by R. A. Boyd
The Shifter’s Salvation
The Ghost Shifters Series, Book 3
R. A. Boyd
Contents
Other Books in this series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Up Next in the Ghost Shifter Series
A note from the author
Other works by R.A. Boyd
The Shifter’s Salvation
Copyright© 2019
By R.A. Boyd
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locations is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
ASIN: B07LFGPZV9
Text copyright ©2019 R.A. Boyd
All Rights Reserved
Other Books in this series
The Shifter's Wish, Book 1
The Shifter's Dream, Book 2
To Belles. I’m so happy you know just awes awesome you are.
Chapter 1
“Where the hell is my po-tuna-chip sandwich, Aiden? I was very clear on that.”
Audra paced around her cell, holding her broken arm close to her body. It ached something wonderfully painful. She could feel the bones and muscle and flesh knitting back together, and she focused on that. That made things better. Focusing on something other than the irrational rantings of her saber-tooth hiding inside her was always better.
Aiden frowned and made a weird clicking noise in the back of his throat that made Audra want to pull his tongue out through his nose. “Tuna, Audra. You said to make sure I mixed one can of albacore with two cans of tuna. Lightly toast the bread. So,” he said, reaching to open the rectangular slot in the door to slide in the plate. “Here it is.”
A low, rattling snarl worked its way up Audra’s throat. It vibrated her teeth and gums and shook her tonsils. She stomped over to the door and kicked the slot closed with her small, bare foot. “Brother. Try to slide that plate to me one more time and I will squeeze myself through that food giving, mail slot, rectangle-shaped thing and fucking eat you!”
No. No. She’d never do that. She’d never hurt her brothers or her sisters. Or anyone for that matter.
This wasn’t her talking. It was like she was standing in the background, rubbing her arm as it healed and listening to her beastly saber-tooth use her mouth to threaten her family. This is why she’d locked herself in the jail cell. These beautiful, magically warded jail cells that no magic spell or shifter strength could break out of.
It’s what she needed. It’s what they needed. That bitch of a beast would have hurt her family if she hadn’t locked herself in last night. The beast couldn’t break through Audra’s skin and hurt anyone, but she sure could influence Audra until she did something she would forever regret.
Stop it, Beastie, Audra thought. Please don’t say things like that to them. They love us. They want what’s best for us.
“What’s best for you,” the saber-tooth said through Audra’s lips. “They give not a single shit about me. And stop calling me Beastie.”
Audra ran her hand over her face and squeezed the bridge of her nose. She couldn’t go on like this. It had to end. There was no other way for her. Not now that she and her beast weren’t one like they used to be. Now there were two.
“She’s getting stronger, isn’t she?” Cass walked down the stone steps that led to the basement of the common hall where the cells were housed. She held a gorgeous bag of chips in her hand. “Aiden, I asked you to wait before you brought her lunch down. She wanted a po-tuna-chip sandwich.”
Aiden looked down at the plate that held the two sandwiches and then back up to Audra, dark eyes swimming with confusion. “What the double fuck is a po-tuna-chip sandwich?”
Audra smiled at Cass. Her sister was here now to take care of her and make her special sandwich. How the hell did Aiden not know how she liked it? They’d been there when that sexy son of a bitch showed off his potato chips back in the mid 1800’s. They’d been there together at the grand revealing of canned fish in 1904. And Aiden had damned sure been there when she made her first po-tuna-chip sandwich back in 1905. It was the best thing since sliced fucking bread.
Cass held up the bag of chips and took the plate from Aiden. “It’s when you put potato chips inside the sandwich with the tuna. It’s her favorite.” Her eyes softened and floated over to Audra. She smiled and shrugged. “I’ll be right back with your sandwiches. And your tea.”
“And two cookies,” Audra said, her voice now calming down and losing that steady growl that was her constant companion.
“And two cookies,” Cass said. Her dark, coily hair bobbed around her like a beautiful halo as she turned and walked back up the stairs.
Halo like an angel. Cass had to have angel blood beating through her veins. That was the only thing that made sense. She’d come to this clan and started their healing. After they’d been cursed by the Creator for sitting out the Great War in Heaven, Cass was the one to give them hope again.
“We were cursed because we didn’t want to kill our fellow angels,” Audra said to the empty space. Her words echoed back to her as if she were giving herself validation to actually talk about what they’d endured for the last few millennia. “Cursed to walk as the saber-tooth but blessed not to be cast into the pits of Hell.”
Now cursed to walk in your human form and not shift while I sit here locked in silence, in darkness. You think a mate will save you from me, Audra? Your mate is already too late.
It was true.
A mate was the Ghost shifters only saving grace. A mate who held part of their soul, part of their grace, was the only thing that would give them back their ability to shift. Her Alpha and Omega, Jax and Damon, had found Cass. Teague had found Riley. Where was Audra’s saving grace? A mate was the only thing that would keep Audra here with her family.
