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I stood in the back room of The Devil’s Trap, smoothing my hands over the gentle swell of my belly through the white sundress. Yellow daisies dotted the fabric. Cheerful and simple. My feet were comfortable in flat sandals, and my hair fell loose around my shoulders with just a few wildflowers Pagan had woven in.

My father would …

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The blood wouldn't stop coming.

My hands pressed against the wound in Laedan's chest, but it was like trying to hold back a river with my fingers. Each heartbeat grew weaker, pushing more crimson between my palms. The metallic smell filled my nostrils, mixed with the acrid burn of silver.

Behind me, Tobias fought against his restraints, the leather creaki…

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My heart hammered as we stood in the woods outside the containment facility. The witch (who'd turned out to also be a vampire) had done the spell two hours earlier to turn me into a homing pigeon. She and her vampire mate had come with us on this raid. She'd wanted to make sure the spell went off without a hitch, and we could always use more backup.

"Rem…

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Coffee.

That sweet smell dragged me out of the darkness. My stomach grumbled. I was starving, achy, and exhausted. The last thing I remembered was passing out with a human hovering over me. I hoped I'd been right to trust him.

Raised voices filtered through a door.

"—can't trust her. She's shapeshifter nobility. Her fucking father runs those death camps."

"…

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My paws were leaving bloody prints in the dirt.

I'd been running for hours. Exactly how many, I couldn't tell. The sun that had been high when I'd fled was now sinking toward the mountains, lengthening the shadows and painting everything in shades of gold. Every step sent sharp pain shooting up my legs, but I couldn't stop.

I wasn't sure what I'd do for t…

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The words hung between us. Pregnant. I was pregnant.

My hand went to my stomach, pressing against the flat surface through my sweater. I felt no difference, but if he was right, there was a tiny life growing inside me.

"That's impossible." My chest tightened. "How do you know?"

"Your scent changed. Subtle, but there. You're carrying our child, Maddy."

A thr…

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I took a deep breath of fresh air and gazed out at the mountains. The sun was out, and eventually it would warm most of the chill from the air. It would be unseasonably warm today, but it would still be quite a bit colder than my home in Savannah.

I wore jeans and a cozy sweater, drawing strange looks from the guards unused to a shapeshifter noblewoman i…

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The Aberdeen facility looked like a high-security prison. All glass and concrete. Metal bars over every window, including the ones I stared out of now. My third-floor quarters had large windows along the southern wall showcasing mountains I'd never walked through. The forest stretched as far as I could see.

After a week cooped up in these rooms, I was dy…

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The wedding ring felt tight and somehow heavy on my finger. I twisted the little band, trying to loosen it, but I knew it fit me perfectly.

The tightness? The weight? That was all in my head. The platinum band was beautiful, studded with small diamonds and adorned with a lovely swirling engraving. Vyktor had excellent taste. But it might as well have bee…

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The front door exploded inward. Wood splintered across the hardwood as armed figures in black tactical gear flooded the entrance.

I stood frozen on the stairs, one hand white-knuckled on the banister. Shapeshifter soldiers. My father's people.

They'd found me.

The living room erupted. Shouting, the hiss of tranquilizer guns, furniture crashing. Someone sna…

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The sunlight hitting my face was what woke me. I turned into the pillow to get away from it, but I knew it was hopeless. Once I was up, I was up, no matter how tired I still was.

Besides, jeans weren't the most comfortable thing to sleep in. I wished I'd ditched them before I passed out. I was tangled in the sheets and bedspread, where it clung to the he…

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Warm light spilled from the windows of the house. I could hear voices inside. Tense and angry. Someone slammed something on a table. They were arguing about what to do next, how to handle Kane's death, whether to stay or scatter.

My hand tightened on Laedan's. He reached up and pulled a leaf from my hair. "Ready?"

I wasn't. How could I be ready to face a …

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Laedan's lips brushed my temple, my cheek, finally finding my mouth in a kiss that was gentle and reverent after all that passion.

When we broke apart, he pulled back to look at me, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. He kissed my throat. "I didn't mean to bite you. Are you hurt?"

I touched the spot on my neck. It throbbed, but not unpleasantly. More …

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The forest floor was spongy beneath my borrowed boots as Rourke dragged me deeper into the darkness. Calvin moved like a ghost ahead of us, weaving between towering pines with the kind of fluid grace that made me feel like a drunk giraffe in comparison.

Every snap of a twig under my feet made me flinch. Whatever had created that blood smear on the window…

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I rolled my neck on my shoulders as we left the control room, and I was so tense that even that little movement felt like a massage. Laedan was right. It had been a long day. In the past twenty-four hours, I’d escaped my wedding, been kidnapped and drugged, shifted to heal my ankle and escape, run through the woods, been threatened by werewolves, and ha…

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The hallway stretched ahead like a gauntlet I had to run. Werewolves lined both sides. I could feel the hostility radiating off them. It crawled across my skin like insects. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I kept my chin up, shoulders back, channeling every lesson in noble composure I'd learned over the years.

I'd been snubbed by experts my who…

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The whispered rustle of leaves was soothing as sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden patches. Pine and earth scented the morning air. It might have been peaceful out here if I hadn't been walking with my kidnapper, hoping he'd bring me to suitable clothing.

I cleared my throat. "Are you going to explain why I'm here? I know you want revenge on m…

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After sleeping the rest of the night and late into the morning, my ankle still wasn't healed. But I felt better. When I'd woken the first time, I must have still been under the effects of the drug. I felt much more clear headed now.

A shy woman, a few years older than me, named Jane, had brought me a late lunch. But other than that, I'd been left to stew…

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My tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth. Swallowing sent razors down my throat. The pounding in my skull matched the throb in my ankle. I couldn't get much more miserable.

I cracked one eye open, bracing for stabbing light, but the room was dim. Someone knew what that drug would do to me. How thoughtful of my kidnapper.

I pushed myself up against the …

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The sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains felt like a spotlight I couldn't escape. The room was beautiful. Even in my current state, I could admit that. The high ceilings with their intricate molding, the gilded mirror carved with roses, and fresh peonies choking the air with sweetness. Everything was done in cream, gold, and a light baby pink. …

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