by G. Bailey
“I came to get you. We have a surprise for you,” Henry murmurs, running his lips across my jaw. His husky voice sends shivers through me. “But now I’ve seen you, I want to take you to our bed instead and let them wait.”
“Henry,” I groan, and he chuckles, pressing one sweet kiss on my lips before picking me up and dropping me back on the floor.
“Later we are replaying this moment, darlin’,” he insists, and I totally agree.
“What is this surprise then?” I question as he links our fingers, leading me out of the kitchen through the backdoor to our small garden with a stone path leading down the middle of it. Aala is standing at the end of the path with Ren, Thallon and Myles, and holding a small white bundle of fur in her arms. She turns, and I get a good look at the chunky puppy in her arms. I have no clue what breed it is, but it is stunning and so very cute.
“Surprise!” Myles says, and Aala looks ridiculously happy as she skips to me and hands me the puppy. I lift him up, seeing that he is a boy by the looks of things, and cuddle him to my chest. He licks my chin, and I’m in love. Nothing else is needed.
“We found a dog on the beach a few weeks ago with her pups, she must have swum out or been dumped in the sea and then had her pups here. We couldn’t sense anyone else,” Myles starts to explain.
“There were five pups, and the mother has been adopted by Suzie, and all the other pups have homes. We chose the biggest pup for you, what do you think?” Thallon asks.
“I think I’m hella lucky,” I say, feeling like crying. I always wanted a dog, a house with a man I loved, and the future. They each have given me that and so much more. “Thank you!”
“Anything for our queen,” Ren says, locking his eyes with mine. “What do you think of the name Prince?”
“I think our little Prince is perfect,” I say, holding the pup up, seeing his brown eyes. Our future could not get better than this. We have the world.
Epilogue
Eight years later
Sitting in the tea house, I watch the endless rows of people walk past on the other side of the glass, my hands cupped around the mug on the table in front of me. Even when I’m the queen of a supernatural race, I still love sitting with humans like I’m one of them. The weather has dropped into an autumn chill, the leaves are falling off the trees and coating the ground. The tea shop smells like the muffins they have on display, mixed with the strong scent of the coffee they are making. Everything about his tea house puts me at home, relaxes me into forgetting who I am. I can almost ignore the two vampires sitting on the bench outside, pretending to be human. Ren always sends them with me, and he always thinks I don’t know.
Every single Friday, at twelve o’clock, my mum and dad walk into this tea house and sit at the same table in front of me. I try not to watch them come in, not until my mum places her pale pink coat on the chair in front of my table and looks back at me. Her blonde hair, just like mine, is now going a little grey, but it only adds to her beauty. Wrinkles decorate her face, reminding me of the fact she will grow old and die one day, while I won’t for a very long time…but despite it all, my heart warms from just seeing her.
“Kaitlyn!” my mum says, and I grin up at her from my seat. How I wish I could stand up and hug her. She still has no clue who I am, but I’m the friend who walks her dog down her street sometimes and has tea in the same shop she does. I’m the stranger she almost thinks she knows...and I’m okay with that. It’s better than nothing. I’m in her life, and it gives me some kind of comfort. “It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”
“I’ve been good, thank you. I’m just about to meet a friend here, actually, and tell her about my recent holiday,” I say, and she nods with a beaming smile.
“Well, I hope you had a good time. It’s good to see you again, Kaitlyn,” she says and stares at me for a second longer than normal. I almost wish she could remember, and I wonder if deep down, some part of her does. If she sees herself in my curly hair just like hers, or my eyes the very colour of dad’s. My dad barely glances at me as he brings back their drinks and his newspaper before sitting down. It used to hurt that he did, but sometimes I see him staring at me, a look of confusion before he snaps himself out of it. He knows in his soul who I am, just like my mum does, but it will be words we never say out loud. Mum shakes her head and goes to her table, and I’m forgotten about in their life once more.
I sigh and pick up my tea, taking a long sip as the bell for the front door of the coffee shop rings, and I look up as Vesnia walks in. Her curly red hair is in a stylish messy bun on top of her head, loose locks framing her face. With high-waisted black jeans and a white cold shoulder T-shirt, she looks fantastic. I haven’t seen my best friend in nearly six months, and the small bump she had when I last saw her is now a full-blown bump about to pop. Vesnia and Bryne live in Wales, on a small road where no one knows what they really are, and Vesnia has a charm bracelet that hides her wings from view. Their next-door neighbour is Vesnia’s dad, and even though he doesn’t remember her, he looks after her like a daughter. They are almost as close as they were before, and I’m so happy for her. Standing up, I wrap my arms around Vesnia the second I can, and she hugs me tightly back.
“I’ve missed you, bestie,” she whispers to me before pulling back and taking the seat next to me. “How was the trip?”
“South America was amazing. Peru was my favourite place to look around, but when we saw Machu Picchu,” I start, and a wistful sigh leaves my lips. “The Temple of the Sun was just amazing to look around. We found more evidence my ancestors lived there for a while, and I felt a connection like no other.”
