Paradise can only describe what I’ve been in the past couple of days. Each day, Tate and I have explored several of the different islands of the Florida Keys that are close by. My favorite is Big Pine Key with its secluded Bahia Honda State Park. We snorkeled for hours, and I held onto my stone the entire time to make sure I was protected. I found some exquisite seashells that I know Bailey and my friends will love.
Today, however, Tate and I decided to take it easy. He’s determined to catch our dinner for tonight, and I’m having fun watching him do it all while drinking a berry cider we picked up in Key West. It makes the perfect drink for a day out on the beach.
Tate casts his line out into the water and glances at me over his shoulder. “You sure do look sexy laying on that towel,” he says through our bond.
I smile. “Maybe you should join me. No one’s around.”
Even though he’s a little way down the beach, I can still hear him chuckle. “Dinner time will be here before we know it. I can’t give up just yet.”
“Okay. I’ll just admire you from afar.” His shorts ride low on his hips, and his bare chest glistens with sweat. There are only ten days left until the full moon, and I’m counting them down.
A few minutes pass and my phone begins to ring. I haven’t been getting many phone calls since Tate and I arrived in Florida, only because we thought it best to go incognito. If Killian knows the right people, he could easily have them tap into my phone line and figure out where I’m at. I look around for my cell, and it’s under my tank top. Kami’s name is on the screen when I pick it up.
“Hey. Is everything okay?”
“I know I’m not supposed to call, but I have to tell you this.” Her voice sounds frantic.
My heart rate must’ve alerted Tate because he turns to look at me. When he sees that I’m on the phone, he rushes over. “What happened?” I ask Kami.
She blows out a breath. “Okay, so remember me telling you about my dreams?”
“The one about Tate and me?”
“Yep, and the one about the other two wolves. Their names are Nina and Flynn. It just so happens that they’re mates. The signs showed up last night. Word spread through the pack like wildfire this morning.”
Tate kneels down in the sand, watching me curiously. “Oh, my God,” I reply. “That’s amazing. I’m putting you on speaker so that Tate can hear.”
“What all does it mean, Faith? It could be a freaky coincidence or …”
“Or it could be something big,” I finish. “Shifters with magical abilities are special.”
Tate sighs. “They also become targets.”
I nod in agreement. “That’s true.” I look down at the phone. “What made you dream of Nina and Flynn? Did you interact with one of them recently?”
She gasps. “I did. Holy shit, I didn’t even think about that. I ran into Nina at the sandwich shop during my lunch break. That night was when I had the dream.”
“There has to be a connection to that somehow. You were also around me, and you dreamt about Tate and me. Whatever you do, keep this to yourself, Kami. I don’t know what it means or why it’s happening to you.” It truly is fascinating, and I can’t wait to see what comes of it. “Honestly, I think it’s pretty interesting that you can see future mates together in your dreams.”
She snorts. “I see mine too, but not his face. It’s weird having him in my dreams and touching him, but not being able to see who he is.”
Tate chuckles. “Yeah, that is kind of strange.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Strange and kind of awesome. I wonder if you’ll ever get a clear view of him.”
“I don’t know,” Kami says. “Only my dreams will tell.” She blows out a breath. “Okay, I’ll let you two go. I just thought I’d call and let you know.”
“Keep me updated if you have more dreams,” I tell her. “When everything settles down, and I can safely come back, we’ll figure it all out.”
“Perfect. I’m ready to have you both home.”
Home. It brings a smile to my face to know that my home is with Tate. We say our goodbyes to Kami, and I lay back on the towel. Tate sits to my side and looks down at me. “If what she has is a gift, don’t you think we might need to keep it a secret altogether?”
I shrug. “Maybe. If people like Killian knew, they could exploit it.” She’ll have wolves coming in from all over the place, seeking her out to help them find their mates. That could turn into a disaster really quick and fast.
Tate growls low. “I’ll kill anyone who goes after my sister.”
“So will I,” I promise him. “When we go back to your pack, I’ll train Kami and all the females who want to learn how to fight.”
Tate’s shoulders relax. “That would absolutely make me feel better. I want them as strong as you.”
I wink. “They will be.”
He opens the small cooler beside my towel and looks in to find it empty. “What happened to all the ciders?”
A snicker escapes my lips. “I got thirsty watching you fish.”
Getting to his feet, he picks up the cooler and laughs. “I’m going in for more. Do you need anything from the kitchen?”
I shake my head. “I’m good.”
