A Time for Change

by Marquaylla Lorette

  Trevor pushed Charity behind him just as one flew straight at her. They were doing a great job of avoiding the tranquilizers until they began to fly from what seemed like every corner of the parking lot. They both were surprised that no one came outside to help them from all the commotion they caused.

  A tranquilizer hit Charity in the side and Trevor in the neck, but they didn’t go down. Instead they continued to fight the shifters who were starting to charge them again. They were all shocked that neither Charity nor Trevor went down and continued to shoot them with the tranquilizer guns. It took twenty-five tranquilizers for Trevor to go down and twenty for Charity.

  Some of the Shifters with a Cause ran toward Charity and Trevor, who were knocked out on the ground from the tranquilizers. They began to claw and bite at Trevor trying to kill him, but whenever they tried to rip him apart, an unseen force knocked them back. It was as if some type of magic was preventing them from killing Trevor.

  Just as they were about to go after Charity, their second in command called out for them. “Don’t touch her, we have something special planned for her on the human side.”

  The Shifters with a Cause who were in human form had masks over their heads just in case someone saw them. They didn’t want anyone to figure out who they were. The shifters picked up Charity and dumped her into the trunk of one of their cars before taking off.

  Just as Jadelyn’s vision dissolved, a huge white male lion came barreling through the parking lot growling. He headed straight for Trevor while growling out ‘My mate.’ Everyone surrounding Trevor stepped back to give him some room. The lion bent down and started to nuzzle Trevor with his nose. They were all so focused on the lion shifter in front of them that they didn’t noticed the female lion shifter running toward them.

  The male lion shifter shifted when the female lion shifter shifted next to him had coax him to shift.

  “Aishe, what happened to my mate, Trevor, and where is my mate, Charity?” the male lion shifter asked as he placed Trevor’s head into his lap.

  “Charity was kidnapped, Kevien, and Trevor was beaten trying to save them both,” Aishe answered.

  “Who kidnapped her and where did they take her?” Kevien asked.

  “All we know is that the same shifter who killed our parents took her and they took her to the human side, Kevin,” James answered as he paced the parking lot while running his hands up and down his face.

  “It is Key-van and we have to go to the human side now to find her but first I have to heal Trevor,” Kevien said as he leaned over and placed his hands over Trevor’s stomach.

  Kevien closed his eyes and ran his hands up and down Trevor’s body. Kevien had the power to heal any shifter injuries, no matter how severe they were.

  “Malika, he has some type of sleeping aide, I need you to heal it out of him so I can heal all of his injuries.” Kevien turned to his cousin, Malika, when he noticed something was preventing him from healing Trevor all the way.

  At first Malika didn’t hear Kevien, everything around her had disappeared as she stared at her mate. She quickly snapped out of it and began to help her cousin and his mate. Malika dropped to the ground on her knees beside Kevien and leaned over Trevor’s body. She closed her eyes and ran her hands up and down Trevor’s body until the tranquilizers were released from his body and his eyes were finally opening. Malika stood and took a step back as Kevien began to heal the rest of Trevor’s injuries.

  Trevor fought hard to open his eyes completely, he had to find Charity, and he had to see his other mate. He could smell him as his mate leaned over his body; he smelled of caramel and honey mixed. When Trevor was finally able to open his eyes, the most beautiful male shifter he had seen in his life was kneeling over him. He had light-brown skin with bluish-green eyes and jet-black hair. His muscles bulged out of his shirt and he had to be at least six foot five.

  “Mate,” Trevor whispered as he rapidly began to regain his strength.

  “Come on, Trevor, we have to go find our mate, Charity,” Kevien said as he stroked his mate’s hair.

  “How do you know our names, but we don’t know yours?” Trevor asked.

  “Because I have been watching over you two when needed, but I didn’t know who you were until I was called to protect all of you during your camping trip,” Kevien said.

  “Who told you to watch over us?” James growled out before Trevor could say anything.

  “Aishe did, I am a lion warrior, my job is to protect others, especially my mates,” Kevien said as he helped Trevor stand.

  Chelsea, James, and Ace turned around toward Aishe to see what was going on. When they turned around, Eli was holding his grandmother in his arms as a vision overtook her. Everyone watched in silence as Aishe’s body began to shake a little and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

  “Kevien, Trevor, Malika, and Tate, I need for you to follow me home now. I need to give you the items you will need to find Charity,” Aishe said as soon as she came out of her vision.

  “I am going to find my sister as well,” James growled out.

  “James, you can’t, if you go, both you and your sister will die. You have to let her mates and their family find her,” Aishe said with sadness in her voice.

  James didn’t like what he was hearing, he had to be the one to find his sister, but he didn’t want her to die. He roared and ran toward the trees, taking his anger out on them. He pushed a few trees over with his strength before he calmed down. It helped even more when his mates came and pulled him into their arms. He didn’t know what he would do if something happened to his sister. He was supposed to protect her after his parents were killed, and he failed her.

