Mated in Mist
A Talon Pack Novel
By
Carrie Ann Ryan
Mated in Mist
A Talon Pack Novel
By: Carrie Ann Ryan
© 2016 Carrie Ann Ryan
ISBN: 978-1-943123-07-0
Cover Art by Charity Hendry
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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
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Author Highlights
Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….
“Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT
“Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner
"With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione
"Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend
“Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon
Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn
"Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte
Praise for the Redwood Pack Series…
“You will not be disappointed in the Redwood Pack.” Books-n-Kisses
“I was so completely immersed in this story that I felt what the characters felt. BLOWN AWAY.” Delphina’s Book Reviews.
“I love all the wolves in the Redwood Pack and eagerly anticipate all the brothers’ stories.” The Book Vixen
“Shifter romances are a dime a dozen, but good ones aren’t as plentiful as one would think. This is one of the goods one.” Book Binge
“With the hints of things to come for the Redwoods, I can’t wait to read the next book!” Scorching Book Reviews
“Ryan outdid herself on this book.” The Romance Reviews
Praise for the Dante’s Circle Series…
“This author better write the next books quickly or I will Occupy Her Lawn until she releases more! Pure romance enjoyment here. Now go put this on your TBR pile—shoo!” The Book Vixen
“I, for one, will definitely be following the series to see what happens to the seven.” Cocktails & Books
“The world of Dante’s Circle series is enthralling and with each book gets deeper and deeper as does Carrie Ann’s writing.” Literal Addiction
Praise for the Montgomery Ink Series…
“Shea and Shep are so cute together and really offset each other in a brilliant way. “ Literal Addiction
“This was a very quick and spicy read. I really enjoyed reading about Sassy, Rafe & Ian. I really hope there will be more of these three in the future.” Books n Kisses
Praise for the Holiday, Montana Series…
“Charmed Spirits was a solid first book in this new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.” RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Thoughts
“If you’re looking for a light book full of magic, love and hot little scenes on various objects, then this book is for you! You’ll soon find that tables are no longer for eating meals of the food variety … Bon appétit!” Under the Covers
“The book was well written and had the perfect setting the steamy bits where really really hot and the story one of sweet romance. Well done Carrie” Bitten by Love Reviews
Dedication
To my readers.
You’re the reason I do this.
Acknowledgements
Another book, another team that I adore. I so enjoyed diving deep into Ryder and Leah’s story and I know I couldn’t have done it without a few people. Thank you Chelle for not only editing my book, but also plotting with me. You totally helped me break through a Leah’s inner shields. I feel like Leah has a little part of each of us and that makes me so happy.
Thank you to the rest of me team—Charity, Stephanie, and Dr. Hubby. Y’all help me with so many things with each book. I know I couldn’t do it without any of you.
I love my wolves. The Redwood Pack was the first series I ever wrote and now I get to write the next generation with the Talon Pack. I am truly blessed. Thank you dear readers for loving my books. Thank you for sharing my posts, buying my books, and telling your friends.
You guys are amazing!
Mated in Mist
As Heir to the Talon Pack, Ryder Brentwood carries the responsibility of not only protecting his Pack, but ensuring its future. Only no one knows that as he does this, he must also shield his people from their past. When a witch with no ties bursts into his life, he must decide if he can overcome the depravity of his secrets and trust the one person who could break the fragile hold on his control.
Grieving over the loss of her twin and on the run from the unknown, Leah Helm knows she is far more alone than she thought possible. Her coven shunned her before she was born and the wolves she sought protection with are in a war of their own. When a wolf with a whisper of secrets is forced to work with her in order to protect their people, she finds she might not be so alone after all.
The world knows more than they ever have before about those shrouded in darkness, while Ryder and Leah are thrust into the center of a conflict they never should have been part of to begin with. On their journey they must not only fight those against them, but the burning temptation that is flaring between them. Fate might have paved their path, but that doesn’t mean they have to follow.
Chapter One
Death followed them, hunted them, craved them. It would not win. It couldn’t.
Leah Helm pushed her body to the limit, her chest heaving as she ran. She could hear the others following her, trying to catch her and Roland. Only the goddess knew why. She might not have the extrasensory abilities of the wolves that lived nearby, but the monsters that had her and her brother on the run weren’t even bothering to be quiet.
