Secret Energy (Shifters Book 2)

by Kat, Chris T.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when Peter showed up with their food and even managed to choke down his sandwich, though he tasted nothing. He stole a sideways glance at Jay. It confirmed his suspicion—Jay only ate because Tim urged him on.

  “Eat,” Peter ordered when Robin pushed crumbs around on his plate.

  “I did.”

  “You ate a third of a sandwich. You need to eat more if you want to ride.”

  “I—”

  “This is not up for discussion,” Peter cut him off.

  Robin glared at Peter, knowing he meant well. Still, Peter’s tone irked him.

  “Peter?” Tim addressed Peter. “Can I give you some advice? From one overly protective and possessive ass to another?”

  Peter choked on his food. After several attempts at clearing his throat, he succeeded. “I don’t refer to myself in such words.”

  “Anyway, I’ll give you some free advice. Don’t act so patronizing all the time. Even if Robin is much younger than you, he doesn’t deserve to be treated like a child.”

  “I don’t treat him as a child. I make sure he’s sufficiently nourished.”

  Tim blinked before he said to Robin, “What did he just say?”

  All his annoyance blown away by Tim’s horrified expression, Robin chuckled. “That’s what I’ve been asking myself several times every day.”

  “His way of speech would make me crazy,” Tim said, running a hand through his short blond hair.

  “I’m getting used to it. After all, he only means well. I’ll also teach him to loosen up a bit.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love that,” Jay said.

  Laughing, Robin patted Peter’s thigh before biting into his sandwich. Around a mouth full of bread and ham, he mumbled, “See, I’m eating.”

  “I see. I admit I couldn’t follow your strange conversation with your brother.”

  “I’m curious,” Jay chimed in. “How come you don’t get the most common sayings?”

  “I didn’t spend much time around people for the last hundred years. The modern world confuses me,” Peter replied before he pressed a kiss into one of Robin’s dimples. “I believe Robin will teach me the appropriate phrasings soon.”

  “Did he just say hundred years?” Jay asked faintly.

  “I did. I spent lot of the last hundred years in my animal form, just roaming about. Some of my other time I spent in the main cave with my clan, discussing the dwindling numbers of our kind and the increasing number of others with magical abilities.”

  “Like having healing powers?” Tim asked.

  “Yes. It’s a rarity for a purebred werewolf to possess this ability, but it’s more common in other shifters, especially in wolf-fox and wolf-weasel hybrids.”

  “There are hybrids between a wolf and a weasel?” Jay’s voice rose. “What other hybrids are out there?”

  “Every kind you can imagine.”

  “Like a hybrid between a wolf and… and an eagle?” Tim asked.

  “No, one partner is always a wolf and the other is a mammal.”

  “Why?” Tim, Jay, and Robin asked in unison.

  “We don’t know. We have theories, but no proof.”

  “So there are a lot of potential victims out there, did I get that right?” Jay asked.

  “If you want to put it that way. Only three packs in North America decided to attack hybrids. Your pack is one of them.” Peter pointed at Tim and Robin.

  “It’s not our whole pack,” Tim replied, anger contorting his features.

  Jay threw the rest of his sandwich on his plate, and stood up abruptly, as if he couldn’t bear talking about it. “I’ll take out Starlight. Will you take Ally?”

  Robin nodded and followed Jay. He’d do about anything right now to prevent another meltdown from Jay, even if riding one of the Shire horses wasn’t high on his wish list.

  Thirty-One

  ALLY WAS one uncooperative horse. She allowed Robin to saddle her, but when he went to bridle her, she refused to let him put the bit in her mouth. None of Robin’s usual tricks worked.

  He’d always been very respectful to the big Shire horses for reasons he couldn’t explain. Usually, it was Tim’s and Ralf’s job to ride the big horses, and Robin had never complained about it.

  “Tim, I think this horse of yours isn’t all that happy with me riding her,” he said. Bracing himself, he angled Ally’s head down and tried prying her mouth open. “Damn it, Tim! Why can’t you ride her? I could ride one of the other horses. They all need the exercise.”

