Ashton grins. “Good point. Have you seen my throw pillows?”

  Sierra’s face loosens into a small smile at his teasing, and she turns to Annie. “Does she know everything?”

  “She knows enough to doubt what Victor told her.” Annie reaches over and swipes the torn bits of napkin across the table and into her palm. “Lily is a good person, so I think she’ll fight for the right thing.”

  Donna squints at Annie as if she’s not so sure. She says, “Moving on. The De Roziers, Tristan and Isabelle, are arriving in a few days. They’ll be staying here thanks to Annie, Brady, and Carly’s generosity.”

  Brady snorts. “And because you want them to be monitored at all times.”

  “Let’s just say I want to know more about them and why they want our help.” Donna sips her tea slowly.

  “If they’re going to bring us women to create more Le Roux, then I think we need to find a way to help them out.” I wink at Sierra. “While I’m sure your current breeders will provide a few more children, we need as many as we can get.”

  Donna says, “Don’t rule out others coming from the call. It hasn’t gone away, and as fertile descendants in the human world become adults, they may be compelled to answer.”

  Lucy’s friend Tori comes to mind, and I recall how she could see my paw print. “I think one might already be here. Lucy brought a friend into Ink It a while back, and she was interested in my tattoo.”

  Donna rubs her hands in glee. “I knew it. Come spring, she’ll be unable to resist.” She purses her lips in thought and then says, “I wonder who’s dreaming about her.”

  Annie shakes her head as she chuckles. “Mother, you might consider opening up a dating service. You get way too excited about these things.”

  My mother-in-law grins. “You sure about that? Because I’d force you to be my first client.”

  Annie banters back. “You know, it might be time for you to start dating. How did you put it?” She taps her lip as we start to laugh. “Ah, yes. You need to get some good loving; it would make you less concerned about the rest of us.”

  Brady groans, but he’s smiling. “Really? Now it’s my turn to say ‘moving on.’ Let’s get back to the De Roziers.” Once everyone sobers, he says to Donna, “Give us some history.”

  “They’re a clan from the Arctic. Over the years, they’ve lost a fair number of members to the human population, as most of the land was gambled away by the late De Rozier alpha. There’s also the issue of global warming, and the polar werebear has had to adapt to warmer temperatures. Tristan just came into power, and I’ve heard he’s no slouch.”

  Brady asks, “The original plan for getting their help was to merge our clans?”

  “Correct, but Tristan’s father wanted no part of it. Seems he was a bit closed minded over the idea of interracial relationships.”

  “Wait, would they have come here to live?” asks Sierra.

  Donna answers, “That was an option we presented but not a requirement.”

  “That would make three alphas in the combined clan.” Ashton’s deep voice adds to the seriousness of the statement.

  Brady’s coffee mug thumps on the table with a little more force than necessary as he frowns. “Or they could remain a separate clan and we offer them land to relocate.”

  “So many options. I say we wait until we get to know Tristan and Isabelle before we form a plan,” says Annie.

  I stand to sway back and forth with a fidgety Everett. “Agreed. I’m not comfortable making any decisions until we get a handle on just who the De Rozier twins really are.”

  Annie settles a sleeping Audrey in a bassinet while Sierra asks, “Hey, how old is this Tristan?”

  Donna says, “Young. Early twenties, I think.”

  “Oh, Annie, what if he ends up being smokin’ hot? Talk about the perfect distraction.” Sierra winks at my sister-in-law.

  Annie giggles and says, “I wonder if he has a nice love stick.”

  Donna’s eyes widen at her daughter’s words. “Are you talking about dicks?”

  Sierra says, “Yup. We’ve totally corrupted her. Right, Carly?”

  I hold up my hands. “I’m not taking credit for that. It’s all on you.”

  Brady looks at Ashton. “Things are going downhill fast.” He turns to the rest of us. “I assume we’re done here?”

  “Yes,” replies Donna. The only other topic to discuss was the possibility of Victor causing the accident at Taylor and Keith’s. But that needs to wait until they’re present.”

