When Antonio stepped toward me, Eddie jerked one of my arms from Tesler's grasp. "Take another step and I break this. And that's just for starters."

Antonio stopped.

"I do believe this is what we call a stand-off," Eddie said.

"Not much of one," I said. "I'm the only prize worth holding. Notice I'm not even asking for a trade? You'd never go for it-they're just cannon fodder."

Marko and the Ukrainian tensed, Marko looking to Tesler, the Ukrainian to Eddie.

"I'd like my men back," Eddie said quietly.

"But you won't turn me over to get them, will you? Two for one. That's quite a deal. I won't even ask you to walk away. You let me go. They let them go." I twisted to look at Eddie. "Game on."

Neither man moved.

"Guess not," I said. "Sorry, guys. You aren't worth it, apparently."

"No, I'm just not taking the offer seriously, considering where it's coming from." Eddie turned to Antonio. "You don't let a woman talk for you, do you?"

"Usually. They're better at it."

"Speak for yourself," Nick said.

Reese chuckled.

"I'd suggest you start taking this a little more seriously," Eddie said. "And tell me who I'm negotiating with. I know you don't let the Beta's mate speak for the Pack."

"No, we let the Alpha-elect speak for us," Nick said. "She just did."

I glanced at him. Had everyone in the Pack known before me?

"You think this is funny?" Eddie lifted one of my fingers. "Maybe you'll find this even funnier."

He snapped my finger. Nick winced. I didn't. I won't say I didn't feel it, only that I saw it coming and bit my cheek against the pain.

"Sure, you can do that," I said. "But a word of advice? The worse shape I'm in, the harder it'll be to get Clay to come to my rescue. He may be my mate, but he can always make himself another. And if I'm gone, he'd be next in line for Alpha."

"Not giving yourself much credit, are you?" Eddie said.

I shrugged. "I'm practical and so is he. He'll come for me as long as I'm reasonably healthy, but ultimately, I'm replaceable."

A shadow passed over the picture window behind us. Then it exploded, glass flying, as Clay leapt through. He landed on his feet with a thud and a grin.

"Nah, darling, you're definitely one of a kind."

I elbowed Eddie as Clay grabbed Tesler by the shirt and ripped him off me. Across the room, Nick and Reese struggled to hold their hostages, waiting for a sign from me before finishing them.

Eddie bounced back. I swung, dislodging a shard of glass from my shirt, which nearly caught me in the eye. Beside me, Clay was advancing on Tesler while wiping blood from a cut on his neck.

"That's what you get for insisting on a dramatic entrance," I called. "Next time, do us all a favor and use the front door."

"That wasn't drama, darling. That was the element of surprise."

I snorted and roundhouse kicked Eddie. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tesler, and I had to struggle to stay on target. Eddie was the bigger threat, and less of a fighter, meaning I had to leave Tesler for Clay.

Clay grabbed Tesler and pitched him into the wall beside the broken window. As Clay bore down on him, Tesler scrambled up… and leapt right out the window.

When Clay grabbed the sill to vault it, he put all his weight on his bad arm. It didn't give way, but it gave enough to make him fumble the hurdle, landing hard in the snow and staggering a few steps. By then, Tesler was racing into the forest.

Clay glanced back at me.

"Go on," I said. "Take him."

My gaze only flickered from Eddie for a second, but it was enough. He followed his brother's lead and ran the other way. Antonio tried to cut him off, but he was too far away.

As I ran after Eddie, I waved Antonio back. "Finish them first."

The back door slammed. I grabbed my sneakers, then raced after him, kicking off the oversized boots as I went.

HITCHHIKER

AS I CHASED Eddie, I heard a distant yelp from Tesler, followed by a growl of frustration from Clay, meaning he'd caught and lost his prey. I instinctively started swerving that way, then stopped myself.

Yes, I wanted to be the one to kill Tesler. Part of me desperately needed to be. But to do so, I had to abandon the greater threat. The good of the Pack came first, and killing Eddie was in the Pack's best interests.

That didn't stop me from hoping Eddie would run toward his brother, but he was too smart for that. He was heading in the opposite direction, dividing Clay and me.

And as hard as I strained to hear signs that Antonio was on his way and could take over the chase, I knew that wouldn't happen either. It didn't matter how much killing experience Reese had, Antonio wouldn't leave him to do the job alone. And Nick's only experience was as part of a group, following someone else's lead. So his father would stay, trusting that Clay and I could handle our targets alone.

When I heard the sound of a motor, I smiled. We were coming to a road. Once Eddie realized that, he'd change direction.

Instead, he picked up speed. Ahead, I saw a truck barreling down a road, snow sluicing up chest high on both sides. It passed before Eddie reached the edge, so he didn't need to check his speed to cross.

By the time I reached one edge, he was past the other and zipping back into the endless forest. The road was empty, but pitted with enough tracks to suggest it was what passed for a major artery out here, probably the road that linked to the highway.

I crossed and followed Eddie into the forest. Before long, I caught the faint whiff of exhaust. Sure enough, we'd circled around and were heading back to the same road.

Had he decided to return to the cottage? Or try to find his brother? God, I hoped so, because at this rate, I wasn't catching him unless he tripped.

Eddie ran less than twenty paces past the road, then circled through the woods and headed back toward it.

What the hell was he doing?

The answer hit with the buzz of another motor. Eddie was trapped. Eddie was smart. Eddie had no intention of risking his life to fight me-he was interested in survival, not belt notches. So what would he do? The same thing Reese had done in Pittsburgh: take refuge with humans.