As they all walked toward the barbecue, Rainey put her hand in Boreas’s and slowed their pace, letting the others go in front of them.
“Did you have anything to do with that?” she asked him.
“Not really. It was all their idea. I just went to pick up Ophelia and Ethan.” Boreas turned to her. “You look happy.”
“I feel very happy.” She stopped and looked into his eyes. “My life has changed so much since you walked into it,” she said to him. “Every aspect of it, pretty much. And none of it would have happened if it wasn’t for you.” She stroked his cheek. “You are the biggest and most important change. I love you so much, and I’m so grateful to have you.”
“I love you too,” Boreas said. “More than anything.” And he held her tight.
THE END
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Ethereal King (In Dragn Protection Book 1)
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A Thank You from Ariana Hawkes
Hi, thank you so much for reading Boreas Reborn, the second book in my new dragon shifter series! I really hope you enjoyed it and if so please consider leaving a review; even if it’s only a line or two, it’ll make all the difference, and it will be greatly appreciated.
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Bonus story: Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Connor & Lauren)
Chapter 1
Nostrils flaring, Lauren Garcia tapped the tips of her reverse French manicure on the steering wheel of her old Honda Civic.
“Interesting,” she muttered to herself. “Not exactly what I was expecting.” The land had been derelict as long as she could remember.
“There’s just a couple broken-down shacks out there,” her boss had told her. “Tape an eviction notice on anything that looks like a door. Or better yet—hand it to any of those good-for-nothing punks you see hanging around. And then get the hell out of there.”
But what she was looking at right now were five large log cabins, sitting in a row, all new-looking, with the porches still under construction. “Weird. Am I even in the right place?” There were no real roads this deep into the national park that adjoined the town of Hope Valley, but she had the GPS co-ordinates. She retrieved her phone from the dash mount and double checked. Yup. Right location. She scrolled to her boss’s number, but before it started to ring, she hit cancel. He’d just give her a lot of shit about her “motivation” and “willingness to do what’s required”. And she might just explode and jam a filing cabinet up his ass.
No, she’d better handle this situation herself. Puffing out her cheeks, she straightened her long-line, pale gray shirt over her ample breasts, grabbed her purse, and climbed out of the car.
The first cabin in the row had three steps leading up to its wrap-around porch. The porch wood was still raw and unfinished, and the guard rail was missing, but she could see that it was well designed. She actually had a soft spot for log cabins, and it was a little like the ones she created in her daydreams from time to time. As she approached the front door, she saw it was open a couple of inches. There was no bell or door-knocker, so she held the door still with one hand and rapped with the other.
No answer after three tries.
She reached in her purse and pulled out one of the eviction notices. It was mean-looking with a bunch of threats typed in large letters over a bright red X watermark. She sighed, ran her hand through her cropped black hair. It just seemed kind of wrong sticking it to the door of this brand-new place. She pushed the door open a few more inches and called out, “Helloooo?”
Her voice resounded around a bare room, and a breath of cool air came back to her from an open door on the opposite side. She stepped over the threshold and entered the room. “Hello? Is anybody home?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” a deep voice said from behind her. She spun around to find herself no more than four feet away from a tall man with buzzed dark hair and deep brown eyes. He was broad, stocky, and very muscular, which she could verify since all he was wearing was a pair of ripped blue jeans. His olive skin glistened with perspiration, and he used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
“What can I do for you?” he said.
She realized she was staring at him stupidly, like a kid who’s been asked to choose between an ice cream and a candy bar. She stepped outside again and was suddenly very close to him, near enough to pick up a hint of his clean, woodsy scent. She had always liked the smell of fresh perspiration on a man.
“My name is Lauren Garcia.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lauren. I’m Connor.” When he stuck out his hand, she shook it cautiously, noticing how big and callused it was. Crap. She’d been prepared for aggressive and hostile, but this guy was friendly, which made it a hundred times worse.
She licked her lips. “Sir, I’m here from the Parks Department to serve an eviction notice on this land.”
Connor’s forehead furrowed spectacularly, eyebrows shooting up and together at the same time. “Eviction notice? No. This is our land.”
Double crap. Well, of course he wasn’t going to roll over like a puppy dog and admit he had no right to be here. Lauren drew herself up to her full height of 5ft 2.5 inches. “Sir, I’m afraid this is not your land. It belongs to the Parks Department, and anyone who is currently residing here needs to leave within seven days.” She shook out the notice and held it up for his inspection.
He read it from top to bottom, then shook his head slowly, his square jaw jutting out. “No. Your information is out of date. It used to belong to Parks, but it was recently granted to us for a nominal fee. We’ve since begun to build our community here, as you can see.” He gestured to the row of cabins, his pec muscles rippling as he raised his arms.
