Shifted (The Oblivion Series Book 1)

by Barb Shuler

  “So, it seems we finally found one of the traitors. What ever shall we do with him?” My father's voice was a low, menacing growl as he reached down and pulled the man up by his neck, bringing him face to face with one seriously pissed off vampire.

  One thing my father had going for him was his size.

  “I'm not sure, my Prince,” Ramport bowed his head slightly and I snorted. That garnered me a sour look from them both.

  “He was doing something to me. I could feel the vibrations of it rippling across my skin. Rip his throat out,” my voice was hoarse.

  I shifted in the arms that surrounded me, trying to escape their firm hold with no success. I stopped fighting and laid my head back against Joshua's shoulder, growling in frustration. A sound I seem to be repeating frequently as of late.

  “Do not fret, my love. He’ll get exactly what he deserves,” Joshua spoke into my ear.

  I nodded and watched as Father and Ramport moved the man further from the growing crowd. When two men that tried to attack me in the woods after I'd attacked Ramport moved closer to them, words were exchanged. Within the second it took to blink they were both in wolf form. The man in my father's grip struggled to get loose, but just as before, he found no escape from his captor.

  With a final word my father tossed the man to the ground. The wolves pounced and Joshua turned me away from the execution. The man wailed in agony as I listened to the sound of his bones snapping and his flesh tearing. Eventually his screams were replaced with the sound of blood bubbling up from his throat. I shuddered and lifted my arms to cover my ears. It was too much. It made my stomach roll.

  What was next?

  I sighed as Ramport ordered the members of the Elder’s Council into his cabin. Oh, this was not good, not at all.

  10

  Talia

  Tick tock.

  Tick tock.

  With every thump of the clock my anxiety grew. Hours had passed since my father's return. I do not recall how many hours exactly, but it hasn't been enough to allow the effects his return has had upon my being to lessen. Well, the effects his presence had had on my feline side, that is. Not to mention the fights and inner turmoil that continue to build inside of me. My beast is ready to rip us both a new one.

  Moreover, the tension that has saturated the pack with the capture of a traitor. One traitor was caught in the act and subsequently taken out by his own pack members. The two men from before - whose names I still can not recall - did the job. Now they stand in this room staring us all down as if it were our fault their packmate was a traitor.

  I am unsure of so many things. Who is doing this? What exactly is happening to me and how can we stop it? Is it someone after my father - someone who will stop at nothing to get to him by hurting me? I’d heard mention of past enemies, but as soon as those speaking sensed my approach the subject would be changed. It's frustrating, to say the least.

  The combination of emotions racing along my skin and through my mind as I am kept locked in this room full of people, some who don’t like me, is not boding well for the beast inside me. She in no way likes the feel of the room. The vibes carrying throughout the space. I can't sit still. I'm on edge like any caged animal would be, pacing as my father and Ramport discuss what's been happening, and what it could mean. I don’t even have the patience or concentration to eavesdrop on their conversation.

  A few minutes later both men move to opposite walls and take up a position there. Before I could ask - no, I was going to demand he tell me what in the blue hell he’d gotten me into - Ramport spoke.

  “Trenton, do you think it was him who sent the order out to have this done?” Ramport asked.

  My father grunted and shuffled his feet as he stood there.

  “Or, could it be Natalie’s-” Ramport was cut off by Father’s command.

  “Do not say her name,” he hissed, only to soften his voice before continuing, “please,” Father said, then he too was up and pacing.

  I moved before I was really thinking. The anger, fear and love I had for this man were eating at my insides. I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, hiding my face in his chest as I had done as a small child. I wasn't sure why, but something was pulling me back to him.

  When his arms were wrapped around me I relaxed - only slightly.

  “Trenton, we must put this in order. He could have us all attacked. If this,” Ramport started. I looked over to see him waving a hand above him before he continued but with a softer tone, “if this has taught us anything it's that we are no longer safe. Natalia is no longer safe,” Ramport said, his face drawn. I turned to face the room once again.

