“And do I tolerate such actions, Prince Tolstoi?” Keith asked, his voice just as hard as Sasha’s.
Sasha tore his gaze from Taylor and shook his head. “No. Well, sort of, as it did happen.”
“No, the situation in which a human-shifter child and a human mate were left outside during an attack happened. But as you know full well, it wasn’t because they are human. The child panicked and ran the wrong way, getting separated from the others. The adults were all punished for losing her. As for Jason, who is right here and can remind you, if you need, he chose to run into the attacking shifters to protect the child. He wasn’t abandoned. He made a choice, and while I was sick at the thought of losing him, I am, to this day, proud of him for what he did that day.
“I was referring to the practices of my father and those like him. Those who treat humans and those of mixed blood as lesser. The human members of my tribe are no less protected than the lynx shifter members. Any who do so will face me—something they do not want to do. Now as for the reason for this meeting: it is because Sean can shift, though we’re not sure how.”
“Huh?” Sasha flopped back in his chair and stared blankly. “Um, he’s your son. Well, he’s biologically Taylor and Jason’s, but of your bloodline, so yours, but…. But half shifters can’t shift. They’re too human. It’s not like with vampires, where the offspring is whatever the dominant species is, so how?” He suddenly whipped his head around to glare at Jason. “And why am I only just learning of this? I’m his uncle and godfather!”
“Because K-Keith asked m-me to wait s-so he could talk to you f-formally. Why do you th-think this m-meeting was c-called so qu-quickly? P-please don’t b-be m-mad.” Poor Jason looked like he might cry at any moment. Trace knew Sasha was his best friend whom Jason considered family, though they had no actual blood relation.
“I’m not mad at you, just miffed that I didn’t know something so significant about Sean. That’s all, hon, so calm down. No need to get all worked up. But are you sure he can shift? I mean, I know you’re a Chosen of Baast, Keith, Alpha Skyler, and if he’d been your biological child, I might have even understood, but the lynx half is from your sister, as she was your surrogate.”
“You know I can’t lie with a female and have a child. No mated shifted can lie with any but their mate, and as mine is male… me having a biological child is out.”
“Yes, I do know that, and as I was there for the child’s birth, I wasn’t questioning the parentage. My question is the how a human-shifter mixed child could shift part.”
“We don’t know.” Keith looked at Trace and he swallowed hard. “Trace?”
“I’ve already contacted the intertribe council just outside Toronto. So far no one has any ideas how Sean can shift. I want to reach out to a couple of the Chosen in other parts of the world and see if their tribes have any lore that maybe we don’t that might help. Also, um….” Trace took a deep breath. “I do have a possible idea or theory, but I don’t know if now is the time or place for it.”
Everyone in the room turned and stared, even the guards. “What?” Keith, Jason, Sasha, and Taylor all asked at the same time.
“Creepy,” Trace grumbled.
“Trace,” Keith hissed.
“Yes, Alpha.” Trace closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, then opened his eyes but didn’t allow himself to meet anyone’s gaze. “While I was out, shifted, before this meeting, I had a thought. Well, I’ve been thinking, and a few things have been tumbling through my head, but one seemed to fully come together.” Well, when he could get his mind off Sasha for two seconds. “You shifted into your Chosen form when you mated Jason, then bit him and bled for him. You fed him your blood on a couple of other occasions thanks to his being injured due to your… well, because of the previous alpha’s attacks on him. I wonder if he had or has enough shifter DNA in him because of that, so when he—” He paused, not sure of the word he wanted to use. Jason hadn’t mated Taylor, as the impregnation had been done with the help of the vampire doctor. But the concept was the same. “—impregnated Taylor, the child got enough shifter DNA to actually be a lynx, not a human.”
“Eww,” someone said, though Trace wasn’t sure who right away. “That’s like suggesting the alpha had a child with his sister.”
Trace looked around and found the source of the disgust: Darla.
