by Lola Gabriel
Shifting Truths
Sanmere Shifters
Lola Gabriel
Shifting Truths: Sanmere Shifters
Text Copyright © 2020 by Lola Gabriel
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
First printing, 2020
Publisher
Secret Woods Books
[email protected]
www.SecretWoodsBooks.com
Contents
Secret Woods Books
Prologue
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
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
Other Books You Will Love
Thank You
About the Author
Secret Woods Books
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Prologue
Eight Years Earlier
Rachel Lake left the bar and turned right, heading for her apartment. It was a twenty-minute walk and she would have preferred to get an Uber or even a taxi, but all of the wait times were half an hour or longer. She couldn’t bear to spend another half an hour making awkward small talk with Kyle. She pulled her cell phone out as she walked and scrolled through her contacts until she found Beth’s number. She hit call and lifted the cell phone to her ear.
“How did it go?” Beth asked as she answered the call.
“Ugh, it was awful,” Rachel said, unable to keep the tone of disgust from her voice.
“Oh, come on, Rach, it can’t have been that bad. You guys have only been dating for a couple of weeks,” Beth said.
“Yeah, a couple of weeks too long. I can’t believe I let myself go on more than one date with the guy. Honestly, he’s so boring, Beth. I mean, at first I figured yeah, first date nerves, so I gave him a second chance, because let’s be honest, he’s hot. But after that I should have realized he’s just plain dull behind that pretty face.”
Beth laughed and Rachel imagined her shaking her head.
“Just because the guy isn’t an action hero doesn’t mean he’s not relationship material,” she said.
“I know that,” Rachel sighed. “But it’s like he has no personality whatsoever. We’ve been on, like, ten dates and I don’t think we’ve ever gotten past the awkward small talk phase.”
“So, what did you tell him when you ended things?” Beth asked.
“I just said I didn’t think we were a good match,” Rachel replied.
“And he took it badly?” Beth asked.
“No, that’s the thing. He was fine with it. He even agreed with me. But then he insisted we should have a drink as friends and it was like nothing had changed. I was still stuck there on a Saturday night with the most boring guy in the world.”
“Well, at least it’s over now,” Beth said. “And now you can find a guy who skydives or something.”
“Even a guy who does crossword puzzles as a hobby would be more interesting than Kyle,” Rachel laughed. “But seriously, I’m done with guys for now. I just keep moving from one bad relationship to the next and I think maybe it’s time I focused on me for a while. It’ll happen when it happens, right?”
“You’re twenty-four, Rach, you’re not getting any younger, you know,” Beth teased her.
Rachel laughed.
“Thanks for that,” she said.
“I’m messing with you,” Beth giggled. “Seriously, though, I give you one week before you’re dating again.”
“Give me a bit of credit. I bet I can go at least ten days,” Rachel replied.
They both laughed and Rachel found herself feeling much better. She wouldn’t miss Kyle. She would miss the sex, but that was it.
“Hey,” Beth said. “Why don’t you come over here? Some of the girls are coming over and then we’re going to hit a few clubs.”
Rachel debated the idea. It was only nine o’clock and it was Saturday night. She didn’t much feel like a crazy night of clubbing, though.
“I’ll take a rain check if you don’t mind,” she said. “I just want to go home, get into my pajamas, and watch a trashy movie.”
“You’re more upset about this Kyle thing than you’re letting on, aren’t you?” Beth said, her voice filling with concern.
“No. God, no. Really,” Rachel said. “I just feel like a night in. Next weekend I’m all yours.”
“Well, if you’re sure?” Beth said.
“I’m sure,” Rachel said.
They talked for a bit longer and then ended the call. Rachel thought about what Beth had said. Was she upset over the breakup with Kyle? She supposed she was in some ways. Not about losing him per se, but more about the fact that she had spent so many years dating the wrong men. She was ready to settle down, maybe start a family, but she was rapidly losing any hope of finding the right man to do it with.
She shook her head, shaking away the melancholy feeling that had settled over her. She told herself she had plenty of time for all of that and she should just be enjoying being single for now.
She pushed aside her doubts and told herself that her vow to Beth was going to happen. She wasn’t going to stress over this, and she wasn’t going to waste any more of her time dating the wrong guys. She was going to wait for someone special, and then take some time to get to know him a bit before she rushed into anything.
She crossed the street and headed down a quieter side street. The conversation with Beth had passed the time like she had hoped it would and she would be home in less than five minutes now. She upped her pace a little bit, craving the comfort of her pajamas and maybe even a glass of wine in a nice, hot bubble bath.
