The Shaman scoffed. “It’s not about the bears, no matter how much they think it is. It’s about the future of the shifter race. The old laws aren’t being upheld, and one of my duties as a Shaman is to make sure that they are. The ancestors created the very structure that is the shifter community, and to go against that is the true treason. The new reign of a high Alphas will destroy everything that we covet as shifters, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“Then you must be near death because your powers are waning,” Yansa replied stepping forward. Whatever you saw is wrong. I’ve seen the truth, and beyond the protest and push back that old school shifters like yourself in the Clan Alphas display, Althea and her sisters, the rightful High Alphas, will bring about peace and tranquility that the shifter world has never seen. They will join the worlds together, and we will be stronger than ever. You’re not a Shaman anymore, you’re nothing but a foolish old man. I can see now that my teacher has long since left.”
Yansa maneuvered quickly, ramming his body into Billy and shoving him out of the way as he raced forward, colliding with his teacher in a mass of fur, claws, and pride. Billy picked himself up from the ground, watching the two Shamans battle, bright red and purple auras spinning around them, clashing into each other spilling showers of sparks down over the two as they slashed and growled at each other.
Feeling something against his paw, Billy glanced down at the ground. Beneath his feet, thin branches spiraled around, lurching at him, wrapping around his legs. Billy yanked back, pulling himself free. He looked up in a panic, hearing the sound of deep laughter. Coming from behind a craggy and jagged boulder, the Dryad stepped from the shadows, holding a blue orb in his gnarled wooden palm. Billy had never seen a Dryad before, he had only heard stories of them.
The Alpha was tall and thin, his body shaped from knotted and twisted branches that warped and tangled, creating the body of a wooden man. His face was hollow, the branches curving up and out of the top of his head, creating stiff, weathered locks of hair with leaves growing at the tips. His fingers and toes were long spiked branches, and his eyes were nothing more than hollow black sockets.
The Dryad smirked and tossed his blue orb straight at Billy’s head. The Bear leapt to the side, watching as the orb sped past, slamming into the stone wall. Billy snarled, jumping back to his paws and racing toward the Dryad. The Clan Alpha’s brow went up and he stumbled backward, not at all prepared to fight a Grizzly. Billy slammed his body into the Dryad, knocking him to the ground. The Alpha swiped his sharp wooden fingers across Billy’s cheek, drawing blood. Billy breathed heavily, turning his eyes angrily back at the Dryad.
“Did you know I was the Clan Champion two years ago,” Billy growled as he stepped toward the Dryad. “Do you know what my specialty was?”
“Not knowing when to shut up?” the Dryad growled as he fought to get back to his feet.
Billy chuckled with an evil air to his laugh. He paused at the foot of the Dryad. “Tree climbing.”
With that he jumped on top of the Dryad, leaves and wood flying everywhere. Across the cave, Minco fought the bull Alpha as Althea faced off with the tiger. The bull was large, charging Minco over and over again. As Minco jumped out of the way, watching the bull crashing to the side of the cave, he laughed loudly. “Now I understand why you never took a job fighting in the Spanish arenas. Even a human could take you down.”
The bull stood back up shaking the ringing from his ears. It huffed, blowing steam from its nostrils. Digging it’s hooves into the ground, scraping up the stone floors of the cave, it took off at full force heading straight for Minco. Minco dodged to the side, but as he did, he found himself slamming into a large boulder having not paid attention to his surroundings. At the last second, the bull twisted his horns spearing Minco right in the side.
A loud earth shattering growl bellowed from the deepest parts of Minco as he looked down at the horn shoved through his side. His bare eyes, frought with human emotion, stared into those of the bull Alpha, not knowing how he could’ve possibly been thwarted. At the sound of his wheezing and growling, Althea looked over, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as she watched the bull pulling his horn from the side of Minco’s body. Blood splashed out and Minco’s knees collapsed, sending him to the ground with a thud.
“No!” Althea’s voice ripped through every shifter in the cave and transcended beyond their minds, rattling the ground beneath their feet.
