Shea: The Last Hope (3 page)

Those who do not want us to reveal ourselves to the humans will fight us. Our last Chosen will be able to begin paving the way with the humans and making contact with important people. With our children receiving special gifts as well, we looked deeper into the writing. It says, one child will be the one to pave the path to uniting all the shifters. We have to find the last of the Chosen and begin planning the next phase of the Council, the preparation part of the prophecy. There are still more papers to go through. I hope we can find the rest of what we are looking for. But Roarke is going to do everything in his power to try to stop us; we have to be prepared. Also we are going to have to have the magical community solidly in agreement to reveal ourselves before we do so."

Blaine nodded, "We have to take this a step at a time, and the more knowledge we have the more power we will have. Argus needs to identify the rest of the magical community also. Shifters are of course at the top of the list, Witches, Sidhe, what else do we have?

And are they going to want to reveal themselves? Some of the visions we’ve been having don't make sense. But I can tell you one thing, Roarke is planning something; he knows the entire prophecy, and he is not alone. We have seen a new threat, maybe even more powerful than Roarke himself."

"So where do we start?” Ruby said and leaned back. "And who exactly is pregnant here?

I mean, I’m going to have to get a calendar going for all the births we’re having."

All the women laughed when Kira raised her hand, and then Trinity, and finally Lacy.

Jordan frowned at her mates and said, "We gotta step up the game here boys."

Romy growled and hugged her. "You were in a cast for weeks. You have to heal."

Jordan sat back and pouted, and the others laughed. "Fine, but after the physical with Cloe tomorrow, it is on."

"Think maybe you can move first?" Argus laughed and looked around the room. "I do like you and feel like you are all becoming a part of my family-like everyone said before.

But um, I would prefer you moved in as fast as possible, being in the room next door to them is not going to be fun. I’m looking forward to the only other triad sharing the B&B

with us being Trace, Shane and Bama. And it will be even better when our house is completed next month.” He could have moved into any of a number of houses he already owned in and around Milliken, but Quin and Jaden insisted all the Chosen live within the New Council compound.

Cami stood up and said, "The movers are ready when we are; we’ve arranged a schedule for them to bring all the furnishings and other household items we’ve chosen that are sitting in storage in Denver. We already have a long list of pack members who have volunteered to help us set up our homes the way we want. First, let's finish this pregnancy discussion because I don't want any hard feelings. Does everyone understand why we did what we did?"

The group nodded except for Bama, who said, "Is this it? No more surprises, right. I mean, we are the new kids on the block, but I really don't want to have things like this dropped at every meeting. I agree with Skye, if we are together, then we should all know everything."

Quin stood and smiled. "I agree. Unfortunately, at the time, we still had only found about half the Council, and there were a lot of people who we weren’t sure we could trust. Now that we have most of the Council set, I think I can say that we will not be keeping secrets like this again. And actually Cami,” he said giving her a triumphant smile, because it wasn’t often he could pull one over on her, “I arranged for the movers to bring in all the heavier furniture pieces today. We have all the floor plan layouts you ladies worked out with Bama and the designer; the pack volunteers and movers have already started loading in. So I say we table this until Sunday, which will give us three days to be moved in, and we can have a celebratory pack barbeque at the newly completed Pack House. The enforcers and warriors at the training grounds are planning a hunt tomorrow and Saturday; they'll be bringing in fresh meat. Then we can all come back together and talk about how to find the last of the Chosen."

At that point, Lagon got everyone’s attention. “In the interests of full disclosure then I will tell you this. I have been forming mental links with the children, as their protector, I need to be able to contact them and know where they are at all times. The links will not be fully formed until each child reaches their first birthday. At that point, I should be able to connect and speak to them mentally so long as they are within a thousand miles of my location. This link will grow stronger until they reach maturity at age 13 or so.”

Cami looked at Lagon, “You mean right when they get to be crazy teenagers you won’t be able to help keep them in line?”

