Shifter

by Jennifer Reynolds

  “Abby, what the hell,” she demands. “I thought one of my P.O.D.s was roaming the house.”

  “P.O.D.s?” I ask. I remember her calling them this on a few occasions, but can’t recall what it means. She has so kinds of nicknames for them that I can’t keep up with them all.

  “Paths of destruction. They’ve been exceptionally destructive these last few days. I have a broken chair, P.B. & J. in the DVD player in the playroom, and absolutely no shampoo or body wash anywhere in the house, among other things. Never mind. Why are you here?”

  “I need you to pack some clothes for you and the kids,” I say, turning her around to face the hall that leads to her kid’s bedrooms.

  “Why? What’s wrong? Are you all right?” she asks, panicking a bit at my instructions.

  “I’ll explain later, come on,” I urge, pushing her door open.

  “Abby, you’re scaring me,” she says, but does as I order. She knows me well enough not to argue with me.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll tell you everything, but we have to leave now.” I go to her closet where I know her suitcases are and pull them out.

  Ten minutes later, we have a bag for each person stacked by the front door and are carrying down three sleeping kids. In all of our back-and-forth, Carrie has not seen Dimitri pacing her living room. She nearly screams when he speaks.

  “You all ready?” he asks, coming to my side.

  “Oh my God,” Carries says. “Who the hell…”

  “Yeah, I think so,” I say, as I scan our small group gathered in the living room, ignoring my sister’s shocked expression.

  “Abby, isn’t that the man from the flyers?” she asks when she’s gotten herself under control.

  “Yeah. Carrie, this is Dimitri. Dimitri, this is my sister Carrie. The one asleep against the wall is James, the baby in Carrie’s arms is Maddox, and this is Katie,” I say, jostling the half-asleep child on my hip.

  “Aunt Abby, are we going to your house,” a sleepy Katie asks.

  “Yes, baby.”

  “Can I play with the big kitty?”

  I looked at Dimitri with a questioning look.

  “Oh, no. I’m not going there again,” he says, throwing his hands up in a defensive posture and backing way with a slight grin on his face.

  “But Uncle Dimitri, Katie loves the big kitty,” I say mockingly.

  “And what about her aunt, does she love big kitties?” he asks suggestively, stepping back to my side.

  “Nah, I think I’m becoming a wolf lover.”

  “Really?”

  “Okay, I would say you two need a room, but it’s obvious that we are in a hurry, so either we leave now or I’m going back to bed,” Carrie says with a look on her face that says she has lots of questions that I will most definitely be answering at the next convenient moment.

  “We’re leaving,” Dimitri says.

  Carrie starts to the front door, but Dimitri stops her. “We aren’t leaving that way.”

  “How else do you expect us to leave?”

  “Do you trust me?” I ask her as she eyes me suspiciously.

  “I do,” she says, though, her tone says she is not sure she does.

  “Then trust me.”

  “Can you take us all?” I ask Dimitri.

  “No. Devan and Dad are on their way. They were helping with the wolves. They should appear any second now.”

  “Wolves? What is he talking about?” Carrie asks, looking back and forth between Dimitri and I with utter confusion on her face.

  “Carrie... Dimitri, is it all right to tell her? I mean it is your secret. Will I be breaking some kind of pack rule?”

  “We can disclose our secret when the need arises. If they become a problem, we can also take care of it.” My look of fear must be obvious on my face, because he quickly clarifies. “We can erase the secret from their memory. Honestly, Abby, do you think I could hurt you or anyone one you love?” he asks, putting his arm around me and kissing the top of my head.

  “Someone had better start explaining something before I get pissed,” Carrie nearly shouts.

  “Okay, but you can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. Promise.”

  “You know me. I’ve kept all of your secrets.”

  “I know, but this isn’t just my secret. It affects a lot of people.”

  “I get that. Now spill.”

  “Dimitri is a shapeshifter. He is or was the Maine Coon I adopted from the pound.”

