Lir's Children E-Book

Robbie Cox

• Herausgeber: Sandy Shores Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

A widower with four children, a jealous witch, and a second chance at acceptance.

 
For Lir O’Sullivan life seems to finally be turning back around; he’s finally healing from the death of his wife, his children are thriving, and he even has a new girlfriend. However, his new girlfriend is ready to make a change.

 
St. Patrick’s Day has hit Bull Creek, and the town is painted green while the first festivities to celebrate the holiday are in the works. Everything seems to be going great, until Lir’s children disappear. Surely, this isn’t the change his girlfriend had in mind, is it?

 
Get Lir’s Children now and see how the residents of Bull Creek celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.


Read the entire series:
No Place to Hyde
Sassy Claws
Lir's Children



And then read the other Bull Creek stories:


Bull Creek Chronicles:
Alpha Rising
Panther Hunted
Bear Necessities


Destined Mates:
Magic's Mate
Mate's Appeal
Mate's Touch
My Lover's Mate
My Mate's Wife
Fortune's Mate

Leseprobe

Lir's Children

Bull Creek Holidays

Robbie Cox

Sandy Shores Publishing

Copyright

Lir's Children

by Robbie Cox

First Edition

Copyright @ 2022 by Robbie Cox

All rights reserved

www.robbiecox.com

Cover art & graphics by Beautiful Mess Graphics

Editing by CTS Editing & Weis Editing/Proofreading Services

Formatting by CJC Formatting

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are strictly products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be reproduced in any form, except in assisting in a review. This book may not be resold. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For up-to-date news on Robbie’s latest releases, book signing events in your area, and giveaways, follow Robbie’s newsletter - CLICK HERE!

Contents

Dedication

1.

Chapter One

2.

Chapter Two

3.

Chapter Three

4.

Chapter Four

5.

Chapter Five

6.

Chapter Six

7.

Chapter Seven

8.

Chapter Eight

9.

Chapter Nine

10.

Chapter Ten

11.

Chapter Eleven

12.

Chapter Twelve

13.

Chapter Thirteen

14.

Chapter Fourteen

15.

Chapter Fifteen

16.

Chapter Sixteen

17.

Chapter Seventeen

18.

Chapter Eighteen

19.

Chapter Nineteen

20.

Chapter Twenty

21.

Chapter Twenty-One

22.

Chapter Twenty-Two

23.

Chapter Twenty-Three

24.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Need More?

Acknowledgments

Review Request

About the Author

Also By Robbie

Writing as R.C. Wynne

Merchandise Store

Dedication

To the people at Cancer Care Center for Brevard for all you've done.

Chapter One

“FORSTARTERS,WEDIDN'T have the Halloween party here. We also saw nothing at Christmas or New Year’s Eve. So why can’t we have the party here this time?” Jake Goodman asked as he leaned on the bar with his palms along the edge. He bounced his gaze around at the others, his brows pinched as if he didn’t understand what the issue was. “I don’t get it. And it’s St. Patrick’s Day, the holiday created for a bar. It’s perfect.”

Lir O’Sullivan chuckled as he listened to the argument that had been going on for the past forty-five minutes. “You know, he’s not half wrong.” He lifted his whiskey glass, shrugging. “Plenty of bars use the holiday as an excuse to hold an extravagant party, drawing in more customers. It would make sense.”

Of course, by the look on Wes Stapleton’s face, Lir didn’t think Jake’s partner, and one of his mates, would go for it. His other mate, Noel Hastings, on the other hand, seemed slightly impressed with the idea.

Lir lifted his glass the rest of the way to his lips, taking a slow sip as he watched the owners of Everglades. He wondered how they managed living in a triad and running a bar at the same time. There was no separation. No time alone. There had to be disagreements like this all the time. In the little over a year since he had moved to the area, he watched the trio bicker about almost everything that had to do with the bar, Jake wanting to expand and grow, and Wes preferring to keep it the simple, backwoods, rustic bar it had always been. Noel had to be torn being in the middle of two strong-willed men. He was glad he only had to keep Aoife happy.

Glancing over at his precious girlfriend, her fingers toying with the carnelian stone that dangled around her neck, he felt the smile growing on his face as he watched the happiness that brightened her eyes as she laughed at the others. His entire life had turned around the day he met her in St. Cloud.

“But I’m the one in charge of the holiday gatherings in this area,” Josh Rayburn said, his lips downturned in a pout. “Look at what a great job I did at Halloween and Christmas. Why would you want to take that away from me?”

“Because it’s St. Patrick’s Day,” Jake said, as if that was the only reason necessary.

