Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection

by Lacey Carter Andersen

  Eddie laughed. “That’s my cousin’s pizzeria. He really hooks us up with the toppings.”

  None of the pack ever complained. Wolves enjoyed any type of meat. I finished off my third slice, this one with double pepperoni, and another beer. The storm had been short-lived and only rainfall remained. Since I’d only nabbed about four hours sleep before I got up, showered, and had the coffee machine working again, the food helped.

  When Livy set her plate on the table, Eddie and I both regarded her. The floor was all hers. She took a deep breath. “I want to tell you my story. I’ll start at the beginning. The night my mom and cousin were attacked. I was there, by the trees. I saw a monster. After that thing took off, I ran for my dad. He called Uncle Evan and Aunt Jessie, before contacting the police.”

  After that tidbit, Ed cut his gaze to me. Olivia was providing additional pieces to this puzzle.

  Her voice remained steady and strong as she went on. “I told them what had happened. We were outside, on the road. The bodies were still by the pond. Elizabeth’s parents ran to her body. Uncle Kevin had tagged along and took over while everyone else grieved. He told me not to tell the truth. I had to blame a wild animal. His reasoning?” She shivered, hanging her head. “Everyone would think I was either traumatized, making it up for attention, or I was mentally ill.”

  My hands balled into fists. Hide the truth and shift the focus to the child who was nothing more than a victim herself.

  “What about your dad?” Ed inquired.

  “My dad?” Her head lifted, and her lips twisted into a cruel smile. “He was useless. He spent his days among the dead and his nights with bottles. He’d already gotten drunk. That’s the real reason we’d gone out. Eliza and I were having a sleepover and Dad started getting nasty. We were too loud. Blah blah. To let him sleep it off, Mom suggested a swim. Back then, the pond was maintained.”

  I knew the relationship with her father was strained but this? It was obvious she despised the man. No wonder she watched any interactions I had with my dad so closely.

  Awareness registered on Ed’s face as he gauged my reaction. I simply nodded at her to go on. “Your dad went along with your uncle. What about Jessie and Evan?”

  “They both agreed. They told him to make sure whatever did that to their girl was put down. I was scared so I listened. When the police arrived, it didn’t feel right lying to them, but Uncle Kevin stressed the media would get involved and turn our village into a circus. They’d make my life miserable. He even suggested that some reporters could make people think I had killed them.” Her voice broke and Wolf growled.

  It pained me to hear how small her voice sounded. I slipped into the empty spot beside her and took her hand in mine. “What happened, Livy, wasn’t your fault.”

  She shrugged, not fully convinced. Still, she continued. For the next half hour, she revealed how she learned about Uncle Kevin’s special organization, “Hands of Change.” He finally recruited her on her tenth birthday.

  HOC had some investors with deep pockets. They also had connections with various agencies. That helped us understand what we were dealing with.

  While she talked, Eddie was on his laptop, either taking notes or researching. I remained by her side, our fingers together.

  It had grown quieter outside. Not even a drizzle. Just an occasional cricket and a light wind that brought with it that lovely smell that’s created after it rains. I didn’t have neighbors, only hilly terrain and sandy ground. A trail led to my own dock with access to a private marina. It made travel to our island easy.

  Livy let her pizza grow cold. I don’t think she had much of an appetite. She did empty her water bottle. I gave her another. She recounted hours of after school lessons on various subjects her uncle tutored her in. How to stake a vampire. How to tell apart spirits from ghosts. How to kill a goblin. History of demons. Lycanthropy.

  At one point, Eddie chuckled and cracked a joke. “Are you sure your last name is Masterson and not Winchester? Do you have cousins named Sam and Dean?”

  I got it but refused to laugh. She did too and remained silent.

  “Want to take a break?” I said. “That’s a lot to recall. Thanks for trusting us, Livy.”

  Since she appeared done, Ed leaned forward to ask questions. “Have you gone on hunts? Killed any other monsters?”

  I put my arm around her. She squeezed my hand.

