Full Moon-Appalachian Shifters

Chapter Twenty-Two Caleb

Phoenix was muttering something under his breath, he didn’t want to bring the man back to Jolene’s house. I agreed with him, but he said it was because he didn’t want to infect anyone else with the curse that was clinging to the man.

He seemed to be very calm about dealing with this stranger and some unknown curse. The man coughed up blood but it was thick like tar and he reeked of cats. Wrinkling my nose I opened the window of the shabby hotel room and heard the traffic speeding by outside.

I did not want to think of the other underlying stench that was lingering in the hotel. There was a loud scream of pain and I shuddered. Hopefully, this was the type of hotel where people minded their own business and I wouldn’t have to worry about someone reporting the screaming.

“Phoenix shut him up or people are going to think we are killing him.” I hissed at him and he continued murmuring over the man on the bed. He was curled on his side and shivering. Black smoke was rising from his body.

My mouth dropped open, what was that? If that was an entity, where was it going to go? I had so many questions and I wanted to ask them. Now was probably not the time to distract him though.

“He is going to scream; this is a powerful curse. It has claws in him though.” I heard about curses on people but shifters were usually immune to such charms.

“The witch that put this on him must be very powerful.” Worry seemed to tinge his voice as he continued his chanting. Sighing I turned back to the window and did not want to deal with the whimpering man on the bed.

Why did we have to save some complete stranger? We should be looking for our mate’s sister. There was a loud thump and I turned around to see Phoenix slumped against the wall, he was sweating and shaking.

“What happened to you? What can I do to help?” I was panicking, I knew tonight was going to be momentous but I didn’t think it was going to be spent in a hotel with a fox on the bed and the shaman quivering and shaking like jello on the floor.

“I needed to give him some of my essence, if he could shift, he could fight the curse better.” He stood up on shaky legs and I saw he was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. He avoided eye contact with me and it could only mean he was lying to me.

“So what do we do now? I am not staying in this hotel all night.” A roach skittered across my foot and I closed my eyes and tried not to think of the other vermin crawling around.

“I am burning these clothes when I get back to Jolene’s.” Phoenix let out a chuckle and picked up the fox. The animal let out a sad howl and he stroked the fur; black ash came off the brittle fur.

“Why are we saving this man? I know Jolene said there was something wrong with him but we should be looking for her sister.” I couldn’t keep the irritation out of my voice and Phoenix just gave me a calm stare.

I hated the fact that he never grew angry, he was always so calm and nothing seemed to faze him. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew something about Jolene’s sister. Narrowing my eyes at his passing form he clapped me on the shoulder.

“The girl’s sister should be fine, I know it. This is the last of Jolene’s mates. This man has been looking for her.” He walked out the door and put the fox in the car.

Growling I punched the wall in frustration and looked at the cuts on my knuckles, they started healing up I wanted to punch something again. Sighing, the night was ruined for me and I didn’t want to go back to Jolene in this state.

Phoenix was in no state to drive though, slamming the door behind me I left the key in the drop box by the front door and stalked toward the car. When I got back to the house I was going to hunt in the woods.

I was hoping that I could claim Jolene and strengthen our mate bond, but now there was another man in the mix and I don’t know if I wanted to share my mate with a fox.

It was bad enough I had to share her with Phoenix and I resented him, it was because he was a true Alpha and I was his subordinate. I hated being second best, I always needed to be first.