Shifting Shadows

by Barb Shuler

  I stroke my cock as I watch them. I move up behind Jasmine, my tip pressing against her slick lips. I tease her first, of course. She shifts her ass back, greedily seeking my cock. I smirk and then, in one thrust, I sink all the way into her warm pussy. Her and Horacio both growl as I do so. The three of us move in tandem as I thrust hard and fast into her core. My balls slap against her ass as she works Horacio’s cock with her mouth.

  “Fuck!”

  “Mine,” I growl out as I slam into her core again. Horacio and I lock eyes, he repeats my words and we all groan as the bond we have opens and floods us with the love we share. I bend over her and nip along her spine. Jasmine’s body shifts, wanting more as she greedily takes Horacio into her very talented mouth faster, harder even.

  “Jassy…” Horacio groans as his body jerks. I watch as his abdomen muscles roll. He’s ready to let go. I pull from Jasmine and pat her ass. She releases him as he starts to come. I lean over and take him into my mouth. His warmth fills me and I swallow hard. My free hand goes to his balls as I give them a gentle squeeze. His hips buck a final time. I work his cock until he lays back on the ground, panting and dazed.

  I release him, lean up over him and kiss him softly. “I love you,” I say. His grin is all I need, but his, “I love you, too” has my heart soaring. I pull away and moved back to sit on the ground. I pull Jasmine back to me. She’s rubbing her clit so I pull her hands away and lock them in one of mine behind her. I pull her closer and let her sink down on my cock. My head leans in and I take her breast in my mouth, teasing and nipping at her swollen bud. Her body shakes as I move up to her neck, nipping at her perfect skin. She’s so tight around me. I release her hand and move my hands to grip her ass tight as I lift her up and shove her back down onto my cock. I lay back, my legs coming up to plant my feet on the ground. Her body falls forward, her hands rest on my chest as my hips thrust up into her. I can feel every inch of her tighten as I move fast and hard.

  “TY! Yes.. fuck yes..” she pants as her body jerks one last time. She cums crying out my name. With a few more thrusts I follow her over the edge. We collapse against one another, all of us breathing heavy. I lay my head on Horacio’s shoulder. His arm comes around me and I feel content. As content as any man can feel.

  We laid there, for a long while just basking in the closeness we share. Unlike other mated pairs, we have something extra special. My fingers are running through Jasmine’s hair when she sits up and looks down at the two of us. I raise a brow at the sneaky grin she gives us.

  “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” I ask, while I run my fingers over the soft skin of her abdomen. That same abdomen held our child a few weeks ago. I smile as I think of our little Haven. She is as perfect as her mama.

  “I think we should have the moon ceremony. The three of us. The full moon is in a week. I want to do it. I want to promise my soul to you both under the watchful moon.” I sit up, as does Horacio. We both nod our agreement at her words.

  “Fuck yeah, baby. You know we will. You are ours-”

  “No matter what we do or don’t do.” Horacio finishes. I grin and I lean in to kiss him softly, tugging at his bottom lip before turning and kissing her just as softly. When I pull back she leans over and kisses Horacio.

  “Come on, we should get back. Haven will need to be fed soon,” I say. Jasmine stands, and we follow suit. Once we are all dressed again we start our trek back to the cabin, hand in hand with my mates.

  Epilogue

  “Are you ready, my child?” I turn at my grandmother’s words and smile. I nod because I’m afraid I’ll start to cry if I speak. I shift on bare feet, the silk dress I’m wearing sliding against my skin. I smile. Tonight is more than just special. Tonight I to solidify my place in the life I’ve been chosen for. In just a few minutes I will be giving myself to the men that hold my heart and soul. Goddess help me, I am so nervous.

  “Relax, Jasmine, relax. We’ve got this,” I say to myself as I move to where my grandmother stands.

