Chapter One

Perseus stared through the windshield. His knee bounced as if it had a mind of its own, but Perseus didn’t try to stop it. His brother would have complained about it, but Orion wasn’t in the van to tell Perseus that everything would be all right and that he needed to relax.

Perseus swallowed. He had to get this right. He couldn’t afford not to.

He couldn’t lose his brother.

He’d kidnapped people dozens of times, if not more, but no matter how many times he reminded himself of that, the doubts were still there. His brother’s life was in his hands, and if he didn’t manage to get this guy to Orion, Orion would die. Perseus had never been without his brother, and he had no intention of starting now. He would make sure Orion was safe and healthy, even if it was the last thing he did. He wouldn’t hesitate to die for his brother.

As long as Orion was all right, Perseus didn’t care what he had to sacrifice.

He knew where the guy he was looking for lived. He’d been watching him for the past few days, waiting for the right time to grab him. He hated it, but he didn’t have a choice and didn’t care what this guy thought of him.

Perseus snorted and hit the back of his head against his seat. He was sure he would care once all of this was over. He didn’t want to do any of this. He didn’t want to be like his father. He wouldn’t be doing this if Orion didn’t need him, but his brother had always been his priority, and that would never change. If Perseus had to kidnap someone to help Orion, he would.

Which was why he was here. He didn’t know if what he’d heard about this guy was true, but he hoped it was, because he didn’t want this to be for nothing. He’d been told that Leon had the power to heal things that even Nix couldn’t. That was why he needed him.

He was watching the street where Leon lived, but it wasn’t easy from the grocery store parking lot. He’d considered parking closer, but he was afraid someone would notice him, and he couldn’t afford that. It made it awkward, but thankfully, he wouldn’t have to do this for long. He needed to get Leon to Orion today. He wouldn’t allow his brother to be in pain longer than he’d already been.

Perseus kept an eye on the grocery store in case someone noticed him. He blinked when he saw a man coming out of it. It took him a second to realize it was the guy he was looking for. He knew a bit about Leon and hoped that the power of healing was the only power he had. Perseus was human, so it wouldn’t take much for a shifter to get rid of him.

He watched as Leon crossed the parking lot, coming closer to the van. He was headed toward his house, and he was alone. It was the first time he didn’t have anyone with him, which was why Perseus hadn’t managed to get him sooner. This was his last chance, and he couldn’t waste it.

He scrambled to get into the back of the van and opened the side door as quietly as he could. Since he’d been planning this, he’d made sure everything was in place. He knew what to do, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. His palms were suddenly sweaty, so he dried them on his jeans. He briefly considered putting something over his face to make sure Leon wouldn’t see it, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to breathe. Besides, he was going to show Leon his face anyway. He didn’t have a plan for what he’d do once all of this was over, but right now, that didn’t matter.

Only Orion did.

Leon didn’t even glance at the van. He walked past it, clearly not expecting anything to happen. Perseus sucked in a breath and grabbed him. He made sure to cover Leon’s mouth so he wouldn’t scream as he dragged him into the van. Unfortunately, Leon tried to fight, and Perseus couldn’t afford to waste time. He didn’t want to hurt him, but he felt he didn’t have a choice when he punched Leon on the side of the head.

Leon stumbled back, and Perseus took advantage of his moment of weakness. He pulled him deeper into the van and slammed the door shut, then quickly pushed Leon down and got to work, tying him up. He didn’t like that he’d hit the guy, but at least now Leon was too dazed to do anything about this. Perseus was even able to cover his head, and Leon still didn’t say anything.

Perseus had to be quick, so after making sure Leon wasn’t going anywhere, he scrambled back into the driver’s seat. He turned the engine on and forced himself to drive as normally as he could as he left the parking lot. He didn’t breathe easier until they were out of town. Perseus had moved Orion close enough that he could get to town quickly in case Orion needed something, but it was still a bit of a drive.

