by J. E. Cluney
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come back another time,” he said sternly, his face starting to puff up in agitation.
“Listen, Matt,” Skip said as he read his name tag, “This is Oliver Blythe. We’re here to see his father on dire shifter stuff.”
“Mr Blythe is currently indisposed, you’ll have to return another time,” Matt growled out as he clasped his hands together, his shoulders raising defensively.
“Not happening,” Marcus said coolly as he brushed past him.
Matt stuttered, flustered as Skip pushed past him as well, and Ollie and I gave him apologetic smiles as we followed after the other two.
“They’ve really done this place up since I last saw it,” Skip mused as Matt hurried after us, demanding us to stop.
I hated that we were ignoring him, but I was following their lead.
This was extremely important.
“I forgot how…fancy your mother was,” Marcus added softly.
“You can say uppity and over-the-top,” Ollie mumbled.
I slipped my hand into his, giving it a soft squeeze. I could sense his anxiousness, and his clammy hand only added to it.
He hated being here. He was terrified.
“It’ll be okay,” I murmured, and he gave me a forced smile.
“I haven’t been here in so long,” he admitted. “It’s changed a lot,” he added, glancing up at the home as we reached the stone stairs to the front door.
“You cannot go in!” Matt practically shouted as he rushed past us and barred the door.
“You really want to try to stop us?” Skip asked with a smirk.
“It’s my job,” Matt shot back, standing his ground.
“Enough.”
I jumped as I felt the portal open up behind me and Lucas appeared. At least he looked like he could fit in with his navy suit.
“Mr Brady,” Matt nodded quickly, taken aback by his arrival.
“We’re going in. This is a request by the area Enforcer,” Lucas said firmly as he stepped up beside Skip.
Matt fumbled over his words with a lost look as his eyes flicked between us.
Lucas didn’t bother to wait as he stepped forward, and Matt stepped aside as he hung his head.
‘How’s Claire?’ I asked as Lucas pushed through the large double doors, the white wood carved intricately and looking like they cost an arm and a leg.
‘We lifted it all, but it took its toll and she passed out. Charlotte is with her and will alert me as soon as she wakes. Until then, I figured I’d be of more use here,’ Lucas answered as we stepped into the large foyer.
‘Can’t you wake her?’ Skip asked, butting in.
‘Magically, yes, but it could do more damage. It’s better to let her wake up naturally,’ Lucas answered.
Ollie quivered as he gazed around the room with its white walls and high ceiling. The floor looked like marble, and I was blown away by how lavish it was.
Soft classical music floated through the house, and I took in all the fancy paintings hanging on the walls. So Ollie grew up here?
‘It’s even more posh and fancy than it used to be. And bigger,’ Ollie said as he, too, gazed around.
“Well, I’m assuming the party is this way,” Lucas stated as he headed off to the left and up a hall.
He strode with purpose, dead set on finding Ollie’s parents and seeing what they knew.
We hurried after him, and I winced at how none of us had bothered to clean our shoes before entering.
Not that it was huge priority right now.
The music grew louder, and the soft sound of chatter and laughter reached my ears as we arrived at a door with a lone door-person.
He frowned at us, his eyes trailing over our appalling clothing for such a fancy event.
“There’s a dress code. You shouldn’t have even made it past the front door,” the man growled out as he stood firm before the door. He was older than Matt and balding, and he looked a lot more stern and scary. Was he security? His navy suit looked polished and expensive, and even his black shoes looked like they’d be worth what I made in a week easily.
“Well we did. We’re here on area Enforcer business,” Lucas stated.
“You’ll have to wait until the event is over,” the man said, not caring about the urgency.
“Did you not hear him?” Skip asked.
“I have two ears, don’t I?” The man glowered at Skip. “But this charity event is a big deal in the supe community. I’m sure the Area Enforcer would understand that.”
“Drew, I’m sorry to say this, but we’re going in there. This is a life or death situation,” Lucas stated.
