Shifter Night Box Set: Complete Set (Book 1 - 3)

by Charlene Hartnady

  “Yes.” Ash nodded. “They were all returned yesterday, unharmed. They wanted to talk to a pregnant human. Especially since she is pregnant with a shifter child. They asked her a whole bunch of questions. They want to take humans as mates. That’s all. They have promised to leave us alone.”

  “I don’t get it.” Gage scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t think they will be back.” Ash poured a glass of water. He popped a straw into the glass and held it out to Gage. “If they try anything again, I will be the first to launch an attack.” His jaw tightened.

  “And you just believe them? You plan to let them off the hook so easily. They took Alice, Ethan—”

  “I know,” Ash growled. He quickly schooled his emotions “We need to be logical about this. Would I like to teach them a lesson? Sure. Do I think going up against a formidable foe like the griffins would be an easy task?” He shook his head. “From what Alice has told me, they are strong and there are a lot of them. It would not be a good idea to go against these Feral. It might be suicide. If they leave us be, we’ll leave them.”

  “So, that’s it then, we just wait until they come back and take more of—”

  Ash’s whole stance hardened. His eyes seemed to darken. “If they pull something like that again, I will amass an army. We’ll utilize human weapons if we have to. I will bring them down.” Ash moved the glass of water back towards Gage.

  Despite the burning in his throat, Gage ignored the glass. “What about Edith?” His voice hitched as he said her name. His heart seemed to stop mid-beat. Everything seemed to still. He knew what Ash’s answer would be, but he had to ask anyway.

  His brother looked grave. “No.” He shook his head. “We had hoped that she was with you.”

  Gage squeezed his eyes shut. His worst fears were realized.

  “Where is she?” Ash asked. “I know that the two of you were taken but …”

  Gage shook his head. “Edith is dead.” He cleared the lump in his throat, swallowing it down. “She was wounded in a battle with one of those fuckers.” He growled, wanting to maim, to kill. Wanting to send an army to destroy them. “She got between it and me … tried to protect me or something. I should have known she wouldn’t stand by and watch me die. She thought that thing was going to kill me.” He shook his head, wishing he had acted differently. If he had known what she planned, he would’ve taken the knock.

  Ash frowned heavily. “Are you sure she’s dead?”

  “Yes!” Gage spat. He huffed out a breath. “I’m sorry. Yes, I’m very sure, it was a mortal wound, similar to the one I sustained on my chest. I’m not sure how she held on as long as she did.” He felt his eyes sting. “She was bleeding … dying …” It came out all choked. “And that fucker took her. There was no way she could have survived.”

  “I can see you cared for the female.”

  Gage clenched his teeth. He nodded once.

  “I’m sorry.” Ash’s expression was grave. “I wish I could say something to make you feel better.”

  “It won’t work, so don’t bother trying.”

  Ash came up behind him, he put his arms around Gage and lifted him back onto the bed.

  Gage bit back a moan. He was in a bad way.

  “Can I bring you something to eat?”

  Gage’s stomach churned. He shook his head.

  “Get some rest,” Ash said, “I’ll bring something in a few hours, you should be much better by then.

  Gage nodded. He turned away, allowing himself to sink into a disturbed sleep.

  “You got her killed.” Followed by a pause. “Wake up, you bear fuck!”

  Gage opened his eyes and turned himself onto his back so that he could look into Jacob’s eyes.

  “You didn’t protect the human.” The male’s gaze was hard, his hands were curled into fists. It was safe to say that he was pissed.

  Gage couldn’t deny it. He wished to god that he could, but he couldn’t. Gage hadn’t done enough to protect Edith. Not nearly enough. In fact, it was safe to say that he had put her in harm’s way. Anger rose up in him nonetheless. Who did this pup think that he was? “What is it to you?” he snarled.

  “I … I …”

  “Spit it out.” Why was he goading him like this? What purpose did it serve?

  “Not that it’s any of your fucking business, but I loved her.”

