The Shifter Protector's Virgin (Stonybrooke Shifters)

by Ash, Leela

  And they are not going to give up after failing just once. It’s definite that they will come back and strike again and again. I can only hope that they have not been able to trace her apartment yet. They found her seemingly by mistake in the alleyway, as they hoped to do, by posting men outside the doors of popular and crowded areas. Somehow, this inefficient strategy managed to work for them and she found herself an unlucky victim of circumstance. It was really fortunate that I was there to stop them.”

  The people around him listened intently, nodding in understanding of the dire situation. They did not want to let Krista fall subject to the Guardians. They were terrible people. Many of the Lonis had been subject to immense torture by the Guardians. The Guardians came from a long ago established order of men who had discovered that the fabrics between the dimensions were torn, sometimes allowing mystical creatures and beings to fall through, giving them no choice but to make themselves comfortable on Earth.

  These fundamentalists believed that it was no laughing matter and that the earth was not there for sharing. The earth was, in fact, for human beings and human beings alone, and if they were threatened by the invasion of another species, it meant that human beings might not be the top of the food chain. This is something that they could not settle for, and had quickly begun to learn as much as possible about the paranormal order of things. They clearly didn’t know as much as they hoped they did, or as much as they pretended to. This gaping hole in their knowledge brought them a profound sense of fear and panic.

  They did not seem to care or understand that the beings who found themselves on Earth had no choice in the matter. In fact, they were victims of unfortunate circumstance who had found themselves lost in a world that they did not recognize, teeming with bitterness and fear. Without the Guardian’s knowledge and compassion toward the displaced peoples of other dimensions, they were subtly and slowly creating a hostile environment that was capable of procuring a devastating war; one that might transcend through the fabrics of time and space.

  Clayton was familiar with the acts of the Guardians. The Lonis and the Kersh clan were not the only paranormal beings that had been able to cross through the portholes in the sky. He had traveled for a long way with his predecessor; the leader of the clan, and also his father. Together, they had seen other tears in the fabric of the Earth’s atmosphere. He was told that other beings, fairies and other mystical hidden creatures, had been thrown through the dimensions and lost on Earth.

  “But how is that possible?” Clayton had asked. “What happens in these worlds that makes the creatures susceptible to being thrown into another world?”

  “Just as the Guardians speculate, all I can tell you is what the previous leader told me. Your question is one the Guardians are hoping to answer. They want to safeguard this world from such invasion. They think of us all as monsters. Unfortunately, for both the people on Earth, who don’t want us here, and for us, who wouldn’t be here if given a choice, it’s impossible to change the rips in the fabric or to keep innocent creatures from falling through. Frankly, none of us truly wanted to end up on Earth, and the fact remains that many of us are more miserable here than we would be in our homeland.

  “However, there seems to be nothing that we can do to prevent these occurrences. Every so often, there is a heavy vibration that pulses through the universe. Everything in creation is affected by this. For a long time, the fabrics between the dimensions had been able to hold up against the strain, but because of the corruption on Earth, and the poor intentions of the people who lived there, it has made the atmosphere very toxic and thin. It is easy for things to fall right through or be lost outside of it. There are holes all over the place that should not be there and do not exist in other places and worlds.”

  Clayton had listened sullenly to his father, and his heart panged painfully at the memory. His father had died long ago, and ever since, it had been up to him to lead the clan into prosperity. But they were running out of options, and now he knew that Krista was the only one who could save them.

  “Where is the girl now? I can go and look after her,” one of the dragon-born women said dutifully, standing up and preparing to launch herself out of the entrance of the underground tunnel.

  “I’m not sure, I stayed and watched over her house all night, but when she left, I knew I had to come back here. It’s impossible for me to keep my eyes open any longer. It was a very long night. I’m sure she’s going to work at the library, and if not, she is going to be filing a report against the people who attacked her. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to find her at the police station or at her work place. Just listen for the subtle vibration. She sings when she walks. She has a Loni song and it is a sound that resonates with our kind. You will not mistake it, no matter where you are. It might be loud and prominent enough that you could find it even now. I wish I could try, but I’m afraid I’m too tired.”

  “No, don’t strain yourself. We will make sure that we keep a good eye on her.”

  “I appreciate that,” Clayton said. “You all understand how important she is. I understand that it will be even more challenging than before, but somehow, we have to figure out how we can lead her into the clan and help her understand our ways. If she knows about her lineage, perhaps she will be able to find some peace and comfort among the members of our clan. That is the ideal, and I truly hope that you guys will consider the ways that we can bring her here and make her feel welcome.”

  Everybody nodded quietly, seeing that their handsome leader was very close to falling asleep. They began to silently file out of the room, some lingering and leading him to a soft bed of feathery pillows. He sunk into it and closed his eyes, and found himself pulled into the deep comforts of a rejuvenating sleep.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  As Clayton slept, he dreamt about the Guardians. He remembered his first encounter with them when he was a young man, and had never fully gotten over the repercussions of it. It was this very encounter that had led to the death of his father.