  “Yes.” Livy picked at the crust, and then wiped her fingers on a napkin. “I went on one for a water monster in Jersey. It was a mix between a sea lion and a squid. It broke my ankle. I stabbed it through the head. The goblin I encountered in the Adirondacks had been eating the goats of local farmers. Uncle’s group used me as bait to lure it out of the woods. They cut my thigh and let the blood coat my legs.”

  Eddie grimaced before turning away. “How old were you? Were you successful?”

  “Fourteen. Yes. But we lost a member that night. The goblin shredded his face.”

  “What?” I almost didn’t get the word out.

  She traced half circles on my palm. Her touch calming, compared to what I was hearing. Wolf stirred. He wanted someone to tear apart.

  “The monster realized it was a trap and threw me against a tree. I woke up the next day.”

  I turned to face her, outraged. “Livy, you mean every time I heard about you getting hurt, spotted new cuts or scars on your body, each one had to do with an excursion? You weren’t clumsy?”

  “Yeah.” That was the real reason she didn’t want to let people in. The reactions of others upon hearing about her past would be awkward to hear and comprehend. I wondered what social services would have done if her aunt and uncle had been reported. Bad enough her dad abandoned her.

  “Did Jessie know? Did you have any female travel companions?” Eddie asked.

  She shook her head. “No companions. Jessie and Evan knew. They weren’t interested. All they wanted to hear was that the monster had been killed.”

  That declaration froze my blood. “You were the only girl?”

  Livy sensed my discomfort. “No women wanted to join. Then Uncle Kevin’s friend urged him to shoot videos to recruit others. The series started when I was twelve.”

  “Videos of you doing what, fighting these things?” I asked.

  She took a swig of water. “Yes. They shot footage of me doing everything. In the dressing room, training, practice exercises, actual travel on their bus, and at the sites themselves. Those damn cameras were always on me. Uncle explained how they blurred out the monsters. They were made available on a special “members only” website.”

  “That didn’t bother you?” I couldn’t wait to pay Kevin and his group a visit. Along with my pack.

  For a while, she turned pensive, then she smiled. “Sometimes. They said I was a poster girl for strong females. Others would want to be like me. I had to wear a wig and they had a uniform made for me.”

  Rubbing his forehead, Eddie fought back his unrest. “You remember the series’ name or visit the site? Were you ever curious?”

  Livy looked from him to me with trust in her eyes. I had a ton of suspicions about this so-called ‘organization’ and her role in it. I kept quiet. Instead, I nodded my encouragement.

  “I’m not sure. I didn’t pay attention to the business side. It was boring. I wanted to be normal. Go to high school. Join clubs. Do regular things. I didn’t want to be Buffy. In my reality, what monsters killed remained dead.”

  But in a way she was like Buffy. How far did Kevin take this?

  “It sounds like your uncle and his group marketed you that way,” Eddie said, typing away. “Are you still involved with them?”

  “No. I had an argument with Uncle when he said I couldn’t go to junior prom. We had a trip that weekend. I quit. Anyway, they have girls in the group now.” She tore the bottle wrapper into pieces.

  Grabbing his cell phone, he handed it to Livy. “Give me your number. I’ll text you if I have any further questions, okay?”


  “I, ah, left my phone in the car. Which was destroyed.”

  Ed smacked the side of his head in a joking manner. “Duh! Forgot about that.” He glanced at me. “I’ll hook her up with a new phone, right? I’ll drop it off tomorrow.”

  “Sure. Thanks.” I fully understood what it must have been like for her up until this part. I had to know. “Livy, the way you took that Lycan out last night was the work of someone in their prime, not someone in retirement. Can you explain that?”

  She sighed. “Don’t look at me like that, Ry. I quit HOC but I still trained and practiced on my own. I would search for the monster on my own. Last night, I had this strong feeling it would be back. I took him out and got my revenge.”

  Her standing on the beach, deep in thought. Dot was right. Olivia was a killer.

  “Revenge?” Ed parroted.

