A/N-Wow, over 1000 views on this story. I love it and I'm so glad you like it. I have some tests being run tomorrow and then a very long doctors visit Monday, both out of town. So as a special treat I am posting early to both of my stories. I freely admit to being a review slut, I love to hear what you like about the stories and everything. It helps me write better and as always please read, enjoy and review.

Unfaer Advantage

The knife at his throat was gratifying to Mikhail, a little sad, but gratifying. As he stepped across the threshold of the dilapidated building Kenzi, called home. The girl moved so fast he barely saw it. "Very nice," said the sifter. "I'm glad to see your survival instinct still serves you well. "I was not sure it would."

"Cut the bull buddy! Who are you? What are you? How do you know Annie? Why are you here? If this is about Bo…" the human had to take a breath or he doubted he would have gotten a word in edgewise before she skewered him. Recognizing something in her tone Mikhail interrupted quickly yet calmly. "Not everything is about your Bo cub. My name is Mikhail, I never lied to you. I just did not tell you the whole story. I will do this now if you think you can hold off killing me for that long?"

Kenzi studied him intently for a moment. He regretted that it took her that long before she lowered the knife. She backed away, rather than turning her back on him and he winced slightly. He found he was a wellspring of regrets, returning this doubt to her being one of the many. He indicated the living room area, leading the way after Kenzi nodded her head. He sat on the couch as she continued to stand. "As I said my name is Mikhail. I am fae, a shifter. I did not deceive you. I did not intend to meet you or anyone else. Then you were kind to me. You spoke to me in the mother tongue. You brought me food . You offered me shelter and comfort when I had none for ages." He folded his , placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward as he continued, "I am old Kenzi, very old. Oldest of my kind left alive. So old, I have never had a last name. My family, my pack as they were are long dead. The Morrigan took me prisoner some time ago. I have something she wants, and as you can imagine, I have known neither kindness nor comfort as her guest."

"So why didn't she just torture you to get it?" Kenzi asked and he noticed she had lowered the blade but was still tense as if expecting another attack. He hadn't intended it to happen but that's how she was reacting to the revelation, as an attack. He shook his head to order his thoughts before continuing, "What she wants can't be taken or coerced. It must be freely given."

"You're being very vague and mysterious and fae-like. What is it she wants?" said Kenzi, still suspicious but curious enough to want to hear more of the story.

"For a long time after my pack died I acted as a lone wolf. Until it seems I was nearly forgotten. Unfortunately, not everyone did forget. The Morrigan didn't because she wants my power, my regalia, in the hopes of gaining my rule and all that comes with it."

"Regalia?" Kenzi asked in a confused tone, "Your clothes?"

"No child," he said gently. "Regalia in this sense, it means…" and now he paused thinking "Crown jewels." He nodded to himself and continued, "The Crown Jewels of the Shifters, not just the wolves but all of the shifters. She wants to rule all of the shifters."

Xxxxxxxxx

Hale tried repeatedly to call both Dyson and Kenzi as he headed to the wolf's loft. Neither of his friends picked up their phones, and both went directly to their voicemail. He pounds on Dysons door as soon as he gets to his partners apartment. Dyson grouchily answers the door and has obviously been working out. Hale yells about the phone being left off but then focuses and explains what Trick had told him.

"The Morrigan found out about Kenzi being the one to turn in the evidence against her and has sent dark fae after her." Dyson grabs his phone to try and call Kenzi, but its dead. He tosses it back towards the bed, as he shoves Hale back out the door. He shifts and runs towards Kenzi and Bo's place with Hale right behind him in his car.

XXXXXXXXX

Kenzi still wasn't sure she understood what Mikhail was telling her. "Crown Jewels?" she asked incredulously, "As in Royal Family? So what are you the Princes of Wolves or Shifters?"

"Both." Said Mikhail easily, "And not prince, king."

"And the Morribitch wants to be the Alpha? Isn't she missing a few parts for that? I mean don't get me wrong she does have the bitch part down pat, but don't you have to be male, to be Alpha male or is she like planning to be…EEW tell me you can't do that. Fae can't like change…that…Can they…like spontaneously?"

