Shifters of the Wellsprings: The Complete Paranormal Collection

by Leela Ash

  “Of course I’d be happy to talk to the Witch Queen on your behalf,” Mom assured the One Decent Wolf in the World. “I’m sure she won’t allow an important relic to be in the hands of a bunch of criminals like the Sand Pack. Especially if you do share a magical bond with it.”

  “Thank you.” Lucas actually seemed to like her mother. Hate made strange bedfellows!

  “There is one problem,” Ash interjected. “The Dragon.”

  Mom waved her hand, fanning her concern away. “Casey Briggs from the Flight of the Snows. The poor creature’s Flight owes a Blood Debt to Aaron King and thus he’s stuck serving as a bodyguard to King’s daughter. I feel so sorry for him.”

  “He called Lily his ‘Mate’.”

  “Mate?!” Mom set her cup down, hard enough to slosh tea all over the table. Her mouth twisted into an upside-down “U” of disgust. “A Dragon and a Wolf? How revolting!”

  Think that’s bad? How about a Wolf and a Hare Kin?

  Wicked laughter welled up inside Ash, along with an urge to blurt out her secret. It took all of her will to hold her tongue. The shock on Mom’s face would be so delicious! Instead, all she said was, “So that might complicate things.”

  “I doubt it. If he’s taken up with that hellion, Mr. Briggs is either mad or possesses extremely poor judgment. He’s clearly not the kind of Dragon one would trust.”

  I thought Dragons picked their Mates through some mystical ritual called the Rite of Claiming? Some infallible guide to True Love, according to the Shifter stories.

  Defending Casey Briggs would only start an argument, though. So, again, Ash said nothing. As she did so very, very often.

  That was the end of the pleasantries. Mom politely offered to pay for a couple of hotel rooms. Two, since obviously her daughter was not sharing a bed with a Wolf – no matter how nice he might seem.

  Fortunately Mom had no clue that this might be a danger. “Now you two run along. Once the artifact arrives, we’ll probably study it for a day or two. So just settle in. Sit by the pool, relax if you can. We’ll give you a call when we need you for questions or tests.”

  Or she could drive home. Phoenix wasn’t that far. Let Lucas stew, alone by himself…

  In a fancy resort. Surrounded by wealthy, beautiful women.

  That did not sound like a recipe for stewing.

  So what? If he wanted to chase every sun-tanned woman in Arizona, let him! She couldn’t care less.

  Or could she?

  Despite everything, Ash longed to go with him. To talk. To spend time together, just getting to know each other. To learn if they had enough in common to make something work between them.

  Two days wasn’t much – but it might be enough time to solve this ‘not friends’ status.

  Chapter 9.

  In fact, the resort solved nothing. Oh, it was lovely, full of Native art and piped New Age music. You just couldn’t escape that in Sedona.

  But Lucas couldn’t relax. He paced his room, anxious and angry. Ash pointed out all the distractions the place offered. Massages… a glittering pool… drinks…

  Nothing. He didn’t want any of it.

  At least he knew how irrational he was. “I’m sorry,” he sighed, when she tried to drag him to the pool. “It’s like I’m rabid or something. I should just go for a run.”

  Runs being the traditional way for Wolves to blow off steam.

  But it was a long run. Ash waited by the pool all afternoon, sipping frozen daiquiris and soaking in the sun. Dinner time came and went. No Lucas. He slunk in just before she went to bed. She wanted to ask him to come over, but he looked so tired and glum that she didn’t.

  So much for salvaging their not-even -‘friend’-ship…

  In the morning, Ash decided to go for a run. Early morning was the best time for it, before the day’s heat grew too fierce. As soon as Ash stepped into the hall, Lucas’ door swung open. “Something wrong?” he asked.

  “Nope,” Ash smiled, “I just prefer to run at cooler times than you do.”

  “Want company?”

  “Sure! I warn you though, you’ll probably run rings around me.”

  He grinned a dazzling smile and Ash felt little butterflies flutter around in her stomach. “I’ll go slow.”

  Sedona never really got cool in the summer, but it was pleasant. The two of them jogged along the road, enjoying the desert and the houses. Dog-walkers nodded as they trotted past.

