Shifters of the Wellsprings: The Complete Paranormal Collection

by Leela Ash

  Lily’s bellow made them all jump. “GIVE ME BACK MY MATE, YOU SHITTY LITTLE SHIELD!”

  No Mates appeared.

  Paige coughed. “Maybe manners count? Um, dear Aegis, please let my Mate Rex come back to me.”

  Again, no result, and Maddie sighed. “I don’t think this will work. We can’t make the Aegis do anything. It chose them, not us.”

  And they Chose us, as Mates. Doesn’t that matter?

  Something nagged at Savannah. Words, half-forgotten. Something she’d heard… where? At a wedding?

  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, that they two shall be one flesh.

  “Oh…,” she breathed. “I know why the gate won’t close. It can’t! We’re standing in it! Don’t you see? We’re not thinking about this right! Can you shut a door if someone’s stuck their arm through the doorway?”

  Lily wrinkled her nose, face scrunched up in concentration. “Maybe.”

  “No, you can’t,” Paige growled. “Not without breaking the door.”

  Trust the other Bear Kin to see her point. “Exactly! It wouldn’t close properly.”

  Maddie rubbed her temples. “I understand your analogy, but what does that have to do with this gate?”

  “Don’t you remember what they say in marriages? ‘That they two shall be one flesh’? What if that’s not just words? What if it’s true, spiritually?”

  Around her, hope brightened the faces of the other women, and Savannah felt her own spirit soar. “When Jordan Claimed me… when I accepted that… I bound myself to him for all time. I’m not just ‘Savannah Dare’ anymore. I’m Jordan’s Mate. We’re linked. And I think that,” she jabbed a finger at the invisible gate, “can’t sever our link.”

  “So, it’s like Casey’s the hand and I’m the shoulder…,” Lily started.

  “…and there’s a connection between you…”

  “…an arm…” The Wolf seemed determined to take her literally.

  “…that the Aegis can’t, or won’t, sever.”

  “Can we just pull them through, then?” Paige asked.

  Maddie shook her head. “I don’t know any way to physically grab magic.”

  But, sometimes, knowledge was a hindrance, not a help. The Hare’s training said this was impossible? Savannah’s heart refused to believe that.

  She raised her hands in the air, palms out. Seeking that hint, that gentle touch, she’d felt before.

  There! Soft as a kitten’s fur, she felt it.

  Jordan’s hands pressed against hers.

  Savannah curled her fingers, seeking to weave them through his. It was like trying to grab mist, and for a second, she feared Maddie was right. Jordan was a spirit now, impossible for her to touch.

  Then call his spirit.

  Call his Dragon.

  She remembered the great serpent lying, forgotten and decaying, at the bottom of that dream pond. How it had pulled itself to the surface to save her. Talons that could shred steel wrapped gently about her body, leaving not a single bruise behind.

  Beneath her fingers, the air grew cool and hard. Like a Dragon’s scales.

  Now, the man.

  Jordan. Once master, now Mate. Even as an ‘enemy’, he had fought to protect her from every threat, whether Darkborn or simply an angry, arrogant Wolf. His love – hot and true – had burned away the cobwebs that Todd wove in her mind. No longer would she accept table scraps of affection from any man. Jordan had shown her love, true love. Passion and ecstasy. She was his strength, he her delight. Together, they would heal his Dragon and build a future together.

  ‘Scales’ softened and grew warm to the touch. Gently, she twined her fingers through them. And this time, this time, she felt his hand in hers.

  Gasps rang out as she pulled him toward her. The fabric of the gate bent, curved…

  But would not break. Jordan was still trapped.

  “Help me,” she begged.

  Four women leaped forward. Four pairs of palms pressed against the air.

  “Think of your Mate’s spirit, and how much you love him.”

  Four faces scrunched in furious concentration.

  “Now, bring them back.”

  Fingers linked. Hands pulled.

