Shifter Night Box Set: Complete Set (Book 1 - 3)

by Charlene Hartnady

  She nodded.

  “Call me when you’re done,” he said, watching as she turned around. Gage walked away, taking care of his own business a good distance away. It wasn’t long before Edith called to him and they returned to the path they had been on. It was an animal track and would most likely lead them to water. He hoped it would, at any rate.

  “Sit over here,” he advised her, turning around and positioning her by holding her upper arms. “There is a big tree behind you for you to lean against. We can’t stop for long so make it count.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She leaned back, winced and shot forward, leaning her elbows on her thighs.

  Gage frowned. “What is it?” There was something wrong with her back.

  “It’s nothing.” She tried to sound casual.

  “No, really, did you hurt yourself?”

  “Just some bruising from when my back hit that tower earlier.” He could see that she was working hard at sounding nonchalant about the whole thing. Gage wasn’t buying it.

  He clenched his jaw. “Are you in any pain?” There was an urgency to his voice. “I don’t scent blood. Let me see.”

  “I’m fine, really.”

  “It’s my job, right now,” he quickly added. “to take care of you. I would really like to take a look.”

  Edith nodded, leaning forward a bit more. “It’s not that bad. The fur helped protect me or I might have been scratched quite badly.” She unknotted the animal pelt and let it fall to the ground. Then she pulled her shirt up at the back.

  Gage went down on his haunches next to her, he pulled the shirt up a little higher so that he could get a good look. Spread across her skin were red welts and markings, particularly across her shoulder blades and just above the band of her jeans. "I'm so sorry." He shook his head, touching one of the marks.

  Edith tried not to react, but he caught her slight flinch. “I’m fine,” she quickly said, her voice upbeat.

  “No, you’re not. Are you sure you can travel? You should have told me about this.”

  “It’s a couple of bruises. Does it hurt a little, especially when touched? Yeah. Am I in any danger? No! Do I need bed rest? Hell no.”

  Gage pulled her shirt back down. “You’re sure?”

  “Very.”

  “You’re strong for a human. I’m sorry that happened.”

  “Not your fault. You’re a good climber, for a bear.” She smiled.

  Gage found himself smiling back. Then he was reminded of where they were and what they were running from. “Tell me what happened with those beasts.”

  “The griffins?” She raised her brows.

  “Yeah, the griffins.”

  “Good thing you’re naked, by the way.” Her smile grew.

  "How so?" It wasn't like that. Her question certainly wasn't what he was thinking. His cock had it all wrong all over again. Gage took a seat next to her, folding his arms over his lap so she wouldn't somehow develop night vision and catch an eyeful of his growing member. The little-perverted shit. He was beginning to irritate the fuck out of his own self.

  “It’s a good thing you’re in your birthday suit because, well, you did say you would roast your dick over an open fire if these creatures turned out to be griffins.”

  He choked out a laugh. “I did, didn’t I?”

  She nodded. “You sure did.”

  “I would appreciate it if you would let me off the hook. Sounds painful.”

  “You rescued me, so I guess I could be convinced to do that.”

  They sat in silence for a few seconds. “What did they want with you?” he finally asked.

  “I’m sure you can guess. What is it that men normally want women for?” Her voice was strained. Then she huffed out a breath. “Sorry, that was wrong of me.”

  “No, it …”

  “Yeah, it was.” She turned to him. “Not all men are the same. It was unfair of me to make a statement like that.”

  “After what happened earlier, I don’t blame you. I …” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how that happened. It shouldn’t have happened. It was nothing personal. You need to know that. It didn’t mean anything. It just … happened and it’s inexcusable. I wish I could take it back.” He forced himself to shut the hell up.

  “It’s okay. Really. Can we drop it?” She looked hurt. Why was that? Then again, it made sense. She was probably reliving the whole thing. The abduction, those dickhead griffins, what happened with him, all of it. His involvement in her discomfort made him want to hit something. He’d save his anger. Save his strength for when he needed it.

  “What happened with those griffin fuckers?” His voice was a rough, angry rasp. “I need to know everything. It’ll give me a better understanding of them and why they are doing what they are doing. I also need to stay one step ahead of them in the coming days.”

  She spent the next few minutes taking him through her ordeal and everything that had gone down. “Their females all died?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “It sounds like they’ve been watching you guys … the shifters. They also want humans to take as mates. They want children.”

  “Aren’t they worried about human women also catching whatever it is their own females died from?”

  She shrugged. “They don’t seem to care. I’m pretty sure Meredith has been tested for … compatibility. That’s what they called it.”

  Gage cursed under his breath. “You’re saying one or more of them has … has …”

  “Don’t say it.” Edith swallowed hard. She wrung her hands together. “I can’t even begin to think what she’s going through. They said she is alive and unhurt, but I find that hard to believe. That one guy ‒ Soren ‒ said she was too small. He was referring to her anatomy when he said it. Apparently, she’d been tested as a potential mate for the king and they found her to be too damned small. It makes me so angry to think about it.”

  “The fuckers!” he snarled. “That poor female.” Guilt rushed through him. Truckloads of the stuff. “This Leukos fucker wanted to mate you? Impregnate you?”

