Shifters and Secrets: GRIMM Academy Book 1 Page 2

  A loud sniffle caught my ear and brought my head around. I glanced at the somber faces and the ornate altar in front of us. My eyes fell on the casket. It was closed, but the thought that my father lay dead in his best suit beneath the lid made my stomach churn.

  The candles bathed the dimly lit room in a soft glow. For a moment, I was transported somewhere far away and long ago. I could pretend it wasn’t real. It was just some horrible nightmare. I would wake up soon. My chest tightened.

  But Papi would never wake up. He was gone.

  Padre Santos led us in a prayer. His voice rose and fell like a song. My mind wandered to the future, questions plaguing me. What would happen now? How was I supposed to go back to living?

  A lump grew in my throat and when it was time for us to approach the casket, I still wasn’t ready. Javi stood behind me, blocking me from everyone’s view. I stood before the smooth polished wooden box, unable to bring myself to touch it or say a goodbye like I was supposed to. My reflection shone back and the blankness I saw on my face startled me. Why wasn’t I crying? I stared silently, sorrow and rage unfurling inside me.

  The injustice of it burned a hole in my heart. Wasn’t losing one parent enough? What did I do to piss off fate so badly?

  First, my mother dead with no rhyme or reason or at least nothing that the coroner could find. She just died. Now, Papi was gone too.

  Voices echoed around me, drowned out by the rapid beating of my heart. All the dreams of the future crashed all around me. The years would keep coming, but I’d have to face them alone with part of me forever missing. I knew, in that moment, that I would survive, but nothing would ever be the same again.

  The ride home was silent. I closed my eyes, feigning sleep so I didn’t have to face the others. What would happen when they returned home? It would just be me in the house. A numbness spread through me.

  Just me.

  2

  The next day, the funeral service dragged on. It was all I could do not to bolt out of the pew and be done with it all. A depressing gray sky and drizzle only added to the misery. The church was filled with all our friends and workers, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at any of them. For some reason, I felt safer seated with the family I barely knew. When Padre Santos ended in yet another prayer, I sighed in relief and escaped before I had to face the teary-eyed congregation. I couldn’t even bring myself to meet my best friend Lana’s gaze, but I knew she would understand.

  Outside the rain had stopped, but the sky remained gray. Gray and depressing, but would a sunny day have made it less miserable?

  I didn’t think so.

  Only family was allowed at the gravesite, and because Papi was an orphan, it was just me. Me and my mother’s family. A part of me felt guilty that none of Papi’s friends or workers could come, they’d been more of a family to us than anyone, but another part of me was thankful for the privacy.

  This was the final goodbye.

  I knew deep down, I wouldn’t return to the grave. At least not for a long time. I couldn’t bear the thought of coming back to see Papi like that. To stand there and know. Know his body was rotting, hidden beneath the beautifully carved stone. My stomach churned.

  Tears blurred my vision as I watched them lower the casket into the dirt. Padre Santos’s deep voice echoed in the air as he said a final prayer. One by one, my family threw their roses into the hole. I gripped mine tightly in my fist, letting the thorns pierce me. The pain was my anchor, keeping me from falling apart.

  With a shaky breath, I tossed the flower in with the others and watched as it fell. A numbness spread through me as they threw more dirt down until the casket disappeared entirely. In a few days, they would place the headstone that would be Papi’s final resting place.

  Tío Javier and Tía Teresa stood beside me. Tía Teresa dabbed her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief while my uncle glanced impatiently at his watch.

  Anger burned in my chest. He acted as if my father’s death was a huge inconvenience. I was ready to see the man leave. Family or not, I didn’t want anything to do with him.

  Javi, on the other hand, I thought I might miss. When we’d first met, he was like the brother I’d always wanted and given time, we could grow close again. But there wasn’t time. He’d probably return to his life in Malibu and me… what would I do?

  “We should return to the vineyard. There’s much to do.” Tío’s voice startled me.

  I shook my head. “Not yet. I’m not ready.”