  When she takes my hand I close my eyes and we jump to where the boys, our family and our daughter are waiting. When I open my eyes the cool night breeze wafts over my skin. The scents of my mates fill my nostrils and both my wolf and I relax. I move to where my father, Thaddeus and Horace - Horacio’s father, who was also a Guardian - stand. I don’t know much about Horace, or Thaddeus for that matter, but it was all slowly starting to come together. They both have so many stories of their times with the boys and of their times fighting. There will never be a dull moment with this family, that is easy to see.

  I move with my Grandmother to where the men are standing. I turn to face my boys, and my smile is so large my cheeks hurt. Both of them have glowing eyes, and I can feel mine burning as well now. Calm washes over me as our fathers start a chant. I’m not sure what is being said, and honestly it doesn’t matter. Ty, Horacio and I join hands. “I promise, from this night on, to be one with my mates,” we say in unison. My mother approaches us, a small knife in her hands. She hands it to me after I release my grip on the boys hands. She had already told me about this part of the ceremony. I have to cut both of my palms and then lock hands with Ty and Horacio after they each slice their palms. I had asked to do it, but I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of spilling my own blood. This will bind us, blood to blood. It will make the three of us as one.

  “Jasmine,” my father’s voice rings out into the quiet of the night. “You may begin, daughter mine.” I nod at him.

  “Tiberius, you and your bear are mine, as I and my wolf are yours.” I say, as I draw the knife across my right palm. Ty takes the knife and slices his left palm, reciting the words back to me. He then turns to Horacio, recites it again and slices into his left palm. Horacio takes the knife and slices his right and then his left palm reciting the words to each of us in turn. When he’s finished he hands the knife to me for the last time and I say, “Horacio, you and your Jaguar are mine, as I and my wolf are yours.” and then draw the blade across my left palm and hand it back to my mother.

  “My heart is yours, as is it Tiberius’s,” Horacio says. His brings his right hand up and clasps mine, palm to palm. With his left hand he reaches for Ty.

  “My heart is yours, as it is Horacio’s,” Ty says as he presses his left hand to mine.

  As one we speak the words my father had given us earlier. “Blood to blood, heart to heart, soul to soul. We bind ourselves to the other. With each word, each thought we will be as one. We ask the Goddess to bless this union. Under the moon of the ancients we ask that you take us into your arms, embrace this union and bless us to be as one.”

  I shudder as power rolls through me. My eyes close, my breathing picks up, and as one, we go to our knees as another wave of magic hits us hard.

  “It is done,” my father says as he moves to the group. He places his hand over mine and Horacio’s clasped hands. Thaddeus places his hand over Ty’s and mine, and Horace put his hand over the hands the boys have locked together. They again chant words I do not know and then step back.

  “You are now bound by the Goddess.” At the words of our fathers we get to our feet and hug. It’s the shifter way to marry your mate. Now my boys will be mine, forever, and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do about it. I pull back from them when Grandmother steps up and holds Haven out to me. I take her and feel my boys wrap themselves around us both. I kiss Haven’s head and watch her as she coos up at her two fathers, melting my heart even more.

  Life doesn’t get any better than this.

  Shifting Shadows Playlist

  Four on the Floor - Lee Brice

  Heaven - Bryan Adams

  I Still Got a Finger - Blake Shelton

  I Try - Macy Gray

  If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback

  In Your Room - Halestorm

  Iridescent - Linkin Park

  Let Me Be Your Lover - Enrique Iglesias (ft. Pitbull)

  Manos al Aire - Nelly Furtado

&n
bsp; Monster - Skillet

  No Giving Up - Crossfade

  Oblivion - Bastille

  Rise Up - Andra Day

  Say You’ll Haunt Me - Stone Sour

  Supermassive Black Hole - 2Cellos ft. Naya Rivera

  The Betrayal (Act I) - Nickelback

  To Hell and Back - Sabaton

  Unforgiven - Metallica

  Sneak Peek of Primal Darkness

  CHAPTER 1 - Emerson

  High school is supposed to be the best of your school years. Or so my Mom always said. It was, in the beginning. Then Sophomore year came and it all changed. I was a normal high school kid who laughed and joked with her friends. I went to Friday night football games - I mean, that is the thing to do in Texas, after all - and cheered for our team. I went to the movies on Saturday nights, spent my Sunday mornings in church, and my afternoons with my mom. It was a great life. Then Mom met him and everything changed. She changed. I became just a burden to her.

