The Apex Shifter Complete Set: Books 1 - 3

by Emilia Hartley

  “Sally!” he heard Thorn’s human voice. “Are you hurt?”

  She groaned. “I suck at being a bear.”

  Blood continued on through the wilderness. He had escaped for now. But what could he do? He no longer had a shotgun, or obsidian ammo. And where could he go? If the detective had used a tracer to follow Isabela, his hideout had been compromised.

  He kept on, pace slowing as he exhausted himself. Nowhere was safe now. He only had once choice. He had to go to Kayla.

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  Chapter Twenty-four

  Fire!

  Kayla jerked awake. She found herself naked on her couch, surrounded by legal papers. The television remote was in her hand, but the TV was off. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was—

  The fire at The Vet’s hospital. She had threatened Sybil Auger with the obsidian tomahawk before everything went crazy. Her suspicions were right. Sybil was Elathan’s dragon.

  She had to tell him, but he had no phone. Padding to the window, she looked down at the parking lot. Her rental wasn’t there. So how had she gotten home?

  Kayla took several long breaths, anticipating the headache that usually accompanied her blackouts, her memory lapses. The pain didn’t come. Neither did her memory.

  Putting the TV on just for the background noise, she was shocked by a breaking news story. Several buildings in Ripple were on fire. The reported babbled on about recent arsons in the little settlement. The fires—

  How had she escaped the dragon?

  Kayla wracked her brain, but she couldn’t remember anything past the sudden blaze that had consumed the log cabin. Her eyes roved over her body. No burns.

  She must have shifted at the last second. While she usually drove out to the woods to shift, her inner deer must know the way home. Had the hind traveled miles through the woods, through the town, to deliver her safely? Well, she was walking around naked. What other explanation was there?

  In her bedroom, she took her robe from the hook over the door. She realized the car must still be parked at the campsite. It was too late to call someone for a ride. How was she going to let Elathan know that she’d tracked down the monster?

  A sharp rap on her window startled her. It was followed by a second. Kayla hurried to the bedroom window and looked down. Even in shadow, she recognized the physique of a classic sculpture, the play of shadows across the beautiful bone structure, the jut of a determined chin. Elathan.

  Kayla hurried to the foyer, pressing the door button to buzz him in. His appearance startled her. Elathan was soaked to the skin. His clothes were too small, shoulders and chest stretching T-shirt fabric to near transparency. Sodden denim cut-offs clung fiercely to his frame, leaving nothing to the imagination.

  Two opposing thoughts collided. The first was that he shouldn’t be here—couldn’t be here. It went against all the rules, all the ethics she knew. Second was a heartbroken expression, a forlorn look in his eyes that she needed to assuage at any cost. She took his hand and pulled him into the apartment. Once the door was closed, she threw her arms around him.

  “Elathan, you look awful. What is it?”

  He murmured into her hair. “I’ve done a terrible thing.”

  She gazed into his eyes, but they were far away. “I know who the dragon is.”

  “Sybil Auger, the one you call The Vet.” His eyes did not meet hers.

  Kayla took a breath. “You know.”

  Still, he gazed into space, features hanging. He looked pale, as if he were in shock.

  “How do you know?”

  His eyes closed tight, jaw clenched. “She took Isabela.”

  Kayla took a step back. “Isabela?”

  “How did I become such a monster?” Blood stood, eyes shut, hands clenched into fists. “She’s just a child.”

  Kayla felt an internal heat build. “What were you even doing with her?”

  “I was using her, manipulating her.”

  She found it difficult to get a breath. “She’s underage. Were you having sex with her?”

  His eyes opened, anger blazing. “For fuck’s sake, no, Kayla. She’s a little girl.”

  “But you put her in harm’s way?” She felt a flood of relief. Elathan’s vehemence made her believe him.

  “Where’s your booze? I need a drink.”

  “Tell me what you’ve done.”

  “Fine, I’ll find it myself.” He stalked past her into the kitchen.