“It sounds dreamy. Maybe in a few years, I can go with you on your next adventure,” she says, rubbing her belly. “I’m sure our little girl will love an adventure if she’s anything like her mummy.”
“If she is anything like her mummy, she is one amazing little girl,” I say, and Vesnia grins at me. We spend the next few hours, long after my parents leave, talking about everything we have missed and making plans to see each other in a few weeks’ time.
I stand up, offering Vesnia my hands to lift her up. “You call me the second you go into labour. I will be there.”
“You best be there. I can’t have this baby without you!” she protests. I bet she could, but I don’t say that out loud. We hug one more time before leaving the shop and going into the alleyway by the side of the building. Vesnia uses a travel stone, a gift from the tales, to make a portal and step through to her home. I use my magic, making a portal on the other side of the alley to the beach near my house on the island. I step through onto the beach and instantly take my shoes off, sinking my feet into the warm sand.
“Mummy!” a tiny voice shouts, and I turn around to see my little six-year-old boy running across the beach right for me. His black hair, a big surprise to us all as we expected the baby to have my blonde hair, is thick with curly locks, and his eyes are the very image of Henry’s. He looks so much like him, but he is a master vampire. We could sense the power he has from before he was even born, and we have no doubt our son will run his own coven one day. One day. I’m not nearly close to letting go of my boy yet. I grab him under the arms, spinning him around as he laughs before I hug him tightly. Theodore Gabriel Lightson is the light of our lives. Our happy ending. We chose to stick with my last name because choosing between all his dads was difficult. “Daddy Myles found a cool shell. Want to see it?”
“Of course I do,” I say, putting him back down. He holds my hand tightly as I look across the beach, seeing Ren, Henry, Thallon and Myles in wolf form sitting on the beach. They each watch us, the love so clear in their eyes. It’s been a long few years for us as we finished off building the island, and more vampires came out of the woodwork. The coven is now nearly ten thousand strong, and they even sing songs about me and my mates. Ren officially made Myles, Thallon and Henry royal advisors before Theo was born. The pregnancy was a total shock to us all, but we
couldn’t have been more delighted. The birth was difficult and the most pain I’ve ever been in, but this time it was different from any pain I had before. This time, I got the greatest gift in the world from the pain. Theo drags me down the beach, past my guys who smile at me, and to the pile of shells on a picnic blanket close by. Theo shows me all the shells he found with one of his dads and how he loves the dark blue curly one the most. He can add them to his collection in his room.
“How was lunch with Vesnia?” Ren asks me as I sit back, crossing my legs and enjoying the rare sunny day we get on the island. South America did not have that problem, and Theo loved the hot sunny weather as much as we did.
“Amazing. She is close to having her little girl,” I say, and while we are on the topic... “Where is Aala today?”
“With her boyfriend,” Thallon grumbles, and Myles’s wolf huffs. None of my mates were impressed with their little girl getting a boyfriend last year, but I was so happy for her. The boyfriend is a tale, and he really does seem to care about her. I try not to get too involved. “Talk of the devil,” Thallon says, nodding his head behind me. I turn back to see Aala walking down the pathway to the beach with her boyfriend at her side. He has bright blond hair and a cheeky smile, and for a second, I wonder what their children might look like. Aala met her boyfriend at the tales academy where all our young attend, as well as angel children and wolves. The demons have their own schools, but there are some half breeds that attend the Lost Time Academy. We never had to worry about Aala at the academy, not with her aunt Hazel there to watch her closely. Hazel’s little boy regularly comes and stays with us, and he is the sweetest little boy. Prince runs at their side, and I did wonder where our big fluffy dog had gotten to. We still don’t know what breed he is, but Ren suspects a mixture of a few kinds, but he is just white and fluffy, and incredibly loyal. Prince runs to me, licking my cheek before I gently shove him away, and he grumbles as he sits next to me.
“Hey, mum!” Aala says when she gets closer. Theo runs and hugs her, and she starts chasing him down the beach as he giggles. Prince gets up and chases after them as my mates glare at Aala’s poor boyfriend.
I lie back and stare at the blue skies...where for a second, I swear the clouds look like angel wings before they drift away, leaving only the clear, endless blue of the sky to look at. With my son’s laughter filling my ears, the warm sand at my back, and my mates all with me...life couldn’t get better.
The Missing Wolf. Please carry on reading for small excerpt.
Leaving the past behind.
Anastasia
I stand still on the side of the train tracks, letting the cold wind blow my blonde and purple dip-dyed hair across my face. I squeeze the handle of my suitcase tighter, hoping that the train will come soon. It’s freezing today, and my coat is packed away in the suitcase, dammit. I feel like I’ve waited for this day for years, the day I get to leave my foster home and join my sister at college. I look behind me into the parking lot, seeing my younger sister stood watching me go, my foster grandmother holding her hand. Phoebe is only eleven years old, but she is acting strong today, no matter how much she wants me to stay. I smile at her, trying to ignore how difficult it feels to leave her here, but I know she couldn’t be in a better home. I can get through college with our older sister and then get a job in the city, while living all together. That’s the plan anyway.
