Fairplay Shifters Boxset

by Serena Meadows

“And my father?” Charlie asked, alarmed by Annabelle’s hesitation.

  “His name is Deacon and he’s an evil witch who’s been bothering my family for a while now. I don’t know what the connection is between the shifter and Deacon, but his name is on your birth certificate.”

  Charlie absorbed that information as calmly as she had the rest, then looked over at Steven, needing his reassurance. “I think Charlie and I need to talk,” he said, pulling her to her feet and out the kitchen door.

  Out on the porch, he took her over to the railing, so they could see the sunrise. He pulled her into his arms, and held her close, sighing when she rested her head on his chest. They stood that way in silence for a long time, but then Charlie pulled back and looked up at him.

  “I’m sorry I gave him the amulet, but it was the only way I could save us,” she said.

  “Well, according to Annabelle, it’s not going to work for anyone but us now,” Steven said, with a satisfied grin. “I had no idea we could turn it into a talisman.”

  Charlie shook her head, “It’s all still so confusing, but I knew that I could use it’s power, it was like it was talking to me, telling me how to save us.”

  “Annabelle says that you’re full of magic, that you’d been blocked since you were taken from your mother, but the love you felt for me unlocked your powers and they came back full strength,” Steven said.

  Charlie smiled at him, “I never thought I was a witch, never even considered it,” she said, then the smile disappeared from her face. “Do you care?”

  Steven snorted, “What’s one more witch in the family, soon we’ll have out own little coven. I love you Charlie, not what you are, although I will say that’s it kind of nice to know that you’ve got my back.”

  “I love you too Steven and I promise that I’ll always have your back,” she said, then stood up on her tip toes and kissed him.

  “Marry me Charlie, stay here with me forever, say you’ll never leave,” Steven said, his voice full of emotion.

  “Of course, I’ll marry you. I can’t imagine spending my life anywhere but by your side,” Charlie said, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve finally found a place I can call home.”

  Dalton: Fairplay Shifters

  Book 5

  Chapter 1

  ***Dalton***

  Adjusting his headlight, Dalton focused on the tiny handwriting that had been driving him crazy for weeks now. As much as he loved translating the old books in the Simons’ library, he was beginning to feel the strain of working on this particular book. He could feel the beginnings of a headache at the back of his head, a sure sign that it was time to call it a day and go home.

  As the coven librarian, the first one in three generations, it was his job to see that the family’s extensive collection of books was properly cataloged, organized and cared for. But after so many years of neglect, the collection was a disorganized mess, books stored in a hodgepodge of boxes, shelved in the wrong places and only about half had even been cataloged.

  When he’d taken on this responsibility, he’d had no idea that it was going to be a job that would take him years, not just the few months his father had suggested. But he’d made a commitment, and he never backed out when he’d made a promise; plus, he’d discovered that he liked the library.

  It was quiet here no matter what time of day; he didn’t have to make small talk with people or listen to their constant gossip. But what he’d discovered he liked most was translating the old volumes of spells he’d found buried at the back of a closet, spells that had been lost for generations.

  It was a bit like uncovering history, a chance to look back into the past and see a world that was long gone. He found himself charmed at the simplicity of the life his ancestors had lived here so many years ago when the coven was just getting started.

  But he was also impressed by the complexity of some of the spells he’d discovered, and as he translated the old volumes, he’d discovered the source of the powerful magic his family possessed. Magic that had faded over the last two generations but had re-emerged with the birth of two sets of Simons twins, something that had never happened before.

  Some said it was because they were twins, some said it had just been time for the magic to re-emerge, but Dalton had his own theories. Theories that people either didn’t like or considered pure fantasy, but he knew that something big was coming.

  The problems they’d had over the last year were proof enough for him, and although things had calmed down in the last few months, he still had that feeling of foreboding. A feeling that had been with him for most of his life, which was why he was blinding himself trying to make sense of his ancestor’s spells and prophecies.

  He just wished that the rest of the family would take him as seriously as he took himself, but it was his burden to bear, the result of his ability to see the future and what it might bring. His gift had become apparent by the time he was three years old, and since then he’d born the burden of seeing into the future, and over the years what he’d seen had scared him.

  It was true that over the last year, they’d faced evil and won, but he could sense that what was coming would be the biggest test they’d faced so far. The problem was, he couldn’t see what it was, could only feel the foreboding that haunted him day and night and an intense sense of helplessness.

  Taking off the headlamp, he sighed; he’d lost his train of thought: a sure sign that he needed to call it a night, get something to eat and then some sleep. He was putting away the manuscript when there was a loud knock on the door, making him jump and nearly drop the book.

  Cursing, he set the book into the velvet box he’d made for it and shut the lid and crossed the room to open the door. But before he could get there, it swung open to reveal his sister Annabelle and her husband Justin standing on the threshold. Wondering why his gift never told him about little surprises like this, he motioned for them to come in.

  “I thought you were in Florida helping Justin’s dad,” he said, walking back to his desk and sitting down, too tired to stay on his feet.

