Luca

"You look like you're about to have an aneurysm."

Luca relaxed his grip on the steering wheel and fixed his cousin with an irritated look. As usual, Livy didn't wilt beneath the intensity of his gaze. So, he dragged his eyes back to the road, letting them briefly rest on the rearview mirror to get a look at the backseat occupants.

Van slept in the middle seat, her head resting on Hailey's lap. Barely twenty-four hours had passed since she woke from her coma, and instead of focusing on recovering, she'd spent the day trying to figure out how to use her new Protean abilities.

Walking in the room to find her covered in blood was partly responsible for his current mood. Another reason was the fact she'd convinced him to allow her to come on the rescue mission. It was true her body already showed signs of improvement. A few good meals and Protean DNA had fleshed her out, so she didn't look as likely to be blown over by a stiff breeze. At this rate, she would be back to normal in a matter of weeks, much like Livy had been, but for right now, she was weaker than a human, no matter how much she protested otherwise.

She had agreed to play the role of lookout and getaway driver. Luca could even admit having her near gave him more peace than leaving her behind did, and that was the real reason he'd given in and agreed to her coming.

Those two things together might not have been enough to sour the good mood he'd been in after learning they had found Brantley, but every time he saw Bane's smug grin in the rearview mirror, Luca's temper flared.

They'd come to an easy truce since being thrust into chaos, and there were times he was glad to have Bane as an ally. Even when they were enemies, Luca acknowledged Bane's power. It would be foolish not to.

But seeing Van's legs draped over Bane's lap was enough to make Luca's panther feral and Bane damn well knew it. Even a shifter in complete control of their animal at all times would struggle if they saw their ma–significant other so close to someone they recognized as a possible threat.

"See, it's that look right there."

"Livy."

"What?" she asked, pretending she didn't know precisely why Luca was so worked up. She was lucky he hadn't mentioned how he'd noticed her face darken every time she glanced back there. Only, he couldn't be sure if she was bothered by Bane touching Van, Van touching Hailey, or Bane and Hailey touching–because they were. The shifter kept one arm draped over the backseat, his fingers brushing against the former Slayer's neck every so often. Seeing the obvious attraction between those two was probably what allowed Luca to keep himself in check because he could tell the anxious beast inside of him that Bane didn't want Van. Not with Hailey so close.

"Let's just focus on what's important right now. We've got about ten minutes before our last turn off, and Price wants us to park a mile back and hike in."

His brother-in-law described the place Brantley was being held as little more than a shack in the woods. They'd been through this area before and found nothing. Thank the gods that Nora, his headstrong, stubborn sister, insisted on backtracking on her way home despite Kade's protests that it was a waste of time. Her hearing, which had always been more sensitive than most, picked up on the panicked mewling of a kitten while she was pacing along the banks of a river, swollen with melting snow, trying to determine the best way to cross.

Luca recalled the pride beneath Price's exasperation as he described how exhausted Nora had been when she showed up at their camp. She'd thrown herself into the river where the rapids were the worst in her haste to follow the sound, and through sheer willpower, swam to the other side, where she traced the sounds back to the shack. She might have barged in and rescued their little brother alone, if not for one thing.

The place reeked of vampires.

Just last night they'd confirmed vampires were a growing threat, and now they had proof they'd somehow taken Brantley from a secure Slayer facility. More and more, Luca was certain the Slayers would have fallen with or without the attack from the Deltas. They'd had a traitor buried deep in their organization, but since the Deltas had yet to capture a live vampire and Abe wasn't sane enough for questioning, they had no leads on who the traitor was. Luca hoped they could accomplish two things today: saving Brantley and bringing back a captive for Nancy and Xandra to interrogate.

Fifteen minutes later, they stood outside of the well-hidden car, surveying the wooded area for danger. Livy shifted almost at once. He watched her bushy gray tail twitch as she scampered up a tree to get a better perspective as a squirrel.

Van sat in the driver's seat, the window rolled down, and her chin propped on her arm. She watched Livy leap across branches with tangible envy. Nothing he could tell her right now would make it better, but he wanted to try. Anything to put her in a better frame of mind before leaving her.

"You'll get there." She frowned. Her eyes–still brilliant green–remained locked on Livy. "Two hours ago, you shifted into a wolf. A big, ass wolf, might I add."

That earned a chuckle. "I know you're right. It's just hard knowing I'm absolutely useless until I learn how to do that."

He exhaled, his breath turning to silver fog as it escaped between his lips. She wouldn't appreciate pity right now, nor would empathy do much because he truly understood how she felt. For three weeks he sat at her side feeling powerless, wishing to be anything else–a doctor, healer, witch, whatever he needed to be to bring her back.

"With or without shifting abilities, you're not useless. Once you're strong again, you'll still have your Slayer training. I know you can fight."

Van shrugged. "Boosted by the Blessings, which I don't think I have anymore."

"Alright," Livy said, interrupting their conversation, "I didn't see anything or smell anything. We need to get a move on, because it'll be dark soon."

Hailey pulled her hair back and looked toward the sky as she wrapped a ponytail around the thick strands. As a human and a Slayer, she still wasn't quite comfortable with the frequent nudity that came with being a shifter, but Luca caught a scent on the wind that suggested the pink in Hailey's cheeks wasn't from embarrassment alone.

