Page 33 of Waste (Legendary Shifters #4)

No Legend would attack another in public; it would draw too much attention.

They’d wait until they were alone. With Mary’s network of mirrors cut off from him, Drew would have to rely on his wits.

Undoubtedly, Mary had tracked him the moment they emerged from hiding.

Drew had ensured that the changing room Shelley was using didn’t have a mirror.

He didn’t want her yanked through while he remained here.

Shelley came out smiling and nodded at the armful of clothes she was carrying. “They all fit, Drew. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” Drew knew Shelley meant the clothing.

They’d had a minor argument about Drew paying for them, but he’d won.

Shelley hadn’t acknowledged she didn’t have a purse with her.

She’d no debit cards or cash on her. Drew also noted that she’d avoided mentioning she’d lost almost everything. Her house had been destroyed.

Obviously, because Shelley had been linked with him, she’d made the news.

Drew had caught the report when he got up to get a drink.

Everyone was speculating about where Shelley was and whether she’d been inside.

Drew didn’t doubt that Charlotte would be inundated with calls.

He’d sent her a text informing her he was aware of the situation and would call her soon.

Charlotte had returned with what Drew assumed was a grumpy okay.

Drew thought Shelley might be in denial, but wasn’t about to push her. Not now their day was about to take a turn for the worst. Drew couldn’t sense which of his siblings was out there watching, but he gathered it would be one of the board.

If he had to choose, it would be Vladimir, Jase, or Rhett. Any of the Legends could handle a problem. But the three of them were fanatical about protecting themselves and everyone else. Especially now Vladimir and Jase had families to worry about.

“We’re going to head home,” Drew said, and Shelley nodded.

Drew noted she seemed almost ecstatic about that.

Being outside had put Shelley on edge. Drew knew that his bolthole was about to be exposed and sighed.

He’d rather liked this one. But their stalker wouldn’t confront them in public.

The fact that he couldn’t see who it was made Drew wonder if the Invisible Man was stalking them. He was completely unsure.

“Come on, my love,” Drew said and put an arm around Shelley’s shoulders. He guided her back through the streets, his own disguise of glasses and a ball cap allowing them free movement.

As soon as he reached the alleys where he knew there were no mirrors, Drew shifted and caught up a surprised Shelley.

He raced through the dim, narrow alleyways and kept to the shadows.

The fact that their stalker was keeping up didn’t worry Drew as much as it should have.

He hid as the sky turned dark suddenly. Lilith was here as well, Drew surmised, as magic created a thunderstorm.

As Drew lurked in the encroaching darkness, lightning flashed, and the clouds rumbled.

The few people who’d been standing near the cemetery fled quickly, and Drew took his opportunity.

He flew towards his bolthole as the sky opened and rain poured down.

It lashed against his skin, and Drew knew this mirrored Lilith’s displeasure.

He didn’t care. He entered the mausoleum and hit the secret door.

Without hesitation, he jumped and headed for home.

Drew sensed confusion above him and guessed it would take Lilith and whoever time to figure out where he’d gone.

“Shelley. Some of my siblings are here. You remember the escape route I showed you yesterday?”

“Yes,” she replied, looking frightened.

“Enter it. Should things go badly, flee. I’ll find you. Stay in populated places where it’s safe, and call the police.”

“I’m scared,” Shelley whispered, clinging to his shirt.

“You should be,” Jase said.

Ghoul cursed himself for not sensing they’d arrived. He shoved Shelley behind him and snarled. Facing him were Jase and Lilith. Jase hadn’t shifted yet, although Lilith had.

“Hand her over, Ghoul. She can’t be allowed to live, not knowing what she does,” Jase ordered.

Ghoul didn’t reply but launched at Jase, knocking him backwards.

Ghoul slammed him into a wall and turned, throwing a chair at Lilith, who approached Shelley.

Shelley dropped her bags, squealed, and ran behind a sofa looking for a weapon.

Shelley threw a bowl at Lilith, who ducked and kept approaching.

Ghoul leapt across the distance and grabbed Lilith and swung her around and shoved her away. Lilith snarled as she crouched and began muttering a spell. Shelley chucked a bottle at her and distracted Lilith.

Ghoul idly noted how good Shelley’s aim was. He turned to fight Jase and was slammed backwards by a powerful tentacle.

Despite not being in water, Jase had shifted into Uber-merman, and Shelley’s eyes widened in horror.

“Run!” Ghoul yelled as Uber-merman smashed him against a wall.

Ghoul leaned down and bit the tentacle holding him in place, and Uber-merman shrieked.

