by Maggie Walsh
“Shelby. He’s hurt and needs help.”
“Okay. Raffy and I will come now, and I’ll call for Micah to send Noah and Aaron. Let’s go,” Jesse said as he grabbed Raffy’s hand and placed his other hand on Dante’s shoulder. Then they disappeared.
As soon as they landed in the room, Jesse spotted Shelby lying in the bed and rushed over. “Micah, Dante, came to us for help. Raffy and I left with him. We are at the coven house. We need Noah and Aaron.” Jesse called to his mate through the mating link.
“We’re on it, baby. Nic grabbed Noah and Vic came for Aaron. I’m on my way,” Micah called back.
Just then, Nic appeared with Noah, and a second later Vic appeared with Aaron. They moved quickly to the bed. “So what happened to him?” Aaron asked as he went into doctor mode and placed his stethoscope in his ears, and pressed the other end to Shelby’s chest. A bright light appeared across the room and Micah, Xavier, Haven, Laylen, Christian, Bastian, and Ryland stepped through.
“We’re not sure what happened, Aaron. It was the trippiest shit, though,” Dante answered.
Jesse, Noah, and Raffy laid their hands on Shelby and closed their eyes. Then Noah began to chant.
“Is the room secured?” Micah asked.
“Yes. Until we know what the hell happened to him, I have the house on lockdown. Sasha and the other fae warriors are guarding the outside and my men are out in the hall.”
“So tell us what happened.” Dante explained everything to them as Jesse and the others continued to work on Shelby.
“So he was a fly, and Nic was watching everything through his eyes?” Haven asked, shocked.
“What the hell? I thought he was a vampire?” Christian asked.
“He is.”
“A shapeshifter,” Laylen whispered.
“What?” Micah turned to face the angel-demon.
“He’s a true shapeshifter. They are very rare. I didn’t know any of them even existed anymore.”
“So he can shift into anything?” Xavier asked.
“No, not everything. Only things that are alive.”
“I’ve heard of them, too, but I thought it was just an urban legend,” Micah added.
“I met one once. About two thousand years ago. But I thought they were all gone as well,” Dante said.
“So now what?” Bastian asked.
“Now we wait until he wakes up and see what he can tell us. Like where he’s been for all these months,” Jesse answered as he and the others moved away from Shelby.
“He’s fine now. He just needs some rest and blood. He looks like he hasn’t fed in forever,” Aaron announced.
“I wonder where he’s been and what’s happened to him,” Dale said.
“I wonder why he was looking to me for help. And how he was able to get into my brain?” Nicco whispered.
“You are the only one he ever really talked to in the coven, Nic, and he didn’t really talk to anyone but Jesse and Frank when he was working. Right, Jess?” Viktor asked.
“He stayed mostly to himself. He did share some friendly barbs with Taylor once in a while. The two of them together could give Mother Teresa a headache.” A few chuckles sounded around the room.
“I say we let the poor boy sleep, then get him some blood, then we find out what happened. At this point I don’t think we have much more of a choice,” Ryland said.
“Is Peyton still here?” Aaron asked Dante.
“Yes, he comes by three times a week to meet with Seth and once a week to meet with Sky.”
“Is he here now or at his hotel?”
“He was here earlier, but he’s gone now,” Dale answered.
“Okay. I’ll go talk to him over at his hotel. Can someone take me over there?” Aaron asked.
“What do you need the psychiatrist for, Aaron?” Viktor asked.
“Going by Shelby’s appearance, the low weight, and bruising, I would say he’s been through something pretty bad. I would just like Peyton on standby for Shelby, too, just in case.”
“I agree. Come on, Aaron. I’ll take you,” Nicco offered.
“I appreciate it, Nic, but I think you still need some rest, too. I’m not sure what all of that mind-melding, or whatever it was, with Shelby is, but you look pretty weak yourself right now. I think you would benefit from some blood and sleep, too.”
