Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  “Asshole? I can’t believe you.” Caleb braces up to me, leaving little space between us.

  “Back off, Caleb.” Soraya sits up with her back pressed against the headboard and strokes Winter’s back.

  Caleb points his finger at Soraya. “You…you’re no better than him. She’s supposed to be your best friend and you brought her here. Some friend you are.”

  Soraya leaps out of bed and pushes Caleb hard. He falls backward, does a backflip, somersaults, shifting in midair, before landing on all fours.

  “I’m not scared of you, pup.” Soraya shifts into her form too.

  Rose comes in. “What the hell is going on here? All of you, get your shit together. She’s here now and we need her. We’ve all made sacrifices and it’s time for her to make some too. We all wish it could be different, but it isn’t, so get over yourselves. There’s work to do and fighting among ourselves only does the other sides job for them.” Rose turns to Caleb before turning to me. “You need to get your act together. As for you, stop acting as if you didn’t know this day would come.

  “Soraya, tend to your friend. I’m certain she’s going to need you when she wakes up. It’ll be nice if she had your support.”

  Rose is right. It’s time I shift my way of thinking. Winter’s never been weak. She’ll be able to handle this, but it’ll be much easier with the help of her friends. That’s if she still sees me as a friend after what I did to her. I pray she does.

  FOUR

  MY HEART STAMMERS as I recall my last thoughts and my eyes flash open. Someone was lying next to me. I turn to look, it’s Soraya, my best friend…my shapeshifting wolf friend. What the fuck? Memories of my childhood surface. That’s when I realize I’ve always known something wasn’t right with the world. There was two parts to it, and I had a peek at the other side and didn’t care for it much. I was happy when Ms. Bellamy took it away. Why was it back?

  A shadow moves from the corner of my eyes and comes into focus.

  “Hey, babe.” A voice like shea-butter trickles caressingly to my ears.

  My breathing stops as I recognize its owner, then returns, coming in rapid succession. I look around at the other faces in the room. Did they know he was here? Yet no one thought to tell me. I know why Caleb didn’t say anything, but Soraya? I expect more from her. Then again, she didn’t tell me she was a wolf either, so why am I surprised? I look from Roman to her, filling my glare with accusation. She shrugs me off, lifts her hands, and steps back.

  “What, no greeting?” Roman cocks his head, his thumbs tucked into the waistband of his lowrider jeans, hugging his thighs lovingly. It’s almost as affectionate as the T-shirt wrapped around his huge biceps, pecs, and tight abs. If memory serves me correctly, his back was receiving similar attention.

  He’s let his hair grow over his collar. Oh Lord, no one has a right to be this handsome, especially when I’m pissed at them. He wants me to greet him? Am I supposed to smile and bow to his arrogance, forget his betrayal, accept he’s back like nothing happened between us?

  Wait! Nothing did happen between us. He just up and left me without any reason or explanation—threw our relationship out the window as if it was nothing. Then pops his head around the corner with his “hey, babe.” He can bite me, that’s what he can do...just bite me.

  A chilling thought hits me like a fist to the gut, sending me back into touch. Maybe he did want to bite me. “Are you a wolf too?” I ask, arching my brow.

  At least he has the decency to look shamefaced. At the moment, his bare feet appear more interesting than me or perhaps he just needs something to look at. “Is that why you ran away?”

  “I didn’t run…it’s complicated, babe.”

  “Then uncomplicate it for me.”

  “If you give me a minute. I’ll explain.”

  Lost in my own little bubble of regret and confusion, I let rage fire my tongue and ignore whatever it is he has to say. I have pounds of it holding me down, and I need to get rid of some weight.

  “All this time I’ve been blaming myself for the break up, thinking it was me, and I’d done something wrong. Too often, I wondered what I could’ve done differently to fix things, to make us okay, when all the time it was you that was broken, not me. What…you couldn’t fight the beast within, the animalistic urge to eat people?”

  “Hey?” Soraya gasps close to my ear. “You know I don’t eat people, although I’ve been known to bite a sexy shoulder or two,” she says slyly. Soraya raises a brow and bites down on her bottom lip, grinning.

