His foot hit something that shouldn’t be there. It almost felt like…land? Kicking even harder, his toes scraped against rocks. When had he lost his shoes? He had no idea. But after another few seconds, he was standing.
All around him, the water receded, leaving a path of rocks and sand that led to the beach. The waves grew angrier the longer he stood, afraid to move, as if they were railing against invisible walls keeping them away.
Move.
The voice was his own, even though he hadn’t spoken. One step. Two. Three. And then, with the surfer slung over his shoulder, Eli started to run and didn’t stop until he was at least ten meters from the high water line. His strength gave out, and he collapsed onto the sand.
The waves, suddenly set free, rushed into shore, but somehow, Eli knew they’d never reach him. A cough, the surfer forcing the water from his lungs, drew his focus, and he slapped the kid on the back a few times, hoping that was what one was supposed to do for someone who’d almost drowned.
“What…what happened?” the kid asked, his wide eyes bloodshot as he stared out into the quickly darkening waters.
“I have no fucking clue.”
Chapter One
Farren
Tea in hand, she trudged out to the back porch. Barely dawn, but this was the time of day she loved most. When everything was quiet and fresh and new. No fussing from Tierney or Ewan—the only two members of her pack she had left. No moans of pleasure coming from upstairs where Liam and Caitlin were still enjoying the first passionate months of their mating. No retching from Mara, Cade’s elemental mate, who was now—they estimated—more than four months pregnant.
The morning mists let her pretend she hadn’t lost everything. Hadn’t gotten two—if not three—members of her pack killed. For all she knew Abagail was still alive somewhere, but the young female wolf hadn’t contacted her since disappearing weeks ago.
Out here, she could forget that she’d almost lost Liam—the man who was like a brother to her—or that she hadn’t helpedkillan earth elemental who’d come after them, torturing her, leaving her with a scar that a dozen shifts couldn’t heal.
The waxing moon sank below the horizon, and the intense pull to shift, to run, to let her wolf free started to abate.
At the tree line, the bushes rustled, and a moment later, Tierney’s dark brown wolf padded across the expanse of lawn. Dropping down next to Farren’s chair, he whined as his bones started to pop and crack, his fur rippled, and his snout shortened into a human nose.
The entire shift took less than a minute, and when he lay naked and panting on the flagstones, Farren reached over to the adjacent chair, snagged a black robe, and dropped it next to him.
“Watch it, young one. That pale arse could blind someone this early in the mornin’.”
“Like ya’ have any room to talk. Ye’re paler than I am.” Tierney shoved his arms into the robe, staggered upright long enough to tie the belt, and then took a seat in the chair next to her.
Farren snorted. “That I may be, but I leave my clothes in the woods.”
“Too many pine needles. And bugs.”
She arched her brows. City boy. Fastidious. Almost to a fault. A rule follower. But he meant well, and he and Ewan were loyal. Too loyal, in fact.
“What?” he asked. “Ya’ want a beetle crawling up yer crack?” Shrugging, he shook his head. “Suit yerself.”
Her laugh felt strange. Like she didn’t have any right to that particular light-hearted emotion. Not now. Not after everything that had happened. But there was also normalcy to it, and she couldn’t decide how she felt about that.
“Is anyone else up?” Tierney asked.
“No. Or at least, no one’s come downstairs.” Turning to the boy, she held his earnest gaze. “Are ya’ sure ya’ don’t want to head to Shannon and join up with that football league for a spell? You and Ewan could see more of the world. I hear they’re goin’ all the way to Scotland for their openin’ match.”
“Are ya’ orderin’ me to go?” The words rumbled through Tierney’s chest with a hard edge, and he quickly stared down at his hands in his lap. “As my alpha?”
Blowing out a breath, Farren shook her head. “No. Of course not. But—”
“Then stop mentionin’ it. I’m stayin’.” He lumbered to his feet, his six-foot-four inch frame towering over her, yet he still managed to look submissive. That’s what he was, after all. At least to her. He wasn’t born to lead. Hell, he’d refused to even consider taking over as her beta. He was smart enough. Loved his wolf. Loved life itself.
“Farren,” he said quietly, “ye’re my alpha. I pledged my loyalty to ya’ years ago, and not a thing has changed. If ye’ll excuse me, I’m gonna catch a couple a’ hours before I get back to helpin’ Caitlin with that book of hers. Every time we try to make it past the fifth page, the letters…” He shook his head and a shock of dark brown hair fell into his eyes. “They change. Spelled. We even tried takin’ pictures, but whatever magic Diedre used...it’s powerful. Affects the photos too.”
“Fuckin’ magic,” Farren muttered. “Not a single good thing ever came from a practitioner.”
“Ya’ can’t mean that. The sigils Caitlin used at the cliffs...they saved all of us. And what about Paddy?”