  Ash needed her breath for running; she wasn’t much of a jogger. For Lucas, though, this was nearly a stroll. To her delight, he actually opened up a bit.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass.”

  “S’okay…” she panted. “Stuff’s… going on. I get it.”

  “The Monster has been so worked up. It’s always there, raging in my mind.”

  The Monster? Oh, his Wolf? Gasping, she waved him to a halt. “Don’t call it that. It’s your Wolf, not a monster. It’s part of you.”

  “Yeah.” He didn’t look convinced. “Gonna take me a while to think of it that way.”

  “It’s a part of your soul. Natural. If it’s upset, you need to listen to it.”

  “I’m not going to listen to it! It’s an idiot.” He winced. She bet his Wolf gave him a good chomp for that insult. “Biting and running are its solutions for everything!”

  “Well, I’m not saying you should do everything it says. But it’s you. Listen to it. Honor its feelings, even if you don’t choose to follow its suggestions.”

  And, of course, at the first mention of ‘feelings’ he turned all guy on her. Grunted, shrugged… and started running again. Forcing her to either shut up or fall behind.

  Ash chose to shut up.

  ‘Shutting up’ is a really unpleasant theme in my life. I need to stop doing it.

  Later. Even she had to roll her eyes at that thought.

  Another mile brought them circling back around to the resort. But as the parking lot came into view, Lucas suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her to a halt. “Why is that Dragon here?”

  Casey Briggs? She couldn’t see anything this far away. Then again, she couldn’t see his Shifter soul – which would be as obvious as an elephant. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go ask?”

  Instead, Lucas crouched and dragged her behind a clump of decorative bushes on some person’s tidy lawn. “There’s a ton of other Shifters, too. I see a couple Bears… two Hares… and about a dozen Wolves.”

  Those numbers sent a chill down her spine. Ash joined him willingly now in their little hiding spot. “Something’s wrong. Let me give my Mom a call.”

  Why was she whispering? Any group of Shifters would be friends… right? Yet a feeling lingered, a dread as if something hunted her.

  Mom answered on the first ring. “Ashbaline, where are you?” No greetings. No ‘hello’.

  “What’s wrong?” she countered.

  “Where are you?”

  “Tell me what’s wrong!” A little voice in her head told her that even her mother couldn’t be trusted.

  She could hear heavy breathing, as if her mother was the one jogging, not her. “Where’s the relic?”

  “How should I know? Casey Briggs said he was going to deliver it to the Warren yesterday.”

  “He did. Last night, it was stolen.”

  “Stolen?” she yelped. “From the Warren? How?” Beside her, outrage lit Lucas’ face and he slammed his fist into the soft lawn.

  Venom flooded her mother’s voice, turning each world into icicles. “Oh stop, Ashbaline. We know you took it.”

  Ash’s legs gave out and she sat down, hard, beside the Wolf. “You think Lucas stole it?”

  “Not Lucas. You. The security cameras caught you, clear as day.”

  Blood drained from her face. “No. I didn’t… I…”

  “Is this your idea of revenge? Because the Warren didn’t swoon over your silly research?”

  It wasn’t silly. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

  Tear
s stung her eyes. “Mom, I didn’t steal that relic.”

  “Do you expect me to believe you’re possessed?” the Hare sneered.

  Like the people who lured her out into the desert? Her mind instantly recalled their blank stares. That whole episode was another topic she had been trying to ignore. Maybe it was possible that she had done some dastardly deed while she slept…as a puppet like those men. Yet other, darker theories seemed more likely.

  “You know Mom, it is possible to take someone else’s shape, magically.”

  “Don’t try to think. You’re not good at it.”

  Beside her Lucas, listening to the conversation, clenched his fists, body taut and ready to explode into violence – as soon as a target presented itself.

  “Lily King said you might have a reason to steal it for this Wolf of yours. Can you explain that?”

  The baby. Oh hell, Lucas’ sister did know – or suspect – that she was pregnant.

  She had motive and evidence against her. And she was certainly familiar with the Warren’s layout. She’d practically grown up there, on her own while her mother worked.