  A girl can only take so much.

  By Senior year, I knew I had to find a way to fix things. I couldn’t stay with her anymore. My grades had started to slip - which sucked - and I wanted a future that didn’t include locking my bedroom door at night - or anytime Mom wasn't home.

  A change was a necessity so, I called my dad and took steps to get my life back on track. I made that leap, and I thank my lucky stars daily that I did.

  As I sit in the auditorium waiting for our graduation ceremony to start, I can't help but let my mind wander back to my first day here. The first time I saw him.

  I’d only just gotten here. My dad had taken a new job, and I was nervous as hell. The town was nice, and the people I'd met so far were really nice, but it was different than Texas. Colorado Springs, Colorado was a marvelous place. Simply gorgeous. Breathtaking, even.

  The school was slightly different from what I was used to. Still, it had the big buildings, kids playing around in the parking lot, and of course the practice field in plain view of everyone. It was different from the mass of buildings and parking lots my school in San Antonio had. This was small, quaint even, compared to my old school. It looked inviting, and for a school of any kind that’s something miraculous.

  There were a few other vehicles like mine, some a bit older, but nothing new and flashy like there was in San Antonio. There was a lot more variety in the bigger cities, thanks to the military bases and what not there. Here, it was just simple. Thank God. After parking my dark blue, Dodge truck, I took a deep breath and climbed out. I turned to go up the walk that would lead me into the school, but came to a stumbling stop when I literally ran into the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. He was tall, dark and totally the man that got all the girls attention. He looked like a model. A very hot, sexy, tall drink of a man kind of model.

  Shaking myself from the haze of hotness I shifted my bag on my shoulder, made my apologies and went inside. My heart had set to racing like it was a new racer in the Indianapolis 500. Jesus! I made my way to the office - still barely breathing - to get signed in and pick up my schedule. My dad, bless him, had already been here and gotten everything changed over for me so the first day would be easier.

  The secretary was the sweetest lady I think I had ever met. She said that my classrooms would be easy to find, but she gave me a map of the school, just in case. Thankfully, I had already scoped it out on the school's website, but the map would come in handy. I was the kind of girl that could get lost on a one-way street as it was. Seriously, I could get lost in my own house, at times, or so it seemed.

  Walking out of the office I gave myself a mental shake. I could do this. It was just another school, and this change would gear me up for college. I nodded again and headed to my first class. School had been in for a few months already. School had started here in August, and it was only a few weeks until Christmas break - so I was worried about being the center of attention. Assholes and bullies had a “new kid radar” when they intended on making your life hell. I hated that - bullies who were nothing more than scared children themselves. Just let me slip in, unnoticed and stay unimportant.

  I entered the classroom and froze as I scanned the seats.

  My heart sped up and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Sitting there in the back of the class was the god I had run into outside. Thank you, baby Jesus, for putting the hottest student in school in my class. The teacher handed me my books and directed me to a seat in the middle of the room, but I had tuned her out. Holy crap! How could I concentrate with him in here? During the class I wanted to turn around and look at him, but I didn't want to make a fool of myself by gawking. Like, seriously girl, get a grip.

  I can see it now, the gossip would spread like wildfire. Oh hey, guys, the new girl is a stalker. Yeah, no thanks. I tried to focus on the teacher. It didn't work well. All I could think about was running my hands through those dark curls and kissing those dimples.

  Yikes, hormones out of control in aisle three! Send help! SOS!

  When the bell rang, I shot out of my seat and went to find my next class. I didn't want to risk seeing him after I had daydreamed about him for the last forty five minutes, an hour, whatever it had been.

