Returned to Their Love

by Eileen Green

  

  Shifters of Passion 1

  Returned to Their Love

  [Siren Menage Amour: contemporary, menage, shape-shiffter, small town, cowboys/western, paranormal, romantic suspense, MFM, HEA]

  Twelve years ago, Marlowe Sanderson ran from her hometown, away from the two men who had loved her. Never intending to return, she is given an assignment that takes her there. She must face her past, and not just the shifters who held her heart.

  Cade and Cole Younger have waited for Marlowe to return to Passion, Montana, a sanctuary for all types of shifters. Twelve years was a long time, but now, she was finally back, yet they have a fight on their hands with her. They know her cat wants them, that they are mates, however, trying to convince her is becoming difficult.

  Before she can leave town again, her past comes back to haunt her, giving the Younger twins the opening to step in to help her through this shocking situation. When danger hunts her, Cole, and Cade, Marlowe has to learn to trust them again. Can she release the past and accept their love again?

  Length: 39,300 words

  RETURNED TO THEIR LOVE

  Shifters of Passion 1

  Eileen Green

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Returned to Their Love

  Copyright © 2019 by Eileen Green

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-999-1

  First Publication: October 2019

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at legal@sirenbookstrand.com

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to all who have dealt with wild or forest fires and the loss that comes with them. When I first set up the town of Passion, it was to be near the town of Paradise, California. I had started the book about a week before the fire began that destroyed that town. I moved locations for Passion out of respect for the people who lost so much in that devastating fire.

  I hope that when a tragedy occurs such as the fires that have ravaged areas throughout the world that everyone will pull together and donate clothes, food, and whatever people will need to survive the initial loss and the future.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Eileen Green writes erotic romance novels interlaced with intrigue, and occasionally, shape-shifters.

  When asked how long she has been writing, Eileen Green answers, since the 7th grade. Her English teacher, Mrs. Weekes saw potential in the student who began to dabble in writing. Eventually, marriage, kids, and then single motherhood came along, and the writing took a backseat as life does when faced with obstacles.

  The writing continued even though page after page sat in boxes or on the computer, waiting for the day her characters would be allowed to be free to tell their stories.

  In 2009 and 2010, life dealt a cruel twist to her family and friends. The lesson learned was to not live with regrets. She ran with that thought, publishing her first book, Love Twisted in Time under the name of Janice Greenlee, by the end of that fateful year; available on Kindle. The dream of being an author finally was achieved.

  Her first erotic romance novel came from a dare, and Lyndee’s Saviors was written. Now under Eileen Green there are two series, Men of Montana and The Tundra Protectors, and the beginning of a third, Tiger’s Lair, which is a spin-off of Men of Montana. A couple of stand-alone books are included in the erotic romance line of books, Lessons of Trust and Between A Rock & A Porn Star.

  Romance stories with happily-ever-after endings are her favorite. She continues to write them because every romance needs to end with all characters being forever in love.

  Eileen divides her time between Washington and California, although she really prefers Washington. The beauty there provides a welcome backdrop to write.

  For a full list of her books, please check out her website, www.authoreileengreen.com

  For all titles by Eileen Green, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/Eileen-Green

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  RETURNED TO THEIR LOVE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  RETURNED TO THEIR LOVE

  Shifters of Passion 1

  EILEEN GREEN

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  Extreme sorrow was what she felt as she snapped away on her camera. The devastating fire had changed the scenery she remembered as a child. Charred trees that once stood majestic and proud as they towered above the buildings in the foreground were now difficult to look at. Now, black sticks and remnants of red retardant dropped by planes dotted the mountains that half surrounded her hometown, and the sight went on as far as she could see. That the town itself was saved was a miracle.

  Marlowe Sanderson stood on top of her Jeep Grand Cherokee to get a better angle for the photos her boss had sent her to take. Osborne Carson had no idea that Marlowe had grown up in Passion, Montana, for it was something she didn’t talk about. Her past was no one else’s business, and it was someplace she had avoided since she had left in shame twelve years ago.

  Her mission was to get in, take the needed pictures, and get the hell out of town before anyone recognized her. Taking in the scene before her, she knew she was being watched, as the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She told herself not to look around, that the townspeople would just consider her a tourist and would leave her alone, for most likely no one remembered her.

  After taking pictures in a 360-degree view, Marlowe took one more look at what had been her playground, amazed how close the fire had come to the east and north sides of Passion, but the west and south sides had been spared.

  Taking in deep breaths, she could smell the aroma of smoke still lingering in the air, so much so that she couldn’t smell the pine trees. Anywhere in Passion, you could always smell the trees, and that had always comforted her in a way. It was home for her, but her heart couldn’t call it that anymore. The hurt and humiliation was still fresh in her mind, as if it had happened yesterday.

