Fairplay Shifters Boxset

by Serena Meadows

  She fell asleep with the pillow hugged to her chest and tried to put Jake out of her mind, hoping that things would be clearer to her after a good night’s sleep. But only a few hours later, she woke screaming, her heart pounding from a dream. Sitting up in bed, she looked around her; reassured by the plush bedroom, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

  But then Jake came crashing through the door between their rooms, his blue eyes glowing in the darkness. “Are you okay? What happened?” he asked, looking around the room.

  Only seconds later, Annabelle and Justin came running into the room, “What’s going on? We heard you scream,” Annabelle said, giving Jake a dirty look.

  “It wasn’t me,” he said, holding up his hands.

  They all turned to Joslin, who had finally managed to get herself under control, “I had a bad dream,” she said, quietly. “One of those dreams.”

  Annabelle rushed over to the bed and sat down next to Joslin. “Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, then explained to the boys, “Joslin sometimes has second sight; it comes to her in dreams.”

  Joslin took a deep breath and tried to remember all the details of the dream, knowing that they would fade with time. “I was in a church, but not a normal church, and I was wearing a wedding gown, but it wasn’t white, it was black,” she began slowly, trying to center herself back in the dream.

  “The church is painted black on the inside, and there are huge taper candles everywhere, so many I wonder if they’re going to start a fire,” she went on, clearly no longer with them but in the dream.

  “The pews are full of people, and they’re all dressed in dark colors: black, red, and a deep purple. The women have huge ugly hats on their heads with horrible things perched on top. Blackbirds, crows, and one even had a stuffed cat on her head. Suddenly, I’m walking down the aisle, and the people are leering at me with horrible mouths full of rotten teeth,” Joslin paused, a huge shiver racking her body.

  “I can smell the decay, and then I realize that it’s not just their mouths that are full of rot: it’s them. They’re decaying in front of my eyes as I make my way to the front of the church with a bouquet of dead roses in my hands. When I get to the front, I can’t see the face of the man standing there, he’s got his back turned, but I know that I’m afraid of him.”

  Joslin stopped speaking, her body trembling with fear until Annabelle took her hand and said, “It was just a dream, Joslin; you’re here with us and safe.”

  She seemed to come out of the trance, but her face turned a sickly shade of white. “It was Deacon standing there, Annabelle. I was going to marry him, and I knew that I had to, that I had no choice.” Then she burst into tears.

  Annabelle put her arms around Joslin and let her cry for a few minutes, then she said, “Hush, that’s not going to happen; no one can force you to marry Deacon. Are you sure it was a premonition? It sounds more like a bad dream to me.”

  Joslin looked over at her sister. “Do you think so? I mean it had that quality, you know what I mean, but maybe it was just a bad dream.”

  “I think so; now if you’re okay, I think we’d all better get some sleep,” Annabelle said, getting back to her feet.

  “I’ll be fine; it was only a dream,” Joslin said, giving her sister a shaky smile.

  “I’ll just be down the hall if you need me.”

  But when her sister and Justin left the room, Joslin didn’t feel as confident as she’d said. The dream was still fresh in her mind, and no matter how much sense it made that it was only a bad dream, she just wasn’t sure.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jake asked, standing awkwardly in the bedroom door.

  Joslin looked up at him, and at that moment, what she wanted more than anything else was to have him hold her. “No, I’m not okay,” she said, shaking her head, the tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” Jake asked, stepping farther into the room.

  Joslin nodded her head and scooted over in the bed. “If you don’t mind.”

  Jake crossed the room and awkwardly got into bed on top of the covers, his arms by his sides. “How’s this?” he asked.

  Joslin couldn’t help but smile. “Umm, maybe you could put your arm around me.”

  Jake slid his arm behind her back and pulled her closer, and almost instantly Joslin felt better, as if an invisible field of protection came with Jake. She couldn’t help but snuggle a little deeper in his arms. Then feeling daring, she rested her hand on his chest, relishing the feel of the hard muscles under her fingertips.

  Jake stiffened a bit beside her, but then relaxed. “You should try to go back to sleep; things will be much clearer in the morning,” he said, rubbing her back.

  Joslin closed her eyes, expecting to see images of the dream, knowing that they might follow her for days, but there was nothing there. Her mind was wonderfully empty of the images, so she let sleep take her, wondering if it was Jake who’d quieted her mind and what that meant.

  ***Jake***

  Lying there with Joslin in his arms, so close but so far away, was the most wonderful torture he could have ever imagined. When she’d screamed, he’d reacted without thinking, only realizing what he’d done when the door flew open. Then Annabelle and Justin had come bursting in, and for a second, he was sure that Annabelle thought he’d done something to Joslin.

  His first instinct had been to duck out of the room, to let Annabelle handle it, but then he’d seen the look on Joslin’s face and knew he couldn’t leave. His need to protect her had been so strong, it had almost triggered a change, so he’s stood in the doorway fighting for control as Joslin recounted her dream.

