Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  “She wanted my cough drops,” Cassie said.

  “That doesn’t even make any sense,” Karl complained. “The tuna didn’t work. The catnip didn’t work.”

  “And the dandelions,” Pete said. “Don’t forget them.”

  “Right, tuna, catnip, dandelions. None of those worked, but cough drops did?”

  “I guess koalas don’t like those other things,” Cassie said.

  “But they like cough drops?” Cole asked incredulously.

  “Not cough drops,” Glory said, staring at her phone again. “Eucalyptus leaves.”

  Cassie giggled. “Okay, that makes sense.”

  “How so?” Dan asked.

  “My cough drops have eucalyptus in them.”

  “Well, that’s disappointing,” Pete muttered.

  “Very,” Karl agreed. “I don’t know how we could have guessed that.”

  SIXTEEN

  TRAVIS CARRIED Phoenix into his apartment and settled into his armchair with her still cuddled against him.

  Once they were settled, he carefully lifted one paw and examined it. Her claws might be small, but they were thick and wicked looking. Probably good for climbing things like the bar or trees in the wild.

  Her paws were padded and each had five distinct digits, three together and two off to the side.

  “So you have two thumbs, eh?” He tucked her paw back against his chest and continued his explorations, stroking one hand up and down her back gently.

  Her fur was thick and and fluffy, not as soft as he expected, but more textured, reminding him of a sheep’s wool.

  Her ears were about the cutest things he’d ever seen. He could only access one at the moment because the other was resting against his chest, but she had little tufts of white sticking out, going every which way. He gently stroked a finger along the curve of her ear and chuckled when she made a small yipping sound and pulled away from his chest to stare up at him.

  “Hey there, my sweet love.” He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead, right above her leathery nose.

  She blinked sleepily at him, then carefully walked herself down his shirt until she sat on his lap.

  She looked around, then climbed off his lap, swung herself around so her hind legs dangled off the couch and walked herself down to the floor.

  “Where are you going, darlin’?”

  She looked up at him, then turned and ran across the room.

  Travis couldn’t believe how adorable she was.

  She ran on all fours, kind of lunging forward with each step, her bottom doing this cute little wobble as she moved. At the door to the hallway, she stopped and looked back at him.

  He grinned and stood. “Shall I follow you, yeah?”

  She turned and ran down the hall and darted into his bedroom.

  By the time Travis reached his doorway, she’d managed to climb onto the bed and sat in the middle, watching him and waiting.

  “Ready for a nap, aren’t you?” He stripped off his clothes and debated whether to shift. “What do you think, darlin’? Bear or human form?”

  She just watched him expectantly, so he went ahead and shifted, landing on all four paws and freezing there, waiting to see if she would freak out.

  Phoenix hopped to the end of the bed and stared at him for a long moment. She then hopped back to the middle, glancing back at him as if in invitation.

  Travis huffed in pure joy and climbed onto the bed.

  The moment he stretched out on his belly, Phoenix pulled herself up onto his back and settled there, back legs tucked under her, front legs sprawled across his massive shoulders, face settled into the hollow of his neck.

  Travis’ bear had never felt so settled or content in his life.

  Phoenix was dreaming just like always.

  The soft beat of a drum echoed and she stretched, moving slowly from one dream space – dark, safe and quiet – to another, still shaded, but lighter, with the scent of woods and of home all around her.

  She was cradled in the soft embrace of a tree, right in the nook where branches and trunk met.

  She looked up and saw her mate stretched on a limb high above.

  He dropped one of his arms toward her and she reached for it.

  He was too far away, so she climbed the trunk a ways, then reached again.

  She caught hold of his paw, and he lifted her enough so she could grasp his shoulder and climb onto his back. She curled into his warm body, pressed her ear to his fur and listened as the beat of his heart lulled her back to sleep.

  Travis woke from the most restful sleep he’d ever had. As he took stock, he realized he was back in his human form, as was Phoenix, who was still sprawled on top of him.

  He rolled to the side while carefully sliding her around so that she tipped off his back into his arms.

  She curled into him, as adorably cuddly in human form as she’d been in her koala one.

  “You were in my dreams,” she murmured.

  He smiled. “You were in mine too.”

  She stretched and opened her eyes to stare into his. “No one’s ever been in my dream space before. Not ever. I’ve always been alone there. Lately though I kept dreaming there was something just out of reach, something I was longing for but couldn’t quite get to. I never knew what it was, but then, today I did. It was you.”

  “It’s like I told you, darlin’. We’re mates. True mates.” Just saying the words made his throat tighten in gratitude and his bear rumble joyfully, Ours.

  “I shifted, didn’t I?” Phoenix asked abruptly.

  Travis smiled tenderly at her. “You certainly did.”

  “I was really small. A lot smaller than you.”

