The moment shattered immediately like glass.

"How many?" Nikolai's voice turned ice cold. All traces of the tender man who'd just kissed her vanished.

"At least thirty shadow wolves," Cyrus panted. "Maybe more. They hit the village almost an hour ago."

Laura's blood went cold. Thirty shadow wolves could wipe out an entire village in minutes.

"Get the others," Nikolai ordered. "Now."

Cyrus nodded and ran. Within minutes, the tent filled with voices and bodies. Lucian arrived first, his face grim. Dante and Zephyr followed close behind.

"What's the situation?" Lucian asked.

"Shadow wolves attacking Millbrook," Nikolai said, already reaching for his weapons. "Small farming village, maybe two hundred people."...