The pounding in my head was what woke me. That and the blinding light. It felt like someone had snuck under my eyelids, doused them in alcohol, and lit them on fire. I blinked until I could see shapes. Kept blinking until colors came into sharp relief. After the last round of blinking, Thane was there. His handsome face worried and pinched at the corners of his mouth and eyes. I blinked again. No. That couldn't be right. His eyes were fully fire? But that didn't make any sense. "Hollyn." I saw his lips move, even heard his voice. But it wasn't him. Or even one of his brothers. "Hollyn, it's me, Thane." I shook my head. "No, it isn't. My Thane only has a little bit of fire in his eyes. Yours are all fire." I shrank back in the lumpy bed. Tried to cover my eyes with my hands. Tried to make the nightmare go away. Something yanked on my arm. I gasped, wrenched away. Or tried to. Whatever it was had been sunk beneath my skin. And little lines of black were branching out in

We stood across the street from the hospital waiting for a car that Thane's assistant was bringing by. The mad dash through the emergency room had been interesting. Thane and Tove growled at everyone who tried to talk to me as they squeezed me between them. Once we got outside, the feel of the sunshine on my head and face had me itching to take my clothes off. Not that they weren't lightweight, but they just felt off. Like they were tamping down something inside me that needed to be free. That needed pure air and unfiltered access to the sun. I backed up until I could stand on the little patch of grass near the sidewalk. The dirt rose between my toes soothing the ragged edges inside me. I pulled that peaceful energy up into my body and thanked it for its healing presence. As I opened my eyes, a shiny black car pulled up to the curb. A man got out from behind the driver's wheel. For some reason he looked familiar. His dark blonde hair and his light blue eyes. I could have sworn

"By the stars, please let this work," I muttered as I fell to the ground next to Tagan. Guilt wracked my body. I knew I shouldn't have let him pull on my magic. Magic does nothing but cause pain and sorrow. "Stella vulnere remedium," I chanted over and over as I tried to pull even more magic from my body. Barely a trickle of magic crossed between us. I shook my hands out, prayed to the gods I hated, and laid my palms back on Tagan's raw and bloody back. "Stella vulnere remedium." This time I shouted it. Brilliant light shot from my hands into his body as his ribcage shuddered under my fingers. "Come on. Come on.""You have no right sharing your magic with him. With any of these men," Matt said as he grabbed a fistful of my hair. He wrenched my head back, a knife in his hand. "Your magic belongs to us. The Faithful. We have served and served, all to no avail. The gods have deserted us. And now, you-the Deserter-are wasting your powers on these bastards? No. Not while I'm here

The taste of Thane's flavor exploded in my mouth as he forced his way past my lips with the sexy slide of his tongue. I moaned into his mouth and pressed my body against his. Angry about the clothes that kept our skin from meeting. That forced distance between us. His mouth ripped away from mine, leaving me gasping for air and struggling to pull my emotions back. I braced for the blow I'd been taught to expect. The pain of fists and feet impacting my body. I opened my eyes, my heart in my throat. My eyelids fluttering like a hummingbird's wings, I looked up at Thane. He was towered above me, his chest billowing under his heaving breaths. I lowered my head. I'd seen the harsh look of disgust on his face. My belly dropped to my toes. Unwanted. Even here where they didn't know me. Not really. I closed my eyes against the burn of tears.Stupid idiot. I almost got his brother killed and now I think he wants to kiss me? Make love to me? I don't deserve such benevolent treatment

I wanted to sew my lips shut as soon as the words left my lips. And I was awful at sewing. Not bothering to wait for them to withdraw their help or friendship, I pushed the book back to Tove and pushed to my feet. "I'll go. You guys shouldn't be put in this position." I moved towards the door, that big panel of wood that stood between me and their safety. I needed to leave. Now. "Thank you for your kindnesses. They will be forever treasured." I reached out a hand for the lever that would permit my escape. Tag's arms came around me from behind. His energy felt like the waves washing against the shoreline. Warm, steady, full of potential. "You're not going anywhere. That statement didn't change a thing." He laid his warm lips to the back of my neck. "You're stuck with us, sweetcheeks."I laid my head against the door, called myself every name in the book. I was weak. But I'd found more acceptance from these three strangers than I ever had in thirty years in the Oaks. I was going