by C. D. Hersh
Rhys crossed his arms over his chest, a motion so full of self-defense that her courage sank even lower. “Well. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
No, I don’t. But there’s nothing else to do but tell. “It’s so fantastic I don’t think you’re going to believe me.”
“What could be more fantastic than watching you transform from a man into a woman?”
He had a point there.
“So are you going to grow fangs next and crumble to dust in the sunlight?”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not a vampire.”
“Then what the hell are you?” The words exploded from him, his eyes darkening with fury.
She shrank back into the couch pillows, wishing she could hide from the blast of his anger and hurt. “Yelling at me isn’t going to help. This isn’t easy, you know.”
“And watching a man become you was?”
“You liked it well enough when we were making love.” Her voice, laced with nervousness, cracked and came out sounding shrill. He tensed, and a flash of apprehension swept over his face. Crap, that’s not the way to handle this. She fished around for some way of explaining what happened to her. Something that might not shock the heck out of him.
In a calmer voice, she spoke again. “Remember when we made love, how we shifted bodies?”
“Yeah?” he said hesitantly, drawing the word out into a question.
“What happened was kind of like that, except I was the only one shifting.”
He thought for a minute then barked out a bitter laugh. “So you were having an orgasm out there in the parking lot? Alone? While you were dying?” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Seems like you don’t need me at all.” The words had a finality that kicked her in the heart.
“That’s not true.” She pressed her hands against the top of her head to stop the raging headache that threatened. She needed him on so many levels. Partner. Friend. Confidant. And lover.
She raked her bangs off her forehead. There was no easy way but to say it straight out. She’d deal with the fallout as best as she could. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m a shape shifter.”
Rhys gave her a blank stare that made her wonder if he’d heard.
After a couple of tension-filled minutes he spoke, his words clipped and sharp. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I can change shapes. I can become a man or a woman. I can mimic any . . . anyone I see.”
He stood and moved to the edge of the doorway, and for a minute, she thought he might bolt out of the room. Emotions played across his face. Disbelief. Shock. Fear. And anger. “How?” he demanded.
How should she describe it? Supernatural? No, he’d already asked her about vampires and he didn’t seem too happy about that. A curse? That sounded too negative. He wouldn’t want to become a shifter if he thought it a curse. She needed something less threatening. “I guess you’d call it magic.”
“Not that I believe in magic, but what kind of magic? David Copperfield kind or worship the devil kind?”
She held out her hand. “Amulet kind. Ancient Celtic to be precise. The ring is the catalyst. That and reading the inscription on the inside.”
Rhys inhaled so sharply, she heard it across the room. “How long were you going to keep this a secret?”
“I planned to tell you . . . soon.”
He crossed the room and snatched her by her shoulders, pulling her to her feet. His grip hurt, but she allowed it. She deserved his anger.
“How long have you been a . . .?” His face twisted in revulsion and fury.
“Shifter?” She supplied the missing word for him. “About nine years.”
His flesh whitened with shock. “And what happened to us when we were making love . . . that wasn’t a soul mate thing, but you . . . forcing your way into me . . . in some kind of magical spell?” A flush crept over his neck, the anger flooding back into his face. “Was it a plan to make me fall for you? Hook the Romeo by making him think he’s your soul mate?”
She wrenched out of his hold. “Eli thinks we could be soul mates, and that I had nothing to do with that shifting. You were the one who caused it.”
His features grew even darker and he strode away, the heels of his boots hammering against the floor. “Don’t give me that crap. I don’t have a magic ring. I’m not the freak here.”
Freak! No way was she going to let him get away with that. She limped across the room and yanked him back to face her, adrenaline fueling her as she ignored the pain that shot through her injured arm.
“It’s not crap. And you don’t need a magic ring. You used the power from mine without even saying the incantation. If I’m a freak, then that makes you an even bigger one.” She stood toe-to-toe with him, glaring back with a ferocity that matched his, ignoring the tiny voice in her head that told her name-calling wasn’t going to win her any prizes.
