by Jo Penn
“Deak! Eber’s coming!” Blahz Aston, one of Deakin’s brothers-in-law, bounced around on his tippy toes, arms waving wildly.
Finn was always highly amused, and a little cautious when around creatures of sprite heritage. They were just so bouncy and hyperactive. Deak’s head snapped around to Blahz so fast he’d probably end up with a pulled muscle. Finn looked too and saw a tall, muscular creature with long, straight pale blond hair striding toward them. There was no way in heaven or hell you’d ever mistake Eber Aston for a human. He just exuded power and alpha, and creature. To be specific, gargoyle.
Quickly Deakin patted his clothes, checked around his chair and tucked his iPad down his shirt. Finn frowned over that. Deak was one of his best friends, but sometimes the man did the weirdest things.
“Hi!” Blahz grinned up at his brother Eber as the gargoyle joined them.
The gargoyle made a strange noise, sort of a chuffing mixed with thunder and patted Blahz’s shoulder. Golden eyes fixed on Deak.
“Where is our wolf pup?”
“Drax is watching him.” Deak waved toward the building site where the crew was busy laying the foundations of a dozen large houses for the bears in the pack. Deak squinted behind his glasses. “Drax better still be watching him.”
With a disgruntled huff, Eber snapped his fingers and held out his hand. Deak glared up mutinously and crossed his arms over his narrow chest. Finn grinned. He loved a good stand-off.
Giving a sly smile, Eber held his hands up in surrender. “As you wish, brother. Vicus can always hack in later.”
“That’s an invasion of privacy!” Deak grumbled as he pulled the iPad out of his shirt. “I didn’t record them for me. Jayce wanted to see the bears’ new home.”
“Yeah!” Blahz bobbed his head. “And their bodies.”
Eber rolled his eyes and took the iPad. After flicking through a minute, he looked around then wandered off and chatted up a slender, smallish wolf. The wolf gazed up at the big gargoyle completely awestruck and holding out his phone, took a picture of the creature. Eber snatched the phone, copied the wolf’s digits then slipped it into the man’s front pocket. The wolf pressed closer, and the large gargoyle smirked and walked off.
Finn was heartsick with worry, his body no longer hungry for food, and his emotions all over the place. It was time to tell. Scared, heartsick, Finn was…scared to lose his mate, and so afraid he’d waited too long.
Death. Whose, Finn had yet to know, but it was there, images playing in his visions, making him sick inside.
Someone he cared about was going to die.
Chapter Two
Alpha Urian Starters loved his pack. He loved this city and the surrounding valley and most of the creatures in it. Some were shitheads in need of a good bolloxing, most were decent creatures and humans. Changes were coming though, Uri could sense it, his instincts stirring the last few years.
With so many creature groups moving to Milson Valley and setting up strongholds here, Urian worked hard over the years to establish a united alliance to protect their individual groups, the humans, and the entire valley. Milson City had become one of the safest cities to live in the States as per the most recent poll. And these days there more paranormals than a wolf could sniff out.
He had a strong pack, great friends, but what he didn’t have was a good relationship with his mate.
And Uri tried, he truly did, but every step he took with his mate was overshadowed by secrecy and not full truths. How could he trust his mate when, since the beginning, the very moment they met, the seer did nothing but evade questions and admit to nothing?
Finn was…well, Finn. Highly entertaining, gorgeous, caring, but at the same time secretive and distant. And always ready with a smart remark and a joke. Uri had to convince his mate to come to Milson Valley with him, Finn complaining the entire trip that he was getting hives from having to move to Hicksville Nowhere. Finn had settled in well, though and the pack loved him. Whereas Uri just wanted to hog tie his mate, so whatever was going on with Finn could be contained.
He loved Finn, he really did. But the secrets and stress his mate carried tore at Uri, as did the fact Finn didn’t open up and let Uri in, share with him, confide. Fortunately, a few weeks ago, Finn had been able to tell Uri everything, which led to the problem of tracking two seers, one of which was frigging nuts! No way was Uri letting Bastion near Finn! So Uri needed to locate the other triplet, Jude and draw Bastion out, then ship them both back to King Daddy Dearest.
