Synjon nodded, his tone and manner utterly controlled, as emotionless as always. “She’s a wise one, Dr. Feelgood. The blood of a bear has always intrigued me.”

Tearing his gaze from Petra, Brodan inched closer, growling with menace.

“Syn,” Petra said warningly. “My brothers.”

“Are fine. Just a bit tied up at the moment.” He shrugged at the easy joke, then pulled in a breath. “They really are decent blokes. Protective of their family. I respect that. But the jokes, love, and all that male braying. Gets tedious.”

They weren’t hurt. Only tied up. Relief spilled through Petra and she sank an inch farther under the water. It wasn’t as though she was surprised. Somehow she’d known he would find a way out of his captivity. Somehow she’d known that even with that moment they’d had that afternoon, his hand to her belly, feeling the movement of the balas beneath his palm—even though she’d swear she saw a hint of emotion, connection, in his eyes—he wasn’t tied to her . . . to their balas. Not even by the thinnest of strings.

She looked up, found his gaze, and held it tightly. “So, what is this? Your visit to the river’s edge? You came to say good-bye?”

He didn’t answer. And for a split second he looked confused.

“Or to interrupt two people enjoying a swim?” Petra pushed, wishing he weren’t so close and she wasn’t so hungry.

His brows lifted and he said with a streak of arrogance, “I interrupted something, did I?”

“Yes,” Brodan ground out, his eyes flashing with irritation, as he stood in the shallow end of the river halfway between Syn and Petra.

“Planning your future?” Syn added, his eyes locked on Petra.

She shrugged, “Maybe,” the tops of her breasts surfacing at the water’s edge.

An action that didn’t go unnoticed by either male.

“With the good doctor here,” Syn continued. “Home every night for dinner. And you serving up a lovely raw steak.” He lowered his voice. “While you’re secretly dying to drink his blood.”

“No secret required, Pets,” Brodan said, though his gaze remained on Synjon. “My blood is yours. Always has been. And the cub’s.”

“Vampire!” Syn snapped. He glared at Brodan, his fangs descending.

Brodan froze and so did Petra. Only the sound of the river slapping against the rocks could be heard. Within a few seconds, Synjon’s fangs retracted, along with any expression of anger.

It was almost as though it had never happened.

Almost.

“What the hell was that?” Petra said, shivers moving up her back and into her neck. Shivers that had nothing to do with the cooling night air.

“What?” Synjon found her gaze again, the mask of emotionless male back in place.

“Your emotions . . .”

He stepped back. “I have no emotions.”

She shook her head, her mouth dry. “I saw—”

“You saw nothing.”

“I don’t understand, Syn—”

“Enjoy your swim,” he interrupted. “And a healthy fuck, if you’re so inclined.”

And with one last look in Petra’s direction, he flashed from the riverbank.

• • •

Petra wasted no time in pulling her shaky body out of the river, yanking her clothes on, saying a hasty good-bye to Brodan, and rushing back to the cabin. She had to see it for herself. See that her brothers were safe and unharmed. Synjon’s word meant so little to her now. He had no reason to keep her family in good health.

Especially if the ones in question had attacked him twice already.

She jogged up the steps, dashed into the silent house, and ran down the hall. “Sash? Val?” she called, searching the hidey-holes of each bedroom. Finally, inside the small closet in the main bedroom, she found them. Both Sasha and Val were just as Syn had claimed: fine, tied up, with a bit of their pride squashed.

Petra made quick work of the gags and rope. But when they were free, both sat unmoving inside the closet.

“I’m so sorry, Pets,” Sasha said mournfully.

“Stop.”

Val grimaced. “We totally failed you.”

“No, you didn’t.” She gave Val a pat on the back. “He’s a trained spy, in the military . . .”

“But we took him down in his apartment,” Valentin said, shaking his head.

“By surprise,” Sasha amended. “We’ve been fools. Arrogant asses. Didn’t prepare. Not in any real way. Wise was right when he called us the pussy brothers.”

“Hey,” Val said.

Sasha tossed him a look.

Val shrugged. “Yeah, all right.”

Petra heard the door to the cabin burst open, and seconds later Dani entered the dark bedroom. “I was doing a moonlight flyby and saw that bastard by the river with you and Brodan.”

“You’re too late,” Petra said.

