Page 107 of Shifting Hearts

TWO

JASON

A knock came at my door.

I didn’t answer.

Holidays. I hated every damn one of them.

They used to mean something a long time ago.

Now they were just noise. Decorations. Dead air filled with memories.

The knock came again.

I stood with a low groan, dragging myself out of the heavy leather armchair near the fireplace.

My room was dark, curtains drawn shut, the only light coming from the low flames licking the grate.

The walls were deep mahogany, lined with old weapons.

The bed, large, unused, sat in the corner like a monument.

I opened the door.

Annie stood on the other side, looking like she’d seen a ghost.

She didn’t say a word, just signed. Don’t speak. She can hear through soundproof walls. You’re needed in the library.

What are you talking about? I signed back, confused and tired.

Now, Jace! she snapped, signing sharper.

I growled under my breath but followed her.

We walked through the halls, dark wood paneling, high ceilings, priceless paintings staring down like they knew all our secrets.

The library was at the west wing, vaulted ceiling, a massive chandelier overhead, iron spiral stairs leading to a second floor of books.

The fireplace was roaring. Leather furniture arranged in a wide circle.

Inside were Irene, Dom, their twins, Richard and Annie. Bobby and Isaak was still probably on their way. Maybe not. They were probably at Gabby’s.

I paused, taking them all in. Their faces were serious. Too serious.

What is this? I signed, glancing at Annie.

Sit, she signed with a sigh.

What the hell is this about? Who can hear us?

Em brought two vampires, Annie signed. Her friends.

I know. Mel told me. So?

No, Jace, Annie signed again, slower this time. You don’t understand. One of them looks like her. And I don’t mean resembles. I mean exactly. Like. Her.

My stomach tightened.

Who are you talking about? But I already knew. The way Annie was looking at me.

Her.

Morgan.

I looked away, jaw locking.

I think it’s the vampire Gabby saw, Annie added.

Irene looked confused. Wait, she signed. She is here?

I swear, Abigail jumped in, signing too fast, hands shaking. I saw her first. She looks like aunty Morgan. Younger, but it’s her face. The same voice. Demon eyes.

She’s about the same age Morgan was when you met her, Annie added, glancing at me carefully.

It’s not her, I signed, firm.

We know, Annie signed gently. But there’s someone walking around here who looks exactly like her, and she’s a vampire. We need to know if you’re okay with that.

I hesitated, then nodded once. But inside, I was already unraveling.

Dom shifted. What if it is her?

Dom, don’t, Annie signed quickly. We wouldn’t have remembered. Just like we didn’t remember when Jace had that ability. Em and Ryan wouldn’t be here if it is her.

Dom shrugged. Still. Gabby doesn’t just see her. She talks to her in the visions. And how many times has she said it’s Morgan?

It’s not! Annie signed hard.

I’m just saying, Dom signed . You should text her.

No, Annie signed firmly. If I text Gabby, she’ll raise hell. It’s not Morgan.

I stayed quiet.

She was right. It couldn’t have been Morgan.

But my gut still twisted as I wondered how similar did she look to my late lock pass.

I didn’t go to Em.

Even after Annie told me I should.

Instead, I took a shower, trying to drown the noise in my head. But it didn’t help. My thoughts kept circling the same damn thing, this vampire girl Em brought home. The one who apparently looks like Morgan.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. My daughter, who barely knows her real mother, managed to find a best friend who’s her mirror image. It should’ve been impossible.

But nothing about this life has ever made sense.

I got dressed. Clean shirt, dark slacks. Threw on a watch I didn’t care about.

Downstairs, the holiday mixer was already in full swing. Christmas music played in the background drowned by laughter from our guests. Warm lights strung around the vaulted ceilings. Fireplaces roaring in every room. A picture-perfect celebration.

But I didn’t feel any of it.

I scanned the crowd. No sign of the girl yet.

Mel walked over, handed me a Chivas. Neat. Just the way I liked it.

“You made it,” she said, half-smile on her face.

“Yeah,” I said, sipping. “Apparently I didn’t have a choice.”

The front door opened again.

Ryan walked in. He wasn’t alone.

There was a woman with him. Human. And two kids.

Mel let out a squeal and wrapped her arms around him, practically shaking the poor kid. Irene wasn’t far behind, kissing his cheek like she hadn’t seen him in years.

Then it was Dom and Annie, his cousins, everyone was happy that he was home.

Ryan was one of the best trackers in our pack. It was why I gave him the job to find someone like his mother. Someone I could negotiate with, but laying my gaze on the woman and her two children, something told me that he had given up.

The human woman looked nervous. The kids clung to her like shadows. I could tell instantly they weren’t his. Not by blood.

Still, what the hell was this?

Ryan finally made his way over to me.

“Dad,” he said, nodding.

“You were planning to tell me about this when?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Didn’t think it would matter.”

“Who is she?”

“She’s someone important.”

“She’s human.”

