Shifter Mate Tri-Totem (Shifter World - Book Thirteen) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Seven: A Not So Even Trade

“No,” Lyvia whispered, “she will come back, won’t she?”

“The Goddesses are busy,” Cael whispered.

“She said that we need Dustin more then we need her, but she’s wrong,” Lyvia cried.

“Motherfuckers!” Dustin hollered as he laid his wife on the floor. “This ends now!”

“Dustin,” Lyvia whispered as she moved to touch his arm.

“Don’t,” Raj said as he pulled his mate away from his best friend. He has only ever seen his friend like this once before. And nothing that came of it was pretty.

Dustin growled as he charged at a human who was fighting Drezden. Drezden jumped back in shock and watched his brother tear the man apart.

Dustin turned away from the man he’d just torn the head from and ran at another. Within minutes, the humans who hadn’t been killed by the other Fated Mates were dead, and blood was everywhere. As well as body parts.

“What happened?” Daryl asked as he watched his brother. “I haven’t seen Dustin like this since…”

“Sharissa is dead,” Lyvia whispered.

“But the Goddesses will bring her back,” Daryl said as he watched his brother walk over to his mate.

“They’re busy with something, they can’t revive her right now,” Cael said.

Daryl looked at Cael. “What the hell are you?”

Cael smiled, “as Marry-Beth said. I’m your Angel.”

Daryl snorted. “What does that mean?”

“He’s half Angel,” Marry-Beth said as she watched Dustin lift his wife into his arms and walk out the door.

“What the fuck has the Goddesses so busy they can’t revive my sister?” Dylan snarled.

Cael looked around the room at the Shifters and sighed. He told them what he told the others, and when he was finished, Dylan picked up a table and threw it across the bar.

“First, my mate, and now my sister!” He shouted.

“We need to get Dustin before he does something stupid,” Daryl said as he headed for the door.

“What would he do?” Marry-Beth asked as she followed her Alpha out the door. Fuck, she has an Alpha now. She hasn’t had one of those in a long time.

“Last time he got like this, he shifted and attacked a shopping mall,” Drezden said as he pulled his mate to his side.

“And he wasn’t nearly as fucked up then as he is now,” Daryl growled.

“I can find him,” Cael said, “you guys should head to Ember’s old home. That’s where they’re meeting to trade.”

“Wait, we can’t leave Dustin out there like this,” Dominic said, worry in his voice.

“I promise, I will find him and bring him to you,” Cael said, then disappeared.

“He’s right,” Marry-Beth said as she stopped walking, “we can’t waste any time. If Lucifer gets hold of Pearl and the boy, who knows what will happen. Whatever he’s after is important enough that God hid it.”

Daryl looked at their old friend, who is finally a Fated Mate, and nodded. “Do you trust the Half Angel?”

Marry-Beth looked at her wife and husband and smiled, then turned to Daryl. “Yes.”

Daryl pointed to Tate. “You and your brothers go ahead of us. Make sure that we can get in undetected.”

Tate nodded. He hasn’t smiled since Shar was killed. He looked at his brothers, who nodded, and the three Vampires disappeared, Chelsea with them.

“Let’s go,” Daryl said, then turned and led the others to their waiting vehicles.

~🐻~

Cael found the Shifter and his Fated Mate in the forest. He was in his Cougar form, pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do.

“Dustin,” Cael whispered as he slowly approached them.

The Cougar growled as he turned to him.

Cael stopped and held up his hands. “Please, let me help.”

The Cougar moved to pounce, and Cael raised an invisible shield around himself. The Cougar hit the shield and fell to the ground. He got to his paws and shook his head, then tried again.

“Dustin,” Cael said as he watched the Cougar, “I’m here to help.”

The Cougar tilted his head, then shifted. When the man stood before him, Cael sucked in a breath. He has heard of this before. When a Fated Mate loses their mate. It destroys them from the inside out. He knows the longer Sharissa is dead, the worse he will get. Shar should have never sacrificed herself with what is going on.

“How can you help me?” Dustin asked with a deep growl.

“My father is Raphael.”

Dustin snorted as he paced again. “What does your father’s name have to do with anything?”

“The Archangel of Healing.”

Dustin stopped and looked at the man. “You’re serious?”

Cael nodded.

“But how can he help? I thought only the Goddesses can bring us back.”

Cael shrugged, “Grandfather knows what’s going on. He’s not happy about it, but he doesn’t condone humans taking out the Supernaturals either.”

Dustin turned and looked at his mate, who was lying on a pile of leaves. “I can’t lose her forever.”

Cael nodded, “the Goddesses would never allow that. They would bring her back once this was over. But we need the both of you if we’re going to set everything right again.”

Dustin looked back at the Half Angel. “What do I need to do?”

“Go catch up with your brothers. They need you. The five of you are strongest when you are together.”

Dustin shook his head. “I can’t leave Sharissa.”

Cael took down his shield and touched the man’s arm. “Do it for her. She sacrificed herself so you could help the others.”

Dustin growled as he backed away. The man was making sense, but he can’t leave his mate.

“Dustin,” Cael said as he took a step closer, “go help the others. We will catch up to you.”

Dustin blinked as he stared into the Half Angel’s blue eyes. He turned to his mate and walked over to her and knelt beside her.

Dustin pulled Shar into his arms and brushed her hair from her face. “I love you, Sharissa. Never forget that,” he said, then kissed her lips and set her back on the ground.