  Tim walked up to him, took the bridle, and got Ally to take the bit on the first try. Robin sulked as Tim fastened the straps. “Totally unfair.”

  When Tim gave him the reins, Ally pulled away. Robin held her more tightly and attempted to lead her away from the fence post where she’d been tied. Ally snorted and refused to move an inch. Robin clicked his tongue, but Ally shook her head.

  “Come on, girl, no antics, please.”

  No cajoling on Robin’s part got Ally to move. However, as soon as Tim came over, she neighed and walked next to him without a fuss. Robin approached her again and she stopped dead in her tracks.

  “This isn’t the beginning of a great friendship,” Robin said, frowning.

  “Don’t show her how nervous you are,” Tim said.

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  “You’ve been riding since you were five. You know how it works.”

  Rolling his eyes, Robin stood next to Ally’s left side, patting her neck encouragingly. Before he was able to put his foot into the stirrup, Ally sidled sideways.

  “Hey!” Robin protested.

  Tim shook his head. “We’re not doing this. Here, take her reins and get on top of her.”

  He shoved Ally’s reins into Robin’s hands, turned on his heel, and walked away. Ally gazed from Tim’s retreating back to Robin, then followed Tim at a brisk pace. Giving up, Robin let go of her reins, put his hands on his hips, and waited.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Ally caught up with Tim in no time and none too gently nudged her big nose into his back. Tim stumbled before he turned around and grabbed her reins. “I told you to get on her, not to let her loose.”

  Robin held his hands up and smiled his best deep-dimpled smile, then said, “I told you she wants you to ride her. I’ll get Thunder.”

  “No. Robin! I can’t ride. We discussed this.”

  “Fuck the discussion, I’m not getting on that horse,” Robin muttered to himself.

  As he walked to the pasture to retrieve Thunder, a gentle but fast chestnut gelding, Peter fell into step beside him. “Your brother is correct, we discussed this earlier. In case we’re attacked we—”

  “I know! Get someone else to keep watch at the other side of the corral. I’m not getting on that horse. It makes me uneasy and that’s never a good thing.”

  “You feel less uneasy with riding a horse named Thunder?”

  “He’s cool.” Robin flashed a smile at Peter, who, after a moment’s hesitation, smiled back at him.

  “Is Tim getting on Ally?” Robin asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Good,” Robin breathed. “How about you get one of your men over here now? Just in case someone feels the need to attack us in the next two minutes?”

  Peter’s big hand clasped Robin’s neck before he was forced around and face-to-face with Peter, who looked anything but pleased by Robin’s remark.

  “I’m not taking the threat idly, I swear. This is just me cracking jokes, okay?” Robin cupped Peter’s face in his hands, stroking along the contours of Peter’s beard and not for the first time relishing in the softness of Peter’s facial hair.

  Peter stared at him for a long time, seemingly assessing him and the situation. When Robin couldn’t stand the penetrating gaze anymore, he said, “Come on, Peter. Look at my energy lines. Can’t you see I’m being honest?”

  Peter’s gaze shifted, and moments later, a small, lopsided smile appeared on his face.
“I can see that.”

  “I knew those energy lines would come in handy at some point.”

  Peter’s eyebrows rose steeply. “You did?”

  “Well, no, not really.”

  “And you call my behavior and words odd.”

  After pressing a quick kiss on Peter’s lips, Peter walked off to talk to one of his men. Robin went to Thunder, who lifted his head and nosed at his shirt as soon as Robin was close enough. He fed Thunder a small treat while he stroked the gelding’s white star, then attached the lead rope to the halter.

  Thunder followed him without hesitation. Robin glanced over at Tim and Jay in the corral. Jay talked more animatedly than he’d seen him for the last few days. Deciding to leave his brother and Jay a tiny bit of privacy, he focused his attention on Thunder.

  LATE IN the afternoon, Robin groaned when he hauled himself into the saddle of another horse. Jay tilted his head as he led a black mare to the corral.

  “What?” Robin whined. “Just wait till your butt touches the saddle.”

  Jay rubbed his rear with one hand, sighing. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sit down tomorrow.”

