by Olivia Gayle
Sometimes, it really sucked being old.
Aidan’s thoughts turned to Ever. He knew his mother could fend for herself, but too much was going on at the moment for Aidan to think anyone was safe. Especially not a human surrounded by shifters. He should be by her side in case anything happened, in case…
“You coming?”
His father’s voice brought him back to the present. The burning need to be with Ever warred with the desire to figure out what was causing such uncharacteristic chaos within their community. Marshall just watched him placidly, no emotion showing on his face.
Aidan blew out a breath. He trusted his mother to keep Ever safe. The sooner they figured out what was happening, the better. Maybe they could figure it out and be done with it by the time he went to get her again.
One could hope, at least.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Men are idiots.”
The phrase seemed to be the older woman’s mantra; she’d said it three times already since Ever had climbed into her car.
Of course, Ever agreed with her completely, so she didn’t mind it being repeated. Repeatedly. With much repeat.
She grinned at the thought, then frowned, peering curiously down into her coffee mug curiously. What had the other woman put in her tea?
“Don’t worry, I didn’t drug you.” Eleanor bustled around the kitchen. “I just always wished someone had given me a nice strong hot toddy when they explained the world of Shifters to me.”
Ah. Ever raised her cup. “More please?”
The older woman’s laughter bounced off the walls of the small room. “Coming right up. So, what do you want to know?”
“Everything.” For now, Ever was content to watch the other woman. “Thanks for rescuing me, by the way.”
“I know how the men in this town can be.” Eleanor busied herself putting away some dishes. “Calling them overprotective can be an understatement. All right.” She grabbed a teakettle and the bottle of Jack, and sat down with Ever at the kitchen table. “How strong do you like it?”
Ever grinned. She really liked this woman. “However strong you did it last time. I didn’t even notice the alcohol.”
“Coming right up.” Eleanor refilled the mug, then added a dash of both honey and Jack to the mix. “You’ll be fine as long as you don’t let it get cold.”
The mug steamed in her hand, smelling good, but Ever still held off on taking another sip, just stirring slowly. She wasn’t sure where to start with her questions. “Where’s Derek?”
“He left to track your sister right after you and Aidan left.” She added a very liberal helping of Jack to her own tea and glanced at the clock. “He keeps a satellite phone on him in a pack around his neck. If he finds anything, he’ll call it in.”
Ever sipped her tea thoughtfully, not sure how to ease in to this conversation. “How old are you?”
“You should know, my dear, that a woman never reveals her age.” Her lips tipped up into a grin. “But if you’re asking how long I’ve been a shifter, I’d say around a hundred and sixty years or so.”
Ever absorbed this, taking a large gulp of her tea. “What do you change into?”
“Ah, here’s where it gets tricky.” The other woman leaned forward. “How much do you know about the Change itself?”
“Nothing. I mean, I only just found out about you all yesterday.”
Eleanor nodded. “Basically, everybody’s Change is different. A child of two shifters may not end up being the same animal as either of its parents. It’s dictated more on the personality of the person, the core of them, as to what they will shift into.” She sighed, sipping her tea. “Then there’s me. I’m a chimera, able to shift into anything I can picture.”
“So pretty much everyone else can only change into one species of animal?”
“Yes.”
Ever absorbed that piece of information. “Aidan said you were attacked by a rogue shifter.”
“Yes. I should have died from my wounds, but got lucky enough for the Change to take over instead.”
“How rare are chimeras?”
“Very. With the ability comes great power, and within this community great responsibility. There are only two others I know about: Marshall, who you’ve met, and a woman who runs the Shifter sanctuary, Refuge. Nadine has the power of clairvoyance; she can see the future, or at least aspects of it. Marshall is telekinetic, or something similar; he can manipulate Shifters to obey his commands.”
“What about you? What’s your power?”
“I can calm even the angriest of souls.” She sighed. “Maybe that’s why Marshall and I did so well together for so long.”
Hearing the Brahm’s name made Ever think of another question, one that had been plaguing her. “Aidan told me you and his father were together for years. What changed?”
Eleanor sighed, leaning back in her chair and staring at a point behind Ever. “Basically? I met Derek, and knew instantly that he was my mate.”
Ever frowned. “Just like that?”
Lines puckered the other woman’s forehead. “There was no ‘just like that’ when it came to leaving Marshall. In fact, I resisted the urge for several years because I thought I was already in love.”
“Really?”
Eleanor nodded. “You have to understand, I’d already been with Marshall for nearly a century. He’d been the one to save me, and there was chemistry between us. I thought I was in love, even if the man himself was insufferable at times. You’ll learn that it’s a common trait amongst male shifters. And then…”
She trailed off, the furrow between her eyes deepening. “Then I met Derek, and suddenly everything was different. It scared me, I won’t lie. One minute I was in a perfectly good relationship with a man I admired, and the next I couldn’t stop drooling over this newcomer. Derek has family who were long-time residents of Arcadia, but I had never met him before he moved here.”