Mikhail seemed simultaneously disturbed and amused by the train of thought, but merely waved it off. "No little czarina, I mean yes. I believe there are certain species that can do that., but Alphas can be female. It is unusual but not unheard of. A strong will, a certain amount of skill, a well-developed instinct for survival, loyalty, strength and intelligence are pretty much all you need to make a good Alpha."

Before he could say anymore they were suddenly surrounded by the Morrigan's underlings. The weapons bag was by the door unfortunately and the fae were between Kenzi and the bag. Mikhail partially changed and Kenzi was momentarily distracted as the shifter actually grew a little larger and his fingers lengthened into claws. She tucked and rolled out of the way of one of the bad guys swiping swings. She came up behind and to the side of the minion and rammed the dagger she still held in her hand up under his rib cage. Using the bone there as leverage she sliced in and down with the blade before pulling back out. The fae let out a horrible shriek and fell to the side. Kenzi turned and saw a flash of silver go by her face as one of the fae apparently threw a knife at her and apparently missed. "Kenzi!" a growling voice called, she looked towards Mikhailwho was holding his own with the other two armed fae. The shifter was holding a very nice looking sword in his hand which he tossed to her.

Quickly flipping the dagger to her weaker hand, Kenzi caught the hilt of the sword in her dominant hand just as one of the other fae lunged at her. She snapped her wrist up, bringing the blade up into the path of the attacking fae, while parrying a downward stroke by his sword wielding partner, Kenzi barely had time to brace before the two pronged attack hit. Her small frame was stunned by the force of the larger fae's momentum as he ran full into the sword, impaling himself onto it. The fae that lunged at her gave a small grunt before falling to the floor, taking her sword and sword arm, down with him. Then she felt a tearing, grinding pain in her side and gave a sharp cry of pain. Kenzi didn't look down, yanking the sword out from under the dying fae instead. Pulling around and forward, hissing as the blade inside of her moved with her movement. She fought light headedness as she swung Mikhail's as she swung Mikhail's sword toward her opponents neck not really expecting the sword to cut clean through. She didn't even register shock over the successful blow as she turned back to Mikhail, she felt as though her stomach had dropped several inches lower in her body at the movement.

Kenzi saw the fae with two daggers moving up behind the shifter. Switching hands once again so that the dagger was now in her dominant hand, she gave no warning as she threw the knife at the would-be asstassin. Kenzi had been practicing the move with Mikhail's careful instruction ever since she had mentioned the trouble she had had when she had tried it before. The blade slid home beneath the faes arm as he raised it. He stared down in shock at the hilt protruding from the side of his chest.

As Mikhail turned to face him the fae fell to his knees and the to his side. Mikhail turned to see Kenzi take a step towards him. She let out a gasp and planted the sword point in the floor, holding the sword hilt in both hands as she lowered herself to the floor. Mikhail rushed to her side saying, "Kenzi what have you done?" catching her under the shoulders while trying not to jar her. "You were supposed to use the sword to fight your way out while I took on this rabble."

"And deprive you of the great and powerful Kenzi? Not how I roll! Besides," the girl said fighting to stay upright, "the last wolf I left to do that nearly died…not gonna let that happen again." She said as her voice trailed off weakly. Mikhail looked down at the wound, blood trickled sluggishly around the blade. He knew the blade was serving to slow the blood but once it was removed Kenzi would bleed to death before human doctors could save her.

She was unconscious, on her knees, her hand still gripping the hilt of the sword. 'No, Kenzi was a fighter, a survivor, she deserved more than life had given her.' Taking the sword from her hand, while still supporting her body, the shifter willed the blade back to its dormant shape, then tossed the chain attached to the hilt over his head. Being very careful not to jostle the human or the blade in her side, Mikhail lifted the young woman in his arms. Carrying her easily out of the building, the shifter kept to the shadows, dusk had fallen and night was settling in. As soon as he was out of the main part if the city Mikhail began to run.

