Free Claiming Trinity by Kali Willows

before.”
    “She’s under my skin, too. I thought being in the forces would reduce the temptation to fall for a woman. Then she landed…right on top of me.” Arawn scrubbed his face at the recollection of her arrival in the portal room.
    The heat of her body against his, the sweetness of her breath brushing over his lips. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to claim her as his own, right there in the middle of the floor. The awareness of the boss man, Rekkus, who stood right there, had been the only thing holding him back from his primal impulses.
    Neither of them spoke the rest of the way back. The strain on Kane’s face at the cabin and the water had been unmistakable. Their talk confirmed it. They had both fallen, hard for this flaxen beauty.
    Kane had been by his side since the battle of Annwn and never had Arawn seen him so shaken by another’s pain. Something was seriously wrong here, and they both sensed it.
    Arawn held the door open to the Haus for his buddy and followed him in.
    “Good morning, gentlemen.” Myron sat at the front desk and flipped her cards. “They’re all in the office, waiting for you.”
    When they entered the room, Rekkus and Cyrus stood in the corner in deep conversation. Sarka, Cemil, and Sage huddled around the desk. Arawn cleared his throat to announce their presence.
    “Come on in. We need to talk.” Rekkus waved them over.
    “What’s the news?” Kane folded his arms over his chest.
    “Did you sit watch over the villa last night while she slept, Kane?” Rekkus approached him, his teeth clenched tight.
    “I did, from the moment we got her back until after sunrise.”
    “Did you sense anything out of the ordinary?” Cyrus joined them.
    “I can’t describe it.” Kane paused. “At the dinner hall, there was a hint, for a moment, of something, but I couldn’t smell, hear, or see where it came from, and it disappeared as quickly as it showed up. Last night on the rooftop, I saw and heard nothing. Even my radar for dark energy didn’t pick up any indication of anything out of the ordinary, but I felt kind of dazed, almost like a daydream.”
    The fair-haired Rowan brother stepped toward Kane and held out his open palm. “May I?”
    “Sure.” Kane accepted.
    Cemil held his hand and closed his eyes for a moment then sucked in a sharp inhale. “Trance-like?” He opened his eyes and released his grip.
    “Yeah, I would say tranced was pretty much how it felt.”
    “If even you couldn’t sense anything, we have a serious problem.” Rekkus dropped his head back and heaved a sigh layered with frustration. “How are we supposed to protect her?”
    “Any theories so far?” Arawn dug deeper. “The humans seem fine.” Sarka plunked herself into the office chair and intertwined her fingers. “But there are flooding and air system malfunctions on the second floor, the lighting down here has been flickering, and some of our para guests have reported nausea.”
    “Food poisoning?” Kane debated.
    “No, those who have complained had different menu items.” Sage joined her sister. “There is something dark on the island, but none of us can hone in on it.”
    “The humans are protected, unaffected by all that has transpired, am I correct?” Arawn pondered out loud.
    “Yes.” Rekkus raked his fingers through his hair. “For now, but if it does begin to affect them, she’s off the island.”
    “Just because you can’t see magical creatures doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Arawn offered.
    “What kind of creatures do you think they are?” Sage tipped her chin up. “The island is protected. We have every provision in place.”
    “We thought the same thing before the sirens invaded, too, but every defense could potentially have a weakness,” he cautioned the group. “Those desperate enough to get in will do their very best to find a way. Take it from someone who knows. When malevolent beings have an agenda, they always find a way.”
    “So far, this