Chapter 9. Wren came awake slowly to find a severe, pounding ache in his skull that seemed to be echoed in every single part of his body

Wren came awake slowly to find a severe, pounding ache in his skull that seemed to be echoed in every single part of his body. His ears were buzzing as he slowly blinked open his eyes and tried to focus them.

The first thing he saw was a dark green sofa.

Where the hell am I?

Suddenly it all came rushing back. The tigers who were chasing him. The people who'd tried to trank him. The mad dash through the back alleys of New Orleans. The car that had slammed into him as he darted across the street to avoid another predator.

The impact had sent him flying into a store on Decatur Street and the ensuing pandemonium of tourists running from a snow leopard, and men with guns, had allowed him to escape his pursuers.

With no other choice, he'd gone to Maggie's...

His tail twitched.

" Oh God."

He looked up at the startled sound of Maggie's voice to see her standing in her kitchen, her eyes wide as she watched him. She was terrified. The pungent smell of it called out to the predator inside him.

A predator that had been tamed by her… For once, the beast within was at peace. There was no desire to attack. No desire to harm.

Instead, it wanted only to feel her warm hand in its fur…

" It's okay, kitty, " she said in that odd high-pitched voice that humans reserved for small children and pets. " Don't eat the nice lady, okay? She's not going to hurt you, boy. She's only going to step over here so that you don't pounce. Please don't pounce."

She moved a little closer, eyeing him carefully. Her voice dropped two octaves as she spoke to him again. " Are you really in there, Wren? Do you know it's me? "

Wren took a deep breath to brace himself for what he was about to do and flashed himself back to human form. His pain increased tenfold, but he stamped it down before it dragged him back into unconscious cat form. He focused on her. " I know it's you, Maggie."

Marguerite swallowed in relief as she finally saw the confirmation of what she'd feared and hoped. Wren really was the cat.

Scared and nervous, she crossed the small distance where he lay facedown on the floor with one of her blankets covering his bare backside and legs. There were scratches and bites all over his back as if another kind of cat had attacked him. His blond hair fell into his eyes, obscuring them as he rose up ever so slightly in a way that reminded her of a cat stretching.

She knelt down beside him and placed a comforting hand to his bare back. He rolled over slowly, groaning softly as he moved, so that he was lying on his back, looking up at her.

Cuts and bruises marred his chest as well. There was one particularly nasty black bruise that practically covered the whole of his left rib cage. The mark rose up, high onto his chest, all the way to his heart. It had to be killing him to just breathe, and yet he bore his agony with a stoicism that astounded her.

His head resting on her pillow, he looked up at her with those searingly blue eyes. They alone betrayed the pain he was in. More than that, she saw his own fear of her rejecting him now that she knew the truth of him.

As if she would ever do such a thing.

" Don't be afraid of me, Maggie."

She nodded as she reached to brush his soft hair back from his face. In human form, he had a bad fever. His skin was so hot and clammy that it scared her even more. There were still some cuts and bruises on his face, including one cut on his bottom lip, but they were nowhere near as bad as they'd been the night he'd showed up at her back door.

Days of lying on her floor unconscious had left him with a thick dark blond beard growing on his face. Though to be honest, it looked surprisingly good on him.

" How do you feel? " she asked.

" Like I got hit by a bus that decided to back up a few times and make sure it finished the job." He wrinkled his nose at her. " I think it must have ground its tires on my ribs during the last run. You know, just in case I might actually want to breathe again in my lifetime."

She smiled at his misplaced humor as she rested her hand on his chest. His heartbeat was strong under her hand. Grateful for that small favor, she gave a small, silent prayer of thanks. " What happened? "

Wren hesitated. She could see the debate on his handsome face as he wrestled with what to say.

" Be honest with me, Wren. I already know you're a shape-shifter and I haven't freaked out… much. You might as well tell me the whole thing."

He winced as if something hurt before he spoke. " Yeah, I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see your face when I changed over."

" No, you don't I assure you, it wasn't pretty."

He cocked his head and took her hand into his so that he could toy with her fingers as they rested on his chest, just over his bare nipple. He rubbed her palm against his hardened nub before he lifted her hand to his chafed lips to place a tender kiss on her fingertips.

" There's never anything about you that isn't pretty, Maggie. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Her heart pounded at his words as heat went through her. No one had ever said anything so sweet to her before. " I knew you had a concussion."

