Shifting Shadows

by Barb Shuler

  I was brushing my fingers through my hair, pulling it into a smooth ponytail while careful of the sore spot when when I heard the voice again. “Do not fret, they will complete you. Let them in, let them see the real you.”

  “Hello?” I said as I stood up.

  It felt as if there were eyes on me. My skin prickled and I turned in a circle. I hurried to get back in bed and hid my head under the covers. I wasn’t going to lose my mind right now. I couldn’t, not right now.

  “No way!” I let the words slip out as the men entered the bar. They were shifters. Real shifters, at that. I wasn’t sure how I knew it, but I did. I’d always had this ability. My gran always told me it was my gift. I remember her saying to me as a small child that it would come in handy one day. So far it hasn’t done a damn thing, other than make me into a stalker.

  I couldn’t fight my need to go to them, but the urge to be in their presence changed when I did get closer. They suddenly repulsed me, yet I had no idea why. My stomach tightened as I shuffled by them. Within a few deep breaths I made it to the ladies room and splashed water on my face. The nausea was fading now, thank goodness. My skin had paled, great. With a huff I patted my face with a paper towel and headed back out the door.

  I was grabbed and tugged forward. I fought, but was wrapped in an iron grip. A greasy hand clamped over my mouth and I was carried out the back of the noisy bar.

  I was dropped roughly to the ground, a gasp leaving my lips. A kick was landed into my side then a big body dropped down on top of me. I fought to get free of the hands holding me down, but I was helpless. They were so strong. I kicked, bucking my hips to detour the hands tugging at my jeans. A slap stung my skin, slamming my head back against the ground. Sobs wracked my body as I tried to get free.

  Yellow eyes focused on me. I felt the hands holding me down tighten around me and I screamed.

  “Jasmine, sweetheart, wake up. Open your eyes. Please,” a voice filtered through the growls and snarling around me. I screamed again, my body lurching upright. I blinked back tears as I felt a warm hand touch my face. Both Tiberius and Horacio were sitting on the bed. Tiberius’ golden gaze met mine as he cupped my face, brushing the tears away. Horacio, who was on the bed beside me, took my hand.

  “What… was that?” I rasped out. A shudder sent a jolt of fear through me. My eyes scanned the room before meeting Ty’s gaze.

  “You were having a bad dream. We heard you screaming- We won’t let anything bad happen to you.” I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes. I believed his words. Something inside of me knew he was being truthful.

  “We will protect you,” Horacio said, his voice coming out in a low whisper. He squeezed my hand.

  “Let them in.” That weird voice rolled around in my head again.

  My tears started to roll down my cheeks quicker. In a flash I was in a lap. I shifted to rest my head against Tiberius’ shoulder and he pulled me closer. Horacio, who was laid against Ty’s other shoulder, smiled at me.

  “I’m scared…”

  “I know, pretty girl, but you don’t have to be. This cabin isn’t a place just anyone is going to come upon. No one will hurt you here. Not all shifters are bad, just as all people are not bad.”

  I nodded. He had a point, I guess. As the warmth of the two bodies wrapped around me I felt my eyes closing. I tried to fight it but it won. My body was so relaxed I simply drifted off to sleep.

  Five

  Horacio

  There are moments in our lives that change us all. It could be something big, something small or something completely indifferent. Mine was coming home five days ago to find my mate struggling to keep his bear in line while a girl - a human, mind you - screamed like a crazy person in the corner. There was a strange voice rolling itself around inside my head that said we needed to protect her and now we have learned that this human knows about shifters. She actually seems to know a lot about the supernatural world. That knowledge is why she’s been exiled - for lack of a better word - up here in the rain and cold.

  Don’t get me wrong, Oregon is a great place to live and all, but it’s fucking cold in the winter. Freeze your balls off cold kind of cold. I’m not sure why anyone who wasn’t a shifter would choose to live up here. Jasmine - the girl - said she was traveling with friends in Seattle when something pulled her down this way. Her friends - assholes that they were - just let her go off on her merry way.