  I don’t have time for her craziness, not with the cause of my heartbreak in the room. Confronting her and taking her to task will come later. I’ve had a belly full, and I’m tired of people thinking they can dump on me whenever they like, and I should simply accept it. Well not anymore and certainly not today.

  “Shut up. No one’s talking about you, Soraya.”

  Her eyes widen, and she draws back her neck.

  “Well excuse me.” She roll her eyes. “Now who’s the big, bad wolf.”

  I ignore her remark.

  “No one's talking about me either,” Roman says. “Excuse us a moment. Can we have the room? I think Winter and I need to talk.”

  Unbelievable. What? Am I a toy he plays with on demand? He wants to talk… Fine. I’ll give him some words.

  “You have a goddamn nerve.” I point a stiff finger at Roman.

  “We don’t have time for this.” Clearly exasperated, Rose releases a short breath.

  Roman’s face hardens. “Come on, Rose. We’ve all sacrificed a lot, some more than others, and I’m not asking for anything in return except for a few minutes alone with her. If we want her help, we need to start being honest and stop giving her partial truths. There hasn’t been a war recorded that was won with only part of the information made available, or with a halfhearted commitment. You’re right, time is running out—because we chose to do it your way—and look where that got us. Now I’m going to do it my way, so leave, all of you, please.” Roman marches to the door and opens it.

  I close my eyes to push back the rage surging through me. Six months and not a fucking word. Now he wants to talk, to explain, and expects me to entertain him?

  There’s nothing he has to say, I want to hear. He didn’t answer my calls, texts, or emails. Even though we were broken up, I thought we were friends. Instead, he cut me off, shut me out of his life completely. I wasn’t some random girl. I was supposed to be the one. Those were his words exactly and my desire.

  A slap for every day I cried over him is what he deserves. He’d be covered from head to toe in bruises. I squeeze my eyes together tightly, wanting to keep out the image of him looking so good while I must look a mess after the attack. I’m trying to hold it together but doing so isn’t easy. The harder I try, the angrier I become. He was right to let the others go. We should speak in private.

  “Babe…I know you’re upset, and I don’t blame you. If you give me a chance, I can explain everything.”

  The sound of his voice triggers something inside me, or perhaps it was his words. There’s a weird energy soaring through me and it seems to be fueled by anger. I open my eyes to see everything which isn’t nailed down swooshing around above my head, floating in the air. Every now and then a book, shoe, or something equally less life-threatening would leave the mass and shoot across the room at Roman.

  I don’t know how I’m doing any of it. The madder I get, the more dangerous it becomes for him. Actually, I’m kind of getting off on it. He used to joke about me being worse than a hailstorm when my temper flared, and I guess he was kind of right. He dips and ducks the flying debris and makes his way over to the bed where he picks up a pillow.

  “Please, calm down. You’re tapping into powers that you don’t know how to use yet. Not to mention, they’re ten times stronger here. I’m sorry. If you give me a chance, I can make you understand. I didn’t want to leave you. I’m mated to you. You’re my life.” He eases toward me, hesitantly us
ing his hands as a shield.

  His words calm me, and when I look into his eyes, I sense he’s telling the truth. Still, I wish I had the powers to read his thoughts. Hmm…maybe I can. After all, I’m a witch.

  “Is it safe?” he asks, holding out his arm.

  I just look at him. My heart and my mind are at odds, and my heart is winning. He reaches for me and gathers me in his arms where I fall victim to his embrace. “Please, babe, let me explain.”

  I cling to him, all malice within me starts to evaporate with the warmth of his body close to mine. Damn, I’ve missed this, I’ve missed him. Desire overshadows my senses, leaving me boneless as I melt into him. One whiff of his masculinity ignites a craving I’d only learned to suppress a few months ago. I hated him, yet loved him all the same. All the old familiar feelings race to the surface. I’m lost, trapped by the power of my love, of our love. It’s as if he’d never left, and I’d never suffered those six months of agony, not knowing what happened to him, to us. I hate myself for being so weak. He doesn’t deserve my love.

