The Shifter's Salvation

by R. A. Boyd

  Audra reached back and dug her nails into his thigh to urge him on. She needed him inside her so badly. She welcomed his invasion.

  Zeke pulled away and then pressed his hard cock between her legs, bringing her back to meet his thrust. Before he breached her wet entrance, he moved his hips away, teasing her.

  Just as she started to complain he wrapped his hand around her neck, forcing her to accept his kiss. He teased her over and over until she called out his name in frustration, a low snarl riding at the back of her words.

  She wanted him now. Wanted to hear his flesh slapping against hers as he took her from behind. Wanted to feel the pain of his teeth on her body as she came. His fingers traced an invisible line from the curve of her hip to her stomach, and up her torso until he cupped her breast.

  His teeth grazed her neck and she hesitated. With only his blunt human teeth to bite her, this would be painful. But fuck it all, it would be worth it.

  Fisting her hair, he tilted her head back and looked into her eyes. He covered her body with his. “Do you want to bear my mark, Audra?”

  She reached back and grabbed a handful of his hair and brought his lips to hers and kissed him like he was her oxygen, her lifeline. “Yes,” she said, panting. She was intoxicated by his touch and his smell.

  Wrapping her braid around his hand he thrust into her, burying himself to the hilt. He filled her to bursting, stretched her until everything she could see and feel and hear and smell was Zeke.

  “Yes, God, yes,” she cried as he entered her.

  “I love the way your pussy squeezes my cock,” he said, pumping his hips against her ass. His cock slammed into her as one hand held her by her throat and the other skimmed down the front of her body until his fingers massaged her saturated folds.

  She groaned as he rubbed small circles around her clit. She thrust her hips back to meet every one of his masterful strokes.

  “I love you so fucking much,” he said, flesh slapping against hers. “You are my light, Audra. Even buried in that cave in the dark I knew there was a light shining for me. Waiting for me. For me.”

  God, she’d felt the same way. All these years she knew her mate was out there. And he’d been here on Earth all along.

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her shoulder and held them there until her orgasm began to boil in her middle. Heated pressure coiled in her stomach until she thought she would scream his name.

  Just as the orgasm ripped through her body, Zeke bit down on her shoulder blade until she could feel his teeth grinding against her bone. The ripping pain and the warm pleasure from the orgasm expanded through her entire being until nothing existed but them in this moment.

  Zeke’s orgasm spilled into her as the pulsating muscles of her pussy milked his cock. His fingers dug into her skin as he pulled her to him over and over, ringing every ounce of pleasure from her body. His teeth finally let go and she sighed in pain and happiness.

  She looked over and smiled at the bite mark from her mate. It bled steadily, but Zeke reached over and covered it with his hand.

  “Sana,” he said, and slowly the blood stopped flowing and her skin began to knit back together.

  It grossed her out so she closed her eyes, but when she opened them again there was a scar there on her shoulder that looked days old.

  “You’re mine,” he whispered in her ear.

  “And you’re mine.”

  She winced as he pulled out of her. He picked her up and she stroked his dark hair and he carried her to the bed.

  With ease, Zeke laid her down with a lingering kiss to her temple. “Let me get a warm cloth for your shoulder. It’s healed but there’s still blood.”

  Audra watched as he walked toward her bathroom. She breathed deep and stretched on the bed, loving the feel of the soft sheets against her naked body. Being naked was always the best way to sleep. Someone somewhere had to have proven that scientifically. She would fund a study if there hadn’t been one done already.

  She looked over at her claiming mark and smiled. They were mated. This was the best thing ever and she would—

  “Oh, God,” Audra said as a burning sensation pulsed on her shoulder where Zeke had bitten her. She reached over to touch it but a searing white heat exploded in her chest and she hunched in on herself. “What’s…”

  She couldn’t get the words out before another shot of pain rang out through her entire body. Audra closed her eyes as the stinging ache ripped through her. Something was growing inside her. Was this what her brothers had experienced when they claimed their mate and their bond solidified? I couldn’t have been. When they’d bitten Cass and Riley they were giving them not only their unyielding love but their beast. But this was different. It had to be.

