Shifters in the Snow

by Jacqueline Sweet

  “He’s so happy to have been able to help,” I said. “These kids have never even seen snow before, their teacher told me.”

  “That’s right. We’re all so grateful to Sawyer for supporting the charity’s work like this. His donation has made all the difference to these kids.”

  “Ah, he’s getting as much from it as they are. Look at the big clown.” He was pretending to fall over, making the kids laugh.

  “And, when do you start work with the Chase guys?”

  I smiled, hardly believing my good fortune. “After the holidays. And thank you again for your recommendation. I’m so honored you talked to them about me.”

  Finola smiled. “It’s well deserved, Cady. You’re exactly what they need.”

  “You’re staying in Aspen for Christmas, aren’t you?” Deborah asked me.

  “And beyond,” Finola laughed. “Maybe?”

  I nodded and shrugged.

  Edgar called Deborah and she padded off over the snow toward him. She waved goodbye to Finola and me.

  I returned to Finola’s question. “Actually, Sawyer hasn’t said anything about after the holidays. I’m sort of hoping he will, but he hasn’t so far.”

  Finola chuckled. “Oh, you funny girl. As if he’d be parted from you.”

  His ears must’ve been burning, because Sawyer glided over to us at that very moment. He took my hands, and leaned in for a slow kiss.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Finola said, patting my back. I turned, but her skis were already moving.

  “Tactful,” Sawyer said. Then he bent down and lifted me off the snow, so my short beginner’s skis were pointing up into the air.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I want to take you over there, by the trees. I’m not going to make you walk there on those.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  He put me down next to a towering conifer. I held onto its trunk, gratefully.

  “These are prepared words,” he said. “So, let me say them and then you can dive in afterwards. Deal?”

  “Uh, deal. I guess.”

  “Right.” He coughed and took a deep breath. “Since the day we met, Cadence Bradley, I knew we were meant to be together. The only question was how long it would take me to persuade you.”

  “Ha! Oh, sorry.” I mimed pulling an invisible zipper across my lips.

  “I know it’s too soon, and I know you probably don’t want to think beyond the holidays, but I need to ask you something.”

  He paused. I nodded expectantly.

  “Will you just stay here the rest of your goddamn life and be with me? Because otherwise, I’ll have to hound you to the ends of the earth begging you to marry me or something, and it could get tiresome for you. You know you should be with me. I know you should be with me. It’s better you don’t fight it.”

  “Is this your way of proposing?”

  “Well, yeah. It kind of is. Not kind of. It is.”

  He lifted me up to kiss me, and didn’t even mind when my skis tangled together and whacked him in the shins.

  Our lips met and we embraced, kissing deep and long and slow. I clutched his neck when I slipped on the snow and he held me up, his big arms flexing with the effort, but never wavering for a second.

  We pulled apart, and I cupped his face with one hand. “Sawyer, you’re the most arrogant, annoying, sexy, hot, incredible man I have ever met in my life.”

  “I only hear words that are compliments, you know. All the rest, I filter out.”

  “Naturally.”

  “So, you’ll stay?”

  “You know I will.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  He kissed me again, right up against the trunk of the old pine tree. It was twenty degrees, and yet I felt no cold air at all.

  “Merry Christmas, baby. I’m getting that in early, because I don’t plan to let you out of the bedroom between now and then, so you may need to sleep the whole holiday.”

  “I sleep really well with you around.”

  “That’s a shame. No sleeping tonight. We have a lot of catching up to do. It’s been hours since I last gazed at you naked. Actually, can we leave soon?”

  I laughed and held on to his hand. His strange, beautiful snow leopard eyes shone bright in the chilly sunlight.

  “I think we could, you know,” I said. “I think from now on we can do anything we want to.”

