“Great speech.”
I turn to face the woman with mismatched eyes. She and the man she’s with stand side-by-side less than a yard in front of me. Merrick remains in the center of town, addressing concerns from the villagers, and though my back is now turned to him, I can feel his gaze on me.
Maynard, MacKenna, and Maverick’s wolves stalk off, though I catch sight of them as they patrol just inside the trees.
“It was the truth.”
“I got that much.” She holds out a hand. “I’m Corrine.”
Taking her offered hand, I note the daggers strapped to her waist. I see at least two, though I imagine she has more in places I cannot see. “Kiya.”
She smiles, releases my hand, and points to the man next to her. “This is my partner, Zane.”
He doesn’t say anything but offers me a nod.
“You two are not from here, are you?”
She chuckles. “No. We’re from another realm entirely.”
“Seriously?” Tendrils of excitement spread through me. I’ve heard of other realms that border this one. Of faraway places with creatures straight out of nightmares, but having no interest in crossing the Cerulean Seas, I paid them little attention. After all, no matter how bad Julius is, the pirates infesting those waters are far worse.
Specifically the pirate captain, Neo. The stories I’ve heard of him would make the most savage of men curl up in fear.
Well, all of them but Merrick. Somehow, I don’t see him cowering for anyone.
“Cambrexia, heard of it?” she questions, pulling me back to the present.
“When he was first showing me the village, right after we’d gotten married, Merrick mentioned there were people here who’d come from there.” A massive hand goes to my lower back as Merrick comes to stand beside me.
“Corrine, Zane,” he greets. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“Seems good that we stuck around,” Zane says, speaking for the first time. “Looks like you might need the help.”
“Right now, I need help keeping them safe,” he says. “As for the rest of it, we have a plan.”
Corrine arches a dark brow. She’s absolutely stunning, tall, toned. Clearly a warrior. “Which we can do, but as you know, we are capable of much more than that.”
“I know that. But these people are under my care, and I won’t be around for some time.”
She nods in understanding.
“We’ll keep them safe,” Zane offers. “Like an extended vacation.” He grins at Corrine, and she shakes her head.
“Your version of fun and mine will never align.”
“Not all of us grew up on that guardian bottle,” he replies with a wink.
“Guardian?”
“I’ll fill you in later,” Merrick offers. “Do we have a de—” he stops speaking, body going completely rigid.
Corrine and Zane’s expressions become serious in an instant. I pull away from Merrick and step in front of him. Face pale, eyes wide, he looks utterly terrified. Sweat beads on his forehead.
“What is it?” I demand, hands running over his face and down his shoulders, checking for injury. “Merrick? Talk to me!”
“It can’t happen. Not now.” He grinds the words out, and my stomach plummets.
“You’re changing?” I whisper.
He offers me a nod then roars and drops to his knees.
I whirl on Corrine and Zane. “Get everyone off the streets!” I scream the order then look to Ferris, who stops rushing toward us.
Zane disappears, moving far faster than my eye can track. Corrine follows, blurring out of existence, and I don’t even have the chance to ask what the fuck just happened before Merrick lets out a blood-curdling roar. His hands dig into the ground at his feet.
“What is happening?” Devrona runs over to me, and I whirl on her.
“Get off the street, now.”
“No.” She tries to shove past me, so I grip her arm and rip her away from him.
“Get. Away. From. Him,” I growl at her, blocking him with my body. His bones snap behind me.
Devrona pales. “He’s—what is happening?”
“I swear to you, Devrona, if you don’t get the fuck away from him—” But it’s too late.
Merrick throws his head back and bellows. I fall back, scooting along the ground as Merrick’s beast all but explodes out of him in a mess of fur and claws. Seconds later, the massive obsidian animal is glaring at me, drool dripping from his fangs. The single white stripe down his back is more visible now than ever, given the bright sun above.
“Oh my—”
The beast whirls on Devrona, gnashing teeth bared as he growls. I throw myself in front of her and hold both hands out. “Leave her alone,” I order the thing.
Maynard’s wolf steps up beside me and snarls at Merrick’s beast. Maverick and MacKenna flank him.
“You crazy bitch! Did you do this to him?” Devrona shoves me from behind, throwing me into the creature.
He charges. Dropping his head, he slams into Devrona. I scream, “No!” But blood splatters the ground as he disembowels her.
“And I thought I had a temper.”
The wolves circle me, forcing me back as the beast continues shredding the now very-dead Devrona.
I whirl on Zane. “You need to go, now!” Tears blur my vision. Merrick just gutted her. Despite how I felt about her, it’s going to haunt Merrick once he realizes what he’s done. The last thing I need is for that body count to grow.
“You do too.” He reaches for me, and a burst of hot air blows the hair from my shoulders as Merrick’s beast growls.
“He won’t hurt me,” I reply. “But he’s going to kill you.”
Zane considers then turns and blurs out of sight. Gathering my emotions, I try to remain calm as I turn to face him. Devrona’s blood coats his chest, matting his hair. With a snout as long as my forearm, he’s a twisted version of a wolf and nothing like the rest of his family, thanks to the curse laid on his shoulders for the actions of his father.
