Page 2

Chapter 2

Ward

T he haze of madness slowly receded, leaching out of my brain like a fever. I found her. I had her. After all these years, I finally found my mate—one of the smallest shifters I encountered in my many years. If my mouth wasn't full of her, I would have roared in triumph. It was surreal. A veil smothering my life lifted and everything aligned. Over the centuries, I had only ever maintained the slightest romantic relationships with women, as shallow as would hold the loneliness at bay. Even those I ended up sabotaging when my bear grew too hard to control and made an appearance. Everyone only said they wanted an animal in their bed.

Paws pounding over the countryside, I took my mate through the sleepy town of Harrowood. Concerned shouts and calls followed me to the boundary of the village until the mystic wood swallowed them up. My bear pushed harder through the underbrush, over fallen trees—familiar territory to him. Still slightly crazed, our mate in our jaws only took the edge off a fever that burned our blood and gripped us for the past month.

The endless days were pure hells. The Goddess Veretis constantly called me to hunt, destroy—appearing to me in wild visions. I built Harrowood with might and measured, rational calm—King because I had enough magical ability to claim the land. People came here to shelter under my mystical protection, not because my beast ruled by fear. The need to tear out of my human skin threatened everything I established every time the call of the Goddess hit me.

I withdrew from court life, unable to understand if she was showing me a personal failing, or I was just going crazy. Luring me out of my safe stone keep into the forest, the foothills, beyond—I tried to hide my growing madness with excuses of checking on our quiet section of the realm. Every time the call was a little stronger, a bit more insistent, until I finally took refuge in my den, claiming I was recharging my powers in nature. It was only a white lie. I hadn’t actually used my magecraft since I established and became King of Harrowood. But the lie was safer for everyone when my bear awoke—edgy, angry, primed for war in a way that whispered of claws, teeth and all the things I had put away in favor of learning, magic and a peaceful life. Until the visions of the Goddess appeared, my bear had been content to observe, eat well and run around a few times a year. The terror of having him loose, angry and ready to fight made me desperate.

I still grappled with it when the beckoning layered with another problem—a deep-seated hunger that shoved my human side all the way to the back of the bear’s mind. I could barely remember what happened once I left to appease that hunger. Only the heady smell of whiskey and orange lingered in my mind as it cleared further. I think I may have destroyed something. Or a lot of somethings. I ran out of the forest, still more bear than a man.

That bear skidded to a halt as a long, lingering wolf cry ripped through the air.

Please pass out. Let me pass out. My mate’s voice whispered in my head - soft as a feather. I take it all back. Everyone was right.

I will keep you safe, mate, I responded, but she only continued her prayer.

A low growl accompanied the enormous black-tipped wolf that stepped out of the tall grass bordering the wood. My bear chuffed out a warning, too on edge to see my friend as anything other than a threat to us. I couldn’t convince him to be sensible with our mate in his mouth.

I spit her out and shifted, constructing clothes while cradling her in my hands. My magic was handy for that. Other shifters had to walk around naked until they found their supply caches or got home.

“Shift,” I told him so we could talk like rational men.

The wolf shook his head, refusing the man through. Duncan was Harrowood’s mushroom farmer, and we had many late night debates and mead sessions that ended with laughter and slapped backs. He kept bird and butterfly feeders hanging off his back door. Yes, I crossed his territory to get to my den, but everyone in Harrowood took those types of things lightly. Or they used to.

“Duncan. Are you okay? This is not the time to bring up the five gold pieces I lost to your pup in the poker game last month.”

Is that a snack before you heed the call? he asked mentally, pointing his slavering jaws at my snake.

Does he mean me? my little snake squeaked.

She started shivering. I draped her around my neck, resting her tiny, diamond head on my heart, hoping the sound would reassure her.

“Are you hearing Veretis’ call as well?” I asked him. “You can’t go. What about your children, your mate?”

Duncan lowered himself into a stalk, jaws frothing. I knew the chaos churning inside him and I had a flash of fear that he would turn on Harrowood, his home, once he was done with us.

We must all heed the call, or die.

“I won’t fight you. My bear will tear you apart.” I dropped into a battle stance, ready to put him in the dirt, unconscious. I could do it, even in my human form.

You’re a vicious bastard, but you won’t get all of us, enemy, Duncan snarled.

That hurt more than it had a right to. I worked hard to make sure those in Harrowood saw me as their friendly neighborhood leader, despite my size.

Pup! My mate chirped. By all the Godds, that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

I scanned the tall grass, finding five sets of glowing eyes staring back at me as Duncan’s youngest tumbled into the woods where we stood.

