Shadow Effect - 34. Chapter 34

Elijah’s brain refused to process the information bomb. He stared as Tyler wobbled before collapsing to the floor. It was like watching one of those inflatable wavy-tube-man things deflate in a horrifyingly satisfying way.

Mates? What the hell was Giles talking about? How could he be mates with one of the twins? How could Tyler be mates with the other? Wait, which one was his and which one was Tyler’s? Elijah shook his head to clear it, with no success.

Giles reached Tyler first, gently turning him onto his back after his spectacular faceplant. Stuart hurried out of the room and returned with a vial. The smell of peppermint permeated the room.

Elijah’s temporary paralysis dissipated, and he dropped to his knees next to his friend as Tyler’s eyes blinked open slowly. He and Giles helped him up to a sitting position.

“Take it easy there,” Giles instructed, handing the peppermint oil back to Stuart. “Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”

Tyler shook his head. “No. I’m fine. Just a little shell-shocked, is all. So, it’s true?”

Giles smiled. “Yes. You can’t mistake the mating call of a wolf for anything else.”

Elijah and Tyler looked at each other.

“Sorry, but neither of us is fluent in wolf, so we didn’t know it was a mating call,” Elijah replied. His brain still felt scrambled.

“Right, right,” Giles said. “I forget you’re not part of Sebastian’s pack. He speaks highly of you, and I assumed you were more aware of our customs and culture.”

“No,” Elijah replied. “Tyler and I are only somewhat familiar with shifter ways. He’s been aware of my shapeshifting abilities since we were kids. Still, he only became aware of the existence of shifters and other supernaturals after I returned from Montana. I’ve known about you, in theory, since I was young. I just never met one until Ben and Zev approached me last fall. So yeah, it’s been a sort of baptism by fire regarding anything shifter or supernatural related for both of us.”

Giles extended a hand to help Tyler up. “That explains a lot. Let me see if I can sort this out for you. Why not sit down?”

Once they settled in the common room, Giles continued. “Are you aware of the existence of fated mates?”

They nodded.

“When mates see each other for the first time, their wolves instinctively recognize one another. You obviously wouldn’t have the same reaction being human. Did either of you feel any pull when you saw the twins?”

“I felt drawn to one of them,” Tyler replied. “I wanted to do anything I could to protect him.”

Elijah nodded. “I think maybe my Kage-O-Matic has known all along. That’s why I latched onto the notion of rescuing them.”

“Excuse me, your what?” Giles asked.

Elijah couldn’t help but chuckle. He briefly explained his relationship with Kage and how they thought Kage’s bit of energy he left behind was guiding or influencing Elijah’s decisions regarding the hybrid pups.

“That makes sense,” Stuart interjected. It was the first words the Beta spoke. “Interspecies connections are rare, but certainly not unheard of. It sounds as if this Kage was a Guardian.”

“Guardian?” Tyler asked.

Stuart nodded. “Yes, our seer tells a story of how they came about. Has anyone ever told you about the Fae, Maven? And how he tried to stage a coup?”

Elijah nodded. “Sebastian mentioned it at some point. Although I don’t remember all the details.”

“Well,” Stuart continued, “Maven threatened the existence of the Veil and was eventually defeated by the Sentinels. During the uprising, Maven killed the king’s favorite concubine. The king created a league of Guardians to prevent it from happening again. All of them were elemental shifters. Their job was to protect those whom the king deemed important. During the following millenniums of peace, the Guardians gradually died off.”

“I wonder why?” Elijah asked.

“They weren’t needed,” Giles explained. “Once Maven was defeated, the threats to the Veil all but disappeared.”

“That makes sense,” Tyler remarked. “I wonder if elemental shifters were chosen for a reason?”

“We may never know,” Giles replied. “Elemental shifters are the rarest type. Their numbers are so low most of us live our entire lives without meeting one. Let’s get back on track. Ashton and Austin are your mates. It sounds like the realization has triggered a manic-type episode in them. We should go back to the ranch.”

“Corbin has them sedated right now,” Elijah said. Upon seeing Giles frown, he added, “We felt it was necessary. The way they were acting, we were concerned that they could hurt themselves or even escape. It was pretty frightening.”

Giles and Stuart drew their mouths into thin, grim lines. Their expressions matched right down to the furrowed brows. Even Caleb looked concerned and hadn’t said a word so far.

“What do you think, Caleb?” Elijah asked, trying to draw him into the conversation.

“It’s not my place to think anymore, Elijah.” Caleb’s tone was dull and lifeless. “You and Tyler will have to make your own decisions on this matter. Listening to Giles, Stuart, and Sebastian is the intelligent thing to do.”