  “I saw something in my dreams. I- I’m not certain what or why, but I believe someone was trying to tell me something. It could have been trickery, I guess.” I stopped when the eyes of the room seemed to narrow on me.

  “Go on, princess. What did you see?” Father asked as he ran a hand over the back of my head like he would when I was but a small child. I leaned into the embrace a bit more.

  “When I woke, we heard the crashing of the fight so… there was no time to speak of it. It was as if I was taken over. I was fighting to be free, but the anger encompassed me in an unbreakable shell.” I spoke softly before I looked up at him. I could see the concern draw his eyebrows into a tight line. He nodded, the encouragement I needed to continue.

  “I wish to figure out what's happening to me. It's as if I'm being drawn into these… I do not know how to describe these spells, but my animal, she is on edge. There is danger close. She senses it and as we saw earlier, I lose control of her,” I said, my voice a bit wobbly but my words were clear.

  “What did you see, my sweet girl? In your dreams, I mean,” Father asked again as he rubbed my back. I shook my head, uncertain of what to share in mixed company.

  “Talia, love, please tell them,” Joshua said. I looked up to meet his hazel eyes as he stood by his father, and nodded once.

  “Something, or someone, made me attack not only you but Ramport, Father,” I ducked my head slightly as I spoke.

  “It's nothing to fret over. We understand. We’ve seen much in our time together. Ram, nor I take offense. What else is there?” Father asked.

  “Three times now, I've seen a woman. She is like me, but not. Her eyes are different, not like mine but her face is much the same. She's speaking to me but I am unable to make out her words,” I paused and rubbed my forehead before continuing, “there is someone else, too. She looks a bit like Mother did. She looks like the picture I have. They could be the same, they could be different.”

  My father’s body stiffened, and a low growl escaped him. Ramport was on his feet, looking at me. That hard stare he gave when he wasn't sure of your actions. I stepped back from everyone and wrapped my arms around my middle. As I close my eyes I told them what I remembered of my dream.

  “I was walking in the forest, you know, by the waterfall where the creek bed is. I was picking flowers, as I had as a child. The sun washed over me with each step. I was happy.”

  I took a moment to compose myself. I didn't want to lose control of my animal now, not in these tight quarters. I did not wish to hurt anyone.

  “Then, it was as if a switch had been flipped. The heavens above turned grey, the wind whipped around and there was a chill to the air. My heart started to race. It was beating so hard inside my chest. Boom. Boom. Boom. The beat itself was taking on a new rhythm. I was covered in sweat, panic crawled up my limbs, my back bowed and… and…”

  It became difficult to breath just as it had before in my dream. Someone was wrapping my lungs in darkness. I could feel the oiliness and strong scent of black magic fill my nostrils as I gasped for air. My hands clawed at my neck. Sheer panic raced through my frame. The blood inside me was so cold I felt as if I were an icicle ready to crash to the floor and break into a million pieces.

  “Talia, breathe, sweetheart.”

  “Come on, princess, fight it. You’re stronger than
this.”

  “My god, what is happening to her?”

  The chorus of voices rang around me as my father, Joshua and Sheri moved in close to me. I felt something cool press against my forehead as someone took hold of my hands. Chanting started but I tuned it out. I screamed in pain. The ice was wrapping itself around me in a cocoon. I was stuck, frozen in place. My eyes closed as my body jerked. The warmth that suddenly surrounded me was familiar to me. I was washed in a shower of caresses and the ice started to recede.

  That was when I saw the woman from before. Her soft smile faded as she looked behind me, her eyes turning a cobalt blue as the tips of her fingers started to glow faintly.

  “Breathe, my child, it is not your time. I will find you.. Soon.”

  I jerked upright, gasping in a lungful of air as I came face to face with my father, a growl ripping from me. My chest heaved but that was not what caught my eye. My father stared at me, shock written on his face. Joshua and Sheri both looked as perplexed, or surprised as he did. I shook my head and rubbed my aching, cold arms.

