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  When. Not if. She had said when. He tilted his head to look at her from the corner of his eye. She trotted onward, heedless of him and the hope she had given him. A wolfish grin crossed his face and his tail started to wag again. When.

  ***

  Daniel’s first birthday was celebrated less than a week after Stewart successfully became a shifter. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance within Guinevere’s kingdom, and Stewart was happy to see that Andy, Daniel and Guinevere weren’t too tired that night to have a private family dinner at Josef’s city mansion.

  Once dinner was over, Roxy and Josef put their kids to bed while Guinevere and Andy cleaned up. Stewart slapped Daniel’s back with a solid thump and gestured outside. They walked out onto the porch and Daniel slumped into one of the chairs set up there. He’d been quiet all evening, and out here Stewart could see the exhaustion lining his face, and the bruises under his eyes.

  “Want to talk about anything?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I had a checkup yesterday. Medically… I’m all grown up now. A full-on adult at only a year old.”

  Stewart’s expression darkened and his grip on his nephew’s shoulder tightened. Of course, that was something that bothered them all. Stewart tried not to worry about it—after all, what would worrying accomplish in the end? But it was always there. Daniel had grown from a baby to an adult in the space of a year. What did that mean for the rest of his life?

  “Are the growing pains over, at least?”

  Daniel nodded. “Yeah. I guess because I stopped growing, thank God.”

  They stood in silence for a bit, staring over Josef’s walled grounds. Daniel had always been older than he looked, even when he was a little boy—for the few months that he was a little boy. Even as an infant, once Stewart thought about it.

  “I’m sorry that you weren’t able to have a real childhood,” Stewart said slowly. “And I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to be the cool uncle and buy you things your parents said you weren’t allowed to have. Guess I’ll just have to satisfy myself with being the cool uncle with Roxy’s kids.”

  “Uncle Stewie, you don’t have to be sorry. It’s not like anything you did could have changed it. It’s just biology.” Daniel stood and stretched. “This whole day has been overwhelming for me. So much to do, so much for people to say to me. But if it’s any consolation, over the past couple of days I have been thinking a lot about my life. And I can say for certain that you are, in fact, the cool uncle.”

  Stewart let out a laugh. “Oh, really? And why’s that?”

  “Because you were the one who encouraged me to be reckless from time to time. To pull pranks, even when I didn’t see the point of them. To jump on my bed after I was told not to. To put underwear on my head and go running through the hallways yelling that the giant aliens were coming to get me. You gave me the opportunity to be an actual kid. At least, you gave me the opportunity to behave like one. So, you’re the cool uncle.”

  Stewart patted his back, then let out a sigh. He knew that there was only so much he could have done, but those few things that Daniel had mentioned? It wasn’t enough. Even if he hadn’t grown up crazy fast, he was the son of a vampire queen. That alone meant he had to have a lot of decorum. Not to mention there were a lot of people gunning for him… to use against Guinevere, to use against the Brotherhood, or just because they didn’t think that he should exist at all.

  That was a lot to have to grow up with.

  “Have you thought about what you’re going to do?” Stewart pressed, turning to meet his nephew’s eye. “I know for a while there you were talking about joining the Brotherhood. Is that at all on your list still?”

  “I haven’t shifted yet. Dad and I are working on techniques to try to coax my wolf forward. But I can’t join if I can’t shift.”

  Stewart grunted. “Don’t I know it.”

  “I am certain the problem is that I live with vampires,” Daniel continued. His brow furrowed. “Or maybe it’s an unconscious battle between the two halves of me. I mean, I get fangs and a craving for blood easily enough. Maybe it’s just not going to be part of me.”

  “Hey, kid, you’ve only been trying for a year. I’ve been fighting to become a shifter for a great deal longer. I’d be seriously pissed if you could just snap your fingers and get rid of your problems when it took me so long to overcome mine.” He playfully shoved Daniel’s shoulder, and Daniel relaxed with a smile and a laugh.