Elijah bit his tongue. Obviously, Caleb wasn’t in a good place right now, but he pushed the concern aside. He could only focus on one thing at a time. As much as he wanted to confront the former Alpha about his apparent depression, he just couldn’t go there at the moment. He made a mental note to bring it up to Sebastian later.

Ignoring Caleb’s self-depreciation, Elijah addressed Giles. “When I spoke with Sebastian, he said the twins might be feral. Do you think it’s possible?”

“It’s hard to say without seeing them. Why don’t we head over so we can see for ourselves?” Giles suggested.

Elijah nodded. “Sebastian was going to contact our friends, Zev and Ben. They’ll be here later tonight to help. I’ll call again and update him.”

Excusing himself while Giles took care of some pack business, Elijah made his call. While he was shocked to learn of the mate connection, the Alpha sounded relieved to hear Giles would assess the hybrid twins himself.

“Is there a real possibility that they are feral?” Elijah asked hesitantly.

He heard a soft sigh escape Sebastian. “Anything is possible, Elijah. Let’s wait and see what Giles thinks. From what you’re telling me, it may or may not be the case. I can’t say anything more without having all of the information.”

After a few more minutes, none of which made Elijah feel any better, he hung up with Sebastian and stepped back inside.

Tyler, Giles, and Stuart looked up as he returned to the common room. Caleb was indifferent, something which still concerned Elijah. He decided he would speak to Zev and Ben when they got here before mentioning anything to Sebastian. After all, Caleb was Zev’s former Alpha and knew him much better. He might be able to talk to Caleb and get to the bottom of things.

“Sebastian appreciates you helping us out with this, Giles,” Elijah said.

“I’m happy to. Why don’t we follow you over there?”

Caleb watched them for a moment, then took a seat where he was. “I’ll stay here.”

Elijah looked at him sadly. “Will you come by tomorrow? I’m sure Zev and Ben would love to see you.”

Caleb merely shrugged, and Elijah let it go.

He and Tyler didn’t say much on the way back. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had a shifter mate currently stuck in a hybrid state. Tyler looked a little green around the gills. Elijah could only imagine what was going through his head.

Corbin came out to meet them as they pulled into the yard, dust kicking up behind both vehicles. Elijah introduced Giles and Stuart. Corbin seemed a little intimidated by the presence of two wolf shifters.

“The sedation wore off a while ago, but they’ve been quiet,” Corbin informed them. “They were looking for you, so I took them their lunch, and they settled down. I don’t know if they’ll stay that way. I still have some stuff to sedate them if we need it.”

“Don’t worry,” Giles said. “We brought some longer-lasting tranquilizers designed specifically for our metabolism. I’m sure it’s safer than what you have. Did you get it from a vet?”

Corbin shook his head. “No, from one of the other ranchers. I told him I’d seen coyotes stalking the cattle grazing in the north field. He gave me some ketamine.”

“Yeah, that works,” Giles replied. “But it’s not great for our kidneys. I’ve got an altered version of it that works better and doesn’t have the potential side effects. You didn’t use ketamine often, did you?”

“No, just a few times when they wouldn’t calm down.”

“How did you get them here, anyway?” Tyler asked.

Elijah had been wondering the same thing.

Corbin gave them a wry smile. “Unfortunately, I had to knock them out for the trip. I bought some stuff online. In hindsight, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I realize it now. Once they were out, I laid them in an empty horse trailer and drove straight through. I had to confine them in the house's cellar for the first week while I got a section of the barn secured. Once they had room to move about a little bit, they calmed down. It took me five months to get to where the barn is now.”

“Where the hell did you get all the materials?” Elijah wondered.

“Amazon and Tractor Supply. You can get just about anything online. I taught myself how to weld by watching a helluva lot of YouTube videos. So far, everything seems to be holding up okay.”

“What were your long-term plans, and how did you even find out about them?” Tyler asked.

“Long story. Let’s go inside. I made some extra sandwiches. I wasn’t sure when you were coming back.”

Corbin led the way. Everyone grabbed a sandwich and sat at the big kitchen table before Corbin explained his history with the twins.

“Two and a half years ago, I noticed my neighbor Ken Martin doing some renovations to his home. Now, I’m not one to judge, so when I saw a large delivery of metal bars, my initial thought was perhaps he was building some sort of BDSM playroom or similar. I mean, it’s not unheard of, right?”

