Shifter Fated Mates: Boxed Set

by Mandy M. Roth

  Issac headed towards Ondrea. Glancing over his shoulder, he winked. “You can lie to yourself all you want, Colonel, but please don’t bother lying to us. You know in your heart who Deryn is to you. It looks as though on some level, she knows, too. She just won’t acknowledge it. Will you?”

  “Come back here you mangy excuse for a monkey!”

  They all turned to watch Che rushing towards them with a canteen in tow, followed closely by Fulk. “Stop that monkey!”

  Bending down, Ondrea scooped Che up with ease and cradled him to her chest. “Oh, that’s a good boy. Now, tell me what the big scary Neanderthal chasing you did.”

  Deryn and Kane broke through the foliage, both laughing so hard they were gasping for breath. Fulk gave them a droll look. “Yeah, very funny.”

  Kane snorted. “It was fucking hilarious. That monkey managed to knock you on your ass and steal your water.”

  “We’ll see who is laughing when I stuff that thing and send it home with you as a souvenir.”

  Deryn gasped. “You will not touch one hair on Che’s little body!”

  “Bookworm, I’m not going to argue over a monkey with you. I’m just going to kill it.” Fulk drew his sidearm. “Dr. Harris, if you’d be so kind as to toss that thing on the ground I’d be forever in your debt.”

  “Rodriquez,” Alejandro said in a warning tone. He knew Fulk well. He had a hot temper but wasn’t one who would kill something just because. Once he calmed down he would be fine.

  “Sorry, sir but the monkey has to go. It’s been carrying on like it’s on something all morning and I’m frankly sick of it.”

  Alejandro stiffened. “Carrying on how?”

  Putting his hands in the air, Fulk mimicked Che’s motions. Alejandro did his best not to laugh at how ridiculous his friend looked. Fulk glared at the monkey. “See, annoying, isn’t it?” He bent down and seized hold of his canteen.

  Deryn was on him in an instant. She knocked his gun from his hand and held it on him. Fulk began to laugh. “You caught me off guard, Bookworm. Nice job. Now, give me the weapon before you hurt yourself.”

  “You are never to threaten Che again. Understood?”

  Fulk narrowed his gaze. “It’s a monkey and...?”

  She leveled the gun directly at Fulk. Alejandro took a step forward. “Deryn, don’t.”

  Che began to shriek and Deryn nodded, keeping the gun trained on Fulk. “Put the canteen down now!”

  “Take it easy, Bookworm. I’m sorry that I snapped at your pet. I won’t do it again.” Fulk went to take a sip from his canteen and Deryn fired a warning shot off so close to Fulk that Alejandro wasn’t sure if she’d missed on purpose or not. Apparently, Fulk wasn’t too sure either because he nodded and dropped the canteen.

  In a flash, Kane was on it. Unscrewing the cap, he poured it out and onto a leaf. The leaf began to sizzle and then disintegrate before their very eyes. “Che was right, Deryn. It was poisoned. That would have eaten through Rodriquez’s esophagus and killed him in a matter of seconds.”

  Deryn handed Fulk’s weapon back to him butt first. “Here, sorry. I would have only shot you in the leg if you’d have tried to drink it.”

  Issac laughed and Ondrea followed suit. Fulk took his weapon and pulled Deryn into his arms. He gave her a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. “You’re all right, Bookworm.”

  “Okay, put me down, I’m not that great.”

  “What do you mean? You saved my life,” Fulk shrugged, “by threatening to take it but still.”

  Deryn glanced at Alejandro. “That’s my canteen. I left it near Fulk’s when we first got here. I didn’t know that was in it. I swear to you.”

  Instantly, Alejandro saw red. He gripped his M-16 and stormed towards Deryn. Kane stood quickly and stepped in his path. Ondrea moved and intercepted him, leaving Alejandro a straight path to Deryn. The second he was close enough to touch her, he cupped her cheeks and fought the urge to kiss her. “You are not to eat or drink anything until I’ve personally tested it. Understood?”

  “Christ, Alex, I thought you were going to hurt her,” Kane said, dusting himself off.