  Looking him directly, she nodded. “I had to blame a wild animal, but I never forgot what killed my mom and my cousin. I also quit the group because they didn’t focus on what I wanted. That’s the reason I joined. It was all about what Kevin said and Kevin wanted. I needed to take down that beast. All monsters need to be destroyed.” Her conviction was admirable, if not a little scary.

  With his laptop in hand, Ed stood. “Olivia, it’s cool how fearsome you are. You forgot and repeated the HOC line about all monsters being destroyed. Just reminding you about what you said. I would suggest you find a new definition of a ‘monster.’ There’s also a difference between them and ‘beasts.’ I really have to wonder if HOC just wasn’t a group of rich white dudes who thrived on ogling a fetishized girl who brought down supernatural creatures so those same dudes could add to their trove of trophy prizes. Anyway, I’ve got to go. Take care, Livy.”

  “Bye.” She refused to look at him and seemed on the verge of crying.

  They were both insulted.

  I walked my friend to the door. Ed still bristled at her words. I didn’t blame him for taking offense. I also could not defend Olivia’s way of thinking. On the step outside I grabbed Ed by the arm before he took off. “Can you please find out where Kevin Armstrong is and what he’s doing. Same with HOC. Whatever you discover, keep it to yourself. No one else is to know, including my dad.”

  My friend sucked in the evening air as if breathing for the first time in a while. “I’ll add it to the list. Good luck, bro. Undoing all those years of conditioning will not be easy. Livy is hardcore. She shoves all of us together with the monsters even though she told us she liked us.”

  From this distance we could hear Olivia putting the pizza away in the fridge. “It’s not going to be easy, Ed, Can you please ride this out with me?”

  “If you think she’s worth, Ry, I will. Everything I do is for you anyway. Our future Alpha. Good night.”

  When I closed the front door, Livy stood outside the kitchen, holding her weapons. “You cleaned them?”

  “Yes,” I assured her with a weak smile. It’s all I could muster. “I had to toss your dress. I washed your jacket. It’s in the dryer. Those are cool. Want to tell me about them?”

  She simply glanced down at the blades partially wrapped in a kitchen towel, but she didn’t touch them. Perhaps she wasn’t as ‘hardcore’ as Ed believed. “I met this guy at my very last hunt. He made swords and asked me what my dream weapon was. I told him a cross between a sai and a hand sword. A few months later these were delivered. I only took them out when I went searching. Last night was the first time I used them. I used to call them my swaids.”

  “They’re unique. Want me to put them someplace special? I have a safe.”

  “Okay.” Livy handed over the towel. “Would you like to watch a movie with me?”

  “Sure. I’ll be right there.” I went around her and down the hall to my office to lock them inside the wall safe.

  When I returned I stopped short. Livy sat in the middle of the sofa with the remote in hand. Again, her face brightened when she saw me. Damn, it felt good to see her so at home, like she lived here.

  Remembering what I saw last night and knowing her all these years, I understood her better than Ed could. Probably more than most. Whichever part of her was broken I would try to fix. She was worth it.

  I plopped down beside her. Once she found an action movie, she rested her head on my shoulder. Hanging out together seemed like old times, but it wasn’t exactly. Not anymore.

  Livy had revealed her secrets. Now I needed to do the same. I had to wait for the perfect time and hoped she would understand why I’d kept mine.

  Olivia

  Hot water beat upon her skin as she slid down to the tile floor of the shower and closed her eyes. “What have I done?” she whispered. Drops smashed strands across her face and she let them. The heat soothed her. What could calm her stomach down? It seemed her gut knotted so easily. Food didn’t taste right. She’d never intended to reveal so much, especially with Rylan’s friend there. She scrubbed at her eyes. What a fool.

  Yes, she’d seen Eddie many times and knew they were best friends. Could he be trusted? She wondered, especially after the way he roasted her before he left. Ry said nothing. Not that he could defend her. How quickly she smashed up her sweet, bubble-blowing friend image. Eddie’s words kept leaking into her thoughts. Why wouldn’t his voice shut up? This time she gave in to the tears and cried silently. Her pain released in huge, racking noiseless sobs.

