Shifting Truth Read online

  Shifting Truth

  Book 2 of the Shifting Blood series

  Francheska Fifield

  Copyright © 2018 Francheska Fifield

  Cover design by Lola Kyle

  Editorial work by Corey Brooks

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rites and rituals taken from the key of Solomon translation.

  MP means mana points for those of you not gamer inclined.

  Chapter One

  I kept still and silent. It had been a tough year and though I was not injured anymore I was worn out. Trudging through four feet of snow over the past few days hadn’t helped either. I didn’t even dare to breathe. The werewolf is in his full moon phase, meaning the four days the full moon affects werewolves is in the middle of its cycle and as he is crazy. He does not have the usual control that comes with age. The problem is not really that it am a Were, it is that I am hunting so much as which one.

  I have been hunting him for two days now, hoping to take him alive and hoping his pack could reason him back to sanity. It is rare, but does happen occasionally. If I’d been smarter I would have killed him before the full moon. Things will be harder now, but I owe Rick more than that. I owe him my sanity and my grip on my own beast. I cannot just kill him like I do the others that fail to surrender.

  So here I am dragging out a job that promises me more pay the sooner it is dealt with. All because I feel sentimental about the ass. Being in a long-standing relationship is making me soft. I will have to blame Jason and Brian both when I get back, if I ever do.

  Instead of eating yummy Christmas deserts made by both of my favorite males I am hunting a pissed, crazed, previous friend werewolf across states. Here we are, in Maine, in a forrest that seem a million miles from anywhere. At least he’s not in some village eating the locals. It is the only bright side to this whole mess.

  I do not know what sent Rick over the edge; he has always had such control, being in the military teaches you that, and being a wolf in the military you makes extra sure you learn to control yourself. He helped me tame my beast when I was at my worst, and he helped get me back into fighting condition after the fiasco with a blood mage and fallen Fae. I cannot bring myself to kill him, but soon it may be my only option.

  I look out from behind the barn, what the hell a random barn is doing in the middle of nowhere I don’t know, but I am not about to question it.

  He is still there, still sniffing around in the snow. If this had been sane Rick I would have made a dog joke, but it’s not. Oh, screw it.

  “Rick, sniffing is supposed to be beneath a werewolf. I guess you really are a dog’s cousin after all.”

  He looks up and growls. Ok Bethany, now that you have the five hundred pound beast’s attention what are you going to do with it?

  It is an easy question to answer when he charges me less than a second after I finish the thought.

  “Oh shit.”

  I get up and run, turning to shoot and hoping like hell I keep my footing. I have silver bullets and they sting, but not enough. He keeps coming and I keep shooting until I have emptied the clip.

  “Stupid guns need to hold more fucking bullets!”

  I dodge as he leaps. Luckily I land in a shallow snow drift.

  Sadly he is not giving up that easy and starts digging. He soon finds me, but luckily I had time to reload.

  “Rick don’t make me do this.”

  His answer is a snap, towards my face. I shoot him in the forehead and he backs up, but he does not go down. These bastards have a lot of fur and a lot of muscle, getting through it all to their brain is tough, even with a gun.

  I pull myself up to my full height, not an imposing height I assure you, and continue to shoot at a slightly confused, and massively pissed off, werewolf. He seems to get more strength from it, not less. He turns and when my clip is once again empty and attacks. I have my enchanted knife on me I can throw; hunting werewolves with swords is too damn hard. Close combat is not ideal, and although that hasn’t stopped me before I try not to make a habit of it.

  I stab it into his neck as his jaw closes around my arm and flings me like a rag doll. I look down at my arm; it[CB1] is barely hanging on now. He is pausing, rethinking his next attack. I am weak, but the enchanted silver knife is still in his throat polluting his bloodstream, as are all the bullets he has not shaken out.

  I use this time to wrap my arm in my jacket; I notice the cold now that I’m not wearing it. I can still move my left shoulder, but I’m not using the arm anytime soon. The venom of the bite spreads through my system. Weres and vamps have venom to incapacitate their victims making it easier to kill them. Lucky for me, it doesn’t stop me, but it still hurts like hell.

  I scream and drop. The bleeding intensifies and I can feel the burn going through my entire body. He and I are on the same page right now, pissed and injured. The red haze covers my eyes and for once I don’t fight it. Rick is strong, and he knows me and my tactics. He is ex-military, Special Forces at that. I will use this and bring him in dead or alive.

  “Rick I didn’t want to have to do this, but you give me no choice. You’ve pissed off the wrong half vampire. And now you get to see what my venom is like.”

  I run right at him, something that causes him pause considering our vast size differences. I leap and land on his back. I grab at the fur and pull, ripping out chunks of hair and flesh. Finally, the hunger hasbuilt so much I cannot control it anymore and I do the one thing I hoped to never to do to Rick. I feed.

  The next thing I know I am in the snow. I push up and see a man next to me. I feel a pulse and sigh. Thank God I didn’t kill him. He is losing a lot of blood and so am I. My feeding hasn’t stopped the bleeding entirely and my arm is still in rough shape. It will take more than one feeding to completely heal me. I will be fussed and fumed over by a certain vampire and shifter for weeks before being allowed out of either of their sights.