Lilith tried moving towards Shelley again, but Ghoul intercepted and threw her at Uber-merman.

Lilith stumbled as a tentacle aimed at Ghoul, hitting her instead.

“Uber!” Lilith exclaimed, annoyed as she staggered.

Uber-merman shrugged and attacked Ghoul.

They traded punches and strikes as they each tried to subdue the other.

With his concentration on Uber-merman, Ghoul was unable to watch Shelley.

Panic welled up in him, and he became more vicious than usual.

He could see surprise in Uber-merman’s eyes that Ghoul was reacting the way he was.

A cry came from Shelley, and Ghoul grabbed a tentacle and, hanging on, bent his body backwards and crab-crawled behind Uber-merman. He wrapped the tentacle around Uber-merman’s neck and started strangling him with it. His gaze roamed wildly around for Shelley, and he saw her stooped over.

Shelley screamed and began to shake. Lilith’s eyes went wide, and she rushed over.

Shelley swept an arm out and sent Lilith flying.

Ghoul watched as Shelley straightened, and red eyes stared back at him.

Oh shit! Shelley was shifting. Drew had warned her this might happen, but Drew had hoped it wouldn’t.

Ghoul, on the other hand, was overjoyed. Ghoul continued to choke Uber-merman out, even as he bit Uber-merman wherever he could reach. His bite held a venom that would weaken his opponent, and Ghoul wasn’t afraid to use it on a sibling.

“Let me help!” Lilith called.

Shelley snarled at her and, in a blink, shifted. She was on Lilith, snapping her teeth in her face as Lilith tried to defend herself.

Seeing Lilith under attack, Uber-merman grabbed Ghoul, who was distracted, and flung him across the room.

Ghoul crashed into a table, breaking it and knocking his treasures flying.

He lay there momentarily stunned before leaping to his feet to save his mate.

Scrabbling up the wall, he raced across the ceiling and dropped onto Uber-merman.

The force of his landing knocked Uber-merman to his knees, and Ghoul took advantage.

Tentacles slammed everywhere as Ghoul yanked Uber-merman backwards and nearly squashed himself.

“Enough!” a voice bellowed, and everyone looked towards Dullahan.

Uber-merman and Lilith paused, but Ghoul didn’t. He went straight for Shelley and grabbed her, shoving her behind him. “Mine,” he hissed.

“We can see that, Ghoul. Stand down. We don’t harm mates,” Dullahan growled.

“Holy crap,” Shelley hissed as she stared at the Headless Horseman. “His head speaks.”

Ghoul let out a hiss of laughter but kept himself between Shelley and the others.

“Mine. She’s my mate,” Ghoul insisted.

“Ghoul, the fact she shifted tells us that. Why didn’t you contact us to explain the bond had formed?” Dullahan inquired rationally.

“Because you wanted to kill me,” Shelley replied.

“No. Where did you get that idea?”

“I heard him say it,” Shelley pointed at Uber-merman, clearly recognising his voice.

“Jase?” Dullahan asked.

“I said it. But at the time, Drew was adamant she wasn’t his mate. If the memory spell didn’t work, then we’d have had to quiet her,” Jase retorted as he shifted back.

“Well, it’s moot now. Ghoul, do you plan to keep Shelley away from us?” Lilith asked as she shifted into Lily.

Ghoul bared his teeth.

Lily shook her head. “You don’t frighten me, brother.”

Ghoul glared but didn’t comment. He was too busy petting Shelley and trying to settle her down. Reality was settling in, and Shelley was starting to panic.

“I’m like you!” she cried.

Ghoul nodded.

“Is this permanent?”

“No. You will shift back when you calm down,” Ghoul soothed.

“Are you sure?” Shelley asked, her red eyes boring into his.

“You’re like me. I like this. We can play together,” Ghoul stated.

“Huh?” Shelley said, curiosity welling.

Ghoul didn’t think Shelley had realised, but she was beginning to relax a little. “Like this.”

Ghoul leapt away and bent backwards. His palms reached the floor, and he crab-crawled around.

“That’s terrifying,” Lily commented as she watched.

Ghoul stood upright and then lay down. He shoved upwards with his hands as his spine bent, and his legs came over his shoulders and his feet placed on the ground.

Shelley’s eyes widened. Laughing, Ghoul leapt up, scurried up the wall, across the ceiling and down again.

Shelley’s shift was sudden, but Ghoul shifted back to Drew, too.

“There’s my girl,” Drew murmured, capturing Shelley’s face and kissing her. All was right in his world.