Chapter Twenty-Seven
Since Connor was out on patrol near the old island settlement, he decided to make a stop there to check on Claire and Nate. Claire and her shapeshifter mate, Cam, were expecting twins, from a shapeshifter surrogate, and Claire expected to stay among the lynx shifters for a month after the babies were born. Connor wasn’t happy about it, but it was part of the agreement Claire had made with Cam, who needed to be near his clan. As it stood, Claire’s time was divided between the lynx and vampires. Claire’s obligations made matters difficult since the people on the island didn’t completely trust most vampires. For that reason, he’d left Claire and Nate in charge. He had Mark stay there when Claire was away, and so far, there hadn’t been any serious issues with his presence. If things worked out while Claire was away, he planned to keep Mark there permanently. Mark had also grown up with the people on the island, but they considered him a traitor for moving to Connor’s settlement. It was taking time for those on the island to trust and accept him again.
“We’ve got a big problem.” Those were the first words out of Nate’s mouth when he met Connor at the entrance of the tunnel leading to the island.
“What’s going on?” Connor asked.
“Some of Abram’s guards showed up here with a bunch of people about an hour ago,” Nate began, and Connor’s temper rose. Abram had agreed to keep to the other side of the bay and avoid starting trouble. “It’s not what you’re thinking,” Nate quickly added, when he saw Connor’s reaction.
“Why are they here?” Connor asked, as he followed Nate through the tunnel, leaving his guards on the other side with the jeep.
“From what they said, Richard showed up demanding to speak to Abram. Richard had people on both sides of Treasure Island, but the majority of them were on the peninsula side. According to the vampires who showed up here, Abram thought the council might have sent Richard, but he still didn’t trust him,” Nate explained. “Abram didn’t want Richard to have innocent people to use against them if he tried to take control of Treasure Island, so Abram told the guards to take the people here.”
“His story doesn’t make any sense. I told him what was going on, so he had to know Richard wasn’t with the council,” Connor told Nate.
“Did you tell him in person?” Nate asked.
“I sent him a message, and he responded,” Connor replied. “I’m sure the council would have sent him a message, too.” He suspected someone would have at least made an effort to call him.
“According to Abram’s people, their communications have been down,” Nate explained. “I’d say Abram is lying, but what does he have to gain by sending the weak here?”
Connor considered the situation for a moment. “They might not be as weak as Abram wants us to believe. It’s always possible he’s working with Richard, and they’re planning to attack this settlement from within, but I doubt it. Taking over this island would gain them nothing, and it would also tip us off to their plans. Abram wouldn’t try something that stupid.”
Much as Connor hated to admit it, he’d respected Abram’s cunning since Abram had taken over Treasure Island. He’d also come to suspect Abram cared about the safety of his followers. Abram hadn’t broken the terms of their truce, and the majority of his people seemed to be in good health. The biggest problem he had with Abram was that he suspected Abram was a little too crazy to be trusted.
“The guards left as soon as they dropped off the others and updated us on what’s going on,” Nate replied. “They went back to help Abram in case there was any fighting.”
“Where are they?” Connor asked, trying to decide what he needed to do to help Abram. They could not afford to have Richard take Treasure Island.
“I’ve got the families in the old housing. We don’t have enough new housing set up to accommodate them, but they seem okay with it since they used to live there,” Nate told him. “Claire is working to make sure they all have enough supplies, but we’re not set up for this many people. We’re going to need more clothing, bedding, and food. I was planning to send someone to the business district to grab what we need.”
“Mark will bring more supplies, and he can stay here for the time being. I’m not comfortable leaving you and Claire alone when we aren’t certain we can trust your guests, so I’ll also have Mark select a few others to help out. Put extra guards on the tunnel and the shoreline.”
“What are you going to do about Abram?” Nate asked.
Connor let out a sigh. “I’m going to grab some of our better fighters and head out that way. We need to see what’s going on. Abram may not be our ally, but he’s not causing problems. Richard is definitely an enemy, and we may need Abram’s help again.”
Nate looked annoyed. “I know you’re right, but I really hate that asshole.”
Connor laughed at Nate’s expression. “I completely understand, but it’s better to have Abram controlling Treasure Island than Richard. Get Cam to see if the lynx or cougars can help. Tell him to have them meet us close to the Treasure Island bridge in an hour.”
Nate nodded, and Connor began making calls, hoping he’d get there in time to prevent Richard from taking Treasure Island.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cord’s attention was completely focused on his mate as she listened to his youngest daughter, Lark, complain about her red hair.
“I think your hair is beautiful,” Winn assured Lark.
“You only say that because you’ve never tried hiding with red hair,” Lark told her. His youngest was only thirteen, and she still acted like a kitten most of the time. Cord loved her innocence, and he could tell Winn enjoyed it, as well.
“I would imagine it’s hard to hide when you can be tracked by your scent,” Winn pointed out.
Lark let out a long-suffering sigh, and Cord had to bite back his laughter. Much like her mother, Lark was very dramatic. Cord hadn’t planned to have more kittens after losing Winn, but Lark’s mother had been his friend for well over two-hundred years. After the death of her mate, she’d been distraught and lonely. Cord had taken her during her heat cycle after she’d asked him to give her a child.
