“Got it,” Jett said after a long moment. “Thanks.”
As soon as Jett hung up the phone, Maximus leaned forward, an arm wrapped around the back of my seat. “What is it?”
Jett glanced over his shoulder at Maximus and then at me. His scowl was deeper than usual, and his gaze was troubled. “More monster attacks.”
“Is that all?” I asked, sensing there was more to the story.
Jett sighed. “The attacks are becoming more frequent. A friend at the news station is keeping the story out of the headlines for now, but she can only silence so many before the story goes live. Especially if the monsters leave the city.”
I ground my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. This couldn’t be fucking happening. Humans were about to find out the supernatural world existed if we didn’t do something to stop it. And it was all because of me. My blood.
And Jett, of course. He was the one who had set me up, handing me over to his friend—the one who had created the first monster.
“She’ll keep trying,” Jett went on, “but we need a plan.”
I opened my eyes to find him staring out the windshield, his hands tight on the steering wheel. He was worried. But I didn’t think he was just concerned for himself or his clan. He didn’t try to hide the information he’d learned. Instead, he told us. It should be a given, but with Jett, it never had been. I couldn’t help the small swell of pride in my heart at having him as part of the team. Now, hopefully he’d continue this trend of openness.
“Let’s get home,” I said. “Then we can talk strategy.”
Jett gave a quick nod. He glanced at my face before his eyes wandered down to my hand gripping the edge of my seat. His fingers twitched on the steering wheel before slowly moving to the gear shift.
Maximus tensed, his hand on my shoulder. I knew where they were both going with this. Jett wanted to touch me, or maybe even hold my hand. Maximus wouldn’t allow it, and he wasn’t the only one.
Instead of leaving the temptation nearby, I folded my arms over my chest and returned to looking out the window.
Maximus’ sigh brushed the nape of my neck before he sat back, releasing my shoulder. I didn’t dare look in Jett’s direction. I didn’t want to see the disappointment I was sure I’d find there.
We pulled up to the main cabin an hour later. I was buzzing with energy and jumped out of the car as soon as we were parked.
Cash threw open the front door before I’d taken more than two steps. He raced toward me and wrapped me in his arms, pulling my feet right off the ground as he held me tight to his chest. My breath rushed from my lungs as he squeezed me. I laughed and pushed against his chest until he loosened his grip.
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” Cash said. He buried his face against my neck and inhaled deeply.
I smiled and stroked his tight curly hair. “Did something happen?”
“More attacks,” Cash said.
“We heard,” I said as Cash set me down. “Come on.” I took Cash’s hand and led everyone inside. While I took up a seat on the couch alongside Maximus and Owen, Jett sat on the loveseat, and Cash paced in front of the fireplace.
“The Dragon Council is up in arms,” Cash said. “They need action. They’re terrified we’ll be found out.”
Owen sighed and gestured with his phone. “My dad has the same fear, but I’m not sure what we can do.”
I bit my lip. I wanted to help, and I knew one way we could do it. We had to unite the clans. A united front would be our best bet, but getting four clans to get along for an extended period of time would be no joke. It became clear at the uniting of the Panther Clans when panthers hissed at Maximus that things were far worse between some of the clans than I’d realized. How could I dispel decades of hate? They loathed each other. But they had to work together if they wanted us all to overcome this.
“Maybe it’s time we contact the Council,” Maximus said.
Jett snorted.
Cash halted his pacing and turned to face us. “You’re serious?”
“They’ll want to know what’s going on,” Owen said carefully. “But having them involved could prove… Troublesome. Especially with their Head of Council involved.”
My mates rumbled their agreement while I looked between them, confused. “Even if the Lamia Queen is involved, you think the rest of the Council wouldn’t help?” I still didn’t know much about their organization, but if they were as big and bad as they sounded, I’d hope they’d lend a hand regardless of what Helena did.
“It’s possible they would,” Cash said. He crossed his arms and stared into the flickering flames in the fireplace as he thought.