  And then, five dusty, bloody Shifters came tumbling back into the real world.

  Chapter 20.

  Now was the time for true celebration.

  Once the Mates were reunited, the portal closed – just as Savannah had guessed. Fully, completely… and for a thousand years. Neither they, their children, nor their grandchildren need ever fear Nemagorix again.

  Five pairs of lovers strolled down to Stillwater. Each one lost in their own private bliss.

  Tucked beneath Jordan’s arm, Savannah basked in his admiration. “The best Hares on the West Coast were baffled… and you figured it out! I watched the whole thing. We could actually watch you all through that damned portal.”

  What a horrible death that would have been! Trapped in a hellish world, tormented by visions of your home. Inches away… yet unreachable.

  She couldn’t bear to think of that. Savannah pushed the thought out of her mind.

  As they walked, the men explained what had happened. How they’d locked up the demon lord. How Nemagorix’s forces had fled, scattered by the Adanai warriors.

  “Hang on!” Lily bristled with outrage. “Those guys didn’t just fly off and leave you behind, did they?”

  “Yeah, they did,” her brother grumbled. “That is exactly what they did.”

  “What a bunch of dicks!” the Wolf squawked.

  “Lily…,” Briggs sighed.

  “Don’t you ‘Lily’ me, bud! We’re gonna figure out how to get to Adanai-Land, and then, I’m going to kick some serious ass.”

  Back in town, laughter and love enveloped them. Real celebration, heart-felt and wild, broke out. Tossed by the waves of celebration, the couples drifted apart. Griffin and Maddie joined the elderly Navajo that he knew so well. The Fairburns ended up chatting with the Donnellys and Hares. Meanwhile, Briggs, Lily, Ash and Lucas all got dragged into a three-Pack squabble about which Wolves had to make the long, dusty ride back to town… to pick up beer. Briggs volunteered, but Lily insisted the only proper way to settle the issue was a massive arm-wrestling competition.

  With no one to demand their attention, Savannah and Jordan wandered to the edge of town, seeking a bit of peace. There, looking up at the star-filled sky, she kissed him again.

  “I am so proud of you.”

  “All of us share the credit,” he protested but still accepted her adoring kiss.

  “You were the only one who could walk the Gauntlet, though.”

  “Poor Nemagorix didn’t stand a chance. I’ve spent decades brooding over my failings. It couldn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I guess that’s the benefit of being a Worm. Who knew there was one?”

  He meant it as a joke, she knew, but Savannah still pinched him. “You’re not a Worm. You’re an injured Dragon.”

  “Same thing.”

  Could he not see how much he’d changed? “No, they’re not. A Worm doesn’t care about his sins. Only a Dragon does.”

  “All right.” A quick kiss on her nose was her reward. “I see your point.”

  “Plus, you didn’t give up. That’s the amazing part. You knew everything you’d done – and you kept trying. You didn’t give in to despair.”

  “Because of you.” He stared off into the desert, suddenly unwilling to meet her gaze. “You looked on the mess I’d made of my soul and you still loved me.”

  His own words seemed to worry him, for he suddenly turned and peered into her eyes. “You do love me, yes?”

  “Of course. Silly.” Savannah snuggled against him, and felt his reserve, his nerves, melt away.

  “And you’ll stay with me?”

  “Forever.” It was a promise that needed no thought.

  “You understand I’m a wreck, right?
It will be a long time before my Dragon heals.”

  “And I’ll be at your side for all of it.” Nursing him back to spiritual health was a ‘chore’ she would take up gleefully.

  “Good. I promise I will marry you as soon as I’m well.”

  “What!” she yelped. “Why on Earth would we wait that long?”

  “I’m not well. You know that…”

  “So? The vows say, ‘in sickness and in health’, remember?”

  “But…”

  “‘For better, for worse’…?”

  Jordan winced. “Normally, people start with the ‘better’ part.”

