Ride: Felicity and Niall: Episodes 1-4 (Puca Mates Collection)

by A. C. James

  “I’m sure they’ve got plenty of pubs and I have no doubt that I could find someone I like well enough to bang.”

  Felicity laughed. She knew Cyn almost as well as Cyn knew her. That had been exactly what Felicity had figured her friend’s response would be when Nathan mentioned the remote locale. “Okay, so it’s settled then.”

  “Quite. What’s the assignment anyway?”

  “Apparently, there’s a púca haunting.”

  “What’s a púca?”

  Déjà vu.

  “Some sort of shapeshifting horse.”

  “A horse? I see.”

  Felicity could tell she was trying really hard not to laugh. And in truth, if she ever had to tell anyone other than Cyn that she was going to Ireland to look for a shapeshifting stallion, they’d probably look at her cock-eyed. Finally she arrived at the Shoreditch High Street station, which marked yet another unlucky piece of real estate that had been hipsterised and filled with a tribe clad in skinny jeans that would never look good on her. But at least the rent was affordable.

  Chapter 2

  Niall O’Leary opened his eyes to find his twin sister Maelíosa leaning against the stone archway by his bed, her arms crossed. Dark hair fell over amber eyes that matched his, but that’s where their similarities ended. She was far more stubborn and strong-willed than he’d ever been. Her serious expression and hard stance set his stallion on edge.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She arched her eyebrow. “Fallon sent for you. You’d better light a fire under your arse before he comes down here to fetch ye himself.”

  Niall ignored the fact that she’d referred to their father as Fallon, just as she’d done since she’d reached breeding age. His younger sister Darcy would be fertile in a few years, but Maelíosa still refused to take a mate. As the oldest daughter of the clan chieftain, she’d been promised in a planned mating since her infancy. Planning a match was probably not what his sire had in mind, as they’d expected Maelíosa to be a boy. She’d been living up to that with her rough and tumble ways her whole life. She’d balked at thought of breeding with someone she hardly knew and didn’t love, and their father had been more than generous by not demanding her obedience.

  His stallion huffed derisively at his sister’s temperament, but he could hardly blame her.

  He knew that in order for their species to survive and keep the púca from fading into folklore, breeding was necessary. It didn’t help that their species was vulnerable because it was mostly male. So they mated with the humans, but now the veil only lifted when winter came, because this was not the Ireland of old. The few that still believed they existed paid the púca with a share of their crops come harvest, but most had forgotten about them or thought they were nothing more than superstition. None paid tribute the way they once had, by sacrificing a daughter to mate with their clan.

  Despite all of this, he sympathized with his sister. The one she’d been promised to wasn’t worthy of someone like Maelíosa. And even though he would do his duty, he didn’t relish the idea of taking a mate. After all…mating was for life. The only thing that could break the mate bond was the death of one of the mated pair.

  “Why has father sent for me?”

  “The veil has lifted,” she said, then paused. “And we have been awakened.”

  A chill ran down his spine. There was no reason for their awakening prior to the season of frost and firelight. If a human crossed over the veil by accident…

  “But Samhain is not yet upon us—the dark half of the year has not begun.”

  “Aye, sure looks it. You should put some pants on.”

  Niall looked down at the sheet wrapped around his waist to make sure he wasn’t hanging out in the open. “Leave me to it then.”

  -And tell him I’m coming.-

  Maelíosa nodded at his telepathic closing, then turned to exit his bedchamber. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Chapter 3

  It had been a long time since his wife died. Now that the veil had lifted Fallon O’Leary would finally take another mate. It wasn’t just his duty to the clan to take another wife—he’d grown lonely without a partner by his side. Maelíosa wasn’t exactly thrilled with her role as the chieftain’s daughter and her obligation to mate with the stallion she’d been promised to. He took a long drink of ale as he considered the comments, and there’d been plenty, about him replacing her mother every time it looked like he might take a new mate. Fallon pushed back the thoughts of his daughter’s misery, an unhappiness that matched his own, as he waited for his son and Tomas.

