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wondered what was really going on here. If this was some kind of prank, it was an elaborate one. And she could think of no reason for it.
    She counted four car doors slamming shut and then heard a lot of heavy footsteps on the porch. Aiden’s hushed voice telling them who-knew-what about her. Maybe she was being punked or conned. Or initiated into some weird cult. Maybe he had drugged her at the diner and ambushed her on the only road out of town.
    Except he couldn’t have known where she’d park to dial the sheriff. And it also didn’t explain why the sheriff hadn’t even blinked at the sword. Or why Aiden carried around a sword real and sharp enough to decapitate something. The sheriff might have been in on it, and the dispatcher, the people at the diner…or she might actually be crazy. Again, it worried her how reassuring the crazy option felt.
    Fen barely glanced at her on his way into the kitchen. Two women followed behind him, twins by the look of it—raven haired as Fen but with paler skin and startling dark eyes. One of them had dyed the tips of her hair purple, maybe so people could tell them apart. They both eyed her curiously and Aiden introduced them as Elin and Rane Hamlin. Rane, the one with purple tips, smiled as she sat on the couch.
    Taking the other chair, Elin gave Grace a welcoming smile. “Nice to have another girl join the party.”
    Rane looked her up and down, not seeming particularly impressed. “Let’s not be hasty. We don’t even know what she can do yet.”
    Elin transferred her smile to a newcomer, a man who was taller than Aiden by a good six inches, thinner too. Aiden didn’t have an ounce of fat on him, but his shoulders were broad and there was a sense of sturdy dependability to him. This man, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, was built along lean, elegant lines. His blond, wavy hair was carefully combed and gelled.
    “This is Christian,” Aiden said, crossing to stand beside her chair.
    Christian nodded politely and sat down next to Elin, who looked as if she wanted to climb into his lap. He stretched an arm out behind her and crossed his legs at the ankle. “Fen,” he called out. “While you’re in there, bring me a glass of water. A clean glass this time. With ice. And you might want to get our Gracie a shot of whisky. She looks like she might need it.”
    Aiden put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. Christian met her gaze, amused. “So is it true you followed Maia here or are we wasting our time?”
    Even Fen paused in the doorway, balancing glasses, waiting for her response. She took a deep breath. “Look. I don’t know what’s going on here but I don’t want any part of it. I’ll call the rental company about the accident and—”
    “Tell them that you accidently ran over a fire demon?” Fen started forward again, handing Christian his glass of water and sitting down on the floor at Elin’s feet. He grinned and slid the shot glass down the coffee table. “Twice?”
    “It was a wolf.” She knew damn well it hadn’t been but was fully prepared to lie her ass off if it got her home in one piece. Curiosity and shock had given them a chance to lead her meekly back to Aiden’s home but she was starting to regain her equilibrium and it seemed best to stuff her questions for now and make a break for it. She would help Aiden find his daughter, but it would be on her own terms.
    “You know it wasn’t a wolf,” Aiden said gently. “No one here will hurt you, Grace. We just need to get to the bottom of this. We need to know how you did it. For Maia’s sake and, believe it or not, for your sake too.”
    She twisted around to look up at him. “For my sake? I’m not stupid. Don’t try to pretend this is about keeping me safe. I decide what risks I’m willing to take.”
    He held up a hand. “Grace…”
    “Did you drug me?”
    A muscle in his jaw clenched. “No.”
    “Do you plan to hold me here against my will?”
    He crouched next to