Drew puffed up even more, folding his arms as he set himself firmly before the door.
I guess life or death still didn’t matter to him. We weren’t dressed to seem special enough.
“Can you just portal us inside?” Skip said aloud as he rolled his eyes.
Drew’s upper lip pulled back at this, but before he could utter a word, Lucas did exactly that.
I fought the urge to hide behind Lucas as the room full of well-dressed people turned to face us in shock as we appeared before them.
We really should’ve changed, although I didn’t really have anything on the same level as the ballgowns the women were wearing.
We looked out of place like weeds in a rose garden.
The classical music died down, and I spied the woman I recognized as Ollie’s mother striding towards us quickly, her face slightly red, despite her attempt to mask her anger.
Ollie shuddered, and I knew he wanted to hide away from her as she came to a standstill before us.
The crowd murmured as they eyed us with a mix of intrigue and distaste.
“This is a private event,” Ollie’s mother ground out. From Ollie’s mind, I learned her name was Pam, and his father was Craig.
“We’ve come to speak with Craig on urgent business,” Lucas stated, not at all fussed by her glowering. He stood tall and actually looked like he belonged with this crowd, unlike the rest of us.
“You’re not welcome here,” Pam growled out softly, her eyes coming to rest on Oliver. Her expression changed, like she was trying to decide how she felt about her son.
“We don’t care about that,” Skip said, brushing off her rude remark. “Where’s Mr Blythe?”
“Busy,” Pam stated as the music returned to normal volume and the various clusters of people returned to their mingling, although many still cast us curious looks and some scoffed.
“We don’t have time for games,” Lucas said and sighed in frustration as he scanned the room.
“Games? As if you lot can talk,” Pam said with a scoff as she folded her arms. I wouldn’t pretend like she didn’t look quite stunning in her crystal blue ballgown, her hair up in a carefully braided bun.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ollie said, finally interjecting himself into the conversation as he stepped forward, having found the courage to face her.
“Going on that you’re all mated to this halfling. Trying to embarrass this family and refuse the tradition of being with a true shifter as chosen by us. I heard what you did to Glenda too. She’s been kicked out of the University thanks to you lot,” Pam spat out. “She’s now moving to Brisbane with a few friends to try to study there.”
I just stared wide-eyed at the woman who was supposed to be Ollie’s mother.
“That was her own damn fault,” Ollie growled out. “She used a transfiguration potion on me.”
“Just a joke, I’m sure,” Pam said, waving it off, although she pursed her mouth at this. Had she not known the specifics? Surely they’d have been informed of what had happened.
“No, it wasn’t. She was being cruel like she always has,” Ollie said, stepping forward. “And Allison is my mate, whether you like it or not. You can’t change it, so you’ll just have to suck it up.”
It was Pam’s turn to look shocked as she struggled to find words.
“Pam, is
everything okay?”
A middle-aged couple strode over, the pair giving us distasteful looks as they checked on her.
“No. Ollie still wants to continue the lie of being mated,” Pam said with a sigh as she shook her head sadly.
Ollie scowled at her before flicking his gaze to the couple.
Glenda’s parents, I realized as I slipped into his mind.
“What was wrong with our girl? She was your chosen mate,” the woman asked softly, although I could tell her sweet tone was just an act.
Ollie just scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. “Questioning a true bond? That’s low, even for you.”
“Enough, let’s prove it and put this to rest,” Lucas stated.
Marcus stepped up behind me, resting one hand on my lower back as he stared coldly at the trio before us.
Ollie was fuming, but he was holding it together quite well.
He was doing better than I would’ve.
‘I would’ve exploded by now,’ Skip admitted.
Lucas’ hand glowed, and purple magic swirled around us, making us all glow softly.
I felt it ripple through me like a soft warmth, comforting and relaxing all at once, despite how I knew it was seeking something out.