More cuties! Come here, little guys. We’ll keep you safe.

The small pup lunged at my ankle, tearing into flesh. My mate screamed in my head, wrapping so tight around my neck, she choked off my air. Duncan’s pack lurched forward, and I opened a channel and croaked the structure of a somniate spell as teeth snapped closer to us than I would have liked. Thankfully, the wolves quickly dropped to the ground, fast asleep, tiny snores coming from the pups. I staggered, woozy from the combination of mage magic, effort to fight the Goddess’ call and the lack of air.

“Mate, please,” I wheezed. She coiled with surprising strength for such a small thing.

I don’t want to pet them anymore. You’re as bad as all the stories. I’m begging you to let me go home.

I couldn’t agree more. I needed to get us to a safe place. Finding my mate was the most important thing I would ever do in my long life. Fate had handed me the keys to making my life complete. Protecting that and her was primary. I would even let my bear loose again if it meant I could defend her if more shifters tried for us.

My bear took over, my mate curled up in my fur. Paws gouging the ground, he pushed us up the mountain through the heather and gorse bush to the porch of the den. Wiggling through the entrance and the tunnel beyond, I circled in the main chamber before flopping down in my bed, panting from the run.

By human standards, it was little more than a dirt cave with roots, rocks, and a few forgotten items from my travel days. By bear standards, it was luxurious. A magically contained fire pit warmed a shelf with a few rotting books and blankets to supplement my thick fur on the coldest of nights.

I slid my mate onto the earth floor and she fell on her back, rocking side to side, curled in the smallest snake ball imaginable. Her dark scales gleamed oil-slick colors in what little light the den had.

Please pass out. Let me pass out. I really will make this my last birthday.

As soon as I wasn’t touching her, the fever came back, pounding at my mind. No wonder Duncan attacked. The call was worse than ever. Worse than the out-of-control feeling that reared its ugly head in the early days of my adventuring, when I was headstrong and invincible. I packed all of those mistakes away a long time ago. Hot, angry, wrath-filled, I stretched forward, ready to tear the whole den down around us. When I brushed against her, I could think more clearly again.

It allowed me enough sanity to pick up my mate, so she nestled against me, focusing on the joy she called forth in me, letting it soothe my frayed mind. The wild roar still echoed inside me, even with my heart filling with my mate. The thing between us wasn’t a bond yet, but her presence was a balm and it grew as we sat together. I slumped in wonder that I found her at last. If there was any upside to having a raging Goddess in your head urging you to fuck or fight, it was the fact that it helped me find my mate.

The calm forced my bear back, afraid he might harm her. Clutching her to my chest, I let the tentative mate bond latch hold again. She did wonders for my self control. When my head cleared, I focused on her erratic breathing.

“Mate. Are you okay? You can shift now.”

I’m just dreaming. Don’t move. A sexy, naked pectoral is a perfectly fine pillow in a dream. You can survive a shifter’s lust, girl, because that’s the only reason I smell honey and mead right now.

I was indeed naked, but keeping my lust in check, like the rest of my baser feelings. Shifters weren’t shy about nudity when their clothes disintegrated with every shift, but perhaps my mate came from an unconventional upbringing. I couldn’t say I had met many snake shifters, so they could have had completely different ideas on the subject. I opened a channel and whispered the structure of a linen spell to create a tunic to cover my most basic bits. One for her too, so she would be comfortable shifting. It pooled around her dainty form.

“I’m sorry if I scared you.” That was a far too common response. I chafed her scales, wondering at the texture of them—like soft, fine-grained sand.

She curled tighter until I worried she was going to snap bones. Maybe he’ll go away. Just don’t move and you won’t die. Do I want him to go away? I didn't get to see everything before the clothes went on.

My mind stuttered. All my life, I had been told my mate was the one person who would accept me. That she even breathed the want for me to go away drove a spike through my heart. She shook, trying to keep herself tightly curled up. She clearly didn’t know I could hear her thoughts as the bond began to form.

“Shift, viper, and I will explain. Duncan was not feeling his best. No harm will come to you.” I stroked her head, and she uncurled slightly, only to sink her little fangs into my finger.

More surprised than hurt, I yelped and stood, trying to use her own weight to dislodge her as she curled around my finger.

“Viper! Let go.” My mate had a determined spirit, at least. She hung from my finger like a demented wedding ring.

“Shift now,” I told her.

Mrehm gngrl , she said like she needed her mouth to speak. Something was very wrong.

“You can shift, right?” I asked.

What in the seven hells is he talking about? He’s hella hot, but definitely crazy. No one said there would be kidnapping. I thought they just rage killed everyone in sight.

