In Deep Shift: The Protectors Unlimited Book Three

by Blackwood, Keira

  “Ugh, don’t call that thing.”

  “Nona! We did it, Nona! Where are you?” I called. Nona could explain everything. Zane had to understand. He was there—we were both there.

  Nona didn’t answer.

  “You try,” I said. “She likes you better.”

  “I’ve been trying to get rid of that thing, why would I call it back?” He looked more confused than before, and took a step away. I didn’t understand.

  “She saved you,” I said.

  “I think it might be time for you to go,” he said.

  I took a step forward. He took one back.

  The smile slid from my face.

  “You really don’t remember, do you?”

  “I think it’s time for you to go,” he said.

  This was before. Before all of it—before our night in the rain, before the dragonkiller, before love.

  The thought ached, like a damned punch to the throat. But it was better than it had been. Zane was alive.

  “I’ll go.” I opened the door to do as I’d said, stopping at the threshold. “But I’ll be back. And I will find a way to make you remember.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Zane

  Sleep evaded me.

  I stared at the ceiling, going through the whole thing again.

  She’d thought I was crazy. We’d kissed. The world shook—perhaps the cube was leading me to its other half. But after Mia left, I felt only regret and I hadn’t touched it again. There was still a distant sound, a humming that called to me, one that refused to relent. The humming sound didn’t help with sleep, either.

  I rolled to my side and stared at the door.

  What if she was right? What if we were mates?

  Part of me believed it. I’d felt something when I first laid eyes on her in the bar that night.

  But what had happened with her made no sense.

  What was I supposed to remember?

  There was a bang, then an insistent knocking at my door. I threw off the sheets and pulled on my jeans.

  The knocking continued.

  Before I opened it, I knew who was there.

  Her sweet cinnamon scent greeted me, a familiar embrace. And my head clouded with wonder—what was Mia doing here? How could I deny her?

  I opened the door and found her, a wide grin on her face.

  “Good,” she said, “you’re awake.”

  She pushed in past me, dragging a human woman behind her. No, not quite human, but not shifter either.

  “Lola, Zane. Zane, Lola,” Mia said.

  The woman had long blue hair fashioned in two braids. Tattoos coiled up her arms and she had a look about her, that of an old soul.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Lola’s going to fix you.”

  “I don’t need to be—”

  Mia put her finger over my lips.

  “Shh,” she said. “Just let her do it.”

  I shook my head in frustration. Mia was as infuriating as she was beautiful. And she knew just how to make my head ache.

  “It’s not so easy to do this kind of thing on a shifter,” the blue haired woman said. “You’re going to need to lie down.”

  “There’s been a mistake,” I said. “I am not broken.”

  Mia shut the door and grabbed my hand.

  Her touch was warm, and confusing, and insistent.

  “Just do it,” she said. “Lie down.”

  “The two of you should leave,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I meant it. I didn’t want Mia to go, even if she was crazy, which probably meant I was crazy, too.

  “Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?” Mia smiled.

  I grunted and lay down as I was bid. What could it hurt?

  “Close your eyes,” Lola said.

  “What exactly are you planning to do here?” I asked.

  “Just close your eyes,” Mia said.

  I did, but I wasn’t happy about it. I was regretting opening the door already.

  “Just going to bring forth what was lost, if in fact there’s something there to find,” Lola said.

  “There is.” Mia’s voice was firm, sure.

  “I’m going to need something from you,” Lola said.

  I peeked through one eye.

  “Shut it, mister,” Mia said. “She’s talking to me.”

  I closed my eyes.

  “It has to be something personal, something from the memory you wish to retrieve.”

  “I know just what to do,” Mia said.

  There was the sound of cutting, the scent of herbs in the air.

  I wiggled my nose and tried not to sneeze.

  Nothing happened, which suited me fine.

  “You need to lead him,” Lola said.

  “How?” Mia asked.