“And it’s possible they’d tell us to go fuck ourselves,” Jett said.
Owen gave a small shrug. “Either is possible, but we won’t know until we ask.”
“But what if…” I trailed off before I really got started. Four sets of eyes turned on me, and I stared at my knees as I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to ask. “But what if we can unite the clans without them? Would we stand a chance against Helena and her monsters then?”
My mates exchanged looks, thoughtful, doubtful, hopeful, unsure. A dozen emotions flashed across their faces in moments.
“I don’t know,” Cash said. “We might.”
My heart began to race as I stood up. I should have thought of it before now, but what the clans needed was something to rally them. If after a century, the four clans couldn’t unite behind their Silver Shifter, maybe it was time we gave them something else to get behind.
“I know how we’ll unite the clans,” I said, emphasizing the we. Because it wasn’t just me involved here. This affected all of us. “We’ll unite under a common goal—under a common enemy.” I looked each of my mates in the eye as realization dawned on their faces. “We’ll unite to stop the Lamia Queen, her monsters, and to prevent humans from discovering us.”
Owen’s eyes lit up as he wrapped his fingers around my arm, his thumb stroking my skin lovingly. “You’re brilliant, Ana.”
I smiled. “Frankly, I feel like an idiot for not having thought of it sooner.”
8
Ariana
“Ana!” Owen cried as he shook me from sleep.
My heart raced as my eyes flew up. I glanced around wildly, looking for whatever intruder had my bear mate so upset. “What’s going on?” I croaked, my throat still tight from sleep.
Owen leaned back, but didn’t release my arms. Tears pooled in his blue eyes, turning them glassy in the low light. “It’s Kim.”
My stomach dropped. “Kim? What happened?” I kicked the blankets off and jumped to my feet.
“She was attacked by one of those… things.” He barely got the word out through clenched teeth.
Now that I could see his face in the moonlight, I realized it looked different. His cheek bones protruded, and his jaw was in the midst of reshaping. He was so panicked he was about to go bear right in the bedroom.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, despite having no idea what Kim’s condition was like. I grabbed his arms and forced him to look at me. “Take a deep breath before you shift by mistake.”
Owen’s eyes were so pained I could barely hold his gaze. He nodded, holding onto me as much as I held onto him. He breathed deeply in through his nose and then let out a shaky breath through his mouth.
“That’s good.” I smiled. “Do it again.”
After a few moments of deep breathing, Owen’s shift halted. His face returned to normal, and fur didn’t rise up beneath my hands any longer. I squeezed his arms before releasing them and wrapping my arms around his thick neck. He returned my embrace, crushing my small body against his huge frame.
“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered against his ear. I felt him nod, but held on until his breathing wasn’t so shaky, and he finally loosened his grip. Once I was firmly back on the ground, I held him at arm’s length. “Now, tell me what happened.”
Owen growled a sig
h. “One of those monsters attacked Kim while she was in town,” he explained. “She was shopping with Jenna, one of our clanmates.”
I nodded solemnly, but my own dread began to turn my stomach and send my heart galloping. “Please tell me the kids weren’t with her.”
Owen shook his head. “They weren’t. They were safe at home.”
I sagged in relief. “Thank goodness. Where is Kim now?”
“At the hospital,” he said. “Cash’s predecessors funded a shifter only wing. Kim is there, and the entire family is en route.”
“Then we have to go, too.” I grabbed whatever clothes I’d shed last night amidst making love to him. When I found the shirt torn, I huffed and grabbed a long sleeve tee from the dresser. I yanked on a pair of jeans and raced out the door on Owen’s heels. We must have made a racket barrelling down the stairs, as the next minute I heard doors banging upstairs.
“What’s going on?” Maximus rumbled. His head snapped back and forth as he appeared on the second floor landing.
“Kim is hurt,” I called over my shoulder. I slipped on my shoes as Owen tore the door open. “We’re heading to the hospital.”
