Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Colbie
W e’re back on the road within half an hour, tucking into the food Gem and Gryff picked up.
“Did that sergeant give anyone else bad vibes?” Brodie asks around a mouthful of sandwich before taking a sip of his soda. “I bet he picked up the phone and called his uncle to tell him we were heading his way the minute we left the building.”
Hunter tells the others who weren’t there what we talked about with the major.
Gryffin groans. “I have no doubt you’re right,” he says, agreeing with Brodie.
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll go in alert, ready for anything. We’re loaded for a fight now. I grabbed something for everyone.” Micah sounds confident, and Hunter grunts an agreement.
“I doubt they would try anything. They would be stupid to take us on. I’ll just shift into my dragon form and set them all on fire.”
“I didn’t like the sergeant’s attitude. That village is supposed to be a haven for the equines. How did a lion shifter end up as the alpha?” Liam grumbles next to me.
“No, there was no love lost for the equines with the sergeant,” I point out. “He sounded downright aggressive toward them. Do you think they are holding them hostage or something?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. It makes me rethink this visit. It sounds like we are going into a hostile environment, and I’m not sure we can guarantee Colbie’s safety,” Hunter says, and I can see from here that his hands are tight with tension, his knuckles white from how hard he’s gripping the steering wheel. “Maybe we should turn around and come back with a couple more teams.”
“No!” I shout and lean forward in my seat. “What if Nox is one of those shifters? What if they’ll kill them now that they know we’re coming? We need to stop them.” My heart races with panic. “Please, we can’t stop now. I promise to listen and do everything you tell me to.” I have a sense of urgency flooding my system. We’re running out of time, and I need to be crowned sooner rather than later. “Not to mention the missing children.”
“The sergeant made it sound like the equines won’t help us find the children. We need to be prepared for that,” Liam warns me gently.
A growl of anger barrels out of my chest, and he flinches with surprise.
“Their poor families must be so worried. We need to at least appeal to the equines for their help.”
“And if they won’t?” Gem turns to look at me. “Are you prepared to throw your weight around as queen and use the power the goddess gifted you? You may further damage the already shaky relationship they have with the rest of the shifter kingdom.”
My stomach rolls at the idea of forcing the equines to help us, but I will do anything to bring those kids home. “If they won’t help us, then we need to focus on finding my final mate and getting the crown on my head. Then, they won’t have any choice but to help us,” I tell him, and he gives me a nod of approval.
“Good girl. Sometimes you have to make unpopular choices that benefit others.”
“I hate the idea of children being out there, scared and unable to shift back. I don’t want to make them wait longer, and I certainly don’t want to have to force the equines to help us, but I will if it means they will bring those children home to their parents. You said that shifter children are sacred, though, so I’m hoping it won’t come down to forcing the equines.”
“You may be right. Finding the children should override any feelings of being rejected.” Micah nods. “The mers would help out if it involved children despite despising a good portion of the shifter population.”
My stomach sinks at his words. How did the relationship between the general shifter population and those three outlining breeds get so bad? And how has it been allowed to fester? Lucas told me he tried to do something about it, but was blocked by the majority of the council at every turn. I won’t be sad to see the backs of the ones I’m replacing. I’m going to have to work extra hard if I’m going to create harmony amongst the shifters, but that’s going to have to take a back seat for the moment.
After about an hour, Hunter pulls the car into a clearing in the forest. There are a couple of other vehicles in the lot, so I’m assuming it’s used by other people from Zalfari as well. My eyes land on a familiar vehicle, and excitement thrums through my body.
“That’s Nox’s truck.” I point to it, practically vibrating with enthusiasm at the sight of it.
“Well, that’s a positive sign.” Brodie offers me his hand to help me out of the car, and Micah goes around to the trunk to grab the duffel bag, then he starts handing out weapons. I look around the clearing, shivering slightly, but it’s not as cold as I thought it would be. I guess the watch uniform has layers of protection from the weather. I don’t see any sign of Nox, though, not even footprints. When I turn my attention back to the guys, they all have guns and knives strapped to various parts of their bodies.