  * * *

  Read Sebastian and Finola’s love story here:

  TIGER BILLIONAIRE

  Curvy admin assistant Finola Malley is having the worst Friday night. First she breaks up with her boyfriend. Then she's called back to her London office for an overtime all-nighter. Life sucks right now. But Finola's life is about to change forever. That night, she finds herself catapulted into terrible danger... and straight into the arms of Sebastian Chase, the hottest man she's ever met in her life. Who just happens to be walking around a parking lot naked.

  What she doesn't know is that handsome Sebastian is a man with a secret. He's not just the billionaire heir to a banking empire. He's also a white tiger shifter, part of an ancient magical bloodline. When Finola appears, Sebastian immediately recognizes her as his fated mate. Yet he can never allow her to get close. Not when he and his kind are facing the biggest threat they've ever known.

  Someone out there has been watching Sebastian for some time. Watching and waiting. And now they're after Finola too...

  Sign up for Suki’s mailing list and get Lion Billionaire for just 99c in release week!

  About the Author

  Suki Selborne writes paranormal romantic suspense books, starring hot alpha shifters and the smart, sassy women they can't live without. Body-positive heroines rock her world. If she's not writing, she's probably reading, or wishing she was. Suki lives with her husband, kids and way too many books in London, England.

  Website | Mailing list | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

  Found

  by Olivia Arran

  Chapter 1

  Claire

  How much longer could I keep going?

  My lungs burned from gulping in the frigid air, my paws skittering on sheets of ice, as my claws desperately tried to dig in and find a grip. Low hanging branches whipped my face and snout, scoring blood and leaving welts in their wake. Not much longer, I admitted to myself, my adrenalin already failing, my legs shaking from exertion.

  Had I lost them? I’d been running for miles, racing through this unfamiliar forest, their snarls and howls urging me on, faster and faster. But I hadn’t heard anything—not for the last half mile, or so. Maybe I had? I was built for speed, after all. All long limbs and small, wiry body—at least, I was in wolf form. In human form I was built more for comfort, and any possible exertion was met with the question of did I really need the pecan-butter ice-cream from the store, or could I live without it and stay curled up on my couch.

  I skidded to a halt next to a fallen tree trunk. Skirting round the obstacle as quietly as possible, my footfalls were absorbed by the crisp, white snow, and I listened intently, crouching down in its shadow.

  Shit, that hurt! My left flank screamed in protest, the pain shooting up my back and crashing into my skull. Slowly, I stretched the injured leg out, curling around to inspect the wound. My tongue darted out, giving it a cautionary lick. It was deep, dammit! Shuddering, I ground my teeth against the need to howl in agony.

  Still nothing. Either they were circling me right now, or I had lost them. I sent a quick prayer to the Mother of All. Please, please let me live through this. I don’t want to die here—all alone with no one to mourn me. I haven’t had the chance to experience life yet…and really live. There are so many things I wanted to do…I wanted to love with all my heart and soul. To find my mate…and to be free of those who hunted me. But I was losing hope, and did I even deserve to be happy? I asked myself that every night as the sun set in the sky, and I curled up in whatever bed or floor I had found, alone again.

  I shook my head, trying to c
lear the fogginess that threatened to pull me under. I would not die out here—not now, not ever. Gathering the last of my strength, I struggled to stand, glancing at the sky. The sun was now in its descent—night was coming, and it would only get colder. I had to find shelter, now.

  Taking a deep breath, I sniffed the air, searching for any sign of danger—for my attackers. But the air only smelled of freshness, the crisp scent of snow and fir. And blood. The surrounding snow was saturated, a garish crimson circle spreading out, staining the bright white. I had to shift, to try and stem the bleeding. Fuck, things were going to get excruciatingly cold.

  Calling the shift to me, I gritted my teeth as my bones snapped and re-formed, stretching and elongating, causing my wound to burn like acid. My fur coat receded, leaving tanned skin that was immediately coated in goose bumps, the suckers popping up at an alarming rate. The healthy tan rapidly started to turn a sorry-looking blue, and my teeth started to chatter like one of those wind-up toys, threatening to cut out my tongue and dislocate my jaw. Shoving my discomfort to the back of my mind, I craned my neck around, trying to inspect the slashes on my left buttock. Ugly claw marks marked my skin, the gashes deeper than I had thought, still oozing blood in a steady stream—even after the shift had worked some of its healing mojo. Shit. I would have to shift again…and fast.

