AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"They were murdered while shifted in Africa. It's one of the few places where we can shift and not arouse suspicion. They were killed by poachers for their tusks."
"They didn't shift back?"
She shook her head. "Elephants were one of the first shifters known to remain in animal form after death."
"Were the poachers ever caught?"
"The official answer is no, but I think they were." Her eyes drifted to her grandmother. "One day, there was a hunter's rifle mounted over the fireplace, and she had a certain peace about her. My mother was her only child."
Grant's eyebrows rose. "Your gram kinda kicks ass."
She grinned. "She's yours now too."
"Oh yeah." He paused. "Where's your grandfather?"
Ellie hunched in on herself. "He died in a car accident thirty years ago. We were on our way home from picking up dinner for Gram; it was her night off. I was telling him about my research when the car beside us lost control and forced us off the road." She shuddered. "He was trapped, and we could hear the sirens. If he could have shifted he would have made it, but it would have exposed us to the humans, putting me at risk. So he slowly bled to death while the paramedics tried to get him out. He just wasn't strong enough to shift and heal then shift back to human." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Tragedy seems to haunt us. We're a matched pair, aren't we?" she asked feeling depressed.
He wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into his body. "We can be. What do you see when you think of our future?"
She wiped her eyes. "You and gram. A home. Continuing my research to help children. What about your dreams?"
"You. Good food. And a warm, dry place to sleep."
"That's it?"
"It's all I've ever wanted."
A piece of her heart broke when she realized that two of the most important things to him were something to eat and someplace warm to sleep. What had happened to her mate in his past that the very basic things had been denied him?
She laid her head against him. "What about children?" She felt his body tense.
"What if I hurt them?"
"Grant, I've seen you with Benji. You're protective and nurturing. Any child would be lucky to have you as a father."
He shook his head. "The way I grew up, I don't know how to be gentle."
She was about to ask him what he meant when loud shouts were heard from inside the Garcia's home. Moments later, a group of people rushed into the courtyard. The men carried a small group of children, and a unit warrior carried an unconscious man.
Ellie and Grant scrambled to assist. Her grandmother immediately started to settle the children on spare cots so Ellie concentrated on the adult.
"What happened?" she asked a weeping woman.
"He just collapsed. He complained yesterday of being tired, but we hadn't slept well the night before, worrying about the children; we just chalked it up to that." The woman wiped her eyes.
"What's your name?" Ellie asked gently.
"Carina Sanchez. This is my mate, Julio," Carina replied.
"Okay Carina, this is what we're going to do. We're going to have the warriors place Julio on this blanket for just a little bit. Then they are going to go down to Level One and bring up a few gurneys. We'll get your mate hooked up with some fluids and medicine. Is that okay?" Carina nodded, looking scared, all the while brushing Julio's dark black curls off his forehead.
Grant grabbed spare a blanket and laid it on the ground. The warrior holding the man placed him down gently.
"Sulis wasn't it?" Ellie asked.
The warrior nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you."
