Shifting Shadows

by Barb Shuler

  “Yeah, it’s a long walk, baby.” My finger brushed along her cheek. She took my hand in hers and shook her head.

  “If things weren’t so.. weird.. I’d say I wanted to ride you…” She walked away from me at that. I admit, I’d been a little slow on the up take there. When it hit me what she meant a rumble vibrated in my chest. The little minx. She took off towards the cabin. The clearing was to the east of where we normally went to go home. I chuckled as I sped up behind her and in one move had her up and over my shoulder. My hand came down hard on her ass as I ran. It was hard to ignore the little moan that escaped her. She’d pay for that later as well.

  Within a few minutes we came to the edge of the clearing. I set her down on her feet and put a finger over her lips. I’d kept us back far enough that no one could see us until we crested the trees ten feet in front of us. I leaned in and whispered.

  “Trust me and Horatio. Try to stay behind me. I trust the Fae.. but there could be something else lurking about.”

  “I trust you,” she said softly. I smiled and took her hand. I led her out of the trees, all the while sniffing the air. If there was anyone else around, my bear and I could not scent them.

  Horatio came into view from the other side of the clearing. Before we made it to the middle not only had Kelanie and Lalamke popped into existence, so had two other fae I didn’t recognize.

  What. The. Fuck?

  Thirteen

  Jasmine

  We’d come into the clearing as we’d been asked. I thought I was ready, but now, I’m not so sure. My anxiety was skyrocketing as the seconds ticked by. Something in the way Ty was standing made me even more uneasy. I’d stopped closer to the people in the clearing than he had. The gray haired lady stood with three others; an older man, who was a little gray at the temples, and an older, brunette woman, along with younger man. My gaze met hers and it was as if my heart knew her. I took another step closer.

  It was then that I realized Ty hadn’t moved with me. He stood transfixed as he stared the people before us down. Why’d he stop moving? There was something wrong here. I looked around and tried to meet the gaze of each, but I was a little overwhelmed. The gray haired woman moved. With a gasp, I took a step back for each step the woman took towards me.

  “Do not fret, my girl. I will not harm you,” she said. I shook my head. My heart pumped so hard inside me that I could feel it pressing against my ribs. Massive arms wrapped around me from the front and the back.

  “Relax, baby, we’ve got you,” Ty’s voice was soft as he kissed my neck. My boys had me. I could feel Ty’s large, hard body behind me, and Horatio’s heat on my front. Their bodies kept me from being seen by anyone. I looked up and met Horacio’s eyes.

  “They won’t harm you, as she said. This I promise you.” I nodded as Horatio cupped my cheek.

  “If they try, they’ll die and they know that,” Ty said from behind me. There was a cackle. Yeah, a spine tingling, makes the hair on your arms kind of cackle filled the air around us.

  “Do not test me, Guardian. Now release my granddaughter so that I may see her face.” I looked over Horatio’s shoulder at her.

  “Why do you keep saying that? I’m not your granddaughter. I’m just not!” I whined.

  “Ah, but you are, my child,” she said. She moved to stand right behind Horatio. He reluctantly moved to my side. Ty, on the other hand, refused to unwrap me from the safety of his arms. The woman scowled at him but said nothing, for which I was grateful. I wasn’t ready for him to let me go. I felt Horatio’s hand mold around mine and give a gentle squeeze. I relaxed more.

  “Shall I offer you proof?” She asked. I nodded.

  “If you think you have any…” I said, only to press back into Ty when she reached out for me.

  “Easy, child, this will only tingle a bit.” There was a flash of light as she took my free hand - then nothing.

  When I was able to focus, I stood alone in the same clearing where I had just stood. No one was here, I was alone. That’s when I heard it. The tinkling laughter of a woman walking this way. She held the hand of a very tall, well built man. I watched as they spread a blanket on the grassy plain and sat with the woman between the man’s legs. His arms wrapped around her, his large hands going to her belly. I noticed she was pregnant.