  “So, we do it backwards. Who cares?”

  She expected him to laugh. Instead, he studied her face, baffled and delighted. “Truly? You’d marry me now?”

  “Now. As you are. Pop the question, if you don’t believe me.”

  “Tomorrow,” he promised. “I’ll ask you tomorrow.”

  “Again, with the delays! Why not now?”

  Jordan held up his empty hand. “I don’t have a ring.”

  Savannah pursed her lips, eyeing him up and down with mock displeasure. “Okay. That I’m willing to wait for. But only a day. Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  And then, he kissed her.

  The years would be full of challenges. She didn’t doubt them or fear them. No matter how far the road to redemption stretched, they would walk it together. Man and woman, Dragon and Mate. Love would be their beacon, their strength, as they built their own future.

  The End

  We hope you have loved the Wellspring Tales!

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  Burning Falls Shifters

  Cynthia Wilde

  Copyright ©2019 by Cynthia Wilde. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Chapter One

  The image in her rear-view mirror reflected the jagged New York skyline fading into the distance. The dim, gray color of the sky mirrored Cindy’s mood, drizzling large spattering rain drops onto her windshield.

  “Good riddance, New York,” she muttered as she sped down the two-lane highway. Her time in the city had done her no favors outside of her professional life. More specifically, Reginald Anderson, though he preferred Reggie.

  Cindy had fallen for his smooth demeanor, and the fact that he was a co-worker did not deter her from a series of toe-curling dalliances after hours. The affair ended badly. As it turned out, smooth-talking Reggie was having a clandestine romance with another colleague as well.

  She found out about his “dalliance” one night when she had to return to work unexpectedly to retrieve a file she needed to go over before a morning meeting. When she got to the office, she spotted his light on down the hall and opted for a surprise pop-in.

  “Hi, Reggie,” Cindy had purred as she opened his door. She found him between the thighs of his personal assistant, her bare backside perched on the shelf of his bookcase which was rattling against the wall as his hips thrust into her with great gusto.

  He had not even tried to pretend an apology. “We never said we were exclusive,” he called out between gritted teeth, not even pausing his machinations. Cindy absorbed the scene in silence, watching them for a few seconds before she spoke.

  “That’s okay,” she demurred. “I wanted to let you know I’d like to submit my resignation, effective at once. Goodbye Reg.”

  In three days’ time, she managed to pare down her belongings enough to fit the remainder into the back of her Prius. What she could not cram into her car, she had dropped, without ceremony, to the nearest thrift store. She could not stop herself from chuckling as she drove past the sign indicating the edge of the small town she had once called home.

  ‘The City of Burning Falls Welcomes You!’ followed by a small clip art picture of a flame beneath a waterfall. The waterfall itself was far more poetic than the sign would show and the only thing which held any sentimental memories for her from her hometown.

  “You are always welcome,” her grandmother said. “For as long as you like.”

  “You might be right, Nan,” she had replied. “New York is wonderful, but the city is so fast paced. I think I need a break.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Nan replied with a wry tone.

  “Why do you ask?” Cindy said, trying to evade the second sense her grandmother always had about her.

  “It’s that boy, isn’t it?”

  “Well, Reggie’s thirty-five, so I wouldn’t call him a boy.”

  “I knew he was trouble, being so much older than you. It was not a good match.”

  “Only ten years, Nan. That’s not that much older than me. And besides, I wasn’t looking for a match. Maybe just a flame.”

  “I’d like you to come,” her grandmother said. “I’m not as young as I used to be, you know.”

  “Oh, Nan. You’re only as young as you feel, as you always point out.”

  “That’s the problem. I don’t feel as young as I once did. I’m getting tired more often, these days. It might be nice to have someone else here for a little while. Just in case.”

  “Okay, fine. If only for a little while.”