  My head swam, eyes blurring as everything faded in and out of focus. Too much blood! Must shift! I pulled the shift to me, throwing all my strength behind it.

  Help me! I screamed to my wolf, as she moved sluggishly toward the surface, her fangs bared in determination.

  Then blackness swept over me, pushing her away. And I started to fall, my scream breaking the silence of frozen forest.

  Then…nothing.

  * * *

  Adam

  Wiping the last of the suds from a plate, I stacked it back in the cupboard and closed the door. The repetitive task had proved to be therapeutic, allowing the last bits of stress and worry from real life to fade away. I glanced around the sparse room, looking for inspiration. What the hell was I was meant to do now? Read? Sleep? Think? All things that I didn’t have time for at home, but now given the chance…I didn’t know what to do with myself. I should be enjoying the peace and quiet, damn it. Escaping from pack life for just a couple of days was the only thing that kept me sane, allowing me to carry out my duties and put up with all the different kinds of bullshit that came with being the Alpha. So why, this time, couldn’t I just relax?

  I knew why. In less than 24 hours I had to go back—and they would want an answer. I was only just entering my fortieth winter, yet the uprising had started, demanding that I take a mate—any mate—and produce an heir. I smacked my hand down hard on a wooden table. I just needed more time, maybe another winter—or two—she was still out there, I was sure of it! My true mate was not fucking dead. I couldn’t—no, I wouldn’t believe it.

  She is not…my wolf growled in my head.

  I felt like the walls were trying to close in on me, trapping me, pinning me down. I needed to get outside, to run and hunt. Tugging my t-shirt over my head, I strode to the door, flung it open and took a deep, lung-cleansing breath. The pale, snow clad sky dazzled me for a moment, reflecting off the wintry blanket that cocooned my beloved forest. It was a sight for sore eyes; one I never grew tired of.

  “Let’s run,” I said, giving my wolf a nudge inside my head. No one came out this far, this deep into the wild. We could run and play, no need to hide or be careful. “If only—”

  A shrill scream pierced the quiet, anguished and in pain. My head spun to the right. Not too far away. What kind of idiot traipsed around a forest in this weather, and at this time of day? The sun was fading quickly, dusk on its heels. Soon the temperature would plummet, freezing the snow into ice.

  “The kind of idiot that’s lucky to have me around,” I muttered, flinging myself down the steps in the direction of the scream.

  Arms pumping, I ran flat out—or rather, waded in several places—through the snow, bitterly wishing I had remembered to put a jacket on, or at least my t-shirt. A wolf’s coat sure handled the cold better than human skin, I thought, my teeth grinding against the cold.

  It had been a woman’s scream, I was sure of it. Now, where was she? And, what was she doing all the way out here? I sniffed the crisp air, opening my senses wide. A faint smell of cinnamon whispered through the air, carrying with it the scent of fur…and the tang of blood. A female wolf—a shifter. Injured.

  I doubled my speed, dodging around tall fir trees, following the scent.

  Here. She was here…somewhere? I rocked to a halt, blood thundering through my veins, my whole body tense, searching for her. Scanning the area, my gaze snagged on a fallen tree—and the paw prints leading up to it. Deep and jagged, they had obviously been made in a hurry.

  I listened intently. There—a slow, sluggish heartbeat. Faint, but still pumping. Lurching forward, I dodged around the tree, half afraid of what I would find.

  A woman lay sprawled in the snow, as naked as the day she was born. Her skin was pale, tinted an unhealthy blue, and her cushion of snow had been stained a bright red.

  Damn, she was beautiful! The thought flashed through my mind, completely inappropriate but gut wrenching in its fervour. Every protective instinct I possessed roared to the surface, demanding that I care for her, protect her…and possess her.

