Maximus sprang out of the bed, as lithe and agile as only a supernatural could be. “Jess!” His exclamation was loud as he dived toward me, naked in all his glory, but not aroused, so clearly I’d caught them between rounds. I had just enough time to register the darkening anger on Cardia’s face before I was hit with a wall of muscle.

“I’ve been so damned worried about you, Jess.” His voice cracked a little as he pulled back, both hands gripping my biceps. “Where the hell were you?” His emotional tone shifted into a growl, fangs slightly descended and his eyes shaded to black.

I’d never seen him vamp out in such a short time, especially when he wasn’t hungry. But that wasn’t my most prevalent thought. I was having a breakdown similar to the one I had the time I thought Mischa was a dragon shifter. I knew the only way Maximus would be in bed with this chick while his brother and I were missing was if she was his true mate. Not to mention he generally never slept with the same female more than a few times. He liked to cut them off before they got attached. It had been three weeks with this Cardia.

The first few months after finding your mate were intense. Supernaturals had trouble leaving the house and going out into public. Plus, I had not missed the vamped-out nature of the interloper. Her clawed hands and descended fangs screamed of a territorial reaction.

I was pissed. Anger coursed through me with the force of a speeding train, flooding my gut and ricocheting out. It wasn’t that I felt the way for Maximus that I did for Braxton, but still, this was the beginning of the end of our perfect pack life. I would have to pull back from the very close proximity I had with the Compasses. Cardia would not tolerate that.

I let my expression dissolve into blankness, taming my inner turmoil. “It doesn’t really seem as if you were too worried about me.”

It was either cut him down or lose my shit and cry like a baby.

Yes, I was being a bitch, mate bonding couldn’t be fought against. What my parents had done was insane in the scheme of supernatural relationships, separating themselves to protect Mischa and I from the marked hunters; it was unnatural. As I had this thought I realized I wanted to see my parents. Where were they? I assumed they had been given their own apartment close by.

Maybe somewhere for me to escape to.

I was avoiding thinking about Maximus, even though he was standing before me, seemingly trying to figure out what to say in response to my anger.