Corbin’s cheeks were pink, hinting at his embarrassment. He continued when he didn’t see any of them giving him weird looks. “I didn’t give it any more thought until later that summer. It seemed like a lot of people, all men, were coming and going at all hours. They always entered through the cellar hatch at the back of the house. I started keeping an eye on things because I figured he might be dealing drugs. I worked weird hours and used to be on the road often, meeting with clients. I got in early one morning after taking the red-eye home from LA. The sun wasn’t even up yet, but it was light enough to see into Ken’s backyard. I saw the hatch was open, but there was no one around. I went over and looked around the outside. The driveway was empty, and when I peeked in the side door to the garage, it was empty too.” Corbin looked at Elijah, who nodded in return, encouraging him to continue.

“I heard growling noises coming from the open hatch and got a bit nervous. Now I knew he might have a wild animal down there. It made sense with all the cage material I’d seen a few months prior. Imagine my surprise when I snuck down and saw the twins. I think they were just as startled to see me. They seemed, well, tame, for lack of a better word. They let me approach their cage and didn’t try to grab or bite me. The hardest part was figuring out what to do.”

“What possessed you to rescue them?” Tyler asked.

Corbin half-smiled. “Their eyes. Even without being two different colors, they have completely human eyes. I guess some part of me realized they weren’t just animals. Although, I didn’t know they were shifter twins until Elijah and Tyler showed up. I’m unsure what came over me, but I knew I couldn’t let the police or anyone else find them. So at first, I used Benadryl to make them sleepy. It sure as hell took a lot. I was afraid they’d hurt me, so I did a little research online, and that’s when I discovered ketamine. I didn’t know it might hurt them.” Corbin looked at Giles apologetically.

“I knew I didn’t have much time, so after I got them all sleepy with the Benadryl, I managed to keep them awake enough so they could walk to my place without running the risk of one of them trying to run off. I locked them in my cellar, went online, and bought this place sight unseen. Then I went and bought a truck and horse trailer. I hired a moving company to pack up my stuff and later got a realtor to sell my old place. It was scary how easy it all was. I arrived here pleasantly surprised that almost everything was in good shape. I made sure they were secured and started working on making a more comfortable environment.”

“So, what was your long-term plan? Keep them as pets? They’re boys, for Christ's sake!” Stuart huffed indignantly.

“I didn’t know that!” Corbin exclaimed, getting defensive.

“Stuart! Settle down and let Corbin speak,” Giles commanded.

“Look, I had no idea werewolves, or shifters, or whatever you guys call yourselves, even existed. What the hell was I supposed to do? It’s not like there’s a National Center for Missing and Exploited Wolf-People or whatever. I don’t hear my favorite podcasters advertising wolf fur shampoo or hawking a new line of collars. How was I supposed to know about any of this? Jesus Christ, gimme a break!”

Elijah had to hold back a laugh. He was starting to like Corbin. Not very many humans could find out about the existence of an entire race of supernatural beings in the morning and go toe to toe with one of them by lunchtime. He nearly giggled. Collar. Hehe. His shifter friends would be shooting daggers at him if they knew he was picturing all of them with spiked dog collars around their necks like a junkyard Rottweiler.

Stuart looked ready to pop like corn kernels sizzling in a pan of hot oil.

Giles tamped down Stuart’s reaction with a stern look. He addressed Cobin calmly, which Elijah thought was the best approach. “Corbin, no one expected you to know how to reach out to us,” Giles said. “You did the best you could, given the circumstances, and from what I could tell, the twins look physically healthy. You took care of them, and we appreciate it. I’m sure their parents and Alpha do too. The biggest unknown is their mental state. You see, wolf shifters are especially prone to something we refer to as going feral when they’re not among their own kind for any long period. It affects our mental health and can lead to a shifter reverting to its wild ways, essentially becoming more wolf than human.”

“But it can be fixed, right?” Corbin asked. “I mean, if the twins are feral, getting them back to the pack will make them better.”

Giles shook his head. “I’m afraid not. A wolf can rarely go feral and then find its humanity again. It’s almost unheard of.”

Elijah saw the panic that threatened to overwhelm Corbin. He could feel his anxiety rise at the thought that he might lose his mate before he ever got to know him. It couldn’t happen, not this way, not after losing Kage and his parents. He didn’t think he could survive another loss.

He felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. Tyler. He always knew, most times, better than Elijah himself. He knew exactly when Elijah needed reassurance.

“But it’s not impossible?” he heard Corbin ask. Elijah brought his attention back to the conversation at hand. This was not the time to get lost in his head.

“No, but there have only been a handful of documented cases, and in all of them, intense therapy and full immersion were needed by someone close to the shifters,” Giles stated.

“How close? I mean, I could do it. If I broke them, then I need to fix them!” Corbin’s voice cracked with emotion.

