Page 18 of Shadow Mate

“I thought all the banshees were female.”

“Males are rare, but they do exist. There are also tales about banshees ‘stealing the seed’ of some Celtic warriors and kings. I don’t think how they reproduce is really all that important.”

“Hamish seemed to think she was a wolf-shifter.”

Brie nodded. “That’s where the story gets ugly. Apparently, she was abducted by a minor wolf-shifter pack’s alpha. He turned her against her will, resulting in her being a hybrid of two paranormal creatures. It’s rare, but it can happen.”

“Cullen Manchester turned his mate, Salem. Came to find out she’s from a long line of witches. By the way, Cullen has offered to take Adriana in and keep her safe. If nothing else, he’s hoping she can help Salem learn the ropes, so to speak.”

“He might want to hold off on that. According to Caye, Strode and the League want Adriana badly. If they find out about Salem, she could be in danger.”

“Strode already knows about Salem. Cullen is keeping her safe.”

“Do you know why Strode is so hot to get his hands on a witch/wolf-shifter?”

“Something about an ancient prophecy only one of their kind can fulfill. We thought originally it had to do with a blood moon, but apparently that would only increase the power of the spell Strode wants to cast. We’re a bit sketchy on the details. Needless to say, anything Strode wants, we don’t.”

“This is starting to make more sense. The alpha who turned her offered to sell her to Strode. At some point on the journey south, Adriana managed to escape. We were already looking for her. We’d gotten word of her abduction and being turned without her consent. Two of Strode’s goons were after her. We caught up to her about the same time they did. We intervened…”

“Which is your polite way of saying you killed them,” teased Colby, who had nothing but admiration for those in the Shadow Sisters. Brie had taken a small group of female shifters and turned them into an elite fighting force capable of not only hiding but rescuing those in need.

“Precisely. Caye reached out to your people, and they helped us to get her to Windsong. We’re trying to find a place for her.”

“Brie, she is welcome to stay here for as long as she needs, as are the Shadow Sisters.”

“You have no idea how many of us there are.”

“I have a far better idea than you think, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think your people are safe. Not everyone can live in an isolated cave on a remote mountain somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.”

“What makes you think that?” she asked.

“You almost always fly out of SeaTac—under different aliases, but you haven’t been as careful as you should have been. As for the mountain and the cave, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Now, where was I? Ah yes, Strode and the League constitute a clear and present danger, not just to shifter society, but to the Shadow Sisters. They have identified some of your people and have placed bounties on your heads.”

“I knew about the ones on Caye’s and my heads but didn’t know about the others. Any chance you’d be willing to share that information with me?”

“I’ll give you the list we’ve composed thus far, but I think it’s safe to say it grows larger each day. The bottom line is regardless of what does or doesn’t exist between you and me, the Sisters need to work more closely with the Resistance. It’s time for us to start combining our strengths. We need to keep Adriana safe.”

“I’m not convinced she wouldn’t be safer away from all of us with a new identity in a different country.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just think it’s time we put our cards on the table. I spoke with Winter…”

“I’ll bet Sean Campbell doesn’t like that,” she said with a bitter laugh.

“Actually, he’s become even more enlightened. It was a survival skill he had to develop. He had to in order to sleep with Winter with both eyes closed.”

“Did he really name her his beta?”

Colby nodded. “Only after I’d already had her as mine. Hamish is a good man, but he is no Winter. I miss her sage counsel. In any event, Castle Curaidh is remote and has never been breached. She would be safe with them.”

“Maybe.”

“What do you say we all have lunch in the dining room? Afterwards, we can meet, brainstorm some options and see if we can’t come up with the best plan.”

Brie stood. “That sounds good, and Colby, I wish…”

“Let it lie, Brie. Let’s take care of Adriana. Our time will come.”

“I don’t believe there will ever be a time for us.”

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