by Alanea Alder
Aiden hesitated. "That's my mate in there."
Kendrick let his power rise until Aiden stepped back again. "My mate is in there as well. Now go!"
"You heard the man!" Aiden led the men outside to deal with the ferals trying to flank them from behind.
Kendrick turned his attention back to the hallway where the hazy shapes were advancing on them. "Good, they want to play."
He raised his power hand. "Inferno!"
The hall was engulfed in heat and flame. The figures before him began to scream and fall to the floor.
"Oh, my fucking god, that is rank! What the fuck are you doing out there?" Meryn yelled.
Ryuu smiled. "And there is the helpless maiden," he said before lifting both hands. A wall of water rushed down the hallway extinguishing the flames that were climbing the walls.
Soot and ash covered bodies making them visible. They littered the hallway, blocking the way to the women.
"Can you remove them? Denka and Rheia have such sensitive stomachs these days," Ryuu asked politely--as if there weren't half burned corpses melting right in front of them.
"It would be my pleasure." Kendrick raised his hand again and floated the bodies down the hall and out the door where he flung them against a tree, creating a pile of smoldering flesh and bone.
"Is it safe to come out now?" Meryn shouted.
"No." Ryuu swiftly walked down the hall. When they were in front of the door, he knocked. "It is now safe, denka." The door opened slowly.
When Meryn saw Ryuu, she threw herself into his arms. "I'm so sorry! I never should have left without you!"
Ryuu picked her up as if she weighed no more than a child. "I am entirely to blame, denka. I forgot my first duty is to protect you. Like the others, I was lulled into a false sense of safety by the perimeter. But I can assure you, I won't let that happen again."
Meryn wiped her nose on her sleeve. "You can watch me pee for all I care."
Ryuu smiled softly. "I'm sure that won't be necessary."
"Anne?" Kendrick looked around the room.
Anne stood on shaky legs, her hands balled up into fists at her side, her face surprisingly calm. "I told them you would come for us."
Kendrick strode in and simply pulled her close. "This can never happen again. Never, do you hear me?" he managed to choke out. He was having a hard time speaking past the lump in his throat.
"Rheia! Rheia!" They heard Colton yelling.
One second he was in the hallway the next he had his mate in his arms swinging her around. "That's it! That! Is! It! No more clinic!" Rheia shook her head, laughing at his antics, but Kendrick noticed the tears streaming down her face.
Kendrick pulled back and looked at Anne. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I may freak out later, but right now, I think I'm okay."
"Okay? She was amazing!" Adam boomed. "This girl has nerves of steel. She kept Rheia and Meryn calm and helped me brace the door. She was also the one to notice that they had snuck in, and by remaining calm, she was able to get in here and lock the door without letting them know she saw them. That's one hell of a woman you got there."
"Meryn? Meryn!" Aiden's shouting had Meryn wiggling to get down. Ryuu set her down and stepped back.
Aiden came barreling through the door and scooped Meryn up in his arms. "Baby, I'm so sorry! I swear I'll wear my phone around my neck from now on!" Aiden buried his face in her shoulder.
Meryn wrapped her arms around his head. "I will kick your ass later. Right now, just hold me."
Anne looked up at Kendrick. "How'd they get in? I thought the perimeter kept these things from coming into the city."
Adam came back in from the hallway, waving a hand in front of his face. "I don't think I'll ever get this smell out of my nose." He sneezed twice and looked at Anne. "I think the perimeter is working fine. I suspect this was a sleeper cell. They were hiding out waiting for a chance to attack." He turned to Meryn and Rheia. "They saw the two of you without escort and moved in. It was probably their last ditch effort to get to you."
Meryn paled. "They were after our babies."
Kendrick gasped as pieces began to fall into place. He had to step back while everything processed.
"Kendrick?" He heard Anne call out.
"Leave him! He's working something out," Meryn exclaimed.
Souls, shifters, abilities, necklaces, couples, recruit, babies...
Kendrick shook his head. He looked around to find that he had backed himself into a corner and everyone was watching him intently.
