Chapter 1

Julian brushed a delicate but aggressive hand off his crotch. "Enough, Mirabelle."

"But baby … I thought you wanted to play? You know I'm into wolves." The blonde stripper's lips pursed into a plump pout. The human tugged at the hem of her cherry-red fishnet minidress and reached into her purse, pulling out a cigarette. "Are we gonna fuck or what?"

"Not tonight." The Alpha shook his head as he glanced across the room and caught sight of a young wolf who sank his fangs and cock deep into a naked woman.

"Baby, do ya got a light?" Mirabelle rolled her eyes, waiting on the Alpha.

"Fucking hell." Julian shoved off the vinyl couch and tossed a hundred-dollar bill towards the stripper who groaned in disappointment.

The Alpha sensed the feral rage igniting within Rafe. The hybrid's bloodlust sounded in his ears like a bass drum, faster and faster. Too close to the full moon, the young wolf fought for dominance over the vampire within him. Too novice to wield the magick of both wolf and vampire, Rafe struggled to control the power.

"Here we go." Without another word, Julian set off toward him, regretting ever saying yes to the ancient vampire who'd asked for his help.

Months ago, Greyson Dragavei had brought him the newly turned hybrid. The young wolf, Rafe Beaumont, had been silvered and nearly died during a vicious battle. His Alpha, Hunter Livingston, had agreed to allow ancient vampire Viktor Christianson to save him. Unfortunately, the wolf had been too close to death, resulting in his turning … vampire. Viktor had done his best to teach the hybrid to feed, but Rafe could no longer return to pack. Greyson had asked the ancient wolf to teach Rafe to control his urges, to embrace life as a hybrid.

What was I fucking thinking?

Get off her.Julian released his power and focused it on the young wolf. Instantly the hybrid retracted his fangs and whipped his head toward the Alpha. He locked his eyes on Julian. His will was strong but no match for the Alpha.

"You heard me the first time. Let her go. We're leaving."

"What?" Rafe immediately averted his gaze, submitting.

"Now. Let's roll."

Rafe jolted off the woman and reached for his clothes. Without saying another word, he strode away buck naked wearing nothing but his boots.

"Fucking hell." Julian blew out a breath and set off after him.

The young wolf's ravenous thirst and wild nature would be tamed or else he'd be a risk, not only to himself but all paranormals. Discipline. It was a lesson the hybrid must learn. To submit, to control his hunger, even if it brought humiliation or pain. One day it would save his life.

Though out of his sight, Julian sensed Rafe's rage. His blood boiled with anger that edged out of control. Julian darted out the back entrance, the door slamming as it closed behind him. Sounds of the street blared in his ears, a car honked as it passed. Julian nodded to the driver, who held open the car door and shut it behind the Alpha.

"What the hell are you doing?" Julian already knew the answer.

"What is your problem, dude? I'm just having a good time. If Viktor was here?—"

"He's fucking not though, is he? You're training with a wolf. But you behave like a petulant child."

"You act like an old man," Rafe spat back. "I was just having a little fun. I was doing what I'm trained to do. Feeding. I'm a fucking vampire…which I hate. But if there is one thing I like about this shitty situation it's that I like to feed. So can you get off my back?"

"You could have killed her. You were close to shifting. You can't fuck her with your beast. It's not allowed."

"Nah, I'm good. I'm in control. I'd never do that and you know it." Rafe looked out the window, avoiding eye contact. "I wasn't even close to hurting her."

"Don't fucking lie." Julian's hand curled into a fist. "You were acting like an uncontrolled animal."

"Bruh. It's a blood club. People fuck there. You are trippin'." Rafe waved a dismissive hand at him. "There's nothing to worry about. You ever hear that expression? It's not you, it's me?"

Julian stared at the rebellious hybrid, not answering.

"Well, in this case. It's not me … it's definitely you." Rafe shook his head. "Ever since you found that chick in the woods and she ghosted your ass you've been acting like a major league asshole. And honestly, it's getting kind of boring. No, strike that." He held up a finger. "You. You are getting boring."

Julian growled. It took every ounce of self-control not to attack. The youngster was due for an ass-whooping. Julian sucked a deep breath, willing the greatest control he could summon, but the wolf couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Look, I know Greyson thought this was going to be some kind of great idea. Setting me up with the old wise one. The ancient wolf. But I don't think it's working out. I need to be who I am." Rafe shrugged. "At least with Viktor, I went clubbing in Miami on the regular. You've got me stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing but this one freaking blood club, that's loaded with a few lame vamps. And you. You're an Alpha. What are you doing out here besides playing golf with the rich dudes from Coeur D'Alene? You don't even go to their parties, which are lit by the way. But no, you're just out here running around in the forest. By yourself. I hate to point out the obvious. But you don't even got a pack. Look I don't want to seem ungrateful but this whole thing is boring as fuck."