Leon was silent for a long time, so much that Perseus worried he’d hit him too hard. He never intended to hurt Leon. He just needed someone to help his brother.

Thankfully, after a while, he heard Leon move around in the back of the van. He was tied up, so he wouldn’t be going anywhere, but Perseus kept an eye on him through the rearview mirror.

Leon cleared his throat. Perseus tensed as he waited for the man to speak. He could too easily imagine what Leon was about to say.

“Hey,” Leon said. “What’s going on? Why did you take me?”

How was Perseus supposed to answer that? He’d have to tell Leon what he needed from him eventually, but he didn’t know how the man would react. It was better to wait until they arrived.

This wasn’t like Perseus, or rather, it wasn’t the person he wanted to be. It was who he’d been raised to be, but he’d promised Orion things would change, and he’d planned on keeping that promise. He would have if Orion hadn’t been wounded.

He grunted, telling Leon that he’d heard his questions without answering them.

“If you plan on selling me to one of those labs, I don’t think you’ll get much money for me,” Leon continued. “They already had me. I’ll be useless for their experiments.”

Perseus wasn’t surprised about that. When he’d heard about Leon’s healing powers and that the man wasn’t a Nix, he’d suspected something like that had happened to him. Perseus was a hunter, so he’d seen many things he wished he hadn’t, and all of them were linked to the labs and his father. He didn’t know what happened in the labs in detail, but he’d heard enough to know it wasn’t good. People left the labs changed—if they left them at all.

Thankfully, Perseus didn’t have to keep silent for long. He turned onto the tiny dirt road that would lead him to his brother. The cabin he’d found wasn’t too far. He had no idea who it belonged to, but it had looked abandoned, and he hadn’t dared take Orion closer to the town since they weren’t supposed to know it existed.

He parked the van in front of the cabin and quickly climbed out. He walked to the side door and slid it open to find that Leon had managed to move into a sitting position. He touched his shoulder to warn him he was there, and to no one’s surprise, Leon jerked back.

Perseus didn’t have time for this. He touched Leon’s cheek to take off the blindfold, frustrated when the man leaned away from him again.

“If you stay still, I can take the blindfold off,” he promised.

Leon didn’t answer, but he didn’t move when Perseus reached for the blindfold again. Perseus quickly untied it and dropped it, then took a step back.

After looking around, no doubt to understand where he was, Leon sat up straighter and raised his hands. “Any chance you’ll take this off, too?”

Perseus hesitated. He wanted to free Leon, but he wasn’t sure what Leon would do. “I’ll take it off only if you promise to help me,” he said.

Leon snorted. “Why would you need my help?”

“To heal my brother.”

* * * *

Teddy checked the time on his phone. “How do you think Callum reacted when Leon found him?” he asked Hayes.

Hayes smiled, something he’d often done since he’d met his mate. Teddy told himself he wasn’t jealous, but really, he was. He wanted his friend to be happy and have love, but would it be too much to ask fate to send him his mate, too?

“I’m sure he was delighted. You know how much Callum likes his fruit.”

That was a side effect of him being a fruit bat. Teddy couldn’t say he’d ever thought bats were cute before, but he couldn’t deny Callum was.

He took a sip of his coffee and wondered what kind of mate he’d have. Would they be a shifter? Maybe a Nix? Teddy wouldn’t care even if they were human. He just wanted to meet that special someone and be as happy as his two best friends were. It was taking entirely too long, and he wondered if there was anything he could do to hurry the process. It looked like a lot of people in their small group of mutants were finding their forever mate, so surely there was a chance he would, right?

Hayes had always been good at reading people, including Teddy. That was why Teddy wasn’t surprised to see him staring at him over his cup of coffee. He rolled his eyes and took another sip of his, then waited for Hayes to say what he needed to say.

“You’ll find your mate,” Hayes said eventually.

“I’m fine on my own.” He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. He was fine on his own, but he’d feel better if he had someone to share his life with. He just didn’t want Hayes to worry about him.