  But it doesn’t matter what my head thinks. At this moment in time, my heart’s the one in control.

  FIVE

  SURE, she could have killed me just now or at least, hurt me a bit. But still, my body aches for her. Being so close has me longing to be wrapped in her warmth, basking in her tenderness, buried deep inside her. The thought makes my pants uncomfortable as the rod inside them hardens.

  I’m absorbed in lustful thoughts and aching need when the lamp falls, and I’m reminded of what just happened. We both look at it and then at each other. She buries her head in my chest, and her words come out muffled.

  “Sorry. I guess I had some built-up anger.”

  I kiss her forehead and hug her tighter.

  I’ve seen a lot, but having my girlfriend toss furniture around without moving a pinky finger is kind of chilling, and a lot bad ass. I mean, I’d heard about what she was capable of, but still, I may need five minutes to get used to it…and some protective gear.

  “Umm…do you think you can put it all back?” I ask guardedly, hoping she doesn’t take it the wrong way. It’s more because I’m curious, and I know the others will be as well.

  She moved these things out of anger; emotions are her trigger but control is very important, for her own sake and ours.

  Winter nods with hesitation. “I think so.”

  She backs away from me and already I miss her closeness as the heat from her body still filters inside me. I’ve been away from her too long.

  I’m not sure if waiting to bring her in was the right thing to do. But I get why Rose and Bellamy felt it was necessary to suppress her gifts. From what I’d witnessed, she’s a smoking gun—potentially—untapped and deadly. She could pose a threat even to us if she doesn’t get it under control. I only hope we have enough time to train her on how to harness what she can do, or measure it. Can she access magic at will? Or, is there a button to push? Hopefully it’s the former.

  I wait for her to reposition everything. Tilting her head to the side, she rubs her chin. I can’t tell if she’s actually trying to or thinking about it. I follow her gaze to the object of focus. Seemingly, she’s struggling a little, but she’s determined. Willpower is a good start. It’s one of the key factors in helping us win this uphill struggle to protect life.

  The gossamer fabric of our world has a rip threatening to tear. If that happens, the two worlds—the realm, and earth—will collide, making every nightmare a reality as creatures cross over. No one will be safe. And I’m the one who’s going to lay it on her. Umm…Winter, babe, you’re the deliverer of mankind. But don’t worry, I have your back. No pressure, right?

  Whether I like it or not, I’ll need to tell her everything. On the bright side, she’ll have her explanation for why I had to leave. I left my heart in the realm of reality and have been running for my life ever since, in the realm of paranormal. Here, the supernatural are the natural and the creatures from the other worlds are where fantasies exist. But there’s a fine line and it’s getting thinner every day. Some are good, others not so good, and those are the ones we need to keep out of the world humans have grown accustomed to. Most are oblivious to the existence of paranormal life and those who suspect haven’t fully come to terms with it.

  Finished, she exhales and falls against me, deflated. It's taken a lot out of her, but she did it. I glance around the room and everything is as it was. I pull her to my heart because that’s where she belongs. Breath heats through the material of my shirt, stroking my chest, caressing my abs, and tickling my navel. My cock surges back to life and throbs in my pants.

  We stay like this for a minute or two, not speaking, just sharing the moment I’ve longed for ever since I arrived in this godforsaken place. Her memory and what we shared is my anchor to our reality. It’s what I know, and I need it to remain. I’ll fight to no end to protect her and that’s why I had to leave.

  I rest my chin in her hair, inhaling the delicate aroma of sweet passion, heightened with longing affection. It’s hers alone and infused by our desire for one another. I slide my hand down her arm and stroke her, coaxing the tender purring sound she makes when she’s resting against me. I’m lost in memories of us when her soft voice breaks the silence.

  “Roman, why did you leave me?”

  She doesn’t raise her head, nor does she pull away. Her hand travels up and down my back, stroking it lovingly. I inhale deeply to gather my thoughts and coach myself into remaining in control as my senses are attacked by her scent. Desire is surging through me and having her so close doesn’t make it easier.

