten meat.”

“That’s them.” Michelle used her othersight and caught the greasy stain of the mages who’d harmed Allie. She caught Josh’s attention and jerked her head toward where she saw their energy signatures.