Shifting Magic (Shifted) (15 page)

Hank and Sam didn’t like the sound of that cryptic statement.
“Willow, are the women in danger?” Sam looked at Hank. Maybe they should stay and secure the Alpha house.

“No. W
ill you guys just trust me? I really don’t want to go into it.”

“Give me one good reason
, or I’m going!” Emory commanded.

“F
ine. You’re pregnant, happy?” Willow had not wanted to be the one to tell her. This was a private thing between mates. She had already told Rory she was expecting Maddox before either of them knew. She was just sure having a pregnant woman go after a killer was not a good idea.

“Pregnant?
” Hank choked, looking from Sam to Emory and back.

“Willow
, if this is your way of making me stay, it isn’t funny.”

“
No. It isn’t funny and you are pregnant.”

“We
are going to be fathers,” Sam said as he hugged Hank, forgetting that the others were in the room. The two men gripped their mate, pulling her between them in an intimate moment that made the others feel like voyeurs.

“
Then it’s settled. Emory, you will not risk my grandchild,” Gemma interrupted.

“Pregnant
?” Emory shook her head as she glancing at Willow.”

“Yup
. Now, if you Daddies want to stay, I can head out to meet the others.”

“Babe
, we have to go.” Hank kissed Emory. It was a searing, possessive kiss filled with promise. He handed her off to Sam who repeated the gesture.

“
Okay, go, but both of you come back in one piece, you hear me?”

“
You just keep our baby safe. They said as if they were both thinking the same thought.

“I
will. Go. Willow, take care of them.”

“You
know it. Gemma, take Rory and the baby to the shelter. Emory, you make sure to stay put! I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you,” Willow apologized.

“It’s
fine. It’s not like I gave you much choice.” Emory couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She and her mates were expecting and both men seemed thrilled.

It took the Alpha, Gage, Maverick, and the rest of his brothers to hold Ranger and Knight back. Both of them wanted to rush in to protect what was theirs.

“ Ranger.
” The Mage’s voice was clear and commanding enough to break through the Were’s rage.

“
Sir?”

“My
people are here as well. I don’t know what my daughter was thinking pulling this incredibly stupid stunt, but it is clear that the why of it no longer matters. I can feel her energy. She is moving through the house.”

“
We can’t just wait here.” Ranger growled.

“I
tend to agree. I do, however, know that going in blindly is not advised. These people took one of ours. We are here to assist. Nina made sure the coven was in place. That shows she was at least thinking.”

“
Why wouldn’t she tell me she planned on doing this?” Ranger felt hurt.

“Because you would have stopped her.
She was protecting you, my son. She is powerful in her own right. More powerful than you know. I imagine she wished to help both the pack and her coven put an end to this. She is stubborn.”

“
Stubborn doesn’t even cover this. Sir, what do you suggest?”

“
We create a diversion. Then go in. She will be expecting a signal that we are in place.”

“I
got this,” Xavier said as he ran off into the wooded area surrounding the modest home that Nina was currently in along with at least thirty of Howland’s men. The possibilities of something going wrong were astronomical.

Nina and Faith made it to the hallway only to discover there were several doors just like the one they had exited. The entire basement level was divided into cell like rooms.

“
Nina?” Faith whispered. She was thinking there were probably more people trapped in this house than just them.

“
If there are more prisoners, they are safer here for now.” Faith just nodded.

The women were half way up the stairs on the far end of the
quartered off area when they heard gun fire. “Does the coven use guns?” Faith was thinking why, if you could appear and disappear, would guns even be necessary? She knew the only reason Nina was even still in that house was because of her.

“No
, but if it got our attention, it will distract the shifters above us. Come on!” Nina grabbed Faiths hand while dragging her quickly to the door at the top of the stairs. She listened for a moment before opening the door.

Nina took seconds to familiarize herself with the room. It was a
large country kitchen that appeared to be at the back of the home. A small mud porch held three shifters who were too busy looking to see where the gunfire was coming from to notice the two women were free.

“What
the hell?” one of them said, seeing Nina as she slid along the wall with Faith pressed behind her. She had hoped to make it to the door before being discovered.

“Hey
boys, what’s all the racket?” She grinned.

For a moment
, it looked like one of them was going to actually answer her rhetorical question. “Get her, you idiot!”

A blur of motion followed
as three large shifters rushed Nina with a speed that, if she was human, she wouldn’t have believed possible. Nina used their over confident nature to her advantage, easily sending a blast of pure energy, watching them fall like pins in a bowling alley.

“What
the hell are you?” a voice growled from behind her. Nina turned to see Faith being held by the same man that had taken them from the parking garage.

“Who
me? Just some stupid human. Why?” Nina taunted while assessing the situation. The enormous were had one meat like arm pulled across Faith’s throat. Nina knew it would be effortless for him to snap her neck.

“Don’t
move,” the man tightened his grip cutting off Faith’s airway.

“You
kill her and you’re a dead man,” Nina said calmly as if she was reporting the weather, not threatening a killer. “You seem smart. You don’t look feral.”

