Death Be Shifted (The Terra Vane Series Book 6)

by Katie Epstein

  Kaleb shared a glance with me. “We do. But with so many wolves out there and with how fast the reptile shifters move, it’s not a good idea to take a Pulsar. But we have our fangs, our claws and our speed.”

  “And the human?”

  “She has her sass. She’ll do fine.”

  I glared at him as a few sniggered. But another one asked, “How did this thing get here?”

  “We don’t know,” he replied honestly. “But we’re going to cover the ground by the spring first and then by the lake. So far, it appears the reptile shifter has hunted only by water. Let’s go out there and see what we can scent. Terra?”

  I tugged the tooth out of my pocket and threw it at Bevren who caught it. “I found it in the lake. It’s not a mammal tooth.”

  Bevren sniffed it, scrunching his nose as he did so.

  “Scent it,” Kaleb told him, “all of you. See if you can smell anything to track. But if our target is burrowing himself beneath the ground, living in the water, you’ll lose the scent. Let’s see if we can track him.”

  “You ever gone up against one of these before?”

  “No. I haven’t. So we stay on alert and hope we can take him out as a pack.”

  “And her?” Bevren nudged his head in my direction. “Is she coming?”

  “She’s an Enforcer Field Agent who could take you in a fight on her worst day.”

  Bevren scowled. The others sniggered.

  “She will lead a group,” Kaleb continued. “I’ll take another. Brent can lead the third. Let’s split into three groups of eight. But let’s head out to the spring together. From there, we’ll split up and track down to the lake.”

  “I won’t be going with her,” Bevren said.

  Kaleb shrugged. “Fine. You can come with me. But I’m telling you now, Terra has the nastier bite.”

  Chuckles came from the crowd at such a statement, but Bevren only glared at me.

  “Come along then,” Brent ordered, splitting up the groups. He gave Anya a long kiss goodbye. “Let’s head out.”

  19

  As the crowd of shifters, and one human, made their way through the forest to the hot spring, a few of the wolves who knew Kaleb caught up with him. I fell behind, leaving him to it, happy to ponder over things for a while.

  Not long after, a young wolf fell into step beside me. “Hi, there. I’m Ethan.”

  I turned, smiling at him. Covered in tribal tattoos, with a long ponytail of shiny black hair falling down his back, he smiled in return.

  “Hi, Ethan. Nice to meet you.”

  Chagrined, he said, “I’m sorry for how Bevren treated you before. He’s not normally so angry. Or so narrow-minded.”

  “He’s hurting. Grieving. People deal with death differently.”

  “Maybe. But he still has no right to talk to you in that way. You had nothing to do with Varden’s death. You’re only trying to help.” He grinned. “Plus, you’re super hot for a human.”

  I laughed. “Thanks for that.”

  “So, you’re a psychic, eh?”

  “That I am.”

  “That’s cool. How old were you when you discovered you were psychic?”

  “Nine,” I replied. “I woke up to the sound of whispering voices and hid under the cover for an age. When I finally braved it to move the blanket, I saw images of myself being given the belt by my grandfather.”

  “You mean you woke up to your grandfather beating you?”

  “No.” I shook my head, “It was a vision of him doing so. I gawked and could do nothing but watch. He tried to beat the devil out of me. He did it upon instruction of the church after my psychic gifts kicked in. Little did I know what I saw would be something that played out in my future. Whispers, voices, feelings, they were with me after that.”

  “That sounds awful. I’m sorry.”

  He looked so stricken I had to smile. “It’s fine, Ethan. It’s all in the past. And all gifts come with a price. You all pose the risk of turning rogue when you hit your teens. And the first shift is not a good experience, I hear?”

  “No.” He grimaced. “It’s not. My sister barely survived hers. It was touch and go for a while. But she did it. It haunts her though. The pain. The fear.” He shrugged. “But she’s not rogue. That’s a blessing she holds onto every day.”

  “Do you enjoy being here in Totem Talamh?”

