Shifter Nanny Agency

by Celeste Raye

  Instead of doing what he wanted, Scott went back to his room. He didn’t see a point in trying to lay back down, so he found himself calling his contacts, trying to get some answers about the Franklin Organization. He needed to know his enemy if nothing else.

  As hard as it was for him to go to sleep, he did at some point. It was pretty late when he finally woke up. The sun in the sky, coming in the window, made him think that it was almost noon. His knee-jerk reaction was that he had to make sure that Shane was okay. Something could have happened in the night, or anytime really. He had to make sure that his son was okay, and that getting him back wasn’t just a dream.

  As he was getting up and getting dressed, his heart started to hurt in his chest at the idea that everything was nothing more than a fantasy.

  He liked to believe that nothing could tear him down, but life had taught him better than that. At one point, he had just been trying to survive. Now he had to do something more. He had to live again, with no idea how to do it.

  When he got downstairs, he could hear his son’s voice carrying through the house. It was his laughter, and Scott immediately felt better. There was a smell of breakfast in the air, or lunch. It smelled like bacon.

  “Smells good.”

  “Vanessa is helping me make lunch.”

  “What are we having?”

  “BLTs.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Shane beamed, and Scott pulled his arms around him. The dream wasn’t a dream; it was real, and he felt like he could breathe again. He vowed not to ruin the moment with stress, no matter how easy it was to feel it.

  Scott watched the two of them, and he was a little jealous. He was feeling left out, and he didn’t know how to be easy with Shane. He didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing. Vanessa did not seem to have that same problem. They were easily having a conversation and laughing about it. He felt like he was outside of it all, looking in, and he did not like the feeling at all.

  Later on in the evening, after spending most of the day together, Scott was feeling better about things. He had taken his son out to the pond to spend some time together, and Vanessa had stayed back. She seemed to understand that he needed some time alone with Shane.

  What was hard to understand for Scott was how he was supposed to move forward. As much as he wanted to believe that it was all going to work out as he thought it would, he couldn’t believe it. He was still trying to get information about the Franklin Organization. At the moment, though, there did not seem to be a lot of that. There were a lot of theories and guesses, but he needed facts. Theory wasn’t going to give him the revenge he sought.

  It was right after dinner that Scott got a phone call from one of the people that was supposed to be getting information for him.

  Vanessa walked in on the tail end of the conversation. She asked him if he was leaving once he hung up.

  “I don't know if it is too early or not.”

  “Well, how long are you going to be gone?”

  He told her that he was going to try to be back before the sun came up and she suggested that he tuck his son in and then do what he needed to do. The idea was that he wouldn’t know he was gone, so he would not even know to worry. It didn't sit well with Scott, but at the same time, it made sense.

  “You know, you're not as stupid as most humans.”

  She just kind of waved the comment off with a bat of her hand, but Scott saw the flicker of annoyance in her face. It had just come out because he had regularly talked trash about humans. They were the race that caused the most trouble to the paranormal community, so they were usually the scapegoat.

  He needed to stop that habit. Vanessa was a lifesaver as far as he was concerned. Fran was the only reason that he had his son now. It was hard not to respect them both.

  “Sorry about that, Vanessa. Old habits die hard.”

  “It's fine really. But you know not all humans are the same, just like all shifters and witches aren’t the same.”

  “You may be right, but just remember, all vampires are the same.”

  She made a frustrated sound in his direction, and he took that as a good thing. They were joking, and he could feel that elusive smile coming back. If he didn't know any better, he would think that he liked Vanessa. His mind went back to the night before, and the moment in front of her door. Maybe he needed the time away. Then he could find another way to take care of his needs. Getting it on with the nanny seemed like the worst idea he could come up with. She was just so pretty that he couldn’t help himself.

  After he put Shane to bed, Scott took off and tried not to overthink it. He was just getting all the information that he could to give to other shifters that we're in the same boat that he was in. Scott was certainly not the only one that wanted revenge for crimes committed against them and their loved ones. The Franklin Organization had certainly made enough enemies, and Scott couldn’t stop thinking about how powerful they could all be if they could get together and take care of it.

  Something had to be done, and Scott was hopeful that he would be able to bring some fresh information to the rest of the clans. Everyone wanted a piece of the Organization, leaving him certain that what he was doing had to be done.

  Chapter Eight

  Vanessa stayed up for a little while because, just like Scott, she wasn't sure how to process everything that was going on. She spent the day with Shane, and he had not mentioned much about what happened at the compound, and she certainly didn't push the subject. But he had quickly gotten back into a silly personality that she recognized from other children. It was nice to see him bounce back so quickly.

  However, when she was giving him a bath, she discovered a lot of scar tissue, and it made her want to ask questions. Her sister Alice was a doctor, and she identified some as being caused by specific medical procedures. They were giving Shane lumbar punctures and spinal taps. Her mind could already guess why that was.