“No, just that enough of what makes us shifters is present in Jason. Baast blessed their union and blessed them with a child, one who can shift. We are a magically blessed race. You know what happens if a kit happens from true incest?” Trace had seen the outcome from such a union, and it was horrific and tragic. The deformity of body wasn’t as bad as the twisting of the mind. The one case he’d personally seen, the poor child’s mind was locked in a perpetual state of enraged lynx while the body was twisted, as if stuck between human and lynx—except the child couldn’t shift to either form. There was nothing like that in Sean!
Neil shivered. “Darla, that’s not what Trace suggested and obviously not what happened. Sean is healthy, happy, and instead of worrying, we need to be preparing to train him properly how to lead, as he is Alpha Keith’s heir.”
“But I thought Zeke was his heir,” Gloria countered.
Trace sighed and sat back, not in the mood to watch the council go at it again. When they were first told of the kit’s ability to shift, they’d fought about which child would be the heir, completely ignoring that Keith was the one who chose his successor, not them. Only Taylor, as Zeke’s birth mother and Keith’s sister, had any sway in the decision. Not even Jason, though he was Keith’s mate, would be permitted to speak out in favor of one child over the other.
“Stop!” Keith roared, making Trace smile and the council jump in their seats. He noticed the vampires seemed bored, which only increased his grin. “Both boys will be raised as my heirs, but Sean is my son, so he is my official heir. When the time comes, I will decide based on what’s best for the tribe and for the boys. End of discussion.”
“Good to know at least one of you has some sense. Now when do I get to see my nephew turn into a kitten?” Sasha asked, his face alight with curiosity.
“But—” Darla started.
“Urod, don’t you have the sense to know when to shut the hell up?” Sasha snapped, cutting her off. “Neither Alpha,” he continued, pointing at Keith, “nor Prince,” then moved his finger to point at his own lightly sculpted chest, “has any use for your whining or attempts to sound important. Now shoo.” He waved his hand in a swooping, dismissive gesture. “I want to find out more about Sean from those who are actually interested in his future and not in him as a pawn.”
It was all Trace could do not to laugh as Darla huffed and flounced out of the room, yelling about horrible vampires and lack of manners as she went.
As soon as she left, Sasha looked back to Jason and Keith. “Now that she’s gone, let me say congratulations and offer my doctor and resources in any way I can so we can figure out what truly happened to allow Sean to shift, and what it will mean for him as he gets older.”
“Thanks.” Keith placed his hand over Jason’s but turned to face Trace. “Make sure the doctor the tribe council is sending knows he, or she—I’ve not been told who it is yet—will be working with a vampire doctor and that’s not up for debate.”
“Of course. Just….”
“What?” Keith’s gaze didn’t move.
“Prince Tolstoi’s coven doctor having the information is one thing, though the council won’t like it, but the information going outside your tribe or the prince’s coven will not go well.”
“That, Trace, is a given.” Sasha smirked. “And I would be disappointed in your council if they didn’t think that way. But this tribe has nothing to fear from us, especially not Sean. Now,” he said, leaning forward. “When do I get to see him shift? I can’t wait. There’s nothing cuter than a baby lynx.”
Chapter Three
“I STILL can’t believe how you tal
ked to Darla,” Jason nearly giggled as he and Sasha sat on the back porch of the home Jason shared with Keith. “I thought she was going to keel over, what with the strange shade of red she turned.”
“Well, what did you want me to say? I don’t know how Keith puts up with her, honestly.”
“I usually don’t,” Keith said from behind them.
Smiling, Jason turned and tugged Keith down into a hug before he settled back against him, wrapped in his arms. Sasha tried, again, not to feel anything at the display of love and companionship between the two men. He didn’t begrudge Jason his husband—in fact, Sasha couldn’t be happier for Jason—but that didn’t change the fact that his heart still wished he had his own lover to cuddle up with. In his opinion it was ridiculous that he was lonely. As the prince of a coven, especially one as strong as his, he could snap his fingers and have company any day or night he wanted it, but he would know they would only be there because he was the prince. The person would also not be Trace, so why bother?
