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Betrayal and fright caused her to run. A threat to her home town lures her back.
Welcome to Alston, Maine. A place where different Other Kin species have lived in peace and thrived for centuries. However, there’s one major rule: if you leave and know of a threat to the town, you must come back in person to report all details.
Woodland Fairy Kalana Fairlawn ran when she thought her soul mate, and Lyken warrior, Drake Roven, had betrayed her on the night of their first mating, leaving her pregnant and vulnerable.
Nine years later darkness emerges that could threaten the existence of Alston and all the different Other Kin species who call it home.
Welcome to Alston, Maine. A place where different Other Kin species have lived in peace and thrived for centuries. However, there’s one major rule: if you leave and know of a threat to the town, you must come back in person to report all details.
Woodland Fairy Kalana Fairlawn ran when she thought her soul mate, and Lyken warrior, Drake Roven, had betrayed her on the night of their first mating, leaving her pregnant and vulnerable.
Nine years later darkness emerges that could threaten the existence of Alston and all the different Other Kin species who call it home.
Sample Chapter For THE WEREWOLF'S MATE [OTHER KIN BOOK 1]
by C.A. Salo
Kalana sighed as she approached the outer city limits of Alston, Maine. Alston was a great little laid-back country town up in the Northern Quadrants. Tourists only came during the summer and fall which was great for the town because they’d come spend their money and leave. The only way to get there in the winter was either by helicopter, snowmobile or dogsled…for the humans anyway. Alston had a little over one thousand permanent residents comprising of any Other Kin who wanted to settle down there. Well, make that one thousand and two. A soft smile etched her lips as she glanced over at her sleeping eight-year-old. Her stomach churned with what she had to do, what she should have done years ago. She knew the repercussions might be harsh, but she had to take that chance.
Her family, the Fairlawns, had been with the group of first settlers who numbered about one hundred and forty today. The Lyken Roven Clan had grown to be the largest clan in Alston with over eight hundred members who stayed throughout the year. The Beven Clan of Vampires, which was relatively small, only forty or so, stayed year-round. The rest were Other Kin who just wanted to settle down away from the violence of wars between the clans for dominance. It was widely known throughout the Other Kin nations that the clans of Alston would not put up with any of the rivalries and if a war was brought to their perimeters, the entire town had shown more than once they would fight to keep what they had…peace and quiet. The town had rules besides what each individual clan had. If the rules were broken then the violator would go before the Council of Elders, which was comprised of two elders from each clan who lived within Alston. They were allowed to voice their opinion to the council before a judgment was handed down.
Kalana’s stomach cramped at the thought. Not only did she have to sit before the council, she’d called for the meeting. Her grandfather, one of the elders of the council, had made the plans the day she’d phoned to tell him she was coming back. Kalana wished this could have been done differently, but with the information she’d learned, she could not sit back and let her town down. One of the rules of Alston was if you leave the town, you change your name, and you never tell anyone where you come from. That way if there was something, or someone with their sights set on Alston, the town had feelers and informers out there to report. The only problem was you had to give the report in person.
“ It had to be me,” she mumbled as she pulled up behind her grandfather’s house. She’d been out in the human world for more than eight years and had never heard of anything dangerous toward Alston until several months ago.
A huge smile lit her face as her grandfather stepped out onto his porch. “Pappy!” Jumping out, she left the door open as she ran into his arms for a big bear hug.
“ Do you know how much I’ve missed you, girl?”
“ I know. I’ve missed you too!”
“ Well where’s that little sprite of mine? That skyping stuff just isn’t like seeing her in person.”
“ Livi’s in the car sleeping.” After hugging him quickly she backed up a bit. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long; I just didn’t know what to do.”
After wiping the tear away that rolled down her cheek, he kissed her forehead softly. “You were young and scared; I’m sure he’ll understand. If it’s who I think it is, he asks about you every time he comes into the store.”
“ But will the council understand?” she whispered as she met his gaze.
“ That we’ll have to wait and see. Now go get the sprite, I’ve got the covers turned down for her in her room.”
“ Thanks, Pappy.” After kissing his cheek, she strode back to her small SUV and lifted her sleeping bundle.
“ She’s getting a little big for you to do that.” Pappy smiled.
“ Yeah, but she’s really just a mite. She definitely takes after our side on being small and limber.” She grinned as she stepped in to the house.