“It doesn’t work that way, Corbin. It has to be someone close, like a parent or sibling.” Giles looked directly at him and Tyler before adding, “Or mate.”

Damn.

Elijah swallowed hard. Could he do it? If Ashton, or maybe it was Austin. If whichever one was his mate, could he dedicate himself to doing whatever was necessary to bring him back to humanity, if indeed he was truly feral? Deep down, he knew the answer.

As difficult as it may be, he had to. His heart spoke the truth. He knew Tyler would, too. He didn’t have it in him to turn his back on anyone like that, let alone someone he recognized as his mate, even if he didn’t fully comprehend what it meant. Elijah wasn’t sure if he fully understood the mate connection. He knew it was complex. It was permanent. He knew he wanted it. A warmth spread outward from his scar.

Before anyone could say anything else, a long, mournful howl pierced the air around them. Two voices in perfect synchronicity, perfect harmony, calling for their mates.

Elijah and Tyler reacted in tandem, jumping up so quickly that their chairs fell behind them. They were at the door and racing across the yard to the barn door before anyone could stop them. Giles’ supernatural speed caught him up to them before they could open it. He held the door shut with one hand.

“Wait! We don’t know how they’ll react! You can’t go barging in there. They might hurt themselves.”

It was the one and only thing Giles could’ve said to make them stop and think. Elijah knew he was right, but at the same time, the urge to protect Ashton, or Austin, whichever it was, the desire to protect him was almost overwhelming. It made his chest hurt. Kage’s scar burned intensely.

“Listen to me, you can go in there, but go slowly. You have to stay calm. I’ll be right behind you. Close enough to react if things go bad but far enough back that they shouldn’t see me as a threat. They’ll know I’m an Alpha and will still respond to me if they're not feral. Do you both understand?” Giles' tone of voice left no room for argument or debate.

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, now go in slowly. No sudden movements.”

Elijah’s heart was pounding as he gripped the handle and pulled the door open. The aroma of vanilla and something woodsy hit his nostrils full force. He inhaled deeply, instinctively. He could hear Tyler doing the same.

The twins ran from the back corner of their enclosure as the outside light cast away the shadows. Elijah took a step inside. He could still feel Giles' presence, but the Alpha kept his distance as promised. Tyler was a half step behind.

Elijah locked eyes with one of the shifters. The one with the left blue eye and the green right one. He racked his brain, trying to remember which one it was. His scar flared with heat, and he could have sworn he heard Kage whisper, Ashton. Ashton was his mate.

Ashton’s nostrils flared as he pushed his face against the metal bars, trying to get as close as possible. Elijah was tempted to step closer, but his sense of self-preservation kicked in, and he kept still. He could feel Tyler trembling beside him as his gaze fixated on Austin.

Each half surveyed the other. Elijah got his first honest good look at Ashton. He was the most human-looking of all the hybrids he’d seen. Austin was a carbon copy, only with opposite-colored eyes. Their bodies were covered with fur in varying shades of pewter, peppered with darker variants of smoky gray. Laced throughout were gossamer threads of pure white. Instead of thick and bushy, like a wolf, their coats were short, like a Greyhound.

Ashton had a fluffy tail that was currently whipping back and forth, sticking out from a hole cut in the back of the loose sweatpants he wore. He and his brother were bipedal, standing upright on legs that bent peculiarly at the knees. His feet, half transformed, were elongated and looked like he’d stepped in black paint. His hands were gnarled, partially transformed, but not wholly. His fingers were frozen in place as if gripping the handlebars of a motorcycle. Short claws extended from the tips. Shirtless, his chest seemed well-defined, especially considering the years of confinement.

Elijah sucked in a breath as he looked at Ashton’s face. Despite his wolf-ish characteristics, he was more stunning than the photos on the Laramees’ mantle. His features remained human, except for his ears and nose. While it retained its shape, the end of his nose was black and wet, like a healthy wolf’s. He and Austin had fully formed canine ears, which swiveled back and forth like antennae. It looked like his mate used a real-life version of a Snapchat filter.

The silence broke when Tyler yelped and jumped back. Austin pushed against the bars, his lips pulled back, revealing normal-looking human teeth except for two long, sharp canines. It was an unsettling sight.

Ashton let out a sharp bark, and Austin ceased the menacing look.

Elijah watched as Austin and Tyler sized each other up the way he and Ashton did. The twins moved closer together, and as one, they let out a low growl, only this time Elijah could just about make out a word. Maaaaaaaaatttee! It was low. It was raw, positively guttural, visceral even. But the meaning was clear. They recognized their mate.

