Deceived by the Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  Daisy had been a focal point for attacks while she was pregnant. Samson had become a symbol of the unity of the clans, being the first Elemental-Royal hybrid in hundreds of years. The malicious legions seemed to think by killing Samson before he was born would be symbolic of how peace and unity would never exist. Dozens of attempts had been made, and even a handful of close calls. In addition to the full security detail, Nyle had become consumed with his duty of protecting her, never leaving her side.

  Since Samson was born, things had settled down throughout the land. His birth had been a defeat for the rebels. Nyle feared they were concocting a new attack and wanted Daisy to transition to a dragon so she wouldn’t be defenseless in case she needed to protect herself or their son.

  Still, it didn’t make the thought of leaving her baby any easier. Samson brought her so much joy, and the thought of missing even a day of his infancy made her want to cry. To leave him with an unknown return date felt torturous.

  Nyle’s nose brushed against her cheek. “I promise, everything will be just fine. My mom and Erasina will be caring for Samson, and you know they are both amazing with him. There’s plenty of guards on duty. I even have a couple of guards whose only job until we return is transporting breast milk from us to the palace.”

  She couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of guards having to do milk runs. It was a funny to imagine two big and muscular guards having to protect a cooler of breast milk. She was starting to feel a little better about leaving, knowing Nyle made sure every base was covered. Asalei and Erasina really were wonderful with Samson, so she knew she didn’t have to worry about him being neglected or in danger.

  Daisy had cultivated a strong relationship with Nyle’s mother and sisters, except for Maylei, who had been banished. They later learned that she was bitter that a human hybrid would outrank her and didn’t think it was fair that Daisy would be the new queen. Nyle’s mother had reconciled with Maylei and guaranteed she would no longer be a threat to Daisy. However, Nyle had guards watching Maylei’s every move to minimize the risk.

  Daisy wanted to be a full dragon, so she could relate the people in her kingdom. After rumors spread about Daisy standing up for Nyle against her own father, most of the kingdom accepted her as their queen because she proved her loyalty.

  The transformation truly had been put off for too long. Evryn had advised against doing it while she was pregnant, fearing it could inadvertently cause a miscarriage. Nyle had wanted Daisy to do it a week after Samson was born, but she pushed it off, saying he was too small to be away from his mother. Then Nyle had attempted to convince her to do it when he was three months old, and Daisy agreed to do it the week after their wedding anniversary. And there they were.

  Reluctantly, Daisy nodded and stood from the bed with Samson in her arms. Nyle kissed the baby’s head, Samson smiling up at his dad with glimmering eyes and reaching to put a tiny hand on Nyle’s cheek. A grin stretched across Nyle’s face, as he took Samson’s hand and playfully bit down on it. Samson squealed happily, drawing back his hand. He continued an act of putting his hand on his dad and waiting for Nyle to lightly bite him, then repeating, as they made their way down the corridor. Daisy never quite understood why Samson found it so funny.

  When they reached the corridor, Asalei and Cassie were waiting on them.

  “There they are,” Cassie grinned when she spotted the family. She immediately held her arms open. “Let me get my cuddles before we head out.”

  Daisy handed the baby over to her mother. Samson’s face was peppered with kisses as Cassie hugged him.

  “You’re the cutest little man I’ve ever met! Yes, you are,” she cooed to Samson.

  It warmed Daisy’s heart to see Cassie and Samson together. After Cassie had found out what Forrest had done, she begged Daisy and Nyle to forgive her. Of course they did. She had been a victim almost as much as they had.

  Forrest exploited Cassie’s emotions just to manipulate her to turn against Nyle and Daisy. Following their reconciliation, Daisy shared the news that she was pregnant. Cassie was thrilled about the news. She was an excellent grandma, or “nana” as she preferred to be called. Nyle had a strong disdain for the nickname, having a great deal of pain in his face every time he was forced to say it.

  Cassie then passed Samson to Nyle. He was an amazing father, being gentle, kind, and patient with Samson at all times. Even when Samson would cry for long periods of time for no reason in particular, Nyle never lost patience.