  Time seemed to move in slow motion then. Men came from the woods on three sides of them. Weapons were in hands and angry words swirled around the clearing. The gray haired woman appeared. She looked a tad bit different, but she had the woman by the hand, pulling her from the man. He met her gaze.

  “Go with your mother, Hadley, I shall follow in a few.”

  “We must help him! Mother, please! Do not let his happen!”

  “Hadley, my love, you must go. Protect the baby. I will be fine.” The man’s body shook in what I could only assume was rage.

  “I love you, my heart. Be safe,” the woman said to him as her hand rested protectively on her belly.

  “To the Moon.” He turned to face the threat coming their way.

  She looked back to him once before the gray haired woman tugged her away from him and they disappeared.

  The man’s body shook and then, before anyone knew what was happening, a wolf stood where the man used to. He was a massive beast. His dark grey coat shook as he moved to the side, dodging a thrown axe. I screamed as another beast, one just as big, barreled into him. They both fought for purchase on the ground. Men chanted, some screamed obscenities, and others stood in amazement and watched as the beasts tore into each other.

  Suddenly I was in a room, the gray haired woman was moving around and packing clothes into a bag. The woman that had been in the clearing was clutching her stomach. “Come, child. We have to get you to safety.”

  “We must wait on Micah!”

  “There is no time. He will not be coming here. Please, Hadley. We must move. They’re coming.” The gray haired woman took the bag and then the woman’s hand. They disappeared from the room only moments before the door burst open. I screamed as men rushed in.

  “The fae has her!” One of them shouted to the men behind him. An even larger man burst through the crowd and sniffed the air.

  “Fucking Fae! Forget the woman. We have Micah. Meet us back at the witch's cabin. We have work to do.” The room started to fade into a hazy darkness.

  A woman cried out in pain. As a deep cavern came into view I saw the woman from the clearing. Sweat covered her pain stricken face. Her hands balled into fists, long nails protruding from them. The grey haired woman cradled the other woman’s head.

  “Push, Hadley, push. One more time and she will be here.” There was another woman. She was petite in size, short hair framing a heart shaped face. Her big blue eyes were locked onto the woman they kept calling Hadley as she knelt between her spread thighs. “Hold onto your shift, Hadley!”

  “Get her out!” Hadley screamed as her head fell back. The echo of a howl filled the room. A shiver ran through me. There was the sound of flesh against flesh and then a baby cried. I looked over to see the small woman handing the baby over to Hadley. She kissed her head as tears streamed along her cheeks.

  “Oh, my sweet baby girl. Your daddy would be so happy to see you.” She sniffled and kissed the baby’s cheek.

  “Do you and Micah have a name for her?” The gray haired woman asked. A blanket was placed over the baby and the woman lying half propped up by a mound of moss covered ground and a bed roll.

  “Her name shall be Jasmine.”

  I gasped. Jasmine? Was this me? Me as a baby… holy crap.

  “I must bind her to keep her safe, yes?” The gray haired woman asked but her tone indicated that this was more of a “This is how it must be” moment. The woman that had been called Hadley, my mother, nodded her head. There was nothing special about the next few minutes - well not for the me in the cave - the other me, the real me… oh yeah, something big was about to unravel.

  The scenery around me faded. The image of the w
oman handing the baby… me, to… to my grandmother was all I saw before Ty’s face came into view. I blinked once, then twice. My body hurt.

  Pain seared through me, then darkness once again took me.

  Fourteen

  Jasmine

  “Hello?” I called out through the mist that surrounded me. This wasn’t what I’d expected to wake to find. I looked around, my body tense. I felt like someone was watching me. I rubbed at my dry eyes and sighed. Had they left me in the clearing? No, they wouldn’t do that… right? Had something happened to them?

  “TIBERIUS!!!”

  I spun at the cracking of twigs coming somewhere from inside this fog. My heart jackhammered, and my stomach dropped. What was that? My eyes chose that moment to start watering. Fear was a powerful emotion, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening. I angrily wiped the stupid tears away.

