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

by Charlene Hartnady

Then Gage pulled pieces of brush from some nearby bushes, putting them against the branches to try to seal up the openings.

  Edith got down on her hands and knees and entered the shelter. The ground was hard dirt. There were a couple of small rocks inside which she took out one by one. Space was tight in there. Then she picked up leaves, moss, pine needles, any type of soft flooring, and started to place them inside the shelter as a make-shift bed.

  Gage finished what he was doing and helped her. In truth, he ended up doing almost all the work. It didn’t stop him from giving her a chummy, flat-handed tap on the back. “Good job,” he said with a smile. “We’d better hunker down and get some sleep.” He gestured for her to go in first. Following behind her.

  Things really were tight in the close confines of the shelter. She couldn’t move without touching him. Her arm against his. Her knee on his thigh. “Sorry,” she murmured.

  Gage reached out and pulled her against him, he turned around so that she spooned him from behind. Well not exactly. Her knees touched his thighs but otherwise there was an inch or two of space separating them. “It’s going to happen anyway,” he said.

  “You’re probably right.” Her voice was a little shriller than she would have liked. “I mean, in a small space like this. We’ll be asleep anyway, so it won’t count. Not really.”

  "Exactly. You do whatever you need to get comfortable." He moved, trying to find a more comfortable position himself. "We need to be really quiet though."

  “I take it you don’t snore then.” Stupid, stupid joke.

  “I hope not. You’ll have to let me know. Wake me up if I do.” She could hear he was smiling.

  “Ditto.”

  “You snore?” He sounded amused.

  “Only if I’m bunged up with the flu, so I think we’re good.”

  “Sleep well.” Gage shifted his position again, putting his hand under his head.

  “You too.” Edith felt wide awake. It was ridiculous. She’d spent the entire night wishing she could lie down and sleep and now that she was … Crickets. The Sandman was nowhere in sight. She was too aware of the big man laying right in front her. His warmth. His presence. It had been a very long time since she slept with a guy. As in, closed her eyes and actually fallen asleep. What if she did snore? What if she let off gas? What if …?

  Edith started awake, almost hitting her head on the low, branch ceiling. Her back hurt. Her legs hurt. Everything hurt but not in a bad way, in an ‘I’m alive and well’ kind of a way. Her muscles protested when she reached over, tentatively feeling for Gage. He wasn’t there.

  She got onto her hands and knees and shuffled to the opening. Her face felt itchy. The mud had dried. She could feel it cracking as she moved. She could just make out the trees and bushes. What time was it?

  It couldn’t still be morning. Despite her sore, stiff body, she felt refreshed. Like she’d slept for hours on end. Her stomach grumbled, loudly. She put a hand to her belly. Gage would be back soon.

  In the meanwhile, she carefully navigated a safe distance from the clearing and took care of business. It was definitely getting darker because she tripped a couple of times and stubbed her toe on the way back. That meant that she’d slept the whole day. How was that possible? Then again, it did make sense, considering she’d been awake for twenty-four hours of hell.

  She was tempted to try to make it to the river to clean up and to have a drink but didn’t dare for fear of getting lost or hurting herself. Forget the griffins, there had to be wild animals in the forest. Edith hunkered down at the opening of the shelter to wait.

  Within fifteen minutes, the woods were pitch black. She could barely make out her hand right in front of her and then only when she moved it. Where was Gage? He should have told her if he was going to leave her like this. She pushed down her frustration. It wouldn’t help them. He must surely have a good reason for leaving her.

  There was a rustling noise to the right. Her eyes were wide, but she couldn’t make out jack shit. Her heart raced. Adrenaline pumped. She had no idea what it was. Could be a small nocturnal animal but it could also be a cougar or a wolf. Not the shifter kind, but the real kind. The kind that would kill and eat a woman without batting an eye. She was a sitting duck. Easy prey.

  Forget that.