  She’s been in the area for a couple of months, working odd jobs to pay for lodging and food. She didn’t seem to be put off by the fact that we are shifters, or that she senses this somehow. She’s still skittish -I can’t blame her after being attacked by those flea infested bastard wolves - but she is safe here in our home.

  Tiberius has explained to me the pull he felt towards her when he touched her. Let’s just say that conversation didn’t go well. I was an asshole, I freely admit that. But can you blame me? My mate told me that he felt the bonds that he and I share tugging him towards another, towards a human girl at that! I lost my head, and my jaguar was no better. Snarling, we’d taken off into the woods and left Ty here to deal with the girl.

  It was hard to walk back into the house and find Ty pacing, worry etching his face. I’d had some serious soul searching to do while I was away, but the end, I trusted Ty. If there was a reason he got this pull towards the girl, we’d just have to cross that bridge when we came to it. For nowm keeping her safe and away from other shifters was top priority.

  Then it happened to me. I had been in the room with her and tried to wake her from a dream. The moment I had full contact with her the compulsion slammed into me. My jaguar tried to claw himself out of me to get to his mate. I felt the bonds stretching and reaching for her. Ty had to do as I’d done with him, calming me and my animal before we scared the beautiful girl.

  I shook those thoughts free of my mind and went back to fixing her breakfast. I set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast before her and handed her a glass of juice. “Eat up. There’s more if you want it; well, that is until Ty comes back in from gathering wood. The man eats like a bear.” I winked at her. She grinned, covering her face to hide her blush. At least she was starting to relax around us. She no longer jumped whenever we came into a room.

  Small victories.

  I set about cleaning up the mess I’d made while cooking and left her to eat in peace. It was odd to have another body in the cabin, but not in a bad way, My jaguar, who is very territorial, was not even slightly put off by her being here. That was strange indeed, for me, the man.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  I turned to nod at Jasmine as I spoke. “Sure you can.”

  “Why.. why did those men attack me? Was it my fault for telling them I knew they were shifters?” I met her violet gaze and shook my head. I moved around the bar where she sat eating and leaned against it. I had to control my temper or I’d scare her.

  “Sweetheart, nothing you could have said or done would make what those animals did okay. We explained that to you. No woman deserves what they did to you.”

  “I just-”

  “No,” I said, cutting her off. I lifted her chin with my fingers. A surge of electricity shot through me and I sucked in a deep breath. Her tongue darted out across her bottom lip as my fingers involuntarily ran along her jaw and down her neck. My voice was husky t. “You don’t need to worry. That will never happen to you again. We won’t allow it.”

  The feel of her skin under my touch sent ripples through me. My jaguar called out to her, growling softly as he leapt forth. She gasped as I moved closer to her.

  “Your eyes…”

  “Shh,” I said, leaning in closer to take in her scent. She let out a breathy moan. Her hand moved to lay atop mine. My mate bonds were calling for her as they had for Ty. My jaws clamped together. I needed space. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. I was destined to be with Ty. I wasn’t into pussy! I pulled away, leaving her looking a little dazed. The front door opened and Ty wal
ked in. His arms were full of logs for the fireplace.

  I shivered as my hand fell from her. I moved to the door and hurried outside. I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the cold, crisp Oregon air. It was doing nothing to push away the feelings Jasmine’s scent caused. It was also doing nothing to help the raging hardon I had. With a grunt, I ran my hand through my hair. I heard the door open behind me. The moment I felt two massive arms wrap around me I relaxed back into him. My jaguar wasn’t happy that we had walked away from Jasmine. He, like Ty’s bear, was confused. That had to be it.

  As the wind blew across us the tinkling voice we had heard the night we found her surfaced again. “Be not afraid of what you do not understand. Join as one and the answers will come forth.” I felt Ty tense behind me as the words flittered off in the wind. I sighed when his lips brushed over my neck. My chest rumbled with a growl, one that was reserved for him.

