“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered.
“You do. And you need to see. You need to believe. Because Ravenwood needs you, Sage.”
“Needs me for what?” I asked, looking at them, a sickening feeling settling in that maybe this wasn’t a dream.
“We need you for the end,” Rowen began. “And the beginning. And everywhere in between. Ravenwood called you, and now you are home. You’re here to protect it.”
“Whatever the cost,” Laurel added, and I looked at all of them.
I didn’t scream, but I watched as the water rose in the fish tank in front of me. The others followed my gaze, and I had a feeling that my life had changed once again.
And this time, it was only the beginning.
Chapter Four
Rome
By the time Penelope spirited Sage out of my home, Rowen and Laurel on their heels, I felt as if I had been hit by a Mack truck. I was confused and left wanting. My bear shifted from side to side, angling for Sage’s scent. For her touch. I’d never wanted a woman like I did her, and I’d only just learned her name.
My damn bear had lost his mind.
I wanted to run after her and keep her safe from anyone who dared to step in her path. My bear wanted to shift and roar and let the entire town—no, the whole world—know that she was mine. That I’d protect her at all costs. I knew that shifters could find their mates in an instant, but it usually took time for our inner beasts to fall for someone. To truly understand the soul within the other person—sometimes more than one person—until they knew who their mate could be.
And yet, that hadn’t happened this time. Not at all.
Trace stood at the door, leaning against the frame as he stared at me, his arms folded across his chest. He was my mirror image, my closest brother, and right then, I felt as if I were seeing him for the first time. As if I saw everything for the first time now after holding Sage. “Do you want to tell me why you’re acting so weird? How bad did that tree hurt you when it fell on top of you?”
I shook my head, trying to clear it, and then I rubbed my temples. Nothing helped, and I didn’t think anything would until I had Sage. And that would be a problem since she was so new to the world of the paranormal. Not to mention, she didn’t even know who I was, let alone about the idea of fated mates. “I got hit pretty hard, considering I passed out for a brief moment, but I’m fine now. I think.” Better to talk about the tree rather than fate and bonds and the idea that my world had been rocked on its axis.
Trace gave me a look that spoke volumes. “You say that, and yet I don’t believe you. What happened?”
I ran my hands through my hair and pushed my bear back so I could think. “I don’t have time. We have to get to the pack circle. You know the others are waiting.”
“You’re the alpha. You can take a moment.”
“Do you think Dad would make his pack wait while he tried to collect his thoughts?”
Trace shook his head. “That’s the point. He is the Alpha of all shifters in the Americas. He can do whatever the fuck he wants.”
I sighed and looked at my triplet. Our father was the Alpha of the Americas and ruled from our family’s new stronghold outside of Montreal in Quebec. Trace and I had decided to stay in Ravenwood when the pack in Canada needed an alpha. Therefore, the alpha position and our other triplet had remained with us. No one had seen that coming since Alden wasn’t a fan of Ravenwood, but the triplets had stayed together, nonetheless. Alden wasn’t a bad person per se, but he wanted more power than he had and resented the fact that I was the alpha, with Trace as my beta. Alden was third in command, and barely hung onto the position.
If anyone challenged at the next pack circle, I had a feeling that Ariel would take Alden’s position. The only reason she hadn’t challenged him yet was that she had a family and enjoyed her position where she was in the pack. Although, if Alden didn’t stop acting like an asshole, she might step in and take over the third spot, where I knew she should be anyway. However, right now, I couldn’t step in and tell her to take over, nor could I insist that Alden step down. I could only monitor the situation, but I couldn’t and wouldn’t force a challenge. However, if they weren’t careful, I’d have to make a decision and force the matter—not something I wanted to do. Some people liked that the three triplets held the top three positions. It seemed meant to be. I wasn’t sure if I believed that, but I didn’t want to push my triplet out of power. Or out of anything.
“Thinking about Alden and Ariel again?”
My gaze shot up to Trace’s. “What?”
“You’re getting that frown on your face. The line between your brows tells me you’re thinking about Alden and Ariel. She’s going to have to challenge him soon. For the peace of our pack.”
I sighed and stomped to the kitchen, needing a drink. Alcohol didn’t last long in our systems, at least not enough to do anything, but there were some bear-made honey beers that did a decent job of it. Our metabolism ran through alcohol far too quickly for my liking, but I needed a damn beer anyway.
“What happened out there before I found you? The others aren’t here, you can tell me. You can trust me.”
I opened two beers and handed a bottle to Trace. “Trust isn’t the problem. Figuring out what the hell I’m doing is the issue.”
“And what is that?” Trace asked, taking a sip of his beer.
“I don’t know.” I let out a breath. Trace stared at me in that unnerving way he had, and I knew if he was patient for long enough, I would eventually spill. So did he, and that was the problem. “I was out for a walk, checking the perimeter because of that unsettled feeling Rowen’s been having, and someone said a storm was coming.”
Trace nodded. “Do you think Rowen’s weird feeling is because her new witch finally arrived?”
I shook my head, feeling certain of one thing, at least. “No, she’s known Sage was on her way for a while now, though she never mentioned her by name. Rowen never had an uneasy feeling about it. But there seems to be something different in the air now. Maybe it has to do with why we need the coven to be stronger to begin with. As in what’s coming to make all of us increase our patrols.” I let out a breath and finally explained the darkness in detail, something I should have done long ago.
Trace’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “I knew it was more than a feeling. There’s an actual curse around the town, and something is coming to destroy us.”
“We need to tell the pack,” I said softly.
The witches had founded Ravenwood, but more than bears and witches lived within its wards. The town knew that magic and everything beyond it existed. It was an open secret, one the city, including the humans within it, protected fiercely. Shifters could walk around in either form and be welcomed here. Witches could openly practice magic, even if Rowen was the only true power left within the town’s borders. Some witches, like Penelope, had minimal abilities, those who weren’t part of the coven because it would be dangerous for them since their power was tied to their life-force. But they still had enough to help ward their homes or work essence and warmth into goods. And could help with a small healing spell or aid Rowen with some of her duties.