Authors: Lucy Kelly
Frieda blushed a delicate pink. “I’m sorry; I thought you would be expecting me. Your Ben is right, I’m a changeling. The last changeling until Laura here awakened her power. There is one thing I don’t understand. If you don’t have a mate yet, how did your magic awaken?” she asked Laura.
“It was an accident. I had a small cut and so did Alpha Connor,” Laura explained, blushing herself. She wasn’t about to explain about Marshall Connor seeing her naked!
“So you aren’t mated yet. That explains why you’re still in that wheelchair. The tiny amount of blood you exchanged was enough to awaken your magic and not enough to heal you completely,” she said to Laura as if everything made sense. She had no idea of the shock she’d given Laura with her off-hand remark. “We need to find your mate, the stronger he is, the faster you will heal from injuries.”
Laura couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She wouldn’t let herself hope. Because she didn’t want to break down in front of the two women, she wasn’t going to think about the possibility of healing and walking again right now. Lowering her head, she swallowed, holding back her tears. She needed a moment to get herself under control.
Wiping her face with her hands, she looked up. She was grateful Mara and Frieda pretended not to notice. “I had a dream of my mother telling me I was a changeling. The dream was right about going out into the sun. Now you’re telling me I’m a changeling and I’m going to be hea…hea…healed.” She took a few gulps of air.
It was too much, in too short a time. “Excuse me,” she said and she wheeled herself out of the room as fast as she could. She wanted her father and her brothers.
Mara watched the young woman she’d grown so close to over that week leave the room with tears in her eyes. It was hard for her to believe it had been less than a week since they had met. She looked at the old woman sitting on the couch. Frieda was a legend come to life.
“How did you know to come?” Mara asked her.
“It must have been when her magic woke and she became changeling. The shock was welcome, I must say. I’ve been waiting a long time for the next changeling to appear. I can only do so much on my own you know. Now, I only knew she was here because of the location spell I cast. As soon as I knew her location, I packed up. I keep up with all the priestesses in this realm and so I sent my things. She called you Mara, so you are the priestess I sent them to. I hope I can stay here, if not, you’ve got a house guest,” she said with a smile. “Lola has told me all she knows. Now I want to hear your story. Fill me in on my new student. What do you think of her?” Frieda said.
Mara had been using her own gifts as she watched the older woman. Her own intuition combined with the non-standard shifter Frieda had changed into, was convincing and Mara decided to trust her. While they waited for Laura to return, Mara related to Frieda everything from Laura’s arrival up until Frieda’s. She mentioned many of the things Lola had already told her but from a different point of view.
Frieda remained quiet, sitting still and listening to the story. While Mara was talking Lola came in and brought a tray of food for Frieda and a pot of tea.
*****
Down the hall Laura sobbed into the embrace of her teddy bear. When she’d been two the bear was as large as she was. Now she held her old friend in her lap. When the storm of tears ceased, she went into the bathroom to wash her face in cold water and let herself dream a little. She poked her legs with her fingers to remind herself it was just a dream and nothing else.
Today, she let the sun warm her skin for the first time in her memory. It was enough for now. She tried hard to stay practical, believing she would be in her wheelchair for her lifetime. As she looked into the mirror, she couldn’t help but think—
What if it were true?
On her way back to the living room Laura chose to stop by her office and send another email to her family. She missed them. It would be selfish to let them think she didn’t.
To: Dad; Aaron; Steven; David; Benji; Josh; Evan; Uncle Matt; Aunt Carrie
From: Laura
Subject: Missing you guys
Hello everyone, just wanted to let you know I’m okay. I was missing you today so I thought I’d let you know. I’m all moved in, got the last box unpacked. My decorator did a great job setting up everything. I have a suite of rooms prepared for all of you for when you visit so you can have your own privacy (and hopefully stay longer). I’m planning on Thanksgiving.
Got some great news today, I can’t wait to share it with you. You’ll have to wait though—nothing like building up the suspense!
Just a short note, so that’s all for now. I love you all!