He started to shake his head at her, but it ended up as a wince, as the gesture must have hurt him.

" So what happened? " she asked again.

" Nothing major. It's just a group of assholes out to kill me."

She wasn't sure what dismayed her most, his stoic tone or the fact that his confession didn't really come as a surprise. She'd figured as much. " Who are they? "

" Other Were-Animals."

There were more of him? She forced herself not to react to that. But to be honest, she'd assumed the ones who hurt him had been human. Given his solitary nature, it would have made sense that he was completely alone in the world.

Stupid her to not be more imaginative.

" Why are they trying to kill you? "

" Because I shouldn't be seeing a human. We're not supposed to have anything more than casual relationships with your kind. They're afraid that by being with you, I'm becoming dangerous to them."

As much as she hated hearing him say " your kind, " she realized for once that there really was a difference between her and him. She was human and he wasn't.

At least not entirely.

" Are you dangerous? "

" I don't know. You're all I can think about. When I'm away from you, it hurts in a way I wouldn't have thought possible and I don't know why. I shouldn't feel like this for a human woman. I know that. I crave being with you so much that it's like some kind of madness inside me. Maybe they're right. Maybe I should be put down."

" Or maybe they're wrong. I don't think you're dangerous, Wren. At least not physically. But what you do to my body might be considered criminal in some states."

He offered her a smile. " Thanks for taking me in and not calling the cops."

" No problem. Believe me, letting a gorgeous naked man into the house isn't a hardship for most women."

He gave a short laugh at that. " I can't believe how well you're taking all this."

" That's only because you were unconscious for the worst of it. I've had enough time to adjust to the fact that there was a half-dead tigard on my floor that had come into my house in the guise of my boyfriend."

Wren still found it hard to believe how calm she was. He'd expected her to flee and leave him alone at the very best. At the worst, he'd expected her to turn him over to the authorities.

Normally, he would have never trusted anyone with his well-being. But with the trank taking effect, he'd had no choice except to hope that Maggie wouldn't betray him.

And she hadn't. She'd kept him safe, and from the looks of the makeshift pallet he was on, she'd tended to him while he was out.

As Wren started to sit up, she helped him. Her hands felt good on his naked skin, soothing as he leaned back against her couch. He would give anything to keep those precious hands on his body, but unfortunately, she pulled back.

" How long have I been out? "

" Four days."

He froze at her words. That couldn't be right. Could it? " What? "

She nodded. " I told you, I had ample time to get used to you being a big cat. I've been terrified every day that you wouldn't wake back up."

Terror consumed him. If she'd left her house…

It was a thousand wonders that the ones after him hadn't already found them both and killed them. " What have you been doing while I was out of it? "

She indicated a small pallet on the floor beside him.

" I stayed close by in case you needed something. All I did was clean the blood off the back porch, then I locked the house down. I didn't know who was after you, but I was afraid that whoever they were, they might find you, so I kept the phone ready to call for help if they did."

Tenderness flooded him over her actions. It was unthinkable that someone would do all that for him. Not once in his life had anyone ever sought to protect him. He'd never had any delusions about Nicolette. Had he ever done anything to endanger her life or those of her family members, she'd have tossed him out in a heartbeat.

But Maggie hadn't. She owed him nothing and yet she had kept him safe even though it endangered her own life. It was inconceivable.

He let out a relieved breath that she'd had the good sense to stay put. " Has anyone else come by? "

" No. I kept the windows and doors shut tight, just in case."

He was amazed they hadn't found him, but then again, unconscious, he hadn't been putting off his scent or a trail. He had to be careful now. His kind would be sending out psychic feelers. If he used his magic, such as he was doing right now to remain human, they could find him.

Closing his eyes, he masked his powers. But he wouldn't be able to do that long before it weakened him even more.

Sooner or later, he'd have to leave a trail that they could very easily trace.

" We have to get out of here ASAP."

She looked confused by that " Why? I have plenty of groceries."

" I can't let them find me in your house, Maggie. There's no telling what they might do to you."

" I'm a big girl, Wren. And I have a mighty big gun, fully loaded."

He scoffed at her bravado. " If you think back to the night we met when I got shot, you'll remember that guns aren't real effective on us. At least not unless you shoot us in the head at very close range."

She twisted up her face in disgust.

