Chapter Three

Reagan

 

The Northbane shifters put us up in a large cabin with cots, running water, and a stove. Where they’d found generators or how they’d gotten this place working, I didn’t care. Rett and Kal made dinner, while Fallon helped my family settle. I took a shower and luxuriated in the smell of soap, laughing and crying as the dirt of weeks swirled down the drain.

For dinner, we had real food. A delicious and hearty vegetable soup prepared by Rett. After, the Deacons would not allow any of us to help clean up. Later, Kal procured a chocolate bar for the kids to split, and they shared it with the rest of us. The rare smile on Kal’s face made his cousins laugh and tease him mercilessly, while Drue shyly swooned.

I thought my heart would break from the intensity of my gratitude, joy, and relief.

The kids and Rett had already struck up a lively friendship. Even baby Collette was drawn to the big bear. After he was done with cleaning up, Rett held her in one arm with ease and joyously agreed to babysit when Jemma laughingly asked. Then Fallon and her brother swapped off telling hilarious stories in front of the fire.

Yet I noticed all three of them were somewhat reticent about Winfyre.

While they’d assuaged our fears about living and food, they wouldn’t say much else. More than once, I saw Kal’s eyes flick up and around the room, as though afraid unfriendly ears might be listening. When he caught me looking, he’d put a finger to his lips, and I’d nodded.

Either way, with a roof and a real blanket, I slept deeply and happily on the floor that night.

 

I awoke out of a dream of Lazu, with his two-colored eyes, one blue and one gold. They’d blazed in his dark face. He’d been running through the woods, looking for someone, and finally stopped on a cliff, lifting his muzzle to the moon. His howl had been long and demanding.

It wasn’t the first time I’d dreamt of the wolf, but it had never been so clear before.

I found Fallon outside, inhaling the clean morning air and frowning to herself. She brightened when she saw me and waved me over. Rett and Kal were long gone by the looks of it.

“They had to leave early this morning,” Fallon explained, and stretched. “I’m sure you’ll see them again soon in any case. Rett already loves those kids.”

I nodded and glanced back at the cabin. Almost everyone was up, although it was a later start for us than usual. With a jolt, I realized we wouldn’t be doing this again tomorrow.

As long as… “You’re sure there’s room?” I asked.

“Yes,” Fallon said, and this time I saw her eyes sweep above us. She caught my eye and gave me a warning look. Something twisted in my stomach. “Not many have made it as far as you.”

“Do you know why?” I asked in an undertone.

She shook her head, and we both jumped as Cassidy screeched at the kids about something. I rolled my eyes, and Fallon’s lips pursed. “Is your sister going to be able to pull her weight?”

“Yes…” I said. Although the answer sounded more like a question than a statement.

“I told you before there was a predator’s price to live here, Reagan.” The lynx shifter folded her arms and sighed. “It’s not a joke—it’s the way it has to be. Otherwise, we’ll descend into the same kind of anarchy as out there.” She nodded to the south. “Our Laws are strict but fair. We take care of our ailing, elderly, and children, of course.

“However, everyone else, especially young and healthy people, need to be useful. Otherwise, Winfyre won’t survive. We won’t survive.” I nodded and swallowed, looking down. Fallon sighed. “Listen, I’ll do what I can, though.”

“What?” I asked and looked up at Fallon.

“I’ll try to find a job that suits your sister,” she explained. “Ease her into Winfyre.” Clapping her hands, Fallon entered the cabin and said, “Pack up, and let’s get to the gate.”

 

Walking alongside Fallon that morning, I found out that we were on the very edge of the Northbane shifter territory. Winfyre Ridge was directly east of us, stretching both north and south along the coast. As we walked along, I spotted no dwellings or change in the wilderness, but a weight lifted off my shoulders. The closer we got to the gate, the safer I felt.

“Here we are,” Fallon said.

I raised an eyebrow, and Cassidy made a rude sound. My first look at Winfyre was not what I was expecting. Then again, I wasn’t sure what I had pictured—giant gates and a bohemian camp stretching behind?

“This is the eastern gate. Kind of humble, huh?” Fallon asked.

“Where’s the gate?” Cassidy asked snidely.

“Oh, it’s invisible,” Fallon answered easily, winking and impressing the kids.

It wasn’t a gate, so much as a large, snug barracks huddled in the trees. A wide dirt road stretched beyond it, curving up a hill and vanishing. Across from it, there was a roofed-in pavilion, roughly hewn out of stone and wood. It had several tables, fire pits, and grills. People milled about, lounging, chatting, getting warm, playing cards, having breakfast, and drinking coffee.

I came to a dead stop.

Coffee.

The caffeinated scent rose in my nostrils, making my mouth water and my heartbeat quicken. I’d thought coffee would be extinct by now.

Suddenly a squad of females broke off from the pavilion and came darting up to us. They were all dressed like Fallon, crying out as they hugged her and greeted us.

“Anything?” Fallon asked, and the women shook their heads. But they beamed as they looked us over. “I know, first refugees in a while. Go get some rest, and good work.”

