Chosen: Shifters of London

by Hanna Maria Jones

  He smirked back before he took a seat in a wooden chair, one long leg crossed over the other as he stretched them out as far as they could go.

  I squinted at him, trying to imagine him becoming a panther. I tried a series of verbal commands in my head.

  Change!

  Shift!

  Be a panther!

  Meow!

  Nothing happened, and I frowned.

  “Why don’t you tell me what it’s like to change?” I had never had the dubious pleasure of seeing it, after all.

  “It’s painful,” Ry said slowly. “Bones are growing and shifting, and there’s a lot of pressure and grinding. Once I’m fully changed, the pain fades away.”

  I was listening avidly, because it was fascinating. I also didn’t how much I wanted to cause another person pain. “What moves first?” I was trying my best to picture this very nicely proportioned male lengthening into a panther. It wasn’t easy.

  He grinned at me, his gray eyes lighting up. “Come here.” He crooked a finger.

  I raised an eyebrow, walking closer to his sitting figure. He crooked his finger again, and I stood so close my knees bumped the side of his.

  “Give me your hand.” He took it once I held it out, and placed it on his shoulder. “I feel it in my shoulders and back first. They hunch forward, and my neck moves back as it lengthens.” He kept his hand on mine, moving it along the fabric of his shirt until my palm rested up his shoulderblades.

  I flexed my fingers, moving to the other side of my own volition. The muscles were smooth, but angles where the blades of his shoulders were jutting. It dipped where his spine was, and he straightened in his seat as I ran my fingers down his spine and back up.

  Above the collar of his shirt, I felt a pleasant shock touching his neck. The bare skin was hot under my palm, a faint pulse against my skin as I cupped the side.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” It did bother me.

  “Don’t think of it like that. When it’s willing, you know the pain is worth it.” He caught my hand and pressed it against his neck more firmly, so I could feel his heartbeat better. “It can feel good because you know the best part is rushing up to meet you. Trust me, the sensation inside your skin once you hit that release is addicting.”

  I couldn’t look away from his intense stare, forgetting how to breathe. Heat pooled from his hand covering mine up my arm, spilling slickly downward in my stomach. I almost didn’t hear the door at the bottom of the stairs unlock and open, but nobody knocked and I was half-listening apparently.

  Pulling my hand away, I took a step back and checked over my shoulder to see who was walking in. “Oh, Kurt.”

  Didn’t the man own a shirt that didn’t show off the planes of his chest and impressive abdomen? Clearly I was still hot and bothered from Ry’s proximity to be checking out Kurt. Again.

  “I came down to check on you. It’s been a while,” he rumbled, eyes narrowed on the other occupant of the room.

  Ry answered first. “It’s been five minutes.”

  “Five minutes is long enough.”

  “Not for some people.”

  I looked back and forth between them, the controlled animosity growing with each comment the other made. “I’m not really sure what I’m doing,” I said uneasily.

  “Don’t worry Kurt, I’ll be patient with her.” Ry smirked.

  “It doesn’t seem to be helping.”

  “I believe I’m the only man here qualified to help.”

  “None of this is really helping.” I crossed my arms at both of them. “If you want to watch, be my bloody guest.”

  “That’s fine, people love watching what they can’t do.” Ry leaned back in his chair, gray eyes the picture of arrogance.

  I walked around the room, ignoring them. Should I hold onto the picture of the pain that will be inflicted, or the visual transformation itself? Did I think about how there is only do, and no try? I dare not ask the one person who would definitely know. I already loved him, but I couldn’t trust him.

  “Both of you be quiet.” I instructed, even though they hadn’t said another word since I begin pacing. I sat in front of Ry cross-legged, scanning over his shape intently.

  He gave me a frank, interested look back.

  “Don’t even look at me.”

  Ry seemed about to speak, then changed his mind and tilted his head away.

  I didn’t have the moon in me, Tiberus said. It was such an odd, esoteric statement. “You don’t change at the full moon?”