Her family, the Fairlawns, had been with the group of first settlers who numbered about one hundred and forty today. The Lyken Roven Clan had grown to be the largest clan in Alston with over eight hundred members who stayed throughout the year. The Beven Clan of Vampires, which was relatively small, only forty or so, stayed year-round. The rest were Other Kin who just wanted to settle down away from the violence of wars between the clans for dominance. It was widely known throughout the Other Kin nations that the clans of Alston would not put up with any of the rivalries and if a war was brought to their perimeters, the entire town had shown more than once they would fight to keep what they had…peace and quiet. The town had rules besides what each individual clan had. If the rules were broken then the violator would go before the Council of Elders, which was comprised of two elders from each clan who lived within Alston. They were allowed to voice their opinion to the council before a judgment was handed down.
Kalana’s stomach cramped at the thought. Not only did she have to sit before the council, she’d called for the meeting. Her grandfather, one of the elders of the council, had made the plans the day she’d phoned to tell him she was coming back. Kalana wished this could have been done differently, but with the information she’d learned, she could not sit back and let her town down. One of the rules of Alston was if you leave the town, you change your name, and you never tell anyone where you come from. That way if there was something, or someone with their sights set on Alston, the town had feelers and informers out there to report. The only problem was you had to give the report in person.
“ It had to be me,” she mumbled as she pulled up behind her grandfather’s house. She’d been out in the human world for more than eight years and had never heard of anything dangerous toward Alston until several months ago.
A huge smile lit her face as her grandfather stepped out onto his porch. “Pappy!” Jumping out, she left the door open as she ran into his arms for a big bear hug.
“ Do you know how much I’ve missed you, girl?”
“ I know. I’ve missed you too!”
“ Well where’s that little sprite of mine? That skyping stuff just isn’t like seeing her in person.”
“ Livi’s in the car sleeping.” After hugging him quickly she backed up a bit. “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long; I just didn’t know what to do.”
After wiping the tear away that rolled down her cheek, he kissed her forehead softly. “You were young and scared; I’m sure he’ll understand. If it’s who I think it is, he asks about you every time he comes into the store.”
“ But will the council understand?” she whispered as she met his gaze.
“ That we’ll have to wait and see. Now go get the sprite, I’ve got the covers turned down for her in her room.”
“ Thanks, Pappy.” After kissing his cheek, she strode back to her small SUV and lifted her sleeping bundle.
“ She’s getting a little big for you to do that.” Pappy smiled.
“ Yeah, but she’s really just a mite. She definitely takes after our side on being small and limber.” She grinned as she stepped in to the house.
* * * *
Kalana had stayed hidden most of the day, but Olivia wanted to get out and Pappy wanted to take her through the trails of the forest as he’d done with her when she was Olivia’s age. That left Kalana in charge of the family store for the last hour or so.
Ten more minutes and it’s closing time. Kalana groaned when she heard the chimes of the front door signaling a customer.
“ I’ll be right there,” she called out as she leaned the broom against the wall. Heading to the front she stopped in her tracks when he turned, tingles of fear and excitement traveling through her veins. “Drake.” Her voice was a whisper to her ears, but his twitched as she met his gaze.
“ Kala— What the hell are you doing here?” A little more rough than intended. “Is this why you tried calling me two days ago? To let me know you were coming back?”
Dragging in a breath to her deprived lungs, Kalana started forward. “Well, maybe if you’d call back you’d know, wouldn’t you?” she spat out as she stepped behind the counter. Turning, she met his gaze. Now, she was angry.
“ You’re going to get pissy with me? I’m not the one who disappeared nine years ago. No word, no note, no kiss my ass, you just up and left.”
Her eyes lowered, bottom lip between her teeth. He was right. She was the one who’d done him wrong, she had no business being angry. “I’m sorry.”
“ Did your grandfather even know where you were?”
“ Sometimes. I spoke with him weekly but never told him everything.” Lifting her gaze to his, she noted the anger he’d held was gone. “Drake, I have to tell you something, something important.”
“ After nine years?”
“ Yeah, I…”
“ Why are you back, Kalana?” he asked as he folded his arms over his strong chest.
“ I-I have to talk to the council.”
Arms down, brows furrowed, he leaned forward. “Why?”
“ You know I can’t say, well not all of it anyway. We really need to talk.”
“ Right now, I’m worried about dinner. What’s left for the beef?”
The change of subject rattled her for a moment. “Ah, um, well there was one piece left, it’s a rib eye cut, about a pound.”
“ Was?”
“ It was close to closing so I thought to have it for dinner, it has pepper and garlic on it, so if that doesn’t bother you I can wrap it up and grab something else,” she said breathlessly as she met his unwavering gaze again.
“ If you wouldn’t mind. I need red meat and don’t feel like hunting it down or waking Manuse tonight because I’m out late.”