Rafe's words hit him in the gut. He'd been forced to go into hiding. It wasn't until recently he'd been freed from the curse.

"This is Idaho. We're here to relax," Julian told him. "So yeah. I go for a run. Play a few rounds of golf. I keep to myself and play nice with the humans. You may get away with feeding on a few donors, but that shifting shit while fucking can't happen."

"Jesus, Julian." Rafe shook his head. "Look, I know I'm on the edge but I swear I'm controlling it."

"There is one thing I demand from you. This is the truth."

"I say nothing but the truth."

"You must learn to control yourself for your own safety. There is no other way. You will not survive. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger. Nor will I allow you to hurt humans."

"I admit I struggled in the beginning, but I have this thing under control now."

"And that's exactly why you're here."

"Yeah, well, I'm ready to go back to Wyoming." Rafe shook his head, his jaw tensed in anger.

"I've got news for you. Hunter doesn't want you back right now."

"He never said that."

"He shouldn't have to. You went with Viktor to learn to feed. Greyson brought you here because he senses the ravenous monster within you. Viktor knew. He's just too busy with his woman."

"Maybe it's something you should try—" he smirked.

"Laugh it up, asshole. You'll either learn how to control yourself around me or not. I'm getting ready to ditch your ass. Let you figure out the world on your own."

The Alpha's head snapped to the ancient vampire who'd materialized out of nowhere next to him. Greyson grinned back at Julian.

"What the fuck? You know I fucking hate that." The Alpha glared at him, a corner of his mouth ticking upward.

"Just keepin' ya young and spry, Alpha." Greyson gave a hearty laugh. "Rafe is not going anywhere. He's too wild to go on his own. We both know it. You are the only Alpha who can train him. You agreed. You gave me your word. You're going to keep training the wolf."

"He's a handful. He almost fucked her as wolf. I could sense it."

"I had control. He's worried about nothing," Rafe told him.

"Come now, Prince Julian. I thought you were some all-knowing wolf. You can't handle the hybrid?" Greyson asked wearing a broad smile.

"Greyson. Bad, bad granddaddy vampire. So bad ass, he can't train a wolf." Rafe laughed. "So you bring me to the middle of nowhere."

"I'm granting you mercy by leaving you with Julian." The vampire's patience began to fade. "Trust me. You don't want to face the alternative."

"Jesus, Grey. Lighten up. I'm over the both of you." Rafe crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back into the seat and propped his feet up onto the side of the limo.

"Looks like you're having fun, Alpha?"

"I'm not joking about what I said. He almost lost control tonight." Julian locked eyes with the young wolf until Rafe broke the gaze and stared out the window into the darkness.

"Did he draw blood? Because if he did, that kind of happens with vampires."

"No, but he was too rough."

Greyson released an audible sigh. "This will take time. But he will learn. He did well with Viktor. He must learn to harness and hone his power around the likes of you. And Hunter."

"Maybe you should take him back to Viktor. Perhaps I made a mistake saying yes."

"No. This is good for you and him. You agreed. You gave me your word."

Julian groaned. "Fine, but he needs to fall in line. I suggest you don't stray far in case he needs an extra kick in the ass. He's petulant. Impossible."

"Don't listen to him," Rafe interjected. "He's just salty about what happened with the woman."

Greyson raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"The woman we found in the woods," Rafe explained.

Julian shot him a look of annoyance.

"A woman?" A smile bloomed on Grayson's face. "It's all making sense now."

* * *

"Tell me about this woman,"the vampire insisted.

"It's nothing." Julian feigned disinterest yet he hadn't been able to get the incident off his mind. He shook his head and reached for his whiskey. Though he'd refused to discuss the matter in the car, Greyson persisted when they returned home.

"She almost died," Rafe told Greyson as he entered the living room wearing nothing but his birthday suit.

"Whoa. What is your issue?" The ancient vampire held up a hand and shook his head, his voice laced with annoyance. "You're vampire now. Wear some damn clothes. No one wants to see that monster of yours."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Rafe ducked behind the bar and reached for a beer.

"Robe? Shorts? Anything." Greyson turned to Julian. "Goddammit, Alpha. He's got to learn to wear clothes. I brought him up here to tame his beast, not to become one."

"Jesus, you vamps are prudes." A hiss sounded as Rafe popped the cap off the bottle. "Except Viktor. He's pretty cool."

"My brother can be carefree. Reckless," Greyson said.

"That's what we like to call fun." Rafe took a swig of beer and pointed the bottle at him. "Let that tension go. Breathe in, breathe out … namaste, big guy."

Greyson reached for a throw blanket and tossed it at Rafe's head. The wolf caught it midair with one hand and wrapped it around his waist. "You're tightly wound, you know that? I don't how you survived thousands of years like this."

