The Chosen One Universe Volume Two: An MM Paranormal Fantasy Shifters Series

by Macy Blake

  Sol grinned at her. “I was close.”

  He added a very over-the-top eyebrow wiggle to the mix for good measure. He didn’t want her asking things he couldn’t answer.

  “You’re ridiculous, and I’m not asking any questions.”

  “That’s probably best.”

  Sol let out a breath when she was out of earshot. It was getting harder and harder to manage keeping their secret from their human pack members. Especially now that Shelly was in the know. Cody, Izzy, and Sophie had no idea, though, and Shaq wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible.

  Izzy came into the living room with a duffle bag in one hand and another empty bag in her second.

  “Need to get stuff out of the laundry basket. I didn’t put it away.”

  She said it like she was apologizing or embarrassed. One day, she’d realize they all thought she was Wonder Woman for being able to manage raising a great kid while working nights and weekends. They all helped out as much as they could, but it was all on her and they knew it.

  “No big deal. Vice should be back soon. What do we need from Sophie’s room?”

  “Her blanket and stuffie. A few toys, just in case.”

  “Mind if I get her?”

  Izzy looked at him and smiled. “Go ahead. Be sure to get her puppy that Shaq gave her. She won’t stay asleep without it.”

  Sol nodded and opened the door to Sophie’s room. She was only six and had them all wrapped around her little finger. He located the little black stuffed dog that Shaq had given her a few months before, and then lifted her out of bed.

  She blinked up at him for a second, obviously still mostly asleep.

  “Uncle Sol?”

  “Hey, muffin. I’ve got you. Go to sleep.”

  “M’kay.”

  She laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Sol crouched down and grabbed the fluffy, soft blanket she usually had with her and wrapped it around her. He carried her into the living room. Izzy had zipped up one bag and had the other bag in her hand.

  “I’ll get the stuff from her room and the bathroom then I’ll be ready.”

  Sol heard footsteps coming up the stairs followed by a low growl. Vice. His pack mate made sure to make a noise to let him know he was there before opening the door to Izzy’s apartment. Sol appreciated it, especially since he had their youngest pack member in his arms.

  “Get to Shaq and Drew’s,” Sol whispered. “Then get Walt and go get Shelly. I’m taking the girls to get Cody.”

  “You need backup?”

  “I’ll let you know if I do. Walt will need help staying calm, and I don’t want to take anyone else away from Drew.”

  Vice nodded. Sol knew he had questions, but he kept them to himself. “I’ll take care of it. Let me know when you get to Cody’s.”

  “I will. And also when we leave there and are heading out.”

  “I don’t like this,” Vice said. His eyes glowed red for a moment.

  Sol flashed his own in return. “I don’t either. Focus on getting the pack together. We’ll figure the rest out as it comes.”

  Vice nodded and handed Sol the keys to the Jeep. He was back downstairs a moment later.

  Izzy came into the room zipping up the second bag. “I think I got everything.”

  “We can come back later for anything you forgot.”

  “Okay. Sol, this is…something’s going on, right?”

  Sol nodded.

  “Yeah. Chuck is an asshole, but he’s not…he didn’t sound right. He’s an ass but not around Sophie.”

  “It’ll be okay. We’re going to go get Cody before we go to Shaq’s.”

  She frowned at him, confused for a moment before she put the pieces together. “This is bigger than Chuck, isn’t it? Something else is going on.”

  Sol nodded.

  “We need to get Sophie’s seat out of my car.”

  “We can do that. Come on. Get locked up. Can you get the bags or do you need help?”

  She laughed. “Sol, half the time I’m carrying my kid, my groceries, and a laundry basket all at once. I’ve got it.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re superwoman. Rub it in.”

  Izzy grinned, but it quickly faded. “I don’t feel like superwoman right now. I’m scared.”

  “I know,” Sol said gently. “But you have us. You’re family, and we take care of family.”

  She sniffed before wiping her face on the arm of the oversized sweatshirt she’d thrown on. “I know. Let’s go.”

