Page 32 of Waste (Legendary Shifters #4)

Shelley

S he rolled over in bed and stretched, feeling aches in her muscles. A smile crossed her face as powerful arms wrapped around her, and she burrowed into Drew’s chest.

“Morning,” Drew whispered in her ear.

“Hey,” Shelley said before moving away. “I just need the ladies.”

Drew smiled lazily as a naked Shelley scurried across his bedroom to the adjoining bathroom.

Shelley caught him studying her, and by the tent in the sheet covers, Drew liked what he saw.

Despite her shyness and quietness, Shelley had no qualms about showing her body to a lover.

Last night, Drew had explored every single inch, so there wasn’t anything to hide from him.

She found an unused toothbrush and used it quickly, and then used the toilet. She hurried back to the bedroom and discovered Drew was still tenting the bedding.

“I can do something about that,” Shelley murmured as she crawled up the bed. She pulled the blankets away as Drew grinned lazily at her.

“I was hoping you could!”

◆◆◆

The only reason they got out of bed later that morning was because Shelley’s stomach insisted on being fed.

Shelley sat in the living area in one of Drew’s tees while he cooked them food.

Drew kept staring at her and smiling while Shelley admired his body.

He wore shorts and nothing else and was a vision indeed.

“Tell me about the Highgate Vampire. Is he real?” Shelley asked as Drew made coffee and placed one in front of her.

“Yes, he is.”

“Wow, really? Damn!”

Drew laughed. “He’s been here hundreds of years and gives an occasional showing to keep people coming. He runs a merchandise business called The Highgate Vampire Mech and makes a killing on it.”

“No way!” Shelley exclaimed. “Is he like you?”

“No, he is a bitten vampire. He’s not a Legend.”

“Huh?”

“A Legendary Shifter is what I am. Some might name us Apexes or the Firstborn. We call ourselves legendary because that’s what we are after all.

Some of us found ways to infect the guilty without realising it.

My blood mixed with someone else’s in an open wound and started a line of weaker ghouls.

Vampire and Wolf Man both bit a victim and created races from infected bites. ”

“Do all your Legends have descendants?” Shelley asked, intrigued.

“No, Phantom and Phantom of the Opera don’t. Nor does Frankenstein. Witches descend from Lilith, and hags from Baba Yaga. Loch Ness and Rumpelstiltskin don’t have descendants, but Scylla, Yeti, and Sphinx do.”

“Do?” Shelley exclaimed.

“Yes. Some still exist but are able to shift and therefore live openly. Yetis and Big Foots, however, can’t shift, so they hide in dense forests and snowcapped mountain ranges where they blend in.”

“Damn. The paranormal is really real?”

“Yes, it is, Shelley. I’ll tell you everything you wish to know!”

Shelley beamed at him before her face fell, and she changed direction. “What do we do, Drew? We can’t stay here forever,” Shelley asked as she sipped her coffee.

“That’s a damn good question. I’d like to keep you down here for eternity, but I agree, it’s not feasible. We need to discover who’s behind this. I asked my siblings to investigate; one of them might have discovered something.”

“But you said they’re unaware this exists.”

“No, which means we’d have to leave. And you require clothes too.”

“Will we be safe?” Shelley asked, worried.

“Yes. Whoever this is can’t track you quickly. He’d have believed you died in that explosion. He won’t have searched for you straight away, and you’ve no links to London. I reckon he’s watching your family to see if you turn up there,” Drew surmised.

That was not quite what Shelley had been asking, but she didn’t want to start an argument. She was more concerned about his siblings. They’d already mentioned killing her once. She bit her lip as she tried to find a polite way to voice her doubts.

“As for my family, we’ve bonded; they can’t touch you,” Drew said, and Shelley glanced at him.

“No?”

“No, we’re mates, Shelley. I explained that to you. Harming you would hurt me, and we wouldn’t do that to each other.”

“They threatened to kill me, Drew, if I remembered anything,” Shelley whispered.

“And I would die to save you. I love you, Shelley; that means something to me. There’s no future without you. Can you not sense the bond between us?” Drew asked, concerned.

“I can feel a sensation,” Shelley admitted.

It was a rather strange experience. She’d been unsure what to expect, but there was a place inside her where Drew was.

Shelley could sense his emotions and his desires.

She could tell how he was feeling, and it was curious.

There was also a weird pressure in her head, and if she closed her eyes, Shelley had the sense she’d be able to find Drew anywhere.