Hayes didn’t look convinced. “A lot of people believe that mates find each other when they need it the most.”

Teddy wasn’t sure that was true, but then, no one was. He couldn’t tell if Hayes and Leon had met their mates when they’d most needed them. “I don’t think I need my mate.”

Teddy was fine. He had a home and a family, and everyone he loved was safe. There was nothing more he could ask for, and he’d feel guilty if he did. He should be happy with what he had.

“You might not be the one to need the bond right now. Don’t forget that your mate might need you.”

Teddy hadn’t thought of that. “Well, I hope they don’t.”

Hayes grimaced. “I don’t understand what you have against meeting your mate.”

Before Teddy could tell him that he didn’t have anything against it, his phone rang. He frowned when he saw Callum’s name on the screen and quickly answered. “Hey. I thought you and Leon would be out already.”

“Do you know what he was planning?” Callum asked.

That didn’t sound good. “Was? Does that mean he never got to you?” If he had, Callum would know all of this and wouldn’t be on the phone with Teddy.

“He didn’t, even though he texted that he was almost here. I also felt some weird stuff through our bond.”

Teddy briefly closed his eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Leon was supposed to be with Callum, enjoying their time together. “Dammit,” he muttered.

“Do you think something happened? You’re not with him anymore?”

Teddy wished he had better news for Callum. “No, he left a little while ago. He was going to the grocery store. I’m going to find him, all right?” He might not know Callum well, but Callum was the mate of one of Teddy’s best friends, and Teddy didn’t want him to worry. He knew it was impossible for someone not to worry when their mate had vanished, so he’d help Callum stay calm.

“No.”

Teddy blinked, unsure of what Callum was saying. Why wouldn’t he want him to look for Leon?

“He’s mostly annoyed,” Callum continued. “A bit scared, too, but there’s also a good amount of trust in the way he feels at the moment.”

Teddy was confused. “Probably because he knows we’ll come after him. I have to go, Callum.”

“Where was he headed when he left?”

Teddy didn’t need to keep the secret anymore. “The grocery store.”

“Why don’t we meet there?”

Teddy understood why Callum wanted to be part of this, but Leon would never forgive him if something happened to his mate. “It would be better if I just shimmer to him. I could’ve already gone and been back by now.”

Hayes leaned over the table and touched Teddy’s arm. “We can’t go without knowing what’s happening,” he murmured. “It might end with all of us in trouble instead of just Leon. We need to talk to Moore, and I don’t want Callum to stay out of the loop, so we might as well meet him.”

Teddy hated it when he was ready to go but had to wait, but he suspected Hayes was right. If he gave himself time to think things through, he knew he couldn’t just follow his instinct and barge in on Leon and whoever had taken him. It might put Leon in even more danger, which wasn’t what Teddy wanted.

He huffed. “Fine,” he told Callum. “Hayes agrees with you and says that we should meet at the grocery store.”

“It’s probably nothing. We shouldn’t worry too much before we know if something’s going on,” Callum said, clearly trying to convince both himself and Teddy that everything would be all right.

He might be right, but he also might not be. Teddy couldn’t stop the panic that made his chest feel tight as he thought of what might happen to his best friend if they continued wasting time. “By the time we do, it might be too late,” he snapped.

Hayes gently slapped his arm and glared at him. Teddy knew he was right without having to hear what he was thinking.

“I’m sorry,” he told Callum. “I didn’t mean to snap, and I’m not angry at you. I’m just worried for my friend.”

“I’m worried about him, too, and if something did happen to him, then you absolutely need to go get him.”

Teddy wanted to. He wanted to ignore Hayes and shimmer right out of the coffee shop. His skin crawled at the thought of what might be happening to Leon, and he had to force himself to stop. “Hayes said that we need to be careful, and he’s right. I can’t just shimmer to Leon without knowing what’s going on with him. He’s probably in danger, but that doesn’t mean I should put myself and anyone else coming with me in danger, too. He’d never forgive me if something happened to you.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Callum sounded convinced of that, and Teddy prayed he was right. Moore would probably be able to convince Callum to stay behind, which meant they needed to contact him. He should be involved, anyway. He was their leader, and he’d know what to do. More importantly, he wouldn’t allow emotion to take over, which was what Teddy was doing.

