Seeds of Autumn: A Dark Shapeshifter Urban Fantasy (Echoes of the Past Book 1)

by H B Lyne

  'Fortune's story was really moving,' she said at last. Stone kept walking, staring straight ahead. 'It really put my change into perspective for me,' Ariana continued. Stone still didn't respond and Ariana began to feel a little foolish. 'Had you heard him talk about it before?'

  'Yes,' Stone sighed. 'Yes, he's talked about it with the pack and privately to me too. When I first joined the Blue Moon he was in a bad place and needed to talk things through, I was the first female to join the pack in decades. There are some conversations men can only have with women. You know?'

  Ariana nodded and waited for Stone to go on.

  'He bottled a lot of it up for a long time.'

  'And that made the two of you very close, didn't it?' Ariana asked, sensing that she was right.

  'Yes.'

  'Stone, do you love him?' Ariana was grinning, hoping to tease out a confession. But Stone stopped walking and glared at Ariana.

  'No,' she snapped.

  Ariana's smile faded and she felt as though Stone had thrown cold water in her face.

  'Sorry. I didn't mean to assume anything,' Ariana stammered.

  'No, it's all right,' Stone spoke with more softness and set off walking again. 'I should explain, you weren't to know. Once I would have said yes. Once, so would he. There is still love there, but it is like that between brother and sister.' Stone stopped again and took hold of Ariana's elbow gently. 'Shifters aren't supposed to fall in love with their pack mates. It's wrong, it's like incest, or bestiality, or both. I don't know, it's just strictly forbidden by our kind. We can breed with shifters from other packs, humans and those humans with shifter blood. But not our pack mates. It's important for our survival, it's genetics. Do you understand?'

  Ariana frowned. This revelation came as a surprise, but as she thought about how she felt towards her pack mates she understood. In a very short time they had become her family. She had never been close to her own family and had hardly spoken to them since she moved to Caerton, her pack were the brothers and sisters she had never had. The idea of forming a romantic attachment to any of them was deeply unsettling now that Stone mentioned it.

  'Yes, I do. That makes sense.' They set off walking again, but Ariana mulled over exactly what Stone had said. 'But it happens sometimes. It nearly happened with you and Fortune?'

  'Yes. Nearly. But we never even spoke of it with each other and this is the first and only time I have ever or will ever speak of it with anyone.' There was a trace of threat to her voice and Ariana understood completely.

  'Of course,' she whispered.

  They finished their walk around the block in silence and returned to the betting shop. It was dark and quiet inside and the two made their way upstairs to join the others in the attic. Ariana decided to stop by her room to check her phone on the way and let Stone go ahead without her. She felt so sad for Stone and Fortune, such a tragedy to have love denied to them like that. It made her think of Rhys with deep longing. She had felt that, she had come so close to what she thought could have been a true love and had felt it slip away from her. She sat on the bed and looked sadly at her phone. No new messages. With a heavy sigh of resolve she typed a message to Rhys.

  I need to see you. I miss you. Xxx

  It was far too early for him to be awake, so Ariana left her phone in the room and went to join the pack upstairs.

  Ariana's sleep was disturbed with dreams of Fortune raging through flaming rubble and a sense of deep longing. A black shape flitted through her dreams, it seemed almost familiar, but too illusive to be certain. Whatever it was, it stalked her and troubled her enough to keep her tossing and turning and waking to the black attic and soft breathing of her pack-mates. Fortune and Stone slept on opposite sides of the room, Ariana noticed, and she went back to sleep thinking of lost love and loneliness.

  Chapter Seventeen

  23rd November

  When she awoke it was still only early in the morning and the rest of the pack was still sleeping. She went back to her room to check her phone and her face lit up when she saw that there was a message waiting for her.

  I miss you too. Are you free for lunch today?

  Her heart pounded and she quickly replied.

  Yes. Where's good for you?

  She tapped the side of her phone while she waited for a reply.

  There's a café just around the corner from work, The Spoon. Is that OK for you? How about 12.30?