“It will grow stronger. From what I’ve seen, the others can communicate in their thoughts,” Drew said.

“I don’t know if I like that idea,” Shelley confessed, and Drew nodded.

“I don’t think it’s a case of being inside each other’s heads. More like if we wanted to talk privately in company, we could. We can reach out and check on one another. But our bond is newly formed, and over time it will strengthen. But believe me, Shelley, I love you more than anything.”

“Drew, I feel the same. You grew on me. And I love Ghoul, too.”

Drew/Ghoul

Drew stiffened as he finished plating their food. “What?” he whispered.

Shelley’s words stunned him.

“How could I not? Ghoul is a part of you. I might not like your Sin, which I liken to a parasite, but Ghoul was you in a different shape.”

Drew placed her plate in front of her, and she dug in even as Drew stared at her in disbelief.

“Am I wrong?” Shelley asked, taking a bite of sausage.

“About?” Drew asked, and Shelley chewed, swallowed and smiled.

“That your personality remained the same despite which form you’re in?”

“Yes and no. As Ghoul, I’m more heightened in my emotions.

I experience them more powerfully, so if I’m protecting you, Ghoul will be overly vigilant.

If I’m angry, then Ghoul is enraged. Also, Waste is stronger in Ghoul because it was Waste who changed my body to Ghoul’s. The Sin corrupted my warrior body.”

“Yes. But you control Waste now, and I don’t believe Ghoul will allow the Sin to hurt me.”

“Hell no. Ghoul would rip his own head off first,” Drew confirmed as Ghoul stirred. His shifter didn’t enjoy this conversation.

“Is Ghoul a separate entity from you? Like a wolf shifter, they talk about their wolves having a mind of their own. Well, they do in books.”

“Kind of. Ghoul and I are the same, but I’d do things as Ghoul I wouldn’t as me.

Also, I can tell when Ghoul wants to shift and take over.

We are distinct, yet the same. It’s very hard to understand.

We both share this personality, but Ghoul has his own urges and thought processes even though he remains me. It’s complicated.”

“Sounds it,” Shelley said and bit into her toast. Drew noted how she’d devoured the food in front of her.

“Want more?”

“No, I’m good, thanks. I hadn’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday, so I was starving.”

“Yes, you were late home. Why?”

Shelley realised Drew had no idea that DI Wilson had footage of Ghoul. She quickly explained, and a scowl descended.

“Liadun will get it, and wipe it and Wilson’s memory,” he stated.

Shelley sat up. “Liadun is one of you?”

“Banshee. Liadun shifts into Banshee.”

“Damn! Well, her Irish name makes sense now,” Shelley commented and wiped crumbs from her fingers onto her plate.

“Yeah.”

“Who else remains of your siblings? Are they all famous?”

“Yes. A lot of mythological monsters and creatures sprang up around us. We are the base of most legends.” He stood. “Come on. Let’s shower, get some clothes, and I’ll tell you about my brothers and sisters. I’ll also tell you about Refuge, as that’s an option for your family.”

“What do you mean?” Shelley demanded as she paused in walking across the floor. Worry darkened her demeanour, and Drew hurried over to hold her.

“Should Hunters discover that you’re a mate, they’ll target you. If they can’t reach you, they’ll attack your parents and Charlie to draw you out.”

“We need to fetch them!” Shelley exclaimed in panic.

“They’re safe. They’re being watched, and at the first sign of danger, they’ll be whisked away to somewhere secure.

We can, however, offer them a place to stay in Refuge.

Another of my sisters, one of the most powerful, Tisi, created a pocket dimension where Saviour Families can live and thrive.

Because time also moves much more slowly there, your parents and Charlie would have their lives extended. ”

“Oh, that sounds good! But I don’t know.”

“Shelley, you don’t have to decide today. We’ve got time. All we need to concentrate on is getting you some clothing and finding out who wants you dead.”

“That was blunt, Drew!” Shelley exclaimed, and Drew chuckled.

“But no less true. Come on, my love. Let’s greet the day.”

◆◆◆

An hour later, Drew had his head on a swivel as he took Shelley to get some clean clothes. They’d rushed their showers and headed out because they had a lot to do. Shelley was in the changing room when Drew felt the first prickle of warning. A Legend was close.

Drew ignored everyone around him and concentrated. If his sibling wasn’t approaching, then they didn’t mean him or Shelley well. A shifter didn’t have to hide from him. Not unless it was Tezcatlipoca, who had been confirmed a traitor. No, Drew didn’t think it was him.

Drew stiffened.