His name is Cailean and he's a wolf shifter. However, he believes he is Tom Clayton, a popular author of mystery and paranormal books.
One night he meets Gib, a seemingly homeless man, and offers him shelter in the lobby of his condo building. Gib takes advantage of that to visit Tom and tell him its time for him to come home, his real home. Baffled, because his condo is his home, Tom angrily tells Gib to leave, which he does, suggesting he consider two things -- Cailean and Blackmont.
Then, Tom has a dream about a shifter called Cailean who is banished from his pack for being a deviant. Gib is also in the dream, only his name is Gerulf.
Gerulf, still posing as Gib, returns to talk with Tom and is able to convince him the dream is in fact a memory of his earlier life resurfacing, that his true name is indeed Cailean, and that they had been lovers before his banishment, twelve years previously. It will take more than that, however, to awaken all of Cailean's memories. First, he must return to the pack's village at Blackmont Ridge to meet his father, the Alpha of the pack.
What ensues might change Cailean and Gerulf's lives forever -- if they survive.
NOTE: Story contains talk of rape and incest.
"What's the village like?" Cailean asked as they ate. "Obviously I don't remember, except the brief glimpse I had of it in my dream, and you never said."
"Like any small village in the middle of nowhere. It's mostly cabins for everyone who lives there, but there's also a general store, a bar, a tiny diner, one church, and a school along what you could call the main street. Think of the westerns you've watched, but without hotels, or a jail."
"Because if someone breaks the pack laws they're summarily banished or killed?"
"You got it. Since no outsiders visit, there's no need for hotels."
Cailean frowned. "How can it stay so hidden? Nevermind. I looked for Blackmont Ridge on one of the map sites using the coordinates I found on a history site. It's just forest from what I could tell. I suppose the buildings are pretty much hidden under the cover of the trees."
"Exactly. Invisible even from fly-overs and so remote the chance of a hiker happening on them is almost zilch. There's a wide stream not too far from there where we used to go to get away from everyone."
"It didn't show up on the map site, but I suppose it's as hidden as everything else."
"Never having checked it out I couldn't say, but I suspect so." Gerulf replied.
By then, they'd finished eating so they paid the check and returned to the car. As Gerulf had said, the dirt road they needed was almost five miles from town. It was very narrow, shaded by the branches of the large trees on either side, and ended suddenly at a spot barely wide enough for Gerulf to turn the car around before he parked. They got out and Cailean followed when his lover began walking into the surrounding forest.
It took a good twenty minutes before Gerulf came to a stop. "Now, we teleport the rest of the way. Are you ready?" he asked, putting an arm around Cailean's waist.
Cailean nodded, took a deep breath, and replied, "As ready as I'll ever be."
* * * *
They landed in what appeared to be a living room, albeit a small one, with roughhewn log walls. A man, standing at one of the windows, turned as if sensing their sudden arrival. His eyes widened in obvious surprise.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded. Cailean knew from his dream that this was his father, although despite his true age he only appeared to be in his early forties, as was the way with shifters. Ulfric glanced at Gerulf. "You brought him here?"
Gerulf nodded. "He needs to ... to get to know you again, I suppose you could say."
"Again?" Ulfric lifted one dark eyebrow in question.
"I don't have any memories of you or this place, other than of my banishment," Cailean said defiantly, stepping away from Gerulf while gazing at his father. "When Gerulf offered to help ... Well, here we are."
Ulfric frowned as he stared at Cailean. "How can you have forgotten?"
"I suppose a psychiatrist would say --" Cailean froze when the front door opened and a man started to enter the room.
"What the hell! You were warned, Cailean," the man spat out.
At the same moment the block on Cailean's memories dissolved and they flooded him, filling him with the horror he'd been hiding from. He began to shake, his breath coming in rapid pants as he gripped Gerulf's arm. "Get me ... out of ..." he managed to say.
Gerulf wrapped his arm around Cailean. Seconds later they were beside the car. "Get in," he said succinctly. He looked as if he was about to pass out from exhaustion and Cailean knew it had to be the result of his teleporting them from Ulfric's house so soon after taking them there. Shaking head to toe, Cailean managed to get into the car. Gerulf did as well, started it, and sped as fast as it was safe to drive down the dirt road to the one which would eventually take them into town.
As he drove, Gerulf asked, "What was that all about with your brother?"
"I ..." Cailean gulped in a deep breath. "Not now. Later." He clenched his hands together, trying to regain some semblance of control over his tumultuous emotions. To his relief, Gerulf merely gripped his shoulder momentarily while remaining silent.
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