  Zeke ran into the room with his hand up, ready to shoot a bolt of energy at the invisible force that was hurting her.

  A low snarl worked its way up her throat and through her mouth. It was her beast. Not the crazed one that had been evicted from her body, but the beast she’d lost thousands of years ago. The sane one. The strong one. The first one.

  Holy. Shit.

  She put her hand up to warn him. “Stay back, Zeke. I think—”

  A scream ripped up her throat. She grunted in pain as every bone in her body began to break. She laughed a painful, satisfied sound that tapered off into the howl of a fucking beast. From the mirror that sat across from the bed— she made a mental note to watch them make love in front of it next time— Audra saw that her eyes glowed. Not the evil black orbs of Beastie, but the beautiful brightness of the moon as it reflected the light of the Sun.

  “Hello, beautiful,” she said, smiling at herself the mirror.

  The mirror. Holy crap. She was going to shift in her house. That was never a good thing. She’d tear this place in half trying to get out.

  Just as she was about to tell Zeke to get her outside, throw her out the fucking window if he had to, her body began to explode in on itself. Bones popping and breaking sang through the room. She tried to scream but a loud growl of triumph came through instead.

  For a brief moment she was floating. She was free from the dark and it felt so fantastically beautiful. The feeling gave way to the sensation of falling. Her shift was so violent that it propelled her into the air, and when she came down she fell on the bed, breaking the frame in countless pieces.

  Fuck a duck. Her entire body ached in the best way. Well, second to the ache of sex, but this was just as fun. She could hear the hard and deep breaths of her own breathing. She could also hear the tripping beat of her mate’s heart.

  She turned to look at him. He stood there with a pink washcloth in his hand with his cock still hard. Instantly, she wanted to shift back to a human to take him for another ride.

  “Audra?”

  Yes, she tried to say, but all that came out was a deep growl that sounded like a burp.

  A crash from downstairs echoed up to her from below, and the sound of feet moving fast up the steps boomed through her head like they were stomping on the floor next to her ear.

  Simon came bursting into the room with Jax, Cass, and Teague close behind him.

  With a shocked smile he drew back from Audra’s form. “What the actual fuck.” He looked over at Zeke and said, “Dude. Put your dick away.”

  Audra laughed and tried to stand, but hit her head on the ceiling fan. How the hell was she going to get out of here? She’d completely ruined her bedroom, and that headboard was over three-hundred years old.

  “Audra?” Riley said as she tipped forward. “Zeke is that Audra? And please do put your dick way.”

  They all looked at Audra in disbelief, but all she felt was joy. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. Her vision was so sharp and her hearing was crisp.

  Teague stooped down and picked up Zeke’s pants. He handed them to him. “If you don’t want us all to fall through the floor, Zeke, you should probably go outside before you change.”

  “She didn’t bite me,�
�� he said, still gazing at Audra as she kept her eye on him.

  “What?” Teague, Riley and Cass said at the same time.

  Simon crossed one leg over the other as he leaned against the wall. “Of course not. It’s Audra. When do we ever expect normal from Audra?”

  Audra sounded a warning growl at Simon and then looked back at her mate. He’d done it. He’d given her back her beast without taking one into himself. He’d given her back her grace. She could feel it. It pulsed through her like a second heartbeat. Samael was right. She’d never doubted him, but she didn’t know how this happened. It didn’t matter.

  Zeke shook his head as he pulled on his pants. “Long story. Well not so long but I don’t feel like telling it right now.” He smiled at Audra and walked toward her until he stood beside her. “I just want to look at my beautiful mate.”

  Chapter 13

  Zeke had known all along that Samael was right. He didn’t know how the pain in the ass angel knew, but Zeke didn’t doubt him. He just didn’t think his bite would be the thing that changed Audra.

