by Barb Shuler
“Sister, your assistance, please.”
I watched the man’s gaze flick to Talia and Pyper for a split second as he spoke to the gray haired woman.
“For the love- I will be right back,” she bit out then disappeared.
We stared at the space they had both just occupied and could only blink.
“What in the fuck is going on here? I’m about to lose my cool,” Marissa snarled.
The earth rumbled as her anxiety started to grow. I reached out and rested a hand on her arm. Warmth spread between us and she visibly relaxed.
“I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Micha. I am the head council member-”
“The shifter council…” Sheri’s eyes widened slightly and nodded to him.
“Yes. Please, if we could just take a seat? I promise I will do my best to explain everything that is happening.”
His words were soft, yet held the tingle of alpha power that had us all nodding.
I moved to sit beside Talia, Marissa flanking her other side as she held Pyper to her chest.
“As I said, my name is Micha. This is going to sound a little out there, but I ask that you let me explain things. There are prophecies the were foretold of by The Fates many moons ago. It seems they are now coming to pass. Your struggles have not, will not, be in vain. Your destinies were written in the stars and the paths that you are on were marked before your parents were even old enough to wish for you. ” He paced the small area before the fire pits where we had taken a seat. He took in a deep breath then turned back to us.
“Two years ago my daughter, Jasmine, who was a part of a prophecy such as this, had to go through some of the same things you are. She had no idea just how special she was to the supernatural world. Neither did her mates. So, trust me when I say, I understand the stress of it all. Natalia, Marissa, Sonny, you are all part of an ancient prophecy brought about to bring balance to the supernatural world. Now, please understand when I saw this, no one other than the Fates themselves know exactly why you have the gifts that you do. We have been watching you for the last year.”
“That’s just fucking creepy,” Marissa muttered.
I shook my head as Talia tried to hide a chuckle in Pyper’s hair.
Micha continued as if she hadn’t interrupted him.
“With each trial you passed, the prophecy was seeped further and further into reality. Now, here we are. A final battle that will either end how we and the supernatural world as a whole interact with each other or it could have far greater consequences. If the vampire king, fool he may be, gets to do as he wishes, our existence will be revealed to the human realm. We don't want them to know about us, for obvious reasons. Humans are fragile, skittish creatures who fear the unknown the way a groundhog, that blasted creature they foolishly believe predicts the season’s change, fears it’s own shadow in the winter.”
“What of those that are mated to humans?” someone called out from behind us.
“That is a different story all together. There will be times when a human, one that is special to the supernatural world, is pulled to be a member of our world. This is the exception to the rule, as my daughter would say.”
“What does this mean for us?” Talia asked, her gaze going up to meet Micha’s.
“It means, that you’re all going to have a bit more of a tough road ahead of you. I wish I could make this easier, or say some magic words so you all had the right answers as to what was going on.”
“I’ve seen what happens. If we fight together, we will come out on top…. good must prevail.”
There was more talk of prophecies, danger and a host of other things when the air shifted around us once again bringing the three of us to our feet. My eyes scanned the area, as did Talia’s. Marissa took a step in front of us and stretched her arms down, her fingers sparking blue.
“Easy,” Micha said. “The one’s coming this way are allies. They’re my family.”
The three shifters that came through the nearest thicket of trees had a few of the men and women behind me growling. A bear, one that was bigger than Sebastian, a huge jaguar and a wolf that stood taller than the ones around me, stalked our way. The wolf moved ahead of the other two and within two steps the wolf became a beautiful woman. Her smile grew as she got closer.
“Jasmine,” Micha said. He opened his arms and engulfed her in a huge hug. That hug had my eyes brimming with tears. It was just like the hugs Daddy gave me.
“Jesus, that is a one big puss-”
“Don’t you dare…” Sheri shot Marissa a look and, tense or not, I giggled. Talia turned her head to the side, her shoulders shaking.
“Ladies,” Sebastian said from behind me, he too was holding back a grin. I could see his cheeks twitch from the effort of holding it in.
It took a minute before the other shifters coming up to us shifted. Both men stood before us, their eyes assessing each member of the group around us. I let out a small sigh as I rubbed at my forehead.
5
Sebastian
Rubbing the back of my neck I let out a frustrated sigh. The newcomers, who I wasn’t fully sure I trusted yet, had been telling stories of prophecies that sounded utterly unreal. Though, knowing what I know, the prophecy is playing out as it had been foretold. Roslyn had told us many times that Sonny had to stay hidden, she had to be kept from danger. That had worked, until now.
Now, we stood in the middle of a small clearing with allies coming in from all sides to get ready for a fight. Not just any fight, a fight to save the supernatural world from falling apart.
A growl escapes me as I try to control my bear. He and I do not handle this kind of stress well. Sonny was willingly going to put herself and our babe in the fight. I moved passed the group of warriors I had brought with me and paced the ground. This was a lot to have to deal with. I’d missed part of the conversations around me as I fought with myself to not throw my mate over my shoulder and go back to our lands.