The hope of her brothers finding their mates had sustained her for a little while. Finally having sisters she could love and protect had held the beast at bay.
Audra smiled and fought back the tears as she listened to Cass softly sing in the kitchen upstairs. This was love. This was the woman who was her sister, her friend, and one of her Alphas. She would miss her so dearly when she was put down. She would miss Riley and her step-daughter Liv, too.
She would miss sunshine on cold days. The kind where you could go outside and see your breath fog up in front of you but still feel the warmth of the sun on your face. She would miss fuzzy robes and socks, and choosing to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Yeah, free will was the best.
But after today, she would sleep like the dead.
Would she be aware that she was sleeping, having the rage and hatred drained from her mind? God she hoped not. She just wanted to rest and wait and get better. And most importantly, she didn’t want her mate to see her like this. Audra didn’t even want to see herself life this. It was frightening. And slow. And patient.
Well, it had been patient up until last night when Beastie started telling her to do things. Horrible, unforgivable things to the people she loved and cared for. She almost did it, too.
“And that, ladies and gentleman—” Audra said, voice raising high and holding her good arm out like a big top ring leader introducing the next spectacular act.
“—is why I locked myself in here. To keep me from becoming the next Ronan. You’re fucking welcome!”
“Audra,” Aiden said, his deep voice just above a whisper. She’d forgotten he was still down here. “Why isn’t your arm healing? It should have by now.”
Oh, perceptive Aiden. He was on to her. The others weren’t yet, and she hoped they didn’t get a chance to figure it out.
She glanced up at him and gave him a tight, vicious smile. She let Beastie have her eyes. Audra knew they burned black in her sockets, almost as if the pits of Hell had finally found a portal in her face. “Bye, Aiden.” Her voice was flat and dismissive.
“I’m sorry I didn’t know how to make your sandwich. I just— I just love you so much and I want you to be okay.”
Audra nodded and rubbed her arm. She would have to break it again soon. It was the only thing that managed to keep her level. If her arm was broken and throbbing in pain, she could ignore Beastie for just a little while longer. Focusing on the pain of her flesh and bone coming together helped give her something else to do besides hate every fucking body who gained her attention. Except her sisters.
Audra could stay level with them, for a little while. She could talk to them and listen to the cadence of their voices and feel peace.
As Aiden’s slow footsteps quietly retreated from near Audra’s cell, Cass’s almost soundless ones were coming back to her. She could tell who was coming just by the sounds of their steps.
They’re coming, the monster growled in her head.
“I know, Beastie. I know.”
Would this be happening if she’d been able to stop Ronan when they went to Ireland? Audra had lost so many nights of sleep wondering if she would be just as happy as her brothers if she could have stopped him. She would never know.
Cass’s smile appeared between the bars of the window and made Beastie retreat. Good Third of the Triad. Good Alpha.
“Here you go,” Cass said, opening the slot and pushing Audra’s tray inside. “Just the way you like it. Do you need me to feed you? You’re holding your arm and...” She sighed and her shoulders slumped low. “Jax and Damon said they’ll keep you for at least a century. I don’t understand why it has to be that long.”
Audra took the tray and sat down on the soft bed that lined the right wall of the cell. Like this, she could place the tray on her lap, eat, and still be able to look at Cass. Looking at people when you spoke to them was something she always did. It wasn’t cordial to talk to someone and not look into their eyes, giving them all the attention you’d yourself want in return.
“When I talked to the Coven of the Fallen last night they said that they’d wake me up at twenty-five year intervals and check on me, to see how far I’ve come. So see,” she said, eating a chocolate chip cookie. “It may not be that long.”
Like hell. I’ll rage until I’m so far gone you won’t be able to wake me. Ever. Even after you find a mate. You’ll never shift again.
“Don’t say things like that,” Audra said quietly.
Cass pulled a small bag of trail mix from her pocket. Audra had been the one to tell her to keep snacks on her. Shifter metabolism was fierce, and she needed to keep herself sated.
“How long has she been talking to you, Audra?”
Audra took a sip of her tea. “Oh, for years now. Shouldn’t be like that though. She should have been peacefully sleeping this whole time. But not this one. Her crazy rantings are pushing me over the edge,” she said with a smile.
She didn’t feel that smile. Not where you should. True smiles were felt deep in your bones. In your soul. This one was plastered on her face out of duty. She didn’t want her people to think that they had failed her.
“Then I won’t ask anymore,” Cass said, two tears falling from her bright brown eyes that shimmered with more wet splats of unshed tears. “You know what’s best, and I won’t let anyone ask you anymore about it. It’s Saturday. We’ll treat this like any other Saturday and let you know that you are loved. We won’t dwell on you leaving. You are leaving and that’s that. That’s what you need. I want you to dream of us loving you. Not mourning you.”