  “Alright, alright. I get it. I can’t give up just because it hasn’t happened yet. But speaking of shifting. Now that you can, how are you going to prove yourself a worthy member of the Brotherhood? I wouldn’t want to be around if you piss off Typhoon.”

  Stewart smiled cockily. “Typhoon isn’t as terrible as he likes to pretend. After all, Dr. Mia’s with him and she’d never be with someone who was a real toad.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes. “The kids have gone to bed. You can say bastard around me, you know. I’m not a fucking infant.”

  There was a part of him that was shocked to hear his one-year-old nephew saying such words. It was probably for the best, though. Daniel might not say it, but Stewart knew that he was a little stifled, living with his parents. They wanted to protect him from everything and that included being an adult and all the problems that came with it. Him pushing boundaries was the only healthy thing to do…

  “Fine. She’d never be with a fucking bastard,” Stewart said, grinning at his nephew. “And as for how I’ll prove myself worthy to be a member of the Brotherhood? It’s quite simple, you know. First, I’m going to follow orders and work to the best of my capabilities. Behave as part of the team and—”

  A snort behind them made both of them turn. Andy slipped onto the porch, an amused light in his eyes as he seized Stewart around the neck and gave him a rough noogie. “Yeah, right. I’d like to see you follow orders, buster!”

  “Hey!” Stewart punched his brother in the ribs. “Get off!”

  To his surprise, Andy released him at once. His face got very pale as he stumbled back, gasping. Stewart flinched, reaching to help him sit while Daniel grabbed his arm, expression pinched.

  “We’re going to have to get used to this new strength of yours,” Andy gasped out, whacking Stewart lightly.

  Stewart scuffed his toes on the floor. “Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s fine.” Andy inhaled deeply and waved a hand. “Now. Proving yourself a member of the Brotherhood. It’s about a balance between following orders and taking initiative. Frieda’s a good gal. As long as you follow her lead, you’ll be good. She won’t steer you wrong.”

  Stewart nodded. His mind drifted back to that night, when their bodies had been pressed together, the moonlight all around them and the smell of her arousal in the air. He understood why she had stopped them… it wasn’t until the next day that he realized how affected by that first change he’d been. It was almost like being high, only there were no withdrawals coming down from it. He got why she decided to pull back, to stop them from going forward.

  But Gods, he wished that she hadn’t… It seemed like she was haunting him now, and the worst part was that she hadn’t spoken to him. He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she had put a stop to it because she didn’t want it… didn’t want him… and now, somehow, he’d ruined their friendship with his lust.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled, glancing away. “I’ll follow her lead. She knows what she’s doing, after all.”

  Chapter Four

  Polaris

  Stewart's eyes glowed as he took his place with the rest of the crew. A few of them whistled and several patted his back, murmuring congratulations. His ears turned pink, but a giant grin was spread over his face.

  Frieda couldn't help but grin back at his excitement. It was clear that today was going to be something special. Part of her wished that it was a bit of an easier mission for their first time out with their new member, but there was no point in going easy on him. It might not be an easy mission
, but it was straightforward and would be a good test of his skill. He’d be fine; they all would.

  He grinned at her and winked. She turned away slightly, fighting the blush that rose in her cheeks—just that wink was enough to remind her of running through the woods with him. Their bodies pressing together. His hardness against her thigh. Oh, how much she wished she had been able to simply push aside doubts and enjoy the endorphins of a first shift with him.

  But it remained fact that he hadn’t been in his right mind, not fully. It would have been wrong for her to take advantage of it. Regardless if they had ended up having regrets or not, she would rather have no doubts for their first time.

  If they ever had a first time. Frieda wasn’t sure that it was going to happen. The moment had been so intense, and she longed for another moment just like that… but if there was one thing she knew, it was that sex changed things. You couldn’t just boink friends and then go on as though nothing had happened. The nature of her relationship with Stewart had already changed. What if adding in a sexual dynamic changed it so much that they no longer worked well together?