  “Well, if it isn’t little Marli, all grown up. And she’s gracing us with her presence,” a deep voice teased from behind her.

  Damn it! Why couldn’t I get my pictures and leave? I really don’t want to deal with him.

  As she turned quickly to face the instigator, Marlowe’s foot got caught on the rack on the top of the car that she used to transport her snowboards. She wobbled, hoping she wouldn’t fall and make a fool of herself, but that thought wasn’t meant to be.

  Her camera needed to be protected for that was how she made her living. As the gr
ound was looming up quickly at her, she dropped her camera on the roof of her car and braced herself for the pain that was most certainly coming her way.

  The gray of the sidewalk was getting closer and closer as it seemed she moved in slow motion. She was so focused on a large crack in the sidewalk she didn’t see large muscular arms reaching out for her.

  Hands grabbed her under her arms, and she felt herself being swooped upwards. Unfortunately, her legs slammed into the cement, and pain radiated throughout her body. At least she hadn’t hurt her hands or her head.

  “Son of a bitch, that hurts!” she exclaimed as she tried to extricate herself from the arms of the person who had come to her rescue. Once her feet touched the ground and she put pressure on them so she could stand up, her knees buckled under her.

  Whoever was holding her kept their arms wrapped around her, hauling her up against a hard, muscular chest. Her legs dangled beneath her as the excruciating pain consumed her. She was certain her legs were broken.

  “Let’s get you inside Doc Trenton’s office.” The masculine voice was smooth and familiar, almost comforting her. “This is going to hurt, but it’s what we need to do. Wrap your arms tightly around my neck, baby doll.”

  Oh, God! Please don’t let that be who I think it is!

  If she wasn’t in so much pain, she would have stormed away. She remained still and within an instant, the man bent slightly and ran an arm under her knees. The pain caused her to cry out. She felt nauseous and faint as she felt movement. Burying her face into the chest of one of the men she wanted to avoid while she was here, she breathed in his scent. It seemed to calm her.

  Of course, it did. She was supposed to be breathing in that scent for the rest of her life, but the man had betrayed her, along with his brother. They had hurt her so much that she ran away from Passion, leaving her life behind, along with her dreams of being a wife and mother.

  Now, one of them was holding her as he trotted swiftly. He kept repeating his apologies for jarring her with his movements as they intensified her pain.

  “I’ll go ahead and open the door,” Marlowe heard Cade say with concern in his voice.

  It was a few seconds longer before Cole, Cade’s twin, carried her into a large waiting room. He then moved over to another door and carried her into another room, which, when she turned her head to look about, she found was an exam room. This wasn’t the old doctor’s office. It appeared as if Dr. Trenton had enlarged and updated the clinic while she had been away.

  Cole carefully, as if he still cared about her, laid her on the exam table. When he stepped back, Marlowe had to admit she missed his presence as his scent left her. She knew the truth, but she knew there was no way she was going to put herself in that position again. Not with Cade and Cole.

  The pain that had subsided a bit because of Cole’s closeness returned full force. She screamed out in pain as tears began to stream down her cheeks. If she wasn’t so stubborn, she’d demand he come back to hold her, but she knew she couldn’t give in. She had to be strong.

  “You know what you need to do, Marls,” she heard Cade say next to her ear. “It’s the only way to get rid of the pain.”

  “Yes, young lady. It’s what the doctor prescribes for you.” She heard the kind voice of the doctor she remembered from her youth.

  She knew it was the only option. She just didn’t want to do it in the presence of the two brothers.

  Quieting her mind, and stilling her body despite the pain, she willed the beast that lay within her to surface. It wasn’t something she did often, but she had to tap into that side of her.

  Fur began to sprout on her skin before her bones began to morph. She felt her face contort until she could see down the bridge of her wide pale flesh-colored nose. Her teeth were changing, becoming longer and sharper while her tongue was wider and longer.

  Within a few seconds, she was a full-sized cougar draped over the exam table. The doctor really needed to have some bigger tables built to accommodate his animal patients also. But then again, not very many shifters came into his office to change into or from their alternate selves.

  Marlowe knew she needed to let her shifter genes take over to help heal her body before she could get up. There was something magical within a shifter’s DNA that allowed them to heal quicker, but only in the animal form. If they were hurt in human form, they had to change to their beast to receive the healing they needed.

