Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  Trent’s brain was so overwhelmed with new info that he couldn’t seem to focus. Michelle fluctuated between anger and nervousness. Hannah was a close friend and co-worker of hers. Michelle felt guilty for even being friends with her now since it almost cost Hannah her life. Michelle begged Hannah to come back to the ridge to stay with them, but she refused. Buzz wasn’t going to let her out of his sight though which gave Michelle some peace. Buzz carried a gun, and a gun could stop a Shifter, but what if they were caught off guard?

  Trent had to quit thinking about what ifs, though. He was close to losing his sanity the way it was without conjuring up all the hypothetical possibilities. Today they would rest, and he would bring the rest of the family up to speed. Tomorrow they would all spread out to the two Shifter communities and start asking questions.

  As tired as Trent was, he wasn’t too tired to stop at the local dealership. He owed Heather a vehicle, and that was a situation he could fix right now. Michelle was happy to oblige, but she didn’t stick around to wait for him to do the paperwork. She dropped him off and headed back to the ridge.

  It didn’t take long for Trent to pick Heather out a new Ford Edge. It was sleek and compact like her, but would still make the hill during the winter. He went with a fire engine red color for her personality. She was as feisty as she was sweet, which made her the perfect combination. He waved to his buddies at the dealership while he pulled out. He couldn’t wait to get home to Heather. Even though they didn’t have a home of their own yet, wherever she was felt like home to him.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  HEATHER SUNK down into the leather seats of her new car. As infuriated as she was when Trent first pulled up the drive with it, she couldn’t help but love it. On some level, she felt like she was sinking back into old ways of letting a man run her life. When she started to argue her case to Trent, he was more than happy to take it back and let her pick out one that she wanted.

  When she started thinking about what she would want in a car, she realized he had already done that. It really was the exact car that she would have picked out for herself. She wasn’t sure if that was the mate bond doing its weird magic or just Trent being Trent. One of the first things she had fallen in love with had been his ability to listen to her, and really understand her. He knew her on a level that she wasn’t sure anybody else had even tried to get to.

  Even though the vehicle she had bought wasn’t comparable price wise to the new one, she gladly accepted his gift. She was determined to keep her old wounds from ruining this new relationship. They had a long way to go to build trust, but that wasn’t all Trent’s fault. Heather kept a portion of her walls up just because she couldn’t shake the feeling that he would end up like her ex. Even worse, maybe he would end up like her father.

  She tried to shake the old fears from her mind. Today they were going to Shifter communities to hopefully identify the killer. They had a sketch from Michelle’s friend, Hannah, to show around and a general profile put together by the police department. Heather had her own motives while she was there. Trent and Michelle both had continuously promised her they would get information on her mystery woman. She knew that they were both focused on the bigger problem being the killer, but she desperately wanted answers. Today she hoped she could at least find out if anybody knew of a Shifter who married a human female and moved away.

  Michelle, Trent, Heather, Cage and Melanie were all at the Shifter community that was an hour north of Acer. The rest of the Cipher crew had headed down south to question that community. The police force had split their team equally as well to go with each group of Ciphers. Heather was anxious to be in a community where Shifters outnumbered the humans. She knew how capable Trent and his family were, but to be the minority in a town full of powerful beings that you don’t know seemed a bit overwhelming.

  Heather made the turn Trent told her to make, and drove through giant gates that led into the community. It was a bit chilly out to her, but the Shifters didn’t seem to mind. There were families out all down the streets. Kids and cubs alike were romping from one house to the next or some were even in the trees. It was like being on one of those safari rides with all the wild animals running around. There was everything from cheetahs to polar bears in this community. Heather almost wrecked twice because she was too busy staring out at the Shifters in their various forms.

  “Heather, honey, you’re not making an excellent impression by staring at them like that. We Shifters hate to be put on display.”

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m not staring to be rude. I’m just fascinated. They’re beautiful. Look at them all. I’ve never seen a polar bear in my life, and now there’s one running beside my car.”

  “I know, but try to act like you’ve been to town before and more importantly a Shifter town.”

  Trent was teasing her, but she knew there was a truth to his words. She wouldn’t want to be gawked at either. Trent showed her where to park, and she was finally freed from the car. Heather couldn’t help but look around and marvel at the animals gathering around them. When the little polar bear cub rubbed against her leg, she couldn’t resist reaching out and petting his head.

  “Wow, you’re popular amongst Shifters aren’t you?” Trent laughed as a wolf cub pawed at her other leg for attention.

  “I suppose I am. All the little ones are so adorable. I just want to squeeze all of them.”

  “Ours will be cuter,” Trent said then. Heather’s mouth dropped open and she felt her face burn with embarrassment. She wasn’t sure why everybody close by knew they were sleeping together. According to Trent, the Shifters they would come in contact today would be able to tell they were mates as well. The mate bond was turning out to be a very magical thing. It seemed like the only person who didn’t understand it or bend to its power was Heather.