  Annabelle and Justin sat down across from him. “We were, but there’s been a little problem in Fairplay,” Annabelle said.

  Dalton looked from Annabelle to Justin, waiting for more of an explanation, apprehension racing through him. “What kind of trouble?” he asked, wondering why they were coming to him.

  Annabelle looked over at Justin, then finally said, “The amulet has been stolen again.”

  Dalton came up out of his chair. “What?”

  Annabelle sighed, “We didn’t know it, but another shifter was after the amulet,” she said, then turned to Justin.

  Dalton studied his brother-in-law, wondering as he always did if his family becoming so intimately connected to a family of shifters was part of some greater plan. A year ago, he’d have laughed if you’d told him that not one, but both of his twin sisters would be married to shifters, but here they were living that reality.

  “Here’s what we know,” Justin said, then paused clearly getting his thoughts together. “The amulet didn’t belong to the shifters who had it this summer; we’re not sure who it belongs to, but another shifter came for it. We had no choice but to give it to him, but thanks to my brother and his fiancée Charlie, it’s been turned into a talisman.”

  “How in the hell did that happen and what difference does that make?” Dalton asked, his voice deadly calm.

  Annabelle grimaced; she knew what it meant when her brother got that calm. “Well, Steven decided that the safest place to hide the amulet was around his neck, but he wrapped it in leather thinking that would protect him from its power.”

  Dalton groaned. “Now I suppose you’re going to tell me that love activated the amulet and turned it into a talisman or something like that,” he spat out, disgusted with the shifter who’d lost the stone. “I thought you said we could trust the shifters to keep the amulet safe.”

  “Well, it is safe, in a way. Whatever Steven did to t
hat stone, only he and Charlie can use its power now, and only together. At least I think that’s what happened; I wasn’t there so I can’t be sure,” Annabelle said, then waited for her brother’s reaction.

  “So, all we have to do is get it back from the shifter. Who is he?”

  “That’s one of our little problems; we don’t know. He never gave his name; that’s why we need you,” Annabelle said, finally getting to the point of the visit.

  “Annabelle, I see the future, not the present. I can’t tell you who we’re looking for,” Dalton said, annoyed that she hadn’t figured that out yet. “Besides, it’s not my mess to clean up, it’s yours,” he added, looking directly at Justin, challenge issued.

  Annabelle opened her mouth, but Justin put his hand on her arm, then he spoke. “I’m afraid that’s not true,” he said, then paused and leaned forward. “Charlie’s birth certificate lists Deacon as her birth father.”

  Dalton absorbed that information, “And her mother? Was she?”

  “Yes, Suzanne Applegate was listed as her birth mother,” Annabelle said, nodding her head.

  “So, the rumors were true?” Dalton asked.

  “She’s as powerful as we are, Dalton,” Annabelle said, “I need to stay here with her, help her through this transition. I don’t know why Deacon didn’t just have her killed like her mother, but he didn’t, and now she’s our responsibility.”

  Dalton nodded his head. “I still don’t see what you need from me.”

  “I need you to go to Fairplay and find the shifter who has the amulet. Everyone else is already working on this and we’re stretched too tight. I need your help,” Annabelle said in that tone of voice that told him he didn’t have any choice. “We need to get the upper hand this time; we need to be in control. I’m tired of waiting for them to strike; we’re going to strike first, and you’re just the witch to make that happen.”

  Resigned, he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

  “We think we might be able to trace the shifter through the phone calls and emails he sent Charlie; they’ve got a computer expert on the way now and together I’m hoping you can find the shifter and get the amulet back,” Annabelle said with a shrug, then grinned at him sheepishly.

  “Is that all?” Dalton asked, wanting to laugh at how simple his sister made it sound.

  ***Melody***

  With a well-practiced twist of her wrist, Melody finished taping up the last box, then stood up and looked around her. The little apartment that had been her home for the last six months looked empty and uninviting, nothing like it had looked a few days ago, and she felt a pang of sadness to be leaving.

  But then a horn blare from the street below reminded her of all the reasons she was glad to be leaving Boston. Grabbing the box, she set it on the pile by the front door, then turned and walked over to the window and looked down on the crowded street. It had been almost four years since she’d left home for MIT, a kid fresh out of high school with no idea what lay before her.

  It would be a relief to get home, to live again in a place where the way she looked didn’t matter, in a place where people saw beyond the outside to what was inside. Turning from the window, she picked up her purse, hat and sunglasses and headed out the door, stopping in the hallway to put the sunglasses on, even though it was dark there.

  When she stepped outside, she felt the first heat of summer in the bright sunlight that greeted her. Taking a deep breath of the warm afternoon air, she discovered it was laced with the scent of flowers and had to smile; Boston may be a big city full of people and pollution, but it could still surprise her.

  Still, she longed for the pine forests of home, the smell of the crisp mountain air first thing in the morning, and most of all the people. She also missed the freedom of living so far from any big city, the miles and miles of forests where she could indulge her other side. Where she could shift into the tawny golden cat that lived inside her any time she wanted and run for hours.