Dimitri shook his head, his arm wrapped around his mate, Adira. “I think I’ll leave this between the five of you. I’m sure you’ll work it out somehow.”

Alanna Bradbury raised her hand. “Don’t lump me into this. You made him the Holiday Chairman of Bull Creek. Not me. I want nothing to do with it.”

“Thanks.” Josh slumped more on the bar, his shoulders dropping. “I thought you were supposed to be nicer to me now that we’re mates. Not help gang up on me.”

The redhead cocked a brow at him, a smirk twisting her lips. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

Lir then watched as she held out a hand and wiggled her fingers at Josh.

Josh merely sighed as he dug into his pocket, pulling out a quarter and dropping it into her palm.

She leaned over and kissed him, a slight bounce in her movements. “Thanks. Now, come help me pick out a song.” She didn’t wait for him to agree. She merely snatched his hand and dragged him over to the jukebox.

Lir laughed along with the others as he watched the two disappear toward the other side of the bar. He had heard others tell the departing couple’s story, amazed that it took so long for the two of them to consummate the mating call. As he heard it, it was over two years, closer to two and a half, before Alanna agreed for Josh to mark her. Lir wasn’t sure how either of them had managed to wait so long without going crazy.

Glancing back to Aoife, he wondered if he would ever have a mate again, now that his first true love had passed from this world. He had heard that it occurred once in a while, but was not guaranteed and more of a rarity.

Aoife turned, catching him staring at her. He saw the blush color her cheeks as she dipped her gaze slightly. “What?” she asked. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a sheepish look covering her face. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

He felt his own smile crease his face as he placed a hand on top of hers. “Just admiring how gorgeous you are. How lucky I am that you walked into my shop.”

Her blush deepened as she bounced her head slightly. “I think I’m the lucky one.”

He squeezed her hand, his smile growing even more.

“You still haven’t told me why we can’t have it here?” Jake persisted. “And for the record, Everglades isn’t in Bull Creek. We’re in Holopaw. The three of us live in Bull Creek. There’s a difference. So, let Josh have his party, and we’ll have ours for those who prefer to drink in a well-established bar. We could even promote it. Draw in some of the other local crowds. I bet the guys from Blackwater Ranch would even come out.”

Wes glanced over at Noel, a snarl on his face. “I told you he wouldn’t be happy with just his monthly tastings.” He then glanced over at Jake. “And I told you, I don’t want to grow our business. I like it the way it is. People bring trouble. We have enough of that on a regular basis as it is.”

Jake, however, was not ready to give up the argument. “But think of how we can decorate the place. It would be a great way to christen the outside patio. It’s perfect.”

Lir glanced out the north side of the bar, peering out the window to the recent addition to the bar they had just finished building. It was an open wooden patio, basically, with square metal tables and metal chairs. Wooden beams provided the supports, and a canopy offered protection against the elements, but otherwise, to Lir, it resembled a simple back porch. Florida was hot enough, in his opinion. He didn’t want to sit out in the heat drinking. He much preferred being comfortable.

Dimitri Everest chuckled, as he shook his head.. “You might as well give into him. He’ll just wear you down like he always does.”

Jake’s brows rose as he turned to the Alpha of Bull Creek. “What the hell does that mean?”

Dimitri pointed to the new addition of the patio, the poster on the wall announcing the monthly alcohol tastings, and then back at the enlarged interior of the bar with the classic video games that Jake helped put together after The Order of Wardens trashed the place over a year ago. “Just that you tend to get your way a lot.”

Jake followed where Dimitri pointed, his face growing more and more neutral with each turn of his head. “Well, each one was a great idea. The bar is doing great because those things brought in new people.”

“I never said it wasn’t,” Wes said with a shrug, his voice holding a sullen tone. “But it’s not my bar anymore.” He glanced around the place. “I miss my bar. We had plenty of people.” He sighed as he pushed himself away from the wooden bar, turned, and headed for his office. “Call me if you need me.”

The others watched as he disappeared, closing the office door behind him.

Jake tossed the bar towel he held to the shelf below as he turned and walked off. “I don’t always get my way.”

Lir glanced over at Noel as she bounced her gaze between both of her mates. “That didn’t go well.”

“They’ll work it out.” Noel turned back to Lir, a soft smile crossing her face. “They always do.”

“How do you handle it?” Aoife asked.

Noel glanced at her. “I stay out of it.” She gave a curt nod and then moved off to help a couple, who took a seat at one of the high-top tables.

Lir shook his head. “I don’t know how she does it.”

Adira turned, glancing over at Noel as the blonde took the couple’s order. “I’m sure it’s a high-wire she’s walking, but she’s kept them all together and progressing forward since the three of them decided to make a go if it.”