  “Tell him everything that happened, everything that led the two of you to find each other.”

  I frowned. We’d already found each other.

  “There was a cave, so dark we could hardly see.” Mia’s voice shook when she spoke. “It was cold and damp. And Nona was there, zipping around in circles.”

  A flash of the catbird filled my head, a glowing line following behind it.

  “We went off together, just the two of us. And my phone rang,” she said.

  “I broke it.” The words slipped from my mouth, and I remembered.

  “Yes.” Mia grabbed my hand and squeezed. Her touch was so pleasant, so warm.

  “We held hands,” I said.

  “We did,” she said. “And you said you trusted me.”

  I remembered.

  “We followed the sound in your head, the cube calling its other half to the dragonkiller.”

  I remembered the room, the pillar of the light, the fire as the glove fused itself to my skin.

  “I remember.”

  Mia bounced on the side of the bed.

  I peeked between my lashes and got bashed in the face by a pillow.

  “Keep them shut,” Lola said.

  I grunted and did as I was bid.

  “When we returned to your room, the Tribunal attacked,” Mia said.

  “I couldn’t blink.”

  “Right.” I could hear the excitement in Mia’s voice. I felt it, too. She’d been right, there were memories hidden inside of me. I knew these things. I was there.

  “And you turned into a dragon to fight them. You told me to run and I did, I jumped right out the window. But when I found you again…”

  “I left you.” It hurt, damn, it hurt. “I was afraid of what would happen if I let you in.”

  “I know. I didn’t then, but I do now,” she said. “And then Nona, she helped me find you. You were in the metal building and there was a thunderstorm. I promised we would figure everything out, together.”

  “I remember.”

  “And there, on the dirt floor…”

  Mia’s bare skin, her smile, the blissful feeling of being deep inside of her. Love.

  I remembered. I remembered everything.

  I opened my eyes and found Mia as she was meant to be, with her hair cut short.

  There was hope in her emerald eyes. There was love.

  “I remember,” I said. “The diner, the alley, the rope and the van. I remember, Mia.”

  I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down onto the bed on top of me.

  She squealed with delight.

  “I’m just going to…” Lola said.

  “Do you remember what you said to me?” Mia’s eyes were filled with hope. She was so beautiful.

  “Everything, Mia. I remember everything. And I love you more than words can say. I told you then that I loved you. I’m telling you again now. Be my mate. Right here, right now, promise to be my world forever.”

  Her cheeks were rosy as she smiled wide.

  The door clicked shut and there was only us.

  Mia kissed me, leaned her forehead on mine, and whispered, “Yes.”

  Epilogue

  Mia<
br />
  It was a simple matter proving that Drexel had hired the Obsidian Claws. After that, everything returned to the way it was supposed to be. Drexel was sentenced to the Cube, the kind of shifter prison no one ever came back from. And me—after everything that had happened, I took a break from work. I needed a bit of personal time with my new mate, a honeymoon of sorts.

  First we traveled to Hawaii, tossed the cube into a volcano, and didn’t look back. Maybe it couldn’t be destroyed, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be easy to pull out of there. And it had to be safer in lava than in the Tribunal’s storage.

  I thought a lot about Nona, wondering where she was and what had happened to her. I wanted to thank her for everything she’d done for us, even if it was a last goodbye. I liked to think she was off on a new adventure, helping another couple find their own happily ever after. But she never answered when I called her name.

  A few stops after Hawaii, Zane was set on choosing our next destination.

  The air in the Portuguese cave was cool because the ocean breeze carried a gentle spray of saltwater up onto the shore. Crystal blue waves lapped up over the sand, where Zane lay naked for my viewing pleasure.

  “It really is as beautiful as you promised.” I looked out over the water, nothing but blue to the horizon. Then I turned my attention back to my completely naked and exquisitely tanned mate lying in the sand. “And just as private.”