“Shit,” Cash cursed as he appeared behind Maximus.
“We’ll follow you,” Maximus said. He disappeared down the hall.
“Go,” Cash urged when I hesitated.
With a quick nod, I turned and ran outside, jumping into the passenger seat of Owen’s new pickup truck. He snapped the gear shift into reverse, nearly ripping off the handle in his haste. We flew backwards, and he shifted again. Then we were tearing out of wolf territory, my heart pounding as I desperately prayed that Kimberly would be all right.
We parked crookedly in the underground parking lot before leaping out of the car and racing to the elevator.
“She’ll be okay,” I said again. Despite the fact it could be a lie, it seemed to calm Owen, if only a bit.
His foot tapped erratically as the elevator ascended into the hospital. It was hardly daylight outside. Only the slivers of dawn had been on the horizon as he drove into the city. Apparently Kimberly and her friend had gone shopping last night and hadn’t returned home. His family had been in a panic until an ER nurse called Owen’s mom, having found the number in her phone.
All we knew from that call was that Kimberly had been attacked by a monster. No word on if she or her friend were in severe condition. The nurse had only told Owen’s mom to get to the hospital as soon as she was able.
It didn’t sound good, but Kimberly was a shifter. Our kind were hardy, especially bears. There’s no way Kim wouldn’t make a full recovery.
Or at least that’s what I repeated in my mind as we ascended.
The doors dinged open on the first floor, and we flew out. Owen spun left and right, then leapt toward the first nurse he saw.
“My sister,” he said. “Kimberly O’Connell. She was brought into the ER a couple of hours ago.” Owen had to pause to take a deep breath. He was panicking.
I rubbed his back with one hand and gripped his hand with the other. “She was attacked by one of those masked assailants that have been on the news,” I supplied. I didn’t know if this woman was supernatural, and I couldn’t risk calling them creatures in front of her.
Recognition flashed in the nurse’s eyes. The woman pointed down the way she’d been coming from. “Room 114, just down the hall.”
“Thank you,” Owen called over his shoulder as he barrelled past the frightened woman.
When we found Kimberly’s room, the door was open, and I heard crying inside.
My heart lurched. Crying didn’t sound like good news. Crying sounded like death. It sounded like terror and panic. It sounded like the pits where I’d grown up. Every new arrival cried their nights away until the day their life was snuffed out because a twisted warlock thought they were worthless.
Owen had already rushed inside, but I hesitated in the doorway. I was suddenly frozen, unable to move, images of the cages behind the pits flashing before my eyes.
“Kim,” Owen cried, racing to her bed.
Owen’s mother embraced him, and I spied a lone tear shimmering down her cheek. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“What’s going on? Have the doctor’s told you anything?” Owen demanded, a growl to his voice that I didn’t associate with my bear mate.
“Owen?” Kimberly croaked.
I exhaled and nearly crashed to the floor in my relief. She was alive. Thank goodness she was alive!
With my feet no longer leaden, I stepped inside. Kimberly laid in a hospital bed, dressed in a pale green paper gown, the sheets drawn up over her legs. The entire left side of her face was swollen. Her cheeks were bruised and cut, and her hair was all over the place. It looked like big chunks were missing, and dried blood clung to her blonde strands.
“I’m here,” Owen said. He fell to his knees beside the bed and took Kimberly’s hand in between his massive paws.
“I’m okay,” Kimberly said. She blinked slowly, like she could barely keep her eyes open.
“It was one of those things, wasn’t it?” Owen snarled.
I felt the air in the room shift as Owen came close to changing. I quickly rushed to his side and squeezed his shoulder, hoping to keep him grounded. Owen took a deep breath to rein himself in.
“It w-was,” Kimberly stuttered.
Her gaze shifted to the chair on the other side of her bed. Her children occupied the wide seat together. Their faces were streaked with tears, and Samantha sobbed uncontrollably, despite Owen’s mom hugging her with one arm and shushing her softly.
