The Broken Barrier (Shadow Claw Book 4) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Exclusive Book

  The Broken Barrier

  Cole (Bonus)

  Alexander (Bonus)

  Peter (Bonus)

  Nicholas (Bonus)

  Spencer (Bonus)

  Saved by Alpha Bear Preview

  The Broken Barrier

  Cole (Bonus)

  Alexander (Bonus)

  Peter (Bonus)

  Nicholas (Bonus)

  Spencer (Bonus)

  Saved by Alpha Bear Preview

  Exclusive Book

  The Broken Barrier

  Shadow Claw Book 4

  Sarah J. Stone

  Copyright © 2017 by Sarah J. Stone. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  Other Books in This Series

  Saved by Alpha Bear (Book 1)

  Desired by Alpha Bear (Book 2)

  Loved by Alpha Wolf (Book 3)

  Chapter 1

  An assortment of dark hues spread about her, engulfing her in its stygian blackness. She adjusted her vision to the darkness, and suddenly, color unfurled across the entire scene.

  Two figures came into view, perched under the shadow of a gigantic tree that seemed to have existed since the beginning of time. Its vines curving and falling every which way as they seemed to have been trying to entertain her audience.

  She stood in awe at the beauty of it before she suddenly realized that their movements had been changing with every flick of the man’s wrist. He had been controlling it.

  Episodes like this always brought her joy, and she found herself moving her legs in its direction without giving it a second thought, wanting to examine it more closely. A feeling of familiarity lingered in the air. She knew where this place was. She had been here before. However, as of that moment, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  She tilted her head slightly as her eyes lay on the man and woman who seemed to be the stars of her dream.

  The woman sat cross-legged, resting her back against the thick trunk of the tree while the man laid suspended in mid-air, hands on his cheeks, gazing at her.

  A shadow lay upon their faces making it difficult to trace out their features.

  Nina, somewhat intuitively, was aware of the fact that they were the first Caillagh and Kalen.

  A voice at the back of her head told her that the scene she had been observing was from a long time ago, long before the Council even came into existence.

  She stood studying them, completely lost in the two souls that sat before her. From what she had gathered up until that point, she surmised that Kalen was teasing his lover, who playfully turned her head to the side, unwilling to meet his eyes.

  She was shaking her head firmly and tried to keep herself from smiling, but was clearly failing.

  Still afloat, he inched closer and laid a peck on her cheek that caused her to turn a deep crimson shade. Nina smiled to herself, admiring their bond.

  He flipped onto his back and slowly lowered himself, resting his head in her lap as he started gazing lovingly upward at her. She looked down at her mate, and for a moment, Nina thought they would kiss. Instead, he lay there staring at her, keeping her eyes locked with his.

  Nina wondered momentarily if her dream had frozen by itself, for they stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. She found herself sighing when Kalen finally sat up.

  Suddenly, a huge creature walked up from behind the tree and lingered over them, making Nina gasp out loud. She immediately attempted to dart to the couple’s aid but stopped short as she witnessed what happened next.

  The animal instinctively rubbed against the Caillagh, causing the faintest of smiles to escape from her lips as she buried her hand in his fur to caress him. The creature shut his eyes and responded to her touch as it settled onto the ground beside her.

  Only a familiar and its master shared the sort of relation that Nina was observing so fondly.

  She concluded that the creature was Lachen, the Caillagh’s hellhound.

  Her thoughts shot back to the Caillagh and Kalen almost immediately. She peered at them inquisitively and noted how they kept changing positions. How long had she been dreaming? She felt like she had been stuck in that world for a long time.

  They were now submerged in deep conversation, and Nina watched the movement of their lips in an attempt to make out what they were saying, but to no avail.

  Kalen was seated upright next to his mate, listening attentively, his hand placed in a fist under his chin. They were having an important conversation by the looks of it, which piqued her curiosity even further. What could they possibly be talking about?

  He shifted his gaze, staring far off into the distance now, and for a moment, Nina felt like he was looking directly at her. The thought sent an electrifying jolt through her, and all of a sudden–almost too quickly–Nina bolted up from her slumber.

  A feeling of dread washed over her as her eyes fluttered open. She was drenched from head to toe in her own perspiration. She immediately scanned her whereabouts and came to the realization that she had fallen asleep under her life tree.

  This was her favorite spot, and she found herself returning back to it repeatedly. It instilled a sense of calmness in her, and after Kevin’s arms, this was the safest place to be. The serenity of the tree exuded from it and spread far and wide, wrapping Nina in its homely feel.

  Nevertheless, what she was feeling right now was an assortment of mixed feelings that were spiraling out of control.

  She sat up, and her hands swept through her hair, resting at the nape of her neck for a couple of minutes. Had she really just seen the Caillagh and Kalen in her dream? What had they been talking about?

