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PROLOGUE

NO MATTER HOW CAREFULLY I PATTED THE chopped apples into place, the top crust of my apple pie always looked like I’d tried to bury a disly, but they tasted good This particular pie was rapidly losing the last of its heat

I surveyed the spread in htly seasoned, sitting in a pan ready to be popped into the oven I’d saved them for last—they wouldn’t take but ten minutes under the broiler Homemade rolls, now cold Corn on the cob, also cold Baked potatoes, yep, very cold I’d added some sautéed h The butter on the eal into a solid state At least the salad was supposed to be cold

I plucked a creased note froo, Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta, the lord and master of fifteen hundred shapeshifters, and my own personal psycho, had sat in the kitchen of my apartment in Atlanta and written out a menu on this piece of paper I’d lost a bet to hier, I owed hi that he’d settle fora bra and panties, since he wasn’t a complete beast—an assertion very open to debate

He’d set a date, November 15, which was today I knew this because I had checked the calendar three tio and set the place, ht thirty now

He’d said he couldn’t wait

Food—check Myset of bra and panties—check Makeup—check Curran—blank I drewthe cold metal under my skin Where exactly was His Majesty?

Did he get cold feet? Mr “You’ll sleep with me and say please before and thank you after”?

He’d chased a flying palace through an enchanted jungle and carved his way through dozens of rakshasa dee deal to shapeshifters They never took food for granted, buta dinner for someone you were romantically interested in took a simple meal to a whole new level When a shapeshifterto take care of you or he was trying to get into your pants Most of the time, both Curran had fed me soup once, when I was half-dead, and the fact that I had eaten it, even without knohat that meant, amused him to no end He wouldn’t miss this dinner

So must’ve held him up

I picked up the phone Then again, he enjoyed screith me I wouldn’t put it past hi me squirm Curran treated women like wonderful toys: he wined therew completely dependent on him, he became bored Maybe whatever I perceived to be between us was only inhiloat

I hung up the phone and looked at my pie some more

If you opened a dictionary and looked up “control freak,” you’d find Curran’s picture He ruled with steel claws, and when he said, “Ju He infuriated me and I drove him out of his skin Even if he wasn’t truly interested, he wouldn’t miss a chance to seeSo must have happened

Eight forty-four Curran served as the Pack’s first and last line of defense Any hint of a significant threat, and he’d be out there, roaring and ripping bodies in half He could be hurt

The thought stoppeddown Curran Of the fifteen hundred hohest anddid happen, it had to be bad He would’ve called if he’d been delayed by so minor

Eight forty-nine

I took the phone, cleared hold on the outskirts of Atlanta Just keep it professional Less pathetic that way

“You’ve reached the Pack What do you want?” a female voice said into the phone

Friendly people, the shapeshifters “This is Agent Daniels Can I speak to Curran, please?”

“He isn’t taking calls right now Do you want to leave a e?”

“Is he in the Keep?”