Page 46 of Full Moon
Chapter 22
Feray
My mind racesa million miles an hour as I contemplate the implications of my discovery. Could Torben be a distant relative of the extinct species of bear lying on the table before us? "What's wrong, my flame?" Easton's voice pulls me back to the present as he grips my hand.
"I believe Torben, like me, may have markers of an extinct species of bear. This one." I place my hand gently on the ancient skull and glance between Torben and Easton.
"There's only one way to find out." Easton lifts the craniometer and waves it in the air. "Tor? Mind shifting?"
"No problem, little wolf." Torben kisses my forehead before stripping.
"What did I miss?" Diaval's voice breaks the moment as he glances from a half-naked Torben to me.
"Our mate believes Torben has markers of this bear here. So, we're going to measure his skull and see if she's right," Easton explains.
Torben stands before me, fully shifted, and I begin the meticulous task of measuring the skull and jotting down numbers. My heart pounds as the measurements come within millimeters of each other.
"Wow, it's close. Would you agree with me when I say I believe Torben may be a distant relative of this species?" I look between the ancients for confirmation.
"I would say he is a distant relative to this species," Diaval affirms, passing the numbers off to Easton.
"Medically speaking, without DNA and a lab, we can't be certain. But the numbers don't lie. He is very close to this species and larger than most of the males in his sleuth, besides his dad." Easton kisses my cheek and returns to his research.
Pacing back and forth, I replay everything that's been said since the beginning. "Didn't the shifter side of the prophecy say something about the species of old?" I ask.
Torben pulls his shirt over his head and moves to stand next to me. I hand him the measurements, and he nods slowly. "It did. So if that's right, each of us should have markers for an older species," Torben says, his eyes flicking over to Khal.
"Basilisks have been unchanged for thousands of years, the same with dragons. We don't need to evolve like the fur-bearing shifters," Khal offers.
"Phoenixes are unchanged since the dawn of time. Random melanistic variations occur, but it's not an evolutionary leap," Easton shrugs, his focus shifting back to the journal he's reading.
Something coils tightly in my stomach—an icy knot of anxiety and realization. The two ancients and Khal's species areunchanged for hundreds of generations. Wolves have gotten smaller and lighter built. Bears are experiencing the same thing since there's not enough of them to wage the wars they used to.
We've settled into towns and villages, so the size and power we used to have is unneeded now. Another huge point is that most shifters don't spend as much time as their shifts anymore. All these changes point to the decrease in size and strength of the shifts. "Do you think that most people don't hear their shifts because they don't shift as much, or that the shifts have lost that vital connection to their human side?" I pose the question to the room.
Diaval stops what he's doing mid-motion, his eyes locking onto mine. "That makes sense," he says thoughtfully. He paces before turning his gaze to Torben. "Do you hear your shift?"
Torben shifts uncomfortably. "Every once in a while. It's not like full-blown conversations, just little things here and there. He told me he found our mate when we met Feray with Fi. He warns me of danger or when he feels Feray's wolf is having a powerful emotion." He shrugs, glancing around the room.
Diaval's eyes flicker with a draconic glow, his pupils narrowing into slits. "What about you, Khal?"
Khal nods slowly. "Similar to what Torben said, except he warns me about dangers and shifts in the air pressure and what it means."
Diaval steps closer to me. "My eternal?" he murmurs. "I know it's uncomfortable to share what's private between you and your shift. But it will help answer your theory." He presses his lips to my forehead.
"In the beginning, I barely heard her," I admit, closing my eyes and pressing my forehead against Diaval's chest instead of seeking comfort from Torben, as I usually do. "As I bonded with each of you, she's gotten louder. She has no problem barking out orders when I'm fighting." I shrug. "Now, with me hearing Diaval's dragon and Easton's phoenix, and the pack, sometimes I feel like I'm going nuts. Diaval's dragon taught me to shut out most of the pack, but sometimes it slips, and I feel like I'm standing in a marketplace with everyone demanding my attention." I nuzzle Diaval's chest, seeking solace in his steady heartbeat. For some reason, his and Easton's shifts almost silence all the pack's voices when they break through.
"Why didn't you tell us it was that bad sometimes?" Easton's voice carries a note of regret.
"There's so much going on..." I begin to make an excuse, my voice trailing off as Diaval gently tilts my head up.
"Your entire world as you knew it has been destroyed and is slowly being rebuilt on a foundation of truth," he says softly but firmly. "I may be a cantankerous bastard at times. But there is nothing in this life or the next that will stop me from doing whatever it takes to make you feel safe and loved." His thumb and forefinger grip my chin as he stares deeply into my eyes. Slowly, he closes the distance between us and kisses me, pouring all of his love and devotion into that single moment. I can hear his dragon crooning to me, soothing the frayed edges of my nerves. A slow smile spreads across my lips as his song weaves its magic.
"Thank you, Diaval," I whisper. Standing on my tiptoes, I kiss him back before drawing in a deep breath and pulling away.
"What did he do?" Torben and Khal exchange puzzled glances.
Lowering my gaze, I murmur, "His dragon sang to me and made me feel better. It seems like there's something different with my bonds with Diaval and Easton. Their shifts can talk to me directly. Maybe it's the scale and feather. If that's the case, will Khal's scale work the same?" I look up at Easton, searching his face for answers.