  Cindy and Nan had always had a unique relationship, much to the chagrin of Cindy’s parents. Nan had encouraged Cindy’s creative endeavors, always asking to see her latest designs, even when she was a child. After high school, she had skipped town as quick as she could blink, taking a job as an intern in New York, which led to a full-time position in the fashion industry. Cindy felt that much of her success came because of Nan’s encouragement.

  A few minutes after passing the welcome sign, houses began to appear at the edge of the two-lane road. Farm houses placed back from the road with large, sweeping yards, gravel drives, and cute little flower gardens adorning the porches.

  “Ah, home,” Cindy said, not without some irony in her tone. “New York, this is not,” she murmured. Soon, she arrived at Nan’s house. The nearest neighbor being about a quarter of a mile away, still visible, but from a distance. Cindy smiled as she pulled into the driveway.

  Her grandmother’s house had always had a certain element of character, compared to the other homes. Besides the lavender hydrangeas planted around the base of the raised porch, she also kept a collection of wind chimes, birdhouses, and painted gourds all over the porch. The house reflected her grandmother’s eclectic personality.

  Cindy exited the car, hearing the light tinkling sounds as the breeze drifted through the décor, the sounds of childhood. She had not even made it to the front step before the door flung open.

  “There you are!” Nan stepped out with arms wide, rushed into the yard and scooped her up into a huge bear hug. “I thought you’d never get here!”

  “Hi, Nan,” Cindy said.

  Nan shuffled her inside before grabbing her suitcase, carrying it as if it were light as a feather, her long flowered skirt swishing around her sandals. Cindy could not keep from smiling as the woman dragged them both into the house.

  “Come in, come in! I’ve got soup in the crock pot waiting for you. It won’t be ready for another hour though. I’ve got tea. Would you like tea? I can put on the kettle in no time at all.” She fluttered around the house, picking and adjusting the already pristine home.

  “Tea would be nice.” Cindy took a seat at the kitchen table, a relic from a bygone era, made of lime green Formica. The room filled with cheery welcoming scents of the rich chicken broth bubbling in the corner. Within moments, the tea kettle hummed on the stove. Nan poured two cups o
f hot water over the spiced tea satchels.

  “Cream, sugar?” she asked, peering over her shoulder.

  “Oh, both please,” Cindy replied.

  “Ah, it is a ‘both’ sort of day. Isn’t it?” Nan turned and sat down across from her, placing the steaming mug before the young woman. “So, tell me about New York. Is it as glamorous as everyone says?”

  Cindy sipped her tea, relishing in the cinnamon and comforting sweetness of the flavors. “Ugh, I’ve had enough of glamour,” she said. “Though I think you should visit the city sometime. You would love it there. It’s a wonderful place to visit.”

  “’But you wouldn’t want to live there?” Nan laughed.

  “Goes without saying,” Cindy replied.

  “Maybe so,” Nan said. “Besides, I think I have enough to contend with here in the ‘City of Burning Falls’.”

  The crinkles around her grandmother’s eyes somehow made them appear greener than usual. The only other indicator of her grandmother’s age was the silvery streaks through her long hair. Otherwise, Cindy thought she exuded a vibrant and youthful energy. “And a thriving city it is,” Cindy said with a smirk.

  “Perhaps, one day, I’ll visit New York,” Nan mused, peering out the window. “After an inevitable windfall.”

  “I could show you around,” Cindy mused. “You know what, Nan? I wonder if I could get settled in and unpack? I’d like to get the road dust off me, if that’s okay? Which is my room?”

  “Yes, of course! Let me show you where I’ve got you staying.”

  As they made their way through the living room, Cindy heard the clump sound of the mail being dropped into the box outside the door. Nan pulled open the door, waving and greeting the mailman already halfway down the path. His postal truck idled on the side of the road.

  Nan filtered through the small stack of envelopes. “Bill, bill, junk mail… Oh, what’s this?” She placed the rest on the side table and tore open the small white envelope. Her face went pale. “Oh, those rat bastards!”