  “James, it is not your fault. We will find out who did this and take them out when we do,” Chelsea said as she pulled James tighter into her arms.

  “Aishe said it is best for us to stay here and find out who is behind everything, and let Charity’s mates find her. I know you want to be the one to find her, but if you go out there, you are guaranteeing she will die.

  “We are going to stay here and find out who is doing this to our family and continue to open the school every day. I think this is just another ploy to stop the schools and mixed species mates. We are not going to let them get away with this.

  “Now, you are going to go over there and tell Charity’s mates whatever you need to,” Ace said.

  Ace knew James was hurting and had to deal with it but he also knew it was none of their faults. He also knew James couldn’t blame Charity’s mates because they were able to go rescue her and he couldn’t. Ace didn’t want to say it now, but he had to tell him soon. James had to let go of Charity and let her live her own life, and let her mates protect her.

  As James was making his way to his sister’s mates, Christophe and Christina came running toward him with their parents not to far behind them.

  “James, we have to tell you something,” Christina yelled out.

  “I am sorry, they begged me to bring them here,” Christophe and Christina’s mother said.

  “James, your mother came to us and she said, ‘James, this is Charity and her mates’ destiny to bring the mixed shifters back to the Isle and you have to let them. She also said your destiny was on the Isle helping your mates with the school and figuring out who killed your mom and dad and why,” Christophe said as he looked up at James.

  “Thank you, Christina and Christophe, I needed to hear that,” James said before the pups took their parent’s hands and walked off.

  Some of the guilt he felt for his sister being kidnapped lessened. James had felt like he was letting his parents down by not protecting his sister.

  “I need you both to bring my sister back to me. Here are the keys to my parents’ house and the house I bought, use either one if you need to. This is a list of all the mixed shifter families on the human side who will help you,” James said as he handed Kevien all the items.

  Before Trevor or Kevien could say anything, Trevor’s phone ran
g. “Charity is calling me,” Trevor said when he looked at the caller I.D.

  “Hello, Trevor baby, you have to hurry and come get me. I am on the human side and close to my parents’ house,” Charity whispered into the phone.

  “Don’t worry, baby, our mate has found me and we are on our way to get you,” Trevor said.

  “I have to go, hurry,” Charity whispered before hanging up the phone.

  “Aishe, can you just teleport the items we need into my car?” Trevor asked.

  “Sure, everything you will need will be in you trunk before you get to the human side,” Aishe said before turning to James and the others.

  “James, Ace, Chelsea, Eli, and Jadelyn, I am going to need you to take me home swiftly,” Aishe said as she made her way to the van James and the others came in.

  James and his mates, along with Eli and Jadelyn, followed Aishe to the van. Driving quickly, they had to get her home in enough time so the shifters rescuing Charity would have everything they needed.

  Trevor, Kevien, Tate, and his mate, Malika headed to the human side in Trevor’s car. Trevor pushed the turbo button on his car before leaving so they could get there quicker while James and the others peeled out of the parking lot and headed the opposite way to Aishe’s house.

  Epilogue

  Charity could hear her kidnappers coming toward the trunk and quickly hid her phone. She wasn’t going to let them discover her phone. She knew they were close to her house on the human side since she could smell the Golden Flame Flower, which only grew close to the ocean by her house. The trunk popped open and one of the kidnappers reached down, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the trunk. Charity kicked the shifter, who was holding her, in the shin and when he bent down to rub it, she thumped him in the face with both of her hands, since they were handcuffed together. Another shifter quickly ran over and grabbed her by the arm. The shifter she just fought with, smacked her across the face hard before grabbing her hands. The blow to her face hurt, but Charity wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing. Instead, Charity continued to fight with both of them as they dragged her inside the garage and down some stairs.

  The room they entered was dark and it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they finally did, Charity noticed there was a refrigerator, bed, shower, sink, toilet, and stove down there.

  One of the shifters let her go as soon as they entered the room. The shifter who was still gripping her arms chained her ankle to a chain bolted to the wall. “Do not try to escape, the chain is bolted to the wall with magic. You have everything you will need her and will be let go as soon as your brother and his mates close that school. Someone will bring you food before you run low. If you try to break out, we will have no choice but to kill you,” the shifter said before leaving out of the room.

  Charity could hear the click of the door as they locked it from the outside. The first thing she did was look around for cameras, and when she saw there wasn’t any, she reached into her bra where she had her phone hidden and pulled it out. She looked at her phone and noticed the ‘no service signal’ on it. She immediately walked around the room, stopping at different point to see if she received a signal, but no matter what she tried, she just couldn’t get any service.

  Charity stopped trying to get service and went to the door, and tried to pick the lock so it would open but quickly learned it wouldn’t work. She didn’t care what her kidnappers said about them killing her if she tried to escape, she knew they would kill her anyway. After two hours of trying to escape with no success, Charity decided to call it a night, deciding to try again in the morning. She knew if she couldn’t escape on her own then her mates would do everything in their power to find her and wouldn’t stop until they did.