“Earth to Sasha,” Jason said and waved a hand in front of Sasha’s face.
Sasha swatted at the hand. “You know, with the fact you have felines for a husband and a child, one would think you’d have been broken of that habit.”
“Oh, I’ve tried.” Keith shrugged. “I think he likes being swatted, personally.”
“TMI, hon. TMI. I so don’t want to know about your kinky bedroom life.”
Jason chuckled, then snorted. “Oh, puh-leeze. You took me to a BDSM club more than once, and I know for a fact you’re into that stuff, at least somewhat.”
“He did what?” Keith rumbled.
“Chill, Keith.” Sasha waved away the big lynx’s worry with the flick of one hand. “Nothing happened. I took him to a couple of theme nights. You know, where they do displays and such, but he was fully clothed and didn’t do anything with anyone.” Sasha huffed. “Like anyone there could have talked him out of his clothes or into kink. Ha!”
“Then why’d you take him?”
“Because he was curious. I figured if I took him, he’d be safe, and he could find out what he wanted to know in a controlled environment. No danger, no one gets hurt, and he’d be happy.”
“You know, I am right here,” Jason sulked. “And I’m not that vanilla.”
“Well, I should hope not, seeing as you’re the hubby to a big ol’ super alpha kitty.” Sasha reached over and petted Keith’s bulging biceps. “And I’ve seen the scars.”
“Hey n-now.” Jason flushed from hairline to below his collar. “N-no t-touching.”
“I don’t want your kitty, hon. Don’t worry.”
“You ever going to claim the lynx you do want?” Keith asked, one brow arched as he gazed down at Sasha.
Dammit! The last thing he needed was a meddlesome alpha cat egging on his forever hopeful, softhearted best friend. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sasha held up a hand. “And even if I did, you should be focusing on the little ball of fuzz in the yard playing, not on my love life or on what you’re presuming is my lack thereof.”
“That ball of fuzz, as you put it, has a name, thanks, and we all three know you aren’t seeing anyone right now. That you haven’t seen anyone in quite a while.” Jason folded his arms over his chest as he leaned back against Keith, who continued to stare at Sasha. “Sean is fine. He’s having fun with going back and forth between the human part of the jungle gym we got him and the kitty part Keith and Vance built. I can pay attention to my son and to you at the same time. Thanks ever so much, hon.”
“Fine, Sean is where you should focus, not on my love life.”
“Sasha, you might as well give up, and you know it,” Keith countered. “I never win when he gets like this. I don’t see you winning either.”
The sad part was Keith was right. When Jason put his mind to it, no one got away with anything—not human, alpha, or prince. He wished his parents had lived to meet Jason. Sasha was certain his father and mother would have loved the sweet yet ornery human. “True or not, I have no answer for either of you. There is no kitty for me to go claim.”
Both men stared at Sasha in blatant disbelief. Jason seemed to recover first. “Sasha, hon, I know you want Trace! And if what I’ve seen over all this time counts for anything, human though I may be, he certainly seems to appreciate an awful lot about you too. I’ve watched you two dance around each other since he first moved here… over five years ago. What I don’t get is why you don’t go after him. Is it because he’s a lynx and you’re a vampire? You didn’t seem to think that was a valid reason for me to push Keith away when I first found out what he was, so I don’t get it.”
“I’m not biased against lynx, Jason. My brother-in-law was a lynx. You know that.”
He nodded. “I do. So….”
“I’m not having this conversation. Trace and I are not right for one another. Period.” Besides, he doesn’t want me and feels no qualms about sleeping with humans and probably other cats after meeting me, knowing we were supposed to be fated.
“But—”
“Jason,” Keith interrupted. “If Sasha isn’t ready for some reason, as long as it isn’t prejudice, then we should stay out of it. When he’s ready, he’ll come to you and tell you what’s wrong. Right?” Keith moved his piercing gaze to Sasha, daring him to argue.
