Page 3 of Unveiled

Connor

Those weren’t the words Connor expected to hear. Somewhere deep in his gut he’d known there was nothing natural about this place, this village that had appeared from nowhere veiled in a fierce storm. His skin tingled with warmth, struck by a strange sense of familiarity, as if he ought to recognise these streets and the wary, dark-eyed woman standing before him.

“I’m not sure any of us know how to respond to that question,” he said gently, gesturing at the stunned faces behind him. “However, we’d be pleased to find out what you do know so we can perhaps get to the bottom of this.”

There. Let that whelp Gauthier see I know how to talk to people. He would tackle the man’s use of his first name later, when things were not so fraught with uncertainty.

“What is the last thing you remember, Luciana?” Adrian asked. “You say there was a storm, which we experienced too. Then you woke up in your house here, in this strange valley?” He waved a hand around. “There was no warning? No one else is awake to give you any answers?”

So her name was Luciana. Connor had missed a chunk of the conversation while preoccupied with his pride.

He glanced over at Fraser, who looked as bewildered as the rest of them. He was about to ask a question when the woman spoke again.

“I woke up here, yes, and looked outside to see I was no longer in my world. Mine is a place of sharp edges, of dark shadows and secret spaces that no one dared tread. It looks a little like yours, but it’s…” She paused, choosing her words slowly. “More peaceful. Green, and with so much water.” Her gaze marvelled at the loch in the distance. “At home, we struggle to find it. The land is barren and the water restricted.”

Connor couldn’t imagine a worse place. It sounded as if her world offered little pleasure, a stark contrast to the rich land he stood on and the beautiful country he represented.

Fraser moved forward, his eyes alight with curiosity. Adrian looked entranced by the story, his green eyes sparkling as he pushed back his hair from his face.

He really is an annoying git.

“What’s the name of your home world?” Fraser asked. “Our world is known as Earth, and you’re in Scotland, one of the countries in what we call the United Kingdom.”

Luciana laughed, a tinkling sound that made her appear more at ease. “I am from Earth too, my friend, but we call our places worlds. I think they are the same as your countries. Mine is called Utharia.”

Fraser cleared his throat in embarrassment. “Ah, I see. Apologies, I wasn’t sure what you meant when you said ‘my world.’”

“You thought she was an alien?” Connor murmured in his ear. “Really?”

He chuckled when Fraser flashed him a death stare.

“And yes,” Luciana continued, “I went to my neighbours’ homes to see if they were all right, and they are all still sleeping where they fell. I tried to wake my friend Irial, but she would not be roused.” Her face paled. “I hope they all wake soon.”

So did Connor. He didn’t quite know what to do with the information he’d been given so far, but perhaps someone else in the village might have a clue.

In the meantime, he needed to assess the area, gauge the scope of the problem, and get some plans in place. He was surprised by how easily he’d accepted the fact that a whole populated village had appeared out of nowhere overnight.

This village’s presence was going to put a dent in his clan’s plans to remain secret and secure on their own land.

There would be areas to avoid when the pack ran, and this would have to be one of them. He couldn’t risk their secret being revealed. They’d been hidden as shifters for centuries, and that was not about to change.

He turned to the other men. “I think we need to split up. Each take a section of the village and take note of how many homes and people we’re talking about.”

He looked over at the spire of what he assumed was a church, noting its arched windows and simple stonework. “I’ll start with the kirk and circle around left. You find a spot to call your own, and we’ll meet back here when we’ve finished.”

He turned back to Luciana. “Can you give me a general idea of how many people live here, and how many homes so we know what we’re dealing with?”

She blew out a shuddering breath. “We are a community of forty-five. A diverse collection of people with…” She stopped, again choosing her words carefully. “Unusual talents.”

Adrian muttered something beside him. Connor turned. “Did you want to say something?”

“It appears this is then a hamlet, not a village,” Adrian murmured. “In its official classification of course.”

Connor stared at him. He had no idea what Adrian was referring to. “And that matters how?”

Adrian shrugged. “Mon ami, I am merely observing. Feel free to call this,” he waved a hand, “whatever you want.”

Give me fucking strength. Arrogant bastard.