Micah looks at me. “Do you have any experience with weapons?”
I shake my head. “Hell no, unless you count a carving knife. I’d probably shoot myself in the foot.”
He chuckles. “That’s okay, just stay close.”
“So we aren’t going to shift?” I ask, pointing to all the weapons. Wouldn’t they all fall off if they shift?
“These all have witch runes on them. They will shift with us, much like the uniforms we’re wearing,” he explains.
“Huh, that’s cool.” I can’t help sounding impressed.
“Gem and I are going to take to the air. Gem is going to fly ahead to the village and scope it out, and I’m going to clear the snow in front of you to make an easy trail and keep watch from overhead,” Hunter says. “I think you should shift into your tiger form for the trip through the forest. It thins out the closer we get to the rift, but the tiger will manage the terrain just fine. Stay close to Gryffin. The shadow the mountains cast makes it harder for the trees to grow. The village sits on the other side.”
I could see the huge mountain range the closer we drove, and it doesn’t surprise me that it casts a large shadow over the village.
“What about Micah?” I ask, worried about my mer mate. He doesn’t have an animal to shift into. I bet the merman probably doesn’t have much snow experience either. Would he even be able to keep up with us in our shifted form? Is this why the other shifters look down on the mers?
“Don’t worry about me. Mer are fast on our feet, even if we aren’t in our shifted form,” he assures me, but Hunter shakes his head.
“He can ride with me again. It won’t hurt to have two sets of eyes watching over you.” He looks at Micah, who quickly agrees to the suggestion. Micah reaches into the trunk and straps a crossbow and a quiver of arrows to his back as well. He also grabs our backpacks, tossing them on the ground.
I frown. “You look like you’re expecting trouble.” I nibble my lip in concern. “Maybe I should stay in the car. I’m just going to get in the way if we do get attacked.”
“No, you need to be with us to speak to the equines about the children. They will have a harder time refusing you than any of us,” Gryffin tells me. “And you aren’t necessarily safe in the car either.”
“Don’t worry, we will protect you. Nothing is going to happen to you with all of us here.” Brodie grins and changes into his wolf. I watch with amazement as his clothes and weapons morph, disappearing beneath his fur. I have no idea what the mechanics or science is… or maybe we should go with magic. It has to be, because nothing else makes sense.
He bounds over to me, wagging his tail, and bumps his body against my legs in greeting. He’s so large, his head is level with my breasts, and he sniffs around my boobs before licking one of them. I yelp in surprise, and he gives me a naughty wolf grin, his tongue hanging out. I run a hand through the fur on his head. He is predominantly black but has patches of gray and white on his underside.
“Away with you,” Liam growls, shifts into his bear, and tackles Brodie. I gasp in shock and step forward to break up the fight. They are roaring and barking and rolling around on the ground with fur flying everywhere, but Gryffin stops me before I can get too close.
“Ignore them, they are always like this,” he grumbles, eyeing them with annoyance.
“They have always been. The two of them can’t help themselves. Stick with Gryff, and I’ll see you in the village.” Gem gives me a wink, shifts, and shoots into the sky, leaving a trail of fire behind him before disappearing from sight.
“Invisibility is so cool.” I try to find him in the sky, but there isn’t a single sign of him.
“Yeah, until he uses it to perv on you in the shower,” Gryffin grumbles, but he doesn’t sound particularly perturbed.
“Keep your senses on high alert,” Hunter growls at Gryffin before stalking away to give himself room to shift. I watch and wince as his body morphs, growing and changing until the deep dark purple dragon spreads his wings and stretches like a house cat. Micah loads the backpacks onto Hunter’s back, securing them to one of his spikes with a strap. When he’s finished, Micah turns to me, lifts my hand, and presses a kiss to it.