  It was evident that Samson loved Nyle. Every time he saw his father, his face would brighten up, and he would start trying to talk to him. Of course, it all came out as vowel sounds.

  “You behave for your grandmother and your Auntie Era,” Nyle spoke softly to Samson.

  Nyle carefully placed his son in Asalei’s arms.

  “My sweet Samson,” Asalei cooed to him, tickling his chest. “We will take good care of him,” she assured Daisy with a smile.

  “I know you will,” Daisy nodded.

  They then gave their final goodbyes to Samson and Asalei before turning to leave. Nyle put his arm around Daisy as they walked to his SUV with Cassie.

  “We’ll be back in no time,” assured Nyle.

  “I miss my Sammy already,” Daisy half-joked, pouting her lip at him.

  Nyle chuckled and traced her bottom lip. “You’re an excellent mother, Daisy. You do need a break, though. What will you do when he starts going to the academy?”

  “I don’t even want to think about that day,” she frowned. “And I don’t think I would consider making a painful transition a break. I would much rather be changing dirty diapers than growing a whole new skeletal system.”

  “I know that,” Nyle said, opening her door for her. Before he closed it, he leaned against the frame to talk to her. “Think about this as your way of protecting Samson to the best of your abilities. What if the day comes where I can’t be near you and something happens? Or, what if the attack is too big, and I can’t handle it on my own? You’ll likely extend your lifespan by decades, if not by a century. That will just give you more time with Samson. Even if we are gone for a few weeks, it will be worth it to be able to protect him for years to come.”

  Daisy smiled faintly. “You always know the right thing to say. And it’s not only about Samson. An increased lifespan means more time with you.”

  Nyle kissed the top of her head, and then pressed a soft kiss to her lips before stepping back and shutting her door.

  Cassie reached around Daisy’s seat and rubbed her shoulder. “It’ll all be fine, sweetie. I’ll be there to make sure of it.”

  Daisy squeezed her mother’s hand. Cassie was going along to help in any way that she could. She was a nurse, so her medical training could be useful. She was so glad to have her mother with them for the journey.

  ***

  The SUV came to a stop outside of a two-story brick house in the countryside. Originally, Nyle wanted to take Daisy to Virginia for the transition, knowing how much she loved it there. Samson had changed that. Neither of them were willing to be so far away from their son, so he purchased a big, but quaint, home just outside of the city. After the transition, they planned to use it as an escape to get away from the hustle and bustle of the castle from time to time.

  Nyle grabbed the bags from the back of the car before following Daisy and Cassie inside. While the women took a look around, Nyle made his way upstairs to the master bedroom. He sat their bags at the foot of the bed, keeping only one in his hold. Moving over to the dresser, he placed the bag down and began taking its contents out. Incense, towels, dried herbs, a bottle of juice, painkillers, a framed picture of Samson, and finally, the gift box that contained the elixir.

  Nyle carefully took the lid off the box, looking down at the evergreen liquid. He couldn’t imagine the discomfort and pain Daisy was about to go through. He wished he could bear it for her.

  Nyle had tried to bring anything he could that would bring her comfort. If she weren'
t breastfeeding, he probably would have brought lots of alcohol. He hoped that the herbs Evryn had given him would bring her some sort of comfort.

  He lined everything up to his liking, before moving over to the other bags. Taking Daisy’s favorite blanket out of a bag, he placed it neatly on the foot of the bed, along with a set of loose fitting clothes. Movement caught the corner of his eye, and Nyle turned to look at the door.

  Daisy walked through the door, nervous eyes shuffling around to see everything he had set up. He could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t want to start it so soon, but waiting was unnecessary.

  “The longer the wait, the longer we’ll be away from Samson.”

  Daisy nodded and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge. Nyle hoped to be able to handle the transition himself, but Cassie was downstairs in case they needed help. She sat down on the side of the bed and looked up at him with her big doe eyes. Nyle brushed the hair from her face.

