In a room at the back, Aeneas stopped in front of a broken display case. He looked at us, his gaze heavy. “Ours is the foremost collection of artifacts related to the supernatural world. Highly valuable.”

  “But not well secured?” I asked, looking at the broken glass.

  Anger flashed in Aeneas’s eyes. “Very well secured. In all two hundred fifty-six years of our history, we have never suffered a theft.” He tapped the iron edge of the display case. “This has been enchanted to repel the attacks of all living things. And yet, the thief still managed to break in.”

  “How?” Lachlan asked.

  “That, I do not know. A spell that shouldn’t exist, perhaps. Or he’s more powerful than any species we’ve ever seen, able to resist the magic that bound this case.”

  “He’s not,” Lachlan said. “He’s very powerful, but he’s not capable of something that unusual.”

  “Magic, then.”

  “It makes sense,” I said, and looked at Lachlan. “Garreth might not be that powerful, but the Maker could be.”

  I could feel Aeneas’s attention sharpen. “Garreth is his name?”

  “One of them,” Lachlan said. “An alias.”

  He was protecting his brother, even though he knew he’d done wrong. I couldn’t blame him.

  “Can you tell us what you saw? What you heard?” I asked Aeneas, and looked at the case. An empty patch of navy velvet revealed the imprint of the missing object. “What was taken?”

  “I saw nothing.” Aeneas frowned, clearly bitter. “But I did hear a commotion. Two, actually. One after the other.”

  “Two people?” I asked. Did Lachlan have a partner that I hadn’t seen?

  “I do not know. By the time I came downstairs, it was over. The artifact was gone, and the museum was empty.”

  “What did he take?” Lachlan asked.

  “An artifact called the Moon Stone. It has been in our collection since the founding of the museum.”

  The Moon Stone? I shivered. Could there be a connection between that and the crescent moon mark on my palm?

  After what the seer had told Lachlan, this couldn’t be a coincidence.

  I was connected to whatever Garreth was doing, and I wanted to find out what the hell that was.

  “Where did it come from?” I asked. “What is it?”

  “Wait here, and I will bring you what information we have. You’ll need to know what it looks like if you’re to return it to me.”

  The old man disappeared, and I whispered to Lachlan, “He trusted us quite quickly.”

  It’s me. Ralph’s voice sounded from the ground. I’m very trustworthy.

  I looked down at him and grinned. “Thank God you’re here.” Actually, I mused, I shouldn’t joke. My familiar could be useful. “Why don’t you go sneak around and see if anything else has been disturbed?” I knelt and picked up a piece of broken glass, then handed it to him. “Careful with this. Take it to Carrow when you’re finished here.”

  Ralph gently gripped the glass and nodded, then scampered off, clearly enjoying having a task.

  “Carrow?” Lachlan asked.

  “She can read information from objects. Perhaps if she touches the glass, she’ll get an idea of what happened here. Maybe see if Garreth had a partner that I didn’t see.” He could have been just ahead of Garreth, already around the corner by the time I’d spotted him.

  Aeneas returned a moment later and handed me a simple cardstock folder. “That is all the information we have on the Moon Stone.”

  I flipped open the folder and looked down at the paper, then frowned at how blank it was. There were only a few sentences, along with a picture of a glowing white rock that looked smooth as glass. “This is it?”

  He nodded. “Records were not always very good in the past.”

  “Perhaps the antiquarians should have left things where they found them,” I said.

  “There is an argument for that, yes.” He nodded to the folder. “But as you can see, we don’t know much about it. I’ve got no idea why the thief would want such a thing when we have so many more valuable items here.”

  That was what frightened me. Quickly, I scanned the document. The Moon Stone had been found in the center of an ancient building on the Isle of Wyre, one of the Orkney Islands in far northern Scotland. A man named Sir Lawrence Keith had discovered it on an antiquarian expedition. He’d dug it out of the center of the building’s floor, apparently.

