The Shifting Storm (Book 4)

by Jeff Hale

  Sadness filled Stefano’s eyes as he looked at me, a look filled with some pity now. “Oh, my dear.” He ran his thumb and forefinger down either side of his nose and sighed. “There is an extremely high mortality rate for feral shifter babies, did you know that?”

  I had a fuzzy memory of both Darien and Alex explaining something to me about the rarity of wilders, and that feral shifters were even rarer.

  “I think it was mentioned, yes, but not in any detail.” A chill went down my spine and I felt a sudden freezing ache in my heart as a flash went through my mind of rocking a dead infant in my arms. I had no clue where it had come from, and it was gone as quickly as it had come. I took a deep shuddering breath, trying to shake the feeling away. “Why? What’s the rate?”

  “About one in twenty.” It was actually Alex that answered me, his voice low, and I saw Stefano nod.

  “That die?” My eyes were wide, appalled.

  “That live.”

  “Oh.” It was all that I could manage, and the word sounded hollow to me.

  Stefano nodded again. “After the fourth baby died—”

  “Baby? Died?” I interrupted, aghast.

  “Yes, after my fourth grandchild died, Sasha swore that she would never carry another pregnancy to term, that she couldn’t bear losing another one.”

  “And how did Darien react to that?” I was trying not to cry; my heart was bleeding inside for Darien, at the pain he must have felt at having child after child die.

  “He supported her fully. Much as he wanted a child, he couldn’t stand to see her suffer any more over it.”

  My hand drifted to my stomach, hovering protectively. I had already been on the Pill to regulate my periods when I had lost my virginity to Aerick so we had never bothered with anything else. Sayuri, one of the weretigers that had mentored me, had told me where to buy the mystical herbs that were strong enough to prevent shifter pregnancies, as well as normal pregnancies, and I had been taking them regularly ever since as a precautionary measure. Condoms tended to be too flimsy for shifters so we were lucky that our supernatural healing capabilities kept us from contracting any human STDs, including AIDS.

  “So does Darien have any brothers or sisters?” I asked.

  “No.” Stefano smiled. “Nascha, Darien’s mother, and I were blessed enough that our second child survived. We parted ways when Darien was but two or three. Her family wasn’t pleased that I left, but I was a businessman and went west like everyone else. And then, not long after, I couldn’t stay in the Americas, not with war brewing on the horizon.”

  War. I thought a moment, then nodded. “The second World War?” Darien had said he was sixtyish.

  Stefano gave me a confused look. “No, child, the American Civil War. Nascha gave birth to Darien in eighteen-forty-seven. Did he not tell you?”

  I did my best to hide my surprise. “Yes, he did, I just got my history a bit mixed up.” I laughed lightly while my brain tried to incorporate the information that Darien was almost one hundred years older than what he had told me. I slewed my gaze to Alex, who gave me a little shake of his head to let me know that, despite being Darien’s best friend, he hadn’t known either.

  My nerves were starting to get a little bit frazzled with all this new stuff being thrown at me so I decided to just cut to the chase. “So you told Alex that Darien has disappeared and you want us to try to find him?”

  Stefano narrowed his eyes at me, slightly thrown by my sudden change of tack, then he gave me a worried nod. “Actually, I know where he is, or at least, I’m pretty sure. I just need you two to bring him back.”

  “Well if you know, why can’t you just get him? You’re his father,” Alex asked, standing and walking away a few feet before turning back to face Stefano. “Why do you need us?”

  Stefano frowned, sighing again. “Because it’s something that the rest of the Council forbids me to get involved in, a political matter of sorts. Plus, I doubt that I would be able sway his decision to stay there, where you two might.”

  “So, where exactly is he then? And why?” I asked.

  Stefano moved around to the front of his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a large rolled paper. He spread it out on the desk and I stood and got closer so I could see it, Alex at my shoulder. It was a detailed map of Europe.

