The Shifter from Another World

Chapter 7

There was a sound of a bird call echoing through the trees, and my sister stirred awake as soon as we heard it.

I squeezed my sister just a bit to keep her silent before I looked at Raul to see what he wanted to do or had to say.

Raul glanced at me and offered me a hesitant smile before he whistled back, indicating who he was and who he had with him.

The hair on my arm stood at attention, and I could feel this magic in the air that I had forgotten but knew that also filled my body.

My sister's eyes grew wide while she looked at me again. She didn't say a word while she looked at me, and I had a feeling that she wanted to know what was happening but didn't know how to ask.

I bit back a small smile before I slowly shook my head, silently indicating that I would tell her later because I knew what she wanted to ask.

My sister scowled and narrowed her eyes. She didn't say a word while she looked at me, and I could tell that she was annoyed that I wouldn't answer her question.

I bit back a small chuckle but didn't say a word while I looked forward to see that an entryway had appeared and not just the hidden shield that was in place.

An older male stepped out of the entryway and looked at us with one glass eye and a brown eye that I recognized.

He slowly blinked when he looked at me before he bowed his head and cleared his throat. "Hello," he said, his voice soothing and hard while he looked at me again. "I am sure that you are the one that I was waiting for, yes?" He looked at Raul when he asked that.

Raul hesitated before he nodded in confirmation. "Yes," he said. He moved his horse slightly in front of us, and I held back an eye roll while I looked at him. "He is the one that you have been waiting for, Thaeron."

Thaeron...

My whole body grew stiff when Raul said that name, and I couldn't help but narrow my eyes and scowl while I pulled my sister closer to me.

What was he doing here?

Alesea moved her horse closer to us too and looked between the two us. She didn't say a word, but I could tell that she wondered why I was scowling and had my eyes narrowed at him.

Thaeron looked at me again, and I had a feeling that he knew what I was thinking and how I was acting. He cleared his throat and bowed, breaking eye contact first. "We can discuss everything with each other privately," he said and stood again. "There are some things that I need to clear up with you."

"I would like Raul there as well," I said coldly. "I do not wish to speak to you alone."

Thaeron scowled and narrowed his eyes, and I could tell that he didn't like my answer. "And why not?" he asked. "I would appreciate it if we talked alone."

"No," I said and shook my head. "Again, I would like Raul with us as well."

Thaeron set his jaw and narrowed his eyes further. He didn't say a word while he looked at me, trying to intimidate me, and I stayed silent and looked at him with a blank look on my face, daring him to say something else.

Alesea cleared her throat, and we looked at her, breaking the staring contest we had with each other. "Why don't we talk about that later?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why don't we get settled in first?" She looked at me, and I could tell that she wondered what happened between us.

Thaeron sighed and nodded in confirmation. "Of course," he said and cleared his throat. He moved out of our way and gestured for us to enter the hideaway. "Welcome to your new home. I hope you enjoy your stay."

***

Raul entered the area first, and Alesea and I followed with Alesea staying close behind, protecting my rear.

She made sure to be closer to Thaeron than I was, and she looked at him while she passed.

A couple of other patrons that lived here walked over to us and took the horses' reins. They didn't say a word to us, and I could tell that they wanted us to get off the horses so that they could take them from us and lead them somewhere safe.

"Raul," I said and looked at Raul to see that he was off of his horse. I didn't say another word, and he looked at me and nodded as if he knew what I wanted him to do.

He walked over to us and held out his arms for my sister. "Let's go, Munchkin," he said, and I raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Let's get you off this horse and see if we can't find a real bed for you to sleep in, ya?"

"Yes, please," Delilah said and nodded while she moved toward him, and Raul picked him up and set her on the ground. She bit back a small yawn and offered him a tired smile. "I would like to go to sleep in a real bed."

Raul bit back a small chuckle and nodded. "Of course," he said softly. He set her on the ground and looked at me with a raised eyebrow in question, and I had a feeling that he wanted to know if I needed help.

I shook my head and got off the horse, patting the horse's neck and silently thanked him for letting me ride him. "Thanks, though."

Raul nodded and looked at my sister. He smiled before he looked at me again, silently telling me to help Alesea, and I held back an eye roll before I scowled.

I walked over to Alesea and her horse, offering her a small smile. "Would you like some help?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Alesea slowly nodded and cleared her throat. "Please," she said, her voice barely above a whisper before she cleared her throat again. She looked away from me, her cheeks turning red before she looked at me again. "I would like some help."

I nodded and helped pull her stirrups off of her feet, making sure to be gentle with her injured foot. "You're going to get that checked out, right?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper and raised an eyebrow in question, and she chuckled and nodded in confirmation.

"I will get it healed," she promised while she placed her hands on my shoulders, and I pulled her off the horse. "You don't have to worry about that."

I nodded again and gently set her down on the ground while the other men led the horse she had been riding away from us. "You can lean on me, Alesea," I said, not pulling away from her just yet. "I don't know where we have to go, but I will help lead you."

"I will take you where you all need to go," Thaeron said after he cleared his throat, and we looked at him, both Raul and I unamused.

He had his hands behind his back, and he stood taller when we looked at him. His face was a mask, and I had a feeling that he didn't want me to know what he was thinking.

"N-"

"Let him, Peter," Alesea said with a small hiss while she pulled on my arm, interrupting me, and I instantly looked at her. She narrowed her eyes while she looked at Thaeron, and I could tell that she was concerned and wondered what happened for us not to trust him before she looked at me again. "Just this once. Please."

I bit back a small sigh before I slowly nodded. "Ok," I said and set my jaw. "We can go ahead and follow him. Just know that I do not like it." I looked at Thaeron and scowled, and Thaeron bit back a small smirk and bowed.

"Of course," he said before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "Now, if you'll follow me, I will take you all to someone who can help you, Alesea, and then show you where you are to stay for the rest of the evening."

And with that, he bowed before he turned around and started to walk away, and we followed him with Alesea leaning on me, and Raul and my sister following us close behind.

Oh, Gods, protect us...