I step out into the less oppressive cold of the Bigcour forest, my shoulders sagging momentarily. With the incessant nagging of the Void Beast gone now that I was in Arequar, I feel like I can breathe.

The ether shudders signaling the arrival of Myles and Zion, who had been marveling at my joke the rest of the way to the gate. Now that they are back in a world with more to smell than just their counterparts, they fall silent save for a deep inhale.

“That way,” Zion points to my right and into the trees. “Humans. Lots of them.”

“Anything else?” I ask.

“Fried foods,” Myles says. “And…screaming?”

“Goddammit,” Zion swears and steps ahead only to swing back around to crane her neck up to look me in the eye. “A carnival?”

“Close. Circus.”

“Semantics,” she points a black clawed finger right at my nose. “You should have told us this was going to be a shit show, Ward. How are we supposed to scent out one Witch among hundreds of rank ass Humans?”

“Yeah, man,” the frown in Myles’ voice is evident. “Not cool.”

“Neither of you think you can do it. I’m impressed by your honesty. I’ll be sure to write down ‘lack of faith in capabilities, but honest’ on your severance papers.”

“I never said—”

“I don’t know about dim-wit over there, but I know I can.” Zion snarls at me unphased by the fact I’m her superior, and her lover. I appreciate that about her, as much as I must publicly chastise her for it—she wears her heart on her sleeve.

Something I am far too terrified to do.

“Myles—find me my Witch.” I don’t even look his way. I’m too focused on the fierce little Werewolf before me. “She’s pregnant. If you manage to go unnoticed, keep an ear out. Her name is Tereza Miller. We’ll be right behind you.”

I don’t hear him leave even with my heightened senses; I can just feel his presence disappear. Not even ten seconds pass and Zion is pulling my tie from my suit vest to use it to bring me to her level.

“Yes?” I ask as soon as we’re nose to nose. “Care to file a complaint?”

“I got your complaint right here,” Zion’s breathy voice pairs well with her lust-glazed stare that I only catch a brief glimpse of before her lips crash against mine.

It would be easy to get lost in her. If there was anything you could say about my partner, it was that she is passionate to a fault. Our time together is always fantastic, but when one of us finally cracks and drags the other off to bed, I find that’s when we’re at our best.

I want that. It’s been near a week since I’ve felt her smooth skin under my hands, but just as she’s passionate, I’m a work-a-holic and I refuse to let a bounty slip by because I decided to fuck my secret girlfriend in the woods.

 “Tonight,” comes my quiet promise after I pull away from her just enough to rest my forehead against hers. Panting slightly, Zion nods and lets me go so I can put my tie back into place.

“Casualties?” She asks, fingers cracking from underneath her fingerless tactical gloves.

“Go wild.”