She crept through the garden, steps soundless, blade ready. Mist hugged the ground, blurring the edges of the world. Every instinct she possessed stretched tight, searching.
She breathed in. Tilly’s roses cut through the dampness in the air. Not fish or salt. Not Selkie. Ina’s pulse kicked harder. Whatever had knocked over the wheelie bins had weight—and enough sense to hide afterwards.
The bushes rustled.
Ina shifted back a step; blade angled for an upward strike. If it lunged low, she’d gut it. If it came high, she’d take the throat. No hesitation this time. Mercy had its limits, and she’d already stretched hers too far tonight.
The movement came again—closer. Ina’s breath caught in her throat.
Footsteps thundered behind her. Ina spun, fury flashing hot and sharp. The backdoor was wide open. Archie and Malachi were half-falling over each other in their rush outside. Malachi won, trainers pounding over the grass as he ran straight at her like he hadn’t learned a thing.
“Stop!” Ina threw up her hand, palm out.
“What is it?” Archie panted as he reached her side. Blood had soaked through the bandage on his leg. He couldn’t stay still for five minutes.
Ina didn’t answer. She pointed her knife into the rosebush. The branches shifted, right on cue.
“Jesus,” Archie breathed. “It can’t be.”
“What?” Malachi followed his gaze—and froze. “What is that?”
Two small eyes stared back at them from the leaves.
Ina lowered herself slowly, sliding the knife back into her waistband. She kept her hands visible, palms open, even though her pulse hammered.
The bush twitched.
A tiny black nose poked out, sniffing the air. Then the creature burst free in a blur of fur and motion.
Ina barely had time to register it before it launched straight at her.
“Oof!”
She went down hard, the breath knocked clean out of her lungs as four paws landed square on her chest.
The animal’s jet-black fur was damp with the mist, thick and coarse beneath her palms. It was smaller than a husky pup, but solid—dense muscle packed beneath all that fluff.
“Get off me, you silly thing!” Ina caught it gently by the sides of its face and pushed.
It growled, sharp little teeth flashing as instinct snapped awake. Ina didn’t flinch. She rubbed behind its ears. Just like that, the tension drained from it—like someone had turned a dial. The growl softened into low, pleased huff. The creature leaned into her hand, tail thudding against her ribs like it had known her all its life.
Ina lay there for a second longer, heart racing too fast. If that had been something else and she’d gone down…
“Is that what I think it is?” Archie limped closer, disbelief written across his face.
Malachi was there in an instant, grabbing Ina’s arm and hauling her upright. His hold was firm and steady. She clocked it automatically—stronger than he used to be.
Shebrushed damp grass and soil from her clothes and stared down at the animal. It sat between them now, calmly licking its paws, unconcerned by the chaos it had just caused.
“Is it a...?” Malachi trailed off.
The creature looked up at him, head tilted to one side, tongue lolling stupidly out of the corner of its mouth.
Then it started.
A sound lifted through the trees—thin at first, barely more than a breath. Ina’s spine locked.
Howling.