  “I’ll be here with you every step of the way, okay? I won’t leave your side, even for a second.”

  Tears formed in her stormy hues. It was obvious she was scared. Nyle dragged his thumbs against her bottom lids before the tears could spill over. He inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth in a deliberate way, signaling for her to do the same. Daisy held eye contact with Nyle as she took a slow and steady breath. Nyle then strode over to the dresser and grabbed the vial. He went back to her, placing the elixir in her hand.

  “Bottoms up,” he said with a wryly smile.

  She raised the vial to her lips and closed her eyes tightly before tilting her head back and quickly draining it. Daisy instantly put her hand over her mouth, the bitter liquid threatening to come back up. Nyle grabbed the bottle of juice and handed it to her.

  “This will help with the taste.”

  Daisy took several gulps of the juice before putting it to the side. Her face was still scrunched into a disgusted expression.

  “That was disgusting. It tasted like tree bark and window cleaner or some other combination of earth and chemicals,” she grumbled, standing from the bed, and going to the bags to find her toothbrush.

  Nyle followed her as she went to brush her teeth in the bathroom, his eyes scanning all over her. He had no idea how quickly the elixir worked.

  “You may want to change as well,” Nyle suggested, wanting to make sure she was comfortable and in clothes that could expand.

  She followed his suggestion, taking off her blouse and skirt, and dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a large t-shirt. Just as she pulled the shirt over her head, Daisy’s knees wobbled and buckled out from underneath her. Nyle reached down and helped her to her feet.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, his eyes searching her for any wounds.

  “Yeah. I just felt a little weird for a second,” Daisy murmured, not yet looking at him but instead staring blankly around the room.

  “What are you looking at?” Nyle asked.

  “Everything is in threes,” she breathed. Her eyes fluttered rapidly and started to roll back. Within an instant, she was dead weight. Nyle thankfully caught her before she could collide with the ground. He brought her to the bed and draped a blanket over her. Lying down next to her, Nyle watched over her like a hawk. He hoped it wouldn’t be too painful for her and that it would be over quickly.

  ***

  Twelve Hours Later

  Daisy screamed at the top of her lungs as she woke in the middle of the night. Her entire body was in agonizing pain. It felt like her bones were trying to tear through her flesh. Sweat poured out from her body from the stress.

  She didn’t realize that Nyle was holding her at first, she was so consumed with the pain.

  “Make it stop,” Daisy sobbed, her forearms blocking her face as her body curled into a ball because of the agony.

  Nyle kept her pressed to his chest, one hand running through her hair.

  “I’m so sorry, Daisy,” he whispered. “I hope this will be over soon. You’ve already been transforming for twelve hours.”

  Twelve hours? She had been out that long? That was a blessing, she supposed, glad to have not remembered a thing from it. Maybe it would be over soon. She could only hope.

  Daisy wasn’t lucky enough to fall right back to sleep. Instead, she was awake for hours in excruciating pain. Nyle occasionally would try and give her something to help with the pain. He rubbed the herbs from Evryn into her skin. It was supposed to relieve muscle pain, but Nyle hoped that it had some sort of effect on the type of pain Daisy was experiencing. It didn’t take anything more than the edge off. The painkillers might as well have been sugar pills. Cassie had come in and tried to help, but her deep tissue massage did nothing either.

  They also tried a hot bath, but she couldn’t hold still enough to relax. She passed out for short bursts of time, only to wake up in even more pain. Daisy got to the point where she really didn’t think she could take it anymore, wanting so badly for the poison to be removed from her body and to live out the rest of her days as a human. That wasn’t an option though.

  “I want to die,” she cried, hugging her pillow to her face as she stayed curled up at the foot of the bed.

  “You don’t mean that,” Nyle said firmly, rubbing her side lightly.

  “I can’t take the pain anymore,” Daisy explained through the tears. “It’s just so constant and hurts so much. Please just make it stop. I can’t do this anymore.”