  In one quick motion, he turned and grabbed my wrist, pulling me down on top of him.

  I giggled as the scruff on his chin tickled my neck. As Zane trailed soft kisses over my bare skin his cock stirred beneath me. He was insatiable.

  “Ahem.” A high-pitched voice came from nowhere. I recognized that voice.

  Zane froze. “This was supposed to be a private beach.”

  I searched for her--for Nona. But she didn’t seem to be anywhere.

  Zane looked up and shook his head. His brow was furrowed.

  A ball of orange fluff hopped across Zane’s hair. He grunted. I smiled.

  “Nona,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Nona swayed her little body back and forth. “Zane and Mia, sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S—”

  Zane swatted his hand over his head, and Nona took flight.

  “Get out of here,” he said.

  “Tell me first.”

  “Tell you what?” he grumbled.

  “You know what I want to hear.”

  Zane sighed. “I say it and you’re gone, right?”

  Nona nodded.

  “I…love you, Nona.” He frowned as if the words were sour.

  I laughed.

  She winked at me, and just like that she was gone.

  I turned to Zane. “That was—"

  “Don’t,” he said. “Let’s never speak of this again.”

  “But that was so sweet.” I smiled at him.

  He tackled me to the sand, stealing my breath. “Where were we?”

  “I think I forgot,” I whispered. “Maybe you should show me.”

  He kissed my chin, my neck. His hands roamed all over my bare skin.

  “Mmmm,” I moaned as his fingers met my clit. “After this round, I want to see the cliffs.”

  “I’ll take you everywhere.” His eyes darkened.

  “You mean blink us everywhere, don’t you?”

  “To the cliffs, to the desert, to the plains. I’ll blink us there, and then I’ll take you again.”

  I gasped as his finger teased my opening.

  “That’s a big...promise.” I nibbled his ear and sank down over his tip.

  “I’ll give you the world,” Zane said. “All I’ll ever want is you.”

  His lips were soft against mine, his promises genuine. All I wanted was him, too—my dragon, my mate.

  Also by Keira Blackwood

  The Protectors of Sawtooth Peaks

  The Protectors of Sawtooth Peaks Complete Series Box Set

  Running to the Pack - Cole & Hailey, part one

  Defending the Pack - Cole & Hailey, part two

  Uniting the Pack - Lance & Trixie

  The Protectors of Riverwood

  The Protectors of Riverwood Complete Series Box Set

  Grizzly Bait - Liam & Emma, part one

  Grizzly Mate - Liam & Emma, part two

  Grizzly Fate - Liam & Emma, part three

  The Protectors of the Pack

  The Protectors of the Pack Complete Series Box Set

  Bodyguard - Reynolds & Alex

  Enemies - Witt & Zoe

  Heir - Hunter & Grace

  The Protectors Unlimited

  Can’t Prove Shift - Mason & Caitlyn

  Suave as Shift - Lincoln & Juliana

  In Deep Shift - Zane & Mia

  Want more Blakes? Continue reading for a preview of Mason Blake’s story, Can’t Prove Shift!

  Can’t Prove Shift: Chapter One

  Lyn

  His heated, hazel eyes devoured every one of my curves. Desire poured from him in waves. Even from my seat, forty feet away, the stink of my mark’s arousal tainted my nostrils. It was the loudest thing in the hotel lobby, even with the musician bellowing Frank Sinatra as he smoothly played the piano. The tune was flawless, just loud enough to dull the sounds of the casino in the next room—drunken chatter, clinking coins, and the never-ending electronic dinging from the slot machines.

  The lounge was filled with dark, rich woods. And rich patrons. A redheaded waitress flirted with a middle-aged suit at one of the small, round tables, then mocked him when she returned to the bartender. A thin, elderly woman in a satin evening gown sat at the next table over. Her silver hair was styled like that of a movie star from the twenties, and her confidence matched. The seats beside her were filled by attractive men, young enough to be her grandsons. But with their proximity to the aging starlet, and her hands on their thighs, I assumed no relation. Whispered innuendos passed, glasses clinked, taps poured. I took it all in while I kept my body turned toward the performer at the piano. But my attention remained focused on my target.

