Old Gods: Shifter Squad Next Gen, #10

By J.C. Diem

Now that the new members of the squad have settled in, it's time for the team to get back to work. Two missions have cropped up and need to be taken care of. One is a monster hunt and the other one is right up Alex's alley. The mayor of a small town has requested help from the PIA to get rid of some pesky poltergeists.

 

Alex takes Yas, Crowmon and Ike with her to hunt down the specters. During their mission, they learn something they need to keep secret from the rest of the Shifter Squad. If the others find out about the crushing news, it will just end up making things worse.

 

Irene Dawson and her coven are just one of the problems the team will have to face. Everything has been leading up to a confrontation with the old gods who were imprisoned eons ago. If they escape, their entire world will be in peril. Chosen by Fate to be her champion, Alex is the only one who has a chance to save all dimensions from the coming apocalypse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
• Release date: May 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201810337

Book preview

Chapter One

I WALKED ALONG A PATH through the woods dressed in my skimpy pajamas. It was nighttime and fog swirled around my ankles. The trees were showing their colorful fall foliage and fallen leaves crunched beneath my bare feet. The moon was just a sliver in the sky, but I could see the trail clearly.

Water was rushing by somewhere ahead. A sense of dread licked at my heels as I came to the end of the path. I stepped out of the woods to see a familiar river with an old rowboat tied to a dock. Fog shrouded the river, but I could faintly see lights twinkling on the far side. I was dreaming about the woods where I’d met Jax so many times in my slumber. While I wasn’t astral projecting this time, I could recall my other dreams that stayed locked away in my mind when I was awake.

A shiver wracked me as I peered at the building on the far side of the water. This is where it’s all going to end, I murmured in growing terror.

As if in response, the fog cleared momentarily and I saw what looked like an ancient inn hulking on the riverbank. The walls were gray and the roof was black. Even with lights shining in a few windows, I had the sense that the inn was empty and waiting.

It’s waiting for me, I said with utter certainty.

"It’s waiting for us," Jax said from right behind me.

I hadn’t sensed him, probably because I wasn’t here in spirit this time. He came to a stop beside me wearing cut-off jeans. He held his hand out and I took it. What is that place? I asked.

Home, he said with the same dread I felt.

What are you talking about? I asked in confusion.

I think I was born here. I don’t remember much about it, but I can feel a connection to this place.

He’d always said the woods were familiar and now I guessed we knew why. The strange bond is stronger here, I said and shivered again.

I feel it, too, Jax agreed. We weren’t talking about our bond that had been forged in our dreams, but the one that had been forced on us both. Our doom lies here, but we can’t avoid it, he said unhappily.

This is our destiny? I asked bitterly.

It’s our fate, he confirmed, then he pulled me to him and hugged me.

The fog closed around the inn again as I watched over his shoulder. The windows peeked at us through the mist like the sly, knowing eyes of a monster. He held me for a long time, then he faded away and my dream turned into a nightmare.

Irene Dawson and her five siblings were dressed in black hooded robes. They knelt around a pentagram that had been painted on the ground in blood. The coven was in a clearing in the woods somewhere, but I didn’t know where. A naked man was pinned down with wooden stakes through his wrists and ankles. Blood caked the ground around him. His chest had been carved open and his heart had been removed.

I didn’t want to get a closer look at the corpse, but I was drawn towards it anyway. The witches and warlocks were chanting a ritual that would use their victim’s energy to grant them vitality. Irene was holding the heart in her hands. They chanted the last line, then she took a bite of his heart before passing it to her twin.

Ew, gross! I exclaimed, but made no actual sound. I was less than a ghost in this dream. I was an invisible presence witnessing an atrocity that I hoped I would forget when I woke up.

All six members of the Dawson Coven devoured the heart of the dead man, then power swelled around them. It sank into them and allowed them to retain their youth. It seemed they’d altered the ritual their ancestors used to keep themselves young.