  “Yeah. I do. I mean I’d love to go to the city at least once in my life. Many of us have never left our land. Many see a reason not to. But you hear stories, you know? And I would like to visit the Crystal Quarter. It sounds awesome.”

  “I live there.”

  “You do?”

  “Yep.”

  “Ah, man. That sounds amazing. I want to visit the WMS. See how the Weather Management System works. I want to meet the weather fairies who work there, see the technology they have. I’d love to see how they do it all.”

  “Well, call me if you ever get to visit. I’ll give you a tour of the city.”

  “Thanks, Terra. I’d like that.” He sighed. “I like it here. I do. Brent’s cool and all, cooler than his old man, even though many here would disagree. Shifters hate change, and Brent represents change. But us younger shifters love Brent and Anya. They look after us. No matter what Bevren thinks, Brent’s a good Alpha.”

  “Yeah. He seems so. And I like Anya.”

  “Not bad to look at either.”

  “Don’t let Brent hear you say that.”

  He laughed. “I won’t. Or my girlfriend, Becky, either. Her wolf would rip my throat out.”

  “Is she your mate?”

  “As in claimed mate?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No way.” His face fell. “Not to be disrespectful. I love her. I do. But claiming,”—he let out a whistle—“that’s some heavy shit.” He looked over and cringed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to curse. But it’s not like a Blessed Union or marriage. That’s what humans do, isn’t it? They marry?”

  Swallowing the hurt that reared from Kaleb’s similar reaction, I nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

  “Well, with a human marriage, and sometimes, if deemed appropriate by the Alpha, we can break the bonds of Blessed Union if things don’t work out. But with a claiming that’s a whole other level. If one of you dies, or if, I dunno, say they changed, became a bastard… sorry… but, let’s say they became an abusive alcoholic, toxic, you know, then you’re stuck with them. You can’t live without them. And it’s happened, too, where shifters have clicked with someone but had a stronger connection than their mate. Rare, yes, and usually the result of a weaker connection, but it still happens. And then if you’re the one left behind, it’s life changing. You can’t function. You can’t operate. You only feel a part of yourself.” He shook his head. “Nah, man. Not for me until I’m sure. Becky understands.”

  “You’re both still young.”

  “Yeah. That’s it. We’ve got time.” He nudged me, smiling. “How about you? You and the other agent guy look close.”

  A laugh fell out of me at that. The guy’s perky outlook was infectious. “Yeah. You could say that.”

  He tried to probe some more, but I urged him onto safer ground and spoke about his life on the land.

  “I’ve noticed you don’t have roads here. No cars. Not like in the city or at Darkwood.”

  “Darkwood?” His eyes widened in surprise. “You’ve visited the place where the vampires live?”

  “Yeah. I have.”

  “Damn. I’d love to be an agent. You get to go everywhere.”

  “Trust me. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds. And I believe the vampires would be as welcoming to a wolf as you would be to a vamp.”

  “I guess. But to answer your question, we don’t have roads here because we don’t need them. We can do everything via our wolf. And a lot of packs like to do things the natural way.” He lowered his voice. “The slow and boring way.”

  I smiled. “As you said, people don’t like change.”

&
nbsp; “You can say that again.” Ethan sighed as the hot spring came into view. “Well, here we are. We’ll have to track from now on. But I’ve enjoyed talking to you.”

  “Me, too.” I smiled. Ethan winked, jogging over to his friend who was beckoning him from Kaleb’s side.

  Once Brent allocated the groups, we all went off in our separate directions. I lead ours, falling into a simple conversation with Ethan’s friend, Shawn. He stayed human to chat with me, and the other wolves didn’t seem to have the same issue with me as Bevren had. They listened to my guidance, my instructions, as we investigated the different parts of the forest leading down to the valley by the lake.

  We covered good ground, intending to cover more once we had an update from the other groups. But a roar of pain echoed through the air.

  “What the hell is that?” Shawn tilted his nose in the air. Aterrified scream pierced the silence. He shifted into his wolf and raced off with the other wolves in our group.