  It only took a few minutes to get Sophie’s seat set up in his Jeep. Sol got her in the car while Izzy got in the front. “Uncle Sol?” Sophie said sleepily as he wrapped the seatbelt over her and through the straps of the booster seat.

  “We’re going to go see Uncle Shaq, okay?”

  “Okay. Do you have Fluffy?”

  “Right here.” Sol pressed the puppy into her arms and adjusted the straps so they sat correctly over her shoulder.

  “Mommy?”

  “Right here, baby girl.”

  Sol closed her door and got into the Jeep. He grabbed his phone once he was on the road and dialed Cody.

  “Sol?”

  Cody’s breath had a little hitch in it, almost like he was upset. He’d find out why later, but for now, he needed Cody to get moving.

  “I need you to pack a bag for a couple days. I’m on my way to you.”

  “What?”

  “Uncle Sol, can we watch Little Mermaid?”

  “Is that Sophie?” Cody asked.

  “Yes,” Sol replied, answering them both. “Get packed, Cody. Quickly.”

  “Shit. Okay.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Fortunately, Cody’s apartment building wasn’t too far from the one where Izzy and Sophie lived. Sol parked the Jeep and looked in the rearview mirror. Sophie had already fallen asleep, her request to watch a movie forgotten.

  “Lock the doors and honk the horn if you see anything, okay?”

  Izzy nodded.

  “I’ll be back in a sec.”

  Sol hurried up the steps to Cody’s apartment, shooting a text to Vice while he did, and knocked on the door when he reached it. Cody pulled it open a second later with a backpack flung over his shoulder.

  “Mob war, right?”

  “Close enough. You have everything?”

  “Probably not.”

  Sol grabbed Cody’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s go.”

  Cody nodded and followed him out the door. He closed and locked it before they ran down the stairs to the car. Izzy looked worried but relieved he was back. Sol opened the back door for Cody, and he climbed into the Jeep. Sol couldn’t help letting out a relieved breath. If something had gone after Cody….

  He drove quickly to Shaq’s house and parked in the driveway behind Shaq’s truck. He breathed in the scents around them and didn’t find anything out of place. “Cody, get Izzy’s bags for me.”

  Cody nodded and grabbed them both from the back as Sol went around and unbuckled Sophie from her seat. She woke up again and began to whimper. “Uncle Sol, I’m sleepy.”

  “I know, muffin. We’re at Uncle Shaq’s house now and you can go to sleep.”

  “Sol, you shouldn’t be lifting—”

  Sol shot Cody a sharp glare. “It’s fine.”

  Cody huffed and walked to the front of the house with Izzy. Sol followed behind, keeping his pace steady so he didn’t wake Sophie up again. Drew took one look at him and hurried to open one of the guest room doors. Sol got her tucked in, making sure she had Fluffy beside her, and then went into the living room with the others. Drew fussed over Izzy until she finally gave in and let him hug her. They were still standing there when Walt came in the back door with Vice and Shelly.

  Walt had Shelly’s hand in his, and he immediately walked to Sol’s side. Sol grabbed his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

  “Steady.”

  Walt nodded, his eyes only flaring for a moment bef
ore they settled.

  “Shelly, you want to help Izzy get settled in the guest room? I think she’ll want to keep Sophie close for the night.”

  Shelly nodded. “I’m on it.”

  Once they’d left the room, Sol approached Drew. “You okay?”

  Drew nodded. “What happened?”

  Sol glanced around and found Cody’s gaze locked on him. He tried to read Cody’s expression, but only saw hurt and confusion. He would talk to him, but he needed to explain to Drew first.

  “Remember the guy who came to visit you at the bar?”

  Drew’s eyes widened. The rogue alpha werewolf had tried to take Drew after stalking him and claiming that Drew was actually his omega. It had been an ugly scene which had ended in the werewolf being taken directly to the goddess— and they’d found out he wasn’t a wolf at all. A human had been infected with a magic that, at the time, they’d only seen traces of once before. Drew nodded.

  “Izzy’s ex showed up at hers. Similar situation.”