When will we be able to get the girl back in our clutches, sister? Irene’s twin asked in an Irish accent.

When the time is right, Sean, the hag who’d kidnapped me so long ago replied.

We need her so we can perform the final spell, one of her sisters pointed out.

Alex will be brought to us, Irene said serenely, then wiped her bloody mouth on the sleeve of her robe. I’ll arrange everything, she added with a nasty grin.

There are fewer than six weeks left until Halloween, one of the other men said. Are you sure you’ll have everything ready by then?

Of course, Irene said. I’ve been planning this since Lexi and Reece murdered our parents.

Her tone was cold, hard and full of hatred. If I’d had eyes, they would have widened in realization. I finally knew exactly why the witch hated my family so much. We knew she was descended from the original Dawson Coven, but we hadn’t known they were their offspring.

Someone is watching us, Sean said sharply. His head turned towards me and I instinctively fled from him. He cast a spell that chased me through the woods. Darting behind a huge oak tree, I didn’t quite move fast enough and searing pain swept through me.

Sitting up with a gasp, I beat at my burning flesh, but the pain faded almost immediately. Emma jerked awake and looked around wildly.

It’s okay, Em, I said shakily and picked her up to cuddle her. It was just a bad dream.

Ike reached out to me from his patrol outside. Are you alright?

Yeah. I just had a nightmare.

He scanned my mind, but the dream was already fading. It’ll be dawn soon. Do you want me to make pancakes?

That would be awesome, I said gratefully and he headed inside to prepare breakfast.

Emma scanned my thoughts, but I’d automatically pushed my fear and depression into the cell in my mind. Believing I was fine, the squirrel tugged on my hair to make me smile. I left her curled up on my bed and entered the bathroom to take a long shower.

All but the remnants of my dream were gone by the time I dried myself off. I was left with a rising sense of doom and one piece of information the rest of the team would want to know about.

We would be getting back to training now that the full moon was over, so I pulled on a t-shirt and cargo pants. Emma had gone back to sleep. I left my door open a crack for her and headed downstairs.

Crowmon smiled at me from his favorite seat when I appeared at the top of the stairs. What happened? he asked when he saw how spooked I still was.

Nothing, I replied as I descended the spiral staircase. I had a nightmare, but I’ve forgotten most of it now.

Pancakes will cheer her up, Ike said in his slightly raspy voice. He was pouring his first pancake into the frying pan as he spoke.

They always do, I agreed, forcing myself to be cheerful. I’d gotten pretty good at pretending to be okay by now. I’d had plenty of practice since Syd, Brynn and the twins had found their mates. Seeing the new couples so happy and in love was slowly wearing me down.

I knew it was childish, but it wasn’t fair that I was the only shifter on the team who didn’t have a mate now. Even my wolf was miserable, from what I’d gathered. She’d instigated a howl-a-thon that had driven Yas, Crowmon, Ike and Emma nuts. The other zombies hadn’t been too happy about it either. They all wanted me to be happy, but we knew that wasn’t possible. It seemed it was my destiny to be miserable and alone.

Chapter Two

I TEXTED THE REST OF the team to tell them that pancakes were on offer. They emerged from their rooms in time to join me for breakfast. Yas took a seat on the couch near Crowmon. Emma lay on the vampire’s lap, enjoying a belly rub.

I love pancakes, Raina said shyly as she took a bite. She didn’t soak them in maple syrup like Freya did, but she had a sweet tooth just like the rest of us.

Ike’s become a pancake making master, I said, proud of my captain.

Busy washing up, Ike grinned at me over his shoulder. Agent Steel taught me how to make them, he said modestly.

Uncle Mark’s pancakes are just as good as Ike’s, Nick said to Liam’s mate. Freya must have said something to him through their mating bond. His eyes flicked to the syrup and his pupils dilated.

Don’t even think about it, Liam warned the pair. You’ll ruin your sheets. Raina scanned his mind and smirked when she figured out what they’d been planning to do with the bottle of syrup.