  Salvatore ‘The Weasel’ Girardo—sixty-three, five foot seven, two hundred twenty-five pounds, and most importantly—loaded. His reputation preceded him, a reputation for wealth and a love for curvy brunettes. During my research, I’d learned that Girardo was drawn to short skirts and low-cut tops. Which was exactly what had drawn him to the woman on the stool next to him. It was also exactly the reason I wore a blond wig and a modest pencil skirt. Every button on my blouse was done up to the collar and I sat as far from the lech as the Obsidian Resort’s lounge allowed.

  Not only did Girardo attempt to conquer a new woman every evening, but also the hotel’s poker tables. His vices ruled his nights. Legal defense of Monaco’s sleaziest criminals ruled his days. That, and shady deals with shifter mafia—the Sanguine Syndicate.

  My inner cat was ready to pounce with one look at my prey—some sort of weasel shifter a few times removed. Guys like him made easy marks. Hell, he was asking for it wearing that custom Bangaudi suit and thickly layered gold chains. Only one thing bothered me. There was a quality to him that didn’t fit the rest of the package. It was his eyes. The way that he looked at the woman beside him was lewd, sure, but at the same time predatory. It didn’t matter though. I kept my distance, so even if Girardo had a surprise ferocity held beneath the doughy surface, it wasn’t my problem.

  The brunette cackled in exaggerated amusement as he leaned close and whispered in her ear. His thick, sausage fingers brushed the fair, freckled skin just above her elbow. A heavy blush tinted the tops of her ears and the center of her cheeks. He almost had her. It was nearly time.

  “Hey, sugar. Next round’s on me.” A tall, dark, and overconfident distraction slid onto the stool beside me. His black hair was slicked back in a fifties-style poof that appeared to be made of plastic. The ten gallons of cologne that wafted from him threatened to drown me. And the wide, bleached-white, self-assured grin on his square face told me he was accusto
med to hearing yes.

  “I have a drink,” I said, sparing the man only a small glance before turning back to the pianist in the center of the room. The glass was cool against my lips, the Cabernet Sauvignon smooth on my palate.

  “A fine lookin’ lady like you shouldn’t be left to drink alone,” the man said. “The name’s Chad, and I can promise you’ll be screaming it. All. Night. Long.”

  He placed his clammy palm on my bare knee, still sporting that self-assured grin. Clearly he was not the type to take no for an answer. And if I could have afforded making a scene, I would have made him regret touching me. Break a finger, bloody a nose. Not tonight.

  “Chad,” I said, looking him square in the eyes, “you’ll remove your greasy paw from my leg and make your way back to the casino.”

  “And why—”

  “If you don’t,” I said, leaning close enough that only he could hear me, “I’ll tell your wife exactly what you’re doing on this ‘business’ trip.”

  Chad recoiled, stupid grin sliding right from his smooth face. “How could you… I’m not…”

  “The indent from your wedding band remains on your finger,” I said. “Besides, I can see the outline of your ring in your pocket.”

  He looked down, sliding his hand over the offending wrinkles in the black fabric. It was enough of a diversion.

  “And I’m guessing this is the lucky woman who snatched up such a prize.” I held his cell phone out for him to see. On the screen was the picture of the jerk holding a smiling blonde. Both wore matching gold bands.

  “How’d you—” The cheater reached for the phone, which I gladly allowed him to take.

  “And now it’s time to return to the casino,” I said with a small, sarcastic smile.

  He did exactly that, without another word, and with his head turned back to watch me while he walked away.

  Plastic Hair shoulder-checked an undeserving bellhop just before leaving my line of sight. I sighed in relief and turned my attention back to my task.