“No, she’s not.” Valentin eyed Sasha as he pushed to his feet, then offered his hand to his brother. “We’re going to fix this. We’re going back to his apartment, taking him again.”

“Hell, yes,” Sasha agreed, slapping Valentin’s palm and jumping up. “And this time, we’re keeping him in the clinic, sedated. You can feed from him like that. Coma Vamp.”

“Yeah, drugs in Pet’s blood would be real great for the cub, idiots,” Dani said with a snort.

“Oh, right,” Sasha said, walking out of the closet. “Then we’ll knock him out the old-fashioned way.”

“One, two, three!” Val added. “Four, five, six!”

The brothers chuckled as they started for the door.

“He’s not at his apartment,” Dani called after them.

“What do you mean?” Petra began, turning her attention to the hawk female. “How would you— Oh, gods, Dani, you didn’t fly into Manhattan. It’s broad daylight there. You could’ve been shot at.”

Dani put her hands up. “Ease up, bestie. Didn’t go to New York, though I’m really starting to dig that place. It’s all dressed up for the holiday they celebrate. The one with fir trees and snow and reindeer.”

“Dani,” Petra said tightly. “Synjon?”

Her gaze locked on Petra and softened a hair. “I didn’t leave the Rain Forest, and neither has the vampire.”

The words sank in, but their meaning didn’t. Petra didn’t understand. Syn was still here? Had he lost his ability to flash? No, that wasn’t possible. She’d seen him flash from the river.

“You know where he is, Dani?” Sasha asked her.

The hawk shifter turned to the brother and shrugged. “Where he was headed.”

“And you didn’t dive-bomb the bastard, scoop him up in your talons?”

Dani’s gaze returned to Petra. There was no typical bluster or hard-ass hawk attitude glistening in her eyes now. Only the solid intimacy of a best friend. “Tell me what you want. Personally I’d like to forget he exists, but I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

What she wanted. Shit, that was a big and constantly changing question. Maybe it would be better if she could just forget he existed too. But that wasn’t practical, was it? The effects of his blood were pure magic. She and the balas still needed him, so for now there was only one answer.

“We’re going,” Val said before she could open her mouth.

“No.” Petra pointed at them and said in her most resolute, most authoritative voice. “You’re not. This is my business, my blood to go after. I’ll handle it.”

His face tensing with unease, Sasha was first to object. “Pets—”

“There’s a reason he hasn’t left.” She moved past them all and out the bedroom door. “I need to find out what it is.”

8

“Unbelievable,” Nicholas Roman growled, stalking forward.

Alexander was right beside him. “What the hell is he doing here?”

Though feeling weaker and more emotionally lost than ever after such a jarring flash, Cruen stood his ground outside the gathering stones as the Roman brothers and two of the mutore came to stand before him. Nostrils flared, hands balled into fists, the four glanced back and forth between him and Dillon, who stood beside him.

“Mommy made me bring him,” Dillon grumbled, then amended her statement with a shrug. “He told Feeyan about his connection to Petra.”

Nicholas glared at Cruen, his lips forming a sneer. “So now you want to claim her? After all these years?”

All I wish to claim is that British bastard who glued his emotions to my insides. All I want is my power back. Perhaps even my chair on the Order. But to the Roman brother he said smoothly, “I have a right to know where my Pureblood daughter is. If she’s being held here against her will.”

Alexander chuckled bitterly. “The old paven’s getting sentimental. How sweet.”

“So sweet I might lose a fang, right into his carotid,” Helo added blackly.

“Where is Petra?” Cruen asked, ignoring the males. “Where is my daughter?”

“My daughter.” The female lion shifter who’d raised Petra from near infancy left the gathering stones and headed his way. “She’s my daughter, Cruen. She wants to remain here, in her home, her homeland, around her family.”

As the shifter closed in on him, Cruen recalled the day he’d brought his and Celestine’s infant here. In his time spent gathering blood samples in the Rain Forest, he’d witnessed all manner of selflessness. Each faction helped the others, looked out for the others. It had actually started to irritate him. Such goodness was tiresome. But when Petra was born, when he’d taken her from Cellie, he’d known the perfect place to keep her safe while keeping his connection to more blood samples open.

Wen’s eyes were fierce as she stared him down. “You don’t belong here, vampire.”