Shifting the Shifter (Shifter World - Book Six) (Series of 13 Short Stories)

“You’re telling me.” Gerald breathed heavily against Josiah’s back.

“Will it always be like this?” Josiah asked.

Gerald hummed. “I think so. It’s part of being a Fated Mate. We were once one being, you know.”

Josiah nodded. “Yeah. Shar, let me read the book.”

Gerald smiled. “And what did you learn from it?”

Josiah shrugged. “A lot, but nothing about the dark witches and wizards.”

Gerald sighed. “Yeah. I think Dustin said his mom may have a book to help us with that.”

“Shouldn’t we be reading it before we go after them again?”

Gerald froze for a moment and kissed Josiah’s cheek. “You’re brilliant.”

Josiah grinned. “I try.”

“If I could move my cock right now, I would be fucking you again.”

Josiah chuckled.

Gerald reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed Daryl’s number since he was their Alpha. He chuckled. Now that he has a mate, Daryl is his Alpha. Go figure.

“You two done already?” Daryl asked with a chuckle when he answered.

“Still knotted,” Gerald grinned. “But that’s not why I’m calling. Look, Josiah has a brilliant idea, but I don’t know how we can take care of it before we go after the club tonight.”

“What’s up?” Daryl asked.

Gerald told him what his mate had suggested, and Daryl laughed.

“Tell that beautiful mate of yours that he isn’t just a pretty face.”

Gerald grinned. “Don’t I know it. So how can we get the books here before we raid the club tonight?”

Daryl laughed. “Have you forgotten we have two vampires?” He said, then hung up.

Gerald snorted. “Actually, I had.” He chuckled.

Josiah turned his head and smiled at him. “So, I’m more than a pretty face, huh?”

Gerald grinned. “Much more.”

“I hadn’t thought of Tate or Bridget either,” Josiah admitted.

Gerald nodded. “They’re such a part of my life; I forget they’re bloodsuckers.”

“How much longer do we have?” Josiah asked.

Gerald looked at his watch. “I’d say, about fifteen minutes or so.”

Josiah nodded. “Can you tell me more about you while we wait?”

Gerald kissed his cheek. “I would be happy to.”

~🐺~

“Look who finally joined us.” Shar smiled when she saw Gerald and Josiah walking to the table she was sitting at with the other girls in their group.

“Go away, Gerald,” Lyvia said as she took hold of Josiah’s arm and pulled him toward the table.

Josiah smiled as he looked back at Gerald, who was also smiling.

“The guys are over there.” Maddy pointed to a room off to the side.

Gerald nodded, then kissed Josiah and headed toward the door Maddy pointed to.

“Soooo. Scoop,” Shar said as she picked up her cards.

“What’s to scoop about?” Josiah asked as he looked through his pockets for any kind of cash.

Maddy pushed him some chips and smiled at him.

“Is he as big down there as his body predicts?” Shar asked as she discarded three cards from her hand.

Josiah choked on the water the waitress had just handed him.

The girls giggled.

“I know he’s not as big as Rolando; because Rolando is a bear.” Maddy grinned.

“All of our fine mates are gifted down below,” Lyvia smirked.

“Yeah, but Gerald is black. And for a wolf, his body is huge,” Shar said, looking up at Josiah.

“Rolando is black too,” Maddy reminded her, not that Shar needed the reminder.

“Yes, but you’ve already bragged about your mate, Sis,” Josie said with a wide grin as the others chuckled.

Maddie’s cheeks turned bright red as she looked down at the cards she’d just been dealt.

“Well,” Josiah said, recovering from his near drowning. “If I had a measuring tape, I could give an exact measurement, but if I were to guess, I’d say about fourteen or fifteen inches long and as thick as your wrist,” he said, pointing at Lyvia’s wrist.

“Holy fuck,” Lyvia said, staring at her wrist.

Shar spat her water all over her cards, and the others laughed.

“Okay, enough talk about dicks,” Pearl said as she set her cards down. “Royal flush.”

“Ah shit!” the other girls said as they tossed their cards onto the table.

Sharissa used a few napkins to dry off her cards before she returned them to the dealer. “Sorry,” she said with a sweet smile.

The dealer nodded to her but didn’t say anything.

“I’m done at this table,” Pearl said as she stood.

“Only because you’ve won every hand.” Shar snorted.

Pearl kissed Shar on the cheek. “I’ll buy you all dinner,” she said as she turned from the table with her winnings.

Shar made a face at her back, and Pearl smiled. “Keep that up, and I’ll make it stay that way.”

Shar straightened her face, knowing the woman could do it.

“Don’t look so serious, Sharissa,” Lyvia said as she threw her arm around Shar’s shoulders. “You know Pearl wouldn’t really do that. Would you, Pearl?”

Pearl turned to them and winked. “Nah, you’re family. I don’t disfigure family. Besides, you’re Dylan’s favorite family member.” She smiled at Shar, then moved to another table to check it out.

Everyone stuck their tongues out at the witch at the same time, and Pearl laughed.

“Would she really do that?” Josiah asked as he walked beside Shar and Lyvia.

“Nah.” Lyvia grinned. “She’s family. She’s just messing with us.”

