Running from the Shifter (Shifter World - Book Eight) (Series of 13 Short Stories)

Tamara heard voices around her and felt the heaviness of someone lying on top of her. She couldn’t open her eyes, and her head was killing her. She could feel the blood dripping down her face.

“What do we do with the others?” a male voice asked from outside the car.

“Kill them,” another voice said.

“No,” Tamara whispered.

“Pearl!” Lyvia screamed. She was trapped between an unconscious Pearl and Josiah.

“Shut her up,” a man grumbled.

The sound of the silencer was so loud in Tamara’s ears she whimpered when she heard a body slump over.

“No,” Tamara cried as she forced her eyes open.

“Knock her out,” the voice which ordered Lyvia’s death said.

Tamara felt something hard hit her head, and the last thing she heard was the sound of the silencer—pop, pop. She knew they’d shot Pearl and Josiah.

~🌺~

“We have a problem,” Bridget said as she appeared before Daryl and Drezden in their security company building.

“What’s going on?” Drezden asked, looking at the vampire.

“Where’s Tate? He’s not answering my calls,” she asked, looking at the two brothers.

“Haven’t seen him,” Daryl said. “What’s going on?”

She growled as she started pacing the room. “Vega is back.”

“What?” the brothers asked at the same time.

Bridget nodded, then told them what had happened at the mall.

“Fuck!” Daryl yelled as he kicked one of the tables in the room.

“I thought Tate had gotten rid of him for good,” Drezden growled.

“As long as he never saw one of the other girlfriends, then yes,” Bridget said. “But he saw Tamara, and everything came back. He still thinks Shar is actually a redhead, though. He thinks she dyed her hair.”

“Call Dustin, get him to call Tate. I’m calling Dylan. He’ll gather the other Alpha Fated Mates,” Daryl said as he pulled out his phone.

Ten minutes later, the Alpha Fated Mates and two vampires were gathered in the closed bar.

“What the fuck, Tate? You said he wouldn’t recognize Shar if he saw her,” Dustin growled as he glared at the vampire.

Tate put his hand into the air. “I also said as long as his memories don’t come back. Seeing one of his old flings could bring the memories back. I never thought one would come here….”

“How could you not tell us that my mate is one of Vega’s girls?” Drezden asked with an angry growl.

“I thought she looked familiar but didn’t think it was this. I thought maybe I’d seen her somewhere since she’d only lived two hours from us. I do travel a lot, you know,” Tate said, looking at Drezden. “Besides, it’s been over two years, and there were several girls. You can’t expect me to remember all of them.”

Drezden huffed. “I can’t believe my mate was one of that man’s girlfriends.”

“Hey. Don’t forget Shar was, too,” Dustin said, watching his youngest brother.

Drezden sighed. “I know.”

“Tate, you need to go to Vega’s. Find out what his intentions are.” Daryl looked at the vampire.

Tate nodded. “Fine. I’ll see what the scum is up to,” he said, then disappeared.

The sound of a vehicle pulling into the parking lot had them all rushing out the door.

“Well, that ruined everything,” Josie said as she climbed out of the passenger seat of her sister’s car.

“Josie,” Dominic said with relief as he rushed to his mate.

“Sheesh, Dom.” Josie laughed as she was pulled into her mate’s arms and squeezed within an inch of her life.

“Where are the others?” Dustin asked as he watched Rolando pull his mate into his arms and kiss her.

“They were right behind us,” Josie said, looking at the others.

“What if something happened to them?” Drezden questioned, looking at his brothers.

“Which way did you travel?” Daryl asked as he headed for his truck.

The twins told them which way they’d traveled, and the guys told them to stay there and help Amirah and Pike with the cubs while they headed out to search for the others.

They traveled in the direction the twins had pointed and found Shar’s car in a ditch on its side.

“Fuck!” Dustin shouted as he pulled over and jumped out of the car without turning off the motor.

“Dustin, be careful!” Daryl hailed his brother.

“Sharissa!” Dustin called as he jumped onto the car.