  He opened his mouth but shut it at the not-so-subtle look Tía Teresa gave him.

  “I’ll stay with you,” Javi offered.

  My eyes met his. “Thanks, but I’d rather be alone. Just for a little longer.”

  His brow furrowed in concern and his gaze darted to his father. I wasn’t sure what their little exchange meant, but I didn’t really care. I waved goodbye to them as they walked away, nodding to my tía as she informed me that the driver would be back to pick me up.

  Wrapping my arms around myself, I stared at the packed dirt. A coldness settled inside me and try as I might, I couldn’t shake it. I let out a heavy sigh and shook my head. Whatever words I was supposed to say wouldn’t come. Tears filled my eyes, but I refused to stand there and sob.

  Footsteps sounded behind me. Blinking away the tears, I sucked in a breath and turned to see who my unwelcomed company was.

  It was our newest hire, a man I’d met only once before.

  “Manny?” I frowned.

  His eyes darted away from me. Sweat coated his tan skin and his clothes were tattered and ripped.

  I took a step back as he approached. “Manny, what happened? Are you okay?”

  He let out a wheezy laugh.

  The hairs on my neck bristled. My body immediately on alert. Something wasn’t right. His gaze fell on me, bloodshot eyes meeting mine. Fear rushed through me. Whatever he was strung out on had taken its toll on him.

  He stretched out a shaky hand toward me, but withdrew it, raking his wet hair back instead.

  “I… I’m so sorry about your father.” His words were raspy.

  I gazed past him, contemplating the idea of escape. The man was clearly troubled. Something in my gut told me I needed to get the hell out of there. Fast.

  “He was a good man. Kind. I… I’m so sorry.” He started shaking violently.

  “Manny, what’s wrong with you? Should I call 911?”

  He laughed.

  Before I could process what was happening, his skin started stretching. His face morphed into something from a horror film. Blood-red eyes narrowed on me and fangs protruded from a snarling, monstrous face.

  I screamed.

  Survival instincts kicking in, I turned to run. Adrenaline and fear pumped through me as my ballet flats pounded against the wet grass.

  “Don’t stop! Run, Rose!”

  “Javi?” I turned to see my cousin racing toward us.

  My heart skipped. Manny had become something else entirely. A nightmare come to life. Hands turned to claws and his shirt was completely ripped, revealing an enormous furry chest. An icy rush of fear filled me.

  “Run!” Javi shouted.

  I stumbled as my cousin whipped a giant gun out of thin air. I didn’t hear the shot, but Manny’s body jolted. He turned to face Javi. My eyes landed on the bloody wound in his hairy back.

  It was closing on its own—healing by itself.

  A ringing filled my ears and my body went numb. I watched in shock as my cousin shot off another round into Manny’s chest, but he remained standing. A deep growl emanated from him.

  We were so in trouble now.

  “Don’t move. I’m taking you in.” Javi’s voice boomed.

  I blinked, unable to process what I was watching. Tossing the gun aside, Javi pulled out a giant sword from thin air. A sword. A freaking sword. Who the hell was my cousin?

  Manny’s cat like ears twitched back. “Don’t. I don’t want to hurt anyone.” he hissed.

  Javi
’s eyes narrowed. “Too late for that, isn’t it?”

  My gaze darted between them, my mind trying to grasp something, anything, that would help me make sense of what I was seeing.

  “I… I’m sorry.” Manny’s voice shook.

  Before Javi could close in, he was off. A dark blur as he ran. My cousin swore and sprinted after him, still holding the sword. I sucked in a breath and ran to catch up.

  Javi stood alone in the graveyard, scanning the grounds. He turned at my approach and flicked his sword, making it disappear entirely.

  I stopped short. Pretending I hadn’t seen what I’d just seen, I advanced on him.

  “What the hell, Javi?! What was that thing?”

  He hesitated. A shudder ran down my spine. His calm demeanor was freaking me out.

  “Are you going to tell me what the hell that thing was?”