  “I think he might have fallen in with a pack that is exclusive to werewolves—as to why I can’t interfere with it, I can’t tell you,” Stefano said, running his finger across the map. “However, there is a rumor that this group is located somewhere around here.” His forefinger stopped on Germany, a spot right in the middle of the Black Forest.

  “And this pack, this exclusively werewolf pack, isn’t going to have a problem with us knocking on their front door and demanding to see Darien?” Alex gave Stefano a dubious look. “Last I checked, she’s a lynx and I’m a dingo. I don’t think we’ll fit in too well.”

  “Nor would I, even if I could go.” Stefano dropped his head, leaning his hands on the desk. “But you two are his pack, Katelyn is his mate. That gives you some leeway, at least to approach and ask to talk to him.”

  “And if we can’t convince him? Then what?” I asked, but I was feeling a little better about the whole thing. I had originally been under the impression that we were going to have to actually search for Darien, that his father had no clue to where he had gone. At least we knew where he was; it made it that much easier.

  “Do your best, that’s all I ask.”

  “How did he end up in Germany anyway?” Alex wanted to know.

  “You remember how he started disappearing for a few days at a time, riding up north?” Stefano sat down in his chair and Alex nodded. “I think that’s how he came in contact with them, one of his ‘trips to clear his head’.”

  “I’m confused, though. If he joined this other pack, why are we still considered his pack, why do Alex and I still feel like pack? Didn’t it dissolve this one?” I waved a hand between me and Alex.

  Stefano shook his head. “No, it doesn’t work quite like that. To dissolve a pack, you have to renounce it. Joining another doesn’t sever the old tie, it just binds the old to the new. Technically, you and Alex are a… sidebranch for want of a better description, of this pack that Darien has joined. Darien is still your Alpha, but the Alpha of this other pack is his Alpha.”

  “Like a pyramid,” I stated, understanding dawning on me.

  “Yes! Much like a pyramid,” Stefano agreed.

  “But what if, let’s say, I joined another pack without renouncing this one? I’m not an Alpha,” I postulated.

  “You can’t, not without renouncing your current pack. Only the Alpha of a pack can join his pack to another.”

  I just nodded, absorbing the information, before steering back on track. “So, when do you want us to leave?” I was worried now about Darien, more than I had been previously, and wanted to assure myself that he was okay.

  Of course, I wasn’t sure I had ever actually stopped worrying about Darien, I had just been positive that he probably didn’t want to ever have anything to do with me again. I wasn’t sure I was going to be that convincing in getting him to come back.

  “The sooner the better,” Stefano said. “I have a private plane ready at the airport. It can only take you as far as Stuttgart though, and you’ll have to drive from there, but the Black Forest isn’t too far at that point.” He opened a drawer again, pulled out another map, this one of the Black Forest and its huge natural parks, with all the roads detailed throughout it. He’d circled a large area with a pen. “I know that area is still rather large, but that’s the best I can do. Once you get to Stuttgart, there will be a car waiting for you; you’ll have to drive yourself. Take the 14 out of Stuttgart, merge onto the E41, then follow the smaller roads on this map.”

  I had to wonder again, if Stefano knew that accurately where Darien was, why he hadn’t already gone himself. But I knew that supernatural politics could be touchy at times, and if Stefano couldn’t
do it himself, there was probably a good reason. I just hoped that Alex and I would be successful.

  I took the map and rolled it up in my hands. “Then we might as well head out now. Is there any way to contact you?”

  “Alexander has my cell phone number, as well as the number to this villa. I had hoped to be heading back to Sicily soon, but I’ll be here until you return, with or without my son.”

  I walked to the door, Alex on my heels, and with one hand on the latch I turned back to face Stefano, who was still sitting at his desk. “So tell me, what’s so bad if Darien decides he wants to stay with this pack? Isn’t it his choice?”

  Stefano met my eyes and the look in them was somber. “Believe me, Katelyn, if you value his life at all, you don’t want him with this group any more than I do.”