  Assuming that she probably wasn’t able to understand because it held no significant importance, she shrugged off the questions. In spite of that, as she gained complete consciousness, a feeling of regret washed over her again.

  The image of her bear ran through her mind, automatically replaying the fight once more. She felt a pang of pain in her chest. It was a familiar feeling that occurred whenever her mate was upset with her. Why were they even fighting? Especially now when she needed him the most.

  With the baby coming, she found herself craving his presence all the time. She missed him, almost to the point of suffocation, and couldn’t stand them being parted for so long.

  Fighting with Kevin always upset her, and she hated staying away from him. He was fully aware of that fact. Yet, he was nowhere to be found.

  She silently cursed herself for being so overemotional. If she hadn’t snapped at him, they would have been together right now, and she wouldn’t be feeling so lonely.

  She ran a hand over her rotund belly and looked downward, thinking about the life growing inside of her. Almost ready to make its way into the world, the baby had been absorbing and harnessing her powers now more than ever.

  She did not mind being drained of them as they had been going nowhere but into her own child. However, her prophecies were growing eminently vague, something that generated a great amount of distress and unease within her.

  Her thoughts drifted back to her dream and lingered there for a moment. Was that why the two figures remained under a shadow throughout the entire dream? Was that why
she couldn’t make out what they had been saying?

  What if it really was important? What if her dreams were trying to tell her something?

  Lost in the aftermath of the dream and evoking the scene to replay in her mind repeatedly, her gaze absentmindedly traced the barrier that Kalen had framed for his beloved.

  “A true sign of love,” she mumbled aloud, not meaning to.

  The measures you go through to protect your loved ones were farcical, she found herself thinking. But then again, what are you if you have no one to love you? What an empty life a person must lead before finding their mate.

  She couldn’t remember a time before Kevin was not in her life. Or rather, she couldn’t recall what she felt when Kevin was not in her life.

  Maybe people always felt lonely before they found their mate, but couldn’t really pinpoint it or attach a meaning to the feeling. However, at that moment, Nina was sure that she felt nothing but loneliness, with her mate nowhere in sight.

  She sighed as the feeling of despair washed over her. Why wasn’t her bear with her?

  Almost as soon as the thought occurred, she felt Kevin’s presence nearby as though her aching heart had dragged him to her. She scrutinized her locale until her mate’s silhouette came into view. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clutched her chest in anticipation as she noticed the bear walking in her direction.

  “I’m sorry, my love,” she urged silently. “Please come to me.”

  The bear stopped short in his tracks, clearly aware of the fact that she was close. He did not want to approach her that much she understood.

  This caused a guilty moan to release itself from somewhere deep inside Nina’s throat.

  Her eyes stared warily in his direction, silently pleading with him.

  She smacked herself in the head with the base of her palm.

  She wished she hadn’t snapped at him, when he was only trying to take care of her. Why did she have to react in that manner? She should’ve known by now that Kevin was extremely protective of her, and whatever he did, he did it out of love, not because he didn’t think she was capable of taking care of herself. Why did she not understand that?

  A pair of hands wrapped themselves around her. The warmth radiating from the body that held her caused Nina to sniff loudly. When had she started crying?

  A hand on the bottom her chin coaxed her into looking upward. Kevin had shifted forms now, and his brown eyes–filled with concern–stared into hers. She instantly buried her face into his chest and found herself mumbling a series of never-ending apologies.

  He smiled and, instead of affirming the acceptance of her apology, he kissed the top of her head. Words were not needed. The love they shared was too strong for them to hold grudges against each other.

  “Kevin,” she started, still grasping onto him firmly, as though he might slip away at any time.

  He ran his fingers through her tangled, messed up hair. “Hmm?”

  She looked up at him, and their eyes met once again. He could see that something had been bothering her. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just that…,” her voice trailed off, not knowing how to put her thoughts into words.

  He stood, waiting for his mate to respond, the feeling of agitation growing inside him.

  She sensed his distress and slowly tried to explain what had been going on. “There’s this feeling that keeps gnawing at me. It’s eating me up inside. I’ve tried shaking it off so many times but…I just can’t.”

  His consternation settled deep into his features.

  Unwillingly, she continued, “I feel like there’s a terrible tragedy that’s about to befall us. I keep trying to push the thought–the feeling–away, but it keeps coming back.”

  The bear in him hated seeing her like this. If he could, he would take all her worries and all her sorrows away to make them his own. He would thread them together and wear them as a trophy around his neck, content that he was successful in separating them from her.

  Unfortunately, it was out of his power at that moment, and for now, all he could do was console her.

  Tightening his grip around her, he whispered softly in her ear, “You needn’t worry. I am here with you.”

  She sniffled as he uttered the statement, causing him to pause.