  Right now it is that certain shifter I need to call. Brian will be mad. He will yell and say there is no point in living together and dating if I can’t trust him. It’s not that I could not trust him, but Jason, despite his big brother tendencies, is a shifter and he can fly.

  Hell, I can wait a night and get my strength back and finish this job on my own tomorrow, but I want to be home in time to open presents; since I am actually getting some this year, I am choosing speed over pride. Hey, every girl has her limits and presents are mine. I pull out my cell and thank God for service in random places.

  “Jason, ya, hey. I'm done, but I'm kinda hurt. I need you to fly to the city in Maine I told you I was staying in and run into the west woods. I'm near some abandoned barn. Rick is in man form but he tore my arm up good. I can’t drag his ass back to my car and I can’t drive even should I succeed. And don’t tell Brian please I’ll hear enough of it when I get home.”

  I hang up before he can say anything. It is lucky for me he is back in town for Christmas so he can help. Now all I can do was wait. I look at the barn and at Rick. Is it safe enough to leave him out here while I rest in the barn, away from the wind, snow, and insane cold?

  I sigh, rise, grabb Rick with my right hand, and pull. Once we are both in the barn I collapse on the floor, no longer caring if I get eaten alive or not.

  “Bethany wake up. Open your eyes.”


  I open them, more because of the insistent slapping of my face and talking in my ear than any actual wish to wake up.

  “Brian….why the hell aren’t you home making me cookies?”

  Jason laughes and looks at Brian smiling.

  “Well at least we know she’s going to live. She never thinks with her stomach when close to death.”

  “Ha ha, ass. Why did you bring him I said not to?”

  Jason turns to me with a serious look on his face while Brian turns away and goes to inspect Rick.

  “Don’t pull out the knife I think it’s the only thing keeping him docile.”

  Brian doesn’t acknowledge my statement, but listens to my warning. He is mad. Rightfully so I guess, but honestly, I knew he would worry enough without having to see me before I fed, showered, and showed up back home with a fake smile plastered on my face.

  “You said you were hurt. If I helped you who was going to carry Rick? Besides, even should you be able to make it back to the car alone I can’t carry a damn Were. They are heavy Bethany. Brian’s here to do the heavy lifting while I carry you. I know you are stubborn and stupid enough to think you can make it back alone, but in this case I'm calling your bluff. So sit there quietly and try not to be a mouthy idiot while I carry you back ok?”

  Coming from anyone else that speech would have ended with my fist in their face, but coming from my big brother who is always looking for chances to use his big brother privileges I let it go, doing nothing more than nodding meekly.

  Satisfied I am going to be a good little patient he looks over at Brian. Brian has flung Rick, who is not small or light, over his shoulder and is waiting for us to be ready to move out. Jason lifts me into his arms and carries me over the threshold of the barn and out into the freezing cold. My teeth begin to clatter and I cannot help but wish Brian was carrying me so this could go faster.

  I look over at him. He is tense and silent. Not unusual for him, except around me. Since we moved in together we’ve gotten even closer, opening up about things we’ve never told anyone else and bonding in a way beyond that of two people in a relationship. We understand each other in ways other people do not.

  I still owe him for not making me move into his family’s house. Instead, we live in a house for rent outside the city where, when I shift, I can roam free. A place with a lot of privacy.

  I sigh. Usually, when we fight it is my fault. I am stubborn sometimes, but not so stubborn I can’t admit it. I also know I’ll get away with a half apology; I am still working on apologies. I will get away with it because it is Brian and he loves me, no other reason. I certainly don’t deserve the leniency, but he gives it anyway because he understands when I am sorry, even if I don’t say it. It is probably one of the things I love about him the most.

  I smile and wish we would get there already so I can kiss him and make it better.

  “I think we may have to switch who carries who soon even though I know I can’t lift that damn wolf.”

  “Why?”

  Brian doesn’t look over. Just asks in his no-nonsense voice.

  “Because she has that smile on her face that she only gets when she’s thinking about you and it’s nauseating me.”

  Brian stops walking and looks over at my blushing smiling face. I make a kissy face, the height of lovey-dovey things couples do that I almost never do. He laughes and walks over leaning down, without dropping Rick I might add, to kiss me. I let him and Jason sighs in annoyance. He is probably feeling the cold as well, or worried Rick and I will both bleed to death.

  “Am I forgiven?”

  Brian smiles and shakes his head. “No, but it’s a good start.”

  Jason can’t hide the relaxation that spreads through his body as we signal the end to our fight, or the worst of it at least.

  “Why would you antagonize him like that?

  I sigh and lick Brian’s neck, trying to distract him from our current predicament and get on with feeding and making love part of the day. I need to heal, a lot, and he is arguing instead of letting me do so.

  “Can we talk about this after I am healed? My arm hurts like hell and even feeding off him it’s still bad enough for most people to go to the hospital.”