Apparently, their pursuers thought there was no need to be silent on their hunt. They thought they’d catch her and Roland easily. Catch or kill, she wasn’t sure. Either way, it wasn’t something Leah could deal with right then. Or deal with ever.
Her lungs burned and she desperately needed water. She was a reasonably strong water witch, but even she couldn’t suck the water from the air to drink or use. Her twin couldn’t either, though they each had their own strengths when it came to their powers. Leah didn’t want to have to find out if each of them had eno
ugh within themselves to defeat those following them.
She was too afraid it wouldn’t be enough.
Roland gripped her hand and tugged her toward a group of trees. The branches were full, creating a sort of cover with their leaves, though she knew it wouldn’t be enough. She followed him, her legs all but giving out from the exertion. When she spotted a cave, she could have wept. It was off the beaten path, and if they were careful covering their tracks, they could rest there for a few moments. At least, that’s what she hoped her twin was thinking. As they usually thought along the same lines, there was a good chance of that.
He pulled her toward the opening and ducked beneath the lower rocks. She followed, her heart beating erratically and her tongue so dry she knew she wouldn’t be able to spell a single thing until she got some water in her system. Roland turned and pushed her through before following and using what had to be the last of his magic to cover their tracks. He practically slumped over after the effort, yet he pushed her hands away when she tried to help him.
Her body shook and she took a good look at herself before continuing on, praying there was another way out of the cave. If not, they might be trapped.
Dirt and blood covered her jeans from where she’d fallen and scraped her knees. It hadn’t stung until she looked down and noticed. Now it throbbed, along with every other ache and pain in her body. She felt like she was an old woman with the joints to match, rather than the twenty-nine-year-old she was.
Of course, with the way she’d been forced to live her life thus far, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt her age.
“Come on,” Roland whispered once they were far enough inside the cave that she couldn’t hear their pursuers anymore. That could be a good thing—or a very, very bad one. “I sense a pond or a decent body of water within the cave. Don’t you?”
She didn’t sense anything, but that was because she couldn’t see past the fear. And that was deadly. She was smarter than this—she’d had to be in order to survive this long.
Leah took a deep breath and her eyes widened as the scent of pure water touched her tongue. Her body almost shivered in pure delight. While most witches didn’t need their actual element around them to be able to practice, being cut off from it for so long made it almost impossible to spell or protect oneself. As a water witch, she needed water to feel whole. Earth witches didn’t like to be parted from nature for too long, and fire witches liked warmth. Though, with fire witches, their element was connected to their emotions a little more tightly, and they used their powers differently. Air witches had it a little easier when it came to finding their element, but they had their own issues when it came to their powers. And spirit witches…well, she wasn’t sure what they needed. And she honestly didn’t want to know. Most of them scared her.
Usually, Leah only needed to drink a glass of water a day to be fine spell-wise, and since most people drank more than that, it wasn’t a problem.
However, she and Roland had been running for days from those who wanted to hurt them, and it had been an oddly dry week in the Pacific Northwest. They’d lost their packs with their water bottles when one of the humans on their tail had gotten far too close, and it hadn’t rained more than that morning’s sprinkle in days.
Her body was starving for food, water, rest, and care.
They crawled through the narrow tunnel toward the scent of water and she almost fell to her chest at the sight of a clear pool surrounded by crystals and different rock formations. Stalactites and stalagmites jetted from the rock, and she wanted to weep at its beauty.
“Sweet goddess, it’s glorious,” Roland whispered then smiled over his shoulder at her.
It went straight to her heart. It wasn’t his old smile—the one that told her that everything would be okay. No, this one held the pain and strain of running for so long. First from those who should have opened their arms to them, then from those who would see them dead rather than find out who they truly were.
The humans who wanted her people dead.
Only, she couldn’t fight them to protect herself because not all humans knew witches were real. Instead, they thought witches were from movies or were a weird cult that spent the nights dancing naked in the moonlight and drawing pentagrams in dirt.
She rarely danced in the moonlight.
And she’d never done it naked.
But those who followed them with guns and traps knew Roland and Leah were witches. And that scared her. The wolves were the ones out of hiding—not her people. The Packs had been forced into the open, and now their very lives and way of life were on the line. Leah had never wanted that for the witches—even if the covens had never wanted her family to be part of their inner circles.