  Books Available by Marquaylla Lorette

  The Tarlaoch Realm

  The Tarlaoch Realm

  Book One

  Malachi’s Awakening

  The Tarlaoch Realm

  Book Two

  Fiyah’s Spirit

  The Tarlaoch Realm

  Book Three

  Christmas Cheers from The Tarlaoch Realm

  Book Three ½

  Book Four

  Coming Soon

  Paradise Island Battle Series

  Alpha Battle

  Book One

  A Time For Change

  Book Two

  Book Three

  Coming Soon

  I would love to hear from you!

  Contact me at:

  Web page: www.marquayllaloretteauthor.com

  Email: marquaylla@marquayllaloretteauthor.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/marquaylla.lorette

  Excerpt from Meridian Warriors: Xander & Des

  Meridian Warriors Book One

  By Jana Leigh & Zack Collins

  Prologue

  “We are losing the battle with the Hopis, they have powerful weapons, and I fear soon they will break through our defenses, no matter what we do,” the King said to Xander.

  “”Their numbers are too many, no matter how many Warriors I have; we will not defeat them. Sir, we should think of evacuation,” Xander said.

  Xander was the leader of the Warriors, he was the one the King went to for military strategies, and so far, in this battle they had done well. Partly because they were underwater and the Hopis didn’t know how to fight underwater, but fighting was not what they wanted—it was the water. And they had finally found a way to begin draining the planet.

  “Sir, our planet is being sucked dry from its resources. Our greatest protection from others was our water. We have lived hidden from everyone for millennia. The Hopis have developed a way to steal the water from our surface,” Xander explained. “There is a large ship on the farthest side of the planet, which they are using to exact the water. Every day it goes down further and further, soon we will not be able to hide.”

  They lived in a huge force field built around the ships their ancestors arrived to the planet in. It was amazing. They built homes, buildings, and businesses as they moved out of their ships. They grew food, learned to live underwater, and flourished in the new environment.

  The Meridians were an intelligent species, and their technology was advanced. They found in their travels that many of the other species were eager to buy and learn what the Meridians were more than happy to teach and sell.

  According to the scripts, they evolved over time to adapt to their surroundings. The Meridians were known for their shifting ability. When in the water their legs changed into one long tail with scales that allowed them to swim and hunt underwater.

  The Hopis were people from another planet only two light years from them, they were vermin. While traveling the universe, they found their planet, Meridian. Meridian was a small planet whose surface was entirely covered in water. At first, the Hopis didn’t bother the planet because it didn’t seem inhabited. The Hopis planet was inhibited and they thought they could just use the water resources for their own, coming back every few years and filling their tanks with water.

  When they discovered by accident through their defense field that there were inhabitants on the planet—the attacks began. They wanted the water for their own, along with the Meridian’s technology.

  For thirty years, Xander led the Warriors in protecting their home planet. However, the Hopis would not give up. Through many prisoner interrogations, they learned the Hopis home planet had dried up a century ago, sending its inhabitants into space to find water for their people. They thought they hit the payload with Meridian—only to find out that Xander and his people were there.

  They wanted the water, but when they found some of the technology the Meridian had, they wanted that too. The Hopis were brutal in their attack, Xander grimaced a little as he thought about the torture many of his men succumbed to. “Sir, what can we do?” Xander asked.

  Rolf, the Leader, and large Warrior himself, said, “We must gather the ships. One of our men discovered a planet in the early
stages of development, if we land in their waters, we could stay hidden for many years. It is our only hope.”

  Xander led the evacuation, they tried to keep it a secret from the Hopis but of course, they found out. The day they all left their home planet, Xander thought they’d planned the escape to perfection. The only thing their leader didn’t consider was the Hopis in their greed to obtain everything—destroyed the planet while they were still too close. Xander and his men’s ship was the only one to escape the blast. The ship held fifty-two men, no women, and no children—they were stagnant. Left to survive on a strange planet without the benefit of companionship.

  They plotted the course for Earth and landed in the body of water, which is now called the Pacific Ocean. The planet was in its early stages of growth, so the men stayed underwater all the time in its early years. They discovered they were still able to shift into their Meridian form when they entered the water. Their legs disappeared and a long, large tail fin appeared with brilliant colors, showing their ranking in the Meridian City.

  Slowly over time, they discovered that most of the men were mates, and were just missing their female. Xander always figured it had to have been the rest of the race being destroyed that triggered their mating instincts with the only survivors. Xander and Des had been friends since childhood, and they never felt the pull until one day while they were swimming in the ocean.

  It was amazing to have a large area to swim in, their planet was much smaller than Earth, they could have swam their entire planet in two days, but Earth, hell it took more than a week, and that was if they swam steady the whole time.

  The group of men knew their limitations; they needed materials from the surface to help them live.