One True Mate: Shifter's Shield (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Jules Tyler

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Lisa Ladew. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original One True Mate remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Lisa Ladew, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  Foreword from Lisa Ladew

  Jules, Jules, Jules. What can I say about Jules? I met her, you know. Same place I met Moxie North. Readers and Writers Seattle, 2017. We are all Pacific Northwest Babes. Back then I lived in Idaho, same as Jules, but way north of her. Now I’m in Oregon, almost directly south of Moxie. Come see me and Moxie in 2018. We are still trying to talk Jules into it.

  Anyone think of Jules as bubbly? Happy? Upbeat and excited to be kicking around here on planet Earth? You’re right. She gets it and you can see it on the smile on her face. <3 I love people like that.

  So I met Jules and Moxie, and they both convinced me having a world would be the best thing ever, and they promised they would write in it, which made me feel good because I was nervous… I mean, what if every author I contacted was like, “OTM? Oh no. Ew.” ---? Then what? Then I cry in the corner and drown my sorrows in alcohol until I hit rock bottom and have to hike across the country, relying on the kindness of strangers to eat and bathe while I try to get my head straight again.

  Instead, here we all are, 5 months later. Jules came through for me (Moxie too, of course). I had enough confidence to approach some other awesome authors, and BAM. OTM Kindle Worlds. Yeah, baby. Jules might even have saved my life. You never know what could happen to a woman hiking alone across this country, especially in the mindset I would have been in.

  I’m actually really excited about this story. If you are reading OTM, you know I haven’t done a lot with the foxen yet. Bad guys. Subplots. Nothing far-reaching. The first foxen were born bad. But it’s been a long road for them, and some of them just aren’t going to take their heritage lying down. I can’t wait to see what happens there.

  Here in Jules’ story, she explores a mixed foxen, which I LOVE. I hope you do, too. <3 Enjoy.

  Lisa

  Dedication

  For Laurie;

  Your support and dedication to

  helping with this project

  is what got me through

  in the end. I love ya

  girl! Xoxo.

  Shifter’s Shield

  By: Jules Tyler

  One-True-Mate

  Chapter One

  Caylan sat on the porch of his cabin and stared out at the meadow in front of him. Smoke was still drifting up from the fire pit from last night's meeting. The number of known One True Mates had been growing slowly in the passing months. First it seemed as though the wolven would be the only ones to receive mates, then the dragen had found his mate.

  That particular situation still sent shivers up Caylan's spine when he thought about it. A woman who could not only create fire with her hands from thin air, but who could also withstand the molten semen of the dragen when it spilled inside of her? Their bond was both intriguing and terrifying. Their children would be something to revere for years to come. The dragen himself seemed to have a level head though, perhaps being someone that Caylan could use as an ally in the rebellion against Khain.

  Caylan was the only known foxen who couldn’t be controlled by Khain because he was also half bearen. His tainted blood running through his veins made the blood bond to Khain weak. Something that had played to his benefit over the years. Shiften hybrids were rare; it wasn’t something that had ever been encouraged and much like crossbreeding in the animal kingdom, it could also result in odd genetic defects.

  A shift in the morning breeze brought Caylan back to the present. He could smell something unfamiliar on the wind. It was almost sweet, much like fresh cookies being baked by his mother on a cold day when he was a child. He shook his head. There was no way that fresh cookies could be this far out in the woods. He had built his cabin deep in the woods of Serenity when he had come here fifteen years ago. The plan was to stay close enough to the Kilo Special Response Team that if he needed help, he could get to them quickly, but still far enough away that neither Khain or the wolven would suspect his presence here.

  "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to go inspect. It's probably just someone camping out here or something," Caylan muttered as he pushed himself to his feet.

  Caylan walked into the woods and followed the trail that the scent was leaving behind. His heightened senses were beginning to make his mouth water. After half an hour or so of hiking deep into the woods, he stopped and listened as he began to hear the crackling of a fire in the distance, coming from the same direction that the scent was coming from.

  "If someone went to all the trouble to climb that rocky hillside, they probably don't want to be found," Caylan mused.

  It was probably a young couple up to some dirty deed. Maybe he could sneak up on them, make them believe these woods were haunted or something. He pressed onward in the same direction, making sure to keep his footsteps light. It wouldn't be the first time he had busted teenagers on his side of the woods, doing something they didn't want to be caught doing. Caylan got lost in thought as he continued walking, not paying attention to where his feet stepped as he walked onto a net hidden under the fallen leaves on the forest floor.

  The net shot upwards, taking Caylan with it, "What the fuck is this?"

  A blonde woman clad in blue jeans and a black tank top appeared from behind a large boulder and smiled, "Just someone outsmarting an idiot in the woods."

  "Get me down," Caylan growled.

  "Nah, I think I'll let you sit there a minute. Tell me what you were doing all the way out here."

  Caylan snarled as he dug for the butterfly knife in his back pocket.

  "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the woman taunted, pointing down at the wooden spikes that were now sitting in an upright position below the net.