As gratified as I was to know, she thought I was sexy. I needed to speak with her. I had been fighting the fever for weeks and I was the strongest amongst us in Harrowood. If I was slipping into rage, then Duncan proved every shifter could be doing the same thing. We didn’t have time for miscommunication.

“I can hear your thoughts, viper.”

If snakes could blush, she would have managed it. Her jaw relaxed enough for me to pry her off my finger.

UM, HELLO MISTER BEAR MAN. She shouted into my head like I was deaf. I WOULD LIKE TO BE HUMAN AND NOT BE DEAD. IF IT’S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK, I WOULD LIKE TO GO HOME, TOO.

Icy dread settled in my bones. Even my bear shivered. Why did my mate know nothing about shifters? She couldn’t be human. Her scales were there before my eyes, wrapped around my hand. Where else was her home but with me now? I set her in my lap, opening a channel and spoke the structure of a transubstantiation spell and put most of my considerable power behind it, pushing forward her human form. The spell only took with sheer grit and determination taking two repetitions before the magic built on itself. I strained to keep it running through her.

She filled out the tunic until it was tight across her hips and chest, a mouthwatering bounty straining against the fabric. Her dark brown hair, the same shade as my bear’s fur, cascaded down her neck, her chest. Some strands glinted gold and auburn in the dim light. A strong chin, plush lips, heart-shaped face, and ice-blue eyes that blinked up at me.

“You're huge,” she said, her mouth parted.

My eyebrows crawled upward. She said it like no one ever had before—with awe. As if she forgot to be afraid for a second. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment until the den filled with her delicious whiskey and orange scent combined with something darker. I shifted my weight back and forth to ease my muscles tensing all at once. Would she let me lick it off her skin?

“I’m Ward, actually. And I was even bigger just a moment ago,” I said and bent toward her neck to see if I could take in more of that scent.

She scrambled back out of my lap, the tunic bunching up to reveal her long, long legs. Tall for a human, possibly 5 foot 9, but still small next to my 6 foot 10. Her head would lay perfectly on my chest. I lunged, unable to lose contact with her without hearing the fever rushing through my veins again. I managed to grab some toes. They wiggled in my grip.

“Please don't be afraid, mate.” Something sharp lodged in my heart—a memory of cruel screams as I entered a room.

“Evie,” she corrected. “Don’t eat me and we’ll be off to a good start.”

When she began to shake again, my bear tried to flatten us to the floor. We were scaring our beloved regardless of our best efforts and if we needed to look small, we would try.

A snort sounded through the cave. “What are you doing?” she asked.

I fought back the urge to wrap around her, trying not to come into any more contact with her body than needed, despite the desire mounting in my blood.

“I know I can look intimidating.”

She gave a funny barking laugh. “Not like that, you don’t.”

The sound allowed me to sit up a fraction. “Then it worked and I can assure you, there’s no eating unless you give me permission.”

She took a beat, scanning the lust that made my eyes glow, but she tensed with fear instead. I took a shaky breath to stuff down my bear’s snarling and my own need now that my mate was in reach.

“Just like that wolf wouldn’t eat me?” she asked.

“Duncan wasn't acting like himself. I wasn't either when I found you. This is why the Godds were supposed to remain dead. Not even Veretis needs to make an appearance in the Harrowlands again.”

Her brows snapped together in confusion. “Who?”

“The Goddess of shifters. Do they not pass down her legends in other parts of the Harrowlands?”

“Not in my part. But then we don't have much kidnapping either. Feel free to remedy that any time. Drop me back at the bar. I won’t tell anyone you dragged me to this… bear hole. We’ll forget I even left the village.”

Her hand clapped on her mouth. She inched away like that would take back her words. I adjusted my grip on her ankle. That was a lot to take in. If she did think she was human, there wasn’t supposed to be a village for her to leave. Monsters banned them after humans robbed our world and starting the Black Plague in theirs. Who was hiding a secret human village in the Harrowlands, and how could a human be my mate? A mate I literally could not let go of.

“No. It’s not safe. I'm sorry I'm scaring you, but I have to be holding you. There is a sickness riding all shifters except for you and our tentative bond seems to be the only thing keeping me sane. Can't you feel the Goddess’ call?”

“Okaaaaaaay… I can guarantee you, I’ve been one hundred percent human until now. No snake included. I’ve never had a random offer to bond before. And, by the way, bonding someone you first meet sounds a little intense for a stranger. A stranger who’s already had a day turning into a snake. Which was not on my list of birthday gifts.”

