Page 5 of Second Shooter (Betas in Waiting #28)

Win raised her hands and said, “Bring what is mine to me.”

The gathered folk stared as her parents were seated in front of her. Win stared as she saw two dark Elite and an unconscious Stronghold Elite. “Oh, that can’t be right.”

Keres snorted. “Sorry, guys. She was just doing a summoning, and you got caught in it.”

A new arrival walked up. “Hey, I am Iris, and you just made my mates sprint to get here, and those dudes hate cardio.”

Win looked at the two dark Elite in suits that were staring at her. “I am so sorry to have caught you in that. I have no idea how that dude got here.” She pointed to the Elite on the ground.

Cori whispered, “What did you do?”

“Untie the parents. I am trying to figure it out.” She bit her thumbnail and frowned.

The broader of the two dark Elite walked toward her. “Do I know you, lady?”

“Nope.”

“How do you know?”

“I avoid dark Elite like the plague.” She looked at him and smiled.

Cori had finished untying their parents, and her mother sobbed and hugged her. “It’s okay, Mom. Win saved me.”

Their dad looked at them. “You are both all right?”

Win nodded. “Yeah, Dad. We are fine. I have to spend money on my new wardrobe but, otherwise, fine.”

He nodded and hugged her. “I am glad you are you, Win.”

She paused and hugged him back.

His hand touched her shoulder and froze. “The scars.”

“Uh, gone. Some of the folks here are healers of a sort, and they took care of it. So, now I am whole, but I am down one sister.”

Her dad backed away. “What do you mean?”

“Well, they couldn’t get Cori, so they will come for Mags.”

Their mother went white. “What? She said she was safe because she was married.”

Win giggled, and it wasn’t a nice sound. “Oh, no. They are losing mates left and right. No more are coming in, and they don’t take good care of their pregnant mates, so many die birthing. Then, the babies aren’t sturdy, so they die without their mothers, and the Stronghold Elite are going extinct. In about two centuries, they are going to be gone.” She paused and said, “Oh, right. Mags. She’s in a beta marriage, which is just like having a roommate to the Stronghold. She will be taken, any child she has with Thomas will be purged, and then she will be trained to be a concubine for the Elite.”

Her parents looked appalled.

Win sighed. “On the plus side, she will probably have a child in the next eighteen months. They will be on her constantly until she’s knocked up, and some of them after that.”

Her mother was crying. “We tried to keep you from knowing that.”

“I know, Mom. But I need to do something, and then you and Dad can go home and wait until Cori is ready to come home. She needs some time to be safe. Today was scary.”

Win calmly touched her father’s forehead and then did the same to her mother. “She can’t touch you now. Can’t see you and can’t think of you. When she wants to get leverage, you are going to be out of reach.”

Her parents frowned. “We want to stay with you.”

“That isn’t possible, Mom. We need to be somewhere they can’t get us for a while. We will keep in touch. But I killed ten men today, and I need a bit of a rest.”

Her parents recoiled, and Cori said, “This gentleman said he will get you home.”

She was standing next to the young dragon Erik. He smiled at her and said, “Please. I can take you home. My truck is this way.”

Her parents were dazed. Win and Cori hugged them, and the betas were led through the crowd and toward the houses in the distance. Erik was talking to them, and Win watched them go.

Cori looked at her and asked, “What did you do?”

“The same thing I did to all of you when I got home from the hospital. I blurred the memory of us. They are very proud of us and will talk about us as if they just saw us, but we will be disconnected, and the Elite and Mags will have nothing to grasp at.”

Cori walked to her and hugged her. “Oh, Win.”

Iris looked at them and smiled. “Let’s get you to our place, and you can rest. All of you. This is Ymer. It’s his home, and he has the magic to bring you there.”

The other two she had with her moved to speak with the two males Win had pulled with her. The Stronghold Elite was lifted and flipped over the shoulder of one of Iris’s partners.

Ymer said, “Please gather together. Hold still.”

Megan and Cori held hands. Juno stood still, and Win watched the dark elf that was going to transport them. He looked her in the eye and was surprised as he nodded in acknowledgement.

Win spoke to Rayd. “Thank you, and Lyric, thank you as well.”

Lyric smiled, and then the world faded and changed. When the world formed around them again, they were at Iris’s home.

* * * *

Cori looked at her sister, gleaming with power and her hair rippling in a wind that wasn’t here. “Win, were you always like this?”

“Yes.” Her sister smiled sadly.

The man named Ymer said, “Please come this way. We have rooms for you and a guesthouse if you need silence.”

Miss Norelic raised her hand. “I would like the guesthouse.”

Win nodded. “I will go as well if at all possible.”

Juno swallowed. “I am fine with that.”

Ymer nodded. “The boys in pictures everywhere are Brexel and Iris’s boys, Denel and Bennet. The dogs are Juno and Jupiter, but Iris has them firmly in her thrall.”

Juno cleared her throat. “Call me May then. I don’t want to be confused with the dogs.”

Ymer had a kind expression. “May it is. May, you and Win will be in the guesthouse. Brexel and Oren will be in with Iris to talk to you later.”