“Lark,” Cord began. “Shouldn’t you be helping your mother wash clothing?”
“Oops!” Lark said with a sweet smile. “That’s where I was heading. Can I come by to visit Winn again later?”
Cord regarded his youngest with a raised eyebrow. “When have you ever asked permission to come for a visit?”
“You didn’t have a mate before,” Lark replied, giving Winn a shy smile. “Mama says I shouldn’t be a pest.”
Cord moved toward his daughter and hugged her close. “I like it when you’re a pest,” he assured her.
Lark hugged him back before taking off running.
“Thank you for being so patient with her,” he told Winn.
Winn smiled. “She’s very sweet, much different from Vexx.”
“You don’t think Vexx is sweet?” he asked.
“Vexx is many things, but sweet is definitely not one of them,” Winn told him. “I can’t believe I’ve only met two of your daughters.”
“I get the feeling everyone is staying away to give us time alone,” he explained. “Think of it as the calm before the storm. My daughters all have very strong personalities.”
Winn laughed at his description. “Much like their father.”
Lark ran back to them. “Lynx are coming,” she announced before heading in the direction she’d come from.
There was no time to hide Winn before Cam headed his way with about ten other lynx. Cord immediately moved closer to Winn and slid a hand around the back of her neck to massage his mark. The presence of the other male made him feel threatened, and he needed the comforting reminder that Winn was his.
“Winter?” Cam gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“Winter?” she asked, brow knit together in confusion.
“Winter is your name,” Cord replied, glaring at Cam. “You introduced yourself to
me as Winn, but most know you as Winter.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Cam demanded. “My mate and her settlement are in danger because people are looking for Winter. After my father told you about the danger in this area, you lied about her being here? He is going to see this as a betrayal, and I don’t blame him.”
“Max knows she’s here.” Cord was fighting his instinct to lash out at Cam for challenging his dominance. Cam’s stance and the way he met Cord’s eyes was a challenge. While Cord understood Cam’s reaction was prompted by worry for his mate, he wasn’t sure how long he could tolerate his disrespect.
Cam’s anger faded, only to be replaced with confusion. “Why would he keep this from me?”
“Winn is safer here,” Cord explained. “No one is looking for her with the cougars, and you know we can protect her. The vampires have had enough trouble keeping their own territory safe from attackers.”
Cam shook his head. “We don’t have time to argue about this now. Connor needs help. The vampires and shifters looking for Winter may have attacked Treasure Island. It’s important they don’t succeed in taking the island. Connor sent me to see if you can help with the fight. We need to leave now.”
Cord nodded, knowing Connor wouldn’t ask for his help if he didn’t need it.
“I’m going with you,” Winn said.
“No,” Cord said with a shake of his head. “You’ll distract me, and you don’t have any fighting skills.”
“I’m a mage and a shapeshifter,” Winn argued. “That means I must have some skills to protect myself.”
“You’re what?” Cam gasped.
Cord let out a sigh. “She’s jaguar, but she’s never shifted.” His attention returned to his stubborn mate. “You are powerful, and with your memory intact, I would love to have you fight by my side. At this point, you have no idea how to use that power to defend yourself.”
“I’m still strong and fast,” Winn insisted. “I know you don’t want the vampires to see me, but we can’t keep pretending I’m not part of what’s going on. People are in danger because of me, and I need to help them.”
“I need you to stay here, Winn,” Cord told her, reaching around to stroke his mark on her neck. “Please, do this for me,” he asked quietly.
Winn hesitated before nodding. While he knew she wanted to argue, it seemed Winn realized putting herself in danger would distract him too much.
Releasing Winn’s neck, he stepped back. “Beck! Gather ten fighters to go with me to help the vampires. You’ll stay here.”
Beck had been standing on the edge of their confrontation. “Got it,” Beck replied and took off to gather the fighters.
“When did it happen?” Cam asked.
“When did what happen?” Cord asked in annoyance.
“When did you mark Winter?” Cam clarified. “You were touching your mark. I do it with Claire often. It soothes me.”
Cord let out a sigh. “We don’t have time for a story that long.”
Winn snorted. “It’s not that long. We met over a century ago, and we both realized we were mates at the time. I refused to stay with Cord because I thought I had to be alone as a mage. Cord saved my life recently, and the only thing I remembered was him being my mate. He marked me because we’re mates. End of story.”
“You marked her while she’s vulnerable?” Cam demanded, looking seriously pissed. “What the fuck were you thinking? She doesn’t even know who she is. How could you take advantage of her like this?”
Before Cord could respond, Winn stepped between them. “I asked him to mark me. Don’t you dare insult me by telling me I don’t know who I am. I know who I am. What I don’t remember is who I was told I should be. Maybe I needed to forget that to discover my true identity.”
Cam’s eyes widened.
“What?” Cord asked Cam. “Why do you look so surprised?”
