Free Stormfront (Undertow Book 2) by K.R. Conway Page B

miles.  It was where the old railroad used to come through on its way to another part of town, but had long since been unused.  The actual railroad tracks had been removed and all that remained was a dirt lane, perfect for racing a friend on occasion, or so I’d been told.
    As I came to the railroad lane, I crossed over it and cont inued on into the woods that led to the cranberry bog.  The air smelled clean with a hint of brininess from the sea breeze.  All I could think of was frozen saltwater taffy.
    Porter enjoyed our leisurely pace, occasionally trying to pluck a dried leaf from a passing branch. It felt so fantastic to be back in the saddle, that simple rocking motion, and the rhythmic bounce of Porter’s head. It was easy to let my mind wander.
    I started thinking about all that had happened to me since learning of 408 Main Street. Of how different my life was now, and the simple fact that I was starting to really enjoy my new existence here (disaster in Newport excluded). Some people would say that the house was more like a curse than a gift, but I’d disagree.
    I was born a Lunaterra, whether or not I returned to the Cape. And maybe, had I stayed in Kansas, I would have lived my entire life never knowing what I truly was. Never running into Mortis like Raef, Kian, and Christian, and probably never finding friends like Ana and MJ. Yes, moving here brought with it some catastrophes, but being here, surrounded by my friends and Raef, made me stronger.
    MJ brought laughter and comfort to my life. He was that sweet kid who you knew could be counted on to make you laugh or save you from the side of the road when you ran out of gas.  He was a genuine, good soul – a rare find in a jaded world and I knew he would be a lifetime pal. Plus . . . he was a dog. I mean, seriously – how COOL is that? In his dog form, he was an incredible fighter and the boys trusted him to protect Ana and me without question. As the lanky high school senior that he really was however, he’d be snapped like a pretzel.
    Then there was Ana.  Despite her best efforts at being non-emotional, she too was someone who could be counted on to have your back.  Though she occasionally protested about the fluff in life and dressed as though she couldn’t identify a skirt, she was a beautiful, honest person. She cut you no slack, but at the end of the day, her brutal honesty was what made you a better person. Her gifts as a strange sort of psychic left me awed.
    Kian I had judged unfairly when I first met him. He had seemed arrogant (okay – he still does), but was also a man of few words.   In some ways, he was, and is, very similar to Ana – another locked vault. I couldn’t say I blamed him though – he, like Raef, had no competition in the good-looks department. But in my eyes, Kian redeemed himself a thousand fold when he saved Ana and me months ago. He did it selflessly, with no regard to his own safety. Every once in a while he would let me see him as he truly was – a man, damaged, but with a big heart.
    And then there was Raef.   Though I had hoped to make a friend or two once here, I never dreamed I would find a boy like Raef. He was handsome, strong, intelligent, caring, compassionate . . . come to think of it, I wasn’t sure he actually had any faults, aside from the whole “soul thief” thing. We had become so entwined with one another, that I could never imagine a future without him. To lose him would be to lose a huge part of who I had become. I was a better, more compassionate human being because of him.
    Because of them all, really.
    I continued to think back to the events of my rapidly changing life and rode on towards the cranberry bog. I must have lost track of time because once I had ridden around the bog, the sun seemed to have gone down alarmingly fast.  I realized that I had dawdled a bit too long and might be picking my way through the woods in the dark.  The idea was not appealing as I had visions of Porter