Shifters Forsaken: Shifter Romance Collection Bks 1-5

by Mia Taylor

  “Dad, what’s going on?” she squeaked. “What happened to Mom?”

  He inhaled sharply and a pause lingered over the phone.

  “Chloe, you need to come home. There’s no easy way to say this. There’s been an accident. Your mother is gone.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “I’m glad you called me,” he said gruffly, reaching forward to grab her hands in his. “You did the right thing.”

  Chloe looked at him through bloodshot eyes, unsure if she had, but in the minutes following the devastating phone call, it was as if she was on autopilot.

  She barely remembered calling Cypher’s private line or Holly helping her pack.

  She didn’t recall the limo ride back to Cypher’s mansion or the sweet words of sorrow he whispered in her ear while they boarded the jet he had chartered for the trip home to Wisconsin.

  It felt like the fog had barely lifted by the time they rose into the clouds and she was staring at him blankly, apologizing for having troubled him.

  “You and I, it’s something I can’t explain, but we’re a team now. I felt it from the minute I saw you standing there, trying not to be noticed. I sensed something was wrong this morning, even before you called. You just beat me to the punch calling me first.”

  Chloe nodded, lowering her gaze to peer at her folded hands in her lap. She didn’t even remember changing into the simple brown sundress. Had Holly done that for her?

  “Look at me, Chloe,” Cypher urged and she looked up at him, her head swimming. “I won’t come with you to your family’s house but—”

  “No!” she cried, aghast at the thought of going alone. “No, you have to come with me. I—I can’t deal with them alone! I have no one if you don’t come!”

  The idea of seeing her father and siblings under such horrible circumstances was more than she could bear. At least Cypher’s quiet strength would help her through the rough parts.

  “If you want,” she muttered, realizing what she was asking of him. “I—I shouldn’t have assumed—”

  “I will be at your side twenty-four seven if that’s what you want,” he promised, raising her frozen hands to his lips. “I am so sorry about your mother. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through.”

  Her head jerked up and shame flooded her body like a tidal wave.

  Of course he doesn’t! He never had a mother, not even a difficult, impossible-to-please woman to call “Mom.” I am so inconsiderate for having called him.

  “Oh, Cypher,” she murmured. “I’m sorry too.”

  He shook his head vehemently.

  “No!” he said firmly. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to deflect your grief and make this about me. This is about your loss, your family, and accepting that. Don’t you feel bad about me. This isn’t about me, do you understand?”

  His expression was determined and she quivered beneath his touch, exhaling all the emotion she had been holding onto for what seemed like hours.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled miserably. “I—I don’t even know why I’m taking it so hard. We weren’t close. I’d barely spoken to her or my dad since I moved to San Francisco. They were so disappointed in me when I told them I wasn’t going into law. After that, they more or less disowned me, all of them. My brother and sister never come to visit when they’re in California. We have no family unit but…”

  “They’re you’re blood, Chloe. You’re connected to them intrinsically. You don’t need to be ashamed that you’re hurt your mother is gone. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t feel something.”

  She buried her face in her hands and moaned softly.

  Cypher rose and slipped into the bucket seat beside her, pulling her into his chest for her to cry.

  “It’s so strange. I feel empty inside already,” she whispered. “And I don’t understand why.”

  Cypher didn’t say anything, only continued to stroke her hair sweetly as she sobbed.

  It’s going to be a rough couple days, Chloe realized, finally raising her head. She wiped her cheeks with her palms.

  “You’ve been feeling like this for thirty years,” she said, her voice catching as she spoke. “You’ve been pining for your mom, for your brothers for three decades. How do you do that without falling apart?”

  “It gets better,” he told her softly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Time heals.”

  “Do you believe that?” she asked. “Because I always thought that was an overused cliché.”

  “I believe that it can be a great objective factor but the ‘what if’ never really goes away,” Cypher admitted. “I wonder what it would be like to have grown up knowing my brothers, wondering if they remember me even a little bit. I wonder if they look like me or act like me. I wonder a lot of things but there’s no way to know. And that’s what I have to focus on and eventually, you’ll learn to do the same too.”

  Chloe held his gaze.

  “No,” she said slowly. “No, that’s not good enough. Your mother could be alive. Your brothers are probably alive. Focusing on the future only makes sense if they’re not alive.”

  “Chloe,” he sighed. “Please listen to me. I know it’s easier to focus on me right now but you have to think about—”

  “I have to think about you!” she exploded. “You are the only thing that will keep me sane right now. And so, I will think about you and your family and what we’re going to do when we get home.”

  He blinked uncomprehendingly.

  “What are we going to do when we get home?”

  “We’re going to find your family,” she promised.

  “Darling, don’t you think I’ve tried?” he asked her. “I’ve exhausted all the avenues, every resource I can find. There is no trace of any of my brothers after they turned 18. None of them were adopted but no one with our surname and their first names exists in the United States.”

  “Maybe they aren’t—”

  “Chloe!” His voice was sharp and she was instantly contrite.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, tears brimming in her eyes. “But I think you need to find your family before it’s too late to tell them how you feel about them.”

