Page 17 of Shattered Fears

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ethern Lennox, the councilman, hated this place. The dungeon of the Shifter Council building, in the Reichstag, Berlin, held those shifters who were, by their very nature, more savage animal than human.

The stench was overpowering, and the sounds animalistic. Filled with the growls and whimpers of suffering animals who shouldn’t be kept alive. If he’d had his way, several would have been put down years ago just to stop their distress. This was no way to live: forever caged because they couldn’t be trusted not to kill humans. He’d watched too many down here deteriorate even further after their imprisonment. There had to be some other way. This was inhuman, but for now it was out of his control. The Council had voted as a collective, and this was the result.

He walked past several wolf shifters who were growling impatiently for food. They eyed him as though he were a delicious little snack. He allowed only his head to transform into a more significant predator: a lion. The King of the Jungle always trumps everything else. He roared, and they shrank back. He changed his head back again and shook it.

“Inhuman,” he uttered and stomped through the rest of the mold-ridden, rat-infested dungeon toward the prisoner he’d come to see. He rattled the bars and stepped up close.

“I know you’re in there. Show your face.”

“Go away,” came a grumpy voice from one of the corners.

“Not happening. We need to talk.”

A low rumbling sounded from the shadows.

“You know not to piss me off.” An elderly bearded man stepped out of the shadows. Ethern watched as the man’s eyes flicked between human and lizard. No, not lizard, something extremely powerful, his body struggling to contain the potency within it. The man’s body was muscular but showed signs of its age. Being stuck down here didn’t help, and it had been a long time, ever since the Vietnam war. It was necessary, though. Much happened back then, which had threatened to plunge the future of multi-shifters into chaos. He’d agreed to his incarceration, for his own safety.

“You know it’s not my intention to annoy you. I wouldn’t come unless I had to.”

The man placed his hands on the bars of the cage, which separated him from freedom.

“Answer me something, first?” he asked.

“What?” Ethern replied, a little worried as to what it would be.

“Is she safe?”

“Molly?”

“Yes.” His voice was full of affection when he spoke.

“She’s with Kas. He’ll protect her with his life, as part of the pack.” Molly was a lynx on Kas’ lands. She’d lost a leg and now spent most of her time as an animal because it was easier to get around. She lived high up in the mountains where it was safer for her to be. Ethern knew the old man had great affection for her and promised him that she’d always be kept safe.

“It feels like forever since I last saw her.”

“It has been.” Ethern sighed, knowing the emotion going through the head of the shifter in front of him. “Selene is pregnant with a multi-shifter baby.” Selene was another member of the Glacial Blood pack. She was created not long ago by the multi-shifters to save the life of a baby who was destined to die. She had fallen in love and mated with the beta of Glacial Blood, Brayden Dillon.

The old man dropped his head against the bars. Ethern hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but he needed to tell his friend.

“You’ve seen it for yourself.”

“Yes. I tested her. The baby is powerful already. I’ve advised her against turning into a witch. It didn’t like me examining her when she did.”

“We knew this could happen when we messed with the natural order of things. It was inevitable. Now, we just have to prepare for what will happen next.”

“Do you think she’ll have the strength to survive it?”

“I hope so. I hope you all do. It’s the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”

“You’re going to prepare yourself?” Ethern questioned.

“Yes. I’ll lead you all there in a few weeks. I need time first.”

Ethern lowered his head and nodded.

“It’s different out there now. There will be many things you won’t recognize.”

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