Makawee stepped forward. “I’m not sure if you can, Aric,” she said quietly. “Anyone with a soul who is connected to Celia can be used as a conduit. As your mate, the Pack is linked to her as well.”

“But I’m strong enough to fight it—”

“As are Makawee and I,” Martin interrupted. “But you’ve seen how fast that thing moves. In the time it takes us to force him from one body he moves to another vessel and continues to go after Celia. We succeeded this time, next time we may not be as fortunate.”

Aric trembled against me, but it wasn’t from fear. My wolf was seconds from exploding with rage.

You’re not alone, the voices called out again.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a trickle of light. “Aric, put me down please,” I whispered.

Aric reluctantly complied. I could sense his hesitation to release me and his urgency to ensure my safety. Yet I couldn’t remain at his side just then. I walked to where Shah had perched himself on the ledge of the stacked-stone terrace, a strange dullness lifting from me and my ears filling with an old Irish lullaby the closer I drew: Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral. Too-ra-loo-ra-li. The song intensified in volume, giving me a sense of clarity I hadn’t known I’d been missing. My eyes widened when I realized what had happened. I whipped around. “It’s Tura—the shape-shifter. He’s the one behind all this.”

Chapter 25

Everyone who’d been so enraptured by Shah’s sudden presence ignored him to focus fully on me. “What do you mean, it’s Tura?” Delilah was clearly already starting to doubt my sanity. “His body lay at Aric’s feet, shug.”

“His body lay there.” I faced Aric. “But that doesn’t mean he was dead.”

Shayna gripped the hilt of her dagger as if anticipating Tura would suddenly appear. “I thought those things gave up their souls in exchange for the power to take on any form. If his shell remained empty, and it didn’t have a soul, wouldn’t that make him dead?”

Everything seemed to make sense all at once, yet it did nothing to settle my fears. My voice shook. “He does possess the power to take on any form. That’s why I think the form he took was Aric’s.”

I was hoping everyone would dispute my claim—or at the very least call me nuts. Hell, after what I’d been through, they owed me as much. But their tightening faces told me I was onto something. So did the invisible nudge Shah gave me. Makawee strolled in his direction, but Shah vanished and materialized in my hand when Shah felt she’d stepped close enough.

Makawee tilted her chin and folded her hands over her belly. “What else does he tell you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Shah is speaking to you, Celia,” Martin said. “In his own way he’s communicating. Can you feel it?” he questioned Aric.

Aric nodded and lowered his head. He’d felt Shah’s power as well, but appeared to be occupied reaching his own conclusion. “When Tura lunged at Celia, I felt something stab me in the heart. I dismissed it as the brunt of the impact. Now, I’m not so sure.” Aric narrowed his eyes at Misha when he suddenly appeared at my side and pulled me toward the rear of the terrace and away from him. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growled.

A drum of power emanated from Martin’s clasp to Aric’s shoulder. But Martin might as well have been patting his head for all the effect it had on Aric. Martin’s eyes widened. Aric brushed aside his über-powerful Elder’s mojo like a pesky bug.

Aric propelled himself toward me. The power of the Pack slammed in our faces and the howl of wolves echoed in all directions. It took Aric’s Warriors and the Elders’ combined power to hold him back. My grip to Shah tightened as Misha’s vampires created a barrier between us.

“Do you not hear yourself, mutt?” Misha hissed. “If Tura did somehow take over your form, he’s been leaching your power and invading your Pack long before you tasted her blood.” His gaze cut to me. “Celia’s blood only sealed the connection and made it that much easier for Tura to control you.”

Nausea churned my stomach. “My sisters’ blood was in my system from the transfusion.” I met their blanching faces before my attention fell to Aric’s horrified expression. “Misha’s right—if anything we gave him better access. That’s why you were so agreeable to have me receive Shayna’s blood—it wasn’t what you wanted, it’s what Tura needed to solidify his link.”

Another nudge from Shah told me I was right. Jesus, that’s the reason Aric had been so tired, confused, angry, and…“Shifters feed off of pain, fear, and insecurity don’t they?”

Makawee’s lips had formed into a firm line. “Yes. Celia…the day we spoke in my quarters, you weren’t quite yourself.”

I thought about my heightened jealousy of and vicious response to those weres who had wanted to seduce Aric—and why he’d started to question my love for him—and why he’d been so different. I also remembered the voices turning me against Makawee and inciting my paranoia. The other night, in the shower following my attack at work, it wasn’t Aric who was aroused. It was Tura. My suffering had given him some kind of perverse pleasure.

My eyes locked with Aric, and in his stare, I knew he realized what I did. All this time, it had been Tura causing the problems between us. That bastard had infected our sacred connection and the love that bonded us.

“Have you been confused, Celia?” Makawee asked. “Or forgetful perchance?”

“Both,” Aric answered for me. His anger was so severe his body involuntarily tightened as if ready to attack. “And so have I.”

“I have, too,” Emme admitted quietly. “Since I went to Malaysia.”

“Shit,” Taran muttered. “Same here.”

“Me, too. Since going there, I mean,” Shayna said.

“I felt it, too,” Martin agreed.

It was his confession that frightened me the most. “Why didn’t you come to me?” Makawee questioned.

“Every time I began to sense something unusual, I would easily dismiss it.” Martin squared his jaw. “Or it seemed Tura would dismiss it for me.”

Aric stared off to the distant mountains. “Was it an ache in your chest that didn’t seem to belong?”