  Kayla couldn’t help but notice how the wet jeans clung to his tiny butt, the way his exposed skin glistened with the rain. She pulled her robe tight, clearing her head. His nose unerringly led him to the freezer and bottle of vodka within.

  Elathan took several deep gulps from the bottle. He gasped at the fiery liquid. A little color returned to his face. “Let’s sit down and talk.”

  “Tell me what you did.”

  “I will, after you sit your ass down. I’m tired.” He strode into the living room and dropped on the couch. His expression made her follow, and sit next to him. She watched his anger fade, consumed by an expression of hopeless remorse that tugged at her heart.

  Kayla took his hand. “Tell me, Elathan. Why did you put her in danger.”

  He pulled away. “Because she wanted me to.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “It ain’t easy to explain.”

  Kayla waited for him to find the words. She knew he was a manipulator. He had manipulated a lot of people in Ripple to get at the dragon. Thorn, Sally, perhaps even the detective, Oscar. At the same time, he had very little contact with his pawns. Isabela had been with him.

  Elathan held the bottle up; then set it on the coffee table, changing his mind. He glanced at the news report on TV, fires in Ripple. After a moment, he grabbed the remote and turned the set off. His eyes strayed to the windows, the rain running down.

  “She wanted excitement, to know how the world of shifters works, to experience a shifter dilemma to sort it out for herself. I understood that. I didn’t need her to do my dirty work. But the fact is, I liked her. I liked having her around. Maybe because she reminds me of myself.”

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  Chapter Twenty-five

  Blood’s eyes strayed to the vodka. This would sure go easier with another drink. But he didn’t want to go easy on himself—didn’t’ deserve it.

  “What do you mean?” Kayla asked.

  “She’s headstrong, rebellious.”

  “Of course she is—she’s a teenager.”

  “No,” Blood shook his head. “She didn’t want to rebel against anything, but rebel for something, to take action. Like me, she wants to stir the shit, break the rules, and do what she wants. Lots of people believe that they’re like that, but in reality, I’ve met very few.”

  “So you were, what, her criminal mentor?”

  Blood’s brows lowered. “Breaking the rules is only a crime if someone catches you.”

  “That is absolutely not true.”

  He took her in, sitting straight, fully believing her position. Blood had to admire that, even if he knew she was wrong. “I liked having someone around who shared my viewpoint. At the same time, Isabela is young, so she looks at everything like it’s brand new. She insisted she join up with me. At first, I found it amusing. But the girl is smart, resourceful, more so than I would have credited her. She became an asset.”

  “So you used her.”

  “Yeah, I did. I never thought that I was putting her life on the line. I never even considered it when with my own. Ain’t in my nature. As much as I felt she was like me, she’s not. She’s still a child, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. You don’t put kids on the front line. She tagged along, and, shit, I kinda gotta thrill out of it. What the fuck was I thinking? She should’ve been worrying about prom dresses and boys who liked her and algebra or whatever, not about my business. And now the thing has her. I got no weap
ons to go after the dragon. Nothing. No plan. But I have to rescue Isabela, no matter the cost.”

  “If she’s still alive.”

  Blood closed his eyes; took a calming breath. “Don’t say that.”

  Kayla took his hand, and this time he let her. “Why did the dragon take her? It doesn’t make any sense. Why not burn her, eat her, anything but drag her off?”

  “My fault,” Blood said. “My trap, my whole plan, was to threaten her offspring. It was the one thing I knew would draw her out. Maternal instinct can’t be fought against, even by a dragon.”

  “But Isabela isn’t her child, Elathan.”

  “No. But as I said, she is a child. I have no idea how much human intelligence is present in the dragon form, and how much is pure instinct.”

  “Maybe it was a similar instinct driving you. Paternal instinct.”

  Blood eyed her. “What are you talking about?”

  “You said Isabela reminded you of yourself. You enjoyed having her around. Someone who shared your viewpoint, who wanted to help you.”

