by Noah Harris
The Secrets Within
The Shape Shifter Secrets Book 1
Noah Harris
All Rights Reserved ©
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are all invented. Any similarities to real places, events or people, living or dead, are unintentional.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for a MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY.
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Contents
1
2
3
4
5
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8
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10
11
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19
1
Nick stepped out into the world feeling completely content. Exhausted, too. His first day as a college freshman had been less taxing than he expected. Mostly, they filled out forms and discussed the requirements and syllabus for each course. Only his Economics professor had actually done any teaching, but who was he to complain? A light reading load was an unexpected, but welcome boon, given the Frosh Pizza Party starting in just a few short hours. Leaving him just enough time for a nap.
He bounded up the steps of his dorm, passing Sal on the way. Sal and Nick had gone to the same schools since third grade, but Sal had always hung with a different crowd. Nick was more of a straight arrow back then, always trying to please his parents and get the grades required for his scholarship. Now, enjoying the fruits of those labors, he realized he had walked the right path, but he also wondered what he had missed. He had come out in his junior year of high school, so the small-town lack of air he felt following that announcement had now been replaced by the welcoming ease of a bigger city. Orlando, to be exact, and his scholarship to a private institution, known for its excellence in business, was a huge coup. Occasionally, Nick would meet people from high school who would say things like he had ‘grown into his looks’ or something else equally insulting. But seriously, what is the point of finding out you’re a shape shifter if you’re not able to tweak your looks to your liking?
His parents had told him this news when he turned eighteen, which explained a lot—the headaches, the sweating and the lucid, sometimes terrifying, dreams. Shape shifter parents had to declare the path for their children prior to birth, a decision not alterable until they were of age. So, given that his parents had chosen for them to be human, Nick and his younger sister Phoebe (who still didn’t know their true nature) were given special supplements from birth, called Nydor, in order to curb the full expression of their nature as shape shifters. The side effects were the sweating and extra night terrors. Ever since he found out, Nick had been adjusting his own dose, trying to get it just right, but he had yet to find the magic formula.
Finally, he reached his dorm room, dumped his backpack in the middle of the floor, kicked off his shoes and flopped on the bed. Rubbing his temples with his eyes closed, Nick’s fingertips brushed the edges of his dark, curly hairline and began to rub the back of his neck, still very tan from all the summer fun outside. Of course, he could always adjust his own skin tone if he wanted, but since he had grown up around some of these people he thought it best to stick to the norm. Besides, every use of shifting power took energy and he didn’t want to be wiped out for his first week of classes. When he had first tweaked his looks, he’d slept for a whole day afterwards. Nick’s dad, a semi-famous pianist with the symphony orchestra, had told him animal transformations—which Nick had not yet tried, could be especially difficult to learn for those who have been human for most of their life. It was easier to maintain a form once you had established the cellular structure the first time, but assuming any form for the first time was a depleting endeavor. He was still learning to pace his energy, too. It was a lot to deal with at once, in addition to going away to college for the first time, but Nick felt like he had everything pretty much under control.
Nick removed a Nydor capsule from his nightstand drawer and popped it into his mouth. Second one today—wake up and five o’clock in the afternoon. was when he usually tried to take them. He asked what would happen if he ever stopped taking them altogether and his parents had refused to answer.
“Just take them,” his mom had said. “Every day.”
A loud rapping at the door forced Nick’s bright green eyes open, and he stared at the ceiling for a moment before hearing the knock a second time. It was dark now—how long had he slept? He glanced sideways at the digital clock which read 7:45 p.m., the neon green numbers wrapped in a silver rocket ship casing. The banging on the door continued.
“C’mon, man! Time for pizza! I’m starving!” bellowed Philip to Nick through the door.
Nick and Philip had become friends when Nick came out. Though they were the same age, Philip had been sort of a mentor to him through the whole process, and they could really relate. Nick had pretended to date Philip’s sister, Abby at one point, and, most importantly now, Philip’s older brother Chadwick was a senior, and could get them beer. For the last year, Nick had spent as much time at the Mulberry house as he spent at his own, so he felt like one of the family. They weren’t shifters, of course, and they didn’t know about him. Actually, Nick didn’t know any other shifters, aside from his own parents. That part of his life was something he could not share—with anyone. He had learned to live with it, that ‘lonely-in-a-crowded-room’ feeling. What choice did he have?
Nick swung his feet out of bed and shuffled across the dark room toward the door that was exacerbating his headache, thanks to Philip incessantly pounding on it. Tripping over the backpack he’d left in the middle of the floor earlier, he finally reached the light switch, flipped it and opened the door, rubbing his eyes drowsily. His clothes were rumpled and his hair stuck straight up.
