Deceived by the Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  The last eight months had been the best and strangest time of his life. Since leaving his clan, things had been normal. There wasn’t constant drama or any scandals surrounding him. Daisy and Nyle had moved out of the Royal territory to a house in northern Virginia. If Nyle could have done things his way, he would have relocated to the west coast; but Daisy wanted to stay within driving distance of her mother. He didn’t mind, though. They had the privacy they needed for him to shift into his dragon form and take to the sky at night. And while vacationing was nice, Nyle already missed their home, where they could be themselves, living each day in a secluded paradise.

  Pulling into the driveway of the house, Nyle’s internally questioned why a black town car was parked outside. Pulling in behind the car, Nyle noticed the plate was from New York state, and his eyes darkened. Someone from his clan must have found him.

  “Who else is here?” Cassie asked from the backseat.

  Nyle’s eyes swiftly scanned around the yard until his eyes found a familiar face sitting on the porch.

  “Just an old friend,” he muttered, climbing out of the car.

  What in the world was Evryn doing there? He waited for Daisy and Cassie to get out of the car before leading the way to the porch.

  “Hello, Nyle. Daisy,” Evryn greeted as the group approached. His eyes then fell on Cassie. “And I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you.”

  Daisy’s mother stepped forward and extended a hand. “I’m Cassie Maddow, Daisy’s mother. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Evryn, and the pleasure is all mine,” Evryn smiled to her. He stood from the wicker chair. “I hate to disturb you all, but I was hoping I could have a chat with you, Nyle.”

  He studied Evryn’s face, trying to get any sort of hint as to why he would crash their vacation. Evryn shook his head. With Cassie present, Nyle wasn’t going to get an answer.

  “Very well,” Nyle muttered, getting the keys out to unlock the door. They moved through the modern home and to the back deck that overlooked the ocean.

  Daisy squeezed Nyle’s hand, giving him a concerned look. She had every right to be worried. They had been gone for nearly a year and never once heard a peep from Evryn or anyone else in the clan. Who knew what was going to come of Evryn seeking Nyle out.

  He kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you and your mom go down to the water and hang out for a while, and when you guys get back, we’ll have cake?”

  “That sounds like a splendid idea,” Cassie smiled as she opened and emerged from the back door.

  She walked right up to her daughter and hooked arms with her, walking her down the porch. Daisy glanced back, her eyes burning with worry, but then turned back to talk to her mother.

  Nyle walked over to the small tiki bar that was on the deck and poured himself a scotch. He then joined Evryn, sitting down in a padded chair with his drink in his hand.

  “Looks like the year has been kind to you,” Evryn commented. “You seem jubilant.”

  “I am,” Nyle stated, his eyes going to the ocean. He idly watched as Daisy and her mother stood on the sand and looked at the small waves, giggling, and chatting happily. “What is this about? I have been extremely careful with the finances; nothing should be traceable back to me.”

  “It isn’t about that.” Evryn shook his head.

  “Then what is it about?” he challenged.

  Nyle hated that he had to be so callous to an old friend, but he wasn’t comfortable with Evryn showing up out of the blue during Cassie’s birthday celebration.

  “I wish I could say it was just a friendly visit,” Evryn sighed. “It’s your father…”

  Nyle’s chest tightened, guilt flooding his veins. “He has not… has he?” he asked in a whisper.

  He couldn’t even bring himself to ask if his father was dead. Thalydias had been ill for quite some time, and Nyle always knew the day would come. He just never thought he would be so far away when it happened.

  “No… not yet,” Evryn admitted. “The clan doctors say he’ll be lucky if he makes it a couple more days. He’s on his deathbed, Nylyrias.”

  “What of it?” he replied coldly, though pain swarmed his honey hues.

  Surely Evryn hadn’t traveled all that way just to tell Nyle that. It wasn’t as if Nyle could go spend Thalydias’s last days with him; his father had been the very one to banish him.

  Evryn sat up straight and wrung his hands together. “Your father has been unable to get out of bed for a couple of months now. He’s had time to reflect on all that he has done, and he truly wants to make amends with you.”

