by Beth Caudill
Tethered
A Zodiac Shifters Book
Beth Caudill
Contents
Story Summary
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
When the Tree Falls
Zodiac Shifters
Out of the Ashes
Out of the Ashes: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Pisces
About the Author
Beth around the web
Discover the Worlds of
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Tethered
Copyright © 2017 by Beth Caudill
First e-book Printing, February 2017
Cover Design © 2017 by Ravenborn
Edited by Tera Cuskaden
Proofread by Book Nook Nuts
Published by Moonlight Mountain Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without written permission.
For more information: [email protected]
ISBN: 978-0-9965709-6-1
Story Summary
Evelyn Brooks lives with the freedom only her kind can know—in her human form as a photographer, and in the skies as a falcon. When a stalker drives her from her home, Evelyn discovers a beautiful, wild sanctuary in North Carolina. After a bolt of magic knocks her from the sky, leaving her helpless, she realizes too late that danger has invaded her refuge.
Park ranger Lawke Morgan’s day goes from bad to worse when his ex-wife unexpectedly drops off their 13-year-old daughter, Zoe, in the beginning of a dangerous storm. His life takes a turn for the bizarre after he finds an injured Peregrine falcon that transforms into a lovely woman.
When his daughter is kidnapped by an Aztec priest, one who should have been dead for centuries, Lawke learns that Evelyn holds the key to the priest’s demands. Together they must confront blood sacrifices, defy ancient gods, and find a way to trust each other when Zoe’s life hangs in the balance.
Can a woman used to soaring amongst the clouds embrace love with a man firmly rooted on the ground?
For all those who wish to spread their wings and soar.
Acknowledgments
This story wouldn’t exist without the organization and drive Melissa Snark poured into the Zodiac Shifters group project. She politely kept me on track and listened to my occasional stressful grumbles as my deadlines approached.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my editor Tera Cuskaden for pointing out my leaps of illogic and generally making me a better writer. My gratitude goes to Tammy at Book Nook Nuts who found my missing words. Who knew I skipped so many?
A special thank you goes to Ranger E. Abernethy who answered all my questions about being a ranger in North Carolina. I appreciate the time and help you gave me. Also, while I created the parks I used for this story, North Carolina has many varied and beautiful places to visit. Check out the North Carolina State Parks website for more details.
My idea for this story started with what would happen if someone’s soul became trapped in a photograph. Eventually, I settled on an Aztec priest as the villain searching for those he lost. I don’t know much about Aztec society but I love to research. I used The Aztecs by Michael E. Smith (3rd edition) as my reference material.
Raptors are another fascination of mine. While I may be partial to owls, falcons and eagles are interesting too. Aside from all the information on the world-wide web, I used the book Peregrine Falcon by Patrick Stirling-Aird to help craft my shapeshifting heroine. If you find an injured raptor, please contact an organization that can handle its care. In Wake County North Carolina, you can contact the American Wildlife Refuge.
I dabble in tarot mainly for the artwork on the cards. However, I am trying to learn a bit about readings. In this story, the deck I mention is based off the Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. I discovered the Facing a Challenge spread in the book Tarot Spreads by Barbara Moore.
I hope you enjoy this short paranormal romance between a park ranger and a peregrine falcon shapeshifter.
1
Evelyn Brooks raced across a purple-tinged sky. Behind her, lightning and thunder clashed within baleful clouds. Her wings dipped in a strong crosswind and plunged her toward the earth. Muscling through the gale, she climbed into a less turbulent current. She’d never make Raleigh before getting soaked, despite the speed her Peregrine form achieved.
A ferocious roar drowned out the whistle of the wind. The upward flap of her wings faltered, and her blood chilled. Turning into a different current, she glimpsed the silhouette of an enormous beast against the storm’s clouds.
Below her, the treetops of a deciduous forest with red-kissed leaves due to an early frost stood sentry. She took shelter within the branches of an oak tree.
The whoosh of wings induced Evelyn to shrink against the tree trunk and dig her talons into the bark as the limbs swayed. A strong crosswind contorted the tree further. Another roar challenged the incoming storm’s might and silenced the nighttime creatures.
Twisting her head, she glanced through the foliage into the cloud-filled sky. A dark shadow moved against the dark gray backdrop. Gigantic wings lifted a massive creature high into the sky.
Hunted until extinct, dragons had been stripped of their scales and blood, their magic forever lost to the supernatural communities. For eons they’d guarded and sheltered those seeking wisdom or healing until humans, who couldn’t control their desires, rampaged across the earth and destroyed all the sanctuaries.
Apparently, the purge hadn’t destroyed them all, and the approaching storm had disturbed this one’s slumber.
