CHAPTER 1

2167 Words
CHAPTER 1 Who would have thought that the lead councilman to all the paranormal world, Jotham Egan, would be sitting in a tent, surrounded by guards, looking at his tablet and crying like a child. While a massive man hunt was happening throughout Pennsylvania, during a time when everyone should be laughing and smiling. This was supposed to be The Mating Games. The time when paranormals from all over the world come to play and hopefully find a mate. However, looking at the picture before him, Jotham couldn't get past the beautiful child staring back at him, with the same lavender eyes and dark black wavy hair as his daughter had so many years ago. Jotham was a strong man and his dragon within him made him the strongest of all the paranormal world. Yet, none of that mattered. One hundred years ago, at the very first Mating Games, his beautiful daughter, Liliana, was stolen from him. He had searched the forests for his daughter, and at times, literally tearing up the mountains below. His personal army had tried to help him, even the council had assisted in the search. However, Jotham was never able to find his beautiful princess. Every four years Jotham returned to these games, and would continue his search for his baby girl, only to leave each time empty handed. Yet, here he was, looking at what was most likely his granddaughter. Did that mean his Liliana was still alive? Or did that bastard, Councilman Troy, kill her, as he did all the other parents of the stolen shifters they had just rescued only days ago? It wasn't until three small men, and their outlandish families, discovered the treachery of one of their own that Troy’s actions were even known about. What they found brought an understanding to Jotham, and with it even more guilt. Just knowing the horrors Liliana had gone through filled Jotham with a shame he didn't know if he would survive. Councilman Corgan Troy had been a longtime colleague and, Jotham thought, a friend. He was by his side while Jotham agonized over his daughter's disappearance, and when Ricky and his friends had first approached him, telling Jotham that Corgan was responsible for their friend Joop's kidnapping, Jotham had truly not believed them. They had explained how Corgan had been harassing Ricky to come and join him, how Corgan was wanting Ricky and his two best friends, Ian and Joop, to help him with a project. However, if this were all true, if Corgan had done this horrendous thing, that could only have meant one thing...Corgan had to have been the one that had taken his daughter a century ago and Jotham had been too stupid to see it. Jotham and Corgan had worked side by side for centuries to help strengthen the paranormal world, whether it be through laws or assisting their people in finding their mates. Jotham always thought that Corgan Troy was a good man. Now he knew, Corgan was not a good man, but an evil, vile creature. Throughout Ricky, Ian, and Joop’s ordeals, they had found proof Corgan had been taking paranormals to experiment on, trying to create the fiercest army, for a reason still truly unknown. The bastard had been doing so for centuries, starting with his daughter, at events such as the Mating Games. Corgan had been snatching up shifters that were either threatened with extinction or already considered extinct and trying to impregnate them or genetically altering fetuses within the woman's womb. All of this had been going on right under his nose. As far as Jotham was concerned, he deserved to be tortured with guilt and shame. He was this supposed big, badass leader, and look how well he had done for his people. Jotham's dragon began to rise to the surface the more he thought about what the bastard had done to his baby. From this picture he now knew Corgan had his granddaughter, Kimmy. If he didn't stop Troy, she would soon share in her mother's fate. Jotham had to find that fuckwad and destroy him, if for nothing else, then for retribution for all that fuckwad’s victims and to gain custody of his only heir. "Councilman, may I come in?" Ricky's soft voice said from the tent opening. Wiping his eyes, Jotham set the tablet to the side, cleared his throat and put on a fake smile, "Of course, Ricky. What can I do for you?" "Any word on Troy?" Ricky asked as he made his way into the tent. Shaking his head, Jotham replied, "No. It's as it was so long ago with Liliana. Somehow the man eludes all our searchers. However, I will find him and all the others he still holds in his cages, including my grandchild." Smoke started coming out of the councilman's nostrils, as he snarled, "Then I will take each body part and rip it from his live body, as I bathe in his blood, until the pain kills him or his heart stops." Ricky raised a brow, mumbling, "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that last hot dog." Jotham took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm sorry, Ricky. My anger tends to get the better of me lately. Is there something else I can do for you?" Ricky moved closer and Jotham could see the compassion in the young man's eyes, "It's understandable, sir. However, you need to remember, this is Councilman Troy's fault, not yours. He is the one hurting the people, not you. Now, I came to take you to the big game. You've been in here for days, sir, and I think the people would really like to see you there." "Ricky, I..." Ricky didn't let the Jotham finish his sentence before quickly saying, "Sir, please. There is nothing you can do right now for Kimmy, but you have a lot of frightened people out there. Word has spread about Councilman Troy and they need a leader. They need to know that you are going to be there to protect them. If you continue to hide away in here, it serves no purpose. It only means that Councilman Troy wins." "I am no leader, Ricky. I sat with that man. I broke bread with that man. That man was in my home and we laughed together and spoke of paranormal issues for decades. Yet, I had no idea Corgan was taking my people and using them for some Dr. Frankenstein motives. He