Ever waited a moment, but the other woman seemed lost in her memories. “How did Marshall take it?”
That seemed to snap the older woman back to the present. “I denied it to myself for a long while, but he’d always been a perceptive one. Derek was patient too, didn’t try to stake a claim like many males would. It literally took years of me avoiding Derek before Marshall finally confronted me.”
“What did you do?”
“I denied it.” Her mouth turned down slightly. “You don’t lie to the Brahm, but I didn’t know what to do. Marshall was—is—a good man, but living as long as he has brings with it ghosts. He’s a man of honor who always tries to do right by everyone, even if it means sacrificing something for himself. His sons take after him that way.” She lifted a shoulder. “So he kicked me out of the house.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup. I wasn’t going to leave him any other way.” A reluctant smile tipped one corner of her mouth, reminding Ever of Aidan. “Oh, he was pretty rude about it too. Said some things that, for years afterwards, made me pissed off every time I looked at him. That anger’s faded with time, however, and I know he was doing what he thought best.”
She looked out the window sadly. “Afterwards though, he shut down. Doesn’t leave that giant house much anymore. He’s become more of a hermit than a community leader. I think he wanted a mate so badly, he convinced himself that was us until Derek came into the picture. I think he still cares for me; he’s gone out of his way for my twins before, giving them privileges most residents around here don’t get.”
Ever shivered. “I don’t know if I could do it,” she murmured, gripping her mug tightly. “I hate that there’s no choice in who you love.”
“Oh, honey.” Eleanor reached out and took a seat beside Ever, grasping the younger woman’s hand. “There’s always a choice. Just because the chemistry is there doesn’t mean you have to act on it.”
“You did.” She didn’t realize how her words sounded until they were already past her lips. Ever looked away. “I’m sorry, that was a low
blow.”
“No, it’s a valid point, but you know what? I adore my husband. Did you know that Marshall and I never officially married? At the time, I didn’t think about it, but now I wonder if we both always knew our relationship was temporary. With Derek, we didn’t even last a year together before we rang those wedding bells as loud as possible.”
“But how is it a choice?” Ever couldn’t wrap her brain around it. “How is it not some biological imperative you can’t fight?”
“My daughter would like you.” Eleanor sipped her tea, not breaking eye contact with Ever. “A modern girl through and through. She and Davis are my youngest, twins with my Derek. You know she left town to get away from the man who would be her mate because she didn’t actually like him?”
“I did hear something like that, although the fight broke up the details.”
“My baby, Anna, is my youngest and probably about your age. She felt that ‘biological imperative’ on someone she couldn’t stand, so left town.”
“Good for her.”
Eleanor smirked. “I’m proud of her. She’s blossoming away from home, able to have her own life.” She looked at Ever. “Just because you feel insta-lust for someone doesn’t mean you have to go through it. Some people need to grow up before they get a mate, and Julian Murphy is a prime example. Anna didn’t feel the need to fix anyone—that’s their job, not hers—so she left to go her own way.”
Outside, the dogs began baying, loud barks that echoed. Eleanor frowned, turning to look out the kitchen window at the kennels. “Stay here,” she said, standing up, “I’m going to see what has them riled.”
Ever sipped her tea again, gazing around the small room. She hadn’t been inside the house before, but it felt just as homey as Aidan’s house, and she wondered if his mother had helped him decorate. Standing up, she looked at the family pictures on the wall, and help but notice how old some of the photographs were. There were none of Aidan any younger than he was now, but he was in a few, including one where he carried a pair of children on his back. He was laughing along with the two kids, who Ever guessed were the twins Eleanor had talked about.
It was a good picture of him, and seeing his laughter made Ever’s heart ache. He really was a good man, she could see that in everything he did. Ever wanted to think that, even if she’d met him as a human with no “mating” urge, she’d still be attracted to him just as much.
But she couldn’t be sure, and that tore her up inside.
The dogs were still baying, but their was a sharpness to their bark now. Ever peered down the hallway that Eleanor had disappeared down, then headed that direction toward the back door. The sound of the dogs was much louder back here, and Ever peeked her head outside.
Her heart sped up when she saw the two men. The shortest had Aidan’s mother slung over one shoulder, holding her casually as if she didn’t weigh a thing. They were both watching her, malicious smiles on their faces, as if they’d been waiting for her to come out.
Shifters. She would have bet money on it. There was a feral quality to their smiles, as if their canines were too long for human mouths.
“Little human,” one said in a high pitched sing-song voice, “oh little human, come out and pla-ay.”
The sound sent shivers up Ever’s skin, and she swallowed a whimper. Everything inside Ever was telling her to run, to get away from these men, but she forced herself to stay rooted in place. What did they say, never run from a wild animal?
“What do you want,” she asked, her voice shaky.
Their grins widened and they just stared at her. The voice clamoring in her head to get out of there pronto escalated to a scream, but she stayed put. When one of them stepped forward, it took everything in her not to move away. Her chin trembled but she maintained her stance.
