Page 2 of Keeper of All

A few more grunts, then a whimper followed before Ben rasped, “Yes.”

The phone went dead a second later and both Alexi and Danik burst out laughing. “Do you think Teilo got distracted?”

“I’d say that would be a yes. Let’s ring Beaumont and see if we can get him to reach out to the brother.”

Alexi rang the council headquarters, after speaking to three different people, his frustration level grew. Passed along again he rolled his eyes, when all he wanted was to speak to Beaumont, the head of the council, and a friend of him and his brothers. Beaumont, it transpired was the mate of one of the assassins, Duron, who was part of the council’s diabolical program. They had moved to the middle of a forest, miles from people. Now Duron worked alongside Beaumont as the representative of the assassins, or as Marvin, the first boy stolen referred to them as “the lost boys.”

Marvin lived in the Thalassa compound with his mate Ajani and their son Mandla. Marvin was a special soul, and Alexi’s family claimed him as part of their family.

“—the delay,” Beaumont, an alligator shifter, rumbled.

Alexi stared at Danik looking to see what he’d missed when he’d zoned out. What did he say?

He was apologizing, Danik replied through their link grinning cheekily at Alexi’s lapse.

“No problem. I have a situation I need your help with—”

“Please tell me it’s nothing serious, I’ve just gotten through the last drama,” Beaumont grumbled. The weight of the responsibility obvious in the tired tone.

“It’s serious, in so much that folks are poking around trying to find information about my family. I believe that the records we found in the huge underground shelter on all shifters dating back many centuries, should be bombed so no one can access that information and use it against shifters like us.” He laid out what he wanted and who he believed would be able to discreetly carry this out. They weren’t the only magical creatures believed to be extinct. Kelvin’s actions at the shifter council meeting ensured that remaining anonymous was impossible despite the council’s promise of secrecy.

“I’ve met Mao Putney, sour-faced panther, but he’s an excellent ordnance specialist. I can reach out and see if he’ll be interested. Ben, being the previous council lead will I’m sure have spoken about what was going on,” Beaumont stated sounding thoughtful. “Leave it with me and I’ll get back to you after I’ve spoken to Mao.”

“Great. Please don’t mention this to my brothers or their mates.”

Beaumont chuckled. “That’s your battle.”

Let’s hope not, his kraken grumbled.

“How is Duron?” Alexi asked, ignoring his kraken’s grumbling.

“He’s wonderful and takes no shit from the other council members, which makes the meetings very entertaining.” Booming laughter made the microphone crackle with its force.

Duron was a gorilla shifter, mainly, and wore a hard mask of indifference, and Alexi knew the man didn’t suffer fools. “I’m sure it’s very entertaining.”

They chatted for another few minutes catching up, before Alexi hung up just as his sons, Marin and Zale burst through the door on sturdy legs looking as mischievous as the child chasing them, Mandla. Mandla was a little slower than the twins being nearly a year younger.

“Gonna getcha,” Mandla said, hands covered in brown goo reaching for Marin as Zale climbed up Danik and clung on, making sure his legs weren’t dangling.

Seeing he was aiming for the bed, Alexi scooped up Mandla getting a sunny smile just like his dad’s Marvin. “Hold up there. What have you got on your hands?” he questioned doing his best to avoid the hands moving toward his cream shirt.

“Choc-choc.” He stuck his chubby hand toward Alexi’s mouth. “Yummy.”

“I bet it is, but not smeared all over Alexi,” Marvin said sounding exasperated and happy all at once as he ran into the room.

Reaching for Mandla and easily plucking him out of Alexi’s arms. Marvin rested him on his hip, while Mandla sucked one of the sticky fingers into his mouth.

I’ll happily lick the chocolate off you, Danik sent, giving Alexi a sly wink.

Later, you tease. “So, what mess have you made downstairs?” Alexi asked resignedly.

Chapter One

Ekon

Releasing a breath, Ekon visibly relaxed his shoulders blades before stepping out of the Thalassa private jet into bright sunshine. His full lips tugged into a grin at the man waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against a large SUV, holding a child in his arms that looked a double of his daddy. Marvin—once up on a time was known as big foot because of excessive hair growth from experiments to him that went wrong—was one of his best friends. Ekon was one of Marvin’s ‘lost boys’. Ekon had little memory of anything good during the time he was caged as a child and used as a Petrie dish for the mad scientists to experiment on.

Not anymore. He reminded himself at least once a day because sometimes it didn’t feel like he was free with each life he’d taken crowding his thoughts. He shook off the melancholy and walked down the steps, slipping the sunglasses holding his hair back off his face over his eyes.