She jumped slightly when a man lurched from inside of a shop doorway a couple of doors down. She looked around, noting that the street was deserted except for her and the man. She felt her heart speed up slightly and she told herself to stop being paranoid. It was barely nine thirty, and she had no reason to suspect the man was up to no good. This was a good area of Houston, after all.
The man wasn’t moving. He had turned to face Rachel and now he was just standing there seemingly staring at her. She felt icy fingers of fear caressing the back of her neck despite telling herself not to be paranoid.
“Excuse me? Is someone there?” the man called out.
Rachel looked the man up and down quickly and some of her fear melted away when she saw the white cane the man carried. So, he wasn’t staring at her as such. He was blind, probably attracted to her direction by the sound of her footsteps. Maybe he needed help. The more she thought about it, the more she thought she had detected a hint of fear in the man’s voice when he had spoken.
“Hello?” the man said.
“Umm… hi,” Rachel sai
d as she got a little bit closer to the man. “Are you okay?”
“I seem to have gotten myself turned around,” the man said, smiling at Rachel. He had a nice smile. He looked around her age, and he was well dressed. He had a faint accent Rachel couldn’t place, but it didn’t sound like he was a Texan. “I’m staying in the Bellevue Hotel. Do you happen to know if it’s anywhere around here?”
Rachel frowned. The Bellevue Hotel wasn’t far from here, but it had closed down about two years ago.
“Are you sure it’s the Bellevue?” she asked. “That place closed down, as far as I know.”
“A friend of mine just bought it. He’s in the middle of renovating it before he opens it up again. I’m in town visiting him and he’s staying there, so I am too,” the man explained.
“Oh, I see,” Rachel said. “It’s not far from here. It’s a couple of blocks south and then…”
She trailed off, realizing she had no way of explaining how to get there to someone who couldn’t see any of the things she would use to describe it. It was a little bit out of her way, but it wasn’t that far away and she decided to help the man. Her pajamas and her bubble bath could wait a little bit longer.
“Actually, I’m going that way myself. Would you like to walk with me?” she asked.
“Would you mind?” the man said. “I feel so silly getting myself lost this way.”
“Not at all,” Rachel smiled. “It’s this way.”
She took the man’s elbow and turned him slightly so he was facing the right way and then she started walking.
“Do you want to take my arm or something?” she asked.
“No, this is fine,” the man smiled. “I’m Lewis, by the way.”
“Rachel,” Rachel told him. “So, I take it you’re not from around here?”
“No,” Lewis said. “I’m from New York originally but now I live in California.”
That explained why Rachel hadn’t been able to place his accent. It was a mixture of two accents.
“I’d love to go to California,” Rachel said.
“It’s a nice place. Friendly people,” Lewis said. “You should visit in the spring. The weather is perfect.”
“If you like mild weather, why are visiting Houston in the summertime?” Rachel laughed.
“You’re right,” Lewis confirmed. “I guess I didn’t expect it to get this hot.”
Rachel laughed softly. She led Lewis around the end of the block.
“We’re going to cross the street now,” she said. “And then the path is mostly a dirt track from there. Are you sure you don’t want to take my arm?”
“I’m sure,” Lewis said. “In fact, I know where I am now. I don’t want to keep you from wherever you were going.”
Rachel looked down at the uneven dirt track and although the deserted hotel up ahead gave her the creeps, she knew she couldn’t let Lewis walk down it alone in case he fell and hurt himself.
“I’m only heading home,” Rachel said. “I don’t mind walking to the hotel. I don’t want you going back to California and telling everyone the people in Texas aren’t nice.”
Lewis laughed and shook his head.
“Oh, there’s no chance of that. Everyone I’ve met so far has been lovely,” he said. “Once the renovations in the hotel are complete, I might start coming out here more often.”
They walked down the dirt path. Lewis tapped his white cane in front of him and carefully avoided the dips and holes in the road. Rachel found herself impressed by his capability and she chastised herself, telling herself that Lewis obviously knew how to get around.
They reached the hotel gates and Rachel stepped ahead of Lewis and pulled them open. They walked across the parking area in front of the place. Only one car was there and Rachel figured it must belong to Lewis’ friend. She looked up at the hotel all in darkness and shuddered slightly. She was happy to have helped Lewis, but she had to admit she would be equally happy to get away from this place.
“Here we are,” Rachel said when they reached the hotel doors.
“Thank you,” Lewis said, turning his head in her direction and smiling at her. “I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem,” Rachel said. “Enjoy Texas.”
“I will,” Lewis said.
