Traitor In Their Midst Haven Ranch The Highlands 2

By Cree Storm

Winston’s life was changing fast. In one day he discovers Sax, second to the king, is his mate and Winston is being promoted as PA to the king. Both are overwhelming so are the problems. His mate can’t scent him and refuses to mate until he can and Winston becomes a witness in a plot to kill the consort and take over the kingdom. Now Winston wonders if he’ll live long enough to mate at all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cree Storm
• Release date: Aug 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005329525

Cree Storm

Hi there everyone. I’m Cree Storm. I’m a sister, a mom, a grandmother and a wife. I am the luckiest woman alive as far as I’m concerned. I have a beautiful family and know if times get hard I have my soul mate right there to help me through it. What makes my life even better is being able to do what I love for a living. I have always had a great imagination and being able to bring those characters to life for you makes my heart and soul sing.Although I traveled some as a military brat and lived in places like Germany, New York, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, I have found myself settling in Quebec, Canada with my husband. I love being surrounded by nature and wildlife and there is nothing like sitting and watching the birds, squirrels and chipmunks fluttering around my yard or traveling around Canada and finding my mind creating worlds for you all to enjoy. Life is good and I just want to bring some of my happiness into your life and hopefully make you smile, laugh and get away from everyday stress. Hugs and Love to you all and I hope you enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

Book preview

Winston’s life was changing fast. In one day he discovers Sax, second to the king, is his mate and Winston is being promoted as PA to the king. Both are overwhelming so are the problems. His mate can’t scent him and refuses to mate until he can and Winston becomes a witness in a plot to kill the consort and take over the kingdom. Now Winston wonders if he’ll live long enough to mate at all.

Traitor In Their Midst

Haven Ranch The Highlands 2

By

Cree Storm

MM, SHIFTERS, PARANORMAL, AND SCENES OF VIOLENCE

A Cree Storm Book

www.creestorm.weebly.com

A CREE STORM BOOK

Traitor In Their Midst

Haven Ranch The Highlands 2

Copyright © 2021 by Cree Storm

Edited by Ann Attwood

First E-book Publication: August 2021

Cover design by JP Graphic Designs

All cover art and logo copyright © 2021, JP Graphic Designs and Cree Storm

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

All characters depicted in sexual acts in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

DEDICATION

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.

Barbara Johnson

Table Of Content

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Cree Storm’s Other Books

Please Note

About Cree Storm

CHAPTER 1

Winston nibbled on the delicious green leaf enjoying his little snack in the nice warm sun. Gods, he was so glad the snow was finally melting. Winter sucked, especially this past winter. Do not think about Conner. Do not think about Conner... dang it, he was going to think about Conner.

Conner had been the personal assistant to the king. He had been promoted after Dudley had met his mate and moved to Sovereignty Island, because he had worked side by side with Dudley for years helping keep the castle in order and the people of The Highlands happy. What none of them knew was that Conner had been plotting and planning things against King Cortez for a long time. Hell, Winston was still confused by all that had happened, but it all stemmed from the fact that they were all Bashkuara.

Bashkuaras were shifters that used to be just one animal spirit, but because of a horrific deed were now combined animals of all sorts. The people on Sovereignty Island were mostly land dwellers, and the people of the Highlands were mostly the flyers. There were some exceptions, like had been around since the creation of the Bashkuara, and others were descendants from those the God Danu had damned.

Centuries ago, man walked side by side with shifters. They were not enemies, but friends and sometimes mates. There was a small wolf village in Russia, and their Alpha, Nikolai, was a great man. He and his mate had three mighty sons and a beautiful daughter, Alyona. When she came of age, many men fought for her in hopes that she would choose one of them as her own. However, none were her mate.

One day, Alyona went into town with her mother and a young man, Matysh, noticed her beauty, and told people how the sound of her laughter made his heart sing. Alyona said one look, and she knew that she had found her mate. The problem was, he was not a wolf shifter, and this went against traditional matings. In those days, there was no rules for mates, but many shifters would only truly accept like mating with like... wolf with wolf, cat with cat, bird with bird, and so on, but the two would not be denied.

Alyona and Matysh would secretly meet as often as they could, and they eventually became lovers. Then, Alyona discovered she was with child. Her father demanded she tell him who the father of the child was. She refused at first, but her father would not be deterred. His daughter had been defiled and disgraced him, and therefore had disgraced the family. Something came over Nikolai... evil seemed to take over, and Nikolai wanted that man brought before him.

Wanting the woman he loved beyond all else, and his child, Matysh went to the Alpha during a celebration, and declared his love for Alyona in front of all that were there, and then told Nikolai he intended to marry Alyona... It did not go over well at all.

Alpha Nikolai had the guards grab the young man, and then bring Alyona before him. He then had them tie her, so she faced Matysh. Her brothers begged for their father to listen to Matysh, and one even attacked his father, but he was quickly overpowered by the guards. The sons were removed from the area, and then Nikolai proceeded to cut the fetus from her womb, leaving her to slowly bleed to death. Nikolai then turned to Matysh, and declared him an abomination to his people, and used that same blade to cut the young man's head off.

Nicolai then held Matysh's head in the air declaring his victory, when a man appeared. No one knew from where he had arrived. The man was extremely powerful and extremely angry. It was later discovered he was the God of the land, Danu, and he was pissed.

Danu was not to be stopped. First, he killed the enforcers and guards surrounding the Alpha. Nikolai begged for his life, telling the powerful man why he had done what he had done, and it only enraged the man further. To think that a man would kill not just Matysh, but his own daughter and grandchild, because Alyona was a wolf shifter, and this pissant only accepted other wolves as mates within his pack... no, Danu wanted revenge, and revenge he would get.

