Stalked (Rogues Shifter #2)

by Gayle Parness

  “I can’t help but feel that Bridgett has to be your first priority. She’s kind of a loose cannon and she has a lot of sensitive information about us. If Maya is going to be working with her tomorrow. I think you both need to find out whatever it is that Bridgett is doing for her dad. Even if you have to really dig to get it. At the same time we have to stay away from her dad and the other weres.”

  “How about if Kyle and I disguise ourselves and go to The Wild? Maybe we can come up with some information.” They could get into a bar because Sinc was twenty-four and Kyle was twenty-five, although they’d always look around eighteen. Shifters only aged for a few years after their first transition and then stopped for as long as they continued to shift. “Tomorrow is battle of the bands night so the place should be packed.”

  Ethan answered. “No. We’re staying out of there, Sinc.”

  “But we could learn a lot. I’m really good at getting people to talk.” She smiled her most beguiling smile. Sinc was used to getting her own way, but Ethan was the team leader.

  “We’re staying out of the club. That’s final.”

  "They don't know me and Kyle. We'd be safe there."

  "I won't argue the point. Don't bring it up again."

  We could all see that Sinc was pissed, but we ignored her, thinking that it would blow over soon. Kyle spoke up. “Yeah, I don’t particularly want to fight some lame-assed weres. We can get some info from the locals. Sinc and I could canvas some of the town hangouts while school is in session and then connect with you later.”

  “Sounds good.” Ethan nodded and glanced at Sinc who wasn’t looking at him.

  “Do you have any suggestions?” I looked up at Garrett’s azure eyes and hoped that he’d have a magical solution for this mess.

  He smiled at all of us. “Ethan has a good handle on the situation. Tomorrow is going to be busy, so you should rest up tonight.”

  Sinc and Kyle got up and said goodnight. Ethan followed Sinc out the door but came back inside a few minutes later looking irritated.

  “You want me to talk to her?” I asked.

  “Nah, she’ll get over it. She wants to be more involved with the field work. I think maybe I’m holding her back to keep her safe. I tell myself it’s because I need her at the computer or running tests, but that’s not entirely the truth.” He sighed and got up. “I’m going to take Samson for a walk, then I’ll drive over to Sinc’s.” We heard him grab the leash and open, then close the sliding patio doors.

  Garrett said, “I meant what I said about Ethan. Rob’s instincts were dead on.” I stood up and walked over to look out the window, trying to think through this mess. The sun was just setting and the sky was painted with pinks, golds and oranges. The first firefly of the evening darted past, lit up and looking for love.

  “That was nice what you told Ethan, but you weren’t much help to me.” I turned around and smiled at him, leaning my butt against the window sill.

  “You’ll reach out and try to help her, the way you always do. This is your sister. The others will deal with Brina.”

  “They need my help to find her.”

  “You’ll do everything you can and no more. Pace yourself. It won’t do anyone any good if you pass out from exhaustion.”

  Ethan came in through the front door and let Samson off the leash. “He had some fun chasing a rabbit.” I laughed and squatted next to Samson, scratching his head. “I’m taking off now. I’ll see you in the morning, Jackie. Thanks Garrett for what you said before.”

  After he drove off Garrett said, “I brought the Wii.”

  “Oh yeah? Did you bring Mario Kart?”

  “Of course. I’ll get it.” He left and returned in typical show-off vampire style, moving so quickly that my shifter eyes couldn’t see him until he came to a stop in front of me holding the Wii. He flashed me a huge grin looking totally relaxed and not disheveled in the least.

  “You’re not all that,” I teased.

  “Who beat you the last time we played?” His eyes were twinkling with excitement over a simple Wii game. I loved days like this when he could act like the nineteen year old that still lived in his heart. He’d always look like the dream date of every college girl, but he usually had to behave like a mature, responsible 235 year old vampire, with the safety of the community and our team always on his shoulders.

  I’d let him beat me every single time if I got to see that happy relaxed smile and those gorgeous eyes sparkling with excitement. Of course I couldn’t let him know that.

