Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series) (27 page)

Was it like that for Cian? What did Brooke feel for him? Maybe he could have Liz do a little investigating. It would be a shame for the two of them to have such a big secret between them and not even know that they could be one
without dreaming of each other first. Even though he was pretty sure his soul mate didn’t have a subtle bone
in
her perfect body, he would see what Liz could find out about Brooke
. Meanwhile
he would talk to Cian. If his cousin did dream about someone else, there wasn’t anything he or anyone else could do.

Once dressed, Braden felt a ripple of hunger lance through his stomach. He would need to hunt with the elders tonight.
Other than that lifeless bird he fed on in Canada, he hadn’t taken in a sufficient amount of blood. Now that he was home and he had Liz to spend his nights with, he wouldn’t be dallying in the woods with nothing else to do.
He would go out, drink enough to restore his energy, and come home to her.

Glancing at the time, Braden was surprised it was evening
already. He hop
ed to find Liz and bring her over to see his mother. The others would be able to tell they bonded, but not Brigid.
With Lachlan gone, the magic that bound them and made her immortal was gone too. Other than his goofy grin and Liz’s blushed cheeks each time he pulled her close, his mother wouldn’t be able to sense they were any different. He wanted to tell her himself.
It would mean a lot to her that he found his fate-
partner while she was still alive. Maybe even have
a
damphyr ceremony that honored his family’s past and their future.

H
e still recalled how amazing it was when he saw Lexie for the first time after she and Torin bonded. Although she looked exactly the same, the po
wer that made their family special
, emanated off her in the same way it did Endellion, Aileen, and Fianna. How it once did off Brigid.
Calling it
awe inspiring was an understatement.
Knowing Liz now held that same power was humbling.

How could I have feared she wanted Riley?

His brother’s looks may have been more of a match for Liz, but Braden knew now that was the only thing Riley had over him. If Liz wasn’t a fan of his w
ardrobe, she could dress him any
way she wanted. The idea sounded entertaining anyway. Clothing aside, there was one thing he was sure of, Liz loved him. When she grasped his hands and exchanged the pledge binding their souls, every single feeling she had for him swept through him like a sun going super nova. Incredi
bly powerful, he would carry the moment with him
always. The sunburst tattoo on his shoulder would now stand for her – her burning intensity and the brightness she brought to his life.

Liz
cared about Riley, like he did, but she didn’t want him in the same way. It was relief. The hesitancy she had been expressing before now was something else. Although they grew
up in different worlds, her life was still a hard one. Rejection was her fear and for good reason.

How could her father have turned his back on her?

Stepping outside,
Braden swallowed dryly. It would be difficult meeting that man one day and not showing him the same lack of courtesy he showed his daughter. Never again would Liz’s father be allowed to hurt her, Braden knew he would see to that.

“One flesh – made for each other,” he
whispered
. “Let no man come between us.”

T
he sky had already darkened. Closing the door behind him, he noticed Liz’s Chevy was gone. Torin mentioned the vigil being held in Courtney’
s memory
at the school. The
girl
made it a point to
trouble others, but she never bothered him. Although she had a th
ing for Torin and acted out a few of Teagan’s fantasies, for the most part, Courtney spent her time bothering Brooke and her friends.

The night they found her body in the back field, Braden couldn’t help but grieve for the girl. Maybe she wasn’t the nicest member of Erris’s young community, but she had promise. It was difficult to say who she would have become if given time to mature. Although he knew that as damphyr, he would see a lot
of humans come and go, it still struck him how sad it was for a teenager to die without having really lived first.

The elders did their best to bury her and Catherine Barry
, the animal control officer,
properly
just south of Chamberlain Lake. There were dense parts of the forest untraveled by humans where the two could be put to rest without discovery. Alec killed them so viciously. Although Hollywood liked lumping vampires and werewolves together with subtle differences, the two were definitely different species. The pack mentality
of the pricolici
was nothing like the nest he discovered in Vancouver or like his coven here in Erris. It would be impossible for any of them to coexist.

Striding across the driveway, he was just about to check in on Ruby, when a familiar scent halted his steps. Tilting his
head
to the side, alarm
heaved
through him, causing
both
his
eyes and teeth to shift. Carried on the breeze, a papery thin mildew tinted the air. It was subtle, almost unrecognizable, but he knew the smells of home and it didn’t belong. Having just spen
t twenty-four hours in Canada
, he identified it immediately.

Draugr…but which one?

As soon as he thought it, the phone in his pocket buzzed. Looking down at the caller display, the number Riley had used to contact him
appeared. Clicking on the text message, he wasted no time trying to second guess the meaning of the words.

“
Finally home to mother, I’ll drain her firs
t, then onto Liz? Or would you like to sacrifice yourself on her behalf?”

Giving way t
o his inner hunter, Braden lunged into
the darkness, tracking his prey.