  Edith fumbled around the edge of the shelter, until she felt one of the smaller branches and snapped it off. It didn’t come off right away, she had to bend it backwards and forwards, twisting it round and round until it came off. Then she sat at the entrance to the shelter, stick in hand. She would use it as a weapon. Granted, it wasn’t a very good weapon, but she’d go down fighting.

  Half an hour later and she was shivering. Not because it was cold, rather because it was damn scary out there. Sweat gathered on her brow; the dried dirt was probably turning into mud again. Every now and then she heard a rustling or the snapping of a twig. She tried to sit still, to stay as quiet as possible. As prepared as possible.

  Something moved in front of her and she swung, connecting with something, only the something was holding onto the stick. What? “Good thing I have such good reflexes. I’m letting go, please don’t try to brain me again.”

  “Gage?” Oh, thank god! Her relief turned to irritation. “Don’t sneak off like that and don’t sneak back like that either. What were you thinking? I thought you were a bear or a cougar or something.”

  He chuckled. “I am a bear.”

  “You’re a shifter who happens to be a bear. Not a real bear, one that would eat me.”

  Gage didn’t say anything. She was beginning to think he’d left again, snuck off, when he cleared his throat. “I won’t eat you.” he grumbled the words, like he was irritated. “You’re perfectly safe. No predator would dare come anywhere near here.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “They would be able to scent me. I pose too great a risk.” She could hear him doing something.

  “When do we head off?”

  "Soon." There were more noises as he carried on with whatever he was busy with. Gage made a grunting noise. "I'm going to start us a fire and then we'll cook dinner. Once we've eaten, we'll hit the road. How does that sound?"

  Food. Her mouth salivated just thinking about it. “Sounds fantastic. What’s for dinner? I’ll eat pretty much anything.”

  It sounded like Gage faltered. The noises started up again and a spark flared, followed by another few sparks. Then Gage was blowing on embers which became flames. Next thing, a couple of small sticks and twigs were catching light and he was adding bigger ones.

  “Aren’t you worried we’ll get caught if we light a fire?”

  “I don’t think so. We need to keep the fire as small as possible. The canopy should contain most of the light.” He added a couple more sticks. His skin gleamed golden as the light from the fire flickered against it. Gage was on his knees. He was something alright. Tall, dark and handsome took on a whole new meaning with him around. He turned to her. “You okay?” He frowned. “Your heart-rate went up.”

  “I’m fine.” Oh shit! “Just really hungry and looking forward to … Wait a minute. Wait just a minute! You’re clean.” She pointed at him. “How did you get so clean?”

  “I went fishing.” He twisted around and picked up two decent-sized fish.

  Edith squinted. It looked like they had been gutted. They still had their heads and tails on. They were also still raw, but boy did they look delicious. Her stomach grumbled and she groaned. “Those look so good.”

  Gage grinned. He put the fish back on the rock behind him.

  Edith looked down at herself. Not that she could see anything since she was beyond the reach of the firelight. She knew what she would look like if she could see. She was sure she didn’t smell all that good either. She wished she had something clean to change into. “Um, is there time for me to clean up a bit? Maybe you could take me to the bank of the river and then fetch me in ten or fifteen minutes?”

  Gage frowned. “I understand
that you want to clean up but I’m not leaving you on your own in the open.” He threw a few thicker pieces of wood into the fire. “This will take about twenty minutes before it’s ready to cook on. I’ll take you now.” He stood up to his full height. She tried not to ogle him, reminding herself that he could see her perfectly. He’d notice her eyeballs all over him. He’d definitely see the drool.

  He walked over to her and helped her up. She probably made a groaning or a grunting noise as she came to her feet because he instantly stilled. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

  “I’m a little sore and a lot stiff but I’ll be fine once I get moving.”

  “You sure?” His voice was soft, filled with concern. She was certain his features would mirror his tone.

  “Yes.” She smiled. “I’m very sure.”

  “It might be quicker if I carry you on my back. Also, I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

  She nodded. “Okay. That’s fine.”

  “I’m on my knees in front of you. Hop on.”