  “If that’s the case, it’s probably good I never had children.” For a second, the thought amused him. Then, his self-anger took over again. “Damn it to hell, if I’d had a couple more seconds, we wouldn’t be talking about this right now. One clear shot, and she’d be dead. But the damned thing just burst out at us. Caught me flat footed.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened, her mouth forming an O.

  Blood didn’t care for the expression. “What?”

  “That was my fault.”

  “Your fault?”

  Kayla’s eyes looked to the floor. “I was researching your case. Your motive.”

  “You didn’t believe me?”

  “Belief and confirmation are two different things. I’m an attorney. Hearsay isn’t evidence.”

  “But you found evidence?”

  Kayla nodded, eyes still down. “A book. About dragons—not the fictional kind, but a serious study of a mythological creature. The author’s name wasn’t Sybil Auger, but her picture was on the back. I’m not sure how I made the leap, or why, but I went there to confront her.”

  “You were there?”

  Kayla nodded. “In the cabin. She tried to hypnotize me. Maybe she has in the past. But I had—”

  Blood waited, his heart beating faster.

  She frowned. “I had the tomahawk that was in your bag of coins. There was information in the book about obsidian. Maybe if I hadn’t threatened her with it, you would’ve had your chance.”

  Thunderstruck, Blood sat and stared.

  Kayla continued. “She put a spell on me. I couldn’t move. Her face changed—her eyes. It was terrifying. If I hadn’t had the hatchet, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

  “That fire,” Blood breathed. He moved closer to her on the couch, lifting her chin until she met his eyes. “Kayla, were you hurt?”

  “No. I don’t remember how I escaped. I must’ve shifted and run back here.”

  His body reacted as his fingers gently pressed against her soft skin. Even in sorrow, the shape of her mouth kept his eyes riveted. “You did this for me.”

  “Elathan, you’re so obsessed with this thing. I wanted to help you end it. You need to let go of the past. We need to focus on your case. To give you a future.”

  He felt a flash of anger. “Don’t you know how dangerous that was? Why didn’t you find me first?”

  “Maybe you were too busy gallivanting around with a teenage girl.”

  Blood shrugged. “Touché.”

  Her face hardened in a challenge. “Is that how you think of me? A girl who needs protecting?”

  “Of course not. You’re an intelligent, brave and resourceful woman. Perhaps too much so. You are as much a fighter as I am. Maybe as manipulative. But your strength isn’t borne of violence, your intellect is far beyond the cunning of an animal like me, a monster like me.”

  “You aren’t a monster, Elathan.”

  “Of course I am. The evil things I’ve done, the vile things I continue to do—”

  Her hands fell on his shoulders. “Yes, you’re actions are beyond the pale, over the top. What other way can this creature be dealt with? But you’re willing to throw aside your obsession in order to save that girl. That’s not the act of a monster.”

  The warmth of her hands on him, the beautiful face cupped in his hand, aroused him. “I’ve only known one other woman like you. But I’m tainted. I’ll only stain you to the soul.”

  “You are none of that—” she started.

  Blood silenced her with a kiss.

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  Chapter Twenty-six

  He shoved all of her papers on the floor. Rough hands tossed her on the couch, yanking the robe from her. Her initial conscious protest was like a sandcastle before the tide. She met the kiss ferociously, tasting the tang of vodka. His face was rough as stone as he kissed her neck, her collarbone.

  Kayla tried to pull the shirt off him. It was too tight, too wet. Elathan pulled it off himself, ripping it in half with his urgency. She was hypnotized by the ripple of muscles across his barrel chest, the power in his shoulders and arms. She ran her nails lightly over his flawless flesh. His nipples hardened. Elathan shucked his jeans, and she saw that something else had hardened as well.

  She twisted on the couch. One hand cupped his heavy balls, the other the base of his throbbing shaft. Her tongue teased his mushroom head, exploring the divot at the tip, tasting the saltiness of him. Deep in his chest, pleasure rumbled.