  “I will never hurt her and I won’t let anyone else either,” he said, still fighting the urge to kiss her. “Who had access to our supplies before we left?”

  Issac shrugged. “Most of the base did. It’s not like we’ve ever had anything remotely close to this happen before.”

  Ondrea put her hand up. “Umm, not to speak out of turn but I’m going to voice what we’ll all be asking ourselves later but did Vonni have a way of getting to Deryn’s things?”

  “She was in the stockade all night,” Issac said, shaking his head. “And I personally bound her powers to keep her from pulling another stunt like she did last night.”

  “Hey,” Ondrea kept her hand up, “I had to ask. The woman has it out for Deryn.”

  Alejandro didn’t want to think anyone would try to harm Deryn but the evidence spoke for itself. “Rodriquez, Issac, check Deryn’s lunch and her belongings for foul play.”

  “Yes, sir,” Issac said, heading back towards the jeeps.

  Fulk winked at Deryn. “I mean it, Bookworm, you’re all right.”

  “You need to thank Che. He’s the one who saved your life by stealing the canteen from you to begin with. He sensed something was wrong and didn’t want any of us to be hurt.”

  Groaning, Fulk glanced around. “Where the hell did the thing go?”

  “He took off,” Ondrea said, motioning in the opposite direction. “You can thank him next time he shows up.” She made tiny kiss noises. “He’s earned some monkey lovin’ don’t you think?”

  Fulk followed in Issac’s footsteps and Kane moved in towards Deryn. “I know you aren’t going to want to hear this, Deryn, but it’s not safe for you here.”

  “I can’t leave. They’ll shut this project down if they think their fail safe is lost.”

  “At this point I think it would best if they did shut the portal. Whatever is here is big. We can’t let it get to Earth. And I won’t let it hurt you,” Kane said.

  “Neither will I.” Alejandro refused to remove his hand from her cheek.

  “Colonel!” Issac and Fulk came rushing back towards the group. They were both pale and Fulk looked as though he might throw up. Panting, Issac leaned forward. “Private Jones’ head is in one of Dr. Murray’s ... err ... Deryn’s bags.”

  “She didn’t do it! She was with us all night and hasn’t been out of our line of sight since she got here,” Kane said, moving to block Deryn.

  “No one said she did, Soto.” Alejandro soaked in the news of one of his men being dead as best he could. “Rodriquez, radio back to base. I want groups of two patrolling the perimeter of camp at all times. We institute the buddy system starting now.”

  “What about his family, sir?” Issac asked, looking a bit green. “Should we notify them?”

  “Negative. If Deryn and Kane are correct, and the government is itching for a reason to close the link between us and home, then we aren’t going to hand them any ammunition. We’ll cremate Jones and once this is settled I’ll personally visit his mother.”

  Kane drew in a sharp breath. “Deryn, they’re following the steps to resurrect the Avatars. Sacrifice, tainted water....”

  She shook her head. “No. They’re not acting like they want to resurrect anything. They’re acting like they want to assure the Avatars are kept out of this. Jones was their way of making a point. I put him and everyone on this base under my protection. The attack on him is a direct challenge to me. It was my water they tampered with. It’s all a way for them to prove how powerful they are and that they aren’t afraid of me.”

  “Bookworm, you need to get your ass back to Earth. This is no place for you.” Fulk put a hand on a tree and used it to steady himself.

  Deryn glanced at Alejandro and he instantly pictured her belly swollen with their child. The image was so vivid that he had to look away or risk commenting. Deryn brush
ed past him and moved to a clear area. “Issac, are you powerful enough to do a binding spell on the dead?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  Kane jerked back. “Oh shit, you don’t think they’d try to use him against us, do you?”

  “Use who?” Alejandro asked.

  “Jones.”

  Fulk paled. “The only part that we have is a head. I hardly think that can be used to do anything with.”

  “Someone has his body and that part can be used.” Deryn reached out for Issac. “Is that his blood on your hands?”

  Issac nodded.

  “Fulk, I need your assistance please.” She motioned for him to come close to her. He did. She put her hand out palm up. “Use one of your claws and cut me.”