  "Fuck, you sure know how to set a trap," Caylan sighed, trying to ignore the slight arousal he felt over the woman's trap placement. "Can you please get me down from here?"

  "You still haven't answered my question."

  Caylan rolled his eyes, "I live in a cabin in the meadow a couple miles back. I came out for a morning hike."

  "Why?" She inquired as she walked over to where the anchor to the net was hidden.

  "Not much else to do when you live in the woods, now is there?"

  "You weren't out here looking for something?" The woman speculated, blue eyes meeting Caylan's brown ones, searching them as though she was debating about whether or not to trust him.

  “Why would I be looking for something? I said I live here.”

  "Good point. What's your name?" She smiled as she lowered him to the ground.

  Caylan watched as the spikes laid back down on the ground, "Caylan, you?"

  "Tansy."

  "So Tansy, what brings you all the way out to my neck of the woods?"

  Tansy shrugged, "Change of scenery, I guess."

  "Sounds boring," Caylan said as the net dropped to the ground around him.

  "We all have our own little somethings that make us who we are," Tansy smiled, busying herself with resetting her trap.

  Caylan pushed himself up from his spot on the ground and strode over to lean against the boulder Tansy had appeared from behind. Looking around, he worked to focus his eyes on the forest floor. He made mental notes of the little snares she had rigged
around the perimeter of trees outside of the flat area that Tansy had laid the net. There was also a metal device to the right of the boulder that looked much like a bear trap.

  What on earth is she hiding from? There's no way that all of this was necessary for catching one's dinner, Caylan thought to himself.

  "Why do you look so perplexed?" Tansy asked, casting a wary look over her shoulder at Caylan.

  "Are you really such a bad huntress that you need all of the traps?" Caylan raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for some sort of response. He pretended not to notice the fear flash across her face before she replaced it with a defensive look.

  "I think it's time that you go," Tansy growled as she glared at Caylan.

  “Answer the question,” Caylan snarled, voice booming across the trees, standing taller to make himself look more intimidating.

  "Trying to strong arm me into answering your questions is no way to make me talk," Tansy gritted through her clenched jaw.

  "What are you running from?"

  "Nothing!"

  "Then what are all the traps for, Tansy?"

  There was a beat of silence before Tansy responded, "They make me feel more secure, okay? Just drop it and go away, would you?"

  "What if I don't want to go away?" Caylan relaxed back against the boulder, folding his arms across his chest in defiance.

  "I'll shoot you," Tansy replied, drawing a military grade pistol out of her back holster and focusing it on Caylan.

  "You don't scare me. You wouldn't really shoot me."

  Tansy pulled back the slide on the gun, "You wanna find out?"

  Caylan paused for a moment and calculated Tansy's position. From the way she was standing, he knew she wasn't bluffing. The way her eyes had hardened as she stared him down told him almost everything he needed to know about her. She had killed someone before. Her hands weren't even shaking as her finger hovered over the trigger.

  Caylan held his hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright. I'll go."

  Tansy narrowed her eyes at him before waving the nose of the gun towards the trees to his left, "Alright then, get with it."

  Caylan started to sidle to the left and watched as she slowly relaxed her grip on the gun. In three quick strides, he was able to close the gap between them and grab Tansy's arm. In one fluid motion, he turned her in his arms and pointed the gun away from their bodies. He pulled the trigger as he pointed it into the woods and yanked it from Tansy's hands. As the adrenaline settled in, a blast of heat shot up his arms. An incessant need to protect this woman from everything and anything coursed through his veins and it was all he could think about. In that moment, everything became so much clearer. Caylan knew what he needed to do.

  "Fuck," was all he said before he felt the elbow to his ribs. Most men would've crippled over from the blow, but the extra muscle from his shiften genetics were harder and stronger than those men's were.

  Tansy struggled in Caylan's grip, "Let me go!"

  "No," Caylan growled.

  "I'll scream!" Tansy exclaimed.

  "No, you won't."

  "How do you know?"

  "Because if you wanted to be close enough for someone to hear you, you would've camped closer to Serenity. You're hiding from something and you won't risk blowing your cover by screaming out for help. Trust me when I say I'll keep you safe. Just don't run when I let go, okay?" Caylan whispered into her ear.

  Tansy twisted her head around and stared at Caylan, "Are you insane?"

  "I'm lots of things darlin', but insane definitely isn't one of them. You're coming with me, whether we do this the easy way or the hard way."

  "Why do you care?" Tansy growled.

  "You're a One True Mate."

  Chapter Two

  This man is certifiably insane! Tansy’s thoughts screamed.

  “Look, I don’t know what a... whatever you called it, is, but it ain’t me. Now let me go!” Tansy struggled to free herself from Caylan’s grasp.

  “Not until you agree to let me keep you safe.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” Tansy spat. Rule Number One for Survival: stranger danger. Tansy had broken the rule, and now some crazy stranger with big ass muscles wanted to abduct her.

  “Fine, we’ll stay here. Where’s your camp?”

