Past, Present, Future [Haven Ranch Sovereignty Island 2]

CHAPTER 1 King of the Bashkuara, a group of shifters making up two or more animals when they shifted. That’s who he was… king… yet Edmond didn’t feel much like a king at the moment. He could shift into a sphynx/lion/eagle and tear anyone into tiny pieces, but here he stood hiding from two tiny men. Then again, at seven and a half feet tall most people were tiny. However, the fact was no matter his position, abilities, and want, Edmond was still standing in his room hiding. Shit, he was tired. Edmond couldn’t remember the last time he had a full night’s sleep. Everyone thought his difficult behavior was because of the discovered oil rig less than fifty feet off their border area, but it had been before that. It had been the day he walked into a room in his castle and discovered his two mates standing there. Gods, he was the king of Sovereignty Island and yet two small men had him hiding in his rooms. Two mates? What the hell was Fate thinking? Edmond wasn’t ready for one, let alone two mates. At first Edmond had felt excited and protective when he discovered his mates for the first time. However, there had been so much going on that Edmond hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to them. His second in command, Alex, had just mated Dudley… a crazy pink-haired Bashkuara who tended to act before thinking. It was because of this very thing that Dudley had become upset with Alex and took off. When a horrid storm hit the island, Edmond, Alex and many others had rushed to find Dudley before he got hurt. Edmond had left without a word being spoken to either of his mates. Unbeknownst to Edmond and the others, his four-year-old son, Georgy, had gone out into the storm to look for his new best friend, Dudley, and was almost killed, bringing back memories long suppressed by Edmond and fear taking its place. So when they returned and Stix and Kornell walked into the room, Edmond had done the only thing he could think to do… he ran. Now, here he stood, looking out over his island from his bedroom window, wishing for something he didn’t know if he could ever bring himself to have…gods he wanted his mates. Edmond felt his protectiveness of his mates coming forward. They were both so small and prey animal mixtures as well making them high risk at being hurt or killed, because they would be unable to protect themselves. Styx and Kornell were maybe five ten and maybe one fifty to one fifty-five in weight. Stix was an emu/antelope shifter while Kornell was a kiwiiver otter. Edmond only knew this because he happened to be looking out his office window when the two men had shifted. Stix was gorgeous with his antelope body and head and emu wings and feathers, but Kornell was adorable and his mixture was like nothing Edmond had ever seen before. Edmond had been confused by Kornell’s tiny little creature. Alex could tell that his body and a head with an extremely long beak confused Edmond. Alex had been with Edmond at the time and explained Kornell’s animal mixture, then showed him a picture of it he had pulled up from online. Yes, they were prey and that meant weak by nature, but f**k, they were both sexy as hell. Edmond felt his c**k harden thinking about Stix and Kornell and all the wonderful things he wanted to do to them… hell, he didn’t even know where to start. That wasn’t true. He could think of all kinds of things he wanted to do to them and had jacked off more than once with the thoughts of all the delectable things he wanted to experience with his men, seeing their eyes filled with pleasure. The problem was the second Edmond would ejaculate, he no longer saw pleasure filling their eyes… no… emptiness would be there… sightless from death… just like his dead wife. Every time Edmond closed his eyes he saw his mates lying on his large bed, eyes closed… yet not asleep. They had burns and bruises all over their bodies and Edmond knew the feeling within him was fear… fear that they would die… fear that history would repeat itself. Gods, he could still see the look of anger from one and the pained look from the other but had been unable to do or say anything when he had returned with his son and shunned them on sight. They had tried to help him, but instead he had turned away without a word, running to his room and not looking back. Since that moment, Edmond had done everything he could to not come across