Aoife shook her head. “I don’t think I could do it. I can only handle one man at time, and I only want one man for life.” She shrugged. “I’m old-fashioned that way.”

“Everyone does things differently,” Adira said, annoyance in her voice. “You can only do what’s right for you. Besides, with shifters, it’s different. They’re not always in charge of who they fall in love with. It wasn’t the smoothest beginning for the three of them, but they made it work because they fell in love with each other.”

Aoife turned to Lir, sliding her hand to his wrist and giving it a squeeze.

He glanced back down at her, smiling, as he knew what went through her mind. She had already asked him about his first wife, Maggie, and their mating. It had killed him when she died a year ago, and if it hadn’t been for his four children, he doubted he would have found the will to continue.

And then he met Aoife, and she changed the way he saw the world. He hadn’t felt this alive since he moved to Florida from Draven Falls.

“Have you been back to Winnie’s shop?” Adira lifted her wineglass as she leaned on the bar. “I heard you were waiting for some herbs to come in, as well as some other things. Anything in particular you’re waiting for?”

Lir glanced down at Aoife, and he would have sworn he saw her eyes widen slightly before she recovered. “Nothing fancy, really. I found a spell in my great, great grandmother’s grimoire I wanted to experiment with. I’ve been able to grow most of my own herbs, but Florida weather isn’t the best for everything a witch needs. Some things I needed to order, along with some specialty items. Just playing around.”

Adira laughed, nodding. “I get that. I’ve had to outsource some of my own herbal needs. She’s great at finding the things we need, though, even the obscure items.”

Dimitri nodded. “I’ll admit. When she first said she intended to open a magical shop, especially out here, I had my trepidation. However, she’s done amazing with the Magickal Moonbeam since she opened it.”

Lir chuckled. “Aoife has been in there quite a bit. I’m starting to get jealous.” He laughed again, as he reached out, slipping a hand on Aoife’s waist, and pulling her closer to him as he kissed her temple.

When he pulled away, he glanced at the others. “Actually, I’m happy she’s finally found some others who share her interests.” He turned to Adira, his head falling to the side slightly. “I don’t know how you managed being the only witch out here for so long, surrounded by shifters and vampires. It must feel good to have some others to talk with and practice with finally.”

Adira just finished taking a sip of her wine and set the glass back on the bar. “To be honest, yes. It was a long year, but of course, things never slowed down really to allow me enough time to think about it too hard. Still, it’s definitely good to talk about magic without someone’s eyes rolling up in their heads.”

“They don’t roll up into the back of my head,” Dimitri said with a sigh. “Stop exaggerating.”

Lir laughed again. “I get it, trust me. I wish I understood half of what she talks about, which is why I’m glad there are more witches here nowadays. It’s not like Draven Falls, but it’s better than none at all.”

“Agreed,” Aoife said, squeezing his arm and falling into him.

Lir leaned in and kissed the side of her head again. He was also glad they could get out and about, mingling with more of the people of the small community. He missed that part of Draven Falls, and at first, he feared Aoife would balk at the idea. She seemed to prefer being alone most of the time, just the two of them. He, on the other hand, preferred to be involved in the town where he lived. People needed friends.

Just then, Lir’s cell phone rang, breaking into their evening. It wasn’t something he could ignore, even though he wanted to in order to continue enjoying his evening with Aoife. But being a single father meant you had to be accessible.

He slid it out of his pocket and noticed Fionna’s name across the top. She should have been in bed by now. Feeling his brows pinch together, he swiped across the phone to answer the call, placing it to his ear after he did. “Fee? Everything all right?”

“It’s the twins.” He could hear the panic in her young voice. “Something’s wrong. They’re… Dad, they’re shifting into their wolves.”

Chapter Two

DIMITRIANDADIRAfollowed behind Lir in Dimitri’s truck, the worry they heard in Lir’s voice still ringing in Dimitri’s ears. They left the others behind, knowing there wasn’t anything any of them could do until they knew more about what Fionna meant when she told her father that her younger brothers were showing signs of shifting.

“Tell me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it awful young for the two of them to be shifting?” Adira asked as they turned onto Crabgrass Road. “I thought it happened later in a child’s life.”

Dimitri nodded. “It does. Puberty triggers a child’s curse, and to the best of my knowledge, Lir’s twins are barely eight years old.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nod as she processed what he said. While Adira was from Draven Falls, she hadn’t been around too many shifters until she had dated one, Jensen Harper, and he hadn’t exactly helped her understand shifters. Instead, he had kept hidden the truth of destined mates and played house with her instead while waiting for his true mate to return from college. Jensen even knew who his destined mate was while he dated Adira, making everything that much worse for her. It was a twisted introduction to shifters, to say the least, and then she came to Bull Creek at Agatha Rochester’s request, tossed into the midst of shifters fighting shifters to protect humans.