  It was chilling to watch her slip into a trance, for her voice to take on the dead quality it had, and no matter what Annabelle said, he was afraid that it was more than just a nightmare. He didn’t have much experience with witches or premonitions, but he was an intelligent guy, and what he’d seen tonight had scared him.

  Now more than ever he wanted to find out what Deacon was doing, what he had planned for Annabelle, and if he was now dragging Joslin into it. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, but Joslin was curled up in his arms, snoring quietly, and soon the rhythm of her even breathing lulled him to sleep.

  When he woke the next morning just as the sun was coming up, Joslin was still sleeping, curled up on his chest. Sliding out from under her as gently as he could, he tip-toed over to the door and slipped out. As much as he would have loved to watch her wake up, he knew that it would be uncomfortable.

  He headed straight for the kitchen and the coffee pot, not all that surprised to find Justin sitting at the table a steaming cup in front of him. “Coffee’s ready,” was all he said until Jake had a cup of his own.

  “I would have sworn that you were sleeping in the other bedroom,” Justin said, fighting to keep a straight face.

  Jake scowled at him. “Joslin needed someone to stay with her last night.”

  “Uh, huh.”

  “Nothing happened; we just fell asleep,” Jake said, not sure why he was getting so defensive. “I would never take advantage of Joslin, or any other woman for that matter.”

  Justin held up his hands in surrender, “Sorry, I was just teasing,” he said, then became serious. “You like Joslin, don’t you?”

  “I can’t help myself; there’s just something about her that I can’t resist,” Jake said, relieved to finally have a chance to talk to Justin. “And I feel like I need to protect her, like only I can take care of her the way she should be taken care of.”

  Justin shook his head. “Sounds like you’ve got it bad. How does she feel?”

  “That’s the problem; I don’t know. Sometimes I think she feels the same way, but I’m not sure that’s not just my overactive imagination,” Jake said, “It’s the not knowing that’s driving me crazy.”

  “So, ask her,” Justin suggested as if it was obvious.

  Jake sat up in his chai
r alarmed. “No way, and don’t you say anything either. If she doesn’t feel the same way, it will make everything weird. I’m not willing to risk it.”

  “Then I guess you’ll just have to keep wondering,” Justin said, enjoying watching his little brother squirm but not so much that he didn’t offer some words of advice. “Give it some time, don’t rush things; if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. I’ve seen the way she looks at you; you might just have a chance.”

  Jake beamed at his brother, so relieved to hear those words. “Do you really think so? I mean the age difference and all.”

  “Let me ask you something. Why do you think I brought you along with me to New England?”

  “Because you think the ranch can get along without me,” Jake said, without even thinking.

  “No, that’s not why I brought you. I brought you because you’re a smart and intelligent man who never gets the chance to show people what he’s capable of. You’ve been playing baby brother for too long; it’s time you realized that you have a lot to offer. Age is just a number, and in the grand scheme of things, four years aren’t that much.”

  Jake stared at his brother for a long time; he’d had no idea that Justin thought that way about him. “Thanks, Justin, I needed to hear that,” he said, emotion making it impossible for him to say anything else.

  Chapter 8

  ***Joslin***

  Joslin was still tired when she woke up the next morning, the dream or premonition or whatever it was had sucked the energy out of her. But after a cup of coffee, she began to feel better. Jake wasn’t in the kitchen when she came out, and she was relieved, not quite ready to face him after the night before.

  She wasn’t embarrassed by her reaction to the dream, but she was embarrassed that she’d asked him to stay with her and then fallen asleep in his arms. But what was bothering her most was how wonderful it had felt to be there, to hear his heart beating in her ear, and worst of all was that she’d wanted him to kiss her.

  When she thought about him now, it was different; he was no longer a kid to her: he’d become a man. Last night he’d comforted her with only his presence, made her feel like she was wrapped in a soft, fluffy blanket. But undeath those feelings, there was an underlying feeling of anticipation, the feeling that something more was going to happen.

  It was the trill of a new love, of passion bubbling beneath the surface just waiting to be released. Joslin had felt this way before, but never to the depth she felt it with Jake, and it was a bit overwhelming and scary. But sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the others getting ready for the day, she realized that with Jake she felt something else: a sense of calm and peace.

  She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear Annabelle come in. “I’m surprised to see you up so early,” she said, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “I’m still a little tired, but I slept well,” Joslin said, wondering if her sister knew that Jake had slept with her most of the night.

  “That’s good,” Annabelle said, then with a slight grin on her face added. “I would have stayed with you last night if I’d known you were still upset.”

  Joslin felt the blush creeping up her face. “Oh, well, um, Jake stayed for a little while, so it was fine,” she said, cringing when she heard herself stumbling over her words.

  “Uh huh. And?”

  “Nothing, we fell asleep,” Joslin said. “He was just comforting me like any friend would do.”

  Annabelle grinned at her, “That’s nice.”

  Joslin wanted to slap the grin off Annabelle’s face, but she knew that her sister could see how she felt, could probably feel it a little bit. They were both witches, tuned into those around them and their emotions, and the fact that they were twins meant that they had a special connection.