Her anger built instantaneously, and her once tranquil blue eyes shined bright red with rage. The energy surged through her, building through every part of her body. The air pulsed and waved around her as she whipped back around toward the tiger, baring her teeth. As she moved, the world seemed to stand still, the speed of her attack faster and stronger than any movement she had made in her life. She rammed her body into the Tiger, slashing her arms left and right, digging deep into the Tigers flesh. In a wild rage, Althea snatched him by the throat, ripping the flesh right out of his neck and dropping it to the ground as his body slammed down, the last remnants of his life force quickly disappearing.
The Bull backed up, his eyes wide, never having seen anything as powerful as Althea. He made haste, trotting as quickly as he could toward the door of the cave and shifting back into his human as he ran. Althea let him go, knowing full well that they would track him down within minutes when she had taken care of the rest. He was a coward, and nothing like the rest of his Clan.
Looking over at Billy, Althea watched him stand, twigs and sticks caught in his fur, the rest of the Dryad weak and groaning left in a pile at his feet. Billy stepped through the rubble of the tree man, cracking several of his limbs as he moved. To his left, the Shamans continued to fight, their auras beaming and clashing along the ceiling of the cave creating what looked like an artificial sky.
The old Shaman used some of his magical powers, thrusting his Bear arms outward and slamming Yansa with a wall of energy. Yansa flew back, landing on his side and sliding across the cave floor. Quickly he got back to his feet and charged his teacher, rage and disappointment flowing through him. He slammed his head into the Shaman’s belly, pushing him back against the wall.
“You know what you’re forgetting?” Yansa asked his teacher.
The old Shaman squirmed, snarling his lip. “What’s that?”
Yansa pulled back one of his bare claws and began to chant. As he did, the deep purple aura swirled wildly around growing larger and larger. It overtook the older Shamans red energy and raced forward swirling around Yansa’s outstretched claw. Yansa narrowed his eyes, no longer seeing love for the teacher he once nearly worshiped. “When you teach your student everything you know at such a young age, they will one day grow stronger than you and far more powerful.”
The teachers eyes widened as Yansa rammed his bare claw straight into his teacher’s chest. The aura seeped throughout the old Shaman’s body, radiating from his eyes, his mouth, and the tips of his fingers and toes. The Shamans scream echoed through everything, until the pressure of the energy grew so intense that it exploded from the bear. Pieces of the Shaman flew everywhere, raining blood down over the others.
Althea shifted back into her human form running over toward Minco and sliding on her knees to his side. As he groaned, his body, unable to hold his Bear form, turned back into his human. Althea lifted his hand, holding it tightly in hers and pressing it to her chest. Minco coughed, blood trickling from the sides of his mouth as he stared up with love at Althea. Tears stream down her face and she closed her eyes hearing the voice of her mother in her mind.
“Don’t give up,” her mother whispered. “The power is inside of you. All you have to do is let it free. Your mates are for life, but only you can save his. Open yourself sweet girl, there is no longer anything to fear.”
Althea took in a long deep breath, knowing full well that her mother was right. She had used the connection between the four of them to travel through the realms, to see a world that didn’t even exist, and to find the
Alphas deep within the forest. If she could use it for that, she could use it to save Minco.
When her eyes opened they shined brightly, the light blue sparkling and shimmering. She placed his hand gently on the ground and put hers over his wound, holding them there as she channeled the energy that connected the four of them together. As she pulled from her chest, a bright white light began to glow from the palms of her hands. She breathed deeply and let her head fall back, hearing the sounds of the Bear Shifters chanting in her mind.
As she concentrated, the light grew larger and larger, eventually covering the entirety of Minco’s body. Yansa and Billy shifted back into their human selves and shielded their faces as the light grew so bright it enveloped everything inside the cave. The light energy traveled through the dark recesses of the cave erupting out into the forest. Althea sent one last surge from her chest focusing it directly into the wounds at Minco side. It blasted out of her, sending her flying backwards. She slammed into a boulder and slid down to the ground, landing on her hands and knees.