His eyes met Anne's. "I know you need me, but I have to go. If I'm right..."
Anne pointed out the door, her eyes perfectly serene. "Go! I'm fine. Go check the tests, I'll be right behind you."
Kendrick turned to leave but had to kiss her first. He walked back over to her, kissed her urgently. He turned to Ryuu then Aiden. "I am trusting you both to bring her home safely."
Ryuu bowed and Aiden nodded. "You have my word."
Kendrick looked at Anne a final time and raced out the door. Once clear of the building, he took flight.
Just this one time, please. Just this one time, let me be wrong.
*****
Kendrick flung the door open and ran up the stairs.
"Meryn? Rheia?" Amelia yelled.
"Fine, both fine!" he answered and kept going.
He opened the door to Keelan's room and Basil jumped.
"What colors did you see?" he demanded.
Basil picked up his notebook. "The crystals testing for abilities turned different colors based on the ability of the bead. Crystals one and two turned red. Crystal three turned green and crystal four turned blue. The last one that tested the container's make up, well..."
"Well what?"
"Sir, it g-g-glowed," Basil stuttered.
"Glowed?" Kendrick began to pace. He stopped and returned to the table. "That can't be right. Basil are you sure?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sure, it glowed white," Basil answered.
Kendrick froze, and his heart seized. "Why didn't you say that at first?"
Basil frowned in confusion. "Sir, the crystal is white."
Kendrick dropped to his knees. Of course, a novice wouldn't be able to determine the difference between a regular glow and a white light. He had been testing for centuries and had never seen anything glow white, because there was nothing on this earth pure enough to hit the scale and register white.
"Sir! Sir, are you well?" Basil circled him worriedly.
"Basil, can you wait downstairs? As soon as the others arrive, can you send Ryuu directly to me and have everyone else assemble in the front room? I'll need you and Noah to watch after Penny; she doesn't need to hear this," Kendrick whispered trying to keep his voice even.
"Yes, sir, anything you need." Basil ran out the door so fast he didn't even stop to remove his lead testing apron.
Kendrick stared at the floor. What had their world come to?
Minutes began to blur, because the next thing he knew, Ryuu was kneeling beside him. "Heika, are you hurt?" Ryuu asked sensibly.
"My heart hurts Sei. I fear for our future, I don't know if I want to live in this world anymore. I am so tired," Kendrick admitted.
"You have a very good reason to live heika; she is waiting anxiously for you downstairs." Ryuu put a hand under his arm and helped him to his feet.
"I'm glad Meryn has you, I am. But I would give anything to have you as my squire." He looked his oldest friend in the eye.
"I understand and I am flattered." Ryuu bowed.
Kendrick refused to give in to this sorrow a second longer. He straightened his back and took a deep breath. "They will need you, especially Meryn and Rheia." He opened his pouch and pulled out a small leather bag. "This is blessed chamomile, a little goes a long way. It is spelled to bring peace. Make a couple pots of tea for us throughout the evening; we'll all need it." He handed the bag to his old friend.
"Heika, one thing I have learned living with my denka
these many months is that humans are stronger than we give them credit for."
Kendrick inclined his head. "I imagine they are. I'll let you go down first to start the tea, then I'll go down to the front room."
Ryuu placed his fist over his heart, bowed, then left the room.
Kendrick waited five minutes then made his way downstairs. With each step he took, his feet became heavier and heavier.
When he walked into the front room, he looked around at the people who had quickly become his family. Quirky Meryn and grouchy Aiden. Fun-loving Colton and his serious mate, Rheia. His kind-hearted godsdaughter, her noble mate, and her parents. Elegant Elizabeth and her dark and mysterious mate, Gavriel. Off to one side, sitting quietly was Jaxon, who, surprisingly, met his gaze unflinchingly.
"About damn time!" Meryn groused.
Kendrick looked in her direction but didn't say anything. He took another deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Some of the things I'm about to tell you, you either already suspected or knew. I am simply able to confirm them based on the tests I conducted. First, I can confirm that each bead is an individual soul. That being said, I can also confirm that each bead resonates with a different shifter ability."