"Since when has darkness been a problem?" Bane asked with a snort, his eyes flaring.

"Since we're hiking through the woods with a human, dumbass," Livy replied, hooking her thumb over her shoulder to point at Hailey.

Bane's teasing mood dissolved. Chest flaring out, he stomped toward Livy and snarled down at her. "You don't think I can keep her safe?"

Livy shoved him with enough force he stumbled and fell with a wet splat in the gray slush. Luca's panther bristled, and he prepared to shift at once if it came down to stopping a fight. Van leaned out of the window and grabbed him by the arm. She shook her head.

"I can keep her safe, too," Livy replied, her words sounding a bit garbled around the fangs sprouting past her lips.

The cocking of a gun echoed in the clearing, and everyone turned to find Hailey holding the weapon aloft, the barrel pointed toward the sky, her finger resting on the trigger. "How about I take care of myself, and you both stay out of my way?"

With those words, she forged ahead, ramming her shoulder into Livy's as she walked by. Luca grinned and arched a brow. "Why do you look like you're about to have an aneurysm, Livy?"

"Go," Van urged as Livy and Bane took their panther form and bounded after Hailey. "I'll be fine. There are enough weapons in here for a small army, snacks too. The phone and radio are fully charged. Go bring Brantley home, Luca."

Those words thrilled him. He missed his baby brother so much he physically ached, and ever since he'd received the call from Price, his mind had whirred around, finding every distraction it could. Because part of him was terrified this was another dead end. Or worse, the last end.

Now determination surged through him. When they came for Brantley, there was nothing he could do but stand by. Those had been the actions of a child, and that child didn't exist anymore.

Leaning down, he kissed Van swift and hard, imprinting her taste and scent and sound into his mind. It would be his beacon. If things went sideways or the worst was confirmed, he would have these things to follow home.

"You took your sweet time." Livy grumbled when he caught up with them.

"Don't."

Luca filled the single word with warning. Most times, he excused her behavior. She was almost eighteen. The moon was nearly full. Her home life wasn't ideal. He had a list. But today was not the day, and it was time for her to grow up.

"Whatever is going on between you, Hailey, and Bane, get it under control. When Brantley is safe, I don't care if you three tear each other apart. Understood."

She pinned her ears against her head. It was all the reply he needed.

Like they'd planned on the way here, Hailey moved to the center so they protected her on all sides. She moved with almost as much grace as a shifter, her steps light and silent. The closer they got to the rendezvous location, the quieter the forest grew. No birds chirped. The underbrush did not rustle with the movement of small mammals. That's how Luca was sure they were in the right place.

Where predators lurked, prey would make themselves scarce.

"Move to the right."

Price's voice was a whisper in Luca's head. He must've spoken to Livy and Bane too, because they turned at the same time he did. Hailey adjusted course without question.

They smelled the place before they saw it. A sharp, sulfurous stench soured the air. Luca resisted the urge to paw at his nose or bury it in the snow. Besides the attack the other night, he'd never smelled so many vampires in one place. Then sound rushed in.

Chains clinked. A snarl and whimper. An echoing smack. Mewling.

"Brantley!"

Somehow, Luca restrained himself from rushing toward his brother. Barely. He latched onto the pitiful cries and reminded himself that pain meant his brother was alive.

"How many?" he asked Price when they reached the hilltop. The back of the shack was in sight, and he could see someone moving through a grime covered window. Stomach settling into the snow, he raked his eyes over the clearing and saw no one else.

"Three inside. Plus Brantley. They take him out every couple of hours." A heartbeat passed. "Like he's a damn dog."

Livy's tail swished, sending up a spray of powder that settled in white splotches on her black fur before melting. Then, between one blink and the next, she became a snow leopard. She'd begged to stay in her panther form for this fight, insisting she felt more capable and confident as a panther. Luca understood, but she could blend in so much better as a snow leopard. And they needed the element of surprise if they had any hope of getting Brantley out without him being injured.

When Price gave the signal, she rose and slipped between the trees, pausing every so often to make certain she hadn't alerted anyone to her presence. His heart clenched each time, only beating again when she moved forward. As mad as she made him most days, it was difficult letting her lead the way into danger. Losing her would be as devastating as losing his brother had been.

The back door swung open. Everyone flattened against the ground. Everyone but Hailey. She ducked behind a tree, crouched low, and aimed her weapon toward the figure emerging from the building. He heard the sharp intake of breath when she saw who walked out.

Isaiah. One of the missing Slayers. The boy who'd tormented Van and nearly killed her. Who Xandra had killed by snapping his neck.

A vampire.

Unhealed scratches covered his freckled face, and he turned his head with difficulty as he peered into the woods. Then he grinned and disappeared back into the house, leaving Luca confused. Until Isaiah returned.

In his arms, he held a thrashing juvenile panther, but he didn't flinch or cry out whenever Brantley's claws landed true. Gripping him by the extra fur at his neck, he raised him in the air, looked directly where Luca crouched, and called out, "Here kitty, kitty. Come get your brother before we kill him."