  “Trent, you mated with a healing spirit?” spoke a voice from behind them.

  “A what?” Heather turned to find an elderly woman looking her over quite thoroughly. Trent and his family stared at her as if she had two heads.

  “What’s a healing spirit?” Heather asked.

  “The reason the cubs are flocking to you, and most Shifters will flock to you, is because you have the ability to calm them.”

  “Like a mate bond thing?” Heather felt dirty just thinking about having the mate bond with anybody besides Trent. She instinctively moved closer to him.

  “Oh no, my dear. It’s different than the mate bond, unique to only you. If a Shifter is in pain, and you are near, they will feel no pain. You can’t heal them as a healer can, but you can ease their discomfort and physical and mental pain at that.”

  “I’ve heard of healing spirits, but I never knew one,” Trent said still checking Heather over as if she somehow physically changed in the last two seconds.

  “I still don’t understand. I’m human.”

  “I’m afraid you’re not human at all, Spirit. You are rare and unique to us Shifters. You will be fiercely protected and sought after. This can be quite dangerous because not all those who are sick will appreciate the comfort without healing. Also, some of those with mental pain will seek you out, but they too could harm you.”

  Heather shook all over and rubbed her arms as if to comfort herself. The elderly Shifter was freaking her out, and all she wanted to do was leave now. Trent gave her shoulders a squeeze to let her know he was there and nothing bad would happen to her.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you but those instances are rare. You are safe, my child. Your mate will ensure that, as will most of the Shifter communities.”

  “How do I heal people?” Heather asked.

  “You just do. Just by being near you, Shifters will feel your comfort. Your spirit will seek them out subconsciously. Sometimes you’ll physically be drawn to places or Shifters. Usually, alphas will have that kind of power to pull you.”

  “Trent, I hate to interrupt, but we need to get started. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover,” Buzz said. Heather was
n’t sure if he saved her or hindered her. She wanted to know more, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure she could handle it all. How could it be that she was a healing spirit of some sort to Shifters, but she couldn’t keep her own shit together half the time? It didn’t make any sense.

  “That’s fine,” Trent said as he pulled Heather along behind him.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry, what was your name?”

  “My name is Emma. You’re going to be okay, honey. Just remember to hang on.”

  “Hang on? What…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence between the woman walking away, and Trent dragging her along.

  “What do you think she meant by hanging on?” Heather asked Trent.

  “Probably just a metaphor. You know, like, hang on and you’ll get the hang of your new power.”

  “I guess that explains why I was able to bond with you even though I’m human. Well I guess, not human. Don’t you think this is weird?”

  “Human or not human, baby, you’re my mate. Always have been, always will be. I don’t care what other people want to call you as long as I get to call you mine.”

  Trent seemed to be taking the new info all in stride. Heather, on the other hand, felt completely derailed yet again. She had to put it all out of her mind for the time being. They were here for a purpose, and Heather had her own goals to accomplish.

  The day came and went with what seemed like little progress. The sketch was so vague people thought it looked familiar, but couldn’t place who they thought it might be. Heather had tried to get information on her mystery woman, but nobody was sure of that either.

  One woman said she thought there had been a loner jaguar Shifter that took off and married a human. When Heather asked if maybe his name had been Ray, the woman wasn’t sure. She had even told several people that he was abusive to the woman to see if an abusive Shifter would ring any bells, but still no luck.

  Trent called over to the other group, and they weren’t having any luck at all. All around, the day seemed to be a complete bust. Other than finding out Heather was a healing spirit. Every time she turned around today, she tripped over a Shifter wanting to be close to her. Trent’s throat was going to be raw from growling so much.

  “I’m ready to get out of here. We need more information on this whole healing spirit thing. All of these Shifters wanting to be near you has me even edgier than I already was. My bear is anxious to fight.”

  “I don’t know if I want to know any more. I’m a little creeped out as it is. I’m super thankful that the family doesn’t live in a Shifter community as well. Could you imagine?” Heather said as they made it back to the car.

  “We’d never get any peace. It wouldn’t do me any good to beat them up either because they’d just want by near you even more.”

  Heather laughed at that mental image. Being a healing spirit or some sort of supernatural being freaked her out, but it also made her feel special. She had never been special at anything her whole life, and now she had a purpose. She wished she could track down the old woman and ask more questions, but Trent was ready to leave.

  Trent came to a complete stop when he got close to the car. His nose went in the air, and she knew he smelled something. His whole body started to shake.

  “He was here. His scent is all over the car. Check the car out, I need to hunt.”

  Before Heather could react, Buzz and the police officers were scouring her car like it would detonate any minute. Trent took off with Michelle hot on his heels as his parents wedged her tight in between them.