"What didn't we know?" Aiden asked. He sat beside Meryn, holding her hand.
"The beads themselves are an impossibility. Up until today, I didn't think there was any way to create something that had the ability to contain a soul; unfortunately, I was wrong.
"Our enemy has figured out a way to harvest the purest of souls to act as containers." He looked around the room. The men figured it out first and held their mates closer. "They are killing unborn babies and newborns to use their pure souls to house the souls and abilities of the murdered shifters, their own mothers and sometimes fathers."
Sobbing, Amelia and Rheia turned to their mates. Elizabeth looked so pale that Kendrick thought she was going to pass out, but Meryn's reaction gave him hope. She wasn't crying; in fact, she didn't even appear to be outwardly upset. Nevertheless, Kendrick could tell by the look in her eyes that she was already mentally killing her enemies. Yup, she was picturing herself knee-deep in entrails.
Kendrick turned to Anne. She was pale, yes, but her eyes were tranquil. She watched him with a steadfast faith that humbled him. He could see in the way she looked at him that she believed he would stop these atrocities from happening. And she was right. As much as he wanted retribution for his parents, his father would never forgive him if he didn't do everything in his power to stamp out this insidious evil and protect not just his people, but all paranormals.
Elizabeth drew a shaky breath. "It's why they went after expecting couples. They would get the baby's soul as a container, the ability of the shifter, and possibly a new recruit for their army."
The sound of snapping wood drew Kendrick's attention to Gavriel. He had broken off both chair arms and his eyes were glowing bright red. "No male would move on to the next world honorably and leave their mate and unborn child trapped in endless torture. They would start out wanting to destroy the ones that killed their family but become lost in the bloodshed until they became mindless drones."
Ryuu pushed a cart into the room and silently began serving the fragrant tea. Ryuu held a cup out to him, but he shook his head. Ryuu didn't move, he just kept his hand extended, holding the cup. Kendrick relented and accepted the offering from his friend. As everyone sipped their tea, their breathing slowly evened out and their muscles relaxed. The sadness was still there, but the mind-numbing terror was fading.
Elizabeth set her teacup down on its saucer. "Ryuu, where did you get this amazing blend. I'm still horrified of course, but I feel like I can breathe again."
Ryuu bowed. "Heika, thought that this tea would help everyone with the tragic news he had to share."
Meryn allowed herself to topple to one side and hugged the sofa pillow to her face. "I don't want to face this right now." She peeked out and looked at Anne. "Do you know of any happy anime shows we can watch? I wouldn't even mind a lot of pink and glitter right now."
Anne nodded. "I think that's a great idea. Let's just spend the afternoon relaxing; we can face reality in a little bit."
Lily looked at her mate and they both stood. "We'll go to the council and update them on what we've learned here today. You kids take it easy." Lily kissed her daughter's tear-streaked cheek before going to Meryn to kiss her temple, and hand-in-hand, she and Marshall left.
Aiden stood. "I'll be right back baby, I'm going to ask Lorcan to escort them into the city." He rubbed her back and jogged after the older couple.
Gavriel shook his head. "Kids? I wonder if they realize most of us are older than they are?"
Darian shrugged. "I don't think it matters. Adelaide treats us like her boys, and she's much younger than most of the warriors."
Colton tugged on Kendrick's sleeve and jerked his head toward the door. "We're running out for a bit, but we'll be right back." He announced to the women.
Kendrick set his tea down and reluctantly followed the wolf shifter out into the foyer along with Gavriel and Darian. He noticed that most of the women were so out of it that they didn't even wave goodbye.
Aiden shut the front door, and when he turned around and saw them standing there, he frowned. "What do you all want?"
Colton brought a finger to his lips. "Shush, the women will hear."
"Hear what?" Aiden asked.
Colton pulled them into a huddle. "I have discovered something that is guaranteed to make the women happy, but we have to go to town."