" Yeah, " he breathed. " Like I said, we need to go."

Marguerite didn't know what to say. She didn't want him to leave. " How many more are there like you? "

" Enough to make the cast of a Cecil B. DeMille film look like a two-man opera." He reached up and cupped her cheek in his palm. " They'll be coming for me, Maggie, and they won't stop until I'm dead. You've been to Sanctuary and they know it. Sooner or later, they will find you if I leave you behind. They'll use you to get to me."

Her head swam at what he was saying. " I can't leave. I've got school. Responsibilities…"

" You can't go to school if you're dead."

She began to panic as the true horror of her situation dawned on her.

This couldn't be happening.

" I'll go to my father. He can protect us."

Wren vanished from in front of her. Two seconds later, he was behind her. " He can't protect you from my people, " he whispered against her ear.

" How did you do that? " she asked, unable to believe the extent of his abilities.

" It's easy. My people can travel through time and they can use magic at will. There's no human on this earth who can keep you safe from them. Trust me."

Anger welled up inside her at what he was saying. She felt powerless, and that was the one thing she hated most of all. She was a grown woman in charge of her own life, and she didn't like the thought of having no way to protect herself. There had to be something they could do.

" If I can't use a gun to protect me and we can't hide, then what are we supposed to do? Am I supposed to give up my entire life because I slept with you? "

Wren pulled back at her words, which struck him like a physical blow. She was right. He was asking too much of her. It wasn't fair. Why should he expect her to sacrifice the rest of her life for him?

It was too much to ask of anyone. Not to mention she'd had a life that had been perfect until he'd entered it. No, she didn't need something like him screwing up her future. He'd never brought happiness or joy to anyone. She'd been one of only a very small handful of people who'd ever really been nice to him. He wouldn't pay her back by hurting her.

There was only one way to settle this—

Marguerite frowned as Wren kissed her lips tenderly.

" I'm sorry I fucked up your life, Maggie, " he said in a low tone as he pulled back to stare down at her. His eyes burned her with their sad resignation.

With regret.

He stroked her cheek with his fingers as he stared at her as if trying to commit her features to memory.

Then two seconds later, he vanished from in front of her.

The heat from his hand still lingered on her cheek while the rest of her felt cold from his sudden absence.

" Wren? " she called, looking around the room for him. Surely he would pop right back like he'd done a minute ago… wouldn't he?

" Wren? Where are you? "

Someone knocked on her door.

What is he doing now?

Sure it was him, she went and swung open the door to find Dr. Alexander standing on her front porch.

" Hi, Marguerite, " he said. " I've been—"

" Not now, please, Dr. Alexander. I've got a serious problem."

" Is there anything I can do to help you? "

Disgusted, scared, and frustrated by what was happening to her, she spoke without thinking. " No. Not unless you know some way to track a vanishing tiger."

She saw the color drain from his face. " Then Wren really is here."

It was then she knew…

That was why Dr. Alexander and the others had shown up to bail Wren out of jail. " You know what he is? "

" Do you? "

His defensive vagueness was starting to piss her off. " Why are you here, Dr. Alexander? " she asked in a cold tone.

" You haven't been in class for four days and you haven't answered your phone."

Her stomach tightened in reservation. " How do you know that? You're not my advisor anymore."

His handsome face was grim. " No, I'm not. But I knew you were most likely the last one to see Wren and I have to find him."

" Why? "

" Because he's dead if we don't."

Marguerite shrieked at the deep voice behind her. She turned to see a tall, blond man dressed in black. " How did you get into my house? "

He didn't answer as he went to where Wren had been sleeping. " He was here, " he said to Julian. " His scent is all over the place." The man pierced her with an angry stare. " Where did he go? "

" Who the hell are you? " she demanded.

" Fury, " he snarled, " and it's not just a name, it's my temperament. So stop being defensive, human. I don't got time or patience for it. We're here to save your boyfriend before he gets himself killed."

Dr. Alexander cleared his throat in a warning gesture. " You know me, Marguerite. Believe me when I say that we're on Wren's side. Do you know where he is? "

She hesitated as she considered her options. Wren had called for Dr. Alexander and Bill when he'd been locked in jail. But then, he hadn't sought them out while wounded.

Did that mean they couldn't be trusted?

Or did it just mean that he had trusted her more?