“Attractive,” Philip teased. “You better hope nobody hot sees you looking like that.”
“Yeah, like that’s my greatest concern,” Nick retorted sarcastically.
In a flash, he had showered, shaved and dressed, and the pair headed out. Walking through the halls, Nick still wondered a bit at the fact that he was here at college on his own— no parents, no rules and no curfews. No one monitoring bedtimes, music volume, wardrobe choices, or language. Some girls passed by them, smiling coyly. Once they were out of earshot, Philip looked back at them.
“Sorry honey. Not on your best day,” he chuckled at his own joke. Philip had a habit of saying whatever entered his mind, a luxury of art majors, Nick thought. Nevertheless, it was amusing most of the time, annoying some of the time and downright mean every once in a while. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick sa
w a dark shadow, which then promptly disappeared. They had just crossed the quad toward the student center when it happened a second time. Nick spun around, his heart racing, though he didn’t know why. He looked closely at the expansive area behind them, monitoring it for the slightest movement. Someone had been there, he was sure, but no one was there now. With a deep sigh, he concluded he must still be adjusting to the Nydor dosage change he had made. More side effects, great! On the plus side, the rush of adrenaline and the racing heart seemed to have cured his headache completely. He entered the party, gratefully relieved of the constant pain that plagued him nearly every day.
Abby met them there; given that she and Philip were twins, she was a freshman, too. While Philip focused on art, Abby was a dance major, and that was her whole life. With dance classes for hours every day, she was athletic and spry. The wispiness of a ballerina with the heart of a drill sergeant—that was Abby. She was a good friend, the most disciplined person Nick knew, and she was a big part of what had inspired him to go for the business scholarship.
“Hey there beauties,” Abby said, hugging them both, accompanied by double cheek kisses. “You’re both looking handsome tonight. So, how was the first day?”
“A-MAY-ZING!” Philip declared, expanding his hands over his head with unbridled enthusiasm. “Love to chat about it but, sorry, I’m starving.” With that, and clearly not sorry at all, Philip left them and made a beeline for the pizza, joining a group of fellow artists at the far table.
“My brother, the walking stomach!” Abby chimed to Nick. “So, as I was asking before we were so rudely interrupted, how was YOUR first day?”
“Pretty good,” Nick replied, “but the only professor who actually taught anything today was in Econ. That Calc guy seems like he might be tough.”
“Well, I can help you with calculus. I’m simply brilliant at it, so just let me know!” she retorted.
“Humble Abby, maybe that’s what I’ll call you from now on,” he grinned.
“How on earth can I be humble today, of all days? Is it not the day that I’ve learned that I’ll be dancing Sleeping Beauty in the spring ballet?” She was practically floating several inches off the ground.
“Seriously? That’s awesome, Ab. I was worried those all-day rehearsals, all summer long before the auditions, would be for nothing. I’m so happy for you!” Nick’s admiration and joy for his friend were genuine. It was nice to see someone in his life who could set a goal, go after it and find it actually worked out. Most people’s lives didn’t seem to work out that way, but Abby had always seemed charmed. Things just worked out for her, not just because she expected it, but also because she always had a plan. Also she worked really hard to achieve her goals.
“Oh, and I’m dancing it with this sophomore named Jared Finley. The guy is practically famous back in Colorado. Beautiful technique, super strong, like super human, so he won’t make me feel like a cow if I gain two pounds.”
“Datable?” Nick teased.
“For you, maybe,” she flipped her hair and glanced behind her at a cocoa-skinned guy from her English class. “I have my eye on someone a little… um… straighter!” She flashed the guy a grin.
“Who’s that one?” Nick inquired.
“No name yet. He was 200 people away in the back of the hall. For now I’m thinking ‘Stands with Hotness,’ is a pretty good name.” Much like her brother, she had a good chuckle at her own cleverness.
Just then, in walked Jared Finley and Nick literally couldn’t breathe for about five seconds. He had light brown hair with summer highlights on the part, dark brown eyes and the fittest, leanest dancer’s body Nick had ever seen. It was a strange moment. Nick was never one to like someone just for their looks, it was much more about the dimensions of the person—the charisma and the intangible qualities—but when Jared walked in, it was like his whole being suddenly occupied the room. It was filled with Jared’s energy, and it was intoxicating. The looks were just a happy bonus.
“That’s Jared,” Abby relayed, waving him over, and wondering why he was at a freshman party.
“Can he spell his own name?” Nick asked, half-hoping in a moment of self-defeatism that she would say no.
“I don’t know him that well yet, but I’ve heard no tales of major inbreeding. You just have trust issues. Behave!” She smiled widely as Jared arrived. “Jared, hi! I am so excited we’ll be dancing together.”