“I think Aaron is right, Nic. Go get some rest and I’ll take Aaron. I’ll stay with you while you’re there. I’m sure Raith would be happier if you had some protection,” Vic offered.
“Thanks, Viktor.” Viktor placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder and the two disappeared.
“So now we just wait, I guess,” Dare said.
* * * *
Shelby heard breathing coming from somewhere in the room he was in. He was afraid to open his eyes and see that he was still being held by his psycho father, and that coming to Nicco at the coven house had just been a wishful dream.
“It’s okay, Shelby. You’re safe now,” Nicco’s voice came to him.
Shelby slowly opened his eyes and saw that Nicco and Dante sat in chairs beside the bed he was on. His eyes met his king’s and Dante gave him a warm smile. “Welcome back. You had us all a little scared there for a while.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in my home. In Nicco’s room,” Dante answered.
“Then it was real? I really did make it here and got away from them?”
“Got away from whom, Shelby?” Dante asked in concern.
“My psycho father and his sick, twisted offspring, called my family. Fucking assholes,” Shelby huffed and tried to sit up. His body was still weak and he was having trouble. Nicco went to him and helped him to sit up against the headboard. “Thanks, Nic.”
“Anytime,” Nic said with a smile and sat back in his chair. “So how did you do it, Shel? I mean, how did you get inside my head?”
Shelby turned pink and looked down at his lap. “I’m sorry, Nic. I hate using my gift without someone's permission, but I was desperate,” Shelby explained in a guilty voice.
“It’s okay, Shelby, especially if it was that important to you.” Nic leaned forward and gave Shelby’s knee an encouraging squeeze.
“So what happened, Shelby? Where have you been, and why did you need to get away from your family?” Dante questioned.
“It was two days after Alpha Micah put the town on curfew and Jesse closed the club. I had gone out to the city to have a little fun. I was walking down the block where my old apartment was when someone jumped me from behind. I tried to fight them off but then I felt a prick in my neck.”
“They shot you with a needle?” Nic asked.
“Yeah. I don’t know what it was, but it hit me fast. One minute I was trying to bite the hand over my mouth, and then the next minute everything went fuzzy, then dark. When I woke up, I was strapped to a bed in a strange room.”
“You said you escaped from your family. Is that who took you?” Dante asked.
“Yes. My sick fucking father and my brothers took me. If you ever want to see proof of evolution going backward, just look at those dickwads.”
Dante gave a small chuckle. “So why would your family kidnap you?”
Shelby looked at Dante with fear in his eyes. He knew the time had come for him to tell the man everything. It was time for him to tell Dante who he really was. Shelby sighed heavily, then began to tell them what happened while he had been gone. After Shelby finished his story right up until the point he landed on Nicco’s window, he stopped and looked down at his lap again.
“So you’re a true shapeshifter. That means that one of your parents is, too. Is it your mother or father?” Dante asked.
“My mother. She was a shapeshifter.”
“So your dad is a vampire? And I’m guessing a pretty powerful one?” Dante asked.
“Vladimir Zharkov,” Shelby whispered. Nicco’s eyes opened wide in shock, but Dante's face turned stone-cold as he just stared at Shelby. “I’m sorry, King Dante. I’m s
orry I never told you who my family was, but I was afraid that if I did then you wouldn’t allow me in your territory or your coven. King Marco told me to keep my lineage a secret. He and Alpha Raphael didn’t trust anyone on the old council and they wanted to keep me safe.
“They met with my father over a hundred years ago to try to find out why he was trying so hard to find me, but Father just told them he was heartbroken about not being in my life for so long. They knew it was bullshit before I even said anything. King Marco and Alpha Raphael were both very smart men. They knew that if my father ever found me that I would be dead if I ever did what he wanted, so they hid me away and moved me every few years. They gave me new identities, new apartments, and new jobs. They both kept in touch with me weekly to make sure I was okay and to see if I needed anything.