Shifters were special people. She was special. Her uncle and family had been special, not freaks. Pride swelled in her, drawn from deep inside where she had stuffed her desire to become a Turning Stone shifter.
The depth of her fury, and allegiance, surprised her. “My family comes from an ancient line of shifters who have risked their lives to protect this world. I won’t let you call them freaks,” she said proudly. “And I certainly won’t let you malign me.”
Clapping interrupted the tense moment. She and Rhys swiveled toward the sound. Eli stood in the doorway.
“Well done, lassie.” A broad smile raised his ruddy cheeks upward, causing wisps of his beard to stick out over his cheekbones. “Mayhap you will make a guid Promised One after all.” He came into the room, looking first at her and then at her feet. “Yer bleeding on the floor, lassie,” he said matter-of-factly.
Rhys’ gaze swept between the two of them, surprise at her outburst and revelation clearly visible on his face. “You believe this crap, old man?”
Nodding, Eli guided Alexi toward the couch. “Aye, I do.” He pressed a damp washcloth to her forehead then motioned for Rhys to sit down. “And so should ye, laddie, because if I’m right, ye’ve a part tae play in this, too.”
“Uh uh. I don’t want anything to do with this.”
Eli sighed and faced Rhys. “Then why are ye still here?”
“Because I love her . . . who I thought she was. I want to be sure she’s okay.”
“She won’t be, unless ye come tae grips with this.”
How could he come to grips with the knowledge that the woman he loved could shape shift? It was too unbelievable. Things like that didn’t really exist. Yet, he’d seen it happen. Felt her, or rather him, transforming right beneath his hands. And she’d been hiding this secret from him for nearly two years.
“You can’t lay a guilt trip like that on me, old man. I’m not responsible for her happiness or well-being. Not after this. I don’t want any part of it.”
Eli wrapped a length of gauze around a wound on Alexi’s arm. “Ye might not have much o’ a choice.”
“I’m free and over twenty-one. I choose my own destiny.”
“Not if the rogues have anything tae say about it.”
“Rogues? What are you talking about?”
“Ye better sit down.” Eli faced him. “If ye found the shape shifting part a wee bit shocking, this won’t sit any better on yer gullet.”
What he wanted to do was walk away, but the pleading expression on Alexi’s face held him. He’d hear them out. But after that, he was gone. Eli motioned toward a chair. “I’ll stand,” Rhys said. He retreated to the doorjamb, ready to make a quick exit. “I want some answers first.”
“‘Tis only fair. Fire away.”
“What did you mean when you called Alexi a Promised One?”
“There’s a prophecy among the Turning Stone Society—”
“Turning Stones. Is that what shape shifters are called?”
“Nay. They are just called shifters. The Society is a secret society that has been in existence ever since the making o’ t
he rings from an enchanted bloodstone. Originally, the shifters used their shifting abilities only for the guid o’ the community, protecting them and providing peace and harmony. But as it is with all power, some became enamored with the idea o’ using the rings for evil purposes. The embracement of evil created the rogue shifters and thus began the age-old battle o’ the guid shifters agin the rogues. Prophecy tells o’ a powerful shifter who will rise up and bring the two factions together, resulting in a reign o’ peace like the world has never known.”
“So this Promised One is some sort of savior?” He studied Alexi. She didn’t seem to have a savior complex. Although he knew her to be a strong woman, he’d thought her more comfortable following not leading. Had she been hiding her true nature? Staying in the background because of what she was? “What does this prophecy say?”
“I dinna ken if I can say. ‘Tis information only known tae higher level shifters.”
Sounds like mumbo jumbo. Secret societies. Secret prophesies. Saviors. “If Alexi’s this Promised One, isn’t she high enough on the ladder to know this prophecy?”