No one was in the front seat. Fuck, they took his mate.

“What do you see up there?!” Daryl shouted from the road.

“Shar and Tamara are gone!” Dustin growled.

“Mother Fuckers!” Drezden exclaimed as he kicked his brother’s truck.

“Watch it,” Daryl growled. “You dent it, you fix it.”

Drezden snorted. He could care less right now about fixing his brother’s truck. His mate is fucking missing, along with his brother’s.

Dustin looked in the back of the car and grunted. All three passengers had bullet holes in the middle of their foreheads.

“Pearl!”

Pearl groaned and started to open her eyes.

“Thank the Goddesses.”

“What happened?” Pearl asked as she blinked.

Dustin’s head was inside the window of the diver’s door, staring at her. “They took Shar and Tamara,” he growled.

Pearl groaned as she remembered. She touched her hand to her forehead and felt the place where the bullet had penetrated her skull—killing her instantly while she lay there unconscious. Stupid fuckers.

“We’ll have you three out in a minute,” Dustin said as he pulled on the dented passenger door.

“Stand back.” Pearl turned to face the door.

Dustin jumped off the car, and he and the others moved back.

Pearl closed her eyes and concentrated. It took a bit more than usual—since she’d just been killed. She pushed her hands forward. A gust of wind blew the door off its hinges.

“Pearl!” Dylan howled as he jumped onto the car and leaned into the back, where she sat panting.

“Get me out of here,” she said as she reached her hand out to her mate.

Dylan helped Pearl out of the car and held her in his arms as he jumped to the ground.

“Lyvia.” Raj looked in the car at his unconscious mate.

“Fucking hell,” Josiah groaned as he started to come to. “What a rush.”

“It’s a good thing Fated Mates don’t stay dead,” Dylan said as he held his mate in his arms.

“Is she alive?” Raj asked Josiah as he reached in for his mate.

“She’s breathing,” Josiah said as he helped Raj pull Lyvia from the car, then pulled himself up and out.

“Josiah.”

Josiah looked down at his mate and smiled, then jumped to the ground and stumbled. Gerald caught him and held him in his arms.

“I’m okay, Mafilio,” Josiah said as he looked up at his mate.

Gerald kissed him hard, and Josiah groaned.

“When I get my hands on those bastards, I’m going to tear off their heads and shit down their necks!” Dylan hollered.

“Easy now, Brother,” Daryl said as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Dylan snorted as he set his mate on her feet and kissed her.

“How did you guys know we were here?” Josiah asked as he leaned against this mate and looked at the Alpha Fated Mates surrounding them.

“Bridget told us what happened, and when only Josie and Maddy showed up, we knew something happened,” Daryl said.

“Where’s Mara?” Alec asked as he turned from looking inside the car.

“Oh, my Goddesses.” Pearl looked around. “She was in the front seat with Shar and Tamara.”

“Where?” Alec asked as he moved around the car.

“Between Shar and Tamara.” Josiah moved away from his mate to look around the back of the car.

They searched the area and found Mara’s body a few yards from the car.

“Mara!” Alec sang out as he ran to his mate.

“They must have realized she wasn’t one of the ones they were sent to retrieve and tossed her body aside,” Pearl said.

“Mara,” Alec whispered as he held his mate in his arms. “You better come back to me,” he said with a growl.

“Go screw yourself, Pearson.”

Alec chuckled. “You first, Mafilia.” He kissed her forehead.

“What happened?” Mara asked, her eyes fluttering open.

“They got Shar and Tamara and killed us,” Pearl said, watching Mara.

Mara snorted.

“Lyvia still hasn’t come to,” Raj said, fear laced in his voice.

“Let me see her.”

They turned to Kota’s voice.

“Kota,” Pearl said, watching her brother.

Kota smiled at her. “Nice to see you alive, Sister,” he said as he took Lyvia from Raj.

“Hey!” Raj said with irritation.

“Give me a moment,” Kota said as he closed his eyes. “She’s scared to open her eyes. She was conscious when they killed her. She heard and saw it coming. She and Tamara were the only ones conscious when it all went down.” Kota opened his eyes and handed Raj back his mate. “Talk to her, let her know she’s okay.”