Until he Shifted, his body curling in on itself and face elongating, and between one moment and the next a giant hyena took the man’s place.
The sudden change spooked Ever enough that she started backwards, only to trip over the threshold. She fell onto her backside, then screamed as the animal lunged, grabbing her arm with its mouth and shaking.
Pain blossomed, stealing her breath. She smacked at the large head but almost as quickly as he’d attacked, the hyena fell back. Ever stared at her arm and the torn flesh in horror.
“It’s been a while since I had a good chase.” The other man licked his lips, setting the unconscious Eleanor onto the ground. “I’d like a taste too.”
Panic rose in Ever’s throat as she cradled her mangled arm against her. When he started to shift, going down onto all fours, Ever gave up on being strong.
She ran, tearing through the house, and the two Shifters followed, cackling madly.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“So take all the shittiest shit you can think of a man, and funnel it into your dude Hendrix.”
Davis Landry’s excitement at being part of their mission was palpable even through the tinny speakerphone. The younger man had been given free reign by the Brahm to hack anything he wanted if it would answer the questions. Marshall’s primary objective at the moment was to figure out the inside threat to their town; to that end, they were at Kevin Reynolds house trying to figure out what had caused the boy to snap.
Marcus’ voice came from the bedroom. “I found a computer. Wow, big set up too.”
“Sweet. Hook in with that USB drive I gave to you.”
“Tell me what you found on him,” Marshall said as Marcus began fiddling with the computer tower.
“Oh, there’s a file on your boy. He’s pissed off enough people to have a record, but it’s the other stuff he’s doing that’s more fascinating. For that, you gotta read between the lines.” Davis sounded smug. “Fortunately, you’ve got me and I’m just that good.”
“Tell me about the property first.”
“One-oh-one-six Route Fifteen was purchased with cash six months ago.” A few mouse clicks and an aerial photo was pulled up on one of the top monitors. “Contained a cabin with barely a footpath for access at time of purchase.” The image changed slightly. “Note the two large steel buildings and an airstrip now showing at the far end.”
“Someone’s been busy,” Marshall murmured. “Okay, tell me what we know about Hendrix.”
“Like I said, your boy’s got a record. He was part of the Portland pack until he was kicked out two years ago for sedition. Also suspected of raising his ranks illegally by taking humans and turning them against their will, although this was never proven.”
“What about the northwestern Brahm?”
“Wasn’t informed until after Hendrix had already escaped and taken his group with him. No action was taken. He laid low for a while, off the radar, but I was able to track his movements east by monitoring his known followers.”
“And Hendrix himself?”
“He’s described as charismatic and powerful, although there’s no mention of any actual abilities aside from regular shifter strength.” Davis had a habit of speaking fast, as if he had to get the words out before he forgot them. “Apparently he wanted a shifter-centric religion so decided to make one himself, focused around the “goddess” Luna, a chimera. The reigning Alpha didn’t like the competition, saw your boy as a challenge. Hendrix took eighteen people with him from the Portland pack but, from what I’m seeing here, sounds like there’s more working for him now.”
“Okay,” Marcus called from the bedroom, “I’ve got your thing installed, try booting up now.”
“Hang on to your socks.” Tapping sounds came from the phone, and Aidan could almost imagine his brother’s fingers flying over his keyboard. “Well, I can say this just based on the programs he had installed: your boy fancied himself a hacker, although he had nothing near my leet skills.”
Leet skills? Sometimes Aidan thought he and his younger brother spoke entirely different languages.
“Looks like he got into Coelho Construction and got your girl’s house demolished. Pretty elaborate ruse actu
ally; the company did three inspections beforehand to be sure, and seemed to think they filed the right paperwork.”
“So,” Aidan said, glancing at his father, “you think Kevin was our mole?”
Marshall shook his head. “Someone had to be coaching him on what to do. Nick Coelho’s construction company is aboveboard; he’d rather lop off an arm than screw up like that.”
“Yeah, found some emails already that point to an outside source. Running a trace on them now?”
“What about the girl, the sister Sonya? What do we know about her?”
“Already gotcha there boss. Normal human girl, twenty-six years old. Was adopted by her first foster family, went to college to be a veterinarian but didn’t finish the post-graduate stuff. Worked at a vet’s office as a vet tech up until four months ago when she somehow tangled up with our guy. Her folks filed a missing persons report three days ago, right before her sister rolled into town. She was friends with a couple coworkers based on her social media stuff and—well now, that’s interesting. One of those friends seemed to have fallen in with an “interesting crowd” as she puts it and started subtly posting about werewolves and Shifters.”
The phone vibrated with a text, and Marshall picked it back up. Aidan peered over his father’s shoulder as he pulled up a picture of a laughing girl. Aidan could see the resemblance immediately; even with the short hair and rounder features, she looked so much like his mate. The sudden urge to go find her, just to make sure she was okay, came over him and he had to tamp it down.
She was safe, at least for now. He trusted his mother and Derek to watch over her, and would see her in a few hours, hopefully after taking care of the situation brewing near their borders.