We lost our mum and dad in a car accident ten years ago, and we were more than lucky to find a foster parent that would take all three of us in. Grandma Pops is a special kind of lady. She is kind and loves to cook, and the money she gets from fostering pays for her house. She lost her two children in a fire years ago, and she tells us regularly that we keep her happy and alive. Even if we do eat a lot for three kids. Luckily, she likes to look after us as I burn everything I attempt to cook. And I don’t even want to remember the time I tried to wash my clothes, which ended in disaster.
“Train four-one-nine to Liverpool is calling at the station in one minute,” the man announces over the loudspeaker, just before I hear the sound of the train coming in from a distance. I turn back to see the grey train speeding towards us, only slowing down when it gets close, but I still have to walk to get to the end carriage. I wait for the two men in front of me to get on before I step onto the carriage, turning to pull my suitcase on. I search through the full seats until I find an empty one near the back, next to a window. I have to make sure it’s facing the way the train is going as it freaks me out to sit the other way. I slide my suitcase under the seat before sitting down, leaving my handbag on the small table in front of me.
I wave goodbye to my sister, who waves back, her head hidden on grandma’s shoulder as she cries. I can only see her waist length, wavy blonde hair before the train pulls away. I’m going to miss her. Urgh, it’s not like we don’t have phones and FaceTime! I’m being silly. I pull my phone out of my bag and quickly send a message to my older sis, letting her know I am on the train. I also send a message to Phoebe, telling her how much I love and miss her already.
“Ticket?” the train employee guy asks, making me jump out of my skin, and my phone falls on the floor.
“Sorry! I’m always dropping stuff,” I say, and the man just stares at me with a serious expression, still holding his hand out. His uniform is crisply ironed, and his hair is combed to the left without a single hair out of place. I roll my eyes and pull my bag open, pulling out my ticket and handing it to him. After he checks it for about a minute, he scribbles on it before handing it back to me. I’ve never understood why they bother drawing on the tickets when the machines check the tickets at the other end anyway. I put my ticket back into my bag before sliding it under the seat just as the train moves, jolting me a little.
I reach for my phone, which is stuck to some paper underneath it. I’ve always been taught to pick up rubbish, so I grab the paper as well as my phone before slipping out from under the table and back to my seat. I put my phone back into my handbag before looking at the leaflet I’ve picked up. It’s one of those warning leaflets about familiars and how it is illegal to hide one. The leaflet has a giant lion symbol at the top and warning signs around the edges. It explains that you have to call the police and report them if you find one.
Familiars account for 0.003 percent of the human race, though many say they are nothing like humans and don’t like to count them as such. Familiars randomly started appearing about fifty years ago, or at least publicly they did. A lot of people believe they just kept themselves hidden before that. The Familiar Empire was soon set up, and it is the only place safe for familiars to live in peace. They have their own laws, an alliance with humans, and their own land in Scotland, Spain and North America.
Unfortunately, anyone could suddenly become a familiar, and you wouldn’t know until one random day. It can be anything from a car crash to simply waking up that sets off the gene, but once a familiar, always a familiar. They have the mark on their hand, a glowing tattoo of whatever animal is bonded to them. The animals are the main reason familiars are so dangerous. They have a bond with one animal who would do anything for them. Even kill. And I heard once that some kid’s animal was a lion as big as an elephant. But those are just the things we know publicly, who knows what is hidden behind the giant walls of the Familiar Empire?
“My uncle is one, you know?” a girl says, and I look up to see a young girl about ten years old hanging over her seat, her head tilted to the side as she stares at the leaflet in my hand. “He has a big rabbit for a familiar.”
“That’s awesome...” I say, smiling as I put the leaflet down. I bet picking up giant rabbit poo isn’t that awesome, but I don’t tell her that.
“I want to be a familiar when I grow up,” she excitedly says. “They have cool powers and pets! Mum won’t even let me get a dog!”
“Sit down, Clara! Stop talking to strangers!” her mum says, tugging the girl’s arm, and she sits down after flashing me a cheeky grin.
I fold the
leaflet and slide it into my bag before resting back in the seat, watching the city flash by from the window. I couldn’t think of anything worse than being a familiar. You have to leave your family, your whole life, and live in the woods. Being a familiar seems like nothing but a curse.
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About the Author
G. Bailey is a USA Today and international bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures.
G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children, three cheeky dogs and one cat who rules them all.
A few random facts about her...
She loves tea. (She may be a little obsessed but what Brit isn't?)
Chocolate and Harry Potter marathons are her jam.
She owns way too many notebooks and random pens.
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