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“Jesus Christ,” a male voice growled.

I turned, but it wasn’t Warrick, it was Ren.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Providing backup since you’ve somehow pissed Warrick off enough that he refused.” He strode toward me and a grin curled his lips. I couldn’t help but grin back and pulled him in for a tight hug. He dropped a kiss to the top of my head. “Missed you, Wills.”

“Missed you too, foxy.” Warrick wasn’t coming. I mean, he’d said it, but I hadn’t actually believed him.

A surprised laugh escaped him at the nickname I used to call him. We were ridiculous. We hadn’t even been apart that long. But we didn’t do that. We didn’t purposely stay away from each other. I squeezed him again. “You feel bigger.”

“I am bigger,” he said, that grin still there.

“Gotta love those shifter genes. Lift some weights for a few days and you turn into the Hulk,” I teased. But joke aside, physically, he had seriously transformed.

“It’s been a week actually, and Jagger has me doing some serious reps,” he said as he scanned the edge of the clearing.

“How’s the training going?” There was a bruise on his jaw and another on his cheekbone.

“Really good. I feel…” He shook his head. “It’s a good feeling, you know? I’m still learning, but I don’t go down as easily as I did a week ago.”

I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. “Are they being dicks to you?”

“Nah, they’re hard on me, but they’re fair. And Ronan’s been teaching me a few things as well. The male’s so cold and controlled, I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before.”

“Ronan’s there?” This seriously surprised me.

“Yeah, he has a room at the den. He comes and goes. I don’t know how it happened, but he’s tight with the hounds.”

My friend Luna didn’t know where her brother had been living. I would definitely be giving her a call later.

“So we’re looking for Edric?” Ren said.

“Yeah, though I’m not sure you should be out here, Renny. It’s not safe.”

He snorted. “I think I’ll be okay. I followed your gory trail of mutilation all the way here, remember?”

I smiled. “True. I’m getting better, more in tune with my dagger every day.”

“Nice…”

A howl echoed in the distance, and it definitely wasn’t Warrick. Yes, I knew the difference.

I spun toward the eerie sound. “Stay close to me,” I said and snatched a bag from my satchel. Stabbing the corner, I made a tight, thick circle of salt and cemetery dirt around Ren, then another beside him around me. “Whatever happens, Ren, promise me, you’ll stay in the circle.”

He nodded as he drew a hunting knife from the sheath strapped to his thigh.

“I know I should be pissed that you came out here, but I missed you so much, I’m just happy to see your pretty face.” I stepped out and in front of my circle.

“Hey, I’ll accept handsome, or even hot, but I draw the line at pretty.”

There was a tremor to his voice that he tried to hide. He was nervous. Nerves were good. A little fear was healthy. Cockiness, that’s when you ran into trouble. “So noted.” My blade was vibrating like crazy now, and I spun it slowly between my fingers.

The howl came again, louder this time.

“Move back, Wills, get in your circle,” Ren said.

“Not yet, the spirit won’t be interested if I’m behind the salt. If I can get him close enough to wound him, I might be able to question him.”