Gedniah looked at Brynn questioningly and she used their link to fill him in. Syd and Harlan snickered together, needing no explanation. As always, I felt left out since I didn’t have someone to share a discussion with mind-to-mind like they all could. Sorrow weighed me down, but I kept my back straight rather than slumping. The new spells that had been magically branded onto my back didn’t hurt anymore, yet I had a tendency to hunch now.

Ike had made us a full Shifter Squad breakfast, with bacon, eggs, sausages, hashbrowns and toast as well as the pancakes. Gedniah ate a lot more than the rest of us, so we had to stock up on extra supplies each time we shopped. Freya and Raina were still very new to the group, but they were fitting in just as well as Harlan had. In a strange way, the team almost felt complete now. Jax was the only one who was missing. If I could find a way to bring him home, everything would be perfect.

Is something wrong, Alex? Liam asked, picking up on my glumness that I tried so hard to hide.

She had a nightmare this morning, Crowmon said, tattling on me.

What was it about? Brynn asked.

Irene Dawson and her coven were in it, I replied, suddenly losing my appetite.

Ugh, what were those creeps up to? Syd queried with her mouth full. A chewed-up lump of pancake fell onto her plate and she shoveled it back into her mouth.

Screwing my nose up, I toyed with my food rather than eating it. I don’t remember much of it now, but I think they were performing a ritual.

What was the ritual for? Harlan asked. The weretiger had an inquisitive mind and he was good at investigating cases. Mark had integrated Harlan’s programs into the PIA network so they could be used by all of his agents.

I think it was to keep them young, I said, striving to remember. I heard Irene say something that would explain why she hates us so much, but I don’t know if it’s true or not.

Do you ever have prophetic dreams? Gedniah asked. Looming next to Brynn, his purple hair and eyes were striking against his dark skin. He was so large and muscular that he had to have his clothes tailormade.

I’ve had dreams that have come true, I confirmed. Usually, I was astral projecting at the time. This dream was different. I wasn’t there in spirit.

What do you remember about it? Yas turned to ask.

I had the attention of the entire room. Everyone except Sydney had stopped eating to listen. She could shovel food into her mouth and pay attention at the same time.

I was walking in the woods that seemed strangely familiar, I said, trying to dredge it up again. I caught a flash of Jax holding me, but I couldn’t tell them about him. I saw an old building that might have been an inn, I went on. There was something disturbing about it. Then the dream changed and I saw Irene and her siblings. They were dressed in black hooded robes. I remember Irene said something about Lexi and Reece murdering their parents, then I woke up.

The twins exchanged bleak glances. Do you really think Irene and her siblings are the original Dawson Coven’s kids? Nick asked.

Liam pushed his food around with his fork, lost in thought. It’s possible, he conceded. We know at least two of the original coven’s siblings conceived a child together.

What happened to the child? Gedniah asked, then scanned the information from Brynn. They murdered him? he asked in shocked horror.

They weren’t exactly nice people, the lamia said wryly. They chose to sacrifice their offspring to create a talisman to boost their power. I guess their betrayal and evil deeds gave the talisman the power they were searching for.

How horrible, Raina said with a shudder. I think Alex’s dream might have been a reflection of reality. She has a link to the witch through the spells that are tattooed onto her.

I don’t want a link to that crazy cow, I muttered dourly.

Yas snickered, which made Crowmon giggle. Liam gave them both a withering look that Mark would have been proud of. Behave yourselves, he said sternly.

Sorry, boss, the trickster god said in false contrition, then winked at me with a pale green eye.

My lips quirked up in a smile that I didn’t have to feign. My bestie and the deity always knew how to cheer me up.

Liam usually ordered us to train and workout after breakfast, but he had a different plan this time. Two missions need our attention, he said before we could go about our usual routines.

Two at once? Nick asked in surprise. That’s unusual.

It’s been a month since we’ve had a case to look into, Syd pointed out. Uncle Mark gave us two weeks off, then there was a lull for another couple of weeks. We’re getting back into the game with a bang.