“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Owen said. His gaze tracked her body for injuries. His eyes became steel with each new cut and bruise he saw. His shoulder quivered with rage beneath my hand, and I dug my fingers in harder to again remind him we were in a hospital. He couldn’t shift now, no matter how he was feeling.
Kimberly smiled, then winced. “Me, too. The doctor said I was lucky. Most of my wounds are superficial. I should be back to one-hundred percent in a little under a week.”
“You hear that?” Owen’s mom whispered to Samantha. “Your mom is gonna be just fine.”
Samantha sniffed and wiped her eyes. Her sobbing died, turning into hiccups.
Kimberly leaned her head back on the pillow, watching her two kids be comforted. “You hear that? I’m going to be okay, sweetheart. I’ll be fine in a few days, and we can go for a run in the woods just the way you like.”
Samantha’s lips quirked to one side, though her tears continued to fall.
My heart broke seeing this poor family hurt so much. Seeing my family hurt so much. They’d made it clear I was one of them during our visit, and I’d never felt such a strong familial connection.
“Mom?” Kimberly said. “Can you take the kids down to the cafeteria for some hot cocoa?”
Owen’s mom smiled tightly and rose to her feet. “You heard your mother. Let’s get you something to warm you up.”
Kimberly’s little ones each gave their mom a long hug before letting Owen’s mom usher them out of the hospital room and down the hall. As soon as they were out of earshot, Kim’s smile faded, and she leaned her head back on the pillow.
“What is it, Kim?” Owen asked.
Kimberly sighed and shook her head. “There’s something I need to tell you about the attack.”
I froze at the same time Owen did.
“What is it?” Owen squeezed his sister’s hand.
“When I was attacked, there were at least four of them. They were so damn strong. Stronger than anything I’d ever faced,” Kimberly said. Her eyes widened as she recalled the events. “But it’s what they did that scares me.”
“What did they do?” Owen’s voice dropped low, dangerous. Gone was my cuddly mountain of a teddy bear, and in his place was a roaring beast, ready to tear the world apart to avenge his sister.
“They bit me, but then… They fed me their blood.” Her nose wrinkled and she shivered.
“What?” I gasped.
Kimberly looked between us, a serious look in her eyes. “They fed me their blood like they were trying to turn me.”
My eyebrows furrowed. What the hell? Those vampire monsters were trying to turn shifters now?
“But you’re okay,” Owen said.
“Yes,” Kimberly said. “It tasted disgusting, but it didn’t do anything to me. The doctor tested my blood already, and their blood had no affect besides grossing me out.”
“Thank heavens,” Owen sighed.
“But why would they do that?” I couldn’t help myself. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I thought of the implications. “Does that mean they’re getting smarter? Testing out what they can do? Or is someone controlling them?”
Owen looked back at me and took the hand that squeezed his shoulder. “I don’t know, Ana.”
I squeezed his hand hard, needing the warmth and comfort he provided despite the fact I should be the one comforting him. Those monsters trying to turn Kimberly didn’t sit right with me. It twisted my stomach and made me want to race to the bathroom to empty my guts. Something was wrong.
If I had just killed Jade when I first went bear, none of this would have happened. Kimberly wouldn’t be hurt, and her kids wouldn’t be traumatized from seeing their poor mother like this.
I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid Owen’s questioning gaze. This wasn’t fair to any of them. I should have been stronger and not let my heart get in the way. I should have killed that thing. Jade wasn’t a person anymore, and now she was creating more of herself. There were already several deaths in the attacks ravaging the city.
Owen squeezed my hand again. I opened my eyes to meet his gaze. There wasn’t a question in his eyes anymore. There was anger. “Can I speak to you in the hall?”
I blinked in surprise. Did he know what I’d just been thinking? I nodded mutely before following my bear mate out into the corridor.
The hospital was quiet this early. A few nurses bustled by at the end of the hall, but other than that, I only heard the beep of machines, and the whir of wheels overhead.
Her Panther: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 4) Page 5