"Damn well. Could go all day long not looking at your junk, especially while I'm trying to enjoy a cocktail." Greyson smiled and turned to Julian. "Tell me about the woman."

"It was nothing. Just another strange experience in this thing we call life." Julian crossed the room and sat across from the vampire.

"Obviously not nothing. Tripod over there may be annoying but he doesn't lie. What woman has an ancient wolf like you shook?"

"He's making something of nothing." Julian shrugged, aware he couldn't stop thinking about her. Though he resisted his obsession, it persisted. "A couple of days ago, last week, I was out for a run on the mountain, like always, and it started raining. It's spring, so nothing unusual there. It was night and I'd been out for a few hours. When I was about to go back home, I heard something. I thought it was a voice, which would be unusual in the middle of the night as far out as I was."

"Curiosity killed the cat. Or wolf, in this case." Greyson smiled.

"To be fair, I knew right away it wasn't an animal. But I couldn't let something, paranormal or not, cause shit where I live so I took off. But it really started coming down hard. It had been raining on and off the past week and that section of the mountain tends to be unstable. I go up there, I see this woman. She's hurt. Next thing I know there's gunshots and the hill gave out."

"That must have been some ride."

"Damn lucky she didn't die on the way down." He shook his head. "I was covered in mud and shit. But I managed to get her to the hospital. A few hours go by, and the doc says they're prepping her for surgery for a ruptured spleen."

"She ghosted us." Rafe looked to Julian who shook his head. "What? She did. Just tellin' it like it is."

"A human just what? Walked out of the hospital when she was supposed to get surgery?" Confusion washed over Greyson's face.

"She seemed human to me at the time," Julian replied. "But yeah, that's essentially what happened. It doesn't make any sense. How does a human go from needing surgery to disappearing?"

"Math isn't mathin'," Rafe said. "No one gets up from that kind of an injury as a human."

"So where is she?" Greyson asked.

"It doesn't matter," Julian lied. He hadn't stopped thinking about her.

"She have any identification on her?"

"No. I didn't even get a name. She was in and out of consciousness."

"Tell him," Rafe urged.

Julian blew out a breath. "It's no big deal. It's just that I'm the one who discovered she was missing. I convinced the doctor to let me see her before taking her in. They'd said she was peacefully sleeping, that she'd stabilized. So I go in the room, and she's not there. Okay. So I'm thinking maybe it's a mistake. Like maybe they took her into surgery already. I look down and I see her dress on the floor. And I'm thinking, what in the fuck was she doing out on the mountain in the middle of the night with no shoes anyway? Where did she even come from? So I picked up the dress. And a card fell out."

"A card?" Greyson asked.

"A tarot card," Julian replied.

Greyson smiled in amusement. "A tarot card?"

Julian gave a small laugh. "I know, right. It doesn't make sense."

"Which one?"

"It was Death." Julian knew it sounded crazy, but he'd kept the card.

"Luck of the draw." Greyson cocked his head. "What does it mean?"

"It means nothing." Julian shrugged. "Maybe she'd gotten a reading? Who knows?"

"What was she doing in the woods?"

"I still don't know." Julian stared into his glass and glanced to Greyson. "I keep going over it again in my head. I've been asking myself why I didn't scent anything. Not the shooter. Not even her. I assumed it had something to do with the rain, but?—"

"How's that even possible, Julian?" Greyson's expression turned serious. "The Prince of Wolves can't scent a human?"

"I'm from royal lineage but that doesn't mean I'm infallible." Julian had walked the earth for thousands of years in hiding.

"Is there something going on with you?"

"The power that flows through me ..." Julian curled his fingers into a tight fist. As he slowly opened his hand, he looked at his inner palm. "This last trip to Hell … aww fuck." He released an audible breath. "It's taking longer to shake it."

"I didn't scent her either," Rafe offered with a nod to Julian.

"I could've sworn she was human. Hell, the human doctors were getting ready to do surgery."

"Clearly she was not human," Greyson said with a lilt of curiosity in his voice. "So that begs the question? What creature is this that smells like a human but disappears like a shifter?"

"She might be a shifter but if that's the case, I'd usually know. Doesn't matter. I asked a few local vamps who are plugged into our barely happenin' paranormal scene. No one has seen anything unusual. I don't sense any other wolves besides Rafe and me. There is no local wolf pack here in Idaho." His lips drew into a tight smile. "Which is why I can freely roam with consideration to no one. Whatever she was, whoever she was, she's gone and so … this falls into the category of none of my business."

Greyson's eyes narrowed in on Julian. "Sometimes Hell can fuck with a fellow. Even one as powerful as us. Prince or not, that evil sticks to you. You might want to do some kind of a cleansing. Maybe drop in for a visit with Samantha."

