Blown Away (Rogues Shifter Series Book 4) (28 page)

Maybe he just needed to be around more shifters. Rob wa
s a great guy, but weeks of only his company could get a little monotonous. Well, I could remedy that. “How would you like to be a guest at my house for a few days? You could meet the rest of my team, and also my mate, Garrett. He’s a vampire and he’s the one who started this rogue shifter recovery program.”

“Gee thanks, Jackie, but I’m already in the loony bin here at the hospital, I don’t need to visit another one where people dress up like Dracula and the wolf man.” He strained at the straps again a
nd I wasn't surprised to see that they were weakening. “I need to get home. Untie me and let me go.” I shook my head. “This isn’t fair, I never did anything to you.”

“What do you think would happen if I did loosen your straps and let you go home?”

“I’d go back to my house and to school and live a normal life.”

“You’re wrong. One day really soon you’d get angry or frustrated and you’d change into your lion, and you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself. Then you’d freak out and hurt someone. Do you want to take that chance? It could be your parents or your brother
s or a friend.”

“You two just don’t give up do you? I
'm not changing into a lion. I'm getting the hell out of this bed with or without your help!” He was yanking and straining against the straps. They wouldn’t last much longer.

M
aybe a little confrontation was exactly what he needed. Honestly, I was getting angry myself. I mean it isn’t like this was the first time he’d heard all of this. He’d been working with Rob for a few weeks now.

“You know Flynn, I’m already getting tired of you laying there and feeling sorry for yourself, and I’ve only known you for fifteen minutes. You’re a powerful shifter who
'll be an awesome fighter. But instead of taking Rob's advice and starting to train, all you’ve done is whine and complain and disrespect him. Then on top of it all, you pull this diva stunt and try and kill yourself.” I was doing my best to channel Kyle's annoying tone, trying to get through to bricks-for-brains. I was counting on a strong reaction so he’d let down his guard and I’d be able to help him. However, his reaction turned out to be a little stronger than I’d expected.

“You fucking bitch, I’m going to strangle you for that.” He grunted as his right hand broke the binding restraining it and then his left repeated the process. He sat up, unbuckling his leg restraints as I slowly stood and moved away from the chair, putting my back to the door.

He jumped off the bed and moved toward me in a threatening manner, but I held my ground. “Why aren’t you running now, cheetah?” He was absolutely furious, but he wasn't stupid. He didn't want to end up in jail for assault. He just wanted to get away from us and back home again. Too bad that wasn't happening anytime soon.

“I'm not running because I can
protect myself.” I’d already locked the door so he wasn’t getting out that way. Plus the window s had bars. He looked me over more closely now, still angrily clenching his fists, probably tempted to punch me but not really knowing if he should. I was happy to see that punching a woman didn’t come naturally to him.

He narrowed his eyes in thought as he look
ed at my defensive stance. “You know martial arts?”

“Some, but I’m not great, not like Kyle or Sasha who are both on our team.”

“Do you box?”

I laughed. “Nope, never tried that.”

“So how do you think you’re going to stop me from punching you or pushing you aside and leaving? You don’t have any weapons, do you?”

"Only magic." He made a derisive noise. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't
really hit me or even push me. I think you're a decent guy, Flynn. But if you tried, I’d do this.” I formed a wave of energy into a brick and threw it at his chest, not too hard, I didn’t want to break a rib.

He stumbled backward but didn’t fall, looking around for the object that hit him. “What did you throw at me?”

“Magic.”

Glaring, he twisted his mouth down in a frown. “I told you that I don’t believe in that crap.” He took a threatening step toward me, his eyes full of anger and his arms and hands stretching out to
grab me.

I grabbed his arm as he reached for me, then spun him around and threw him into the wall. The
force of his shoulder making contact left a dent in the plaster and shook him up a little. He slid down to the floor too shocked to move, so I took advantage of his confusion and crouched beside him to take his hand, sending him a huge jolt of healing energy. His aura was a muddy mess and I watched it clear to a bright sky blue as his eyes widened in wonder.

“What’s happening?” He looked shocked but didn’t pull away.

