Page 10

–Storm–

EVEN THOUGH I knew I dreamt, being a wolf felt strange when I found myself in a woodland clearing. Outside of the excruciating pain when I shifted the first time, I had no recollection of how it had felt being a wolf afterward. I certainly did now, though, as I circled a giant mahogany wolf with flecks of tan and silver and the most striking amber eyes I’d ever seen, knowing, without a doubt, it was Callum.

Moreover, I knew without question he was my soulmate.

My fated mate.

While tentative and nervous at first, the more we circled, the closer I needed to be to him. As close as possible. So, I wasn’t surprised when I stirred awake and opened my eyes to find he’d already ensured that happened, and I was still wrapped up in his arms. I kept my cheek against his chest and breathed in his scent, soaking up his warmth for several minutes before I shifted enough so I could see his chiseled face. Unable to stop myself, I traced its masculine contours as he slumbered, his wolf still caught in the clearing with mine.

Yet when I pulled him back to me—and I did without truly understanding how—his eyes opened to mine, and I finally, at last, kissed him outside of a dream.

And it turned out dreams had nothing on reality.

It wasn’t just how well our lips and tongues came together but how perfectly synchronized we were, as if we’d been designed for each other because we had been. I lost myself to him in a way I never wanted to be found again, sinking into the delicious sensations he invoked yet still craving so much more. Today, tomorrow, and forever. Every last life I could get with him, starting with this one.

Starting right now.

I wanted to finally feel everything he could evoke in me, but unfortunately, dawn had come too soon, and Gráinne had interrupted. Now, having shared a hard moment of acceptance and letting go of Broderick in some small way because he understood how far Callum and I had come overnight, we joined Gráinne and Uncle Conner a few caves over to enjoy the morning hunt with more people than we anticipated.

“You are all here,”

Gráinne exclaimed, sounding just as surprised to see the few dozen men and women awaiting us. However tough she might be, there was no missing her emotion when she lowered her head once in greeting and introduced them to us as Wolves of Ossary members gone rogue. Not to be confused with exiles, they chose to live off the grid but were there for the pack if needed. They were more comfortable on their own, and not only did Uncle Conner get that, but so did I.

Callum shook his head as he eyed them all, some of whom I knew were part of his kingdom. “I should not be here.”

He backed away slowly. “I put you all at great risk.”

“Yet here we are, my King,”

one of the men said, dropping to a knee and lowering his head. “Willing to risk exile, if need be, to stand by you and your mate.”

Sensing something, I slid my hand into Callum’s before he could back up any further because I knew he hated the idea of others feeling the sting of exile. Especially fellow pack members.

“Why are you willing to risk so much?”

I asked the man because we both needed to know. Understand.

“Because you are the storm,”

he responded, “made of both fury and fire.”

He looked from Callum to the Viking sword attached to his back. “As are you, my liege. More fury than anything but of fire, too, because you are of your Storm.”

“You have dreamt of them,”

Broderick realized, seeing it clearly. “You have shared our dream. Saw the day they came together when so young.”

“Ta,”

one of the women said, not falling to a knee but lowering her head in respect. “We saw the fiery water and felt the darkness drawing ever closer.”

“Darkness that tries to seek us out even now,”

another man said, lowering his head as well. “Darkness best kept away from the others.”

“It’s not that you don’t want to be with your pack,”

I said softly, amazed as I took them all in. “You’re protecting them the only way you know how by keeping the darkness away.”

“Ta,”

another said, dropping to a knee and lowering her head to me this time, even though I knew she was from Callum’s kingdom. “And we will continue to do so to the best of our ability, my new queen.”

While that was a lot to digest, considering I was by no means Callum’s queen yet, nor had I foreseen any of this, yet again, it felt right. All of this did, and I didn’t know what that would mean going forward.

“It means they will stand guard at all entrances to the Cliff Dens and, with everything in them, protect you from Tadc,”

Gráinne said into our minds because I knew Callum and Broderick heard, too. “They are Rogue, so they know the ins and outs of the area better than most.”

While tempted to respond to the woman who had just sworn her fealty, this moment wasn't for me but for Callum. These were his people before they were mine and his battle to face having been exiled, so I squeezed his hand in support, but I didn’t let go. I would never let go because we were already one in ways I didn’t understand yet, but my inner beast did.

He met each of their eyes with a steadfast wisdom that appealed to me so much I had to fight its effect because, like everything else about him, it turned me on, and that was the last thing I should feel right now.

Finally, he spoke. “My mate and I, as well as our friends, welcome your protection.”

He continued looking from person to person. “I would have it be under a condition, though.”

“And what is that, my King?”

the first man asked.

“That you protect my new friends and fated mate before me,”

he said, his tone commanding in a way that made all come to attention. “And if it comes to it, you choose the pack over exile.”

I felt his internal struggle as he ground out his words, “I would not wish this on my greatest enemy, save mayhap Tadc, because ‘tis excruciating.”