  “Yes. They mentioned that I’m …” He watched as her cheeks heated.

  “You’re what?” he half-growled, then forced himself to calm down. “You can tell me,” he added, using a softer tone.

  “He said that I was better suited to become one of their mates.”

  “How so?”

  “I’m sturdier. That’s the term they used.” He could see that she didn’t like having been called that. Edith snorted. “I have bigger boobs and hips, so they automatically assumed I’m bigger everywhere, if you know what I mean.”

  “They were getting ready to test you as well?” There was a hard edge to his voice, he couldn’t help it. Goddamn motherfuckers! If he got his hands on one of them … he would probably die but he would take the bastard with him.

  “I think so. The king wanted me for himself. That, or I had to choose one of his warriors. They were not going to let me go. I asked several times.” She shook her head.

  “What I don’t understand is what they want with mated females.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe they’re that desperate.”

  “I don’t know.” That explanation didn’t feel right. “Why children? Why an already pregnant female?”

  “Now you have me stumped. It doesn’t make sense. I’m just so glad you got me out of there when you did.” She shuddered.

  “Did they sniff at you?”

  “Yes. The king, Leukos, sniffed me. He got down on his knees to do it, getting his nose up close. Too close for comfort.” Her eyes were wide. “He then told Soren that I was definitely unmated.”

  Just as he had thought. “I think their senses are more related to a bird than a lion. They have great eyesight during the day and terrible at night. They have a better sense of smell than a human but not nearly as developed as one of us.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Like I said, we’ll have to travel at night and rest up
during the day while they are out searching for us.”

  Edith nodded.

  “I have an idea or two on how to keep them from catching our scent. For one, we need to find the river.”

  Edith made a soft noise of longing. “I could do with a drink of water.”

  “I know. How are you holding up otherwise?”

  “A soft bed and a deep-dish pizza would be great.”

  Gage chuckled. “I’ll make sure you get both, once we get back. We’ll do our best with what we have for now.”

  “Okay.” Again, she didn’t bitch or complain.

  “One more thing, I have to ask …” He was almost too afraid to do so.

  Edith remained silent, her attention on him, although her eyes were trained on his neck instead of his face.

  “Did you hear anything about my family? About the pregnant female who was taken?”

  Edith nodded. “I asked how everyone was and was told that none of the women or children had been harmed. That they were all in good health.”

  “I only wish we could believe them.”

  “I think everyone is still alive, however I think their definition of unharmed might be different to ours.”

  “Agreed.” He sighed. Worry ate at him. Once they were back, he’d lead a team to rescue the others. He …

  Edith touched the side of his arm. “It’s not your fault that they’re still stuck there. There was nothing we could have done right then to save them.”

  "I know." Gage clenched his teeth for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. The human was right. "Let's head back out." He needed to push. They were a long damn way from home. Maybe too long.

  10

  Edith almost fell off his back but managed to somehow stay on by grabbing his thick fur. She had fallen asleep. Again. Being slumped over his back made it easy to do. In this circumstance though, nodding off was dangerous; next time she might fall off.

  Gage lifted his massive head, his top lip curled from his teeth and he made a growling noise. She had no idea what he was trying to tell her. She only hoped it was that they would be stopping soon. It felt like they had been at it for hours and hours. Her muscles burned. The insides of her thighs felt chafed. The muscles on her arms shook. Even her butt hurt. She didn’t want to complain because that would be awful of her. How tired must Gage be? He was carrying her. It was his legs that were working.

  She thought she heard something. Yes! It had to be. She strained her ears. Definitely! It was the wonderful sound of running water. Without a doubt. Her tongue felt like it was sticking to the roof of her mouth and her lips felt so dry they might crack. Water.

  Gage made another growling sound, different this time. It was the growl he always made before he set off. With renewed strength, she held on more tightly as he took off at a lope. Half a minute later the sound of water was much louder. Right next to them. He loped next to the river for a time before crouching down so that she could climb off.

  The moon hung low in the sky and she was sure that the start of the sunrise was apparent on the horizon. Right now, it was a thin white line. The stars still twinkled, only not as brightly as before. On either side of the banks of the river was thick forest.

  Edith watched as Gage changed into his human shape. His body folding in on itself. She couldn’t quite make out details but could see well enough to get by.

  “Come,” his voice was still thick and deep. It would stay that way for a few minutes while there were still remnants of the bear he had been just moments earlier. “I’m sure you’re thirsty.”

  Instead of answering him, she went down on her haunches at the river’s edge and drank deeply. He joined her and they both drank greedily for a few long minutes. Until her belly felt full and her eyes sleepy all over again. Edith yawned and her stomach grumbled, reminding her how long it had been since she had last eaten.

  “I’m going to build us a shelter.” He looked towards the horizon. The line was lighter than it had been. He breathed out through his nose. “We don’t have much time.”

  “Can I help?”

