Page 2
“How was the swim?” Zoe asked.
I flipped my loose hair back as I stood and swung to see her, mischief sparkling in her eyes.
“I will retaliate,” I announced. “When you least expect it.”
Zoe folded the corner of the page she was on and stood. “I did it for your own good. Tell me you don’t feel better.”
“That’s beside the point.”
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing over my shoulder at the toy.
“I don’t know. I found it down there.” I gestured toward the ocean. “There’s something about it I need to figure out.”
“Then take a look!” Zoe snatched it up and tossed it to me.
Catching it awkwardly, I fumbled for a moment then took a breath and closed my eyes, willing myself to connect.
I clutched the toy to my chest. It was all I could grab before they rushed us out in the middle of the night. My heart beat fast as the woman holding my hand dragged me toward the water. I was scared. So were my sisters, I could smell it on them. I didn’t like the ocean. It was big and dark. I didn’t know how to swim unless I was in my wolf form, and I couldn’t control that yet. Tears stung my eyes as I tried to pry my hand from her grip, but it was as strong as the metal walls that kept us in our room all the time, the door only opening when it was time to see the doctor. No one liked being poked, prodded, or hooked up to cold machines, so we didn’t even want to see it open. But this was different. We’d never come so close to the ocean before and definitely not when it was this dark.
At least they didn’t bring the babies.
I gasped as she tugged me right to the water, showing no signs of slowing down. My sister, Dee, screamed.
“Please stop!” I yelled. “I’m scared.”
The woman paused, and hope swelled as she looked down at me with soft brown eyes.
“Don’t be scared. You won’t be hurt. You’re too important. Just hold your breath for a moment.”
I tried to understand what she meant, but before I could figure it out, I was under the water. My arms and legs moved automatically, trying to find something to hold on to, and my toy fell, floating down and away from me.
Snapping my eyes open, I sucked in a breath like I’d been underwater for too long. Zoe caught my arms, concern mirrored in her face as I regained my senses.
“Someone has children—babies—held captive.” I searched her eyes, gripping her back too tight. “They took him in the ocean. It felt like he was drowning, but I don’t think they killed them. It doesn’t make sense.”
Zoe helped me to the mat and sat with an arm around me as I turned the small plastic block in my hand as though it could reveal more information.
“Who’s doing this?” she asked softly.
“I don’t know. They’re on this island, though, obviously. Otherwise, they came through a portal with children just to get in the ocean. I need to do something.” I glanced up into my sister’s hazel eyes—mirrors of my own concern.
“This is not all on you, Char. You should tell someone and let the proper people work on it. At least include them.”
“Right.” I nodded. I’d wanted a day off, away from even Julian just as a reset. But my mental health was about to take a backseat if it meant finding these missing kids.
I’m bringing this back to you, I promised, clutching the toy to my chest.
Chapter Two
Pleasurable Distractions
Julian’s deep indigo gaze had me more relaxed than an ocean full of coral and wildlife. Something about his presence, his cool touch, grounded me. It also sent shivers of anticipation into regions of my body that had no business being awake at that moment.
We sat at his dining table on ornate velvet chairs as mismatched as the rest of his eclectic to the extreme décor. Over his centuries of life, he’d collected and held on to his favorite pieces. “The ones with the memories,” he’d told me when I’d asked.
I should have been with you to help you deal with the emotional strain, Julian lamented in my mind, stroking the back of my hand. We’d discovered the new ability to speak silently with one another after I’d connected to him when he’d been caught, fluctuating between dimensions and time, hooked up to a fae torture device. The silent communication required touching, but that didn’t seem to be an issue for us.
“Stop being overprotective.” Rolling my eyes, I leaned back and took a sip of coffee to distance myself. It didn’t help because he’d made it absolutely perfect—just the way I liked it.
