Shifters of the Wellsprings: The Complete Paranormal Collection

by Leela Ash

  “Nemagorix ordered his minions to find something called ‘the Aegis.’ Which means ‘shield.’”

  Like the little leather disk that appeared when he and Lily touched. “What is that?”

  “We don’t know. It could be a weapon or, more likely, a defense. But whatever it is, it is critical in the fight against this creature.”

  “You think that’s the artifact. Why? I mean, it could be any shield.”

  Even as he explained, the Dragon continued to study Lucas’ restless Wolf. “There is other evidence. The Fangs went to extraordinary lengths to steal your sister’s necklace. We never figured out why they sought it so desperately. Moreover we had an odd conversation with the spirit of Kachina Wells. It’s a long story, one for another day. At the end, though, I asked if a certain thief sought the Aegis. The spirit found my question hilarious. At the time, I did not understand why. Now I wonder if it mocked me because your sister stood beside me with half of the Aegis around her neck.”

  “So you think her necklace and my ring are two halves of this Aegis?” To his dismay, what the Dragon said made sense.

  “Exactly. Twenty two years ago, your parents gave their lives to save their children: you and Lily. Each parent took one child and one half of the Aegis, and then they ran.”

  Away from some enemy. Splitting the Pack to ensure that someone would live.

  Exactly what his Wolf thought they should do.

  Dammit, why couldn’t he think? Dark emotions swirled through his mind. Anger, fear… and a deep, unshakable anxiety that gnawed at his soul. He was failing. Failing… someone… badly. With a pained yelp, his Wolf broke into a lope, circling the room like a caged beast.

  Briggs’ lips pinched. “May I ask what is wrong? Your Wolf is greatly agitated.”

  “Nothing,” Lucas stammered. “I mean, nothing except you surprising me. And my grandparents not being here.”

  That should have been the end of it. Yet Briggs squirmed, as if the Wolf’s anxiety was contagious. “Mr. Clay, do you have a Mate?”

  “No.”

  Suddenly his Wolf howled, a guttural cry of pure rage. Abandoning its pointless circling, it charged straight at Lucas. Before he could even raise an arm, it launched itself at his throat, jaws gaping wide, fangs flashing. He flinched, turned…

  …and the Wolf sailed through him. It was a spirit, after all. No more solid than a ghost. Though that didn’t stop its attack. His Wolf spun as soon as it hit the ground and began biting – viciously, but ineffectually – at his ankles.

  Lucas kicked at it, with no more luck. His foot passed through its ghostly form, earning him a barrage of snarls.

  Prim and proper, Briggs kept his hands folded in his lap. “It would appear your Wolf disagrees with that statement.”

  “Why? What the hell is do you mean by ‘Mate’ anyhow?”

  “I mean a soulmate. The woman that completes you. Fate binds you together for all time.”

  “Yeah, well, no. There’s no one like that in my life.” Dammit, this Wolf was rabid! Lucas snatched a cushion off the couch and tried to swat it away.

  “What about Ms. Anderson? Do you love her?”

  “No.”

  Snap snap snap! His Wolf did its best to kill him.

  “I mean, I like her. A lot. But… it’s complicated.”

  With a dancer’s grace, Briggs floated to his feet. Light glittered in his eyes, bright in the dim room. “No, Mr. Clay, it is simple. It would appear Ash Anderson is your Mate – and her life is in danger, right now. You have failed to protect her.”

  That accusation hit him like a sledgehammer. It was stupid. It made no sense…

  Yet it knocked the wind out of him. Because in his heart, his soul, he knew it was true. Those words rang with a truth he could not deny, no matter how irrational they sounded.

  Ash was his Mate, his soulmate.

  And she was in danger.

  He’d failed her.

  “Where is she?” Briggs demanded.

  “How the hell should I know? We split in Flagstaff. I think she was going home.”

  The Dragon jabbed his chest with a finger. “Don’t think. Feel. Where is she? You two are bound. Your heart knows how to rescue her.”

  “I…” He didn’t know! He could guess, but if he was wrong…

  Only he wasn’t wrong. Somehow he knew that. “She was going home. I… I need to get to Sedona right away.”

