Chapter One
As he gathered with the other Sentinels of Sanctuary, Brant felt cranky and restless. Something was in the air, swirling around and grating on his nerves. The forest surrounding them didn’t feel quite right and it unnerved the lynx inside him. His feline part sniffed the winter wind and wondered what was going on. What had triggered this reaction.
He looked at the others, mostly shifters, but also a few vampires and Faes, he didn’t detect a difference in any of them. Did that mean it was only him? His thoughts automatically drifted to Kat. His Kat. The human baker who’d captured his heart and had ensnared his lynx ten months ago. Valentine’s Day, that tacky human celebration of love had caught him and bit him in the ass so to speak.
However, even if Kat wasn’t a normal human and had powers of her own, it was deeply frowned upon in his world to grow attached to them, let alone develop deeper emotions. The High Council would have his hide if he was discovered, although, he had seen with his own eyes the master of the Sanctuary and the Alpha werewolf, Asher Stonelake, officially mate with a witch. Valeria was half weredragon though and was exploring that side of herself. It was extraordinary and made him hope that one day he and Kat would also be accepted as a couple.
They had been discreet and incredibly careful to keep their liaison secret. Being surrounded by shifters with an incredible sense of smell and a keen eye to detect anything that was out of place or unusual, had made keeping Kat a secret difficult and nerve-wracking.
Asher, as well as Ian, his second-in-command in charge of the Sentinels, protectors of Sanctuary, hadn’t said anything about him leaving the premises as soon as he wasn’t on duty. His free time was his own after all.
To keep away from prying eyes, Brant had rented a small cabin near the city limits, on the opposite side of Sanctuary. That small strip of forest offered them privacy, and because it was cut off by a string of newly built houses, shifters wouldn’t naturally roam nearby and catch their scents.
The small crowd of men and women was quite lively, but it only made him even more uncomfortable.What was going on?
Staying back as Ian was assigning sectors, Brant tried hard to get his focus back, even though his instincts told him that something was wrong, he didn’t know what it was yet. He grew desperate to call Kat, to check if she was all right. Even hop in one of the Sanctuary’s pick-up trucks and go check on her welfare for himself.
“Brant.”
Ian speaking his name as he approached almost made him jump, revealing how distracted he had been, which, for a shifter, was highly unusual. It seemed that his slight drop in awareness hadn’t gone unnoticed by the man in charge of security.
Looking around, it appeared that the assignments had been given, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Ian came by his side. “I called your name three times, and you didn’t acknowledge me. That’s so unlike you. What’s going on?”
Brant opened his mouth before closing it. His logical human brain was too much in a fuzz, trying to remain in control of his lynx who was pacing and demanding to be let out.
As the others disappeared into the forest, Ian gestured for Brant to follow him.
Brant expected a dressing down of some sort. He knew too well the importance of the Sentinels. A sanctuary was one of the few places a creature of the underworld could seek refuge and be protected in the world. Sanctioned by the High Council, not even they could reach someone seeking sanctuary, it was the most neutral ground that existed. However, some tested its sanctity, as well as its boundaries. Lives were at stake, and the Sentinels were the most highly trained and dangerous warriors of their worlds.
“What’s going on, Brant? I saw you were unsettled at dinner and during the briefing. It is clear something is bothering you.”
“I’m just a bit distracted. Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll be on my way.”
The dark werewolf stood immobile for a moment, and it was clear that he was considering his next words carefully, which, with Ian, was never good. “You are an invaluable Sentinel, Brant. You are part of this Sanctuary and are our family. If something is bothering you, if you need help in any way, you can trust me.”
Ian was straight as an arrow, and as he had mated with a witch as well, Brant almost confided in him. However, his lynx snarled at involving another male.
He must have emitted some sort of sound, because Ian crossed his arms and widened his stance. Immediately, his lynx calmed down with the subtle but clear show of dominance but wasn’t happy about it.
“Sorry, Ian. I...” What could he say?
Before he could formulate any kind of answer, Ian put a hand on his shoulder. “Take the night off. Go clear what’s weighing on your mind. Know that we’re here if you need help. Anytime.”
Gaping, Brant watched as Ian walked away without another word. Alone by the tree line, he tried to calm down once more and before he realized it, Brant was running toward the parking lot, praying that his instincts were wrong.
* * *
Mixing another batch of sugar cookie mix, Kat mentally counted the number of Christmas trees she could make out of it. With the holidays only days away, the lack of snow over Maine was depressing. It may be the reason why she was overusing glitter and frosting in her latest sweet treats. It seemed like a good reason to add even more decorations to her little apartment and in some parts of the preparation areas at the back of the bakery.
She had been overwhelmed by so many special orders, with the added bonus that she was so tired at the end of the day, it made missing Brant a little more bearable. They had been too busy with work to plan any time together lately.
She looked forward to the holidays. At least the bakery was closed and Rosemary, the owner, was generous enough to pay her a little vacation time. Time she hoped to spend with Brant in their cabin. She loved it so much. It was her little corner of paradise where she could forget about the world with the man she loved.
It made her pause every time that word popped into her head. She was in love. Kat had never said the words to him, even though there were so many times when she could have let the words out.
Why hadn’t she said it? Maybe because they weren’t two ordinary humans in love. He was a shifter, a werelynx, and she was a telepath. And not a very good one as she couldn’t control her powers. She was getting better with Brant’s help at blocking people. Although, when she was stressed out and distracted, she still slipped and could hear thoughts and emotions from people close to her. He’d even tried to dig to see if he could find information about telepathic people, but it seemed it was not a common gift, even in his world.