  I did value Darien’s life, probably more than I should have, and I gave Stefano a stiff nod. “We’ll do our best.”

  He returned the nod. “Good luck to you both.”

  SEVEN

  KATELYN

  I really hated the fact that we didn’t have time to sightsee, and swore to myself that once this was all over, maybe once summer vacation hit since I still had school to go back to after Spring Break, I was coming back to take a long vacation in Europe and do nothing but play tourist.

  Stuttgart was huge, the city actually spreading out over several hills that I had been able to see when the plane had landed. We had gotten bogged down briefly at security since we were from out of the country, but once the MAGE office there had double checked our IDs and their databases, we were let through without any more hassle. Luckily, the tags that we had had to have implanted in our bodies acted as international passports as well.

  Sure enough, there had been a little four-door Mini Cooper waiting for us, arranged by Stefano. Alex drove, and as we headed southwest out of the beautiful city, I let out a little sigh of disappointment.

  “I know, the area is breathtaking, isn’t it,” Alex said as he pushed the little car to speeds I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with.

  I forced myself to relax, and once I realized that he was more than competent in the driver’s seat, I actually enjoyed the feel of the little car whizzing along. “It is. I just wish we had more time to explore, see everything,” I told him, leaning my head back on the headrest.

  He barked out a short laugh. “We may see more of the Black Forest than you want to. That area that Stefano circled has like a five mile radius. Even with being able to feel him up here,” he tapped his forehead, “it could take us a bit of wandering to find him.”

  I chewed my lip. Alex was right. Even with Stefano’s almost pinpoint location, it was still a large area to search for someone who didn’t want to be found. I blew out a breath. “Well, maybe we’ll get lucky, we’ll pull up to the outer edges of the area and he’ll be right there having a picnic waiting for us.” I grinned wryly.

  “I don’t think we’re going to get that lucky. Remember, too, he can feel us coming and he may take off in the opposite direction, make it even harder.”

  That thought hadn’t occurred to me and it deflated my optimism. I sank into my seat in a bit of a bummed mood, idly running scenarios of finding Darien through my head and what I would say to him if we did. When I felt the car slow, then veer off onto an exit, I peered out the window to see where we were.

  “We there?” I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, but based on Stefano’s directions, Stuttgart had been less than hour from our destination.

  “Almost. There’s a little grocery store and gas station down here, or at least that’s what that sign back there claimed. I’m a bit hungry myself, so I figured we’d stop, use the restroom if they had one, get some junk food, and refill the tank, before we go traipsing out in the Forest.”

  “Good idea.” My stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly and we both laughed.

  Sure enough, about a mile past the exit, there was a little grocery store and gas station. Alex pulled into the parking lot and stopped, the only other cars there being a dark blue SUV that looked like it had seen a lot of off road travel and a little yellow Volkswagen Golf. We both got out of the car, stretching while we could, and then headed into the little store.

  Alex hopped forward, catching the wooden door as another person was exiting the store, and held it for her as she came out with her arms full of bags. She was a striking woman, average height, with light golden hair and a heart shaped face. She was wearing an ankle length, deep green suede skirt, and a black leather jacket that did nothing to hide her athletically trim figure.

  She turned to give Alex a nod. “Thank—” She stopped mid-sentence, staring at him oddly, then closed her light brown eyes for a moment like she was contemplating something. She opened her eyes again, giving him a somewhat wary look, before nodding again. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” Alex replied, grinning rakishly at her.

  She half-smiled, then turned to make her way down the short set of steps to the ground, coming face to face with me as she did so, her eyes meeting mine. I saw surprise and shock in her eyes, and her hands tightened on the bags.

  “Guin!” she exclaimed, freezing in place to stare at me.

  I wasn’t sure why she had called me Guin, but there must have been curiosity in my eyes because I felt a jolt of recognition when our gazes met, like I knew her, even though I had never seen her before in my life.