  His face instantly relaxed and he seized her in a warm, affectionate hug.

  “Where have you been all my life?” he muttered, kissing the top of her head. “And how did I get by without you?”

  She didn’t have an answer for him, the combination of the affection she felt for him and the loss she was feeling overwhelming her dizzyingly.

  “Okay,” he whispered without releasing her.

  “Okay what?”

  “Okay, when we get home, I’ll start looking for them again.”

  She pulled back and looked at him in disbelief.

  “Oh, don’t feel pressured because of what I said,” she beseeched. “I’m out of my mind with crazy right now. You shouldn’t listen to me at all.”

  “I will always listen to you,” he promised. “And I’m not feeling pressured. I’m agreeing because you’re right. But there’s a caveat.”

  “Anything!” she breathed, her guileless blue eyes huge.

  “No more discussion about it until we’ve completed this journey.”

  She gulped back the lump in her throat and nodded.

  “I promise,” she swore, allowing her head to fall back against his chest. The sound of his strong, even heartbeat filled her ears and when he began to hum, Chloe cried again, knowing that while she had lost someone so important, the universe had given her the means to make it through in the form of her soulmate.

  And I will do everything in my power to make him happy, she vowed silently.

  Chapter Six

  The More Things Change…

  Chloe had not known exactly what to expect when she appeared at the ranch-style house with Cypher. She had not forewarned her family that she was bringing anyone, let alone a world-famous rock star.

  Her father was furious she’d brought a stranger and made no secret of his
disdain for the tattooed, long-haired man. He stared at Cypher as if he was a homeless man Chloe had picked up on the drive in from the airport.

  “Have you no respect at all?” he spat in front of Cypher. “This is your mother’s funeral, Chloe, not a dance night at the Roxbury!”

  Chloe tensed at the harsh words, her face growing pale as Dennis Byler fumed, pacing around the kitchen, but Cypher’s fingers only closed around hers, giving her a small surge of confidence.

  “Dad, Cypher came to support me,” she whispered, shooting Cypher a worried look. To her surprise, Cypher seemed unfazed by her father’s outburst. It occurred to her that he’d probably heard much worse from much better men.

  It only made her adore him more.

  “He can support you from a hotel room.”

  “Daddy, don’t you know who this is?” Maddison choked, her blue eyes awe-struck as she tried to understand the correlation between her mousy sister and the rock god. “He’s the lead singer of Elevated.”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass if he’s Jesus Christ himself!” Dennis roared unreasonably. “This is a funeral, not a photo op!”

  You would think Dad would want Jesus Christ at mom’s funeral, Chloe thought sarcastically but of course she did not offer her insight.

  Instead, Chloe stared at Cypher, terrified that he would change his mind and leave her alone among her judgmental family when he untangled his hand from hers.

  To her relief, he extended it toward her father, meeting his eyes steadfastly.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mr. Byler,” he said sincerely. “And I’m here for anything you need. I have many resources at my fingertips so don’t hesitate to ask.”

  Dennis scoffed, ignoring the gesture and turning away without touching Cypher’s outstretched palm but Blaine grabbed it in his father’s place.

  “Thank you for coming, Mr. Maison. Excuse my father. This is a trying time for all of us.”

  “Don’t you make excuses for me! This is my house! I have a say who stays here!” Dennis howled, spinning back to stare at his children and Cypher balefully. “This is a private time for mourning with family! Chloe, what were you thinking bringing… him here?”

  A spark of indignation flooded through her but before she could open her mouth, Maddison unexpectedly jumped in.

  “Daddy, this is a time to celebrate Mom’s life,” she said quietly, eyeing Cypher with doe eyes. “We want as many people as we can to join in her memory. I think Mom would be flattered to know that a world-famous rock star was at her funeral.”

  Dennis seemed at a loss for words as he gaped at his favorite child, betrayal clear in his eyes.

  “Fine,” he spat, whirling to storm from the living room. “Turn your mother’s funeral into a circus. I’m sure she would be so proud. When she’s spinning in her grave, you’ll be the one to blame.”

  He was gone in a huff, leaving the Byler kids to hang their heads uncomfortably until Cypher cleared his throat.

  “Chloe, maybe I should see about finding a hotel room,” he offered quietly. “I’ll leave you to catch up with your brother and sister.”

  She looked at him, not wanting him to leave, but she knew that it was the proper thing to do, at least for the minute.

  Her father, the immediate threat, was out of the way. She could deal with her siblings.

  Or at least I can deal with them better than I can Dad, Chloe reasoned.

  “I’ll come back in a few hours,” he told her, his gray eyes filled with warmth. “And if you need me before that, I’m only a phone call away.”

  She nodded reluctantly and he stared down at her face, brushing her hair out of her worried eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed but he only smiled.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” he assured her, kissing the top of her head gently. “I’ll see you soon, all right?”

  He turned to her older siblings and offered them a beam.

  “It was nice meeting you both,” he told them and they met his words with a torrent of babbles.

  “Yeah, you too, great seeing you, we’ll see you soon!” they babbled in a mess of words. Chloe gawked at them, shaking her head.