the two men again… that had been two weeks ago now. “Daddy! Daddy!” Edmond turned just as his son jumped. Catching Georgy in his arms, Edmond hugged his son close, taking a large breath through his nose and felt his frayed nerves settle a bit. “Hey there little G. What are you doing in here so early? Mrs. Houser is going to be looking for you, so you can have breakfast.” “I wanna have bekfast wif you, daddy.” Georgy said, pushing his bottom lip out in that pouty look that always meant his son was about to show his stubborn, difficult side. Georgy was the love of Edmond’s life. However, he was also independent and could be extremely headstrong when it came to getting something he really wanted, and it seemed Georgy was wanting some one-on-one father-son time. Edmond couldn’t blame him. It had been over a week since he and Georgy had really done anything together, and king or not, Edmond had always spent as much time with his son as his duties allowed. “How about I call down to the kitchen and see if Dobbin can whip us something up for breakfast, we can put a blanket in front of the fireplace and you and I can have a nice breakfast together?” “Yeah! I wuv that idea, daddy and I wuv you.” Georgy said, with a big smile. “Me too.” Edmond softly replied, giving Georgy a loving kiss to his cheek and then, knowing it would make Georgy laugh, Edmond blew on his son’s cheek making the funny raspberry sound that Georgy loved. Giggling, Georgy squirmed and pushed on Edmond’s chest, “Stop that, daddy. It tickles.” Edmond set Georgy on the floor, but did the move once more, making Georgy laugh even louder, “You cazy, daddy.” Edmond called down and then he and Georgy set up the blanket and added some logs to the fire. Mrs. Houser walked in pushing a trolley with her. “Good morning, Your Majesty.” “Good morning Mrs. Houser. Thank you for bringing this up here for Georgy and I.” Edmond said taking the trays and placing them on the floor. George was sitting on his bent knees, jumping up and down, “Daddy an me has picnic.” Mrs. Houser smiled correcting Georgy without him really knowing it. “Daddy and you are having a picnic? Well that is special. How about when you’re finished with your picnic, you and I go outside to the mazes and play some hide and seek?” Georgy clapped his hands, bouncing even more, “Yeah!” “Just call when you are finished, Sir, and I’ll return for the trays and to get Georgy.” Mrs. Houser said. Nodding, Edmond replied, “That sounds like a plan. Thank you again.” Once Mrs. Houser left, Edmond sat to enjoy a nice breakfast with his son. Suddenly, a picture of him, his son, Stix, and Kornell entered his mind. Eating and laughing as he and his mates teased Georgy, making him laugh. It was a family scene that he had longed for, for so long and now could have… if he could find a way to look at his mates and not see certain death for them all. Edmond tried to remind himself that just because he mated it didn’t mean that they would die, but what if something happened? They were Bashkuara, cursed shifters that took on two forms. He, himself was both Sphynx and lion. They had been created when an evil pack leader, Nikolai, refused to accept his daughter, Alyona, had mated with Motysh, who he thought was human. So angered, Nikolai murdered Motysh, Alyona, and their unborn child in front of everyone with no one trying to defend what was about to happen. Quickly it was discovered that Motysh was no mere human, but the son of the great god Danu, whose pain and anger was felt by all when he killed Nikolai and then cursed all those who had stood by and watched, and any future children they might have in perpetuity. When everyone suddenly shifted into merged animals of two or more, the shifter world went into mass panic, fearing that either Danu would curse them by association, or because these abominations might be contagious and that was when the call went out to kill every Bashkuara in existence. Forced to flee their homes and go into hiding, Edmond and his brother had heard of a man helping those shifters in need. Taking a chance, Edmond and Cortez met with Mark Roth, who was kind and understanding. Mark gave them the island where Edmond now lived, and the highlands above it for his brother, Cortez. Mark’s death was a great loss to the Bashkuara. Thankfully he had left Haven Ranch to his three sons and they were just as kind as Mark had been and were close friends