She was small, her long blond hair woven into a thick, intricate braid that reached her waist. She wore black pants that rode low on her hips and were tucked securely into black boots. Her sleeveless vest left her midriff bare. The vest had three sets of steel buckles with tiny crosses embedded in the metal, looking ornamental on the squares.

She carried a crossbow in one hand, a silver sword hung on her left hip and a knife on her right. A quiver of arrows was slung across one shoulder, some tipped in silver. Down both legs of her trousers were loops containing many sharp-bladed weapons. A low-slung holster on her hip housed a pistol as well as rows of very small, flat but extremely sharp arrowheads.

She was patient, taking her time, her palm flat on the ground, absorbing the news of the night. It was cold, but she didn’t feel the chill in the air, or the mist as it gathered around her. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing her senses to see for her. Very slowly she rose, turning to her left. There, where the fog was most dense, where the trees were the thickest, her quarry lay in wait to ambush her.

She seemed to glide over the forest floor. Even the brush parted for her so that there was no whisper of movement as she made her way cautiously toward that thick stand of trees. As she approached, she felt the first stirring on her back, a small brush of fur, warning her.

Elation swept through Skyler. She continued forward a few more feet and then whipped around, her fingers already pulling the arrowheads free and snapping them with tremendous strength as she ran toward the grotesque vampire emerging from the trunk of a twisted dead fir tree. Though dead, the tree shuddered and shook as it expelled the foul creature from its depths.

Six arrowheads went up his leg, lodging deep, the formula coating them preventing the vampire from shifting into another form. She ran forward with her sword. His torso and head disappeared as did his feet, lost in the thick fog. Only one of the vampire’s legs remained behind, a strange, almost laughable sight.

Cursing in a very unladylike manner, Skyler halted her attack. “I can’t believe I made such a stupid mistake.”

The leg disappeared as if it had never been. Ivory and Razvan materialized in front of her. Dimitri wrapped a comforting arm around her.

“You listened to your wolves,” Ivory said. “But the arrows have to go from belly to shoulder if you want to be able to take the heart.”

Skyler couldn’t help but smile. “Frost warned me. I was so proud of him. I actually knew it was him and not Moonglow. I can tell the difference between them now.”

Frost had a beautiful silver coat, thick and unusual, tipped in white so that he appeared to be covered in frost. The lone female was a beautiful specimen, her pelt so silver she glowed like the moon. Ivory had named her Moonglow, but most of the time they called her Moon. Both rode on her back as tattoos, so that she had eyes and ears on both sides and behind her, aiding her on the hunt.

She was grateful the four pups had accepted Dimitri and her as their pack leaders, the alphas they looked to. She knew it was Dimitri’s calm, decisive manner and firm leadership that had captured the pups’ attention, but she was getting better every single day.

Shadow was darker, a thick pelt of nearly black fur, tipped in gray so that he could slide through the darkness without detection, and he was definitely an alpha. He adhered to Dimitri’s back along with Sonnet, the wolf with the most surprising voice. He was large and a stealthy hunter, working closely with Shadow to bring down game.

“Did Moon give you any indication there was a threat to you?” Ivory asked.

Skyler sighed. “If she did, I didn’t feel it. I think she’s still in a snit because I tried carrying them as a fur coat earlier. When I shrugged it off and tried to throw it out smoothly to allow them to go free, instead of the coat sailing through the air flat, the pelt was bunched up and she got tangled. She let me know she wasn’t happy.”

Ivory shook her head, covering her smile with one hand. “I had so much trouble with the coat,” she admitted. “It isn’t easy to learn all of the different weapons, as well as how to hunt with the wolves. The movement on your skin has to be subtle. You never want anyone to know your wolves are the real deal.”

Skyler nodded. Ivory had so much to teach her.

Us, Dimitri corrected. I’m learning, too.

You’re so good at everything. I feel like the dunce in class. I’m used to being the top student.

Dimitri burst out laughing. Both Ivory and Razvan raised eyebrows.

“I’m sulking because I’m not at the top of my class,” Skyler confessed with a wry grin. “Dimitri thinks that’s very funny. I really want to be able to do this.”

Ivory smiled at her, touching her arm briefly. “The most difficult task has already been completed. The wolves had to accept you. You will have to find another female for Shadow. Little Moon is his sister, and she doesn’t have an alpha bone in her body.”

“Actually Shadow will find her in time,” Razvan said. “When he does, you’ll know, and you’ll have to train her as well.”

“They need to be worked with every day,” Ivory cautioned. “A pack is cohesive and successful as long as they have good leaders. You have to hunt with them when they go after game. Direct and help them. That’s part of being alpha.”

Skyler ducked her head. She didn’t mind hunting and killing vampires, but it was difficult for her to hunt live animals even though she knew the wolves needed to eat. She was working hard to overcome that squeamish feeling in the pit of her stomach each time they took the wolves out to hunt.

More and more, she wanted to spend time learning to use her weapons and the wolves for hunting vampire, not game. She was determined to be an asset to Dimitri. If it took centuries of practice she was going to make certain she was the best so he didn’t have to worry.

“I’ll always worry when you’re in danger,” Dimitri said aloud.

“Not if I get really good at this.”

“Even then,” he assured. “But I’m very proud of you, Skyler. You’ve come a long way in this last week.”

“Ivory is one of the best hunters we have,” Razvan said, “but as her lifemate, I worry. That’s not something that will go away. You’re improving every time we go out.”

Skyler sent him a smile of thanks. “I’m not very good with a crossbow yet,” she admitted. “And I’ll need to be if I’m going to be of any use on a hunt.”

Dimitri winced a little at that. She planned to hunt vampire with him, just as Ivory and Razvan did together. The idea still didn’t sit well with him, although she learned fast and the wolves would give them an edge. He had to admit that she’d been a huge asset when she’d rescued him. Without her, he’d be dead. She didn’t panic and she was methodical.