  Nyle’s face fell into a somber expression, tilting his glass back to gulp down the burning brown liquid. “What makes you think I want to see him? He exiled me because I chose love over an arranged marriage.”

  “Because you don’t want to be on your deathbed one day, regretting you never gave your father a second chance,” Evryn urged him.

  Nyle simply shook his head. “I just don’t believe he’s had a change of heart. He was a dying man when he met Daisy. He knew what he was doing.”

  “Then think of it as an old man not wanting to die thinking his son hates him,” Evryn suggested.

  Nyle’s eyes narrowed at the thoughts Evryn provoked. “There is something you aren’t telling me, Ev. What’s the real reason he wants me to come back?”

  Evryn shuffled in his seat, clasping his hands together in his lap. He was silent as he pondered what to say. “All I can say is, I would really, really encourage you to go visit him. It may be quite different than what you are expecting. You owe it to yourself, your father, and even Daisy, to try.”

  Daisy? Nyle’s interest was sparked, wondering what in the world Daisy would have to do with it. Slowly, Nyle nodded. “All right. I’ll come see him, but Daisy is coming with me.”

  Evryn smiled softly and nodded. “That’s fair enough. I arrived on your father’s jet. We are scheduled to go back first thing in the morning.”

  “Very well,” Nyle muttered.

  His face only brightened when Daisy and Cassie made their way onto the deck. Daisy was gorgeous with her beach waves and freckles coming to fruition on her shoulders. She was still as pale as the moon, but Nyle preferred her that way. Daisy was a natural beauty. Standing from his chair, he sauntered over to the women, drawing Daisy into his side.

  “About time for that cake, isn’t it?” he asked with a smile.

  They went into the house, going to the kitchen. A large bakery box sat on the island; everyone was eager to dig in. As Nyle grabbed a knife out of a drawer, movement caught the corner of his eyes. He glanced over to see Evryn swiftly walking to the front door.

  “Wait, Ev,” Nyle called over. The old man paused in his stride. “You can stay the night here if you like.”

  “Yeah! Come have some cake with us, it’s a celebration after all!” Cassie added with a dazzling smile.

  Evryn cracked a grin and paced over to the kitchen. Nyle unboxed the cake. It was a rather gaudy pastry, but as soon as Cassie laid eyes on it, she fell into a fit of laughter. Daisy had designed the cake; it was in the shape of a birdhouse and was decorated like a Rubik’s cube. Cassie had always collected strange treasures, so Daisy asked the baker to create the cake to match Cassie’s interests.

  “If only I could hang that in my living room!” Cassie laughed, giving Daisy a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  While they embraced, Nyle quickly lit the candles with his fingers since Cassie wasn’t looking. Daisy meekly led the chorus of the birthday song, blushing the entire time she sang. It was adorable to Nyle; he loved her modest nature. Once Cassie blew out the candles, Nyle served everyone a slice of chocolate cake with caramel filling.

  “So, how do you know Nyle?” Cassie asked Evryn.

  Evryn’s eyes shifted to Nyle before falling back to Cassie with a pleasant smile on his face. “I’m a dear friend of his father’s. I’ve known Nyle since the day he was born.”

  “Oh
really?” Cassie cooed, sitting on a bar stool at the island. “You must tell me all the embarrassing stories you can about the man who has stolen my little girl’s heart.”

  Evryn smirked. “Why, I would be delighted to do just that.”

  Nyle rolled his eyes, knowing Evryn was sure to have a few stories up his sleeve about his troublesome youth. When Evryn had Cassie’s full attention, Nyle pressed a hand to the small of Daisy’s back. When she looked up at him, he nodded at her to come with him outside. They snuck away from the kitchen, going right back out to the deck.

  As soon as he closed the door behind them, Daisy asked, “What’s he doing here?”

  Taking her hand, he guided her to the outdoor couch and sat her down. Taking out his cigarette case, he placed one of the aromatic herbal cigarettes between his lips and lit it. He took a deep inhale, letting the familiar earthy smoke fill his lungs before blowing it out. Picking up her legs, he draped them over his lap and let his hand explore her smooth legs. Nyle fidgeted because he didn’t want to talk about it, but he had to.