  He sighs and hold my hips squeezing a bit as I lick his neck some more. He soon relaxes and is sighing for an entirely different reason.

  “Bethany…”

  I bite his neck, sucking out blood strong enough to heal me. It will be the most effective being compatible with my own vampire blood. I let his hands roam over my body as I feed, adding a sexual component I only have with him.

  He moans and yanks his head back, kissing me with his blood still on my lips. As always I find the mix of blood and the taste of his mouth an aphrodisiac. I pull back returning to his neck, licking up the drops still flowing until the bleeding has stopped. I return to his mouth and push him back onto the bed. He falls back willingly, bringing me with him.

  I move my arm; it is almost as good as new. I smile at him and remove my robe wearing nothing underneath.

  “Bethany you are driving me nuts.”

  I smile. “We can talk about it later.”

  He rolls me over and pulls his shirt off leaning down to kiss me again. I splay my hands across his chest, tweaking his nipples before wrapping around him and pulling him down to me. He kisses me and I reach down to undo his pants. He pushes back when I get the zipper down and pulls away. I push up on my elbows looking at him questioningly.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Stopping you from distracting me from our conversation.”

  I put my arms over my face letting myself drop onto the bed. Did he really need to bring this up now? It is the only conversation he wants to have anymore and it is the only one I don’t want to have.

  “Now? Can’t we talk after?”

  “You are healed there’s no reason not to talk now.”

  I have to take a few deep breaths to calm down so I won’t say something I will regret later.

  “You can’t think of any reason we should talk about this later? Really?”

  He rolls his eyes at me and gives me a very annoyed and pointed look.

  “Bethany. You almost died out there. I heard everything you told Jason about what happened and why you almost returned in two pieces instead of one.”

  Damn vampire hearing.

  “We need to talk about you taking so many risks.”

  I sigh. Not this again.

  “Look hunting is my job you know it is. You knew it when you got involved with me.”

  “You’ve been through a lot this past year can’t you take a break or something? A vacation?”

  “I took one, we went someplace warm. Now I'm working again.”

  “Bethany I think you should think about finding a different job. You’ve been injured so much lately. It’s getting worse, not better…”

  “This was nothing compared to before when the blood mage had me. I almost died a lot when they had me. You saw my healing time then. It was months. One more feeding in a day or so and my arm will be as good as new.”

  Brian sighes; he does every time I make any sense at all. He doesn’t like losing an argument and, usually, I can be counted on to argue a moot point until he gives in and then I feel bad, apologize, and we talk for real after. This time I have a point. He doesn’t like that. He gets testy when I have a point.

  “Bethany you can’t just ignore how I feel about this. We need to talk about it.”

  I sigh. We have. So much that I feel like plugging my ears every time he mentions the word job. We made a deal which worked for a few weeks before he decided it wasn’t good enough. Originally our deal was I wouldn’t hide job information from him or injuries when I return and he wouldn’t work so much he forgets me.

  One of the bonuses of our jobs, Brian’s work is steady so he brings in money all the time. My job allows me to travel so I don’t get stir crazy and gives me an outlet for my violence somewhere other than on him. Th
is is a good thing. I assured him over and over, but he doesn’t always care. Absence makes the heart grow fonder or so I hear. Brian never heard it or just doesn’t care. He wants me here all the time.

  “We have talked. The shifters won’t send the Fae after me if I hunt supernaturals. I won’t go stir crazy and violent leaving you behind broken hearted or just broken if I can hunt and get my aggression out. Trust me its better this way. The cravings are getting stronger.”

  As a result of all the torture I’d undergone I have become increasingly violent and paranoid. Brian and I both know what this means. Vampires get like this before they go nuts. The only thing that allows me to hold onto my sanity is changing. When I go animal I feel at peace. I have to turn almost every day instead of once or twice a month now. We live in the countryside making it easier, but when on a hunt I don’t always have the opportunity and it doesn’t end as well for my prey. In the past I prided myself on trying to bring everyone back alive, now I don’t even try.

  “We need to talk to the Fae, or vampires, about that. That drug they gave you has permanent effects obviously. We need professionals looking into it.”

  I get off the bed and grab some clean clothes throwing them on without looking at him.

  “Bethany I didn’t mean anything bad by it. You know I didn’t.”

  “If I tell anyone they will lock me up. Been there, done that and I don’t care to again thank you very much.”

  I leave the bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I only used polite speach when I am uber pissed. Brian knows how the vampires work as well as I do. His mother is fading but if she makes the jump to crazy she will be killed. For the good of the secret. Not all humans know they are not alone on this planet and we want to keep it that way. Vampires, werewolves, and shifters oh my!

  Humans would overreact. They always do. They wouldn’t think ‘well they’ve existed as long as we have and nothing terrible has happened’. They will think ‘AHHH VAMPIRES!!!!!!!!!’ So we kill the crazy ones that go on killing sprees. I am losing it, I know what will happen. They will want to kill me now before I get to the killing spree part. It’s not like the shifters will argue.