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The moment I stepped outside, every cell of my body shot into high alert. My nails lengthened instinctively, and my fangs descended, punching through my gums. The air was still and silence rained down upon crowds that backed away from the sidewalk. No one moved.

I ducked into an alcove and waited, my ears straining for the smallest sound and my eyes scanning every minute detail of the area until they lit on the side entrance to the nightclub.

There, in a tiny outfit displaying the softest, supplest curves of skin, stood Brittney. It wasn’t her that brought the atmosphere of horror, but her companions.

Fae. Two of them. They had to be of note, going by the finery they’d adorned themselves with. One had hair the color of rich blood and the other, liquid onyx. The man with the darker hair had her hand in his own, sending unnecessary bolts of heat up my spine. The other followed directly behind her, giving her nowhere to go.

The woman didn’t appear overly distressed but neither did she look comfortable. There was only one reason they would have come to the Second Realm and gone straight to the woman. They were looking for me.

It was all I could do to modulate my heart rate. As far as I knew, none of the beings had ever entered the Second. The same as we stayed away from them, they stayed away from us. It was unheard of for either to cross into the other’s home. They wanted what I had, and they would do anything to retrieve it.

At the time, I knew I was taking a chance to steal. I’d figured the chances of retaliation were low. I was mistaken. The political considerations should have kept them away, especially since my transgression was of such a minor amount, but I was unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Fae. They were never seen in any Realm but their own although I’d heard rumblings of brief sightings in the Fourth. This was serious.

My problems were twofold. The irritation seizing my brain after I watched them touch Brittney was ridiculous and bothersome. It interfered with my focus. And who knew what she’d told them? The other issue was that I wasn’t going to give it back. My lifelong goal was to be untouchable and by possessing what I did, that aim was within reach.

If I returned to either home, they would easily follow me. There was no way to know what powers or magic these two men contained, not until I observed them in action. It had been centuries since the last time I had been this ineffective. It was unacceptable. I would never give the Fae their property back.

As they led Brittney to a vehicle, I heard the redhead refer to the other man as “Adrian.” From watching them, it appeared Adrian was in charge. Both men subtly scanned their surroundings, their irises flashing like diamonds as they made note of every detail. I forced my heart nearly to a stop, letting the shadows cover me, using the magic I contained as lightly as possible. Adrian’s gaze snagged for a fraction of a second. It was unlikely he could see me, but he knew instinctually that he was being observed.

It was of utmost importance that I returned to one of my two homes, and neither was currently possible. Nor was I able to consult with any of my friends or ask for assistance due to the nature of the situation. The only thing to be gained was more enemies.

The parallels between this situation and my past weighed heavily on my soul. My inquisitive and curious nature attracted my parents’ and wife’s demise, having asked too many questions. I’d always wanted more. I’d been the one who’d insisted the reclusive gentleman be invited to the party.

All I’d wanted was to sit down and talk to him and receive knowledge, to take in the mysteries of the universe no book I’d torn through covered. What I’d received was an evening of bloodshed and heartbreak, followed by public ostracism. There was nothing I could do to stop it, not while I’d lain there dying, myself. I’d never asked for any of this though in retrospect; I would have happily accepted without the demise of my loved ones.

As hard as I’d tried, I’d been unable to save my wife. To this day, I remembered the sweet scent of her light hair and the curve of her hip, features centuries of time could not erase.

Brittney was shuffled inside the vehicle and much to my delight, she kicked her heel into the redhead’s shin. The only thing that moved was the material of his pants and then the heel of his hand as he forcibly shoved her inside. I would kill him first chance I got.

When the car pulled away, there was no energy or scent signature left for me to pursue, and I filed that information away about the Fae’s magic.

When I felt it was safe to do so, I summoned my driver and instructed him to take me to a hotel. Once I was alone and in my room, I was laying on the bed, doing my best not to panic. What had Brittney seen? What was she telling them? She didn’t know anything—she couldn’t. All she knew was that there was a man in a dusty house full of curiosities in the woods who liked books and antiques and hated unexpected company and who set traps in the forest.

How the hell had she fallen into one of the pits after deftly avoiding them for days? Whoever she worked for should be shot, and hopefully I’d be the one to put the foolish bastard out of their misery.

She had the softest skin. Her hair was finer than Muga silk and just as rare. Her lips had been intoxicating and her taste better than ambrosia. I knew she was attracted to me so after I made that enchanted steel prison, I would tie her by her hair to the bars and sink my teeth into her neck while I impaled her on my cock. It went without saying that she’d be the one kill that would ever hurt me. I always knew there would be regrets.

One thing I hadn’t yet been able to figure out was whether the Fae could dream walk. I had been thorough with my research but hadn’t found any associated information. Every other supernatural creature I’d ever heard of contained the ability, so I had to assume the Fae could as well. And if they could, chances were high they’d be able to detect me, but it was the only option left. I needed to know what was going on, what they saw when they infiltrated my homes, what they touched, what they saw, and what they took.

As for Brittney? I’d deal with her personally.

After I summoned a car service again and was dropped off at my home, I stood just outside the pile of broken stones and bent wooden beams before entering through my hidden doorway. I knew the two Fae were in there, I could feel their magic.

The dual moons shed soft, orange tinted light over the rubble, and I heard a wraith scream in the distance followed by the call of a crow. A lot of good the birds had done me. They were nowhere around and going by the large, luxury all-terrain vehicle parked nearby, the two men were inside with Brittney.

Once inside, I hung back in the foyer area, focusing and concentrating until I could discern where the intruders were. Frustratingly, I still could not smell Brittney’s fragrance, and I made a mental note to take a slice of her skin when I finally had her tied up. Deprivation was not a favored state.

One of the men’s shoes scuffed the threshold of my office, and I waited a beat before moving forward, carefully peeking around the corner of the wall I clung to. Only forty feet away, the man with the dark red hair stood with his back to me and it was all I could do not to lunge at him.

“Leander,” the man I’d learned was named Adrian said, “look at this.”

Adrian kept his voice low, and Leander moved forward and out of sight. Knowing where every loose board was, I traced careful steps closer. Getting past the office was imperative as it was the only path to my ritual cave. If I could get down there, I could use my crystal ball to monitor the intruders.

“I don’t understand what you need me here for.” I froze with my leg extended. “What is this place? I mean it's cool—look at all this shit, but I can’t help you. I don’t even know what to do with it.” Something fell on the floor with a thump. “Oops. Sorry.”

“Stop touching everything, we don’t know what has been done to it,” Adrian snarled at her.

I grinned at myself. This was my first advantage. The Fae cocksuckers had limitations.