ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection)

by C. J. Ayers

  Killian slowly pushed the hulking weight off of his body and lay there panting. Jack knelt over him and then laid his hand on Killian’s chest where the wounds from the tiger were spilling blood into the street. “I could heal you, you know.” Jack said softly. “It isn’t hard. All you have to do is tell us what we want to know, and I can heal you.”

  Killian spat in Jack’s face. “You are the monster Jack, not me. Even if I knew what you wanted, I would never tell you. I’d rather die.”

  Jack calmly wiped the spit off his face and smiled a cruel smile. “Oh no buddy. As I said, the time for easy is over, now it’s time to do the torture thing. By the way have I ever showed you what the other side of my power can do?”

  Jack laid his hand on Killian’s chest and suddenly the world was on fire. There was no room for thoughts, or reason, or even sanity. All there was, was blinding pain in every fiber of Killian’s being. In that moment, Killian had never wanted anything more than he wanted his own death.

  Karyn put her hands up with her palms out. “I need to see your thoughts Sam. I need you to let me in.” Samantha did not react at all she just looked into Karyn’s eyes, and then finally and with certainty, she put her palms up to touch her sisters.

  Immediately Karen pushed out her mind again, but this time she pushed out with something else as well. The veil was brushed aside like cobwebs and suddenly Karyn was living through Sam’s eyes. She had no idea how long she and Sam stayed like that. It could have been mere moments, or it could have been days, or months, or years. However long it was, Karyn learned a lifetime of memories, thoughts, feelings, and so much more. There was so much pain, and so much love all bottled up in the same soul. Karyn ached with each piece of Sam that she took into herself.

  When her eyes finally opened Karyn knew exactly what it was that she had to do. “Sam, you were wrong you know.”

  Samantha sat shaking. “Well that’s no surprise,” she joked. “What was I wrong about?”

  Karyn eyes filled with tears as the horrible truth came crashing down around her. “They were never after me Sam, they were after you. They just didn’t know it.” Samantha’s eyes came up and met Karyn’s.

  “What!” Karyn knew it was too late. She knew it the second her palms had met Samantha’s, but still she had to try. She grabbed Sam by the arm and yanked as hard as she could. “Get Down!”

  Killian woke up tied to a steel metal chair with a needle stuck into his arm. He tried as hard as he could but there was some other force at work. Killian couldn’t move a muscle. He could move his eyes though and he clearly saw Jack standing over him.

  “Hey buddy, thought you were going to sleep all day.” Killian tried to clear his head, but everything seemed to be so fuzzy. Wasn’t Jack dead, or had that part been a dream? No wait, Jack was a traitor. That couldn’t be right. What was happening?

  “Where am I Jack?” Killian asked, his own voice sounding strange in his ears.

  Jack sighed and clicked his tongue as if he were talking to a toddler. “You are in the jail section of department 99. Don’t you remember? Killian, you went crazy. You tried to kill Karyn by biting her throat out and then you fled the department and headed out into town. We tried to follow you, but you were moving too fast. You killed three innocent people before we could get to you. When we tried to talk you into coming back with us you went in a rampage. You killed five of our best agents. We were finally able to get you sedated but after all the people you killed we had no choice but to put you in containment. I’m sorry my friend.”

  Killian couldn’t believe it, but somehow it did seem true. He seemed to remember the taste of Karyn’s blood in his mouth. He felt himself salivate at the warmth of her inside of him. Killian tried to shake his head but couldn’t move. “Jack, something must be wrong, I wouldn’t do that. You know me, I couldn’t.”

  “I’m sorry buddy. It looks like you didn’t take your pills for a few days and the killer just came out. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but we can’t take the chance of you getting loose right now.”

  Killian was lost in his own thoughts. This didn’t feel right for some reason. He couldn’t believe that this was right. He felt like his thoughts were coming to him so thick and it was hard to make sense out of anything. There seemed to be something off about Jack though.

  Before Killian even realized he was speaking the words were out of his mouth. “You are a traitor.” As soon as he heard the words Killian new that they were true even though nothing was making any sense right now. He knew one thing. Jack, his former closest friend, was a traitor.

  Jack came and sat down on a chair next to Killian. “Let’s try this again. Killian saw Jack’s hand reaching for him and he howled an inhuman, vampiric scream.

  Karyn and Samantha hit the hard hospital floor just as a bolt of lightning flew past them. They had only seconds but a second was all Karyn needed. She sent out her thought and found the one who had sent the lightning. Without hesitation Karyn severed his lifeline.

  “Come on, more are coming.” Karyn whispered to Samantha. Samantha quickly got up and followed close behind Karyn who held her hand tightly. As they made their way out the door, Karyn pushed Sam’s body up against the far wall.

  Suddenly, a giant bug fell down from the ceiling it’s front pinchers coming together with a loud clanking sound. Samantha screamed but Karyn knew exactly what to do. She let the bug get right up on her and when it opened its pincher to chop her in half, Karyn slid underneath the things scaled body to the only unprotected part. As she slid she pulled a small pocketknife from her waist and split the bug open from front to back. Green pus and slime fell down from the things body, but she wasted no time trying to figure out what it was.

