The Chosen One Universe Volume Three: An MM Paranormal Fantasy Shifters Series

by Macy Blake

  “Let’s go back and check on Zaire.”

  Nick nodded and stood. He handed Jedrek his shirt and focused on his lion. He stared into Jedrek’s eyes as he let the lion surge forward once more, and this time, it flowed out of him more slowly, sensually. Easier. He bumped Jedrek’s belly with his head and Jedrek knelt down in front of him. He leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together for a moment before standing and pulling his shirt back on.

  “Come on. I’ll walk.”

  They’d gone further than Nick realized, and it took them several minutes to walk back to the road, and then another few to get to the end to Zaire’s house. She was waiting for them on the porch, sitting at a small cafe table that hadn’t been there before. Around her chair were a dozen stones, all sparkling in the morning sunlight.

  “I sent the boys home,” Zaire said. “Rowan is such an innocent. I think he’s going to blush every time he sees you.”

  Nick growled and she laughed.

  “I know. I sent a boy to do a woman’s job. Should have known you two would have been at each other all night. The signs were all there. Jedrek, would you go inside and get our drinks? Oh, and grab the folder you carried in. I’m curious as to what is inside.”

  Jedrek sent another look Nick’s way before heading inside to do as she’d asked. Nick prowled up the steps and sniffed Zaire’s leg. She didn’t smell right. Something was off. The fire she’d held before was still there, but it had soured somehow.

  “Time to change back, Nick. We need to talk about a few things, and I need a human voice.”

  Nick huffed but changed again. “Ow.”

  His muscles protested the back-and-forth of his change, but he stood and stretched, allowing everything to pop back into place. Jedrek opened the door and tossed his pants out then carried out his folder and little tray of glasses.

  “If I have to get naked to shift, it shouldn’t be such a big deal for me to be naked.”

  “It’s not,” Zaire said. “I’m certainly enjoying the view.”

  Jedrek smirked and sat down at the table. Nick tugged on his pants and joined them.

  “Since my son was born, I have been determined to protect him from the darkness in this world. My coven was— is— under constant threat. We no longer live together, as I created this place as a safe haven for my son and his coven. I’m afraid I need to go to them now, however. Keziah was right; I never should have touched that magic without their support. I did know better.”

  Nick scowled and looked out over the peaceful street. She’d created a haven for them, one he’d love to have been a part of, even if it was all cookie cutter and a little more Stepford than he’d like. “You kept what happened to me from happening to him.”

  “Yes. But then I learned that other children had been taken. When we found Ben and the others, something in me broke. And to learn they had a young magic user… I swore I would find them and stop them.”

  “We all did,” Jedrek added.

  “The time is now. We have the pieces we need.”

  “Whatever you need from me, I’m in,” Nick said.

  “I’ll be with my coven for a few days. Jedrek, I leave my home under your protection until I return.”

  Nick had no doubt this woman would do anything to keep her son safe. He liked that about her.

  “Nick, let your lion grow stronger while I’m gone. When we’re back, we have work to do.”

  Nick grinned and the lion in him puffed up. They would get stronger, together. He glanced at Jedrek and his hellhound stared back. And he knew just the guy to help with the job.

  Jedrek

  Screaming children woke Jedrek the next morning from a dead sleep. Up and out the door in seconds, he hit the grass fully-shifted. It took him that long to realize that the screams weren’t terror-filled ones, but more of laughter and playing. Nick roared beside him, obviously as worried as Jedrek over the sounds. There were a dozen adults in the road along with several children. All of them didn’t quite seem to know what to do about the fully shifted lion and hellhound staring at them.

  But Jedrek only had eyes for one of them. She was achingly familiar. Sophie.

  “Nick, Jedrek, sorry we woke you,” Keziah said.

  “Jedrek,” Izzy gasped.

  She stared at him in his shifted form, and he moved closer. Slowly, so he didn’t scare her any more than she already was. It took her a second, and then she smiled, about the time Sophie yelled “Simba!”