“Then one day, King Marco told me he wanted me to come here to stay in your coven. He and Alpha Raphael thought it would be the safest place for me. They didn’t think my father would ever look for me in your territory, and they were right. I have always been safe here with you. My father and brothers had never come near your territory. Then King Marco and Alpha Raphael were killed and I got scared. I really did want to leave the old club I was in, but I wanted to get away from the city.
“I was sure that my father would come into your territory now that King Marco was dead and you became our king. He never liked you and never believed you should be king. He figured because he is the oldest living vampire that it is his right to be king now, not you. So when you told me about Alpha Micah’s club, I knew that’s where I needed to go. There was no way my father would ever link me to the Angel Pack and he would never look for me there, and I was right, but I stupidly went back to my old neighborhood and that’s when they grabbed me.”
“Besides being a true shapeshifter what else is there, Shelby?” Dante asked. His face remained blank, but his eyes were beginning to glow red.
“I-I want to tell you, King Dante, but you have to understand something. I have been keeping my true identity a secret for so long, and what I can do, that it’s hard for me to tell anyone. Only King Marco and Alpha Raphael knew who and what I am and they never betrayed me. They always did whatever they had to do to keep me safe and hidden.”
Dante’s face softened when he heard the fear and desperation in Shelby’s voice. “I hope you know that you are just as safe with me as you were with my father, Shelby. Even if he and Alpha Raphael hadn’t known about you and protected you, I would protect you. Haven’t I always since the day you joined my coven?”
“Yes, King Dante,” Shelby quickly answered. “You have always protected me and been good to me. Your coven has been the first place that I have ever felt like I was home. I wanted to come to you and tell you everything. Honestly, I was struggling with the idea because I have kept it secret for so long, but I had decided I needed to tell you. Then the club closed down and so much was going on with the new council and I lost my nerve. Part of the reason why I headed into the city that night was to come to you and tell you everything, but I never made it to you.”
“I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all of this, Shelby, and I promise you that I and the council will go after your father and brothers for the crimes they committed against you. I promise that we will keep you safe, but I want you to know one thing first before you tell me everything. I want you to know that whatever you tell me will be shared with Micah and Jesse, as well as my mates. If Micah believes it is something that the rest of the council needs to know, I will discuss it with him and you, and then we will tell the council. This council can be trusted, Shelby, I promise you.”
“I know I can trust you, King Dante, and I know I can trust Alpha Micah and Jesse. If you all say that the new council can be trusted then that’s good enough for me.”
“I’ll go get you some more blood while you two talk,” Nicco offered and stood.
“No, Nicco. Please stay. I want you to know everything, too.”
“Are you sure, Shel?”
“Yes. You’re the only friend I have had in a long time and I trust you.” Shelby gave him a shy smile and Nicco returned it. He sat back down and waited for Shelby to tell them the rest.
Shelby drew in a deep breath, then slowly released it. He looked up and met Dante’s eyes. “I am a vampire and a true shapeshifter, but that’s not all. You know how the wolves have Omegas?” he asked and waited for Dante and Nicco to nod. “Well, shapeshifters have Omegas, too, but instead of Omega we are called clairvoyants. There are only two other true shapeshifters left in the world that I know of and they stay hidden from the rest of the world, and neither of them are clairvoyants. I am the only one left in existence.”
“So what does that mean, Shelby? You have the same powers as Omegas?” Nicco asked.
“Yes and no. I can look at someone and shift into them, also taking their gifts, but I don’t have Omega powers of my own. Well, not like Omegas get. My gifts are my being able to shift into any living thing and taking on their gifts, as well as being able to mind-meld with anyone, but I can also…” Shelby stopped and swallowed hard.
“What, Shelby?” Dante asked.
“I can see all living things’ auras. I can tell if a living thing is good or evil by their aura, but I...I can see fate lines,” Shelby whispered.
“What?” Dante said loudly in shock.
“Fate lines? What does that mean?” Nicco asked in confusion.
“It means that I can look at someone and see their life lines as well as their fate lines. If I follow that line I can see how long someone will live and I can also see where their fate line goes.”