He made no move to go inside and Rachel felt bad just walking away from him so she stayed in place for a moment longer.
“I know you have already done more than enough for me, but could I trouble you for one last favor?” Lewis said. “Would you be so kind as to program a number for a local taxi company into my cell phone? Just in case I manage to get myself lost again.”
“Of course,” Rachel said.
She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting him to ask, but she was relieved that it was something so mundane. She had been afraid that he might ask her to walk him inside and then she would have had to admit the place terrified her.
Lewis pushed his hand into his pocket and brought it back out. She held her hand out and that was when she realized it wasn’t a cell phone Lewis was holding out to her. He was clutching a white rag. He dropped his white cane and grabbed Rachel, pressing the rag across her nose and mouth before she had a chance to react.
She tried to push him away as an acrid smell filled her nostrils. Her head began to spin dizzily and she felt her limbs going weak. Her knees buckled and she knew she was falling, but she blacked out before she hit the ground.
* * *
Rachel woke up, blinking to clear the slightly fuzzy feeling in her head. Instantly, the memory of Lewis pressing the white rag to her face came back to her and she tried to sit up. She couldn’t do it. Am I paralyzed? Rachel thought to herself. She blinked a few more times and her vision cleared and she saw why she couldn’t move. She was strapped down, affixed to what looked like a hospital gurney, her arms, legs, and chest strapped in place.
She felt panic welling up inside of her and she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She knew she was in the Bellevue Hotel, but she had no idea why or what was going to happen to her. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious for, or if it was long enough for anyone to have noticed she was missing. Even if it had been days, no one had any idea she was here and she couldn’t think of any reason why anyone would come here looking for her.
She lifted her head from the gurney to look around, needing to take in as much information as she could in case an opportunity to escape presented itself. She found she was in a large room, and she assumed it was some sort of function room within the hotel. The more she saw, the more she thought escape was unlikely. Not only was she strapped down to the gurney, the gurney was locked inside of a large cage, metal bars on all sides of her.
She whimpered as fear overwhelmed her. What the fuck was Lewis planning on doing to her?
She heard a door slam to her left and she turned her head that way. Lewis came striding toward the cage, no longer using his white cane. He smiled at Rachel and she whimpered again.
“What do you want from me?” she whispered. “Are you going to kill me?”
“Kill you?” Lewis said. He laughed and shook his head. “On the contrary, I’m going to do the exact opposite. I’m going to make you immortal.”
Oh great, Rachel thought. He’s some sort of crazy scientist. He’s going to experiment on me and do who knows what to me.
“We have a little bit of time before you have to leave. I’ll tell you a few things that will make all of this make a bit more sense,” Lewis said.
He smiled at her, a smile that would have looked reassuring under other circumstances, but under these circumstances, just convinced Rachel he was really crazy. She decided that for now, she had no real choice but to listen to him, and maybe if she listened and asked the right questions, she could find a way out of this mess.
Lewis pulled a wheeled chair over to the side of her cage and sat down.
“Firstly, I should apologize for lying to you. I’m from right here in Texas really an
d I own this hotel. I guess I can drop the accent now.” He laughed and when he went on, his accent was the full-on Texan drawl. “I’m guessing you’ve worked out that I’m not really blind and I apologize again for that deception, but you have no idea how hard it is to get young women to accompany me up here under other circumstances. Somehow the blind thing makes them assume I’m harmless and they are only too happy to escort me up here. Of course, I could just grab them and bundle them into a car, but that brings with it a certain risk of being spotted. You know what I mean?”
Rachel nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. He was a lunatic who regularly brought women up here.
“And now that I’m here, what? You’re going to do some crazy experiments on me? Make me immortal?” Rachel said. She attempted to put immortal in air quotes, but in her current position, it didn’t really work.
“There’s nothing crazy about it and there’s nothing experimental about it. You will become immortal,” Lewis said, like this was obvious and Rachel was the crazy one for not believing him.
She decided to play along with the craziness for a moment.
“And then what? You’ll just let me go?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” Lewis smiled. “I know this is a lot to take in, so why don’t I start at the beginning? Have you heard the term shifters before?”
“Like werewolves? Sure,” Rachel said.
“Not just wolves. Bears, lions, foxes, the works. In this case, bears, but before I go into that, let me take you back hundreds of years. A nasty old witch got pissed off with a shifter—I won’t bore you with all of the details, but the gist of it is that she created a curse. The curse meant that when two shifters mated, they could no longer produce female children. You see how that would stop the population of shifters from growing, right?” Lewis said.