  Nick was hit with a bundle of excited six-year-old a second later and, if Jedrek had been in his human form, he’d have died laughing. Nick froze, clearly having no idea what to do. Of course, by that time, the other two kids, Leandra’s two-year-old twins, had shifted into their lion form and were pouncing on Nick, too.

  “Oh shit,” Leandra gasped. She’d walked out of a house across the street a moment too late to stop the cub attack from happening.

  Keziah didn’t seem to know what to do either. Jedrek finally took pity on Nick and growled. The cubs froze then looked at him. It only took a second to decide he was something that needed to be explored. They tripped over their feet scrambling over to him, but Sophie stayed with Nick, petting him and cooing softly. Nick looked terrified.

  Jedrek growled once more, a warning to the cubs to behave, before changing back into his human form. Sophie took one look at him and let out a squeal that nearly burst his ear drums. She let Nick go and ran to him, leaping into his arms the moment she was close enough. “Uncle Jed!”

  “Hey, Peanut.”

  She tucked her face into his neck and wrapped her little arms around his neck. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. Have you been having fun?”

  She raised her head and beamed. “It’s fun here! I get to grow plants with Rowan and Calder lets us lay in the stream with him and he shows us all the pretty rocks in the water. And Keziah made me a pretty bracelet, see? He said I can’t take it off, though, because it’s special just for me.”

  Jedrek recognized it as a protective charm and sent Keziah a look of thanks. “That all sounds fun.”

  “Uh-huh. And now Ariella and Lionel are here and they’re baby lions and Zaire said I could play with them today if their mommy said it was okay and she did! And now Simba is here, Uncle Jed!”

  Nick made a protesting sound so Jedrek carried Sophie over to him and knelt down. “This isn’t Simba, Peanut. This is my friend, Nick. Can you say hi?”

  She looked doubtful. “Nick isn’t a lion name, Uncle Jed.”

  “Well, it’s this lion’s name.”

  She sighed, clearly disappointed. “Hi, Nick the lion.”

  Nick made a little grumbling sound and bumped his nose against her hand.

  “He wants you to pet him,” Jedrek whispered.

  Nick glared at him but couldn’t exactly deny it. Sophie reached out and touched his nose, then ran her hand down his face.

  “Good girl. Now let me go say hi to your mom.”

  She gave Nick one last pat then looped her arm back around Jedrek’s neck. Izzy had tears in her eyes as he approached and stepped into him when he held out his free arm. “Everyone okay?”

  “Yep. Solomon and Cody finally got their heads out of their…uh, nether regions.”

  “Uncle Jed, what’s a never region?”

  “I’ll tell you when you’re bigger,” Izzy said with a laugh. “And it’s about time. Sorry we woke you and your…”

  She looked at Nick expectantly then back at Jed.

  “Mate,” Jedrek said.

  Nick made another of his chuffing noises, which seemed to be a call to the young lion cubs. One of them tried to jump on his back and the other was using his tail as a chew toy.

  “Mate,” Izzy repeated. “That’s… new.”

  “Yep.”

  “Is that a… hellhound thing?”

  Nick chuffed again and tried to walk away from the cubs, but they just followed him. He circled Jedrek and the others, but the cubs didn’t lea
ve him alone. He finally sent a pleading glance Jedrek’s way. He whistled and both cubs paused and looked his way.

  “I can get them. I’m sorry.”

  “They’re fine, Leandra,” Jedrek said softly. “Nick just isn’t used to cubs. It’s good for him to get to know them.”

  “Zaire said he’s new and—”

  “He won’t hurt them. It’s more that he’s having trouble controlling his shift at this point. His instincts are at the forefront, but you know as well as I do that an alpha couldn’t hurt cubs.”

  Leandra nodded, but she still kept her eyes on them. He couldn’t blame her. Wild lions would very much hurt the cubs of another alpha male. Not Nick though. His instincts might still be messed up, but not to that level. No, Nick was more terrified of them. It made him laugh all the more.

  Nick darted a few steps away, and the cubs stumbled after him. He let them get close, then darted away again. They made little chuffing sounds at him obviously enjoying their hunt, and he huffed right back before rushing forward another few steps.

