by Jana Downs
sHarmony Shifters 1
Bite Me
Jude Lawson has bad luck in love. When his friend stumbles upon a matchmaking service promising to pair him with the shifter of his dreams, he isn't entirely convinced. Little does he know that his first match will be the man destined to change his bad luck forever.
Logan Carter is a fox shifter who is looking for a second chance. Since adopting his younger brother after their parents’ death he’s not had much luck with relationships. Deciding to date a human might be a bit of a culture shock, but it has to be better than not dating at all. Taking it slow might have been his plan, but one glance at Jude shows him he wants anything but.
As jealous exes and hate groups try to drive a wedge in their newfound relationship, Logan and Jude will have to decide if staying together is worth whatever price they have to pay in order to find happiness.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 23,389 words
BITE ME
sHarmony Shifters 1
Jana Downs
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
BITE ME
Copyright © 2013 by Jana Downs
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-485-3
First E-book Publication: August 2013
Cover design by Sloan Winters
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Epilogue
About the Author
BITE ME
sHarmony Shifters 1
JANA DOWNS
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
“sHarmony, this premier matchmaking service pairs humans and shape-shifters with the mate of their dreams. Our in-depth personality assessment enables our members to be confident in our selection process and make lasting connections that will endure eternity. Read our testimonials. See our video interviews. Explore our member profiles. Come try us out today for the low price of $19.95.” Jude read the words out loud for the fourth time. He and his best friends, Evan and Collin, had stumbled across the website after Evan hacked the sHarmony link on Google. The front page had been visible, but the site had required an initial assessment before they could access this part. Evan had bypassed that with a few clicks in his Lenox system.
“This has got to be a joke,” Collin murmured, scrolling down his laptop. Evan had kindly linked them all to this interior screen.
“Surely,” Jude agreed. He clicked on the profile section and sucked in a breath.
Evan whistled low, obviously pulling up the same page. “Holy cow. Yum.”
Jude couldn’t have said it better himself. The pictures on this site were gorgeous specimens of manhood. Unlike a lot of hookup sites, they were clothed. But even covered by suits, shirts, or tank tops, yum. If all matchmaking services were so top-heavy with the muscled goodness, he would’ve signed up ages ago.
“You’re really into shape-shifters, right?” Collin teased as Jude clicked on a polar-bear-shifter named Claude.
“Um, maybe.” Ever since the shifters had come out, it was a little bit scandalous to date one. Jude had a ton of erotic romance novels to prove that the idea of having a happily ever after with the man-beast of his dreams appealed.
Evan snorted. “Yeah. I’ve hacked your Kindle, man. I know better. Let’s sign up.”
Jude’s head snapped up. “You’re kidding. I just wanted to look.”
“Aw hell, why not?” Collin said, excitement evident in his voice. “We’ve axed all the human boys we’ve dated.” None of them had much luck in the love department. Being attracted to assholes tended to cause problems for the three of them. Jude’s last ex had been a jealous dick who had barely let him out of the apartment for much more than work and classes. But he was graduated now with a new business as a free man. The three of them had started a little web design and maintenance company six months ago that had taken off better than any of them had expected. It afforded them all a little more luxury than they were used to. Evan was their background IT guy and worked almost primarily in code, Collin was their front man and worked as a client consultant, while Jude did all the design work. They had a great system.
“I don’t know. Shifters can get possessive.” In a totally hot I’m-going-to-throw-you-down-and-fuck-you kind of way.
Evan scoffed. “You’d love it. And so would I. I’m signing us up.”
A thrill shot through him. “Okay, but if I end up dating a sloth-shifter, I’m going to kick you in the face.” He probably wouldn’t as long as the guy was gorgeous, but Evan didn’t need to know that. He fished out his wallet. “Where is the page where you pay?”
“Pay? Dear god, man. I haven’t paid for anythi
ng online since 1995. Give me two seconds and I will have us all taken care of.” Then he started typing on his laptop, his fingers flying over the keys as he worked his magic.
Jude turned the possibilities over in his mind. A shape-shifter. A real honest-to-god shape-shifter and he was going to go on a date with him, whoever “he” was. Granted, all this could be a joke, but he didn’t think so. It seemed very legit.
“And we’re golden,” Evan said. “They’re sending us confirmation letter within the hour with an appointment time.” His face broke out into a grin. “Their office downtown will probably be the location for the meet and greet. After the meeting, we get our dates.”
Collin did a little happy dance in his chair, his green eyes sparkling. “This is so much fun.” He, like Jude, was a bit of a romantic. “True love, hot boys, and something cuddly. Who wouldn’t love that?”
Evan sat back further into his recliner, a satisfied expression on his face. “I’m looking forward to the hot sex. If it’s half as good as what it reads like in the novels…”
“Oh shut up,” Jude said, rolling his eyes at Evan’s bravado. “You aren’t exactly a sex pot. You’ve had sex what, once? Twice?”
Evan’s face scalded. “You don’t know.” Yes he did. Jude had been on the conference call when Evan had announced that he’d traded in his v-card with his boyfriend. He’d also announced when they’d done it the second time, only to find out that his boyfriend had been sleeping with other people two days later. He’d been really torn up about it.
“I don’t want to think about you naked,” Collin said, wrinkling his nose. “New subject.”
Their laptops chimed in unison, indicating a new message.