With that, they were off, running and hooting, waving at the men. At the tree line, they shifted, and several large cats flew into the forest. Drue gripped my hand, and I smiled down at her.

But to my surprise, Drue didn’t look frightened—she looked enthralled. “Who were they?”

“My elite scouts and fighters,” Fallon said as she ushered us inside the barracks. There was an older man snoozing at a desk, his head tipped back, and a coffee pot gurgling behind him. I was practically salivating at this point. “Best in Winfyre.”

“Wow.” Drue’s face was shining. “Reagan, did you hear that?”

“Yeah,” I said and ruffled her hair.

“Tello,” Fallon barked and kicked the man’s desk. He jerked awake and yawned, then straightened, a baffled look coming over his face as he blinked around at us. “Nice. You always nap on Monday mornings?”

“It’s Monday?” I asked in wonder. God, that sounded so normal.

“What the hell, Fallon, it’s not like…” He trailed off, and a smile broke across his face. “More of yours?” She nodded. “Welcome, folks. Apologize for that. Been a bit slow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Fallon said, and she turned to us. “This is where we say goodbye.”

“What?” Drue burst out, and Fallon reached out to squeeze my cousin’s shoulder. “Why?”

“I have a lot to do,” Fallon said and smiled around at us. “You’re in good hands with Tello. He can answer all your questions better than I ever could. And now that you’re inside the borders, I can leave you with a clear conscience. You’re safe, here.”

“Will we see you again?” Drue asked.

Fallon laughed. “Of course, kiddo, we’re neighbors now. Don’t be shy. And don’t worry, Winfyre takes care of its own. Everyone is going to be so excited to see you.” She hesitated and turned. “How many do I have left, Tells?”

To our surprise, Tello groaned. “Fallon, you’re going to get me in trouble with the boss.” She looked at him, and he grumbled, pulling out a binder and flicking it open. “Three.”

“What about for minors?” Fallon pressed. “Couldn’t I have four?”

Tello looked at her, and she looked back, slowly smiling.

“You’re gonna get my ass cooked for this, Deacon,” Tello muttered and stamped something in the book. She grinned. “Outta my office.” He pointed at Jemma. “Why don’t we start with you, ma’am, since you’ve got that beautiful baby girl. Name?”

Blowing us a kiss, Fallon ran out of the room and out the door. I wandered over, watching her go and wondering what that had been about. Four what?

My eyes drifted up to the sky, and I took in that perfect spring blue, savoring the sense of safety and cleanliness. A scrap of civilization. It’s real. We’re safe. We’re home.

Suddenly, something whispered along my skin, and a tingle of heat blossomed in my chest.

At first, I thought I was imagining things.

Until I dropped my gaze and met his.

Heat unfurled over me in a dizzy wave, while my breathing became shaky, and my nails dug into my palms. Those eyes, a bright, unreal turquoise, narrowed slightly. Sitting on top of a table, one leg stretched to the ground, the other drawn up to his chest, and his muscled arms loosely draped over his knee, he seemed at ease, but I knew otherwise.

I could see the wolf in him, the heightened senses taking me in. The power and the otherworldliness. The hum in my blood swelled into a symphony.

That’s never happened before.

Not as burly as the bear shifters, the wolf was a hard and strong man, built with lines of litheness and speed. Tousled dirty blond hair fell into his eyes, touched with silver, but he couldn’t have been that much older than I was. Maybe early thirties. All in all, an intense kind of handsome, with rugged lines of jaw and brow, a strong nose, and sensual lips.

Lips that pulled into a smirk. My cheeks heated up as my own lips twisted. I’d been staring at him without meaning to. I had the sense of being under an x-ray, and I stumbled back.

“Rea?” my mother asked.

I turned and saw everyone watching me, their faces varying between expectation and curiosity. Shelby’s eyes flicked past me, and I quickly hurried over.

An uneasy thought hit me. What if he’d sensed I wasn’t a stasis? Maybe I shouldn’t lie.

As Tello picked up a pen, the room form blurred and warped before my eyes, while my breathing grew short. Cold sweat was dripping down my back, and I swore that the wolf shifter was still looking at me. Did he know what I was? Could he do that?

God, what would that mean? I'd managed to hide my Rift abilities so far, but if that bastard knew…

I couldn’t imagine that would be good. As far as I knew, no one except for me could identify shifters and what kinds of animals they were. A gift that could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

I looked around at my family.

A gift that could hurt the people in this room.

“Miss, are you all right?” Tello asked.

“Sorry,” I said and snapped my attention back to him. His pen was poised over the form. “What is this for?”

“Records, mostly,” Tello said. “We don’t have a lot of bureaucracy, but this is a necessary evil for civilization. It’s how we create your papers.”

“Papers?” I asked.

“Identification, work papers, the works,” Tello explained and smiled. “Name?”

“Reagan Grace.”

“Stasis, shifter, or other?”

The moment warped, and my blood hummed, while my throat went tight.

“Stasis,” I lied.