He takes the cooler and walks toward the house while I lay back and rest my head on the towel. The sand is soft underneath, making the perfect pillow. Closing my eyes, I listen to the sounds around me. Seagulls squawk in the sky, and I can hear the current of the water. On mine and Tate’s next adventure, I want to go somewhere with waves.
My body starts to get heavy, and I can feel myself drifting off to sleep. It feels good to give in.
Opening my eyes, I bolt up when I see the sun about to set in the distance. I grab my phone and look at the time, seeing that I’ve been asleep for almost two hours. How is that even possible? Tate is nowhere to be seen.
“Tate?”
I try to concentrate on our link, but all I get is silence. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Something’s not right. There’s nothing but quiet all around me, even from the house. Tate’s heartbeat is all I hear, and it’s slow, very slow. The only reason it’d be that way is if he’s sleeping and there’s no way in hell he would’ve left me outside alone while he took a nap. Grabbing my phone, I click on Micah’s name. There’s nothing he or my pack can do, but I can at least alert them if something were to happen to me.
Me: I think we’re in trouble out here.
His reply is instant.
Micah: Where are you?!?!? Run if you have to.
Me: Not running. Sugarloaf Key, Florida.
He’s going to be pissed at my reply, but I can’t leave Tate. I refuse to. Killian and his men have done this before. The eeriness surrounding me feels familiar, just like the night he came for me. Grabbing my tank top and shorts, I slip them on quickly, making sure the black carmine stone is in my pocket. Anger wells up in my chest, and I stalk toward the house. If he or anyone else hurts Tate, I’ll rip them limb from limb and not think twice about it.
When I get to the back porch, the glass sliding door is open like it’s taunting me to enter. “Tate? Please answer me.” Still, nothing. I walk inside, and that’s when I see him on his stomach, out cold on the kitchen floor. From what I can see, there’s no one else in the house. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean they’re not there.
Rushing over to Tate, I kneel and push him onto his back. “Tate, wake up,” I demand, tapping his cheek. He doesn’t budge. “Dammit! Wake up!” Clenching my teeth, I stand and jerk around, knowing I’m not alone. “Come out, asshole. I know you’re here.”
A chuckle echoes down the hallway. Killian. He turns the corner, grinning mischievously. “It’s good to see you again, Faith.”
“I can’t exactly say the same,” I snap. “How did you find us?”
He shrugs. “It wasn’t easy.” He flourishes a hand up and down my body. “There’s some kind of magic at play here. I’m assuming your good friend, Laila, did that.”
“It’s a black carmine stone.” The sound of the sultry voice makes me freeze. It has to be Tia, his witch. She strolls into the living room, dressed in a long, black dress with her chocolate-colored hair pulled up in a ball of curls. Her sea-green eyes stare down at my shorts. “It’s in her pocket.”
I try to think of a way to get out of there with Tate, but Killian is by one exit, and Tia stops by the back door. I have no doubt it was her magic that made me fall asleep earlier. She could easily put me out again.
“Did you have a good nap?” Tia asks, her lips spread into a smirk.
“Go to hell,” I hiss. Then I turn my glare to Killian. “It’s sad you have to use magic to take us out.”
He chuckles. “I’ll do anything to get what I want. Would you rather I killed your friend instead? It could’ve been easily done.” A growl echoes from my chest, and he holds up a hand. “I’m not here to fight you, Faith. No one is going to hurt Tate Grayson. He’ll wake up when we’re long gone from here. If he wants to see you again, he’ll get the chance.”
It’s obvious they don’t realize he’s my mate. I need to keep it that way. His words, however, confuse me. What reason would he have to let Tate see me again? “What are you planning?”
Killian steps closer, his eyes raking down my body. “You’ll find out soon enough. Right now, we need to get on the road. We have a long journey ahead of us. You can either play nice or …”
My first instinct is to fight, to rip off Tia’s head and put an end to it all. The only problem is that she’d put me to sleep before I could even wrap my hands around her neck. “Fine,” I growl, holding my hands in the air. “I’ll come without a fight.”
Tia laughs. “Oh, Faith, you expect us to believe that?” I don’t want to be put down, but I can sense her magic drawing closer. My eyes grow heavy, and I feel myself falling, but Killian picks me up in his arms. I can’t move or speak, but I can still hear them. “We can’t have her trying to rip your throat out on the plane,” Tia says. Plane? Where the hell are we going?
Killian chuckles, and his nose grazes my neck as he breathes me in. “True. I think that’ll change once everything’s said and done.” Once what is said and done? I want to hear more, but the darkness seeps into my body, dragging me under. Tate …