  Karyn grabbed Samantha and began to run down the hall at breakneck speed. She knew they only had fifteen seconds before the next creature showed up. They had to be in the next building by then or they would both die. Karyn could see everything so clearly now. The connection she had shared with Sam had given her all the missing links.

  “Run, Sam, run or we die.”

  Samantha ran as fast as her legs could carry her with Karyn right beside her. As they neared the end of the hallway, panic began to sink in. They were going to be trapped. Karyn grabbed Samantha’s arm as they came to the end and pushed her directly into the wall in front of them as hard as she could and then she herself barreled through.

  Killian opened his eyes again and the world was white. So white it was blinding. From somewhere nearby he could hear someone screeching. It took him several seconds to realize that the voice he was hearing was his own. His body hurt in ways he never realized a body could hurt and then suddenly is body arched and he could feel himself healing. He would know that healing touch anywhere.

  “Jack?”

  “It’s ok buddy, I’m here.” Killian was so confused; it was if all his memories were gone. It felt like he was under water desperately trying to reach the surface for air.

  Jack waited for several seconds until Killian could catch his breath. “Hey man, that was close. I almost lost you”.

  “What happened?” Killian asked. “I can’t remember anything.

  Jack sat down next to him and rubbed Killian's arm. “Man I don’t know. You were telling me about how you had found the secret to getting home and that you knew how to stop the fabric from tearing and then all of a sudden something was attacking you. I think there are people here who don’t want that information to get out. You have to tell me everything you know before they try again. I may not be able to heal you next time. Killian what’s the secret?”

  Killian closed his eyes trying to remember what it was that he was supposed to know but all he could see was a pair of eyes, a young girl’s eyes. A child stared at him through a small hiding spot. Only his vampire vision allowed him to know she was there. She was crying.

  “Jack, what’s happening? There’s something wrong with my mind.” Jack squeezed Killian’s arm harder.

  “What
do you see? Killian you have to tell me what you see, it could save us all.”

  Killian closed his eyes again. “I see a girl; she looks so sad. Her eyes are filled with tears.”

  “Where, Killian? Where is the girl?”

  Killian tried to remember. “I don’t know. There was a baby, and dead bodies everywhere.”

  Jack’s fingers were digging into Killian's arm drawing blood. “You mean Karyn, you’re talking about Karyn?”

  Killian shook his head. “No Karyn was the diversion. It was the girl. She held the secret.”

  Jack sighed and then began to laugh. “Thanks man. We would never have figured that out. All this time we’ve been watching the wrong damn sister. I hope you enjoyed your torture. Now it’s time for you to die.” Killian's eyes opened wide and suddenly everything came flooding back. All the memories that had been turned off, all the memories that had been erased. For the first time since arriving in this world, Killian remembered everything.

  “It was you. You bastard. All along, it was you.” Jack laughed louder and Killian began to fight his restraints to no avail. “I remember now. You were the one behind the wall during my re alignment. It was you who led us to the house that day. You were the one who gave me the pills. You did it all, even erased my memories and pretended to be my friend.” Jack began to clap his hands slowly and methodically.

  “Of course it was me. I’ve been the mastermind of department 99 since its beginning. I created it after all. My name wasn’t always Jack though. You see, I was the one who started the tear in the fabric. I come from a world of immortals. I am an immortal, Killian. Do you know how boring it is to be immortal? After a few million years, things become a little redundant. I decided that the rest of the worlds needed to see the greatness of an immortal being like myself. So, I spent thousands of years coming up with a way to bring all beings – all creatures together. Mass chaos as it were. Something to pass the time. Give me a little fun for a change. Tell me it hasn’t been fun, buddy? We’ve had fun, right? Everything was a blast until that bitch Dr. had to go and ruin it.”

  I don’t know how she did it, but she found out who I was, and worse, she figured out how to stop me. Maybe my mind was elsewhere at the time, but somehow she and her clod of a husband got away. We tracked them down of course, several times, in fact, but in the end they’d always elude us. Damned if I could figure out how. Someone had to be helping them from the inside. We just didn’t know who. When we finally found them tucked away in that little farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, we made sure there would be no escape.”

  “I was watching everything and I saw that woman put something on her baby. It was the secret to my demise. I was going to just kill the child and be done with it. Then, I thought, what if someone else could find this secret? I have to know what it is. So I left the child alive. Somehow, you and the child became attached and before I knew it you had taken her somewhere and hidden her. It took me a long time to track her down. Of course it didn’t take you nearly as long to fall in love with her.”

  Now, come to find out, I had it all wrong.” Killian struggled some more the restraints cutting deep inside his body.

  “I guess being immortal doesn’t increase your intelligence, does it?”

  Jack stood over Killian with an evil smile. “It’s been such a blast pretending to be your friend, but that’s all over now. And, finally, I will have the pleasure of watching you die.”

  “Do it already!” Killian screamed.

