Winter’s Caress(Brac Village 19)(20)

Winter curled his hands at his sides as he felt his anger unleash. “Then I have to find a way to the marshlands.”

“Never thought you’d ask,” Ahm said as he stepped onto the porch.

Winter was shocked to see Ahm dressed in his Shadow elf clothing. Normally, the guy walked around in jeans, but he was standing there wearing rawhide pants, a vest made of the same material and moccasins, with a bow slung over his shoulder. Even his white hair was braided, whereas he usually kept it in a messy bun.

He looked like the sentinel Winter had heard so much about.

Winter shook his head. “I can’t ask you to help. You’re not only a father but one of the leaders. I can’t let you get involved.”

“I wasn’t aware you dictated what I can and cannot do,” Ahm said with nothing but pure authority in his tone. This was a side to the elf Winter had never seen before. “I was involved with this mess the day I was born. Just because I’m no longer there doesn’t mean I don’t care about my people.”

Well, that shut Winter up. “I never said you didn’t,” Winter defended. “But you belong to the Ultionem. That makes your situation a bit sticky.”

Ahm shrugged. “It makes this adventure all the more interesting,” he said. “Are you ready to take back what’s yours, or do you want to stand on this porch the rest of the day bellyaching?”

“You’ve been in this family for far too long.” Winter chuckled. “I have a feeling the old Ahm would have never used the word bellyaching.”

“You’re right,” Ahm said. “I would have said bitching.”

He pictured Dasani shouting “Language!” and Winter missed his mate terribly. He didn’t care about the risk or fallout. He was going to get his mate back. “I’m ready.”

Bryce came to the door, and his gaze scorched over Ahm from head to toe. “When you get back, keep that getup on.” The bear shifter winked at his mate.

Ahm rolled his eyes. “Kinky bastard.”

“Heard enough.” Malcolm held up his hand. “No visuals, please.”

Winter chuckled.

“Like you and Luke don’t get kinky,” Bryce said, and then his expression soured. “On second thought, I don’t want to think about my pa and sex in the same sentence.”

“Ditto,” Pa said as he turned to Winter. “Be careful, both of you.”

“You better come back in one piece, or I’m turning that village inside out,” Bryce warned. “And I’ll take Chauncey and Chance with me.”

Winter shuddered at the thought of the twins being unleashed on the Shadow tribe village. It wasn’t a pretty thought. The only thing worse would be to unleash the Santiago brothers—the timber wolves who loved to set fire to things.

Ahm grabbed Winter’s arm before they shimmered away.





Chapter Seven




“No!” Dasani struggled against his father’s hold, but Egbar was determined and the man outweighed Dasani by a good fifty pounds. “Why are you doing this?”

“To teach you a lesson.” Egbar snarled the words into Dasani’s ear as he held him down.

When Dasani kicked out, his father reared his arm back and slapped Dasani so hard he saw stars. The pain exploded across his face, momentarily dazing him. His back dug into the hard wood of the kitchen table as Egbar grabbed Dasani’s wrist.

“Please,” Dasani said as he sobbed. “Please don’t do this.”

“I told you about wandering off,” Egbar said. “Now you’ll pay the price.”

There was no way he could fight his father off. In that moment, he’d never hated the man more. His heart sank when he heard the click of the bracelet going around his wrist. His father stood back, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Now you can’t shimmer out of here and go see whoever it is you’re seeing.” The man’s tone was filled with disdain.

“I–I’m not seeing anyone,” Dasani lied as he tried in vain to get the bracelet off his wrist. It prevented him from shimmering. It prevented him from going to Winter. He fought not to cry, but the thought of never seeing Winter again hurt worse than any physical blow his father could deliver.

“You smell of sex,” his father said. “Tell me who it is.” He grabbed Dasani by his long hair and yanked him from the table. The grip was so tight that Dasani cried out as he grabbed Egbar’s hands, trying his best to stop the man from ripping the strands out.

“I’m not seeing anyone!”

Egbar cocked his arm back and slugged Dasani in his right eye. “Liar!”