Shifters Forsaken: Shifter Romance Collection Bks 1-5

by Mia Taylor

  She smiled patiently and patted his knee. He realized then that she was still only wrapped in a towel, her hair wet and falling messily along her slender shoulders.

  I’m sitting here discussing shifters with the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m having a baby with the most beautiful woman in the world. Why does this feel so surreal like I’m about to wake up any second?

  “We have been a hunted breed for thousands of years,” she told him. “It’s the reason I chose anthropology to study. The little research that’s out there about us is second-hand at best. We’re a reclusive group and not much has been studied about us.”

  “I’ll say. I’ve never met another… shifter,” Briar confessed, rolling the word around on his tongue.

  But I’m not alone.

  “You’d be surprised,” Berlin replied. “You’ve probably met many.”

  “Is Liam one?”

  She shook her head.

  “No. He has no idea—and I’d prefer to keep it that way. We adhere to a strict code about mortals…”

  She eyed him through her peripheral vision.

  “Which brings me back to my point. We’ve been hunted by shamans and scientists alike since the mortals learned about our existence. My sleuth… well, let’s just say we hunt the hunters.”

  A shiver of apprehension slid through him.

  “Hunt them how?”

  Berlin shrugged and turned her eyes away.

  “They need to be stopped,” she muttered but he sensed that she didn’t fully approve.

  “Anyway, I don’t think we’re as endangered as my family believes but that doesn’t stop the hit list from growing. I don’t want our child to partake in that. It’s not right to taint a youth, even if it might be the right thing. I’m still conflicted on how I feel about the matter but I was also indoctrinated at a young age.”

  “You… hunt too?” Briar demanded. “Is that what you and your brother were arguing about?”

  She shrugged and nodded again.

  “It’s my duty to the sleuth, Briar. I don’t expect you to understand but family comes first.”

  “My family has always come first!” he exploded. “But if they were asking me to kill people…”

  “What if they were asking you to kill people who were trying to kill your family?”

  Briar clenched his jaw, unsure of how to answer her question. It was so beyond the scope of anything he’d ever known.

  “So you see my dilemma,” she continued.

  “No,” he replied. “I don’t see your dilemma at all. I’ll take care of our family. Your crazy cult or sleuth or whatever won’t get near our baby.”

  Her eyes shone and she laughed.

  “You make it sound so simple,” she chuckled. “I can’t just walk away like that.”

  “What are they going to do, kidnap you? Kidnap the baby?”

  Her face turned grave and she hung her head.

  “I don’t know,” she answered quietly. “I know what has happened to those who have tried to leave in the past.”

  He arched an eyebrow expectantly.

  “They get killed?” he guessed. Her brow furrowed.

  “No, silly. We can’t kill our own, but as Charlie says, ‘there are worse things than death.’”

  “I think lots of people have said that,” Briar muttered irrelevantly, his mind racing on other matters. He didn’t ask who Charlie was.

  “I’ll figure out a way to keep our baby safe,” Berlin promised and Briar bristled.

  “You keep talking like you’re going at this alone!” he snapped. “We’re in this together, Berlin. We made the baby together and we’re staying together.”

  He tensed suddenly, wondering if this was her way of telling him she didn’t want him in her life. Briar met her gaze and tried to read her mind.

  It was surprisingly easier than he had anticipated.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “That is what I want.”

  He swallowed, wondering if she had genuinely read his thoughts or if they were just so connected, their minds worked together.

  “I love you,” he told her, his voice hoarse. “I think I’ve always loved you.”

  She nodded slowly, a smile forming on her full mouth.

  “I know the feeling,” she replied, giggling softly. He leaned toward her and placed a sweet kiss on her lips, savoring the honey feel against his mouth.

  She pulled back slightly, her eyes narrowing.

  “What?”

  “Is someone knocking on the downstairs door?”

  He honed his ears to listen. He heard a distant knocking and nodded.

  “Yep, sounds like it,” he sighed. “Should we answer it?”

  Berlin rose from the bed and stalked toward the window, peering into the grounds below.

  “Holy crap,” she mumbled, stepping back. She rushed toward the door and yanked a robe off the hook.

  “What?” he demanded. “Who is it?”

  “I have no idea but there’s a hundred-and-thirty-thousand-dollar car out there. I’m guessing it’s not a serial killer.”

  Intrigued, Briar moved toward the window and peered down into the driveway. From that angle, he couldn’t see the front door, but there was undoubtedly an Audi R8 in Crayola blue sitting conspicuously below.

  “Maybe they’re here to look at the place,” Briar suggested as he turned away.

  “Anyone driving that car is not looking to rent a one-bedroom unit on the main floor of a house,” Berlin told him. “Come on!”

  Despite the heaviness of the conversation and knowing that they had a great deal left to discuss, he couldn’t help but feel curious about whomever was at the door.

  “Hello?” Berlin called at the front door. Briar appeared behind her a moment later and she flung open the door. For a moment, no one spoke, the four people staring at each other in stunned silence.

  The couple on the other side of the door was completely unknown to Briar but the gasp from Berlin’s mouth told him she knew who they were.