“It’s just something my brother said,” Cam replied. “I’m sorry for being an ass about this.” Before Cord or Winn could respond, he continued, “We need to hurry and meet Connor.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Winn had been lying when she’d said she didn’t remember who she was supposed to be. Knowing her name was Winter brought back many memories, but they seemed like memories of another person—a person who had been as cold as the name implied. Those memories were part of the reason she’d wanted to go with Cord. She honestly needed a distraction from the voice in the back of her mind telling her to leave and never look back. She knew it was her mother’s voice, but she felt no bond with the woman. The only kind thing her mother had ever done was to allow her to stay with the jaguars in her early years.
“What’s bothering you, Winn?” Vexx asked as she approached. Only days from her heat cycle, Vexx was spending very little time around her clan since it took a lot of energy to mask her scent and even more trying to avoid the males if she didn’t mask her scent.
“What makes you think something’s bothering me?” Winn asked.
Vexx raised an eyebrow before glancing at the leaves swirling in a circle around Winn’s legs. “If there were a breeze anywhere else, I might find a different way to explain this. I’ve noticed this sort of thing happens when you’re upset.”
“I’m not completely sure why this happens when something is bothering me. My control was better before I lost my memory,” she admitted.
Vexx studied her for a moment, and Winn wondered what she was seeing. “Have any more memories come back?”
“A lynx shifter named Cam said my name is Winter, and that brought back many of my memories,” Winn admitted.
“You don’t sound like they’re helping much,” Vexx remarked.
“They seem like memories of someone else,” Winn admitted. “I know I was Winter, and I lived through those things. Still, I don’t feel like I’m her.”
“Maybe you aren’t Winter,” Vexx mused. “It’s not that I’m saying those aren’t your memories and Winter isn’t your name, but that’s not who you are anymore.”
“I don’t think losing my memory can make me a different person,” Winn argued.
“I agree,” Vexx told her. “Since I didn’t know you before, I can only guess what you were like, but I suspect this is who you’ve always been, and you were only pretending to be someone else.”
“What if that’s not the case, and I become that person again when the rest of my memories return?” Winn asked, worried Cord would end up being right about her regretting him marking her. “What if, when I remember who I am, I become cold and unfeeling? I can’t stand the idea of hurting your father.”
“Do you regret letting him mark you?” Vexx asked, studying her even more intently. Vexx’s vivid green eyes glowed brighter, and warmth traveled across Winn’s body. Where Winn’s mage power was cold, Vexx’s witch power was warm. There was something soothing about Vexx’s power that seemed to ease Winn’s worries some.
“No,” Winn replied without hesitation. “I didn’t even want to leave him that first time,” she admitted, surprised when the words slipped out.
“I’m not sure you were ever really that cold,” Vexx mused. “Something tells me you were led to believe you had to be cold to do your job as a mage. My mother told me the mage who control the elements of nature are very similar to witches. Both are bound to the land and feel a need to protect it. Witches are creatures of passion and often irrational, while the mage can focus their energy more and isolate themselves from others.”
“Your mother believed the mage need to be solitary to be powerful?” Winn asked.
Vexx shook her head. “My mother told me folk tales of a time when a triad would be formed between a mage, a witch, and a demon. According to her, the power they could wield exceeded that of the most powerful Fae. She believed the mage were most powerful when they weren’t alone.”
“If there’s any truth to those stories, that may be why the mage are solitary now,” Winn remarked thoughtfully.
Vexx nodded. “It’s a lo
t of power, and while it could do a lot of good, it could also do a lot of harm—not that I believe her stories about the triad. I’ve never seen a demon, and I doubt they exist.”
“They exist,” Winn assured her as the memories of beautiful creatures with vivid wings came to mind. “Demons are the offspring of two fallen angels.”
“Then I definitely think it’s a good idea if that triad never happens,” Vexx told her. “My point was, you don’t have to be cold. You were reunited with my father after a hundred years. He just happened to be in the right place to save your life, and he’s the only thing you remembered. Doesn’t that seem too coincidental to be an accident? My mother always said fate played a big role in our lives.”
“Yet you’re avoiding your own mate,” Winn pointed out.
Vexx flinched before looking annoyed. “That’s a totally different situation, and I’m not planning to avoid him forever.”
“I really like you, Vexx,” Winn began. “That’s the only reason I’m saying any of this. I think it would be a huge mistake to avoid telling Jase the truth now. You may prefer to wait until after your heat cycle, but the longer you wait, the more you’ll hurt Jase’s pride, and what will you do if he finds out before you have a chance to tell him?”
“I’m not right for Jase, but he won’t be able to see that while I’m near my heat cycle. He’ll be ruled by his instincts,” Vexx argued. “How did we get on the subject of Jase? We’re supposed to be talking about what’s bothering you.”
Winn wanted to push but decided against it. She’d noticed Vexx’s temper ran hot, and she didn’t listen when she was angry. Pushing her wouldn’t do any good.
“The most frustrating thing for me at the moment is Winter has the power to protect herself, but I can’t remember how she controls that power,” she explained.
“It would help if you stopped referring to Winter as a different person,” Vexx suggested. “You are Winter.”
Winn shook her head, rejecting that idea. “I can’t be here and be Winter.” When she heard her own words, she laughed. “That sounded insane, didn’t it?”
Untamed Winter Page 14