  Alejandro growled. “You will not touch her.”

  “Relax,” Fulk said. “I wasn’t going to do it, Colonel.”

  “Che!” Deryn called out. The monkey-like thing came charging out and raced up Fulk’s leg. It bit him in the forearm and Fulk’s claws shot out of his fingertips. Alejandro went at Deryn, knowing what she was about to do but was too late to prevent it. She had her palm raked over Fulk’s claws in a fraction of a second.

  Pulling her into his arms, Alejandro shook her. “What the hell were you thinking? Let me see how bad it is.”

  Ignoring him, Deryn held her hand out and let her blood drip onto the ground. “Issac, you know what to do.”

  “Yes,” he said, dropping to his knees and placing his bloodied hand on the spot where Deryn’s blood now lay. He began to chant in ancient Fae and closed his eyes. Wind whipped past them and Alejandro drew Deryn into his arms protectively.

  She put her cheek against his chest and let him hold her as the wind continued to pick up. For a moment, Alejandro thought it might actually blow someone over but it stopped as quickly as it started.

  Issac glanced up and nodded. “It’s done. Want to tell me why you insisted on it and why you were sure to include Rodriquez and me in the spell?”

  “Spirit tomb guards are dead. I think that whatever else is out there is dead too. Anyway, the guards are at their most powerful when it comes to death and all that surround it. The two of you are the ones who found Jones. That means you were directly exposed to a death they most likely caused. That makes you prime targets for them to come after you and for you to be susceptible to them. I just wanted to make sure to sweep their legs out from under them before they could do it to us.”

  She glanced back at Kane. “As for the rest of you, each of you are prime pickings. They are aware by now of the fact that we seem to be a team. A collective unit. They’ll assume you’re all my head guards--all except the colonel.”

  Ondrea gasped. “They’ll stick with the assumption that he’s your husband and therefore they’ll do their best to get to him first.”

  “Right. If they can’t get me, they’ll get those that are closest to me.” Her blue gaze fell on him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why they ever even thought you were my husband to begin with.”

  Ondrea cleared her throat. “Yeah, gee, I wonder.”

  Kane glanced at Alejandro. “It doesn’t really matter. If Deryn wouldn’t have been here they’d have come after Alex right off the bat. They want who they perceive to be the leader and they’ll stop at nothing to get him or her. What we need to figure out is why and how to stop it.”

  Chapter Six

  “What do you make of it all?” Ondrea asked, pushing her tray of food forward. It was virtually untouched as was Deryn’s.

  Deryn glanced around at the commissary, in an attempt to stay vigilant. “It doesn’t add up. From everything we’ve ever learned about Avatars they weren’t ones to be afraid of anything or anyone and I get the sense that whoever is doing this is scared that we’ll actually win.”

  “Yeah, putting a head in a bag screams ‘we’re scared of you,’ Deryn.” Ondrea glanced down at Che who was munching away on all that they weren’t eating. “Want to tell me more about them?”

  “Who, the Checatas?”

  She nodded. “It seems to have taken to you.”

  “Yeah,” she scratched behind Che’s ear and smiled, “I guess he has. His secrets aren’t mine to tell but I can say that they’re on our side, Onnie.”

  “You want me to put my life in the hands of little monkey things?” she asked, arching a brow.

  Deryn shook her head. “No. I want you to put your life in my hands.”

  “Oh, well that I do all the time.” Ondrea stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “I’m exhausted. We had a long night last night and it seems like an even longer day. I want a shower and some sleep.”

  “The shower sounds like a good idea. I don’t think I could sleep right now.” She lifted her tray and stood. “What do you say we hit the showers and then I’ll hang out in your tent and watch over you so you can get some sleep?”

  “I’d say you’re the greatest friend ever.”

  Two guards fell in line behind them as they dumped their trays and headed out of the commissary. Deryn noted what each was packing and stayed alert to their position. So far, they’d done nothing more than observe from a safe distance. It was getting too dark to make out their features from afar. The last thing she wanted to do was start accusing Alejandro’s soldiers of foul play but Deryn had lived too long and seen too much to think for an instant that they wouldn’t turn on her once word of her being a slayer spread.

