Prologue - Evan
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO
This summit was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I had no intention of fucking it up.
Honestly, I didn’t fully understand why I was here. I mean, I understoodwhy.This conference was the first step in renewing several important peace treaties. My presence was necessary to ensure that the needs and views of the McCarthy Clan were properly represented.
What I didn’t understand was whyIwas the shifter chosen as the delegate. I wasn’t an alpha like the representatives from other clans. That didn’t matter, I supposed, given we didn’t technically have an alpha at the moment. Ours, Danny, had left before I was even born.
That in itself was unusual. Our clan was the only one I knew of where the alpha had been allowed to leave.The reasons behind his departure were murky.Of course, I knew that he’d lost his wife and daughter, but the details weren’t shared. Not with me, at least. Everyone clammed up when the topic came up, which was even more odd given how fucking gossipy shifters were, myself included.Or was it supes in general? I hadn’t really interactedwith enough other species to form an opinion. It’d make sense though. Gossip was a form of social bonding for us as much as it was for humans. The difference with us was that it was layered with centuries, and sometimes millennia, worth of tattle.
Given everyone knew that a beta, Finlay, led the clan in Danny’s absence, I doubted anyone had batted an eyelid at my designation.
They had, however, been surprised by my attendance. Just as surprised as I had been to be asked.
The issue was that I wasn’t part of the council that governed the clan. I wasn’t a member of Finlay’s inner circle. I was a lowly foot soldier, only in my fourth decade. A baby by supe standards.
For some bizarre reason, Finlay had declared me the most suitable candidate. With his enforcer, Calan, on one side, and his spy, Logan, on the other, there had seemed little point in arguing. Together they led the clan. They’d told me to go to the conference, so off I went.
I’d felt the stares the moment I’d stepped over the Clarkson Clan’s wards. I’d heard the whispers and seen the confusion. I didn’t let any of it affect me. I’d been given a job to do. A chance to prove myself.
I wasn’t going to let anything fuck it up.
Finlay had been very precise when preparing me. He’d drilled me about borders, notable members of other clans, and what we were and weren’t prepared to concede. The list of demands he’d given me had been thorough.
Along with the warning not to settle for anything less.
Logan, meanwhile, had sat me down for a very intense conversation. By the end of it, I knew what skeletons every alpha had in their closet. When I’d asked Logan why onearth I’d need such information, he’d given me a withering look that made me realise just how young I was.
“You need to know their weaknesses if you’re to exploit them. Don’t mistake their smiles and charm for anything other than civil politeness. Every one of them will stab you in the back the second it’s turned. You must be prepared to return the favour.”
The pressure I felt as I walked into this summit threatened to crush me. But I couldn’t let my clan down. I was hungry to succeed. To rise through the ranks and step up to be part of the inner circle.
If I fucked this up, those dreams would go up in smoke.
After one of many meetings, the other alphas had dispersed to hobnob. I rolled my shoulders, thinking that another hour of small talk might kill me. As much as I wanted to make a good impression, the chances of me being able to do that when this stressed were tiny.
Stepping out into the grounds, I inhaled deeply. The scents were different here. More mountain than woodland. They soothed me, nonetheless.
I was never happier than when I was outside.
My ears pricked at the sound of shrieks and laughter. With my curiosity piqued, I followed the noise around to the far side of the clan house. A smile broke out at the sight before me. There were perhaps twenty shifter children playing football on a makeshift pitch. They’d strung up washing lines at either end, one of which still had a generous pair of knickers pegged to it. None of the kids appeared bothered about the bollocking they’d likely get when caught. They were too busy having fun.
When I was growing up, I had exactly two friends. Hamish and Brodie. Shifters didn’t reproduce at the same rate as humans. I assumed it was an evolutionary thing.Given our near immortal lifespans, it made sense that nature controlled our population levels.
To see this many shifter kids in one space was…refreshing. It genuinely warmed my heart. These kids wouldn’t grow up lonely. Their schoolroom would be crowded with fresh ideas and lots of enthusiasm.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t have a bad childhood. It was almost idyllic. Brodie, Hamish, and I grew up running through the woods. Swimming in the loch. Building dens and climbing trees. We had loving parents and a clan that kept us safe.
Still, I would’ve loved more friends, especially when we were stuck in school. It got kind of boring doing group projects when it was just the three of you.
One of the kids spotted me watching. Before I knew what was happening, I’d been tugged onto the pitch and persuaded to act as the goalie. It was a bit daft, really. I was so much bigger than the space they’d allotted that I’d be able to block most shots simply by holding my arms out. That’d be no fun though. Instead, whenever the ball came in my direction, I threw myself comically to the ground in a faux dive. I only let in a goal if our team was leading too much. It kept the game going while keeping the score fairly even. It was a win-win. No one was pouting about losing, and the team we were playing against weren’t disadvantaged by having a fully grown shifter as their opposing goalie.
About thirty minutes into the game, I noticed several kids had come to a halt. They were all staring at something behind me. Some looked annoyed. Others uncomfortable. Some almost fearful.
I frowned. My instincts didn’t suggest any danger wasimminent. Before I could turn and see what was causing all the fuss, there was a gentle tug on my sleeve.
I glanced down to see a skinny boy stood there. With his small stature, he could’ve been aged anywhere from six to eleven. His clothes were tattered and worn, practically hanging off of him. “Can I play?”
