Chapter 1

He tasted magick. Magick and blood rushed over his skin and through his system. His beast surged forward as he caught a human male by the back of the neck and threw him up against a nearby fence.

His beast raged within, aching to be let free. Ached to rip those who dared harm his protected to small pieces.

These humans had thrown firebombs into a community center that had been full of Others at the time. The parking lot had been full. Children had been playing on the field out back.

If it hadn’t been for Clan Gennessee—who’d posted guards who’d noted the behavior of those humans who’d attacked them—they’d have been worse off. Fortunately, they’d acted immediately and evacuated.

His fist made contact with a man’s face, satisfaction roaring through Faine as the human crumpled to the ground.

The air was filled with the stench of the fuel used in the firebombs. With sweat and fear. His beast loved the latter.

Most of the humans were down, but what caught his attention was her.

She strode through the melee like a Valkyrie. Her magick sang with each step she took. Men fell all around her as she managed to use her fists and her power to push them back. Her face was a mask of fury and vengeance.

He blew out a breath as he took her in from head to toe. Helena Jaansen was magnificent.

She was totally focused as they fought the humans for a few minutes more before the threat they posed had been thoroughly dealt with. The police had not shown up yet, though some ambulances had arrived and those who’d escaped the building when it had been firebombed were being treated out of the fray.

He watched her hungrily as things wound down, and when it was over she put her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly. Her men and women froze, turning their attention to her.

“I want a team working immediately to gather evidence. Get the kits from the van. John and Evan, I want everything on video. The police will arrive shortly. Do not impede them, but do not cede ground either.”

There was absolutely no doubt who was in charge and her people responded quickly and efficiently.

“I’ll keep an eye on these humans.”

Helena looked to Faine. “Thank you. Feel free to break something if they try to escape.” She turned away, issuing orders as she went.

The police rolled up seconds later, exiting their cars with their weapons drawn.

Helena approached them, her hands up. “Nice timing. The people responsible for trying to kill a community center full of people are all there.” She indicated where they’d taken prisoners. “Subdued and bound until you arrived.”

“On the ground!” one of the officers screamed.

Helena looked at them and then at the people they’d apprehended lined up at her feet. “My hands are up and my identification is in my back pocket. I am not going to get on the ground.”

“We will shoot you if you don’t comply.”

One of her brows rose slowly. “You can try. Or you can do your job and deal with this situation you avoided until you figured it was over.” Like cowards hung in the air, unspoken, but not unheard. Magick crackled from her body as she spooled energy from the earth beneath her, from the air all around her.

She kept her hands up, but also her feet. “There’s video of the attack. We’ve got a backup, just in case it gets lost. You’re free to look at it. My people are guarding the room where the monitors are. It’s in a relatively unscathed part of the building. Back door, up the stairs to your left. They know you’re on the way, but they will continue to monitor as you watch. We’ll wait right here with our hands up while you do.”

“You don’t give the orders here.” The cop who stepped forward sneered. She was unmoved.

“Officer—” She leaned forward slightly, reading his name tag. “Officer Franklin. I’m Helena Jaansen, and as you’re too late on the scene of an assault called in twenty minutes ago, let me catch you up to speed. I’m not giving orders. I’m letting you know how it is. You can either protect us all, as is your job, or you can refuse. In either case, I will protect my people. And you won’t stop me from protecting children from these thugs. I have no desire to make this into an issue. But should you . . .” She shrugged. “I’m not a defenseless four-year-old just trying to jump rope. I can fight back.”

The tension built up in the air all around her. And all around the witches who stood near her. They’d taken enough abuse and would endure no more. If the cop didn’t figure that out, if he decided to ignore it and push his luck, Faine knew what would happen. And who’d still be walking when it was all over.

Another law enforcement guy came up through the crowd. “Stand down, officers,” he called out.

Franklin looked back, clearly intending to countermand, but when he saw the blue windbreaker and the big, yellow FBI letters, he stopped. “This is out of your jurisdiction.”

“You can put your hands down,” the FBI guy told Helena. She did, but she kept her body at attention. “Firebombs are actually firmly in our jurisdiction. Especially when it’s connected to a nationwide crime syndicate aimed at a certain group of citizens. That’s right smack dab in our wheelhouse.” He held out his identification to underline that.

One of Helena’s brows rose again and Faine wanted to put his lips on it. So often she kept her features impassive, but she had a rogue eyebrow that said what she so rarely did out loud.

FBI guy looked back to Helena. “You were saying there was video of the event?”

“Marian?” One of Helena’s people approached slowly, keeping her hands in plain sight. “Can you show Agent . . .”

“I’m Gil Anderson. Head of the new Cross Species Task Force.”

“The what?” Officer Franklin and Helena said this in unison.

“We set up this week.”