Chapter 1
Abby
I drove through the night, tense and scared. When I saw the sign indicating I was in San Diego County, I finally relaxed a little.
I’d always planned to relocate to San Diego for one important reason: there wasn’t a selkie colony down there.
I was told it was because there was a kraken family that lived here, but I doubted it.
More likely, it was because it would be hard to control members if they lived in such a dense, urban environment.
San Diego was the perfect place to disappear.
I would never be under the control of my father, brother, Mayor Norris, or any man ever again.
If I never lived in a small seaside town again, I’d be a happy seal.
Now that I was here, it almost didn’t feel real. I’d been planning and dreaming for so long, but it was hard to believe my eyes.
I pulled off the freeway when I saw signs for the Gaslamp Quarter. It was early and there wasn’t much open, but then I saw a small breakfast place called The Pack House.
I was tired from the long drive, but before I found a motel, I craved a hot meal and a place full of happy strangers. I was going to need to be careful with my money, but I deserved to splurge on one good meal after that drive.
Parking near the restaurant, I got out and stretched. When I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat, my phone tumbled out.
No, it wasn’t my phone; it was a colony phone. Panicking a little, I snatched it up and ripped it apart, breaking a nail while I did. I pulled the battery and the SIM card out, then stood there holding them, unsure what to do.
I could only hope that Delmar had caused enough chaos that no one even realized I was missing yet.
His kraken scream had made me jump while I was driving out of town. Knowing he was alive relieved a lot of my guilt about leaving Nina behind. Delmar in his kraken form would save her, I was sure.
I dropped the SIM card on the ground and stomped on it. It probably didn’t do anything, but it made me feel better. Then I dropped the phone in a trash can and tucked the battery back into my car. It needed to be disposed of properly, or it might cause a fire.
Feeling better, I walked into the restaurant and was immediately hit by the scent of shifters. The name of the restaurant made more sense now because I smelled mostly wolf shifters.
But there was also a mountain lion, a bear, and something else I’d never scented before. Maybe a walrus shifter.
I froze in the entryway, unsure if this was a safe place for me to be.
“Good morning!” a tall, muscular woman said, walking up to me with a bright smile and a menu. She smelled strongly of wolf. “I’ve got a spot open at the counter.”
I shook my head, fear making it hard to talk, but I pushed the words out even as I backed up against the closed door. “I don’t think I’m in the right place.”
Her sunny smile shifted to concern. “You’ve got a black eye, and you have this feeling like you’re being hunted. I think you might be in just the right place. Do I smell selkie? Seal shifters and selkie smell a lot alike, but there’s enough of a difference to distinguish.”
My jaw dropped. I had no idea how to respond to this woman, so I just gaped at her like a landed fish. She held out a menu, and I took it automatically.
“I’m Harper, a member of the Lobo Gris Pack,” she said, stepping back a little. “The void brought you here for a reason, maybe you should give us a chance to see why. I promise, you’re safe among us.”
I was desperate for kindness, and it pushed me to nod my head. Harper looked delighted by my nonverbal answer.
“Great, the open seat is over here,” she said. She walked me through the crowded restaurant to a counter with stools on one side and servers moving with efficient grace on the other side.
All the counter stools were occupied except for one. As I sat down, Harper moved behind the counter and stood in front of me.
“To your right is Pike,” she said. “He’s a bear shifter and often comes in early to bring us fresh produce from his garden and get a meal.
To your left is one of my mates, Tag. He has an early class this semester, so he likes to eat here before going to class.
Guys, this is, wait, I don’t know your name. ”
“Abby.” I was shocked at how quiet and subservient my voice sounded. Anger made me lift my head, pull back my shoulders, and try again. “Abigale Ron, but you can call me Abby.”
Tag set down his mug of tea and held out a hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Abby.”
Pike smiled down at me and gave a little wave with his fork, his mouth full of food.
“Are you allergic to anything?” Harper asked.
“Uh, no,” I said.
“Great, I’m going to order you the Sea Serpent Special,” she said. “You’ll love it.”
Harper turned to yell into the kitchen, then rushed off to deliver some food.
“I hope you like wolf shifters,” the druid said with a wide smile.
“I don’t dislike them,” I said, a little confused. In truth, I'd only met a few in passing over the years.
Tag raised an eyebrow. “Well, Harper is about to adopt you into the Lobo Gris Pack, so you should either run now or decide you like happy, sweet, and caring wolf shifters.”
He wasn’t wrong, and walking into The Pack House turned out to be the second-best idea I’d ever had.