A Shifter's Second Chance Read online

  A Shifter’s Second Chance © 2018 by Lisa Elijah

  Developmental and Copy Editing by Razor Sharp Editing

  Proofreading by HME Editing

  Cover by P and N Graphics

  The characters, places, and events in this story are fictional. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are coincidental and unintentional.

  Years after Gray had a complete mental breakdown that cost him everything, he’s clawed his way back to mental balance, a steady job, and a solid relationship with his grown and married daughter. Gone are the years of thinking conspiracies abound and that he is being followed…until a stunning woman busts down his back door and announces that there’s a secret world he doesn’t know about—and it’s hunting him.

  After losing her mate and one of her children, Armana abandoned the shifter world to spare the lives of her two surviving children. Two decades later, they’re grown and healthy, but she’s between packs and still fighting for a relationship with her angry son. So coming to the aid of his mate’s human father seems like a good way to prove herself.

  Only she can’t shake the feelings growing for Gray, and he finds a kindred spirit in her. But if they reach safety, the shifter world won’t let Gray keep his memories of their kind. And Armana will become nothing more than a dream that drives him back into insanity.

  Dedicated to all those, and those of us, living with mental illness.

  For new release updates, chapter sneak peeks, and exclusive quarterly short stories, sign up for Marie’s newsletter and receive download links for the book that started it all, Fever Claim, and three short stories of characters from the series.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  You’re going back to the psych ward.

  Gray Stockwell snapped the wrinkles out of his plain black shirt and neatly folded it. He set it inside his backpack.

  His gaze drifted to the window. Look outside. They’ve found you.

  No. He squeezed his eyes shut and summoned his therapist’s voice. No one is after you, Gray. It’s the disease talking. No one has found you because no one was looking for you in the first place.

  Dr. Sodhi had been his lifeline for years. That man had seen him through the worst of his disease. When Gray’s daughter, Cassie, had been taken away and he’d been committed, Dr. Sodhi had been there. Weeks had bled into months before Gray had been released to live in regular society.

  Cassie’s lying to you.

  “Shut up,” Gray snapped at no one. He was alone. There was no one outside watching him. There was no one outside waiting for him.

  Like Dr. Sodhi said, his concern over his daughter’s well-being was natural. She’d gotten married a few years ago and was blissfully happy. It was just that he couldn’t visit her in her new home. Neither had he met Jace’s mother, a woman who’d been out of Jace’s life for years and was now back in it. She got to see Cassie’s new home.

  Cassie and Jace lived in West Creek, across the river from Freemont. Their place was deep in the woods that surrounded the area, amid all the other employees of the security company Jace worked for.

  According to Cassie, a lot of families lived there, but they didn’t want outsiders to interfere with their training. She’d sent him pictures, but that did little to assuage his fatherly concerns.

  What if Jace had tricked her into joining a cult? What if she’d been secretly sold into sexual slavery but was putting on a good show just for him?

  But Gray, she still works at the clinic as a psychologist. She wouldn’t have her job and meet you for lunch if she was involved in either one of those circumstances.

  Thank you, Dr. Sodhi.

  Gray glanced down at his task and frowned. He’d packed his clothing into a backpack instead of his dresser.

  “Dammit.” Fifty damn years old and he was losing his mind. Again.

  Those dark years after Lillian had died haunted him. Cassie had been taken away from him and she’d…thrived.

  Gray sighed and scratched the back of his neck. They’d taken her away, put her in a new home where she’d met another girl who became as close as a sister. Then Cassie had gone to college, graduated with honors, and gotten her PhD. All because she no longer lived with him.

  You don’t know what path she would’ve chosen if she’d stayed with you. She was able to succeed because of the foundation you built.

  No, Dr. Sodhi. Because of the foundation Lillian had built. His late wife’s dogged determination to keep his schizophrenia diagnosis from destroying their family had helped Cassie become the amazing young woman that was his daughter.

  Only Lillian had gotten sick and died. He’d gone off his meds in his grief. Cassie had moved on to a new life. And here he was, terrified he was relapsing and would lose her again.

  Gritting his teeth, he unpacked his backpack. No one is following me. Do not listen to the voice in my head.

  And go refill your meds. He couldn’t risk running low when his disease was beating against his mental walls.

  How long had he functioned like a normal guy? With medication and therapy, he’d rebuilt a relationship with Cassie and was holding down a job at a hunting and camping store, Sporting Warehouse. An unexpected benefit of his off-the-grid living. He had a lot of firsthand knowledge of what equipment worked and what was mediocre or overrated.

  Then a few weeks ago he’d seen a dark sedan in his rearview mirror, and it’d tailed him home. He’d pulled into the driveway of his duplex and the car had passed.

  The next day, he swore he saw the car again when he was walking into work.

  A frantic call to Dr. Sodhi had calmed him. Until Gray saw the sedan again two days later.

  Someone new may have moved to the area, and they work in the vicinity of your store. No one is following you, Gray.

