Shifting Changes (The First Shift) (5 page)

Faolan
noticed the flicker in Shayonn’s eyes a fragment of a second before Shayonn
started to shift. It wasn’t much of a warning, but Faolan was trained to react
instantly. Before Shayonn had completed the transitioning process, Faolan
had the shot ready and applied. The big, proud white tiger
sank to the floor like a bag of potatoes.

Chapter 4

Shayonn
woke from the chattering of his own teeth. He was cold. And strangely numb. He
opened his eyes but closed them quickly. It was bright around him, and strong
overhead lights blinded him.

“He’s
awake,” a voice announced. Shayonn assumed that the man was talking about him
and tried to wriggle away from the sound.
But I don’t want to be awake,
he protested mutely.
If I’m awake I will have to face reality, and I can’t
do that.

“Awake
and disoriented,” the man said. “Doesn’t know what shape he’s in.”

Cold
fingers touched Shayonn’s forehead and his wrist. They dug into the soft inside
of his arm, then lowered his hand back onto a mattress. By now he had figured
out that he was lying on some sort of bed. Naked, that was why he was so cold.
It didn’t take much to put two and two together. He was being examined.
Assessed. He winced. His head was sore and his throat felt like he’d swallowed
barbed wire, but he forced his dried-out tongue around his mouth anyway.

“What…”
he croaked and broke off, shocked at the sound of his own voice.

“Shh,
don’t speak yet. You’re dehydrated. Drink this.”

A
straw was shoved into his mouth and he sucked greedily. Warm, soothing liquid
poured over his tongue and down his aching throat. He drank some more before
raising his hand to indicate that he’d had enough. Except he couldn’t raise his
hand. Something strong and unyielding held it down. A leather wrist cuff, from
the feel of it.

“Don’t
fight it,” the man told him. “You’ll only wear yourself out and we don’t want
that to happen, do we?”

Another
voice joined in the man’s cackling laughter. “Indeed, better save your
strength. You’re gonna need it soon enough.”

Shayonn
kept his eyes closed. He would have loved to just fall asleep again, but he
couldn’t, no matter how hard he tried. But he could feel that part of his mind
that allowed him to shift. He tried to focus on it, to welcome it. He would be
stronger in his tiger shape, so much stronger and—

“Don’t
even think about it,” the second man said. “You can’t shift right now.”

Shayonn
winced. He wanted to simply ignore the words, but the wish to know was
stronger. “Why?”

“Meds.
Keep you from shifting and make you happy and mellow. Can’t risk a pretty boy
like you putting up a fight and getting hurt. The ladies would be mightily
pissed off if their toy got damaged.”

“You’re
making a big mistake,” Shayonn choked out.

“I
don’t think so,” the first man replied and both laughed. “You’re going to make
some lucky ladies very happy.”

“I’m
not breeding material,” Shayonn snapped. His head still pounded with a dull
ache and his vision, when he finally forced his eyes open, was blurry.

A
rough hand patted his thigh and he tried to shrink away from it, but he didn’t
get far. His ankles were bound, just like his wrists. Again, the man chuckled.

“You’re
not going anywhere, pretty. Not until you’re summoned. Might as well save
yourself the trouble.”

There
was a nasty tone in his voice and his fingers dug into the soft flesh on the
inside of Shayonn’s thigh. Shayonn bit back the pained yelp. He wasn’t going to
let the guy have the satisfaction of witnessing his pain.

“Garrid,”
a third and familiar voice called out. It sent a shiver down Shayonn’s spine.
Faolan. His captor. The traitor. He turned his head to see.

“No
need to abuse him, okay?” Faolan sounded angry and made a meaningful pause
before he added, “And there’s no need to touch him either unless it’s for
medical reasons.”

“I
wasn’t—”

“Just
leave him alone, will you?” Faolan snapped.

“Yes,
sir.”

“Good.
Now go get him some food. He’s bound to be hungry, and I don’t want to starve
him. He needs his strength.”

