Stopping the World (Book two)

Chapter 11

After putting her fork down with her plate clean, Taylor looked me straight in the eye and said, “Tell me what’s going on before I go crazy.”

Sighing because I know this isn’t going to be as easy as it could have been. “Billy, can you play with Jaxon in his bedroom?”

“Sure come get me when you two are done.” Picking Jaxon up and swinging him in the air, they left the room with Billy murmuring to Jaxon.

“Let’s go into the living room. We can take care of the dishes later.” Standing and offering my hand I led her into the living room. Settling on the couch with her hand still in mine I started.

“As you know we are shifters. Shifters usually live in groups but sometimes live on their own or with just their immediate family. Most of the shifters in my pack are wolves like me but there are some cat shifters, panthers and cougars. Shifters can be born or bitten. You were bitten but before that you were already half shifter, probably your biological father.”

Taylor looked a little shell shocked. Running her hand through her drying hair she asked, “Ok how does the bitten stuff work?”

Fiddling with her fingers I continued, “Normally you would become the same type of shifter as whoever bit you with one exception. The bear shifter gene overrides all others. So all half bear shifters automatically turn into a bear shifter regardless of who bites them. Your biological father must have been a bear shifter.”

Stopping to let her process this I brought her hand up to my lips I kissed the palm of her hand but also took the opportunity to take in her scent.

“Ok the kiss was sweet but why are you smelling me? It’s kind of creepy.” She had the cutest confused look on her face, her eyebrows almost meeting in the center with one up shooting to her hair line.

 “Remember I’m a shifter so my sense of smell is stronger than a humans yours is now too for that matter. Not to mention your scent is especially appealing to me.” Smirking at the thought of why, I turned to her, “All shifters have a mate. That one special person meant just for them. Do you remember the feeling when shook hands in the coffee shop?”

Nodding her head she turned to look at me. “How could I forget? It felt like I was finally right where I was supposed to be. Like I was finally home, which is pretty strange for a coffee shop that isn’t even my favorite.” She smiled.

“You felt that when we touched because we are mates.” The smile stayed on her face. With a quick prayer of thanksgiving I turned back towards her knowing this was going to much better than I thought it would.

She turned and sat on her knees so she was facing me. Putting her hand on my shoulder she played with the edge of my borrowed t-shirt. “So being that we are mates and you did mention that you wanted me to come home with you to New York, if that means we are together?” With her head tilted down obviously worrying what I would say back, she looked at me from behind her lashes, her hair hiding half of her face.

Knowing this was our moment. I did the thing I have been wanting since I saw her taken off the side of the road. Grabbing her by the waist I put her on my lap so she was straddling me. Tunneling my hands into her hair so I could see every inch of her beautiful face, I said, “You are my mate and you will be with me forever.”

With that I kissed her with all of the pent up longing and worrying from the past two days, all the love that I have felt since I saw her standing in front of me in the coffee shop. Wrapping one arm around her waist I brought her body closer to mine, wanting to touch every inch of her that I could. Dropping my hand to ass to pull flush with me she let out the sweetest moan. I swear it turned me on even more. She had one hand almost pulling my hair out of my head with the other touching everywhere that wasn’t mashed up against hers.

Hearing a squeal from the bedroom brought me back to the present. Pulling back we were both breathless and panting. Look into each other’s eyes we smiled. Knowing we were meant to be together and that smile just confirmed we were meant to be.

Wrapping her arms around my neck she whispered into my neck. “Thank you for coming to get me Otto.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them from getting you in the first place. That’s what I’m here for, in Louisiana. I’m here to find the cat shifters who are taking girls, women and getting them pregnant and letting them die.” By the confused look on her face I know I am explaining this all wrong.

“Let me start at the beginning. There are a group of cat shifters that are trying to create an army of Teleios shifters. Teleios shifters are offspring of a half shifter and a full shifter. They are usually very rare as half shifters don’t normally have offspring with full shifters. Teleios shifters are special in that they have special abilities above the normal shifter ability to speak to each other through their minds and some mind reading and mind control abilities. Teleios shifters can do all that a regular shifter can sometimes stronger than normal and also more. Some can see the future and communicate through touch. It is really quite amazing.” Stroking her back I gather the courage to finish.

“Some cats decided that they wanted an army of Teleios shifters to take over the world or just the shifters. I don’t really know which any more. Regardless, they have been planning this for a long time as they made half shifters then started getting them pregnant in different ways. Some out right rape, some they drugged and let go until they found out that they were pregnant. The big problem is a half shifter can’t survive giving birth without being changed. We don’t know if the cats don’t know about this or they don’t care but a lot of women have died. Some have been found and saved before they gave birth but not all. The day before I met you I found a few women and a few cubs too. They are safe finally.”

She listened to me with her face turned down staring at my chest tears running down her face. “Those women. Those babies lost their mamas.” She choked each word out. She looked up at me with stark fear in her eyes. “They were going to do that to me!”

“Yes that is why they took you. They were going to get you pregnant and then let you die once you gave birth. That was never going to happen though.” I wiped the tears off her cheek, over and over as they kept falling. “I followed your scent after I grabbed Jaxon off the sidewalk. We followed you to the building they were keeping you in and we have been working to plan your rescue since that day.”

“Who was the man that you let go?” The expression on her face after that question was such a jumble I couldn’t tell what she was feeling.

“His name is Harry and he’s on our side. He infiltrated there group in hopes of finding the master mind of this ridiculous plan. Why do you want to know? I would think you wouldn’t want to know.” Giving her a curious look because frankly I would think she would hate him and want nothing to do with him.

“I don’t but I do. Right before he did,” she swallowed, “what he did he mentioned that he was sorry for what he was going to do.” Her face still had not expression, it’s completely blank.

“His actions are something I understand but will I ever be able to be in the same room as him without wanting to hurt him? No. He did it to give us the time to get you out but the fact that he touched at all makes me pissed as hell.” I rubbed my hands up and down her back.

“It will take time but I was thinking in the shower about how could I forgive him for it and decided part of me does because I know why he did. It wasn’t to hurt me. He was trying to help the only way he could at the time.” She wrapped her arm tight around my neck and I pulled her tight. We stayed that way until Billy and Jaxon came out looking for us.