Laura J xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo (hugs and kisses for everyone)
After she sent the email she waited until it had left the account outbox and hit the server. Then she deleted the email account. The email server was anonymous and in another country, but she didn’t underestimate her family’s talents.
Feeling better, she headed back to the living room. Now that she’d finished crying a few tears on Big Bear’s shoulder and sent an email to her family, she was ready to pull up her big girl panties and act like an adult. As she rolled down the hallway she remembered she didn’t have very many pairs of panties left. Unless the ones she and Mara ordered online came today, she’d be washing out delicates in the bathroom sink.
When she entered the living room, Marshall was back. He was talking to Mara and Frieda. They stopped and turned to her as she rolled back into her spot by the end table. She remembered something Frieda had asked her before she left.
“Frieda, there’s plenty of room here for you to stay. I’d like to make sure it’s okay with Marshall though. I’m kind of on probation still,” she said.
“Probation? What nonsense is this? You are a changeling. You don’t need guards to watch you like a prisoner,” she said, giving Marshall a look that dared him to contradict her. “However, you are extremely valuable to the shifter community as a whole so you will need guards to protect you. I will train you how to use your gifts. And since you’ve so nicely offered, I will stay here with you. Mara, when my things arrive at your house, please have them sent over. The shifters are right about one thing though. We need to find your mate. Mara? Was it your idea to send out Laura’s scent?” she asked and Mara nodded. “It was a good idea. If I had been here, I would only have stipulated strong alphas were to sniff them though. Changelings always mate the strongest males. I was surprised she wasn’t your mate, Alpha Marshall,” she said.
“Her scent is wonderful and alluring but she’s not my mate,” he said.
“Well, we’ll have to wait and see. Her mate will be drawn to her so he should arrive soon. If any more scoundrels show up, I trust you can see to that. My things should arrive over the next few days. While we can start your lessons tomorrow, you won’t have your full power until you’re mated. Even then it will grow over the years. Let’s not worry about that now. Mara has been telling me all about your other talents. I’m so proud of you, child. You’ve overcome great obstacles. You’ve been tested over and over and done well again and again.” she said and Laura blushed again at the praise.
“I don’t feel any different. Well, I can go in the sun now. I couldn’t before without making myself really sick,” Laura admitted.
“It’s different for every bloodline. There were twelve changeling queens. Each of them had sons who were the first shifters. Those bloodlines remain here in this realm. Unfortunately the female line was lost in the struggle with the Shayatin. They were the first to target the children of changelings. They were humans who discovered they could steal magic by enslaving and sacrificing shifters. Did Mara explain this to you, Laura?” she asked.
“She said the myth was about three changeling queens not twelve. But she also explained about the shifter history being passed down orally and not written. I’d like to hear your version too. I knew the Shayatin were an enemy. I don’t know the origins of either of the groups that know about and persecute shifters,” said Laura.
“All of that and more I will teach you. It is your heritage just as much as it is theirs,” Frieda explained.
“How did the changelings become lost?” Marshall asked.
Before Frieda could answer, Tom came to the door. “Lola says dinner is ready and to come eat now. She says she made a dinner in celebration of Miss Frieda’s arrival,” he told them before ducking back out of the room.
“I’m so glad you have Lola,” Frieda said to Laura as they got up to leave the room. “Kobold are from my part of the world. She’ll treat me to a taste of my old home from time to time,” she said with a twinkle.
It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down and serve themselves. After they did and Frieda had made a fuss over Lola, she remembered Marshall’s question.
“You asked me how the changelings were lost. It’s simple really and the same reason why you had Laura here on probation. Shifters forgot changelings were human until their magic was awakened. When they were threatened, shifters pulled away from humans and became insular. If a changeling married a human, her children carried the bloodline, but they couldn’t shift. It became easy to let them drift away. What shifters didn’t realize is any human of the bloodline regains their magic when they mate with a shifter.”
“But you said my magic already woke and I’m not mated yet. So blood works too, right?” Laura said.