  The Guardians were merciless and cruel, and believed that they were doing everybody a favor by getting rid of any interplanetary species that might be invading the Earth. It was one of the most close-minded things that Clayton had ever heard, and he had originally believed that negotiating with them and showing them that they were not truly as bad as the ignorant men believed they were could somehow make a difference and bring an end the slaughter, once and for all.

  It had been this crucial mistake that had cost his father his life. Clayton dreamt of the horrific day time and time again, and this night was no different. It always began the same way.

  Clayton and his father strolling through the woods, looking for food and items that they could use to make tools out of. Clayton listening to his father’s voice, the soft rumble, as it explained the secret inner workings of the world to his only son.

  And then, confusion and chaos. Clayton being knocked to the ground and his father grunting in pain. The wild men with no hair and beady, angry eyes as they tied ropes around his father. His father snarling and beginning to shape shift into his mighty dragon form, being electrocuted before he was able to finish the transformation and falling limply to the ground.

  Clayton stood up, with his legs shaking, and yelled to the man as he always did in his dream as he had on that fateful day, to leave his father alone. That peace was possible. He had a fantasy that he would be able to explain the plight of the celestial beings who found themselves lost on Earth. Perhaps they could work together to find a solution and get rid of the problem. His father was weak and wounded, and people were hacking away at his limbs with axes. They were trying to get through the thick dragon scales, and his armor, but it wasn’t easy and it was painful.

  “What the hell does this boy think he’s doing?” one of the men said with a snarl. “We’re going to have to put him in his place, you know. That will be pretty fun to watch, won’t it?”

  With that, Clayton’s father grew furious. Nobo
dy threatened his young son and got away with it. Especially not these men. His father stood and tried to attack, but it left his underside vulnerable. A man stuck a sword through it, and Clayton watched in horror as his father began to lose great amounts of blood. He fell limply to the forest floor, gasping for breath and staring at his son with worried round eyes. There was an expression on his face that drove Clayton into this nightmare again and again. It was more than just a nightmare. It was the miserable reality of their lives. The most traumatic experience that he had ever had.

  “Father…” Clayton whispered as his father drew in his dying breath. His large body quaked and shuddered as the life escaped it, and Clayton turned on his heel and ran away. His father’s attackers were too busy tying ropes around the shifter’s corpse to notice that Clayton had gone. They wanted to get it back to their headquarters as quickly as possible.

  Clayton had never been more horrified in his life, and found himself running as quickly as his legs could carry him, until he was out of breath. He collapsed onto the forest floor just as his father had moments before. He stayed there, silent and unmoving, until one of the members of his clan stumbled across him. They thought that he was sick, and lifted him up and carried him back to the underground caverns. It took three days before he spoke a word, but by then, everybody had guessed that his father was gone. He had not returned with his son, and the acute state of grief that Clayton was experiencing said it all.

  Now, in his dreams as an adult, Clayton was able to seek revenge. Everything happened the same way every time, right down to the lost and scared look in his father’s eyes. However, now that he was grown and he had some experience as a warrior under his belt, he found himself capable of striking back against the enemy. He would attack them, and bludgeon them all. Sometimes he would rip them apart with his bare hands and teeth. He would turn into a savage, with an aching desire to destroy everything at any cost, even if that meant he himself would be doomed. Nothing else mattered; all he wanted was to have his father back. Because that was impossible, he was forced to live without hope. Nobody thought that Clayton was going to recover from his grief, and it was true. Clayton had remained quiet and reserved ever since.

  The most joy that he was able to find was in watching Krista from afar, and the memory that he treasured of her smile as he handed her the paper that she had dropped on the sidewalk. Now, she was his to protect, and he would do whatever it took. He could not fail her the same way that he had failed his father. If he had only kept his mouth shut or paid more attention to the situation at hand, maybe his father would still be alive. Maybe they would have been able to best the Guardians rather than turning the day into a tragedy.

  He tossed and turned, moaning, until he sat upright in bed with hot tears streaming down his face. It always unleashed the floodgates when he had this dream, and although it felt nice to get revenge and tear apart all of the men who had harmed him and his father, Clayton found himself feeling empty every time he woke up. It would never bring his father back, and no amount of revenge would be enough.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “What makes you think that we are going to find her at the bar again?” Frederick asked. He scowled to the leader at the front of the line, and Richard smiled.

  “I don’t know that we will find her there, but I do think that perhaps we will find a clue as to her whereabouts now. And anyway, since it was the last place we saw her, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Would it?”

  Frederick couldn’t argue with that, and followed Richard until they made it to the bar where they had seen the dragon-born carrier. If they were able to take her back to the laboratory, it was possible that they would finally have the key. Her blood could teach them all they needed to know about opening and sealing the dimensions of the time portals and the rips in the fabric between the worlds.