to Edmond and his people… especially Sky. Crazy, spontaneous, and opinionated… but an awesome shifter. Edmond still found it funny as hell that someone with such a big attitude could shift into the cutest chipmunk. Not that he would ever say that to Sky… not if he wanted his balls still intact. Edmond had named the island long ago… Sovereignty Island… and he was King. His people looked to him to keep them safe. He had almost failed his people once when one of his own men had gathered a team and damn near killed him and many of his Bashkuara on the island. If not for Sky and his brothers, along with their mates, Edmond didn’t know what would have happened to his people, or worse yet, his son. If someone came for Edmond or his mates and killed them… where would that leave Georgy? He just couldn’t do that to his son or the Bashkuara that looked to Edmond for guidance and safety. “Daddy, why you look sad?” Georgy asked. Giving his son the best smile he could, Edmond replied, “Just grownup thoughts, son. Nothing for you to worry about.” “Is it cause Mr. Stix and Mr. Kownew you mates and they mad wif you?” Georgy asked. Gasping, Edmond asked, “Where did you hear that from?” Georgy picked at his pancakes, refusing to look at Edmond, muttering, “I heared them when I pway hide a seek with Udley.” Quickly Georgy looked up at Edmond, “You say no ear-dropping, but I wasn’t daddy. I was pwaying.” “I know, son. It’s okay.” Edmond said, doing his best not to freak out with his son sitting there looking as if he was in trouble. Georgy ate a bite of his food, then asked, “Kownew sad like you, daddy. He cwy. I twy giving him ice ceam like you do when I sad, but he sayed no.” Hearing his son’s sadness, Edmond ran his hand down his son’s soft, dark locks. “Don’t worry, Georgy. Kornell will be fine soon.” Shaking his head, Georgy whispered, “I no think so daddy. He huwting in he-ur.” Georgy pointed to his heart, then said. “He say so to Mr. Stix. Mr. Stix say he want to huwt you peepee fow making Mr. Kownew cwy.” Georgy then looked to Edmond asking, “Why you no want them, daddy. You say mates most impotent to all us. You say mates to be loved and…” Georgy thought, tapping his closed lips as he did, then smiled, “make safe fwom huwt, but daddy huwt, not ovews? I no get.” Edmond had always been honest and open with his son. He had explained his relationship with Georgy’s mother and what had happened so long ago. Not wanting to lie now, Edmond replied, “I’m afraid that one of them might die and if that happens, I would die with them… leaving you alone.” “Daddy, I no want you died, but if daddy did die, I no be awone. I have Udley and Ukle Alex and Ukle Cowtez and Mrs. Houser, and lots of people to hep me. Daddy you awso say to me, no make feaw wule me. You say wiving in feaw is bad and you say push pass feaw and do what white. It no white to make mate huwt, sad, and cwy daddy.” Georgy said firmly as he patted Edmond’s hand, “I hep you daddy. I hode you hand wike you do when I scawed.” Feeling a large lump in his throat from listening to his son willing to help him with his mates. Then Georgy smiled wide, “And no scawed daddy about they died. I hep keep both safe too.” Then he puffed out his chest, saying, “I pwince, daddy. It my job too.” Unable to stop himself, Edmond picked up his son and hugged him close, rasping, “Do you have any idea how much I love you? Thank you, little G. I needed this.” “That’s cuz we awe a team and we hep eachovew.” Georgy said with a smile. Pulling Georgy back a bit, Edmond asked, “Do you like Stix and Kornell?” “Oh yes.” Georgy quickly replied, smiling wide, saying, “Mr. Stix weads stowies to me and is heping me wead too and he heps me wif numbews and he even said he wiw hep me speak bettew. We do that next week. And Mr. Kownew, he wets me hep him cook. I like cooking daddy. It’s fun and Mr. Kownew lets me taste evwything.” “Well that is nice of them both.” Edmond said, doing his best to hide his surprise. To think that Edmond had been shutting his mates out and all this time they had been spending time with his son, spoke to something deep within Edmond’s heart. It just let Edmond know that Stix and Kornell were both great men and he would be lucky to make them his own. Georgy’s words were running through his mind over and over. “Never let fear rule you.” The sound of knocking had Edmond placing Georgy down and getting up to answer the door. “