  The rest of the morning there was no sign of him, sadly. I was disappointed, yet relieved by that fact. I didn’t know what in the hell was wrong with me. It was as if something inside me was trying to claw its way out and make me into a nut case.

  I had learned his name was Dylan. How, you ask? Ugh, from the cheer-bitches who were always stalking behind him. I marveled at the memory of him all day, and was so lost in my own head that I never saw him until he was right in front of me. Again, all I could do was drool. Attractive, right?

  I moved to the back corner of the courtyard, where I tried to focus on my lunch. I kept getting lost staring at him. So much so that I ran into a bush. Yep, brilliant freaking way to make an impression. Why, hello Mr. Bush, nice to meet you. Can I crawl inside you and hide until I die of embarrassment?

  The people he sat with glanced my way a time or two and I was almost caught staring. Well, more like ogling. There was a guy on the bench where Dylan stood that looked just like him. Tall, dark and oh, so yummy. Though I doubted anyone could be as yummy as Dylan. I watched as one of the cheer-bitches leaned down in front of him, her body trying to mold to his. I knew girls like her. They were pretty and as shallow as a dry river bed in summer.

  Nonetheless, I learned through my eavesdropping that Dylan was going off to college after graduation. Well, that took a rocket scientist to figure out. Most of us were destined for college. Or we hoped to be, at least. I wanted to roll my eyes at her but it seemed the cheer-bitch was his girlfriend or something.

  I overheard a few kids talking about me as I tried to shove Doritos in my mouth and pretend I wasn't drooling over a guy I'd only seen up close once. Someone said I looked ready to pounce on him. Maybe I was, but really? They had nothing else to do but trash me? They didn't even know me! My dad had warned me about small town gossip when we first got here. Apparently, everything was worthy of spreading around town.

  Later in the afternoon, in my last class of the day - English - some girls were all abuzz about prom. Prom was still a few months away, but they all wanted to be asked. They seemed to be making plans as to how to get the guys to ask them out.

  No thanks. Y’all can keep that mess. I don’t do loud noises and stupid people all up in my space. Plus, being new, no one would want to get to know me and vice versa. They did have me glancing at myself, though. I wasn’t much to look at. I was 5’10”, which meant I was the freak and a head above the other girls. I have double D boobs, and am a little fluffy. Not the average jock’s type. I wasn’t the cheerleader. I wasn’t even the girl worth a second glance, most days.

  As the days went by, I admired him from afar. I never approached him, nor did he approach me. I had occasionally caught him staring at me, when he thought I wasn't looking. He would always look away quickly and it would make me blush. I had come to the conclus
ion that he didn't have any interest in me, since he never acknowledged me otherwise. I decided to try and forget my fantasies. I needed to be like any other teenage girl. Even if they dreamed of the sexy lacrosse player. Ugh! Him in that uniform on game nights. Sweet baby Jesus!

  Things at school progressed slowly for a few more weeks, until I found a groove I liked. I had a few new friends, so I was content. They seemed to be nice kids. I never felt out of place with them. They treated me as one of them. We could study together, which was helpful. The teachers here didn’t play. A few more long months and then school would be over. That was why when Zeke came up to me after a football game and asked me out I didn't know how to respond. I'd been watching Dylan undress in the parking lot - I was so busted. I’m sure he thought I was blushing for him, but not a chance. That blush was reserved all for Dylan even if it was all a secret. Which made my heart thud.

  Zeke was a nice guy and fun to be with. Every time we went out he was always a perfect gentleman, but I just couldn't get Dylan off my mind. I was constantly thinking of what it would be like to be on a date with him instead. I also couldn't stop thinking about doing other things besides just dating him. The things I wanted to do to him. Oh My God! I was turning into a harlot for sure. The Lord was going to strike me down at any moment. I swear.

  If anyone else heard my thoughts I would simply die. No matter what we did, who we hung out with, it just didn't feel right to be with Zeke when I was constantly thinking about being with another man, even if that man didn't return my feelings.