I bit back my words that we were not strangers, we were mates. I might have ignored that side of me for a long time, but even I could feel that. That she couldn’t, left me rudderless.

“Well, we can fix that, right?”

“The snake thing? The kidnapping? Or the bond thing? Because I know you didn’t see me as a two-foot tube and decided you just had to have me. That’s insane. If you’re not going to kill me, do you want to marry me or something? I couldn’t even get Abner to marry me with two years of being everything he asked. There’s no way you would want to love a hot mess stranger.”

Her babbling came so fast it made my head spin. Was Abner someone I needed to kill? Why did she insist she was human? The human traditions of a wedding paled compared to the mate bond. I couldn’t deny that she wasn’t the usual shifter, and she wasn’t automatically falling into my arms in lust, as I had heard of some pairings. This was such a disaster.

“Strangers. We don’t have to be strangers, Evie.” Sweat popped out on my brow.

“That’s all well and good, but can you help with the snake thing?”

I didn’t want to fail her already, but the strain of keeping her human without her participation tightened my spine and clenched my muscles. The structure of my spell was breaking down with so many repetitions.

“I must release your form, mate…” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Evie. You can still speak to me. Our fresh bond at least affords us that.”

“Wait.” She grabbed my tunic, frantically pulling at me. “I need hands. I’ve never been without hands and legs. I can’t be the thing everyone uses as nightmare fodder for their kids. Shifters are killers.”

I almost lost my grip on her. Others said the same thing about my bear over the years, but for another shifter to say it—to have my mate say it—cut deep in a place I thought I scarred over.

“I would. Never. Ever. Harm. You. Evie. But I cannot, will not, let you go.”

I hated the panic in her eyes as her snake form slowly pushed back to the surface. The dew drop beads of her snake eyes looked no more calm.

CAN YOU HEAR ME STILL?

I closed my eyes, willing patience, as I put my hands over my ears in an automatic gesture. Please stop shouting. I can hear you.

Oh, her head bobbed. Sorry. And thanks for not doing any murder.

I don’t know if I can help you hold your shift if it was this difficult for such a short time, but the Relic of Veretis might. As the Goddess of shifters, any relic of hers should help you.

I didn’t want to scare her further that something could be wrong with it. I suspected that’s where the call of madness originated from and if it healed her, maybe it would stop broadcasting. She didn’t seem to hear the call, even when she wasn’t in physical contact with me.

She perked at that, curiosity shining in her eyes. That seems kinda cool. I’ve never seen a relic in real life. The light in her eyes dimmed a bit. I’m not really a questing kind of girl, though. Don’t run. Not even much of a walker. And I wouldn’t count on my slithering abilities. My hobbies are reading and collecting weird shit. That’s not someone born to quest.

I seized on the fact she didn’t say no. Gathering her into my hands, I let her wrap around my fingers and wrist. Her scales made the hair rise on my arms.

“You won’t have to do anything. I have plenty of experience adventuring. Think of it like reading the book version of questing.”

Just one peek and then you can get me back? Human, whole? I’m not a shifter. Or a snake, she said, curling around my forearm in a brain-jolting slide of scales.

Could I teach her to shift long enough to get a taste of her skin? I shook all over, willing back my need and refocusing on our epic task. I stared hard at her snake form.

Okay. I might be a snake, but I’m not supposed to be.

That was up for debate, but I didn’t want to scare her off when I could feel her caving. “I will do everything in my power to allow you to shift.” That was as far as I would go. My mate was a shifter, and she was mine. I would disabuse her of the rest later.

Her fidgeting along my arm was too cute. Watching her mind work through all this new information sparked my admiration. How could fragile and resilient combine so well?

Evie sighed in what I hoped was resignation. I’ll only go if you can tell me Fallon and Maggie are okay.

I stroked her head. “The druids will take care of them. They will be safe in Bar None.”

What’s left of it, she snorted.

“What happened?” I asked, afraid to know the answer.

You happened, big guy. Angrier than a hive of Risi birds during mating season.

Dane was going to be so angry I destroyed his bar.

Evie perked up, sitting up. Alright. Well, let’s go get this relic and unsnake me.

I held her tighter, struggling to keep the anxiety of what I did off my face.

“You won’t regret it.” I wrangled my tone to even and free of the implication I would also be worth it if she gave us a chance.

She slid up my arm, back around my neck, leaving goosebumps in her wake. But that is not an invitation to stick anything in me.

How was I ever going to tell her I fell for her the moment my tongue touched her scales, when all she wanted to do was deny us and her very nature? “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I was definitely going to dream of it.