“Ye’ve a point there.” Eli ruffled his reddish hair on end and frowned, drawing his bushy eyebrows together. “But yer not a part o’ the Society, so I dinna think I can tell ye.” He stroked his beard into a point, the debate in his head clearly showing on his face. “On the other hand, ye did use the magic from her ring and shift with her. And no one has ever done that.”
“You told him about that?”
Alexi averted her gaze, staring at the floor. “It sort of slipped out.”
“Slipped out? That’s personal, Lexi. What else did you reveal about our sex life?”
“It wasn’t like that at all,” Alexi protested. “I was telling him I would throw away my destiny as Promised One. Spend my life with you even if it meant we exchanged bodies every time . . . I didn’t know what it meant then. I thought it was the soul mate thing.”
“That’s not what it means?”
“Eli says we are meant to be together.” She fidgeted with the bandage wrapped around her arm. “It’s just that the shifting is tied into your ability to draw power from my ring.”
Hope shining on her face, Alexi sat forward on the couch. She wants me to believe this. She loves me. “Can you just undo whatever magic the ring has and walk away from this society?” If she’s willing to do that . . .
A low, guttural groan of despair escaped from Alexi. “It’s not that simple anymore. My life is in danger. You saw that tonight.”
“Who was trying to kill you?”
“Rogue shifters. They know who I am, and they want me dead.”
“Because you’re this Promised One?”
“Yes. And because they want my ring and Baron’s ring.”
He flexed his hands, curling and uncurling his fists as he sorted out her revelations, fighting the urge to smash something. “Baron was a shifter, too?” That explained the blue dress and heels. “So that’s why you’ve been creeping around ignoring the captain’s orders. You were trying to find Baron’s ring?”
“Yes, and the man who took it.” Relief flooded her face. “I couldn’t tell you anything then. I was protecting you.”
“From what? Lies about you and Baron?”
“It wasn’t like that,” she protested.
“How was it, Lexi?”
“I didn’t know who had the ring or what they were doing with it at first until—”
“Until Baron’s double started appearing.” Rhys slapped his hand against the doorjamb causing Alexi to jump. “I should have realized it. You acting weird after you found Baron’s ring missing. Sneaking off after his first reappearance. You think whoever stole his ring had been transforming into Baron. Committing crimes as a dead guy.”
“Yes. And if I don’t find him soon, and get the ring back, it could be disastrous.”
“It’s just a ring. How could some petty thief using it to steal cause a disaster?”
“‘Tis not just a ring, laddie. ‘Tis a magic ring handed down through generations o’ the Jordan family. In the wrong hands, it has the potential tae allow someone tae become a verra powerful shape shifter and thus shift the balance o’ power to evil. Finding the ring is o’ utmost importance.”
This story gets more bizarre by the minute. Eli and Alexi appeared earnest. But most insane people believed they were telling the truth. He should leave now and be done with this nonsense. In spite of his misgivings, he asked another question. “And you think whoever has it is this person?”
“I don’t know,” Alexi said. “But I do know someone very evil wants it and me.”
“You should have let me help, Lexi. I could have had your back.”
“I couldn’t risk you getting hurt or losing you when you found out about me.” Alexi stood, pure defiance radiating from her. “I had to take care of it by myself.”
“How? By becoming a giant and smashing your enemy?” He laughed bitterly. “What good am I if you can do something like that? Some protector I’ve been.”
“You saved my life tonight. Sly would have killed me if you hadn’t intervened.”
He moved into her personal space, coming nearly nose-to-nose with her. “And if you’d answered your damn phone when I called you wouldn’t have been there alone.”
“Now bairns, quit yer squabbling. ‘Tis no use crying over spilt milk. What’s done is done.” Eli gently shoved them apart. “That’s not the important part o’ the telling. Sit down, both o’ ye.” They took seats at opposite ends of the couch. “She’s in danger, Rhys, and so are ye.”
“I get why Alexi’s in danger, but why me?”
