Chapter One

Shay Lee was one of the best hunters in the business. She’d taken down many men, most left gasping for mercy at the other end of her magical sword. There was no challenge Rhiannon, the current Faerie Warrior Queen, could set up that Shay wasn’t able to conquer. Yet, this man... There was something different about him.

And it wasn’t just the obvious.

She’d stalked him for weeks now. For someone who usually took a handful of days to bring out the true nature of her hunt, she felt edgy. Her skin itched at the need to fulfill this hunt so she could get a new assignment. But that would not happen until she could get this guy out.

Shay peeked around the corner. Heart thumped harder when her gaze fell upon him. He was a tall man with fair skin and eyes of green. There was an aura around him which humans would see in the way of confidence. She could see it for what it was—power. He carried an immense amount of power he didn’t even know about.

That’s why she was here. To release him from the containment prison of his real self.

Her vision blurred as her thoughts scattered. When Shay focused again, she noticed he no longer stood by the side of the bus stop. At first she’d wondered why this man took trains and buses, but soon figured out he held some sort of management position in the city. Sydney wasn’t the most car-friendliest city in the world. There were too many bus lanes, one way streets, parking meters at every corner and several parking garages that cost half a person’s salary. And he...he lived in a suburb only twenty minutes away from downtown.

So he caught a bus, or train, or sometimes both. Whichever appealed to him more on the day but, at home, he had a dark sleek BMW. She’d seen him strap himself into it on weekends.

She knew his every move.

A tap on the shoulder caused her hand to fall away from the wall. Shay spun on her heels, and her breath caught in her throat.

None of the hunted had ever spotted her.

“Hi,” he said in a clear and friendly voice. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d like to know why you’re following me.”

What the hell? She was sneaky. She was stealthy, and no one ever noticed her in the shadows two steps behind.

She swallowed the hard knot that built up inside her throat. “Following?” was the only word that tumbled out of her mouth.

“Yes. I’ve seen you watching me over the last few weeks and thought it was time to find out why,” he said with a nod. The late afternoon sun caught a lock of his hair, auburn with golden sparkles that caught the rays.

The way sunlight found him, even with the concrete and glass buildings around them, made her realize how much power he possessed. She’d never been this close to him, but could feel his body heat rouse her insides in a way no man had ever managed.

Shay closed her eyes for a second and tried to clear the arousal weaving itself under her skin. Not now, she pleaded. I can’t let it happen now.... Not until I get to spread my magic over him the proper way.

“Miss, are you all right?” That soft murmur caressed her bare arms. The warmth of his hand on her arm stirred her emotions.

She nodded and released a heavy, thick breath that almost turned into a cough, but she contained it. She didn’t want a surge of any kind to spark off the dust.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that I don’t usually have gorgeous women following me wherever I go,” he said with a lopsided smile. “So I thought it odd.”

Did he just call her gorgeous? Shay tilted her head back a little and gazed into his eyes. She felt the electric buzz of attraction purr through her heart like a jolt from jumper cables. Shay wasn’t imagining it. There was a buzz between them, an attraction that, sooner or later, neither would be able to fight. How could Rhiannon have been so careless? It was her job to ensure that every hunt was neutral. Sure, sometimes a sexually-charged release was the only way to release one, but never when there was a personal attraction at risk.

She should’ve known better.

It was forbidden to fall in love with the object of a hunt. Instant dismissal, the loss of wings and possibly the dust... No, she couldn’t live without her true nature. Walking among humans to get a job done was one thing, but permanent exile from Breena was inconceivable.

“My name’s Shay,” she finally said, somewhat shy and uncertain. She must look like a raving lunatic to this very attractive man. “Shay Lee, private investigator.”

Not exactly the truth, but it would have to do. She couldn’t come out and admit she was a fae-hunter, especially since he obviously didn’t have a clue about his origins.

His green eyes darkened, yet glowed in the shade of the buildings around them, while a line of sunlight still shone on his hair. The glimmer off his business suit wasn’t natural but further confirmed to her what he was.

“You’re a private investigator, and you’re following me? Why?” he asked as he switched his briefcase from one hand to the other. Curiosity shone in his eyes.

When she nodded, her magically-darkened hair swayed along the tops of her shoulders. Shay dropped her gaze, afraid he’d notice the turquoise irises—a little too large or unnatural for the human he probably assumed her to be.

“Why?” he repeated.

