And there was no doubt in his mind who had made that call.

"Damn you!" Vane snarled out into the darkness, knowing his father couldn't hear him. But he needed to vent anyway.

"What did I do to you?" Fang asked indignantly. "Besides getting you killed, anyway."

"Not you," Vane said as he struggled to get his other leg up enough so that he could free his hands.

Something leaped up from the swamp into the tree above him.

Vane twisted his body to see the tall, thin Daimon standing just above, looking down at him with an amused gleam in his hungry eyes.

Dressed all in black, the blond Daimon clucked his tongue at him. "You should be happy to see us, wolf. After all, we only want to free you."

"Go to hell!" Vane snarled.

The Daimon laughed.

Fang howled.

Vane looked to see a group of ten Daimons pulling Fang down from the tree. Dammit! His brother was a wolf. He didn't know how to fight them in human form without his magical powers, which he couldn't use so long as Fang wore his collar.

Infuriated, Vane kicked his legs up. The limb broke instantly, sending him straight into the stagnant water below.

Vane held his breath as the putrid, slimy taste of it invaded his head. He tried to kick himself to the surface, but couldn't.

Not that it mattered. Someone grabbed him by the hair and pulled him to the surface.

As soon as his head was above the water, a Daimon sank his fangs into Vane's bare shoulder. Growling in rage, Vane elbowed the Daimon in the ribs and used his own teeth to return the bite.

The Daimon shrieked and released him.

"This one has fight," a female said as she made her way toward him. "He'll be worth more sustenance than the other."