  “Be serious.”

  “I am. Dimitri, do you mind showing her?”

  “Are the kids all asleep?” he asks.

  I lean my head back to look into Katie’s face. She is fast asleep. James is still slumped on the floor, curled up, and asleep. “Yeah. I think you’re in the clear.”

  He steps away from me and into the middle of Carrie’s living room. I am a little excited because I haven’t seen his wolf form.

  Instantly he shifts and walks over to me, nuzzling my hand. Carrie stares down at him. Unfortunately, before she can say anything, he is fully human again and thankfully clothed. “Their coming,” he says and a breath later, Devan and Daniel are standing in front of us.

  “Holy shit,” Carrie says and stumbles backwards. Dimitri catches her as she starts to fall.

  “Sorry, I know this is a bit much to take in all at once. I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important,” I say, hoping she will forgive me for bringing this problem upon her.

  “We should go,” Daniel announces. “My people say Mave has been circling the house for at least five minutes. She knows you two are here. I think she thinks the place is warded, which is why she hasn’t barged in yet.”

  “Dad, you take Carrie, Abby’s sister, and the baby. I’ll take Abby and Katie, and Devan, you can get the bags and that one there,” he says, pointing to the sleeping lump that is James.

  “What are they going to do?” Carrie asks.

  “They do this teleportation thing. They can simply pop in and out of almost anywhere they want. It’s how we got here.”

  Carrie didn’t look like she believed or understood anything I was telling her.

  “You trust me, don’t you?”

  “I want to.”

  “I promise you are in good hands.” Carrie doesn’t say anything. She just stands there and lets Daniel put his arm around her.

  Two seconds later, all of us are packed into my small house. As quietly as possible, we pile the kids into my bed and make up the air mattress in my bedroom floor for Carrie for when she is ready to sleep. I try to get her to go on back to bed, but she has questions and really wants answers to them.

  Sam and Katelyn are kneeling in front of my sofa where they have laid Mark. “He’s sleeping,” Katelyn says, seeing the worried look on my face.

  “What did she do to him?” I ask.

  “She cursed him. Made him feel as if his insides were on fire. We have it under control now. He’ll be out of it for a few days. If you don’t mind, we’re going to leave him here for the night. He is too wounded to move. We’ll be back tomorrow to get him,” Katelyn says.

  “Thank you.”

  “Dad, do you think Abby’s sister and kids can stay at my cabin for a while?” Dimitri asks.

  Instead of answering, Daniel turns to Sam and asks, “Do you think you can mimic the charms Serena has on this house?”

  “I can try,” Sam answers.

  “If she can’t, will they be safe there?” I ask.

  “If Sam can put up some kind of ward, yes. Plus we can have them guarded around the clock.” Dimitri looks at his father as he says this last bit as if asking for permission. Daniel nods.

  “We’ll move them tomorrow, if we can,” Dimitri says.

  “Dimitri, I don’t know if...” Sam starts.

  “They’ll be safer there than here. My cabin is deep in pack territory. Mave wouldn’t dare invade now that they know to look out for her.”

  “I’m standing right here,” Carrie announces. “Shouldn�
��t the person that keeps getting moved around be asked if she wants to be moved around?”

  “No,” both Dimitri and I say at together.

  “Excuse me. I’m a grown woman. I think that I can make these decisions on my own.”

  “You don’t understand what is going on,” I tell her.

  “Then enlighten me.”

  “We should go,” Katelyn says to her husband, son, and Sam. She looks at Dimitri as if she wants to say something, then looks at me, nods to herself, hugs him, and disappears with Sam.

  “We’ll be back after noon,” his father says and disappears after the women.

  Devan looks around for a moment, unsure what he should do.

  “We’ll be fine. Go home. Get some sleep,” Dimitri says.

  Devan nods and leaves.

  I take Carrie into the kitchen, make a pot of tea, and begin to tell her what I know. Dimitri cuts in every so often, filling in the gaps.