“Meaning what?” Nicco asked in awe.
“Meaning Shelby can see who someone’s true mate is,” Dante whispered. Shelby nodded at Dante and his face got a sad look. He bit the inside of his cheek and looked down.
“So you can tell me who my mate is?” Nicco asked, surprised.
Shelby’s head shot up and he stared at Nicco with horror in his eyes. “See, this is why King Marco and Alpha Raphael kept me hidden. This is why I don’t tell anyone. Now you want me to find your mate for you, and if I refuse then you will be angry with me and not want to be my friend anymore. I have to go,” Shelby announced and threw the covers from his legs as he jumped from the bed.
Dante stood and gently grabbed his arm, stopping him. “You’re staying right here, Shelby, where you are safe and protected, and don’t have to worry about anyone trying to make you do something you don’t want to do. You have my word,” Dante promised.
“But, Nicco―”
“I would never make you do anything, Shelby. I hope you know that.” Nicco cut him off.
“But you said―”
“I said it because I was shocked about learning someone could do that, but I wouldn’t make you find my mate for me. It’s up to fate for us to find our mates. Fate will send my mate to me or me to him when the time is right.”
“Is that why your father and brothers took you, Shelby?” Dante asked as he motioned for Shelby to sit on the bed.
“Yes. My father believes that if he has his true mate then his powers will grow and he will be able to defeat you and take over the throne, but he also wants me to find my siblings their true mates. He thinks that finding a true mate makes your powers stronger and that you develop new powers. So he wants me to find all their mates so that it will make the family stronger for when they take over your place.”
“Idiots,” Nicco huffed.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Shelby said and rolled his eyes. “My father is pretty smart, but my siblings, well, that’s another story. Let me put it this way, they are the genius minds that come up with ideas like a screen door on a submarine, or an inflatable dartboard, or a book on how to read. My sister once spent six hours looking for any key on the computer keyboard. She finally gave up and called customer service to ask them where it was. I’m sure the poor guy on the other end of the phone had a hell of a laugh after that one.”<
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Nicco and Dante both began to laugh as Shelby described his brothers and sisters. “My brother Vlad is so stupid that when he went to a movie and saw that it said NC-17, he went home and tried to find sixteen friends to go with him.”
“Oh my god.” Nicco laughed.
“They can’t be that bad.” Dante laughed.
“Oh no, trust me, they’re worse.”
“So we need to keep you out of sight. I’ll have Dale get the guest room ready for you and I’ll have Ryland post two of his fae guards on you at all times,” Dante said.
“Thank you, King Dante.”
“Shelby, it’s Dante, just Dante.”
“I―”
A loud explosion suddenly rocked the house, cutting off what Shelby was about to say. “What the fuck was that?” Dante yelled as he stood.
Viktor suddenly appeared in the room. He was covered in black soot and his clothes were ripped in places. “We’re being attacked. Sasha, Colby and the others are out front using their powers to fight back against the attackers.”
“Who is it?” Dante headed for the door.
“It’s my father. I just know it,” Shelby said in a voice full of fear.
“How do you know?” Nicco asked as he headed for the door behind Dante.
“Because I know he will stop at nothing to get his hands on me. He probably sent my brothers here to collect me and damage you as much as they could.”
“He’s right, Dante. I saw Vlad Zharkov.”
“You know my brother?” Shelby asked, surprised.
“It is my job to know who people are, especially ones who could be a threat to us someday,” Viktor explained.
“Nicco, take Shelby and bring him to Micah. Shelby, Micah and the pack will keep you safe. I’ll be over as soon as we deal with these motherfuckers,” Dante ordered. “Where are my mates?”
“Dare put Dale in the safe room and then headed out to help the guards,” Viktor explained as the two of them left the room.
“Come on, Shel. Let’s get you to the Alpha Prime.” Nicco grabbed Shelby’s hand and they disseminated.
* * * *
