Page 38 of Soul Fated

"When I was a pup, I heard legends about the Shadow Pack relics. Stories that most dismissed as fairy tales." Bill stalked out of the kitchen.

Rowan exhaled sharply. "Who is this?"

Bill put out a hand, and Rowan shook it. "The name’s Bill.” He adjusted the waistline of his pants. “That dagger is growing stronger. You can't just pluck her out of here and hope for the best. It will fight back. If it's growing in power, it won't let her go without a fight."

Rowan looked to Lana. “You said you had it under control.”

She nodded once. “I do. For now.” Her eyes dropped. “There’s no precedence for this. We don’t know why it’s responding to me, and we don’t know what to expect.”

Bill nodded. “The stories say that it will work on any soul it comes in contact with. I—” He stopped, glancing up as Kael sauntered down the hall. He stopped when he saw all of us gathered ahead of him.

His hair was damp, and he wore a clean T-shirt and jeans. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Rowan ground his teeth.

Bill seemed oblivious to the tension between them. "Kael, you’re taking the wind out of my story.”

“Which one?” He leaned against the wall, and my ovaries twitched.

Bill cleared his throat. “I was working up to it. Giving a little mystery before I gave the full meat of it.”

Kael grinned, then glanced up at me before steeling his expression.

“Can we get on with this? Please?” Jasper snapped, and Kael looked like he’d be glad to put a fist to his throat.

“Jasper.” Lana shook her head.

Bill motioned for them to take a seat. They reluctantly took off their shoes and moved into the living room.

When they were settled, Bill dropped into his chair and started with a deep breath, his chest expanding under his flannel shirt. "Alright, here's the gist. The Shadow Pack was a group of shifters from way back when, tasked with guarding the veil between the living and the Shadow Realm. They were descended from a forbidden union, giving them unique spiritual and shadow abilities. They were entrusted with powerful relics, but internal conflicts led to their downfall. Despite their end, their legacy and the relics they guarded became the stuff of legend."

Rowan nodded. “I’ve heard the stories.”

There was a twinkle in Bill’s eye. "Good, good. Then you know that if the relics reappear, it means something. Something big."

Lana frowned. "Big, how? Big as in restoring the Shadow Pack?"

"Or destroying it for good, depending on who gets their hands on 'em," Bill replied, his voice low and grave.

“The Shadow Pack doesn’t exist now,” I said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. “They surely do.” He turned to look at Lana. “They’re hidden among us. Descended from that ancient line. Sometimes we know who they are before they do.”

Chapter

Nineteen

Kael

Ipretended to be distracted by breakfast as Lana paced back and forth across the worn wooden floor of Bill’s living room.

Her jaw was tight. "This is ridiculous. Shadow Pack? Those are just stories we heard as pups."

Bill blew out a breath. "Well, if you have a better explanation for why that dagger's behaving like a docile pup when you touch it, I'm all ears."

Lana's jaw clenched. "I don't know, maybe it's broken." She traced the edge of the blade. “Or maybe it's reacting to my natural charm."

Jasper grunted. "Sure, Lana. Your charm. That's definitely it."

Bill's eyes met hers, then he leaned forward, planting his elbows on the armrests. "Believe what you want. But the relics don't lie. That dagger didn't still for you because it was feeling generous." He pointed at her. "You're related to the pack where Seraphina's mate ruled. Her power recognizes you."

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