“So, what would cause them to shift early?” She turned, placing her back on the door so she could see him better. “I mean, is there precedent for this happening?”

He shook his head. “No. At least, I haven’t heard of it happening before. Once we’re done here and know more, I’ll reach out to the Paranormal Council back in Draven Falls and see what I can find out. I’m sure this is way beyond Doc Henderson’s purview. We may need to reach out for help.”

“I can call Agatha and see what she thinks once we see what we’re dealing with.”

Dimitri reached out, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. He wasn’t sure what they would find when they reached the O’Sullivans, but he knew with Adira at his side, he could face anything. He already had, in so many ways, from Bane and his coyote uprising to the attacks by the Order of Wardens and the kidnapping of one of his brother’s mates. Bull Creek had seen its fair share of tragedy, but they always pulled together and made it through. They would this time as well, no matter what it was.

Dimitri turned onto Blue Moon Trail and pulled into the third cabin on the right, glancing over at the cabin just before Lir’s as they passed. Walt Egerton had lived there until roughly six months ago, when Cody Tucker killed him in his quest to find a cure for the illnesses of humans everywhere. All it wound up doing was turning Cody into a monster and killing his sister. Another family ruined because people didn’t understand how the supernatural worked.

He pulled in behind Lir’s car just as young Fionna, Lir’s eleven-year-old daughter, rushed out of the house.

Lir was already out of his vehicle, as was Aoife, and racing toward the front of the cabin before Dimitri could get out of his truck. “Fionna, what happened?” her father asked as he raced to the steps. “How are they?”

“They’re fine, Daddy, but it was scary.” Fionna leaped into her daddy’s arms, wrapping her own around him as she placed her head on his chest. “They started to shift, and when it happened they were screaming and yelling, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“What do you mean they shifted?” Lir sat his daughter back down on the front porch as he took her hand and walked inside the cabin.

“They were playing,” Fionna said, Dimitri hanging close so he could hear what she said. “Then suddenly I heard Cian start screaming as he clutched his stomach and doubled over. Cillian was right behind him. I heard their bones snap, saw the fur slide out from under their skin. I remembered my first time just last year, and it scared me. They shouldn’t be doing this so soon, right? Why didn’t they wait as long as I did?”

Lir stepped into his house, the rest of them right behind him.

Dimitri glanced around the place, saw the family photos, the children’s drawings, the toys everywhere. This was a family home, and Dimitri almost felt as if he was intruding. As he stared around at the place, the trappings of a family, he wondered if perhaps Eve and Arlin had the right idea about getting married. Even Josh and Alanna were talking about starting a family. Dimitri suddenly felt as if he was missing out on the important things in life.

“No, sweetie,” Lir said as he moved through the living room. “They shouldn’t.” And then he called out to his youngest sons.

“Daddy!” two voices screamed just before they saw the twins burst from the first room on the right, their arms outstretched as they raced toward their father. Each one looked just as normal as they had the last time Dimitri saw them.

He stood at the front of the living room, hands in his pockets, as Adira moved around him to examine the boys, Lir already hugging each one before setting them back on their feet. Aoife was already there, a hand on each of the twins as she raked them with her gaze, studying them for some abnormality, just as Adira did.

“We almost did it, Daddy,” Cian squealed with delight. “Aiden said we were too young, but we almost did it. My wolf is going to be light brown.”

Not to be outdone, Cillian chimed in with, “And mine is the darkest black. Our wolves aren’t twins!”

Lir glanced over at Dimitri, and the Alpha of Bull Creek knew the man had the same concerns he did. If the boys were twins, then their wolves should be identical as well. Of course, if they shifted early, as the kids claimed, who knew what other anomalies could exist? Another question for the Council as soon as Dimitri could call them.

Aoife cocked her head to the side as she spun each boy in a circle, stretching their arms out to examine them before dropping them back to their side. Her eyes were narrow slits as she ran her gaze over them one at a time.

Dimitri had no idea what the woman was looking for because shifting left no marks on the body.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Lir said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Both boys started speaking at once until Lir told them to stop. He pointed to Cian. “You first.”

The boy’s face lit up as if his father had given him a prize. “I thought it was a cramp in my leg at first. It hurt real bad, and then it began to stretch, and I remembered when Aiden and Fee did the same thing, so I knew what was happening.”

