Page 107 of Primal Bonds

His body was one big ache, but worse, there was a huge, echoing silence where his quartz should be. The bastards had taken it.

Hell. He couldn’t even shift. Even if he were completely well, the shift would be slow and laborious without his quartz to draw on. But injured as he was, there was only a small chance he’d make it through.

And Tyrus had Evie. He’d been unable to open his eyes, but he’d been aware enough to realize Tyrus had taken her. Gods, he’d been guilty of a huge miscalculation. Trusting his defenses to keep the night fae out. But he’d never thought Tyrus would go for Evie instead of him.

At least Kyler was safe. He’d heard the bargain she’d made. A mama bear didn’t have anything on Evie Morningstar. His chest clenched. I should’ve told her I love her.

He pushed that thought aside to take inventory. He had various assorted bruises and cuts from his fight with Corban, but the worst was the gash on his throat. When he touched it, his hand came away bloody.

Somewhere nearby, his quartz murmured. He also scented Kane, and to a lesser extent, Corban. So this was probably Kane’s car, and Corban had Jace’s quartz because there was no way he’d let his younger brother take charge of it.

The car stopped and he heard the brothers quarreling. “Why the hell would you sign a contract with a night fae?” Kane demanded.

“Tyrus wants Jones—and I want him gone. Adric has sunk every penny the clan has into the new smartphones. Take Jones out, and Adric’s back to the beginning. It will prove once and for all that that I’m the stronger.”

Jace shook his head. Corban would never understand that people didn’t follow Adric just because he was strong. They followed him because he was a natural leader, one who always put the clan first. Not a weak prick who would use a night fae against his own people.

Kane growled. “You’re going to get us both killed.”

Hope sparked in Jace. So Kane wasn’t a hundred percent in?

But Corban snarled and the younger man said, “It’s your funeral,” and shut up.

Car doors opened and slammed. Jace tensed, preparing to fight.

The trunk popped open and Corban stared down at him, Jace’s quartz in his fist. It was the first good look Jace had had of him in over a year. He was leaner, his face lined with exhaustion as if the months away had been hard on him.

“Get out,” he snarled. “We’re taking you to your woman.”

“My woman?” Jace froze in the act of launching himself at Corban.

“That human-fae mixed-blood—your scent is all over her. Now get out.” Corban squeezed Jace’s quartz, and pain slammed through him as if Corban had reached into his chest to grab his heart.

Jace set his teeth and obeyed. There was no sense in resisting if it would get him to Evie, but he was weak from loss of blood. He only made it a few steps before he stumbled and dropped to one knee. His body wanted to stay folded in on itself, but he forced himself back upright. They were in a parking lot in Druid Hill Park. To the south he could see downtown Baltimore, the skyscrapers hazy in the simmering heat, the humidity already on the rise. On a nearby path, an early morning runner loped past, earbuds in place, oblivious to their tense little tableau—or pretending to be.

Evie was nowhere in sight. “Where is she?” Jace demanded.

“That way.” Corban motioned at Kane, who started down the path after the runner.

Jace nodded and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Corban fell in beside him.

Jace shot him a look. “Tell the night fae to let her go—she has nothing to do with this. You know what perverted bastards they are.”

The wolf shrugged. “I have a contract.”

“On me, yes. But what did she ever do to you?”

“Nothing, but Tyrus wants her. And he wants you gone because you’re one more thing standing between him and Merry.” Corban’s lip curled. “And because he’s a night fae, and if he can’t get at Merry, he wants to make her suffer.”

Jace stared at him, chilled despite the heat. It made sense. Tyrus couldn’t kill Merry because of the ward, but he was a night fae. He’d enjoy making her suffer, and what better way than to kill off the people she loved? Which could mean that Valeria and the babies were in danger, too. He didn’t count Rui—it would take a hell of a lot to take down the shark assassin.

Jace had to contact Rui, warn him his family might be a target. He raised a hand to his quartz before he recalled that Corban had it. His fingers curled into his palm.

“Move.” Corban gave Jace’s quartz a warning squeeze.

Jace sucked in a breath and obeyed. The trek was less than a mile, but it seemed like hours, each step an agony, as if he were pushing through quicksand. The only thing that kept him going was a grim determination to reach Evie.

At last they stopped in a clearing. Jace scented both Evie and Tyrus. The wound on his throat was bleeding in earnest now. He licked dry lips and blinked woozily in the rising heat as Kane uncovered the entrance to an underground den.

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