Away from the lights of the cottage, darkness closed in, and it took a moment for his vision to become accustomed to the lack of light.The wind had picked up, whistling over the piles of rocks to his left, the mournful wail somehow familiar.For an instant, he pushed, trying to follow the wisps of shadows, then he sighed and redirected his thoughts.
Sienna jumped straight into them.She wasn’t a safe topic either, since she didn’t behave like a lover.Perhaps heshouldask questions.
“You talk funny,” Jamie said.
“I’m not from here.”Trying to recall where only made his head thump.Sienna had told him Australia, but that struck a jarring note.Now, random images and slivers of knowledge jumbled together, leaving him unsure what was real and what was imagination.
“Where then?”
“Australia.”The discordant bounce struck again, this time like a sharp dart that made him flinch.It was as if his brain was warning him not to confront the truth.Had he done something so heinous his mind couldn’t cope?Did Sienna know, and that was why she was so jumpy around him?They were mates, yet they didn’t touch.They shared a bed but did nothing but sleep.This wasn’t the bond he wanted with a mate.
“That’s far away,” Jamie said, with a touch of awe.“They have kangaroos.And wombats.I watch wombat videos on social media.”
“Yeah.”A kangaroo, then a wombat came to mind, but neither sparked any sense of familiarity.“Tell me about the village.Is it a good place to live?”
“It’s okay.”
“People aren’t nice to the Teagues.”
“No, they want them gone.My mum said they gave away their market stall to mess with them.Everyone knows that’s how they make a living.”
Liam stopped walking, appalled at the locals’ cruelty.
Jamie glanced back.“I don’t think the same.T-that’s why I sneaked out to warn them about the hunters.None of the other shifters care if something happens to the Teagues.”
And they’d told their kids tall tales to scare them away.
“What about the guy who sells lemonade?”Liam asked.
“He’s a human married to a shifter.The councilor’s daughter.”
Liam laughed because Tony hadn’t complained after selling out and making more than he’d expected.
“This is my house,” Jamie said.
Liam stopped beside the teen.It was like the Teagues’ cottage but larger.The yard wasn’t as tidy, yet these people and the other town residents judged the Teague family.One window gleamed with light while the rest of the residence lay in darkness.
“Can you sneak inside the way you left?”Liam asked in an undertone.
“As long as my brother hasn’t arrived home.”
Liam nodded.“Take care.We went for a run earlier and spotted someone we thought might be watching us.”
Jamie stared, his mouth parting a fraction.
“Now we know to take extra precautions, so thank you.Your visit answered some of our questions.”
With a quick nod, Jamie slipped into the shadows and disappeared.Liam watched for about five minutes before returning home.Once he hit the main path, he increased his pace.He’d hate any of the Teagues to come looking for him and place themselves in danger.Hunters in the area were troubling, especially since the Teague men couldn’t easily hide.
Given what Jamie had said about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering, would a local shifter have arranged for hunters to base themselves in Stoneford?No, if they’d done that, they would’ve directed them straight to the Teagues.Heck, Liam didn’t know.
Hedrek’s shoulders lost their tension when Liam walked in the door.
“You’ve returned,” Sienna said and hugged him hard.
Tamsin drew him into the kitchen, with the boys and Hedrek trailing behind.They took their seats with determined expressions, though a quiet air of resignation clung to them.
“Why do you stay here when the locals are so horrid?”Liam asked, the words bursting from him.