He and Callum hung up, and Teddy quickly got to his feet. Hayes was already on the phone, no doubt calling Moore. He stayed on the phone as they left the coffee shop and reached the grocery store. Teddy didn’t know what to do, and he didn’t want to wait around, so he went inside to ask if anyone had seen anything. Unfortunately, the answer was no.

By the time he came out, Moore had given his orders, so Teddy shimmered Hayes and Callum to their leader. It was fun to watch Moore attempt to wrangle Callum. Technically, Callum wasn’t one of them, so he didn’t have to obey Moore’s orders, not even when Moore told him he should stay back because he wasn’t trained.

Callum didn’t care about that. He just cared about Leon, and Teddy wholeheartedly agreed.

Moore turned to Teddy and Hayes, who were both standing there, ready to shimmer to Leon. “I can send more people with you.”

It was tempting to say yes, but it would waste more precious time, so Teddy shook his head. “From what Callum’s been feeling through the bond, I don’t think we have to worry about what we’ll find once we reach Leon. Even if he’s been taken by hunters, Hayes and I can get rid of them while Callum focuses on Leon. He hasn’t felt any pain from Leon yet, which probably means Leon is fine. He could have been tied up or something like that, and if Callum frees him, he can help us fight.”

Moore didn’t look happy, but he had to be able to tell he wouldn’t win this fight. “Fine. Go and grab Leon. We’ll be waiting for you here, but if we don’t see you soon, I’m sending Rikar after you.”

Teddy stretched out his arms. Hayes took one of his hands, and Callum quickly did the same. Teddy sucked in a breath, then shimmered them right to Leon. He didn’t have to think too hard about him because they’d been friends for a long time. Leon was always in Teddy’s thoughts, especially in a moment like this.

The three of them landed, and Teddy quickly looked around to get his bearings. He had no idea where they were, but the tiny room didn’t look good. Someone cried out and rushed toward them, and Teddy got ready to fight. He stepped in front of Callum and punched the man coming for them.

“Stop,” Leon ordered.

Teddy wanted to punch the guy again, but it would be useless because he wasn’t attacking anymore. He looked stunned, which was how Teddy felt, too.

He’d just punched his mate.

* * * *

Everyone froze, including Perseus. He was glad the blond guy who’d punched him wouldn’t do it a second time, but he wished he didn’t owe it to Leon, who was technically his prisoner and wasn’t supposed to protect him.

“I’m fine,” Leon said. “Perseus hasn’t hurt me.”

“Perseus?” the blond asked. He was still staring at Perseus as if he’d seen a ghost. It couldn’t be because of Perseus’s name, but Perseus still felt the need to explain after Leon introduced both him and Orion.

“Our mother liked constellations,” he mumbled as he rubbed his jaw.

The blond looked like he was in shock, and Perseus took a moment to watch him. From the pointed ears, he could tell the man was a Nix. Perseus usually thought about Nix as calm and quiet, but this guy looked like he’d be happy to kick his ass. Perseus hoped he wouldn’t, because his jaw hurt enough as it was. Besides, his focus should be on Orion, not on the blond, no matter how hot he was.

And he was hot.

The pointed ears did something to Perseus. He’d never thought he’d find them attractive, but he did, and coupled with the slim build and green eyes that looked like if they could kill, Perseus would already be six feet underground, he wanted to get closer. That wouldn’t end well, though, so he stayed where he was and watched as one of the other guys rushed toward Leon.

Perseus had been watching Leon—okay, stalking him—so he knew this was Callum and that he and Leon lived together. He hated that he’d made Leon’s boyfriend worry.

“You’re okay,” the third guy said.

“I’m fine,” Leon confirmed. “But Orion isn’t. He needs my help, so I’m going to heal him before I can explain what happened.”