  Ariana grinned and confirmed eagerly. She knew the place, it was where she used to have lunch with Ben, a whole other lifetime ago. With a sigh, she headed for the house bathroom to freshen up. She took a shower and gelled her hair, then dressed in her usual clothes and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone.

  Cheerfully, she fried bacon, sausages and eggs. She ate her fill while she kept on cooking vast quantities of food. Gradually the pack joined her and she served everyone with a big grin on her face. Weaver took a plate of food with a knowing glint in her eye and Ariana caught her arm as she started to turn away.

  'What? What was that look for?' Ariana whispered. 'Did you see something?'

  'No, I don't need to. Love is all over your face.' Weaver smiled warmly and sat down to eat.

  Fortune took his food with a mildly suspicious look and he watched her carefully while he ate slowly. Finally everyone had food and Ariana sat down next to the Alpha.

  'I was hoping to go into the city today, to see a friend.' She wasn't asking his permission, exactly, she fully intended to go, but she wanted him to give his blessing. She waited patiently while he chewed slowly and thought it over.

  'That's fine. But get off the bus in China Town and walk the rest of the way, okay? Don't go to the station. That's claimed territory.'

  'Sure,' she grinned. 'I'll do that, thanks for the caution.'

  'And Ariana,' Fortune took her arm firmly as she stood to go and wash up the pans and plates. 'Be careful with this friend of yours.'

  'I'm not going to tell him anything I shouldn't.' She was a little surprised at Fortune's serious tone and a little offended that he would show so little trust in her.

  'It's not that, well, not just that,' he sighed. 'It can be hard to maintain friendships with humans after the change. You're different now, remember that.'

  She nodded in acknowledgement and moved to the sink. She refused to let Fortune's serious words dent her excitement about seeing Rhys and she went about washing up, daydreaming about Rhys.

  An hour later, Ariana practically skipped to the bus stop, she felt elated at the prospect of seeing Rhys and was happy to be doing something normal for the first time in a week. It was a taste of her old life, which, if she paused to think about for a moment, she was missing. She was no longer free the way she had been, she answered to her alpha and she had obligations that were so important they had to come before every other thing in her life. She had seen already how this life could challenge relationships from the way Eyes was kept from his family, but she had to believe that it didn't have to mean the end of everything she knew.

  She did as Fortune had said and got off the bus a mile before reaching the bus station, in the heart of bustling China Town. It was yet another wet day in Caerton, and the streets heaved with heavy traffic. Ariana made her way south, reaching the city centre just after noon. It was such a dramatic change of pace to St. Mark's and she looked at everything with new eyes and new heightened senses.

  She remembered what Shadow had said about how powerful the demons and fae here were and she looked at everything with awe. The buildings seemed bigger and older than she remembered, the streets seemed busier, the cars louder and the people seemed almost alien to her.

  She walked past a shopping centre and glanced at the wet entrance steps, remembering Fortune sitting there, hooded and strange, watching her have coffee with Ben. It seemed an age ago. Now he was her dearest brother and her whole world was different. She crossed the road and shoved the maudlin thoughts from her mind as she entered the café opposite.

/>   The café was bustling inside, determined not to sit outside in the cold and rain she found a small table in the back corner and got comfortable.

  She was only waiting a few minutes when Rhys walked in. She sensed him before she saw him and looked over to the door in time to see him wiping rain from his face. He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, tall and athletic, dark and brooding. He took a quick look around to locate her and when his eyes found her the world seemed to slow down for a moment, then he made his way over to her through the crowd. She leaped up and smiled broadly as he drew her into a tight hug.

  'Hi,' she breathed into his shoulder, drinking in his musky scent. 'I've missed you.'

  He released her and sat down in the chair opposite, smiling his amazing smile.

  'You look really well. Glowing I'd say,' he said with a curious edge to his voice. 'Have you done something different with your hair?'

  Ariana reflexively patted her unruly mop and stifled a laugh.