  Hand in hand, they walked through the woods and gathered more herbs to make the potion for Cass or anyone who had to have their beasts put on ice for a little while. Audra was humming but stopped short.

  “The Angelica is over there.” She pointed to a group of trees about twenty meters in front of them. Taking the tip of her finger and tapping her nose she said, “I was freaking awesome before, but now my sense of smell has gotten better since I got her back. My vision is better too. You should call me Supergirl.” She put her arms up like she was flying.

  Zeke chuckled and held her hand while she spun around. “Supergirl had x-ray vision. You telling me you can see through walls?”

  “If I put my foot through it first.”

  “I have the Chervil,” Willow called from behind them. She’d stopped to dig up the roots when she noticed the dried leaves on the ground. “Go on. There’s an Alder tree over here too. I’ll catch up.”

  Willow had mentioned that she was cold and wanted to hurry and get back. Back home, she’d moved herself into one of the empty houses that they kept in case any of the other Ghosts decided to rejoin them. Zeke had the feeling Willow would be here with them for a while. She had already sent word back to the coven that Zeke was staying and that he’d found his mate. She didn’t say so but he had the feeling that quite a few of them were relieved that he wasn’t coming back. Assholes.

  They were angels and had it ingrained in them not to judge, but they’d managed to judge him at every turn. That didn’t matter anymore. Maybe they would one day get their heads out of their asses and figure out that not one of them was better than anyone else. But that wasn’t his problem.

  Audra yanked his hand and pulled him toward the clearing. Her body was singing with anticipation. The joy he felt coming from her was infectious. She’d gotten her beast back, and her grace. It radiated off her like rays of sunshine gleaming on a still lake. Every single day with her had gotten better and better. Watching her heal herself, experiencing her heal him. She was a balm to his quietly decaying life.

  Before he met Audra, he was satisfied with living an existence that was like a plain white canvas, but she had thrown the most beautiful colors into his life. Most of his brothers and sisters disliked him, he kept to himself and sat in his room, he went on the jobs Willow had asked him to. He had been dying inside, slowly accepting the bland existence that his life had become.

  But not with the Ghost shifters. Now, he was living the life he was too ashamed to want for himself before. Not anymore. No more guilt. This was living.

  The tension from Audra’s pull eased as she came to an abrupt stop. He tried to keep walking but she tightened her grip.

  “There are others here. Outside of the perimeter of the ward,” she whispered. She raised her head to the sky and inhaled, turning her face from right to left as if absorbing the smells invading her senses. “Four shifters. One witch. Get back to Willow and I’ll—”

  She was cut off just as the soft puh puh of bullets hit her in the back. As Audra’s limp body fell against him, time came to a halt. Her eyes fluttered and her lips moved as she tried to talk. He wrapped his arms around her and felt the warm kiss of her blood as it poured over his hand.

  Blood. There was so much blood. She struggled to breathe and her chest rocked with each inhalation.

  “I’ll fix it,” he whispered, but when he put his hand on the bullet wound his fingers erupted in fire.

  Audra raised her hand to grab him but didn’t have the strength. With a soft moan she clung to him, and just as he tried to lower them to the ground to avoid another hit, a burning sensation engulfed his shoulder.

  The low burn grew to searing heat as something dripped down his arm. He collapsed with Audra wrapped in his embrace, and when he looked over at his shoulder blood and a clear shimmering liquid oozed from the gaping wound. Heaven’s Flame.

  Words failed him. He couldn’t even think straight, let alone say the words that would pull the bullet from his arm. Even if he would speak them, he didn’t have enough power to pull the bullet and its contents from his body.

  He tried to speak his mate’s name, tried to utter the words for her that would help, but he couldn’t. They were locked like this and neither of them could do anything to protect themselves. His eyes drifted closed as he tried to get a sense of how Audra was doing. Her mind was quiet. She was out cold.