  “You were just lucky. That’ll never happen again.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  We’d been playing for around an hour when the phone rang. I figured it had to be one of the team or Bridgett. No one else had the number.

  “Jacqueline,“ Kennet’s voice sent an icy dagger of fear through my heart. “Your cougar is in the hospital. Next time someone will die. If you don't want anyone else to get hurt, walk into the woods where you met Kaera. Come alone at midnight.” He hung up.

  Garrett was next to me, his sharp ears having heard it all. My entire body started to shake so badly that I dropped the phone.

  Garret turned me around and leaned closer so I could see his face. He tried to soothe me with his calm words. “This could just be a way to lure us out of the house and away from the ward. I’m calling Caelen and Liam. Get the spray weapon and the fake gum and your cell phone. Then call Rob. He’ll be able to find out the quickest if Ethan is in the hospital or not.”

  I did what he told me to do, moving around my room like a robot. Rob didn’t know anything, but said he’d contact the Crescent City hospital since there was no hospital in Gasquet. He called back two minutes later to say that Ethan was there and in critical condition. He was in a coma. He didn’t know anything else. He was going to tell Ethan's parents and then head to the hospital.

  I called Kyle. “Ethan’s in critical condition at the Crescent City Hospital. I need you to go to Sinc’s house with Peter and bring her there. Please be gentle with her, Kyle. He was on his way to see her.” I was choking back tears and shivering as I spoke to him.

  “Are you okay, Jackie? Do you need us to pick you up?” I could hear his voice tremble.

  “Garrett is with me.” As if on cue he was holding me as I tried to find the button to end my call, my body not responding normally. As soon as he touched me, I doubled over sobbing, so he lifted me up and wrapped his arms around me. I melted against him and continued to cry while he whispered into my hair and rubbed my back.

  “Ethan is very strong. He’ll recover. I’ve fed Samson. We’re going to the hospital now." He leaned his face very close to mine and lifted my chin. "This is not your fault.“ He knew me so well.

  Draping his arm over my shoulder and led me to his car, holding me steady while my knees wobbled. Buckling my seatbelt proved to be impossible so he helped and gently kissed my cheek.

  “I want you to rest, because you’ll need all of your strength when we get there. Close your eyes.” I did what he said even though I didn’t think it was possible for me to actually fall asleep. But I was a healer and would need to be strong for Ethan. After only a few minutes, I allowed myself to drift off.

  When I opened my eyes again we were in the parking lot of the hospital and he was opening my door. His face was a colored with concern as he slid his hand into mine to help me out of the car. “I see Peter’s car. They must be here already.” Peter’s silver sedan was parked in the lot near the front. My cell phone rang as we were nearing the entrance to the emergency room. It was Maya.

  “Jackie, I just heard.”

  “Garrett and I are going in now. I’ll call you later to let you know how he is.”

  “You may be able to help him.”

  “To heal him?”

  “You’ll have to get his parents to allow you to try. Ask for Doctor Morganstern, a neurologist. I’ve already spoken to him. He’s a lion shifter who’ll be happy to help you.“

  We walked through
the hospital entrance and were directed to a waiting area on the second floor. Ethan had been moved to intensive care. As soon as Sinc saw me she threw herself into my arms and started to sob, words choked out between them.

  “I should have… let him come home… with me. This wouldn’t have happened, it’s my fault.”

  “Sinc, this wasn’t your fault. It was Kennet.” If it was anyone’s fault it was mine and that knowledge broke my heart. If Ethan died, my big mouth was to blame.

  Garrett spoke up, “This was an attack on our team specifically to get Jackie to give in. If you were together you both would have been hurt.“

  As I held her, I looked at the grim faces around the room. Kyle sat next to Peter on the green vinyl couch. Rob stood leaning against a wall by the small window. Betty and Joseph Hamilton, Ethan’s parents, sat in molded plastic chairs, their hands clasped tightly together. Lord Caelen had sent a fae to their home in Sacramento to bring them instantly through the lines to the hospital.

  “What did the doctor say?” asked Garrett.