  “What happened?” he asked, nipping at my neck. My eyes closed on their own accord and I ground back into him. His cock was pressed into my lower back and I wanted nothing more than to turn and drop to my knees and worship my man.

  “It happened again,” I whispered. His big warm hands caressed me. My cock was painfully hard. He was torturing me and he knew it.

  He spoke against my ear in a growl, “What?”

  “I can feel her…” I moaned out as his palm worked against the front of my jeans. Goddess above, have mercy on my soul.

  “Me too,” he said. His teeth grazed his mark on my neck. The front door opened and her scent enveloped us. My jaguar surfaced as did his bear. The growls that left us were not ones of anger, but of pure desire. We turned to face her, his arm still around me. She stood in the doorway wearing nothing but a t-shirt. Her nipples, as hard as my cock, were visible through the fabric. Her eyes roamed over us both before she looked around and whispered.

  “Did you hear that voice?”

  I nodded as Ty spoke. “We did. I think we should go inside and talk.”

  Six

  Tiberius

  Things happen when you are about to giveaway an assload of secrets to someone that not only calls to your animal, but calls to you as a man as well. I had been surprised to find that even Horacio was having a hard time - no pun intended - with Jasmine’s touch. And, two, you get blue balls. Seriously! This was going to cause permanent damage if weren’t careful. I’d never wanted anyone - other than Horacio - in this way. It physically hurt to deny myself.

  I shifted my painful erection with a grunt and turned back to the room. Jasmine is sitting on the couch, her feet pulled up under her, those violet eyes looking between me and where Horacio was leaning up against the stone fireplace. He was a sight. His arms were crossed over his chest like he didn’t have a care in the world. But I could feel his worry and excitement. I could also see the evidence of said excitement. I bit back a growl and looked back to Jasmine.

  “You know a lot about shifters, you have said as much, but what do you know about mated pairs?” I asked, my eyes meeting hers.

  “Mated pairs are not as easy to find as shifters themselves, most men of the shifter world are overprotective and keep their mates well hidden.”

  “Ahh, yes, this is true. Mates are very special to the survival of the species. However, there are a few like Horacio and myself that-”

  “Choose dicks over chicks? Yeah, I got that.” She grinned at us both. I threw my head back and laughed, as did Horacio.

  “Yeah, that’s one way to put it,” he said as he moved to sit in the chair by the couch. “Ty wasn’t always on the same team, he was brought over to the darkside when the bond between us kicked in.”

  “What he means is-”

  “You played the field? Batted for both teams?” she asked, her head cocking to the side. I snorted. Damn, she was cute and playful when she let her guard down.

  “Something like that. Life was complicated for a shifter when I first came around. My clan originated in Alaska. I left them to be a lone wolf - so to speak - when I became of age. My bear was restless, pulling me further and further from home. Then it happened. I woke to find the Guardian marking on me. My bear took over then. I roamed, fighting the evil in the world until I got to Oregon.”

  “Then he tried to eat me, and the rest is history,” Horacio supplied, his face showing no emotion. I side eyed him. His cocky grin was back. I sighed and shook my head. “That was not my fault. You, my dear mate, were the one that was running in the woods. Alone. Not my fault you smelled like lunch.”

  “Whoa,” Jasmine said. Her eyes were little wider now. I grinned at her.

  “What he failed to tell you was that he had been on a hunt. Our animals need that from time to time. He’d had rabbit. The blood was on his skin and my bear likes rabbit.” I shrugged.

  “You eat poor little rabbits!?” she shrieked. She jumped off the couch and rushed me, poking my chest. “You big bully! What did those poor little things ever do to you?” Each time she poked my chest the desire to pull her closer flared. The mating bonds and my bear were calling out to her. A rumble escaped me as I grabbed her hand and pressed it to my chest. Her own chest was heaving as she met my gaze.