  When he spoke again, he had already pieced together exactly what he was going to say. “Whatever mishap comes our way, my dear witch, we will face it together. I will always stand beside you, and I will be with you through every hardship.”

  This calmed Nina down, and she sighed.

  It’s true when they say that all you need is just one person in this entire world, and that person, for her, was her gallant–albeit overprotective–bear.

  He felt her muscles relax under his hold which, in turn, helped him relax.

  Meanwhile, the Caillagh and Kalen lay peacefully in slumber, far in the fairy territory. The site was empty for miles on end, nothing or no one nearby to disturb them.

  A cool breeze flew in from the west. The couple lay asleep, still undisturbed.

  Suddenly, as though waiting for the right time, the barrier that lay held over them began to flicker, slowly at first, then way too quickly.

  A shift in power was coming about.

  Chapter 2

  Two bodies lay side by side, looking as peaceful as ever under the protective boundary of the barrier. The ambience was set to a light serenity, and the environs seemed to hold no creature except the dozing duo. A quick look around affirmed that Nina was back to the same place again.

  The age-old tree stood in the middle of the scene as though asserting its claim to the territory. She noticed how the vines stayed still this time, dangling from the huge branches, minding their own business.

  She had liked it better when Kalen was gleefully showing off his skills, the way he kept the branches dancing in the air, constantly in motion. The thought caused a smile to play softly upon her lips for a second, disappearing almost as soon as it came.

  She inched forward, determined to catch a glimpse of the figures. A faint breeze brushed against her face, causing her eyes to shut momentarily. She inched closer so as to attain a better view, hoping to inspect the scene.

  The breeze had set the vines into action as though they had read her thoughts. They bounced playfully just as they had when Kalen had been teasing his dear Caillagh. She watched intently as the vines left a small afterglow in the shape of their movement.

  Lost in their little performance, Nina didn’t realize when she had come toe to toe with the people who now lay at her feet. She stopped to admire their features.

  Soft.

  A tranquility of sorts seemed to have settled on their faces. She couldn’t help but wish she could trade places with them, free from all the worries in the world–the worries she carried of her baby, her pack, her mate….

  She caught herself before she could completely drift off into the world that existed within her mind.

  She looked down once again, and out of the love she held for them, she raised her hands in a brimming determination to protect them. Where the urge came from, she didn’t know, but it was understandable since the Caillagh was one of her own. Her blood flowed through Nina’s veins.

  What didn’t make sense was why she thought of building the barrier right then; why not before? Why not in the dream she had before this?

  Perhaps, she felt the slumbering nature of the Caillagh and Kalen would limit their abilities to fight back had anything attacked them. She didn’t have a better explanation for her actions, so she decided to go with the last one that went through her mind.

  A protective shield emerged from the ground and bent over the Caillagh and Kalen, making Nina release a sigh of relief, now fully content that nothing or no one could cause them harm. Taking a few steps backward without turning around, she tilted her head and smiled, stopping to admire them again.

  Everything was fine by the looks of it. Yet Nina couldn’t quite place her finger on what f
elt wrong.

  She gazed at the view toward the horizon. Nothing was out of place. Nothing had shifted since her last dream.

  However, she kept feeling bothered, as though every fiber of her being was screaming at her. Trying to warn her? She didn’t understand but remained fully alert, ready for whatever might come her way.

  She turned around, and her legs carried her away from the scene. The vines had dropped again now, the wind stopped blowing, everything falling disturbingly quiet for a minute.

  Suddenly, the distinct sound of something dripping caught her attention. She strained her ears to figure out where it had been coming from and, almost automatically, her legs started dragging her in its direction toward the Caillagh and Kalen.

  A sharp pain in her head sent her hand shooting upward, pressing her fingers to her temple as her eyes suddenly fell on the barrier that she had pulled over them. Was that blood?

  Her heart dropped in her chest at the ghastly sight. Her legs kept her moving in its direction, but the distance between them seemed to keep growing. What was happening?

  Her whole body strained and fought to reach them somehow, but right before her eyes, the blood picked up pace and was now gushing relentlessly.

  Nina bolted up in bed, drawing a spine-chilling gasp.

  Her body was soaked in sweat. It shook convulsively as though she was caught naked in the middle of a snowstorm. For a couple of minutes, she didn’t know where she was. That made her more anxious.

  “Nina? Nina!” Someone was shaking her. “Snap out of it!”

  The voice sounded familiar. “Kevin?”

  It seemed to be pulling her out of whatever hole she was stuck in. Slowly, she attained full consciousness as she laid eyes on Kevin’s face, thoroughly aghast.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” Nina said, instantly drawing Kevin’s hand to her mouth.

  “Hush! Don’t be stupid. What happened? Are you okay?”

  She stared into the eyes that were filled with alarm on her account. She cursed herself knowing that she was responsible for it.