But learning the truth hadn’t resolved all the issues between him and Finn, nor had it stopped his mate from whatever heartache the seer carried.
“What’s up?”
Urian looked up at one of his two best friends, Sebastian Sanchez, a tiger shifter with the local Sanchez pride. Long ago Urian learned how to block his friend’s gift of being able to see inside another and learn their past and current deeds and feelings. Most weren’t able to prevent Sebastian using his gift on them, not unless they trained how to or had magic to do so. Uri spent a lot of time building up his skills to block Seb out.
“Just thinking.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” The tiger sat on the crate opposite Urian and nudged a beer bottle with his foot. “You have to deal with the fact Finn couldn’t tell you, buddy, or it’ll eat you up inside.”
“I have. I’m not saying I’m pleased and I’ve spoken to the old seer King about it to make sure the blood vow doesn’t mess up a mateship, so hopefully, he’ll change it for the future.”
“You’ve got a point. I’ll e-mail the seer King myself and update him on the mateship laws and let him know that the seer blood vow could be considered interfering with mates.”
Uri smirked. “That’s good. Just be prepared, Finn’s old man is wily and just a tad on the evil side.”
“Yeah, being prayed on for so many years meant seers adapted.” Seb winced. “They’re really bloodthirsty these days.”
Drax Charmers, Uri’s other best friend, sat on the ground and handed out two bottles of beer. They had all been friends since school, well over a hundred years ago now, Drax and Uri friends for longer. Uri’s parents died when he was still a pup and it was Drax’s parents, Mayor Rainier Charmer and his wife, Carol, who took Urian in and raised him, protecting and caring for him. The Sanchez’s had been there also, making sure nothing happened to the young pack Alpha who so many wanted to get rid of so they could take over the biggest pack in North America.
“You still pissed at me?” Drax asked.
Surprised, Uri glanced at his friend, brother really. “No. Why?”
Drax’s creamy blond brows rose, and he shot Uri a look of exasperation. “Come on, Uri. I know you’re pissed I didn’t tell you about Mason being my mate five years ago. I also know you’re more hurt than pissed.” Drax smirked. “Your mate also tore me a new one for hurting you.”
“Shit.” Uri drank some beer, looking away.
Yeah, that was his mate. Urian smiled. He loved how his mate never shied away, backed down, or put up with what he didn’t want to from anyone. It had always impressed Urian, for though Finn was taught young how to fight and defend himself, Finn preferred to first work things out without physical altercations. But if that didn’t work, he was happy to use those fighting skills to shed some blood. Attitude, smarts, and heart, Finn had them all in spades.
“Finn’s pretty amazing,” Urian said truthfully.
“Yeah. I’m impressed how Finn was not only protecting his clan but you and everyone here by keeping his vow,” Sebastian said.
“Huh? His clan, yes, which is admirable. Me, possibly –”
“Seb’s right,” Drax interrupted. “Breaking the vow meant not only him being taken back to Hell Island and put on trial, but you also, leaving the pack without its Alpha and the Alliance without its heart. There are a lot of creatures and people that rely on you and could be severely affected if you were gone. Finn was aware of that. He also knew how you felt about secrets and th
at you were hurting and did everything he could to convince his father to break the vow.”
Urian hadn’t thought of what happened in that way before and mulled it over quietly. He drank beer, listened to his best friends argue and discuss what was going on with the gargoyles who were moving to the valley, and decided he hadn’t been entirely fair to Finn.
Yeah, he wasn’t happy, but none of it was actually Finn’s fault. And his mate had made things right. Uri sighed. He was one lucky son of a bitch. But why was his mate unable to sleep? Why was Finn so restless, tired, and lethargic? And why was he using a burn phone to contact a coyote shifter, who Urian ran a trace on and found out was a private investigator?
Urian put aside the beer and stood. It was time to go find out by being direct and asking Finn. Uri knew how much his mate loved him. Urian felt the same about his seer. Their connection was solid. The past was the past, there were circumstances beyond either of their control. Now it was time to move forward and put a stop to whatever was causing the strain between them, as it was affecting Finn’s health.