  Issac had assured her that Vonni was still in custody and would remain so until Alejandro said otherwise but she still had access to the guards. They in turn, had access to the rest of the base. All she had to do was convince one to help her and she was well on her way to having a cause.

  They continued to walk and the two men stayed on their tails. As Ondrea pulled the flap back for the ladies restroom, Deryn cleared her throat. Ondrea nodded. “Yep, I sense them.”

  “Good to know we’re on the same wavelength.”

  Ondrea giggled.

  “After you,” Deryn said, holding the flap back for her friend. They entered the tent and Deryn went immediately to the shower stalls. She turned the water on full blast, not caring in the least that she was fully clothed. Icy cold water covered her but she paid no mind to it. Instead, she focused on Ondrea. “Are you picking anything up off them?”

  “No. You’d think I’d sense something. But they are not emitting anything. That makes me leery.” Reaching behind her, she pulled a long bowie knife in a sheath out and handed it to Deryn. “Here, I know you don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be armed but right now it would be for the best.”

  “No, hang on to it.”

  “But, Deryn....”

  She lifted the back of the tent and pointed to it. “Find Kane.”

  “I’m not leaving you....”

  Putting her fingers to her lips, Deryn gave the indication for silence. She took her wet boots off and quickly followed suit with her pants. Ondrea gave her a questioning look. Winking, Deryn stepped into the stall and closed the door. The ‘ah-ha’ that followed told her that Ondrea understood what she was doing--making it look as though she was indeed showering and not ready and willing to kick some ass. She listened as Ondrea slipped away.

  The feel of evil pressed in around her and she sighed. Being right about this wasn’t something Deryn wanted. No. She wanted to find out it was all a misunderstanding and that she was just overreacting. That didn’t seem to be the case.

  The heavy feel of evil continued to push in on her and she stilled, doing her best to draw upon her natural born gifts without unmasking herself. Every shifter and vampire on the base would sense a slayer’s presence among them if she did that. The last thing she wanted was to take on the entire base.

  Without drawing on her full slayer power, Deryn couldn’t tell exactly what she was up against but she did know it was closing in on her fast. The sound of screeches and small animal hysteria made her chest tight. She’d assumed the threat was of a human nature. Hearing the Checata
s calling out a warning told her otherwise. It was whatever evil stalked the Avatars.

  “No one will know if we just sneak a peek,” a hushed voice said, just outside the entrance to the tent.

  Deryn silently thanked the gods for her sensitive hearing and smiled. The men were harmless. Whatever was coming for her wasn’t. She waited until she sensed them--one in each of the stalls next to her. Glancing up, Deryn surveyed her options, shrugged and did what she did best. She launched into action. Hopping over the left side of the stall, she was on the solider before he could even blink.

  Punching out, she caught him in the face and knocked him out with one hit. She grabbed his handgun and tucked it into the back of her wet panties. It wasn’t an ideal hold but it would have to do. She began to hum as if she was singing in the shower and repeated her steps. This time going to the right. The second solider was none the wiser and went down just as easily as the first.

  She opened the stall door only to be knocked backwards. The blow to the stomach stole the very breath from her lungs as Deryn landed on the solider she’d rendered unconscious. Drawing his weapon, she fired off two shots and whatever was there let out a horrific scream.

  Rolling to her feet, Deryn tried to find the enemy. It found her first, striking out and catching her in the cheek. Her head snapped back and she fought to keep her balance. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She took a defensive stance and listened close for any sign as to what or where the enemy was.

  A dark shadow moved off to her right. Deryn had a half a second warning before something slashed out. Bending backwards quickly, she just missed losing her head. It did manage to catch her upper arm, slicing it wide open. The sound of breaking wood sounded next to her and she realized that whatever had attacked her had hit one of the stalls.

  The second she spotted blood on a piece of broken wood, she smiled. If it bled, it could die. At least she hoped that was true. Deryn clutched a piece of wood and watched for signs of the shadow again. She needed to lure whatever was after her away from the camp so she could stop masking her power and handle the problem at hand. “Come on you cowardly bastard. Come get me!”