  Gage burst out laughing. He had to hold his stomach he was laughing so much. It wasn’t lost on him how nuts he sounded. How little humor his fucked up laugh held. He felt a bit off his head right now.

  “Stop it!” Jacob pointed at him, his face a mask of rage. “Stop that, right fucking now.”

  Gage stopped but not because the pup had commanded it. “You spent one night with her months ago. How is it that you loved her?”

  Jacob shrugged. "It was more than one night. I saw her after that. She came to see me a good couple of times, but I had to turn her down. Hated to do it. I haven't been able to get her off my mind. I've been with plenty human females, she's the only one I wanted to see again. I was sad when she stopped coming to the Dark Horse and was so happy to see her here last week. I planned on going straight to her on my next leave. Why am I even telling you all of this?" The male suddenly looked tired. His shoulders slumped. "It doesn't matter anymore, does it? You couldn't protect her." Jacob pointed at him. "You fucked up!"

  His words hit the spot. They hit in a big bad way because they were true. They were the same words that had been running around in his own head. Over and over. Gage had let Edith down.

  “You got her killed,” Jacob snarled. His eyes were glowing. “Couldn’t even protect her.”

  That anger was back. Rushing through him. Burning in his veins. “Shut the fuck up!” he snarled.

  “I won’t! Why don’t you make me, asshole?”

  The male didn’t need to ask twice. Gage rushed him. Weak muscles be damned. Right now, he felt fuck all. That wasn’t entirely true. He felt too much. Overloaded with hurt. With pain so consuming.

  When his fist connected with Jacob’s face, some of his anger subsided. None of the pain did though, that blossomed. “How dare you?” he shouted, watching as Jacob staggered back. It didn’t take the male long to get his feet back under him.

  Jacob rushed him, knocking him off balance. He pounded a left to his eye and a right to his cheekbone. Pain exploded. He told himself to fight back but any fight he may have had in him left. Poof! Gone. Gage staggered back, landing on his ass.

  Hurting Jacob wouldn't change things. It wouldn't bring her back; nothing would. If only he could've done things differently. He should never have had sex with her. He'd allowed his desire to cloud his judgment. To cloud his senses. To get in the way of her protection. Now she was gone.

  His fault.

  All on him.

  Jacob was shoved off of him before another punch could hit home. It was Ward, his muscles were bunched. When he looked behind the wolf Alpha, he saw his brother standing in the doorway, chest heaving. “What the hell are you doing?” he shouted at Jacob.

  “Have you lost your mind?” Ward asked the fallen wolf, his voice even.

  “This bear couldn’t protect Edith. It’s his fault she died,” Jacob snarled, getting back to his feet. He wiped some blood off his cut lip.

  “And you know this how?”

  “He’s still breathing,” Jacob said simply. “He’s still fucking breathing, that’s how I know.”

  “He’s right,” Gage agreed. Edith had asked him not to blame himself. She had known him pretty well, even after just a few days. In all the ways that counted he couldn’t help what he was feeling though. He couldn’t help that Jacob was right.

  “Bull-fucking-shit!” Ash growled. “There was nothing you could have done.”

  “You weren’t there.” Gage’s eyes pricked. “How would you know?”

  “I know you and that’s enough. Have you eaten yet?”

  Gage snorted. He shook
his head. “I’m not hungry.” He felt his eye throb. It was probably going to swell some before it healed.

  “Listen and listen good.” His brother got that steely look of determination. “You are going to get your sorry ass out of bed.” Ash narrowed his eyes. “You’re showering, dressing and you’re eating. It’s been two days. You still have those bandages on.” His eyes moved to his hands. “You don’t even need them anymore. Furthermore, you stink.”

  Gage didn’t say anything.

  Ash turned to Ward. “What are you going to do with him?” His brother tossed a dirty look at Jacob.

  "You …" Ward paused, he looked like he felt sorry for the male. Gage wanted to break Jacob's nose, but at the same time, he felt sorry for him too. Ward looked down at his feet and then back at Jacob. "I think it would be best if you worked off some of this energy. A male who sits around inside his own head will get himself into trouble." He glanced at Gage before looking back at Jacob.