Unsure of the answer, she decided that the only way to help him now was to take a chance and pray it was the right decision.

" No. He vanished a second ago."

" What did he say before he left? " Fury asked.

" I don't know. He told me I needed to run with him and I told him I can't just leave. He got this weird look on his face and then he apologized for screwing up my life. Two seconds later, he was gone."

" Shit, " Fury snarled as he met Dr. Alexander's gaze. " He's headed you know where."

Dr. Alexander looked disgusted.

" Grab Vane and have him meet me there." Fury had barely finished those words before he, too, vanished.

Dr. Alexander cursed as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed a button.

" Vane, " he said after a few seconds, " we found where he's been. But we just missed him. Literally. I think he's headed back to Sanctuary to confront them."

Dr. Alexander frowned at her as he paused to listen. " No. I have the woman he's been with. I'll keep her with me for the time being. Can you and Fury handle the others? "

Marguerite chewed her nail as she waited.

" I'm taking her to Jean-Luc's. Let me know what happens." He hung up the phone. " Pack an overnight bag."

" Why? "

His gaze was severe and cutting with its intensity. " They know who you are, Marguerite. It's why I'm here. I checked with your professors, who told me you'd been missing classes. I was terrified that they'd already found you and were holding you to bait Wren. You're both damn lucky that they haven't tracked you down yet, but believe me, it's only a matter of time until they do. It's imperative that we get you to safety. Now."

Still, she wanted some answers. " Who are 'we'? "

" Look, I'll explain all this later. Right now, I need you to get the hell out of here before I have to kill people who I generally consider my friends."

He was right. She was being stupid when she'd already seen what they were capable of.

Nodding, Marguerite turned and ran to her room, where she grabbed a small bag that she quickly filled with a change of clothes, underwear, some makeup, and a nightgown.

By the time she returned, Bill Laurens had joined Dr. Alexander in her living room.

She arched a brow at the lawyer.

" Yeah, I know, " Bill said. " I look like a mild-mannered corporate attorney. But I can wrestle a bear or tiger any day. C'mon, we need to get you out of here."

" How long will I be gone? "

Bill exchanged a nervous look with Dr. Alexander. " We don't know."

Agitated at how fast her entire life was changing and how powerless she was to stop it, she grabbed her cell phone and charger from the counter. She led the men out of her house, then locked the door.

" You don't really think Wren went to get himself killed, do you? " she asked Dr. Alexander as he led her to his black Land Rover.

Both men answered at once. " To save you? Yes."

Marguerite had never felt more selfish in her life as she climbed into Dr. Alexander's car. " I can't believe this is happening…" She wasn't even aware she'd spoken aloud until Bill spoke.

" Welcome to our world. It's not a pretty place. But then, it's never boring, either."

She sighed as pain swept through her. " I keep thinking this is all a dream and tomorrow I'm going to wake up in my bed and wonder what the hell I had for dinner."

Bill laughed at that as Dr. Alexander pulled out of her driveway. " You want a real rude awakening, ask your classics professor how old he really is."

By the tone of Bill's voice, she could tell it was going to send her over the edge. " I don't want to know, do I? "

" Not really, " Dr. Alexander said. " Let's just say that I have firsthand knowledge of my subject matter."

That made her head swim. No wonder Dr. Alexander was so impressive in his knowledge. It would be a lot easier to teach a subject you'd actually experienced, which meant the man was probably several thousand years old. It was enough to boggle the human mind.

Marguerite watched the traffic pass by as they headed off toward the Warehouse District. The world outside the car looked normal, and yet nothing was the same as it had been five days ago. She wondered how much of what was out there wasn't what it seemed. Heck, for all she knew, the bar they were passing right now could very well be owned by demons or some other freaky Were-Animal. For that matter, gargoyles.

But that wasn't really what concerned her most. Right now her thoughts were on one particular Were-Beast. " Tell me Wren's going to be okay."

Bill turned to look at her over his shoulder. " At this point, you should be more worried about yourself, Marguerite. If the ones after Wren ever learn that you know they exist, they'll come for you."

She scowled at him. " I don't understand that You know they exist. Why don't they go after you? "

" I have a vested interest in keeping their existence quiet. You don't."

" Don't I? " she asked, her voice heavy with her fear and anger. " The last thing I want is for Wren to be locked in a government lab someplace."

Bill smiled approvingly. " Good answer."

