The artwork above is not mine.

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Sarai held her position on Rafe's right side, while Holly stood to his left. All three of them were in their wolf forms, waiting for Ruhn's signal to move in. The rest of the pack was behind them. Willow had shifted into her wolf as well, but Lucas, Cassia, and Salem were in their usual forms, holding their guns at the ready.

    Sarai shook her furry head and pricked her ears. As a wolf, she was three-fourths the size of Rafe, and his wolf was much larger than most Shifters'. Sarai had often been mistaken for Rafe's relative when she was younger, given their close sizes and matching dark fur. She'd always hated their similarities.

    Holly made a low sound in warning, pulling Sarai out of her thoughts. Voices were approaching from the south side of the warehouse. Sarai crouched low, keeping out of sight, but within easy reach of the door they would be entering through.

    A growl rumbled behind them. Rafe rounded on Willow, baring his teeth. She glared at him defiantly, but remained quiet. When Rafe turned again, Holly brushed his shoulder with the tip of her tail.

    The voices grew louder and a door squeaked as it slid open. The voices vanished inside the warehouse. Sarai strained her ears, but could hear nothing. Either the people had stopped talking, or the warehouse was noise proof. She guessed the first option was more probable. The minutes stretched on and nothing happened.

    Why doesn't Ruhn give the signal? Sarai grumbled to herself. Rafe's tail lashed back and forth, as if he were asking himself the same question. This is a great way to spend Friday night. I could be at the White Raven with Danika, Nathalie, and Bryce, but instead I'm here.

    She could be snorting a line of lightseeker right now and finding a hot Shifter to hook up with. It had been months since she last did that, as she usually tried not to make a habit of it. No doubt Nathalie would do the same, except she'd hook up with Bronson. She always did.

    The two of them had never officially announced anything. They never went out by themselves or were overly affectionate towards one another, but the amount of times they hooked up left everyone asking questions. Questions that Nathalie hadn't even answered for Sarai.

    She had to wonder what Ithan thought about the pair. Ithan Holstrom often seemed to harbor some sort of interest in Nathalie, although he rarely acted on it. Every time Sarai and Nathalie had discussed his little crush, they both agreed that it felt...forced. Sarai had considered asking Bryce or Ithan himself about it, but never did.

    Sarai shook her thoughts away as the voices returned. Rafe's spine went rigid and Sarai knew he'd heard something she hadn't. She readied herself, sensing the changing energy within the pack. The attack was coming. Now she could hear the rustle of feathers overhead. The Angels were arriving. Five of them landed on the roof of the warehouse.

    A heartbeat later, a shrill whistle rang out. A door grated against cement and Sarai knew the Fae had advanced. Rafe rammed his furry shoulder into the door on their side of the building, forcing it open. He charged inside, with Sarai and Holly on his heels. The rest of the pack followed them.

    Ruhn had already tackled one man to the ground and was holding the Starsword at his throat, preventing him from moving. The rest of the Fae were covering all possible escape routes. Rafe let out a howl and pounced on a man who was running towards a busted door. Salem rushed to his aid, aiming a gun at the man's head.

    Sarai bared her teeth, snarling at a group of three who stood in front of a sealed crate. Holly joined her, laying back her ears and prowling forward, deadly intent in each pawstep. Sarai drew a deep breath, trying to scent whatever lay inside the crate. She smelled nothing familiar or suspicious. Holly breathed deeply, then shook her head. The three men raised their hands and knelt in surrender.

    Sarai shifted into herself, grabbing a pair of wrist cuffs from her belt. She fastened them around one man's wrists while Holly took care of another. Cassia hurried over to them and cuffed the third man. Sarai forced her prisoner to his feet and escorted him over to the others. The Angels strode into the building just as the last of the dealers were rounded up. Sarai crossed her arms, fixing a cold gaze on the Malakim.

    As much as she disliked Fae, the Malakim were even worse. Angels had been created by the Asteri themselves to serve as soldiers. Like Wolves had no choice but to serve in the Auxiliary, they had no choice but to serve in a legion. They were the most powerful and feared species of Vanir within Crescent City. Even the Fae were hesitant to pick a fight with them.

    The leader of these Angels was Naomi Boreas, Captain of the 33rd Legion. Sarai knit her brows at the realization. I knew the Governor sent the Angels, but he sent the 33rd? Who are these dealers? Micah Domitus wouldn't send members of his Triarii to deal with just anyone.

    "I expect we can trust you to secure all available evidence and have it delivered to the Comitium without our supervision?" Naomi asked, facing Ruhn.

    Sarai moved closer to Rafe as he joined the Fae. Ruhn folded his toned arms over his chest, watching the Angel with blatant disinterest. "I think we can handle it. We managed to handle this, after all." He gestured to the captured dealers behind them.

    "So you did. Governor Domitus will be pleased. He didn't expect your units to work together this well." Naomi's onyx eyes slid from Ruhn to Rafe, then to Sarai.

