Daddy Shifter

by Juniper Hart

  The elderly woman stormed off, leaving Everly to stare after her in amazement.

  What did I do? I shouldn’t have said anything. Michael is going to be furious with me. Everly exhaled deeply and spun to leave the office.

  It was a full moon that night. She needed to lay low until nighttime.

  In college, Everly had battled with full moons monthly, learning new ways to hide her secret from her roommates.

  Sydney was especially observant, and over the years, Everly had begun sneaking out of the house and remaining away during those nights.

  She wasn’t like some of the other Lycans who could easily hide their transformation until they were secure from prying eyes. Everly’s shifts began without warning sometime after noon, starting with her claws and tufts of fur appearing.

  The yearning would start in the pit of her stomach and grow into an almost insurmountable desire to run free, and by the time night fell, Everly would be in full form.

  There were nights when she would find herself dashing up fire escapes in Brooklyn or bolting down alleyways in search of fresh blood. New York had been disappointing for Everly, the hunts leaving her wildly unsatisfied and longing to return to Utah.

  Everly called for a taxi, not wanting to call her father. The ride home was quiet, and for that she was grateful.

  And now that I’m home, I’m hiding again, she thought wryly as she slipped out of the taxi and headed into her house.

  “Mom?” she called. “Are you home?”

  There was no immediate response, and she wandered toward the kitchen.

  Her mother’s car was in the driveway and her purse was at the front door, so Everly knew she was nearby.

  “It’s a full moon tonight,” she continued, stripping off her coat as she walked. “I don’t know why Dad didn’t warn me about it when we left this morning. I would have saved myself the trip of going in, but instead I ended up causing a mess at work!” Once again, she called out to her mother. “Hey, Mom, can you hear me? Where are you?”

  “In the kitchen, dear,” her mother replied. “We have a guest.”

  Everly turned the corner into the kitchen and stared, gasping.

  “Surprise!” Sydney cried, jumping from her spot at the table to embrace her.

  Panicked, Everly gazed at her mother, who looked down guiltily.

  “What are you doing here?” Everly breathed, returning Sydney’s hug. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  Sydney laughed, pulling back from the embrace as Everly continued to stare at her mother in shock.

  “Stop glaring at your mom. I made her promise not to tell you I was here,” she sighed, smacking Everly’s arm gently. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “Well, I’m surprised,” Everly mumbled, trying to force enthusiasm into her tone.

  Oh, my God! Not today! Today of all days she had to show.

  “Oh, come on,” Sydney growled, losing the smile on her face. “You can at least pretend to be excited that I’m here.”

  Everly swallowed and shook her head. “Of course I’m excited you’re here,” she responded, smacking Sydney’s arm. “I’ve just been sick. That’s why I came home early from work. Mom and I both got really bad food poisoning, right, Mom?”

  Cynthia nodded and rose from her spot at the table, but Sydney didn’t look convinced.

  “Oh, yeah? Then what were you rambling about when you came home? You have a full moon party to go to tonight? It sounds like I arrived just in time!”

  Shit. She heard me.

  Everly lied quickly. “I said that I was feeling full. My stomach isn’t settled. Honestly, we were both sick.”

  “We were,” Cynthia finally piped in. “And I can see that you’re a little pale, darling. Why don’t you go lie down and I’ll entertain Sydney for a while?”

  “No,” Sydney said flatly. “If you want to go rest, I’ll hang out in your room. We can watch movies or something.”

  Everly looked at her mother desperately, but Cynthia averted her eyes.

  “Do you have a problem with that?” Sydney asked.

  Yes! Everly wanted to scream. I have a huge problem with that. Any other day, I would be overjoyed that you’re here, but you couldn’t have come at a worse time!

  But she only smiled and shook her head. “No,” she replied. “Of course not. Let’s go upstairs.”

  Maybe if I cover myself completely with the comforter, she won’t notice. It was a long shot, but what other choice did she have? Dammit! This is exactly the reason I never wanted Sydney to come to Ogden!