Raj nodded as he turned and walked away from the others, whispering to his mate.

“What do we do now?” Mara asked as she looked up at the others around her.

“Now we find our mates,” Dustin grunted.

“There’s something you and Drezden need to know.” Pearl took a step toward her brothers.

Dustin and Drezden looked at Pearl. Fear in their eyes.

Pearl cleared her throat. “Sharissa and Tamara are both with cub.”

Drezden’s face broke out into a smile, and Dustin cursed, then turned and punched a tree. The trunk cracked and fell over against the trees behind it.

“Aren’t you happy, Brother?” Drezden asked with a silly grin on his face.

Dustin took a deep breath. “Of course I am. We’d talked about having a big family at some point.”

“Then what is it?” Dylan asked as he studied his older brother.

Dustin turned to his family. “Only the first cubs are protected by the Goddesses. Because they’re needed for the upcoming war. Yes, Shar is protected, but if she dies, so does the cub, and there’s no bringing it back.”

“Fuck,” Dylan cursed, his hands forming into fists at his sides.

“I’m sure the Goddesses won’t let anything happen to your cub,” Pearl whispered.

Dustin looked at Pearl. “I don’t want to chance that they won’t. We need to find Shar and Tamara, and I mean, now.”

The others nodded in agreement, then everyone started heading for their vehicles.

~🌺~

“Tam,” Shar whispered as she shook her sister’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

Tamara moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. “What happened?”

“Vega’s goons kidnapped us,” Shar whispered.

Tamara groaned when the memories flashed through her mind. “Lyvia!” she cried as she sat up.

“Shh,” Shar said, placing her hands on Tamara’s shoulders. “What happened to her?” she whispered.

“They killed her,” Tamara whispered. “When they knocked me out, I heard two more pops from the silencer, and I know they killed Pearl and Josiah, too.”

Shar nodded. “What about Mara?”

Tamara shrugged. “They knocked me out before they touched her.”

Shar nodded again. “They needed to get her out of the way to get to you. They probably killed her, too.”

Tamara whimpered. “How can you be so cool about them killing our family?”

Shar chuckled. “We can’t stay dead, or did you forget that?”

Tamara sucked in a breath. “I forgot about that.”

Shar nodded. “They’ll be okay. The Alphas will find them, then they’ll find us.”

Tamara nodded. “I hope so.”

“I wish I had my phone,” Shar said as she reached into her empty pocket.

“Where are we, anyway?” Tamara asked, looking around the room.

“Not sure. Never seen this room before.” Shar looked around them.

Tamara nodded. “How are the guys going to find us?”

Shar smiled. “Never underestimate a Fated Mate.”

Tamara and Shar looked at the door when they heard the knob jiggle.

“Fuck, I don’t want to deal with them again,” Tamara mumbled.

“Relax.” Shar smiled. “We’re Fated Mates now. Remember that.”

Tamara nodded, then smiled when she remembered how strong they were now. If the jackasses hadn’t made them crash, they would have been able to fight them off.

The door opened, and a grinning Vega stepped into the room. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” he said as he closed the door. “Take your clothes off.”

Both women looked at each other, then at Vega.

“Fuck you.” Sharissa glared at him.

Vega shook his head and pulled out a gun. “I said. Take your clothes off. We’ll have some fun before I move you to my Island. I’m here to show you what you two will be doing until I tire of you.”

“As I said.” Shar folded her arms over her chest. “Fuck. You.”

“You’re going to regret that,” Vega said, pointing the gun at Shar’s head.

“Shar,” Tamara whispered.

Shar looked at Tamara.

“He has no control over us, Tam. We’re Fated Mates….”

“What the fuck are you two talking about?” Vega demanded, waving the gun at them.

They’d been talking so quietly he hadn’t been able to hear a word they said.

“I say we take him down and steal his keys, then get the fuck out of here,” Shar continued talking as if she hadn’t been interrupted.