“ Manuse is still in charge of the kitchens?” Kalana twisted her hands at his unwavering gaze. “Ah, sure, be right back.” Moving quickly to the back area, she grabbed up the steak and started wrapping it. “Damn, this isn’t going good.” Shaking her hands out at her sides when they started trembling she stopped, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I can do this. Just tell him and get it over with. He can probably hear every word you’re saying but that’s alright.” Stepping into the store area again she lifted her eyes to his. He was so damn hot and masculine and so damn alpha, the only way he’d changed was for the better through maturity. He watched her as a predator would, except she wouldn’t become his next meal, either that or he was just really hungry for this steak. “I, um, really need to talk to you before I go to council.”
“ Fine, I’m here so spill,” he stated as he tossed a twenty on the counter.
“ It’s not a two-minute conversation, Drake, it’s…” Her eyes flew to the phone on his hip.
“ Drake…yeah, I’m on my way, five minutes.”
“ Drake.”
“ I have to go.”
“ It’s imperative that we talk before council,” she said as he headed for the door.
“ Is it for the safety of this town or my pack?”
“ No, but…”
“ Then it can wait. I have to go.”
“ You need to come back before I go to the council!”
Drake stopped and turned. “Why?”
“ Because I need to tell you something before I tell them.”
“ I’ll try, but we have an issue at the northern border.”
Oh damn! She just let him get away as he walked out the door.
Ten more minutes and it’s closing time. Kalana groaned when she heard the chimes of the front door signaling a customer.
“ I’ll be right there,” she called out as she leaned the broom against the wall. Heading to the front she stopped in her tracks when he turned, tingles of fear and excitement traveling through her veins. “Drake.” Her voice was a whisper to her ears, but his twitched as she met his gaze.
“ Kala— What the hell are you doing here?” A little more rough than intended. “Is this why you tried calling me two days ago? To let me know you were coming back?”
Dragging in a breath to her deprived lungs, Kalana started forward. “Well, maybe if you’d call back you’d know, wouldn’t you?” she spat out as she stepped behind the counter. Turning, she met his gaze. Now, she was angry.
“ You’re going to get pissy with me? I’m not the one who disappeared nine years ago. No word, no note, no kiss my ass, you just up and left.”
Her eyes lowered, bottom lip between her teeth. He was right. She was the one who’d done him wrong, she had no business being angry. “I’m sorry.”
“ Did your grandfather even know where you were?”
“ Sometimes. I spoke with him weekly but never told him everything.” Lifting her gaze to his, she noted the anger he’d held was gone. “Drake, I have to tell you something, something important.”
“ After nine years?”
“ Yeah, I…”
“ Why are you back, Kalana?” he asked as he folded his arms over his strong chest.
“ I-I have to talk to the council.”
Arms down, brows furrowed, he leaned forward. “Why?”
“ You know I can’t say, well not all of it anyway. We really need to talk.”
“ Right now, I’m worried about dinner. What’s left for the beef?”
The change of subject rattled her for a moment. “Ah, um, well there was one piece left, it’s a rib eye cut, about a pound.”
“ Was?”
“ It was close to closing so I thought to have it for dinner, it has pepper and garlic on it, so if that doesn’t bother you I can wrap it up and grab something else,” she said breathlessly as she met his unwavering gaze again.
“ If you wouldn’t mind. I need red meat and don’t feel like hunting it down or waking Manuse tonight because I’m out late.”
“ Manuse is still in charge of the kitchens?” Kalana twisted her hands at his unwavering gaze. “Ah, sure, be right back.” Moving quickly to the back area, she grabbed up the steak and started wrapping it. “Damn, this isn’t going good.” Shaking her hands out at her sides when they started trembling she stopped, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay, I can do this. Just tell him and get it over with. He can probably hear every word you’re saying but that’s alright.” Stepping into the store area again she lifted her eyes to his. He was so damn hot and masculine and so damn alpha, the only way he’d changed was for the better through maturity. He watched her as a predator would, except she wouldn’t become his next meal, either that or he was just really hungry for this steak. “I, um, really need to talk to you before I go to council.”
“ Fine, I’m here so spill,” he stated as he tossed a twenty on the counter.
“ It’s not a two-minute conversation, Drake, it’s…” Her eyes flew to the phone on his hip.
“ Drake…yeah, I’m on my way, five minutes.”
“ Drake.”
“ I have to go.”
“ It’s imperative that we talk before council,” she said as he headed for the door.
“ Is it for the safety of this town or my pack?”
“ No, but…”
“ Then it can wait. I have to go.”
“ You need to come back before I go to the council!”
Drake stopped and turned. “Why?”
“ Because I need to tell you something before I tell them.”
“ I’ll try, but we have an issue at the northern border.”
Oh damn! She just let him get away as he walked out the door.
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