Patches of fur rippled down my arms as I tried to control my wolf. She wanted to come out now? With a snarl, I twisted and snapped at Rage’s wrist, fully intending to bite him. He yanked his hand back just in time, and I bolted upright, peering out the window. “Dammit!”

McCain and his crew.

Rogue wolves were akin to feral cats. They’d left their packs, usually forced out after repeated offenses. They had zero social skills and were more wolf than human. McCain was the worst. Stripped of pack and magic, he always wanted blood—the only way to steal the mage-bestowed magic running through our veins.

What the hell was Noble waiting for? A peace talk?

"Run him over!" I shouted.

McCain stood in the road with his scrappy pseudo-pack of six wolves, blocking our way.

"I … can't," Noble faltered. "It's against wolf shifter law. They must strike first."

Was he kidding? I chortled at the lunacy of his statement. "Screw the code! I've seen this guy gnaw the flesh off a grown man faster than a royal betrayal. Run the rogue over before we—"

A heavy thump on the roof stole my breath, and I froze. I longed to shift into my wolf form, but my wolf was shy in times of stress. A really lame trait to have as an alpha heir.

Spinning to my right, I stared at a fully shifted werewolf standing just outside our window.

"Noble, go!" Justice shouted from shotgun, and the more tolerable of the brothers gunned the gas.

A loud scraping sound grated across the metal above, reverberating through the car. I looked up to see three inches of werewolf claws piercing the ceiling.

Before I could formulate a course of action, Rage launched into me, his face connecting with my chest as he forced me down across Honor’s lap with a headbutt.

“Get off—” I grunted.

Rage rolled to the side, and I gaped in awe as he held a sleek black gun up to the roof of the car.

A small snapping noise rang out, a burst of light exiting the barrel with each silver bullet, followed by two more. Good thing they had silencers or all four of us would be deaf for the next hour. My ears just rang a little.

A thud rocked the car as Noble plowed through the group of rogues, and a faint keening registered before it was gone.

My attention went from the holes in the roof to the giant dominant draped over me.

I blinked at him, and my lips parted.

Those eyes!

His glasses had come off, and my thoughts derailed as I stared. Fire danced across my skin, its heat soaking deep into my chest and melting my insides.

His startling green eyes, the color of spring grass, held me captive for one long breath. That warmth in my belly was not attraction. Nope. So, I pushed it down and reminded myself that this guy was an idiot … and an ass. But … I wasn't prepared for how hot a total douche could be. Striking and unique seemed inadequate adjectives—

What the hell?

My nostrils flared, and I closed my mouth with a snap. His baseball cap had flown off in the scuffle, and peeking out from under his tousled hair, the outline of a full moon shimmered across the surface of his skin. The mark of Midnight royalty was on his forehead.

These weren’t regular guards. Of all the packs, they belonged to my sworn enemy.

Midnight.

Chapter 2

Snarling, I shoved at Rage, trying to wiggle the rest of my way out from underneath him.

“Get off me, Midnight!” I hissed.

I should have known it would be them. Of course, the alpha king would send Midnight Clan to retrieve me. To rub it in my face.

But royalty?

Sending one of their heirs—or four of them to be exact—that wasn’t done. Most clans had at least ten to twenty heirs to ensure someone would be bred strong enough to take over the pack when the alpha died. I didn’t know much about Midnight Pack other than they were the ones who drove our clan out of the magic lands. If the king sent his heirs to retrieve me, they must be distant spares, not even worthy enough to enroll in Alpha Academy.

His eyes widened as if I’d slapped him, and he growled back. "I said stay … down!" His gaze darted to my lips, and then he licked his own.

My mouth dried, and I blinked up at him stupidly.

“Hey, Rage,” Honor said, his voice drifting down to me from above. “We’re all good here. Safe and sound.” He cleared his throat. “Get off her so she can get off me. Please.”

I was basically lying in Honor’s lap.

Awkward.

Rage pushed up, his right arm caging me in on one side and his brother’s chest on the other.

My gaze bounced, trying to escape the dominant over me, and I sagged with relief when all I could see was the mangled ceiling … and Honor staring down at me.

He raised his brows, and I noted his eyes were hazel—not spring-grass green.

“You should sit up—and wipe the drool off your chin,” he said with a cheeky grin.

I shot up so fast my hair tumbled into my face as I bounced off Honor and smacked into Rage by accident.

This damn car was too small for these giants!

“Oww,” I muttered between clenched teeth, pushing my hair back.

Honor chuckled, and without thinking, I swung my right elbow back, twisting my body with the strike to give it extra power. I felt my elbow connect with his collarbone, and he released a muffled grunt, making me grin.

He deserved it, and it wasn’t anything more than I’d do with Mack when he was out of line.

A blur of brown hair flew into my face, and I came face-to-face with Rage once again.

“Don’t hit my brother,” he snapped.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I tried to swallow as my retort caught in my throat. The other three spoke all at once.

“Ease up, Rage.”

“I’m fine,” Honor said.

“Give the cub a break,” Noble spoke from the driver’s seat. “She’s just asserting dominance.”

Justice managed to get out “Seriously, Rage—”

And then I lost it. “Get the hell out of my face unless you want to lose one of those pretty green eyes!”

I planted my hands on his chest, splayed out fingers over rock hard muscle, and then shoved him against the door with a snarl. Climbing onto my knees, I leaned forward—into his personal space. “The next time you decide to play alpha, remember which clan you belong to—and which one you don’t.” I shoved him one more time and added, “I don’t answer to you, so stop with the pissing match.”

My heart thrummed with adrenaline as my actions caught up to my consciousness.

Not smart, Nai.

Rage’s expression was pure murder. His eyes glowed orange, and I could feel how close his wolf was. A pelt of black fur swam down his arm before disappearing beneath his skin.

Forcing a tight smile, I smoothed his shirt. “Uh, so yeah, this car is small, and that … might’ve been a little more than necessary.”

I yanked my hands back, realizing that I was practically feeling him up. With my cheeks burning, I took my seat and fastened my belt.

The other three men all stared at me.

Closing my eyes to them, I tamped down the urge to run—not that there was anywhere to go.

“Maybe we should … uh … start over,” Noble said. “My name is Noble, from Midnight Clan.”