"The witch?" Julian shook his head no. "Nah, I'm good. My own magick is just a little out of whack. It'll right itself soon."

"We're gonna take a trip to New Orleans in a few days," Rafe told Greyson. "I've got myself a hot date with a wolf from Natchitoches."

"New Orleans? Well, there ya go. You could see Samantha," the vampire suggested again.

"I'd planned a trip to NOLA … to go see Logan. I don't know if it's such a good idea to bring Rafe, but I promised him so ..." Julian looked to the young hybrid. While he infuriated him on a regular basis, he quite enjoyed the lighthearted banter. In all his lifetime, he'd only known a handful of hybrids who successfully controlled the warring beasts inside them.

"I'll come with you," Greyson offered. He looked to Rafe. "What do you think? Can you handle it?"

"Of course, I still want to go. I'm always down for New Orleans." Rafe smiled. "I know Jules was worried tonight but I swear I'm getting control. Don't get me wrong. I'm not gonna lie. Sometimes it's hard to control but I've tamed it."

"The Alpha grows within him," Julian said.

"What? No. No way." Rafe shook his head. "I'm just a regular dude."

"A wolf who drinks blood," Greyson corrected "You will be fine."

"As long as he doesn't go killing a human by accident. Or shifting while feeding. I'm telling you the Alpha is in there."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Jules. But no way I'm Alpha material. I'm just out here livin' my life. Got no interest in leading a pack. I'm in what I'd like to think of as more like a day-to-day survival mode."

"You'll get there," Julian assured him.

"And you, Alpha?" Greyson pinned him with his question. "You've been shaken by this woman you found? You going to let it go?"

"Already have." Julian swallowed the lie like a bitter pill, but feigned indifference. His wolf urged him to find her but he'd fight the instinct. He knew better, but sometimes in life we all deny the truth…until we no longer can.

* * *

Julian's dreamtransformed into a nightmare. The scorching flames licked over his body as he ran through the maze of rock and ash. The demons pursued close on his heels, but he kept on with the chase. As long as he could occupy them, they'd go after him, not his sister. Days turned into weeks before he realized he was lost in Hell. Panic rose in his throat as fangs pierced his skin. As they dragged him away, he fell into the dust.

Julian's eyes flew open, his heart pounding as he gasped for air. "Jesus Christ. Fuck."

You're alive. You're fine.He glanced at his alarm clock, rolled over, and closed his eyes again. The nightmares had intensified over the past weeks and he struggled to shake the feeling he'd brought something back from Hell.

Gooseflesh broke over his skin as a cool breeze grazed his arm. An ethereal sense alerted him to a presence and his eyes snapped open again. The woman from the mountain. Dressed in a yellow sundress, she radiated with light. Julian pressed upward, aware that her presence was a mere ghost.

"Run," she whispered.

"What are you?" he replied, unsure of what he was seeing.

"Run," she repeated.

"What are you talking about?"

"They're coming."

"Who?"

"Get out!" Her voice grew louder.

"How are you doing this?" Julian reached a hand forward, his fingers brushing through the ethereal presence.

"I said run!" the voice boomed as she disappeared.

The scent of smoke wafted into his nostrils. What the fuck? Julian snatched a pair of jeans off the floor, slid on his boots and set off to investigate. As he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and pressed his palm against the warm door, the smoke intensified. Fire.

Julian took a deep breath and opened the door to discover an inferno blazing inside his cabin. Greyson materialized next to him as embers fell from the burning rafters. "Time to go, Alpha. Rafe's outside."

"One sec?—"

"We don't exactly have a lot of time here. I don't do well with fire."

"I've got this. Get out, Greyson."

Julian ran back inside his room and Greyson followed, shutting the door behind them. The Alpha shoveled his laptop and phone into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"One more thing." Julian reached for the small paper card tucked into the mirror. As it slid out of the crack, he spotted another card on his dresser.

"What the hell?" His heart pounded in his chest as he reached for it, his fingertips tingling as he flipped over the tarot card and caught sight of the image.

THE DEVIL.

* * *

Julian's mindraced as he recalled the incident in the hospital. As he laid the strange woman onto a stretcher and the doctors took over, she looked at him one last time before falling into unconsciousness. Though no words escaped her lips, trouble swirled in her deep brown eyes, her gaze penetrating his soul.

The sound of Greyson's voice shook his contemplation. "I'm thinking you'd better stay in New Orleans for a while."

"Hmm? What? New Orleans?" Julian asked, distracted by his thoughts.

"I said I think you should stay in New Orleans for a while. Too many strange things happening in Idaho."

"Yeah, maybe, we'll see." The Alpha suspected trouble would follow him no matter where he went, but after the fire, they'd materialized to his home in New Orleans.