Cori looked at Megan. “How are you holding up?”

Megan swallowed. “I didn’t think anyone would know. I was so good at keeping up my hair, spraying my skin, and putting in lenses. I did everything I was told to, and they still found me.”

Cori looked at Win. “They took her when I was little. When she came back, she was different. Covered in scars. Her eyes were haunted, and she jumped at every sound. After a few months, I stopped noticing that she was still upset. She was, I just couldn’t tell. She stopped us from noticing and gradually just faded into the background. My big sister didn’t want to haunt me.”

Win smiled. “More or less. I needed to fit in. People had to forget about the scarring. From there, I could start again.”

Cori smiled. “You want to ruffle my hair.”

Win swooped in and ruffled both sides of Cori’s head, putting smacking kisses all over her face. “There. Have you been sistered enough?”

Cori smoothed her hair. “I will let you know when I need a top-up.”

Megan whispered, “When can I call my mom?”

Ymer smiled. “As soon as we are in the house. If the Elite want to track you here, they are welcome.”

Cori noticed the sharp fangs of the smile. “Okay, so we are going to crash at the house, and Win and J—May are at the guesthouse.”

Win nodded and followed Ymer’s gesture to the smaller house behind the enormous manor. She and May walked away.

When they entered the house, Cori could hear muffled sobs, and the voice was not her sister’s.

“Oh. Right.” Cori held Megan’s hand. Megan’s hand clenched back.

Ymer led them to the house, and there were two large and friendly dogs next to Iris. The white Elite wasn’t in the room.

Iris smiled. “You two are bunking here?”

Cori nodded. “Yes, ma’am. If it’s all right.”

“It’s great. We have two twelve-year-old boys who are due home in a few hours. They are both alphas, and because you are bound to ask, they were adopted when they were six. Brexel was their mother’s business partner, and when she and her husband died, he adopted them and hired me as the nanny. I left for a few years, and when I returned, the relationship started. The Elite were after my butt as well. My father was one of them.”

Cori nodded. “Us, too, and Win. And I am guessing that May is half-Elite as well. It would explain a few things.”

“May?”

“She decided with another Juno on the property she would go by her middle name here.”

The dog in question looked up and woofed.

Iris chuckled. “Right. Okay. Ymer will assign you rooms. There won’t be any issues with the other Elite. The dogs don’t like the scent of fear, and I don’t like treacherous bastards. Also, your sister is within screaming distance, and I think that will be a good deterrent to any nosiness.”

Cori smiled. “Yeah. She’s scary when she’s mad.”

Megan asked softly, “Can I go lie down?”

Ymer nodded, and Megan and Cori followed him. She was in the room and smiling as she closed the door. Megan looked exhausted and was probably on the phone the moment the door closed.

Ymer looked at Cori. “You don’t need to rest?”

“No. I need to see what kind of footage got out. I think I know why she was able to kill so many of them, but I need to see it.”

Ymer looked at her. “You are remarkably calm for coming so close to disaster.”

They walked back down the hall and headed to the kitchen, where Iris was setting up food. Lots of food.

Ymer said, “We have a laptop here. You can look up what you need.”

Cori nodded and looked up the words Elite attack . Clips from all the girls in the bus began to roll, and she looked for something specific.

She grunted when she found the video she knew about. It started when the bus stopped due to the lineup of Elite in front of it. They surrounded the bus and did something at all four corners. Then, Miss Norelic got up and tried to stop them from entering while the coaches and parents remained silent. The Elite had moved fast, and then there was a thud and laughter. It wasn’t good laughter, and they could hear it along with slithering and thuds from the roof of the bus.

Knowing what had happened made it so much worse.

Cori wiped tears away and continued to look through the files until someone caught Win’s car on video sliding in through a portal of shadow and smashing through a bunch of Elite.

The next view was out a window as Win stood straight, and blood bloomed on her shirt and jeans. The sword formed in one hand and the chain in the other, both made of blood, and then she started to move while Lyric tried to push the bus back through the barrier. She had moved it, but the Elite rounded on her and then came the moment that Cori had been looking for.

Win carrying a crossbow had formed between Lyric and the others, and she had taken out knees, elbows, and one got it in the neck. But the wounds didn’t bleed, and Win was also across the field doing battle.

“Holy shit. There she is.”

Iris looked at the screen. “What are you seeing?”

Cori backed it up and caught the moment when both of Win were in the same frame. “That is my sister’s second shooter. She used to joke about having a second shooter or personal backup. I thought it was just something silly, but here it is.” She pointed. “She’s in two places at the same time.”

Iris blinked. “Play it.”

Both of the Wins were moving independently, and they were battling as if the lives of thirty kids and chaperones were at stake.

“You knew she was coming?”

“I called her. We had lunch on Sunday, and she said that if anything happened, call her and start the clock. I just had to hold out for three minutes. I called her when I saw them, and three minutes later, she was there.”

“You are sisters but...”

“We were both adopted. Mom and Dad collected half-Elite kids and taught them to hide themselves. My other sister sold my location, and Megan and May were collateral damage.”