  “Why the hell would I tell you? I’m trying to get away from you.”

  “The only way I’m letting you go is if you let me keep you safe. You aren’t safe up here by yourself. Whether I keep an eye on you out here at your camp or at my cabin, I don’t care. Make your choice,” Caylan said cooly.

  Tansy marveled at the man’s resilience; he wasn’t going to give this up. “I can take care of myself, thank you fucking much.”

  “You’ve got a smart mouth,” Caylan’s upper lip curved up in a teasing smile.

  “That’s beside the point. The point I’m trying to make is I’m a strong independent woman, and I don’t need anyone up here trying to protect me from made up dangers,” Tansy stated, feeling herself getting flustered over Caylan’s sexy ass smile.

  “Is that why I was able to disarm you and wrap you up in a bear hug to keep you from running?” Caylan asked, voice dripping with humor, “Listen, I know you’re probably really freaked out with some strange man like me trying to protect you from things you probably don’t think are a problem. Just trust me when I say you’re better off with me than staying out here in the woods by yourself. There’s lots of men like me that wander these woods. Not all of them are as patient or as kind as I am. My offer is the best option you’ve got.”

  “I used to be a Marine, I think I can handle a few perverts. Let me go.”

  “They won’t just be perverts. If you won’t come with me to stay, at least come with me so I can make you dinner. You look like you haven’t had a hot shower in days. You can take a hot shower, I’ll make you a hot meal, you can hear me out, and make a decision after,” Caylan’s voice rang with sincerity as he spoke.

  Tansy’s stomach growled at the mention of a hot meal. Living off the grid and in hiding made it impossible for Tansy to go into a restaurant when she passed through towns. Even smaller areas like Serenity made her feel like she couldn’t go inside and risk being caught on a camera. A hot shower had a nice ring to it, too. Besides, she could think of worse men to go home with. At least Caylan was good looking.

  Chewing on her bottom lip as Caylan’s arms loosened around her, she resigned herself to defeat. She wasn’t one to trust strangers, especially not ones that looked like the dark haired giant behind her, but one giant was easier to take on than three or four. She found herself questioning when the last time was that she had allowed herself to look at a man as more than just someone to watch her back as his biceps flexed against her. It had been years probably. Even then, she didn’t trust anyone. It was safer that way, being alone. She shouldn’t risk the temptation this stranger was bringing into her life, but it did send shivers up her spine just thinking about the delicious things he most likely could do to her body.

  Damn it woman, pull it together. You don’t even know this man!

  Tansy’s stomach growled as she continued contemplating over the pros and cons of going home with him. Ultimately, the promise of a hot meal and a hot shower made up Tansy’s mind. She would take the chance at Caylan’s company for a few hours. Humor him, eat his food, use his running water, then hightail it back here to gather her things and make a break for it. She’d already spent two weeks in the woods here already; it was well past time for her to move on. She felt drawn to this forest though, so she had stayed put.

  “You’re awful quiet up there.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Tansy muttered.

  “Sorry?” Caylan asked.

  “I’ll go with you. I’ll hear you out. But if I think for one minute that you’re just trying to get into my panties, I’ll wait until you’re asleep and I’ll cut off your cock, understand me?”

  “You have a smart mouth,” Caylan mused as he released his hold
on her.

  Tansy rolled her eyes, “You already said that.”

  Caylan shrugged, “I know. Just reiterating my point. Would you like to get clean clothes, or would you like to wear something of mine while I wash what you’re wearing?”

  “I’ll let you wash these. I don’t want you knowing where I’m camped at.”

  “Why not?” Caylan asked over his shoulder as he started back down the path he had wandered up.

  “Why do you ask so many questions?”

  “Because I want to get to know you.”

  “Don’t,” Tansy warned, glaring after him.

  “Come on. I’m starting to get hungry, and if we hurry, I can put a roast in the oven for dinner,” Caylan said, ignoring her warning.

  Tansy jogged to catch up with him, falling into stride at his side. As they walked in silence, Tansy found herself casting sideways glances at Caylan. Taking in his muscles and deep brown eyes, he was a beautiful man. Not at all what she would expect for a hermit in the woods. She found herself envying him as she studied his calm demeanor. He didn’t have the sense of insecurity, the constant need to run. She frowned down at the trail. She hadn’t slept in a bed in almost seven years because of these issues. She joined the Marines at eighteen and had deployed shortly after finishing her technical training.

  “Why are you being so quiet? We can’t get to know each other if we don’t talk,” Caylan said thoughtfully.

  “I like it that way,” Tansy shrugged, kicking a rock down the path as she tried to keep her eyes from roaming over Caylan’s muscular body.

  Man, he is built. I wonder what they feed these boys to make them grow up to look like this.

  “Why?” Caylan’s voice broke through her train of thought.

  Tansy sighed in exhaustion, “Once again, you ask a lot of questions.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “That you need to just shut up and accept that it’s better this way.”

  Caylan canted his head in confusion, “What way?”