“You locked on Mom when she was.”

“That was different.”

“Was it?” His voice was steady. Flat. “I didn’t choose this, it happened.”

Mel stepped between us before I could answer. “Jace, not tonight.”

My jaw clenched. But I said nothing. Not yet.

Ryan looked me dead in the eye. “Are we welcome here or not?”

Before I could respond, it hit me.

The scent.

Cinnamon and apple.

It cut through the room like a blade.

My gaze snapped toward the kitchen. Someone was baking an apple pie.

“Dad?” Ryan asked.

I didn’t answer right away. Just sipped my drink and stared into the kitchen like it might answer for me.

“It’s fine,” I muttered.

And then Em came charging out of nowhere and jumped on Ryan, hugging him tight, practically lifting him off the ground.

“I missed you so much,” she said, pulling back. Then she turned to the woman. “So you brought a human girl, huh?”

Ryan smirked. “You’ve got a vampire boyfriend. Let’s call it even.”

Em rolled her eyes. “Still up for debate.”

“Not from where I’m standing.”

She looked at me. “Let me make something clear now. If this is going to be one of those awkward, passive-aggressive holidays, I’m leaving. I’ll take Ryan, his human girlfriend, and those kids, and we’ll spend Christmas somewhere else.”

The room fell quiet.

She looked just like Morgan when she was angry. Not just the eyes, but everything.

It punched a hole straight through my chest.

NATASHA

(Earlier)

I felt ridiculous, standing under the running water, fully dressed, like that would somehow delay everything.

Mel was here. I wasn’t ready to face her, not yet, maybe not ever.

She’d meet me tonight. At the mixer.

How the hell was I supposed to survive that?

I stripped off the soaked clothes, got dressed, dried my hair, and went through the motions of pretending I belonged in this world again.

At six-fifteen, we walked to the house.

The moment we neared the door, I heard it.

Voices. A sharp and heated conversation. The rhythm and bite of Mahur.

Jason’s voice.

My stomach tightened.

The other voice was younger. Ryan, maybe?

I stayed by the door, out of view. One foot inside the mansion, the other ready to bolt.

Em slipped into the house, like this wasn’t the most dangerous thing we’d ever done.

They were arguing.

Ryan dated a human? Jason was furious.

Ryan reminded his father that he too locked on a human once.

Mel had been human too? It didn’t sound right.

I watched from the shadows. The human woman looked overwhelmed. Her kids clung to her legs, wide-eyed and silent.

One of the girls caught my stare. I winked. She smiled shyly and buried her face against her mother’s coat.

The woman met my gaze. I held her eyes and gave a soft smile. Not threatening. Reassuring. I knew how it felt to be in the wrong room at the wrong time.

Em cut through the tension like she owned the place. Put Jason in his place and warned him to behave, or she’d walk out.

Mel swept in with grace, wrapping the human woman in a warm hug, herding her and the children deeper into the house. She caught my breath. Her resemblance to Leigh was uncanning and I missed them.

A few seconds later, Jason, my Jason, stormed past. His energy was a live wire in the air.

Paul stepped beside me, quiet, watchful.

“You okay?” he asked.

I shook my head, stepped back into the cold air. I needed space. Needed to breathe, even if I didn’t have to.

I leaned against the far side of the house. A moment later, Paul joined me, arms folded, letting me come down from whatever this was.

Then Em appeared. Someone trailed behind her, tall, steady. Her brother.

“Hey,” she said softly. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I lied. “Your dad’s not exactly thrilled that we’re here.”

“Doesn’t matter,” she shrugged. “Everyone else is. I want you to meet my brother. Ryan.”

I turned to him and froze. It wasn’t just his posture. Not just the jawline. It was in the eyes.

All I saw was Collin. My brother.

I stared too long.

“Tash, this is Ryan,” Em said, nudging gently. “Ryan, my best vampire friend.”

“You all right?” Ryan asked, brows furrowing.

I couldn’t stop staring. My brain refused to reconcile it.

How the hell could this boy look like Collin?

“I think I broke your vampire, Em,” he said lightly.

I blinked and shook it off. “Sorry. You don’t look anything like your sister.”

He laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard. Got my looks from my mom’s side. Some say I look like Salvatore himself.”

I stilled. “Salvatore?”

“We call him Collin?” He answered.

I couldn’t breathe. “Wait… what?”

Em looked nervous now. “Please don’t freak out. That’s why I didn’t tell you before.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, my tone was too sharp. “Em, how do you know him?”

“He’s my uncle.”

Everything stopped.

My brother.

Her uncle.

That wasn’t possible. It didn’t make sense.

I was still frozen in place and didn’t see the tornado of a woman coming directly at me. Her arms wrapping around me tight.

I knew that scent instantly. Jasmine and musk, with a trace of ash.

Gabriella.

Her voice muffled into my shoulder. “I’ve been searching for you for the past sixty fucking years.”