Coyote snorted. “You’re shitting us.” Interesting. Coyote spoke in a much more modern way than Bear or Hawk, who both spoke in a more formal, old school style.

“I saw his body. I believe he was killed with the same copper knife that nearly ended my life.” Liam folded his arms, suddenly wondering where the hell that knife was. It was not the kind of weapon they needed floating about. “He was cut, badly, and bled out.”

“Guardian’s can’t be killed by mere cuts,” Hawk said, circling around. “But they can be killed by other guardians. How do we know you aren’t the dark Wolf?”

Now that was a new one. He chose not to ask what the dark Wolf was. He could guess. “Why would I kill Eagle? What purpose would that serve?”

Hawk shrugged and Liam could see he wasn’t much better than Coyote when it came to poking at things he shouldn’t. “Just pointing out the obvious. You showed up; Eagle gets killed. Not a coincidence in your favor, my friend.”

He had to fight not to roll his eyes. “I came to warn you there is a good chance the demons will come after you with a weapon, or weapons, that can kill you and you want to play games? Not to mention there is at least one coven of black witches, and if they get a hold of you, they have spells that will bind you, and they could force you to carry a demon. And your blood and mine can be used to hide the evidence of tears in the veil. You really want to point fingers at me right now? Maybe instead we should be working together to stop this before it gets any worse.”

Silence flowed through the room, the tension between the four guardians high. Even so, Liam never saw it coming. Couldn’t have guessed what was about to happen.

Hawk and Bear launched at him at the same time, shifting mid-air, the red glimmer he caught in their silver eyes meaning only one thing.

They’d already been possessed.

Oh, hell no.

So much for his theory that Rylee was the one at the center of all things chaotic.

He hit the ground and scrambled away, Coyote on the floor with him. “Run!”

They bolted for the front door, nearly ripping the hinges off as they blasted through.

“What the hell?” Coyote barked out as they bolted into the front yard. Hawk and Bear weren’t right behind them, though.

Louisa.

“They’ll kill her,” Liam said and let the change take him. Coyote didn’t need any prompting, just shifted beside him.

The pack crept forward and Liam flicked his head for them to stay back. They would be slaughtered if they got in a fight with the guardians.

A piercing scream from inside shot through the air like a gun going off. Coyote followed him as he ran toward the house, his mind racing. Two guardians, both possessed. But they could be killed and now had to be, there was no choice.

His nose saved him as he skidded through the doorway and he flattened himself to the floor as Bear swiped a paw over top of his head. Liam rolled, then sprung to his feet, paws scrambling as Coyote dodged toward Bear, snapping teeth at the larger guardian’s legs. Blood flowed and Bear roared. Coyote let out a yipping laugh and Liam took the distraction to scent the air. Hawk was still here, but it was Louisa he worried about.

Following his nose, he found Hawk battering at a door, the frame shuddering under his blows. Even though Hawk was huge, almost on par with the size of Eagle, his wingspan easily twenty five feet, he was having trouble knocking the door down. With his wings and body, there was no room left in the hallway to get enough speed to beat down the door.

Nor did he seem interested in anything but the door. Liam didn’t hesitate, just leapt forward, aiming for the back of Hawk’s neck.

But his luck had run out. Hawk spun at the last second and ducked out of the way, his talons coming up to rake Liam across his right front leg.

As Hawk’s legs went by, Liam snapped at them, catching one in his mouth and snapping it like a chopstick.

Hawk screeched, his beak flashing forward, heading straight for Liam’s face. He dodged and managed to grab Hawk’s right wing. Using his body weight and gripping fiercely to the feathers and cartilage in his mouth, he jerked Hawk off balance, throwing him into the wall with a house-shuddering blow.

Stunned, Hawk slid to the floor.

One stride and he was on top of Hawk, the guardian’s neck in his mouth. He chomped as Hawk began to struggle, tasted the sweet blood, the pulse of life fading as he yanked at the spine. He had to protect Louisa; this was not personal in the least. Removal of Hawk’s head; that would do it, much as he wished he didn’t have to.

Three hard jerks with his teeth tearing through the flesh was all it took. Hawk’s head rolled away, shifting back to a man, as the rest of his body convulsed once, twice, and once more for good measure before stilling. The shimmer of a demon’s essence curled around him. Like a ghost it floated, eyeing him up and down. Liam snarled at it.

“We are not done yet,” the demon whispered, lifting its hand. “We will have this world. The doorway is open, and you cannot stop what is coming.” The demon faded as it laughed.

A high-pitched cry of pain snapped his head up. Bear would not be as easy to take as Hawk had been.

He bolted out of the room to see Coyote on the floor, his back bent at an impossible angle, his eyes staring toward Liam.

Bear stood on all fours over Coyote and let out a roar. Liam growled back, letting out a howl he couldn’t help. This was it; he could feel the finality of it in his whole body. Bear and he would go down together, and that in itself would keep Rylee safe. A guardian possessed; there was nothing that could have stopped them, short of another guardian. And there was no doubt that Bear would have gone after Rylee at some point for Orion; it would be just a matter of when.

His heart and mind settled into a steady thrum of acceptance. His only regret was there had been no true goodbye between him and Rylee.

Slinking forward, his belly to the ground, ears flattened to his skull, he bared his teeth. Bear had been a friend of Wolf’s for many years, but the demon in him … that could never be changed.

They circled one another, but before either could attack, the scrabble of claws on hardwood floor met his ears.

The pack slunk into the house, mimicking Liam’s stance, ears flattened to their heads, rumbling growls echoing his.

A rush of emotion flooded through him. Loyalty was something wolves understood, and even though they would die, they would fight for their alpha.