The men were smiling as they looked at each other and then turned to stare at Kendrick. Aiden's smile was more like a smirk. "Well Kendrick, do you think you're ready to take on the Duck In?"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kendrick glared at Colton. "You're lying, there's no such thing."
Colton shook his finger at him. "Oh, ye of little faith. I am mated to a human so I have been reading up on them. Rheia herself told me about these tiny warriors; she said that they also bake and sell cookies that are--and I quote--'better than sex'."
"Maybe better than sex with you," Darian muttered.
Colton kicked the back of the seat, pushing Darian forward into the dash. Colton continued as Darian cussed. "As I was saying...They train these girls to be like tiny ninjas. They have to earn special badges for the survival skills that they learn, kinda like how we teach the cadets. Now to balance out all the weapons training and harshness of wilderness survival, they also teach them to bake cookies."
Aiden nodded. "Humans are impressive creatures. Do you think we should enroll Penny in one of their programs?"
Colton shook his head. "Rheia says that Penny would have to leave the city for meetings and she doesn't want to risk them getting attacked."
Darian frowned. "That's too bad; this ninja program sounds promising, especially for young females. Maybe we could talk to your mother about it, Aiden."
Aiden snapped his fingers. "She would love getting involved in a program like this."
Kendrick frowned. "How are we supposed to find these elusive ninjas?"
Colton beamed at them. "Evidently, this time of year they don't even practice subterfuge, they are out in the open so that civilians can see them. Rheia said that they set up stands outside of supermarkets and practice their interrogation techniques on those going into the store, to try and get them to buy their cookies."
Gavriel looked over at Colton. "Are we sure they are human?"
Colton nodded. "Yes, this is a human program. It's extremely popular; in fact, it's a nationwide program."
Aiden pulled into the parking lot of the Duck In and parked far away from the building so they could scope it out.
Colton pulled out a pair of binoculars. "I have a visual. They are kinda cute, though there's one with metal attached to all of her teeth that looks frightening. I think she may be the leader."
Aiden turned to Kendrick. "The Duck In can be frightening, but it's the only place close by that
sells tampons to help keep women from bleeding to death and condoms to help create children."
Kendrick blinked. "Aiden, I don't think that's how it works."
Aiden held up his hand. "Trust me. I am an expert."
Right.
"Okay, so let's go." Kendrick leaned forward and grasped the door handle.
"Wait!" the men yelled in unison.
Kendrick jumped back. "What?"
Colton turned to Aiden. "We need a plan of action. I have a feeling these warriors only sell their valuable cookies to those who have proven themselves in battle."
Darian nodded. "That makes sense."
Kendrick shook his head. "No, seriously guys, I think we can just..."
Colton shook his head. "Quiet Kendrick. You're the new man on the team." He then turned to Aiden. "What kind of firepower are we keeping in the SUVs now?"
Kendrick's jaw dropped.
Gavriel bent over the back seat and lifted the lid on their arms cases. "We have two grenade launchers back here," he called.
Aiden nodded, smiling. "I think we should go big. The more impressive we look, the easier this will be."
Kendrick shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, it won't."
"Okay men. Mission is to negotiate with the ninjas, secure the cookies, and take them back to the women." Aiden met the eyes of each man in the SUV. "Remember, we don't leave our people behind. If one of us is outmaneuvered, fall back to the SUV."
"Yes, sir!" Colton, Darian, and Gavriel yelled.
They all turned to Kendrick. He sighed. "Yes, sir."
As they were climbing out, Aiden turned to him. "I'm not feeling the team spirit here."
Kendrick pointed to the men who were putting on every piece of tactical gear they owned. "We're about to go negotiate with ninjas in front of a supermarket; I'm not seeing this ending well."
Aiden smiled wide and clapped him on the shoulder. "Dealing with humans is my forte." Humming, he walked past Kendrick.
Didn't Meryn beat him with a toilet?
Kendrick walked behind the four men as the approached the tiny ninjas. Immediately, Kendrick got the feeling something was very wrong.