  Where the hell had that come from?

  Leaning down, I carefully gathered her into my arms, her body small and soft, and hugged her tight against my chest. Fuck, she was cold, her skin freezing where it touched mine. I brushed a tangle of long, dark hair away from her face, staring in wonder at the plump cheeks and generous lips that were revealed.

  Mine…my wolf growled, pawing at my skin, demanding that I taste her.

  For a split second my mouth hovered over hers, his demands urging on my own, then I froze.

  I am not an animal, to take advantage of an unconscious woman! I shoved my wolf back down inside, and securing my precious cargo in my arms, turned and sprinted as fast as I could back to my cabin.

  There would be plenty of time to taste.

  A steady trail of blood dripped down my arms, marking my path through the forest. I sent a prayer to the Mother of All. Damn it, there had to be…

  Chapter 2

  Adam

  Throwing open the door, I strode across the small room, snagging a blanket off the back of the couch on my way to the fire. Embers still glowed in the hearth, flickering and sparking with gentle warmth. I carefully laid the mysterious woman down on the thick wool rug, as near to the heat as I dared—she was frozen to the bone.

  She didn’t move, not even a flicker of her long, dark lashes.

  I took a small, delicate hand in my own bigger ones, and started rubbing vigorously, watching as the sluggish circulation started to revive, the pinkness of health returning. My gaze wandered, tracking her skin, snagging and stumbling over her voluptuous curves.

  Water. Bowl. Cloths. Rapidly draping the blanket over her luscious body—damn it, now was not the time to ogle—I darted over to the kitchen part of the room, grabbing what I needed. She was going to make it. She had to. I had the strangest feeling…

  Carefully balancing the bowl of hot water and cloths, I crouched down next to her, and gently wiped a smear of blood from her face.

  “Who are you?” I wondered aloud. “And, what happened to you in the forest?” My questions fell on deaf ears, the only sign of life the jagged rise and fall of her chest, as she stubbornly clung onto life.

  “Keep fighting, sweetheart. I have a feeling that you are very important to me. Extremely important…” I whispered, wiping away a little more blood. Where was it coming from? With light fingers I felt her scalp, my hand coming away sticky with blood. A head wound. Shit.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll fix you right up,” I muttered, reaching for a clean strip of cloth. Tilting her head, I wound the fabric around, pulling it tight, all the whil
e watching her face for a reaction. Any reaction.

  Still nothing.

  What the hell was I supposed to do, now? I wasn’t a healer, I was a fighter! My fists tightened in frustration, a growl of helplessness spilling from my throat.

  A flicker. A gasp, the smallest sound—barely even a croak.

  She’d heard me!

  My wolf thrust to the surface, forcing another growl from my chest.

  This time, a faint moan.

  She hears us…snarled my wolf, battering at my skin. She is our true mate…start the bond, we can save her…

  What? My head reeled as my wolf growled in my head. She is? I had thought—I mean, I knew she was special, but…

  Taste…

  If it were true…and we could save her…I stared down at the injured woman, and for the first time I let myself look at every inch of her. Damn, she was perfect! Curved in all the right places, her skin—even smudged with blood and dirt—was tanned and smooth. My heart lodged in my throat even as my cock swelled, thick and hard in my jeans. Heavy breasts tipped with dusky pink nipples, a nipped in waist, and wide, plump hips framing a mound of dark curls.

  I swallowed hard—I had to know. Just a taste…

  Leaning down, I stared at her face—willing her to open her eyes. To speak, so I could hear her voice. My eyes never leaving hers, I hovered, my breath heating her closed lips.

  This was it. The moment of truth. Was she my true mate?

  * * *

  Claire

  The barest whisper of a touch upon my lips, a caress lit a fire deep inside my chest, urging me to fight through the fog that held me under, trapped inside my own body. Narrowing my focus to my lips, the feel of warmth an anchor in the dark, I willed my eyes to open.