  Rob answered. “It’s not good. He has a broken collarbone, four broken ribs, his right leg is mangled and there’s some internal damage. The concussion is what the staff is most concerned about. His self healing hasn’t kicked in because his brain has been affected. He’s still breathing on his own, but they say that could change soon. He’s too weak for surgery.”

  Everyone besides Garrett stared at me. It was clear that they expected me to do something. They expected me to heal Ethan. I could heal cuts, but how could I heal his brain? I didn’t know anything about anatomy or neurology. Fear snaked through my gut as I took a step backward and released Sinc. She turned away weakly and sat on the couch next to Kyle, who took her hand in his. Her red swollen eyes pleaded with me to try. Seeing the effect this was having on me, Garrett wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me out of the waiting area so he could speak to me privately.

  Although we were out of normal hearing range, Garrett sent to me mentally. “Jacqueline, what I said before still applies. You’ll do everything you can and then no more. You aren't a doctor.”

  “I have to try.”

  “Yes, of course.” Garrett squeezed my hand.

  “Where’s Liam and his Faerie magic when I need him?” I tried to smile.

  “I’m here, Jacqueline.”

  I almost jumped five feet in the air when I heard Liam’s musical voice behind me. He put a hand on my shoulder and I felt instantly calmer. “I can help you.” He looked almost human standing there in jeans and a button down shirt, but the magical energy that wrapped around his slim frame could probably power a city.

  “Let’s try now, before I lose my courage.” Garrett went off to find Doctor Morganstern.

  “You will need to take some of my magic. It will sharpen your senses and allow you deeper into his mind and his body.”

  I hesitated as I thought about taking in any of the fae magic. I mentally sent out my concerns to Garrett who hadn’t gotten too far down the hallway, and he answered me.

  “It’s the fastest way to give you the strength you need to help Ethan. I’m fine with it, my love.” I made an effort to calm my breathing and then reached out with my senses to test the lines under the hospital. Thankfully, the magic was very strong: something the builders probably knew when they chose this site. Crescent City was a community of shifters and humans who were aware of the benefits of line magic even if most of them couldn’t draw on it themselves.

  Garrett returned, followed by a tall man with sandy blonde hair and broad shoulders. When he spoke his deep voice rumbled around in his chest like a timpani drum. “Ms. Crawford, I’m Henry Morganstern. I’d like to help you if I can. Let’s go to Ethan’s room. We can talk there.”

  I grabbed Garrett’s arm for support as he and I, Dr. Morganstern and Liam walked down the hallway to room number 310. I swallowed hard and prepared myself for what was to come. Ethan needed me to be calm and focused. Garrett kissed my head and Liam smiled encouragingly as Dr. Morganstern opened the door.

  It was a room with only one bed and one window. There were the usual IV bags, trays of instruments, a beeping heart monitor, and several other machines I didn’t recognize. I let go of Garrett and rushed straight to the side of the bed to take my first close look at Ethan.

  He looked ghostly pale. His body was covered in bandages but I could sense that even his smallest cuts weren’t healing. There was blood in his hair and more soaking through the dressings around his head. I reached out and brushed a chocolate strand of hair from his face, one that had somehow managed to avoid getting soaked in his blood.

  Trembling, I took his cool, limp hand in mine and pulled magical energy from the ley lines into my chest: ready to send it wherever Ethan needed it the most. As I listened to his shallow breaths, I saw him helping me down a fir tree, handing me a corn muffin that he’d baked for my birthday, making me dance with him at The Wild, our backgammon tournaments and our pillow fight at Carly’s cabin. I could hear his infectious laugh and the way he'd growl at me when I ran ahead of him in our animal forms. I closed my eyes and took a silent oath, vowing to do all that I could to hear my friend laugh again.

  Dr. Morganstern spoke, “If we can get him to shift, he’ll be able to heal. I have to make a call and then I’ll be back and we can begin,” I never heard him leave the room because my full attention was on Ethan. What if I couldn’t do this? What if he died because I wasn’t powerful enough or smart enough? I swallowed down a sob and remembered how when I was first learning how to heal, Maya had told me to get over my "I can't do it" attitude and just get on with it. Garrett moved a chair over to the bed so I could sit down without letting go of Ethan’s hand. Quiet tears were rolling down my cheeks and splashing on his bed as Liam moved another chair next to mine and sat.

