After decades of searching, Rob has finally found others who are like him. Magical beings who can shift form and charm humans; the Hidden Ones. A beach house in a sleepy shore town is home to an eclectic group of shifters, all outcasts in their own way, yet fiercely bonded together by choice. Rob is particularly drawn to Jack, the unofficial leader of the group, who immediately takes a shine to him, as well. Magic brings answers to questions Rob has had for years; about his health, his history, as well as his future. Rob grows closer to each of his new roommates, and eventually forges a romantic relationship with Jack. But even as Rob becomes more immersed in the magical world, Jack seems to be pulling back. Tensions rise as Jack's temper flares and old wounds reopen. Can Rob be able to find a way to keep his relationship with Jack strong without sacrificing his newfound freedom?

The Hidden Ones

“I don’t know,” Rob says helplessly. “I mean, I could tell he was…you know, like me, but that was by…feel, not by sight.” Rob fished around for anything else he could add to flesh out his story. “He was pretty nondescript. I mean, he was good looking, but…I don’t think that’s out of the ordinary for…”


“Awfully full of yourself, huh?” The woman donned an amused smile as she let her eyes rake up and down Rob’s slender body once more, this time with great exaggeration.


Rob felt his cheeks redden. “I’m not! I wasn’t saying I was…I was just…”


“Calm down,” she said merrily. “I was teasing. You’re a cutie. Own it. It’s not like you’re wrong.”


The suggestive smile made Rob’s face flush with heat. He didn’t even go for women, but the confidence rolling off the redhead was intense. He looked down at the sand for a moment to regain his bearings.


Chapter 3