  Deciding to walk instead of taking a cab, she turned and headed down the street towards the motel where she’d booked a room for her last night in Boston. Her furniture had been picked up earlier that day, and the apartment was just too depressing to stay in overnight, so she’d spoiled herself with a suite at an old hotel in the historic district.

  When she walked into the lobby of the hotel, she was surprised to see her friends Pauline and Candace waiting for her. “What are you two doing here?” she asked, touched that they’d come all this way to see her.

  “Did you really think we were going to let you leave without a goodbye party?” Pauline asked, throwing her arm around Melody.

  “First round of drinks is on me,” Candace chimed in.

  Melody hadn’t expected to spend the night drinking with her friends, but when she thought about it, it sounded like a good way to say goodbye to Boston. “Okay, where do we start?”

  Candace looked her up and down. “I say we start with a trip to the department store for a new outfit for you; that thing you’re wearing is positively horrible. Where did you even get it?”

  Melody stuck her tongue out at Candace. “It’s comfortable, okay; I was packing today. I’ll just run up to my room and throw on some jeans. Will that work for you?”

  Candace wrinkled her nose, she and Melody had been going rounds from day one about her wardrobe, but the baggy shirts and jeans she wore were part of her disguise, a way to take the focus off her looks and put it on what was important.

  “I guess, but one of these days, I’m going to get you into something sexy, something that shows off that body of yours. Why you hide it I’ll never know,” Candace said.

  Pauline felt Melody’s discomfort and stepped in. “Leave her alone, Candace, let her dress the way she wants to,” she said, then gave Melody a push. “Go change; we’ll wait here for you.”

  Chapter 2

  ***Dalton***

  Dropping heavily into a chair in the terminal, Dalton looked at his watch and groaned. It was six a.m., a time of day he rarely saw, and he was annoyed at just about everything. The driver for showing up early and making him rush, his sister for sending him to the wilds of Colorado on an impossible mission, and most of all at the shifters for losing the amulet.

  The anger and annoyance had only hit him after his sister and Justin left that night, and since then it had been simmering and growing. This was the last thing he wanted to be doing, would have much rather been buried in the library at home uncovering the secrets of his ancestors. That would have been a bigger help than sending him halfway across the country, to do what, he wasn’t sure.

  Annabelle had been unhelpful, had just said that he’d know what to do when the time came. Ever since she’d become leader of the coven, she began to talk that way and it drove him crazy; the sight had never been one of her strong talents, but lately, she’d grown stronger, almost as strong as he was.

  He had to admit that he was a bit jealous, but that wasn’t the only reason it made him uncomfortable. As strong as his talent was, he’d never been able to see his own future, nor had anyone else. But Annabelle was strong, full of the kind of magic that might be able to see past the veil over his future and he was both scared and excited by the prospect.

  So, when she’d made her cryptic statement, he’d stayed quiet, held back the questions he wanted to ask, not yet ready to take that step. He of all people knew that the future was unpredictable, that what he and Annabelle saw were only possibilities of the future, things that might happen but might not and that not knowing sometimes was better.

  Taking a deep breath, he straightened up in the chair and reached for his backpack, deciding that it was silly to waste time thinking about the future; it would happen whether he brooded over it or not. Pulling out a small book of spells he’d chosen to bring along, he opened it to the page he’d been working on and began to translate a locomotion spell.

  Stretching out his legs, he got more comfortable, and it wasn’t long before he was lost in the beaut
iful language on the page. He didn’t hear the terminal filling up, wasn’t aware that people were forced to step around his outstretched legs or of the quiet comments they made as they passed.

  So, it came as a huge shock when a woman suddenly plopped down hard in his lap, her arms flailing, knocking the spell book out of his hands and skidding across the floor. He jumped quickly to his feet, the woman in his arms, and looked around at the crowded terminal, then down at the woman who was staring up at him with the most incredible eyes he’d ever seen.

  A rush of desire raced through him, leaving him staring at her open-mouthed. “Please, put me down,” she asked slightly breathless. Then pushed against his chest when he didn’t respond.

  Dalton quickly set her down, but a little too quickly and she teetered on her feet as if she was going to fall, so he reached out to steady her. But in the process, his hand brushed against her breast sending another wave of desire rushing through him.

  When he was sure she wasn’t going to fall, he stepped back as if burned, and reached for the spell book. The woman immediately began searching for something, then with a sigh of relief, grabbed a pair of sunglasses and shoved them on her face. He watched fascinated as she collected her bag and started to leave.

  Feeling a strange urge not to let her go, he rushed over and started to help her. “I’m sorry, I guess my feet were sticking out into the aisle a little too far,” he said.

  “It was my fault, I wasn’t looking where I was going, but I’m fine. Is your book okay?” the woman asked, her face taking the red hues of a blush and making his heart beat faster.

  “It’s fine,” he said, holding it up.

  “Okay, good, I guess there’s no harm done then,” she said, and walked away, leaving him staring after her, his body humming with desire.

  ***Melody***