  Garrett leaned over to whisper, “I’ll leave you alone with Liam for a few minutes, but I’ll be back." Garrett hadn’t fed and so would have a difficult time resisting the pull of the fae magic.

  Liam took his arm. "I'll stay until you return. Go and feed. Jacqueline will need your strength." Garrett nodded and left in a blur.

  Liam took my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. “You must let go of the guilt. It is useless. It's most important to have faith in yourself and in Ethan's desire to live.” He released me so I could focus my attention on Ethan again.”Take his hand in both of yours and look into his face. After you feel my magic in your center, go into his mind to see if there is something there that makes him resistant to shifting.”

  Liam wasted no more time, placing one of his hands on my upper back and his other over my heart. At first my body jerked in the chair as if shocked by an electrical surge. Then my muscles melted into relaxation as warm waves of the most delicious power seeped into my core. They traveled throughout my body, connecting Liam's two hands and then spreading comfortably around my organs and limbs. Finally the glowing warmth reached my mind, enhancing my own core's ability to focus energy and heal. I felt free of all constraints once more, able to accomplish whatever I set my mind to do.

  Keeping my eyes and my hands on Ethan, I sent out fae-laced tendrils of emerald power to probe deeply into his psyche, becoming suddenly aware of Ethan’s chaotic dreams. There was a deep chill and a flash of nausea, then a shocking jolt as I sensed a familiar, malevolent presence. Kennet was in Ethan’s mind, torturing him; keeping him from shifting and healing.

  I sent to Liam, “Kennet is messing with Ethan’s mind. He’s not letting him heal.” Liam nodded, looking concerned but not surprised. His lovely violet eyes swirled with gold as he seemed to zone out, perhaps investigating on his own. Just as suddenly his eyes lost their golden sheen and he turned back to me again.

  “Jackie, you’re strong enough to push him out. I sense that Kennet is not nearby and so is not able to maintain his hold easily. Find where his presence is centered in Ethan’s mind and attack him. I will be here as your anchor to reality.” I felt his hand move
from my chest to my shoulder.

  “Shouldn’t you be doing this? You’re a healer too.”

  “Ethan will respond to you much more quickly than he would me. He may just see me as another fae attacking him. Kennet cannot hurt you. If I felt that you were in danger I wouldn't allow you to do this.

  Wouldn't allow me? I filed that comment away and asked, “I won’t hurt Ethan by attacking Kennet?”

  “No, just focus on removing him.”

  I took another deep breath. Liam’s fae magic flowing through my veins made my mind and my senses into sharpened fae blades. I forced myself back into the turmoil of Ethan’s mind and searched for Kennet. I moved through scenes of violence and death. Kennet had created a world where Ethan was tied to a tree with silver chains burning into his flesh, while Sinc, Kyle and I were lying on a bloody, grassy field being ripped apart by werewolves. Ethan screamed with frustration as we were killed, then brought back to life to be killed again. I turned and saw Kennet at the top of a hill and willed myself to stand before him.

  “Lord Kennet, you’ll release Ethan from this torture now or I’ll force you.”

  “It’s foolish of you to threaten me, Jacqueline. When you are mine I can make your long life very difficult. If you would just come to me now, your friends and your vampire would be safe for all time. I can offer you a life of pleasure.”

  “Get out of his head.”

  “No, I am enjoying my game. He is in such delicious agony over the death of his friends.”

  I pulled in more energy and shoved him in the chest, forcing him to step back. He only laughed, enjoying my frustration. Conjuring up a fae blade, I stabbed him in the heart. Blood spurted from the wound, but still he held his ground and shook his head.

  “You can’t hurt me, Jacqueline. Unlike Ethan, I know that none of this is real. It is my creation.” Despite his confident words, Ethan’s silver chains had begun to disintegrate and I watched as two of the werewolves disappeared. He was losing his focus, but I had to think of a better way to force him out completely.