  Drew paled. “That’s… not good. Shaq?”

  “Took him to Zaire.”

  Drew nodded again. “But why go after Izzy?”

  It was the same question Sol wanted an answer to, but until Shaq returned, they wouldn’t have one. Even then, they might not get an answer. Whatever was corrupting the magic seemed to leave little to no trace. There’d been a similar incident a while ago with a mailman, but once the magic had been cleared, the poor guy had remembered nothing. A human pawn in a game whose rules seemed to be ever changing. The goddesses knew something, but they weren’t talking. Whatever was going on was big. Being the champions of the goddess gave them access to more information than most, but the sisters weren’t sharing. Sol couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t been told what they were facing. It concerned him.

  Add to that the fact that they’d already been visited by the mother goddess herself. She’d personally helped Drew find his way to Shaq. But why? What was the connection? And how did Izzy play into it? The mother wasn’t supposed to take an active role in their realm any longer, but there she’d been. Sol had never experienced anything like it. The magic in their realm was definitely changing, though, and Drew’s existence was proof.

  The only thing Sol could reason out was that they’d drawn attention to themselves by keeping Drew. Word spread fast in supernatural circles, so there was no doubt with the amount of attention Shaq and Drew had received that whoever had cast the spell on the alpha werewolf would have heard that Shaq and Drew were fated mates. Finding out that Drew was an omega had given hope to all supernatural beings in their realm. Many had mated, but true mates were few and far between. Very few creatures had been able to successfully procreate without the aid of the magic that helped them find their mate. Dragons hadn’t been affected, but hellhounds had. They were the last of their kind, but now, with Drew, they had hope. And that hope was spreading. And that, Sol feared, was what this attack was about. Removing the small threads of hope which had begun weaving the magic together once more.

  “I don’t know, Drew. Not for sure, anyway. We have to wait for Shaq, and until then, we need to get everyone settled. Walt and Shelly should take the other room, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course, Sol. Whatever you need.”

  “You should get some rest. I have no idea how long Shaq’s going to be. I’ll get you up when he gets back.”

  Drew scowled at him and opened his mouth to argue.

  “Drew. Please. He’s going to be wound up tight when he gets here. I need you to have it together when that happens. If that means you sleep now and are better able to help later, that’s what I need.”

  “You’re sure it was the same?” Drew asked.

  Sol tapped his nose. “Positive.”

  Solomon’s phone buzzed. He glanced Cody’s way and saw his phone in his hand. With a low growl, he turned to Drew. “Get some rest, alpha-mate. It’s going to be a long day.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

  Buzz.

  “Just rest. I’ll take care of everyone out here.”

  Buzz.

  “Do you need to get that?”

  Sol smiled and gripped Drew’s shoulder. “I will in a minute. Do you need anything?”

  “No. Just Shaq.”

  “I know. He’ll be back as soon as he can. I’m going to check on the others. They’re going through the neighborhood again to be on the safe side.”

  “Good. And we have an exit plan, right? Just in case? Izzy and Sophie and Cody….”

  “I know. If we have to portal them out, we will. Until then, this is the safest place they can be.”

  Drew didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded once more. He went around the room, checking in quickly with the others, before going into his and Shaq’s bedroom and closing the door.

  Sol went into the kitchen and filled the kettle with water before placing it on the stove. He tugged his phone out while he waited on the water to heat up.

  GoldiLad: I’m hanging out with friends tonight.

  GoldiLad: But I can’t stop thinking about you.

  GoldiLad: I wish you were here, holding me down and making me moan. Is that bad?

  Sol’s breath caught. He quickly typed out a reply.

  HellBent: I want to hear those moans more than anything.

  He heard the answering ding of Cody’s phone in the living room as he got down a mug and stuck a chamomile tea bag inside it. When the water was decently hot, he poured it over the mug and carried it into the living room. Walt and Shelly were in the second guest room. Izzy and Sophie were in the other. Drew was in his and Shaq’s room. Calli, Vice, Teague, Jedrek, and Achim were walking the neighborhood. Cody had taken up a position on Shaq’s couch. He was the only one left in the room.