  One sharp nod and the Dragon strode for the door, all action. “Come. I’ll hire a private plane.”

  Dazed, Lucas trailed after him. His Wolf shot ahead with feverish excitement, giving no sign that it had just tried to tear his jugular out. Wolves had short memories when they got their way. All was forgiven… for now.

  “You’re seriously getting a private plane? For me?”

  “For us. Lucas Clay, Wolf of No Pack, I offer you my aid if you will accept it.”

  Shit yeah! A man would need a rocket launcher to punch through a Dragon’s scales. Stuffy or no, Casey Briggs was exactly the guy he wanted by his side in a fight. “Thanks. That’s awesome.”

  “Then let us go to Sedona and find what has happened to your Mate.”

  In Lucas’ opinion, they couldn’t get there soon enough.

  Funny how quickly things changed. Fifteen minutes ago, keeping his ring was his biggest worry. Now, he didn’t give a damn about the thing. If that was the price he had to pay for Briggs’ help, so be it.

  The only thing that mattered was getting to Sedona on time and rescuing his Mate.

  Chapter 16.

  Once they hit the condo community, Lucas let Briggs do the talking.

  Ash’s mom lived in a gated community. Row after row of clean, elegant condominiums ringing pools and tennis courts. Behind them sprawled a full 18-hole golf course, cheerfully guzzling up countless gallons of water under the hot Arizona sun.

  A literal gate – with a guard – protected this place. The sight of Lucas’ t-shirt and scuffed jeans brought a scowl to the man’s face. And this was when he was behind the wheel of a spotless rental car. The Wolf couldn’t imagine what kind of stink-eye he’d get if he drove up in his Honda.

  It didn’t help that he was as twitchy as a heroin addict on his first day at rehab. No matter how much he ordered himself to sit still, he couldn’t. His hands drummed on the wheel as they waited. He squirmed, shifted, checked the rear-view mirror a dozen times. Somewhere in his heart he knew that Ash was in danger. That fear had died down to a dull roar on the flight over. Now, so close to her, it rushed back. Sensing that anxiety, the guard suspected the worst.

  Fortunately Casey Briggs had the exact opposite effect on the man. With his new, unchewed suit and regal gaze, the Dragon looked like the kind of investment banker who would own a dozen of these ‘little’ apartments. A few polished words… “family friend”… “surprise visit”… “no need to bother Ms. Anderson”… and they sailed through the gate.

  Lucas shook his head as he waited for a private golf cart to putter across the road ahead of them. “I can’t believe that guy didn’t at least insist on buzzing her. Is that some kind of Dragon magic?”

  “No. Practice. Years of convincing people to give me what I want.”

  Magdalene Anderson owned an end unit overlooking the fairway. Probably the most posh apartment in this place – if you didn’t mind a golf ball pinging off your windows occasionally. Lucas glanced around nervously as they stood before her door. “I actually know how to pick a lock but, uh, I’m pretty sure one of the neighbors will see me and object.”

  “Allow me.” The Dragon pretended to press the door bell and stepped back, hands folded politely in front of him. A quick scan to make sure no one watched… and suddenly his foot lashed out, slamming into the wood near the doorknob.

  Bam! The door swung open.

  Calm and collected, Briggs stepped through. Lucas trailed after, dazed by the speed of their entrance. “You’ve done that before,” he whispered.

  “I plea
d the fifth,” the Dragon muttered back. Quickly he swung the broken door closed, buying them some time.

  Silence filled the condo. The cool, soft quiet of a predator’s lair. Lucas strode forward, pushing past Briggs. With every second, the nervous energy that filled him transformed into determination and a fierce resolve. He was here now. He would save Ash.

  Lucas Clay didn’t know what a Mate was, but by God, he was going to save his!

  No one waited for them in the living room, with its smooth slate tiles and off-white walls covered with watercolors of floral arrangements. Neither Wolf nor Dragon called out. Both men knew that an enemy lurked here.

  Somewhere.

  Feet whispered across stone. Lucas glided through the room and peered into the kitchen.

  In the dim light he spotted a figure. Ash stood at the far end of the room, by the refrigerator. The sight of her lithe form should have filled him with relief…

  Except that she held a gun.

  Pointed at him.

  “Ash!” he yelped. “It’s me!”