Banging is about all you guys have been doing lately, Yas said with a smirk.

Gedniah again had to delve his mate for information, since he was new to our planet. If you were mated to a beautiful woman like Brynn, you would want to spend all of your time in bed with her as well, the king said defensively.

She’s gorgeous, but I don’t swing that way, my bestie said and tossed Emma to me.

I caught the squirrel and she scrambled up to sit on my shoulder. What are the missions about, boss? I asked.

One is a monster hunt, Liam replied. The other one is a bit strange.

Doesn’t that describe every mission we’ve ever been on? Crowmon asked sardonically.

The mayor of a small town in Louisiana contacted the local PIA branch, Liam said over our snickers. He thinks his town is infested with poltergeists and he’s requested help to get rid of them.

That was enough to make our laughter vanish. Have the ghosts hurt anyone? I asked.

Liam shook his head. Not yet, but the mayor thinks it’s only a matter of time.

Alex and I should look into the ghosts, while you guys go on the monster hunt, Yas suggested, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

I’m not sending you and Alex on a mission alone, Liam said in instant disapproval.

They won’t be alone, Ike said and moved to stand behind me.

I’ll go with them as well, lad, Crowmon offered. I’ve been on enough monster hunts. It’ll be nice to have a change of scene.

Liam and Nick shared one of their silent conversations, then our boss nodded reluctantly. You can stay at our base in New Orleans. It’s about an hour and a half away from Rueville. I’ll send you the information the mayor gave us.

It was hard to believe Liam was really going to let me go off on a mission with so few people for protection.

You’re sending a vampire, a necromancer, a zombie and a jester off all alone to hunt down ghosts, Syd said with an eyeroll. What could possibly go wrong?

We’re the best crew to deal with spirits, I pointed out in our defense. Guns can’t kill phantoms.

She’s right, Brynn said in agreement. Alex can handle this. If they run into trouble, we can travel to them and help them out.

"Maybe we’ll need to help you guys out, Yas said with a grin. Once we’re done smacking the ghosts down, we’ll probably have to come to your rescue."

You’d better get a move on, Liam said. The mayor is frantic for assistance.

We’re on it, I vowed, then saluted him. Gear up, team, I ordered, then we headed upstairs to our bedrooms to grab our duffel bags.

Chapter Three

MY BROTHERS HAD BEEN to our base in New Orleans before, so Ike was able to take us to the compound. No one on the team had been to Rueville, which meant we would have to drive there.

What’s the plan, boss? Ike asked when we were standing in the front yard of the base. It smelled a bit swampy here and the trees were very different from what I was used to seeing.

You can drive to Rueville, I decided. Yas, Crowmon and I will stock up on supplies, just in case we have to stay here for a few days.

Liam won’t like it if we split the team up, the trickster warned me.

We’re safe here, I said. Besides, we have extra protection. At my mental command, the fifty skeletons and ten fleshed-out zombies I’d brought with us emerged from the ground. I’d left the falcon behind, since Liam might need to use her during their mission. They’ll guard the base while we’re gone. We’ll be close enough for them to come to our aid if they need to, I added.

Ike didn’t like the idea of being so far away from me, but he followed my order without complaint. He chose one of the SUVs, plugged his destination into the GPS, then drove out of the garage.

Yas, Crowmon and I went inside long enough to leave our gear in our bedrooms. Then we headed through the door to the main hallway and entered the garage. I climbed behind the wheel of the second SUV and checked the GPS to find the closest town. There’s a town half an hour away, I noted, plugging the destination in. At least, it would only take me half an hour to get there.

Snickering mentally at that thought, I waited for the garage door to roll up, then floored it. Yas had donned her hood and gloves to protect herself from the sun. Freya always wore dark sunglasses when she was outside during the day. She’d acquired a light tan and was now used to being out in daylight. My bestie would always need to cover herself, or risk bursting into flames.