He continued looking them each in the eyes. “You protect the Wolves of Ossary at all costs.”

“You have our word,”

his man swore without hesitation before all the others did as well, devoted to him, us, in a way that humbled me once again. Yet I couldn’t help but see their devotion to our cause and wonder if they would keep their word to Callum in the end.

After that, we set to eating the succulent, delicious meat they had hunted and met the Rogues. As we got to know each other, it was clear they rarely spent time together, and this was a reunion of sorts. They didn’t seem put off by Broderick’s presence, either. If anything, they appeared in awe of him, telling me they had felt him there that fateful day and knew he had long watched over me.

“’Tis too risky to come together often,”

one revealed. “We feel the darkness, Tadc, might be able to track us more easily that way.”

“And do you feel the same, Gráinne?”

I wondered, not surprised to see her and Uncle Conner even chummier than last night. They might act aloof around each other, but the looks they exchanged told me they were eager to be together again because they had by no means slept alone the night before. I didn’t need magic to tell me that.

It was obvious by the way my uncle looked at her.

It wasn’t a look I had ever seen before. Something between tentative affection and caution but, most of all, one that didn’t stray from her often. Something was going on between them, but both were so difficult to read I probably wouldn’t know what until it smacked me in the face. I could more than speculate, though.

“I do feel the same,”

Gráinne said in response to my question about if she’d been there in my childhood nightmare along with everyone else. If she felt darkness encroaching on everyone. She looked me in the eyes, honest to a fault. “I was there too in a dream.”

Her steady gaze went to Callum. “As was your sister, Mave.”

“No,”

Callum denied, frowning, even though I felt his inner beast come to attention.

“Ta,”

Gráinne replied, her tone and expression leaving no room for debate. “So ‘twould not hurt you to finally speak to her without anger in your heart. To truly understand why she was not there to stop Ceara when she fled our pack, especially considering Mave knew the darkness could very well swallow her up.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “To understand why she helped you find your Fated Mate when you chose to be exiled yesterday, because you know she did. You saw her wolf.”

Feeling Callum's distress, I slipped my hand into his again, where it rested on his knee, and offered a supportive squeeze. Though a simple gesture, I knew it filled him with the strength he needed, just as his touch did the same for me the longer we were together, making me desperate for when we were alone again. I was eager to feel his mouth against mine and so much more.

After eating, the five of us left the others to resume our journey from cave to cave, sometimes onto cliffs, to pause and fill our lungs with fresh air. All the while, Callum and I talked either telepathically or aloud, getting to know each other outside of our dreams and nightmares. As expected, we were a good match, and despite the vast differences in our eras, we had a lot in common.

While Callum's disposition was mostly quiet and serious, he had a sense of humor, too, and I was able to pull a few smiles from him despite his pain. I could only hope I eased him of some of it once we were fully mated. I would take it all if I could, despite knowing I would suffer the same pain if exiled.

When I was exiled, because I wouldn't have him be alone.

“How is your shoulder?”

I asked at one point, still feeling the sting of the Dagger Turned Viking Sword mid-battle. “Do you have a bandage on it? Is it—"

“’Tis fine,”

he assured again, giving me a look that I need not worry. “Betwixt my inner beast's ability to heal quickly from such a minor wound and because ‘tis of the Viking blade and no doubt your magic, it heals swiftly indeed and gives me no pain.”

I was glad to hear it. May another blade never make it past his defenses, and I said as much.

“’Tis hard to imagine with you by my side,”

he said softly, giving me praise I had by no means earned but could only hope was true because I wanted to keep him as safe as he wanted to keep me.

We kept chatting after that, but my curiosity about what came next rarely waned. I didn’t just wonder about the intimacy we were bound to share but what would be thrown at us beyond that. While I knew what Callum keeping me safe would look like because he fought so well, how would I keep him safe? Kaia had taught me how to fight, but it was hard to envision it with medieval blades, so would it all be magic? If so, how would I wield it? Ponderings I did my best to set aside as we continued on, enjoying each other's company despite our current circumstances.

“A storm comes,”

I said softly when we stopped on another cliff later that day. Although the sky was clear save a few puffy white clouds, I knew I was right. I didn’t know what that would mean for my possible shift. Something I had tried my best not to think about because it terrified me. My dream of being a wolf had been pleasant enough, but the excruciating pain of my bones cracking and warping like they had my first time was beyond frightening.

“It may not be like that for you,”

Callum said, following my thoughts so easily now I wondered if muddling his thoughts would be possible, not that I ever intended to do that to him.

“Once your cousins were with my brothers, their shifts became painless,”

he went on. “Not just that, but they no longer depended on the full moon.”

“Right,”

I murmured, still eyeing a storm on the horizon I couldn’t see yet. “Their second shifts, or True Moon Shifts, as this will be for me, were painful, though.”

