Kalina ~ Book Four

The classroom chairs squeaked as the children set up the room for their movie. After an hour of deciding what to watch, the children unanimously voted for My Neighbor Totoro and arranged cushions in three rows for them to sit on.

Bea watched them with her dark, round eyes and wiped her running nose on her sleeve. She'd need more clothes for her soon.

Sylvie stifled a yawn and waited for her class to quiet before speaking. The shift was instant, and even Bea looked shocked by the children's sudden silence.

Sylvie just smiled and wrung her hands. Their shift was coming soon. She could feel it in the air. She put on a brave face.

"Alright, my loves, enjoy the movie. I'm going to be just outside with Amira and in hearing distance, so call me if you need me." She cast her gaze over the twins, Violet and Daniel and narrowed her eyes. "And no funny business. Show me I can trust you. And Bea, I have my phone on me. Just text, and I'll be right there."

Bea nodded, her throat bobbing at the force of her swallow. Even after two days' worth of healing tea and food, she still looked terrible. Her skin remained a sallow hue, bones jutted from every joint, and she could hardly walk on her atrophied legs.

Whoever had her before did a number on her. If Sylvie ever found out who they were, they'd wish they were dead after she was done with them.

The only problem was Bea still hadn't spoken a word, and every missing person site had nothing. No teenage girl called Bea. Sylvie hoped she was just wrong about the name, and when Bea was ready, she would speak and tell her. Someone had to be missing her.

"Alright."

Sylvie left the room and almost bumped into Amira, crouching outside the door.

"Watch yerself, lassy."

"You're the one blocking the doorway, Amira. What are you doing?"

"Looking at something."

Sylvie humphed and squeezed out the door to crouch beside her. Amira hated stupid questions and loved to give stupid answers.

A rusty smear coated Amira's fingers, which she brought to her nose before wiping on her apron. "So?"

"Nothin' yet," Amira sighed, standing and wiping a strand of silver hair off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"A’v put the mixtures we made in the compartment wi the fae cup, for a wee bit o luck. I'm guessin' from their scent; the harvest moon will trigger their shift, which means we'll have ten days before ye need it."

"Alright."

"Will ye be goin wi them on the hunt?"

Sylvie rubbed her arms against the goosebumps that rose there. "I hope so. Rowan has it all organised, and I'd love to tag along if I'm allowed."

She was the Alpha by mateship, but she got the impression that a first shift was a shifter matter and didn't want to ask if she was included in that. Either she wouldn't be, and her heart would ache, or Rowan would call her a lunatic for even thinking she wouldn't be.

Rather than be hurt or stupid, she opted for silence. It usually was the safer bet. Gave her more time to gain insight, too. Listening instead of talking.

"What type o question is that? Ye are the reason the bairns were e'en born."

"Come off it it."

"I'm no tryin tae give ye a big head. It's the truth, lass. Ye are blessed, an ye have gifted an old crone like me a chance at seein' bairns run through pack lands again. I'll never forget it."

Sylvie's eyes misted, and she blinked at the grey sky. "Why is it every time I talk to you, I end up crying, Amira?"

A warm, firm hand squeezed her shoulder, and she dropped her chin to look at the old shifter.

"That's what Ban-ogha do with their Seanmhair." Amira flicked her under the chin and offered a solemn smile as a bubble of emotions flooded Sylvie's chest. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Amira had referred to her as her granddaughter, and the action almost forced a sob from her lips. Only the sound of the children giggling kept her in check.

"Did you need anything else from me before then?" she asked thickly.

Amira shook her head and rubbed her dry hands together as if contemplating something.

"What?"

She sniffed. "How's the lass?"

Bea. She meant Bea. "Same as before. Not as scared of the children, but won't let Rowan within ten feet of her."

"Has she spoken?"

"No. Not a word."

Amira blinked and massaged the palm of her hand with a firm thumb. "Bring her to me for a readin."

Sylvie worked her jaw. Bea only took food from her and ate it when she made it. Somehow, she knew when it was one of her mates, which Sylvie only discovered after two meals went uneaten.

"She won't drink it. And I don't know how to make it."

"I'll teach you."

"When?"

"Before you make her drink it."

This time, Sylvie threw her head back with exasperation. The Fates were cryptic at best and unreliable at worst. What was the point?

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, M'eudail."

She straightened. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Bring her to me after class."

"Fine."

"No sass," Amira added, waggling her long, bony fingers at her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's okay, Bea, it's just tea."

Bea writhed and twisted her head away, pushing the cup with her wild, flying arms. Sylvie tried twice before placing the cup down on the saucer in defeat.

Amira had even left the cabin, and Sylvie had made the tea. Plain old herbal tea and offered it. Not a sip.

"Alright, alright. No tea. Got it."

Slowly, Bea uncurled, her breathing still sharp as she eyed the tea accusation in her brown doe eyes.