  “Fine.” Jacob shook his head. “I’m sorry this happened.”

  “I think you’re apologizing to the wrong person,” Ward said.

  Jacob turned to Gage. “I’m sorry. I cared about her.” His jaw tightened. “I cared a lot.”

  “I cared about her too.” Gage’s throat was thick with emotion. “That’s why I’ll accept your apology.”

  Ward and Jacob filed out of the room. “You’ll do as I asked?” Ash asked him.

  Gage nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Ethan wants to see you. He’s been begging. He misses his uncle.”

  A smidgen of light in the dark. Like a burning match in a vast underground cavern. Gage couldn't help but smile for a moment. It hurt more than just his face. "I would love to see him."

  “I’ll bring him by later.”

  Gage nodded. His brother was an asshole. If Ethan was coming, he would be sure to clean up. He had to. Ash knew that he wouldn't want to worry his nephew by looking like shit.

  “Good.” Ash smiled. “I’ll see you later.”

  17

  High slate ceiling. Wooden beams. The room was round and large but she was oh so very comfortable. Very sleepy. In fact, she wanted to close her eyes for a bit more, so she did. Much better! So cozy and warm.

  “Human.” A high-pitched, distinctly feminine voice.

  Edith sighed, not wanting to listen. Sleep was better. She wanted to turn over, to face the other way but something held her in place.

  “Human. It is time to wake up.” The voice again. Irritating!

  Go away! It came out as a garbled mumble.

  The woman shook her and she opened her eyes again. Edith turned her head towards the irritating woman. She had to look up and up, even though the lady was sitting on the edge of her bed. Wow, but she was tall … with such smooth, olive skin. Boobs. Odd. The woman was topless. She had a short, leather skirt around her waist. It looked soft and tan and reminded her of … of … she looked back up at the woman’s face. Those eyes, a beautiful yellow, golden color.

  A griffin woman. Was it possible? Must be. The lady smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Why?” She frowned.

  The griffin lady looked at her funny. “You almost died. Don't you remember?” She narrowed her eyes.

  “What? No! I almost died? Not possible.” And yet she knew it was. Edith sucked in a deep breath. She looked down at her chest. It was tightly bandaged, from under her arms to where her ribs ended. Edith rubbed her hands over the crepe bandages, wincing. Not because she felt any pain but because she expected pain to flare up.

  So much pain.

  So much blood.

  Sure, there had been a few deep lacerations from the griffin’s claws, but most of the damage had been on the inside. She’d felt warm and cold. Sweaty and yet at peace. She felt her lungs filling with blood. It had been thick in her throat and on her tongue. So hard to breathe. So hard to stay conscious. “Gage,” she cried. “Where is Gage?”

  “Cadon saved your life but there was no time for him to explain things to the bear. As it was, you almost didn’t make it. He had to use three feathers to bring you back from the brink of death.”

  Edith had felt her life slipping away. She had spoken with Gage, told him not to blame himself and then, from there, her memory was hazy. “Feathers? I don’t understand.” A memory stirred inside her mind, but it wasn’t strong enough to surface.

  “Griffins possess limited magical powers. Those of healing.”

  Griffins are magical. Gage really was going to have to roast his nuts over a fire. She longed to see him again. Did he know she was here? Did he know she was alive?

  The griffin woman went on. “We have limited reserves and so, we must use our powers wisely.” Her eyes clouded for a moment. “Our powers are infused in our feathers. The more golden our plumes, the more vibrant our power. Griffins with black feathers have exhausted their reserves.”

  “Oh!” Edith could hardly believe what she was hearing. “So even though Cadon knew he was using up some of his powers, he still chose to save me?”

  “But of course. Cadon is a good male.”

  “Probably did it so that he can try to mate me.” It just slipped out. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, it’s just …”

  The griffin smiled. “I am sure that was the last thing on his mind. He has been very worried about you.”

