EPILOGUE

Meanwhile on Plum Island…

 

Lina was shown into Commander Kinkaid’s office by some kind of sea-based shifter she had never encountered before. She’d scented a few werewolves manning the guard post, but other than them, this place smelled like a lot of big cats. Really big cats.

She’d met jaguars before, but never lions. And the Kinkaid Clan was reputed to be chock full of lions and selkies. If this commander was part of the Kinkaid Clan—and chances were astoundingly good that he was—then it made sense that he might just be one of those fierce lion shifters that most Others both feared and envied.

The man behind the desk stood and offered a hand when she walked in. He had sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. Lina marshalled her courage and took the man’s hand, returning the very human gesture of greeting.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation to visit the base,” he said, smiling. “I’m Lester Kinkaid.” It went without saying that he was the Alpha in charge of every shifter on this island. Dominance came off the guy in waves.

“Lina Goodwell, as you know,” she replied, keeping her tone friendly. They were both feeling each other out.

“I’ve heard good things about you from Sergeant Carter, and you should know, I’ve read your file. The classified one,” he told her. “Very impressive, even for one of our kind.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” she replied, giving him the respect of one shifter for a more dominant leader.

“The only thing the classified file doesn’t tell me—and something I thought I might be able to discern by meeting you but haven’t figured out yet—is exactly what kind of shifter you are.” He tilted his head to the side, as if in slight embarrassment. “Forgive the rude question, but if we’re going to work together, I’d like to know. If it helps, I’m a lion, as you’ve probably guessed from my last name.”

“I suspected,” Lina replied, playing for time. “I assume you’re in the line of succession to the lion throne?”

Kinkaid started and shook his head. “No, not me. I’m the king’s uncle, but I don’t carry the marker to be king. I’m not a white lion.”

“Forgive me. I didn’t know your folk had the same sort of system as the tigers, where the Goddess marks those fit to rule with white fur.” She was intrigued by the thought. “My kind follow the Lords. We don’t have monarchs within our own species.” She cleared her throat. “Uh, I’m a lynx, sir.”

Kinkaid smiled with genuine warmth. “A cat. That’s great. I hate to say it, but the few wolves on this base confound me. I really don’t understand their Pack instincts, but please don’t tell anyone I said so. They’re good men and women. The fault isn’t with them, but with my limited understanding of their inner beasts.”

And it took a big man to admit that, Lina realized. She could definitely work with this lion. She’d been afraid he’d be an unreasonable fellow, but this man reminded her a lot of her own father. Smart, steady, and strong in dominance, but not a jerk about it. She smiled at him.

“Nobody will ever hear it from me,” she told him. “Though, I happen to agree with you. Wolves are just weird. All that howling is enough to drive a lynx to drink.” She shook her head, and he chuckled, as she’d hoped he would.

And thus, she thought, was the start of what might be a very good working relationship. This man was one of the good ones, and she had long ago pledged her energy toward protecting the innocent, catching bad guys, enforcing the will of the Goddess, and serving Her Light.

“Let me tell you a bit about your friend, Carter, and his unit. This, of course, is strictly need-to-know, so it can’t go beyond these walls. However, if you’re going to be one of their points of contact, you need to know there’s more to them than just being highly-decorated Green Berets. They started out human enough, but they had a magical encounter that’s changed them, and what’s most important for you to know is that they all—whether they call it that or not—serve the Light.”

That was music to her ears. Anything that would help her do her job and fulfill her self-appointed mission was all to the good, as far as she was concerned. She leaned forward in her seat, her gaze narrowing as she listened intently.

“Tell me more…”

*

Thanks for reading Gift of the Ancients #3 A Friend in Need. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Read on for an excerpt from the next book in the series, Lightning Strikes. A complete list of all of my books, separated by series, follows. You can also check out my website at WWW.BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for my newsletter to be alerted when new books are released.