Lacey Flanagan raced away and there was no way to catch up with a woman that had no fear of death. I’d expected this outcome but it was fun at least trying to catch her. Leprechauns were not easy creatures to catch. Which is what made this task tricky.

I was unwilling to give up. In my long life, I’d learned that unwillingness to quit was most often what equated to success. Which meant I’d go to whatever lengths were necessary. I’d burn this city down and all the rats in it just to drive my precious new obsession into my wanting hands.

“We’ll find her, boss,” the driver said and I rolled my eyes. I already knew where to find her and it was none of these men’s business where she lived. Sometimes it was tedious keeping up with the lives I stole. Viktor Melnyk was a powerful man and that meant he had a lot of people keeping track of him. I’d wanted his things but the responsibilities were a tedious bore I’d rather ignore.

I waved my hand in dismissal.

“Forget her and let’s get back to the Tower.” The men stayed uncomfortably quiet after that. There were three in the car with me—the driver and two other bodyguards. Men in black, strapped and ready to follow whatever orders I barked out, reasonable or not.

They didn’t like how strange their boss had been acting the past week. They would whisper when they thought I couldn’t hear them. They rightfully should be concerned because their real boss was dead. I was just the monster impersonating him.

As a matter of fact, I was also the one who killed him.

I remembered the taste of him. Human meat was a little sweeter than other animals. A half-smirk curled up my face as I plucked a recently carved toothpick from my breast pocket and crossed my legs. It was made of the real Viktor Melnyk’s bone. I looked at the man sitting beside me as I slid it into my mouth with a smile. The bodyguard regarded me briefly before looking towards the front with no idea what my toothpick was. No idea that I wasn’t Viktor Melnyk.

I moved the toothpick around in my mouth as I pushed the sunglasses up my nose the mere centimeter they’d fallen. Every part of me was perfectly Viktor except my eyes. There was no changing those. I’d shown Lacey though. Why not? She’d be mine soon.

The woman had no idea a creature like me was after her. There was no other creature like me. I was a thing all my own. A true shapeshifter. A monster from ancient forests that could only look like a man. My true form was a beauty and horror all its own. Lacey would understand very soon now that she had not merely piqued my curiosity but had commanded the honor of my absolute attention.

And not just mine. Two other evil creatures were clamoring for a bite of her luck. We were a motley and begrudging team coming together for one goal.