    "Is there a reason he wanted us working together?" Rafe asked.

    "It's not for me to reveal the Governor's reasoning behind his plans. If you're meant to find out, I'm sure he'll tell your Heads and let them inform you." Ruhn and Sarai snorted simultaneously. Naomi arched her brows.

    "Transport trucks are en route," Declan Emmet called, walking past the group. "I figured our winged companions wouldn't want to have to carry these guys across the city." He walked away before anyone could reply.

    Rafe turned to Sarai. "Have the pack sweep the building and find their merchandise." Sarai dipped her chin and headed off to gather the others.

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    The sun was already rising by the time Ruhn, Flynn, and Declan returned home. They'd spent all night securing the crime scene and gathering up what evidence they could find. Surprisingly, there wasn't very much. The Wolves had only found one crate of drugs, and that had been delivered to the Comitium without being opened.

    That had been an express order from the Governor. If they found the drugs, they were not to process or handle them. The drugs were to be sent directly to the Comitium for analysis. That struck Ruhn as odd, but what could he do against an order from the Governor?

    "Fuck," Flynn muttered, tossing his sheathed sword onto the couch. "Aux inspection is in an hour."

    "And I have to meet with the Autumn King," Ruhn sighed.

    "I vote we fake our deaths."

    "Suicide or homicide?" Declan asked. "I can make both look believable."

    Flynn stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Suicide. Who's going to believe that someone was able to kill all three of us?"

    "We could kill each other."

    "I shoot you, you shoot Ruhn, Ruhn shoots me?"

    "Precisely."

    Ruhn shook his head, smiling to himself as he mounted the stairs. Being dead would certainly put an end to his troubles, but he wasn't quite ready for his Sailing yet. Mirthroot would do for now. He reached his room and grabbed an already rolled joint off his nightstand. It took only a second to light the end. He took a long drag and leaned against the wall, letting smoke roll out of his mouth.

    "Hey." Ruhn glanced over his shoulder and found Flynn in the doorway. The male entered without invitation. He swiped the joint from Ruhn. "Are you that uptight about going to see your dad?"

    "When am I not?" Ruhn rolled his sapphire eyes.

    "I'll trade you. You can go see my parents and sister, and I'll deal with your father."

    Ruhn grimaced, plucking his mirthroot back. "No, thank you. Honestly, I'd rather deal with the Autumn King than face off with Sathia."

    Sathia Flynn was younger than her brother by a decade, and the two were nothing alike. Sathia was as cold and rotten as a Reaper. Nothing good ever came from visiting her. She was mean because she could be, and constantly belittled those she considered below herself. Flynn, Ruhn, and Declan were among them.

    "You and me both," Flynn sighed. "She's set on finding a wealthy husband by the end of the year, but I doubt that will happen. You know what Fae males look for in their wives."

    "Most Fae males," Ruhn corrected.

    Most Fae males wanted a quiet, demure female who was content with being nothing but a broodmare for the rest of her life. Ruhn's own mother had been reduced to such a fate, although she never complained about it. He suspected it was because she didn't know any better, or she'd been taught to accept her lot in life.

    That was something he couldn't abide. Every time his father mentioned finding a bride for him, Ruhn was filled with insatiable rage and anxiety. He didn't want someone like his mother; nor did he want someone like Sathia. He didn't want to marry for the sole purpose of breeding, although that seemed to be his only value in the eyes of his father.

    And there wouldn't even be that if he knew what the Oracle told me, Ruhn thought.

    All Fae visited the Oracle at the age of thirteen to see what their destinies might hold. The prophecy Ruhn received had been too enigmatic and terrible to pass along. Instead, he fed a lie to his father. "I will be a fair and just king."

    Einar Danaan had been unimpressed, but at least the lie bought Ruhn some security. If he'd told his father what the Oracle really said, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would've found himself killed in his sleep years ago. "The royal bloodline shall end with you, Prince."

    He'd puzzled the prophecy time and time again, but couldn't determine its meaning. Was it something simple, like he was incapable of having children? Or did it mean he would be the last of his line in another sense? Would his father die? Would Bryce?

    Perhaps Bryce didn't even count. She was only his half-sister after all, and the public believed the lie they told about her being his distant cousin. The Autumn King had refused to accept her, so perhaps that meant she was not a part of the royal family at all.

    "Damn, Ruhn, you need to relax." Flynn rested a hand on his shoulder, drawing him out of his thoughts. "If you're really this uptight, maybe one of us should come with you. Take Dec. I bet he has something techy to share that will make the Autumn King happy."

    Ruhn ran a hand down his face, breathing a heavy sigh. Perhaps Flynn was right. The mirthroot was starting to take effect, but he still felt wound tight. "All right," Ruhn agreed. "We'll be back later. You should get to the Aux compound. One of us has to be present for inspection."

    "You've got it." Flynn squeezed his shoulder again, before sprinting out the door. Ruhn crumbled the last of his joint into an ashtray and headed to Declan's room.