  Ry shook his head shortly. “No, it has to be the new moon.”

  I closed my eyes, picturing a mostly clear night sky with just the barest sliver of pale crescent of the moon showing. I saw the black nothing where the moon could normally be seen, and I pulled the image closer as if I could hold the shadowed orb in my hands and let the empty blackness fill the room.

  The sound of heavy breathing entered my consciousness, and I had to force that away. The sheltered moon was here in this room, reflecting no light except the rounded edge that made the dark side of the moon all the more empty.

  A groan broke my concentration, and I screwed my eyes shut. Under my eyelids the moon was high above the trees again, and I drew it closer like a flameless Eye of Sauron. Muffled popping filled my ears, punctuated by a groan and a thud. My eyes flew open.

  I nearly shrieked.

  My mind could barely take in the growth of thick black fur along his neck and arms, but his face was still bare and there was something wrong about it. The way he was lying there also seemed off, as if his upper body had swollen.

  A strong pair of hands clamped on my shoulders. “Finish it,” Kurt urged. “You don’t want to leave him like that.”

  I shook my head senselessly, only able to see the agonized look on Ry’s vaguely flatter face. I banished the thought of the moon in any phase, sending it far far above the clouds where the sun hid it most of the time.

  Finally, finally a sharp series of pops preceded the fur shrinking and disappearing back into his skin, the shirt fitting more normally as his chest and midsection returned to a normal size.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, unable to look at his face to see if the human traits were back. “I couldn’t finish.”

  Ry uncurled and lay flat on his back with arms akimbo. He sounded like he collapsed after running up and down the Green Lane. “It’s alright, love,” he panted. “First time always ends quickly.”

  “Are you hurt badly?” I dared to peek at him.

  He sat up after a moment, and pulled off his shirt with a wince. Faded purple bruises mottled his shoulders and upper back, like paint that soaked deep under the skin.

  “Let’s take a break.” Kurt moved his hands off my shoulder abruptly, motioning to the door. “He’ll need plenty of water and food.” His tone was of grudging consideration, but it was a start.

  Nearly everybody was waiting in the kitchen, the moment I was at the top of the stairs it began.

  “Did he Change? Are you a sorcerer now?” Willie was sitting backwards on a kitchen chair, munching on chips.

  “No, I failed.” I trudged straight to the stove where several sodden brown paper sacks of fish and chips waited. I dug around for two vinegar packs and sat at the table with two bags

  “You didn’t fail.” Ry comforted as he took the next to me, taking the fresh chips I slid his way.

  Clover looked between us with a big grin. “Did anything happen?” Her eyebrows waggled just in case I didn’t catch that massive innuendo.

  “He sprouted fur.” Kurt opened the fridge and pulled out a gallon of green juice. He poured two cups and set it down in front of us. “Drink up.”

  Ry downed it without protest.

  I blinked and took a measured sip. It definitely had green plants in it, but the underlying flavor was apple juice. It clashed with the fish, but I could hardly complain. I never got to eat takeout, this was quite the treat.

  It soothed the sting of losing my focus downstairs
.

  “Fur? Like, everywhere?” Clover tilted her head as she looked over Ry, as if he might still have a patch left.

  “Not quite.” Ry grinned at her. “Just the already fuzzy bits.”

  “You were naked?!” Clover immediately beamed at me. “Good on you!”

  “You were naked?” Heath scowled.

  Pandorea looked as if she was conflicted whether to comment on Ry’s actions or reign in Heath’s outrage.

  I hastily swallowed my bite. “Nobody was naked. And what would it matter? Lyall said I could be at the Summit, you’ll all be naked then.”

  “You can close your eyes at the Summit,” Heath said.

  “I can close my eyes if Ry is naked.”

  “But who would want to?” Clover pointed out smugly, and also unhelpfully.

  I didn’t have any shock to contain when Kurt spoke from his spot leaning against the counters. “You can’t go anyway. He said only if you had the ability.”

  “I do!” I sprang to my feet, just now remembering his promise to prevent me from being there. “You saw, don’t lie and say you didn’t!”