Lagon twinkled at her woeful expression. “You misunderstand, while physically they are growing at a normal rate...”

“Whoa wait a minute,” Cami interrupted. “You mean the fact that their crawling at three months and walking at nine is normal for shifters? I thought it was part of their powers or something.”

At this point, Cloe interrupted, “Yes Cami it is. I keep forgetting you haven’t been a shifter for long; you're such a natural.” And many chuckled “Because we often have multiple births, is why a shifter infant is so small though fully formed at birth.

Anywhere from two to five pounds is normal. A five-pound baby is equivalent to a human baby of over 10 pounds.”

“Wow, am I glad I mated with a shifter!” Cami exclaimed, remembering that each of her children was born weighing in just under five pounds.

Cloe smiled at her and continued, “It makes it easier on the mother to carry multiple babies. By the time the children reach their first birthday, they will be the size of a human two-year old with the same physical abilities. After that, their growth rate slows until they reach sexual maturity in their late teens. Overall, they will always be bigger and stronger than a human of the same age.”

As Cami sat, taking that in Lagon began speaking again, “Cami, what I meant to say is that their minds and powers are growing faster than their bodies. They will have mastered their powers and their minds by age 13. Their normal teenage rebellious years should hit at about age six. And now that I think about it their actual teenage years are also going to be difficult because they’ll be at full power in a teenage body.” He groaned thinking of his own children.

Trinity then looked over at her mate, “Lagon, is that all? Is there anything else you need to share with worried parents?” she asked him with a look.

Seeing that look all eyes turned back to Lagon.

He blushed as red as his hair, “Well, as you know, I’m a dragon.” And most nodded though some chuckled, “Well, uh, dragons like sparkly things. And caves, dragons like to hide their sparkly things in caves. I have two caves, one in the mountains where I waited for the New Council to come and one here on the compound. And I think what Trinity means is that once I’m fully connected to the children, then if I sense danger, I can use dragon magic to send them to my cave where I can guard them.”

Quin looked at Lagon, “Where is your cave Lagon?”

Lagon got a mulish expression on his face. “Dragons don’t tell where their caves are.”

At this point, Trinity interrupted again, “Alpha, even Blaze, and I don’t know where his cave is. Please don’t make him tell.” She looked at Blaze for help, and he spoke up.

“Quin, I think it’s best if for now Lagon is the only one who knows where the cave is.

There may be another Michael around and keeping it, a secret can really work in our favor. Plus I think it would really hurt my mate if we made him tell. It could permanently damage his dragon.”

At that point, all the women glared at Quin; none of them wanted their dragon hurt.

Quin looked at Lagon for a moment, “Alright, for now you don’t have to tell. But in the interests of the safety of our children, please tell one other person, okay?”

Lagon stared at Quin for a moment then gave a stiff nod.

Everyone nodded, and the Cami jumped up again. "Hang on one more announcement.

We are having the book signing and lunch with Shea tomorrow. So I say we turn lunch into a party for the preggies. Bama had a great idea about all of us getting married together in her ceremony since we never got too. So, I think a bachelorette party is in order also. We’ll start the planning on that too."

The men groaned, and the girls clapped. Their mates hated it when the girls got together, someone always got tattooed or in trouble.

Then she turned towards her husband “And don’t think you got the jump on us by having the movers bring in the heavy stuff. We’re women and allowed to change our minds, so well just go along and make sure that plans we put down on paper look as good in real life. We still may feel it’s necessary to have the guys move things around.”

She gave her husband a look that said ‘gotcha’. She left the room with the women following after.

Chapter 2

Bama and her mates walked out into the sunny porch. They stood silently holding hands and looking out to the courtyard where she had planned for their ceremony to take place. The other women had loved the idea and loved the idea to have their ceremony with hers. It would be perfect; she thought, all of them pledging to each other at the same time. It would give them another group bond; she hoped the last council member was found before the wedding and would want to join in.

