It had been a few weeks since Skrillex’s second—and arguably stranger—encounter with this silent pack’s odd Alphess: Cade. The teasing femme had more or less kidnapped Skrillex the moment she saw him limping near her border; he’d been a sorry wreck then, reeling over his most recent sin and quaking with the fear of discovery. Blood had marred his princely pelt . . . wolf blood. And while most varg would not blink at a patch of garish red here and there, Skrillex had wanted to die of shame from those gory stains—because not only were they indicators of murder most foul, but they’d spurted from the open throat of a wolfess who wanted nothing more than a good time with a handsome wolf. She hadn’t realized that she was dancing with a crocodile until Skrill’s passion had overwhelmed him. Lust and hunger, forever linked. Devouring what he loved. That was the black-splashed bandit’s horrifying, humiliating curse.

Except . . . Cade had not seemed to care. In fact, if Skrillex remembered correctly, the pallid woman hadn’t felt surprised at all, and even welcomed the fearful male in his disdainful state. Only after Skrillex had unwillingly crossed the invisible fence and spent a few nights in Andere did he realize why this pushy little damsel shoved him into her kingdom. Skrillex was not the only creature in these shaded halls who knew the taste of blood and enjoyed the warmth of life’s nectar. There were other monsters here . . . ones that embraced their darkest natures rather than hid from them in revulsion, and Cade ruled above them all like a benevolent Fairy Godmother tending her delightful garden of beasties. Andere Seite was safe for Skrillex. That meant a lot to a tortured gentleman who hated himself with every fiber of his wretched soul and yet longed for a place to sleep without nightmares.

Wow. How pathetic.

A howl on the wind seized Skrillex by the throat and held him suspended in the middle of a stretch, his haunches raised high in the air and his front half pressed to the ground in order to coax a few crackles from his spine. The beautiful song came from the throat of a female, carrying friendly notes of longing and curiosity. A recruit. Oh NO. Skrillex waited a few minutes after the call’s last notes faded away. His heart hammered nervously in his ribcage. Why the hell was nobody answering? Didn’t Cade care how her masked monster reacted to pretty sheilas? Wasn’t anybody else around to deal with this? Inky hackles spikes along a stiff neck as Skrillex paced, electric green eyes narrowed in annoyance and anxiety. His Queen would be upset if she knew there was a potential packmate waiting on the border and nobody came to represent Andere . . . but at the same time Skrillex desperately wanted to avoid confrontation. It had been months since he last saw a female. Who knew how he’d react? What if she were drop dead gorgeous, and he couldn’t control himself, and he made her literally drop dead? Oh no, oh no, oh no.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Skrillex muttered. He rubbed a paw over his gently handsome face, as if that would scrub away the disgrace chasing his pawsteps. As a subject of Andere Seite, Skrillex at least owed this stranger a proper welcome. If he had to, he could always politely turn her away before his own filthy tendencies reared their ugly heads. Before he could change his mind, the ivory warrior plunged into the woods. His graceful limbs carried him to a section of the territory less clustered by trees, so that sunlight poured like a river over the fragrant forest floor. Two distant forms met his poisonous gaze. Relief soared in his heart: the female was accompanied by a huge male—most likely her mate, judging by their affectionate proximity. Good. Skrillex’s curse only worked with temptation; if the woman was taken, he’d be less likely to literally jump her bones and gnaw the contours of her body.

The lanky brute slowed to a halt, tail hanging half-mast and an amicable smile draped lazily over his maw. He nodded to both wolves before speaking in a kind, businesslike tone, ready to either welcome or send away with a polite farewell. “Hello, strangers. Sorry for taking so long to reach you. I suppose you’re both looking for entrance into a pack?” Skrillex blinked, noting the unique beauty of the lady’s pelt and the seriousness of the knight’s blue eyes. His heart sank a little. Would this pair last long in the den of vampires and ghouls?