"Nice digs. How long have you had it?" Rafe asked.

"Bought it in 1877," Julian replied.

"Wait, you really lived here?" Rafe's eyes widened with surprise.

"On and off. I actually lived with Jake's parents for a little while. Over the years, I had an agreement with Alpha Livingston, then the new Alpha…Logan. I let Acadian Wolves use the house whenever they needed it. This home…it holds many memories but sadly, most are not mine," Julian pushed out of his seat and approached the hearth, allowing the fire to warm him.

"You should stay in New Orleans. Bring life into your home," Greyson advised. "Feed your soul. Your wolf. Shake off the hellfire. You've been in hiding for too long and…well, it's just not good for you."

"I'm fine," Julian lied. "New Orleans is good for a visit, but I have no intention of stepping on Logan's toes. This is his city."

"Prince or no prince, It's not good for wolves to be rogue. You need to be around others," Greyson insisted.

"The woman. She came to me…again," Julian confessed. He reached for the shot of whiskey, and downed it, the caustic liquor burning his throat. "Ahh."

The Alpha's glass slammed onto the wooden end table. Rafe raised an eyebrow at Greyson. The ancient vampire shook his head and silently held a finger to his lips, signaling for him to remain quiet.

"Say, Jules. I can't say I've made a habit of going to Hell during my time on earth. But the one time I did go, I was not a fan." Greyson joked. A corner of his lips turned upward. "I'd give it a one out of ten. Less than one actually. Unlike my brother, I'm smart enough not to make a habit of taking vacations in the pits of brimstone and fire on the regular. It can mess you up. Make you think things you wouldn't normally think. Feel things you shouldn't feel. Things can slip through the veil. Bad things. Maybe some of these things are affecting you?"

"I'm telling you she was there tonight." Julian dug into his pocket and retrieved the tarot cards. "I saw her. She was a ghost. But not a ghost. Whatever…she was there."

"What's with the cards?" Rafe asked. He sat up on the sofa and leaned over to get a closer look.

"More of the same. She left me one the night I first met her. Then tonight this one appears." Julian stared at the two tarot cards and back up to Greyson. He sniffed them. The scent of hellfire still lingered on their surface. Julian set the cards on the wooden table, which had been carved from an old tree trunk. One by one, he flipped over the cards, revealing them. "Death. The Devil."

"Death? The devil? Isn't she just a ray of sunshine?" Greyson noted.

"She's not wrong though. I mean, come on." Rafe released a small chuckle but quickly composed himself. "Just sayin'."

"Death." Julian tapped the card with his forefinger, allowing his magick to flow through him. Though he sensed a feminine presence, he was unable to detect any sign of her origin. "In the literal sense, she was dying." He reached for The Devil and rolled the card over his fingers. "Obsession, perhaps. Fear. Bondage. I know what it feels like to not be free. My sister and I for so long were held back. I thought I was finally free."

"It was your duty to survive. And you did. Your sister is now with Hunter. It's your turn, Julian," Greyson told him. "You must restore the royal family."

Julian shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard me, Alpha."

"Have you lost your mind? No," Julian half laughed. "Now is not the time for this. I've lived alone for years and I'm doing quite well on my own. I'm not having this conversation."

"He's not alone. He's got me now," Rafe told the vampire. "We don't need any women in our lives. Well, I do, gotta feed now and then, but we're bachelors. Free to do what we want."

"You know nothing," Greyson dismissed. "What happened tonight was a fire. It happens. The authorities will investigate. He will rebuild."

"What happened tonight was intentional. Whatever…whoever this woman is, she's reaching me somehow. I don't know if she's alive or dead or what's going on but I'm telling you she was there." Julian's mind raced, her voice echoing in his thoughts.

"She's obviously a shifter of some kind," Greyson surmised. "We can research. See if the witch knows her."

"Why couldn't she be a vampire? Or an ancient of some kind?" Rafe asked. "Maybe she materializes like you and Julian do?"

"No, no, no. I would have known if she was an ancient being when I met her," Julian insisted. "She's something else…something unusual. She looked human but what I saw tonight…I literally put my hand right through her. But she's not a ghost. I mean, you know I've seen my fair share of ghosts…that isn't it. And how did this card get in my room?" Julian waved The Devil card in the air.

"Maybe she has the ability to perform astral projection? Maybe she's a witch."

"And the fire?" Rafe asked.

"Something tried to kill me back in Idaho. Something evil ignited that fire. Who knows? Maybe it followed me here to New Orleans or maybe it didn"t, but I know one thing ... the energy ... it"s dark. She knew it. She told me to run."

"Let's just go with this," Rafe suggested. "She's a paranormal of some kind. You're alive. aren't you? So whatever this is about she doesn't seem to want to hurt you. Otherwise she would have just let you sleep."