  She shot her mother another desperate look as they left the kitchen, but it was clear Cynthia had no idea what to do.

  As they ascended the stairs, Sydney eyed her friend suspiciously.

  “You look funny,” she said.

  “I told you, I’ve been sick,” Everly protested. “I wish you had told me you were coming.”

  “Yeah, you said that,” Sydney snapped. “I wanted to catch you off guard.”

  Everly paused to stare at her. “Why?” she demanded. “I could have arranged to spend more time with you if you had just told me.”

  Sydney spun and stared at her almost balefully. “Because I can tell that something is up with you,” she hissed, glancing down the stairs to ensure Cynthia was not listening. “Ever since you came back here, you’ve been a totally different person.”

  Everly stared at her. “What does that mean?” she demanded. “How?”

  “First, you begged me for a way to keep you from coming back to Utah since the first day I met you. Then you asked me to put your resume in with my company, and then you stopped calling me back. You did a complete one-eighty overnight, and frankly, that worries me.”

  Everly grabbed Sydney’s arm and led her into the bedroom at the end of the hall, closing the door behind them for privacy.

  “I got a job with my dad’s best friend,” she admitted. “And it might be a better fit than I thought.”

  Even as she said it, Everly remembered the hateful look Lizzie had given her when she learned that she was connected to Michael Vanier.

  Sydney arched an eyebrow. “Just like that? You’re happy here now? What about everything that’s going on with your family?” she pressed. “Did all your family issues just disappear overnight?”

  Everly sighed and shook her head. “It’s not that simple,” she breathed. “I’m sorry, Sydney, but I made a mistake asking you to find me that job. You have to forgive me, but I can’t leave Ogden. I belong here.”

  Sydney’s mouth pursed into a fine line, and Everly could feel a familiar feeling forming in her gut.

  Oh, no, she thought miserably. It’s happening. I am going to start shifting in front of Sydney.

  Then what would she do? It would depend on Sydney’s reaction.

  I must get her out of here before she sees me!

  Everly opened her mouth to beg Sydney to leave, but her tall blonde friend beat her to speaking.

  “You belong here, huh?” she asked, and Everly could see her eyes cloud over. She averted her own blue eyes, unsure of what else to say, but her anxiety was building, knowing that every moment they spent together would be a minute closer to her transitioning.

  “Is this because you’re… you know?”

  Everly’s head moved up to meet Sydney’s gaze. “What?” she asked, genuinely confused. “I’m what?”

  No matter what you’re thinking, Sydney, it won’t be right, Everly thought, biting on the insides of her cheeks. She felt her incisors threatening to break free, and she curled her nails into her palms, her claws extending.

  Sydney sighed and shook her head, plopping onto the bed.

  “You can’t leave here because you’re a werewolf, right? That’s the secret you’ve been hiding and that’s why you’re so tied to this town hellbent on ruining your life?”

  Chapter Nine

  Michael’s eyes sharpened against the blackness, his legs pressing forward beneath the crunch of t
he hard-packed snow.

  It was up ahead, he could sense it, even if his granite eyes did not fully see it yet.

  She was just so close, and saliva began to form around his jowls as he surged onward, careful not to attract the attention of the others who seemed to be in his vicinity.

  It was his kill.

  Cautiously, he padded around the side of Mount Ogden, only the moon illuminating his path, and suddenly he froze.

  Someone else was there.

  Michael lifted his snout to inhale the frigid air, his eyes glowing dangerously as he peered through the pines.

  A flurry of movement caught his eye, and without hesitation, he pounced. The snow crushed beneath his weight and he rushed toward the movement, knowing that his kill had disappeared.

  His anger mounting, he flew onward, keeping the creature with the white-grey fur in his sight.

  The other wolf tried to escape, but he was too fast, of course.

  No one should be on his territory that night, but that didn’t seem to faze the intruder who weaved through the snow-capped pines.

