Ride: Awakening

Chapter Two

Niall O'Leary opened his eyes to find his twin sister Maelíosa leaning against the stone archway by his bed, her arms crossed. Dark hair fell over amber eyes that matched his, but that's where their similarities ended. She was far more stubborn and strong-willed than he'd ever been. Her serious expression and hard stance set his stallion on edge.

"What's wrong?"

She arched her eyebrow. "Fallon sent for you. You'd better light a fire under your arse before he comes down here to fetch ye himself."

Niall ignored the fact that she'd referred to their father as Fallon, just as she'd done since she'd reached breeding age. His younger sister Darcy would be fertile in a few years, but Maelíosa still refused to take a mate. As the oldest daughter of the clan chieftain, she'd been promised in a planned mating since her infancy. Planning a match was probably not what his sire had in mind, as they'd expected Maelíosa to be a boy. She'd been living up to that with her rough and tumble ways her whole life. She'd balked at thought of breeding with someone she hardly knew and didn't love, and their father had been more than generous by not demanding her obedience.

His stallion huffed derisively at his sister's temperament, but he could hardly blame her.

He knew that in order for their species to survive and keep the púca from fading into folklore, breeding was necessary. It didn't help that their species was vulnerable because it was mostly male. So they mated with the humans, but now the veil only lifted when winter came, because this was not the Ireland of old. The few that still believed they existed paid the púca with a share of their crops come harvest, but most had forgotten about them or thought they were nothing more than superstition. None paid tribute the way they once had, by sacrificing a daughter to mate with their clan.

Despite all of this, he sympathized with his sister. The one she'd been promised to wasn't worthy of someone like Maelíosa. And even though he would do his duty, he didn't relish the idea of taking a mate. After all...mating was for life. The only thing that could break the mate bond was the death of one of the mated pair.

"Why has father sent for me?"

"The veil has lifted," she said, then paused. "And we have been awakened."

A chill ran down his spine. There was no reason for their awakening prior to the season of frost and firelight. If a human crossed over the veil by accident...

"But Samhain is not yet upon us—the dark half of the year has not begun."

"Aye, sure looks it. You should put some pants on."

Niall looked down at the sheet wrapped around his waist to make sure he wasn't hanging out in the open. "Leave me to it then."

-And tell him I'm coming.-

Maelíosa nodded at his telepathic closing, then turned to exit his bedchamber. "I'll be waiting for you."

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