  Regardless of why the veil had lifted, the Chieftain of the Guardian Clan had a duty to protect the humans. Since they no longer believed in the púca, humans had lost the ability to see the threshold and could stumble across the veil to find themselves trapped there for an eternity. Only humans who’d been bound through the sacred mating ceremony could cross back and forth from beyond the veil. He would send Niall and Tomas to find out why the veil had lifted, and ensure that some unknowing half-wit on the island didn’t stagger drunkenly across the invisible divide that separated their worlds.

  Footsteps echoed across the stone. He nodded, and Tomas entered the hall. He hoped Tomas would tell him the winds were wrong.

  Tomas approached the table where Fallon was seated. “I have tidings from the North Tower.”

  “Aye. So it’s true then?”

  “Aye, the veil lifted as we suspected from the cold draft coming from the north. Yet the dying sun has not been swallowed by the lengthening nights and the green fields of summer have not turned brown. It’s highly unusual, Chief.”

  Fallon smacked his mug of ale onto the oak table and a loud echo resounded off the stone walls of the cavernous hall. “We must find out why we have been awakened, then.”

  Tomas nodded. “Agreed.”

  “You will cross over the veil and discover the reason for this. Take Niall with you, but I have another task for you to complete while you’re on the island,” Fallon said.

  “Tell me, Chief. How may I be of service?”

  He’d always liked Tomas Quinn. He was a strong lad who could be trusted with this duty. “Aye, it is time for me to take another mate. I had hoped to find a suitable one among our clan, but none have been able to continue the royal bloodline. I must stay here to maintain rule and order, but you will bring me a human from beyond the veil. And you will tell Niall nothing of this.” Tomas shifted to his other foot. Perhaps it had been a mistake to trust that his loyalty would outweigh the undying truthfulness of his nature. “Will you do this for me?”

  “Aye, I will do it. I don’t like keeping secrets from my best mate, but it would be an honour to select your wife.”

  Fallon didn’t know how Niall would feel about him taking a mate after his mother’s death. Perhaps he would understand it better than his sister, but when he considered that he would soon require Niall to find a mate in order to ensure their survival, he thought it best not to share his intentions for the time being. He suspected if he supplied Niall with the knowledge that he would soon be bedding another woman, his son would be unable to focus on his duty to guard the veil and find a mate of his own. He dreaded having to break that news to him, or issue an ultimatum if he objected. It was high time at least one of his children did what they were supposed to and fulfilled their duty to the clan. And since Niall had rejected all the eligible female púca-shifters, Fallon would decree that he take a human as his mate. After all, it was what he intended to do.

  “Good. I’ll be counting on you to find me one that’s as bonny as yours.”

  Tomas laughed. “That she will be, Chief.”

  “Just be sure the lass knows what she’s agreeing to,” Fallon said, his voice hardening.

  Regardless of the dire circumstances their clan faced, he made sure that when they took humans into the clan they had to know what they were getting—immortality and a secure marriage in exchange for púca offspring. Though birthing one of the
ir kind was not without peril.

  Tomas nodded. “Aye.”

  Niall entered the hall with Maelíosa trailing after him. She always had to know what was going on, and even though a woman could never rule the clan, he’d always let her in on its inner workings because she had a quick mind. Perhaps that’s where he’d gone wrong, because she didn’t act like the other púca lasses and she certainly didn’t dress like them. Right now she wore brown leather pants under a maroon tunic that brought out the amber in her eyes. Maelíosa was lovely, but had a tongue that could lash a stallion to shreds. It was good she’d come down with her brother. Her outrage would make his ultimatum that much more affective if he had to resort to that.

  “You called for me, Sire,” Niall said.

  “Aye. You will accompany Tomas to the island to discover why we have been awakened,” Fallon said. He paused and took a breath, meeting his son’s eyes with sternness. “And while you’re there you’ll find a mate that is able to ride you. If she can ride you, she’ll be able to bear your offspring.”