“I’m clearing your aura, which will make you feel a lot better.” His scent was strong but pleasant, a typical lion, with a touch of sage. His wrists were marked from the straps that he'd strained against, so I angled a little energy to heal the redness.

Flynn smiled for the first time. I smiled back at him and he wrinkled his brow and tilted his hea
d in curiosity. “What are you? Are you some kind of wiccan?”

I sighed and shook my head. “I’m exactly what I said I was. I can use magic to heal or to fight. I’m not lying to you, Flynn, and neither was Rob." I stood up. "I live in a community of shapeshifters where there are other lions, just like you. I know a surgeon here at the hospital who’s a lion.”

“Can all shifters do that—that thing that you just did to me?”

Ah, progress
.
He's starting to believe me
. “Only cheetahs, and it’s rare for us too. One cheetah shifter in two hundred might have the gift. As far as we know, I’m the only one in the western states. But I have a fae friend who’s a healer too.”

He raised himself off of the floor and sat down weakly on the chair I’d recently vacated, so I pulled another one closer and joined him. “No one has ever thrown me around like that. How is it that you’re so strong?”

“All shifters are much more powerful than humans. You must have noticed that while you were growing up. We also have senses that are more acute. I’m more powerful than most, because I can add magical energy to my natural strength.”

He started to shake his head and stand. “I still think that you’re full of
...” I slammed him back into the chair and held him there magically so he couldn’t move. He was totally paralyzed from the waist down. I watched his eyes widen and his breathing speed up.

“You’re doing this?” I nodded. “You’re not even breaking a sw
eat.”I only shrugged in response. ”Could you let me go? I can’t feel my legs and it’s kind of freakin’ me out.”I released him and he leaned way back into the chair, probably trying to put more space between us.

He watched me warily, so I said something that I hoped would be reassuring. "Your aura looks healthier now."

He ran both hands through his hair then asked, "This is real? I’m a lion?"

"
Not a real lion. A lion shapeshifter. When you change to your animal form, you're still you. You never forget who you are. You can reason and communicate in simple ways. The main difference is how much more acute your senses are. You begin to love the excitement of the hunt and also the taste of raw meat. It's satisfying in a completely different way."

"It hurt to change."

"It gets better, but it's still painful." He looked unsure. "You have a lot of potential, Flynn. Maybe my trainer will take you on as a student. He’ll work you to death but you’ll learn a lot about how to use your strength effectively.”

He was
feeling more relaxed, as he looked me up and down in an entirely different way than the last time. “Can I train at the same time as you?”

“Sure, but, just
to be clear, I have a mate.”

He shrugged. “Is that like a husband?” I nodded. “He must be as badass as you, right?”

I laughed. “You have no idea. So what do you say about spending a couple of days at my house? I have to warn you, there are four vampires, a fae and a team of shifters running in and out all the time. I’ll introduce you around and then we’ll see about taking you hunting.”

“With you?” He was checking me out again. When he saw that I'd noticed, his gaze moved back to my eyes.

I hid my smile by pretending to scratch my nose. “Maybe, we’ll see.”

I watched him think about it for a minute or so. “Ok. I’ll come.”

“Can I look into your head for a second?” He shrugged, not really sure what I meant, so I touched his arm and searched his mind. I didn’t see any thoughts of violence toward himself or anyone else, something that would have been a deal-breaker.

Still, as I released him,
I decided that he should know the seriousness of his situation. “All this time you’ve been working with Rob, he’s been trying to save your life.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re considered a rogue by the general shifter population. A rogue is a shifter who doesn’t grow up in a family of shifters and so doesn’t know what he is, which can be dangerous for everyone concerned. You need to be educated and trained. The Crescent City Shifter Council will have to be convinced that you can be a useful member of the community. If they don’t agree to admit you, then they have the right to execute you.”

He looked at me like I was an idiot. “Ever hear of the Constitution?”

“From now on, you'll be judged by the laws of the supernatural world. If you can’t control your temper or your strength, and the council feels that you’re dangerous to humans or shifters, you’ll be taken out. I know that this is harsh, but you deserve to know the truth. This isn't a game.”

