Shifter Magick (30 page)

Maddox barely moved as she shifted and Kera was glad. She wanted him to sleep.

This time the broth went down easier. Her stomach didn’t cramp as bad. She made sure she got up slowly and made her way to the bathroom to get some water.
She had to get her strength up.

Inside, she stepped in front of the sink and ran the cold water. Her eyes lifted out of curiosity and she looked at a stranger in the mirror.
She set the cup down and pressed her fingers to her cheeks. She was gaunt.

Kera hurriedly poured herself a cup of water and drank it down. Her stomach cramped but she forced it to stay down. She needed food too. She needed to gain the weight back.

She heard Maddox move and suspected he would wake soon.

She filled the glass back up to the top and carried it to the bedside table. When she sat on the bed, Maddox opened his eyes.

“You
okay
?” He murmured.

Kera nodded. “
I’m hungry.”

Maddox smiled. “I
’m glad to hear that baby. I can have Daniel bring you some more chicken soup.”

Kera shook her head. “It’s late. I don’t want to wake him. Can we go?”

Maddox stretched out before he got up. She hadn’t realized how tired he looked. She wished she had the strength to go by herself. She was selfish though. She didn’t want to leave his side.

They took their time walking down the hall. Maddox kept his hand on her lower back. The grandfather clock in the hall said it was four in the morning. Soon she would have to face her father and find a way to explain what happened to her. She wanted to know what Jason had told him.

Surely he would
n’t
have exposed her but maybe he didn’t know
what she had kept from her father
.
What would he do?

They made it to the kitchen and her stomach growled. Maddox opened the refrigerator and began pulling things out. Eggs, lunch meat, onions, cheese and
tomatoes
began to fill the counter.
He poured her a glass of milk and set it before her. “Sip on that for a while. If you start feeling sick we can switch to broth.”

“Thanks. I think I can handle real food now.” She slowly took a drink of milk, determined to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

By the time Maddox was finished making her omelet she was starving. Every bit was amazing. “There’s tons of food in the house so I want you to tell me when you get hungry and I’ll make you something.”

Kera looked up at him and saw the shadows of pain in his eyes. She put down her fork. “You saw me in there, like I was.”

He came over to her and put his hands over hers. “I don’t want you to worry about that. It’s over.”

“
I don’t remember how I got there.”
S
he whispered, her voice cracking and still raspy. She put her hand to her throat. “I don’t sound the same. I’ll never be the same Maddox.”

“Neither will I.
” He said darkly. “They’ll pay for what they did to you Kera. I’ll make sure of it.”

“My worst fear was that you were killed before I ever woke up. I didn’t know if anyone would be looking for me. Then Nick came in and said he was going to help restore you as heir and your father as Alpha. I had hope.” Kera shook as she spoke. “I thought he was going to kill me. I thought he did.”

Maddox pulled her into his arms. “I did CPR and you came back to me.”

“Is he
okay
?” Kera closed her eyes as she waited for his response.

“Yeah.”

Someone cleared their throat. “Smells good in here.”

“You always did know how to show up for food.” Maddox turned to Nick. “I owe you.”

Nick shook his head. “I was a coward.”

They shook hands and clapped each other on the back. Kera saw both
of them
smile the type of smile that told her they had really missed each other. She felt a pang of jealousy of the familiarity they shared.

When Nick looked at her she smiled but it faltered when she saw him flinch. “Thank you for what you did.”

Nick shook his head. “If I had known I would have done something sooner. I’m sorry you suffered like you did.”

Kera looked at his head and noticed the faint scarring and disrupted hair line. The patches of skin showed the brutality in which he was hit.

Nick ran his fingers through his hair.
“Got any to spare?” He asked.

Maddox
motioned to a chair and started cracking more eggs to prepare Nick an omelet. She picked at her food while she watched him work and decided that she loved him more today than she did before.

“I’ve seen many with starry eyes for Maddox but I
would have never guessed one of them could bring our family back together. You are truly special Kera.” As Nick spoke, Maddox turned to her and mouthed her new favorite sentence.

I love you.

Kera smiled as tears began to fall from her eyes.
I love you.
She mouthed back.

It didn’
t take long before she heard more doors opening and footsteps coming down the hall. Maddox abandoned the stove and planted himself beside her.

Daniel was the first to enter. He nodded hello and frowned at Kera’s plate. She couldn’t tell if he was upset he wasn’t woken or because he didn’t like the choice of breakfast after he had started with broth to help sooth her stomach.

Jason entered next.

She leaned into Maddox, taken aback at the power that radiated from him. Inside she felt a tug against the part of her she always tried to keep contained.
She tried to reach out to Fang and found that part of her detached.

Jason spoke softly. “You’re father is here.”

Kera nodded.

“You are safe here.” He told her. “For as long as you want to stay you’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” She rasped. Kera cleared her voice and tried again. “Thank you.” It came out a little better but she was afraid it would never be the same.

Jason inclined his head to her. He then looked at Maddox. Something passed between them and Maddox nodded in understanding.

“I’ll continue the trend.” Daniel said. “Unless you would prefer something else.”

Jason waved away the suggestion. “Doctor Harden stayed over also. I’m sure both of our guests will be awake and anxious to start the day.”

He was right.