  She reached out her hands, feeling the top of his head. His hair was soft. She could run her fingers through those strands all day. She forced herself to feel lower, to his neck and then to his strong, broad shoulders, which she gripped.

  “Get on my back,” he said, his voice a touch gruffer than it had been earlier. Maybe it was her imagination though.

  “I must warn you, I’m covered in dirt and I might stink.”

  “Just get on,” he said. “Trust me, you don’t stink.”

  He was just being nice. “And I was told you shifters are supposed to have a good sense of smell.”

  She thought she heard him mutter something about chocolate and honey ‒ perhaps he was hungry. It couldn’t be the way he thought she smelled because that was insane. Mud and sweat … absolutely. Honey and chocolate? She shook her head.

  Edith wrapped her arms around his chest and secured her legs around his waist, trying not to get too close and personal. Gage put his arms around her thighs, reminding her of how they used to give each other piggy-back rides as children. Next, he rose to his feet and began walking. It took a good couple of minutes before she heard the sound of running water. They broke from the forest and made their way to the bank.

  Gage put her down. Her sneakers squelched in the mud. “Thank you. You really don’t have to hang around. I’m going to take a quick dunk.” Her hair felt clumped together with mud. “Pity I can’t wash my clothes.” There was more light out there; she looked down, grimacing at herself before locking eyes with him.

  Gage shook his head. “They wouldn’t dry. I don’t want you getting sick.” He paused, seeming to think things over. “I can’t leave you. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Okay then,” she widened her eyes. “You can turn around. I’ll call out if anything goes wrong.”

  “No, I’m really sorry but I need to stay close.”

  “How close? Why can’t you turn around?” She knew she sounded like a whiner, but in this instance she felt justified.

  “I need to come in with you, stand right next to you, and I can’t take my eyes off of you for one second.”

  “Okay, let me get this straight …” She took a deep breath. “I need to take my clothes off and you have to watch?

  “I’m sorry, but yeah, that’s right.” He looked sincere. Like he felt really bad. He also looked resolute.

  11

  Yet again, he felt like a perverted fuck. This was becoming a habit he didn’t particularly like.

  Gage wished to god he didn't feel so damned excited about watching her undress. Watching her bathe. He was an asshole of note. "I'm sorry!" he said it again, meaning it whole-fucking-heartedly. "Thing is, one of those bastards could come and get you. I don't mind leaving you for a short period under the thick canopy, in the shelter but out here in the open is different. You'd be gone before I could turn around."

  “Right now? It’s night time.” She looked up at the sky. Black and sprinkled with stars. “I thought they couldn’t see at night.”

  “I’m pretty sure they can’t but we can’t be completely sure.” He couldn’t take that chance. Wouldn’t risk it. “The current is pretty strong as well. What if you were swept away and hurt, or drowned, before I could get to you?”

  "Mr. Doomsday."

  “I’m serious. I won’t risk your life. I’ll try to keep my eyes averted as much as possible.” As much as his perverted mind would allow.

  “Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing personal.” She made a face. “You guys all walk around naked, so I guess it’s normal?” She raised her brows, looking at him expectantly.

  Gage didn’t say anything. There was nothing remotely normal about how this female would look naked. He couldn’t reassure her on that note.

  She went on when he didn’t say anything. “And it’s not like you’re attracted to me or anything.” She laughed. It sounded like she was a bundle of nerves. He couldn’t blame her. Felt like even more of an asshole.

  The best course of action was always to be straight with someone. It had never failed him before. “I won’t lie, you’re a very attractive female. I find you highly desirable, but I won’t look more than what is necessary. I won’t respond in any way that is inappropriate.”

  “Really?” Her eyes flared for a second. “You’re attracted to me?”

  “Why is that so shocking?”

  Edith shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess … I don’t know. Okay. Wow! I …” Her heart was beating overly fast. Like it had been earlier when she’d been checking him out. Her eyes had flitted to his dick a good couple of times and it had taken some serious willpower not to let the little fucker take over. This female was attracted to him too. A recipe for disaster if he ever saw one.