  So much for staying together.

  Another scream later, I gauged the direction of the sound. I ran faster, unable to keep up with my furry teammates. I found them at the edge of the lake, one wolf howling, and another nudging his nose at the water.

  The others piled in from the east, a blend of wolf and human. Kaleb appeared at the lake’s edge and shifted to human form, trying to found me. Our eyes caught over the narrower part of the water. He looked relieved when he saw me standing there, and my heart could go back to its normal rhythm now I’d found him. But why had everyone raced to the lake?

  Kaleb stayed human as the others in their wolf snarled at the water. Have they found something?

  And then I saw it.

  Ethan.

  He rose from the water, fear on his face. His arms flailed, his mouth gasping for air, panicking as he splashed his arms around.

  Shifters hesitated at the edge of the lake, tentative, eager to avoid the water. I tried to find Brent, needing him to order his wolves to dive in. I couldn’t locate him, and I knew the wolves wouldn’t listen to me. That’s if they could even swim in their wolf shifter form.

  Ethan screamed as he splashed for dear life. But then something dragged him down into the wet abyss, swallowing his cry of terror.

  I didn’t think.

  I didn’t have time.

  Tugging off my jacket, I ran into the water.

  “Terra!” Kaleb roared from the other side as he noticed me. He followed suit, jumping into the lake.

  We both swam to where we’d seen the shifter last go under, arms smacking against the wet as we pushed all we had into the swim. Kaleb got their first, aiming for me, but something surged up in between us.

  Ethan, his face bloody, caught hold of my shoulders. “Help me!” he shouted, dragging me under with him.

  The lake was murky, clouded, and I could barely see a thing. Something pulled us both, fast and unrelenting, through the water.

  I held onto him, silently reassuring him I wouldn’t let go. But without having the chance to take a decent breath before being dragged under, I needed to take one now.

  And soon.

  My heart beating fast, I pushed back against what pulled us along, kicking my legs as hard as I could while I hooked my arms under Ethan’s.

  You need to let him go! My instincts screamed at me as the need to survive kicked in. But I couldn’t. Not when I felt his fear, his pain, as he gripped onto me for dear life.

  Kicking hard, someone grabbed my waist.

  Kaleb.

  Moving with us, he tapped my shoulder before shuffling away down Ethan’s body. He must have partly shifted his hand into a claw as he stabbed at something, the water turning into a red mist as I tugged hard. The shifter in my arms finally pulled free. I felt Kaleb’s hands on my waist once again, hauling us up, and the haze across my eyes darkened.

  My chest tightened. I begged to breathe, stars formed. But I held on, I held onto Ethan with all my might and didn’t let go as Kaleb swam us up to the surface.

  When we broke free, the blessed sunlight was the most beautiful thing in the world.

  I gasped for air, clinging to Ethan, who’d passed out. He felt like dead weight in my arms, but I wouldn’t let go. Not now.

  “Hold on, Terra,” Kaleb reassured me, swimming us to the edge.

  Brent had dove in and was swimming toward us. He took an unconscious Ethan from me, another couple from the group warily entering the water to help him.

  Once free, Kaleb held me tight. I gasped, fighting for breath. He hurried to get us clear, lowering me onto the ground in the trees, away from the lake.

  My body still fought for air, a panic attack on its way when my lungs couldn’t take the oxygen in fast enough.

  Kaleb brushed the wet hair from my face and put a light hand on my chest.

  “Slow five,” he said, counting with me. “In for five. Out for five.”

  I tried, but the gasps continued.

  “Just five seconds, Terra. That’s all I need. Breathe. One, two, three…”

  I did as he instructed, focusing on his eyes.

  “Good. Again. One, two, three…”

  Holding on to his arm, it hurt to control it, but the third time around, the pain lessened.

  “That’s it, baby.” He gently lifted me into his arms. “Now six. Try for six. One, two, three…”

  He continued counting with me, keeping me focused until my breathing regulated. My chest hitched every few minutes, but I’d steadied.