Emma decided to ride with Crowmon in the back for a change. The god petted her and Uno, his tiny brown fieldmouse. His expression was pensive as he stared out through the window.

What’s up, Crowmon? I asked.

The jester’s pale blond eyebrows rose. What makes you think something is wrong?

You’ve been a bit strange lately, I said. He’d become more withdrawn during the past couple of weeks.

How can you tell? Yas asked. He’s always strange.

I cut a look at her when she snickered. Stranger than usual, I said with an eyeroll. Spill it, I ordered. There are no secrets in the Freak Squad.

Crowmon laughed along with us, but he seemed distracted. I have a feeling that things are coming to a head, he said, striving to explain what was going on in his mind.

What things? my bestie queried in confusion.

I feel as if I’ll find out what my purpose is soon, he said.

Isn’t your purpose to cause as much mischief as possible? I reminded him.

I’ll discover the reason why I was brought to your world, lass, he said with a hint of impatience.

Everything is going to change soon, I said, surprising us all, then shook my head. I’m not sure where that came from.

I could feel Yas examining me from behind the dark polarized lenses of her hood. I bet it was from your nightmare, she figured. You were dreaming about the witch, after all.

Let’s hope it was just a dream and not a prophecy, Crowmon said glumly, then went back to staring out through the window.

I wasn’t the only one who could feel an ominous sense of doom rising. Everyone on the team knew something bad was coming. The original squad members had faced an apocalypse and had won. Now it seemed it was the next generation’s turn. We’d recently found out we were immortal, which gave us an edge. But we would be facing something far worse than a half-fae lunatic with a grudge against humanity. We would be facing ancient gods who’d died so long ago that their names had been forgotten.

When is the fae emissary going to return? Yas asked, picking up on my thoughts without realizing it.

When he’s good and ready and not a moment sooner, I said dourly.

You can’t rush faeries, Crowmon agreed. Time moves differently for them. While it’s been not quite four months here, to them it might seem like only a couple of weeks has passed.

I hope he turns up soon, I said. I have a feeling we’ll learn something important in the fae library.

You didn’t learn much the last time you were there, Yas said doubtfully. Just make sure you don’t eat or drink anything anyone tries to give you.

I’ll keep my eye on the lass, Crowmon reassured her.

I wished I could say I could defend myself, but I’d almost drunk from a glass a faery had given me out of habit. I flicked a glance in the rearview mirror to see the jester smirking at me. He knew exactly what I was thinking and was laughing at me silently. I poked my tongue out at him, which made him snicker.

Emma nipped him on the thumb at my silent request, not quite breaking his skin. He let out a startled yelp, which made Yasmine’s head whip around. What’s going on back there? she asked.

Em was just reminding me that Alex can look after herself, Crowmon said ruefully.

No, she can’t, Yas said with a snort of disbelief. If we leave her alone for two minutes, the curse will get her for sure. I didn’t bother to ask Gamma to nip Yas in retaliation. We all knew she was right.

I checked in with Ike to see he was zooming along the highway. He didn’t have my ability to foresee problems, but he was a skilled driver. I kept my eyes on the road, using the magic from the spells to anticipate obstacles. We managed to reach the town without any problems. Yas opted to stay in the SUV, since she would stand out too much in her leather outfit. It was weird not to have Ike at my back, but Crowmon stayed at my side while we shopped. Emma was in the car with my bestie. They both kept watch for trouble, trusting the deity and Uno to watch over me.

Buying enough supplies for a few days, we returned to the SUV. The drive back to the base was subdued. I checked in with the herd before I pulled into the driveway and stopped at the gate. No one had approached the base in our absence.

Harlan had updated our security in all of our bases to recognize our plates. The gates and garage doors always opened for us automatically now. I gunned it to the building and we had enough time for me to make a cup of tea and eat some snacks before Ike reported in. Ike has reached Rueville, I told the

Reviews for Old Gods

[Jennifer Willbanks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book series I have ever read love it awesome