  Anger fired in Niall’s eyes. Fallon saw his son’s stallion bucking at a duty and destiny that had been written the day he’d been born, but there was no other choice. The time had come.

  Chapter 4

  Niall could feel his stallion pawing at the ground when he thought about taking a mate. Pressure built in his chest. Suddenly, the great hall felt too small, as panic and claustrophobia set in. He’d known the day his father would finally demand he take a mate was approaching, but he didn’t anticipate that today would be the day he’d be trapped. Forever. It was a very long time to contemplate spending with anyone, and he enjoyed his freedom as much as the next púca.

  His stallion shook his head, lobbing it from side to side. He was ready to bolt at the thought of being tamed. Niall had to think of something to change his father’s mind, but Fallon wasn’t easily swayed. Once he’d made his mind up there was no unmaking it. So Niall turned to the only tactic that might work to his advantage.

  “Sire, my duty should be guarding the veil, not finding someone to breed with,” Niall said, trying to appeal to his father’s sense of logic. “It would be wise to postpone my mating until the realm is more stable.”

  Fallon rose from the table, turning his back to him, and he couldn’t tell what his father was thinking. Niall held his breath during a pause that felt like it would last forever.

  Finally, his father spoke. “Aye, we have a duty to guard the veil, but protecting our interests and the survival of the púca is paramount. This season you will take a mate.”

  Niall’s nostrils flared at Fallon’s words, his stallion bucking and kicking. “Why now?”

  He knew his father would catch the true meaning of his question. Fallon had not forced Maelíosa to honour a long-standing arrangement with the arse of a stallion she was betrothed to. Even though Niall loathed the stallion, he’d have to accept Ryan as family on the day he mated with his sister. Undoubtedly, Ryan would cause her a world of heartache which Niall felt powerless to protect her from. Still, he didn’t understand why Fallon would demand this of him now. Why would he force the issue when they needed to discover why they’d been awakened? The Samhain harvest festival the farmers still observed in their own way was months away.

  Fallon hardened his eyes as he turned toward him.

  Niall felt like his back doors had been kicked in, but he knew better than to argue with that look. He was far too familiar with it. His father meant business, and there would be no getting out of this.

  “Only two foals were born this past spring, and one of them died at birth. Either you take a mate or your sister will have to honour her promise and mate with Ryan,” Fallon said.

  “No, you can’t make me!” Maelíosa screamed.

  -I was only sixteen when I made that promise, and didn’t understand what it meant. Please don’t make me do this.- She echoed through Niall’s mind and he saw Fallon flinch at the volume of her telepathic shout.

  Tomas closed the distance to Maelíosa and pulled her into his arms. She’d always been like a little sister to his best mate. Niall met Tomas’s eyes over the top of Maelíosa’s head. Her body sagged against his friend in defeat and Niall couldn’t stand to see the spark go out of her.

  Niall knew as well as Tomas did what Maelíosa’s life would be like with a stallion such as Ryan. His cruelty was no secret, and mating wouldn’t stop Ryan from his favoured pursuits, which included bedding most of their sparse female population. In fact, the foal that had died this past spring had been Ryan’s, and the lass was far too young to breed, so they’d both died.

  He clenched his jaw at the thought of his sister mating with that bastard. But Fallon had promised her to the son of a powerful and noble family when they were both young, before Ryan had grown into the stallion he was today.

  Maelíosa peeked up at him through her dark lashes, her head still nuzzled against Tomas. She looked so vulnerable. Not the Maelíosa he knew and loved, with that rebellious light in her eyes. No, she was so fearful he hardly recognized his sister. And that cinched it for him. -I’m begging you, Niall. I can’t mate with him. Please.- Maelíosa’s eyes were filled with terror.

  Niall couldn’t stand to see his sister in such a state, and he closed his eyes against her pain. When he opened them again, he nodded. “I’ll do it.”