  “Hah, but you will have to sit, because you’re going to ride tomorrow too.”

  “So will you,” Jay replied.

  “Oh, I’m not so sure about that. I might take a chance and yammer for a while until Peter decides I can’t ride tomorrow.”

  Jay closed the corral door, rubbed the black mare’s shoulder affectionately, then asked, “You’d obey him?”

  Robin flushed. He coughed to clear his suddenly dry throat, which caused his horse to start and leap away in powerful bounds. It took him a few seconds to rein his agitated horse in. Leading it back to Jay, who by now stood in the stirrups, grimacing, he said, “Why is Annabel so nervous? She doesn’t seem to be herself today.”

  “Evading the question, huh?” Jay said.

  “Can’t sit down, eh?” Robin shot back.

  “Oh please, can’t you do better than that?”

  Glowering at Jay, Robin offered, “How about I answer your question and you answer one of mine?”

  “This doesn’t sound promising.”

  “Suit yourself.” Robin pressed his heels into Annabel’s side, causing her to prance on the spot. “Sheesh, easy girl.”

  Jay rode up next to him, holding the reins short and frowning. “Midnight is nervous too. I wonder what’s going on. Look”—he pointed over to the other horses—“they are all alert as if something’s piqued their interest.”

  Robin gazed to where Jay pointed, and indeed the horses seemed to scan their surroundings. He sniffed, but the only smells he scented were familiar; Ralf’s scent was especially overpowering.

  “Maybe they are just nervous because they are not used to werewolves and were-bears patrolling along their fence.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Jay answered. “Okay, I’ll bite. I’ll answer your question if you answer mine.”

  Caught off guard, Robin flinched. Annabel jumped at the sudden movement atop, causing Robin to curse until he had her back under control.

  “What the hell is going on in there?” Tim asked from the fence where he had just finished picking out the hooves of the horse he’d ridden.

  “I don’t know, she’s not in a good mood,” Robin replied.

  “Be careful. We don’t need either of you falling.”

  “We will, we will,” Robin said. “Damn big brother always pointing out the obvious.”

  Jay chuckled, then urged Midnight into a fast walk. Robin followed Jay, saying, “Yes, I’d obey him.”

  Jay turned in the saddle to look at Robin, who did his best to prevent his gaze from sliding sideways. He couldn’t do anything against the damn blush, though. “What? I would. I know it sounds strange, and I’m sure I’d fight him just on principle, but if he’d insist, yes, I’d obey him.”

  “You love him.”

  Heat flashed through Robin, lighting up his entire body. Curling one hand in Annabel’s mane, he admitted in a soft voice, “I do.”

  “I’m glad for you. I wish you’d had an alpha mating so you could take Tim’s place in your pack but….” Jay shrugged.

  “Not all of our pack are against hybrids. You know that.”

  “Yeah. Rationally I know there are only a handful of people who are the driving force behind the hunts and killings, but emotionally… I want to blame it on anyone. Tim is a saint for putting up with me.” Jay’s voice cracked at the end.

  Robin urged Annabel on so he could ride next to Jay. Looking over at his friend, lines of pain stood out in Jay’s face. Softly, Robin said, “Tim is crazy for you.”

  Jay tucked a strand of his longish brown hair behind an ear before he smiled at Robin. “I wish I could stop myself from lashing out, because I really do know your father is a good man and trying his best to implement laws to keep me and others safe, but—” He expelled a long breath. “—I want someone to blame for my dad’s death.”

  “You can blame the people who are responsible.”

  “But they aren’t here, the damn cowards!” Jay shouted, scaring Midnight into a short gallop before he reined her in and led her back next to Robin.

  Midnight was still snorting and huffing when Robin asked, “Do you… do you still want to kill those men?”

  Jay stayed silent for a long time. Did he overstep a boundary? But then Jay answered, “Honestly? I don’t know. Sometimes I want it so badly I can taste blood. At other times—no. I just want them to leave me alone, let me live my life and be happy with Tim. I don’t want to be scared all the time. I don’t want to be suspicious around other people, and I sure as hell don’t want to have to look over my shoulder or sniff the air to discover potential danger in advance. Is that really asking too much?”