  “Wyre is one of the little islands, isn’t it?” Lachlan asked.

  Aeneas nodded. “Barely inhabited, but it is home to only supernaturals.”

  “What kind of supernaturals?” I asked.

  “I do not know. But I would announce myself before stepping ashore.”

  I nodded and raised the folder. “Thank you for this.”

  “You’ll have to give it back.”

  “Of course.” There wasn’t a lot of info on it, but I didn’t want to leave that behind, either. I pulled my mobile from my pocket. “May I take a photograph, at least?”

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “But be quick about it. And be quick about returning the Moon Stone.”

  I nodded. I didn’t mind his grouchiness, and I knew I didn’t want Garreth to have the damned stone. Aeneas could have it back, for all I cared.

  But then the cluttered glass cases caught my eye. Perhaps the stone didn’t need to be here, after all. Perhaps I needed to return it to its rightful resting place.

  I shook away the thought. First things first, I needed to find the bloody thing and figure out why Garreth wanted it.

  And I needed to find out if it could fix my magic. At the thought of it, pain sliced me so fiercely that I nearly went to my knees. I gasped, pressing a hand to my abdomen.

  Something was very wrong.

  I swallowed hard, knowing that my face was far too pale.

  “Are you all right?” Lachlan frowned, worry flashing in his eyes.

  “Fine.” My voice was reedy as I stood upright.

  The Moon Stone had to be connected to whatever was wrong with me. Had to be. The coincidence was too much, and the seer said Garreth’s goal was connected to my magic.

  Wishful thinking.

  Fates, I prayed not.

  Quickly, I handed the folder back to Aeneas. “We’ll be in touch.”

  He nodded.

  Together, Lachlan and I left the museum. On our way out, I saw Ralph rooting through a drawer in one of the side rooms. I had no idea if he was still on the mission I’d given him or if this was something personal, but I left him to it.

  Outside, we paused on the pavement, and I looked up at Lachlan.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. “Do you need to rest?”

  “I’m fine. No time.” I frowned. “Strange that he trusted us right away. We’re not with the police or government.”

  “Perhaps he doesn’t want them involved.”

  I thought about the collection. It wasn’t usually illegal to have an old collection like that, no matter how ethically questionable it might be. As long as the artifacts hadn’t been taken recently—now that it was definitely illegal to take artifacts from ancient sites—he should be in the clear.

  “I bet a lot of that stuff was bought on the black market,” I said. “The core of the collection is old enough to be within the laws, but there was a lot in there.”

  “So he’s just grateful we might return the thing to him without asking too many questions.”

  “I think you’re right. Have you heard of this Isle of Wyre?”

  “Only in passing. It’s supposed to be dangerous.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We have to go.”

  4

  Eve

  * * *

  Lachlan escorted me back to the Shadow Guild tower. Though he had to return to his own place, he insisted on walking me up to the courtyard where our protections began. We made the entire journey in silence, as if by unspoken agreement we could only communicate about Garreth and the Moon Stone.

  We were halfway across the courtyard when the air in front of me shimmered.

  “Do you see that?” I asked.

  “See what?”

  A moment later, the Maker stood in front of me. He wore the same dark, simple clothes that he’d worn previously, and an unholy fire burned in his eyes.

  I lunged backward, my heart shooting into my throat.

  Lachlan grabbed me by the shoulders, supporting me from behind. “What is it?”

  Holy fates, Lachlan couldn’t see him.

  “You,” I breathed, reaching frantically for a tiny potion bomb on my wrist cuff. “You’re not really here.”

  “No, but I’m with you,” said the Maker. “Always.”

  The words sent a shiver down my spine.

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Checking your progress. The answers are waiting for you, but you must keep going.”

  “Just tell them to me, damn it. You must know them.”

  “Even I do not know them all. You must make the discovery. If you don’t unravel the lies about your past—about yourself—then you will shatter inside.”