  Right now, she could run damage control. She could get them back to where they were before, and she wouldn’t have to worry about things changing. The past year had seen a lot changing in her life already… Andy leaving the crew, the leadership of it falling on her, a half-vampire baby springing up out of nowhere. Heck, even Typhoon had gotten himself a mate and was shifting focus from the Brotherhood, slowly but surely.

  It was all so much change already… could she really take more? Even if it promised to be as fun and exciting as Stewart? It was still change, and she still was uncertain how it was going to effect things.

  Maybe the Brotherhood wasn’t the best place for her, as hard a time as she had dealing with it. But that was different. The change of plans, the change of group dynamics, people coming and going, she could handle all that. It was the personal stuff, the emotional stuff, that she had difficulty with. She’d have been perfectly happy staying steady and stable for the rest of her life, thank you very much.

  As she waited for the dawdlers to come in, she crossed the room and stood over Stewart. Friend or not, change or not, he was now a part of her crew, and she had to deal with him the same way she would deal with any other new member. She folded her arms and stared at him seriously. His cocky grin grew, and she felt heat starting to rise in her cheeks. Why was it that she could never be as stern as she wanted with him?

  “Listen up, Cyclone,” she said, keeping her voice flat. “This is your first mission, and it’s an exciting time for you. Just remember that this is a trial basis. You’re not a full-fledged member of the Savage Brotherhood yet. If I decide you’re not up to scratch, that means you’re out of here. Got it?”

  Stewart’s grin became somewhat serious, although not nearly as serious as it really ought to be. His smile stayed in place as he nodded. “I am well aware of that, Polaris.”

  Somehow, even though she wanted people to call her by her nickname, it always sounded teasing coming from him and she frowned.

  “I intend to be the best newcomer that you’ve ever trained.” Stewart winked at her and added slyly, “I’ll do anything you want in order to get your approval for my graduation.”

  Why, oh why? Her core tightened and something inside of her fluttered at his tone. She wanted to return his grin and tease back, but now wasn’t the time for that—for any of these unprofessional feelings. And so, her voice came out sharper than she intended when she replied. “I’m not going to be seduced into giving you a favorable report, Cyclone.”

  His grin faltered. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  A small pang hit her, unhappy with the way he suddenly looked very serious. Apparently, it was a day when nothing was ever quite good enough for her. Still, she nodded stiffly and returned to the front of the room. The rest of the stragglers had arrived and taken their seats, and she flicked on the projector that would show the map of the joint they were going to rob.

  “Alright, listen up,” she called to them, sweeping her gaze over the gathered group. She eyed each member of the crew, making sure they were paying attention. None looked so eager and bright-eyed as Stewart. He was practically humming with excitement, unable to make himself sit still.

  He knows what the gang does, and he has lots of experience in other matters. He has dealt with gang business before. The difference is now he’s in on it from the start instead of being blindsided when things go wrong.

  “I want a clean mission,” she continued, “Everybody stick to the plan and no improvisations. We go in through the sewers here and here. Lightning is in charge of the second group. He and his team will cause a distraction while me and my group drill through the floor of Thomas’ Jewelry store. We get in, get out, and get away clean. Any sign of cops, we pack up and leave it for another day. Better no jewels than someone getting busted.”

  Nods answered her. Lightning, a buff lion shifter, leaned forward with a twinkle in his eye. He’d begged for this chance for months, and she had finally relented. He was good at causing distractions, after all. There was more than one mission where he’d caused a scene that was not intended. Best to put his talent to use.

  Frieda glanced at Stewart again. He’d be with her on her team, where she could keep an eye on him. “Now we all know the rules. There are no vampires involved in this mission, so we do not shift. Got it?”

  Nods answered her. Stewart looked a little put-out, as though offended that she felt the need to remind him for a second time—she had told him this when she first told him about the mission. However, it wasn’t just him that needed the reminder. They’d been having trouble with ‘sightings’ lately, shifters who weren’t careful enough and got themselves spied by humans. While not all of them could be attributed to Brotherhood members, Frieda knew that Typhoon was cracking down hard on them.