  “HORATIO!!!”

  I let his name, as I had done with Ty’s, ring out across the mist. I whimpered as I started to back up only to spin and turn the other direction when once again there was a snapping sound coming towards me.

  “They cannot hear you here.” A disembodied voice said from all around me. I wrapped my arms around myself and spun to make sure I could see all around me.

  “Who-who are you? What do you want?” I squeaked out. I sounded like a scared mouse being stalked by a big cat. I wasn’t far off.

  The massive man that came from the mist made me gasp and back up quicker than my feet were ready for. I managed to trip myself. The ground met my ass with a hard and sharp thud. I winced with pain, then was suddenly pulled to my feet. I screamed with pure terror at the sudden change in direction. The man gave me a soft smile before pulling me to him and crushing me in a huge hug.

  “My daughter. I thought I’d never lay eyes on you.” He pushed me back from him and smiled down at me. I just stared. He’d called me daughter. Holy Crap. I realized he was the man in my dream. What was happening to me?

  “Wha-what’s happening to me?”

  “Listen, I must tell you something of great importance. There is no safer place to do this. You are in danger,my daughter. The Guardians you are with can protect you, but not from the coming threat. They are in danger as well.”

  “What?” I jerked at his words.

  “Jasmine, please, just listen.” His gaze met mine and I nodded. He continued, “The Reapers are coming for you and your-” He trailed off, studying me for a reaction.

  “Tell me, please,” I begged.

  “I don’t have time to tell you everything. You have Reapers after you. They’re coming because you are part of an ancient prophecy that has you in the center of a lot of good and bad things. The Guardians will help keep you on the path of goodness. Do not trust anyone other than your Guardians and your grandmother. Do not speak of this.” He gestured between the two of us. “Until I can come to you again, know that I love you, my darling girl, and I will do everything I can to keep you safe.”

  With a kiss to the forehead he was gone and I once again was surrounded by the mist.

  I woke to a jolt of electricity running through me. “Ow!” I wrenched myself away. There was a loud growl to my left. But it was one that I knew well. Ty was there. I reached out, whimpering his name. My fingers curled into his fur and his cold wet nose pressed into my neck. I could hear someone talking, then Horatio’s voice. His warm hand wrapped around mine. I relaxed a little and sighed.

  “Jasmine, baby, are you okay? Come on, pretty girl, can you open your eyes for us?” I groaned and tried to push myself up to a sitting position. I leaned into the large body closest to me. My eyes slowly opened.

  “What was that?” I whispered. Damn, I feel so tired now.

  “What was what?” Someone asked from above me. I brushed my hand across my face and blinked a few more times. What was what? Dang. I was so sleepy all of a sudden.

  “So sleepy,” I said against Horatio’s chest. His chest rumbled as I curled into him. I felt myself being lifted, someone protesting in the background, a loud growl and then… I let sleep take me.

  I rolled over, right into a warm, hard body pressing against my face. I smiled as I tucked myself into him. The rumbling snore that escaped him let me know that it was Ty. His warmth enveloped me, pulling me back into a fitful sleep.

  That sleep did not last long, not that I’m complaining for one minute. I woke to hands roaming my body, lips trailing across my overheated skin and the arousal of two men pressing into me from both sides. My body came to life at the realization that they both needed and wanted me. They’d been such great lovers since we’d been brought together.

  I was in love with them both, and at this point, nothing would change that. They’d stolen my heart and soul, made my body their very own instrument to strum and play at their will. A moan escaped me as a mouth - Ty’s mouth - hit a spot on my neck. The same spot where he had marked me. There was something special about that damn spot. It made my pussy throb and I swear, I was on the verge of coming just from his tongue stroking along it.