“Because a very evil shifter kens that ye have the power tae pull magic from rings without the incantation or possessing a ring.”
“How? Alexi’s the only shifter I know.”
“Because ye bedded her and shifted with her.”
“You’re nuts, old man. The only person I ever shifted with was Alexi.” He looked to Alexi for confirmation. Her lips drew tightly together and she shook her head. “Tell him, Alexi. It only happened twice and both times were with you.”
“Only once, Rhys. The time in the hotel wasn’t me.”
His heart roared against his ribs like a V-8 engine. He forced the image of the woman he’d seen after the shift back into his memory. Black hair, long like Lexi’s, but her eyes were different, slightly slanted and almond shaped, almost Oriental. Was that who they meant? Had he really been making love with her? He’d cheated on Alexi with her . . . double?
No, that couldn’t be right. It had to be Alexi. He would have known if it wasn’t Alexi. But, there was something off. How did I miss it? You were supposed to know those sort of things if you were in love, weren’t you? And he did love her.
“In the hotel, for a split second, I saw another woman after we shifted back. I didn’t think much about, thinking it was a hallucination. What caused that?”
“Ye pulled out her ego, and when ye went back Sylvia returned to her natural self image. She couldnae hold the shift after ye called out her ego.”
“You knew?” he whispered hoarsely.
“I knew,” she said.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“You thought we were soul mates, and I want us to be soul mates. Eli says we are if you were thinking about me when it happened with Sylvia.”
“Of course I was thinking about you.”
“Besides, how could I say anything when you thought it was me? Would you have believed me if I’d told you it was someone else?”
“Probably not. Hell, I’m having trouble believing what you’re telling me now and I saw you change. Who is she?” he asked, unable to meet her gaze.
“Her name is Sylvia Jordan and she kens ye’re a potential Promised One, laddie.”
Stunned, he looked back at Alexi. “Jordan? She’s related to you?”
“Only by marriage, at least that’s what she told me,” Alexi said.
“That�
��s probably the only bit o’ truth the daughter o’ the moonless night gave ye, Alexi. She’s evil, Rhys, and she’ll stop at nothing tae bring you tae her side. That’s why ye need tae make yer allegiance with Alexi. Stand by her side as a shifter—”
“A shifter?” Rhys held up his hands and backed away. “No way.”
“As a shifter . . . and my mate,” Alexi said softly. “I love you, Rhys, and nothing is going to change that.”
But something had changed it. She wasn’t the person he’d fallen in love with. His Alexi was a tough cop, with a soft side, who wanted to make her part of the world better. Someone he could always cajole into laughter. Together they could have shared a career and a life. This new Alexi was a . . . shape shifter with some lofty, and dangerous, goal to save the world. He didn’t know her.
“I’m sorry, Lexi. I can’t do what you’re asking. I don’t want to be your Promised One. I don’t want any part of your magical world.”
Anguish swept across her face at his rejection. “I didn’t want it either, but I can’t escape my destiny now. I’m fighting for my life—”
“And for the world,” Eli added. “The Jordan rings are five o’ the original rings made by the druid priests. They come from the heart o’ the magic stone, the most powerful part. The rogues already hold three stolen from Alexi’s murdered family. If they get all the Jordan rings they’ll control more power than they’ve ever had. We canna let them do that, for all they ken is evil and destruction. She has tae stand and fight, laddie. We have tae stop them.”
Alexi swiped at a tear running down her cheek. “I have to do this, Rhys.”
“And I have to do what I have to do. I’ll ask for a new partner tomorrow.” He kissed her on the forehead. She trembled beneath his touch. He tried to harden his heart against her sorrow and his pain at losing her, but he couldn’t. “I’ll protect your secret because I want to protect you. But that’s as far as I can go.”
Her sobs ripped at him as he left, but he had no other choice. He couldn’t live with what she had become. And he sure as hell didn’t want to join her.