  “Right. We all know what we have to do, so let’s move out.”

  Frieda strode to the door as chatter burst out behind her. The excitement of a mission started to move through her blood, even though she fought it. Getting too excited would mean making stupid mistakes. They all went to their vehicles; the distraction team would be on their motorcycles, while the drilling team was using a white cargo van with tinted windows, with the name of a plumbing company plastered on the side.

  Once they were off, Frieda started pulling on her disguise; coveralls, with a bright orange vest and a hard hat. Nobody would notice the work crew, not when Lightning and his boys were causing a ruckus.

  “You didn’t have to remind me that shifting’s out of the question,” Stewart whispered to her as they drove over a badly-paved road. I know the rules. Besides, I don’t need to shift in order to get a good fight in.”

  Frieda rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t get cocky, Stewie. Cockiness gets people killed.”

  Like it had her brother. The idiot. She had heard the story of his death a dozen times, trying desperately to figure out some way that it wasn’t his fault. But of course, it was his fault. No matter which way she looked at it, it always came back to that; it was his own bloody fault that he had gotten himself killed, and that hurt as bad as knowing that he was never coming back.

  There was no way she was going to let that happen with Stewart. He was smarter than her brother ever was, she’d give him credit for that, but at the same time, he was new to his Wolf. It could be hard to control. The last thing she wanted was for the mission to go smoothly, only for him to end up shifting in front of civilian witnesses and end up getting himself torn apart by Typhoon.

  There was little time to dwell on that, though. They soon arrived at the sewage opening twenty yards from Thomas’ Jewelry. As they got out of the van and started setting up the pilon cones and Frieda grabbed the stop/slow sign in order to redirect traffic, her nerves started to jangle. Her gaze swept up and down the street. Sunlight glared off windows, and she was glad it was a sunny day—so people wouldn’t
think twice about the large sunglasses she wore to obscure her identity.

  But there was something wrong. Her nostrils flared, and a familiar scent wrapped into her nose. Damn! She tapped Stewart’s shoulder and jerked her chin toward the van.

  “Everyone pack up,” she ordered as she reached for the radio clipped to her belt.

  Stewart’s eyes widened. He started to pick up the cones, as the others did the same, working quickly. Confusion marred his brow, even though he didn’t argue with her. Thank God. This wasn’t the time for explaining, and she wasn’t about to waste time setting him straight.

  “Lightning, scratch the mission,” she said through the radio, making sure to block her lips in case they were watching. “Cops are onto us.”

  “Cops,” Stewart repeated, but at a fierce glare from Frieda, he snapped his jaw shut.

  “Lightning,” she hissed over the radio again. “Do you copy?” Her heart sank when there were two bursts of static. Their distress signal. “Fuck! Get back in the van, now!”

  Even as they jumped in, the familiar face of Lieutenant Brad Duster came into view. His expression was twisted as he drove his plain car straight for them. Frieda snarled under her breath as she jumped back into the van and slammed the door shut. That ugly motherfucker had been dogging her steps for too long! And now he just happened to be at the sight of a job?

  “Floor it,” she yelled, and their driver punched the gas. They ripped down the road as sirens started to wail behind them.

  They zipped down an alleyway, to where Lightning and the others would be waiting; or at least, where they should have been waiting. Instead, the sound of gunfire reached her. Frieda glared out a tinted window to find Lightning and the others pinned down in various doorways or behind their bikes, a wall of cops on the other end of the alley, firing rapidly at them.

  “Time for some fun, boys.” Frieda bit back another curse. Motherfucking Duster! She’d clean his clock good if any of her boys got hurt in this stunt of his! “Twist the van, block them off. Cyclone, Flood and Snowstorm, you guys shift and get your butts outta here. Don’t argue! They’re not going to be shooting at wolves and Typhoon needs to know what’s going on. The rest of you, pick a partner with a bike and hop on. Get the hell out of here as soon as you—”