  “There’s nothing I can do, baby,” he painfully breathed. “Think of being done, though. It should come any time now. Then we’ll be able to fly around together, and you’ll be able to beat up any rebel you want. Or even Erasina when she steps out of line,” Nyle said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

  “I couldn’t beat up anyone,” Daisy sniffled. “Not unless I was protecting someone.”

  “I don’t know about that,” he grinned. “I think dragon Daisy might be a little feistier.”

  “I think you’re confusing me with your other wife named Daisy,” she grumbled, burying her face into the pillow.

  “You’re my one and only. I really don’t know if I could handle any more than that,” Nyle chuckled.

  “This isn’t helping at all, Nyle,” Daisy sounded into the pillow, making her voice muffled. He was trying to distract her from the pain with playful conversation. While it was sweet, it really wasn’t making her feel better.

  He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, love. I don’t know what else to do.”

  Daisy needed to stop crying, knowing that no matter what they did, the excruciating pain wasn’t going to go away. She was going to have to wait it out.

  “I don’t want Samson to have to go through this,” she sobbed. Samson was still one-fourth human, so he was going to have to go through the same process.

  “I don’t want him to either, but thankfully that isn’t for years and years. Since he’s less human than you, maybe it’ll take less time and be less painful,” Nyle hypothesized. He rubbed the back of her head. “I would give anything to be able to bear the pain for the both of you. I’m so lucky to have such a courageous wife.”

  “If your wife were anyone else, she wouldn’t have to go through this.”

  “Yet the universe picked you for my soulmate,” he said. “Believe me when I say Royal women couldn’t go through this. They are all spoiled and soft. They would have been on the roof trying to leap to their deaths just for it to end.”

  “That sounds very tempting,” Daisy mumbled.

  “You’re strong enough not to have to resort to that,” Nyle encouraged her.

  ***

  After another twelve hours of screaming, crying, and begging for relief, Daisy finally blacked out. She was asleep for another ten hours before Nyle gently carried her from the bed to the tub where he had drawn her a hot bath. She was drenched in sweat. He hoped giving her a bath would bring her some relief, or at the very least, make her more comfortable. Lowering her into the water, Nyle made sure that her he
ad was propped up by a small cushion on the side of the tub. Her eyes stayed closed and her body completely still as he started to wash her off.

  He noticed as he lifted her arm to scrub it, that there were faint silvery-blue markings on her skin. They were almost invisible to the naked eye, only noticeable when looking up close. They were subtle and strangely beautiful. Nyle was unable to look away as he studied them. He could recall hating the Elemental markings, thinking they were so archaic and gaudy compared to the fine, elegant swirls Royals had. Hers weren’t as thick as they normally were, just barely thicker than a vein. Oddly enough, they suited Daisy. He wondered if they would get any darker or if they would stay faint.

  Nyle carefully cradled her head as he washed her hair, loving the smell of her shampoo. Memories of late nights spent cuddling and talking always came to mind every time he caught a whiff of it. Her hair grew very long during her pregnancy. At one point, it had grown past her buttocks, but she cut it off as it was too much to handle. Her tresses now fell to her lower back.

  As he rinsed her hair, Daisy’s eyes opened.

  Nyle smiled down at her softly. “Hey. Sorry, I thought you could use a bath. I figured while you were passed out would be the best time for it, so that you aren’t wiggling all around.”

  Daisy appeared a little disoriented at first, gazing all around her as though she didn’t recognize the location. Then, a slow and brilliant smile stretched across her face.

  “I don’t feel anything.”

  “What do you mean? You aren’t in pain anymore?” Nyle asked, his own face brightening up.

  She shook her head no. Nyle helped her from the tub and pulled her into a tight hug.

  “I told you that you could do it. Now all that’s left to do is try it out.”

  Thankfully, it was the dead of night, and Cassie was likely asleep. With her body still wet from the bath, they quietly made their way downstairs and out the back door. It was a clear night, the stars and moon shining brightly in the sky. If she truly had finished her transformation, it would be a great first flight for her. They walked down into the grass.