Leaving his friends to clean up, Uri got in his truck and drove to his home that was situated behind the pack house. When he first took over as Alpha a hundred years ago, the pack house was an unstable two room shack on stumps. Now it was a two-story structure with a pack kitchen and food hall, games room, conference rooms, offices, control room, and a prison in the basement.
The pack was the largest in the States these days due to the fact the valley and city were well protected by soldiers, making it a safe, fair, and comfortable place to live. There were playgrounds for the kids on the pack lands, a river for fishing, an indoor pool and gymnasium, shops and kindergarten, and streets full of houses. He was happy with what they’d achieved and how the pack flourished, and knew that to keep the pack on track, he needed everyone working together. And to be a strong leader, he needed to sort out his mateship.
Parking in the carport outside the garage attached to his large house that was more like a mansion, Urian took a moment after getting out of his truck to scent the air and listen. The night was clear and cold, and normal. Good. He had things to sort out with his mate and didn’t want anyone hanging around causing trouble and interrupting.
Inside, Finn was sprawled on the sofa in his pajamas watching a movie. His mate was an attractive man with smooth, silky golden blond hair that was back off his face, aqua colored eyes, a lightly tanned complexion, and he had a fit, six-foot-two physique. Everything about Finn attracted Urian, even the fancy duds his mate liked to fill his wardrobe with, and the glitter he sometimes wore in his hair. Uri wasn’t fancy. He liked plain and simple, except if it was technology, a weapon, or his Finbarr.
“We need to talk.” Urian strode over and used the remote to turn off the television.
“We do.” Finn waved a hand at an armchair as he sat up. “I think I need help, Urian.”
Uri sat beside his mate and wrapped his arms around the man, drawing Finn against his body. Having Finn in his arms settled some of the turmoil and worry he felt. Knowing his mate was safe, that Urian could protect him, and that they had each other, went a long way to helping with whatever was happening.
“Whatever you need, angel. I’m right here for you.”
“I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t, Urian! How the hell was I to know Tristian is my mate? It all happened so quickly—”
“I’m sure it did. Now start with who is Tristian, and why do you think he’s your mate?”
Mate. There were many possibilities Urian considered when Finn began to lose weight, was always tired but couldn’t sleep, and secretly hired that private investigator. After finding out about Bastion and Jude, he thought that was it, that was the cause, but Finn got worse every day until Uri knew, he just knew, something so very wrong had happened and Finn, an immortal seer, powerful, was struggling to live. Had some creature bewitched his mate? Someone using a spell? Made Finn believe he had another mate, this Tristian?
Urian would wait to hear what Finn said and investigate before making any decisions. Whatever it was that was causing this pain so deep inside his mate, Urian would fight any way he could. His life was about to change again, and this time Uri wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
* * * *
“We met six and a half months ago in Arizona,” Finn began. “I had joined the magic show and was traveling with the troupe to different events, that one I think was a party for some big hot shot politician. We were staying in a hotel around the corner from this little diner I wouldn’t usually venture into without first sighting a health inspector’s stamp of approval, and maybe not even then. But the strangest thing happened when I was walking past with my rabbit shifter friend you frightened when we first met. Remember him?”
“Yeah, I remember. Keep going.”
Finn plucked at the soft material of his lounging pants. “We-ll, I had this peculiar tingling sensation. I had no idea what it meant. There was just a sense of urgency, and I was drawn, almost like a compulsion, to go to the diner for some reason. So I dared the dismal little place, and after wading past a dozen creatures, I spotted this grouchy, gorgeous little curly light brown haired man having an argument with the owner.” Finn sighed and rubbed his arms as though chilled. “He didn’t even notice me until I was right beside him. Unfortunately, that just seemed to make him even grumpier, and he glared up at me with these amazingly beautiful blueberry eyes and told me to back off, I was invading his personal space.” Finn smiled fondly at the memory. “Then he proceeded to argue with the diner owner for the next ten minutes, snapping at me when I tried to intervene. I think he likes to argue. Later I found out he’s a sun bear shifter.”