  Javi sighed. “It… it was a shifter.”

  I frowned. “A what?”

  “A shifter. Come on, haven’t you seen werewolves in the movies and stuff?”

  “Are you telling me Manny is… a werewolf?”

  “No. Not exactly. He wasn’t a wolf. He was… shifting into a jaguar, I think, but there’s no way he should have been that strong or fast. Something was off.”

  A nervous chuckle escaped me. “Okay. You can stop playing around now.”

  “Look, I know this is hard to believe, but it’s about time your sight came. You can’t deny what you just saw.”

  His words shook me.

  “Is this some kind of horrible prank?”

  He gave me a flat look. “You know what you saw, Rose.”

  “No. See, that’s the thing. I don’t. Because werewolves don’t exist, Javi. You’re telling me they’re real… and how am I supposed to believe that? Why have I never seen any before? We would know. People would know if there were real monsters.”

  Javi folded his arms across his chest. “The truth is right in front of us, but not everyone is strong enough to see it. Makes our job easier, actually.”

  “What do you mean ‘our’ job?”

  He held my gaze. “You’re one of us, Rose. You’re a GRIMM. The only reason you didn’t have your sight was because your mom put a spell on you. I guess it’s worn off now.”

  My blood ran cold. Shifters. Spells. GRIMM. Crazy. It was too crazy to believe. My head spun.

  Javi gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. Your father should have been the one to tell you.”

  “Oh no. No. No. No. We’re not doing this right now. This is so not the time to tell me this, Javi.”

  Question after question raced in my head and beneath them all, a realization struck me cold.

  If what Javi said was true, then Papi lied to me. My whole life was a lie.

  Tears burned my eyes. “No. I’m not doing this.”

  Javi flinched. “I’m sorry, Rose. But it’s the truth.”

  My chest tightened. I took a shaky breath. “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear anymore.”

  “But, Rose… you have to know the truth.”

  Heat spread through me. “No! You don’t get to decide what I need to know. I am done.”

  Before he could tell me more, I ran. The beat of my heart pounded in my ears. His words drilled into me, and Papi’s face flashed in my mind over and over. As hard as I tried to block them, the memories came. The strange looks and comments. Questions I buried long before my father’s death. They were all resurfacing, and they all pointed to the truth—Javi was right and my parents lied.

  Pain blossomed in my chest. I glared up at the gloomy sky.

  “How could you?” A sob caught in my throat.

  Raindrops landing on my face were my only answer. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Javi walking toward me and swiped the tears away before he could see them.

  He gave me a sad smile but said nothing. We walked to the road in silence and waited for the driver. Numbness spread through my limbs. I had so many questions, but the one person I wanted answers from was gone. Did he ever intend to tell me the truth? I shook my head, trying to shake off the wave of emotions barreling through me.

  I couldn’t handle this revelation. Not now. Maybe not ever. How was I supposed to carry on like everything was normal? I scowled at Javi. I knew it wasn’t his fault that I’d seen what I’d seen, but his total lack of shock angered me. His world hadn’t turned completely upside down in one day. A hollow pain enveloped me. His parents hadn’t lied to him.

  Sensing my anger, Javi gave me my space. Raindrops splattered on us as we watched the black limo drive up. I squared my shoulders and opened the door before the driver could do it for us. Javi slammed it shut, and I scooted to the far side, as far from him as I could get. Ignoring his imploring looks, I rolled down the window for one final glance back.

  Rain blurred my vision as we pulled away from the cemetery. I wrapped my arms around myself and shrank into the seat. The finality of that moment struck me hard.

  Papi is dead. Papi is a liar.

  Anger flared back to life, a torrent of rage clashing with grief. So badly I wanted to pretend the vision I’d seen wasn’t real. Go back to believing everything was normal. Being orphaned, I could handle. People lost loved ones every day. But this.

  My thoughts raced as we made our way back to the house. I refused to look at my cousin and I was thankful for his silence.