Marguerite sighed as she fought off the tears that were stinging her eyes. " I can't believe they're trying to kill him because of me. Can't he just tell them that he won't see me anymore? "

Bill frowned at her. " What are you talking about? "

" Wren said that they're after him because they don't want him involved with a human. If we don't see each other—"

" I'm afraid it's too late for that, " Bill said in a sympathetic voice. " This isn't about you anymore, Marguerite. This is about big business. Wren's family has been aching for a chance to kill him for years now. As long as he had the protection of Sanctuary behind him, they couldn't touch him or his money. Now that he's been thrown out, there's nothing to stop them."

But that didn't make sense. " I'm completely confused. Sanctuary is just a bar, right? "

" No, " Bill said, his voice laden with gravity. " It's more like an animal shelter where people like Wren can go and not be hunted by those who want to kill them."

" Can't he find another sanctuary? "

Bill shook his head. " They don't exactly grow on trees for his people. Not that it matters. Right now the Omegrion has him marked for death. Until they lift that sentence, no one can take him in and protect him. If they do, they die, too."

She frowned. " What's the Omegrion? "

" It's the governing council for his people, " Dr. Alexander said as he turned right. " Kind of like their version of Congress."

She hoped their Congress was a little more effective and had more cooperation, especially since their decision determined whether Wren lived or died.

" How do we get them to lift the sentence against him? " she asked.

Bill sighed. " You have to prove he's not a danger to his people."

" And how do we do that? "

Bill gave her a hard stare. " We don't. Basically Wren is going to be hunted down eventually and killed. All we can do at this point is delay it and keep you alive until they determine that you're not as much a threat as he is."

That was so unfair. How could this be?

A single tear fled down her cheek as Bill's words went through her like daggers.

" Wren doesn't deserve this. Man or animal, he's the gentlest soul I've ever known."

Bill's eyes widened as Dr. Alexander made a sound of disagreement.

" You're the only one I've ever met who said that about him, Marguerite, " Dr. Alexander said. " Wren is about as wild and dangerous as they come."

Maybe to them, but he wasn't like that with her.

Marguerite closed her eyes as she imagined Wren the way he'd been the night they met. He'd been so shy and bashful. He'd kept himself to the shadows, only coming out to speak to her.

Then her thoughts turned to the way he'd held her while they made love. The way he'd been when he fought off her muggers. They were right, Wren could be dangerous. But he wasn't out of control. He had never attacked anyone without provocation. That didn't make him a threat. It just made him not a wimp.

" We have to save him, " she said to the men. " Tell me how to kill the things after him."

In tiger form, Wren crept through the upstairs of Sanctuary, seeking out Nicolette. He had no doubt who had turned on him, and it was time to end this. It was one thing to come after him, but to put Maggie in harm's way… that was another story.

The time had come for them all to realize that solitary didn't mean pushover. This tiger had teeth and he was more than ready to use them.

" Shit! "

He turned to find Fang in human form standing in an open doorway behind him. The wolf wore nothing except for a pair of jeans. Even his feet were bare.

Crouching low, Wren prepared himself to attack.

" Get your ass in here, " Fang snapped. " Now! "

Wren started away from him.

" Listen to him, Wren. Please."

He froze at Aimee's voice. In human form as well, the bearswan was standing behind the wolf. One side of her face was red and her lips were swollen, as if she'd been necking with Fang in his room.

Damn, the two of them had even bigger problems than he did.

Before he could move, another door opened. Aimee dashed out of sight as her younger brother Etienne froze in his doorway. Tall and blond like the rest of his brothers, the bear was only a few decades older than Wren but didn't appear any older in human form.

Etienne instantly flashed to his bear form.

" There's no fighting in Sanctuary, " Fang said, closing his door to protect Aimee as he moved to stand between them. " You both know the Eirini Laws that govern us."

" He is marked, wolf. Stand down."

Wren turned at the sound of Aubert's voice and flashed himself to human form to confront the famed Papa Bear, who only took orders from Nicolette. " I did nothing wrong. This is bullshit and all of you know it."

" You've gone mad, " Aubert said. " You've threatened my cubs and my mate."

Wren narrowed his gaze at the bear. " No, I haven't. But you can tell your bitch that I'm here for her now."

Aubert ran at him.