  Vanessa wasn’t sure if she should say something to Scott or not. He was obviously quite distracted at the moment, and considering he was trying to track down the people that had done these things to his son, Vanessa was starting to think that maybe she should just let it lie. He would figure out the gist of it all when the doctor came by the next day to examine his son.

  Vanessa felt like it was best to keep to herself. She knew the saying about killing the messenger was valid. She did not want to upset him with such news or for him to be upset with her for bringing it to his attention.

  It was almost two in the morning when Scott got back from wherever he was. She almost went into her room so he wouldn’t think that she was waiting up for him. Of course, she was. Vanessa was just as interested in the whole thing as everyone else.

  When Scott came in, their eyes met for a moment before she finally had to look away. There was something inside of his that made her nervous. She could not recognize the emotion but Vanessa didn’t need to ask to know that something had changed.

  “Why do I get the feeling that you have some bad news that you want to share?”

  “I guess humans have more sense than they let on.”

  “Yet shifters, not so much.”

  Vanessa felt like something was going on, and instead of letting his blustering get to her, she decided that she was going to ride it out until she got the information.

  “Seriously, what happened that has you this way?”

  “I didn't realize that I was being one way or another.”

  “I didn't say that. You just... I don't know, Scott. You're going to probably say something smart-assed about humans, but that tells me that something has gone wrong. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about it.”

  Vanessa filled a glass with some clear liquid and gave it to him. He grabbed it and drank it down quickly.

  He coughed for a moment, and she was rather amused by that.

  “Well, I guess that shifters can’t drink like we can. I didn't realize that you would be such lightweights.”

 
; He chuckled, and Scott started to relax a little bit. “I was thinking that this was wine, or even water. I wasn’t expecting it to be gin.”

  “I don't think that anything but liquor is going to do it, with everything going on.”

  He had to agree. He had that look in his eyes again, but last time she thought she knew what he was thinking, Vanessa had been very wrong.

  “So, what did you find out?”

  “The Franklin Organization is huge. I don't know how the hell we're going to do this. It's not something that is going to be changed overnight. The shifters have taken down one of their compounds, but there are probably over a hundred in all. They are going through some channels to get more information. I think they tortured a couple of the guards, but I didn't get the details on it. If he were still alive, I would have gotten more.

  She was a little shocked by the last comment, but in a way, she also wasn’t. She kept asking herself what she would do if it were her children, and the answer had come back that she would do anything. Vanessa did not think there was a limit to what she would have done, so hearing him talk that way, even though it was hard to hear, didn't make her feel uncomfortable around him. He was acting the same way that anyone would in the same situation.

  “So, the only way you guys are going to get rid of this Organization once and for all is to get rid of the person on top. Most of the time, there is someone on top that is dictating everything. Get rid of them, and you will get rid of the rest of them.”

  “I know who is on the top, but from what I hear, it is a witch that isn’t someone that can be stopped. She's old, and the older witches are usually the strong ones. Age matters. Each year, they get stronger, and this one has been around for over ten centuries.”

  “I mean, she can't be that strong. You're telling me that nobody can take her out?”

  Scott paused for a moment and then agreed. “From what I hear, she can't be beaten.”

  “You guys are shifters. I mean, aren’t you guys like really powerful? I don't know what it is that you shift into, but I would imagine that you are much stronger with that form, correct?”

  He was a bit surprised at her candor but he agreed that he was stronger when he was in the shifted form.

  “I turn into a lion.”

  “A lion?”

  He saw the change in the way that she looked at him, and he couldn’t have found it any more humorous. She was looking at him almost the same way that he had been looking at her before. Was it because of what he turned into?

  It made him wonder what was going through her mind at the moment, but he knew better than to ask her.

  “Yeah, what did you think?”

  “I don’t know. I thought about it a little bit. Asked Fran about it, but she didn’t know. A lion, huh?”

  Scott could see the wheels churning in her brain, and he wanted to think that he knew what was going on in there. He thought about the ideas that had raced through his head the night before, but he didn’t want to think about that. He had gone past his limits, and that was harder to deal with than he would have imagined.

  “Yeah. Shifters turn into all sorts of animals.”

  “And you are bigger than a regular lion, right?”

  He agreed, but he couldn’t see where she was going with this.

  “So, why can’t you take down one witch? I guess I don’t get it.”

  It was hard to explain what the witch was capable of, living for over a thousand years. That in and of itself was a feat that almost no one else could match. How were they supposed to kill a witch that had been alive for so long? They were not going to be the first to try.

  “She is over a thousand years old for one. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s going to take more than a few animals to take her out. The consensus is that she has many controlled completely with a spell. If the witch is killed, all of her magic goes with it. There would be a huge exodus, and we would be able to take our lives back.”

  “So, all you have to do is figure out how to kill her, and that’s it?”