“Be safe, Colbie,” he says, narrowing his eyes on Gryffin before he runs and leaps onto Hunter’s back, and the dragon launches into the air. I gasp at the magnificent sight as he soars away from us, spiraling upwards.
“Show-offs,” Gryffin says, but he doesn’t sound upset. “Come on, shift into your tiger form, and we will race those two idiots to the village.”
Before he can shift, I grab his arm, my nerves erupting now that it’s my turn to change forms. “What if I can’t keep up?” I ask him, and he smiles, his ocean blue eyes warm and encouraging.
“Trust me, I’ll make sure you won’t fall. It will feel like you’ve been running on four paws all your life.”
The other two idiots have given up their fight, and they amble over to us. Brodie sits on his haunches and releases a reassuring yip, while Liam nudges his huge, polar bear head against my chest in reassurance, and I just about tip over. Gryffin grabs me, stopping me from falling backwards into the snow-covered parking lot. A shadow overhead has me looking up to see Hunter breathe a steam of fire, melting the snow in a line toward the thick forest we need to travel through.
“Won’t he burn the forest down?” I ask as Gryffin helps me stand.
“He won’t be able to melt the snow under the trees. We will have to plow through that ourselves, but don’t worry, our animals will move across it like it isn’t even there. It’s just the expanse of flat plain before the village that he will help with. To be honest, it isn’t that bad. I did it with no problems. He’s just trying to make it easier for you. Mostly, he is our eyes in the sky.”
“But the thick tree coverage will make it hard for him to see,” I argue.
He winces. “He has great eyesight, but it’s not like he could be on the ground with us anyway. A dragon would knock the forest down, not move through it stealthily.”
He has a point, and I hadn’t thought about that. I just don’t like the idea of splitting up.
“Okay, but promise you won’t leave me?” I ask him, and he pulls me into a hug.
“Never. I promise.” He pulls back and looks like he’s going to kiss me. I hold my breath and wait, but Liam shoves his head between us and grunts.
“Cockblock,” Gryffin mutters, but he pulls away and shifts into his tiger. I take a deep breath and picture myself turning into a tiger like the huge creature that yawns lazily in front of me. My magic explodes, and I shift, the bite of pain familiar now.
My senses expand, and my whiskers twitch as my tiger scans our surroundings. I take a back seat as she leaps forward toward the forest, following the bear and the wolf as they take the lead. Gryffin’s tiger, who is bigger and more muscular than mine, sticks to my side like glue, and when we stumble, he uses his body to support us so we don’t fall on our head. After a few yards, we seem to get control over our body, and she leaps forward with more speed. Gryffin matches our pace and chuffs his approval as we reach the forest and move through the crowded trees with ease. I have no idea where we are going, but I am comfortable with allowing the guys to lead. My tiger’s eyesight can see a lot farther than I can, and her sense of smell is so much stronger than mine. She can even feel the vibrations of small critters taking cover from the predators that now grace the forest.
I lose track of time and allow my mind to wander, confident that my tiger is in control. What are we going to find when we get to the village? Where are the equines? Has something sinister happened to them or are they under curfew for their protection? They are considered prey animals and would probably be fairly vulnerable to any feral shifters who hide in the Aramis Rift. Apparently, there is a tunnel that leads through the rift, which allows access to the vampire kingdom of Eryx, but the actual mountain range is wild and untamed and a perfect place for the ferals to hide from their punishment. Despite being feral, their animals still long for packs, and they occasionally leave the rift in search of something they’ve mostly forgotten in their feral state.
We’ve been running for at least an hour, and my tiger is starting to puff from exertion when a strange scent hits my nose. The others must smell it too, because they slow down, their bodies tense with anticipation. Before we can figure out what has put us on high alert, though, a twang echoes through the trees, and an arrow hits Liam directly. I slide to a stop and watch in horror as his snow white chest bleeds to red, and he tumbles over, an arrow sticking out of his torso.
I lose my shift, and my human form explodes out of me. I find myself on all fours, the snow cold against my human skin as I scream in horror.