The light began to recede until finally Yansa and Billy were able to uncover their faces and hurry over to Minco. Althea crawled toward him, staring at his face as he lay there still and silent. Billy looked him over, but there was no wound to be found. The only sign that it had been there was a pool of blood beneath him.
Althea touched her hand to Minco’s cheek and spoke to him through her mind. “Wake up, Minco.”
Yansa, Billy, and Althea stood there holding their breath for several moments until finally Minco’s eyes shot open and he gasped for air. Yansa grabbed his hand and helped him to sit up, as Billy dropped to the ground, shaking his head in disbelief. Minco looked up at Althea whose eyes slowly dimmed but the blue remained. “I think you found your powers.”
Chapter Nineteen
The Grizzly Settlement had suddenly sprung back to life, everyone hurrying about, watching as the Council stood beneath the remains of the Grizzly Alpha paying their respects. At the edge of the field, Yansa, Billy, and Minco stood watching the guards of the Council gripping tightly to both the Tiger and Dryad as they dragged them toward the SUVs parked right outside of the Settlement. The members of the Council would fly back in a helicopter, but it was safest to take the clan Alphas by ground. While the Dryad was too injured to shift back into his wooden form, the Tiger raged, trying its best but still unsuccessful. The guards slapped two glowing blue bracelets on each of the Alpha shifters. They would block the Alphas ability to shift, keeping them in their human forms as they were transported back to the Council for trial.
The Lion Shifter Alpha, a tall strong older man walked up to Althea and the three guys. He put out his hand and took Althea’s in his shaking it sternly. “I don’t know what happened in that cave, but she definitely took care of the situation. There is obviously nothing left of the Shaman who betrayed the Grizzly clan, but it was in your rights to terminate him if you saw fit.”
Yansa put his hands together and bowed his head. The Lion Alpha turned back to Althea. “We’re still searching for the Bull. From what I know they found his trail and are hunting him down. He won’t get far in his animal form, nevermind his human form. It’s only a matter of time.”
Althea was different, calmer, feeling the peace that she achieved with Yansa not that long before. “From the fear that I felt inside of him, I don’t think he’s going to be a problem anymore.”
The Lion Alpha turned to walk away, but paused reaching out and touching one of Althea’s thick curly locks. He chuckled, staring at the white streak that mimicked the one that had appeared on Althea’s back when she changed into her bear. “I remember when your mother first got this symbol of the ancestors in her hair. You are so much like her. We’re lucky to have you and your sisters as our leaders.”
With serenity flowing through her veins, mixing with the immense power and energy that hovered within her, Althea smiled, touching the old Alpha’s hand, sending a spark of energy through him. He chuckled with delight as he turned and walked back over to the Council of shifters who were waiting to depart.
Althea turned back to the guys, looking down as Yansa lifted Minco’s shirt running his finger across the scar that had formed on his side. He pressed against it but Minco felt nothing. “Amazing. Just hours ago, you were speared through, but now the wound has healed as if it were ages old. And not only that, but you don’t seem to have any sort of trauma on the inside.”
Minco chuckled, patting Yansa on the shoulder as he put his shirt down. “I feel like you’re going to spend the rest of your life in complete awe.”
Minco stepped toward Althea, taking her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. Billy and Yansa joined in, the three of them surrounding her, hugging her tightly. She closed her eyes and took it all in, feeling the warmth of her mates around her. But something was pulling at her heart, a question that had to be asked, something she was almost fearful to have answered.
She looked around at the guys as they stepped back. “What will you do now? I’m going to be honest, I can’t imagine leaving here without you.”
Yansa shook his head. “Don’t you understand? Our fate, the three of us, has been written in the stars for many centuries, even before we were born. Every moment of our lifeline, the past and the present, and the future, has already been planned out for us. We are to be exactly where the mates of a high Alpha should be, and that’s by your side no matter where you are. While this is our home, and I’m sure we’ll miss it, we were meant to leave the Settlement.”