  Vanessa was making it sound so easy, but he knew better than to think that way. It would just make it harder to deal with when it happened.

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “And what if she doesn’t die?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Then eventually all of us will be gone, and she will have her way. Only humans and witches will remain.”

  Vanessa looked away but he could see the upset expression on her face. She was human, but he understood that she had compassion. Too bad they all weren’t that way. He would probably have a better time dealing with them in general.

  Chapter Nine

  Scott had some things that he had to check on. It was almost a week since Shane had been back. He was still trying to get over the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. He told himself that the best thing that he could do was to ignore the gut feeling and march on.

  What he didn’t understand though, was the way that Shane was going to act about it. He was distraught, and no matter how much he tried to tell him that everything was going to be okay, it wasn’t getting through to him. He hugged him to his body and felt Shane shaking. It breaking his heart.

  “You know that I have to go, Shane. We have to find these people and make sure that they never hurt anyone again.”

  It made sense because that was exactly the reason for it all, but Shane didn’t want to hear it.

  “I don’t understand why you have to leave. Why can’t you stay here? I don’t want you to go.”

  “They are not going to come after you, Shane.”

  “They aren’t going to let me go, Dad. They will be back.”

  Shane was so sure of it that a fear that wasn’t real was driving him back. He didn’t know how to convince him. He was out of ideas.

  “Well, you are going to stay with me, Shane.” Said Vanessa.” I am sure we will have way more fun.”

  Scott could see what she was trying to do, and it seemed to help more than all of the words that he’d managed to speak.

  “I just want us all to stay here. Then when they come, we can be together.”

  Scott told him again that it wasn’t going to happen. His son was not convinced.

  “I promise that I won’t be gone long, Shane. Only as long as I have to.”

  “Just come back soon, please, Dad. I don’t want to be alone when they come. Mom couldn’t stop them. She was human too.”

  Scott caught the sudden surprised look that came from Vanessa.

  “I told you, Shane, that will never happen again. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

  Shane held on a little longer and tighter than usual, but he finally let go, and Scott left. He tried not to replay the heartfelt questions that his son had. He wanted to believe that he was doing the right thing. Being proactive, instead of reactionary, seemed like it would have far better outcomes.

  Vanessa was left with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not only was she weirded out by the way that Shane was so convinced they were coming back, but she was also wondering about the fact that Scott’s wife had been human. The way Scott acted, she figured that he didn’t like humans, for one reason or another. Now she knew that she was wrong.

  To keep both of their minds off of things, Vanessa took Shane to the small pond that was on the property they were staying at. It seemed like the sort of place where anyone would be happy growing up, but Shane was more reserved. He had blossomed in the last few days, getting used to being free, but not that day. That day, he kept looking up towards the horizon, like someone was coming, and it was messing with Vanessa. She found herself looking in the same direction, waiting to see something.

  “I don’t think they are coming, Shane.”

  “I know they are.”

  He was just so sure of himself, and even though she wasn’t one to believe in mystical things and the like, she had a tremor run through her. Something was off, and after a few moments, she real
ized that there was a silence in the area around them as well. No animal, bird, or bug was making a peep.

  The hairs on the back of her neck went up, and Vanessa realized the boy was right. Something or someone was coming and she needed to get them back in the house. It looked so much further away now.

  “Shane, why don’t we get out of the water and head to the house?”

  She was trying not to alarm him, but he seemed to get the hint rather quickly. He got out of the water almost immediately.

  “They’re here, aren’t they?”

  Vanessa noticed that his eyes had changed to a dark black color, but she didn’t have much time to look him over. She was sure something bad was coming, but Vanessa didn’t know from what direction.

  “Yes, let’s go. Do you feel it?”

  Shane agreed that he did and the two moved quickly as they made their way to the house. The nice afternoon that she had planned was shot, and now Vanessa got why Shane was so upset when Scott had taken off. Had he really known?

  They were almost inside the house when a bolt of something came towards them. It smashed a flower pot not too far from Vanessa. She didn’t have to imagine who the bolt was for. The kid had made it clear that they wanted him back. They didn’t care about who was with him.

  Vanessa pushed Shane forward and turned around. She didn’t know what to expect and was almost relieved when it was a young witch. It was just one, and though she had no idea of the woman’s capabilities, she also had planned for this. Fran had left her with a final piece of advice she had followed. Vanessa pulled the gun out that she had kept hidden.

  She was shooting before the witch could throw another bolt at her. She would have been smashed to smithereens, just like the flower pot. Vanessa didn’t want to let that happen, and she wasn’t going to let anyone get close to Shane.

  The first shot was a little off, but Vanessa was correcting it, and she shot her in the chest the second time. The witch went down immediately, but Vanessa wasn’t sure if she was going to stay down. She didn’t know what to do for several moments, but she finally shut the door and moved deeper into the house. She called for Shane, and he came out. The fear was written across his face.