BK 4 - Chapter 33 - Truths and Lies
**Northern California**
Alex, Kiersten, Tom, and Kele were driving to the next reservation following Kele's directions. This one was a two-hour drive from the last one in the far northern part of California. Kiersten kept replaying what Tsiyi had said over and over again. Could she be pregnant with two cubs? She put her hand over her belly, expecting to feel something, but there was nothing other than a slight bump.
*"It's too soon to feel anything, but the old man was right. We're having two cubs, a boy and a girl."* Kiersten heard a woman's voice but couldn't tell where it had come from.
"Who was that?" She questioned.
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked with concern glancing at her.
"I heard a voice I don't recognize," Kiersten said quietly.
*"My name is Malia, and I'm your bear. It's nice to meet you,"* Kiersten squealed with excitement.
"It's my bear, Malia. She's here." She said excitedly. Alex pulled over on the side of the road. Kele was smiling in the back seat while Tom watched the young couple in disbelief. He was still trying to come to terms with everything he had learned.
"That's incredible and fast," Alex said, hugging her. "What did she say?"
"She said Tsiyi was right that we're having two cubs, a boy, and a girl. Can you believe it?" All Kiersten could think about was shifting for the first time so she could see Alex and everything else she hadn't been able to see since she was five years old.
*"Will I be able to see through your eyes?"* She asked Malia anxiously.
*"We won't know until your first shift, and I don't think we will have too long to wait. The transition is moving quickly with the mixture of our mate's venom and the two cubs inside you."* Malia replied.
"She said I should be able to shift soon, and then we'll know whether I can see through her. I can't believe this. A week ago, I was ready to jump off a bridge, and now I have a mate, two cubs on the way, and a bear inside of me. If I didn't know any better, I would think I jumped that day, hit my head, and now live in a fantasy world." Kiersten shook her head, thinking how far she'd come. Alex felt sorrow wash over him, realizing that Kiersten would most likely be dead if they hadn't had that chance encounter. Before he could say anything, Kele spoke from the back.
"You are meant for many great things, young one. Your spirit is stronger than you think and would not allow you to take your own life." She said softly. Kiersten turned toward her voice and smiled. She didn't know why, but her words made her feel warm all over.
"Thank you," She replied happily.
*"She's right. It wasn't your time. Your journey is only just beginning."* Malia said.
Alex began driving again when he noticed Kiersten looked at peace. She kept one hand on her belly and the other on Alex's leg. Was everyone right? Was she meant for something great?
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**Albuquerque New Mexico**
"Whoa, no way. He turned into a lion?" Johnny asked excitedly. Xipil nodded before continuing.
"One after another, the men changed into mountain lions when they saw what had happened to their families. They were able to kill the merciless leader and his men, but they didn't take revenge on the women and children. Instead, they went to the tribe and offered them sanctuary. Most accepted after they learned the fate of their men, while others went off to join other tribes. Our children were born with mountain lions for the next several generations. No one knows why they stopped, but some think it has to do with the mixing of species." Atzi nodded at what her husband said.
"What do you mean by the mixing of species?" Dustin asked.
"Shapeshifters were no longer only living in tribes. They married outside the tribes and had children with women and men who were not one of us. That's when they began marking those not born with the shapeshifting blood. We believe this is why many people can shift into animals now that aren't associated with a tribe. However, each shifter is still connected to a tribe in some way. That is where shapeshifting began. Different tribes have different reasons for why they began shifting." Xipil replied.
Dustin and Breanne sat back and thought about what he said. They were both wondering the same thing. Where did panthers come from, and what tribe were they now associated with?
"We're in danger of being hunted and killed. Do you know of anything that can help us protect all shifters?" Dustin questioned. Xipil and Atzi looked at each other and then turned toward the young couple.
"I will show you the scrolls. I believe we have something that can help." Atzi spoke in a soft voice while standing up. "Come with me."
Breanne and Dustin stood up and followed Atzi to a room in the back of the trailer. They stopped at the door in disbelief. What was this? Herbs were hanging everywhere, and ancient books were on shelves and tables.
"What is all this?" Breanne asked in a whisper. Atzi turned to her with a smile.
"I'm a witch, my dear."
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**Sacramento California**
Wesley started looking into finding Lisa's birth parents when he and Mindy got home. He started looking for reports of women having babies cut out of their wombs around the time Lisa and Alex were born. Nothing came up, but if the women were shifters, nothing may show up because they wouldn't go to a regular hospital.
He and Mindy started to reach out to some of the shifter doctors they knew to see if they had ever heard of anything like what Alex's birth mother described. When they were almost ready to give up, Wesley spoke to a doctor who had heard of cases like they were asking about. She gave them a number for a doctor who could help them. Wesley dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.
"Hello." They heard a gruff voice answer.
"Hello, sir; my name is Wesley. I wanted to ask you a few questions regarding the kidnapping of shifter cubs from over twenty years ago."
"I've been wondering how long it would take for someone to get to me. That was a long time ago, and I regret every minute I spent with that crazy scientist." The man said with a sigh.
"Do you have any records of the cubs that were taken and who their mothers were?" Wesley asked hopefully.
"I have everything. Where can I meet you?" The man sounded almost relieved.
"Where are you located?" Wesley asked.
"I'm in Eureka, California. Are you familiar with it?"
"Yes, I am. We're in Sacramento and leaving now, so we can be there in a few hours. I'll call you when we arrive." Wesley answered. Mindy told the kids they were leaving before they headed out the door. Maybe they can help Lisa get some answers.
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**Roseville California **
"What do you think we should do?" The woman looked at the man next to her.
"I don't know. It would help if we knew what Lisa and Alex were up to. Maybe we could have learned something if we had made it to the funeral." He looked over at her with a glare.
"Don't blame me, asshole. It's not my fault you had the wrong information. We know they were close to Roger, so most likely, they will continue what he started." She said, looking out the window at the house they were extremely familiar with. A part of her regretted what they were doing, but that was forgotten when she thought about the money they would make.
"I think we should cut the head off the snake. Who is the one person everyone loves? She also won't think it strange when we show up?" He looked over at her with a smirk. She smiled and looked back at the house, nodding.
"You're right. So what are we going to do?" She asked.
"Let's go in for a visit. If she's alone, then we can kidnap her. We'll tell Alex and Lisa to stop what they're doing, or their grandfather won't be the only funeral this summer. You know they'll drop everything to rescue her." He liked the idea the more he thought about it. It was time to knock the lions down a peg or two.
"Okay, let's go. What if she's not alone?" The woman asked. He shrugged.
"Then we'll wait until she is. Come on." He replied.
They got out of the car and walked up to the door. When they rang the doorbell, the woman they had hoped to see answered. She smiled widely at them before giving them a hug.
"I'm so glad you're here." She said with tears running down her face. The man rolled his eyes as he hugged her but smiled when he pulled away.
"Can we come in, Cat?"