  “It stands to reason. You’re a lot smaller than me in human form too.”

  Phoenix nodded. “Did I understand you right? I’m a koala?”

  He nodded. “A freaking unbelievably adorable koala. Seriously. I’ve never seen anything cuter in my life.”

  Phoenix relaxed at his statement. “You don’t mind that I’m not a black bear like you?”

  “I can’t imagine you as anything other than the sweet koala you are.” He leaned over and kissed her, gently at first, but then with greater passion as he swept his tongue inside and stole every thought she had.

  Heat unfurled between them and she pressed closer, so completely enamored of this man, this black bear, who’d so unexpectedly come into her life, who was everything she’d never known she wanted.

  SEVENTEEN

  “I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND why she never shifted before now,” Karl said in exasperation.

  It was Sunday afternoon and although the bar was normally closed on Sundays, Travis had opened it and invited all their friends over to celebrate Phoenix’s first shift.

  “Especially after she had a shot of The Beast Within,” Pete said. “It’s never failed to pull the beast from any shifter I’ve ever known.”

  Travis grinned. “You want to enlighten them, darlin’?”

  Phoenix had spent the entire morning researching koalas, trying to understand her animal side better. “Did you guys know that koalas in the wild sleep anywhere from 18 to 22 hours a day?”

  “Wow. Really?” Glory asked.

  Phoenix nodded. “Yep. And when I had that shot, well… the koala within decided it was time to take a nap. Right. Then. I barely made it upstairs in time. I’ve never been so tired in my entire life. And I love to nap.”

  “She really does,” Travis said.

  “Travis once mentioned to me that he thought my animal might be napping. I think he was right. I think she was napping all this time and never really came fully awake until she met Travis and his bear. Until she met all of you.”

  “So is she sleeping now?” Max asked.

  Phoenix thought a minute, then nodded. “I think so. She’s not awake very often. And when she is awake–” She stopped, not wanting to share the fact that her koala didn’t really care about socializing with friends. All the koala wanted to do w
as curl into Travis. Whether he was in bear form or human form didn’t really matter. Her koala simply loved their man-bear, just like Phoenix did.

  “When she’s awake what?” Pete asked.

  “She’s all mine,” Travis said, tipping Phoenix’s chin up and kissing her breathless.

  The End

  Continue the Shenanigans Series at

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  WWW.PEPPERMCGRAW.COM

  Pepper McGraw wishes she could shift into an animal (any animal, really, though she’s rather partial to cats). Unfortunately, since she wasn't lucky enough to be born a shifter, she’s had to settle for writing about them instead. Which is probably a good thing since the voices in her head are constantly clamoring to be set free.

  TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE

  THE HYBRID COVEN

  ANGELA SANDERS

  Touched by a Vampire (The Hybrid Coven) Copyright © 2017 Angela Sanders

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used simply for the purposes of furthering the storyline and do not represent the institutions or places of business in any way. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental or used for fictional purposes.

  TOUCHED BY A VAMPIRE

  A vampire assassin hired to kill her—will he be her ending or new beginning?

  Ryder has been an assassin for the Los Angeles Coven of vampires since he was made a vampire over four hundred years ago. He’s the best tracker they have and nearly untouchable.

  He was given a mark with little to no background information, but that’s never been an issue—find them, kill them, report back—until her. Something has changed inside of him and he’s not sure if he can control it.

  Vivien’s been working at a prominent law firm for years, scraping her way to the top in an attempt to make partner. But she has a secret—a very dangerous secret—one that could kill her if anyone were to learn the truth.

  Vivien finds herself at a crossroads. Does she trust a sexy vampire who was hired to kill her, or take her chances once she learns there’s a price on her head?

  Revelations come to pass. New and old friends join the fight, but the lines are blurred between good and evil. Who can Vivien trust and will her past come crashing down all around her when the truth is finally revealed?

  ONE

  RYDER STOOD SILENTLY in the shadows, waiting for his mark to round the corner. He could smell her intoxicating scent before she locked the office door to Collins Law Firm. Vivien—her name felt divine slipping from his tongue. He could see her long black hair flowing down her back as she untied it from its loose bun, and her cobalt eyes shimmered from the streetlights—she was gorgeous. Too bad she had to die.

  Ryder had been watching Vivien for two weeks, memorizing her day-to-day routine after he was given her file from his coven leader. A name and a picture were all he had to go on. No reason as to why the coven wanted her dead, and he never asked questions, only investigated necessary background information to take out his target with precision. That was, until he saw her.

  He knew her whereabouts within days, but found everything about the human woman fascinating. From the way she walked, to the way she carried herself with pride and determination each night when she left the office. She seemed to be fearless, always aware of her surroundings. That was something Ryder hadn’t seen in any of his marks for quite some time. He wondered what was so special about the woman and why he hadn’t killed her when the first opportunity presented itself. Was he slipping in his old age or just tired?