  Gray went to the window and peeked out.

  His heart thudded. Between the blossoming trees of May, across the backyard of the duplex, and on the other side of the street sat that damn car.

  Maybe they lived there?

  They’re following you.

  What would Dr. Sodhi say?

  Call someone you know is 100 percent real when you have doubts.

  Now would be a good time.

  He found his phone and dialed Cassie’s number.

  And he was still staring out the window.

  Spinning around, he forced a smile even though Cassie couldn’t see it. “Hey, peanut.”

  “Dad. Everything okay?” She always asked him that. Whether it was automatic or she thought he’d likely not be okay, he didn’t want to know.

  “Yeah. What are your plans this weekend?”

  “I was going to plant the garden. My friend Spencer set me up with some seeds and planned a nice plot by the cabin.”

  “That’s great. You want some help?” He couldn’t quit trying to invite himself out there. It was the dad in him—he hoped. The disease could be sneaky.

  “No, thanks. It’ll go fast. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Don’t I sound like it?”

  “Dad, you sound like you’re being falsely chipper.”

  Talk to your daughter. She’
s a professional. Dr. Sodhi thought he should have someone to talk to about his mental illness, and Cassie’s profession as a psychologist made her an excellent candidate to see signs of deterioration before he hurt himself or others.

  But he couldn’t bring himself to say it yet. He went with something else that had been bothering him. “It worries me that I can’t come out there.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. And I know it’s hard for you to trust me.”

  So hard. His very nature made secrets more nefarious than they should be. “I don’t know what to do with myself this weekend.” God, wasn’t that the truth. Sit in his apartment and worry about strange men busting through the door? Wonder if the voice in his head was real and his own, or if his paranoia was trying to ruin his life again in the name of self-protection?

  No, thanks.

  “What’s wrong?” Cassie asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Dad.” Cassie’s tone said cut the shit. “You don’t normally worry about your time off.”

  “It’s nothing. I just… I think I’m seeing things again. Cassie, what if I’m relapsing?”

  “You’re on your medication, and you haven’t missed a dose?”

  He wished. That’d explain some things. “No.”

  “Hallucinations or voices?” Her matter-of-fact way of speaking made it easier to talk about it.

  “Both. It started with me seeing a car following me. A black car that’d blend in on the streets or in a president’s motorcade. I’ve seen it a few times. The voices started after that. Well, one voice that says I’m being followed.” He snorted. “The car’s even parked on the street behind me. Dr. Sodhi’s probably right. Someone new moved into the neighborhood.”

  Cassie didn’t reply.

  “Peanut?”

  “What? No… You’ve talked to your doctor, good. You know what? Maybe we should get together this weekend. I’ll come over tomorrow. ’Kay?”

  “I hate to ruin your plans—”

  “No. No, Dad, it’s fine.” Her words came faster. “I’ll see you tomorrow. But, you know, call me if anything changes.”

  “Sure.” He laughed. “I’m actually glad I did. It’s better that you know what I’m going through.”

  “Seriously, call me. If you think you’re being too paranoid, or if— Just call me, Dad.”

  “Will do. Have a good weekend, peanut.” He hung up.

  She was worried and he’d caused that. But it’d be worse if he relapsed and no one had a clue it was coming.

  ***

  Armana Miller rocked in a chair on Jace and Cassie’s porch. Sweet Mother Earth, this was one of the most dreadful days she’d had in a long time.

  The boredom. It was going to kill her.

  She’d lost a mate and a son, barely surviving the mental anguish to raise her remaining two children in secrecy among the humans, only to have both children find their way back to a pack.

  And not just any pack. Both of her kids were Guardians, the police force of their kind. In the last couple of years, their role had actually expanded to include both shifters and vampires.

  Maggie, the little girl she used to bounce on her knee, was stationed in the colony of her birth with her new mate. The threat to her life had been vanquished and Maggie was living the full shifter life.

  And Jace. She’d been estranged from him for so many years in an attempt to keep that threat from touching him or Maggie. They were speaking now, but she questioned her choices every day of her life.

  He was standoffish with her, unwilling to trust easily. And she didn’t blame him. She deserved it.

  But Cassie was welcoming and such a good mate for him.

  So her kids were happily mated and working jobs that left Armana fretting for their safety. In the meantime, Armana idled around the main lodge where they let her stay. The cabins were for families and long-term Guardians.

  Since the barracks in the expansive lodge weren’t completely full, she stayed there. Temporarily. Until they could figure out what to do with her. But the Guardians and their trainees cleaned up after themselves as a lesson in discipline, so there wasn’t much for her to do.

  She knew nothing about medicine and was therefore no good for helping Doc. Defending herself was one thing, but she didn’t know enough to train others.

  As the mate of a former colony leader, she was almost useless.

  Maybe she should go live in Lobo Springs with Maggie.

  A dark cloud smothered her emotions. No. She’d rather not live among the memories of her lost mate and son. That left her with few options. To go back to living in Freemont would be just existing.