  Jack reached over Killian and turned on a machine, its beeping noise sounding deadly loud in Killian’s ears. “Do you know what vampires live off of Killian?” Jack didn’t wait for a response. “They live off blood. Do you know what it does to a vampire to be bled dry?” Killian’s eyes widened and for the first time they registered real fear. He looked down at his arm and saw the needle. Killian watched as Jack pushed a button on the machine and then he felt the agony of his blood being sucked out.

  Killian came to the realization that after all the times he had bled a person dry, he now would finally know what it feels like to be the victim.

  “Karyn, where are we going?”

  Karyn did not slow. “We have to get to the prison. That’s where it’s going to happen.”

  “Where what is going to happen?” Samantha asked as they ducked around corners and ran through walls that weren’t really walls.

  Karyn looked at her sister and took her hand. “The end, Sam. We are going to location of the end.” Samantha blanched at the simple way in which her sister had just described the end of life, as they knew it. She wanted to run. Why had she been brought into this world? Was it only to suffer? There had been so much pain. Now that she had finally found Karyn and had some hope for a future, was it going to just all end this abruptly? Was she allowed no happiness?

  As Karyn rushed down the hallway she began to hear screeching shouts. She had tried to prepare herself, but hearing Killian’s pain was almost too much to bear. She had to make it in time. If the world was going to end, she wanted to be at Killian’s side when she took her last breath.

  She knew now, after seeing through Sam’s eyes the events of the past, that he had loved her beyond measure and for much longer than either of them had realized. He had sacrificed his life, his memories, and his soul, to give her a chance. There may be nothing that she could do for him now, but she had to make it to his side if only to tell him one last time that she loved him. Truly, and with all her heart.

  They plunged through the invisible wall and into madness. Jack turned and saw the two women crash into the room and instantly locked his eyes with Samantha. She was the one he wanted. She was the one who could stop him, his one and only threat. He rushed towards her giving Karyn the opportunity she needed.

  Karyn lunged forward and in one swift move yanked the needle from Killian's arm and slammed her fist into the button to release his restraints. He was so weak he couldn’t even lift his own head.

  “Karyn, I’m so sorry. I did everything wrong. It’s Sam, you have to protect Sam.”

  Karyn ran her fingers through Killian's hair and smiled. “I know everything Killian. Everything.” Tears welled in her eyes, “I also know beyond a doubt that I am entirely, madly, and completely in love with you.”

  Killian’s eyes closed and he smiled weakly. “I love you back, Karyn.”

  Across the room, Jack had Samantha by the throat. “Tell me what I want to know. I am done playing games. Speak or I will kill you without hesitation this time.”

  Samantha was crying. She had no idea what he was talking about. If she knew, she would tell him. Her eyes frantically searched the room and landed on Karyn's. It was Deja-vu. Those same eyes so many years ago. Eyes with no fear. Eyes that knew something. Eyes that… Suddenly Samantha understood. She looked into Jack’s eyes and she smiled.

  For one brief moment, Jack was frightened. For the first and only time in his immortal life, he was truly afraid. Without hesitation he did what he said he would and released his power into her.

  Karyn had been waiting. She had known the exact moment that it would happen and she was ready. She held up her palm and released the light. The light that had been in her since she was an infant, since the day her mother had given it to her. The light that had given her strength when all seemed lost. The light that had helped her to save Samantha once before, and now the light that was going to be used to save the world.

  The light hit Samantha at the exact instant that Jack released his power. Jack’s eyes went wide. He looked from Samantha to Karyn. “How?”

  Karyn smiled with the last of her strength. “Retribution, Jack.”

  The light Karyn shot was deflecting Jack’s power and sending it right back at him. He screamed once as the first bit of chaos hit him. As he screamed, his body crumbled into black dust that became an inky black cloud which swirled into nothingness and vanished.

  Destroyed by his own weapon.

  Sam rushed over to Karyn and laid her head
in Karyn’s lap. “What… what happened to him?” She choked out.

  Karyn was barely strong enough to speak. “The fabric was being torn by his ability to use his immortality as a gateway. He was using it as a lifeline.” She took a couple of shaky breaths, “It fed him, and he fed it. Now that power is being focused entirely on him. It will erase his memories, he will live his immortal life in perpetual pain and torment, and will never even be able to remember who he is.”

  “It’s over.”

  The three survivors left the prison. Leaning on each other for support, they headed back towards the department hospital. They were all in need of a weeklong vacation. No shape shifters, no evil gods, and no work. Just rest and relaxation. As they neared the tunnels leading up to the hospital, Killian paused. His breathing was still unsteady and he could barely walk on his own.

  “There’s one thing I don’t understand.” Karyn and Sam stopped and leaned against the far wall.

  “What’s that?” Sam asked.

  “Sam, when we were back in the tunnels, back when we found you, you were a ghost. You said you were being mind-controlled by someone.”

  “Yeah, I guess it was Jack.” Killian frowned as he held out his hand to Karyn who came willingly into his arms. He squeezed her tight and whispered in her ear. Karyn’s eyes widened. Sam stared at them for several seconds.

  “What is it?”

  “I was just wondering,” Killian said. “If Jack was controlling your mind while you were a ghost, how where you able to communicate with Karyn? Karyn looked long and hard at her sister, her only family in the whole world.