  I leaned down, my frame towering over her, closing my eyes and taking in her scent. Fuck! My cock throbbed against my jeans as she whispered my name. My eyes opened and I knew they’d changed to the glowing gold of my bear. She licked her lips. It wasn’t until Horacio came up behind her and pushed us closer together that I spoke.

  “Hmm… rabbits are just for fun. I think I’d rather eat you.” My words brushed softly against her skin as I run my hand along her side.

  “St-stop trying to distract me…” she panted. I smirked. The T-shirt she wore - my T-shirt - rode up as my fingers brushed against her skin. Her body was warm between us. She whimpered Horacio’s name. His lips had worked their way up the other side of her neck.

  “Is this distracting?” I asked. She shoved at my chest. It was half hearted, but I still stopped and met her eyes. This would go any way she wanted it. Our animals may call to her, but we would never push ourselves on her. No meant no.

  “Are you okay?” Horacio asked her. He slowly straightened behind her. She took a shaky breath and stepped from between us.

  “I’m sorry, I- I...” she trailed off. She turned and ran from the room. My head fell back, taking in a cleansing breath. I was working to hold in the groan of frustration and kicking myself for letting that happen.

  “Should we check on her?” I asked. Horacio moved to rest a hand on my heaving chest. I pulled myself together and looked down at him. I shook my head. “We scared her.”

  “No, baby, we didn’t scare her. The power rolling off one of us is enough to overwhelm anyone, let alone the power rolling off the both of us. If she wants us she’ll come back to us. This whole relationship took us some time to wrap our heads around. She deserves the same,” he said. His arms came around me. My eyes moved to the doorway leading to the hall. I never meant to scare her, or to overwhelm her.

  “Come on, let’s get the place tidied up. Let her have her space,” he said, tugging on my hand. I nodded and moved back to the fireplace.

  I stacked the wood I had brought in and dumped it in the box so it was easier to handle, then added a few logs to the fire. I used the poker to reposition each one and smiled as the flames wrapped around them. The crackle of the wood, the flames burning bright in small flames had my mind going back to another day, another time, one that changed my life for the better. The night I first laid eyes on the hot as sin shifter on the other side of the cabin.

  My grin spread across my face as I stood and moved to the kitchen. I never could stand being away from him for long.

  Seven

  Horacio

  A wise person once told me that the happiness in your heart is from what life brings to you. The last few years have brought many days and nights of happiness my way. The fates sometimes test our resolve, which in turn makes us stronger. Not only as
men - or in some cases, women - but as shifters.

  Being mated to the tall, dark haired hunk of a man currently leaning against the bar across the room from me is my happiness. The last few weeks have changed things for us both, but not in a way I ever expected. It seems the fates were up to something again. Or it could have been the Goddess herself, but either way, there was something special blossoming between Tiberius, myself and Jasmine.

  My Jaguar was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. It was a pull that was growing harder and harder - as was my cock as I thought of them both - to fight. I’d never been attracted to women, no more than to compliment them on their beauty, but Jasmine was just... special. Something about her had us both by the balls. Lead me into temptation. I’m more than willing to be a participant.

  Yesterday’s display of just how much we needed her had sent Jasmine into a tailspin, for a bit. She’d stayed in her room for so long we’d both worried that she wasn’t coming out. Eventually those fears were put to rest when she returned, but she’s been quiet, and tiptoed around us. Neither of us said or acted upon the feelings we were having again. Hours later, while we sat on the couch watching the rain through the window, she came to us. She didn’t say anything; she just sat in Ty’s lap, shifting to lay her legs over my lap and curling into us.

  We stayed like that for hours. The warmth of them against me had soothed the growing unease I was feeling. My jaguar was at rest, Ty’s bear - who was getting testy - was calm. And sweet Jasmine had fallen asleep there. Neither of us wanted to move her, so we sat there as long as we could. Eventually we moved her to the spare bedroom she had been occupying and let her sleep.