Wolves darted in and out of the legs of the demons, taking them down in sneak attacks the fuckers never saw coming. Here and there, he even thought he saw the pale skin of a half-breed troll fighting. He didn’t question why they were there, only knew that without them they would likely have fallen already.

Despite the shitty odds, they battled onward. Marcella tucked her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, her lashes brushing against his skin like butterfly wings. As if she couldn’t bear to see what was going on around them. He didn’t blame her. If he could, he would have closed his eyes too, and wished the whole world away. Inside his head, Faris paced.

“You know, that’s fucking irritating as hell,” Liam grunted out as he took the head from another demon.

Nothing else I can do, is there? The vampire snapped at him, still pacing. I’ll admit, you are the better fighter when it comes to this sort of shit.

Only a few days before, Liam would have gloated, but not now. There was too much riding on the outcome.

We have to get her to the ceremonial slab, Liam. That is the only way this is truly going to end.

“How do you suggest we do that?”

Do what I say, and we can all get out of here alive. I think.

“I’m listening, vampire.”

Faris’s plan, as he spun it, was simple and smacked of actually putting someone ahead of his own well-being. Liam liked it.

There was nothing he could do to help Rylee, though, until Marcella was safe. But where would his daughter be safe?

There was only one place left in the world he could think of.

“Alex, bring me the boy!” He slammed his shoulder into a demon as it reared back to strike at him. The unicorn behind him let out a grunt and he turned to see a demon on her back. Grabbing it by the ankle, he ripped it off her and used the half-beetle, half-man as a club to clear a bigger area in front of him.

Eve dropped low and Alex leapt off her back, Zane clinging to him.

“Boss?”

“We’ve got to get them out of here.” He flipped his hand in front of him, opening the Veil to a tiny motel on the outskirts of Bismarck. Tiomon, and Alex ran through first, and he was right behind.

But so were several demons, their headgear over seven feet tall, antennas waving around as they surveyed the place he’d inadvertently brought them. He closed the Veil before more could pour through, then spun around. The unicorn was already on them. She skewered the first one through the neck, the second through the chest, and the third in the belly. Then she turned to face him, her horn was as clean as if she’d not run three demons through in the space of as many heartbeats.

You believe this is a safe place?

He strode toward the office. “Yes. Though they won’t know me in this body.”

Alex jogged beside him, breathing hard. The kid had scratches all over his face and arms.

“You doing okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I got banged up fighting on the way here.”

Liam wanted to ask, but there was no time for small talk. He pushed the door to the office.

John, the owner of the motel looked up from under a beaten down cowboy hat. He looked straight at Alex. “What did I tell you?”

Alex shifted his feet but said nothing.

Obviously, Liam was missing something, but again, no time. “John, I know this is a lot to ask, and you won’t remember me, but—”

John waved a hand at him. “The babies can stay here with me and Mary. That’s not a problem. You go and take care of our Ry. That is your job, isn’t it, Wolf?”

Liam was taken aback. How could the old man possibly know about Rylee and the babies? Or the fact that he was a wolf?

Alex leaned forward and whispered. “Don’t ask. I’ve got a feeling it’ll blow your mind.”

Liam looked down at Marcella, her face still curled into his shoulder. He ran a hand over her cheek. The first time he’d ever held her, and he had to give her away before he really could register she was in his arms. “Baby girl.” She slowly lifted her head, blinking up at him. So beautiful, she had her mother’s features already, though she had more of his coloring.

She reached up and brushed her tiny fingers over his lips, a tentative smile on her sweet mouth. He kissed her on the forehead, his throat tight. He couldn’t say goodbye to her, not even as he handed her over to John. Mary, John’s wife, stepped out of the back. Liam had never met her before, and even Rylee said she didn’t come out of the back much when she was around. Mary’s eyes met his, and he knew why she’d avoided Rylee.

“Here we go, give her to GG.” She reached for Marcella and the little girl cooed and reached back for her.

“GG?” Liam said, forgetting for a split second there was a battle raging, and Rylee waiting on him.

Mary smiled, and the smile silenced all his questions, the resemblance was too strong to deny. “Great-grandma. Now, go and save our Ry, Wolf.”

Alex gave Zane to John. “Liam, we need to get back there.”

“I know.” He couldn’t take his eyes from Mary as he backed out the door. She smiled down at Marcella as she jiggled the little girl gently. He opened the door and the unicorn was still there, her head high as she scanned the area. “There’s a unicorn outside to guard the babies.”

John waved at him. “We know, Wolf. Now git.”

He opened the Veil, feeling the pull on his soul as using it tore away another piece. Worth it for Marcella. Worth it for Rylee.

The slash in the Veil opened in the middle of the melee, closer to Doran. He and Alex leapt through, tackling the two demons who’d tried to get around him and to the other side of the Veil.