There was something on the air. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. I felt the moment it happened. I moved quickly to the front of the people around us. I put myself between Sonny and the intruders. The clearing now held three figures in some sort of battle gear, swords strapped to their backs. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end when their eyes landed on Sonny.
They quickly looked to Pyper, the small bear in Talia’s arms. The smile that pulled at their lips was menacing.
“What do you want, Luchien? Raynon?”
The woman that came with the other shifters, the one that was a wolf shifter asked as she stepped out just passed the others.
“Jasmine,” one of them said, inclining his head slightly. “We are here to see why they,” he pointed towards where Natalia stood with Pyper then continued, “have one of our healers.”
“There is another amongst them as well,” the larger man spoke in a hushed voice. His eyes quickly moved to where I stood. I raised a brow.
“What is it to you? You’re nothing more than lap dogs. Be gone before someone drops a house on you,” the woman said, her scowl deepening.
The men before her both hissed out something even I didn’t catch. Their eyes narrowed and the woman, Jasmine, stood her ground, hands on her hips. The shifters that had come to the clearing with her shifted their stances but made no move to intervene.
“They are ours, you shifters have no claim to them.”
Jasmine looked behind her, smirked and turned to look at the men before her again.
“Last I checked they shifted into an animal, which in turn means they belong to the packs that they are in. Do not try that flawed logic on me, Raynon.”
“I, as a warrior for the Archangel himself, can just take them.”
“That is enough, Raynon. You are not in a position to do such a thing. You best mind yourself or I will rip you into tiny pieces myself.”
Micha’s large form moved to stand by his daughter. She leaned back and whispered something to him and he simply nodded and mov
ed a step back.
I caught the eye of a few shifters. My men knew what to do. I nodded slightly and they slowly faded back from the group to shift. My warriors were silent as their bodies morphed from two-legged to four. With a shift of my feet I made sure Sonny could not be seen.
The two large men looked to where Natalia stood with Pyper and the air around us tingled with a surge of energy. Each of the girls gasped. Natalia let out a soft growl as Pyper whimpered.
“Sheri!” Natalia growled out. The woman moved to her and took Pyper. She moved to the back of the pack that was starting to shift and handed her to another woman. They shared a silent word then Sheri moved back to stand beside where I stood. She was blocking Marissa and Talia from their sight.
“Enough of this!” Jasmine growled out.
“It’s not your place to keep them from us!” The man she called Raynon snarled out.
The earth shook slightly as the girls moved in unison. The three of them moving to stand just behind where Jasmine stood.
One of the two men with Jasmine cursed and took a step back. I had a feeling something bad was about to happen. Jasmine’s hands sparked blue as her voice rose.
“You will not touch them. You will leave here until your services are needed. You are here to kill the reapers if they cross the veil. Nothing more.”
“They are not needed for that either.” Marissa gritted out.
Then, the men’s gazes moved from where Jasmine stood to where the girls were. One by one their eyes became larger as they got a good look, a real look at the girls. Each of them had sparks of electricity growing in their palms.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
Sonny
There was something about these men that had the hair on my neck standing on end. I couldn’t put my finger on it, though. They felt familiar. I shook it off as best as I could and watched as they took a look around us. I stood between Marissa and Natalia. I stood here for a reason. One touch of my magic amplified theirs.
“There is no need to be afraid, little ones, we don’t bite.” The man Jasmine had called Raynon said, a snide grin pulling at his ugly face. I narrowed my eyes. That face…
“You were there!”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Everyone looked my way as I stared at the big man. The memory was playing in my mind. I grabbed both Marissa and Natalia’s arms and let them see what I was remembering of the day my mother died.
I had been laying on the cot in our cabin when I felt it. A tug. A familiar thread being pulled through me. My mother was in trouble. I jumped up and ran from the room and out of the cabin’s back door. My legs carried me far into the woods before the thread was tugged again, this time the pain of it brought me to my knees. I could feel her, yet she was not close to where I was.
Tears sprang to my eyes.
“Mama!” The wheeze of the word through my lips was the only sound around me.
I watched in my mind as my mother’s small body was thrown to the ground. Open wounds on her sides. Her golden fur was smeared with blood. She lost control of her bear and shifted. She remained lying on the ground before the men who were stalking ever closer.
The one blonde haired man amongst the raven haired men stood out. His beady eyes and evil grin had a whine escaping me.
“I told you there was no escaping me, Roslyn. You would not give it to me willingly, so now, I will just take it. Then I will take your child’s power.”
He had reached down and laid a stone on her forehead. He spoke softly - his words sounded warped to me but they caused the panic inside of me to grow. He was hurting her. He was hurting my mother. I closed my eyes as her warmth washed through me.
“Stay safe, my sweet little angel.”
When her words brushed my soul everything went black.
“You. Killed. My. Mother!”
The words left me in gasps. I had to keep myself in place. My bear - as non-violent as she was - was ready to rip into him.
His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed.