“Yes, dear, and in ancient times there were blood rituals to help changelings and their offspring bring their magic to life. But now, they are all lost. Laura is the first to find her way. We must all pray she is the first of many. The prophecy calls for three, they are the leaders. I believe there will be more,” said Frieda.
“That’s quite a conversational bomb to drop into the room. What prophecy are you talking about?” asked Marshall.
Frieda wiped her mouth with her napkin and took a drink of wine. She seemed nervous. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Now is not the time for the prophecy to be revealed. To be sure, I'll need to see certain signs first,” she said and wouldn’t speak of it again.
Marshall glowered but he forced himself to accept her words. Ever since Laura’s arrival he felt as if events were rolling out of his control. His people were on a course that seemed full of danger and he couldn’t do anything. His alpha nature rankled at not knowing all the facts and making all the decisions.
He
was supposed to drive the train.
“I can’t make decisions for the welfare of my people without all the facts,” he growled.
Unperturbed by his show of dominance, Frieda calmly went back to her meal. Laura watched with interest, but she didn’t feel threatened in any way. She also noticed Mara, Tom, and Ben had all stopped eating and were carefully watching Marshall.
“Frieda, I’m not afraid of Marshall. I haven’t been from the first. I don’t feel submissive to him either. Is that because I’m changeling or because I have six older brothers,” she asked.
Frieda laughed, “Six! Oh my. Probably both, dear, your brothers may not have their shifting abilities but I’m certain they’re all alphas.”
Laura nodded as if she’d had something confirmed.
Chapter Sixteen
Alex Marasov didn’t sleep very well on Friday night. His dreams were disturbing. Different dreams all with the same theme. Someone needed him and he was too late to help them. Around four a.m. he gave up and got out of bed. As he sat in his kitchen waiting for the coffeemaker to finish brewing, he reviewed everything he currently had on his plate. George came over for a scratch, and to remind Alex to feed him and let him out. Alex considered his options as he took care of his morning routine.
He needed to get out to Montana. All his work for the last three days was to free up time for him to leave town on an extended trip. Now he felt as if time were more critical. He got up and poured his coffee then sat back down and reached for his phone. It looked like he wouldn’t be the only one losing sleep.
After waking up his pilot he went to shower, dress, and pack. He reminded himself that rank had its privileges. He was going to dump the rest of his workload on his team. All of them were alphas also and very capable. However, normally he was too much of a control freak to delegate. With last night’s dreams still lurking in his subconscious he wanted to get going so he woke a few more people who were surprised, but happy to help, including dog sitting.
By five-thirty, he was lifting off at the airfield. He would be in Montana in a few hours.
*****
Aaron Donahue woke early Saturday morning and went down to the kitchen for coffee. He knew his father would also be up, another early riser. He had some questions for him. Doug Donahue was sitting in the kitchen, already having brewed the coffee and made some food. “Morning, Aaron, there’s coffee in the pot and scrambled eggs in the pan on the stove. I didn’t make extra toast though, it’s really lousy when it’s cold,” he said.
Aaron poured some coffee first. After taking a sip he went to put a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. “Is there any bacon left?”
“No, you all are the same bottomless pits as you’ve always been. The ham’s all gone too and that’s the last of the eggs. We’ll have to go shopping today.”
Aaron grunted, his brothers would be out of luck. “I wanted to talk to you. Laura’s doing well, she’s contacting us regularly. There’s more going on here than you’re telling us, why you so determined to find Laura. I want to know what’s going on.”
Doug looked up at his eldest son. If Aaron was asking questions, soon his brothers would be too. Sighing, he put down his fork. “I was hoping to find her quickly. You know she writes those video games. What you don’t know is in the last year she’s done some consulting for the NSA. She’s brilliant when it comes to analysis of data. She’s been gone for nearly a month. She’s always worked at home and never taken a vacation so we have time to find her. When it becomes known that she left, questions will be asked. She has a lot of sensitive material in her head,” he said.