“If and when I find someone I want to date, I will share that with you, hon. I’ve shared that kind of thing with you before, even when I had to swear them to secrecy about their fangs to be allowed around you.”
“Still wish you would have been honest about that sooner, but fine. I think you two would make a hot couple. But fine, be stubborn.”
“I will, thanks.”
Before either male could start on anything else dating-related, Sasha hopped up and went out to play with Sean. He was (mostly) confident neither Keith nor Jason would continue to harass him about dating, Trace, or kink/sex with Sean around.
TRACE PACED the hall and living room in his small house on the Glacier Rim Tribe land. After Keith Skyler had defeated his father, the former alpha, he had sold the old tribe lands and moved the tribe to the forests on the opposite side of Seattle. It wasn’t where Trace had originally lived when he first moved to Seattle, but he loved his home. The clean lines and uncluttered space was all him—all his. He’d overseen every purchase and placement, and as such there was nothing that didn’t comfort and feel like home to him. Nothing of his parents, his siblings, his exes…. Bookshelves lined two of the walls, and an entertainment center with shelving for movies and more took up most of another. He had a few pieces of art that caught his eye on the pale blue walls—except for the wall opposite the entertainment center. It was all rough stone with a fireplace and hearth. His furniture was overstuffed leather, soft and supple, perfect and comfortable, with dark-wood tables and accents. The floors were all hardwood, with throw rugs spread about to pull the leather and color of the walls together in a way that pleased his human and satisfied his lynx.
He stopped in front of the full-length mirror near the front door and turned so he could see his back. He only wore a pair of low-rise gray jogging pants, so his back was completely uncovered—something he didn’t usually allow others to see. The marks there were still visible after all this time and would be for as long as he lived. Trace knew that, but he had grown too comfortable and lax in his new home. He’d stripped off his shirt when it became soaked with sweat during a run with Jason and a couple of the other human mates in his adopted tribe.
As the council representative and a friend of Jason’s, Trace felt it his place to make sure the nonlynx in the tribe were taken care of and happy. Unfortunately they’d noticed the marks on his back and asked questions. Now he was waiting for Keith—as the tribe’s alpha and veterinarian—or his sister Taylor—as a member of the tribe who was a nurse and someone Keith and Jason trusted completely—to stop by and start asking about the damn scars.
He didn’t even know what he could say that would
n’t get him into trouble. Withholding health information from the alpha simply wasn’t done, he knew that, but he’d never found the right time to talk about his past. He couldn’t outright lie to his alpha. Besides, the alpha would smell the lie on him. When they’d made the decision for him to stay long-term, he should have just talked to Keith, and then none of this would be an issue.
The deep lash marks almost hid the bite scarring at his shoulder, but Trace could see it. It was only one of the reasons no lynx would ever accept Trace as a mate. The other marks were part of why Trace could never accept anyone else. Broken matings simply weren’t done, nor could he tolerate another touching him that way again.
Stupid! How could he have been so stupid as to have let the humans see his back? Especially Jason!
Even though he knew to expect the knock, when it came, Trace still jumped, his heart racing as he froze at the sound.
“Trace? I know you’re there,” Keith said through the door. “I can hear you on the other side of the door, you know?”
Trace wondered if Keith would come in if he didn’t answer the knock. Keith was the alpha, so he had every right, but he was also huge on respecting the privacy of others. Still….
“Trace. Open the door.”
Yeah, he couldn’t ignore a direct order like that—though it was said with more kindness than most alphas would afford in the same situation, he imagined. Trying not to sulk, Trace walked over and opened the front door to find Keith standing there. Had he bothered to check, he would have only scented Keith, but he’d been too wound up to think. A dangerous trait, one that had nearly gotten him killed once already. “Yes, Alpha.”
Keith stepped inside and closed the door. “Trace, Jason’s really worried, but I didn’t let him come with me. I hoped you’d be willing to talk to me, though. Would you mind if we sat and discussed what he saw earlier?”
Fangs with a Heart Page 3