  “I didn’t leave. Well, I did but not permanently. I had every intention of coming back but I couldn’t. I was trapped.”

  She draws away slightly. Her gaze meets mine with concern. “You’re not trapped now. Why didn’t you come back?”

  “Because I’m still trapped, and now, so are you.”

  Putting more distance between us, she regards me, searching for answers. “I don’t get it.”

  I nod and step closer. “You shouldn’t. This is all new to you.” I slide my hands down her arms and reach for hers. “I’m going to explain everything. I just need you to keep an open mind. I’ll answer any questions you have.”

  Her lips are slightly parted, when I notice a slight tremble. She’s afraid of the unknown, and I get it. I want to comfort her in a way only I can.

  “Winter, just know, regardless of what happens, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  She moves back in, her eyes wide and innocent, her lips full and soft. Pulling in her bottom lip, she moistens it. I imagine the feel of her tongue, and I’m finished. I can’t hold back any longer. I swoop in like a hawk and capture her mouth with my own. My tongue dances around her lips, licking and pushing to be let in. She resists at first and stiffens in my arms. Fear grips my heart. Had I moved in too soon, ruining any chance I might have of getting her to forgive me?

  I’m conflicted and can feel the rend starting to tear through my heart at the thought of losing her. Emotions pander to my aggression. I love her; holding on to what we had is what’s kept me going. But now that she’s here, I have to face reality—there may be no more us. I should have been honest. A relationship can’t survive with secrets.

  With desperate need, I close my eyes and suck her bottom lip into my mouth, savoring her taste as if this is the last time I’ll ever do so. It may very well be. I want to tell her everything…about me, about the mission. When I’m done, I only hope I won’t be left alone, licking my wounds.

  Satisfied this is all I’ll get and more than I deserve, I pull back. But her arms curl around my neck and guide me back to her. Her tongue travels lightly against my skin to my ear, as she licks and sucks, teasingly tugging on my earlobe, sending intense spikes of heat down into my groin. It weakens me, and if anyone knows this, it’s Winter.

  She tugs, rubbing my chest, and a growl escapes me. I throw her down onto the bed and loom over her.
Her eyes sparkle with desire, her lips part as she invites me in. I don’t need to guess she wants me. I swoop in with my tongue devouring her, exploring every inch of her mouth.

  I don’t think my penis has ever been this hard. Satisfying her is my desire, and I hope I can suppress my hunger long enough to fulfill her, over and over. But my need to be one with her is overwhelming.

  Yearning need has encompassed us and nothing else matters. For now, everything else will have to wait.

  SIX

  I DON'T KNOW what’s gotten into me, all the hurt and pain of the past six months melt away with his touch and strumming of his heartbeat against my ear. The old familiar feelings are back, and I can't fight them, and I don't want to. I'm so full of emotions, I don't know my left from right, nor up from down. Call me dumb, stupid, naïve or whatever. Hell, you can name it anything you like. I don't know what this force is that's driving me to shake off my doubts and suspicions about him, or to address what he’s been up to these past months. I’ll have my answers soon.

  I convince myself I should trust him. The bus I was on was attacked by wild animals; we crashed. I could have died. I shouldn't be here but I am. Life is too short. And if all I have is today, I'm going to make it count.

  Things are unclear—especially my role in all of this, but it feels serious. Serious enough to have Roman trailing deep off into thought in my arms. I sense his fear for me, feel it emanating from him as he tries to shield me from the truth. He’s reluctant and being careful with his delivery. I love Roman; therefore, I'm resolved to accept my fate and live in the moment.

  I also feel a different need in him, more potent than his fear. It matches my own. It’s desire, he wants me and the bulge in his pants says now. I want him too. The assault of his tongue against my mouth startles me at first. The need to resist him is strong but not strong enough. I stiffen, then relax. I miss him, his smell, touch, taste, the warmth of his eyes, that sparkle in his smile, and the deep caressing tone of his voice.