My phone rings, and I nearly leap out of bed to reach for it.


    Marcus grabs it as I fall into an unceremonious tangle of blankets and legs on the floor, staring at me with an impassive face that hides his amusement.


    I know he''s laughing inside, because there are little crinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his jaw''s a little tenser than normal, as if holding back laughter.


    "Unknown number," he reports, handing it to me.


    Damn. Not Lucas.


    Then again, maybe it is.


    I answer eagerly, before I''m free of the mess I''ve created. "Hello?"


    "Is this Alpha Westwood''s mate?" The voice is soft and feminine, her words coming out in a rush.


    I don''t recognize it. "Yes. Who is this?"


    "You must return to the pack, or everyone will be slaughtered." The woman''s voice trembles, urgency lacing every breathy word. "You can''t trust the Fae."


    My heart leaps into my throat. The room spins, and I grip the phone tighter, its edges cutting into my fingers. "What? Who is this? What''s happening?"


    "There''s no time to explain. Just come back as soon as you can. We need you."


    "But who''s in danger? What''s going on?" My voice rises, panic seeping into every syllable.


    "Everyone. Or else Alpha—"


    The line goes dead.


    "Hello? Hello!" I shout into the phone, but there''s nothing but silence.


    Marcus snatches it out of my hands, hands tapping at the screen. "Can''t dial back."


    No surprise there; the number didn''t even show up. I struggle out of the tangle of blankets trapping my legs. "We need to go back. Everyone''s in danger."


    He frowns. "Ava, calm down. Sit, first."


    "I can''t calm down. Lucas—"


    He shoves a hand over my mouth, shoving me back until my knees hit the bed.


    I sit, glaring at him over the edge of his palm.


    "Calm down," he repeats, his heavy brows drawn in as his eyes bore into mine. "You need to listen to me before you do anything."


    My heart pounds like crazy. It''s a war drum, each beat reverberating through my body. The rush of blood in my ears wants to drown out the world, but I force myself to focus on Marcus'' face.


    Stern expression. Narrow eyes. Tight lips.


    He thinks I''m about to do something reckless.


    My mouth is covered, so I close my eyes and breathe through my nose, drawing oxygen into my lungs and stretching them as far as I can bear, before releasing it all in a single measured breath. One. Two. Three. I count each inhale and exhale, willing my racing pulse to slow.


    When I open my eyes again, I meet Marcus'' gaze. His hand drops from my mouth as he takes a step back, giving me space.


    I pull my brows together, thinking. "I don''t think so. She was cut off in the middle of talking about Lucas..." My voice trails off. "No, she said Alpha. If she''s Blackwood, that might mean Alpha Renard."


    Glancing up, I''m surprised to see his nose wrinkle in disgust. "Just call him Renard. He is no longer Alpha Blackwood."


    Ah.


    "Right. Renard." The name feels weird on my tongue, almost naked. But it does make him feel a little less powerful in my memories.


    "And nothing else gives you question?" Marcus probes, clearly aiming for something.


    I shake my head.


    "She said you need to return. That they need you." He pauses. "You, Ava."


    I tilt my head. "I know, I heard—oh."


    Me.


    Why would they need me?


    I''m weak; barely stronger than human.


    My powers are a secret, and even then, they''re almost useless until I become stronger.


    So why would anyone need me to save them?


    Wow. Do I have a larger ego than I thought? It didn''t even occur to me to question being begged to save someone.


    "Yes. Oh." He shakes his head. "Their purpose is to draw you out of the city, ostensibly to the pack. But who, and why?"


    * * *


    "We have no way of knowing." Falling back, I stare at the ceiling from the relative comfort of the bed, hating how dizzy I feel. "Not off a few words."


    "We know a little."


    "Right. Someone who might be in the Fae Ward..." I pause. "Wait. No. Someone here in Dakota Sanctuary. Vampire, Fae, gnome—could be any of them."


    "But likely not a shifter," he points out.


    So, almost anyone in this city.


    "Lucas couldn''t get anyone into the city when he was trying to get information, but Alpha Re—uh, Renard has ties here. And there are rogues. But what about the Whispering Pines pack?"


    "There are other supernatural communities and Unregistered cities closer to them," he points out, though it doesn''t sound like he''s dismissing the possibility.


    "Do they work together? Are they friendly?"


    He pauses. "I have no idea."


    More information we don''t know. I cover my eyes. "We can ask Magister—"


    Marcus makes a soft sound and I sit up, ignoring my dizziness to see his eyes unfocused and face slack. Then he returns to the present, looking at me with a grim expression. "Are you able to walk downstairs?"


    "I think so."@@@@