Page 58 of Shifters Awakening

“Explains why they were trying to keep ye so secret,” he said, “and it also means we have to get ye out of here.”

I waved toward Shannon and Riley. “Get out of here,you two. Clear my week of appointments. Text me if there’s an emergency, and I’ll do what I can.” Then I pointed at each of them. “You two can’t tell anybody about what happened. If you do, you’ll be in danger. For now, you don’t know anything about this.”

“But, but, but…” Riley whimpered, rubbing her eyes. “How are we supposed to just not talk about what happened?”

“It’s just safer that way,” I said. “I don’t want you to get hurt because of what you know, Riley.” I needed her to understand.

Shannon’s mouth pressed into a line, and she thought for a long moment. Finally, she said, “I won’t say anything.”

Riley whirled. “How can you say that?”

“Because I trust Emma,” she said, “and I have kids to keep safe.”

“That’s a smart one,” Jasper said, pointing to Shannon. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, punched a couple of buttons, and pressed it to his ear.

I gave Riley a sad smile. “You must keep it quiet. This new development is the whole reason I was late getting back from camping yesterday. I promise I’ll explain it all to you both… eventually. When it’s safe for you to know. Just trust me, and get out of here. I’m fine. I promise.”

Silently, Shannon climbed into her car and left the parking area, and Riley followed. Maybe they would say something, or maybe they wouldn’t. Worrying about their necessary silence wasn’t something I could do rightnow. After their cars disappeared around the corner, I glanced at Jasper.

“Ye ready to get out of here?” he asked, smoothing his beard. “Ye shouldn’t stick around for much longer, waiting for another attack. Can you shift?”

“I can’t… I’m sorry.” Then I collapsed on the ground, hoping the coat kept me covered at least a little. A hysterical giggle escaped. I’d nearly been kidnapped or murdered, and I was worried about flashing Jasper.

Jasper made no comment. Gently, he scooped me into his arms, carried me around to the passenger side of my vehicle, and tucked me inside. Then he settled in the driver’s seat. “I’m taking ye into fox territory, and since ye can’t shift, we’ll use yer car.”

“What about the…” I cringed at the word. “…dead shifters in my parking lot? I can’t leave them for someone to find or for my nursing assistants to deal with.”

“I made a phone call to my brother, Flynn, and they’ll have it cleaned up in no time. He owes me a favor. Plus, we have an interest in keeping ye safe and keeping our existence quiet, so they’re on their way now. In the meantime, we’ve got to go.”

“Where?”

“I’m taking ye to a safehouse in fox territory.”

“Not sure Logan will appreciate that,” I said as I leaned over and searched for the seat controls. When my finger caught it, I eased the seat back, already fighting a wave of unconsciousness.

“Well, Logan can’t keep from spiting his face sometimes,” Jasper said.

“You won’t get any argument out of me. This time,” I murmured.

If Logan had been the one to show up, I would have agreed to anything he said. Shifters had attacked me at my place of work. Defense had been hard to conjure, and the shifts I’d managed to do had drained me. If the enemy sorcerer had appeared, with as weak as I was, he would have chewed me up and spat me out. Prophecies had nothing to do with it.

“How far to the safehouse?” I asked.

“No more than an hour,” he said. “In the meantime, lass, ye can sleep, and I’ll get us there safe and sound.”

The earth quaked beneath me, and I tried to scream to warn Logan to run, but my throat made no sound. As the ground fell away from beneath him, he turned to me, his face awash in a soul-crushing pain. His roar blared through my brain.

I’d failed him. I failed them all.

They needed me. My training should have come first, and it hadn’t. How had we gotten here? Confusion muddled my thoughts.

Another quake rolled through me, and a loud beeping echoed. An alarm clock? Sleep rushed out of my brain like a receding tide, and the earth felt more like the passenger seat in my car. What was I doing in my car?

“Hey, Emma, wake up,” someone whispered close to my ear. “We’re here. It’s time to get out.”

This time, the voice wasn’t Logan beside me in my bed. It was…

“Jasper,” I rasped, peeling my eyes open. “Guess I fell asleep on the way here?”

---