“Shhhh, easy now,” he murmured. “Yes, we’re mates: you and I, Ashton. Tyler and Austin, they’re mates too.” Elijah kept his voice low, and his eyes locked on Ashton’s.

“You need to be good now, okay?” Elijah said. “We’ll try to figure out the best way to get you out of here. There’s a pack in Montana who is trying to help. There are others like you, and this pack is helping them, too. We need to get you there safely, though. It might take a little time, so you have to be patient with me. Can you do that?” He held out his hand in a neutral gesture.

Ashton scrutinized him for a moment before stepping back.

“H-how ‘bout you, Austin? Can you be good too? Like your brother?” Tyler asked shakily.

Austin gave a low bark. He hoped that meant yes.

“We’ll stay here for a little bit, okay?” Elijah declared. “Will that make you feel better?”

When the twins remained calm, Elijah lowered himself to the floor, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the walkway. Tyler walked over to Giles and whispered something before coming back and sitting next to Elijah, crossing his legs beneath him.

Elijah heard Giles leave and was surprised when he returned a couple of minutes later. His surprise turned to understanding as Giles handed Tyler his guitar case. He left immediately after, leaving the barn door ajar. Elijah knew he wouldn’t be far.

Tyler removed his guitar from the case and adjusted a few strings, testing each one with a soft note or two. When satisfied, he played a few scales, then launched into a little concert. He played his compositions, and some elevator-music versions of various pop artists. It was simple, easy listening. They never discussed musical tastes with Becca and Devin, so if Elijah didn’t know what type of music they liked, Tyler sure as shit wouldn’t know either.

It didn’t seem to matter; as the minutes ticked by, the twins relaxed, sliding down to the floor on their side of the bars, listening intently. They were pretty calm now, and it seemed as though the old saying was true; music soothed the savage beasts. There was no hint of the snarling, growling creatures that greeted them earlier in the day. It looked like they may have gotten lucky. The twins didn’t seem feral, at least not to Elijah.

Tyler kept up his impromptu concert for an hour. Finally, he stopped. The twins looked up expectantly. “That’s all for now, guys. I haven’t played much lately, and my fingers aren’t used to it. I don’t want the skin to crack and bleed. I won't be able to play later. Elijah and I will check how things are progressing with the plans to get you out of here. We’ll be back in a little while with your dinner,” Tyler promised as he put his guitar away.

Slowly, they rose, dusted off their butts, and backed up toward the door. Ashton watched Elijah’s every step. Austin watched Tyler’s, his upper lip curling to reveal his teeth.

Tyler bolted as soon as they were outside, running past the house toward the cattle-dotted fields. Elijah ran after him. Damn, he could run! It took Elijah a half mile to catch up to his friend. Tyler slowed down, finally stopping, bending over, so his hands were on his knees, his chest heaving, partially with trying to draw in air and partially with sobs.

Elijah grabbed him and pulled him close. He rubbed Tyler’s back and let him get it all out. He was proud of his best friend, surprised that Tyler had held it together for so long. When the sobs finally subsided, Elijah released and stepped back.

“Want to talk about it?”

Tyler wiped his snotty nose on his arm, then rubbed his arm on his shirt. “Not really, but you won’t let it go until I do.”

“Nope, so tell me, what’s bothering you?”

“I’m scared, E. I don’t know how to do this shifter-mate thing. I mean, how does it work? Didn’t your buddy Ben say that he and Zev became mates when they had sex? I don’t know if I can have sex with Austin when he’s like that,” Tyler lamented.

“I get it, Ty. I do.”

“Do you, E? Do you?” Tyler countered.

“Tell me, Tyler. Tell me why you think I don’t get it.” Elijah was now confused at Tyler’s reaction. His friend had never discriminated against anyone before.

“He has teeth, Elijah. Two, big, sharp, wolf teeth! Do you want your dick in a mouth with fangs like that? I don’t. What if he bites? I like my dick, E. I don’t want to lose it to an overeager wolf!”

Elijah looked at Tyler, absolutely dumbfounded for a moment before bursting into laughter. Tyler looked indignant for a minute before his lips twitched as the absurdity of his fear sank in. Soon he was laughing alongside Elijah, who doubled over.

Christ, Tyler could be the biggest dork sometimes.

When they finally stopped with the giggle fits, Tyler turned to him. “Tell me it’s going to be okay, Elijah. It has to be okay.”

Elijah smiled. “It’s going to be okay, Ty. It may take a while to get there, but it will work out. I know it will.”

“Kage-O-Matic?”

Elijah put his hand over the scar Kage left, comforted in the warmth, and nodded.

“Kage-O-Matic.”