That would be best. Cass was a great Alpha. Just for fun, Audra hoped Simon would try his hand after hearing Cass’s decree. If any of her brothers were reckless enough to poke at an Alpha’s orders it was Simon. And Audra wanted to watch Cass gut him one last time before she left. It would be a nice sight to see to wish her fare-the-well.
Besides, Simon was just as fucked up as she was. His beast was still asleep, but he’d taken steps to keep it that way. Only Audra knew his secret, and she would take it to her sleep. It was his story to tell. Not hers.
“Hi, Riley,” Audra said long before Riley had even made it down the stairs.
Riley waited until she was standing next to Cass to speak. “Hey, Sis. They’re here. Do you really need—”
Cass put her arm around Riley’s shoulders to quiet her, and Audra looked on in love. Her sisters didn’t want her to go. Audra didn’t want to go.
Riley nodded and took an offered handful of trail mix from Cass. “Well, ladies,” Riley said in between chews, “a car and a van just pulled up as me and Teague left the house. The guys are outside talking to them. I didn’t hang around long to see them. Jax told them to wait about an hour, give us a chance to… to say bye.”
Audra chewed, and the crunch of the chips and the soft saltiness of the tuna made her mouth feel good. This was her favorite meal and she would savor it. Would they give her one last meal before they put her under?
She listened to Cass and Riley talk as she wolfed down the last bits of her food, and then swallowed down the iced-tea. Cass made the best iced-tea. There had to be at least two pounds of sugar in it.
They quieted as unknown footsteps echoed down the stairs. This was it. This was where things were going to change.
“Hello.” The voice was soft and feminine, but woo-doggie it held an air of power that only came from angel-folk.
Cass and Riley smiled and said hello, but Audra couldn’t see the owner of the voice yet. She wouldn’t speak until she could see her. Did they know each other? She knew a few members of the Coven of the Fallen, but hadn’t had contact with them in so long. They liked to keep to themselves.
Audra put her tray down on the floor, stood up, and straightened her clothes. As she walked to the cell door a woman a little taller than her appeared. She had long, dark, wavy hair, and her almond-shaped eyes were the most beautiful shade of amber. Her skin was caramel and it looked like the sun shined beneath her flesh.
The woman got way too close to the cell and put her face to the bars, and for a few breaths Audra was afraid for her. Beastie could whisper something fast and terrible to do to the pretty woman, and Audra’s body would have followed through before she even gave herself a chance to think about it. Either she was really powerful or really careless.
“Audra. I’m Willow. It’s nice to meet you.”
As Audra made her way to the door, Willow took a step back and held out her hand. Smart woman. Close enough to seem friendly, but far enough not to get her shoulder dislocated if Audra tried to pull her through the bars.
She used her good arm and put it through the window, giving Willow an awkward handshake. She let go and rubbed her arm. It was almost healed. “Good to meet you, Willow. Thanks for coming. I apologize in advance for this,” Audra said.
A low growl rumbled in Audra’s chest, and when the sound made its way past her lips it was loud and deafening. Willow flinched and put her hands up in a defensive motion as if getting ready to fight an oncoming boxer, and Audra laughed at her reaction. She didn’t mean to, but damn if it wasn’t funny.
“Ohh,” Audra said, her voice tapering off into a growl. “My saber-tooth knows what you’re here to do and she is not too happy with it.” She shrugged and then padded back over to the bed. “Fuck her. She’s mean as hell and I’m sick of her shit. Take me wherever it is we’re going, Willow, so I can bid fucki
ng adieu to this hateful twat.”
She sat down on the bed with her legs folded beneath her. Pulling her almost healed arm up to her lap, and quick as a fly on a hot summer’s day, she twisted it just enough to break the partially mended bones so no one would take notice. They weren’t looking at her anyway.
She grimaced and grunted at the pain, and she welcomed it. That helped. Oh, she could still hear her beast talking in that low guttural way of hers, but now they had the pain to focus on again. That should keep her level and give Audra a few minutes of peace and fucking quiet.
Audra eyed Willow and noticed a semiquaver tattooed behind her left ear. It looked perfect, and it matched her somehow. Willow’s voice was like a soft melody you heard singing quietly in a church.
Even from where she sat, Audra could tell that Willow’s heartrate was returning to normal from the fright she had given her. She didn’t scare easy. Maybe they could be friends when she was better. Willow would never take the place of her sisters, though.
“I’ll miss you most, Cass and Riley. I hope you’ll be here when I’m better.”
Would her sisters still be alive? Audra didn’t know. They were still trying to figure out how the curse worked. Yeah, a few of her brothers had found their mates, but how long would they live now? The Ghost Shifters had been around for millennia. Would her brother’s new change make them live the normal lifespan of the regular shifters or would they continue to live and grow until the end of time? Or until they were beheaded and burned?