Fang put himself between them and caught the bear as he lunged. Wren tensed, expecting Aubert to break past the wolf, but to his amazement, Fang held his own.

Roaring, Aubert knocked Fang aside and came at Wren.

Wren flashed to tiger form and launched himself at Aubert, who transformed instantly to a bear. Wren caught the larger animal about the throat as Etienne attacked him from the back. He hissed as Etienne threw him against the wall and laid one leg open with his huge claw.

Dazed, Wren sprang back to his feet only to have his wounded leg buckle as pain lacerated him. His wounds were still too fresh, and these new ones were taking their toll on his stamina. Not that he cared. He'd come into this knowing they would most likely kill him.

But he was planning on getting some satisfaction out of this before he died.

The bears reared before they started toward him.

They'd only taken two steps when a bright light flashed in the hallway.

Wren backed up, ready to fight, only to pause as he saw Vane and Fury in the hallway now.

In human form, Vane took one look at Fang's bleeding shoulder and growled low in his throat. " Aubert? Have you lost your mind? "

Aubert flashed back to human, while Etienne remained a bear. " He is marked for death, " Aubert snarled. " We took you in, wolf, when you had nothing. Is this how you repay us? "

Vane's green eyes were blazing. " No, Aubert. I haven't forgotten my debt to you or Nicolette. But I will not stand by and see this happen to an innocent. Wren has no clan to back him. Therefore I offer him mine."

Wren was completely stunned by the offer. It was suicide to stand by him now, and he couldn't believe that Vane would even consider such an action.

Aubert was every bit as incredulous. " You would back him against the Omegrion's decree? "

Vane didn't hesitate with his answer. His face was grim and deadly. " You damn straight."

Wren saw the flash of panic on Fang's human face as he looked past Wren's shoulder.

" No! "

They all turned to see Aimee in the middle of the hallway behind them. Only Wren and Fang knew whose room she'd been inside.

She swallowed as she looked from her father to Fang. " Papa, please. Don't do this. This is wrong and you know it. Wren poses no threat to us."

" Are you insane, Daughter? He's here to kill your mother."

More doors were opening now. More animals were coming out to investigate the disturbance. Dammit, Wren would have to run through them all to reach the one animal he wanted a piece of…

Even after Vane's bold words, Wren didn't really expect anyone to side with him, so when the three wolves formed a barrier between him and the others, he was shocked.

" You'll never make it out of here alive, " Aubert said in warning. " None of you."

Wren cocked his head as he saw something strange pass between Fang and Aimee. He knew they were speaking telepathically.

A heartbeat later, Fang grabbed her into his arms, manifested a knife in his hand, then held it threateningly to her throat. " Don't you dare follow us. I'll kill her if you do."

Fang turned to look at the three of them. " Fury, Vane, get Wren out of here."

Wren started to protest, but before he could, Vane grabbed him by the neck and flashed him from the hallway into a room he'd never seen before.

It was dark, with no windows anywhere. The only light came from two dim lamps on two tables at opposite ends of the room. He looked around, wondering where Vane had brought him. The modern furnishings were chic and high-tech, not to mention the walls were made of dark gray steel.

By those walls and the rolling motion of the floor, he could tell they were on a ship somewhere.

Hissing in anger, Wren flashed to human form to confront the wolf. " What the hell are you doing? "

" Saving your life."

He curled his lip at Vane. " I didn't want you to save my life, asshole."

Fury, Fang, and Aimee flashed into the room beside Vane. Aimee threw herself into Fang's arms.

" Have you two lost your friggin' minds? " Vane asked them. " Between you and the tiger, we're so screwed."

" No, you're not." Wren tried to flash himself back to Sanctuary to finish this, only to learn that he couldn't. " What the hell? "

" I've got you locked down, " Vane said.

Wren knew better than to go after Vane—the wolf was too powerful to take down—but it was taking every bit of his self-restraint not to at least try to kill him. " Lift it."

" No, " Vane said firmly. " I didn't just jeopardize my entire clan to see you commit suicide."

" This isn't your fight."

" Yes, it is. I'm not going to sit by and watch an innocent die because some asshole got greedy."

Wren scoffed at Vane's heroism. " Well, thank you, Mr. Altruist, but the tiger doesn't want your help. So sod off."