  If I hadn’t met Cypher the way I did, would I have acted like such a jackass?

  As the front door closed, Maddy grabbed her hand and spun Chloe to look at her.

  “What. The. Hell?” she gasped. “Is this a joke? Did you hire him to be here?”

  Chloe was insulted by the question.

  “You think I hired a rock star to be my date for my mother’s funeral?” she asked, aghast by the thought. She was even more put off by the idea that her sister would think that way.

  Why am I surprised? That’s exactly how Maddy would think. It’s something she would do. She’s probably pissed off she didn’t think of it herself.

  “Well? What is he doing here?” Blaine demanded and for the first time, Chloe realized how much her brother was like her father.

  “I’m going upstairs to change,” she said, without answering their pointed questions. Everything was taking an emotional toll on her and she really wasn’t sure how much longer she could take it without breaking down. She already regretted letting Cypher leave.

  “Wait, Chloe,” Maddison said, reaching for her as she turned to leave. “Don’t be upset. We’re just trying to understand how—”

  “I know!” she yelled, surprising not only her siblings but herself. “I know you’re trying to understand but I’m thinking about Mom right now, Maddy. I’m trying to understand how this happened and you’re more focused on my love life.”

  She wrenched her arm from her sister’s grasp as if it burned her and grabbed her suitcase from the foyer before storming up the stairs.

  Inside her childhood room, she sank onto the bed, staring at the old posters on the wall in surprise.

  Her parents hadn’t touched anything, as if they had expected her to return home one day.

  They probably never got around to changing anything, she thought with slight bitterness. It has nothing to do with their desire to keep it the same. They were just too busy to change it into a home gym or another office.

  She rose and walked around the purple and silver room, her long fingers trailing over the plethora of awards with a pang of melancholy in her heart.

  Medals and certificates and prizes but no pictures or memories, she realized, thinking of how different Maddison’s room had looked when she had left for college.

  Her sister’s walls had been a collage of friends and boyfriends. Chloe hadn’t even gone to her own prom, opting instead to go to an old black and white movie at the Rivoli that night.

  I spent my prom night watching Alfred Hitchcock, she recalled and more sadness swept through her. I missed out on so much and why? Because I wanted Mom and Dad to be proud of me, something that never happened and now Mom never will be proud of me.

  There was a knock at the door and she inhaled sharply, debating whether to ignore it.

  “Chloe?” Maddison called. “Can I come in?”

  “I guess.”

  It wasn’t the answer she wanted to give but it was automatic. Saying no, standing up for herself, those weren’t things which came easy to Chloe.

  The door opened tentatively and her blonde, lovely sister stared inside from the threshold.

  If Chloe had given it any real thought, she would have realized just how much she looked like Maddy. The only real difference was Maddison’s blonde curls.

  But Chloe had always seen herself as the ugly sister and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

  Except that Cypher didn’t look twice at Maddy. He only looked at me. Everyone looks at Maddy.

  Chloe shoved the petty sibling rivalry out of her mind and focused on Maddison.

  “We didn’t mean to upset you,” Maddy offered.

  Chloe blinked and glanced up at her sister, a sardonic smile on her face.

  “Yeah, asking me if I’d hired a rock star to a
ccompany me to a funeral isn’t upsetting at all.”

  “We’re not thinking clearly right now,” Maddy explained, stepping inside the room. “Can I sit?”

  Chloe shrugged, neither accepting nor rejecting the idea. Maddison took it as an invitation and perched on the edge of her bed, staring up as Chloe continued to wander through her childhood bedroom.

  “When did you meet—”

  “If this is going to be an interrogation about Cypher, I’d rather you leave.”

  The statement was flat but filled with conviction.

  Maddison’s brow furrowed.

  “Chloe, you don’t sound like yourself,” she said worriedly. “You have to admit that this is very weird. You can’t blame me for asking questions about this guy and his intentions with you.”

  I made a huge mistake bringing Cypher here. Why didn’t I foresee this? Of course they aren’t going to let this go. What was I thinking?

  “Where is Mom’s body?”

  The inquiry was meant both for shock value and to remind her sister of the matter at hand.

  It seemed to have the desired effect and Maddy’s face paled.

  “The funeral home,” she replied slowly. “The viewing is tomorrow and the funeral is on Wednesday.”

  Chloe nodded.

  “Text me the name and number of the home,” she told her sister, reaching for her bag.

  “Wait!” Maddison cried, realizing that Chloe intended to leave. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be staying with Cypher,” she announced. Just saying the words filled her with relief.

  I should have gone with him in the first place.

  “Chloe, you should be here with your family,” Maddison snapped, her eyes flashing. “I don’t know what hold this guy has on you but obviously there’s something odd happening here.”

  “Why?” Chloe asked slowly, turning to look at her with puzzled eyes. “Because a guy like him couldn’t be interested in someone like me?”

  “Yes!” Maddison yelled before she could stop herself.

  A rush of blood filled Chloe’s cheeks.

  “That’s not what I meant!” Maddison cried, seeing the look on her sister’s face. “I just meant—”