Moving to the East Coast was supposed to keep Evelyn safe. Free her of the disturbing sense that someone watched her. Maybe stimulate her creativity and spark a burst of artistry. Instead, she was denied the escape of flight and forced to hide.
She stared longingly at the sky. Only when she rode the winds, sweeping high above, did she find peace. Released from the entanglements on the ground, flying freed her mind and stimulated the creative well inside her. Using her camera to record the beauty around her was potent, but it was nothing compared to the enthrallment of soaring in the air.
For over a hundred years, she’d captured the images around her. Recorded life, the daring vistas of the world, and the beauty of nature. Now every time she peered through her lens, clouds blended together, colors were muted, and not a single star twinkled. The wonderment of life around her had vanished.
Despite being able to change shape, she felt shackled to an earth-bound existence. Alone. Heartbroken, even though she had no desire for a mate.
She shook her feathers. Males were far too controlling for her taste. Everything had to be their way, on their schedule. Even other artists didn’t appreciate her wanderings or how she sometimes retraced her steps, following the inner drive of her artistic perceptions.
Her last date had been with a musician. While he sang like an angel, his interest wandered like a house wren. Consideration for her didn’t register.
He practically panted after any woman who walked by, then had the audacity to make sexual suggestions to Evelyn.
She’d refused his offer of a car ride home. She couldn’t stomach the thought of fending off his roaming hands. Why couldn’t she find a good guy who could be courteous in public and playful in bed?
Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a faraway roar. Thankfully, the storm and dragon were moving on.
Maybe some time in Raleigh would help. A city full of people to watch but who would leave her alone. She’d stopped in a few small towns on the way and everyone asked questions. Not nosy, per se, but definitely curious.
She liked being anonymous, being left alone to experience life and find her own place.
If only she didn’t ache for a refuge, someplace to come back to, to call home. To have someone greet her at the door. Too bad she traveled too much to have a dog.
Turning her head, she plucked an errant feather from her back. Stress affected her even in her falcon form. The deadline for turning in fifteen photos to the Enchanted Empyrean, a gallery specializing in landscapes highlighting the sky, was due in two weeks. At least this wasn’t a solo exhibition, but she still needed to provide the prints.
Fourteen days to discover her muse and capture amazing images that told a new story. Something without limits that every person who looked at them could relate to.
Evelyn shuffled along the branch until she glimpsed the sky. A lassitude blanketed the area. The darkest hours of the night stilled even the most enraged predator. She ruffled her feathers, laid her head against her back, and settled in for a few hours of sleep.
The next morning, she took to the sky to return to her weekly rental. While not the best accommodations, the extended-stay room gave her a base to rest at each day. Someplace to store her equipment and plan her excursions.
After a shower and change of clothes, she picked up her camera bag and then drove around Raleigh. The lure of the warm and breezy day prompted her to explore the arboretum. A quiet stroll along the grass and stone paths from the Asian Valley to the Rose Garden should have inspired a few pictures. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to frame a shot.
Not even the bright colorful roses stirred her spirit. Her muse remained immune to the lovely and well maintained setting. Gritting her teeth, she retreated to her hotel. Abandoning the ties to the earth, she flung herself into the sky.
Only when the wind flowed under her feathers did her soul lighten.
She banked and drifted into a thermal that would carry her higher toward Murmuring Springs State Park. The bite of anticipation energized her system. The tips of her feathers almost glowed in the sunlight. She screeched her joy into the heavens.
Maybe her creative drought was about to end? Surely a striking landmark could be found.
Movement along the tree line captured her attention. She angled closer to the ground. A man raised his hand against the sun, and a sickening feeling grabbed her as he trailed her path. He lifted the tall walking stick at his side and aimed it along her trajectory.
For a moment, it reflected the sun’s rays with a blinding golden glow. Until a surge of magic struck her wing. Pain stung her body, seized her in a frozen grip of terror. Her wing had been shoved up against the wind and her body tumbled out of the thermal into a spin toward the ground.
Frantic, she screeched, but no sound came out. Her limbs wouldn’t respond. She couldn’t break out of the fall and continued to tumble toward the earth. She crashed through tree limbs, her body smacking against wood but continuing until she finally impacted with the hard clay dirt.
She wanted to get away, to escape the threat from the man who attacked her, but darkness surrounded her thoughts on all sides. Soon she’d slip into unconsciousness. Her only hope of surviving was if she didn’t change right now. Do not change. Do not change. Do not change.
She repeated the words endlessly and hoped her body followed. Black nothingness submerged all thought, erased the pain, and left her vulnerable.