Someone started clapping. Wren turned his head to see the Dark-Hunter Jean-Luc entering the room from a door on his left. A pirate in his human life, the immortal vampire slayer still retained much of his old look. With a small gold hoop flashing in his left ear-lobe, he was dressed all in black in a pair of leather pants, a silk button-down shirt, and biker boots. His long, straight black hair was pulled back into a queue that emphasized the sharp angles of his face. His eyes were so dark that not even the pupils were discernible, and those eyes were dancing with amusement. " Nicely put, tiger."

" Shut up, lapdog, this isn't your fight, either."

Jean-Luc sucked his breath in sharply at the insult. " Boy, you better counsel that tongue before you find yourself without it."

Wren took a step toward him, then froze as Maggie came through the door behind the pirate. The relief on her face held Wren immobile.

She rushed to his side and threw her arms around him. " I'm so glad they got to you before it was too late. You weren't really going to do something stupid, were you? "

" Oh no, hon, we were too late, " Fury said snidely. " Tiger-boy done pissed down the wrong honey tree and got all the bees, or in this case, bears, going wild."

Fury glanced to Fang. " Then again, knowing the bears, they'll be gunning for wolf before tiger. Good move, Fang. Making time with their only daughter. Real swift. You know chocolate is lethal to our kind. I'm thinking if you want to commit suicide, that's the much less painful way to go about it."

" Knock it off, Fury, " Vane said, moving over to where Fang and Aimee were standing. " We have to send her back. Now."

" I know, " Fang said.

Tears glistened in Aimee's eyes. " I don't want to leave."

The two of them stared pleadingly at Vane, who looked sick to his stomach. " And I thought my relationship with Bride was doomed. Dammit, people and animals, this shit sucks."

Fury snorted. " You're the leader, Vane. Lead."

Vane looked up at the ceiling and sighed. " If I had any brains at all, which obviously I don't, I would never have gotten involved in this. I would hand my brother and Wren over to the bears and just take my wife and go find a nice, quiet place to raise our children."

He swept them all with an irritated glare. " But obviously, I am truly the dumbest man on the planet."

Jean-Luc pulled a long, thin stiletto out of his boot. " Here, mon ami. Either for you or for them. One cut and all your problems are solved, eh? "

" Don't tempt me." Vane growled low in his throat as he surveyed the lot of them. " Wren, listen close, 'cause, buddy, your chances are running slim. You kill Nicolette and you're dead. There's no way back from that."

Wren scoffed at him. " There's no way back from an execution order. Period."

Shaking his head in denial, Fury stepped forward. " You weren't there when the vote came down. The council was divided on the order."

Wren frowned. " What are you saying? "

" That you have a shot at redemption, " Vane said, " but not if you kill Nicolette for vengeance."

Wren hesitated as he felt a small twinge of hope. Did he dare believe them? It seemed a little too implausible even to a man who was really a tigard.

Vane sighed. " You give the council proof that you're innocent of killing your parents and Savitar will rescind the Omegrion's order."

Wren froze as those ludicrous words went through him. Was the wolf on crack? " What the fuck are you talking about? They're trying to kill me because I'm dating Maggie."

" What are you, stupid? " Fury asked. " Your dating the human is only the catalyst for why Mama Lo tossed your ass out. The death warrant is because you murdered your parents."

" Says who? "

" Your cousin Zack."

Wren clenched his jaw shut to keep from gaping as rage took root deep inside him.

This, this just got ugly. He couldn't believe that bastard had gone to the council with his lies…

" We can help you, Wren, " Vane said calmly. " But you have to trust us."

Wren sneered at the wolf. " I'm not putting my faith or life in anyone's hands. All that ever got me was screwed, and my ass is currently sore from it."

Fury curled his lip in repugnance. " Nice imagery there, tiger. Graphic. Ever think of writing children's books? "

Fang popped his brother lightly in the back of his head.

" Ow! " Fury snapped, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. He glared at Fang.

" Was I this annoying before my attack? " Fang asked Vane.

Vane didn't hesitate. " Yes, and you still are most of the time. And we have now gotten off-topic."

" There's nothing to discuss, " Wren said. " You can't keep me here forever, wolf. Putting me on a boat was a nice trick to keep them off my scent, but it won't take them long to figure out where I am. All you've done is drag the Dark-Hunters into our fight, and knowing Acheron, I'm sure he won't be amused by this."