“Then let me take some of that pain if it comes.”

He reeled me close. “Let us try to complete our Cycle before the moon rises this eve.”

My breath caught, and my heart pounded, not just at the feel of being pulled against his warm, strong body in the icy wind, but at the look in his wolven eyes because they flared with purpose at me, calling to my inner beast.

Where most women might tell him to slow down, he had made it clear in bed this morning that our Cycle would happen fast. More so, he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer from claiming me and marking his territory as wolves in this era called it.

“We will rest for a brief time and gather our strength before the moon rises and fate takes us where it may.”

He traced his finger along my jawline, sending all sorts of delicious sensations through me. “Let me show you how it can be betwixt us before what comes this eve, for it can only bring us closer. Mayhap all the way.”

“I don’t know,”

I murmured, both nervous and excited. I’m sure he sensed I had saved myself for him because I knew he was out there somewhere, but even so, it was nerve-wracking because he was him and big everywhere. Maybe a little too big.

“’Twill not be a problem,”

he said softly, the corner of his mouth curling up enough to let me know he had caught my concerns. “I can promise you that, anamchara.”

He tilted my chin until our gazes were aligned. “You need but trust me.”

“I do,”

I whispered. My voice didn’t work quite right because of how he looked at me. Felt against me. Everything about him made my senses come alive like they never had before. Ignited me from the inside out until I must have said yes because his pupils flared, and he told Gráinne I needed to rest to gain my strength.

“’Tis a good spot for it.”

She eyed me, Callum, and Broderick with concern. “Do any of you sense Tadc? Is he back in this era?”

“No,”

I replied, almost certain of it, curious how all this would go. “How does this work, anyway? I have no memory of the last time I shifted. All I remember is experiencing terrible pain one second, and the next, I woke in a Boston park beneath a tree.”

I flinched. “Thankfully, I was dressed, or that would have been embarrassing. It was embarrassing enough as is.”

“You woke dressed? I didn’t know that.”

Uncle Conner frowned from me to Gráinne. “Is that normal for a first shift?”

“No.”

Callum eyed me curiously. “No matter what era you’re turned in, so ‘tis telling indeed.”

I didn’t have to ask what he meant. It just backed up how powerful they all thought I was. Granted, I possessed some mystical gifts, but I wasn’t sure how it would all come together and make me so strong, especially against Tadc, because, from what I felt off our connection, he wasn’t just powerful but evil to the core.

So dark, I shivered and moved even closer to Callum for his warmth, nodding before I could stop myself because I needed him to drive Tadc away. Drive him from my flesh and soul because he hovered somewhere in the fiery waters of my mind, eager to steal me away and possess what should be Callum’s.

“Yes,”

I whispered, reiterating my answer about sleeping together. “Before I shift.”

“The sun sets in a few short hours,”

he said gruffly to everyone else, slipping his hand into mine. “We will recommence here and decide how best to go about things.”

By “go about things,”

I knew he meant who would remain by my side if I shifted because it would bond them to me for the rest of our lives and bond me to them as well. They would become closer to me than all others.

“I wish Kaia and Naya could be here tonight,”

I said as Callum led me into another cave. “I wish we could have bonded like that.”

Though Kaia hadn’t come flat out and asked me, I knew she wondered why I hadn’t been at the house in New Hampshire to shift with her. The truth was I had tried but went into one of my fiery trances and lost time. Adlin had been there with me but couldn’t say where I went. However, he did say things had worked out like they were supposed to so Kaia and Tréan could properly come together.

I knew Callum was about to say I would be just as bonded with my cousins when he and I finished our Cycle, but he bit his tongue when he remembered that wouldn’t be the case now that he was exiled.

This made me wonder yet again…why would Tréan do such a thing to Callum? To someone he considered his brother, no less? I understood rules needed to be upheld for the sake of others, but still. It seemed out of character for Kaia’s mate. I had met him in New Hampshire a few times and was impressed by him. He clearly loved his people and would go to any length for them. But this seemed like too much.

“I could take you to them.”

Callum stopped and cupped my cheek, forcing himself to do and say what he felt was in my best interest, no matter how close he was to claiming me. “I could take you to your cousins, and you can shift with them and my brothers. They would be your pack members for life and will protect you like no other because they are our strongest and most powerful. More than that, they are your kin.”

“But they’re not you,”

I managed because my heart hurt for him, and loved him simultaneously. He was everything I could have wanted in a mate. Everything I could have wanted in forever. So yes, without question, I loved him that fast. Or had it been for years? Since the moment I knew he was there beneath the fiery waves of my worst nightmare?

“And I want you,”

I went on softly.

Shifting closer, I stood on my tiptoes and brought his lips down to mine, kissing him because those words were everything I needed to say and everything he needed to hear. Moments later, I was swept up into his arms, and yet again, on another adventure, only this one was far more intense than merely traveling back over a thousand years in time.