  Living with the Guardians would have to be enough until she figured out what to do with the rest of her life. A wry chuckle escaped her. She just had to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up.

  Soft squeaks from the chair echoed into the woods where no one was around to hear. At least it was peaceful here.

  She let out a long, lingering breath. A run would be nice. Living under the radar meant living just like other humans, and she hadn’t been able to indulge her wolf side all those years she’d lived an isolated human life. She hadn’t so much as dared to growl. There had been no dating, no social life of any kind, and no thoughts of everything she had lost. She had just concentrated on what she had and tried to keep it.

  Cassie banged out the door, phone clutched in her hand. She scanned the woods for a moment before turning. She sucked in a breath but relaxed when Armana smiled. Little things like that reminded Armana that Cassie was truly human, because a shifter would’ve known as soon as they stepped outside that someone else was there.

  “Oh thank goodness. I don’t have to go searching for you.” Cassie brushed a short brown lock of hair behind her ear. Her shoulders were tense and her posture was rigid.

  “What’s wrong?” Concern filtered into Armana’s awareness.

  “I just got off the phone with my dad.” She worried her lower lip. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but you know his schizophrenia?”

  Armana nodded. She hadn’t met Gray Stockwell, but Cassie had explained that her dad had mental-health issues.

  “He thinks someone’s following him.” Cassie gave her a small smile. “Ordinarily that would concern me enough, that maybe he’s relapsing, but with Jace and his job, I can’t help but wonder if he’s truly having a hallucination or…”

  “Or if he’s actually being followed?” Armana couldn’t help the thread of excitement that wound through her. Jace was out of town and she couldn’t in good conscience allow Cassie to check on her dad in case there was truly trouble.

  Cassie pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “I can’t even say I’m sure it’s nothing. I guess it could be he’s noticing someone new in the neighborhood who happens to work near him, too. But I don’t believe in coincidences anymore.”

  “And if it’s not a coincidence, then he’s either being followed or he’s seeing things.”

  “I have to go check on him.”

  “No.” Armana rose in one smooth motion. Her mind was already working on what she’d need to run to town. “I don’t mind an excuse to run to town. Why don’t you stay here, and I’ll call you if there are any problems? If I don’t notice anything, then you’ll know he might be relapsing.”

  “I should really go with you. If he sees you, then he’ll really think that someone is after him, and he’s already worried about his mental state.”

  Armana laughed and brushed her words off. “Oh, he won’t see me. I’ve spent more years sneaking around than he is old. Text me his address and I’ll head right there.” She jogged down the porch stairs and aimed straight for the lodge.

  She reached her room within minutes and dug out clothing that was better suited to spying on someone. Pausing, she stared at the rectangular cedar box on top of her dresser. The ceremonial blade, the gladdus, had bonded her to her beloved. How much her life had changed since then. She missed him every day, and her lack of purpose
was making it worse.

  Shrugging into a long-sleeved black shirt, she considered what weapons she should bring, if any. Being free to be herself again didn’t mean that she could shift whenever she felt like it. Discretion meant the survival of their species. But it’d be too hard to dress casually and act normally while hiding a weapon. If Gray was seeing things, then some strange armed woman wouldn’t help him.

  She stepped into soft black jeans. They were probably too nice for a mission but they’d help her blend. Digging through her closet, she swore as she sifted through her pairs of athletic shoes. Since she’d had to quit working, she’d gotten rid of all her professional clothing, figuring she’d restock her closet with her next identity. She had to be able to blend as a pedestrian or a shopper, whatever the situation required. Finally, she found a pair of black ballet flats. They’d have to do.

  What she wouldn’t give to have her old leather-soled boots. They were among the many personal items she’d had to ditch when she fled her old pack. Over a century ago, she’d always taken a different route to the lake where her people had gathered their water, and those boots had been ideal for slipping through the woods around the homes of shifters that would give her mate problems.

  By doing that, she’d learned which couples were arguing, which were having affairs, and which would, in a disagreement with Bane, either form a united front or solidify a wall of support.

  Then she’d had kids, and mates and single pack members confided in her about pack issues, sharing secrets and lowering their guards. Armana saw the real them, their true motivations and fears, and she transferred each tidbit to Bane, who was smart enough to lead in a way that made none the wiser as to her influence. Bane had relied on her eyes and ears to help maintain peace. For all the good it had done him.

  But she couldn’t deny the thrill coursing down her spine at going out to do something other than pick up a few groceries and run to the bank.

  Before she walked out of her room, she grabbed her keys. She hadn’t done much driving since moving to the lodge and leaving her job. If her old enemies hadn’t come after Maggie, Armana would’ve had to start a new job soon anyway. Since she looked only thirty-five years old when she was much older than that, she couldn’t stay in one place for too long. But she always stayed in Freemont. It had been risky to stay in one city, especially one so close to her old village, but she couldn’t bring herself to give up everything again. So she just switched jobs every few years when people started commenting on how young she looked.