  When we arrived at the vineyard, I still wasn’t ready to face the others. I held my breath as we passed through the black gates. Rain glistened off the sign, making the letters shine.

  La Vina Rosa Oscura. The Black Rose Vineyard. A name my father and mother chose long before I was born. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a secret meaning to it, I’d never questioned before. A shudder ran down my spine. What other things did they hide from me? Who were these people that I called parents?

  A GRIMM, Javi called me, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it meant. Manny’s monstrous face flashed in my mind. How many other creatures like him were out there? Hiding right in the open? I dismissed my troubling thoughts, knowing full well that once I accepted this new truth, I’d never be the same again.

  Nothing would ever be the same again.

  “Rose?” My cousin’s voice made me jump.

  I blinked at him. He stood outside with the car door open for me.

  “Are you… getting out?” His eyes searched mine.

  Schooling my features, I nodded and followed him. We walked past the marble fountain and I paused, a sinking feeling growing inside me. My eyes swept the light brown stucco, high arched windows, and dark tiled roof of my house. All so familiar, but something felt different.

  Could I still call it home? I didn’t know how I was supposed to carry on, but I would. There was no way in hell I’d let myself fall to pieces. Especially not in front of my cousin.

  His gaze softened on me, making me bristle. I didn’t want his sympathy. I’d never needed anything from anybody, and I wasn't going to start now.

  “Uh… wait.” He paused at the steps.

  I turned to look at him.

  He sighed. “Don’t mention any of this to anyone just yet… I got to talk to my dad.”

  My eyebrow arched. “Oh, I wasn’t planning to bring this up again. Not ever.”

  “You can’t just ignore it, Rose… Don’t you want justice for your father?”

  “Justice? My father died of a heart attack… Why would I need justice?”

  Javi stared at me. Something clicked in my mind. The rambling words of Manny replayed and the slip from my cousin.

  Papa said he was killed by a shifter. A shifter.

  Cold dread washed over me. No.

  I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stand. Dizziness struck me, and I took a seat on the steps to steady myself. The wetness from the cold stone seeped into my dress and made me shiver, but I didn’t move.

  Javier sat beside me, his worried eyes roaming over me.

  “I thought it was a heart attack. T
he doctor said…”

  “The GRIMMs made it look like a heart attack. To keep people from knowing what really happened.”

  “It was him, wasn’t it? Manny. He… killed Papi.”

  My cousin stilled. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure he’s our guy.”

  I whipped toward him. “And you let him get away!”

  I clenched my fists by my side, fighting the urge to strike my cousin.

  His eyes widened at my outburst. “I didn’t do it on purpose. That’s why I have to talk to my dad. We’ll send a team out and capture him. I won’t let him get away with this, Rose. I promise.”

  I stood up, shrugging out of his grasp. “This is your fault. If you had just done your job in the first place there wouldn’t be monsters out running loose!”

  In the back of my mind, I knew my accusation was bullshit. Javi hadn’t even been in Sonoma when Papi died, but I needed to vent my rage, and he was the unlucky target. Losing a father to a heart attack was one thing, but murder? Murder by werewolf—that was another thing.

  Hot, angry tears welled in my eyes and my throat burned. Feeling embarrassed after my outburst, I averted my gaze.

  Javi broke the silence first. “I don’t know who patrols this area, but believe me, they are in massive trouble. This should never have happened. I… I’m so sorry.”

  I didn’t look at him. What good did apologizing do? There was nothing we could do to change the past.

  “Are you going to be okay? I have to go report this.”

  “Report what?” Tío Javier interrupted.

  Javi stiffened. I turned to face my uncle. How long had he been standing there watching us? His dark gaze swept over us, his face the usual stony mask I was used to.

  “The shifter. At the cemetery.”

  “Where is it now? Did you take it in?”

  My eyebrows shot up at their casual exchange. Clearly this was just another day on the ‘job’ for them. Did my little cousins take part too?

  Javi flinched. “I… got a few shots in, but he healed himself. Way too quickly for a shifter.”