Primal Bonds

“Because in my arrogance, I thought it safe to contact you. I thought my enemies were down forever. I knew where you dwelled in the place you call Colorado, and I thought it safe to tap your dreams. And it was safe, until you came here. That’s when my enemies found you.”

When the nightmares had started. “But I was looking for you,” Andrea said. “I’d decided to start looking for you not long before I left.” Fear about Jared had begun her quest—her need to find out who she really was, her way of gaining some control.

“I put the suggestion in your dreams,” Fionn said. “And you went at it with determination. That’s what allowed me to find you again along this ley line, but my enemy Fae found you too. They seized the opportunity to enslave you or at least influence your mind. But you were so strong. They tried again and again to make you go to them, to become their tool against me, and you never let them. You are a Cillian, without doubt.” He radiated pride. “But you have no need to fear any longer. I will defeat my Fae rivals, kill their clan leader, and take command of their opening on the ley line. And I will teach you to resist all other attacks on your dreams. You have the strength; you simply need the training.” He spoke so casually, certain of his success.

“You’ll do all this if I bring you the sword?”

“I will teach you regardless. Sean has been able to help you resist them too, with the Goddess magic in him.”

Sean’s presence had kept the nightmares at bay until the calling had become too strong. “I’m right then,” Andrea said. “Sean is Goddess touched.”

“Of course he is. There has to be a way to choose a Guardian besides someone simply grabbing the sword.”

“Does Callum know that?” Andrea asked, half to herself. She’d bet that most Shifters didn’t know that Guardians had actual Goddess magic in them, that it wasn’t the sword that was important, but the man who wielded it. Or maybe Callum did know, and his ploy to get the sword was more like a ploy to get Sean. Hell.

Fionn went on. “Those Feline Shifters who have decided to fight against Liam Morrissey and his family play right into the hands of the Fae. The weak Shifters will easily lose the sword to the Fae who encourage them.”

Andrea’s heart squeezed again. Liam had been so certain that Callum would be kept down by his own clan but not if Callum’s clan aided and abetted him. Now Glory was missing.

“Damn it, Father, why the hell didn’t you tell me all this before?”

“I didn’t know. About my Fae enemies thinking about getting their hands on the sword, yes; about them seducing disgruntled and ambitious Shifters to help them do it, no. I was lucky enough to capture and interrogate a Fae spy yesterday. Before I killed him, I learned that this Callum person is ready to strike. Which is why you should have brought me the sword.” Fionn stopped, blinked. “Child, did you realize? You called me Father.”

Andrea had, but she was too distracted to think about that right now. “So Callum thinks he’s using the Fae, but the Fae are using him.”

“You have grasped it,” Fionn said. “My enemies can be beguiling. They probably put the idea in his head that he could unite Feline Shifters without this Callum even realizing it.”

“Goddess, Sean is out there looking for Glory. Alone.”

“You must find him and bring him to me. You will both be safe in my keeping while I defeat the Fae who seek the sword.”

Finding Sean made sense to Andrea. Fionn’s request that he have the sword for safe-keeping still didn’t—or it did, but Andrea wasn’t sure how much to believe him. If Fionn were beguiling her, and she handed the sword over to him, then he’d have the hold over the Shifters. But she’d work all that out once she connected with Sean.

Andrea whirled, but the woods looked the same to her in all directions. “Where is the damn door?”

Fionn’s hands on her shoulders guided her to the right place. “I can’t come with you,” he said. “I’m strong, but in your city, there is too much iron. Far too much for me.”

Andrea hadn’t expected him to help. The wolf in her wanted one thing and one thing only.

Protect the mate.

Andrea dove through the slit that appeared to find herself back in Shiftertown—a Shiftertown too quiet and too still for a fine spring day. No cubs ran in backyards, no parents moved between houses, no one worked in yards or sat on porches. Everyone was inside or gone, the houses shut and dark. This Callum person is ready to strike.

In this unnatural silence, Andrea punched Sean’s number on her cell phone, but he didn’t answer.

ALupine presence loomed up so strongly while Sean bent over the blood-stained grass that he had his sword out and at the other male’s throat before either of them could blink.

Jared Barnett stared at Sean down the length of the sword.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” Sean demanded.

Jared shrugged his massive shoulders. “I followed you. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for Glory. I found her blood. If you had anything to do with that, this blade goes into your throat.”

“I haven’t seen anyone but Wade and his mate since I got here.”

Sean inhaled, but Jared’s scent spoke the truth. Sean smelled only the strong odor of Jared himself and the fainter ones of Wade and his mate, the scent from their house. Nothing of Glory. He lowered the sword.

Jared smiled. “In fact, I had a good night’s sleep and I’m feeling energetic. So let’s do this.”