"Well, it's nearly dinner time. Do you want pasta or a curry?"

She sniffed, wiped her nose with her sleeve and held up two fingers.

"Curry?"

Bea nodded.

"Okay, come on then."

Sylvie held out her hand, and Bea took it, her hands as thin as a bird's as she guided her from Amira's hut.

Amira stood far off near the path's edge, and Sylvie subtly shook her head. No luck.

Amira turned and shuffled away without another word.

Well, sorry.

Bea ate dinner outside on a blanket with Sylvie as her mates spied from inside the house. They had been banned from hovering but still found their ways to be overprotective.

Once they were finished, she walked Bea home, left her with an iPad and unlimited access to a movie streaming service and padded back inside the main house with dirty dishes in hand.

"You okay?" Rowan asked carefully.

With a groan, she dropped the bowls in the sink and washed them. Her mates edged closer from different directions, like people trying to approach a wild, deranged animal.

"You three are being ridiculous."

"Princess-"

"Don't princess me. Bea is a frail, injured little girl, and the fact you are afraid of her on my behalf is just insulting."

"That isn't it," Elias grunted.

"Then what is it?" She placed the dishes in the rack and turned, drying her hands on a dishtowel, her back pressing into the bench.

"Humans cannot break through our wards," Kian said. "That is the purpose of them."

"Okay, so she's not a human. We already thought that."

"But her scent," Rowan interjected. "You said she was human from her scent."

"So I was wrong. Is that really that big of a deal?"

Elias glowered. "You were not wrong. Her scent is entirely human. Which means she's hiding her true nature from us."

"Or the ones who had her before did," Sylvie said, crossing her arms and frowning. It did sound kind of bad, but the girl couldn't be more than fifteen and could barely walk.

"And who might that be, Sylvie?"

She stared pointedly at Rowan and kept her expression neutral. She didn't want him to see the realisation as it came into her head.

Vampires. They could have compelled and sent her in. It still didn't really matter, though. Even if she were just a spy, she wouldn't have anything juicy to share back.

So she just shrugged and pushed herself from the bench, slotting between Rowan and Kian before disappearing into their room.

"Are you being a brat, Kitten?" Elias' breath against her nape sent tingles all the way to her vagina.

"I already know. And I still think it's insulting you don't think I can handle myself. I'm the most skilled fighter here." Since Claudine left, it was actually true. The thought made her throat constrict.

He exhaled into her hair and trailed his finger along her ribs until she jerked away. She bit back a laugh and spun, trying to keep a stern look on her face.

"Kitten."

"Elias."

"Wife."

"Husband."

"Brat."

"Dick."

Rowan poked his head in the door. "Would you two save that for later? There's been an attack."

Sylvie's stomach dropped, but she followed him to the office, where a fullscreen aerial video of Fraser's pack showed grainy people being dragged into white-topped vans.

"What the fuck?"

"I need to go get them out."

Sylvie shivered. What had they gotten themselves into? "How?"

Kian said from the doorway. "Rowan and I will go through a portal. Free anyone taken, and finish the wards in one fell swoop."

"I-"

"It might take a few days," Kian warned.

Sylvie started. "We'll let's go-"

"No," Elias said. "We stay here." When he noticed her stormy expression, he continued, "It will be less taxing for Kian to take Rowan and not worry about you being safe. The quicker he helps them, the quicker they will return to us."

She sagged, dragging her feet to where he stood against the wall and dropped her head on his chest. His arms clamped around her as her stomach rolled. It only felt like yesterday when she vowed they wouldn't be apart for more than a day and no further than thirty minutes away.

"I don't want them to go."

"Why?" Rowan asked, nudging her foot with his. She peeked at him through her hair and exhaled sharply.

She couldn't tell him her thoughts even though he probably already suspected them. Everything went wrong when they were parted. So, she opted for a different truth.

"I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too." He took her hand that dangled limply at her side and kissed her palm.

Kian sent her a soothing energy, and she shuffled over to hug him goodbye.

"Don't be long," she grumbled.

He pressed his lips to her hairline, not speaking.

"And don't forget about the shift for the children. Amira thinks it will fall on the Harvest moon."

"Then we've got ten days," Rowan said. It was the last thing he said as he and Kian blinked out of existence.

It never got better.

Portalling.

The sudden distance between them shot a dagger through her like a rubber band snapping against the skin. A moment later, as she sensed them somewhere near the Northern pack, she relaxed a fraction. Her location skill was so faint, with over one hundred and twenty kilometres between them. She couldn't place them on a map, so she had to settle for calling them and touching her mark to feel their bond.

She sighed and looked back at her last remaining mate. She bit her tongue from the gleam in his eyes. Goddamn it, was she about to get it… Now, she had no buffer for his mischief. No voice of reason against his funishments. He stalked closer, and she stepped back, stomach fluttering.

He grinned" “Where were we"?”