"But—" the ancient vampire began, but the wolf interrupted.

"No, Grey-man. Wait. Check this out." Rafe looked to the tarot cards and up to Julian. "Give me one of those." The Alpha handed him The Devil and he flipped it over and showed them the back of it. "This right here. When I saw the first one, I kept thinking about it. It looked familiar. I know where this came from. This is a special deck."

"What?" Julian asked, wearing a surprised expression.

"This deck comes from a certain artist in the Quarter." He waggled his eyebrows.

"You like tarot readings?" Julian raised an eyebrow at him, suspicious of his finding.

"Not me. But my sister does. Tabitha."

"She's pack?" Julian asked.

"She's still in Acadian Wolves. I'd changed packs when I moved out west."

"Who's the artist?"

"O.M." Rafe pointed to the right hand corner of the card. The miniscule initials had been painted in gold. "Onyx Moor. Her work is well known. I remember my sister telling me about how rare it is to find a pack of her cards. There's only one or two places that carry them. They're super-expensive."

"Some reason you're just mentioning this now?"

"You never asked." Rafe shrugged.

"Let's go find her," Julian said.

"Dude, it's like four in the morning. Also there's just one other little snag." Rafe cocked his head.

"What?"

"No one knows who she is. I'd suggest maybe we hit a few tarot places in the Quarter. I can text Tabi to see if she can remember where she got them so we aren't starting from scratch."

"Do it." Julian reached for his cell phone. "Tomorrow then. First thing in the morning."

"Skip the day visit." Greyson crossed his arms over his chest. "Wait until sundown when I'm at my best."

"I thought you said you're always at your best?" Rafe challenged.

"I am always at my best. But I'm in a better mood at night." Greyson turned to Julian. "Rafe will also be better at night. He's a baby vamp. If he wants to turn on the fangs, night is his friend. But just for the record, I already don't have a good feeling about this."

"Yeah, me neither but I'm not backing down from whatever this is," Julian asserted. "I've had enough bullshit in my life and if there's a way to find this woman … then it's on. Now that I'm free to be out in the open, I'm not going to let a fire ruin my chance for some fucking peace. Or this woman. I want to know who the fuck she is and whatever set that fire is about to be sent back to Hell."

* * *

Julian lookedup to the store sign. Divination. "There are more than a few psychics and witches in New Orleans. You sure this is it?"

"Yeah. Pretty sure. Tabitha said she got them at a store named Divination. On Frenchman Street." Rafe texted his sister and looked up to the sign. "Yeah, she says this is it."

Julian scanned his surroundings. Though music from the jazz bar filtered out into the street, there was no one around. The single shotgun family home turned metaphysical store had been painted bright purple. A rainbow of metallic Mardi Gras beads had been strung along the top of its wrought iron fence, surrounding it in color. A five-foot, white, metal butterfly perched upon its siding beckoned shoppers. Upon first glance, it appeared whimsical, welcoming to visitors.

Yet the hunch in his gut refused to be convinced. The Alpha sniffed, detecting the faint scent of hellfire in the air. His senses went on alert, and he glanced over his shoulder, but still not one human or paranormal made itself known. "Do you smell that?"

"You're damn right I do. Lovely little house though." Greyson reached for the door.

"You buying the sweet woo-woo vibe it's giving?" Julian asked.

"Not for a minute. This is New Orleans." The ancient vampire held open the door and waited on the wolves. "Fly me to the moon."

Julian inhaled the scent of cinnamon that filtered throughout the shop A bright blue and green world sculpture hung overhead, the words ‘Wheel of Fortune' painted on the white ceiling in swirly black calligraphy. A variety of crystals and books lined the shelves of the small occult store. Along the far side of the back, an antique, well-stocked, ceiling-to-floor apothecary displayed metaphysical ingredients. From dragon's blood to coffin nails and cemetery dirt, one could conjure their own spell. In the far right, an altar adorned with candles invited customers to light a candle for a wish granted from the Goddess with the obligatory donation jar next to it.

"What in the witch hell have we stepped into, boys?" Greyson asked with a smile.

Julian inspected a clear resin heart which held a four-leaf clover frozen in time. "I don't know, but I reckon we all could use a little luck."

"I can't believe a thousand-year-old vampire wouldn't believe in spells." Rafe smiled.

"Oh, I believe all right. That's exactly why I prefer to keep witches out of my life whenever possible. This hocus pocus," he pointed to a Ouija board that hung on the wall, "this invites the darkness. The kind I'm not looking for. We got enough problems with demons without opening portals."

"You're scared of a little Ouija board?" Rafe teased.

"I hold a healthy fear of the devil and don't go courting trouble where there doesn't need to be."