  “I wanna play tag with Nick the lion,” Sophie said.

  “After breakfast,” Jedrek said. “Nick! Food!”

  Nick turned, and the cubs both pounced on him, finally capturing their prey. If looks could kill, Jedrek would be a dead man. He cackled. “Come on. Hurry up. I’m hungry.”

  Nick hurried back to his side with both cubs chasing after him.

  “Mom wanted you and Nick to talk to Leandra,” Keziah said. “I thought we’d play with the cubs for a while, maybe wear them out and get them down for a morning nap. Rowan said he’d watch them with me.”

  “I can help,” Izzy said.

  Leandra chewed her bottom lip nervously. “They can come with me. I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

  “No trouble at all,” Izzy replied. “I’m hoping I can get you to return the favor for me sometime with Sophie.”

  Leandra smiled and gave her a nod. “I can do that.”

  “Good. Then the boys can go eat and we’ll let the kids play for a while, and then we’ll watch the twins while you talk to them. Sound like a plan?”

  Leandra nodded.

  “Works for us, too.”

  “But Uncle Jed, I want to stay with you.”

  “Not right now, Peanut. Let me go get breakfast, and then we’ll come back out, okay?”

  She pouted but nodded.

  Nick bumped against him, so Jedrek grabbed his mane and held tight.

  “So, um… everyone’s okay?” Izzy asked again.

  “Yep.”

  Jedrek waited her out. It was a little mean; he knew exactly who she wanted to ask about.

  “Um. Walt and Shelly? Doing well?”

  “They’re great. Shelly’s bossing us all around as usual and they keep getting closer. It’s nice to see.”

  She smiled as Sophie skipped away with the cubs chasing after her now that Nick was being boring and not moving.

  “Achim and Teague?”

  “Doing well.”

  “Vice?”

  “Same.”

  Nick huffed, and Jedrek smoothed his hand over his neck.

  Izzy sucked in a breath and finally met his gaze. “And Calli?”

  “She’s good, Iz.”

  “I thought she’d come see me when… you know.”

  “She might. Zaire doesn’t have an open door policy, and Meshaq promised he’d give you time.”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you want to see her, you should call her. Hell, text her, Iz.”

  Keziah glanced at them, before walking slowly away to give them a little privacy.

  “O-okay.”

  “Now, we’re going to go eat. I’ll be around later.”

  Izzy nodded and followed Keziah. Nick sent a questioning huff Jedrek’s way, but he simply gripped his mane again and made his way back to the house they were calling home for the next little while.

  Nick stayed in his lion form when they got inside, finding a sunny spot in the dining room and stretching out. Jedrek tried not to laugh at him as he began snoring a few minutes later. Instead, he rummaged in the fridge. He’d learned enough from Walt to know how to make a few things, even though he tended to just eat what Walt gave him or eat take out. The problem was, there wasn’t anything in the fridge. And the freezer had things that had instructions like defrost overnight and Jedrek was way too hungry to deal with that.

  He went back onto the porch and waved Keziah over.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Just, you know, wondering if you had some bread and pb & j we could use?”

  Keziah made a face and gave him a disappointed look. “You need to get me a grocery list.”

  “I know. I mean, we found some stuff last night that said soup so we just heated it up and it was fine, but I thought there’d be some eggs or something in the fridge, but all I have are some mostly stale donuts, and not gonna lie, the soup didn’t really do it for me. Tasted good, but, you know—”

  “You’re a shifter. You eat a lot. Got it. I’ll take care of getting the kitchen stocked for you. Mom normally handles that, but—”

  “Yeah, we just need something to eat.”

  Keziah laughed. “I’ll take care of it. I’ve got eggs and stuff at my house. I think someone made some fresh bread. I’ll ask Rowan. He’ll know.”

  “Thanks, Keziah.”

  “No problem. I’ll be right back.”

  Jedrek went back into the dining room and found Nick still dozing in the patch of sunlight. He sank down onto the floor and leaned against him, resting his head and shoulders against Nick’s side. Nick huffed and wiggled a little to get comfortable.