  They were fucked.

  Worthless anger grew inside him. He could do nothing to protect him or his mate.

  The rustling sound of footsteps walking on the frozen ground caught his attention. His eyes shot to Audra’s parted lips as he fought to lock his arms around her. He couldn’t let either of them be taken.

  Hadn’t the Ghosts heard the doorbell ringing in town to let them know there were intruders here? That should have caught their attention.

  “We’ll take her. You two take him,” a man’s voice said. It was low and nasally. “Be quick. Samiyah said the others should be here soon.”

  Samiyah. God damn-it.

  The feel of Audra being ripped from his arms set off a spring of hatred inside him. He tried to rage against them, but nothing happened but a light trembling of the earth. The wind picked up as he called on his God given gifts, but they were nothing now. The Heaven’s Flame had completely incapacitated him.

  Someone hooked their hands under his arms and began to drag him away from Audra, but his vision of her was obscured. A thin man with dyed blue hair stepped in front of him and picked up his legs.

  A hot bolt of energy flew dangerously close to him, and when it hit its mark Zeke went down fast. A spell had hit the guy who had taken hold of his feet.

  Willow. He’d forgotten that Willow was behind them.

  He could hear her voice as she screamed spells at their attackers and hit them with the bolts of energy.

  “Zeke. Audra,” she said, her voice tinged with fear. “What the, oww!” she yelled as her hand touched his shoulder. “Is this…” She must have touched the Flame. He could hear her wiping her hand on the ground beneath them. “Recedentes a te,” she whispered.

  A jolt rocketed through his arm as Willow uttered the spell to free him of the bullet and its contents. The burning drained backwards as the potion was pulled out of his arm. Willow whispered the words again and a soft moan poured from Audra’s lips.

  Zeke struggled to sit up, but he was still weak.

  Audra was not.

  He glanced over at his mate as she rolled over on her stomach onto all fours. The air shimmered around her. A long feral snarl came from her lips and Zeke knew that this shift would be more painful than the one she’d experienced earlier. She had said that she wouldn’t be able to shift for another day or so. The first after all that time had taken so much from her.

  But right here, right now, Audra was giving a death call to all those who had threatened her and her family.

  Audra’s thin fingers dug i
nto the ground as Zeke grabbed Willow to move her away from the explosion that would rip through his mate.

  He couldn’t breathe as the air of dominance surrounded them, and he could hear Willow struggling to take a breath. Audra was forcing a change that her body might not be ready for. Adrenaline dumped into his system with the thought of who Audra might be up against.

  Samiyah.

  Audra screamed as the sounds of her bones breaking and reshaping resonated through the air. The force of Audra’s change pushed them back, and Willow landed on his chest.

  A loud and thunderous roar echoed from Audra as she threw her head back and bared her teeth. The fangs that protruded from her mouth were monstrous. If she weren’t with him, Zeke would have been frightened. But she was for him. She was with him. The jumbled thoughts within her head that he could pick up on were pure murder.

  She was fast in her saber-tooth form. Her furred, sinuous body was beautiful and strong. Brown and orange peppered with black spots covered her. Thick white claws erupted from her dinner plate sized paws. With nothing but a quick glance at him and Willow, Audra was off.

  On her way to the three shifters that managed to get away, she stepped on and dug her nails into the one that lie on the ground from Willow’s hit. Zeke watched her run and just as she passed the tree line he could hear the sounds of war.

  Passing images of the fight was all he could make out as they battled beyond the thick line of trees. She was fighting a bear and two wolves. Only a few minutes ago they walked through the woods in peace and quiet. Now Audra was fighting and the shifters were all trying to rip her apart.

  Zeke tried to stand up to go help her, but Willow grabbed him by his arm, yanking him back to the ground beside her. “Are you insane? You’ll get hurt.”

  He shook her off and frowned. “Are you insane? That’s my woman fighting for her life.”