Page 21 of Chaos At Second Sight

“Yvaine, stay put. I’m taking you to the infirmary.” Grandpa’s scolding tone triggered me. I was an adult, not a brat. They were.

Goddess, please spare me from crazy relatives in the next life…

Two uncles stumbled and fell, and Lucien whined, clutching his arm to his chest, pouring blood.

“You have a knack for trouble, rionnag!” Grandma pumped another shell into her shotgun.

I scrambled away from where Grandpa was coming. “Gealaich! Come here! Or I’ll call your parents right now!” The urge to stick my tongue out at him was suppressed by the desire to stop this ridiculousness. My head was spinning at the commotion happening around me.

I picked up a big rock.

Uncle Clyde shifted back, leaving the others to deal with Lucien. Although, it was more like playing, something they always did before killing, like a pack of orcas with a seal.

He swiped some blood from his chin. “Nighean òg, wait there. I’ll come help you.”

The swelling in my throat eased just enough for some words to squeeze through. “Back off!”

My rock landed in the middle of their fight.

That got their attention. Lucien glanced at me, his breath labored.

“Lucy.” I coughed and stumbled forward, my shaking hand reaching for him.

“Lucy?” A familiar voice echoed. “The bloke from the phone? Rudolph? And what happened to your face?”

Lachlan emerged through the tall grass. Relief flooded me—whenever we were apart, a piece of my heart left with him. If mates were bound by destiny’s thread, twins shared the same heart, split cleanly down the middle.

“What are you doing here, Lachlan?” Grandpa barked. “We told you to stay home!”

A muscle ticked in Lachlan’s cheekbone.

“Who’s Rudolph?” Uncle Angus emerged from his shift, frowning. “Sounds like a deer to me.”

Lachlan uncrossed his arms. “That thing’s the Masturbator?”

Grandpa nudged Grandma. “I’m confused, Riona. These kids have too many names.”

“They’ve got too much free time!” Grandma huffed.

“No.” Lucien pointed a claw at his chest. “Me Lucien. Lucien don’t know Masturbator.”

The clearing fell silent. Obviously nobody had expected the towering beast to speak with an unmistakably human voice and improper grammar.

“Never judge a book by its fang length,” I croaked, massaging my throat.

“The bhiast swallowed a man!” Uncle Angus declared. “He’s still alive inside it.”

Lachlan pointed at Lucien. “That’s why nobody’s ever seen the Masturbator’s wolf.” His gaze shifted to me. “Yvaine…your nose. And your neck.”

“The bhiast attacked her,” Uncle Knox piped in and Lucien snarled.

“It was an accident!” I hissed. “Lucy, this is my twin.” Lucien’s growl eased into a rumble, a heavy bass from his stomach, like a stereo with the treble tuned down. “Come here.”

He remained planted between me and my family, unmoving and untrusting, bleeding from both gunshot and bite wounds.

“Logan. Come—” I glared at my family. Let’s see them deny this. “Mate.”

His massive body swayed. His eyes squeezed shut. When they opened again, the crimson had thinned to molten silver. “Bunny Doc?”