“Me, too,” Jared affirmed. He gave a cool sideways glance at Nick, but continued speaking to Abby. “That’s why I stopped by. I wanted to congratulate you in person and see if you wanted to start morning routines—like maybe at six tomorrow—to get ahead of the rehearsal schedule. I heard this choreographer is a beast.”
“Yes, I’d love to… you’re a mind reader, I was thinking the same thing. Let’s definitely start tomorrow.” Noticing Nick shifting his weight uncomfortably, she continued. “Speaking of beasts, have you met Nick?” Jared’s attention turned to Nick, who felt the man’s gaze strongly. His ears and the back of his neck began to burn. More side effects?
“Hi Nick, I’m Jared,” he said, beaming with confidence, yet he was cool and understated. Right away, Nick could see the sharp contrast to Abby’s tendency for gushing overconfidence. They would dance well together.
“Hey,” Nick replied.
“A man of few words, I can respect that,” Jared shifted his attention back to Abby. “And you… I will see tomorrow.” He half waved and was gone as quickly as he came. Abby turned an accusing eye to Nick.
“A man of few words? Since when?” she teased. Nick smiled, but revealed nothing. “Oh just admit it, you like him! You’re like another brother to me and I know all your hidden tells!”
Grabbing an iced tea from a nearby tray, Nick shrugged his shoulders and smiled, then moved off in the direction of Philip and the pizza. Looking back at the door, he caught one last glimpse of the back of Jared’s head as he left.
It wasn’t like Nick to be shy, really, but something about Jared made him hold back. What it was, he didn’t know, at least not at that moment. Later, it would become clear why he had felt fearful and he had every right to, given the events that were to transpire.
2
Nick walked across the quad with long strides, distracted by his own thoughts. Spring flower buds were just beginning to emerge on the trees, carefully planted in the quad, but since he had an eight o’clock in the morning class the early chill still prevailed, though it would later give way to the heat of the afternoon. Nick pulled down the sleeves of his long, blue shirt in an attempt to alleviate the chill on his arms. Still daydreaming, it took him a few moments to realize that the hair on his arms was standing up, and now the hair on the back of his neck was as well, but it had nothing to do with the temperature. He suddenly had a lump in his throat and a slight feeling of nausea in the pit of his stomach. Stopping cold, he listened intently, scanning the surrounding area for some explanation. The quad was nearly silent at this hour, the few other freshmen who were also stuck with 8 o’clock classes—losers in the class registration lotto from hell—shuffled along toward class in a zombie-like silence.
With a burst of energy, that only dance students with a two hour rehearsal already done could manage, Abby and Jared sprung out of the large, barracks-like building across the quad. They were over 100 yards away, too much of a detour for Nick to make this close to class, so he just waved, giving one last glance along the tree-lined horizon before turning his attention back to his friends. Jared gave him a 500 megawatt smile that made his heart skip a beat, and then they were gone. Nick took special note of the incident. Maybe I can somehow sense close friends when they approach? He pondered, still yearning for any piece of information he could glean on these abilities of his, which he was struggling to understand. Arriving at the business building, he disappeared into a sea of white sculptured concrete.
“It seemed like he sensed us,” Gideon observed, speaking to Michael, his alpha and pack leader, as they
stood around a nearby corner.
“Maybe,” Michael responded hesitantly, “If he did, he’s getting stronger.” He weighed his assessment and his words carefully, being especially cautious where Nick was concerned. He had been observing Nick for a long time now.
“It’s amazing he can sense anything with those power-dulling drugs they have him on. How can they do that to him?” Gideon responded, pushing back his long blonde hair as was his habit.
“To keep him out of the war, of course,” Isda chimed in. “Don’t you wish your parents had?”
“My parents were too busy with World War I, Isda. I’m much older than you,” Gideon reminded her.
“And mine,” stressed Michael. “Mine were evading villagers with pitchforks.” This subtle assertion of his alpha status was common within the shifter culture, it was necessary to preserve the structure and provide proper coaching to the younger pack members. This was Michael’s opinion of course, which did reflect his old-world tendencies and was regarded by his younger pack members as old fashioned. Isda, Gideon and others born after 1900, had grown up with cars, telephones and radio. These things tended to shift the openness and global view of the world. Though they had all progressed to the current times of iPhones, internet and rockets, the inner patterns of thinking that existed within Michael would still occasionally favor a more cautious approach than the pack would have liked. Still, he had more wisdom and powers, than anyone else in the pack, and there was no one even close to challenging him for the position of alpha. Secretly though, he might not have minded.
Perhaps that was why Michael was so intent on Nick. He had been observing him periodically since he was about twelve -years old, and Michael always felt there was something different, special about the young man. While he might prefer to leave him out of the war, they could afford no such luxuries.