“Liam, no!” I scramble toward him as blood seeps across his white fur before dripping into the snow, creating red craters where it lands.
Figures jump down from the trees and circle us. My wolf and tiger growl in warning as they flank Liam and me to protect us, but we are outmanned.
I hear a man chuckle evilly. “Well, well, well, what do we have here? A queen and her useless protectors.”
“I call it a pay day, Alpha. Did you see the way I took out the polar bear? His pelt will make a nice rug for my floor. I want to fuck the queen on it,” a raspy, low voice says as I get to Liam and drag his polar bear head into my lap. His eyes stare blankly up at the sky, and I know instantly from the aching hole inside me that he is gone. I sob, completely heartbroken at the loss of my mate.
“Kill the wolf and tiger and bring me the queen. We will have some fun with her before we get rid of her as well.”
I lift my head and glare at the dirty blond male who is in charge. He’s stocky but not very tall, and his face has a scar across one eye.
My gaze slides around to the other men with him. All of them have weapons aimed at us, some holding bows and others guns. We are completely outgunned, even with Gryffin and Brodie to defend us.
“Why?” I snarl. “What do you gain from all this?” If we’re going to die, I want to know why.
“Like Brant said. We’re going to be rich for taking out the queen and freeing up the royal power for someone else to claim. Hell, maybe I’ll be king now—a lion king. It’s only right that the king of the jungle is king of the shifters.” This must be the head alpha of Zalfari. We knew they were suspicious, but this is beyond bold. This is war.
They don’t know that they don’t need to kill me. The power is up for grabs now that one of my mates is dead, but they don’t know Liam is my mate, and I’m not going to enlighten them.
Before I can reply to his ridiculous claim, a thunderous roar echoes through the forest, and the shifters surrounding us bristle with agitation. I glance up and smile sadly. Hunter is about to descend on us, but it’s too late to save Liam.
“What the fuck is that?” one of them asks, looking skyward, and I feel a deadly smile cross my lips.
“That is your worst nightmare,” I tell them as Hunter crashes through the trees, splintering wood and sending branches flying. He lands and sprays a burst of fire at the fleeing shifters. Two of them disintegrate on the spot as Micah leaps from Hunter and aims his crossbow at another, shooting him through the back. He grunts and falls to the snow, spread eagle and very dead, an arrow piercing his heart just like my mate.
Three down, eleven more to go. Those eleven have found cover behind trees, though, and they start to fire back. Hunter ambles forward and puts himself between me and the line of fire, bullets pinging harmlessly off his dragon scales. My wolf and tiger leap forward and attack, dodging bullets and arrows. The two shifters they target abandon their weapons and shift. Two wolves take their place as Brodie and Gryffin lunge at them, their teeth and claws digging into fur. I hear another gunshot and then a grunt, and I look over to find Micah has been hit. A bullet hole in his arm causes blood to run down his bicep, and he drops the crossbow before snatching a gun out of his hip holster with his left hand and firing.
Seeing his blood triggers something feral inside me. My magic explodes out of me, and I shift into my hydra form. All eight heads roar with anger as I push past Hunter, who is chomping down on a screaming man. Brodie and Gryffin have both taken care of the shifters they were fighting, leaving eight alive, including the man who killed Liam and their lion leader.
Their mouths drop open in shock as they stare up at me. “What the fuck is that?” the one who killed Liam asks, and the lion starts to back up.
“A fucking hydra. Run,” he replies and starts to turn, but my hydra isn’t letting them get away. After making sure our mates are out of range, each head focuses on one of the remaining combatants. We inhale and breathe out, a plume of green vapor encasing the assholes who dared to attack us. They start to scream and claw at their faces and chests as they inhale the acidic haze. I watch, horrified and slightly awed, as their skin starts to melt, exposing bone and tissue until the remaining eight shifters are nothing but bloody mounds of goo staining the snow. The silence in the clearing is deafening, the only sound from Hunter’s dragon’s heavy breathing.