  Shatter inside. I already felt like I was.

  The vagueness of his words enraged me. Unable to stop myself, I hurled the potion bomb at him. It flew through the air, shooting straight through his ghostly form and exploding on the ground behind him.

  He disappeared, leaving no trace, and I gasped and collapsed against Lachlan. Pain tore through my middle, a feeling like my magic was trying to part ways with my body. Cold rushed over me, followed by terrible heat.

  Lachlan swept me into his arms, concern on his face. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.” I bit out the word, hating that he was seeing me like this. Hating the display of weakness. “You can put me down.”

  “I really can’t. You look pale as a ghost.”

  “I saw one.” I shoved at his chest, and he scowled. “Lachlan, put me down.”

  He did as I asked, clearly not liking it. When my feet hit the ground, I staggered. He reached out and gripped my arm with a gentle hand, and I leaned against him.

  “I’ll be fine.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew one of the pain potions. “Just a little weak after seeing the Maker.”

  “You saw him? That’s who you were talking to?” His gaze went alert, every muscle stiffening. I saw the wolf behind the green of his eyes, protectiveness rising inside him.

  I nodded as I uncorked the potion and tossed it back. Pure relief shot through me, and I sagged against him, grateful. “That’s better.”

  He wrapped an arm around me, keeping me upright. I knew it was a bad idea to lean into him, but I couldn’t help myself. He was just so warm and strong, and it felt so right.

  After a moment, I steadied myself and told him exactly what I’d seen. When I was done speaking, he nodded. “Right, let’s get you inside, and I’ll go learn what I can about this Isle of Wyre. Then we’ll head up there.”

  “Thank you.”

  He escorted me into the tower. No one was in the main room when we entered, but I could hear someone upstairs.

  “Eve?” Carrow shouted.

  “Down here!” I turned back to Lachlan. “You can go. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Be safe.”

  I nodded.

  He turned and strode across the courtyard. I watched him leave, unable to look away.

  Lachlan

  * * *

  I left Eve at her tower, making sure that she shut the door before I exited the courtyard.

  My mind spun as I made my way home.

  Eve had just seen the Maker. He’d appeared to her using some kind of magic, but her potion bomb had flown right through him.

  What the hell was happening? Why was he stalking her?

  Inside me, my beast growled. Eve was at risk from a threat we couldn’t see. The idea of it made me want to howl.

  I had to protect her. But how? Even I was a threat. And I knew what I would do if I became too dangerous for her.

  But there was even more than that, and asking my pack to put me down wouldn’t save her from the Maker.

  I dragged a hand through my hair and climbed the stairs to the main door of my tower. As I entered, I could feel the gazes of the people inside. Their faces betrayed their emotions: worry, fear—but underneath it all, trust.

  They still trusted me, even after I lost Garreth. Even after my eyes had gone temporarily black.

  I didn’t deserve such faith, but I’d have to find a way to earn it.

  As I passed through the great hall, I nodded at each of them. Kenneth would likely be in the back, and he was the one that I sought.

  I found my right hand in the armory, taking stock of the armor we hadn’t had cause to use in years. It was a blessing that these were relics of the past. Though we still fought, there was no more large-scale war. Long ago, the packs of Europe had clashed on the field of battle. Such frays had required armor, sleek and fitted to a wolf’s body. These days, packs didn’t always get along, but we managed to hash out our disagreements around a table instead of on the battlefield. There might be the occasional one-on-one clash, but nothing that required armor.

  I’d consider it a success if this room stayed quiet and unused during my tenure.

  When I stepped inside, Kenneth turned, his face relaxing. “Alpha.”

  “Kenneth.” I nodded.

  He tilted his head, frowning at me. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” The words came by instinct, but they were a lie. “Actually, of course I’m not. You know what’s happening.”

  Kenneth’s jaw tightened, as if he didn’t like to speak of it. “I…”

  “Ignoring it won’t help, you know that.”

