Chapter One

"Hey, Congo. Do you and your guys have a minute?"

Lifting his attention from the playing cards in his hand, Valentine turned halfway around to focus on the speaker. Beta Sam stood in the doorway, one shoulder leaning against the frame. The large Texas longhorn shifter had one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans, and he was trying to appear relaxed as he eyed them all.

Except, Valentine noticed the lines of tension around the big shifter's firm mouth. Sam wasn't relaxed at all. For an instant, Valentine wondered what could be bothering him, but when Congo started rising while nodding, he figured he would find out soon enough.

"Sure, Sam." Congo tossed his cards face down on the table. "What's going on?"

Valentine copied his alpha's movements and rose to stand beside his cousin. The other pair—fellow bear shifters, Eurik and Zion—rose as well, also following their alpha's lead.

Seems our card game is over for now.

That was fine by Valentine. He'd been having a sucky game, anyway.

I should know by now, never play poker with Eurik when I'm having trouble focusing.

The other shifter was a card shark.

"Death is here, Congo," Sam told them, glancing around at them all. "He's talking to Kontra. Death says he has news."

Valentine knew the beta was referring to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They'd met all of them when they were still under the control of a circle of witches who'd bespelled them to use for their own often evil and always selfish purposes. The Four Horsemen had destroyed the circle of witches, but that hadn't freed the bears from the influence of their spells—namely, obey the commands of certain people, especially magick-wielders. The order of a powerful warlock had tempered their lack of control, allowing them to live mostly normal lives, even if they were under the watchful eye of Alpha Kontra and his people.

"Do you need everyone?" Congo asked, moving toward Sam, who straightened from his lean. "Or just us?" Congo indicated the four of them who'd been playing cards.

Sam took a step backward. "All of you is probably best."

Zion headed toward the hall to the left. "I'll get the others," he stated as he strode off.

The others were the remaining members of their small sleuth—Congo's mate, Zhaul, as well as fellow bear shifters Madagascar and Shannon, plus their mates—Ishmael and Evan, respectively.

"We'll be in the study at the main house," Sam told him, and Zion waved in acknowledgment.

Their small bear sleuth was residing in a big A-frame that had been built behind a large farmhouse some years before. Evidently, a mated shifter and his human had needed their own space. The human's infant son needed quiet for nap time, and the rest of the flock-mates had a propensity for being quite loud.

That flock had moved on a couple of years before when one of their members had found his mate in Georgia.

As Valentine fell into step, flanking Congo, who was following after Sam, he did his best to ignore the jealousy mixed with sadness he felt as he thought about the other members of the sleuth—both alive and dead. His fellow bear shifters deserved their happiness after everything they'd endured, even as he wished for his own mate. On the other hand, those sleuth members that they'd lost before being rescued would never find the joy of their mates.

And for what? To line sadistic witches' pockets? Good riddance to those bitches. At least my sleuth-brothers are no longer in pain, either. Gods, I'm being maudlin tonight. Must be why I'm sucking at poker this evening.

Pushing those thoughts away, Valentine returned his focus to the goings-on. As they crossed the yard and moved through the great room of the farmhouse, he noticed that few of the shifters that made up Kontra's gang were around. Of course, seeing as it was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in early spring, that wasn't surprising. It was the perfect day for a motorcycle ride through the mountains.

It would have been a great day to go for a run in bear form, too, but Shannon hadn't wanted to leave Evan. His warlock-in-training mate had had a rough day. Several of the spells he'd tried to cast hadn't turned out quite the way they should have, the last one of them leaving one of his mentors—Draven, a vampire warlock—with singed hair.

Valentine fought back a smile as he thought of how Draven had looked like a chia pet on one side, the left side of his head frizzy and poofy. Fortunately, Zhaul used to own his own salon. Congo's giant panda shifter mate had been able to give the vampire a very attractive style with his sides buzzed and his pale-blond hair a bit longer on top. It accentuated the man's lean, aristocratic features and made his blue eyes pop.

Not that I'm noticing the looks of other people's mates.

Ugh. I so need to get laid.

Sam stopped and knocked on a closed door, which led to the study.

Even through the door, Valentine heard the grizzly alpha's order for them to come in. He grimaced as he felt tingles along his spine, and the hairs on his arms and nape stood on end. Wincing, he exchanged a look with Congo, who quickly pushed past a surprised-looking Sam. After opening the door, Congo rested a hand on Valentine's back and urged him into the room.

Valentine acted on instinct—and training—and came to a stop in front of the desk in parade rest fashion.

Kontra snapped his head up from whatever he'd been staring at and peered at him. His eyes widened a little before he blew out a deep breath. A muscle in his jaw flexed as he shook his head.

"Damn it," Kontra muttered, his brows creasing into a small scowl. "I didn't mean that as an order." He turned his attention to the left and stated, "I hope you're right because I can't wait for when I don't have to worry about this sort of shit."

Kontra waved his hand toward Congo and Valentine, obviously indicating their reaction to his command to enter the room. His expression softened as he refocused on them. "Please relax as you see fit."

Immediately, the odd buzz-like sensation that felt as if it crawled under Valentine's skin ceased. He took a deep breath and allowed his shoulders to relax. A glance at Congo told Valentine that his alpha was shaking out his arms while heaving his own sigh.

"I'm quite certain that I've discovered the counterspell."

The melodious tenor came from Kontra's left, drawing Valentine's attention. He'd been so focused on obeying the grizzly alpha's command that he hadn't even noticed the horseman's presence. The tall, slender male in black robes leaned against the wall. He sported a small smile, his expression appearing kind—which Valentine found odd, considering this was the Horseman of Death.