33

LIZ

After getting direction
s
to the school from Endellion, Liz headed into the center of Erris, hoping to find her friend. As she rolled past establishments with funny names like Moose Tale
Grub and Ale and Moose Meadow
’
s Mini Golf,
Liz couldn’t help but find the small town charming. Each storefront was painted a nice pastel with picture windows showcasing their goods. She could see why it was a nice vacation destination; the town was remote enough to not become overcome with tourists, but still offered a nice selection of shops and restaurants for those who enjoyed the small beaches and peaceful setting.

Even the lifetime residents were clueless about the coven. Braden had told her that maintaining a well-balanced relationship with a few towns’ people was essential to not drawing any suspicions.

Years before, they were able to escape notice by moving to different towns in and around Aroostook County and Nova Scotia, but with the growing population and the advent of technology, the coven was learning to adjust.
Although
most locals stayed out of their business, the coven
crafted an image where it was understood they ca
me from inherited wealth overseas
. Not completely an untruth
, even Braden said his father left enough money for him and Brigid to support themselves without any help from the others. The coven also
invested in a small publishing company that primarily printed books authored by local residents that catered to Maine’s summer tourists.

After struggling with her Aunt Bev to have enough cash to buy necessities and pay for her rust bucket Chevy, the financial stability centuries of life offered the others was more
than she could wrap her head around. Maybe after graduating, she would go on to Northern Maine College and get a degree that could contribute to the family. Maybe even bring their company online. Regardless of what she did, she knew she now had just as much stake in the coven as Lexie and Braden did. She was one of them and she would do whatever it takes to keep them secure – whether financially or something more harrowing.

Liz thought of the
surprised
reaction Endellion had when she opened her door.
The power tha
t bound Liz and Braden together was obviously felt by other members of the coven.

With one look, Endellion instantly embraced her and whispered in her lovely Irish lilt, “Welcome to the family Love.
There is an old blessing Donovan’s mother bestowed
upon me that I now grant
you.
‘
May the blessing of light be on you—light without and light
within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire.
’
How hay I am that
you and Braden
will
travel forth on your life’s journey together.
”

In that moment, Liz understood why Torin’s
mother blessed her. Becoming a member of such a unique
family
was a godsend
.
They were committed to each other and no matter what the future had in
store,
they
would stand together as one.
As a member of the coven, she had more than just Braden forever, she had them all
. They were her
family.

Liz was surprised when she pulled into the parking lot for Erris Central High. Erris may have had a limited population, but at least eighty percent came out to show their respects. She had to circle around the lot twice before she found a parking spot she could back her Cavalier into without being blocked in.

As she climbed out of her car, a wave of love pulled through her, catching her off guard.
Braden?
Even across town, hi
s feelings for her were felt
.

He’s thinking of me…

She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she did. It was like having a favorite song playing in your head, and turning on the radio, only to discover it was playing there too. Her soul was singing to Braden’s and he was singing back – they didn’t need to be together to hear it.

At the entrance to the school, there was a long folding table with candles. Both te
enagers and adults waited to get one. Liz joined the back of the line. Glancing around, she hoped to spot Lexie or one of Braden’s cousins. Some teens were huddled together by the
front door,
where
someone had made a
small memorial: f
lowers, stuffed animals and cards were
clumped together under a hand painted sign that read, “We will miss you Courtney.”
Against the other door, was another memorial for Catherine
Barry.

Alik – what did you do?

Lexie’s stepbrother was a monster. It was still hard to bel
ieve that the teen ended both of their
lives. Swallowing back the tears that seemed to be contagiously flowing from every person around her, she had to look away. 

It was tough knowing that Courtney’s friends and family would never know the truth. Although Liz didn’t know her or the animal control officer personally, she knew there were people in this town that loved them. When you lose a family member you need answers for closure
. Unfortunately, the fact that a werewolf took them away couldn’t be shared. Even if it could, no one would believe it anyway. No, keeping Alik’s secret was the best interest for the family.
At least he could never hurt any
one again.

Liz just hoped the youngest Serov wouldn’t take his brother’s place. It was a miracle that Alik didn’t kill Lexie and Torin while he was at it.

“Lizzie!”

There was only person allowed to call her that.

Looking around, past all the sea of strange faces, Liz saw her friend, tugging on Torin’s arm and coming in her direction.

As soon as Lexie reached her, a stunned expression crossed her friend’s face. “How?” she asked, pulling a strand of wavy brown hair from
her
eyes.
Lexie glanced from Liz to Torin and back, clearly
elated
.

“It just happened,” Liz confessed. Her cheeks reddened. There was no point trying to play dumb. Having just soul bound themselves, they could tell exactly what happened between her and Braden.

“Welcome to the family Liz,” Torin leaned in and gave her a hug. “I’m relieved my cousin has found someone as amazing as you.”

“But you weren’t dreaming of him, were you?”
Lexie’s green eyes widened in delight.
“Were you keeping a secret from me?”