Desperate Call (New Breed Novels Book 5) Read online

  Desperate Call

  Martha Bourke

  A New Breed Novel

  Desperate Call

  Copyright © 2015 Martha Bourke

  All rights reserved

  Cover Art by Natasha Brown

  Edited by Debra Hartmann

  Book design by Rachelle Ayala Publishing

  www.marthabourke.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. And any resemblance to actual events, persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  For Josie: My kindred spirit, my rock, and my joy. Eres mi mitad.

  Glossary of Terms

  aj k’o’ol (n.) One who attacks a shifter’s nagual to use its power for evil

  camzah (n.) Mayan term for teacher; mentor

  den (n.) Where a group of hellions live together as a clan, often in abandoned buildings.

  gleam (v.) The ability to open and pass through portals at will in order to move any distance. Only New Breeds possess this power. To the naked eye, it appears as though the shifter has simply vanished into, or appeared out of, nowhere.

  the Goddess Akina(pr. n.) Maya Goddess of Love and the Moon who was destroyed by her fellow gods for aiding an enemy soldier during a celestial war. Still exists in spirit form. Created the New Breed shifters to battle Toltec.

  hellions (n.) Genetically altered shifters created and controlled by Toltec. Hellions are physically stronger than common shapeshifters, although the change in their genes leaves them with almost no remaining k’ul. This unnatural balance leaves them seeking to possess the k’ul of other shifters, even though it is only temporary. If they take all of another shifter’s k’ul, that shifter will die. They are considered abominations.

  in lak'ech ala k'in (n.) Mayan term used in formal greeting between shifters and often as words of endearment with loved ones. Loosely translates to, “I am you, you are me.” Often accompanied by placing the fist over the heart.

  the Initiative (pr. n.) Program started by Victrixa Mata to kill shifters and steal their naguals.

  k’ul (n.) Supernatural energy that resides in the earth and all living beings. Vital life force in nature. Different beings hold different amounts of this energy. Humans in general have very modest amounts, whereas shifters have much higher levels. New Breeds have by far the most k’ul. All shifters are able to identify other beings by sensing how much of this life energy they carry. K’ul is also connected to the lifespan of shifters, with shifter civilians living well over a hundred years. The lifespan of the New Breed shifters is unknown.

  mark (n.) Tattoo-like symbol that all shapeshifters have on the back of their neck in the form of their nagual. Appears when a shifter phases for the first time, usually at the age of eighteen.

  mating call (n.) An important part of shifter nature, this phenomenon may happen any time after a shifter first phases. Once this instinct is awakened between a male and a female shifter, they generally give in to it very quickly. Most shifters have very little, if any, sexual experience before they feel the call. The bond between mated shifters comes above all things, and all shifters mate for life. If the call is not heeded, the male will experience intense physical pain and mental confusion. It is possible for a shifter to experience a new mating call after the death of a mate, but this does not always occur. Although a ceremony is often held to make the pairing legal in the eyes of the government, especially when offspring are involved, shapeshifters generally do not have a religious ceremony per se. However, it is not uncommon for the male to offer the female a ring or other token of affection.

  nagual (n.) Guiding spirit and animal counterpart that exists in the Otherworld. All shifters have an animal nagual. The Maya, who believed that their naguals offered protection, often held rituals to contact these personal guides. Shifters have two souls, one human, the other of their nagual. This second soul guides them through instinct.

  New Breed (pr. n.) New Breed shifters collected so much k’ul shortly after the Transition at Chichen Itzá that they are physically changed into a new species of shapeshifter that is closer to immortal than mortal. In their human forms, they are much larger, stronger, and faster. Their hearing, vision, and instincts are heightened. Their eyes will glow around the pupil when experiencing a strong instinct, such as in battle or with a mate. They are also able to gleam. Certain New Breeds are gifted with special abilities. In addition to the marks on the backs of their necks, they also have a Maya tribal mark on their right shoulder. At this time, there are eight known New Breeds. They were chosen by the Goddess Akina to fight against Toltec.

  the Order (pr. n.) A group comprising the eight New Breed shifters. Its members are deadly warriors who swear an oath to protect both the human and shifter populations from Toltec. They are chosen through divine means and join the Order when they receive the call to serve.

  the Otherworld (pr. n.) The celestial realm inhabited by naguals and other supernatural beings.

  permaphase (v.) Phasing into and remaining in one’s second form permanently. This is incredibly dangerous for shifters, as they can forget their first form completely and thus lose their humanity forever. It is found most commonly in shifters after the death of a mate, as they rely on instinct while in their second form. This blocks out the psychological and emotional pain of the loss.

  phase (v.) Act of physically taking on the form of one’s nagual. All shifters are able to do this. It is not painful and is instantaneous. Shifters often refer to their animal form as their second form.