"I felt something outside," Julian commented. "We definitely don't want trouble. Do you see the cards anywhere?"

"I don't see the cards but I do see these." Rafe held up a voodoo doll. "You want one for your kitchen, Grey? Maybe you could put it on your mantle."

"Don't say another word." Greyson held up a silencing finger to the young wolf.

Julian chuckled. "Never would have classed you as a superstitious vamp."

"There's nothing superstitious about it. This shit is real. And I'm not feelin' it."

"Yeah well, my home just burned down in Idaho and some ghost woman saved my life. I'm feelin' … pretty out there right now, myself. A little sage might be just what I need." Julian picked up a red candle and laughed. "Or sex magick. Maybe this is exactly where I need to be."

Rafe laughed.

"Let's find the cards," Greyson mumbled.

"Onyx Moor. Where are you?" Rafe ran his fingertips over a peacock feather.

"Over here." Julian pointed to a shelf lined with packs of tarot cards. He reached for a dark blue gold-embossed box. Onyx Moor. "This is it. This is the brand. Now let's find out where they get it. Maybe they have a record of who they've sold them to. At five hundred dollars a pop, I can't imagine many people are paying that much for a tarot card deck. Collectors maybe."

Julian approached the counter, observing the young saleswoman who appeared to be in a spell, glued to her phone.

A loud thud sounded as he dropped the box onto the glass countertop. "These cards."

"Yo. Dude. Easy. You're gonna break the glass." She swiped her hand across the counter and looked up to the wolf. Her expression turned from cool to flirty upon seeing the handsome wolf. "Oh, sorry. It's just you scared me, is all. But I guess we're all safe with such a big strong guy here, huh?" She glanced to Greyson and Rafe. "Hey, who are you guys?"

"The cards here …" Julian noted the silver pentagram she wore around her neck and smiled. "Where do you get them from?"

"I don't know. They're designer though. Pricey. You know how much these are, right?" She scooped the box up off the counter, protectively guarding it.

"You read tarot cards on the premises?" Julian asked.

"Yes. We're one of the best rated metaphysical stores in town. Our readers are the very best in the city. You can check our ratings. Real deal." She bit her lip and looked to Greyson and back to Julian. "You, uh, you want a reading?"

"Are there any specific readers who use these cards? This designer?"

The woman gave a tight uncomfortable smile. "Yes. There is someone but she's very busy. Busy as in exclusive. Exclusive as in expensive."

"Money is no object." Julian pressed his palms to the counter, making his menacing nature known. "What I don't have a lot of is time. What is her name?"

"Luna Star." She exhaled loudly and pursed her lips together, annoyance in her tone. "But she's busy."

"Luna Star?" Greyson laughed. "We're wasting time. We should go see Kade."

"Ignore my friend," Julian told her. "I want my reading."

"She's busy. I don't know if she can see you?—"

"Can I help you?" The beautiful woman he'd rescued in the woods stood with her arms folded across her chest. Raven curls brushed over her shoulders and down her back. Her icy glare faltered as she drew closer, slightly softening, then morphing back into a resting bitch face.

A rush of energy twisted through him as he stepped toward her. Her warm vibrations roused his wolf to attention.

"Julian. Julian Fortes." He resisted touching her, still not certain as to whether he could trust her or what she was.

"Luna. He's your next client," the saleswoman told her.

"This way." Cassia turned and disappeared through the black velvet curtains.

"I'll meet you back at home," he told Greyson and Rafe. Without looking back the wolf chased his prey.

* * *

"Please sit,"she instructed as she let him into a small room and shut the door behind him.

Julian observed her move with confidence as she turned her back to him, her fingers brushing a lock of her hair over her shoulder. His interaction with the woman from the woods had been brief. While her hair had been shorter in the woods, a familiar storm swirled within Cassia's mocha brown eyes.

Julian glanced to an enormous ceramic crucifix that hung on the wall. "You afraid of vampires?"

"I'm afraid of all supernaturals," she offered, her voice without emotion.

As she began shuffling the cards, Julian noted the distinctive pattern of the cards and smiled. He reached into his pocket and fingered the tarot he'd brought.

"Perhaps you should be afraid of me." Julian flipped over a card. DEATH. "Do you recognize this?"

Cassia continued to shuffle, ignoring the tarot card. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Is that right?"

She set a neat pile of cards in the middle of a circle of crystals. She reached for a long wooden match and struck it against the outer surface of an abalone shell. The scent of sulfur filled the air seconds before she brought the flame to a bundle of sage.

"Yes." A wave of smoke filtered through the tiny room, escaping though a crack in a small stained-glass window. "I knew you'd come."

Julian's wolf clawed at the surface, urging him to get closer to its prey. "I don't like games. Why did you run from me that night in the hospital?"

