Her fingers had just slid around the cold metal when she was hit with such force she heard her ribs crack a second before the searing, wrenching pain registered in her mind.

Then she was sailing through the air.

Lyonis flung open the office door so hard it slammed the wall and shattered the glass window in it. His top lieutenants tore away from each other, breathing hard from a fresh batch of kissing.

“Now is hardly the time,” he said darkly.

Thane and Jackie squared instantly, jaws firming, eyes straight ahead. Lyonis nodded at them.

“Any news on Danny?”

“No, Sir. But all of the Atal Warriors have been set along the perimeter and streets. A total of 100 warriors,” Thane said.

“Alpha Lyonis, I still don’t think this is necessary. We don’t need vampires securing our defenses,” Jackie said.

Lyonis sat down only to stand again. He couldn’t stop moving in agitated jerks. Willow was driving him crazy. Why the hell was he feeling guilty? He was doing the right thing! It was his job to protect his mate and child dammit and that’s what he was going to do. But damn the sight of her hurting tore him up inside better than a chain saw could ever do.

In a distracted voice he said, “Sometimes we have to push aside our pride in order to be stronger. To take care of the ones we love.”

He didn’t see the intense look shared between Thane and Jackie at his words. Too focused was he on Willow. Willow, Willow, Willow. Why couldn’t she understand that this was necessary, that he was doing it to protect her?

“I hurt her.”

He didn’t realize he said the words aloud until Thane stepped forward and said, “These are difficult times. As long as you love her and tell her often she'll realize it’s the right thing.”

Lyonis stared at Thane in surprise. Had he ever told her he loved her? He thought he might have mentioned it in passing, but had he ever said the words to her? Hell, how could she not know it when his feelings radiated from his very pores?

“Of course she knows I love her,” he said softly, unsure.

Thane raised a dark eyebrow. “You don’t sound certain, Alpha. Maybe it’s time you tell her...as many times as it takes. Sometimes women need to hear it, a lot, before they’ll soften up.” The shapeshifter’s lips twitched like he wanted to laugh. Jackie’s hand shot out and slapped his arm almost too fast to see. Thane straightened again but a grin played at his lips.

Lyonis’ gaze slid over to Jackie’s exposed neck and there he saw the fresh, pink bite. The tension in his shoulders lessened.

“You two finally mated, huh? Congratulations.” Still the happy news didn’t fix his mood any.

“Yes, Alpha,” Jackie said, pink coloring her cheeks.

A guard ran into the room, panting from a sprint. “Sir, we have a problem!”

Lyonis stiffened, his heart pounding frantically. “What is it?” In his gut, he already knew.

“The Queen, Sir, she’s missing.”

Lyonis was out the door the next second. The cabin door was standing wide open as he entered it a minute later. He ran through the house, searching every door and closet. Under the bed he found her backpack, which previously had been empty in the corner of the room. His fist clenched over the packed bag. She was going to leave him but then why didn’t she take her bag?

Jackie and Thane came into the room after him.

“How did she leave?”

“Sir, the guard said none of the other guards let her through the perimeter. That it would be impossible for her to get through.”

Lyonis ran back downstairs and finished searching the rooms. Last, he stopped in the kitchen. A frown came over him as he looked at the open cabinets and a pot lying on the floor.

“What happened in here?”

The guard who had run to tell him the news stepped forward. “Sir, Rachel Harbrow stopped by. The ladies chatted for at least an hour. When another hour passed and I didn’t hear anything, I knocked on the door but no one answered. So I came in and searched the place but found it empty.”

“There was a struggle,” Thane said, inspecting the kitchen.

Lyonis nodded and the words were out of his mouth before he could think about it. “Call Tyrian en Kulev and get the sisters out here.”

“But, Alpha, I’m sure we can figure this out without any help from more Atal Warriors,” Jackie said.

Lyonis saw black. He stood; hands fisted tightly at his sides and in a cold, controlled voice said, “Don’t question me again. The demon took her and Rachel, too. Unless you know how to get her back then shut up and do what I say.”

Jackie bowed her head respectfully. “Of course, Alpha. You’re right. My pride bested me again.” She turned from the room.

“Where are they!” he screamed. Everyone around him recoiled.

“I called them right away, Alpha. They said they’d be here right away. I don’t know what’s taking so long,” Jackie said.

Lyonis paced back and forth in his living room. Guards stood all around him but wisely didn’t ask him to calm down or sit. They knew he’d tear off their heads with such nonsense.

It had been almost a whole hour and they still hadn’t showed up. Each second that ticked by made him feel like he was slowly feeling Willow slip through his fingers.

A guard rushed into the house. “Sir, they’re here!”

Lyonis was outside in the blink of an eye. Tyrian, Chloe, Lily, Telal, and a guard walked towards him.

“What the hell took you so long?” he roared. His pack knew the intensity of his anger and flinched at his voice.

Chloe gave a disgusted glace at the demon Telal. “Ask him.”

Telal merely shrugged and Lyonis saw red. He had the demon on his back, his hands on his throat in the next second. His hands transformed, forming sharp taloned claws that dug into the demon’s neck.

“I’ll kill you,” Lyonis spit out.

The demon didn’t flinch. “Then do it. Otherwise get the hell off me, shapeshifter.”

Lily stepped forward with a fierce scowl on her face. She planted her hands on her hips and glared down at Telal. “You don’t have to be such a bastard. His pregnant mate has just been stolen by the demon and he has no way to get to her. You’d be freaked out too.”

“I’d have to care about her first.”

Lyonis’ fist slammed into the demon face. The demon cocked his head to the side to spit out blood. Still, his face was impassive, uncaring.

“If you want my help get off of me now. Or I’ll make you get off,” he said softly.

Lyonis was forcefully tugged off the demon by his guards and he let them because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get off him on his own.

Telal flashed to a stand. “Why was I called here?” He sounded bored. Lyonis shook against the arms holding him. He knew he wasn’t mad at the demon—much—but that he wanted an outlet to release energy on. Still that didn’t stop him from lunging again at the demon.

The blue-haired demon looked at him as if he was no greater a threat than a fly.

“What happened to our sister,” Chloe asked, her hand clenched in Tyrian’s.

“She gone,” Lyonis said, then restated what had happened in the house with Rachel.

“The demon took them both?” Chloe said.

Telal scoffed. “Dura is a jaheera demon that thrives off fear and death. Its powers are magnificent when at full strength. Even now I doubt she’d taken Rachel. The shapeshifter is useless, unless she was being controlled.”

“Controlled?” Chloe said.

“Yes, I’m sure the other members of your little pack that have gone missing are gone right now. Go ahead, check,” Telal said with that same straight face.

Lily marched up to him and slapped him across the face. He slowly turned his head to look at her and a small spark of anger, or something, was there.

“Don’t ever hit me, lilit.” His words were deathly quiet, controlled.