Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

up. Dad gently motions for her to come back in.
    “You are my children!” Struggling through her tears, she says, “ I don’ t care what anybody says! I raised you!” She motions to Ryland and me. “I ’ m the one who bathed you, fed you, changed your diapers.” She storms right up to Ryland and says, “Don ’ t tell me I ’ m not your mother. You wouldn ’ t even be alive if it weren ’ t for your father and me.”
    “What does that mean?” I interrupt.
    Everyone turns to look at me. Peanut starts squirming so Mom puts her down. She runs over to Ryland and reaches her arms in the air.
    Ryland breaks her stare with Mom to pick her up. Peanut gives her best pouty face and says, “Don ’ t fight!”
    Ryland immediately softens. Her eyes well up as she pulls her little sister close.
    “I ’ m sorry, P,” she apologizes.
    Bryce speaks up, “So where were you guys?”
    Everyone looks at Bryce, then back at us.
    I give Bryce a look.
    “So? Where were you?” Dad asks.
    “It was Ryland ’s fault, ” I volunteer.
    –RYLAND–
    Of course, Tanner would blame me! Right after Peanut gets so upset, which means I can ’ t even defend myself. I shouldn’t have to explain myself to these . . . people . Pretend parents.
    I sigh, “We were investigating.”
    “What does that mean?” Dad snaps.
    I shrug noncommittally, bouncing Peanut when I do. “Just wanted to know who ’ d been following me. No big deal.”
    Tanner would be eating this up, my getting in trouble and all, if he weren ’ t right there with me. Mom looks like she could shoot lasers out of her eyes. Maybe I can do that. That ’ d be cool.
    “Someone’s been following you, and you decided to what? Follow them?” Mom is incredulous, too angry to be frightened for us.
    “Yeah,” Tanner says hesitantly, “I didn ’ t want to go with him, but—”
    “Go with who? Where?” Dad demands.
    “To this nifty old school diner. We had chocolate milkshakes. It was cool.” I answer, as though that will go over well.
    “Who exactly did you go with?” Mom asks, slowly calming down.
    “This Shifter, Kai.” Tanner jumps in, thinking he ’ s helping.
    “Oh, my God!” Mom almost passes out just there, I swear. It ’ s crazy. You ’ d think the mother of two Shifters wouldn ’ t freak at the word.
    “Chill, Mom, he ’ s cool,” I say.
    “Shifters are not cool.” Dad tries to keep his voice even, but he ’ s terrified.
    Dad. Dad is terrified.
    “They’re really dangerous,” he says. “In fact, they killed . . . they killed so many people. They killed your parents.”
    Dad ’ s eyes go all misty, remembering, but all I can think is my parents were murdered. By Shifters. Like me. Why?
    “Let ’ s all sit down,” Mom says softly, her anger flowing out of her as if it were never there. “You see, it all started a long time ago.”
    “A long time ago?” Tanner asks, sitting down. “How can that be when we ’ ve never even heard of Shifters before?”
    I have to admit, Tanner can be a smart kid. You know, when he ’ s not too busy being completely useless.
    “That ’ s the thing,” Dad says, “We ’ re not exactly from here.”
    “Not from here?” Bryce chirps. I almost forgotten he was here.
    “No, son,” Dad says. “We ’ re from,” he gulps, unsure of how we ’ ll react, “another planet.”
    Tanner looks like he’s going to lose it. We ’ re mutant orphans from another planet being hunted by our own people—who, by the way, murdered parents we never even knew we had! It ’ s a lot to take in.
    “You need to understand,” Mom cuts in. “We didn ’ t tell you because we didn ’ t want you to feel like you didn ’ t belong. We just wanted you to be safe and happy.”
    “What about me?” Bryce snaps. “You couldn ’ t have told me?”
    “Oh, honey,” Mom croons. “The nightmares were enough. We didn ’ t want you to know how real they were.”
    Bryce pales.
    “You see,” Dad begins, “On our planet,