Perseus focused on his brother again. After he’d told Leon that Orion had been wounded while they were trying to help shifters escape, Leon had softened and agreed to help. He’d only just begun when his friends had shimmered in the room, and while Perseus wanted to scream at him to do his job, he didn’t. It wouldn’t be fair, since Perseus had kidnapped Leon and the man didn’t have a reason to help. He could easily have told Perseus to fuck off and refused to even look at Orion, but he hadn’t.

The blond still looked like he wanted to kill Perseus as painfully as possible. That was why Perseus was surprised when he stepped forward.

“I can help,” he muttered as he pushed past Perseus. He stumbled as if his foot had hit something, but there was nothing on the floor except for dust.

The blond continued toward Leon and Orion, and Perseus held his breath. It would be easy for these men to overpower him. When it had been just Leon, Perseus probably would have won in a fight, although he wasn’t entirely sure of that. Something in the way Leon had reacted to this situation told him there was more to the man than what he could see, but as long as Leon had been willing to heal Orion, Perseus hadn’t cared. He still didn’t, but he really hoped the guys who’d just arrived weren’t about to beat him up.

Leon closed his eyes. He had a hand pressed against Orion’s chest, and Perseus held his breath and prayed. He wasn’t sure he believed there was a God out there, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask for help.

“He has several broken ribs,” Leon explained. “And one of them punctured his lung. He’s lost a lot of blood, and it’s still all inside of him.”

Perseus was terrified. He’d known his brother was severely hurt, but hearing it was different. It meant he knew how close he’d been to losing Orion, and he couldn’t deal with that thought right now. It was too real, especially with how pale and still Orion was on the bed.

The Nix also pressed a hand against Orion’s chest, making him groan. Perseus had always protected his brother, and he stepped forward before he could think. He knew that what Leon and his friend were doing would help Orion, but hearing his brother like this still made him want to intervene.

The third guy stopped him. He pushed Perseus back more gently than Perseus would have expected him to, almost as if he understood how worried Perseus was.

Perseus watched as the Nix’s hand started glowing. He knew this was how Nix healed, so he held his breath, waiting for his brother to be all right.

It took longer than he’d expected. He hadn’t known how badly Orion was wounded, but he’d suspected it was bad. That had been confirmed when Leon had explained Orion’s state to his friend, and Perseus couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they couldn’t heal his brother.

Orion couldn’t die. Perseus didn’t know what he’d do with himself if he lost his brother.

Leon finally lifted his hand, quickly followed by his friend. They both stepped back, and Perseus rushed forward. He wouldn’t have allowed anyone to stop him this time, but thankfully, no one tried. He managed to reach Orion’s bed without having to punch someone.

Orion looked better. He was still pale, but not as severely as before. When he opened his eyes, Perseus almost cried.

When Orion had realized how badly he was wounded, he’d told Perseus to leave him behind. The last thing he’d told Perseus was that he loved him. When he’d fallen unconscious, Perseus had tried to help him as best as he could, but the only thing he’d been able to do was get him here and find someone to heal him. It had taken too long, and Perseus knew how close he’d come to losing his brother.

But he wouldn’t. Orion was waking up.

“Is he healed?” the third guy asked.

“He’s perfectly fine,” Leon confirmed.

He looked tired, but that was the only sign that something had happened. Perseus was in awe. He didn’t know how Leon had done this, and he didn’t know how to ask for forgiveness for what he’d done, but he’d try.

It would have been easy for Leon to tell Perseus that he wouldn’t help. He probably didn’t know that Perseus wouldn’t have hurt him even if he’d refused to heal Orion. Perseus didn’t have it in him.

But Leon hadn’t hesitated. As soon as Perseus had told him what he needed, he’d agreed to help. Orion was alive because of him.

“Good,” the Nix said as he leaned forward.

He grabbed Perseus’s wrist, then Orion’s, and seconds later, the cabin was gone.