  Kurt smiled pleasantly in the face of my outburst. “The whole point was that you could distract or unarm via Change, and you can’t.”

  “I don’t know, mate, it was quite distracting,” Ry interjected neutrally.

  “All I need is more practice. And since you’re clearly biased, you’re not invited downstairs with us again.” I never lost my temper. I blamed him for this entirely.

  “I’ll go.” Heath offered quickly.

  “You neither.”

  “I’ll go,” Clover cooed, leaning her chin on one hand. “If he gets naked.”

  I dropped my head in my hands. “Pandorea, please be our third. You’re my only hope.”

  She giggled softly behind her hand.

  Chapter 19

  “You’re too tense.” Ry unnecessarily pointed out.

  I’ll admit a lot of minutes had passed since I sat down in front of Ry cross-legged.

  He had casually slung himself on a wood chair, and Pandorea was lying on her stomach behind me and staring off dreamily into the distance. Not that there was much to look at in the basement other than cream walls, but they were respecting my wish to look elsewhere.

  I was attempting to picture the new moon in my mind again, truly I was, but my mind kept skipping back to the bruises just under his skin.

  “What’s wrong?” Pandorea asked after several more minutes passed. “Is it me?”

  I leaned back on my hands, sighing. “No. I just keep hearing the screams from before.”

  Ry sat up quickly. “I most certainly did not scream.” That was the most outraged I had ever heard him sound.

  “Not you. I--I heard Andrew forcing my parents to Change over and over again.”

  Pandorea’s eyes widened as they focused on me. “I’m sorry, Gemma. That must have been awful.”

  He shifted in his chair, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “I didn’t know. I promise I won’t scream, does that help?” He nudged my knee with the toe of his boots.

  I rubbed my eyes. I had lost my confidence that it would work in a snap.“Honestly, at this point I wish I had been able to convince Andrew to leave with me. Then Septimus would have had to reformulate his plans for the weekend.” I was so sure that Andrew was his ace-in-the-hole, the advantage he had been cultivating in secret for all these years.

  We sat in silence for a while.

  Time dragged on as I shut my eyes and began to picture my nearly cloudless night again.

  Ding.

  If I could just bring it close again. Yet every time I drew it near, I thought of that slow popping sound, and bones pushing so hard against skin it turned translucent.

  Ding.

  “Hold on,” Ry muttered, followed by a rustle of clothing. “It’s Tiberius.” He sounded rather surprised.

  I opened one eye. “What did he say?”

  “Septimus went spare after your parents went missing, and Andrew has been asking Tibby strange questions.”

  “Do you think he knows I had help?” I didn’t like Tiberius, but I didn’t want him hurt on my account.

  Ry made a noncommittal sound as he typed. At the next ding, we all stared at the phone.

  “Tibby said Andrew asked him to meet him to look around the room where the wolves were kept. I think he’s going to try and talk to Tibby alone, don’t you think?”

  I combed my fingers through my hair, blowing out a slow breath. “I don’t want to hope, but maybe Andrew is having second thoughts.” I wanted to believe that Andrew was looking for a way to contact me.

  “He’s in love with my sister,” Pandorea said softly.

  “Who, Andrew?” I’d never seen a couple less enamored of each other in my life.

  She smiled at me. “No, I mean Tiberius. If anyone will push Andrew to leave his home, and thus Rose, he will try his best.”

  Tiberius wasn’t a bad ally to have. Not because he was trustworthy, but because he clearly ascribed to the philosophy ‘the enemy of my enemies’.

  “Do you think he--” I started, but a knock on the door halted my words quickly.

  It was Heath, and he was gamely smiling as he popped his head through the slightly open door. “Gemma, your parents are awake.”

  I immediately climbed to my feet. “Oh! Do you two mind if I…?”

  “No, go ahead.” Ry looked up at me seriously, and Pandorea made a cute shooing motion with her hands.