  His hand...that big, strong hand, pushed down my body and cupped my sex through the fabric of whatever it was I had on. My mind was so scattered from desire and lust, that nothing else mattered. My hips rocked when his thumb hit me in just the right spot. My gasp turned into another moan when Horatio trailed his long, lean fingers up my torso. His fingers found one breast and squeezed it gently, then the other, making sure both were treated equally. He growled softly against the other side of my neck, his lips moving across the mark he left there. Jesus! I’m convinced these two sexy men were trying to kill me.

  That thought fled my mind as Horatio’s fingers found my nipples. They pinched and rolled them as Ty’s fingers started to massage and then slowly thrust in and out of my pussy. I’d missed him removing what blocked his way… honestly, I didn’t care. I needed them both so bad right now. My hips moved against Ty’s hand as my ass ground itself into Horatio’s rock hard cock.

  His teeth lightly grazed my neck. I felt Ty shift against me and the powerful strokes of his fingers were bringing me closer and closer to the edge. Each man nuzzled my neck and as my orgasm hit, sank their teeth into the sides of my neck.

  With pleasure soaring through me, a scream left my lips… and I came undone.

  Fifteen

  Horatio

  Today had been going normally until unfamiliar scents filled my nostrils. My footfalls halted at the corner of the road. The alleyway was clear, but someone had been there, recently. I pulled my phone out to message Ty. Shifters being this close to town was a little more unnerving now than it would have been a few months ago. Before Jasmine, we didn’t need to worry. Both Ty and myself can handle a shifter or ten if need be, but after what happened to Jasmine... We know she can’t.

  I typed out a quick message to Ty.

  Me: Shifters close. NW Quad. Headed in. X

  It only took a moment before he replied.

  Tiberius: Shift. Call out if you need me. X

  I chuckled. “Smart ass.” I shook my head and replied.

  Me: Always need U. BBS. X

  With that, I pushed my phone into my back pocket and as I stepped into the darkened alleyway I shifted. My body went from it’s two legged form to the four legs of my Jaguar easily. I chuffed and took in a deep breath. Wolves. I growled as I stalked to the end of the alleyway. My eyes scanned the woodline just past the next row of buildings. This part of town was a bit shady, so to have unknown shifters about wasn’t too far fetched, but something about this just didn’t feel right.

  My eyes caught a glimpse of something moving into the woods just past the abandoned storage buildings. I took off at a quick pace, my paws landing silently on the pavement, then on the grassy area just passed the lockers. With each step, I took in the new scents surrounding me. Thanks to my Guardian powers I could smell, hear and see better than a normal Jaguar shifter. Jaguars had exceptional abilities naturally, so it wasn’t hard to hear them before I got to their lo
cation. It would take them a moment to catch my scent, which was exactly the opportunity I needed. I shifted in mid-stride and pulled my phone from my pocket.

  Me: Shifters at storage lockers. Small group. X

  I slipped my phone back into my pocket and tugged the lapels of my jacket around my neck. The wind was cold, a lot colder than it had been a few minutes ago. I raised a brow when I heard the shifters talking.

  “He wants her alive, you idiot. What good is she to him if she’s dead?” someone snarled.

  “She’s his mate, shouldn’t she should come to him?” another questioned. There were more growls and then silence. A moment later someone once again spoke.

  “She’s being held by the Guardians. There is no getting away for her. Don’t you see? She is their captive. He cannot get to her!”

  I decided to cut the stalking gig and just walk up. I felt my canines biting into my lip. I took a deep breath and pulled my Jaguar back. He was as pissed as I was that these mutts were obviously talking about Jasmine. I strolled around the corner, my eyes falling on a group of men standing around a burning barrel of trash.

  “You need to make a slight amendment to that line of talking. We are holding no one against their will.” At the sight of me two of the men started to shift. It took the average shifter a few minutes to go from human to animal and vise versa. It was painful for them as well.

  “You are keeping his mate from him!” The larger of the men said, moving around the barrel. These mutts are crazy if they think Jasmine belongs with someone else.

  “Hmm, I must be missing something. How can I be holding someone’s mate against their will? That, in and of itself, is not only an inaccurate statement, it’s an insult.” I snarked.