  He could smell the adrenaline coursing through the beast as he gained on him, and finally he leapt, pouncing to land on the wolf’s back.

  What are you doing out here? Michael called silently, pinning down the intruder, and as he sent the silent, angry message, he realized who it was.

  Looking for you, Everly replied.

  He whipped her around with one paw, their eyes interlocking against the night, and she slowly melted out of her Lycan form.

  Her cerulean eyes peered up at him, and Michael knew what she had come for.

  He howled slightly, unsure of what to do, his body aching with the desire to hunt, but overwhelmed by the need to finally take the woman who had been tormenting him for weeks.

  There would be no interruption that night. Everly was his.

  Michael nuzzled into her, his strong forepaws pinning her at the shoulders as his tongue lashed out to taste her naked neck.

  She shivered slightly, but it was not from the cold.

  His paws became hands that roamed down her naked form, across her body to cup her breasts as his hot breath fell upon her nipples, tasting her roughly, his teeth gnashing at her.

  Everly bucked her nude form against his warm body. He pressed himself against her as she fell into the soft embrace of the cold snow.

  The combination of the heat coursing through his body and the chill of the night was intoxicating, but he knew that Everly must be near freezing beneath his weight.

  Abruptly, Michael flipped them, placing her atop him, her heaving chest facing the shimmering moon, his large hands laying her flat against his wide upper body as his mouth continued to explore the tender skin along her neck and shoulder.

  His fingers fell between her thighs as her calves fell on either side of his lumbering frame.

  Michael was hard, ready for her, but he wanted to ensure she was just as prepared.

  One hand massaged her chest, his fingertips teasing her nipples as the other began to discover the heat between her legs.

  His member throbbed, resting against her opening as his movements grew faster, rubbing her taut button, feeling her tense.

  Everly sighed deeply, and Michael felt a sweet wetness slip down his hand.

  It was all he could take as his palms rested tightly against her upturned hips, and he thrusted his engorged shaft inside her, feeling her tense with the size of him.

  He groaned as he jerked upward. Everly yelped, but his hands pushed her down further, needing to experience every inch of her warm envelope.

  Everly cried out, but Michael could no longer stop himself. The time for foreplay had been exhausted. She had sought him out for this, the need to have him reigning her most primitive instincts.

  The realization only made him harder, and his index finger moved back to its original place, manipulating her pulsating button.

  He didn’t know how much longer he would be able to hold off, and he wanted her to climax before he spilled himself.

  Michael’s thrusts became long, definitive strokes, and Everly moaned loudly, her body writhing against him, but he held her in place, willing her to peak with him.

  A moment later, he felt her spasm against him, and not a minute too soon as his sack tightened, a wave of heat tingling through him as hot streams jutted forth into his best friend’s daughter. She howled like the wolf she was, her cries reverberating against the mountainside as her orgasm met his.

  He groaned, pushing into her as he spent himself inside her warm, welcoming pocket, and when he fell back, his hands relaxing, he was sure he had never released so hard in his life.

  Michael slipped out of Everly, watching as she fell off his barrel chest and onto the cold, white ground like a ragdoll.

  He propped himself up on his elbow to look at her, but she kept her back to him as she seemed to be staring off into the woods, her pale back gleaming against the moonlight.

  “What are you doing out here, Everly?” he growled quietly. “You shouldn’t be in these parts on a full moon. This is my territory, and you know that could have been very dangerous for you if I didn’t recognize you right away.”

  She tossed him a look over her shoulder, and he read the slight annoyance in her eyes. “Sorry,” she muttered. “But you didn’t seem bothered by my presence a few minutes ago.”

  She misunderstood what he was trying to communicate. He just didn’t want Everly to put herself in danger. He reached up to touch her shoulder, but before he could, Everly had transitioned back into her wolf skin.

  “Where are you going?” he called as she bounded away, his brown eyes wide with confusion, but she did not respond, disappearing into the woods.