  For one second he was sure he was dead. Then his heart started to beat again as the muzzle dropped towards the floor. “Lucas!”

  A trickle of blood dribbled down from her temple.

  Someone had hit her! He was going to tear that bastard apart when he found him! “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll live… but I’m so glad you’re here! I think my mom’s possessed!”

  One step toward her, driven by the need to sweep her into his arms and promise that he’d protect her.

  Then the Monster stopped him, a soft growl rumbling in its chest.

  Something smells wrong.

  What the hell was this thing’s problem? All the way over his Wolf had climbed the walls. Now, ten feet away from an injured Ash, it got cold feet?

  I thought this woman was supposed to be our Mate?

  Maybe. Bite her and find out.

  Bite Ash? Every ounce of his human heart screamed at him to rush to her side. Yet, wary and suspicious, his Wolf held him back. It sensed a trap.

  Like it knew Ash was in danger? Maybe I should listen to it for once.

  Lucas swallowed, mirroring the Beast’s disquiet. “Where is your mother?”

  “I don’t know. She knocked me out and by the time I awoke, she was gone.”

  Briggs slipped in behind him, puzzled by his hesitation. At the sight of him, delight lit Ash’s face. “Oh, what a gift you’ve brought me.”

  The hairs on the back of Lucas’ neck rose and his Wolf’s lips curled back from its teeth. That did not sound like his Mate!

  Like the shadow of a passing bat, something flitted across his lover’s face. A movement, a shadow, a grimace of revulsion? The gun slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the floor. Eyes widening, she tottered…

  And suddenly it was her. Ash. Neither man nor Wolf had any doubts.

  “Lucas?” she whimpered. “I don’t feel good.” With no more warning, her legs gave way and she crumpled to the floor.

  Both Wolf and Dragon bolted around the kitchen table. Lucas reached her first and dropped to his knees, scooping her up into his arms. “Ash!” Fear and rage warred inside him. His human half was terrified, demanding that he call an ambulance right away.

  But fury, not fear, spurred his Wolf.

  Fight! Fight! it roared inside him. Protect her!

  From what?!? There was nothing here except…

  Movement. Under the table.

  His first thought was for Ash, conscious but dazed. Pulling her close to his chest he staggered to his feet and scrambled back. “Floor!” he shouted to the startled Dragon. “Enemy!”

  Briggs crouched, with a calm that made Lucas blush at his own nerves. Then again, he knew how tough a Dragon’s scales were. If he had armor like that, he’d be pretty calm himself.

  Whatever the man saw didn’t appear to upset him. He sat there, balanced perfectly on his heels, frowning. Lucas settled Ash gently in a chair, then dropped to his knees himself.

  Nothing waited under the table. In fact, the floor was spotless, clean enough to eat from.

  “Did it run out of the room, or…”

  Briggs rose, frowning. “There wasn’t anything there.”

  Lucas’ cheeks burned. He was literally jumping at shadows. That was what you got when a tour guide tried to play hero. Shit, he ought to stick to shepherding tourists and leave the heroics to the real warriors – like the Dragon.

  Or so he thought. His Wolf, however, blazed with rebellion.

  Enemies are here! Be wary! Protect!

  In his arms, Ash shuddered. “That’s not Casey!” she wailed. “There’s a spirit here! It possesses people!”

  A cold, inhuman grimace twisted Briggs’ handsome face and sent a bucket of ice water pouring down Lucas’ spine. “Thank you for this gift, Lucas Hrolf-son.” “These are the finest clothes any Darkborn could hope to wear. With them, I will shatter the bonds that hold my lord prisoner.”

  Nemagorix. The Destroyer of Worlds that Briggs had mentioned.

  As he inched back, placing himself between Ash and this threat, the creature tossed the Dragon’s arms wide in a welcoming gesture. “Die now, knowing that your foolishness has doomed your world.”

  Fangs, claws, or Dragon-fire… any of those attacks Lucas would have expected. Instead, Briggs snatched a chef’s knife from the kitchen counter and flung it with lethal accuracy.

  With Ash behind him, he couldn’t dodge.

  Yet even as his human mind searched in vain for a solution, his Wolf-touched reflexes saved the day. His hand whipped forward and slapped the knife out of mid-air.