The
hesitation was minimal. “Yes, sir.”

“And
you can go with him,” Faolan ordered, glaring at the second man, who hurried to
obey and followed Garrid out of the room.

“What
are you going to do to me?” Shayonn asked as soon as the two men had left. “Take
me to the colony? I’m not going to—”

“Shut
up,” Faolan said. “No need to worry, okay? You lucked out. You’re too precious
to be wasted in the colony. You’re going straight to Queen Janiah’s Court.
Apparently she’s looking for a new mate and you are perfect for her.”

A
chill shook Shayonn’s body, and it had nothing to do with the temperature in
the room. “The queen? You want to take me to Queen Janiah’s Court?”

“Yes.”

Shayonn
felt weak with apprehension. Of all the places he’d been trying to avoid, the queen’s
court was the worst. “You’re in contact with the court? How?” he made himself
ask.

Faolan
tilted his head. “I’m not in contact with the court, but it’s been all over the
news here. That’s how I know that she’s looking for a mate rather urgently. She
requested that all young, male white tiger shifters be brought to her so she
can take her pick.”

Shayonn
winced. He suspected that there was a different reason for the queen’s wish to
meet all the young men of her species. “The queen is looking for a mate? But
she’s too old to have babies. She hasn’t had one in years.”

Faolan
shrugged. “Seems she changed her mind.” He winked. “I bet it’s a political
decision. She only has one son, hasn’t she? Another male offspring would be
good for her, especially if it’s a white one.”

Shayonn
shook his head in despair. “This is insane. You’re making a big mistake,
Faolan. Please don’t do it. Don’t take me there.”

“Sorry,
Shayonn,” Faolan replied and, judging by the sad expression in his eyes, he was
indeed sorry. “It’s the queen’s order. I couldn’t let you go even if I wanted
to.”

“But
I can’t do this,” Shayonn said. “Please, Faolan. You don’t understand. The queen’s
request, there’s more to it than what you think, and… You know I’m gay. I can’t
be with a woman, I—”

“Sorry,
Shayonn.” Frowning, Faolan bit his lip. “I know it’s not what you want. But
that’s life. We don’t always get what we want. We all have our place in the
world, our reason to exist. And we have duties to fulfil. It’s my duty to obey
the queen’s orders, and it’s your duty to make lots of pretty babies. Your species
needs you, Shayonn.”

“You
don’t get it, do you?” Shayonn snarled. “I
can’t
father the queen’s
babies, and I won’t—”

“
I
won’t have this discussion anymore,” Faolan said coldly. “Keep your mouth shut
or I will make you.”

“What?”

“You
heard. Not a single word from you unless you need the toilet, or I’m going to
gag you. Is that clear?”

“You’re
making a huge mistake,” Shayonn repeated, shaking with rage. No one had ever
spoken to him like that before. “I’m not who you think—”

“I
mean it,” Faolan said in a low growl. “One more word and it’s going to be the
last until the queen has your gag removed.”

Shayonn
had had enough. “You fucking stupid idiot!” he yelled as blind rage took over. “You
can’t take me—”

Faolan
was fast. Unfairly so. A rough, thick piece of leather was shoved into Shayonn’s
mouth. He tried to fight it off, but all he could do was shake his head and
Faolan easily overpowered him. The ends of the gag were tied behind Shayonn’s
head, and Faolan leaned back to examine his work.

“I’m
sorry,” he said quietly. “But we don’t have time for discussion. The guys are
going to prepare you and tonight you will meet the queen.”

Shayonn
closed his eyes. He needed to stop this. He wanted to explain, but there was
nothing he could do now. Nothing except to concentrate on the silence around
him. Faolan had left him alone. Just as well.

*
* * *

Faolan
observed the preparation ritual. He didn’t trust Garrid. Just like Faolan, the
man was a wolf shifter who had found a place in the tiger community but the man
had a violent streak in him that made him unsafe around other people at the
best of times. A beautiful, defenceless creature like Shayonn could well bring
out his sadistic side. Faolan knew that he ought to have been the one to
prepare Shayonn. He had caught him, he was delivering him, so getting him ready
too would have only been logical.