  I speak in Brady’s head. “Any word on Taylor?”

  “No. And I’m quite concerned.” Brady nods toward Ashton. “We should go help with that.”

  He kisses me quickly. “I’ll keep you in the loop.”

  My gut is telling me that something is very wrong, and I call out to Taylor. “Hey, we’re looking for you, and Brady, Keith, and I won’t stop listening. Hang on.”

  Once the men leave, Sierra asks, “What do you think Victor wants with Taylor? She’s fierce, and if any one of us could escape his clutches on their own, it would be her.”

  “I don’t know, but Keith sure can’t catch a break. He’s got to be frantic over this,” says Annie.

  I reach my hand out to my sister-in-law, and she grips it tight enough to hurt. Talk about someone who can’t catch a break. Annie wants babies more than anything but is barren due to an ancient curse. Her father and true mate were killed by the Veilleux, and she can’t even find love that doesn’t come with strings attached.

  I reach my other hand out to Sierra, who is living her own nightmare having to share custody of her children with a monster. I glance at Donna when she grabs onto Sierra and Annie, too. She says, “We’ll find Taylor and defeat Victor. I know it’s hard to believe right now, but the prophecies are playing out the way they are supposed to.” She gazes intently into my eyes. “You’ll save this clan, Carly. It’s your destiny.”

  20

  Chapter 10

  Taylor

  My headlights bounce from the bumps in the snow-covered dirt road leading away from Ashton and Sierra’s house. Love sucks. And so does the true mate thing. The idea that you can be head over heels for someone only to have it disappear in an instant when you meet your true mate is a cruel joke. But I’m told werebears think the human world’s cheating problem is pretty crappy, too.

  After a few games of pool at Ashton’s house, I’m on my way home to Keith. I’m confident Ian is okay with Annie dumping him. Even though it hurts, she let him know early on she couldn’t commit with the threat of his true mate being out there to steal him away some day. I crank up the heat in my truck and hold my hand up to the vent to warm my fingers.

  I’m barely past Ashton’s driveway when a slicing pain in my head makes my vision blurry. It’s so hard to see that I pull over. My flashers tick when I push the button, and I close my eyes.

  The familiar woman with long dark hair is standing in a nursery. Three cribs surround her, and she beckons me closer. I move slowly so I don’t wake the babies. Just as I’m about to be able to see their faces, she orders me to halt. She says, “You know what you must do.” I try to remember, but I’m confused. The woman speaks again. “Bring them to me.”

  Suddenly I’m trudging in snow and parting branches to make my way through the woods. A large house is up ahead, and light glows from a window. I need to get inside. Noise startles me, and I crouch down low so I’m not discovered. I glance over to find a car and its passenger staring right at me. I turn and run.

  A knock on my truck window wakes me. I blink a few times and realize my vision is back to normal. I must’ve fallen asleep. I hit the button to lower the window and speak to the man outside. He asks, “Need some help?”

  “No. I’m fine. I just needed to rest my eyes a bit before continuing.”

  “Smart girl. Drive safe now.”

  My feet are cold, and after I turn up the heat, I notice the bottoms of my jeans are wet. How strange. I wonder how that happened. I shake my head and decide I must not have remembered walking through snow to get to my truck when I left Ashton’s house. Since when did I get so spacy?

  Getting up in the middle of the night is becoming a usual thing. Another dream woke me, and while I can’t remember most of it, I recall the tall, thin woman who’s haunting me. I’m trying to figure out how I know her, because I’m sure I do. I gaze out at the moonlight filtering through the fairyland forest Keith cultivated beyond the wall of glass in our living room. I wish I could remember her face more clearly.

  My teakettle is hissing, and I hurry into the kitchen to take it off the stove before it whistles and wakes my husband. I need to drink my tea and can’t risk him figuring out it’s not chamomile like the label says.