  All she could do was insist on the truth. “Mom, I didn’t steal anything. I was at the resort all night long.”

  “Where are you now?” Annoyance dripped from her mother’s words, like poisoned honey. “If you truly think you’re possessed, you need to come to the Warren. We’ll examine you and get to the bottom of this.”

  That tone – like she was a rotten, bad child – was the goad that finally pushed Ash over the edge. Anger rose, clean and hot, burning through her confusion and pointless guilt. “I don’t think I’m possessed. I think your Warren has a thief in it. This was clearly an inside job.”

  “You dare!” Mom sputtered. “You accuse us of… of…”

  “I do. And I’m not getting anywhere near your Warren until I figure out what happened. Otherwise this thief will probably arrange an ‘accident’ for me!”

  “Ashbaline Anderson, you will do no such thing! You are going to…”

  She pushed ‘End Call’ with a satisfying ‘Click!’

  Furiously she swatted that cowardly tear off her face.

  Gently, hesitantly, Lucas laid a hand on her knee. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” Sniff. “My mother just accused me of stealing your relic to get back at her. Every Shifter in four states is probably looking for us – including a pissed off Dragon. But you know what? Screw them. I don’t need their help!”

  “We don’t need their help.”

  We? Even in her anger and grief, she heard that word. Felt it, in her heart.

  We.

  Maybe there was a path forward with Lucas.

  Just not now.

  Later. Like everything in my life. It’ll all come later.

  Damn her traitorous, leaking eyes. Ash forced herself to sit up straight and look the Wolf in the eye. “Let’s go find out who stole your ring, shall we?”

  Chapter 10.

  Uber to Budget Rent-a-Car. Thank God for credit cards and fanny packs! A short drive up to Flagstaff, ignoring the breath-taking scenery as they climbed the mountains. Stores had opened by the time they arrived. Another quick prayer of thanks for plastic money, and then, with new clothes, they sat down to plan over a late breakfast.

  Ash swirled her pancakes around her plate, mopping up every drop of maple syrup. “The thief has to be someone in the Warren. Mom’s right: the place has good defenses, both magical and mundane.”

  Lucas had chosen the less sugary ‘breakfast steak and eggs’ option. “So shapeshifting is a thing? Into, like, specific people?”

  “Yes, though it’s extremely difficult. You have to know the target well.”

  “Who’s that familiar with you?”

  The question almost made her laugh. “Pretty much everyone in the Warren. I kind of grew up there, under foot. But only a few Hares in Sedona could pull this off. Danielle LePierre, the Witch Queen. Thana Blair, her assistant. Maybe two or three of the senior researchers.”

  “What about your mother?”

  That thought didn’t upset her anywhere near as much as it ought. “Technically, yes she could. Mom’s not a good actress, though, and she seemed genuinely disgusted with me.”

  Lucas munched thoughtfully on his steak. “You mentioned something about possession. That’s real, too?”

  “Yes, and it changes everything. Anyone could be the thief.”

  “Even you?”

  “Yeah. But I don’t think I was possessed.”

  “Would you know?”

  That actually was a fair question. Ash pulled out her phone and scrolled through a few apps as the Wolf continued chewing his way through the mound of food piled in front of him.

  “Okay, I didn’t call for a ride last night. I don’t have a car. Did I steal your keys?”

  “Nope. Still got them.”

  “Well, I’d be sore if I walked all the way to the Warren and back. So no, I don’t think I stole the relic.”

  “Good.” Just like that, he believed her. A warmth bloomed inside her, one that had nothing to do with the hot coffee she gulped down. Lucas trusted her.

  Even if they weren’t ‘friends’.

  “So how are we going to find my ring?”

  That was the big question. Sadly, she didn’t have an answer.

  They brainstormed, tossing wild ideas back and forth. Steak and pancakes disappeared. Cup after cup of coffee vanished. When their waitress began to give them stink eye, they moved back to the car.

  With no plan and no decent ideas.

  A moment later, her phone chirped. Probably another IM from Mom. She was up to about 30 at this point.

  Not a message – an email. And not from Mom. From an address she didn’t recognize. “Do you know a ‘nemo@hotmail’?”