“What if I just leave town and never come back?”

“They’d send someone after you. You’d probably make it about a mile or so. Supernaturals are everywhere in the world, Flynn, so you have to learn to live within our laws or…”

He interrupted.
“I’ve always been kind of a screw-up. Guess that won’t change now that I’m a shifter.”

“We’ve all been screw-ups and we’ve managed to make a home here. When you meet everyone, you’ll see what I mean.” I laughed thinking about my diverse group of team mates and friends.

"Go get dressed." I sent a text to Rob, who showed up at the door a minute later. When Flynn reappeared he looked happy. “Are you ready?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

“Rob looked at Flynn warily, then at the bed with its broken straps, then at the wall with it's dented sheetrock. “Looks like the meeting has been instructive.”

“You could say that.” I grinned. “Flynn’s coming home with me for a couple of days if that’s alright.”

“Jackie, do you think that’s a good idea with Garrett’s nest still living in your basement and Sinc moving in tomorrow and you...?” He indicated my belly.

“Liam’s moving in too, until we can get him a house. He wants to live outside of Faerie for awhile. Anyway, I honestly think that a dose of Sasha is exactly what Flynn needs right now: that and some socializing with other supernaturals.” I looked at my phone. “It’s almost 4 o’clock, so Sasha and Garrett are already up and fed and the others will be up by 6:00. And little Charlie is doing great, in
fact he’s kicking up a storm.”

Rob took another look at Flynn, who was rubbing his bicep, trying to loosen up his stiff muscles. “You could be right about a dose of Sasha.”

“Fed?” Flynn asked.

“Sasha, Heinrich and William are vampires. They drink blood from donors. The
y especially like shifter blood,” I teased. Flynn wrinkled his brow with worry.

I let Rob feel my belly when Charlie began his tap dance routine
. Flynn was shocked. “You’re pregnant and throwing people around? Your husband's okay with this?”

“All in a day’s wo
rk.” Rob laughed as he left to take care of the paperwork. Flynn packed up his last few possessions and we followed him down the hall.

Flynn started in complaining as soon as we were on the road. “I’m feeling kind of hungry. You have a
nything to throw on the grill?”

“You know how to cook?”

“Not really. I mean, I can barbeque I guess. You must know how to cook.”

Rob barely managed to smother his laugh with his palm. “Well,
not really, but if Liam’s around then we’re in good shape. He’ll make us something. If not, we’ll figure something out.”

“Maybe we could stop at Bette’s Diner on the way?”  I turned around in the seat to peer
at him. He had a look of desperation and I suddenly remembered how crappy hospital food could be.

“
Bette's Diner it is.”

“I’m warning you now, he’s going to eat four double cheeseburgers and still be hungry.” Rob was grinning.

“I’ll order eight, but one of them is for me and two are for Rob, Okay, Flynn?”

“T
hanks, Jackie. I’ll try to pay you back when I find a job.”

“Don’t worry about it, Flynn. You’re my guest for three days. Then we’ll see.” I called the diner to place the order since we w
ouldn’t be there for at least twenty-five minutes, then I called Garrett. “Hey, Daddy,” I joked. “I’m coming home with Flynn and 8 double cheeseburgers. Do you think Sasha will work with him after he digests a little?”

I could hear Garrett’s slow hiss as he tried to stay calm. “Jacqueline, do you really think this is
a smart idea? Isn’t he violent?”

“Oh please. After he works out with Sasha he’ll be sore for a week. Anyway don’t you know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? He’ll be like putty in my hands after he finishes the burgers.”

“I’m sure that Sasha won’t mind. He likes a challenge.” I could hear Sasha laughing in the background. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, my love.”

“Je t’aime.”

“Moi aussi.” I hung up and smiled.

"Putty, huh?"

"Hey, I know male shifters!" Shifters ate as much as most weres. We picked up the burgers at Bette's and headed for home.