  “Like I said, I wouldn’t act on it. Would never …” He shook his head a little too vigorously. “It would be a bad idea on every level. Out here.” He looked around them. “Being hunted down by those beasts. We can’t do anything about it.”

  “Yep, it would be a terrible idea.”

  “We’d better get moving,” he said, his voice gruff. “We don’t want that fire to die out. Also, we need to hit the road soon if we want to make good ground tonight. I’m sure they will know we are following the river. We need to get as far as possible from their territory if we are to stand a chance of escaping them.”

  Edith moved a few paces away from the water’s edge, to where the ground was firm and dry. “Right.” She removed her shirt. Then the top underneath. The skin that had been covered by the garments was milky white. The contrast between all the dried up, flaking mud and that clean, soft skin was a turn-on. He was a perverted fuck.

  She was gorgeous all bathed in moonlight and white lace was his new favorite thing. No … he gulped … white lace on Edith was his new favorite thing. He bit back a groan.

  Eyes up. Eyes up!

  Her breasts were a thing of utter beauty. So soft. Gage knew they would bounce. They would feel wonderful in his hands. Her nipples would harden as he sucked on them. Fuck! His cock was hardening up. Hopefully she wouldn’t be able to see in this light.

  He forced himself to look somewhere above her head as Edith toed off her sneakers, stuffing her socks into the shoes. Then she removed the jeans. Good god, those legs. Those thighs. That lace-clad snatch of fur.

  Eyes up. Eyes up!

  “Mind if I turn around?” Even her smile was as sexy as sin.

  “Not at all,” his voice was a rough rasp. His dick was close to becoming a full-blown erection. He had zero control.

  Eyes up … eyes … her ass was another thing of utter beauty.

  “Are you staring at my rear?”

  “Maybe. Not anymore. Sorry!” Shit! What was wrong with him? “You have a great ass,” he blurted. Why not just tell her you wouldn’t mind getting her on all fours?

  She laughed. What a beautiful sound. He really was turning into a pussy. Perverted and pussified. Not the best combination. She folded the jeans and placed t
hem on the ground. “I may have looked at your ass on a couple of occasions, so I guess this makes us even. I’m keeping my G-string on,” she said in a sterner tone.

  “Good idea,” he growled the words. His balls felt heavy. That, and tight. Just about lodged in his damn throat.

  She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. “Can you take this? Please put it on the pile with the rest of my things.” She wrapped an arm around her breasts, still facing away from him. Thank fuck!

  “Sure.” If his voice grew any deeper, he might no longer be comprehensible. Couldn’t be helped though. Not while standing so close to an almost naked Edith. One sliver of lace. He could slip that out of the way with just one finger. Could be inside her in seconds. She’d be hot and tight. It was a given. His cock throbbed in time with his pulse, which was a tad on the fast side.

  Gage took the garment from her, feeling the soft lace between his fingers. “So, you and Jacob?” Where the fuck had that come from? He cringed. Maybe it was his way of heading this off at the pass. Better that way.

  Edith pulled her shoulders back as her spine became more rigid. “There is no Jacob and me.”

  “Didn’t look like it from where I was standing.” Now he sounded jealous. He wasn’t. “What I meant to say was that Jacob still looked pretty interested to me.”

  “I went to a couple of those Shifter Nights at the Dark Horse.” Instead of saying any more, she waded into the water, putting her arms out to help her keep her balance. Side boob was one of the sexiest things ever invented. Do not look, pervert!

  Eyes up!

  It hurt, but he managed to lift his gaze as he waded in after her, staying a few feet away.

  “Are you looking?” She sounded amused.

  “No. I was, but now I’m not. I swear I’m doing my best here.” His best wasn’t good enough. Had to try harder.

  Edith shrieked as she cupped a handful of water over herself. “It’s cold and you were right, the current is strong. I don’t want to go in any deeper.” The water was up to about mid-thigh. Fuck, even gooseflesh looked sexy on this female.