Let’s Talk One True Mate (One True Mate Companion, Vol. 1)

5—Series Story

I want to tell you the full story of the series so far, but I’m pretty busy right now, working on One True Mate 11. Luckily, some of our friends are talking about it. Let’s listen in.

(This long conversation won’t be seen in 11, but can be placed on the timeline just before chapter 1 of book 11—and also during chapter 27 of book 10 (Trent and Rowan).

(If you need a refresher on who any of these people are, skip ahead to Chapter 6—Characters)

∞∞ Burton Risson

Timber Wheeling finished packing his rucksack, then closed the flap and secured all the ties and buckles, then tossed the rucksack into the growing pile of equipment he and his brother, Canyon, would be hauling out to the truck and then up the bluff. They were in the bunker, their warehouse-sized office in the tunnels below Serenity Police Department, preparing for a major investigative trek into an abandoned foxen village. Canyon was at his desk, finishing their reports.

The sun wasn’t up yet; he and Canyon had only slept a few hours, but that’s how it was sometimes as a KSRT (Khain Special Response Team) officer. They’d worked 18 hours yesterday, slept on the couches in the breakroom from midnight to four a.m., and now they were hoping to get up the bluff by sunrise.

Company, Canyon said in ruhi , making Timber look at the security monitors, currently displayed on the wall of screens in front of their two side-by-side desks.

Burton Risson was coming their way, moving slowly, his wide shoulders slumped, his gaze on the ground. He was tall, muscular, and fit, with short black hair and brown skin, clean-shaven, wearing jeans, a dark-blue t-shirt, and black jump boots. He’d been the Chief of Police for the last 40 years, but he hadn’t given an order or overseen an operation in the last 30—ever since the mass poisoning of the female shiften . Burton’s only daughter was believed to have died in the poisoning. Guilt and grief had poked holes in Burton’s psyche and stolen his ability to function. He hadn’t been replaced because Deputy Chief Wade Lombard had taken over his duties, and because Burton was the most powerful wolven Citlali alive—no one but Rhen had the true ability to displace him from the job.

Burton’s daughter, Eventine, had miraculously survived. She’d spent 30 years living a non-existence in the meadow, Rhen’s divine dreamscape, watching her mate and her father suffer. Six weeks ago, Burton himself was taken back in time by the One True Mate Leilani, where he picked up Eventine’s body from her deathbed and brought her to the present, where she drank dragen blood and lived. Burton had been recovering ever since, regaining his energy and confidence a little bit at a time and Timber was glad to see it.

Burton had been a distracted, inattentive guardian to Timber and Canyon, but he was the closest thing to family they had—they didn’t know who their dad was. After their mother had died in the poisoning, 5-year-old Timber had carried newborn Canyon the half mile to Burton’s house. Burton hadn’t come home for a week, but Timber had managed to keep Canyon alive and fed.

Burton entered the bunker through the door, far from where Canyon and Timber were. They had one corner of the warehouse-sized room blocked off with computers, shelves, and security chests, leaving the rest of it for storage and stupid games. Burton plodded down a corridor toward them, but stopped a few feet before he breached their area.

“Chief!” Timber called. “Good to see you.”

Burton looked around sadly but didn’t speak. His gaze did not quite land on Timber. Instead, he looked around at the shelves and boxes surrounding him.

Timber exchanged a look with Canyon, then tried Burton in telepathic ruhi, which Canyon could also hear.

Chief? You ok?

Burton met his eyes, then Canyon’s, then said, “I need your help, boys,” in a raw and rough voice.

“Anything you need,” Timber told him.

We got you, Canyon said in ruhi, which he preferred.

Burton looked up at the ceiling, then all around, like he was seeing the space for the first time, then back at Canyon and Timber.

“I’ve been…” he trailed off, his gaze returning to the ground. “I’ve been remiss in my duties,” he finally said. “I need to know what’s going on.”

“Lots going on, Chief,” Timber said. “Most everybody’s out at Trevor’s place, trying to save Trent, but we’ve been directed to continue operations. We’ve got multiple reports of missing foxen and a mystery of a hidden, abandoned, foxen village. Canyon and I are about to head up Crimson Bluff for investigations.”

Burton spoke like he hadn’t heard a word Timber said. “I feel… I feel that we’re on the verge of another attack by Khain and I can’t fail this time. We have females again. There’s young. Track and Treena, and Kendra. They must be protected at any cost.”

Burton moved close to a shelf and inspected the multiple security chests and lockboxes it held. He touched one lightly, then another, then a third. He tapped the lid, then lay his hand on it.

“I want you two to tell me everything that’s been going on with the One True Mates,” he said.

“We’re on it. What exactly do you want to know?” Timber said.

Burton closed his eyes, his hand still on the box. Again he spoke like he hadn’t heard a word. “I know you two know everything.”

Timber didn’t dare to talk to Canyon in private ruhi. Some Citlali were able to overhear private ruhi conversations—and Burton was one of them. Problem was, Timber, Canyon, and Jaggar were up to something not quite authorized, and Burton had his hand right on it.

Burton spoke again, looking sharply at Timber, his eyes dark and luminous. “You grilled me about when I… about when Leilani took me back in time to … to get Eventine.” He took a deep breath, then tapped the box several times. “What did you do with that information? Write it down perhaps?”

Timber couldn’t keep himself from grinning. “I sure didn’t.”

Burton raised his eyebrows. “Canyon did then,” he said quietly.

“Come on Chief,” Timber said, more than ready to have this conversation. He, Canyon, and Jaggar had been wanting to come clean for years. “We can’t figure out why Rhen would restrict us from recording our history. That’s a sure-fire way to repeat stupid mistakes.”

Burton regarded Timber for a moment, then said, “It wasn’t Rhen, it was a council of Citlali who made that decision centuries ago. Their reasons were extensive.”

Canyon flashed Timber a shit-eating grin. Extensive, he parroted.

Timber grinned back. He and Canyon had no problem defying Citlali instructions, if need be, but they’d never liked the idea that they were defying Rhen.

Burton pulled his hand away from the box. He walked around Timber’s desk, then around Canyon’s, eyeing them and their pile of equipment.

“Listen to me,” he said. “Nobody's getting in trouble for anything. I'm not interested in discipline or punishment. I'm interested in our future. All I care about is keeping the young safe and the families together.”

He stopped between the two desks, crossing his arms. “Maybe it was a stupid decision those Citlali made. Rhen knows I’ve made enough stupid decisions, thinking I had her blessing. I was wrong again and again, and I fault no one for anything... no one but Khain, and the traitor wolf, Grey Deatherage. So tell me everything that’s happened since Ella was found. Leave nothing out—let me decide what’s important and what’s not.”

“We’re the right wolves for the job,” Timber said. He looked at Canyon. “How much time do we have?”

I’d say an hour.

“I think we can do it in an hour,” Timber said, knowing damn well they’d be there for as long as it took. He pulled a chair close and offered it to Burton, who sighed and settled heavily into the chair.