  He seemed taken aback. She could see him look upwards, like he was trying to think up something for her to do. “Let me get the basic structure up first. We need to head deeper into the forest where the canopy is thick. First though,” he gestured to the river, “we must mask our scent. I don’t think they’ll be able to pick it up that easily, but just to be sure. I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “I agree.” She nodded. “How are we going to do it though?” She frowned.

  "Like this." He picked up a handful of what had to be mud and began to rub it all over himself. Even in the semi-darkness, she could make out how it smeared across his skin.

  “Are you sure this is necessary?”

  “I’m sure. Make sure you get it all over your clothes.”

  She made a face but didn’t argue. “Alright.” Edith bent down and rubbed some of the mud across the front of her shirt. Although the weather was mild, the mud was cold and gloopy. She could feel the water from the muck soak into her clothing.

  “Layer it on thick,” Gage said as he rubbed the stuff onto his face, smearing it into his hair.

  “If this is what it takes to keep them off our scent and away from us, then I’m game.” She scooped up more of the dark, slightly stinky goop and smeared it over her shirt, her jeans, her sneakers and arms.

  “Here,” Gage gestured for her to turn around. “I’ll get your back.”

  “Thanks ever so much.” She tried not to sound sarcastic and failed. Who could blame her? “If someone told me I would find myself in this situation I would’ve laughed and laughed.”

  Gage chuckled as he smeared the mud onto her back using firm strokes.

  “Heck, I would’ve told them if it ever happened that I’d roast my balls over an open flame. Not that I have balls but I’m sure you know what I mean.”

  “Totally.” He openly laughed, keeping his voice low. The sound warmed her and despite the mud soaking her to the bone, dripping from her, she laughed too. She laughed a bit harder as she smeared it onto her own face and hair. “It’s a new fashion statement.”

  “You look great.” He swept a strand of sticky hair off her face before turning around. “Mind if I ask you to return the favor?”

  The sun was definitely coming up, because she could see his broad back. Each well-defined muscle and his strong shoulders. Thankfully, his ass and lower back were already covered in mud. Her mouth suddenly felt dry all over again. Wow! He was gorgeous. Even covered in mud and all stinky. Edith bent down and scooped up big handfuls of the stuff, rubbing it over his back in even strokes. His broad back felt better than it looked. It was a sin to cover up all that bronzed skin. All those layers of muscle. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his shoulder blades.

  It was only when he began to fidget that she realized she’d been taking her time. Enjoying herself a bit too much. “All done,” she blurted, giving him a light slap on the back like one chummy friend might give another.

  Gage turned, then reached out and gripped her slimy, muddy hand firmly in his. “So you don’t trip or get lost.”

  She looked down at where their hands met. “The sun is coming up, I should be able to see just fine.” She didn’t attempt to pull away.

  Edith was sure she could make out the remnants of a smile behind all of that muck. “That’s why we need to move. Don’t let go.” He squeezed her hand.

  “Okay.”

  They headed out. Within seconds, she could barely see. It was better than before but only marginally. No wonder he had smiled. He’d been laughing at her for sure. “This sucks,” she whispered. “It’s freaking dark in here.”

  “It’s perfect. They won’t see shit through this canopy,” Gage said. Every now and then he would squeeze her hand, bringing her closer to his side, or, he’d grip her hips and usher her in front of him, lifting low branches. He even picked her up once or twice to lift her over a boulder or fallen tree.
She didn’t need to be able to see to know that he didn’t break a sweat when he lifted her. His breathing didn’t change at all and he certainly didn’t groan like some men had done in the past. She was curvy. Very curvy. Had even been called plump once by a guy she was dating. Edith had dropped his ass in an instant. Not because he’d called her that but because he’d told her she might want to think of dieting. She was happy in her own skin. Happy with her own company. The whole making herself come thing was a bit tedious but she …

  There was a loud splintering noise. Way to go Edith. She’d been so in her own head that she hadn’t realized that he had stopped walking. Not only that, Gage had let her hand go and had walked ahead. He’d just broken a branch right off a tree. Not a thin, twig-like branch. It was a branch branch.

  Long and thick, kind of like his thighs. Despite the mud, she could see his muscles bulge and thicken as he worked.

  Shit! The sun must really be rising if she could make out his ass, his cock. His muddy, muddy cock. She held back a sigh and forced herself to look away from that particular area. Yep, it wasn’t the same doing it yourself. Her last casual hook-up hadn’t ended well. She’d developed feelings for Jacob while he had moved onto the next girl and then the next one. Thank goodness she was over that whole business.

  Nope, she wasn’t going there again, and even if she wanted to, it wasn’t like Gage was interested. And if he was, it wasn’t like this was the best time to get it on. Dirty, hungry, fleeing for their lives. Nope, bad timing. Good thing too, or she might have been tempted to throw caution to the wind. He was just that hot. She was far more attracted to him than she had been to Jacob. She had grown to like Gage too. Nope! Bad idea!

  Gage's muscles bunched as he lifted the big branch, placing it against a tree. There were more snapping and ripping sounds as Gage went through the same process several times before positioning the branches against a lower hanging bough. It ran vertically to the ground. He placed each leafy limb on either side of the vertical one, forming a natural shelter. It reminded her of a long triangular tent.