  Now that he knew her past, would he tell anyone else? How did she know he hadn’t already? She’d like to know what he was doing on that laptop. Had he posted on social media about her?

  Ry always seemed so close to his family and friends. Olivia lacked in that area. There was no one she truly ever confided in, not after her mom and cousin died. They were the ones she could talk to about anything. No one was on her side. She was alone, as usual.

  Rylan and she had had a special relationship. Even he regarded her differently after he learned she was a trained monster killer. Eddie’s joke about the TV show was proof.

  Her big mouth. Maybe she should’ve gone away to college. It wasn’t too late. She could get in her car and drive to some no-name town. Make a new home. No one would miss her.

  A pair of caring light brown eyes popped into her mind. She turned, curling up into herself, and let the tears fall. Olivia wished to disappear or for the ability to grow small to enable her to get sucked down the drain.

  Minutes passed and the water continued to pummel her. When she opened her eyes, pruned skin filled her vision.

  Leaning up, she turned off the water. The dressing on her marks would need to be changed. Could she ask Ry for help after last night’s little episode? Hadn’t she gotten frisky with him? In her defense, she had been feeling sick to her stomach until she smelled him. Felt his touch on her skin. “I am such a raging idiot.” Olivia remained on the tiles a few minutes more. She gathered her wet hair and twisted it to release some of the excess water. The air cooled.

  She climbed out and dried herself off a lot faster than Rylan had last night. When he got into bed beside her and held her, she thought she’d lose it. Her fingers shook. She couldn’t stay here much longer. Her aunt and uncle probably wanted an explanation about her not being home, plus she hadn’t showed up to help with the shopping. Who filled her shift?

  Wiping the condensation off the mirror, she stared at her reflection. A voice she didn’t recognize spoke inside her head. She admonished Olivia and told her to grow up. Stop with the pity party! Accept who and what she was. Was that voice reliable?

  Was that voice right?

  Killing the monster had changed her. She did feel older. Justice had finally been handed down to make up for her lying. But the space inside where she kept her memories of Mom and Elizabeth remained the same. Satisfaction didn’t feel like much of anything.

  When she saw herself again tears were rushing down her cheeks. She wrapped the towel around herself, letting the tears fall wherever they wanted, and dropped down to the chair he kept in here for clothes.

/>   “Livy, baby, what are you doing in here?”

  Rylan’s voice shook her awake. He kneeled in front of her, drenched. What a strange place to sleep. But what made her stare were his eyes. The brown color had been reduced, replaced by a yellow orange red combination which reminded her of the glowing embers of a dying fire. How pretty. Earlier, he’d gone out for a run before she took a shower. She remembered that.

  He gathered her hands together in his on her lap. “What made you cry? Are you in pain?”

  “No.” His skin, though wet, was so warm she could curl up beside it and fall asleep again.

  “Did someone call or stop by?”

  She shook her head. If he kept this up, his eagerness to please her combined with his sweet touches, would cause her walls to crack. A few parts had already crumbled. Then she would be vulnerable, like before. Did he know what his kindness did to her?

  “What does it do? Livy, we’re friends. Of course, I’m going to be kind to you.” His lips pursed, and she heard his whispered curse.

  Wait, did she mutter that out loud?

  When Rylan faced her again, his eyes were normal and brimming with….

  “Stop that,” she chastised.

  Rylan moved closer, a question in his gaze. “What?” When a droplet from his hair hit his eyelid, he flinched. “This? I forgot I got soaked through out there. The sky just opened—”

  She’d raised her legs, slid her bare feet under his shirt and begun tickling his sides. “Be careful Rylan Santiago. You’re looking at me like you love me.”

  He blinked and burst out laughing. She’d hit a ticklish spot. Playfully, he hooked his arms around her calves and began to slide the chair and her towards him. Forgetting his strength, Livy shot forward. The force sent them sprawling onto the floor. Instinctively, Rylan’s arms encircled her, keeping her trapped against his body to prevent her from smacking against the tiles.