  Kayla took him in her mouth, jaw forced wide by his girth. Her head bobbed as she took him deeper, deeper, trying to swallow him whole. His fingers knotted in her hair, urging her motion, controlling her. She felt his cock begin to quiver in her throat, and she bore down. He suddenly yanked her head up.

  “Not that way,” he panted.

  Elathan lifted her, easily as a rag doll, and tossed her to the couch face down. His fingers opened her sex. She was liquid with desire. He toyed her clit with two fingers, thick and rough against delicate and smooth. Sparks flew through her. She felt his teeth bite her ass cheek and yelped with the contrasting pleasure and pain.

  Without preamble, he took her from behind. The mass of his cock plowed through her taut velvet. Kayla cried out at the sudden invasion. Hands gripped her thighs, lifting them to his advantage. Her face pressed against the cushions, fingers biting into the fabric.

  He thrust into her all the way to the hilt. Kayla gasped. Elathan found his angle. His tempo increased. Her inner muscles gripped him, coaxing an animal growl from his throat.

  Elathan’s motion became a trip hammer. Kayla feared she would be shaken apart by his savagery. At the same time, she reveled in the animal power of his love making. She moaned his name into the couch.

  He responded with a stinging slap on her ass. Kayla’s fuse was lit. Mindlessly, she bucked against him, ramming herself backward into him, urging on the explosion that would wrack her frame. Back arched, arms splayed, she shivered as the first wave cascaded from her center, crashing through her, a tide of light and heat that obliterated the world.

  Elathan quickened behind her, his cock growing within her heated folds. She pulled from him, facing him on the couch.

  “Not that way,” she said.

  Kayla urged him onto his back. His member stood straight up, slick from their exertions, and ready. She straddled him, meeting his lips. Elathan kissed her back. One arm pulled her close, hugging her to his body. The other hand took hold of his dick and guided it into her.

  She broke the kiss, straightening up. Kayla filled herself with him. All of her weight pressed against his intrusion. She lowered herself fully, her most sensitive spot touched with delicious pleasure. Kayla threw her head back, reveling in the sensation. She held herself there for a long moment. Again, her fuse sparked alight. But it was going to be a long fuse with a slow burn.

  Her fingers splayed against his chest
. She met his eyes. Elathan’s hands moved up her body to her breasts. Gazes locked, Kayla began to ride.

  At first, she took it slow. With languorous motions, she felt him press against her, inside her, totally. Her thrusts were sinuous, a rolling motion down her spine to her thighs. Timing her inner vibration, she took him all the way in, all the way out, and again.

  His hands moved to her hips, forcefully pulling her tight. She slapped him away. Elathan was on the verge. She was not. Kayla caught the look of sweet agony in his eyes as he held back.

  She angled her hips, controlling the rasp of pleasure deep within her, letting the pressure build. Elathan’s eyes could not leave hers. His hands massaged her breasts, thumbs toying her nipples.

  The pressure overwhelmed her. Smooth undulations gave way to desperate, jerking thrusts. Sensation filled her to the brim. Elathan grunted, his face in agony. The sight made her spill over.

  “I’m coming!”

  Her nails clawed into the skin of his chest as she levered herself against Elathan’s pelvis. He responded with firm hands on her hips. He stroked into her powerfully. Elathan then clutched her to him, kissing her deeply. The sensation of his tongue, his teeth, gentle and probing juxtaposed with the bestial pump and grind of his hips drove all thoughts from her head.

  Pleasure became a single candle flame in her consciousness, a locus of ecstasy. Kayla held onto the sensation as long as she could. But back in the physical world, her limbs shook with satisfaction and exertion. She collapsed on top of Elathan.

  They lay together, panting, not speaking. Elathan held her in his arms. Even the gentle feeling of her fingers playing in her hair sent new ripples of bliss racing through her. She lay her face against his chest. For the moment, everything was right with the world, even if it was all wrong.

  At some point she must have fallen asleep. She felt the sensation of being lifted from the couch. Groggily, she opened her eyes. Elathan carried her through the apartment, laying her gently on the bed.