  Based on a lot of the research that they had been doing, the blood of the carriers was extremely special. With it came great possibilities. There was a reason that this particular type of people from the world above had been so revered. They were the builders and creators; the oracles and the artists. Without them, not only would there be no culture, but there would be very little pleasure in the lives of the people of Kaldernon. Their gifts had been utilized, time and again, to maintain balance and order within the world they lived in.

  But now the Loni were in the Earth world, and that was going to have to be enough. They were not special, not the way they had been considered special before in Kaldernon. They were not fantastic creatures who were meant to carve out peace and unity, spreading peace and art worldwide. They were the overlooked and under sung citizens of the world that they thought they belonged to but were truly too good for.

  To harness any of their power, particularly the power of the last Loni on Earth with the ability to carry a child for the dragon-borns, was a great opportunity. With her in their possession, they would be able to learn more and perfect the greatest weapon in their arsenal. Something that could feel a rip in the dimensional fabric and keep it sealed. Something that could tear apart a paranormal being atom by atom. If her blood was able to help them as much as they thought it could, they would stop at nothing to capture her and keep her in their laboratory.

  “How long ago has it been since we were here last?” Rodney asked.

  “It’s been about seventeen hours. Which means the scent would still be fresh. Maybe we can get one of the bloodhounds on the trail.”

  “I can go fetch one if you want,” Rodney replied.

  “That would be fantastic. You do that. In the meantime, we’re going to stay here and hope that we can catch a glimpse of the carrier.”

  The group looked around at each other and nodded. Each had been told to keep their eyes on a certain area of a carrier’s body so that they could recognize her even under the most elaborate disguise. If the dragon-born were able to get to her first, that meant that all of their work would have gone to waste. And that was something that none of them wanted to see happen. They couldn’t afford that type of setback. Not when they were so close to achieving their goals.

  Suddenly, Richard’s cell phone began to ring. He paused and answered it.

  “Hello?” he asked. He listened intently as the voice on the other end spoke quickly. His eyebrows furrowed with concern and then relief.

  “She was just at the police station,” Richard said, snapping his phone closed and stuffing it into his pocket. “She was filing a report against us for attacking her. Good thing Josie was there today. She’s so loyal to our mission. She used to attend the meetings when she was just a little girl, sitting on her father’s lap. I always tried to make sure there were coloring books there for her. What a precious and pure soul she is.”

  Everybody nodded and murmured their appreciation for Josie. It was good to have friends in high places, and the guardian’s council certainly did have that. They needed to if they were truly going to shape the face of the world around them and protect it from invasive species.

  “Should we go and intercept her now?” Richard asked the rest of the group. Everybody nodded and followed him toward the police station. Richard was pleased by the great stroke of luck that they had been having. It had been a long time since they’d had hope of finding the carrier, and now everything seemed to be falling into place. It was such a great stroke of luck that they had been able to discover just where the carrier was right when they needed her the most. If she provided the dragon-born clan with any more heirs, the eradication of their extremely dangerous species would be a waste. If they were reproducing and spawning, who knew whether or not they would turn against their human companions and use their power against them. It was dangerous and likely that this would happen, and everybody was terrified of the consequences of such behavior.

  If she provided the dragon-born clan with any more heirs, their mission would be hopeless. They were certain that the Kersh clan had been improving their technology, and if they figured out the portal between the worlds befo
re the guardians did, there would be hell to pay.

  Josie had done her best to call as quickly as she possibly could without arousing suspicion. Krista was still finishing up with her paperwork, which gave the Guardians ample time to make it to the police station. They waited outside for her, smug smiles on their faces as they prepared themselves for another attack. Most of the police force knew of them as powerful men who worked behind the scenes, so their actions wouldn’t be questioned. They stayed concealed behind the trees, and quietly watched the front door of the police station as they hoped for Krista to emerge.

  It seemed to take an extraordinarily long time, but finally, there she was. Her full lips were curved into a relieved smile as she descended the stone steps of the police station. When Richard gave a nod, everybody began to creep toward her.

  Before they reached her, a female dragon-born landed out of nowhere in front of them, her eyes piercing through the group of Guardians menacingly. She had flown down from the sky and landed in half-human form, which was almost more dangerous than full-dragon form. It always depended. Sometimes, their guns didn’t work when the shifter was only half-dragon and half-human in appearance.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the woman asked indignantly, staring at the Guardians. They were annoyed and clambered over each other to move past her, some of them reaching for their weapons, but others more concerned that they were losing sight of Krista. The direction that she was going in was soon to be lost to them.

  “Get out of our way,” Richard growled, pushing his way past the shifter woman. She gave him a menacing smile before swiping her claws painfully across his cheek. He hissed in anger, and motioned for everybody to attack her. This seemed to be the action that she had been waiting for, and soon, they were engaged in a full out brawl. Krista was completely oblivious, and had already reached the parking lot. Before long, she was pulling away from the police station in her little copper-colored car.