  “Has he really?” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

  “Our males can be brash and pig-headed. They were idiots in the way they have gone about things, but I assure you that they would never harm anyone. All of those who were taken have been returned, unharmed.”

  “That’s good news at least but we’re talking about them abducting women and children and trying to force themselves on us.”

  She shook her head, frowning. “Force? No, you must be mistaken. Our males would never force themselves. Like I said, they went about things the wrong way, but their intentions were good. I assure you. Everyone has been very worried about you. Cadon most of all. He is at the base of this tower and refuses to leave.”

  “You’re sure it’s not because he wants to try to persuade me to mate with him?”

  She folded her hands in her lap. “Quite sure.”

  “Okay then, I would like to meet Cadon. Would that be possible?”

  “Yes.” The woman nodded once. “He would like that, but first you must eat and drink. You have been asleep for four days.”

  Edith’s eyes widened. “What? So long?”

  The griffin nodded. “We gave you some sleeping herbs to keep you under. The healing process is a painful one … or so I have been told.” The woman reached for a bowl of something that smelled absolutely delicious.

  Suddenly, Edith was ravenous. She propped up her pillows so that she was in more of a sitting position. Although she felt a bit weak, she was fine otherwise. There was no pain at all. “So, you have never needed to be healed yourself?”

  The woman got that same faraway look. Edith would say that she seemed really sad. She shook her head. “The power does not seem to work on our kind, if it did, we would not have lost so many of our females.” She brought a spoon of the … it was either thick soup or thin stew … to Edith’s lips.

  Edith took a mouthful. She chewed a few times and swallowed. It tasted as good as it smelled. “That makes sense. Your men would’ve healed their mates otherwise.”

  “Yes, and they tried anyway.” The woman brought another spoonful to her mouth. “Some exhausted all of their powers. They would not give up even though they knew trying was futile.”

  She swallowed. “That’s so sad.” Edith could picture it. Maybe she had misjudged the griffins. “What is your name?”

  “Davina … and you are Edith.” The griffin female smiled, her eyes scrunching at the corners.

  "Yes," Edith said, taking another bite. They were silent for the next few spoonfuls. It gave her a chance to study Davina. High cheekbones and full lips. She had chestnut colored, shiny hair. Muscular for a woman,
with broad shoulders like a swimmer, or someone who could change shape and fly. Her breasts were small and high. Her legs long and athletically built.

  The most feminine things about her were her voice and her hair. Everything else was a touch on the masculine side. It didn't matter because Davina was still beautiful in her own way. One of the last remaining griffin women. She had to be one of the infertile females. "Are you mated?"

  Davina nodded and smiled. “Yes, Maxum and I have been together for many cycles.” She held out another spoonful, but Edith shook her head.

  “I’m full, thank you. It would be great if I could have a sip of water.” She gestured to the jug of water on the table next to her bed.

  Davina poured some into the golden goblet and held it out to her. Edith drank deeply.

  “Are you feeling better?” the other woman asked.

  “Much.” Edith felt more energized after eating. Not nearly as tired as she had been.

  “That’s good. You will be able to return home soon then. Shall I call Cadon now?” Davina raised her brows.

  “Yes, please.” Home. Funny how the first thing she thought of was the shifter village and of Gage.

  “Just so that you know, Cadon is one of the males who lost his mate to the clutch sickness. Our males mate for life. He does not see you as a potential mate. Cadon is one of those destined to be alone for the rest of his days.”

  “I didn’t realize. How terrible for him. Are there lots of your kind who will have to be alone?”

  Davina nodded. “Alas, yes.” She cocked her head. “You were not to know. I thought knowing might make you feel more comfortable being around him.”

  “Thank you.” The griffin lady was right.

  Davina turned her head and made a high-pitched noise. A large griffin was at the entrance of the tower in a second. The griffin was brown for the most part, some of his feathers were black. His eyes and great beak seemed more golden. He shifted and true as nuts, it was the guy who had ambushed her in the clearing. For a second, she could just stare at him, reminded of that moment when she saw him. Of the fear that had turned her blood to ice.