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I stared at him, blinking. "Holy water."

"Yep. For the vampire zombie."

"Revenant," Phoenix corrected.

"And yes. I asked Esther if there were any protections against silver-skins. She gave me these," Danny said.

I sniffed the vial cautiously. It didn't smell like water—there was something sharp and herbal about it. "This isn't holy water," I said doubtfully, but honestly, how would I even know?

"Well, no," Danny admitted. "I’m good, but not even I can get my hands on some of that. But it is a mixture of herbs and stuff that's toxic to silver-skins. Esther said it won't kill the revenant, but it might slow it down if you break it on its skin."

I was touched by his concern, even as I tried not to smile at his enthusiasm. "Thank you," I said, slipping the cord over my head. "I'll make sure Eric and Shiloh get theirs." Danny patted his chest.

"We've got one too."

Phoenix glanced at his watch, then at Rhys and Ben. "We should get moving. The other teams are already in position."

Rhys stood. “I think I should come with you.”

"Absolutely not!” Em and I said at the same time. Rhys opened his mouth to object, but Phoenix laid a hand on his shoulder. “I need you to protect Em, Danny, and the kids. You’re the only one who can sense if it gets near.”

I knew what Phoenix was doing and so did Danny, as he had the sense—for once—not to declare his independence.

“We both will,” Ben said, standing up, and Phoenix shot him a grateful glance.

Danny tilted his head back to look up at me. "Be careful."

Instead of answering, I kissed him, pouring everything I couldn't say into it. When we broke apart, his cheeks were flushed, and I could smell the subtle shift in his scent that indicated his arousal.

"That's cheating," he accused breathlessly.

"Just giving you something to look forward to when I get back," I replied with a grin.

Phoenix cleared his throat from the doorway. "Time to go."

With one last quick kiss, I forced myself to let go of Danny and join Phoenix. We left the house together, meeting Eric, Tobias, and Shiloh at the edge of the clearing. Eric, a bear shifter nearly as large as me but with sandy coloring, nodded in greeting. Shiloh, a lean wolf with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense attitude, was already scanning the tree line. Tobias was a bear. Young, but determined.

"The other teams are in position," Shiloh reported. "Two at the university, one at the trailer park, two more covering the town center."

"And the silver-skins?" I asked.

"They should be here in minutes," Phoenix replied. "One with each major team."

I didn't like it, but I understood the necessity. "Let's move out."

We headed toward our assigned area—the stretch of road between the university and downtown where two of the bodies had been found. The night was clear and cold, the moon nearly full overhead, casting enough light for even Danny to have seen by.

"You've mated," Eric observed as we moved through the trees parallel to the road.

I glanced at him, surprised.

“It’s a little obvious. The scent, obviously.” I kept my face expressionless, even though Eric’s comment was borderline insulting. Shifters always knew what other shifters were up to by scent, but basic politeness and decency usually kept them from commenting.

I wasn't sure how to respond. Eric was of my father's generation, and I knew he still harbored doubts about my leadership. The fact that I'd mated a human—or someone we'd thought was a human—would only fuel those doubts.

"He's good for me," I said simply, not that I had to justify my actions.

Eric grunted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Your father always said—"