  “No.”

  Annabel suddenly pranced sideways, then backward, right into Midnight, who reacted with a sudden jump forward. While Robin fought to calm down his agitated horse, Jay reined Midnight in.

  Annabel kept prancing on the spot, ignoring all commands and helps from Robin. Something was seriously amiss here. Annabel’s muscles tensed and bunched, everything in her straining to run and flee.

  But why would she want to flee? She had nothing to be afraid of.

  “Jay!”

  Annabel fell into a frantic gallop, and it took all of Robin’s strength and knowledge to stay on her and rein her in at the other end of the corral at Tim’s sudden holler.

  More shouts followed Tim’s, confusing Robin and not making it any easier for him to handle Annabel.

  While he tried to calm down his horse, Peter’s booming voice came through the cacophony of voices. “Robin! Get over here! Now!”

  Clamping his legs around his horse, he pushed his heels firmly into Annabel’s flanks. She threw her head and reared up once before she reacted to his commands and cantered in Peter’s direction, who was waving his arms frantically. Jay was already there, getting off Midnight.

  As soon as he was close enough, Tim grabbed Annabel’s reins so Robin could jump down. Peter grabbed his upper arm and pulled him close while Tim slapped Annabel’s haunch. She bolted, screaming, with Midnight following her.

  Tim whirled around to snatch Jay’s hand and took off at a run toward the house.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Robin panted as Peter pulled him along.

  “The wolves are back.”

  Robin’s heart stuttered to a halt before it thundered in his ribcage, leaving him breathless. “What? Why are we running, then?”

  “Your father and his men will fight them. We will stay inside the house and keep you safe.”

  “But—”

  “No!” Peter yelled as they reached the porch.

  They crashed into Jay, who was storming out of the house with Tim keeping a white-knuckled grip on his arm, begging, “No! Jay, please, get back inside!”

  Jay’s eyes flashed as he landed a punch in Tim’s stomach. Tim crumpled to the ground with a moan, letting go o
f Jay’s arm. Before Jay shifted, he said, “I will fight those monsters.”

  Tim’s eyes widened as he tried to catch his breath, and for a moment, he seemed to be frozen in place. Then he acted and shifted too, dashing after Jay.

  Jay’s small red-furred figure dodged the flailing horse hooves as he ran through the herd of panicking beasts, with Tim’s dark frame catching up swiftly.

  At the edge of the forest, the gray coats of Walter’s killers emerged from the undergrowth.

  Thirty-Two

  “ROBIN, NO,” Peter said.

  “Peter, I cannot stay out of this.”

  “Yes, you can, and you will.” Peter clamped his hand around Robin’s arms, the pressure mounting to an unbearable intensity.

  “Peter, you’re hurting me!”

  “What do you think these wolves will do to you?” Peter snapped. “They almost killed you once. They almost killed your brother once. And what about Walter? Do you think they have any objections to hurting you?”

  Robin stared at Peter while the blood in his veins raced. Still, he had to do what he needed to. He relaxed and even sagged against Peter’s chest. Peter exhaled as he brought his arms around Robin’s waist and rubbed his nose in Robin’s hair. After nudging Peter’s head aside so he could kiss him, Robin jerked out of Peter’s embrace. He shifted midmovement, jumped from the porch, and mumbled, Sorry.

  “Robin!”

  Robin didn’t look back. He couldn’t—couldn’t bear the expression on Peter’s face because he wouldn’t be able to go through with it. But neither could he ignore the imminent fight and the danger Tim, Jay, and his father were in.

  He sprinted toward the edge of the forest, avoiding the stamping and whinnying horses. Robin was almost there when the horses screamed, followed by the splintering sound of wood. He came to an abrupt stop and looked back.

  Peter had shifted as well and was running after him. One of the horses had panicked and crashed into the fence, destroying a large part of it. All the horses galloped through the broken part, following their herd instinct. They’d have their hands full to catch them again, but at least the horses would bring themselves to safety.