Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Read online

  She had a can of stew for dinner that she heated over the fire in her tin bowl. It was satisfying after the long day of hiking and Jack seemed more excited than normal with his bowl of food. They had both earned their dinner for sure. Exhaustion was coming over her quickly, so she decided she would complete her task of spreading her mother’s ashes the following day. And really, she just wasn’t in that big of a hurry for the final goodbye.

  She curled up in her sleeping bag with Jack next to her. Their heads sticking out the end of the tent, allowing for stargazing. The moon had not yet risen, allowing her to see a multitude of stars. Her fire had all but died out, the embers giving off a slight glow. It was a beautiful clear night with only a few stray clouds near the horizon. She named as many of the constellations as she could before her eyes finally forced themselves shut.

  * * *

  A crack of thunder woke Jaisey in the darkness. She was completely disoriented. A raindrop hit her forehead and she blinked her eyes, trying to adjust them in the dark. It took her a moment to get her bearings. She was still sticking out of her tent with a storm rolling in.

  She hurriedly pulled her things back into the tent and adjusted the flaps to block the rain that had begun to fall. It wasn’t too bad of a storm, but she was in a very exposed area. She worried that the rain would find its way into her tent, but to her relief, she was able to stay dry.

  Jack wasn’t fond of storms and whined a bit, so she kept him close, which also helped to keep her warm. The temperature had dropped drastically with the rain. After a few moments, she pulled her sweater on, grateful she’d brought it with her.

  She checked her watch when she finally found her small flashlight. It was only four thirty – no sun for another hour.

  The storm blew itself out by the time the sun was rising. She had to force herself from the warmth and comfort of her tent to boil water for her breakfast. Even Jack didn’t seem overly motivated, but he took off while she searched for enough dry pieces of wood in the nearby forest to get a small fire going.

  Her muscles protested harshly to her movements. The hiking yesterday was more than she was used to, and then the cold of the night had tightened her muscles up even more. She went through a few stretching exercises as she waited for the water to boil, trying to work out the stiffness.

  She was able to watch the sunrise from the bluff while eating her bowl of oatmeal. It was beautiful from this angle; watching each part of the hills, forest and valley slowly illuminate. There was a slight breeze blowing, keeping the air cooled. After cleaning up a bit, she decided to wander. Jack had appeared again when the food was ready, so was by her side as she explored.

  The bluff was large enough that they could hike around searching out the hidden wonders for at least an hour. There was a small stream rolling past from the mountain higher up. The water was very cold, deterring her from walking barefoot in it. Jack splashed in it for a few minutes but didn’t seem inclined to get soaked in the cold water either. She also filled her water bottle and after a few sips, topped it off again.

  She realized she was delaying, putting off the inevitable. The sadness was beginning to creep back over her. She wound her way back to say her final goodbye – mulling over what she should say when she entered the campsite.

  Once again, she found herself entering a clearing to find a wolf. This was a large brown wolf. Jack growled and the hairs on his back raised, but he didn’t leave her side.

  The intruder was standing at the edge of her campsite but looked up when Jack growled. It watched them for a few moments, looking between her and Jack, and then abruptly, it turned and headed back into the forest on the opposite side. She felt a rush of relief at its departure. Once again, she was reminded that the forest contained dangers, but somehow this wolf hadn’t seemed to be a threat – much like the grey wolf.

  The thought caught her by surprise. She hadn’t seen the grey wolf again, yet he came to mind easily and more often than she cared to admit.

  It took some time for her to refocus her thoughts; trying again to think of the best way to say goodbye to her mother. Then she realized that everything that had needed to be said already had been – back at the little chapel in the hospital. No, she needed only to scatter the ashes.

  She pulled the urn from her backpack and walked to the farthest edge out on the bluff, Jack pacing her – clearly not willing to leave her after the encounter with the wolf. It was treacherous on the loose rocks, so she took her time. She got as close to the edge as she dared and then pulled the lid off with a little difficulty.

  She stood like that for a few moments, unable to bring herself to pour the contents out into the breeze. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she had the sudden realization that it wasn’t a location that made a home; it was being surrounded by loved ones.

  Another tear escaped as she acknowledged the truth of it.

  “Oh mom, I miss you so much,” she said with a broken voice. “I think I can let you go now, but you’ll always be with us in spirit. I love you.”

  With a sob, her words were cut off. She put the lid back on and flopped down to cry in earnest. She cradled the urn as the tears rolled down her cheeks, letting the last of the grief leave her while sending love to her mom wherever her spirit might be residing. Jack edged close to her and put his head down on his paws.

  She didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but when a jagged rock began to dig into her thigh, she rose and brushed herself off. It wasn’t the resolution that she had come for, but it was the right one.

  She rose and turned to head back to the campsite, and there it was again; the brown wolf. It was lying near the edge of the forest watching her. She froze again, but it seemed unconcerned by her presence. It simply huffed out a breath and quietly whined, then rose and headed back into the forest.

  The fleeting thought crossed her mind that the forest was saying goodbye to her mom through the wolf. She knew it wasn’t true, but a part of her decided it was a fitting tribute, so she just let the thought be.