“Don’t be daft. I did no such thing.”
“We saw it happen!”
Marissa, Natalia and I said in unison. Our voices molded together as if it were only one voice. He stood a little straighter as his hand jerked slightly. He wanted to grab his sword. I wanted him to. I would tear it from his cold, dead hands and stab him through his black heart with it.
Jasmine turned to look over her shoulder and even her eyes showed fear - no, it was astonishment - as she stepped back.
“What are you?” The man asked. I saw from the corner of my eye that Marissa’s lips curled up, her fangs showing. Natalia had shifted to her half beast self, which okay, even now, that was freaky. I watched as his eyes grew wider.
“Dice veritatem!”
Natalia’s hand came up and with a shouted command her power shot through us and right into him. He fell to his knees and the other man drew the sword on his back. The growls around us grew and with a muttered word the barrier Marissa could wield was up encasing the men with us.
“How did they do that?” It was Micha that asked this. His deep baritone voice rang out as if he were standing right next to us.
I moved from the formation and glared at the man on his knees.
“Answer her!” I growled.
His body jerked as if he were fighting what had been done to him. Natalia repeated her command and within one beat of my heart he was speaking.
“I needed her power. If she would have just given it to me, she, she could have lived…”
“Son of a bitch!” Marissa cursed from beside me.
“You killed her for her powers? What kind… You selfish-”
“Why were you working with Reapers?” Natalia asked, cutting me off. I glanced up at her. Her eyes were red, yet the purple of her irises showed. Talk about freaky. I glanced at Marissa and her’s too had gone red. I looked back at the man on his knees and closed my eyes.
“They- I was sent to kill them..”
“Traitor!” It was Luchien who spoke the words. His body shifted and his sword came down but before he could make contact he was thrown back.
Marissa took a step forward, her hand out again.
“Do not move again.” Her eyes went to the man called Raynon. “Why would you do such a thing? Why kill a woman and take her from her child?”
As Marissa spoke Natalia moved closer to him. Her nostrils flared slightly and I caught the look she sent over her shoulder.
“I hate liars,” Marissa muttered.
Natalia’s head shook slightly and as one we moved to him.
“What are you doing? Do not touch me!” He tried to get away from us but was unable to move.
Our hands landed on him as one. The scream that left him had my bear’s ears ringing, but I pushed her back. The words left my mouth before I had time to realize what was happening.
“Show us!”
“With great power, comes great responsibility,” a voice said. The room was filled with statues, ornate rugs and a coldness that covered everything. A man moved around one of the statues and met Raynon’s gaze.
“I am up for the challenge. I will gather what you need,” Raynon said, inclining his head.
“You will kill them as they cross the veil. Take my pets and rip them into pieces. I. Want. Them. Dead, Raynon! Collect the offspring and bring them to me. They’re mine! Do this or I will make sure you perish, in most dreadful and painful way.”
We pulled back in a cadence of snarls. The pain and anger pulling through us all was enough to bring us to our knees, but we forced ourselves to remain on our feet. My chest heaved with each breath I took. I felt my bear push forward, my eyes burning as I moved a step back from him.
“You. Will. Pay!” I snarled.
Raynon jumped to his feet, his legs shaking as he stumbled to the ground. The earth tumbled around us. His hands and feet were now trapped under the earth.
“What is happening?” Micha’s words brought my head
up.
“He was sent here to kill all but us. He was ordered to take us back to the king.”
“I must dispatch him. As a Guardian of Angelicus, it is my duty!” Luchien ground out. I looked to him and shook my head.
“He killed my mother, he is mine.”
“Sunshine,” I looked back to where Sebastian stood. His body was vibrating with anger and yet, there was pain in his eyes. I looked away and took a shaky breath.
I couldn’t do it, no matter the anger inside of me, I just couldn’t do it. I stepped back as did the others. We clasped hands and once again our powers merged. I could feel their resolve. I simply nodded.
“See you in hell, asshole,” Marissa muttered. With the flare of our energy he quickly became a pile of ash.
6
Sonny
The invisible wall that had been around us came down and within a beat of my heart I was engulfed in a pair of arms. I tried to hold back the sob the memories of my mothers death brought to me but I couldn’t. I clung to my mate and let it all out.
It was as if she had been burned through me. My heart ached, my anger flared and, just when I thought the tears would subside they started again.
“Is she alright?” I heard Sheri ask.
“She will be.”
“The hell she will be! That stupid mother-”
“Marissa Lynn.. watch... your mouth!”
The sound of Alexander’s voice had my head whipping up. He stood there, blood on his arms, looking completely beaten down. Uncle Trenton and my father were at his sides. I jumped up and ran to my daddy as the others did theirs.
“Daddy, oh my God. What happened to you? You’re bleeding!”
“Princess, I’m okay, it’s not all mine.”
I wrapped my arms around him and the dang tears started again.
“I’m okay, baby girl, I promise.”
I held onto him as he held onto me. I wasn’t letting him go anytime soon.