  THIRTY-SIX

  A HEALING SPIRIT? How did he not realize the Cipher scum had mated to a healing spirit? He shifted back to his human form and got dressed. He had wanted to try and figure out what the cops thought they knew, but he was afraid Trent would catch his scent. It didn’t take him long to overhear some of the Shifters talking about the sketch. He knew once the woman got away the other night that she would go to the police.

  He happened by a sketch they had nailed to a pole, and it did have a resemblance to him. Lucky for him, he had never been an overly good looking. He could blend into a crowd easily. This had been his home once upon a time, but he had been away long enough that nobody would think twice about him. His decision to leave had been smart. Every decision he made was smart, though.

  The Shifter community had been swarming Trent’s mate all day. He could see that it had taken its toll on Trent, and his bear. That’s why he had rubbed his body all over the car. Trent had his scent, and he knew that would set his bear off. With Trent on a wild goose chase, he could make his move on the woman

  The police or the Ciphers were nowhere close to catching him. Now they had something he wanted, though. His migraines were getting worse the harder he tried to fight the urge to kill. That’s how his sweet victim from the other night had managed to escape. The pain was crippling.

  His cure would also be his pleasure. Trent’s mate could give him everything he ever wanted. Her presence would keep away his migraines. It would also slowly kill Trent by being away from her by knowing she was in a killer’s clutches.

  He was aware the second Trent realized he was close. The Shifter took off through the woods following the scent trail just the way he had planned. The police would be busy trying to figure out what, if anything, had been done to the car. Now all that was left was to get his prize alone.

  Thanks to the old lady and the new information he had, he was sure he could get her alone. Maybe she was interested in trying out her new powers. He pulled his hat low and added the fake mustache he had bought hours before. The excitement of just walking right up to his prey in front of all the people that could save her made his dick twitch.

  She would definitely bring him great pleasure before the day was through. MaryAnn had tried to bring him pleasure. She was always a disappointment, though. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t a Shifter. She loved him more than anybody else had, but it couldn’t fill the void. Some days he would beat on her for hours just because. It felt good to feel her flesh split and bleed under his hands. Other days when the migraines would go away, he would feel bad and try to pamper her with love.

  Maybe she wasn’t his mate, and he didn’t always treat her well, but she was his. It was his decision to whether she lived or died. Trent had stepped in that night and taken the only thing good he had in his life. The damn Ciphers always did as they pleased and got away with it. Trent had been drunk and walking aimlessly that night his MaryAnn ran off the cliff. She would never harm another person, and in her attempt to keep from hitting the Cipher filth, she had died.

  It was Trent’s fault, and now he would pay; an eye for an eye. He took away Ray’s only chance at love, no matter how screwed up it was. Ray would take away his mate. He would take her away right from under his nose, too.

  The healing spirit somehow knew MaryAnn and some of the things she had endured. He had heard her asking questions, too. Once he had her, he would find out how she had come to know so much. MaryAnn would never have betrayed him by talking to somebody else.

  His head started to hurt again. He pressed against his temples trying to push past the pain. There was too much happening too fast. His migraines always acted up when he was over thinking things. The plan was set, he just needed to move on it. No time like the present. With that thought, he stepped out onto the street and headed towards her.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  “CAN I be of any assistance to you all?” The man was obviously a Shifter with his giant figure and golden eyes. He seemed a bit ominous, and Heather took an instinctive step back. She was still wedged between Trent’s parents who were also looking the man up and down.

  “Thank you for the offer, but I believe we’re okay. Just waiting for the police to finish up and we’ll be on our way.” Cage brushed the guy off.

  The man never took his eyes off of Heather as he continued to stand there.

  “Crazy things happen in today’s world. You think the guy killing all those p
eople lives in this Shifter community?”

  “We’re not really sure. We just came to see if we could lend a hand to the police department. We’re not really in the know.” Cage then stepped protectively in front of Heather.

  For some reason, this guy was sending off a lot of bad vibes. Heather’s whole body was shaking, but she wasn’t sure if it was him or her nerves in general. The police were still inspecting her car and had called in a bomb-sniffing dog. She desperately wanted to go home and be done with the day. Wouldn’t one of the Shifters be able to tell if there was a bomb anywhere near her car?

  “Cage, do you think there would be a Shifter that would be able to see if there was a bomb in my car?”

  “I don’t smell anything, but the police force has their own procedures they have to follow.”

  “I see.” She sunk back behind him and turned her attention away from the chaos. The man was still lingering around but had seemed to move on for the time being.

  “I heard you were asking around about the lady whose car went over the hill a while back? I think I know who you’re talking about,” the man spoke up.

  “Really? The police never figured out who she was. I guess I just felt the need to give her a name instead of Jane Doe.” The man had circled around and was standing behind Heather now. She turned at the mention of her mystery lady. Nobody else had been able to tell her anything. Even if the guy was a little creepy, she’d overlook it for some useful information.