Hi burden was no hindrance, the path to his destination so ingrained he didn't have to think about it. His mind free to think, plan, and observe Mikhail studied Kenzi. Her skin was even paler than usual under the makeup she wore, her lips, almost white. She was breathing shallowly, but still breathing, there was a flutter in her heartbeat that hadn't been there before, bu her heart was still beating.

As he ran Mikhail thought back over his short acquaintance wit the little czarina, Mikhail's lips quirked, and yes czarina indeed. Though she liked to denigrate herself, Kenzi was opinionated but was still willing to listen to others. Her bravery, loyalty, and skill were obvious tonight. Although Kenzi had not really talked a lot about her past Mikhail had sensed an inner core of steel and a highly developed instinct for survival. So why hadn't she run? Mikhail imagined those last words were the reason. "Last wolf I left…nearly died, not going to let that happen again." The claim mark he had seen obviously Kenzi did belong to someone, but then where were they? Other than the ever absent Bo and the fae at the Dal Riata and himself of course Kenzi hadn't come in contact with any fae except casually of course. Then a memory clicked, Dyson, the cop. When Kenzi had come out of the police station she had been so angry it had affected her scent, but now he recalled the faintest hint of fae, of shifter, her wplf? If that was so, the claim wasn't being protected, or even observed as far as he could tell.

Part of the reason he had cleared the refuse from the neighborhood, was so he could more easily detect comings and goings, he had not detected another fae, especially not a shifter in the neighborhood since Bo had moved out to be with her new lover. He took a few seconds to mentally berate the shifter for not protecting the tiny woman slowly dying in his arms. Then he took a few more to berate himself, he should have detected the underfae before they had even gotten into the house, but he had been too involved in the conversation with his cub to…

The thought made him falter, and stumble jostling the wounded woman who moaned in pain, "Almost there cub, hold on. Hold on just a little longer." He said softly as his steps slowed. Ahead of him a rock jutted out of a cliff face, mindful of his burden he leaped up and moved along that stone to the concealed entrance to a cavern. His bi-colored eyes turned amber as he carried the young girl into the darkened cavern. He placed her on the bedding that had been arranged on a rock shelf. Mikhail bothering neither with fire or torch went to a pack in the corner and drew out a large first aid kit and a cloth wrapped bundle. Studying the bundle he took a moment to consider what he was about to try. Ennoi's gift had never been tried on a human before only other fae. A moan from the make shift bed had him moving again.

Xxxxxxxxx

Dyson ran up the stairs to the Clubhouse, not waiting for Hale or stopping to shift back to his human form. The Siren jumped out of the car and ran after his partner. He found the shifter kneeling next to a disturbingly large pool of blood, an animalistic keening coming from Dyson as he rocked back and forth on his knees. Around him were several dark fae warriors armed to the teeth, all dead. Two had bite wounds, one of those had his throat ripped out. The others had knife or blade wounds. Kenzi had help, but the fae had been defeated, so where was Kenzi. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he moved back to Dyson's side, circumventing the puddle of blood, Hale gripped his partner's shoulder and asked with trepidation, "Is it her's?"

The wolf pulled himself together and nodded his head, "Too much Hale, too much." Hale processed everything quickly in his head and said, "The other shifter, he was here and he helped her. He took her right? Do you think he might have taken her to the hospital? Can you track tem?" The wolf nodded again and leaping to his feet ran out fo the building. Hale followed his friend, knowing he'd never keep up with Dyson, but he tried. By the time he got to the end of the street, his naked partner was lifting his face to scent the air. Hale heard a soft growl just before Dyson shifted and was gone in a flash of silvery fur. Accepting the fact that he wasn't going to catch up to a wolf on the hunt. Hale huffed in frustration and started to walk back to his car. Pulling out his phone to call the cleaners, a sudden clap of thunder had him increase his pace as he looked up at the darkened sky. His instructions to the cleaners were succinct. As he tried to contact Bo, the Siren climbed back into his car. The call went directly to voicemail. He disconnected and considered calling Trick, as the storm broke and the sky opened up, dumping its contents on the surrounding area.