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down hard. He’s got injuries to both legs, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and possible concussion. The healer’s with him now, but she says he’ll survive. He’s taking the treatment well and is already out of danger, though he’ll be laid up for a while, recovering.”
    “Praise the Lady,” Ria breathed, both appalled at the extent of the young man’s injuries and glad that he was being cared for and would pull through. “What about the others?”
    “Just minor injuries. We’re all fine. When can we rejoin you?” Dorian sounded eager to get back to his job.
    “Um…” Ria looked around at Jake and Edvard, not sure what to say.
    “Dorian, is it?” Jake asked rhetorically, breaking into the conversation. “My name is Jake. Ben is a friend of mine,” he explained. “Right now, we’re good. We have some planning to do and arrangements to make. When we get back to a place where you can meet up with us, we’ll call you in. Keep your team ready and alert the others of your kind. When the time comes, we’ll need your support and we’ll probably need it fast.”
    “Milady?” Dorian asked, putting all his unwillingness to listen to anyone but the Nyx into his tone.
    “He’s been right about everything so far, Dor. I think we’d better listen to him on this one.” She knew that was equivalent to giving Jake an unmitigated endorsement. Dorian would understand that as well.
    “Are you the seer, Jake?” Dorian asked, still sounding a bit skeptical.
    Jake chuckled. “Yeah, though I usually don’t go around advertising my abilities.”
    “What Clan are you?” Dorian demanded, warming a bit.
    “No Clan. No Tribe. No Pack. I’m human,” Jake admitted.
    “Mage?” All of Dorian’s outrage came through in that single word.
    “Not quite. Just a seer. No other magic. I don’t hang around with magic users. They make me itch. Mostly, I keep to myself, though I have connections to many different groups of shifters,” Jake explained.
    “I can vouch for him,” Edvard said unexpectedly. “My nephew counts him as a dear friend and trusted ally.”
    That was news to Ria, though she supposed it shouldn’t have been. Jake had managed to get Sam to loan him his yacht and crew after all. Sam Kinkaid wasn’t a pushover by any means. If he trusted Jake enough to loan out his yacht, his Uncle Ed, a platoon of selkies and who knew how many other shifters, then that really meant something.
    “And his sister is Cade’s mate,” Ria put in, knowing her Guard knew and respected Cade’s human mate. She had more than proved her worth—and her loyalties.
    Everyone in her Guard knew Cade. He had been one of their most respected members until recently. He had retired from active duty when he found his mate.
    Dorian kept quiet for a moment, foregoing the rest of his questions. Ria was glad. They had more important things to discuss.
    They ended the call a short time later and resumed their dinner at a more leisurely pace. Ria’s initial hunger had been addressed and she was able to enjoy her dessert as the men talked about the weather forecast for the next few days. Being on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the weather forecast was important to watch, and sure enough, a tropical depression was beginning to churn off the coast of Africa. It could pose a problem for the yacht in the next few days.
    Ria started to feel tired. She’d had a long day, after all. Edvard noticed and the men ended their discussion. The big selkie gave her a hug before leaving her to Jake’s guidance. It appeared Jake already knew his way around the ship—at least to the guest rooms—and was to be entrusted to escort her to the suite set aside for her use.
     

     
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Jake walked Ria to her stateroom, seeing her to her door. He was very protective of her—like one of her Guards—but with a somewhat more intimate twist that was hard to define.  But it was there, in his every gesture, in his words, even in his