  Passion was filled with a variety of shifters, but it was also a tourist town, so Marlowe understood why Cade and Cole had brought her here. However, she didn’t want to be around them, especially when she changed back to her human form. She would be sans clothes, and after what they did to her, there was no way in hell they were going to see her that way again. They didn’t deserve to.

  * * * *

  Seeing Marlowe on the top of her Jeep had Cade seeing red due to her recklessness, but it had his animal begging for release. It had been twelve years since he had last seen her for she hadn’t returned to Passion since she had left so unexpectedly.

  He didn’t even know why she had left. They had made love to her one night, and the next thing they knew, she was gone. After a discussion with his mother, he had to wonder if she had left because of her father, but then if it was, wouldn’t she come back to visit, at least to see them and their mother? No, it was something else that had sent Marlowe Sanderson leaving in a cloud of dust and not looking back.

  Danny Sanderson was walking down the street and had apparently recognized his daughter - amazing that he’d been sober enough to do so - and he stopped at the front of her Jeep. Cade could tell he had said something to her that caused her to lose her balance and fall. Thankfully, Cole had just exited the post office and caught most of the upper part of Marlowe’s body before she fully hit the sidewalk.

  Her legs hadn’t been so lucky. Cade knew they needed to get her to shift so the healing ability would take over and take away her pain. The closest private space was Doc Trenton’s office, so that was where Cole headed.

  Cade wished it had been him who had caught her, just to be able to feel her body up against his again, even if it was because she was hurt. He had missed her so much. He and Cole hadn’t taken another woman since that fateful day, knowing Marlowe was their mate.

  They had wondered why she hadn’t wanted to complete the mating the night they made love with her for the first, and last, time. There were so many questions that needed to be answered, and he was intent on getting them from her before she left town again.

  Carefully, he reached out and ran his hand down her back, reveling in the feel of her soft fur. That action earned him a growl and a glare from Marlowe as she twisted her head toward him. Her blue-gray eyes were wide as she glared at him in a non-verbal snarl as she bared her sharp teeth at him.

  She was a beautiful cat. Her fur was the same color as her hair when she was in her human form, a blonde that ranged from near white to a dark blonde, but most of it was a golden color. Her eyes were normally a piercing blue, but as her cat, they changed to a grayish blue that seemed to see into his soul.

  Now, Marlowe was pissed. He could tell by the way she growled and the way she was looking at him as if she wanted to rip him into pieces. Since she couldn’t talk, she had to express her anger a different way. He stepped back from Marlowe and pressed his back against the wall. He would keep an eye on her until she changed back so they could talk. He wasn’t letting her leave before they hashed out what made her leave.

  The sound of breaking glass and a thudding sound from a distance could be heard in the room. Cole’s head turning told Cade he’d heard the same thing. Cole looked longingly at Marlowe before he rushed from the room. Cade had to grin because curiosity and the cat thing was what was going on.

  Marlowe finally began to settle, her body relaxing. Her growls had become mewls, but she was still staring at Cade. He could only hope she was taking in his body, and not thinking about ways to eat him.

  * * * *
>
  The scene Cole walked out on was hurtful. Marlowe’s own father was breaking the windows of Marlowe’s Jeep with a tire iron he had somehow gotten his hands on. The headlights had already been smashed.

  Danny was muttering to himself as people began to make their way over to the vehicle. Cole could hear him cursing Marlowe, calling her a selfish bitch, just like her mother, asking why she’d never come back to see him or send money when he needed it. The response would have been because of Danny, but instead, Cole nearly bounded off down the street toward the man who was a curse on Passion, and an embarrassment to Marlowe.

  “Stop, Sanderson!” Cole heard Jasper Kingston, the police chief of Passion, shout.

  Cole slowed himself, which was a good thing. Cole could feel his teeth elongating and his claws beginning to poke through the ends of his fingers. He was so angry he had nearly shifted right there on the sidewalk, and there were too many tourists in town.

  His beast pulled back into itself as he made his way to Marlowe’s Jeep. Her father was stepping back as Jasper approached him, right into Cole. Cole grabbed the raised tire iron from Danny’s grasp and was prepared for the man’s anger, which came in the form of Danny’s fist. Danny had spun quickly to find out who had deprived him of his weapon, so he was packing a punch as he hit Cole, nearly knocking him on his ass.

  Righting himself, Cole was going to grab onto Danny, but Jasper was quicker and had Marlowe’s father in a choke hold as Danny tried to fight him off. Cole dropped the tire iron and pulled the handcuffs off Jasper’s utility belt. Jasper cuffed the overweight man who was cursing up a storm. By that time, the deputy had arrived. He linked his arm through Danny’s and marched the man down to the police station that was a few doors down, Danny shouting incoherently all the way.