  Jack nudged her hand and she gave him a quick scratch behind the ears.

  “Guess we should head back, huh boy?” she asked him.

  He just huffed and waited for what she would do.

  The day was quickly slipping away from her, and while they could stay another night on the bluff now that her task was complete, she really just wanted to get back to her cabin.

  It took her very little time to break down her camp. The tent was muddy underneath, so she had to roll it differently to attach it on the backpack. That had been a trick, not getting the upside muddy while folding it under and rolling it.

  Once she was loaded up, she glanced once more back at the tree line where she had seen the wolf. It wasn’t there, though she half expected to glimpse it again. She shook the wolf out of her head and started back down the mountain.

  The way was slow going and treacherous due to the loosened soil from the rain. She had to take extra time working her way down. Jack, as per usual, would range out ahead and then come back to check on her.

  It took longer than she thought it would. She realized she probably wouldn’t make it to the cabin before sunset. Between her sore muscles, and the loose, sometimes muddy ground, she was moving quite a bit slower. Plus, she had gotten a later start, but she kept going, making the best time she could.

  Contingency plans began forming in her head. She could continue on in the dark and should be able to find her way back to the cabin. She could also find another spot to stop for the night and then go on in the morning. She mulled it over as she walked, deciding to make the final decision closer to dark.

  The trek was boring, and she found herself more anxious to get back to the comfort of the cabin. It had begun feeling like home and she realized she didn’t really want to leave. Maybe it was just that for the first time since the accident, she felt emotionally settled.

  Her thoughts moved to Seff and the time that they had spent together. He had so much energy –
it was contagious. It was strange, but it seemed that the cure to her grief had been a teenage boy. With a smile, she allowed her mind to drift over the past few weeks.

  Before long, she realized that the sun was beginning to set. She shook herself from her reverie, needing to decide whether to continue on or not. She stopped and it occurred to her it was the summer solstice or close. She hadn’t been paying any attention to the date, but she verified it by checking her watch.

  She smiled to herself, thinking about her mother’s obsession with nature – including the cycles of the sun that so influenced all the nature around them. It had been a fitting day to say goodbye to her.

  With another glance in the direction of the setting sun, she noticed clouds building on the horizon – potentially more rain. That finalized her decision. She didn’t want to be out in the dark, under rainfall, trying to find her way home. She was grateful that she’d given the cushion to return on Sunday in her note to Seff.

  She found a small clearing where she could set up camp. Her internal map had her to the north of her cabin, but she hadn’t been paying close enough attention to know how far. It was possible she was closer than she thought, but on the other hand, it was also possible she was further. She was frustrated with herself for letting her errant thoughts take over so completely.

  The rain had left the forest damp and muddy, which only added to her frustration as she tried to set up her tent. She decided to skip the fire and ate the last of her granola bars for dinner. Jack seemed content with his dry kibble. When they were done, though it was barely past dark, she called it a day. She wanted to be up early to head back to the cabin. With a few deep breaths, she wrapped herself up with Jack and fell asleep.

  Thirteen

  Seff

  Seff enjoyed the first day of the solstice celebration. He had listened to the stories from the elders and had especially enjoyed the details that had only recently become reality. Quinn had told all the boys to listen carefully for anything that might help them with the Ishaks; Quinn himself had been just as attentive. Seff was glad that the day had passed quickly though because that meant he was getting closer to seeing Jaisey again. He was worried about her being all alone and didn’t like the idea of being so far apart from her. In the short time he’d known her, she’d become an important figure in his life. He thought he saw Quinn looking toward her cabin more than once as well.

  When the evening festivities had come to a close deep into the night, Seff thought he might get a chance to make a quick run to her cabin. But he saw that a group of boys had congregated near Quinn’s and he good-naturedly let them all in. Seff joined them and they talked even later into the night. The boys all compared the new tidbits of information they had gleaned from the stories and songs throughout the day.

  First, the Ishaks were unable to access the valley power, which they already knew. However, they did have power they could use. It was called the Felshain, or sometimes, the craft. Seff had forgotten that they had something to use as power, though there was no real detail as to what they could do with it beyond shifting.

  Another, slightly more obscure piece of information, but a very important one, was that they didn’t have the exceptional strength that their own pack had. The boys had jumped on that as a very important fact. Quinn had been amused at the boy’s enthusiasm to that tidbit, so apparently, that hadn’t been news to him.

  Beyond that, there seemed to be no new information, and once again Quinn advised that they should pay close attention the next day for any further illumination on their new adversary. If they were going to learn anything truly new, that was the day that made the most sense. The boys all ended up sleeping at Quinn’s place, so Seff didn’t have a chance to sneak off to Jaisey’s. He promised himself, before falling asleep, that he would find time the following day to run up to her cabin to check on her.

  * * *

  Seff woke earlier than he would have thought possible after falling asleep so late. There was nothing but darkness outside the window. When he felt a nudge on his shoulder, he realized why he had woken so early. Tate, one of his best friends, was standing silently over him motioning him to quietly follow.