Kera heard every step her father took. He made his way quickly to the kitchen and froze as soon as he turned the corner. He barely breathed as he looked at her from head to toe and then to Maddox and Nick who flanked her.

“Daddy?”

The word forced him into movement and he threw his arms around her. “
You will tell me everything.” He told her. “I want you to come home.”

Jason’s words made since now. He knew what Sam wanted. “I’m safe here.”

He rubbed her back and stepped away, hands on her shoulders now. He searched her face. “Wh
at happened to you? You look lik
e you’ve been sick.”

“They haven’t said anything?” she whispered.

Jason came over and stood behind her father. “It wasn’t my place Kera.”

Her heart pounded. She reached out and found Maddox’s hand and gripped it for support. She still felt the absence of Fang and she was surprised that she wasn’t glad at this moment that she didn’t have to battle the urge to shift when her adrenaline poured into her system. “I told you I’m different.” She said.

“You said you had secrets.” He retorted.

Kera nodded.

“We have secrets.” Maddox said from beside her. “I think it’s time you know.”

Sam straightened up and pursed his lips together.

“It was me who pushed the telephone pole over and blocked the entrance to the lake road mom’s car
wreaked.” Kera said quickly. She saw the shock on her father’s face but knew he still didn’t get it. “I didn’t have help from a stranger that night I had a flat on the freeway. I turned the screws with one hand and held the car up with the other.”

“You are not making any sense.”

“A wolf didn’t attack Kera. My cousin did.” Maddox cut in. “He changed into a wolf and attacked her.”

“And I didn’t hit him with a stick. I changed into a panther and scared him away.”

It all sounded farfetched as she spoke.

“My brother has teamed up with Luke Larson, Laura’s brother, and they persuaded Kera to bring them a certain family heirloom against her will. Once they had it she was released only to be captured by one of my nephews who is still
missing
.”
Jason said calmly.

Kera let the words sink in. “Heirloom?” she whispered.

Maddox snaked his arm around her back and pulled her to his lap. “You opened that present.” He started slowly. “It turned out inside the box was the book Luke wanted. You went into some kind of trance when you saw it and stopped me from keeping you from leaving. I think it was some kind of spell.”

“Spell?” Her and her father asked at the same time.

“You said sleep in Latin and I passed out.”

Kera hung her head. “I left you.” She berated herself. “I saw Luke that day. He did something. I should have listened to you.”

Maddox shushed her gently. “It’s over now.”

Daniel placed two plates on the table and Jason sat down.

“We have a lot to tal
k about. How about we eat first?
”

Her father sat down. “Laura tried to tell me things about herself before we married.” He looked at Kera with regret. “I didn’t want to listen.”

“What did she say?” Kera asked.

“She said that her mind’s eye saw things that other’s couldn’t.” He looked down at the omelet. “She started to explain the realms of living and the role she played in keeping them peaceful. I grew angry with her. I loved her so much and I didn’t want her ruining what we had with something that sounded so crazy.”

“That’s why she never spoke about it around you.” Kera whispered to her father. “She
stopped talking about them with me when I started repeating things around you.”

Sam nodded. “I got angry.”

“She left to protect all of us.” Jason cut in.

“After she tried to kill you?” Kera pursed her lips together when Jason flinched and Sam scoffed. “What happened?”

The room was silent.

Maddox rested his chin on her head and squeezed her closer.

“Laura had control over the elements. She could make it rain indoors and move objects with her mind. The sorcery that Luke claims isn’t the same. It was Luke’s greed that forced Laura’s hand. She knew she had to keep the book of secrets and herself safe so she asked for my help. I gave her some of my strength and in return some of her power transferred to me. I could hear the truth in every word spoken and she suddenly shifted into many different creatures. Her instincts overruled her and she ended up attacking me in the confusion. The bear she transformed into was no match for my wolf and I wouldn’t have lifted a finger against her anyway.”

“Bear?” Nick questioned.

Jason laughed softly. “Laura loved animals.
”

“I can’t change into a bear.” Kera mused in shock. “I can’t control the elements.”

“You made wind gust through the barbeque joint.” Maddox reminded her.

Her father shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”

Jason stood up and knelt down beside the table. His shoulders shifted and his body began to distort.

Her father cursed and jumped up from his chair.

Kera felt Maddox tense beneath her. Her insides pulled against the emptiness within her.
She
felt less than whole without Fang pacing in her head.

Jason was all black. His blue eyes shone out from his solid black fur in a contrast directly opposite from Maddox’s stark white. He held his head high as his clothes fell around him in a torn mess. His head dipped to her father and she watched Sam fall to his knees.

Her father looked at her with wonder. “You can do this?”

Kera nodded. “Maybe not anymore.” She whispered. “I can’t feel her.”

In the hours that past, everyone began to speak freely. Doctor Harden was sent home with a promise that she would be needed to give Kera weekly checkups.

Her father and Maddox both agreed that she continue to see the doctor if she was going to remain here.

Kera ate as much as possible and began to see results after only a few hours. Her tone began to fill out and her face rounded out. She looked back on the events from the past six weeks and drew some hard conclusions.

Luke Larsen used his influence with the collage to sneak her resume past and apply her for the semester. He enchanted the letter she held so she would go along with his plans. After she enrolled her mind
made up a story that her father had applied her so she would finally get out of the house.