“Why do you think I’m helping you?”

“I doubt it’s because you like me.”

“I don’t dislike you, Kevin. But I love Roman, and Roman loves you. That makes you important to him.

And me.”

They were drawing near the harbor and a large collection of warfside warehouse. As they pulled into one

of the hangar-sized buildings, a thought occurred to Kevin. “I was pretty rough on you the other night when

we fought. I’m sorry about that.”

Fenrir smirked lustily as he undid his seatbelt and got out. “Why? I like it rough.”

Shaking his head, Kevin followed the big man into the warehouse.

Roman was waiting there for them, perched on a shipping box, a knapsack resting at his feet. Kevin

hurried over and Roman stood up, looping his arms around Kevin’s neck and kissing him passionately.

They kissed and rubbed their bodies against one another in greeting. When they drew back far enough for

Kevin to breathe, Roman said, “Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure if you would.”

“Of course I would. You’re my alpha, Roman. If you call me, I’ll always come.”

The flicker of love and devotion in Roman’s eyes made Kevin’s heart thud harder. “We have to make this

painfully brief, Golden Eyes. Anya could show up at any time.” He nodded to Fenrir, who moved to the

doors of the warehouse to stand guard. Roman looked back at Kevin, captured his face in his hands like

some precious jewel, and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I know we’ve only been apart a few days, but I

already feel the strain of it. I want you so much it makes my wolf ache within.”

“Yes,” Kevin agreed. “I feel that too.”

“I’m not sure how I’ll bear our permanent parting.”

Kevin stepped back. “What do you mean?”

Roman lifted the knapsack. “I want you to take this. It has passports, travel tickets, new identities for you

and your sister, access to offshore bank accounts, everything you need to start a new life elsewhere.”

Kevin shook his head and stared at the knapsack in horror. “What are you talking about? I’m not going

anywhere.”

“You have to go.” Roman gave him a dark, sobering look. Kevin could see a storm in his eyes. “It’s no

longer a case of maybe. You have to. Now. Today. Go home, take your sister, and leave this city. Follow

the travel plans I have outlined for you inside…”

When Roman tried to give Kevin the bag, he slapped it away. “I am not leaving, Roman!” He held up his

hands. “I’m not afraid of Anya.”

“You should be,” Roman growled and his eyes flashed to wolf. “I can’t protect you anymore. Anya has

ordered a citywide hunt for you, and there’s no way I can stand in her way.”

“I told you…”

“Hush,” Roman said in his commanding alpha voice. He reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out a

handkerchief. Inside it, he revealed a heavy black iron medallion on a long cord. “This is called The Song

of Cerberus, sometimes referred to as Wolfsbane—real Wolfsbane. The ancient people and Greece and

Mesopotamia wore them to ward off the attacks of werewolves. Take it with you, but don’t touch it or it

will burn you. Use it if you must on Anya to protect yourself.” He rewrapped it in the handkerchief and

put it in Kevin’s hand, curling his fingers around it.

Kevin was about to protest further when Fenrir turned and shouted to them, “She’s coming!”

Roman touched his cheek. “I’m sending you away because I love you.”

“You can’t make me leave,” Kevin choked.

“I’m your alpha, Kevin Sullivan. It’s your duty to listen to your alpha. And when he tells you to do

something, you do it without question. Do you understand?” Something about the dire tone in Roman’s

voice made Kevin grab the pack and slip it on.

A few moments later, Fenrir turned. Kevin could hear the squeal of a car rounding the bend. “I’d hate to

break up your love fest, boys, but she’s here!”

Roman nodded and looked Kevin in the eye. “Go! If not for yourself, then for Hannah!”

That motivated him when nothing else could. Kevin started for the exit on the opposite side of the

warehouse hangar, then stopped and turned to look back at Roman as a black stretch limo turned into the

warehouse. Roman was standing there so sedately, but Kevin’s heart was thudding hard and

uncomfortably in his chest.

One of Anya’s werewolves got out of the driver’s seat and went to open the back door. Anya stepped out,

wearing a long, fox fur coat and a shimmering, pale champagne gown beneath it. Her hair was coffered

perfectly like a starlet from an old Hollywood movie. Diamonds flashed at her throat, ears and on her

long, slender fingers. “Kevin!” she said and took a dainty step toward him, a hand outstretched. “Wait,

please!”

Kevin felt torn. A part of him wanted to listen to his alpha and run, but disbelief and indecision held him

rooted to the ground. It just didn’t seem possible that Anya was capable of any evil at all. She was so

beautiful, so dainty. In some ways, she reminded Kevin of Hannah, small but strong. How in hell could

she be Odin’s greedy demon she-wolf?

“I know what you’re thinking!” she called. “I know the lies that Roman has told!”

“He said you keep him against his will, Anya,” Kevin answered, not willing to get any closer than he was.

Anya frowned. “Roman overreacts. He’s with me and my pack purely of his own will.” She clutched at

the collar of her coat and gave him a sad expression as her pack slowly gathered around her. “Do you

really believe Roman does anything he doesn’t want to do?”

She had a point. Kevin looked at Roman, but he stood stoic and silent, staring back at Kevin. Could it be

true? Roman was hardly the type to let other people push him around. Kevin looked back at Anya.

Something about her coat bothered him.

“Kevin, please don’t go,” Anya pleaded, sounding genuinely sad. “You said you wanted to be part of my

pack. I want that too. We all do!”

Suddenly, Kevin knew what was wrong. Her coat wasn’t made of fox fur. It was wolf fur.

Jonah.

“Shit,” he hissed.

Seconds later he saw the realization dawning in Anya’s eyes. She narrowed them to burning cold slits.

“This would have been much easier on you if you had just stayed, Kevin,” she said in a new and much

more guttural voice. She flicked her delicate fingers and several of her biggest, burliest boys broke away

and went to Roman, grabbing him by his long ponytail of hair and forcing him to his knees. His eyes were

stricken, terrified—not for himself, but for Kevin.

Run, he mouthed.

And as Anya pointed at him, commanding the rest of the pack forward, Kevin ran.

***

Chapter Twenty-Three

He raced out of the warehouse and across the tarmac, the sound of several of the pack close on his heels.

They were big, muscular men. He wasn’t sure he could fight them all off, even being a Pedigree. He heard

them panting and growling, and the heavy thud of their boots sent a worm of panic up his back and into his