Wren let out a tired sigh as he shook his head at them. " They'll be coming for me and we all know they won't stop. I would rather face them on my own terms than have them attack me on theirs."

Too tired and hurt to argue anymore, Wren headed for the door.

As he passed by Jean-Luc, the Dark-Hunter grabbed him. Before Wren could react, he felt the sting of a needle in his arm.

Infuriated, he growled and changed, but before he could do anything more, everything went black.

Marguerite went cold at the sight of Wren falling to the floor at the Dark-Hunter's feet. " What did you do? "

" Tranked him."

Fury let out a slow breath. " He's going to be seriously pissed off when he wakes up."

" No doubt, " Jean-Luc concurred. " Therefore I suggest we keep him under at least for a day or two, until he can heal and you can plan out what it is he needs to do."

" Yeah, but if he doesn't listen—"

" Come up with your plan, " Marguerite said, " and I'll make sure he listens to it."

Fury, who she had quickly learned was the doubting Thomas of the group, laughed at her. " Don't be so cocky, human. Wren isn't the kind of beast you manipulate."

Aimee shook her head at him. " No, Fury, you're wrong. With her, Wren is different."

Fury moved over and took Marguerite's hand into his. He turned it over to see her palm. " They're not mates."

Aimee passed an adoring look at Fang before she looked back at Fury. " You don't have to be mated to care deeply for someone. I think Wren will listen to her."

Marguerite stood back with Aimee as the men picked Wren's tigard form up and carried him down the narrow hallway to a lush bedroom that was adjacent to the one they had given her. She'd learned from Bill that this ship was a converted tanker. On the outside, it looked like a rusted heap, but inside it held every luxury known to mankind, including a satellite room that would give NASA a run for its money.

Dr. Alexander and Bill had determined that a ship was the safest place for them to hide. While they were over water, the Were-Hunters after Wren wouldn't be able to track him by scent, and so long as he kept his use of magic to a minimum, they wouldn't be able to find him that way, either.

She only hoped this worked. " Do you really think there's any way Wren can prove his innocence? " she asked Vane as he covered Wren in tigard form with a blanket.

" I don't know. Hell, I'm not even sure he didn't kill his parents. His cousin made one hell of an argument."

" He didn't kill them, " Aimee said firmly. " I was there when they brought him in. He was too traumatized by it. He sat in a corner for three weeks solid with his arms around himself, just rocking back and forth whenever he was in human form. As a tigard, leopard, or tiger, he stayed coiled up."

Vane frowned. " Was he wounded when he was brought to you? "

Marguerite saw the reluctance on Aimee's face. " He was a little scuffed up."

Vane looked skeptical. " A little or a lot? "

" Okay, a lot, " Aimee admitted reluctantly. " But had he been in a fight with two full-grown Katagaria, he would have been a lot more injured than what he was."

" Unless he poisoned them, " Fury said. " Zack didn't really say how he'd killed them."

" I still don't believe it, " Marguerite said. " It's not in him."

" Yeah, and you are delusional, " Fury said. " Babe, news flash. With the exception of you and the pirate, we're all animals here. And we all have a killer's instinct."

Aimee sighed as she looked wistfully at Wren's unconscious form. " He did have a really hard time in puberty. He couldn't maintain his forms and he did have extremely violent outbursts over minor things."

" Such as? " Vane asked.

" Well, the first night he was working in the kitchen, Dev startled him, and Wren cut Dev's throat with the knife he had in his hands. Luckily, Dev pulled back fast enough that it was only a small wound, but had his reflexes been slower or if Dev had been human, it could have been fatal."

" That doesn't mean he killed his parents, " Fang said as he moved to stand beside Aimee.

Jean-Luc made a noise of disagreement. " It's rather damning. Normal people don't do that."

Fang looked doubtful. " No, but someone who's been severely attacked and who was powerless to stop it would do it."

Fury didn't seem to buy Fang's argument, but Marguerite did.

" I don't know, Brother, " Fury said. " I think you're projecting what happened to you onto Wren."

Marguerite looked at Aimee. " When was the last time Wren ever attacked anyone without them attacking him first? "

Aimee didn't hesitate with her answer. " Just that one time with Dev, but Wren was scared and shaking when it happened."

Marguerite nodded. " That's what I thought. Wren is innocent in this. He told me that his parents killed each other, and I believe him. Now we just need to put our heads together and think of some way to prove it."