Iris paused. “What are your parents’ names?”

Cori smiled confidently, but her confidence failed as her mind scrambled around and said, “Why can’t I remember it?”

Iris touched her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I am guessing they were mages. Mages are slippery.”

Ymer chuckled. “Flatterer.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “All of my mates are dark Elite mages. Basically, they were content to be akin to monks, and then I stumbled in. What did your sister say before she brought in your parents?”

Cori blinked. “Uh, she said she was summoning what was hers. I think it was supposed to be Mom and Dad, but those other two guys and the light Elite were there, too. I could tell by Win’s face that she was confused.”

Iris smiled. “They are hers. They knew it the moment they got over their shock. The light Elite is breathing on his own, but he isn’t awake.”

“She said she has to wake him. I don’t know if she will.”

Iris asked, “How long was she at the Stronghold?”

“I remember her being gone for a week or two, but when we got the call from the hospital, she looked so worn and thin. It took her quite a while to get back to herself.”

Iris nodded. “I know it’s hard to remember. Would you like to remember?”

Cori swallowed. “Yes, and no. I don’t want to remember her like that. I want to remember her like she was today. A warrior.”

“Even warriors get wounded. It took four dragons at full blast to heal her. That isn’t normal, but Wren said it had to be the dragon fire, and it seemed to work.”

Cori nodded. “Those dragons were... dragons.”

“Yes, all but Erik. He’s young.”

“How young?” Cori covered her mouth the moment she blurted it out.

Iris smiled. “He’s in his second year at university. His father is also a dragon, and his mother is a succubus.” She smiled. “His parents’ flight contains three light Elite, just in case you see them and freak out.”

“Oh. Let Win know. That is way more of a danger.”

Iris chuckled. “I will. Good tip.”

Cori nodded. “And don’t tell anyone I asked about Erik.”

“Uh, Oren is right behind you, so I won’t tell anyone, but he’s a blabbermouth.”

Cori turned and saw the very large dark elf leaning against the counter with an innocent and smug expression while sipping coffee.

“Um, hello, Oren.”

Iris cleared her throat. “It seems that Win is blurring the memory of herself, but Cori remembers what happened when Win was taken. Can you find out what happened?”

Oren looked to Cori. “May I look?”

Cori blinked. “I think I should be sitting down for this.”

“Do you have anything that can spark the memory?”

Cori paused. “I do. Wait a second.”

She went back to the computer, and she brought up the video from the abduction twelve and a half years ago.

Cori explained, “It’s kind of grainy because phones weren’t as good back then, but this was what happened. This is where it started.”

Oren was watching. She played the video of a group of girls playing volleyball on the beach. Win was wearing a tankini and was laughing with her black ponytail swinging with every volley and jump. The Elite appeared out of the portals around the court and converged on Win. Six of them. The alphas seemed to get bigger as they grabbed Win, and she didn’t scream. She fought like hell until the fists hit her from several angles. They weren’t laughing anymore; they pulled her through a portal, and she was gone.

Cori swallowed. “That was the last time she was the woman I knew. I was five when that happened, so I didn’t remember much. I looked this up on websites that keep Elite footage moving so folks don’t forget they can be monsters.”

“That sounds like a site I would like to visit. Now, do you want to sit comfortably while I find out anything I can about what happened to your sister? May I share it with her mates?”

“That might be wise.”

“Let’s go into the living room, and I can share the signal.”

Cori swallowed. “I am either going to need water or throw up after this.”

Iris nodded. “I will get a bucket, just in case.”

They walked into the living room while five dark elves stared at her as she sat. She got settled, and Iris sat next to her. “I am going to be here, and Jupiter is on your left. If you need this to stop, just say stop.”

“I need this never to have happened.” Cori rubbed her face. She put her arms on the arms of the chair and exhaled. She looked at Oren. “Ready when you are.”

Oren touched her temple and said, “I am going to keep a light touch as long as I can.”

“Okay. Thank you. I am going to try and keep as many emotions out of it as I can.”

Oren smiled. “Good. Okay. Let’s begin.”

Cori felt the tears on her cheeks, and Iris handed her tissues. A huge dog head pushed into her lap and whined. Cori chuckled. “It’s okay, Jupiter. I am good. I am fine. They know what she used to be, and now they know why she is what she is. Well, the parts I could see.”

Oren nodded. “The need for dragon fire is now explained. Has she had a heat since?”

“No. She told me the doctors said that there was so much nullification that they had to go through. She didn’t work that way anymore.”

Oren nodded. “That is what you heard as well. It’s all right, Cori. By the way, prepare to be questioned by two tweens. Brexel headed out to get them and should be home shortly.”

“How long were you in my head?”

“An hour and a half. I had to go slow. Are you hungry?”

Iris smiled. “I baked cookies.”

Cori came back to her senses. “Right. Yes. Cookies would be good. Where is Win?”

“Still comforting May. There is nothing like shared trauma to form a bond. Keres joined them an hour ago.”

Cori let Oren help her to her feet and went in search of chocolate chip cookies.