  After I make my hot beverage, I return to the living room. I take a mouthful, knowing that scalding my tongue is better than tasting the fertility blend once it cools down. The moon has sunk lower in the sky, and the hint of dawn paints the landscape into shades of gray. The rush of water in pipes from the toilet flushing tells me Keith is up. He’ll hop in the shower next, and I’m about to go make him coffee when something catches my eye.

  Movement in the trees quickens my pulse, and my intuition tells me it’s the woman in my dreams. Even though I’m barefoot, I unlock the back door next to the glass wall and step outside to get a better look. Snow is cold under my feet with the first few steps, and it begins to get painful as I move farther into the forest. I just need to find her...

  My human form is shivering, and I shift into a bear for warmth. As bones crack, Keith’s voice calls me. I send him a message. “I’m off for a run, babe. I’ll be back later.” I begin to move before my transformation is complete, but I’m fast, and within a few steps I’m on all fours, with power exploding from my sinewy legs. As I turn the corner of my usual route, the flowing fabric of a long coat appears in the distance.

  Her voice taunts me. “Come. I have something to show you.” But no matter how desperate I am to catch the woman, she remains out of reach. It’s as if she’s flying along the ground. At the point I’m sure I’ll collapse from exhaustion, we reach a gorge. The emerald-green fabric of her coat balloons up as the woman jumps off the cliff, and I don’t hesitate to follow her.

  I splash into water that the tender membranes in my nose detect as icy, but the cold doesn’t penetrate my fur. I’m led deep into the river and through a faintly lit hole that reminds me of a portal in sci-fi movies. Swimming quickly under the water, I’m in desperate need of air, and my lungs burn. Before I can panic, we pop up into a dark area that might be a cave, because the splashing echoes around me.

  The dank odor of dead leaves and mold fills my nostrils as I gasp for oxygen. Streaks of light slice through the dark, and my eyes adjust to reveal the woman on the edge of the pool of water. Her feet are dangling in it, and she pats the edge for me to join her. I swim over and climb out with great effort, because my body’s energy is spent.

  I would shift, but being naked in winter temperatures isn’t a good idea, so I lie down next to the person I’ve been following. The faint sound of Keith calling me echoes in the distance, but I block out the words as she strokes my head. “Rest. We have so much to talk about, and I’ll need you alert for it.”

  I nod, because I’m too tired to even growl. My eyes shut, and I sink into a deep sleep.

  I snap awake as if I’m not supposed to be sleeping. What the hell? Why am I in bear form? I lift up and realize I’m on a hard rock floor, and I’m surrounded by the bitter cold of being deep in the frozen earth where sunlight never shines. I have a foggy memory of running through the forest, following the familiar woman.

  As my eyes adapt to the near darkness, I notice a pile of clothing and move toward it to paw through the items. It’s gear designed for winter outdoor activity. I guess I’m supposed to shift and put it on. I’d have been hesitant if this had happened months ago, but since I was called to Maine and met Keith, I have no doubt that this is what I’m supposed to do.

  As soon as I’m human, my body hates me for it as the cold makes me shiver. I pull on the fleece long underwear quickly, and nylon swishes over my legs as I yank up snow pants. Once I’m dressed, I begin to search for a way out of the cave. As I navigate around the perimeter, a draft signals an opening, and I find a narrow passageway that requires I turn sideways to fit through. Fortunately, it isn’t long before my path widens, and I’m not forced to slide against God knows what that’s stuck on the moist walls.

  As I wind around corners, the light brightens until I spy an exit. The hole to climb out is small, and I have to squeeze through, catching my hair on twigs and brush that block the way. When I stand, I’m on the edge of a snow-covered field and discover a small cottage on the other side. Smoke is rising from the chimney, and my stomach growls when the scent of bacon travels toward me.

  My clunky knee-high boots wouldn’t keep me dry if I had to break a trail because the snow is thigh deep, but I quickly find a packed-down path that makes walking much easier. Someone is definitely making breakfast, because the aroma of coffee is strong when I get to the front steps. I smile at myself, thinking how bizarre my life is for me to know I’m supposed to enter a house I’ve never seen before. I’m wondering if I should bother to knock when the door opens.