  They reeked of money, from the diamond necklace against the redhead’s throat to the five-thousand-dollar loafers on the man’s feet.

  “Oh my God!” Berlin choked. “I-I-”

  Briar eyed her, wondering if she was having a stroke.

  “Can we help you?” he offered in replacement of Berlin’s awkward introduction.

  The man lowered his expensive sunglasses and stared at Briar with intense grey eyes.

  “Are you Briar?” he asked quietly. “Briar Pendleson?”

  Briar nodded slowly, a drip of fear starting in his gut.

  “I am,” he drawled slowly. “And you are…?”

  “This is Cypher Maison, Briar!” Berlin squealed, finding her voice. “He’s a rock god!”

  Briar thought of the music piping through his neighbor’s apartment in Seattle.

  What the hell does Cypher Maison want with me? Did I win some contest I forgot I entered or something?

  Again, the name ricocheted through his mind.

  Cypher. Cypher. Cypher.

  “What’s your name?” the redhead spoke for the first time, her eyes fixated on Berlin.

  “Berlin Matthews.”

  “Berlin, I’m Chloe. Can we go somewhere and talk for a few minutes, let the men do their thing?”

  Berlin seemed confused but she allowed Chloe to lead her away, casting Briar a perplexed glance which mirrored his emotions.

  “Uh, hey,” Briar said uncomfortably. “I like your music, man.”

  He didn’t really know what else to say.

  Cypher exhaled in a deep, whooshing breath and to Briar’s shock, tears appeared to fill his eyes.

  “You’re him. I remember your eyes,” he muttered. A strange wave of shock fluttered through Briar and suddenly he knew exactly what the musician was doing there.

  “You’re Cypher,” Briar breathed in disbelief. “You’re my brother.”

  Epilogue

  “I’m not sure how I feel about th
is,” Cory grumbled. “Not really my scene.”

  “Shut up,” Vy snorted. “You are always bitching.”

  “Watch your mouth!” Briar snapped at both of them, ensuring that none of the other parents had overheard the adult conversation around them. Chuck E. Cheese was a fit of rambunctious toddlers and screaming children.

  “They should have a bar. That would be the sensible thing to do in this climate,” Cory insisted and Briar snickered, although he did agree with his friend’s idea.

  “Maybe we can propose it as a business venture,” he suggested, and Cory sighed.

  “We have enough on our plates,” he reminded Briar. “If we get our hands on Vernon Inc—”

  “No shop talk!” Berlin barked, appearing behind them. “We’re here to celebrate Stella’s birthday, not discuss your boring acquisitions.”

  “Those boring acquisitions are what keep you in the lap of luxury, my sweet,” Briar reminded his wife, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her into his arms. His kiss found its way to the base of her neck and instantly, gooseflesh prickled her skin.

  Two years of marriage and I still give her goosebumps. That’s good.

  “Yes, the ritzy glamor of Delaware,” Berlin retorted but he could detect the amusement in her voice.

  “I’ve been worse places than Delaware,” Cypher offered, joining the group. He was ridiculously out of place with his overpriced suede jacket and designer shades. Briar could see the other parents shooting him covert looks as if they were trying to assess whether or not he was who they thought.

  “There are definitely worse places than Delaware,” Briar confirmed, shooting his wife a cautious look.

  It had been a long haul over the past three years but Briar was finally letting go of the sense that they were being sought by Berlin’s family.

  “If we’re going to stay in the States, it has to be Delaware,” Berlin had explained. “It’s one of the only three states where there aren’t bears.”

  “What are the other two?” he asked curiously.

  “Puerto Rico and Hawaii.”

  “What’s wrong with those places?”

  “There’s a reason there aren’t any shifters there,” Berlin sighed. “We can’t handle the heat.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “Well, in theory. Once, they tried to migrate that way but it didn’t work out for us. I don’t want to set up camp and find out we have to move an infant across the country.”

  “Why aren’t there shifters in Delaware?” Briar asked, fascinated.

  “Have you ever been to Delaware?”

  “No. Is it bad?”

  “No idea. No one’s been to Delaware. That’s the point, I think.”

  The next order of business had been business. Having to give up the job he had worried about losing was much easier than Briar had imagined.

  Especially when he had already started formulating a plan. It took six months, a period during which they kept Berlin’s pregnancy hidden from everyone, lest word got out to her family.

  “No one can know about the baby until we’re already in Delaware,” Berlin warned. “There are ears and eyes everywhere and we can’t risk it.”

  “What about Cypher and Chloe?”

  Berlin’s face softened.

  “Your brother and his wife can know,” she replied softly.

  My brother, Briar thought with affection, turning to look at Cypher, who had wandered away to play a video game.

  “Oh, look!” someone yelled. “It’s time for cake!”

  A voice called over the loudspeaker, announcing the parties who needed to return to their tables, and everyone obliged. Briar looked around the room for his daughter and caught a glimpse of her blonde head bobbing through her group of tiny friends, a tiara on her head.

  “We made a little princess,” Briar whispered in Berlin’s ear, a rush of love for both his wife and daughter overcoming him.

  “Yes, we did,” she agreed, turning her eyes on him. ‘Thank you.”