  “Do I know you?” I asked her, moving to the side so she could step to the ground.

  She tore her eyes away and shook her head. “No, no, I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else for a moment,” she said. Her English had an accent, something I couldn’t quite put a finger on, but it was definitely not German. “Sorry to have bothered you.” She smiled again and hurried to the beat up SUV, loading the bags in the back before getting in and driving off quickly.

  “She was rather good looking,” Alex remarked from the top step. “Did you know her from somewhere?”

  I shook my head, even though my instinctual answer was ‘yes’. “No, I’ve never seen her before. That was just weird, though. C’mon, let’s get what we need and get going.”

  Fifteen minutes later saw us back in the car, a bag with chips, pastries, candy and soda sitting near my feat. Alex had looked at the map to see how to get back onto the main road and discovered that the road that led directly away from the grocery store met with the one we needed anyway, so we just headed that way, oddly enough in the direction the strange woman’s SUV had gone.

  After multiple turnoffs and a little bit of backtracking, we finally ran out of road and onto a non-paved trail that we could barely make out through the light dusting of snow on the ground. Based on Stefano’s directions, we knew we were going to have to hike out into the Forest itself, away from the safety of the road, and we parked the car in a little lee off the trail.

  We had both packed and dressed accordingly, both of us in jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and sturdy shoes. It was spring, but parts of winter were still holding on defiantly. We each had a small backpack, and I dumped the recently purchased goodies into mine. Alex was also toting a small tent in case we might need it for shelter, although neither of us had thought to bring sleeping bags.

  We headed deeper into the trees and they towered over us, light glinting off the snow where it still clung to the branches. The trees were stark against the greying sky, giving an eerie cast to the ground, and a shiver of apprehension ran through me as we left the car and the road behind. I could feel the Forest as it closed in around us, almost like it was a palpable thing.

  The trail continued on, far from passable for the Mini; a four wheel drive could have made it through if the owner didn’t mind the paint getting all scratched, and indeed there were fairly recent wheel tracks in the snow.

  “Someone’s been through here not so long ago,” Alex said, keeping his voice low. The Forest gave off that feeling that you had to whisper, even though you knew no one was around to hear except the
trees and the wildlife.

  “I see that. Hopefully it means we’re headed the right way.” I couldn’t help but glance around fearfully, wondering what kind of larger predators might be hidden in the vegetation, then I had to give myself a little shake. I was a werecat for fuck’s sake, and Alex was a weredingo; we were the larger predators out here.

  “You know what might be easier?” I dropped my pack on the ground so the straps were facing up, shortened the straps, then shifted to lynx. I was glad that I had had the sense to use the enchanting crystals on all my newer clothes so they wouldn’t get ruined. I’d have to get a more soon since I was just about out of them.

  I kneaded snow between my paws for a moment, then stepped so that one of my front legs was through a pack strap, flipped onto my back and wiggled my other front leg through the second strap, then hopped back to my feet, shaking snow off my fur and the pack.

  “Because that didn’t look utterly ridiculous for just a moment,” Alex said, trying not to laugh and earning a growl from me. But he followed suit, and there was a silver lynx and a ginger dingo, both wearing backpacks, the tent secured to Alex’s pack before he changed.

  I pulled power in around me and faded out of sight; it was a more advanced form of the stealth that most shifters could do, something I had put a lot of practice into with Sayuri and Takeo. Alex did the same, although he wasn’t quite as good at it as I was; I knew he’d been a shifter a lot longer than me, but the two weretigers who had taught me had told me that the cats seemed to have a natural affinity for it.

  We prowled quickly through the Forest, almost completely hidden from any would be watching eyes and ears. We understood each other perfectly when we tried to communicate, although I wasn’t quite sure how it worked; it wasn’t telepathy of any kind, my brain just automatically translated any little yips and barks he made. We’d been padding through the patchy snow, following the trail that still held tire tracks, and occasionally veering off to the sides to check for other signs, when a small hillock caught my eye.