  “I made you some tea,” Sol said quickly. He held the cup out and waited for Cody to accept it.

  Cody looked up at him and took the mug. “Thanks, Sol.”

  “You’re welcome. You should rest.”

  Cody snorted. “Sure. I’ll get right on that. As soon as you tell me what the hell’s going on.”

  Cody

  Cody had often wondered if working with Shaq and his crew at the bar would lead him into trouble. He’d never associated them with bad guys, even if he did still half-believe they were mob enforcers. Were there good guy enforcers? Cody was pretty sure that wasn’t a thing, and since Shaq and Sol couldn’t be bad guys, he needed to think of something else. Maybe they were some sort of covert special ops unit, kind of like Navy SEALS or Green Berets or something. Holy shit. That had to be it. It totally explained why they disappeared occasionally because they were pulled away for top secret operations, like in jungles or deserts where they got really hot and sweaty and wore tank tops that showed off their biceps, and there were big guns, and a sniper, and a guy who was good at blowing things up. But maybe…yeah, they were probably retired. Maybe after a team tragedy or something, which explained why they were all a little moody and grumpy, especially Shaq, but they stuck together and now they worked super-secret covert missions as like contractors for the government or something. There was probably a secret lair under the bar, most likely accessed through the back room, because they all seemed to disappear through that door a lot. Okay, maybe not. But oh! They could totally open a private security company where they took on cases and….

  Cody huffed and swirled the tea Sol had given him around the mug. Sol had been standing there staring at Cody the entire time. He was clearly trying to think of what to say without lying. Which, if he were a covert government operative whose cover had been blown and now they were all in danger, made perfect sense. The only problem was that Cody realized it was the plot of a series of romance novels he’d recently read and would be way too far-fetched to be his actual life. Former Green Berets who owned a security company with a tragic secret past? Cody scoffed under his breath. As if the explanation could be that crazy. Or romantic. But mostly crazy.

&nbs
p; “Sol? You planning on standing there staring at me? Or you know, maybe you could tell me what the hell is going on like I asked?”

  Sol made a funny growling noise and sat down beside him on the couch. He left exactly zero space between them. Cody wanted to complain, but he was a little cold and Sol was really warm so he leaned into him and tried not to think about everything. He was still mad. And still convinced that Sol and HellBent were one and the same. Like he hadn’t noticed Sol’s phone buzzing in his pocket, or that he’d conveniently gone into the kitchen before responding. There were way too many coincidences for it to be anything else. He’d seen Sol respond to his message at the bar. The timing fit. Everything fit. But he hadn’t been able to figure out why. And with this newest round of excitement, he couldn’t exactly ask. Well, he could ask, but he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted the answer.

  “I can’t tell you,” Sol said.

  Damn covert government operatives and their secrecy rules. It might be the plot of a romance novel, but it made sense. And it certainly explained all the muscles. Sol had muscles for days. And he certainly knew how to move. So did Shaq. He’d seen them manhandle guys out of the bar without even breaking a sweat. He’d actually seen Shaq shove a guy who’d gotten too close to Drew, and the guy flew backward like Shaq was Clark Kent in disguise or something. Shaq hadn’t even put any real effort behind it.

  And Sol. Cody had seen him pick a guy up by his neck and carry him outside. Just…picked him up by the neck with one hand like it was nothing. So yeah, super strong. Oh, maybe Captain America strong? Super-secret-super-soldier-serum strong? Cody snorted out another laugh and took another drink of his tea.

  “What?” Sol asked.

  “I can’t tell you,” Cody quipped.

  Sol made the little growling noise again. It would be cute if Cody weren’t mad at him. Which he was. For multiple reasons. Cody swirled the tea and decided that if Sol wanted to have multiple personalities and keep the HellBent secret, then he could torment him a little until Sol cracked like a peanut and told him the truth.

  “Sol?”

  “Yeah?”

  Cody leaned against him and adjusted his hold on the mug. “We’re friends, right?”