Althea could feel the strong emotion bubbling in her chest. “Really?”
Minco nodded and Billy smiled. “Of course. It’s not only our job, but it’s our desire to follow you across the world, and maybe even across the realms, lending our protection the best way that we possibly can. We told you from the beginning that we’ve been preparing for this our whole lives and now that we’ve come together, the love between us is a bond that can never be broken.”
Althea let out a long deep breath, putting her hand to her chest. “Thank you so much. I was so worried that I would have to go back to the castle alone. Before I met you, I couldn’t imagine my life with you, but now that you’re in it I couldn’t imagine it without you.”
Billy nudged her, a sly grin on his face. “After all, who would give you amazing advice and help you figure out the things that you believe you can’t accomplish?”
Minco flexed his muscles, making his pecs dance. “And who would protect you? Definitely not these fools.”
Althea laughed, turning to Yansa as he reached up and touched her cheek with a smile. “And who could take you on journeys that you’ve always known you were meant to go on?”
Althea put her hand on the back of Yansa’s and closed her eyes for a moment, catching glimpses of the world he had guided her to in the woods not that long ago. When her eyes opened, she stared at Yansa, curious and full of energy and love. “What does the future hold? What do the ancestors have in store for us?”
Yansa grinned, and Althea knew that no matter what he could see, he couldn’t tell her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together, the four of us.”
Althea smiled widely, a flash of light from the corner of her eye catching her attention. As the guys began to talk amongst themselves, she took several steps away from them staring out at the forest. She could see the streaks of light beginning to move again, but this time they were coming from all directions, centered in one spot at the edge of the woods. She put her hand up, blocking the intense brightness as it finally came to a head.
When the shimmering image faded, a man stood at the edge of the wood line, his hair long and curly like her own. His eyes shined bright blue and he was dressed in traditional Misabe Mukwa warrior attire. Althea could feel her heart beating faster knowing exactly who the man was. He raised his hand and waved at her, giving her a loving nod before stepping back into the shadows of the forest and disappearing.
A
lthea put her hand up to wave, slowly bringing it to her chest, feeling the love surging through her. She whispered to herself, “thank you father.”
Billy, Yansa, and Minco stepped up next to her looking out in the direction she was pointing. “Do you see something? Is it the Bull?”
Althea took a deep breath and shook her head. She smiled at the guys, feeling fully and completely at peace for the first time in her life. “No, it was one of the protectors of the forest, someone who will walk with us for the rest of our days in this realm. Someone who will protect our people as we set out to do what is written in the stars for us to do.”
Billy slung his arm over her shoulder. “Well, let’s get on it then. I’m ready to see the world, and I’ve really wanted to try one of those doughnut things that all those humans seem to love so much.”
Althea snorted, looking over at Billy and shaking her head. “You’ve become the mate of one of the High Alpha’s and you’ll fight great battles and be revered for one of the most important jobs anyone could have, and all you can think about are doughnuts?”
Billy shrugged. “I’m hungry.”
The four of them all laughed, linked together with their arms around each other’s waists, turning to head back to the cottage where they would pack their things. As they stepped forward, a large crow cawed loudly as it flew in circles, spiraling down to the ground and landing right in front of them. Althea and the guys exchanged side glances for moment before the crow quickly shifted, growing larger and larger until the Crow clan Alpha, the head to the shifter counsel, stood before them.
He wasn’t naked like the rest of them as they shifted, he was draped in black robes, his light green eyes showing kindness behind them. Althea had met him many times, and had known him and his children as she grew up at the castle. He stepped forward and took Althea’s hand in his, kissing the back of it. “You’ve done the shifters a great favor finding and stopping the high Alphas behind this tragedy. I always knew that you were going to be one of the greats, how could you not be? Your mother was one of the bravest and strongest people that we’d ever known. Now you follow in her footsteps, and though they may seem big at times, you’ve proven that you are more than capable of filling them.”
Her Earth Mates Page 11