"This isn't a game, Alpha." She set the bundle of sage into a pewter caldron and stared up at him, meeting his gaze. "I called you here."

"What do you want?" Julian demanded. "What is the meaning of this card?"

"Hell is a terrible place," she commented.

"You're human. Aside from the evil that walks among you, what would you know about Hell?"

"They come for me too," she revealed. Her face softened, her eyes lowered to the cards.

"What comes for you?" Julian immediately sensed her fear.

"The hellhounds." Cassia glanced at the swinging crystal chandelier above them. "They're coming."

The floor trembled under the soles of his feet and Julian gripped the table.

"They know you're here. We must go," Cassia told him as she jumped to her feet and reached for her backpack.

"Who is coming?" Julian sprung to his feet and cornered her against the bookshelf.

"I was hoping they couldn't find me but your power is too strong." Panic trembled in her voice. "We've got to get out of here before they start another fire. Please."

"How did you do this?" Julian held up the tarot card.

"I can't tell you now. Don't you hear them? They are com?—"

A bolt of lightning lit up the night, a loud crack of thunder rattling the entire building. The walls trembled violently, the enormous crucifix fell off the wall and smashed onto the floor, flying slivers of a ceramic scattered all throughout the tiny room.

"Oh Goddess … I … I—" Cassia stuttered as she brushed her fingers across her cheek and glanced down to her bloody hand. "This was a mistake."

"Let me help you. You've got to tell me what's happening," Julian pressed.

"I sorry I—" Cassia headed toward the door without him. "We've got to get out of here."

"Where are you going?" Julian heard the ancient vampire's voice behind him. Greyson.

"Alpha," a low voice grumbled. "She's right. You've got to get out."

"What are you doing here? I told you guys to go. I've got this," Julian insisted.

"Sure you do." Greyson rolled his eyes. "Why you gotta do this? We've got to go."

"I'll be fine." Julian caught a glimpse of Cassia's hair just as she left the room, the door slamming shut behind her. "Goddammit.

"Stop fucking around. We've got to go," Greyson insisted.

"I'm going after her."

"What the hell, Jules? You literally just met this chick."

"Do not fucking touch me. Keep Rafe out of here."

A deafening blast sounded as a windowpane burst. Julian ducked and covered his face, shards of glass spraying throughout the room. Wind whipped up the fire, stoking the flames. He opened the door and caught sight of Cassia running for her life.

"Look out," Julian called to her as the ceiling caved in, raining bricks and boards down upon both of them. He rushed forward with preternatural speed to shield her, but as he reached where she'd stood, she'd disappeared.

"Luna!" Unable to see her through the thick smoke, Julian ran toward the exit.

As he burst through the back door, his lungs burned with soot. He bent over sucking in a fresh breath of air. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of her familiar dark locks ducking behind a car.

"Luna!" Julian yelled.

"How'd she manage to get out before you?" Greyson asked, materializing behind him.

Startled, Julian spun around. "Jesus Christ, vampire."

"What the hell is going on? You let her ghost you again?" Greyson wore an amused smile.

"She, ugh—" Julian struggled to comprehend what she'd done in the building. Ghost was the optimal word. "She's not human."

Julian brushed past Greyson and set his focus on Cassia. From across the street, he caught sight of a dark shadow emerging out of nowhere.

"Luna," he called to her. "Stop!" Well shit.

"I'm done with this game," he said as he disappeared.

Julian materialized in front of her. But as she turned to lock eyes with his, Julian caught sight of the black tornado churning toward them. Hellhounds growled, their howls growing louder. A chunk of debris flew through the air and smashed into her head. As she released a blood-curdling scream, Julian reached for her and they both disappeared.

* * *

"What the hell?"Rafe looked down to the woman who lay on the bed. "You brought her home again? You need to stop doing this."

"I am not sure this is wise. We don't even know what she is." Greyson shook his head in disapproval.

"Why did you bring her back here?" Rafe asked.

"I couldn't just leave her. I saw something back there. A shadow … it was like a cyclone. I don't know what the hell it was, but it was strong. Something hit her in the head and knocked her out. I could have sworn I heard hellhounds. It doesn't matter what it was, though. We need to keep her safe. I've got pretty strong wards on this house. It should keep whatever was back there away."

"You sure now? I don't trust witches, especially if you're talking about anything built by Ilsbeth," Greyson told him. "I know how this story goes and I don't like the ending."

"Ilsbeth has never stepped within a hundred feet of this house. I had a powerful witch from Brazil set it up a long time ago. Like I said … I don't know how long it'll last, because I don't know what we're dealing with."

Julian glanced down to Cassia as she slept in his bed. Determined to find out the truth, he wouldn't let her slip away so easily. The energy between them had aroused his soul, his wolf demanding she stay. But he suspected it was the mysterious woman who held all the cards.