  They left the crowded room, heading out the back door of Quinn’s house. When they reached the edge of the forest, Tate turned and grinned.

  “You should go check on her,” he said quietly, with a nod to the north.

  “Who?” he asked; knowing full well he was talking about Jaisey. But he hadn’t told his friends about her.

  “Duh… your girl you keep ditching us for. What? You thought we didn’t know how you were spending your days?” he asked, sounding insulted.

  Seff ducked his head. “Sorry. I didn’t know you knew.”

  “Well, we do. And you should go check on her. You spent more time looking toward her place than Quinn. It’s clear you’re worried about her. Just go now, quickly, and get back. I’ll cover for you if anyone wakes up,” he said.

  Seff smiled at Tate gratefully. “Thanks, I’ll be back by breakfast.”

  “What are friends for?” he asked. “Now hurry!”

  Seff quickly headed to the forest edge and shifted. He thought about the fact that Tate had seen Quinn looking toward Jaisey’s place too and found it pleased him.

  They would be well suited for each other, Seff thought, wishing it were possible.

  He ran to her place under the cover of rain. A storm had kicked up in the night, but it was blowing over quickly. He reached her cabin in no time and everything looked quiet. There were no unexpected auras – and no scents, as they had all been washed away by the rain. Seff noticed a piece of paper on her door and that stopped him from turning to head back. He made his way to the porch in the pitch black – a sick feeling hitting him in the gut.

  He shifted and pulled the paper from the door. With only the predawn light, his eyes still made out the words just fine. She had gone, saying she’d be back later that day or the next at the latest. Panic hit him. He had tried to get her to agree not to go off anywhere without him, but she had gone anyway.

  He turned and banged on her door, knowing it was a wasted effort. There was no sound from within. She was gone.

  She had gone to Windy Peak to scatter her mom’s ashes. Seff’s thoughts turned to the north; to the mountain, to potential danger.

  He was frozen with indecision. On the one hand, he knew the trouble he would be in if he just disappeared. But on the other, he knew he couldn’t just let her wander with the potential trouble lurking on the northern border. He didn’t know what to do and belatedly wished he’d brought Quinn with him to check on her.

  Making up his mind, he tacked the note back up to her door. Tate would have to tell Quinn where he’d gone when he didn’t show back up by breakfast. Then, when Quinn came looking for him, he would read the note and know where Seff had gone.

  He shifted again and ran north to the mountain. He would find her, he thought, silencing the voice in his head that was screaming that he had no scent to follow. The rain had washed all traces away. That didn’t matter. He knew where she was headed. He took the most direct path he could and kept running. He would find her.

  Fourteen

  Quinn

  When Quinn woke in the morning, most of the boys had gone. Tate was still there with Colin. They were talking quietly, but intently.

  “Good morning boys,” he said as he headed to his kitchen. He stopped when he noticed the look on their faces. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concern filling his voice.

  They looked at each other, unsure. And then Colin began, “Tate is worried. He helped Seff leave last night to go check on his girl.”

  “Quinn, he should have come back hours ago. He was just going to make sure she was all right and come right back,” Tate explained, worry weighing on each word.

  Quinn couldn’t contain his surprise. He hadn’t realized the boys knew about Jaisey.

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Quinn said. “She probably just made him s
tay for breakfast or something.” He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. It would be just like Jaisey to do something like that. She seemed to know that Seff’s weaknesses were all related to his appetite.

  The boys didn’t look convinced.

  “Look, you boys get home and get ready for the day. If Seff isn’t back by the start of today’s festivities, I’ll go find him,” he said.

  That seemed to help. The boys slowly rose and headed to the door.

  Tate turned back. “If something’s wrong Quinn, you come back and get us,” he said fervently.

  Quinn nodded his assent. Something in the boys’ demeanor had gotten to him and he couldn’t help but start worrying about Seff, and then Jaisey by association.

  He got himself ready for the day, growing more and more agitated. By the time he headed to the hearth, he was ready to just run to Jaisey’s cabin to see what was going on.

  When everyone had finally filtered into the circle, fear hit him full force. He knew Seff well enough to know that he would show if he could, which only meant trouble.

  Quinn worked his way around to Aatu and whispered the situation quietly in his ear.

  The Healer turned slowly to look at Quinn, and without changing his expression, said simply, “Go.”

  Moments later, Quinn was running full force toward the cabin. He didn’t feel like he could get there quick enough, even with the power from the valley to aid him.

  The rain from the night before had washed away most scents, but he easily tracked the boy to the cabin. It was the same path they had been taking in the weeks they had been heading to her place.

  He slowed when he reached the clearing. Again, there were no other scents and no auras other than Seff’s. He saw the note immediately and had to fight to maintain a semblance of calm. He shifted and strode quickly to read it.

  She had gone to scatter her mother’s ashes. Seff had read the same note. It was all clear enough. Seff had gone after her. He quickly ran through the conversations he’d heard from Seff second hand. She had planned to scatter her ashes from what she called the bluff. He stepped back from the cabin, his eyes searching out Windy Peak.