Return to Kadenburg by T. E. Ridener Page A

within
seconds. She rested her hands against her thighs, panting for air as a smile
graced her lips. “You’re alive!”
    The wolf turned its head to look at her, cocking its
head to the side before yipping in response. She smiled again, shaking her
head. “I thought you were dead.”
    “I might be,” the second man replied from his position
on the ground. He was sprawled out upon the bank, his hands resting above his
head as he stared at the sky. “I think I’ve shit myself.”
    Presley’s smile slowly faded away as she remembered one
of the laws Lorcan had told her. It made her feel nauseous as she straightened
up and rested a hand over her stomach.
    We never let humans in on our secret.
    It took everything in her to
keep herself from going into shambles as she turned her back to them. She knew
Lorcan and Dimitri would shift back into their human forms and they would be
naked, but that wasn’t necessarily why she couldn’t face them at the moment.
    The tears blurred her vision as she recalled the entire
conversation with Lorcan in her mind.
    “What happens if you break the rules?”
    “Most are punishable by death.”
    “Oh god,” she whispered,
clutching her stomach as the bile rose in her throat. She didn’t even have
anything to throw up, honestly.
    “Presley,” Lorcan, the human Lorcan, was at her side in
an instant. He pressed his hand against the small of her back as he pulled her
closer. “Are you all right?”
    “No,” she replied, shaking her head. “No, I am not all
right.”
    “What’s wrong?” Dimitri asked as he appeared on her
other side. “Did I frighten you? I’m sorry, Presley. I really didn’t have
any control over it. I thought he was going for Rutley and my wolf freaked
out.”
    “No, no,” she sobbed. The hot tears streamed down her
cheeks as she glanced up at Dimitri, sniffling. “No, I’m so relieved you’re
okay. I just-”
    She was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching-and
they were coming fast. She felt two sets of arms wrapping around her,
attempting to shield her from whoever was arriving, but she knew it wasn’t
necessary once she heard the voice.
    “Lorcan!”
    It was Mr. Bamey. She sighed in relief, though the
grief still ate at her soul. Even if they made it back home now, the truth
would surface. Lorcan had revealed himself to a human.
    “We’re down here, Dad!” Lorcan called back before he
turned his head to gaze at her once more. “We’re going to be all right,” he
smiled. He had such a beautiful smile…..
    “Lorcan!” Mr. Bamey exclaimed as he appeared on the
other side of the river. He didn’t seem to have any regards for the icy water
rushing by as he jumped in and made his way towards them. “Lorcan!”
    She watched in silence as father and son embraced on
the riverside, and it made her heart break. If only Mr. Bamey realized how
much trouble Lorcan was going to be in. If only anyone could realize the
heartache she was experiencing over the fact of knowing what all of it meant.
    Too much was happening all at once. Perhaps it was
because of the small being she was carrying, or trauma the last five days had
caused her; all Presley knew was that enough was enough, and everything was overwhelming
her.
    As her Uncle Arnold’s excited voice pierced the night
air, Presley felt the world around her growing rapidly dark. As she fell
backwards, two strong arms caught her, and the last thing she saw was Dimitri’s
concerned face.

 
    Eleven
     
    T ension was growing thicker by the second as
Rutley watched different people swarm past him like eager little worker bees.
He still wasn’t grasping what happened in the woods, and hell, maybe he never
would; but he’d definitely made a promise to himself that he would never let his family’s truth serum into his system again.
    “Move, move,” Mrs. Bamey ushered as she hurried down
the hallway. “Somebody get me a wash cloth!”
    The Goult girl fainted by the river, and Dimitri
insisted