He nodded. “But I’m not….” Josiah stopped what he was about to say when he saw every woman in his group turn to him.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Maddy said, pointing a finger at him. “I have known Gerald longer than any of them. Gerald is Rolando’s best friend, which makes him family, which makes you family. And I know the others feel the same.”

The other girls nodded.

“Don’t ever think you’re not family,” Shar said, placing her hand on Josiah’s arm. “You’re my brother now. Would say sister, but even though you’re not the Alpha Mate, you’re still a man.”

“A beautiful man,” Josie said with a grin.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Look, I don’t know any of these girls here, except Lyvia, but if they’re anything like her and Raj—you’re family. Even if you weren’t mated to their friend,” Mara said, pointing at Josiah.

Shar nodded. “We’re just closely connected with the Fated Mate stuff. Mara isn’t a fated mate, but she’s cousins with our brother Raj, which makes her family.”

“But you’re one of us.” Lyvia took hold of Josiah’s other arm.

“Fated Mate,” Pearl said with a bright smile.

“Family.” Shar nodded.

“Family,” the other girls agreed.

They all burst into laughter and wandered around the casino, looking for something fun to do.

~🐺~

Gerald looked at the book Tate had open in his hands.

“Shouldn’t we wait for our mates?” he asked, looking around the room.

“They should be here soon,” Dustin said as he watched Tate. “Well?”

Tate grunted. “Pearl should be reading this,” he grumbled. “She’d understand it better.”

“Good grief, let me see it,” Bridget said with a growl as she took the book from Tate.

“Why again aren’t you out there with the women?” Tate growled as he watched her read the book. He’d almost lost a few brain cells trying to understand that thing.

“Because gambling is for suckers.”

“Don’t you suck?” Tate asked innocently.

The others chuckled at his innuendo.

She smirked. “Not as much as you do.”

“Oooo,” the guys said, their eyes squinting at the two vampires.

“At least I know when to stop,” Tate grumbled.

“Yes, we all know you’re the better vampire here,” She grumbled, then tossed the book onto the table. “That thing is cursed.”

Tate chuckled. “Just because you can’t read it doesn’t mean it’s cursed.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, then turned her back on him.

“Why don’t you two just fuck and get it over with?” Dustin said as he watched the two ex-lovers.

Bridget started to gag, and Tate snorted.

“That’s been over for over a hundred years,” Tate said as he looked at the book again.

“And the winner is!” Pearl shouted as she and the girls entered the room. Her hand was in the air with a large wad of cash.

“I guess you won,” Dustin said, watching the other women slump into the room—deflated.

The only one who looked almost as happy as Pearl was Josiah.

“Did you win anything, baby?” Gerald asked as he moved closer to Josiah.

Josiah nodded. “Sisters,” he said, lightly kissing Gerald on the lips. “Thank you.”

Gerald grinned. “If that’s all it takes to make you happy, I’ll give you a dozen more.”

Josiah chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll get more as more Fated Mates are revealed.”

“Ah, shit,” Pearl grunted, then fell to the floor, her wad of cash falling from her hand.

“Pearl!” Dylan called out as he rushed to her side.

“I think the Goddesses are revealing something again,” Shar said as she watched Pearl convulse on the floor.

“What’s going on?” Josiah asked as he leaned against his mate while they watched Pearl.

“Pearl is directly linked to the Goddesses,” Gerald whispered in his ear, then kissed his temple.

Pearl’s eyes blinked open, and she looked up at them.

“What did they have to show you this time?” Dylan asked, holding her head in his lap.

She turned her head to look at him. “The next Fated Mate will be activated soon. We need to get this over with so we can get on with the other stuff.”

Dylan nodded as he helped her up and got to his feet.

“We need you to translate this book,” Bridget said, pointing to the book on the table.

“Wow.” Pearl moved over to the book. “Your mother really does have just about every book on the Supernaturals and Magic.”

Dylan shrugged. “We’ve read all the books but this one. Never could understand it.”

Pearl opened the book and started reading it. After fifteen minutes, Dylan pulled out a chair for her, and she sat. An hour later, she looked up at her mate and smiled.

“Your brother was right,” she whispered.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

“Which brother?” Dylan asked.

Pearl looked at Daryl. “Underneath all that magic, they’re just humans.”

Daryl grinned. “I already figured that out.”

“Does that mean we can beat them?” Dylan asked.

She looked up at him and chuckled. “Oh yes, they’re beatable. And I think we’re going to get rid of enough of them in the next few days to put a huge dent in their population.”

Everyone in the room grinned.

“Looks like your friend is missing out on all the fun,” Mara said, bumping her shoulder into her cousin.

Raj smiled. “At least you’re here,” he said, wrapping his arm around her and giving her a squeeze.

“Okay, so what’s next?” Gerald asked as he and Josiah stood up from the couch they’d been cuddling on.

“Now we take out the other club in Vegas. Then figure out where the other ones are located.” Pearl closed the book and handed it to Tate. “Take this back to the Kraftman house. We don’t want anyone finding it here.”

“How bad is that book?” Dylan asked as he watched Tate disappear.

Pearl looked at Dylan. “Extremely, if in the wrong hands.”

“Shit,” the five brothers hissed.

“Well, let’s get going,” Pearl said as she headed for the door.

Tate reappeared in the room, and they followed Pearl from the room and out to the parking lot.

Whatever is next, they have each other’s backs.