  “Nope.” Lucas’ eyes sparkled. “I don’t correspond with lost fish.”

  “Silly,” she teased. “ ‘Nemo’ means ‘no one’ in Latin.”

  “Sure it’s not the fish?”

  The subject line killed that joke in a heartbeat.

  ‘Framed’ was all it said.

  Not much more in the letter itself. Ash read it aloud. “ ‘You’ve been framed. The stolen item is at 2417 Central Street in Flagstaff.’”

  An electric silence filled the air.

  “Man, that doesn’t sound like a trap or anything, does it?” Lucas snorted.

  “This is a new low for my mother.” Breakfast sat in Ash’s stomach like a ton of bricks. “Faking an anonymous tip to lure me into an ambush.”

  “It can’t be her.”

  “Lucas, I know you liked her, but you don’t know Mom.”

  “I know she thinks you stole the relic,” he countered. “So ‘Come here to find it and clear your name’ is the wrong bait. For her.”

  “You’re right!” Her confusion deepened. “Whoever sent this believes we’re innocent.”

  Which ruled out pretty much every Shifter in the Four Corners region. “Do you think it’s legit? Maybe the thieves are turning on each other.” From what she’d heard, that was a common occurrence among the Fangs of Apophis.

  Lucas gazed out at the traffic whizzing by. Under the morning sun, the car grew hot. “I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” he said at last. Though he wouldn’t look at her as he said it.

  “Of course it is. You said this artifact is a piece of your soul. We need to get it back.”

  “Or I could learn to live without it.”

  “No! Nobody should ‘learn to live’ with a hole in their heart!”

  “Then I should go by myself.”

  Ash shook her head. “I’m not letting you do this alone. I’m not great in a fight, but I know a lot more about magic than you do.”

  His voice fell, until it was little more than a whisper. “I don’t want you to get hurt. Not over my stupid ring.”

  Touched that he wanted to protect her, she gave him a lopsided smile. “Your ring… and my reputation. I’m the o
ne accused of theft, remember?” “I’m in this too. So let’s go find Central Street.”

  Chapter 11.

  2417 Central Street didn’t look dangerous. A small tan ranch, it squatted in the middle of a dried out lawn spotted with crab grass. Houses exactly like it lined both sides of the street. Cars whizzed by, drivers intent on getting someplace else.

  Parked across the street, Lucas scowled at the dull place. “What now? We can’t just walk up there.”

  Honestly, Ash wasn’t sure. Hares didn’t fight unless things got desperate. And a Hare Kin like her? Never! “Probably not. I mean, if these are the Fangs of Apophis, I expect there’ll be a bunch of Shifters. Armed.”

  And willing to kill them. She left that part off, though. “Sorry. I don’t have any experience in this sort of stuff.”

  “Me neither. This will be my first assault and my first breaking and entering.”

  Ash laughed, and felt the knot in her stomach start to unwind. “Does your Wolf have any advice?”

  “Yeah. Kick in the door and bite anything that moves,” he said, joining her laughter. “I swear the Monster only has three gears: run, play, and bite.”

  Dark shades hid the house’s interior. With a sigh, the Wolf opened his door. “I’ll have a look around. Maybe I can see in one of the rear windows.”

  “Be careful!” Oh, like he wouldn’t think of that on his own! Ash winced. “I mean, don’t look too suspicious. The neighbors might notice.”

  He glanced up and down the street. “So be sneaky enough that the bad guys don’t see me… but not so sneaky the neighbors call the cops.”

  “Yeah.” Gosh, put that way, it did sound idiotic. And hopeless.

  Ash settled back as Lucas began his surveillance. At least now those thick curtains shielded them, too. No one on the inside could see the Wolf skulking around their doors.

  Minutes trickled by, feeling like hours. At every moment she expected to hear gun shots or a scream, dreading that that scream might come from him.

  She was so intent on the house that she didn’t notice the walker until he’d almost reached her car. A small man with greasy brown hair and a thin, ugly face wandered up the sidewalk sucking on a Big Gulp half as large as his head. An open bag of potato chips dangled from his other hand. He didn’t seem dangerous…