  Chapter 27

  ~~~Dimitri~~~

  “Are you sleeping with my sister?” Carrie asks me in a harsh tone as I help her prepare breakfast for her kids. The kids are still in Abby’s bedroom per Carries orders because Mark and Abby are still fast asleep in the living room.

  Devan had reappeared, while we were explaining things to Carrie, with pillows and two more air mattresses: one for Abby and one for me. I took great pleasure in his look of anger and disappointment when Abby took one of the mattresses and stowed it in the hall closet as she dug out sheets.

  He disappeared without a word minutes later when Abby stepped up beside me, pushed my hair back from my forehead, and said, “If you’re tired, go on to bed. I’ll join you as soon as Carrie goes to bed.”

  “I’ll stay up with you,” I answered and kissed her lightly on the lips. When I had looked up, he was gone.

  “We share the same bed,” I answer her sister.

  “No, I want to know if you are having sex with her.”

  “If I am?”

  She doesn’t answer. She looks at me, wanting to say a number of different things. The most obvious is the ‘if you hurt her, I’ll kill you’ bit, but she knows it will sound cliché. Plus, I’m sure she wants to be happy for her sister. As I look at her, another thought crosses her mind, and I grow angry. A part of her doesn’t believe I want her sister, as if there is something wrong with Abby, and my temper flairs. For a second I think about smacking the bitch. I hate people. No matter how much of a front people put up, deep inside they are all vain. She thinks her sister is beautiful, but she doesn’t believe the rest of the world does.

  “I love your sister,” I say, feeling the need to justify myself. “I thought she was gorgeous the moment she walked into the pound and adopted my furry ass. And no, I don’t find her even more gorgeous since she has lost a few pounds. The only thing that stupid machine has done for her is make her feel better about herself. I’m not vain. I’m not superficial. I’m also not perfect. I have my flaws, my imperfections. I may be better looking than Mark over there, but Devan is far better looking than I am.”

  She nods in agreement, and I laugh.

  “See. Despite that, she chose me.”

  “It’s not that. I want her to have a happy life, and your life...”

  “Is full of supernatural beings out to kill her and me. Trust me, I know how much I need to leave here—leave her.”

  “You don’t understand. Has she told you what happened to her…”

  “Not every detail, but enough. I know she has been through more than any one person should, that I’m wrong to bring this into her life, but it’s too late. I love her. I would go if she told me to, but I would always be nearby. Watching. Making sure she is all right. I’m a shifter. Part animal. We mate for life. I’m tied to her on a level I can’t even explain.”

  “Where does that leave her? She isn’t one of you. She isn’t going to live as long as you do. She can’t have children with you.”

  “Yes, she can.”

  “No, she can’t. I mean physically, yes. But emotionally, no. Those children will be a part of your world not hers. They’ll live longer than she will, and they’ll have to leave her long before she’s old enough to die. This is a small town. People will notice that her children and husband aren’t aging, and do you seriously expect to take her to the pack. Obviously, she would happily go. She would leave the kids and me in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t blame her in the least. But she would be a weakness for you. All of your enemies will be after her. Anyone you have or will piss off will see your fragile, little, human wife as an easy target.”

  “I know.”

  “So what do you plan on doing?”

  “I don’t know, yet. It’s not like I can change her.” The thing is, I am not so sure about that anymore. I guess I should clarify. I know I can’t change her. I am not even sure how to go about it if I wanted to. I guess I could try biting her, I mean really biting her, not the nibbling I had done the night before. Yet, something tells me that she is changing. Something about her has been shifting these last few weeks/months but last night when I entered her, I felt her change. As she slept, I had watched her. I couldn’t see anything different, but I know something is.

  After the kids eat, I crawl up next to Abby on the mattress to wake her. She doesn’t open her eyes, just snuggles up into my arms and nuzzles my chest. “My parents are going to be here in an hour to take Carrie and the kids to the cabin. You want to wake up and see them off?”