  He heaved a sigh and dropped his clipboard by his side. “You’re going to ask me to do what needs to be done.”

  “If you must, yes.”

  Pain flashed in his eyes. “Can’t we find a cure?”

  “Perhaps.” Probably not. “More likely the best that I can promise is that I take care of the grisly task for you.”

  Horror twisted his face. “No, you mustn’t.”

  “Don’t worry yourself over it. I’ll do it somewhere you’ll never need to know.”

  “This is too morbid, boss.”

  Yes. It was.

  “All the same, you must be prepared to act without hesitation should my eyes go permanently black. I would take myself out of the equation now, but there’s something I need to do before that’s a possibility.”

  “Eve.”

  “Eve. We need to find out what’s happening to her. The Maker is still after her, but like a spider spinning a web. He won’t approach yet, but he’s just as dangerous. And I must find Garreth. Can I count on you?”

  He hesitated, then nodded, clearly hating every moment of this conversation. My second’s loyalty should warm me—and it did—but there was little room in the coldness of my heart just then.

  “We’ll stop this,” Kenneth said. “Somehow, I know it.”

  I felt a small smile tug at the corner of my mouth. “Perhaps. It would help if you could tell me everything you know about the Isle of Wyre.”

  His eyes brightened. “Of course. That’s something I can do, no problem.”

  Kenneth was our resident historian, knowledgeable in all areas of shifter and supernatural history.

  “I’m going to get some transport charms from my quarters,” I said. “Will you meet me there once you’ve collected whatever you need?”

  He nodded. “I’ll be there soon.”

  Eve

  * * *

  After a quick shower and meal to recoup my strength, I joined my friends in the main sitting room. Beatrix and Seraphia had returned from their work at the dentist’s office, smoothing over the mess I had made.

  They sat by the fire, Beatrix with her bright purple leggings and wild dark hair, Seraphia curled up in a long, flowing dress in a spring green that made her look like the earth goddess she was.

  I sank into the chair across from them. “Thank you so much for taking care of that. What do I owe you?”

  “Still sorting that out,” Beatrix said. “But you might get lucky.”

  “Lucky?”

  “Insurance!” Seraphia said.

  “But the van hit the building in a way that is basically impossible via the laws of physics,” I protested.

  “That doesn’t mean we could tell them it was magic,” Beatrix said.

  “Good point.”

  “We’ll keep you updated,” she replied.

  “Thank you.”

  Carrow and Mac came in from the courtyard and took their seats in the other comfy armchairs.

  “Lachlan is coming,” Carrow said. “Just saw him enter the courtyard. Quinn is still on shift at the Hound.”

  “Good timing.” I nodded, trying to play it cool even though my heartrate had just picked up the pace in a big way.

  A knock sounded at the door a half second later. Even from here, I could sense that it was Lachlan.

  Something stirred, somewhere in my soul. I rubbed my chest, frowning at the unfamiliar feeling. I’d thought I hadn’t had a beast. How wrong I was.

  Carrow called out for Lachlan to enter.

  He stepped inside, as handsome and powerful as ever in his jeans and a thin, dark sweater. It pulled at his shoulders, emphasizing his muscles in a way that I was sure was unintentional but certainly worked on me.

  I looked away.

  “I’m just in time?” he asked.

  “Yes.” I nodded, trying not to make eye contact. It was imperative that I keep my distance.

  He took a chair next to me, stretching his long legs out in a relaxed fashion that I knew he couldn't possibly feel. There was far too much at stake.

  “Well, I can start, since I didn’t find much.” Carrow leaned forward. “The glass that Ralph brought me had almost no information that I could read. It was broken by a hammer. Even though the glass was enchanted to protect the contents of the case, Garreth seems to have had a potion or spell to counteract that. I just couldn’t read it from the glass.”

  “You saw him?” Lachlan asked.

 

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