Chapter One

Mother Nature never intended for vamps and Weres to live in peace. And she sure the hell never intended them to enjoy the sort of you're-my-bestest-pal bromances that were the current flavor of the month among humans. A damned good thing considering that just being in the same territory tended to send the two predatory species into a homicidal rage.

But the looming end of the world truly did make for strange bedfellows, and with the potential return of the Dark Lord from the hell dimension where he'd been banished centuries ago, both the Anasso of the Vampires and the King of the Werewolves had little option but to try and work together.

Well, the phrase "work together" might be a generous description of their uneasy truce, Styx acknowledged, leaning his six-foot-five frame against the walnut desk in his fellow vampire Santiago's office. Dressed in his usual assortment of black leather pants, shit-kicker boots, and silk shirt that stretched over his massive shoulders, he looked exactly what he was: the badass leader of the vampire clans. But it was the grim power etched into the Aztec beauty of his face and the ruthless intelligence in his dark eyes that made wise demons shudder in fear. Styx was more than an oversized bully. He was cunning and patient and capable of compromise when necessary.

Which was the only reason he was standing in the same room with a damned dog.

The tiny turquoise ornaments threaded through the braid that hung nearly to the back of his knees tinkled as he gave a rueful s