  “No.” She groans and laughs.

  “Maddox, I think it’s time for Aunt Abby to wake up, don’t you,” Carrie says, setting the youngest of her three children down in the hallway. The look he gives his aunt tells me exactly what he is about to do. I quickly jerk out of her arms and off the mattress as the child comes barreling across the room. Abby turns in time for him to leap from the floor onto her.

  With a humph, she jerks upward, wraps the kid in her arms, and begins tickling him. Wanting to join in on the fun, the other two run from the kitchen and dog pile on their aunt.

  “In my house, Maddox is the first one awake,” Carrie tells me. “If he wants you up, you get up. He usually achieves this by throwing himself on top of you, successfully landing on your bladder.”

  “He most definitely found mine,” Abby says as she pins one of the boys and begins blowing into his stomach making a noise kin to a person blowing a raspberry and causing the kid to laugh hysterically.

  I can’t take my eyes off her. Her hair is everywhere. She looks tired. Still she gives the children every bit of attention they demand, doing her best to play with each one, showing no favoritism. The pain in my heart that knows I can’t give her this causes me to look away.

  Carrie is standing on the other side of the mattress giving me a knowing look. The look isn’t happy in its knowing. Her look is sad. Sad for her sister, whom she believes is going to be hurt in the end.

  “All right. Aunt Abby is done. Come on, get up. Go get dressed. I have to pee and shower,” Abby announces.

  The kids grumble but do as she asks. Carrie follows them to Abby’s room.

  “Dimitri,” Abby calls from the open bathroom door. She had entered it five minutes ago, after making sure no one was going to need it for at least a half an hour.

  “Yeah,” I call from the living room where I am deflating the air mattress.

  “Could you come here for a minute?”

  “Something wrong?” I ask, jumping up from my place on the floor and heading her way. I am instantly worried that she has changed physically, and I hadn’t noticed. She doesn’t answer. I push the bathroom door open just enough to slide into the bathroom in case she is naked, and she is.

  Before I can step completely into the room, she grabs me, slams the door shut, and locks it. She pushes me against the wall, her naked body firmly against mine, her lips on mine. I wrap my arms around her, pull her closer to me, and kiss her back. In seconds, I am naked, the stereo is on, the hot water of the shower is beating down on us, and
I am inside her, sliding in and out in hard, fluid movements. Her hands are everywhere. Her mouth kissing every inch of me.

  “God, you feel so good,” I whisper as I lick, nibble, and kiss her ear, her neck, down to her nipples. Those soft nubs taste like heaven.

  “Dimitri,” she moans. The sound of my name on her lips nearly makes me end things too quickly. The more sounds she makes the closer to the edge I get. I hold on for as long as I can, loving the feel of her.

  When I can’t take anymore, I reach down between us to massage her clit. She says my name again while I whisper for her to cum for me. Almost on cue, she buries her head in the crease of my neck and screams out her orgasm. I hold mine until her spasms begin to ebb before I growl out my pleasure, pinning her harder to the tiled wall as I do so.

  I stay inside her as long as I can, not wanting to separate from her. Gradually the water begins to cool, washing away any thoughts of a second round. I slide from her, and she whines in disappointment.

  With her still wrapped in my arms, I turn the cold-water nozzle completely off and the hot water up a notch. Grabbing a rag and her bottle of body wash, I begin to wash our bodies. Running my hands and the rag over her breasts, thighs, and ass.

  I am back inside her before she can rinse the soap completely off and wash her hair.

  Chapter 28

  ~~~Abby~~~

  We haven’t left my house in nearly a week. The plus side of this is that we haven’t left my bed much during this time either. The down side is that we haven’t been able to leave the house. I haven’t even checked my mail. If it weren’t for the pack, we would be down to eating Ramen noodles and wiping our asses with my good hand-towels.

  If Devan’s sudden appearance while we were christening the kitchen counters hadn’t interrupted some good sex, and if he hadn’t had an angry look on his face, I would have been thankful for the change in pace his appearance brought.