  Vivien had gone out for drinks with a young blonde female co-worker the night after he confirmed her location. It was a local bar in Los Angeles not too far from the firm. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt and blue silk blouse as she and her friend entered the bar. Ryder stalked the women as they went inside and took a seat in a dimly lit corner booth. When he moved past her the first time, his body jolted with desire, inhaling her scent and tasting it on his tongue when she lingered nearby. It was foreign, yet enticing. No other human had ever affected him in such a manner. He told himself he needed to know more about the woman before he killed her.

  There was something missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Her scent. It wouldn’t leave his senses even when he slept. Vivien’s face filled his dreams and he couldn’t remember the last time he had dreamt. It meant something, but he wasn’t sure what. So, night after night he continued to watch her every move, noting her features and attempting to discern anything supernatural, but found nothing.

  He knew he had a job to do, and soon; otherwise the coven would begin to ask questions. Shaking off his desire and steeling his nerve, Ryder decided it was time—he could wait no longer.

  He continued watching her as she left the law office and walked down the sidewalk and into the parking lot toward her Mercedes. She glanced around the empty lot, then pressed the key fob to unlock the car. Just before she opened the door, Ryder made his move.

  Vivien nearly jumped out of her skin when a tall, dark-haired, gorgeous specimen of a man appeared next to her seemingly out of nowhere. The man’s eyes were the color of a rising full moon—almost silver with streaks of blue when she caught his gaze. She realized she must not have been paying attention to her surroundings. Vivien was always the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, and that was how it was going to stay. If she ever wanted to make partner, she knew she had to put in the hours to make it happen. But, in her exhaustion, she'd let her guard down.

  The man stood close to her without saying a word and she took a startled step back. “Can I help you?” she asked, arching a brow, her keys behind her back. He was staring at her with what looked like hunger in his silvery gaze.

  The mysterious stranger looked into Vivien’s eyes and touched her arm. “I’m afraid I have some bad news, Vivien. You must come with me,” he said and attempted to turn her around. Did he know her secret? How did he know her name? She’d been careful to hide her true nature this time around and had lived a normal life for the past ten years with no one the wiser. Her heart began to thunder in her chest when she realized he wasn’t human.

  He was a vampire. Holy shit! Ten years of nothing and now it seemed her life was in danger once again. Vivien knew she needed to fight and find a way out of this mess before she was caught. She was never going back—she’d die first. She decided to keep him talking until she could form a plan in her mind. How could she have been so reckless and not have sensed his presence? She also knew she couldn’t reveal herself because it might lure others out of the darkness to seek her and she couldn’t risk it. Dammit. She was screwed either way.

  Maybe if she played up the hardcore bitch routine, he’d take a hint. It wouldn’t be hard; she had a resting bitch face that could scare any man or woman shitless.

  “I don’t think so. How do you know my name?” She jerked her arm from his firm grasp. “I don’t even know you and you scream, ‘Stranger Danger.’ I think I’ll take my chances and be on my way now. It’s been real,” she said clicking the unlock button again and opening the car door to slide in as quickly as possible. But the vampire was much faster. He held the door tightly before she could even think of closing it.

  “Ah, you won’t be leaving without me tonight. Please don’t make this difficult, ma petit.”

  “Screw you, and I’m not your pet anything! Who the hell do think you are? I’m calling the police. I’ve had enough—”

  Ryder cut her off with just a thought and put her to sleep. When she slumped forwar
d, he leaned down to pick her up, but not before inhaling her enchanting aroma one final time. He’d never smelled a human so delectable in his four hundred and fifty-two years. There was something about her that he couldn’t get enough of. He had no idea why his clan leader, Damien, wanted this woman dead, and something inside of him screamed, “Mine” the moment he touched her skin. He felt compelled to protect her now that she was in his arms. Ryder had no idea where these feelings were coming from, but he knew that he couldn’t deny his urges. They were much stronger than his need to obey the new clan leader.

  Ryder never liked Damien anyway. He was an arrogant ass who didn’t deserve the position he held—it was passed down to him by his father who had mysteriously suffered an untimely death—beheaded in his own chamber. At two hundred and twelve years old, Damien was only a child in comparison to Ryder. With his mind made up, Ryder took to the driver’s seat after carefully placing Vivien in the backseat and left Los Angeles for the city of New Orleans. He had friends there that he knew he could trust. He would deal with the consequences of leaving the coven when the time came.

  Vivien began to stir in the backseat of her car, wondering just how the hell she came to be there. She tried to remain as still as possible as to not raise suspicion and dared to take a peek at the person driving. When she realized it was the same man from the parking lot, she sat straight up and glared through the rearview mirror.