Perseus panicked. He didn’t want to let go of Orion, but he would have to if he wanted to protect his brother. As soon as they arrived wherever the Nix had taken them, he placed himself between his brother and the people already in the room, ready to fight.

He suspected he wouldn’t be able to do much. These people weren’t normal shifters. They’d been in the labs, and they’d come out changed. Perseus had heard of that, but he’d never seen it.

Until now.

They were in an office. Orion had landed on the floor, and he groaned, probably in pain. Perseus was torn between taking care of him and protecting him. He didn’t know what to do.

There was a reason his father always told him he was an idiot. He didn’t know how to take initiative. He was fine being a follower, which was one of the main problems in his life. If he’d been a better person, he would have refused to follow his father and the hunters. Instead, he’d tried to keep Orion safe, and he’d done things he would never forgive himself for.

“Teddy?” a man asked.

Perseus turned toward him. He’d seen this guy around in town, and from the way people talked to him, he could tell the man had authority. He looked like he did, too. He was tall with broad shoulders and a strong build. His expression was set, but he didn’t react to the situation with anger the way Perseus’s father would have. He would have attacked before asking questions, but this man didn’t.

“They’re the ones who kidnapped Leon,” the Nix—Teddy—said.

Perseus swallowed. He should have planned for what would happen after Leon healed Orion, but he hadn’t. That was another way he was an idiot, and now he might have put Orion in even more danger than he’d been before.

* * * *

Teddy was pissed. When he’d been wondering when fate would give him his mate, he hadn’t expected that mate to be a fucking hunter.

What was he supposed to do with that?

As soon as Teddy explained to Moore who Perseus and Orion were, Perseus moved. He grabbed his brother and tried to haul him to his feet while at the same time frantically looking around, probably for a way to escape. If Teddy hadn’t been so pissed, he would have been impressed. Perseus wouldn’t go along with his capture. He was going to fight to the end if it meant protecting his brother. Teddy could understand that. He considered Hayes, Leon, and most of the mutants his siblings, and he’d do pretty much anything to protect them.

Even kidnap someone.

He told himself to stop thinking about Perseus like a good person who’d just been trying to do the best for his brother. The two of them were hunters, which meant they were evil. Even though Perseus had taken Leon so he could help with his brother, it didn’t make him a good person.

Neither did being Teddy’s mate.

Perseus finally managed to get Orion to his feet. Orion was shaky and stumbled forward, and considering that Perseus was shorter and slimmer, it was a miracle he kept both of them on their feet. He tried to get them to the door before Moore could say anything, but Teddy didn’t need his leader to step in.

With one flick of his finger, the floor in front of Perseus exploded.

“My office!” Moore complained.

Oops.Teddy should have thought that through before acting, but he was angry and confused. “Sorry.”

Moore rolled his eyes. “You usually have more control than that. What’s happening?”

Teddy’s attention was snagged by Perseus again. He and Orion had stopped moving after the explosion, but it wasn’t enough to stop them. Perseus was trying to drag Orion toward the door again, so Teddy made the handle explode this time.

“Enough!” Moore snapped, raising his voice.

Teddy froze. He knew he was behaving like an idiot and that he had to stop, but it was hard. He wanted both to hug and strangle Perseus and to ask him how to fuck he could be a hunter, but instead, he stayed where he was.

“Listen to him,” a voice Teddy hadn’t heard yet said.

He realized it was Orion. The man was big and muscled, so Teddy had expected him to try to fight his way out of here, but his voice was soft and gentle, and he was telling his brother to stop running.

None of this made sense. It was as if the brothers’ bodies had been swapped, and while Teddy preferred the way Perseus looked, he wondered if he’d like his personality as much. Perseus looked angry and was ready to hurt people if it meant keeping his brother safe. He was a hunter and had no doubt hurt and killed countless people.

How could he be Teddy’s mate?

“Sit down, all of you,” Moore added.