  Lucas’ jaw dropped. Holy shit I’m good!

  A howl of joy erupted from his Wolf, now that battle had finally begun. Shift! Bite!

  Yeah, no. That didn’t work so well last time, remember?

  Apparently the creature didn’t recall nearly breaking a tooth on Briggs’ scales, because it flooded his head with that demand.

  Lucas ignored it. Keeping Ash behind him and the table between him and the Dragon, he inched towards the living room.

  Zip! Another knife flew through the air.

  Swat! Clang! He batted it away.

  Scowling now, Briggs grabbed a third weapon.

  “Why does he keep throwing things?” Ash whispered.

  “Why wouldn’t he?” Another swat, another piece of cutlery bounced across the floor.

  “Because even his half-Dragon form could shred us both in a heartbeat.”

  Hmm. Good point. He recalled, vividly, how much it had hurt to even bite the Dragon.

  “This has become tedious.” Briggs scooped Ash’s gun off the floor and raised it.

  Oh hell! No way he could slap bullets out of the air!

  His human mind flailed, caught between two irresistible forces. One, the all-consuming need to protect Ash. The other, the undeniable fact that he stood no chance against a Dragon. He wouldn’t run and abandon her. He’d much rather die shielding her.

  Although that probably wouldn’t save her life. Briggs had more than one bullet in that gun.

  Inside him, his Wolf howled a battle cry.

  It had no doubts.

  It knew what to do.

  And for once, Lucas trusted it. Throwing caution to the wind, he gave the Wolf its freedom.

  Even before he shifted, the Wolf’s reflexes took over. As Briggs’ arm rose, Lucas shoved Ash and sent her sprawling into the living room. Then he leaped forward, vaulting across the table. A shot rang out, deafening in the small room. But he was already twisting, dodging, shifting. Throwing himself at the Dragon as the bullet whistled past his ear.

  As he lunged for the Dragon’s throat, Briggs raised a taloned hand. A weak defense… or so Lucas thought, until he plowed into it. It was like slamming into a steel post at a dead run. The force of the collision drove the air out of his lungs and crushed his attack. Merciless fingers closed on his fur, and suddenly he was held, helpless, in mid-air.

>   No. Not helpless. A Wolf never gave up, no matter how powerful its enemy. If he died, he’d die fighting, buying time for his Mate to flee.

  Lucas twisted his head to the side and snapped at the Dragon’s arm. His teeth scraped along hard, scaled flesh they simply could not tear through. Despair welled up inside of him. He couldn’t beat Briggs. Hell, the Dragon would kill him in a heartbeat.

  Then Ash was next.

  He steeled himself, expecting a talon-tipped hand to disembowel him with one flick of the wrist. Instead, Briggs shrieked in pain and dropped him.

  Silvery light, not blood, dripped from the place where Lucas had bitten him.

  The exact same light that had burst out of the ‘rapist’ who attacked Ash, back when they first met!

  Not that his Wolf cared about solving this mystery. All it saw was weakness! A chance to finish its fallen foe!

  He leaped upon the staggering Dragon, biting over and over. Arms, legs, hands. Each touch of his fangs left shining trails of light slashed across Briggs’ skin. Howls of agony echoed through the house as his enemy toppled backwards.

  Suddenly the Dragon’s back arched. With a weak mewl of pain, a fountain of inky liquid shot into the air.

  Snap! Lucas’ teeth tore through it, bringing back that now-familiar taste of oil and rot.

  The blob of ink faded away, leaving nothing but a fetid stench behind. The Wolf scrambled onto his defeated enemy, sniffing for any sign of another spirit.

  Beneath his feet, Briggs’ chest heaved.

  “Mr. Clay, would you be so kind as to step off me?”

  Tongue lolling with glee, Lucas hopped away.

  That sounded like the Dragon he knew.

  Chapter 17.

  Despite the day’s warmth, Ash couldn’t stop shivering. The air in her mother’s apartment seemed as dank and chill as a mausoleum. Only Lucas, his arm wrapped around her shoulder, brought any comfort. The heat of his body, the hard lines of his muscles, lit a fire in her blood that fought against the morning’s terrors.