  The surrounding commotion escalated, Ethan, now conscious, and screaming in agony.

  The others tried to calm him, but he was going into shock. Brent ordered a group of shifters to hurry back and get the healing cabin ready, alerting their pack healers.

  I sat up, lethargic as my body tried to switch back on after the lack of oxygen. Kaleb helped me to stand.

  Shawn hurriedly removed his shirt, and Brent used it to wrap up Ethan’s leg. Blood oozed out upon nature’s floor.

  “We need to get him back,” Brent ordered, lifting the injured shifter. “I need to account for everyone.” He looked at Kaleb. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine. We’re right behind you.”

  He nodded, glancing at me before racing off with the others.

  20

  The shower helped eradicate the cold. But I didn’t stay under it for long. I wanted to find out how Ethan fared.

  Kaleb updated me on the series of events. Somehow, Ethan had trailed off from the rest of the group. They’d been taking it in turns, a few of them staying human as they searched, and Ethan and another wolf had volunteered to do so.

  “Hey,” I said when he looked stricken. “It’s not your fault.”

  “He was in my group. I should have been watching.”

  “Don’t.” I took his face in my hands. “Don’t do that. We knew the risk when we went out there. And I don’t think any of us thought whatever we hunted would have the audacity to attack us with so many wolves present.”

  “But it did. And if it’s Torroro, he went for the one who looked human. A young wolf I ordered to stay human.”

  “You said he volunteered. And what’s saying I’d have been able to hold on to him if he’d stayed in his wolf form.” I leaned up to kiss him. “You saved us.”

  He wrapped his arms more tightly around me. “You had to dive into the water, eh?”

  “Well, no one else was doing anything. You know how shifters are with water.”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “I should be used to this by now. But I’m not. You’ve got to stop jumping in head-first and give everyone around you a minute to catch up. Let someone else leap into the firing line for once.” He leaned his head against mine. “Just once?”

  I sensed his worry then, his fear as he clung to me tightly. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t let him suffer. He was so scared, and whatever got him…”

  “Almost dragged you under with them.” He brushed a thumb against my cheek. “You need to understand you mean th
e world to me. You mean the world to quite a few people who would be devastated if anything happened to you.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.” His lips found mine, planting a brief, comforting kiss upon them. “Never apologize. But next time, give it a few seconds to let people share the load, okay? There’s only so many times you can beat death, you know?”

  “I get it.” I stepped back, grabbing the sweater Anya had loaned me, and pulling it on. “No more jumping into lakes from now on.”

  “Please don’t. I’ve had enough of deep water to last for a lifetime. When I saw you go under…”

  “Hey!” The look on his face almost my undoing. “You came for me. You saved me. I’m here.” I sighed. “Let’s hope it was worth it. What did Brent say about Ethan?”

  “They’ve got their healers on it, but he may lose his leg. It’s touch and go at the minute.”

  “Shall we go see how he’s doing?”

  “Sure. But come kiss me more first.”

  I grinned and walked into his open arms. I met his kiss, a union of need, coming together to sate as much as we could. But it turned hot fast, his panting against my mouth, the hard promise of him pressing against my stomach. He walked me back against the wall. He fed his hands beneath my sweater. “How about we try this again? See if I can keep my wolf at bay this time without nature’s buzz riding us both, hmm?” He nuzzled my mouth. “And I know this is late, but about protection…”

  “I’m good,” I breathed, kissing him. “Mayra concoction once a month. No psychic-wolf babies. And you can’t catch diseases, either. Lucky for a horny shifter like you, eh?”

  He laughed against my mouth, his hands ready to hitch down the bottoms I wore.

  A hard knock came at the door, shattering the moment like glass. “Goddamn it!” His hand retreated. “We’ll finish this later.”

  “We’d better.”

  Righting myself, I followed Kaleb to the door, surprised to see Brent standing there.

  He looked worn down. Tired.

  “Hey, guys.” He pushed by us and made for the kitchen to grab some water. After he took a drink, he collapsed onto the couch.