  “Thank me? I’m pretty sure you did all the work,” he reminded her and she laughed.

  “I don’t mean thank you for Stella specifically, I mean thank you for everything you do. You’re an amazing father and husband. I’m sorry I had such a difficult time realizing it.”

  Briar crunched his brow and shook his head slowly.

  “That was ancient history. We both had our issues, trusting and overcoming our own problems, but we did, together. There is nothing to thank me for or feel regretful about.”

  Their eyes locked in that familiar way they always did and they shared a private smile.

  “I love you, Briar Pendleson.”

  “I love you, Berlin Pendleson.”

  They kissed softly but it was interrupted by Stella clamoring for them both.

  “Mommy! Daddy!” she yelled. “They gonna sing happy birfday!”

  “We’re being summoned,” Briar chuckled, pulling on her hand.

  “Briar?”

  He turned back to face her.

  “Yes, my love?”

  “You are truly my mate.”

  He beamed and caressed her cheek with his free hand, twirling his fingers along the tresses of her hair.

  “And you are mine.”

  ~~~

  The email came at dawn, just as he logged onto his computer for the day.

  “Already?” he groaned aloud but then realized it was from Cypher.

  “What did you say?” Cory called from his corner of the spacious office.

  “Nothing. Don’t forget to get on the phone with Japan this morning.”

  “I didn’t forget,” Cory grumbled. “How come you don’t ever get on Vy’s ass about these things?”

  “You’re an easier target,” Vy suggested in a singsong tone from her office.

  Briar grinned at his co-workers, again marveling at how well they worked together.

  We spent so much time working under the thumbs of other people, we forgot how valuable we were. I should have started this company the minute I met those two.

  He clicked on the email from his brother, the smile fading from his face.

  Hey, Bri, it began. I’m just finishing up my world tour in Spain but I’ll be back in the States on the 23rd. I’m hoping to stop by before I head back to California. There’s something I need to discuss with you.

  Briar sat back in his chair, not liking the dark undertones of the email.

  “What’s wrong?” Vy asked, noting his expression, but Briar shook his head and continued to read.

  You probably know I haven’t stopped looking for our other brothers but finding them has proven to be a lot more difficult than it was finding you, mostly because I don’t remember them like I did you.

  They were babies, really, only one and two years old at the time. I thought I could recall the two-year-old but honestly, I couldn’t tell you if his eyes were blue or brown at this point. But I digress. There is something I think you can do to find them, if you are still wondering what became of them and our mother. We know her name now and my PI is working on it but the babies… well, I think there’s only one way to find them and that is through an orthodox manner, one which you have experience in and one which I won’t discuss in this forum.

  Like I said, I’ll be coming through on the 23rd and we can discuss it more in person but if you have any idea what I’m talking about, feel free to start without me.

  Give my baby niece and Berlin kisses from Chloe and me.

  Cypher

  Briar exhaled in a gust of wind, his heart pumping as he understood the connotation of Cypher’s email. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was suggesting.

  He wants me to hack into something.

  There was only one place that Briar could think of which would be a starting place and even if he could access the convent’s records, it was a long shot he would find what he was looking for.

  “Uh, Briar, you’re freaking us out,” Cory commented. “What’s
on your mind?”

  Slowly, he looked up, his eyes narrowing at his two partners.

  “I need you to load up our burner laptop with as much encryption software as we have,” he said, his voice flat.

  “What?” they chorused.

  “For what?” Vy asked uncertainly. “Are you doing something illegal?

  Briar looked at her and smiled warmly, suddenly feeling very certain about what he was going to do. He didn’t care if it was legal or not. Records like those, ones separating siblings from one another, shouldn’t exist in private.

  Berlin has always said it takes a village to raise a child. Well, I am giving my daughter the village she deserves.

  “Briar? What is this about? Why are you going to use the laptop and the encryption?” Cory insisted. Briar turned his beam toward him.

  “Because I am going to find my long-lost brothers and we’re going to be reunited as we were meant to be.”

  Vaughan’s Mate

  Shifters Forsaken

  Book 3

  Prologue

  Vaughan’s foot hit the landing but before he could burst into his parents’ bedroom, he heard their voices drifting out to meet him. He froze in his tracks, the words sending chills through his body.

  “We need to contact the nuns and see what they say,” his father whispered.

  “We have gotten all the information we’re going to get from the nuns,” his mother insisted. “A thousand times we’ve tried to find out where he came from and nothing.”

  “Someone must know something, Clara. There’s something wrong with him. Very wrong. That’s obviously why they dumped him at the orphanage. I bet there was something wrong with all—”

  “There’s nothing wrong with him,” his mother insisted, interrupting. “He is a teenaged boy and—”

  “Don’t deny it, Clara. You saw what I saw. He’s… not normal. Maybe we can find out where the others were placed, see if they behave the same way…?”

  There was a long silence and Vaughan listened in the hallway with bated breath. They were undoubtedly discussing him, discussing what they had seen the previous night. Vaughan tried not to overreact.

  I can’t blame them for being worried. I don’t understand what happened either, but what are they talking about? What orphanage? What nuns? What others?