Huh. Never judge a book by its cover.

"Counterspell?" Congo questioned, a note of excitement filling his voice. "Counterspell, as in, to undo the enchantment the witches carved into our skin?"

"Exactly," Death confirmed.

Hope flooded Valentine, and he exchanged a grin with Congo. "That's the best damn news I've heard in years," he gushed while executing a fist-pump.

"What's the best news?" Madagascar asked as the rest of their sleuth crowded into the study. The room really wasn't built to hold so many large men, and Eurik and Zion remained in the doorway, peering over other men's shoulders. Madagascar stopped beside Congo, his brother, with his arm securely around the waist of his even larger wolf shifter mate, Ishmael. He placed the forearm of his free hand on Congo's shoulder. "What's goin' on?"

Death held up his hand, asking for silence and stalling more questions all at the same time. "Yes, I believe I have figured out the spell that will remove what the witches cast on you." Considering the horseman continued to hold up his hand, even as Valentine could smell the excitement that everyone was beginning to feel, he wondered what the problem could be. "But as I'm a horseman and not of this realm, it isn't something I can perform," Death explained, causing unease to slither down Valentine's spine. He wasn't the only one to begin glancing at the others in his sleuth. Fortunately, Death continued, "Kontra has messaged Draven and Tim so I can confer with them. As they are warlocks and of this realm, they should be able to complete the incantation."

"That's great," Zhaul exclaimed, grinning widely as he cuddled up against Congo. Hope and love filled his dark eyes as he stared at his mate. "Right?"

"Yeah, baby," Congo agreed, returning his warm smile. "It is great."

"There is one other thing," Death stated, redrawing their attention. His expression had turned pensive. "If I'm reading the spell properly, the process will hurt you... badly."

"Of course, it will," Eurik muttered with a scoff. Then he smirked. "No pain, no gain. Right, guys?"

Zion jerked a swift nod. "Damn, right." He crossed his thick arms over his wide chest. "I'm more than willing to endure anything to remove this damn bespellment."

"That a word?" Valentine teased, smirking at his friend. "Bespellment?"

"Sure is," Zion declared as a smile teased at the corners of his lips. "When are we doing this?"

"Like Death said," Kontra cut in. "Death wants to talk to Draven and Tim first." He focused on Evan. "You should probably listen in, just for educational purposes."

Evan nibbled his bottom lip, even as he nodded slowly. "As long as they don't expect me to participate," he mumbled. His cheeks took on a pinkish hue as he glanced around at the group. Focusing on the floor, Evan muttered, "I wouldn't want to, um, jeopardize any of you."

"Evan." Draven drew out the apprentice's name as he slipped between the bear shifters and into the room. "I told you. We all made mistakes when we first learned." The slender male touched Evan's shoulder reassuringly before heading toward the desk and the book that was laid out before Kontra. "I look forward to seeing what you've found, Death."

Kontra focused on Zhaul. "Zhaul, I figure it may be a good idea if all you bears sat down and discussed it together." Valentine had seen the alpha use the technique before—speak to Congo's mate so whatever he said didn't trigger their bespellment, forcing them to obey him. "I understand this is a really big decision." After a second, Kontra added, "Especially since it's probably experimental."

Death nodded once in confirmation.

Zhaul nodded once. "Yes, Alpha Kontra." He glanced around at everyone. "Um, let's maybe go somewhere, uh, else."

Congo turned, keeping his arm around Zhaul. "Back to the A-frame, guys," he encouraged with a shooing motion of his hand.

Valentine followed the others out, but in his mind, there wasn't a damn thing to discuss. If there was even the slightest chance of Death's spell working, no matter the pain, he intended to let the warlocks try it on him.

Any chance is worth the risk.

*

In the end, Valentine's opinion was held by all of them. They all wanted the spell to be done on them, so the warlocks agreed to do it to all of them at once. They sat in a circle in the backyard, waiting, as Draven and Tim set up the ingredients they needed around them to complete the incantation.

Valentine did his best to hide his nerves, but considering the scents filling the clearing, he knew he wasn't the only one feeling them. Silently, he prayed to whatever gods cared to listen that the spell would work.

Death's thought that it would probably be painful was an understatement.

It was excruciating.

As the warlocks began chanting, fiery tendrils rippled across Valentine's back. Sweat immediately beaded on his brow. With each second that Draven and Tim continued to speak, the sensation intensified and spread, until Valentine felt as if his flesh was being flayed from his body.

Unable to help himself, Valentine dropped to his hands and knees, then flopped to his belly. His body convulsed, and he couldn't stop the scream that erupted from his throat, and he wasn't the only one. Valentine heard the roars of his fellow sleuth-members echoing around him.

For an instant, Valentine heard the warlocks' voices falter. He could see them glance between each other, uncertainty on their faces. The three mated shifters' men were huddled together, clutching each other in an attempt to comfort each other as they stared at them with expressions of horror.

"Keep going," Valentine rasped.

In the same instant, Zion growled, "Don't stop."

Congo ordered, "Finish it."

After the other three bears all nodded, Draven and Tim continued.

Valentine dug his fingers into the grass as shudders racked his body. He wanted to tear off his clothes, feeling certain they had to be on fire. His ears rang with the cries echoing through the forest.

As blissful darkness descended, an inane thought popped into Valentine's head.

It's a good thing we're way out in the middle of nowhere or someone would call the cops.