  'Thanks. New mousse,' she fibbed and felt a satisfied feeling settle in her stomach that he had noticed her altered appearance but didn't seem too bothered by it.

  'How have you been?' he asked, leaning across the table. Ariana noticed that he was wrapped up against the cold and it occurred to her that she should probably start doing the same if she wanted to blend in, though she didn't really feel the cold all that much any more.

  'Erm, busy,' Ariana stammered, laughing at the understatement.

  Rhys nodded grimly in apparent understanding.

  'Me too,' he stated solemnly.

  They ordered coffee and food and Ariana found herself desperate to know his thoughts. She had glimpsed the depth of power that was available to her, and it occurred to her that it might be possible to gain the kind of telepathy that she had with her pack to use with others. She sighed and tried to think of something to say.

  'What is it?' Rhys asked, frowning and starting to smile at the same time.

  'Nothing,' she shook her head. 'I'm sorry for not keeping in touch while I was ill and being so crap this week.'

  'Don't worry about it.' Rhys reached across the table and offered her his hand. She took it and he squeezed it gently. Ariana felt a tiny spark go through her, a glimmer of hope. She was frustrated at how little she could tell him about her life and wondered how they could possibly have a real relationship now. She chewed her lip while she thought frantically of ways to step around the secrets that filled her life.

  'I've made some new friends recently,' she offered as a compromise. He raised a curious eyebrow and Ariana realised she couldn't leave the statement hanging there, she was going to have to construct a careful embellishment. She thought for a moment. 'Just some people in my neighbourhood. We met in my local pub last week.'

  'Oh, right,' his voice was full of caution.

  She took a drink to delay more of a response. What could she say? Was there anything she could say that would keep her pack's secrets safe and divert Rhys away from this subject?

  'So, work has kept you busy then?' Ariana asked, diverting the conversation smoothly onto Rhys and she worked hard for the rest of their lunch to keep it that way.

  As they got up to leave Rhys took her hand and held it as they left the café. Ariana grinned to herself as she followed closely behind him out of the busy café and into the wet street. It was beginning to feel easier and as he pulled her into one of his warm hugs she felt that surge of hope again. She breathed deeply against his knit sweater, taking in his scent, feeling his heart pounding against her ear. She felt his reluctance to pull away as he slowly did so but she couldn't help smiling, he was smiling too, but it was a sad smile of goodbye and longing.

  'I'm going to be really busy at work this week, probably next week too. But I'll keep in touch by text message and we can try and meet up again soon. I promise.' He still had hold of her hand and he caressed the back of it with his thumb, sending a warm shiver up Ariana's arm. She managed to nod slowly, the tingle still rushing through her as he gently let go of her hand. 'Bye,' he said softly and leaned close to kiss her cheek.

  Ariana's breath became shallow and she felt a wave of intense longing. She didn't want to just be friends with this man, every fibre of her being wanted him and it took all of her will to let him walk away from her. Something felt very wrong and sad about their parting and as Ariana made her way back to the betting shop she had a terrible feeling that she would never see him again.

  Darkness fell quickly over the city later that afternoon. The nights were drawing in and the rain was relentless. The attic above the betting shop was developing a strong smell of wet animal hair. That night the pack ate together as usual, though Ariana felt somewhat more sombre than she had done at breakfast. After the meal they went their separate ways. Fortune took Ariana's arm as she started to follow Shadow towards the basement.

  'No. I want to take you out.' He released her arm and moved towards the back door. Ariana followed him, a nervous knot forming in her gut. They crossed the veil into Hepethia and Fortune led Ariana outside into the street. Across the road a darkness demon slithered out of sight into the shadows of the building opposite. A shiver crossed Ariana's spine as they started walking. Fortune led them silently north towards Redfield Park. The rain pounded on the street and Ariana was soaked to the skin within a few minutes, but she didn't complain.

