Perseus stared through the windshield. His knee bounced as if it had a mind of its own, but Perseus didn’t try to stop it. His brother would have complained about it, but Orion wasn’t in the van to tell Perseus that everything would be all right and that he needed to relax.

Perseus swallowed. He had to get this right. He couldn’t afford not to.

He couldn’t lose his brother.

He’d kidnapped people dozens of times, if not more, but no matter how many times he reminded himself of that, the doubts were still there. His brother’s life was in his hands, and if he didn’t manage to get this guy to Orion, Orion would die. Perseus had never been without his brother, and he had no intention of starting now. He would make sure Orion was safe and healthy, even if it was the last thing he did. He wouldn’t hesitate to die for his brother.

As long as Orion was all right, Perseus didn’t care what he had to sacrifice.

He knew where the guy he was looking for lived. He’d been watching him for the past few days, waiting for the right time to grab him. He hated it, but he didn’t have a choice and didn’t care what this guy thought of him.

Perseus snorted and hit the back of his head against his seat. He was sure he would care once all of this was over. He didn’t want to do any of this. He didn’t want to be like his father. He wouldn’t be doing this if Orion didn’t need him, but his brother had always been his priority, and that would never change. If Perseus had to kidnap someone to help Orion, he would.

Which was why he was here. He didn’t know if what he’d heard about this guy was true, but he hoped it was, because he didn’t want this to be for nothing. He’d been told that Leon had the power to heal things that even Nix couldn’t. That was why he needed him.

He was watching the street where Leon lived, but it wasn’t easy from the grocery store parking lot. He’d considered parking closer, but he was afraid someone would notice him, and he couldn’t afford that. It made it awkward, but thankfully, he wouldn’t have to do this for long. He needed to get Leon to Orion today. He wouldn’t allow his brother to be in pain longer than he’d already been.

Perseus kept an eye on the grocery store in case someone noticed him. He blinked when he saw a man coming out of it. It took him a second to realize it was the guy he was looking for. He knew a bit about Leon and hoped that the power of healing was the only power he had. Perseus was human, so it wouldn’t take much for a shifter to get rid of him.

He watched as Leon crossed the parking lot, coming closer to the van. He was headed toward his house, and he was alone. It was the first time he didn’t have anyone with him, which was why Perseus hadn’t managed to get him sooner. This was his last chance, and he couldn’t waste it.

He scrambled to get into the back of the van and opened the side door as quietly as he could. Since he’d been planning this, he’d made sure everything was in place. He knew what to do, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. His palms were suddenly sweaty, so he dried them on his jeans. He briefly considered putting something over his face to make sure Leon wouldn’t see it, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to breathe. Besides, he was going to show Leon his face anyway. He didn’t have a plan for what he’d do once all of this was over, but right now, that didn’t matter.

Only Orion did.

Leon didn’t even glance at the van. He walked past it, clearly not expecting anything to happen. Perseus sucked in a breath and grabbed him. He made sure to cover Leon’s mouth so he wouldn’t scream as he dragged him into the van. Unfortunately, Leon tried to fight, and Perseus couldn’t afford to waste time. He didn’t want to hurt him, but he felt he didn’t have a choice when he punched Leon on the side of the head.

Leon stumbled back, and Perseus took advantage of his moment of weakness. He pulled him deeper into the van and slammed the door shut, then quickly pushed Leon down and got to work, tying him up. He didn’t like that he’d hit the guy, but at least now Leon was too dazed to do anything about this. Perseus was even able to cover his head, and Leon still didn’t say anything.

Perseus had to be quick, so after making sure Leon wasn’t going anywhere, he scrambled back into the driver’s seat. He turned the engine on and forced himself to drive as normally as he could as he left the parking lot. He didn’t breathe easier until they were out of town. Perseus had moved Orion close enough that he could get to town quickly in case Orion needed something, but it was still a bit of a drive.

Leon was silent for a long time, so much that Perseus worried he’d hit him too hard. He never intended to hurt Leon. He just needed someone to help his brother.

Thankfully, after a while, he heard Leon move around in the back of the van. He was tied up, so he wouldn’t be going anywhere, but Perseus kept an eye on him through the rearview mirror.

Leon cleared his throat. Perseus tensed as he waited for the man to speak. He could too easily imagine what Leon was about to say.

“Hey,” Leon said. “What’s going on? Why did you take me?”