Page 57 of Anger

Mac

There! He saw the weakness the blackness momentarily showed and jumped at it. The evil was as tired as he was, but Mac had no intention of backing down. His mate bond and future with Lanie/Lamia were on the line. Mac grinned and attacked. The evilness surged back and finally faded as Mac’s golden light lit the area.

Mac studied the black fading cord in front of him. What the hell was it? It flowed in the same direction his did, which meant it was attached to Lamia. Could this be another mate bond, one she’d had with Alainen?

The darkness flinched away from Mac as he approached and stared hard. Somehow, this was perverse. It had been forced on Lamia. Mac understood that this shouldn’t exist.

He reached out and grabbed it with both hands and it struggled weakly in his grasp. Mac shuddered as the negativity it held hit him with a final, nearly overpowering blast. But Mac battled back with love. Hate, despair, possessiveness, twisted desire. It all fled under Mac’s defence. Mac pulled his knee up and brought the evilness down hard. The dark bond shattered on impact with a loud snap, and there was a pained scream that echoed around him.

Someone was in agony, but Mac knew it wasn’t Lamia. She was fine, and as Mac watched their bond strengthen, the bright light almost overwhelming him.

Mac relaxed back and blinked. His body felt different, and Mac shut his eyes and allowed a miracle to happen.

“Damn, he’s pretty,” Tisiphone said with a croak. Mac opened his eyes, knowing that he’d shifted. Lamia lay next to him with her eyes closed as Mac checked himself. Torso, the same muscled form it always had been. From the waist down, he was a snake. His scales glowed with the same iridescence that Lamia’s did.

“Cool,” Mac muttered and gently slipped out of Lamia’s embrace. He nearly pitched headfirst as he was un-used to his tail, and Vladimir caught him.

“Tisi, are you okay?” Mac asked as she collapsed on the floor. Lilith sat next to her and poured a blue healing light over her.

“Tired. But you look pretty,” she said again.

“Not masculine and handsome?” Mac questioned as he moved towards Chimera, jittery. Moving wasn’t as easy as Mac might have imagined.

“Yeah, you’re all that,” Vladimir replied as he helped Mac across the room. Chimera had laid down in a corner and was refusing to move. Baba Yaya sat with him and offered him healing power.

“Chimmy?” Mac asked.

Vladimir reared back in horror. “Chimmy?” he cried, aghast.

Mac reached out with a hand and touched Chimera, who lazily opened one eye. “I’m fine, child. Just need sleep. Deal with your mate,” Chimera replied.

“Thank you,” Mac whispered.

Chimera smiled, a rather horrific sight, but it didn’t phase Mac. “I’ll always be here for you, son,” Chimera murmured and closed his eyes.

“Son?” Vladimir asked, wanting to know more.

“Chimera adopted me after my father died. He and Tisi were constants in my life. And Chimmy took in Ranson after my uncle passed. Chimmy is what all the kids call him,” Mac replied as he checked his ‘parents’ over.

Happy they were being looked after, Mac turned to Lamia. He knew she was okay because he could feel it in the bond. And what a glorious thing that was. The bond between them was strong and glowed brightly. Mac suddenly shifted again and was surprised as he glanced down at a strange form.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed.

“There it is. It appears Mac and all three of the mates have three forms. Emmaline and Willow have a shared monster form with their mate, but they also have a different human form,” Vladimir said with a grin.

“We think the Magic in the spell works differently with you. Because your human form is known and hunters could find you easily, the magic gives you a different one. That means you can go out in public with your mate and not be hunted down. Nor would you give away your mate’s identity, either,” Lilith explained.

“I prefer the snake,” Mac said, looking at the image in Lanie’s mirror. He looked like a young Jenson Ackles.

“You be grateful for what you’ve been gifted,” Vladimir snapped.

Mac turned and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t really care what you think, only my mate matters.”

Mac moved away and climbed onto the broken bed next to Lamia. He gathered her up in his arms and drew her near, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

“You need to wake up, babe, you got to see my cool new tail!” he urged softly.

Lamia smiled in her sleep and nestled into him. Mac cupped her head and was thankful he had won whatever fight he’d fought.

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