He glared at Teddy when Teddy didn’t move, so Teddy quickly obeyed. He sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and watched as Perseus helped Orion lower himself on the tiny couch by the window. Teddy would have told them not to sit there, because he was pretty sure that Moore and his mate spent a lot of time on the couch when they were in the office, but he didn’t dare.

“Explain,” Moore ordered Teddy.

Teddy swallowed. “When we reached Leon, he told us that Perseus had kidnapped him so he could heal Orion,” Teddy said as he pointed to the brothers in turn so Moore would know who was who. “Orion was in pretty bad shape, so I helped. I don’t know anything else except that Perseus kidnapped Leon, but if I have to guess, both he and Orion are hunters.” He prayed that wasn’t so, but he could already tell they were.

Perseus had obviously managed to get into the village. He’d stalked Leon long enough to find out about his ability, and he’d kidnapped him when he’d found him alone. Teddy hadn’t been there, but he was ready to bet there had been no hesitation. Perseus had needed Leon, and he’d taken him.

That was what hunters did.

Moore stared at Teddy for a moment before nodding. “I see. Was there anyone else there?”

“I only saw the room in which we shimmered, but I don’t think so.”

“Leon and the others are still there?”

Shit.Teddy needed to get them back. He had no idea where he’d shimmered, and while it had looked like an abandoned cabin, it might be in the middle of a hunter compound or something.

He got to his feet. “I’m going back. I wanted to bring these two here first so you’d know what happened.”

“Go. They’re not going anywhere.”

Teddy trusted Moore with his life, but he still hesitated. Part of him didn’t want to leave Perseus. He was his mate, and even though he was a hunter, that meant something. Teddy’s soul cried out for him, but Teddy knew he couldn’t stay. If he insisted, everyone would know something was happening, and he wasn’t ready to tell anyone about their bond.

He looked at Perseus and Orion again. Orion looked shaky, even though he was on the couch, while Perseus stood next to him, ready to step in if anyone tried to hurt his brother. His expression was fierce, but he also looked lost and worried. Teddy wanted to reassure him.

Instead, he turned to Moore. “I’ll be right back.”

Moore arched a brow, but Teddy didn’t give him time to ask what was happening. He shimmered away, relieved that Moore had turned off the device that kept Nix out of his home. He’d known Teddy would want to bring Leon straight to him once he reached him.

Teddy had no idea what to expect when he appeared back at the cabin, but he was relieved to see that Hayes, Leon, and Callum were still alone. No one had attacked them, and from what Teddy could hear, the rest of the cabin was empty.

“Sorry about that,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted Moore to know what was going on, and I felt it was better if the brothers were with him.”

“What did he say?” Hayes asked.

“He’ll take care of them. I’m here to take the three of you home.”

Leon appeared a bit shaky. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that Orion was in bad shape. Teddy had been shocked when he’d realized just how bad it was. It was a miracle that Orion had survived so long.

Or maybe not. If Orion was a hunter, it would have been better if he’d died. Teddy should feel that way about Perseus, too, but he couldn’t. No matter how angry he was or how much he hated that Perseus was a hunter, Perseus was still his mate.

That would never change. Teddy didn’t know what he’d do, but he’d have to deal with it eventually.

Just not right now.

“Did they say anything?” Callum asked. “Was Orion the only reason Perseus kidnapped Leon?”

“That’s what he told me,” Leon offered. “He might have been lying, but I don’t think so. They’re very close, and he almost begged me to help his brother. I could have knocked him out and left, but once I saw Orion, I knew I had to help.”

Teddy understood. He was a Nix, and he wouldn’t have been able to step away without helping Orion. He would have felt guilty about having the ability to help without doing so.

But he didn’t have to worry now. Orion was healed, and Teddy was sure that by the time they went back to Moore’s office, Moore would have locked up both of the brothers. He’d want answers, and they were the only ones who could provide them.

That meant Teddy wouldn’t have to deal with Perseus for now. It should have been a relief, but the part of him that yearned for his mate felt it was anything but.