Here is Book 2 of The Clans’ Ward series, featuring Ellie, accompanied by the Faoladh and Karl. Several other supernatural creatures will make an appearance: a midnight washerwoman, the thunderbird, and will-o’-the-wisps, to name just a few. The release is scheduled for July 16, 2026.
Here’s a short excerpt to tide you over!
The wind brought us the scent of cooking food, and my stomach made me regret choosing to wait. I grimaced and quickened my pace. Once in the parking lot, I noticed a car in the middle of the lane. The door opened, and I froze at the sight of Bastien. A black and red trucker hat hid his brown hair. He towered over me by at least a head, all muscle, partly thanks to his supernatural heritage, but also because of his active lifestyle. His usual smile was MIA, and surprise made me slow down. He closed the car door with a sharp movement, his brow furrowed.
Gen hadn’t noticed his presence and had continued toward the next row. Noticing I was no longer following her, she doubled back. She had never hidden her interest in Bastien, which was sadly one-sided. She arched an inquisitive eyebrow at me. My gaze flickered between the two of them, and my chest felt hollow. I missed Bastien so much, but the gap between us was difficult to bridge.
“Where’s your car?” he asked.
“She’s coming with me,” Gen interjected.
I breathed in to mask my disappointment at his attitude. This conversation could have gone many different ways, but reconciliation didn’t seem to be on the menu today.
“Hi, Bastien,” I answered. “I’m glad to see you.”
He sighed and ran a hand over his face.
“I’m glad to see you too.”
He walked up to me and pulled me into a hug. I returned the embrace, my throat too tight to speak. He finally pulled back.
“I miss our late-night snacks.”
I shook my head with a choked laugh.
“You just miss me making food for you.”
He put a hand over his heart with a mocking smile.
“You’re breaking my heart.”
“That’s hunger you’re feeling.”
His face lit up with a real smile before turning serious again.
“I miss you, Ellie. The house is too quiet without you.”
I nodded, unable to answer him with words. He shifted from one foot to the other and glanced at Gen. Her lips were pursed, and she watched him thoughtfully.
“I need to talk to Ellie,” he said. “Just a moment.”
Her jaw tightened, and she looked at me. I didn’t have many friends, but Gen was a gem. I nodded, and she walked away with a resigned sigh. Bastien rubbed the back of his neck.
“We had an… incident with the pack. A feral werewolf attacked a couple of tourists in the Chic-Choc Mountains. They survived, but the man was infected.”
I shivered at the news. By severing my ties with the pack, I had also lost my sources of information. Karl told me a bit, but I suspected him of skipping over many details. Survivors of that kind of attack were rare. Marc and I were among the exceptions. But only luck and the intervention of the Faoladh had saved our lives. The monsters that killed my parents had claimed nearly thirty victims before being put down.
With a somber expression, Bastien continued.
“Christian and the Sentinels are doing their best to help him survive the transformation. He’s a good man. But his wife’s presence is rattling him too much.”
A bad feeling made me narrow my eyes. He hurried to finish.
“Megan is a normal human. The existence of the supernatural world doesn’t seem to have rattled her too much, but we’d prefer to keep an eye on her.”
I crossed my arms as frustration made me grit my teeth.
“I’m sure Sorcha can handle a mere human.”
He shook his head.
“She and Rian are still busy tracking the feral werewolf. Bridget is working on the final version of the constitution before the official visit from the Mage-King’s delegation in two weeks.”
The passenger door creaked, and a woman stepped out of the car. Her wavy brown hair fluttered in the wind, and she pushed it back. She was about the same height as me, but her build was more delicate.
“Bastien, like I told you, I can stay at my place. It’s clearly too complicated to find me a babysitter.”
Her tone was light, but there was a hint of bitterness. Her situation wasn’t foreign to me. I had also been at the mercy of the Faoladh and their stifling benevolence. Bastien frowned at Megan.
“It’s as much for your safety as it is for Jeremy’s peace of mind.”
A guilty expression crossed Megan’s face, and I felt a surge of sympathy. Before reminding myself that I couldn’t let the pack dictate my actions or ask me to perform tasks. Tension tightened across my forehead. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes.
“It would only be for the rest of the day,” he said. “You can bring her back tonight. We’ll order pizza and catch up. What do you say?”
He finished with a boyish smile; the kind I had a very hard time saying no to. We had grown up together, practically joined at the hip. Our paths had diverged in our late teens, but he was probably the person who knew me best in the world. Behind him, Megan watched us with an anxious scowl. She would need a good dose of courage and all the help she could get to make it through the next few days.
It was perhaps high-handed of Christian to think I would drop everything to look after Megan, but I had to admit I was particularly well positioned to help her reconcile her new life with the old one. I pointed a stern finger at Bastien.
“I’ll talk to you tonight when I bring Megan back to Sainte-Catherine. We’ll see then if I feel like spending time with you.”
He nodded gratefully, and I shooed him away.
“Go help Christian conquer the world. I’ll make friends with Megan in the meantime.”
“Thanks,” he said.
He caught me by the shoulders in a quick hug and planted a kiss on my cheek. He returned to Megan, and they exchanged a few words. Finally, he gestured for her to join me before getting into his car. He waved to me one last time before heading toward the Robert-Bourassa highway.
I turned to Megan and took a deep breath. She turned in a circle, her gaze shifting from one building to another.
“It hasn’t changed much in five years.”
I pointed toward the Alphonse-Desjardins building.
“We could go grab a coffee at the campus pub. Someone is bringing my car back to me within the hour. Then we can spend the afternoon somewhere quieter.”
She nodded with a neutral expression. Behind me, gravel crunched, and I turned to see Gen approaching. Her gaze shifted between Megan and me. I motioned for Megan to wait and intercepted Gen.
“It’s Bridget’s cousin’s wife. Her husband just got an obscure medical diagnosis. Bastien wants me to spend a few hours with her while the family processes everything. She might need to talk…”
I waved my hands, lacking the words to finish my lie. Gen glanced at Megan over my shoulder with a perplexed look.
“Can’t say no to family, I guess,” she sighed. “We’ll hit Saint-Jean Street another time.”
“Sorry.”
“I’ll call you tonight and you can tell me all about it,” she offered with a shrug and a smile.
I watched her walk away with a pang of regret. It felt safer to keep her away from the supernatural side of my life. I didn’t like it, and the guilt weighed on me, but it was the right choice.
I turned back to Megan. She ogled me, hands tucked under her arms to keep warm. Even in the bright sun, the gusts were cold.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” I announced.
She blinked a few times.
“I think my last meal was… yesterday.”
The poor woman had no idea what she was in for.
“For protectors, the Faoladh are sometimes completely clueless,” I grumbled.
She gave a surprised laugh. I motioned for her to follow me. Psychoanalysis would have to wait until I had a full stomach.