  “There’s no breakfast food,” Jedrek said with a yawn. Nick was nice and warm.

  Nick huffed.

  “Keziah’s getting us food.”

  Nick didn’t seem to care either way.

  “I think it’s good Zaire wanted you to talk to Leandra. One, the lion thing. Two, she’s the only mother we’ve found from the whole magical kids kidnapping thing.”

  Nick moved beneath him and Jedrek opened his eyes. Nick looked stunned. He growled again.

  “Uh, did I not tell you that?”

  Nick moved and with a grumble, Jedrek moved. Nick shifted back then knelt naked on the floor beside him. “You told me. I’m just thinking about it differently now. I had time to process, I guess. But why does Zaire want me to talk to her?”

  Jedrek had a few theories. “Maybe she thinks you need a pride? And she happens to know a lioness with two cubs who could use an alpha?”

  Nick made a noise that was deeply disturbing. “She’s not matchmaking?”

  Jedrek grinned and tugged Nick closer. Nick, being the ass he was, wiggled his way around until he was back in the sunny spot with Jedrek as his pillow. “No, not matchmaking romantically. But maybe pack-making would be a better word.”

  Nick scoffed. “You made that up.”

  “Yep.”

  “I can’t be an alpha. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “You are an alpha, and even if Zaire isn’t trying to find you a pride, she’s probably trying to get you to talk to another lion who knows more about this stuff than she does.”

  Nick huffed. “Why doesn’t Leandra have a pride already? And if she does, why didn’t she take her kids there for safety?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I mean, she should have run home, right? I’d have gone to my brothers if some weird shit went down. If you hadn’t been there, and things had gone differently when I found the house, I’d have… maybe, talked to my brothers. Especially if they’d told me they knew. Damn. This is confusing. My head is spinning.”

  Jedrek ran his fingers through Nick’s messy hair. “So maybe talking to her is good.”

  “It’ll just piss me off.”

  “How so?” Jedrek asked.

  “Because if she went into hiding, that means her family, pride, whatever they’re called, are a bunch of asshat
s. It’ll piss me off.”

  Jedrek grinned. “You’re so scary.”

  “Shut up. Rub my head.”

  Jedrek complied, giving Nick’s hair a gentle tug before he ran his finger through it. “My ass is going to be numb in a minute. Why are we sitting on the floor?”

  “Because that’s where the sunny spot is.”

  Obviously.

  Jedrek leaned against the wall and continued stroking Nick’s hair, even as he began to breathe deeply and evenly, drifting to sleep once more. His legs went numb and his ass ached, but he didn’t move. Damn, he had it bad.

  He heard Keziah approaching and the gentle knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Nick stirred and bumped his head against Jedrek’s hand. He started petting again.

  Keziah carried a canvas bag into the kitchen, eyeing them curiously.

  “Nick is apparently not a morning person.”

  Nick huffed. “I’m tired.”

  Jedrek grinned as Keziah began to unpack the bag. “I wore him out.”

  Keziah laughed. “Shifting is wearing him out, although I’m sure you’re helping. He needs more calories than he’s been getting, especially if he hasn’t shifted before. Just… stay there. I brought random food. I’ll cook, but just this once.”

  He glared at them both, but Nick didn’t bother opening his eyes. “Thanks, Keziah,” he rumbled. “Comfy.”

  “Nick doesn’t know much about this place,” Jedrek said. “And honestly neither do I.”

  “There wasn’t a question there,” Keziah said as he found measuring cups and a bowl in the cabinets.

  Jedrek scowled at him, but Nick wiggled around so he was on his back and opened his eyes.

  “I don’t get why Zaire had to leave. I don’t get any of this shit, honestly. But that’s what I want to know first.”

  Keziah made a huffing sound that Jedrek recognized. Frustration. He’d heard it a lot the past couple of days spending time with Nick.

  “Okay, the easy answer is, she went to be with her coven. But I know that doesn’t tell you much, so I guess I’ll tell you more. Which is weird, because Mom is big on secrets, and part of me feels like she did this on purpose so I’d have to step up. But that’s part of the story. Nick, do you know anything about awen?”