"So are you ready to go and meet with the architect and the builders?” Trace asked and smiled at her.

She nodded eagerly and said. "Of course, I’ve been excited all day. The architect associated with Sid’s firm called, and he is going to meet us at the land you have picked out. Shane said that we would be able to at least have the foundation poured this week if we approve the designs, and the weather holds. Have you seen the other houses? I can't believe how nice they look, and I can't wait to have our own home to go to."

Trace laughed and rolled his eyes. The night they had gone back to her place to rest after the attack had been good for them. Though they hadn’t been able to formally claim her yet, they had at least progressed past the hand holding stage. He thought it was adorable how traditional she was. She wanted to wait until their home was complete before they claimed her. But, after discussing things further, they had to make some adjustments. Bama knew they would be talking about the situation tonight. She knew what she had to do for her men Trace needed to claim his spot on the Council every day they delayed put the Council and the prophecy in danger. And to be honest she didn’t really want to be separated from them. She needed them.

"Yes, Bama, you will be able to decorate. In fact, if everything is good today, I have a present for you," Trace said and laughed when she grinned at him.

"Hmm a present, Shane, what kind of present is Trace planning for me?"

Shane looked at his mates and laughed. Trace was the serious one on the trio; he was the voice of reason. Bama figured them out quickly. Shane was more relaxed and tended to give away secrets that Trace had, like the rings they had bought her. Griff, the jeweler in town, had brought them out for Trace and Shane, so they could present the rings formally to her. They planned on making a night of it and then formally requesting to claim her from her mother. But Shane and his big mouth got in the way.

Bama's mother, who had come for a short visit, had been happy and gave her blessing when she found Bama with the rings in her hand. After Shane had picked them up at the jewelers, he’d accidentally left them on the table where she found them.

They learned very early that their mate was not patient when it came to things like this.

Trace and Shane had taken the rings and hid them until they picked the right time to give them to her. Not that it stopped her from looking; she would try to be sly about snooping in their rooms, saying she needed a book, or a pen, and be gone for an hour.

When they returned to their rooms, Shane and Trace would find things out of place. She may be a good spy on the outside, but with her mates, she didn't care if they knew she was looking for things.

They talked to her mother. It was customary in her country to have a full wedding mass and then as the eldest daughter of the Peck a special Harpy ceremony. From beginning to end, the joining ceremony could last almost six hours. The current state of affairs with the Council would make it impossible for them to be away for long periods of time.

So they compromised. Bama's mother would come to the ceremony for the people who needed to bear witness to their mating. That much of the harpy joining ceremony would be preserved and instead of a full mass, they would have a simpler wedding with a priest and a shaman speaking words and blessing their union. At some point in the future, they would go to her homeland and mark it with a traditional celebration.

Trace pulled her to him and kissed her gently, then looked at Shane. "Ready?"

"Not quite yet,” he said and pulled Bama to him and kissed her softly too. "I just needed a good morning wake up kiss."

Bama laughed and then grabbed both of their hands and pulled them behind her. "No more stalling. I need to see my new nest."

Both men smiled indulgently at her and followed. She was a force to be reckoned with.

So far, they played by her rules, formal courting and all. But they were not going to wait for much longer, and they suspected neither would she. In the last few days, their goodnight kisses had grown to the point where they had all been unsatisfied. Trace and Shane was the ones to stop them, not wanting to give her a reason to push anything back.

They drove to their piece of land they had picked, and Trace smiled when he heard her gasp as it came into view. The land that Trace picked was lush with trees. It was needed for the kind of design he requested from the architect.

Their huge house would sit on top of tall stilts and surrounded by trees. The windows peaking out through the leaves would be the only indication that there was even a house there. They saw a group of cars parked by the construction trailer that had been dropped off earlier in the day. Trace slowed the car and pulled into the circle of cars; the trailer was brought to the site to serve as its headquarters.