Her mind and her heart hurt from thinking about that so she pushed it aside for the moment and crawled the last few feet to the side of the pool. As soon as her hand touched the top of the water, her whole body shuddered in bliss. The pores of her skin opened, beckoning the sweet glory of her powers. She’d never been this dry before in her life, and she knew her brother hadn’t been either.
It had been dangerous for both of them.
With her senses alert in case the humans found them within the cave, she brought her cupped hand to her lips and drank. Her parched tongue lapped it up and she swallowed as much as she could without choking. It tasted of the heavens and the goddess’s blessings. She drank until she couldn’t fit any more in her stomach then finally wiped her face, her hands still shaking and her heart beating too fast. But she could breathe again.
That had to count for something.
“You’re bleeding, little sister,” Roland said, bringing her out of her thoughts.
She blinked up at him; aware he’d also washed the grime off his face. “I know,” she whispered, her voice still a bit hoarse from lack of use.
“Do you want me to heal you, or do you want to do it yourself?”
She shook her head and held out a hand. He gripped it firmly and her soul settled. They were twins, witches, and best friends. She didn’t know what she’d do without him.
“I can heal myself. Check yourself for wounds and heal, as well.” She pressed her lips together and searched around the small cave that was their refuge for the time being. “We can’t stay here for too much longer.”
Roland scowled. “I know. I hate this. We just need to get a bit closer and then we might be okay.”
She frowned. “Closer to what? Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” She didn’t like this. They usually made plans together, but he, apparently, had an idea and refused to tell her. “What if we become separated and we need to meet up?”
“Then let’s not become separated. We’re almost there, little sister. Just believe.”
She wasn’t sure what to believe in right then. If he wasn’t telling her where they were going, then it must mean she wasn’t going to like the destination. But still, she should be told. Needed to be prepared. Anyplace had to be better than the middle of nowhere on the run from humans who wanted her head.
But once Roland set his mind on something, there was no way she could stop him.
Instead of asking again, though, she went about healing her wounds, gently placing her hands on her knees and chanting softly. The water in her system touched her soul and ignited the power the goddess had blessed her with. She wasn’t a true Healer like the wolves had, but she had enough power within her to heal at least somewhat. It was a maternal family trait within her witch line.
The sharp pain in her knees eased into a dull throb and she stopped, not wanting to use too much power in case they needed to use it again later. Not that she was sure she could use magic out in the open. There were always eyes on them.
Always.
Roland worked on his cuts and scrapes, his magic a warm pulse against her own. She looked up to ask about the next step in the plan, then found her face pressed against the rocks, her twin’s body covering hers, a cacophony filling the air.
Rock shattered
around them as the humans kept shooting. Since there was a ridge of rocks between the humans and her brother and her, there was a slight chance they might make it out of this alive. Sharp rocks exploded in front of her as the enemy shot again and she had to duck to avoid flying shards. Thankfully, the angle between her and the one shooting at her wasn’t the greatest, so she and Roland had a small window of time where they could escape. At least, that’s what she hoped.
Her brother pulled her up, and they scooted to the side, using a lower rock formation for cover.
“When I say go, run, crawl, do anything to get out. You hear me?” Roland’s voice held an edge of fear she hadn’t heard from him before, and she gripped his arm.
“Don’t you dare play hero. We’ll get out of this together.”
He kissed her forehead and nodded. “I promise, little sister, I’m not leaving this world anytime soon.” He held out his hands, and she reached out to grip his arms.
“Roland! They might have cameras! They did before. You can’t use magic.”
He raised his chin and looked over his shoulder at her. “Maybe it’s time to fight for our lives, rather than protect a group of people who’ve never wanted us.”
Her heart ached, but she couldn’t stop him, not when he was like this. If the cameras and surveillance equipment were there and they caught Roland using magic, all might be lost. Or maybe these humans only had guns and bullets.
When had she started hoping for merely guns in the hands of the enemy?
What had her life become?
Magic washed over her as Roland pulled on the pool and a wave of water crashed into the humans just now crawling over the rise. They screamed, trying to fight for air, and she had to look away. With all she’d seen, all she’d been forced to do, she should have been able to deal with death or dying, but she couldn’t.
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