  Fallon looked like he’d aged ten years, but somehow that didn’t make Niall feel better about taking a mate he certainly didn’t want. He’d do it for his sister, for his clan, and nothing more. “If you won’t see reason, Sire, and break Maelíosa’s promise, then I’ll do this for her. I’ll do it for our clan.”

  His father’s stance softened at his son’s agreement, but his eyes remained hard. “You may find that you actually enjoy taking a mate.”

  “I highly doubt that,” Niall said before he turned to stride out of the hall.

  Chapter 5

  Felicity knew from researching the island for their trip that Inis Mór was not like Ireland’s mainland, but knowing it and seeing it were two entirely different things. The sun slid behind the clouds as she stepped off the ferry. She inhaled the salty smell of the bay. There was something quite beautiful about the weather- and wave-beaten island that took her breath away. Inis Mór was the largest of the Aran Islands; its limestone land held one sleepy fishing village and a few farming hamlets, while the other two islands were even less touristy. Steep, rugged cliffs and windswept, rocky fields divided by stone walls created a harsh landscape that bewitched her. Felicity felt as if she’d stepped into a place that even time had forgotten. It was no wonder that superstitions ran deep, and that a potential púca haunting had the tiny village of Kilronan talking of nothing else.

  Cyn was looking at the map they’d been given on the ferry ride over. “The bed and breakfast isn’t too far from here. We should be able to walk to it. Wait, is that it down there?” She pointed toward a modern building not far from them.

  “I think so,” Felicity murmured. “But I’m pretty sure he’s here to see me.”

  Her gaze settled on the priest who stood at the end of the pier. His face was as wrinkled and weather-beaten as the island itself. Felicity hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. “Come on.”

  “Father Cleary?” she asked as she approached the priest.

  His smile deepened the crinkles around his eyes. “And you must be Felicity Forrest. Ceád Milé Failté.”

  “Pardon?”

  “It means, ‘a hundred thousand welcomes.’”

  Cute.

  “Yes, I’m Felicity, and this is my friend Cynthia Becket.”

  “You can just call me Cyn, though. Everyone else does,” Cyn said with a wicked grin.

  Father Cleary raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about the double entendre. “Your boss told me when you were arriving. I thought I’d welcome you to the island and help carry your bags. Can I take that for you?”

  Cyn handed her duffel bag to the priest.

  �
��Thank you, but I can carry it. We’re staying at Pier House, so it’s really no trouble.” Felicity readjusted her bag and nodded toward the bed and breakfast. Pier House was situated in front of its namesake on the bay that overlooked Ireland to the east. Nathan had emailed her saying it had all the conveniences of larger hotels, including Wi-Fi and a restaurant downstairs.

  “Aye, follow me,” Father Cleary said.

  Outside Pier House, he returned Cyn’s bag. The walk was so short it was hardly worth mentioning at all. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Once you get settled, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Felicity’s curiosity was piqued. “It won’t take long to check in. Can I meet you after?”

  “Can we get some food first?” Cyn grumbled. “I’m starving.”

  “Meet me at Tí Joe Watty’s for supper after you check in.”

  Felicity nodded. “Is it far?”

  “You can walk to it from here.”

  “Okay, we’ll meet you there.”

  Felicity pulled the door open and Cyn followed on her heels as she entered the modern lobby of Pier House. Nathan had done his homework. The well-appointed guesthouse held all the typical conveniences of most hotels, but its traditional Irish decor was simple and charming. A friendly woman at the front desk checked them in and within minutes they made their way to their adjoining rooms.

  Cyn popped into Felicity’s room as soon as she’d plopped her bag in her own. “Quite a good idea you had bringing me on one of your adventures.”

  It’s what Cyn always called her paranormal investigations for Everyday Supernatural, a blog that had an international following which included hundreds of thousands of readers who tracked their bizarre cases. Reader loyalty was what kept the lights on, and Felicity was beyond grateful because it kept her life interesting. William would have preferred she work for a newspaper. Don’t think of that arse. He’s not worth it. She kept pushing the past to the back of her mind, but it always seemed to escape.