Lawke Morgan drove his truck down the left-hand fork toward the employee-only section of the park. He couldn’t wait to get to the cabin where he could shower. Today had been more about rescuing visitors than educating them.
He’d missed giving the daily tour of the Violet Shadow Orchid, a dark purple orchid that grew in the shadowed cove of the park’s small waterfall due to a college girl in high heels twisting her ankle on the slight incline to the falls. Her boyfriend couldn’t help her back to the car and Lawke had been sent to help them out. Who wore heels hiking anyway? Except the woman’s boyfriend seemed enthralled by her.
He wasn’t sure who was more idiotic, but they’d both made him feel old. At thirty-two, he was divorced and had a thirteen-year-old daughter. The couple had seemed so in love—starry-eyed and oblivious to each other’s flaws.
Once upon a time, right after high school, he’d been that naïve. Then Zoe had been born and Rachel wanted out of the marriage so she could find someone better. Apparently, he’d been good for escaping the small town where they’d grown up but not for living with.
His pride had been hurt but he’d learned the lesson to never give his heart to another woman. Very few women understood his need to be outdoors or could put up with living near the park. They wanted shops and gatherings, not insects and tree bark.
His truck bounced from a particularly nasty hole, and he concentrated on the road. The crackle of his radio reminded him he had friends, if not a life-long companion.
“Lawke, you need to come back to the education center. We have something of yours.”
There was nothing for him to leave behind. “Billy, what’s going on?”
“Just come back.”
“Roger. See you in a few.”
He drove until a wide spot opened in the road. Skidding to a stop, he executed a three-point-turn and drove back toward the park entrance. Turning into the main parking area, he stopped close to the entrance.
The boys were probably pulling a prank on him. He couldn’t come up with anything that would explain the urgent need to come back. He yanked open the door and stopped short. His daughter sat in front of the information desk cross-legged on the floor, a drawing pad and colored pencils scattered around her.
Billy cleared his throat. “Rachel dropped her off. Said she was going out of the country for a few weeks. Refused to wait for you.”
Rachel, what are you up to now? “Can you watch her for a moment while I see what’s up?”
“Go ahead.” Billy leaned over the counter and pointed to Zoe’s drawing. “Make sure your dad’s hair sticks out from under his hat.”
Usually his partner’s antics brought a smile to his face, however, not today. Lawke stalked outside. His hands curled into a fist. Taking a few deep breaths, he willed himself to calm down. Being angry when he talked to Rachel would not be productive. While he loved his daughter, she was supposed to be safe with Rachel. There were too many places for Zoe to get lost or hurt in the park.
“Lawke, what do you need?”
For her to not be a self-centered bitch. “An explanation of why my daughter is in the park when she should be in Raleigh with you?”
“It’s time for you to be responsible for her well-being.”
“I’ve always been responsible for her. What’s really going on, Rachel?” His voice cracked on her name. He walked up and down the sidewalk. Right now he didn’t want to be patient. He wanted to shake her and make her see sense.
“Declan invited me on his trip to London for a month. I don’t want to miss seeing another country. It might be my only chance.”
More like her chance to cling to someone rich. “And how long has this trip been in the works?”
A scurrying mouse made more sound than the phone at that moment. “Rachel.”
“All right. About two months.”
Long enough to get a passport. “And why didn’t you tell me about this trip?”
“Because you would have said no.”
“What am I supposed to do with Zoe?”
“You’re her father and a smart man. Figure it out. She has her books. It’s about time you step up and do more for her than send money.”
He stared at the cell phone in his hands. That sneering voice wasn’t one he’d heard before. But the sentiment was one Rachel had had since she became pregnant. He was never around, never did enough. As if she did more than shop or watch soap operas all day.
Voices laughed in the background. “I have to go.”
“Rachel, this isn’t the way to handle anything. I can’t get off on a moment’s notice.”
“That’s your problem.”
Click.
The cell phone disengaged while he stared at it. He couldn’t believe she would do this. Well, maybe he could, but he hadn’t thought she’d just walk out on Zoe. Worse yet, the park was shorthanded with only Billy and him on duty for the next few days.
A loud rumble of thunder disturbed the serenity of the afternoon. He looked up. The sky above was clear, but slate-gray clouds drifted toward them from the southeast. Just what the area didn’t need—another late-afternoon thunderstorm.
Going back inside, he said, “Billy, check the weather.”
Billy scowled, walked around the counter, bent over the keyboard, and cursed. Their phones chirped with emergency beeps.
“We need to get moving. Can you close? I’d like to get Zoe to the cabin.”
“Yeah, meet you there.”
Bending down, he lifted one earphone from her ear. “Time to go, sweetheart.”