  “Our vacation is going to be cut a little short,” he admitted to her calmly. “Your mother is welcome to stay here as long as she wants, and her flight is still booked to leave in a couple days, but we have to go back to New York.”

  Daisy’s expression carved into a mixture of confusion and concern. “Why? What’s going on?” she asked softly.

  Nyle took another deep inhale of his cigarette, trying to find the courage to say the words. Long ago, he had convinced himself he was already prepared for the day his father died. How could he be if he couldn’t even bring himself to say the words?

  “It’s my father,” he finally said, a cloud of smoke leaving his mouth as he spoke.

  Daisy scooted closer to him, her legs still over his. “What about him?” she asked tenderly, taking his hand in hers.

  Nyle nervously chewed his lip, flicking the ashes from his cigarette to the side. “The doctors said he only has a short time to live. Apparently, he wants to speak with me before he passes.”

  Daisy looked more upset than Nyle, tears already collecting in her stormy blue-gray eyes. He wondered if he should have been crying or if he was a monster for not. Nyle definitely felt something strange about his dad’s impending death. Maybe it was twisted with denial; he wasn’t sure. There was a hollow feeling in his chest, and his tongue became dry and tied every time he tried to talk about it, but he wasn’t close to tears.

  “I’m so sorry, Nyle,” Daisy breathed, sitting up and hugging his neck.

  He held her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair. Even though she had been swimming in the ocean, he could still smell a hint of her jasmine and honeysuckle shampoo. Everything about her calmed his senses—especially feeling her so close. Daisy had velvety smooth skin that he swore was addictive, and simply holding her soothed any woe he had.

  “It’s okay,” he muttered into her hair. “I knew this day was coming sometime.”

  “Doesn’t mean it’s easy,” Daisy rebutted, nuzzling her face into the side of his neck.

  That’s the truth, Nyle thought. “I want you to come with me to the palace to see him for the last time,” he said in a low voice.

  Daisy peeled back enough to look him in the fast. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Daisy asked, hesitation in her voice.

  She was worried about his family getting upset with her being there and thought there would be less tension if she wasn’t present. She didn’t realize that he didn’t care about any of that.

  “I need you with me,” he admitted to her, looking deep into her eyes.

  Nyle didn’t feel weak at all in admitting he wanted the comfort of his lover. Daisy was his other half; it would be even harder on him to be apart from her while coping with his father’s death. If his family made Daisy feel unwelcome, then they would just leave. He was exiled, after all.

  She nodded in response, “Okay, when do we leave?”

  Nyle deflated, glad she agreed so easily to make the trip. He shouldn’t have expected anything less from her, knowing she had the biggest and kindest heart. Even if the trip was uncomfortable, she was willing to bear it for his sake.

  “We fly out first thing in the morning,” he informed her.

  They then sat in silence as Nyle finished his cigarette, holding Daisy to his chest. He couldn’t get his father off his mind, wondering what he was going to say to Nyle—if it would be one last slap in the face, or perhaps an olive branch. A nagging, aching feeling gnawed at his bones, but he couldn’t place the emotion.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Daisy was reluctant to let go of her mother that morning. She didn’t want to face Nyle’s family again and would have preferred to stay in the Keys with her mother. However, she needed to be with Nyle and would never expect him to go through his grieving alone.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay down here all by yourself?” Daisy asked her mom with a pouting expression on her lips. She didn’t like the thought of leaving her mother states away from home.

  “I’m forty-two, Daisy. I’ll be just fine,” Cassie assured her, giving her one last kiss on the cheek. She then stepped to Nyle, throwing her arms around him, “I’ll be thinking about you and your family,” she whispered to him.

  Daisy’s mother had lost both of her parents and knew all too well the sting of a loss, but also knew apologies and coddling weren't what he needed to hear.

  “Thank you, Miss Maddow,” Nyle replied, hugging her back and then standing straight.

