Arden’s Mate(42)

“That makes sense. Pet told Ava that the demons not only wanted the women but pregnant ones. They want to train the children and turn them against us. We already knew they think that because the psychic women can have shifter babies they could have demon ones. I still have nightmares of what they could have done if they kept your sister. Think about it, though—if they take your shifter women and human psychic women you can’t produce the next generation. Holy shit, Arden, the demons are doing what they did to Grayson’s species of shifters.”

Arden felt his eyes widen. How could he have been so stupid not to have seen that? How had they all? Fishing his phone out, Arden called Grayson. It barely rang before he answered. “We’re calling a meeting, and you have to be there. We’ve figured out the demons’ plan. Be at the gathering place in an hour. Nowhere else is safe enough to ensure others won’t hear.”

“I’ll be there.”

Arden hung up. He looked up, surprised to see the elders staring at him.

“If what you say is true, Logan, we have a lot of work to do.” Elder Alfred sighed. “From the info you just told us, and what we learned from the girl, it leaves me with one question. How did the demons know the girls would be at that bridal shop? They have either found another psychic or we have a traitor in our midst.”

Arden’s blood ran cold with either option. He was eager to get back to Remy who he’d left with her friends.

“I understand you have a mate. Where is she now? We need to keep closer watch on the females from now on.” Elder Ross, a newly retired military man, spoke up.

“I left her with Tray, his mate, Kane, Faith, and their new baby.” Remy hadn’t wanted to stay behind, she’d wanted to be with him, but he needed to concentrate, and when she was around all he thought of was her.

The elders left but told Arden they wanted to know what they decided at the meeting. A couple of them offered guard duty on the women and children. Arden didn’t like the thought that the women and children would have to be constantly watched, but with what they were learning he didn’t think they’d have a choice.

Arden didn’t want to leave Griffen, he was so angry with how Pet had been treated and how everything was working out. Arden understood Griffen’s frustration, but Arden needed to be at the meeting. Ava promised she’d stay and help calm Griffen down and talk to Pet. Logan said he’d stay too, but Ava wouldn’t let him, and Arden agreed it was important he was there for the meeting.

The meeting place was packed with shifters. Logan and Hayden were the only humans there. Rane stood forward as he was acting on Kane’s behalf as leader of the pack while he enjoyed his new child. “Thanks for coming on short notice. Some important, and possibly life threatening, facts have come to light. Arden is going to tell you what he’s learned.”

Arden stood in the middle of the circle. “As you have all heard by now the bridal shop with four of our women in it was attacked by a horde of zombies in broad daylight. The zombies only went for the kill with me. They were trying to capture the women. The thing that’s even scarier than them trying to take our woman is that all four of them are pregnant. The psychic we recovered from the demons, who is mated to my brother Griffen, has told us that the demons want our mates, even more now if they are with child. They plan to turn our own children against us. They may even use our mates as leverage over the children. They want all shifters extinct. They have already started. Grayson, come forth. We need the story of what happened to your people.”

A deathly pale Grayson came forward. “Do you think they have our women somewhere? Our children? We never looked, we just scattered to different shifter communities so we could continue the fight.”

Arden patted his buddy on the back. “This may be what has happened. We need to find more demon hideouts. I think we need to take a team with some paranormal help to cover more ground and see if we can find something in the area you found. I understand one of our wolf teams are there now?”

Grayson didn’t seem with it. He looked to be in a far off place. “I think you’re right. We were one of the first shifters to settle in Australia. My parents were some of the first settlers. We had large numbers, so at first we didn’t notice our dwindling population. It wasn’t until about eighty years ago that we noticed we were down from four digits to the low three digits. We gathered together and thought it best if we spread out, helping the new shifters who’d settled here in Australia. I was too young—not even eighteen—when my parents moved here. I joined the army and haven’t looked back. My parents would know more.”