  “I.. I need air…” I muttered. Standing was not as easy as it should have been. I stumbled and had to hold onto my father to keep steady. He hadn’t blinked since he first knelt before me.

  Joshua scooped me up and without another word to anyone he carried me out the front door. I heard the murmurings behind us but nothing penetrated the barrier around my mind. I laid against Joshua and closed my eyes. My body was spent and his warmth was all I needed right then. I was safe in his embrace.

  TRENTON

  I must have been seeing things. There was no way that my daughter’s eyes turned that shade of blue, a blue I knew all too well. Her mother, my Natalie's eyes, turned that shade when her power was gearing up to let loose. Her Druid nature was not one to be trifled with. She was quite powerful... Or she had been, until giving birth to our daughter had weakened her enough to take her from me. I remember standing over her lifeless body holding onto the beautiful dark haired babe in my arms.

  It wasn’t until Ram’s deep baritone penetrated my mind that I blinked and once again stood to my towering height. I gave him a hard look and then looked out the still opened door to where Joshua sat under a tree holding my daughter against him. He was murmuring to her and she seemed to be relaxed now. She appeared to no longer be fighting against whatever darkness had captured her, one that none of us could see.

  “Did you know?” I asked.

  “Yes, Your Highness. I witnessed it for myself a few nights ago. It’s not safe to speak of it,” Ram said, his gaze flicking over the room.

  I understood his unspoken words. I nodded and moved passed him and Sheri. I heard her question him but he refused to answer. What I had just witnessed explained so much.

  My daughter was in more trouble than I originally thought. We needed to move. We must do all we can to remain one step ahead of both Natalie’s and my family. Either side could, and does, pose a significant threat to her now. It was time to send word to my brothers.

  There could be a rebellion anytime and we need to be prepared. Our daughters had a joint destiny, and it was time to bring them together.

  But first, I had to get my daughter out of this forest, with it’s dangers hiding behind every tree. We needed to take Talia somewhere with a better vantage over the land.

  My gaze met Ram’s again before I spoke. “We need to get to higher ground and out of sight.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. We shall depart within the hour,” Ram replied before heading out of the door and letting out a loud whistle. I left him to tend to his wolves. I moved out to the tree where Joshua still sat with Talia. I squatted a foot or so from them and looked at my daughter's face, the face that was so much like that of my lost mate. I sighed wearily before looking up at Joshua.

  “We must move. She's not safe here any longer. I can't do this alone, so you must promise me that no matter what, she will be your one and only priority. Your father and mother made that same declaration years ago. If I don't make it through this, she has to be taken care of. She has to survive, no matter what,” I stressed my words. I pleaded for him to see the truth in my eyes.

  “By my blood,” Joshua murmured. I nodded and stood.

  “Thank you,” I said before turning and walking away. I needed to find Ram. We had a lot to do and it looked as if I had a call to make. One I had hoped we would be able to avoid for many more years. But fate - the nasty bitch that she was - had other plans.

  11

  Talia

  Walking through the unruly, partially overgrown forest on two legs is a pain in the butt. I don't know this terrain well, which isn’t making my willingness to follow after my father easier. I don't know where it is that we are traveling to, nor do I understand what in the hell's going on around us. Life had been calm, mellow even, until my birthday. The moment I felt that first twinge of pain, life went upside down and buckets of crazy were poured over my normalcy.

  Even now, as we trek through the dense brush and trees, things are off. Everyone is tense and ready to pounce at the slightest sound made by the smallest of the woodland creatures. If a bunny was to hop out into the path - which was very unlikely given that bunnies have a great sense of when danger is near - it wouldn’t even have time to twitch it’s little nose before someone had it by the throat.