  portal (n.) A sacred space between earth and the Otherworld that allows New Breeds to pass between the worlds when they gleam. Portals are also used by shifters for rituals and communication with their naguals.

  protective instinct(n.) The intense urge male and female shifters feel to protect both mate and offspring. This instinct can become particularly intense in times of danger or when a female is pregnant. As with all other instincts, this impulse is heightened in a New Breed.

  shapeshifter/shifter (n.) Although they are members of the species Homo sapiens, shapeshifters contain much more k’ul, and are therefore able to take on the animal form of their nagual. There are shapeshifters all over the world, in every country and every culture. They are often not well accepted by humans. Some live openly, while others hide their marks. The first shapeshifters were the Maya. Even today, shapeshifters use some Mayan expressions, and follow some Maya rituals and traditions.

  silver nitrate (n.) All shifters have an intense allergy to silver nitrate when ingested in any form.

  Toltec (pr. n.) Organization of shifters whose core belief is shifter supremacy over all other living things, including humankind. They believe that the elevated level of k’ul carried by shifters gives them the divine right to rule the world’s governments, control the banking system, etc. They work toward these goals through both violence and more insidious means.

  the Transition (pr. n.) Refers to the tremendous release of k’ul from the earth at Chichen Itzá at the end of the Maya Calendar on December 21, 2012. When this occurred, the balance of k’ul on earth changed dramatically.

  Table of 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 FOURT
EEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  Pax looked around at the stark white walls of Helen’s office and took a deep breath. Was her office always this small? Maybe the room wasn’t meant to accommodate five hundred pounds of New Breed. Either way, it probably had little to do with his current sense of suffocation. For as long as he could remember, Pax had been telling himself he was the one who infected Luis with HIV. Now, only moments before he would finally know the truth, a deep realization was starting to creep into his consciousness.

  What if Luis was infected by someone else and then made me a carrier? Pax’s chest tightened at the thought.

  There was no real evidence one way or the other. Technically, they didn’t have an open relationship. Pax had a few minor dalliances, but always came clean. Luis…Jesus. He wasn’t even sure. He knew about a few, but had no idea if the guy had even been safe.

  Oh, God. He’d never allowed himself to think that way until now.

  Pax could feel James looking at him, but didn’t dare meet his eyes. It was taking everything he had just to hold it together. He must have been crushing the male’s hand, but if it was bothering him, he didn’t show it. James. He’d wanted to take things slow with the male, but it was like James was his mitad—his other half. He knew the moment he’d kissed him nothing would ever be the same. Everything with the male was so easy, so natural, and so fucking overpowering. But none of that changed the fact that they were both going through some heavy shit right now.

  Helen came in and smiled. At least, he was pretty sure she was smiling. He couldn’t seem to get her face into focus. He squeezed his eyes closed, then opened them.

  The female sat down across from them. “Pax, are you alright?”

  Pax’s hearing seemed to go all twenty thousand leagues on him. He wanted to answer her, but felt like he was drowning. He managed a nod. James squeezed his hand and, for a moment, Pax let his mind wander back to his room where less than twenty minutes before James had told him he loved him and didn’t care what happened with the test. The only problem was Pax did care. A lot.

  Helen leaned forward and put her hand on his knee. “Pax, you tested negative. There’s no trace of HIV in your system.”

  Pax felt his chin go slack. “Are you sure, Helen? Maybe it was there and the whole New Breed thing cured it?”

  Fuck. Was his own self-loathing so engrained in him that he needed to argue with Helen over the test results? Or was it his endless need to sanctify Luis no matter what? No. He couldn’t do that anymore. He had James to think of now.

  She shook her head. “Honestly, I doubt it, hon. Even before the crash course I’ve had in New Breed biology over the last few months, I would have said the same. As a carrier, the virus would have been totally inactive. There wouldn’t be anything there to cure.”

  He had no idea what else to say and his eyes seemed to be crazy glued to the floor. Slowly, he felt his body begin to react—the heat beginning first in his chest before boiling over into the rest of his body.

  James watched for Pax’s reaction and when there wasn’t one, he knew he needed to get him out of there ASAP. He extended his arm to Helen and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks so much.”

  “Of course. Anytime. Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yeah, I think he’s just in shock.” Riiight. From the look on the brother’s face, his brain was in overdrive as if frayed ends of thought dormant for who the fuck knew how long were being reconnected. He’d never been able to sense Pax so clearly before and wasn’t sure why he could now. But there was no time to think about that. He wrapped an arm around Pax’s waist and gleamed them back to the male’s room down the hall.

  Once they materialized, Pax immediately broke away and started to pace back and forth. “I don’t believe it. I don’t fucking believe it!” The brother kicked the wall and the front of what looked like a very high end loafer broke through it. “That two timing, barebacking, daisy chaining…” He lapsed into Spanish briefly, then launched his laptop toward the wall by his bed.