Lauren ground her teeth together. If that cretin of a boss has sent me on a wild goose chase… “Well, all I can say is I’m sorry for any confusion, sir. If you can show me the paperwork, I’m sure we can clear this up.”
“Paperwork?”
“Yes, a purchase agreement, bill of sale.”
He rested his hands on his hips. “We made the agreement man to man. There was no paperwork. We asked the Parks manager about the land and the abandoned buildings. He said it was a worthless heap of junk, and we could have it. I told him I didn’t expect anything for free in life, and he told me to give him a dollar. A ‘nominal fee,’ he called it. And now it’s ours.”
“But you must have signed something?”
“Nope.”
Lauren groaned. This was way more than she could cope with right now. “Come on, you’ve gotta give me a better story than that.”
Connor’s brown eyes narrowed. “I’m not giving you any story, ma’am. That’s what happened. Do you think we would’ve busted our asses building all these houses if this land wasn’t ours?” His voice had gotten louder, his muscles flexing, and she suddenly became aware how easily he could crush her against the front wall of the house. Probably with one hand. Which was saying a lot, since she was no Barbie doll.
She sidestepped ne
atly around him, and he swung around to keep her in view. Powerful. Agile. Could she outrun him if it became necessary to make a dash for her car? Not a hope in hell.
She cleared her throat. “Where did you meet the Parks manager?”
“Right here. We’d just turned up to check out the old shacks that used to be here, figure out if there was an owner. And the manager showed up. He was wearing a green shirt with an official badge right here.” He slapped his hand over his right pec with a resounding smack, and Lauren jumped. Damn. He looked good doing that. Or he would if he wasn’t looking at her with such impatience and hostility.
“And then?”
“And, like I said, we asked him who owned it, and he said we could do whatever we liked with it.”
Lauren exhaled hard. “If you’re telling the truth—”
A kind of rumble erupted from Connor’s chest, his jaw flexed as if he was biting down on it real hard, and his nostrils flared. Uh oh. She took another step away from him.
“Of course, I’m telling the truth.”
“Okay, sir. No need to get riled up. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here. So, have you considered that the person you spoke to might not have had the authority to sell this land to you? Or, in fact, might’ve been a random crazy guy passing through?”
Connor’s face hardened, his cheekbones seeming to broaden and his eyes narrowing until there was something a little feral about him. “Lady, I looked at his ID. And I’m not the kind of guy who fails to notice random, crazy people. Now, before I get real wound up, I need you to get off my land and go do your homework before you come and harass normal, hardworking folk.”
Lauren wasn’t aware that she’d been walking backward until his hand shot out and grasped her arm. She gasped.
“Steady there. No need to break a leg in the process.”
She looked behind her and discovered she was perilously close to the top step of the porch. “Thanks,” she mumbled through a tight throat. Connor held on to her a beat longer, his eyes burning into hers. They’re soft eyes, she thought with a small shock. Chocolate brown and thick-lashed. Not accustomed to narrow in anger and frustration.
“Hey, Connor! Whatcha doing?” a deep voice yelled from somewhere in the house. Her nerve finally breaking, she turned and headed for her car, as fast as she could go without running.
Three hours later, her head still pounding from the almighty showdown she’d had with her boss, Lauren sat at a table in Valentina’s in downtown Hope Valley, opposite her good friend, Tamika. It was their favorite cocktail bar, and they were into their second happy-hour drink, while Lauren unloaded the story of her day.
“It’s the worst case of he-said he-said,” she complained and took a gulp of her mojito.
Tamika’s big, brown eyes shone sympathetically. “It sounds like a crazy story all round. Either this guy is lying, or someone’s going around impersonating park rangers and selling off land they don’t own. For a dollar.”
“Yup. Crazy is right.”
“But the crux of the matter is that your boss shouldn’t have put you in that position. It could have been dangerous.”
“You’re telling me.” Lauren shuddered at the memory of the big, half-naked guy, muscles bulging, face contorted with anger. “The guy got all aggressive. I felt like he could eat me alive. He’s got no business occupying that land and acting all entitled. And I’ve told Errol there’s no way I’m going back there alone. He’ll have to get off his lazy ass and do something himself for once.”
Tamika grinned. “Atta girl! What did he say?”
“Just his usual crap.” Lauren stared at the ceiling. “I’m so done working with this guy, but there’s supposed to be a promotion opportunity coming up. I could become Parks Executive Officer, instead of Junior Parks Officer.” She rolled her eyes at the fluffy corporate titles. “I know I’ve got the skills and experience for it.”
“Of course, you have! Lauren, you’re the smartest person I know. I’m always telling you that. You’d be an asset to any company.”
Lauren jabbed her straw into the minty mush at the bottom of her glass. “Thanks, Tamika. Problem is, it doesn’t do me a whole lot of good when I’m up against people with college degrees.”