  I and my father are surrounded by my pack. I get that they want to take care of us both, but it’s about to do my head in. I feel like I’m suffocating, drowning in a sea of bodies. If I stop, the ones circling me stop. If I were to fall over, they'd follow suit. It's frustrating to not only me, but to my beast as well. Oh, she is inconsolable at this point. I've been able to stave her off but today she is right under the surface. If I were to lighten control for even the short amount of time it took to sneeze I'd be on all fours and furry before anyone could say, “gesundheit.”

  Pulling up short, I stop when my father does. I watch him as I did when I was a small child. You can tell a lot about what is happening if you pay attention to the ones around you. Father’s head is tilted, then it rises slightly as he sniffs the air. I do the same but catch nothing the first time. I turn slightly and pull in the deepest of breaths, only to frown at the scent rolling across my senses. My beast is hissing inside, stirring for action.

  Vampires.

  There were vampires in the woods. Just frigging great.

  I drop my backpack and shift my feet apart slightly. My typical fighting stance - one I had learned many years ago at the hands of Ramport and Joshua. Everyone around me takes a similar stance as the hum of pack bonds drum through the air. I shiver slightly as the magics swirl around us. A couple of the men were already shifting.

  The guards - the men that were tasked to be on the ready - always did that at the first sign of danger. We were poised and ready to strike at anyone who came at us. I watch my father for clues. Father’s spine stiffens as the wind blows and a tall man steps out of the forest mere feet from him.

  “Well, if it isn't the Prince of Darkness himself,” the man crooned.

  My lips curl up slightly as a growl escapes me. He was too close to my father. I may have wanted to rip him - my father - a new one when he first returned, but my need to protect him overpowered any of that.

  I move forward, shaking off the hands that grab at my arm. I say nothing, just make my presence known as I glare the man down.

  “Speak your piece and leave us,” my father hissed as he moves a step to the left, garnering the full attention of the man’s prying eyes once again.

  “Your destruction has been ordered. I'm here to make that happen, Trenton,” the man spat, a cocky grin tugging at his lips. Each of his words dripping with his complete and utter lack of respect for my father and his position.

  The rustling in the trees grew, and the smaller plants were pushed aside as eight more men emerged. I sniffed the air once again. Vampires, all of them. They were dressed in all black, a royal crest adorning the breast of their shirts. I squinted
slightly and drew in a deep breath. That was the mark of the king. Our family’s crest. Without thinking I move closer and glare at the man before us.

  “You'll be the only one destroyed if you dare to tangle with the Prince,” I growl, my beast surging forward. My hackles were up and I could feel the power racing through my skin. My beast was ready to tear free of my vampire self and rip into this coward before us.

  The man laughed. A gut wrenching, full-on belly laugh. That made something inside me snap. One minute I was on two legs, the next I was on four, my powerful muscles coiled, ready to strike. The man's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in annoyance.

  “Now, Trenton, as if having these mutts by your side isn't bad enough, you have a cat? Really, the almighty and powerful Prince and his pack of misfits. No wonder he ordered you dead,” the man sneered.

  The snarl from behind us sent my tail to flicking back and forth. My nails scraped at the earth. I just needed the slightest of hints he was attacking and I would rip his head off. I could feel not only Joshua’s wolf behind me, but Ramport’s as well. The power that rolled off of them calmed me - slightly.

  “Maybe I should kill her first, skin her and make myself a new cloak out of her hide,” he taunted again.

  My father squared his shoulders and in the blink of an eye attacked. The others raced forward and the largest of them came for me. A feral growl escaped as I lunged, meeting him halfway. My claws made contact and dug into his chest as we toppled over. His hands scrabbled at my neck. Despite my attempt at dodging, his hand made purchase. I slashed at his face and neck as I fought to gain the higher ground again.

  The vampire was strong, I’d give him that, but I was smarter. Ramport had taught me many tricks of evading beings that were stronger than I. I feigned passing out. My body went lax in his grip, and when his fingers loosened I attacked.