“Holy fuck,” Brodie, who must have shifted back into his human form, mutters with a small amount of fear, but I also hear the pride as well. “Our mate is spectacular.” I turn my back on the gruesome sight, and one of my heads ducks down to nudge Brodie. He absently scratches it between the eyebrow ridges, unable to drag his attention from the carnage, but to my relief, there’s no fear, he’s just distracted.
Another one of my heads nudges Liam, a mournful wail escaping its mouth. It grabs hold of the arrow shaft in Liam’s chest and yanks it out, tossing it to the side before licking the wound. All of my guys have shifted now, and they gather around their fallen bond mate. Hunter’s eyes are haunted, and his hand is shaking.
“We didn’t see them,” he murmurs. “They were hidden in the treetops.”
Gryffin clamps a hand on his shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “We didn’t even scent them until it was too late. They must have been using a charm to conceal themselves.” He tries to reassure the dragon, but it isn’t working.
I hate seeing them like this, but a feeling of inner peace washes over me, and I know everything will be okay. My hydra makes me see the truth. It concedes control to me, and I shift back into my human form. I rush over to them as Liam suddenly changes and gasps for breath.
“Holy fuck, he’s alive!” Micah shouts as I stumble over to Liam’s side and throw myself at him.
“Their mate bond… Her hydra bite gave him the ability to regenerate from death.” Gem appears from the trees, looking haggard and broken. “Thank fuck, because I couldn’t make it here to save him. I felt him die, and I couldn’t do anything.”
My lips press against Liam’s, and despite him looking a little disoriented, he kisses me back. The rest of the guys fall to their knees and surround us in a group hug, laughing and crying at the fact that their bond mate is still with us.
I pull back and check him over, poking my finger through the hole in his uniform that should have protected him from the projectile. The wound is gone, and there is nothing but smooth skin.
“Fuck, that hurt,” he mutters as Hunter gets up and nudges one of the shifters Gryffin or Brodie killed. He squats down and digs through his pockets, pulling out a small rock then holding it out for us to see, a look of distaste on his face.
“Runes are etched into it. It must be why we couldn’t hear or sense them and why it penetrated your uniform, which should have protected you from projectiles. I’m not sure if they are witch or fae runes, but this is no longer just an internal shifter problem. They are getting assistance from other kingdoms.”
Brodie helps Liam to his feet as Gryffin does the same thing to me.
“Thank goodness it was Liam who was hit. If it had been Gryffin or Brodie, then they would be dead , dead,” Micah says, looking around the clearing at all the dead shifters. “I’m going to guess this was a welcome party from Zalfari. It’s the only option. No one else knew we were coming here.” He looks at Gem for confirmation.
“Yes. When I did a fly over of the village, it was basically deserted. I saw a couple of people moving between dwellings, but not as many as there should be for the middle of the day.”
My mind is stuck on Micah’s comment. He’s right. If it was one of the others, then there would be no resurrection or regeneration. They would be cold corpses lying in the snow. My hydra screams inside me, and my body explodes into that form once more. The guys stumble backwards out of the way so they aren’t crushed underfoot.
“Hey, Colbie, easy. Liam’s alive, He’s fine. You need to calm down.” Brodie talks to me like I’m an injured creature about to lash out, and he isn’t wrong. Five of my heads duck down and strike, biting into the shoulders and necks of the five men who don’t have my mating bite yet. They shout out in surprise and pain as my hydra mate bonds them. Even if it isn’t reciprocated yet, they will be safe from any future attacks. The rush of blood explodes across my taste buds, each of them a distinctive flavor as my side of the mate bond locks into place. A wave of heat rushes through me as my heads release their prey, and I shift back into my human form. I shake with need as I sink to my hands and knees and gasp for air, the cold snow melting beneath my overheated hands.
“Oh shit, Colbie.” Liam gapes at his bond mates, who all look at me like I’m prey they want to devour. “You’ve initiated the bonding heat with all of them.”