VISIONS OF HEAT

“What do you think, Vaughn?”


He nodded in agreement. Julian looked at him like he was a traitor and Roman tried to hide behind a tree. Laughing, Sascha picked Roman up by the scruff of his neck and kissed his furry face. Julian ran over and started growling for attention. As she scooped him up, Sascha nodded at Vaughn. “Thanks for finding the Terrible Twosome. I swear, I turn my back for a second and they’re gone.”

He made a deep, throaty sound to let her know that was alright.

“I’m working with Zara on a revised plan for one of the new houses in the complex,” she told him, referring to their outside-Pack design consultant. “Apparently the wolves aren’t happy.” When he snarled, she smiled. “Yes, I know. Damn wolves. You’re as bad as each other, not one of you ready to fully embrace the new treaty.”

Julian and Roman wiggled in her arms and she looked down. “Okay, okay. We’re going into town to meet Lucas and Nate.” At the mention of Nate, their father, the cubs got excited. “I’ve got clothes for you two little beasties in the car.”

As Vaughn was about to turn to leave, Sascha said, “How is she?”

He shook his head. Faith was nowhere near where he needed her to be. And he wasn’t comfortable with admitting he needed anyone that deeply.





Faith had just produced a lucrative forecast for FireFly Industries when her comm console chimed. She used her remote to flick it on, but the call was cut off before she could speak. Shrugging, she put it down to an incorrect code and got off the chair. “I’m going for a walk,” she said to the M-Psy on this shift. “Tell the patrols not to approach me.” It was the same request she made after every time she had a particularly strong forecast. Her Psy senses always seemed to function at a higher level following such visions. She ended up hearing everything around her, including chatter from the guards’ supposedly shielded minds.

However, today she felt none of the usual hypersensitivity, was in fact in total control in spite of what had happened the previous night. And she wanted privacy to think about why that might be. Deciding that her simple ankle-length dress would do, she stepped out into the cool afternoon air.

She couldn’t see the guards, but knew they were there. Not that they were apparently much good—Vaughn was slipping in and out without problem. And she didn’t mind in the least. Last night she’d accepted that she felt fear at the murderous rage of the dark visions. Today, she permitted herself to admit that she liked Vaughn, liked his wildness and even his danger. But any stronger emotion continued to be beyond her reach.

Nobody in the changeling world could understand what it was like to spend a lifetime without emotion and then suddenly be invaded by it on all sides. The darkness had brought menace and evil, psychopathic lust and sadistic need into her life. She might’ve buckled under the weight had Vaughn not brought pleasure, desire, and playfulness. He wasn’t an easy male to deal with, but that was part of what made him so incredibly fascinating. Last night she’d come face-to-face with the animal who lived so close to the surface of his humanity and— “Faith NightStar.”

She stared at the slender, almost delicate brunette who’d appeared from the shadows of a dark-green fir. No one should’ve been in these grounds but her and her guards. “Who are you?”

A cold smile that did nothing to light up those pale blue eyes. “Interesting. You’re so isolated that though you’ve done considerable work for us, you’re unaware of my identity.”

Memory flickered at the sound of that voice. “Shoshanna Scott.” A member of the Psy Council and its beautiful and photogenic public face.

“I apologize for intruding on your privacy, but I didn’t want this conversation recorded.”

“You called earlier,” Faith said, knowing with the sense in her that knew these things. She also knew she was in the presence of someone very dangerous, a woman who might strike without warning and with none of the control of the “animal” she’d faced only hours ago.

“Yes. We were checking the monitoring. It’s extensive.”

Faith waited for whatever it was that the Council wanted from her. Their requests had always been conveyed through the PsyClan, but perhaps this was a forecast they wanted to keep completely under the radar.

“Your accuracy is impressive, Faith.”

“Thank you.”

“Shall we walk?”

“If you please.” She knew how to speak to the Council—she might’ve been isolated, but she wasn’t stupid. “Was there something you wanted me to try to forecast?” Try, because forecasting didn’t work on command. But if Vaughn was right, she might be able to teach her mind to control the timing of the visions that did come. It was a seductive thought.