Autumn's War (The Spirit Shifters Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

be able to join my family during their runs through the forest. I know they would never want to exclude me, but my being fully human makes me feel like I’m always on the outside.”
    “What about the danger your wife and son might be in if the government finds out about you, or capture and torture you? I won’t lie to you. This is a possibility.”
    “I thought about all of that before I agreed to go to Chicago. My son having a future where he can live without fear is more important than my own safety. We are at war. I want to be able to do everything I can to make sure we win.”
    Autumn smiled and nodded. She turned to Lakota. “I think we have our first candidate.”
    He smiled back, “I think we do.”
    “Come forward, please,” said Autumn. The man approached. “What’s your name?” she asked.
    “Tocho Roundtree.”
    Lakota nodded. “You have a good name.”
    Autumn turned to him. “Why?”
    “His name means ‘mountain lion.’”
    “Well, let’s hope that’s a good omen.”
    Other people began to call from the crowd, their voices individual at first, before quickly blending in to become a cascade of sound.
    “And me!”
    “Me too!”
    “I want to go next!”
    But Lakota raised a hand and silence fell back across the throng.
    “Everyone who wants to be turned—as long as Autumn and I agree you are of good mental standing—will be turned. But you must be patient. You must wait your turn. This process is not something to be rushed, so I suggest you make yourselves comfortable, and please, we ask for quiet. We all need to be able to concentrate, and the spirits need to be respected.”
    At the mention of the spirits, eyes lifted skyward.
    Luckily for them, the cabin had been left open for winter, still catering to those on fishing trips who were braving the cold. Racks of leaflets advertising local tourist attractions lined the walls. Almost everything else had been cleared out for the season, but a number of tables and chairs, and a couple of comfortable couches in the corner, remained. Autumn’s eyes landed on the most important thing in her mind at that moment—a couple of vending machines.
    “Lakota, I hate to ask, but do you have any money?”
    “I do,” said Mia, reaching into her purse. “Take whatever you need.”
    Autumn emptied her purse, change spilling into her palm, jangling to the floor. She bent to pick up the coins and then went to the machine. She selected a couple of cans of pop, and a couple of candy bars. For once, she wasn’t going to worry about the sugar content. She needed the high to keep her going.
    Her items thudded down to the bottom of the machine and she lifted the flap to retrieve them. The pop opened with a fizz and a spurt, but she quickly clamped her mouth around the top and gulped down the contents. Within a minute, she started to feel herself come back to life, and tore open the first candy bar, eating it greedily.
    She sensed eyes on her and turned to find Mia, Lakota, and David standing watching her. “Sorry,” she mumbled around her full mouth. She held out the second pop and candy bar. “Anyone want some?”
    David took the can, and Mia headed to the machine to get some more food to share around.
    Autumn swallowed, heat rising in her cheeks. “Sorry. It had been a while since I last ate or drank anything.”
    Lakota patted her arm. “It’s okay. You need your strength.”
    Tocho waited patiently in the doorway. She wondered what he made of the greedy, blonde woman who was about to change his life.
    “Are you ready now?” Lakota asked her.
    Autumn nodded.
    He led both her and Tocho over to the area where the couches were positioned. Though a floor-to-ceiling window made up the west side of the building, this corner was all wooden walls and privacy.
    Autumn’s heart beat faster, her mouth running dry. She tried not to think about the two previous times when her blood had been used to change people. She tried not to recall the abuse she’d