Lucas murmured a few soft words, and I gasped as I felt a tug deep inside me.
A blue magical string appeared from my chest, weaving over to connect me to Ollie. More strings appeared from my chest, connecting me to each of my mates.
The crowd had fallen silent as they watched the magical display, and Pam’s face dropped, while Glenda’s parents looked genuinely surprised.
I stared down at the magic that connected the five of us, enjoying the link I could feel directly to each of them.
“This is a bonding spell that reveals the true mating bond,” Lucas said loudly.
I smiled inwardly at how my four men stood proudly, not at all bothered that they were all bound to me. They weren’t ashamed by our unique little bonded group, nor was there any reason to feel such a thing.
I held my head higher, taking pleasure in Pam’s defeated look.
Lucas released the magic, and the strings disintegrated.
“Happy now?” Ollie asked harshly.
Pam managed a forced half-smile as Glenda’s parents apologized, looking rather ashamed of themselves.
“Why are you here?” Pam asked, glancing around at the people nearby. She swallowed as she focused on us, and I knew we’d made her feel like a fool before all these people.
She was embarrassed, but the odd look in her eye as she gazed at Ollie threw me off. It was like she truly hadn’t expected this turn of events and was still trying to wrap her head around it.
“Oliver?”
Ollie’s shoulders dropped as he turned, and I knew it was his father appearing through the crowd and hurrying over. He wore a black suit, and his dark brown hair was cut short. He was clean-shaven, and he had Ollie’s soft hazel eyes.
They looked awfully similar, and I smiled as he flicked his gaze around at us, giving us a welcoming soft smile.
“Hey, Dad,” Ollie said with relief.
“Well, your father is here now. I need to go do damage control,” Pam huffed as she strode off.
Craig shook his head in dismay as his wife left before focusing on Ollie.
“So you really are mated. Congratulations, all of you,” he said with a nod at all of us. “What brings you here? Something important enough to take on your mother’s wrath?” He managed a small smile as he and Ollie rolled their eyes.
“Might be best to talk in private,” Lucas said quickly.
“Right, of course. Come, we’ll head outside,” Craig said with a nod as he beckoned us to follow him.
He led us through the murmuring crowd, and I ignored the sideway glances and obvious stares.
We stepped through some large glass doors on the far side of the what must’ve been the designated ballroom, and we stepped into the cool night air.
I appreciated the exquisite gardens out back here as we stood on a small stone deck with a railing running along it.
Craig closed the doors behind us and moved farther down the deck where he leaned on the rail and eyed us carefully.
He seemed to relax more now that he was away from the crowd, as did Ollie.
“So, what’s going on?” he asked. “I’m glad to see you though, Oliver, but I know you’re not just here for a visit.” He smiled softly.
“Something happened earlier today at my show with Million,” Ollie started. He explained what had happened and how he’d blacked out before. He shared the legend Bob had told us about too, and Craig’s frown just deepened.
“My grandad told me about it when I was a child. When I grew up, I tried to study it too, to find out just what it truly was,” Craig murmured as he shook his head. “To think you’ve had it awaken in you. I can’t believe it,” Craig said, his expression a mix of shock and impressed.
“Did you find anything?” Ollie asked quickly.
“No. Nothing. I searched high and low, used whatever connections I could, but there was nothing ever recorded properly, just the legend,” Craig said, then sighed sadly as he tapped his chin, perplexed.
“Great, back to square one,” Skip grumbled.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you any more information,” Craig said as he leaned on the railing. “I want answers just as badly now. I want you to be okay and safe,” he said sincerely. “I heard about what happened to Glenda. Her parents did apologize to us, but your mother…she wanted everyone to believe you were lying about the whole true mates thing. I don’t know why she struggles to accept it. Probably because it’s so strange to her—the multiple mates thing,” he shook his head sadly.
“They should’ve apologized to Ollie,” Marcus muttered.