“Yeah, bears like a good argument,” Uri murmured.
Finn sighed, nodding. He was worried about Urian, how his mate would take the news they had another mate. Urian didn’t look so good when Finn said mate just before, in fact, the big Alpha wolf paled and looked like he would hurl. Understandably, this was a shock and Urian would require some time to get used to the idea. Unfortunately, Finn wasn’t sure how long Tristian had because shifters could go feral if they didn’t claim their mate and bond within a particular time frame. And it had already been six and a half months.
Guiding stars, Finn had made an absolute mess!
“Hmm. That’s pretty much how it went. He finally got the diner owner to let all his followers inside to eat because I think the owner just wanted him to shut the hell up. The guy looked like he had a pretty massive headache. Anyway, I hung around, used some charm, managed to get a smile out of the grouch, and we ended up back in my hotel room holed up for the next few days. After that everything pretty much went downhill—”
“Wait. Did you say ‘followers’?”
Nodding, Finn winced. “Err, yeah. You see, strange as it is, though Tristian is a menace and grouch, all these creatures just follow him around everywhere. It’s like he’s a magnet and they’re attracted to him—but not in a sexual way, though there were a few I was suspicious of. Anyway,” Finn continued, “I had another event, this time in Memphis. I convinced Tristian to come with me, but that left the problem of all his followers. We had to take a day for Tristian to find them a good home. The local pride took most of them but they wanted to keep Tristian, too, and we ended up having to leave very quickly. Huh, perhaps that’s how Tris ended up on the High Council’s radar.” Finn frowned. “The investigator I hired to locate Tristian told me the High Council has a protection order on him, as well as a capture and detainment. The same with the Bear Shifter Council, Shifter Council, and a few others.”
“Why would the councils be after Tristian?” Uri asked seriously. “What laws has he broken? Is he considered a dangerous rogue?”
“Oh, ah, nooo.” Finn winced, realizing he had left out an important detail. “He’s the sacred bear.”
Finn watched Urian blink. Had his big, tough, menacing, good-hearted mate just had an aneurysm? Should Finn call Doc Eric, the werewolf pack
doctor whose ever-cheerful attitude made Finn want to test the man and see if he took happy pills all the time? When Uri slumped and shook his head, Finn knew the situation had just gotten a little bit worse. Man, when Finn messed up, he did it big time apparently…or really, this was all Tristian’s fault!
“Right. I see. The pride would know what he was and reported Tristian to the councils. The High Council will want to capture Tristian to protect him.” Urian raised his head, cheeks flushed a little but gaze steady.
“Well, we can do that. Your pack will protect him, won’t they?” Finn asked rather desperately. “You let lots of bears in.”
He felt desperate and used up, lost and at times, frantic. They needed to find Tristian and bring him home.
“My pack will accept and protect him if I bring him home. Why did you two split up?”
Finn got the feeling Urian didn’t fully believe him that they had another mate. Hell, until a month or so ago, Finn wasn’t entirely sure either. His kind didn’t react the same way to mates as shifters, and a lot of paranormals did, so he hadn’t been able to automatically tell if Tristian was his or not.
“It was a few days after we arrived in Memphis. Tristian brought up the claiming you shifters always want to do, but at the time I didn’t understand the significance of it. I never had much to do with shifters, we didn’t have many on the island, and those there were either mated or guards. No one mentioned that a shifter went through these needs and heats, and could turn feral and dangerous if they didn’t claim their mate.” Finn needed to explain so Urian could understand. Shifters just didn’t comprehend that everyone was different when it came to mates and claiming. “I didn’t even know we were mates! I had an intense attraction to Tristian, I didn’t want him away from me, but everything was so new, and I had just left Hell Island…” Finn shrugged. “With seers it’s different. We’re more like witches and wizards, even fae in that sense I guess, though we don’t suffer any of the side effects for a long time. All we need to do is accept our mate, and we’re pretty much done.” Finn frowned. “Actually, saying that then we’re very much like djinn, similar gifts, too, mostly being able to move the energy around us for our own will, though they can do that with nature also.”