  I followed Heath and climbed up the stairs with a lighter air. Had they not been werewolves, I would have insisted they go to a hospital long before this. All I could do was hope it was needed sleep, and not a supernatural coma.

  Both of my parents were sitting up in bed, talking quietly with each other until the door creaked open. Loose fitting shirts covered most of the discoloration, but their green and yellow bruises were visible from forearm to fingers. Their faces still bore dark purple splotches, but the swelling had gone down immensely.

  “Gemma!” My mother exclaimed, holding out her arms.

  I came to her bedside and hugged her gingerly, even though she gripped me tightly. “I’m sorry.” I breathed against her neck.

  She pulled back, her blackened eyes tender. “Don’t apologize. I’m just so glad you’re safe.”

  “Don’t hog all the hugs.” My father leaned over to grip my hand hard once before pulling away. He fixed me with a stern eye. “Your safety is more important than ours.”

  I wanted to tell him I felt the same. Instead, I confessed a thought that had weighed heavily on my mind. “It’s my fault they found you. They searched through our flat, and I know I had our address written down on the Uni forms I filled out.”

  He sighed, laying one chartreuse hand heavily on the bed. “You can’t blame yourself for other’s actions. Promise me you won’t put yourself in any more danger.”

  Nobody had told them I finagled my way into going to the Summit. I decided not to enlighten them either. “I’ll be careful.”

  None of us mentioned Andrew. I knew they had to know; it had been many years since they saw him, but it was hard to mistake that silver eye. Plus, I’m sure Septimus taunted them with it.

  The knowledge showed, though. My mother couldn’t stop tearing up and blowing her nose, and my father looked so old.

  “Can I get you two anything?” I ventured.

  “No, Lyall is making us a tea tray. You should listen to him, he’s always been there for us.” My father nodded surely.

  “Yes, I will.” I chatted with them a bit longer about how they were feeling, and left when Lyall came in with tea and sandwiches.

  Ry and Pandorea came with me down the stairs again under the not-quite-pretense that I needed more practice. Once we were downstairs I pulled up a blanket and sat on it, idly brushing off long gray hairs. “Any word yet?”

  Ry shook his head, pulling out his phone again to double-check.

  I p
atted the spot next to me while smiling at Pandorea. “You know, I’ve been thinking. Andrew wasn’t born to your kind, but Septimus Turned him safely. I think the myth about shifters having to stick to their own is just to prevent romances like yours.”

  She seemed to consider my words. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  I patted her hand. “Heath really seems to care about you. I think you two are lovely.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled back.

  Ding!

  We both quickly turned to Ry, who already had his phone out.

  “He said Andrew told him exactly where he’s going to be at 7:00 on the 19th. It’s not at the house either.”

  I bit my lower lip, thinking hard. “That’s about a half hour before sunset. Do you think he’s telling him because he thinks Tiberius will pass it on to me?”

  “There’s certainly no love lost between them otherwise.”

  “I have to go.” I looked from Pandorea to him. “If there’s even a chance I can convince him to leave, I have to take it.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Ry frowned at my frown. “Don’t argue. Let’s not forget Septimus probably already suspect what you can do, cateye.”

  “I should come too,” Pandorea said quickly.

  “No!” Both Ry and I protested.

  “Heath would have my head if anything happened to you.” I could only imagine his reaction, and it wasn’t pretty.

  She set her chin stubbornly. “Ry can drive and I can pretend to be you, Gemma, while you follow in a different car. I’m not going to be at the Summit anyway, and if anything goes wrong you can leave and warn the others.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but that actually made sense. I did not agree with her putting herself in harm’s way for me, but I wanted to believe Andrew was going to be there. It was wise to make some precautions.

  “Fine. But we can’t tell anyone about this.”

  “Agreed.” Pandorea nodded fervently.

  I didn’t have much more luck for the evening, my mind kept wandering to worry and elation about the recent developments. Not to mention relief that I had allies.

  Unfortunately, another issue arose once we trudged back upstairs for sustenance and to escape the plain basement.