“You’re
a shifter, but how?”

“
Ah, that’s an age old family secret. Speaking of family, I think your men might be having a bit of difficulty out there.” The

comm
otion in the yard sounded like World War Three. Will’s focus drifted to the yard. It was clear his men weren’t winning. His only chance of escape was to make it to the tree line undetected.

“
Move!” he growled, inclining his head toward the door.

“Faith, you okay?” Nina ignored the man’s command.

“She’s
fine, but she won’t be unless you get moving.”

Nina moved out the back door. The yard was filled with mostly shifted weres. The coven was stationed around the perimeter. No doubt, keeping the action from prying eyes. Nina smiled at the thought of the mailman just wandering across this scene.

“Nina
,” Faith choked. This caused Nina to turn toward her. Faith’s expression told her to be ready. This feisty little nurse was not going down without a fight.

Nina nodded as Faith suddenly dropped
, her dead weight throwing off the shifter that held her just long enough for her to wriggle free and shift.

Nina blasted the were before he could grab Faith
again, sending him across the lawn and into the melee.

18

Shifters littered the lawn like a pack of wild dogs on a feeding frenzy. Nina knew the Black wolves were her family. One in particular stood out, his energy coursing through her. She felt his rage, his fear, and most importantly, his love. It hadn’t occurred to her that Ranger truly loved her. He had said the words, but now she felt the truth of them. She was his mate. They were predestined by some fluke of nature. He was attracted to her on a primal level. She figured in the weeks they had been together that he at least liked and respected her. There was no doubt they had some off the charts chemistry. She felt more love for him than she thought possible. For him, she assumed love would come with time. The emotion flowing from the enormous shifter told her she had been wrong to question it. He loved her. It was clear. The feeling so strong she could taste it.

No one had noticed her standing at the back door
. They had other things on their mind. The family was out numbered two to one but

was doing fine with a little help from the three coven m
embers that had followed her.

Nina watched as Faith made it to the tree line
, a black wolf following. She hoped it was Knight and not Howland. Black indicated Alpha. Howland was Alpha born.

As she stood on the edge of the lawn several things happened at once.

“Nina!” Ranger called. He was distracted upon seeing her. The were who had taken them and threatened Faith was getting up. Next time, she would have to throw him harder. Nina spotted her father on the far edge of the lawn. The weres seemed not to notice him. She had to assume he was shielded.

A blur of
fur in motion flew through the air and Ranger was down.

“
Ranger!” Nina called in warning seconds too late.

The w
ere who had taken Ranger by surprise had him by the throat. A sight no mate could tolerate. Especially a mate as pissed off as Nina.

Nina began to chant words she knew well
.

“
Hercules, Great son of Zues,

Half
God, half human. Please unloose

Your great strength and lend it to

Me in this thing that I must do.

Grant me now your nerves of steel

And your physical strength for this ordeal,

So I can complete successfully

This task that’s set in front of me.

The shift came involuntarily. Her plea to the gods for victory continued in her head, unspoken but just as powerful.

Laurel of the Ancient Ones,

Let your power to me come.

Grant success and strength to me.

As I will it so mote it be!

Her
fury started sending a pulse of energy out into the chaos. As a wolf, she could feel her family, both families. Their essence stood out making her job easier. The blast she sent was more than she had ever tried. The bands of energy snaked out of her, twisting, and gaining substance. The shifters were hit by a blast equal to a bomb going off. Only her family was safe. The rage fueling her power was allowing it to seek out the correct targets.

The sight of the attacking
weres that had threatened her family, literally exploding into nothingness was the last thing Nina saw before collapsing. Her energy completely gone, she succumbed to the darkness.

Blake Howland stood on the edge of the road that wound above the safe house. He had been right to stop and assess the situation before meeting Will. The sight below was bedlam. He couldn’t tell who was who in the attack. It was clear that the human and the shifter girl were important to the Alpha. The show of black pelts was impressive. The entire Alpha family was present.

Howland rummaged around in his trunk
, taking out binoculars to better gauge the situation. The two women emerged from the back of the home with Will following. “What the hell is he doing?” Howland muttered.

He
watched as the were bitch dropped and the human, who wasn’t human evidently, thrust a hand out and knocked Will back. She hadn’t even touched him.

“Witch
,” he growled.  The damn human was a witch. How did his men miss that? He was working with idiots.

The only saving grace was his men seemed to have the upper hand.
The Alpha and their pet witch were still outnumbered. Or so he thought.

Howland
’s dreams of retribution faded as the witch dropped to all fours. Her black coat taunted Howland. “Impossible,” he uttered as a wave seemed to cross the lawn like a ripple on a pond’s surface. The energy widened in all directions, seemingly skimming over the Cheveyo wolves and dismembering his pack.

“
NOOOOO!” he  howled.

He had moved most of his men to this house on the outskirts of shit
-ville with the intention of finally making his move. He had the manpower to start the slow purging of the Cheveyo disease.