“It’s my turn,” Cillian cut in, trying to push his brother out of the way. “It started with my arm and then I doubled over and was on my hands and knees as fur slid out from under my skin.”

Lir glanced over their heads to his eldest son. “Did you see it happen?”

The teenager shook his head as he leaned on the wall, looking bored. “Nope. I was outside when it happened. Fee called me.”

Lir turned his attention to his daughter. “And you were in here when the shift started?”

She nodded, and Dimitri could still see the fear on her face, the memory of her first shift obviously still vivid in her mind. She reached the age of transition just after Christmas, and her older brother’s occurred when they first arrived in Bull Creek, so the twins were the only ones left to have their curse triggered. Dimitri could see where they would want to be just like their older siblings, eager to race off as their wolves. He remembered well when Josh and he first went through the transformation. They spent hours, even days sometimes, as their wolves, hunting the woods around the Everest Paper Mill. But for the twins, it was still too soon. They could get themselves into trouble, and not even their wolves would be able to get them out of it.

With her lips pressed into a thin line, Adira shrugged. “Well, looks like they’re fine now.” She glanced over at Lir. “I’d keep an eye on them, and in the meantime, I’ll reach out to Agatha, back in Draven Falls, while Dimitri calls Talquin to see what we can find out.”

Lir nodded, but Dimitri could see the worry crease the man’s brows. “Thanks. I just don’t understand what would have caused it.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Dimitri assured him, but inwardly, he wasn’t so sure.

They said their goodbyes and then left, the boys giving their father a blow-by-blow of what happened once more as Dimitri and Adira stepped back out onto the front porch. He kept his thoughts to himself as they walked back to his truck, knowing the strength of shifter hearing and not wanting Lir to overhear something Dimitri didn’t intend. The man had enough to worry about as it was. However, once they slid safely into his truck and he had pulled out of his driveway, he shared his worries with Adira.

“If they did shift, they’re four to five years too early.” He slid his hands around the steering wheel in a nervous gesture. “Too young. Way too young.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn in her seat so she could see him better. “Do you think they’re making it up? I mean, I guess I could see why the twins would want everyone to think they were like their siblings, but why would Fionna make it up? It makes no sense.”

He shrugged. “I’m not saying she is. The truth is, we’re not sure what happened, but centuries of history are making it seem more like the children are pulling our legs rather than those boys actually shifted.”

“And you’re sure of that? Perhaps someone did shift when they were younger than normal, and we just don’t know about it.” She shook her head. “No, I’m not ruling anything out until I talk to Agatha.”

He nodded, knowing she was right. She was always right. “I’ll give Jed Hawkins a call, see what he might know.”

“Maybe call Farren as well. What if this has happened among wolves but not the other animals? I think we need to broaden our research as much as possible.”

He chuckled softly to himself. As I said, she’s always right. “All right then, I’ll have Ezra ask his Para-Force buddies. They might have some research stored about cases like this. Seems it would be right up their alley.”

“Makes sense to me.” He felt her take his hand and squeeze as she turned her attention back to the windshield and the gravel road ahead of them. “Those boys may seem excited now, but the experience had to have scared the hell out of them when it first started.” She glanced over at him once more. “Do you remember when you first shifted?”

He gave a slow nod. “I was twelve and jealous as hell that Fitz had already had the curse triggered. Josh transitioned a few months before I did, and you know Josh, he made sure to rub it in my face as often as he could. When mine finally occurred, I was alone and following a trail in the mountains. I think my father had pissed me off at the time, if I remember correctly, but to be honest, back then my father pissed me off on a regular basis. It was a constant state almost until the day he died.”

“I remember that day,” she said. “None of your family was too happy with your father, including his wife, not that I blame any of you. What he did was a shit move, trying to sell Fitz’s mate off like he did.”

“That it was.” He took a deep breath, shoving thoughts of his father out of his mind. “Anyway, back to my story. The shift started when I was alone, and I remember the excruciating pain that hit me. I screamed my lungs out as I fell to the forest floor, clothes ripping in all directions as my body stretched and popped, snapped and twisted. Fur slid out from under my skin, and I remember looking down at my hands and seeing my panther’s paws, wondering where my hands went.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I knew it was coming, but when it hit, it confused the hell out of me as to what was happening to me.” He glanced over at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “And then I ran all the way to Josh, who was fishing in a nearby creek, and tackled his ass.”

She laughed with him, shaking her head. “I can see you doing that, to be honest.”

“He deserved it with the way he teased me.”

“Boys will be boys.”

He nodded, squirming in his seat slightly. “I’m wondering if that’s what’s happening here.”