  James ducked. Fuck. The brother was going to regret that one later. The freaking desk lamp was the next thing to whiz by. Finally, he stepped in front of the male and took him by the back of the neck. “Pax, stop.”

  His camzah looked into his eyes. They were brimming with tears and glowing faint amber. “I gave up everything for him. Everything.”

  “I know.” He brought the male in close and held him tight. “I know.”

  X sat on the hospital bed with Rose wrapped in his arms. He focused on her energy and his female reached up and touched his cheek to reassure him. He knew she was back for good, but couldn’t seem to stop checking. He hadn’t even left her side to tell Helen his mate was gone. Or that she’d come back. That whole thing was still threatening to make the left side of his brain implode.

  “I’m doing it again. I know. I’m sorry, Rosie.”

  She smiled up at him. “I don’t mind. I’m just so glad I’m home.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” He kissed her forehead. She’d only been gone maybe half an hour, but that was more than long enough for him, thank you very much. He smelled her hair and held her tighter.

  “When will Reyn be back, my male?”

  “Should be anytime. Actually, I think I just heard his bike in the garage.”

  Rose sat up and slipped off the bed. “Thank the Goddess for New Breed hearing. I’d better change.”

  X pulled out his phone and began to text. After what happened with Reyn when the Goddess left, he figured they could use some backup. He shot a message to Troy, Richard, and SE asking them to bring their mates as well. “I’ll catch Reyn on his way by.”

  Maybe he could pave the way a bit. Although, he had no idea what he could possibly say. Hey, boss. I got my mate back, but it pretty much cost you yours. Yeah, sure.

  He knocked on the lab’s door and poked his head in. “Hey, Helen. Can Rose and I talk to you for a sec?”

  “Oh, she’s awake. Good. I was just about to check on her.” She headed off to see Rose just as Reyn was coming through the doorway from the gym.

  “Hey, boss. Listen, ah, Rose would like to speak with you.”

  The brother stopped in front of him. “Rose? Is she strong enough for that?”

  “She’s…yeah.”

  The Order’s leader clapped his shoulder. “Sure. I’ll come down with you right now.”

  They were walking down the corridor when they heard Helen scream. Maybe his timing was just a tad off. The two of them rushed into the ward.

  “I’m so sorry, Helen,” he heard his female say.

  “She has all her color back! She’s dressed,” Helen said.

  With a little Irish luck, he felt his own blood pressure chill and knew Troy had arrived. Rose sat down on the edge of the bed and everyone else started to file in.

  X moved closer and put his arm in front of her like he was working crowd control or some shit. He looked down at her and she met his eyes. Yeah, she was nervous.

  He cleared his throat. “Why don’t I start? This is going to sound like we’re certifiable, but please hear us out before you say anything. Rose passed away at about three o’clock this afternoon. She had no vitals and I was no longer able to sense her energy. She was not only clinically dead, but both her souls had moved on as well.”

  Rose looked at all of the shocked faces staring at her and swallowed hard. They all looked a little spooked and she didn’t blame them. She felt her male’s hand smooth her hair and took a deep breath. “I remember everything that happened to my spirit body while I was gone. On my way to the Otherworld, the Goddess Akina came to me in the ether
. She told me it wasn’t my time and asked me if I wanted to come back to Xavier.”

  She willed herself not to look at Reyn. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go on if she did. She focused instead on Evy, who offered her hand, which Rose gratefully took.

  “I told the Goddess that I wanted to come back and she used her power to make it happen.” She cleared her throat. “And then beings began to appear all around us. They weren’t full bodied, but I could sense they were of her kind. Oh, Goddess, they were so powerful. She told me to go, but I was too frightened to move. They launched some kind of energy toward her, but she sent me back here before I could see anything else.”

  Everyone in the room looked from one to the other as they tried to bear the weight of the news.

  Rose looked into Reyn’s bright blue eyes. “I think they’ve taken her.”

  The color drained from the male’s face and his eyes started to glow.

  “I can’t sense her,” Evy said.

  “Rose, this definitely happened? It couldn’t have been some kind of near death experience?” Adriana asked.

  “The Goddess told me I was a different kind of shifter. A descendent of the Great Crane. She said I possessed the power of longevity and should have lived hundreds of years. That’s why my mark was different. I had to give up that power to come back to Xavier.” She turned around and held up her hair.

  “My God,” Richard said. The female’s mark of Crane was now all black. Even the crest. He and Adriana had quite a bit of experience when it came to these kinds of markings and he’d never seen one changed without some form of interference by a supernatural source. He looked over at Reyn, who was staring at Rose. He wasn’t sure he liked this eerily calm version of their fearless leader any more than the out of control SOB from the recent scene in the study. He looked over at Troy, but the brother had both his hands in his pockets. Maybe he should check in on Reyn’s thoughts.