After we’d parked, Flynn looked curiously at the lovely Victorian style home with its large porch and the wildflower garden that branched off along the
sides. “So you live here? The whole team? In this fancy house? ”

“No, the shifters usually don’t live here: only Garrett and I, and the three vampires. Sometimes we have guests, especially if we’re in the middle of a missio
n."

“It doesn’t look like the home of a team of serious bad-asses.”

Rob shook his head as I explained. “Appearances are deceiving, especially in the supernatural world."

"
Come inside and I’ll introduce you around.”

When we entered the house, Garrett was there to give me a gentle kiss and Rob a friendly hand clasp. He took a look at Flynn as I introduced him and laughed to see how he towered above us all. “Welcome, Flynn. Come into the kitchen where you can relax and eat your dinner.”

As Flynn, Rob and I ate our burgers, Garrett tried to engage Flynn in conversation. “So how are you feeling?”

“They starved me in the hospital. I mean really, how filling is jello and applesauce?" He took another bite and then looked carefully at Garrett.  “Are you her husband?” He nodded his head in my direction.

“I'm Jackie's life mate.” He squeezed my hand.

“You must be pretty brave. She threw me into a wall like I was nothin’. But
that healing shit is awesome.”

Garrett nodded his head and tried to hold onto a serious exp
ression. “She can be terrifying at times.” I punched him in the shoulder and he pulled me even closer, pinning my arm against my body."And quite violent." I growled playfully and he responded with a quick kiss.

Rob laughed. "She's
terrified a few of our enemies, that's for sure." The young lion was looking at me like I had two heads.

Flynn
was already finishing his third burger when Sasha walked in. “So this is the young lion? He’s as big as Rick.”

"Is that a problem, Sash?"
Garrett asked.

"No, but the bigger they are the harder they fall."

"He's got some natural ability. I think you'll be surprised." Rob added.

Sash walked over to squeeze Flynn’s bicep and poke at his upper back. “He needs toning up. We’ll be working you hard, Simba.”

“Who are you?”

Sasha smiled his ‘mess with me at your own peril’ smile. “Your worst nightmare.”  Garrett, Rob and I laughed so hard that my stomach cramped up.

“Ha, ha." He took the last gulp of his burger and pushed his plate away. "Are you a shifter?”

“Vampire.”

“Yeah? How old?”

“One hundred and twenty eight: turned over one hundred years ago.” The century mark for a vampire brought a large gain in power, especially for a vampire as strong as Sasha.

“Yeah, so all I need is a bulb of garlic and a couple a wooden stakes, right?” He looked from Garrett to Sasha.

“Sure, if you want to roast garlic
over a campfire.” Sasha was enjoying this.

“Oh, so that’s all an urban legend
?” He looked slightly embarrassed.

“You could say that." He sniffed the air dramatically and I groaned quietly, knowing what was coming. "I wonder what lion blood tastes like, Garrett. I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure.”

“It’s a little tart, but rich in flavor and nutrients.” Flynn didn't catch on to the joke. He’d stopped eating his french fries and was looking back and forth between them with a concerned expression.

Sasha picked up on Flynn's nerves. “Which vein is best?" Sash can be such a punk.

Garrett wasn't helping. “The neck is always the best, down near where it connects to the shoulder.” They were both grinning mischievously as their fangs lowered.

I felt like I should step in before it got out of hand and he went racing out the door in terror. “Don’t pay any attention to them. They've already fed and Garrett doesn’t take blood.”

Garrett sent to me,
“With one delicious exception.”

I felt my face heat up. “Finish your burgers so you have a chance t
o digest everything. I’ll show you around the house."

“I’m not really so hungry now.”

“We’ll put them in the fridge for later. I’ll show you your room.” I glared at the two bullies and then took him upstairs to the room that Kyle had used when he’d stayed last.

“I don’t have a lot of clothes.” He looked at the small backpack he carried his possessions in.

“We’ll get you some stuff tomorrow. And Heinrich can lend you some clothes.” After I showed him the den with the huge TV and the game console, Flynn was starting to look pretty happy again.

“Didn’t you say there were two other vampires? When do they get up?”

“Around five or six.”

Sasha had followed us upstairs and was leaning in his usual relaxed way near the door to the balcony. “Why is he following us?”

