It emitted an odd, high-pitched whistle. Then it paced into full view. Massive like a rhino but shaped like a lion, with the big cat’s heavy, clawed paws.
But its most prevalent feature—its tail—arched over its back, bristling with spines and possessing a huge stinger right at the tip. The tail wove like a dancing snake, and the stinger oriented directly on them.
“Don’t move.” A calm voice cautioned from behind. Cara stepped past their bench. She stretched her hands toward the creature, palms outward, and spoke in a language Zach couldn’t understand, one with a strange, musical lilt. But the tone was reassuring.
Yet the creature didn’t seem reassured. It uttered another whistle. The stinger reoriented on her.
Cara raised her hands higher, and she started to glow. Bright energy swirled around her, lighting the garden like the midday sun. She radiatedcalm. And then she began to sing. The melody rose and fell in a gentle rhythm. Her hair lifted as though carried by a strong breeze, and the crystals’ sharp ring echoed through the foliage.
“Do you see it?” Jessie’s voice was barely a whisper.
Zach’s eyes narrowed. Within the glow surrounding her, a shape appeared. Much larger than Cara herself, the outlines were so faint he struggled to see them. But the basic form was familiar. A horse? Viewed from behind, he envisioned four long legs, almost disguised by a thick mane and tail that moved as if it had a life all its own. The silken strands swirled and danced, mesmerizing him.
Before he made out more detail, the light flared so brightly he lifted a hand to his eyes. Then it extinguished and evening returned to the garden.
Zach dropped his hand. The creature was gone. And Cara was just a tiny older woman with sparkling blue eyes.
“What the effing hell was that?” Jessie asked her.
“Manticore,” Cara said. “Usually they sleep during the day, but you woke him up. They are exceptionally grumpy when rudely awakened.”
Zach’s mouth had dropped open. Now it formed the next obvious question. “Okay. We now know what it was. Does it live here?”
Cara hesitated before answering. “Not exactly. I guard gateways to other realms. One of which provides a home for Manticores.”
Jessie’s eyes were huge. “Other realms? Gateways?”
“How many of these gateways are in this garden?” Zach’s voice squeaked as his eyes darted to the surrounding foliage.
Cara assessed him. “Quite a few, actually.”
Zach took an audible breath. “What kind of Cryptid are you?”
“Nothing that is important, not at the moment.” Cara gestured to the cat who had spent the entire time sitting at Zach’s feet. The animal stood and trotted toward the house.
Cara turned to face them. “Now. If you two are quite finished announcing yourselves to this world, and a few of the nearby others, it’s time to come inside. We need to form a battle plan.”
* * *
Standing in the upstairs bedroom, Kade stared out the window. Behind him, Neil lay stretched out on the bed. Snoring.
Movement stirred below him. He watched as Jessie headed out into the garden after Zach.
A low rumble echoed through the room.Dammit.It was coming from himself. He was growling. What the hell? He cut it off before it woke Neil. His friend needed to sleep and heal. A growl was sure to fire every instinct the Were had.
Jessie disappeared into the foliage. What was it about the woman that got under his skin? So she’d come at him with a knife. Admirable, but why all this extra angst? It had to be the blasted dreams. Somehow, part of him had ended up invested in her. Connected on some fundamental level. Why?
Problematic, indeed. Because it seemed there was something between her and the Empath guy. Cara said Zach had looked for Jessie long past the point where the police had lost hope. That spoke to either a deeper than average obsession or a connection.
Almost, if Kade was honest, a mate bond thing.
The thought took him back to when he’d first glimpsed Isa. So tiny, compared to him. Sleekly muscled but with enticing curves. Mottled golden hair and unusual amethyst-colored eyes. She’d been in his dreams too. For months before he actually saw her. By the time they met, he yearned for her with a visceral need that he couldn’t deny. And from the first glimpse of the real Isa, he’d wanted her. He believed that without her, he’d never be complete. It was a bond of the soul.
His heart twisted within him, and he locked it down. Isa’s death was years old. But that kind of wound would never heal.
Kade turned away from the window to the large form draped over the mattress. Cara had chosen a king-sized spare bed in order to accommodate the battered and bleeding Weres that graced her doorstep. Neil had been damned lucky. The slashes all over him were nothing. They’d heal. But the head injury had been a close thing.
Kade couldn’t afford to lose any more of his Sabres. There were only eight in Manitoba. Nine, with him. His sister, Kitani, was out of action until she delivered her twins. His idea, not hers. Their argument had been loud and aggressive. But she’d been overruled when both her mates weighed in.