  “Okay, fine I can see that you’re not going to be satisfied until I spill my guts,” Joslin said, “Jake makes me feel safe; he has a way of making me feel calm and peaceful. I didn’t even think about the dream once he was there; it just faded away.”

  Annabelle nodded her head. “I know the feeling. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

  Joslin thought about that for a long time, finished her coffee, then walked over to the sink and set the cup inside. “Honestly, I don’t know; it could become very complicated, and I’m not sure I have any room in my life for complications,” she finally said, then turned and looked at Annabelle. “But I don’t know if I can resist what’s happening between us.”

  Annabelle smiled at her sister. “That should tell you something.”

  ***Jake***

  Jake pulled off the road and parked, probably in the same place the girls had parked the day before. After dropping them off at the bridal shop, they headed straight for Long Island, hoping to catch Deacon before he left for the city. They’d researched the area, knew the landscape thanks to satellite imaging, and had come up with a plan to get inside Deacon’s house.

  It would involve a series of changes as they made their way inside the gated community and then finally into the house. His body was throbbing with anticipation, and he was relieved that the worst thing they’d have to become was a mouse: no more bugs for him.

  They got out of the car and approached the gate, careful to stay out of view of the camera. Then in an instant, they became two furry red foxes, then scampered through the fence and up the road. It wasn’t difficult to find the house; they’d traced the route many times on a map and no one even gave them a second look as they ran through the upscale neighborhoods.

  When they got to Deacon’s house, they could see him sitting on the deck. He was dressed casually in a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt, the table in front of him filled with food. There was another man with him, seated directly across from Deacon, and he looked nervous.

  Knowing that they’d have to get closer if they wanted to hear what was said, they changed again, this time into cute little gray mice. It wasn’t hard then to make their way up onto the deck and hide behind a pot of flowers, and if they didn’t move, no one would ever know that they’d been there.

  Jake was sure that they’d find out something today that would help them, and relieved that they hadn’t had to find a way into the house, so he settled down next to Justin to watch and listen. They didn’t have to wait long before Deacon set down his fork and picked up a stack of papers.

  “This is good work,” Deacon said, tapping the pile of papers, “but I think I’m going to go in another direction.”

  The man looked shocked. “But you’ve invested so much time in this.”

  Deacon sighed, “Yes, that’s true, and I’m sure that if I wanted to crush that shifter, I could do it quite easily. But I’m not sure the reward will be worth it in the end,” he said, then shook his head sadly. “In fact, I’m sure it wouldn’t be.”

  “You’re already on the witch’s council, and you’ve got William Simons right where you want him; I guess you don’t need to marry Annabelle,” the man said, leaning back in his chair and getting more comfortable.

  “Oh, brother of mine, how wrong you are. I may be on the witch’s council for now, but that’s only temporary, and they’ve made it quite clear that I’m only involved in Annabelle’s case. I have virtually no power; I need a way in permanently and the only way I can see in is through the Simons family.”

  “But you just said you weren’t going to marry Annabelle,” Deacon’s brother said, confused.

  Deacon took his time replying, so long that it gave Jake a chance to really look at the two of them. There wasn’t much family resemblance; Deacon had gotten the good looks in the family. In fact, if he’d seen them walking down the street together, he would have never guessed that they were related.

  “I’m not going to marry Annabelle; I’m going to marry Joslin,” Deacon said, triumphantly.

  “Joslin?” his brother said stupidly.

  “I’ve decided that she’s the better choice anyway; she’ll be much easier to control. Annabelle
is too headstrong; I never should have let her go off to college, never should have let her out of my sight,” Deacon said, with a sad shake of his head. “I was so close to having what I’ve always wanted and then that shifter took it away, but this is better. I’ll get my place on the council and make Annabelle and her family pay for the disrespect they’ve shown me.”

  His brother nodded his head, but then asked, “How are you going to get Joslin to marry you?”

  Deacon flashed him a big grin, picked up a stack of papers, and threw them across the table at his brother. “Read section three, clause number six, and you’ll see how. There’s a reason I pay my lawyers as much as I do.”

  After staring at the page for several minutes, his brother looked up at him clearly confused. “I don’t…. I’m not sure what this means.”

  Deacon sighed, “Sometimes I wonder if we’re related. It’s a protection clause; I included it as a joke, well, actually more like an insult. It means that if the daughter I’m engaged to can’t fulfill the engagement then the next youngest sister will replace her. It’s an old clause that hasn’t been used in hundreds of years, but I threw it in to see if old William was paying attention; now it looks like it’s a good thing I did.”

  “Will this stand up in court?”

  Deacon snorted. “It doesn’t have to. I’ve got William under my spell, so he’ll go along with anything I say.”

  Jake had felt his anger growing as they hid behind the pot listening, and the urge to do the man harm was slowly becoming overwhelming, so he turned and scampered off the deck. Feeling weak and helpless in his current form, he longed to change into something that could rip Deacon’s throat out: a mountain lion preferably.