“I wish you’d come work with me.”
Lauren reached out and squeezed Tamika’s hand. “You’re a sweetheart. But you and I both know, I suck at technology. And the Parks Department doesn’t exactly have its finger on the pulse, so anything I know is outdated by about ten years. Anyway, enough about my ridiculous day. How are things going with your new creation?”
Tamika broke into a grin and clapped her hands together. “I’m very excited to say that the app is about to go into beta mode.”
Lauren raised an eyebrow in incomprehension.
“Oh, I’m sorry—I’m such an egghead sometimes! It means testing mode.”
“That’s great! Did you decide on the name for it?”
“Shiftr. Spelled without the e. Like Happn and Grindr.”
Lauren nodded slowly. “I like it. Very cool.”
“It’s just about ready to be tested live on some lucky subjects. We’ve got a bunch of shifters signed up to it, and a few lovely curvy ladies as well. And all that remains is to see how well our matchmaking technology works.”
“Awesome—” She froze. “Wait, I know that look in your eye. You want me to help you?”
Tamika’s eyes went soft and beseeching. “I know you’re not interested in dating. And you know I’m always telling you how crazy that is. But, I just need someone I trust to assess the app objectively and give me lots of information about your user experience.”
Lauren groaned internally. The thought of dating was about as appealing as living on a cabbage diet for the rest of her life, but Tamika was one of her best friends and she’d never refuse her anything. “What do I have to do?” she heard herself saying.
Tamika showed even more of her perfect white teeth. “You give me your phone, and I install the app on it.” She snatched Lauren’s phone from the table and started fiddling with it. “And then you go ahead and create a profile, start interacting with the shifters on there, and I’ll send you some questionnaires about your experiences.”
“Woah…I have to interact with the shifters, like I’m genuinely interested in dating them?”
“Of course. You’ll need to go on dates, too. It has to be real so I can test out the effectiveness of the technology.”
“B-but, I’ve never spoken to any shifters apart from Kyle,” she said, referring to Tamika’s wolf shifter mate.
“Relax. They’re just like regular guys. But a whole lot better.” Tamika’s eyes sparkled in a way that Lauren didn’t like one bit. “Who knows, you might even find your perfect match.”
“Girl, we’ve been through this. I’ll go through this dating charade to help you out, but if you think it’s going to end with me walking off into the sunset with Mr. Leopard and breeding a whole bunch of adorable spotted babies, you’ve got another think coming.”
Instead of replying, Tamika handed her the phone. “Okay, it’s all good to go. Your potential matches appear here.” She pointed at the screen with a pale pink fingertip. “And you scroll down to see more profiles.”
“Why aren’t there any photos of these guys?”
“Because I need you to find matches based on the app’s algorithms instead of what’s pleasing your eye, my dear. So—swipe left to see their animal sides, right if you don’t want to see them again, and start entering your personal profile right here.”
“Okay. I’ll do this.” Lauren fixed Tamika with her fiercest stare. “But just because you’re my friend and I love you.”
Chapter 2
Connor sat on his porch steps in the late afternoon shadows, cooling off with a beer. That feisty lady rocking up all aggressive and threatening had killed his enthusiasm for working on his new cabin. He didn’t think she’d be back, though. She looked good and scared when s
he left. Hopefully she’d find that bozo who sold them the land, and he’d straighten it all out. Explain that the clan had bought the land fair and square, and it was now their territory.
Connor had been roaming for a long time, never staying in any one place long enough to call it a home. Sleeping in places people had abandoned. Always on his guard. He’d picked up the other bears along the way—mostly wanderers like him, some troubled, broken. But they’d come together and become a clan, and he was damn proud of them. And now, at long last, they’d found a permanent home. And paid for it. Okay, the price was a joke. But the Parks manager had said they’d be doing him a favor. It was an eyesore, and his boss had been on his back to deal with it, but he didn’t have the budget. As long as Connor and his clan agreed to clean it up, it was theirs.
And now this little firecracker of a human had come along and tried to kick them out. There was no way in hell that was going to happen.
He ground his teeth at the thought. Something sat heavy in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t feel good about having scared her. She was tiny. And she smelled good. Sweet, like honey nectar. And she had big, pretty black eyes and those nice, ripe curves that some human women were blessed with. But when she accused him of lying, his bear had been about ready to bust out of him.
“What’s happening, bro?” Logan called, appearing from around the side of the house and bounding up the steps to sit beside him.
“Nothing much,” he said tersely. He wasn’t about to bother the clan with the crap that had just happened. He was the leader, and it was his job to take care of things like that. Finding this land was the best thing that had happened to some of them, and he wasn’t about to dampen their spirits. “Just finishing work for the day and trying to find the energy to get started on our, uh, other work. There’s a beer over there if you want one.”
Boreas Reborn Page 13