  “Please, you know you can call me Cassie,” she corrected. “You guys be safe traveling home. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Daisy waved goodbye to her mother as they walked to Evryn’s car. Putting their bags in the trunk, Daisy and Nyle slid into the back seat. A brief moment of panic always surged through Daisy when she got into the backseat of a car after the accident Mylora had caused. Her eyes shifted out to the reflections of both mirrors, as though to look for Mylora’s powder-blue antique car. It was never there, and it never would be. Nylyrias caught word that his father basically locked her up and threw away the key. They didn’t want her getting out and telling the kingdom that Nyle was with a human.

  Her head fell onto Nyle’s shoulder as they rode to the airstrip. Nyle was uncharacteristically quiet, but with good reason. Daisy wanted to give him his space and time to process his emotions about his dad dying. However, she also wished she knew what was going on in his head. Thalydias and Nyle had their problems, but they were still father and son. Nyle must have been confused, not even comprehending the complex emotions going on his head.

  Over the months Daisy and Nyle spent together, she learned that at one point, Nyle had a good relationship with his mother and father. Thalydias was strict and close-minded, but loving and proud. It was only when Thalydias fell sick that a strain began in their relationship because they started to push for Nyle to get married. She hated even thinking about the topic; it made her heart ache to know just how close he came to marrying another woman.

  It wasn’t long before they arrived at the airstrip. A lone jet was parked there, the La Flamme Corporation logo on the side of it. Daisy’s stomach churned. It felt like a lifetime ago since she walked the halls of the company building.

  Daisy met Nyle at the headquarters of La Flamme Corporation when she worked for Winslow Events. She helped plan an event for Nyle’s company, but instead resigned from Winslow Events to run away with Nyle.

  It had been a scary and invigorating step to leave her job to be with a man she just met, but she hadn’t regretted it once. It went without saying that her mother had been furious at the time and had held quite a grudge against Nyle for taking her daughter to Virginia. After a few months, Cassie relaxed and started to trust Daisy’s judgment a little more. After all, Daisy was extremely happy.

  Evryn, Nyle, and Daisy boarded the plane. Plush burgundy couches and recliners lined the walls of the aircraft with fluffy white pillows on them. They sure like to
stick to a particular color scheme, Daisy thought to herself. Nyle’s clan decorated everything in burgundy, gray, and hues of white. Even Nyle was a little guilty of it, but he ventured into other palettes.

  As they walked over to a couch and sat down, Daisy noticed the flight attendants toward the back of the plane. They both had ash blonde hair and yellow-gold eyes, a dead giveaway that they were Royals as well.

  Daisy immediately felt uneasy, but forced her eyes away and looked down at her lap. They didn’t know her; they might have thought she was just some human girl Nyle was seeing. It was hard to tell, but it was enough to completely unnerve her. After Mylora and Thalydias’s reaction to Nyle and Daisy being together, she was, for a good reason, paranoid that people would be violently opposed to her relationship with Nyle. However, Evryn was all the proof she needed to know that not everyone thought the same as Mylora and his father.

  As the plane sped down the runway, Daisy held tightly to the arm of the couch and Nyle’s hand.

  His nose brushed against her cheek. “You aren’t afraid of flying, are you?”

  Daisy rolled her eyes, looking up at him. “Not at all. Just used to a smoother ride.”

  Nyle let out a throaty chuckle, relaxing back into his seat. His long fingers drifted through her hair. “Why don’t you get some more sleep? I’m thinking it’s going to be a long day.”

  “I’m fine,” Daisy insisted. She didn’t want to sleep and leave him alone with his thoughts.

  “What else are you going to do on a three-hour flight?” Nyle questioned.

  “Bother you I suppose,” Daisy shrugged.

  “As if you could ever bother me,” Nyle snorted. “You really should try and get a nap or something, Daisy Doll.”

  The little pet name never failed to make her lips curl into a smile. Even though it was mildly cheesy, it was just so cute. When he had first called her the name, Daisy had replied by oh-so-cleverly calling him Nyle Narwhal. It had been the only noun to come to her mind that started with the same letter as his name. She still hadn’t quite lived down the goofy comment.