is trying to splice genes and create a super shifter world. For what purpose? Is he trying to take over the paranormal world? Is he trying to take over the entire world?" "I don't know, sir, but we will figure it out. Ian, Joop, and I have been going over the notes we retrieved from his computer. Mine and Ian's mom are working nonstop to retrieve all the data from the encrypted files they found in the underground tunnels." Ricky replied. Jotham stood and placed his hand on Ricky's shoulder, "I have asked you and the others to call me Jotham, Ricky. I think of all of you as my friends, and friends call each other by their first names." Ricky turned an adorable shade of red, "I'm sorry, si...Jotham. I'll have to get used to it. For the record, we look at you the same way." "Pfft...he is family." Gladys said as she stepped into the Councilman's tent. Jotham smiled, "Hello, Gladys. Ricky was telling me how hard you and Molly have been working to find out what Corgan was up to." "Well, that is true, but we have been ordered away from our work to attend the big game. Hell, Ricky and Derk were beating on our door until we agreed." Gladys said in a huff. Ricky snorted, "Derk and I were beating on your door because you and dad were so loud you were scaring the children outside." "Ricky! You are embarrassing me." Gladys scolded. "Mom, you were embarrassing me with all the screaming and moaning coming from the camper." Ricky scoffed. Molly walked up behind Gladys, laughing, "That's true, Glad. One day, you and Russ are going to break your camper." Gladys pursed her lips, "Like you and Kent are any better. At least Russ and I were in the camper. With all the noises you two were making, we know Kent didn't strike out." Molly giggled, "Nope...it was a home run all the way." Jotham couldn’t hold back his laughter, as he asked, "So, are the others outside my tent as well?" Gladys shook her head, "No, they took Mary to go get the young ones we rescued the other day so they could come to the game and get to know people." Sadness filled Molly's eyes, "I know you and the rest of the council are trying to figure out what to do with them all. Some have never seen the outside of their cells before." Jotham could only nod, as he replied, "There were only a few adults being held. They have already left back to their families. If I'm not mistaken, the children that didn't have families have been with you guys. Colby and Ian have asked to take Mary with them and I am working with the council on the adoption. However, we still don't know what to do with the others." Gladys wiped tears from her eyes, saying, "That poor child has been through a great deal and Ian and Colby are fantastic with her. She is starting to really come out of her shell." "Yes, she has, and the others are doing really well in just the few days they have been with us. It's going to be hard to see them go wherever you send them." Molly replied with a catch in her throat. Gladys nodded and sniffled, "I agree, Mol. My Russ and I have loved having small children around again." Gladys turned to Ricky as she said, "Ricky says he doesn't know when he plans on making me a grandma." "Mom, we talked about this. I get so caught up in my work that I forget time. Having a child right now is not plausible." Gladys snorted, "Oh, poppy c**k! You are now mated, trust me, work is not what you are going to want to spend your time immersed in." "Mother!" Ricky yelled as he turned red all the way to the tips of his ears. Gladys waved him off, saying, "What? Your father and I are not the only ones scaring children. The other thing is, Molly and Kent are getting Mary. I don't see why you and Derk can't make me a happy woman. There are eight little ones that need a good home." "Why don't you and Molly take them home with you? It would give you the sounds of the pitter patter of little feet and no one could ask for better parents to guide them and nurture them." Ricky stated. Gladys and Molly's eyes went large as they both smiled wide and looked at Jotham with hope, asking, "Can we?" "I...I don't know. I mean, I can't think of two families that could do a better job in raising children like you can." Jotham replied thoughtfully. Molly rushed to say, "And don't forget, we live in an out of the way location and have home schooled before. This way we can help the children get an education and learn about our life as paranormals." Gladys nodded rapidly, "And the kids can stay together. They seem to really cling to each other tightly." Molly went to say something else when suddenly she brought a hand to her mouth and gasped, "Oh, but what about the quiet one?" "The quiet one?" Jotham asked confused. Ricky sighed, "There is one very young man. We don't know how old he is, he looks around twenty, but we can't be sure. He refuses to talk to us." "He's so sweet with the children. They really love him and we see how much he loves them." Molly said softly. Gladys nodded, and stated quietly, "It is going to tear them all up when they have to part with him." Jotham sighed, "Why did the young man not go with the guards to the council building for assistance?" "Jotham, he won't talk to us. We have no idea what his name is, how old he is, where he's from, how long he was held captive, or even what type of shifter he is." Ricky replied anxiously. Looking at Ricky curiously, Jotham asked, "What does Mary say about him?" "Marry says he kept the bad men from hurting them most of the time, but he doesn't talk much." Ricky answered. Gladys looked at Jotham with a glint in her eyes, "Maybe you should try talking to him. He might respond better to authority." "It might scare the s**t out of him even more, Gladys. I am a councilman, like Troy was." Jotham replied. Shaking her head, Gladys hissed, "You are nothing like Troy and he needs to see that not all authority figures are out to hurt him. Please, Jotham. The poor boy looks so lost and afraid." Sighing heavily, "I guess it is my duty to at least try talking to the man."
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