It turned out that Matysh was Danu’s son. So, Danu thought of the best revenge he could think of, and placed a curse on them all, saying that they would know what an abomination truly was.

Danu took some of the wolves away from some of the attendees, and placed new animals within them, but he added a twist to them all... he added extra animals as well. Most only combined with two, like Winston’s own bunny and dove combination, but others... well, they were rare to see, but they could be three. He not only did this to those that were at the celebration when his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild were killed, but he damned every one of them that carried even a drop of these shifters’ blood.

Wanting their suffering to go on as long as possible, Danu made them practically indestructible. Therefore, they wouldn't age after twenty-five, and killing them would be next to impossible. However, where there was a will there was always a way... or so they found out.

When the other shifters discovered what had happened, and then those that weren’t even there changed as well, they panicked. The shifters not cursed feared that if they got close to those that had been, they might be changed as well, so they began to slaughter any and all abominations that were discovered.

In order to preserve their lives, the combined beasts came together like packs, prides, and others they had once been, and called themselves, Bashkuara. Meaning... united.

According to Conner, he had met his mate, but when the man found out he was Bashkuara, he ran and refused their mating, which sucked, but that was on his mate, not on King Cortez. Just because the king was one of the sons of Nikolai, didn’t mean that he was responsible for what his father had done. Hell, he was one of them taken away by the guards for trying to stop their father. Yet, Conner blamed King Cortez for losing his mate, and seemed to have lost his mind when the king found his mate, Jazzy, and decided that Jazzy had to die.

Winston hadn’t known any of this when he saw Conner messing with one of the dome-covered dishes they were serving to the king’s table, nor did he think anything of it, or the fact that Conner helped him serve the table. Winston had been long gone and in his room, when Jazzy had lifted his dish to find spiders and nasty crap on his plate, with a threat telling Jazzy to leave, or die. When he had arrived for work the next day, and had been told about the incident, Winston was shocked and confused. He had wanted to ask Conner if he had seen anything strange, but when he went to see the man, Conner had said no and Winston went to leave. The next thing Winston remembered was waking up in the middle of one of the worst blizzards in the Highlands and freezing.

Winston had shifted, and was trying to get warm, so he could wait out the storm and go home, but when he heard something he went to peek and see if help had arrived, only to come across the most beautiful horse with the most gorgeous lavender butterfly wings.

Hey, Winny, what are you doing out here?

Winston shivered and stiffened, until he realized just who that voice belonged to... Billy Ray. Dang, he really liked the southern man, and he had saved both his and Jazzy’s lives, but the man didn’t know when to shut up, or when to leave a man in peace.

Ah, now don’t be like thaaat. I’m just wantin to talk to my friend, Billy Ray said in that southern drawl that was difficult to understand sometimes, and practically impossible to even know what he was talking about, when he used his southern sayings.

Billy Ray picked Winston up, causing him to squeak and wiggle to be put back down.

Don’t get a burr in your saddle, Winny. I’m just takin ya out yonder to that gazebo thing that Jazzy whipped up. I put a change of clothes in there for ya, and figured it was private enough for us to do some jabbering, Billy Ray said as he walked.

Realizing there was no escape, Winston went limp. Billy Ray made a tsking sound, You know you could make a preacher cuss. I’m not takin ya to make hasenpfeffer, I just know that something has your dander up and I want to help ya if I can. It’s been a really long time since I’ve had any friends, but I think that’s how it’s done. When things go to hell in a handbasket, we come together and fix it. Now get dressed, so we can sit a spell and figure shit out. I brought us some sweet tea. I’ll just go and pour while you dress.

Winston watched as Billy Ray turned his back, and went to do just what he said. Knowing Billy Ray wasn’t going to just let things go, Winston shifted and grabbed his pants. How did you get my clothes without me knowing you were there?

You seemed to be doing some deep thinking as you nibbled your snack, and you better hope Cook don’t see that you were nibbling on his greens, or he’s gonna make that rabbit stew for dinner. Billy Ray said, turning back around and handing Winston a glass.

Thanks, and don’t worry about Cook. He planted that part of the garden for me and others like me, just for that reason. We know where to nibble without worrying about his cleaver coming down on us. Now, if I was to go to the north garden, Winston snorted, Yeah, I would be cooked.

I’m surprised he planted that garden. He doesn’t look like a bunny or other plant nibbler, Billy Ray said with a smirk.

Shaking his head, Winston said, He’s a turkey and quail mix.

Billy Ray laughed. Seriously? From the way that man acts like his knickers have knots, I’d think he was more bear than turkey and quail.

Shaking his head, Winston said, I know he can come off kind of pushy in the kitchen, but that’s because he takes his job seriously. He feeds a lot of people all day long and I don’t remember a time he’s taken time off other than the two he gets a week, and even then he’s in the kitchen. The thing is, Cook is a big teddy bear. He’d do anything for anyone if they need it, and he knows that my kind need to nibble so he made a place where we all know it’s safe to go and do just that.

Well, I promise to remember that when I shift again, Billy Ray said, with a small smile.

I’d love to see your jackalope. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one, let alone seen one, Winston said as he zipped his fly, and pulled his T-shirt over his head.

Billy Ray had a strange look before he quickly changed it, before Winston could figure out what that was all about, and asked, So, are you going to tell me what’s goin on with ya, Winny? And don’t ya be lying to me. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, ya know. I be a knowing when somethin’s got you all catawampus.

"Cata... what the heck does that even mean, Billy Ray? I swear you’re looking