Cael touched the Shifter’s shoulder and linked him with his brothers. Dustin disappeared, and he looked down at the leader of the Fated Mates.

“Okay, Sharissa. Let’s see what we can do for you.”

~🐻~

“What are we going to do about Shar and Dustin?” Lyvia asked as she cuddled against her mate in Daryl’s car.

“Hopefully, the Goddesses will bring her back,” Dylan said from the front passenger seat.

“What do you think God hid from Lucifer?” Raj asked.

“Beats me,” Daryl said as he squeezed the steering wheel.

A loud popping sound had them jumping as someone appeared in the seat next to Lyvia.

“Holy Fuck!” Lyvia hollered.

“Motherfucker!” Daryl hollered as he swerved, barely missing oncoming traffic.

“Dustin,” Dylan said as he turned in his seat and stared at his brother.

“What the fuck, Dustin?” Daryl asked as he looked at his brother through the rearview mirror.

Dustin growled, “that Half Angel has a lot of power.”

“He sent you to us?” Raj asked.

Dustin nodded.

“You asshole. You could have made us crash,” Lyvia said as she punched Dustin in the arm.

Dustin grumbled, “it wasn’t my fault. He just touched my arm, and I landed here.”

“Where’s Shar?” Lyvia whispered.

Dustin’s face scrunched up. “The Half Angel is watching her.”

“Are you okay, Brother?” Dylan asked as he watched Dustin.

Dustin shrugged, “Cael said he can help her.”

“Do you believe him?” Raj asked.

Dustin looked at his best friend. “I have to. What else is there to believe? The Goddesses are too busy to care…”

Lyvia moved away from her mate and hugged Dustin. “There’s something you should know,” she said as she pulled back.

Dustin watched his mate’s best friend as she told him the story Cael had told the others after he had left the bar. Okay, so the Goddesses have a good reason to be busy. But what will the Archangel do when his son calls him for help?

~🐻~

Cael walked around the body of the first Fated Mate of this century. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Okay, Father, we could use you about now.”

“All you have to do is ask.”

Cael turned to the sound of his father’s voice and smiled. “Will Grandfather allow you to bring back one of his sisters’ creatures?”

Raphael looked at the woman who laid on the ground. “What does she have to offer me?”

Cael blinked. “What do you mean?”

Raphael moved towards the woman. “She’s a Shifter, not a human. What does she have to offer me? I can’t take what she has as payment. She doesn’t have the light.”

Cael rolled his eyes. “Is that all you care about?”

Raphael looked at his son. “No. But if I have to listen to my father over this, I would like something…”

“She’s the leader of the Fated Mates. She’s a White Cougar who thought she was human, but her father was a Warlock.”

“Hmm,” Raphael said with a smile, “I guess she does have something to offer after all.”

“What?”

Raphael turned and snapped his fingers.

Cael watched as Shar’s spirit appeared before them. She looked at them, then at her body and groaned.

“I guess the Goddesses are still busy?”

Raphael grinned, “my aunts are very busy. But I can help you.”

Shar eyed the man. “And who are you?”

“Raphael.”

Shar sighed, “the Archangel of Healing. Okay, so what do you want from me?”

Cael stared at the woman. How did she know his father wanted something from her?

“How did you know I wanted payment?” Raphael asked.

Shar smirked, “because if you didn’t want something from me, I would be alive right now, rather than here in spirit form.”

Raphael chuckled, “brilliant woman, no wonder you’re a favorite.”

Shar crossed her arms over her chest. “Well?”

“Impatient,” Raphael said with a snort.

Shar eyed him, and the Angel smirked.

“Okay. As payment to returning you to your body before my aunts can, I want your Cougar.”

Shar blinked. “What?”

Raphael nodded, “your Cougar is special. She will be better than the light I take from humans.”

“I’m not giving you my Cougar. She’s a part of me,” Shar said with a snarl.

Raphael shrugged, “suit yourself. Let your family fight on their own…”

“How am I to fight without her?”

Raphael laughed, “you did just fine without her before you found her.”

Sharissa took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Two minutes later, she smiled and opened her eyes. “Okay. But if you hurt her…”

“No plans to hurt her. She’s too special,” Raphael said with a grin.

Shar frowned, “okay. I will give you my Cougar in exchange for my life.”

Raphael nodded, then snapped his fingers.

Shar coughed as she moved on the ground. Cael ran to her side and helped her sit up.

“Great doing business with you,” Raphael said, then snapped his fingers and disappeared.

“Your father isn’t a very nice man,” Shar said as she looked at the Half Angel.

Cael nodded, “I know. I’m sorry, I didn’t think he’d do something like that.”

Shar shrugged, “I’m here and ready to help my family. Can you get us to them?”

Cael nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

~🐻~

Ruby Kraftman sat in the nest with her Dragon egg. Her Daddy wouldn’t tell her what was going on, but she knows, she’s a Witch after all. She knows that something happened to her Mommy and Uncle Kota’s baby. Even Daddy’s friend’s new mate is missing. Someone wants them, and everyone went to find them before something terrible happens.

She heard a noise in the egg and turned to face it. “What are we supposed to do, Keon?” She asked of her mate. “We’re too little to help.”

Another noise inside the egg had her moving closer. She pressed her ear against the shell and giggled when she felt it vibrate.

“Okay,” she said, then got to her feet and looked around.

Gramma and Grampa were taking care of the younger ones while Joy had the older kids playing a game with her. No one will see her leave. With a bright smile, she picked up the egg and quietly left the cave.

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