  Michael allowed himself to shift as well, but his eyes were still fixated on the direction where Everly had disappeared.

  What was that about? Michael wondered, but he didn’t have time to ponder what had just occurred between the two of them.

  Not on the night of a full moon and not when he had yet to make a kill.

  ***

  At dawn, Michael made his way back through the flatlands toward Ogden, sated in more ways than one.

  He could still feel Everly on top of him as if she had left a permanent imprint on his body, and as he walked up the stairs of his large home, he licked his lips to relish the deliciousness of the stag he had taken down after Everly had disappeared.

  He had considered going after her, but something told him that she was best left alone to process what had finally occurred between them.

  As the sun began to break through the horizon, Michael felt the last of his feral instincts dissipating.

  He needed to rest for a few hours before going into the office, but before he did that, he wanted to see Everly.

  I shouldn’t have let her go off alone. I should have followed her.

  He thought of her returning to the house where Kevin would continue to neglect her, and he was filled with venom toward his best friend.

  How could he have allowed them to be sick for so long without realizing something was wrong? Someone needs to protect Everly and her mother, and obviously Kevin isn’t doing his job.

  Michael knew he had probably aroused suspicions when he had stormed the Castle house that day, but he reasoned he was within his rights as pack leader to intercept Kevin’s neglect.

  In the meantime, Everly is living in that house without any support. She’s entirely confused about her place in this pack, and I might have just made it worse.

  He remembered something else; Everly was starting as his assistant now that Carmen had been reassigned.

  Michael felt a rush of heat to his loins as he wandered into his luxurious bathroom, turning on the steam shower.

  We must be extra careful now that our relationship is moving to the next level. Some of my staff might give her a hard time if they suspect something is going on between us. He studied his brooding face in the mirror.

  Relationship to th
e next level? There can’t be a relationship with Everly. She is eighteen years younger than me, and she is Kevin’s daughter. No matter what happens, we can’t let this go any further than sex.

  He wondered if he was trying to convince himself.

  At first, he admitted that he had been drawn to Everly physically, but after seeing her sick, something else had grown inside him, something deeper than simple sexual feelings.

  He wanted to keep her safe.

  Michael assured himself that his concern was that of a pack leader, but he couldn’t help feeling an intense surge of emotion every time he dredged up an image of the girl in his mind.

  Sighing, Michael turned away from the mirror and stepped into the shower.

  Whatever is happening between Everly and I can’t go any further, he told himself again. We’ve already crossed a line that should have never been crossed.

  He found himself thinking that having her so close to him at work might be a bad idea, after all. It was bad enough knowing she was in the office, only a few feet away, and she could so easily be called into privacy if he let his desires take hold.

  Wouldn’t it be terrible to have her in and out of his personal workspace all day long, bending over his desk, relaying messages, accidentally dropping files? He’d never get anything done.

  Michael bit down on his lower lip at the thought of Everly sprawled against the sofa as she had been that afternoon, ripe for the taking, and staring at him with those blue, innocent eyes.

  The thought alone caused him to grow hard against the pulsating shower head. His resolve would disappear completely in those circumstances, he knew it.

  Everly had a power over him that he had never known, and he sensed that if he allowed it to manifest, he would be unable to stop whatever was building between them.

  I’ll go in today and arrange for another assistant, he decided as he scrubbed the blood of the deer from his body, watching as the red streaked water filtered down the drain. I’ll find another promotion for Everly, one that will give her more money to find her own place and get away from Kevin.

  Wracking his mind, he wondered what responsibilities he could give to her.

  Everyone already has their own executive assistants except for me… Maybe she could take on an assistant account manager role. But she has no experience, and she will learn so much more from working directly with me. Also, I did tell Lizzie I was promoting Everly into that position. Lizzie and Everly are friends, and if Lizzie told Everly that she got the job, it would look bad to yank it away from her. I must honor my decision. What kind of boss would I be otherwise?