Her mind raced. A spark of nerves Shay hadn’t encountered before when she’d dealt with men—especially one of her own kind, even if he didn’t know it yet – raced through her system. Shay took a step back, so his hand fell away from her heated skin.

She cleared her throat, releasing the first lie that tumbled into her head. “Yes, I was hired by a man called Seamus Row.”

He didn’t acknowledge the name. Of course he wouldn’t; she’d just made it up.

“I’ve come all the way from Scotland in search of his long lost nephew... I just didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Needed to make sure it was you before I approach—”

“Are you telling me I’ve got an uncle in Scotland that I don’t even know about?” he asked, wide-eyed.

She nodded.

“But I’m... I’m an orphan,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. He lifted a large hand to his hair, pushed long fingers through the bulk of it. There was so much hair there, a faerie trait.

She shook her head free of the thought, needed to stay focused to carry the lie through to its end. “Yes. That’s why tracking you down has been so hard.”

“And why does this uncle want to track me down now?” he asked, his eyes full of suspicion.

“I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this,” she began with a sigh, “but he passed away a few weeks ago.”

“That’s awful,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, it is.”

“Then why are you?”

“You, Glen Row, have inherited your uncle’s money.” A lump formed inside her throat. The lie wrenched her heart. Why was she doing this to him? After he found out it was all untrue, a way to tangle him in her web, he’d hate her. Then again, Shay didn’t have a future with this man. There was no way they could ever amount to anything.

“Really?” he asked, wide-eyed again. His vibrant emerald gaze intently peered into hers. “You have extraordinary eyes, you know that?”

Shay dropped her gaze away from his and focused instead on the weathered concrete below her boots. There was so much concrete in human cities. It made her uneasy, claustrophobic. This game was too dangerous; she needed to get the hell out.... And the sooner the better, before she did something she’d regret.

“So, what now?” Glen asked, a glimmer of a smile playing along his full lips.

“You’ll have to...uh. I’ll need to arrange for you to visit a lawyer and straighten all of this out—”

“I don’t want the money,” he said, switching the briefcase again—from left hand to right this time. The way his pale skin glowed, wherever the sunlight chased it, made her pulse quicken.

It took Shay a few seconds to register his words. She was so caught up in his alluring looks that everything else became secondary.

Snap out of it, she said to herself. As if that would make a difference... She’d had this job for over a hundred years and had met and released men of all shapes and sizes, but none had captivated her the way this one did. Sure, there’d been physical attraction before. She wouldn’t have slept with them otherwise, but with Glen there was something else. Something that hummed beneath her skin, made her gut clench, and her fingers ache to touch a strand of that shiny hair. Or caress his face with the back of her hand, move it lower until—

Damn it, Shay. Stop it!

Rhiannon would get an earful after this encounter. Actually, that’s what she needed to do. End this right now and venture back to Breena.

“What do you mean you don’t want—”

“I don’t need the money,” Glen answered with an easy shrug.

“Then what am I supposed to do with it?”

“Give it to charity.”

“Which one?”

“Any.”

“But—”

“There is one thing you could do for me, though,” Glen said. He seemed to be good at interrupting her rambled thoughts.

She raised a thin eyebrow and met his eyes. “What’s that?”

“You could have dinner with me.”

“I could what?”

Glen laughed—a hum that intoxicated, felt more like music than sound. “You and me, go out to dinner sometime?”

Shay shook herself out of the trance she seemed to keep tumbling into. Even the noise of the city streets had faded into the background. The intimacy of her discussion with Glen was the only thing Shay could concentrate on. It was peak hour, just after five in the afternoon, and most people rushed out of their office buildings in a mad dash to make the next train or bus. Yet all activity dimmed in comparison to this man.

“Is that a no?”

She shook her head. What the hell could she say to this unexpected invitation? Shay sure as hell couldn’t say yes, although her heart frantically pushed her to accept his offer. The only logical answer was no. Yet, her tongue felt heavy inside her mouth when she tried to form the word.

But Glen wasn’t swayed, nor did he move away. He simply looked down at her with his amused green eyes, almost as if he could hear her brain squirm for an answer.

“I can’t date a client.”

“I’ve just rejected the money. I’m not your client. I’m a complete stranger who simply can’t bear to walk away from you until I have some assurance that I’ll see you again...soon.” Glen spoke the words in an even tone, but the statement still made her knees quiver with excitement.

Who needed dinner? She was just about ready to jump him! The way he looked at her, the words he’d just spoken. Shay knew he felt their connection.

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