What
wasn’t logical was the reluctance he felt at taking Shayonn to meet his fate.
He’d been so sure that he was doing the right thing, but Shayonn’s begging and
sad reassurance that he didn’t want to mate with the females kept gnawing at
his conscience. He didn’t know what it was like not to feel attracted to a
lover. Being bisexual, he appreciated the hard muscles and general roughness of
a male body as much as the silky skin and inviting curves of a woman. What was
it like to face the most intimate of all moments with a person one didn’t
desire? Faolan couldn’t answer that question but the thoughts kept spinning inside
his mind as he continued to watch.

Shayonn’s
flawless body was being washed and prepared. He didn’t enjoy it, that was
obvious. Faolan didn’t enjoy it either. Observing Garrid handle Shayonn like a
piece of meat irritated him more than he had expected. Shayonn just let it
happen. Not that he had much choice anyway, but he endured the cleaning and
shaving process with closed eyes and an expression as if he were somewhere far,
far away.

“Think
the queen’s gonna like him?” Garrid enquired eventually. Shayonn squirmed.

Faolan
pressed his fingernails into the palms of his hands to keep himself from
shouting in frustration. “It’s hard to say,” he answered. “He’s beautiful and
he’s young. A lot younger than the queen, but it’s what she asked for.”

“Yeah,
who would’ve thought the tiger queen’s a cougar?” Garrid laughed but quickly
sobered up at the glare Faolan sent his way.

“Shayonn
is an extraordinarily handsome and healthy male, but I don’t know about the
others. There might be one among them that she’s more attracted to and if she’s
looking for more than a father for her baby, he doesn’t stand a chance anyway unless
he’s destined to be her mate. And I don’t think I need to tell you about the
chances of that being the case.”

Watching
Garrid slide a wide, studded leather collar around Shayonn’s neck, Faolan was
close to hoping that the queen would indeed be more attracted to someone else.
The wrist cuffs were next. Shayonn didn’t resist when Garrid twisted his arms
to his back and secured them in place but the bulky
muscles
in his shoulders stood out like steel cords. His fists were clenched. H
is
beautiful face was set in stone, his jaws locked and his sensual lips a thin
line of hatred.

“Put this on him,” Faolan ordered when Garrid was finished with
his task and pushed a bundle of clothes at his helper. By now he downright hated
having to put Shayonn through all of this.

Garrid unfolded the pile with a grin. It wasn’t a friendly grin,
and he made no effort to pretend it was. He wrapped Shayonn in the thin fabric
and decorated him artfully, just the way he was supposed to. But all the time
an evil smirk curled his lips.

“Let’s
get him over to the palace.” Faolan turned his back. He didn’t want to watch
Garrid march Shayonn along, couldn’t bear to see this mask of mute resignation
and cold fury any longer.

The
way to the queen’s court was a short one but every step increased the ache in
Faolan’s chest. Heads turned and whispers followed them as they walked the
streets. Of course they attracted attention. Two men leading a third, bound one,
couldn’t go unnoticed. But that wasn’t the only reason, and Faolan knew it.

Shayonn
was striking, even in his human form, and with the orders to bring every white
tiger to the queen, it must have been easy for most people to figure out what
he was.

Even
the guards seemed to understand at once. They grinned and barely waited for
Faolan to finish his short speech before one of them signalled to follow him
and led them inside. Faolan marched Shayonn into the palace with definite
unease.
Maybe this would be over soon. If she didn’t
want Shayonn, then perhaps he’d be free to go.

“Will
the queen see him now?” Faolan enquired of the guard.

“She
will see him tonight. Along with the others.”

“The
others?”

“Yes.
There are five more and they will all be presented to her tonight. You don’t
expect Her Royal Highness to come running just because you found a potential
male for her, do you?”