  She felt eyes on them from the shadows and the buildings towering over them, she felt as though they were being followed and kept glancing over her shoulder, but if there was was something there it was staying hidden. Fortune walked just ahead of her, seemingly confident but ever watchful. She didn't know if he could feel the same things she felt, if he did he was giving no sign of it. She quickened her steps to draw level with him and glanced into his face.

  'There's something tailing us,' she whispered.

  Fortune inclined his head down towards her, a grim expression on his face.

  'Yes, there is,' he stated solemnly. Ariana looked around again, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye but it was gone the moment she tried to latch onto it. She turned and walked backwards, casting her eyes across the road, looking for signs of whatever was following them. The road was slick and wet, deep puddles had formed at the edges of the road and in dips in the pavement, the pouring rain thundered on the wet surfaces causing big splashes with each giant drop, and the spray filled the air.

  Ariana focused on a puddle by the side of the road about twenty meters behind them, the movement of the rain on the surface didn't look quite right, something moved in the spray and she stopped still, grabbing hold of Fortune's arm to alert him. He stopped beside her and she pointed to the rippling movement in the rain. Ariana bent down and squinted into the darkness, trying to get a better look at whatever it was. The swirling spray moved suddenly towards her and Fortune and she leapt into a feral and defensive stance. Fortune took a step back and Ariana kept her eyes fixed on the elemental moving closer through the spray. It was without form, but it moved through the rain and spray and the water bounced off it and rolled down its indistinct sides.

  She didn't know if it was hostile or not, it could have been a messenger, so she remained defensive but waited. The elemental stopped in front of her, she could see its height now as the rain bounced off it just higher than her own head. A sudden movement caught her eye but not in time and she felt the impact across her face, an ice cold slice to her cheek and she stumbled sideways.

  Rage mounted inside from her gut and she let out a roar as she shifted form, growing in height and sprouting thick fur all over her body, her muscles stretched and strengthened, her face became a snout and her teeth were long and sharp. Her clothes had melded into her body, but her swords remained strapped across her back, the straps had stretched around her enlarged torso. She stood shaking in the pounding rain, she was the beast she feared. But she was fuelled by the impulse to defend herself, so the fear abated and she struck out at the illusive fae. She hit only air and rain and she stumbled for
ward into the space that the rain elemental had occupied only a moment before.

  She spun around and sniffed the air, but the rain disguised any hint of a scent the fae might have had. Ariana centred herself, fighting the beast in her chest and subduing it enough to still herself and focus on her surroundings. Fortune stood on guard a few meters away, but looked calm, watching the scene carefully, also trying to locate the fae.

  The next hit landed across Ariana's back, a whip of ice sliced through her fur and skin, stinging and causing her to take a reflexive step forwards away from the pain and its perpetrator. She twisted and reached out her arms, catching the invisible fae in her grasp, probably somewhere around its middle, and with a roar she wrestled it to the ground but it slithered from her grasp like water escaping through fingers.

  She leapt up and snarled but was promptly knocked back to the floor by a solid blow to her shoulder. Thinking quickly she jutted a leg out and spun quickly around, knocking the fae over and where it landed the puddles sprayed up, revealing its form on the road. Like lightning she pounced on it and ripped with teeth and claws. Again, the elemental seemed to leak away from her and she groaned with frustration when she could no longer feel it under her thighs.

  A cold sensation crept over her and she felt the creature covering her, moving all around her and then it was gone, the fae had passed over and around her and reformed behind her. Spinning around, she drew both of her swords. The rain bounced off the blades, making an almost musical sound, and they looked so small in her hands now that she was transformed into a great, hulking Agrius – half human and half bear. She lunged at the elemental with her blades outstretched and felt them slice through something, pulling it apart. With a roar of satisfaction she leapt again and struck out with her deadly blades but it evaded her. She knew it was injured and allowed herself to pause, waiting for a sign of its location.

  There was a sound nearby, the sound of water trickling down a drain and she focused her sharp eyes on the spot the sound was coming from. She could make out its hunched form in the spray of the rain, it quivered with its injuries and the puddle beneath it was growing too rapidly.