  I stare into a face with many of my features and a vivid version of my green eyes. But I’m not the spitting image of this woman, because she has straight dark hair, while mine is red and curly like my father’s. A long-lost memory comes back to me, and I hear a voice singing in my mind. I realize why I know this woman.

  “Are you my mother?”

  “No, I’m your Aunt Patricia.” She steps aside with a smile. “Come on in. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Part 9

  Carly - Securing the safety of Sierra’s children is my priority. When the plan is fast-tracked by Victor’s attempt at controlling the situation, more than custody is threatened. The catastrophic results change everything.

  Lily - Discovering my husband would kill to have the power he craves unleashed my fearless warrior. Now it’s up to me to save the Veilleux from themselves, and I’ll do whatever is necessary.

  21

  Chapter 1

  Taylor

  The stained-wood door opens, and a tall woman with jet-black hair invites me into the small cottage. She says she’s my Aunt Patricia, and I enter. A fire crackles in the small open-space-style room that contains the kitchen as well as a living room. She says, “Go stand by the hearth, and I’ll bring you some tea. I’m sure you’re chilled to the bone.”

  I rub my hands together as I move toward the radiant heat from the burning wood. The December temperature in the winter wonderland of Maine is sub-zero today, and the cold has me shivering. Patricia comes to stand next to me, and I notice how thin she is compared to the women I’ve been surrounded by for the last few months.

  I was pulled to come here this morning by a vision I couldn’t ignore. I shifted into a bear and ran through the woods, guided by a dream-like version of the woman before me. I ask, “Why am I here?”

  “You’re a Veilleux stolen from us by the Le Roux.”

  I recall how the Veilleux kidnapped Sierra. The rescue mission was part of the reason I became a werebear. “I’m with the Le Roux voluntarily.”

  “That’s because they managed to call you with a powerful spell, when you should have come to us instead. You’re going to help me get the Veilleux heirs back where they belong.” The teakettle whistles, and Patricia leaves my side to go to the kitchen.

  The room swims before my eyes as I watch her walk away, and I shake my head to clear my vision. “But Victor kidnapped and raped Sierra for those children. Why do you think he should have them?”

  A spoon clinks against a mug as Patricia stirs my tea. “You can’t rape the willing. Sierra wanted my son as much as he wanted her. You know how the mate bond works.”

  The sight of Keith’s dark hair over his eyes as he gazes down at me forms in my mind, and I smile as thinking about his love warms my insides. A flash of him on my kitchen floor confuses me again. He was hurt? What happened? I can’t quite grasp the thread of thought.

  “He bit her when she was mated to Keith.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t Victor’s doing. He has more honor than that. It happened with a little of my help. Sierra was supposed to have mated with him instead of Keith. So I remedied the situation.” She hands me a cup of tea and takes a drink from hers.

  She made Victor bite Sierra? I sip the scalding liquid in my cup in an effort to thaw my chilled limbs and sway a bit as the drink burns its way down my throat. Patricia offers me a fake smile. “You don’t look so steady on your feet. Perhaps we should sit down.”

  She walks over to the couch and places herself on one end while I start toward the other. “Sierra took children that belong to the Veilleux. Surely you can see why the next leader of our clan should be raised by Victor?”

  I frown down at my drink as I struggle with movement. I blink to help with my focus, because I don’t feel completely here. It’s as if a part of me is drifting away, and I drop down to the couch to ground myself. “But Sierra is the mother. They’re going to... work out a c-custody...”

  Patricia ignores me as she lifts a framed picture that’s sitting on a side table. It’s of her and someone I assume is her husband. She smoothes a finger over the image of the man. “Victor needs my help in so many ways.” She glances back at me, and my blurred vision returns. “He just doesn’t know it.”

  She sets the metal frame on the table with a thud and nods at my mug. “Finish your tea. We have a plan to discuss.”