“It is different,” he announced. “Just a little. But who knows if that’s the Fae in you or just you. I’ve not looked at a Fae’s blood before. Maybe your father would be willing to give me a drop someday?”

“I could ask,” Andrea said. “Don’t hold your breath or anything.”

“Maybe it’s to do with the fact that she can touch the Fae magic in the sword,” Sean suggested.

Liam looked up in surprise, then broke into a grin. “You can feel the magic in Sean’s sword? I’m thinking that makes for interesting evenings.”

“You’re funny, Liam Morrissey,” Andrea said.

It was a good question though—perhaps her ability to use the Fae magic in the sword was connected with negating the effects of the Collar. She seemed to do both instinctively. Something to investigate when they had the time.

As Liam bent over the microscope again, Sean leaned down and nuzzled her. His eyes, so close to hers, were warm, inviting. Andrea had just touched her lips to his when her cell phone went off.

She snatched it up anxiously. “Glory?”

The answering voice was not one she wanted to hear. “No, it’s Wade. You need to come over here. You and your Feline.”

“Why?”

“It’s important. Get here.” He broke the connection, and Andrea was left staring at the silent phone.

“What?” Liam’s head was up, sensing Andrea’s and Sean’s tension. “What did he want?” He would have heard Wade’s voice too. Liam had Shifter hearing, and the man didn’t exactly speak softly.

“No idea,” Andrea said.

“Your old pack leader no longer has authority over you,” Liam said. “I’m the one you have to grovel to now.” He grinned as he said it, but the look in his eyes told her he didn’t want Andrea answering the summons.

“It might be something about Glory.”

“Don’t worry, love,” Sean said. “We’ll go.”

“Sean.” Liam’s look was stern, but Sean met it fearlessly, and Liam stopped. Liam might still have precedence over Sean, but Liam no longer had ultimate authority over Andrea. The mate’s hierarchy overrode the pride leader’s and the clan leader’s, even the Shiftertown leader’s. If Liam ever decided he needed to attack Andrea for some reason, he’d have to go through Sean first. The protection of the mate was a male Shifter’s ultimate concern, and by the way Sean looked at Liam, he was going to protect her to the death. Instead of annoying her, Andrea felt a burning joy inside her at his need to protect, to cherish. The mate bond was a crazy thing.

“My Collar?” Andrea said. She lifted her hair out of the way, as though expecting Sean or Liam to snap it back on as they would a necklace.

Liam closed his hand around the Collar. “I’m keeping this one. You can wear this.” He pulled a chain out of a drawer that looked exactly like a Shifter Collar. Andrea could tell the difference when she took it from Liam’s hand—the slight touch of Fae magic that ran through all Collars was absent.

Andrea raised her brows at it. “Nice.”

“I’m not risking putting the real one back on you,” Liam said. “The fusing process will be bad, and as I said, we can’t take a chance that your first one simply didn’t activate right. This one will pass for a Collar except under close examination. And I know your wild mate here will never let anyone close enough to examine you.”

Sean clicked the fake Collar around Andrea’s throat. The Collar looked real, and Andrea winced only because it rubbed her abraded neck. But Shifters healed quickly, especially Andrea with her healing gift, and soon no one would be able to tell that the first Collar had been removed. Looking at Sean, Andrea knew Liam was right that Sean wouldn’t let anyone else come close enough to check.

“Go on then,” Liam said as Sean helped Andrea down from the stool. “Call if you need backup.”

They went, Sean with his sword strapped to his back, his hand in Andrea’s.

When they reached Wade Sawyer’s house two blocks east and four south, Andrea recognized the scent of the second male Lupine inside even before Sean knocked on the door.

Sean did as well. He growled, but he rubbed between her shoulder blades, his voice reassuring. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll see what they’re up to. You’re safe with me.”

Wade’s mate answered the door. She gave Andrea a worried look but said nothing, only ushered them inside. Sean entered the living room first and remained in front of Andrea as the second Lupine rose to join Wade on his feet.

“You remember Jared Barnett,” Wade said.

Jared looked the same: dark hair, blue eyes, slouch to his overly muscular shoulders. Andrea realized something new, though, as his scent curled inside her nostrils—Jared was a weak Lupine who’d been given precedence in the hierarchy by the power of his father. Jared hadn’t been strong, just protected by his sire.

Back in Colorado, the sight of Jared had triggered Andrea’s fight-or-flight reaction—dismay, fear, the need to be anywhere but near him. And now, nothing. Andrea felt no desire to run. Jared no longer had importance in her world. Sean had given her this gift. He’d set her free.

“What do you want?” she asked Jared.

“Be nice to me, Andrea,” Jared said. “And I might be nice to you later.”

Andrea rolled her eyes. Sean’s low, wild-sounding snarl made the color drain from Jared’s face, but Jared tried to pretend he didn’t hear. Idiot.