“You need to get control of yourself,” I tell him. “Like before.”
His lips rise in a snarl, and he shakes his head. The creature turns to Devrona and drops its snout before inhaling deeply.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “It was an accident.”
The wolves continue trying to force me back with Maynard pressing against the front of my legs.
The beast drops its head and growls.
“Get behind me,” I order. “Please.”
If Merrick kills one of his brothers, this entire fucked up situation is going to go from horrific to unbearable.
Finally, the beast lifts its head then sprints toward the trees.
“Merrick!” I scream as I gather my skirts and chase after him. “Merrick!”
Zane appears in my path. “Stop.”
“I have to get to him. Get out of my way.”
“Even if he won’t hurt you, everything else in those trees will.”
I know he’s right, but I don’t know him. Don’t trust him. “Who the hell are you? Really?”
Corrine appears at his side. “We need to go somewhere else and talk.”
“In my house,” Ferris calls out. I turn, surprised to see him only a few yards behind me. Merrick’s brothers are beside him. Even in their wolf form, all three men look absolutely horrified at what happened.
“Fine.”
I turn and march toward Ferris’s cottage, all while my heart yearns for Merrick to come back even if all I can get is his beast.
We make our way inside. I don’t sit, don’t take the tea offered to me by Faera. Crossing my arms, I face the strangers and wait for them to give me a good reason not to chase after Merrick.
“I want to know how the hell you moved so fast.”
Zane grins. “I’m impressive, what can I say.”
“Not interested in your self-compliments.” I’m raw, my tone sharp.
Corrine takes a seat and beams at me. “Finally, someone not enthralled by your charm.”
“Zane is a vampire,” Ferris says.
“Excuse me?” I whirl on Ferris. Surely he’s lying. There’s no way in hell he just said that with a straight face. Vampires? Those only exist in books.
“Hybrid, actually. Part Sage.” He winks.
“And what the hell is a Sage?”
“Someone who can practice magic,” Corrine offers. “As I told you, we come from a different realm entirely. One where magic is far more prominent than it is here.”
“Magic.”
“You believe in that, right?” Zane questions as he moves away and joins Corrine at the table. “After all, your husband just sprouted fur and claws. You’d have to be pretty damn hard-headed not to believe in it.”
“Magic I believe in. But Vampires? Seriously?”
He shrugs. “Our magic is far older there than it is here. The world is full of realms, some with magic, some completely devoid of it.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because we heard of the shifters,” Corrine replies. “And as it happens, I’m looking for one in particular. He’s not here,” she adds quickly. “Which is why we were going to be leaving soon.”
“Yet you’re so willing to stick around for a fight that’s clearly not yours. Why?” I demand.
“Untrusting, good on you,” Zane retorts. He stands and steps toward me then crosses his arms. “As it turns out, I can’t fucking stand bullies. And fuckers who think themselves rightful kings piss me off.”
“You’ll excuse me if I don’t take you for your word. I’ve been treated like shit by most of the men I’ve met.”
“Then take mine.” Corrine stands and crosses toward me. She moves with strength and grace that alludes to a royal upbringing. Which really makes me wonder what led her here. “We will protect your people while you handle the king. Then, once you return, we will be leaving. Consider it our way of thanking you for your hospitality while we searched for our friend.”
Zane clears his throat, and Corrine throws him a glare.
“My friend,” she corrects.
I turn to Ferris. “You trust them?”
“I do,” he replies. “They’ve been nothing but kind since they arrived.”
“He’s a damned vampire.”
“So is she,” he replies.
“You are?” I ask, turning back to Corrine.
“Another hybrid,” she replies. “Though I’m also Guardian and wolf.”
“Three for one,” Zane replies.
I shake my head. “I need to get to Merrick. He cannot be left in the woods. It’s been days since he’s shifted, and if being in wolf form is just as unreliable as being in his human one, there’s no telling when he’ll shift back. If he’s too far—”
“Go home,” Ferris tells me. “He’ll find you.”
“But—”
“Do not venture off the path, Kiya. If anything should happen to you, Merrick will kill me himself.”
I’m torn. I know Ferris is right. That I need to get back to the house and prepare for a journey that will be long and strained. But doing so means abandoning Merrick in the woods, and that feels wrong.
Still, I know he won’t allow me to leave otherwise, so I nod. “Fine. I’ll go home and wait for him.”
“Want an escort? Aside from the three you seem to have,” he adds with a wink at Merrick’s brothers.
“No,” I tell Zane. “But thank you.”
He grins, flashing canines I hadn’t noticed before. “I assure you, I only bite Corrine these days.”
“Uh-huh. See to it that it stays that way.” But I can’t help the soft smile I give him. The two of them might be creatures I didn’t know existed, but it’s difficult not to like them. “Thank you for protecting our people. I will warn you, though, if you harm them—”
Zane’s smile spreads. “Your husband will eat us.”