“Yes, they should’ve, but they’re close with Pam and they didn’t want to upset her by doing so. Now that your curse is lifted, I thought she’d go back to being more herself, being a mother…”
I pursed my lips at his pained expression.
“It’s okay, Dad. I know she’s always cared about image. Bec was always her favorite, and I’m okay with that,” Ollie said gently.
“It’s not okay with me. You’re my son, and she ran you off. I’m bound by our shifter ways to stand by her, but I don’t agree with her actions or the way she’s treated you,” he growled out in frustration.
“I always had you, and I know that. I know if it came down to it, you’d have my back,” Ollie said.
Craig managed a smile, his eyes glittering as he stepped forward.
My heart pulled as Ollie stepped into the tight hug.
“I missed you, Ollie,” his dad murmured. “You will always be my son, and I will always love you.”
“You too,” Ollie choked out before clearing his throat.
“What do you think would happen if you stood up to Pam?” Skip asked curiously.
“I think she’d want to end us. True shifters are meant to stand by their chosen female mates no matter what. The females get priority in our old ways,” Craig admitted.
“Were you two ever even in love?” Ollie asked after a tense moment.
Craig frowned at this as he genuinely mulled it over.
“Perhaps. When we were first chosen, we tried to love one another. But no, I don’t think we ever truly did. We just obeyed the rules we were given. There is a ceremony that is done, and sometimes true shifters feel a proper bond ignite, but not always. Your mother and I, we didn’t,” he said as he folded his arms.
“Why not break tradition? Are you even happy here?” Marcus asked.
“Sometimes I think about it. I wouldn’t be the first true shifter to do it. In modern times, others have stepped away from the old ways, but I can’t just leave them,” he said with a shake of his head.
I felt shitty on his behalf. To be trapped in a loveless marriage, clearly getting walked all over… It hurt me to know it was happening.
; “Yes you can. Becky and Mom will be fine. Mom has all her inheritance. Becky is…well, Becky. She’s got all her friends and crap,” Ollie said with a shrug. “You deserve to be happy. Mom clearly likes her lifestyle here.”
Craig nodded slowly after a moment, but the look in his eye made me think he was just agreeing for Ollie’s sake.
“You’d be happier. You could see me more, Mom couldn’t control your life anymore. You could do whatever you wanted, maybe find a true mate,” Ollie continued.
Craig smiled softly at this, as if the mere thought of having a true mate was a distant dream that he wanted to chase.
“Maybe,” he murmured, but he shook his head as he cleared his throat to change the subject. “So what do we do now to find this out? We need to figure it out, for your sake.”
“Not just my sake,” Ollie said with a sigh, then he explained the situation with Joseph and the dagger.
“I’d heard at the town meeting about him. The patrols are underway, and I’ve even been asked to help out with sky patrols some days and nights. But this dagger is the only thing that can kill him? Shit,” Craig muttered as he bit his lip, worry lines marring his forehead as he frowned.
“And apparently, my power is the key to finding it,” Ollie said.
“Well, we need to get to the bottom of this. You have a psychic friend, right? Can she try to reach out to our ancient ancestors?” he suggested.
We hadn’t even thought of that, and I was mentally slapping myself.
“It’s a stretch. The further back a psychic goes, the greater the toll on them. I don’t know how far she’d have to go back, and I doubt she has the power for it. Very few would. Perhaps a warlock who specialized in psychic magic or had an affinity for it,” Lucas said.
“Do you know anyone?” Skip asked.
“No, sorry,” Lucas said with a shake of his head.
I quivered as I felt the familiar tug and beckoning within me, and my mates all looked at me.
“Maybe Walter knows something?” Marcus said hopefully.
“Who’s Walter?” Craig asked, and Ollie sighed as he prepared to share everything with him.
I didn’t stick around for the long explanation, instead slipping into my void.
Walter appeared before me, looking rather excited as he gave me a brisk bow.
