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A growl rumbles unbidden from my chest and I howl, loud and painful, head tilted to the ceiling. It’s anger and fear, but more than that, it’s a promise to my mate.

I’m coming for you.

I leave the bakery, but with no destination in mind or clue where my human is, I’m forced to rely on the sensation in my chest. The twisting and tugging that can only be the bond between us communicating without words. The ache increases when I reach the pub and by the time I approach the village hall the pain is so bad, I can barely catch my breath. Hand pressed to my sternum, I double over, frustration bubbling in my blood. This is taking too long. What if I’m too late?

Keep moving.

Turning in the opposite direction, I head towards the far side of the village where there’s a carpark for hikers heading down to the beach or to the top of Sea Cliffs. When I place a foot on the grass, my body tenses and a shift washes over me uncontrolled. It’s like it was the day I accidentally knotted Caspian – too powerful for me to resist. My legs grow, fur covering my paws and thighs, tail and fins protruding, scales covering skin. That’s when I feel it. The same pulse in the organ beneath my heart, the one I feel when a lighthouse calls to me. Electroreception. Only not because of a lighthouse. Because of my mate.

He needs me.

Eyes narrowing, I scan my surroundings. There’s a road at my back and a steep path to my right. To my left is a forest, similar to that which wraps around Caspian’s farm, only this is man made. Trees planted in rows, gravel paths built into the ground and a signboard with a map.

The sound of tyres on the road has me darting behind a tree, not wanting to be spotted by passersby. There are footprints on the path, but I suspect whoever took Caspian would not want to be easily found, so I don’t follow them. Instead, I head deeper between the trees, where the light is dimmer and the path is narrow and unkempt.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The pulse in my chest increases the deeper I get.

And then I smell him. My human. He’s scared, but he’s not alone. Kiernan is there too, and there’s two, maybe three other beings. One of which is not human. Picking up my pace, I run through the trees, pushing branches out of my way. I come to a sudden halt when I step into a clearing, everything in me freezing when I see my mate, standing at the very edge of a cliff, with a knife to his throat.

“Oh. Look who joined us,” that property developer – Eugene – says. He moves the knife and a droplet of crimson runs down Caspian’s neck. Growling, I extend my claws and step forward. “Don’t move,” he commands. “Or I kill your lover here.” They’re standing awfully close to the edge. One wrong move and they could easily fall.

“Sterling,” Caspian cries.

“You’re okay, sweet human. It’s all going to be okay.” I hold up my hands as if to steady him.

“Listen to your monster, Caspian,” Eugene says. “It will all be okay. All you need to do is sign over your land to me.”

The land. All of this for a piece of land. I’m not sure why it surprises me. I have seen humans kill for a lot less.

“Lucien,” Eugene barks. He holds the knife still while his other hand grips the chain around his neck. “Secure the monster.”

“What?” I don’t have a chance to react before a shadow crawls from the feet of the blond man holding Kiernan, coming to wrap around my ankles and holding firm.

Kiernan shrieks, fighting against him. “It’s you. You’re a fucking monster. Let me go!” A faint whimper passes the man’s lips, but he doesn’t let go of Kiernan. If anything, his grip on both of us tightens.

“Everyone shut up!” Eugene barks. “Enough.” He rubs a hand over his face. “God, why is this so complicated?” He points at me, then rubs the vial of blue sand hanging from his neck. “Make your human sign these papers.”

I growl, then grit my teeth. “No,” I spit.

He frowns, then turns his attention to Lucien. “Bite the boy.”

Lucien whimpers again, his eyes slamming shut seconds before he sinks his teeth into Kiernan’s shoulder. Kiernan cries out, his legs going weak. He drops to the ground and Lucien wipes the blood off his lips with the back of his hand. A sob breaks from my mate, tears steaming down his cheek as he calls out for his friend.

“This is fun. And very interesting,” Eugene remarks, wonder in his voice as though he’s studying a fascinating piece of art. It takes me a moment to connect the dots. Between his actions and those of the other cryptid. Between what I know and what I suspect. But when I get there, it all makes sense.

The sand.

The blue sand on the beach. The same mineral in the vial around his neck.

“You want Caspian’s land because of the sand.”

Eugene grins. “Bingo. One point to the big sea creature.”

“What do you mean?” Caspian asks, looking at me.

“Come on, Sterling. Explain it for all of us.” Eugene waves his free hand in the air.