“Sasha is Garrett’s second in command and one of his jobs is to protect me. You’re kind of a loose cannon, so he’s not taking any chances.”

“So is he good?” Flynn looked at Sasha curiously.

“Good?” I grinned at Sash. "Hardly." He laughed.

“I mean, can he kick my ass?”

“He can kick the asses of an entire pack of werewolves without breaking a sweat. Yeah he can totally kick your ass, Flynn. But he’s only going to be training you. Maybe one day you can join the team and kick some supernatural butt too.”

“Yeah?”
He took another look at Sasha who blessed him with a lazy half-smile, pulling his fangs back inside his mouth. Flynn whispered, “He’s too pretty to be tough.” His features were beautiful to look at, but Flynn hadn't seen the incredible power behind his graceful moves, and the deadly gleam in his eyes, which only gave his victims a second’s warning before he ended their lives.

“Being underestimated gives him an advantage. You on the other hand are huge and so your enemies will expect you to be powerful. You’ll need to be that and much more. Sasha can get you there if you’re willing to work at it.”

“I guess.”

“Are you ready, Simba?” Sasha was moving toward the staircase.

“Don’t call me that, Goldilocks.”

Sasha laughed. “I’ll be waiting in the back yard when you’re ready. We’ll start with staffs. I'll teach you some respect tonight.” He disappeared in a blur which made Flynn take
a step backwards in shock.

“You’ll get used to the vamp speed thing. He won’t use it when he trains you.”

“You won’t let him really hurt me, right? I just got out of the hospital." He looked scared.

“You'll be bruised and sore, but I can heal you right up if there's anything bleeding.” He glared at me and then stalked down the stairs, heading outside to meet Sasha. At least he wasn’t a coward. I could just imagine the fun Rick and Sash would have nicknaming him the cowardly lion.

I was sitting on the balcony watching them train when Garrett appeared next to me on the small outdoor wicker couch, having magically flashed up. “You’re pretty good at that, Monsieur Cuvier. Should I be worried that you’ll appear suddenly in my shower or my bath?”

“And would
that worry you, Madame Cuvier?”

“Only if you still had your clothes on.”

“I’ll have to remember to strip before flashing in.” He nuzzled my ear and I melted against him. “Is our son behaving?”

“Charlie is kicking a lot. Other than that I’m good.”

Garrett ran his hand over my slightly rounded belly. “I’ve decided that I won’t feed from you while you’re carrying Charles.”

“What? That’s silly.”

“I’ll talk to Caelen about it, but I think it’s advisable.”

“So what are you going to do? Spend even
more
time with your donors? I mean I know I’ll be getting fat and ugly, but…” I slumped back on the couch, pouting. I was acting like a brat, but I couldn’t help it.

“Jacqueline,” he whispered against my neck, making me shiver everywhere. “Every ounce you gain, every inch that your body stretches will just be more for me to kiss and to love. Our son is growing inside of your perfect womb and so I intend to worship at the altar of my lady’s body at every opportunity.”

I was feeling very warm and tingly in a really good way, especially when I thought about how I wanted to be worshipped. “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to say exactly the right thing.”

He ran a hand back and forth across my stomach. “Actions always speak louder, they say.”

“Well, Sinc and Liam are going to be showing up soon and you haven't fed, so go ahead and call a donor. I’m fine." He kissed me and rose from the couch in the fluid way that only vampires could manage.

“Liam’s here. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.” He flashed to the front yard to speak to Liam and then I heard the front door open and close. Three minutes later Liam was on the balcony sitting next to me.

“I put my things in the large room. Are you sure you don’t need it for Sinc?”

“She’ll stay in my room on the first floor so she doesn’t have the stairs to deal with.”

“Thank you. The hotel was fine but it was also boring and sterile.”

“Well, you keep us pretty sterile, but boring is not a word anyone would use to describe this crazy household.”

“I’m happy here with all of you, but I want to experience something closer to human.”

“I understand. Look down there at Sasha training Flynn. He’s having so much fun torturing the poor kid. I remember what he put me through the first time.”