Jude opened his e-mail and went into his inbox. sHarmony: Where True Love is just a mouse click away. He winced at the cheese. Wow, they need a revamp of their company slogan. He opened the message and started to read.
* * * *
Logan Carter cracked his knuckles as he looked across the table at the man who was conducting his video interview.
“Can you tell me, in your own words, why you chose to come to sHarmony?” the interviewer asked.
Logan shifted in his chair. “I don’t know. I’m lonely I guess.” Most shifters he’d been out with had been so obsessed with finding their one-true-mates that after one date, they’d never called again. It was infinitely frustrating. Sometimes it took more than a dreamy look to create a mate bond. Modern shifters just didn’t get that.
The interviewer’s deep-brown eyes considered him. “Loneliness can be cured with a pet. What are you really looking for?”
He shrugged. “What answer are you looking for, man? Love? Companionship? Fun? I just want a relationship without the automatic assumption that the three-second rule applies to mating.”
“Three-second rule?”
“Yeah. You know, your eyes meet, one second, you take a breath, two seconds, you fall in love, three seconds. The three-second rule. My parents certainly didn’t follow that model, and most matings that do have problems. I want something slower, something real.”
The interviewer’s lips tilted upward into a smile. “I think we can help you, Mr. Carter. If you’ll sign the bottom of your registry we’ll put you into the system and begin the matchmaking process.”
He nodded and took the pen from his outstretched hand. With a definitive scribble, he signed. It was almost a relief to sign the bottom. He felt like for the first time since Joshua left him, he’d accomplished something productive in the romantic arena.
“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” the interviewer said, putting the contract in his folder. He extended his hand, and Logan shook it. “We’ll call you to set up a time and date for your first appointment.”
“Thanks.” Logan pushed away from the marble-topped conference table before forcing himself to his feet. He knew a dismissal when he heard one. He needed to call his little brother and check on him anyway before he headed back to work.
He dug out his cell phone as soon as he hit the blue-carpeted hallway. sHarmony headquarters was actually a really swanky joint. The walls were painted some neutral tan deal and decorated with some obscure modern art pieces that probably cost more than Logan’s house. Well, he amended, maybe not that much, but it was probably way more than his down payment had been.
He scrolled down to his brother’s number and dialed. He should’ve just been getting out of class by now. It rang twice before Orion picked up. “Hey, bro. What’s doing?”
“Are you on the bus yet?”
“Nope. I’m second load of buses. I got another five before it gets here.”
“You go straight home. I want your butt at the kitchen table doing homework when I get in.” Orion had a C minus in accelerated Spanish, and Logan wasn’t having it. Their parents had died two years ago on their plane trip to Hawaii. The crash had left Logan in charge of his then fourteen-year-old brother. Joshua had left two weeks after he’d moved Orion in. He said he hadn’t been ready to play daddy. Logan said good riddance. The fucker didn’t deserve to help raise his baby brother anyway.
“Logaan,” Orion whined. “I wanted to play basketball at the park before I came home.” The rec park was less than a mile from their house, and a few of Orion’s friends played at the courts after school.
“You bring up your grades and you can play ball anytime you want. Until then, get your butt home in a chair doing homework. Mikey is doing a drive-by to make sure you’re there and working. I’ll check it when I get in.” Mikey was Logan’s best friend and the one who had suggested the sHarmony thing to begin with. The former pro-ball player was now an athletic coach at the local college.
Orion huffed on the other end of the phone. “Uncle Mikey don’t need to check in on me. I’m not a kid.”
“Uncle Mikey doesn’t need to check on you,” Logan corrected. “I’ll be a little late tonight, so he’s going to bring in a pizza. Just behave until I get there.”
“Why you going to be late?”
“Took a long lunch. Don’t worry, Oreo. It’s nothing serious.” The childhood nickname came from Orion’s obsession with the snack cookies. The fact that it went along with his name only suited him more.
“Okay.” There was a pause. “My bus is here. Gotta go.”
“Love you.”
Orion sighed like repeating the phrase was the most painful thing he’d ever done. “Love you, too, Logan. God. You’re so embarrassing.” The click on the other side let him know that he’d hung up.
He chuckled a little to himself before turning the corner and moving through the lobby. The receptionist waved at him. The guy was a cute little seahorse with a sunny disposition that Logan had immediately taken a liking to. He waved back and pushed open the front door. As he stepped out into the street and was assaulted by the bright sun, he had a skip in his step. Life was good.
He’d parked parallel on the street, and his black Dodge pickup wasn’t hard to find anyway. It wasn’t his work truck by any stretch. That beat-up old junker was reserved for job sites. This was his nice truck and the one he drove to business meetings with his boss. He’d been working for Animal Industries for a few years now. The three grizzly bears who ran the construction company he worked under were good guys. He had moved his meeting with them from two to four thirty in order to make time for the whole sHarmony thing and have time to run by the job site beforehand. It would make him late coming home, but that was all right. Mikey would be there for Orion.
The keys jingled as he pulled them from his pocket and hit the unlock button. His headlights flashed, and he stepped off the curb into the street. There weren’t any cars coming, so he just opened his door and climbed in. He cranked the key and listened to engine rumble in greeting. Orion hated driving his truck. He much preferred Mikey’s sedan for whatever reason.
His animal growled as some jerk nearly sideswiped them going down the street. As a red fox, he was protective of this territory and his things. However, unlike the larger predato
ry species that ran around in the city, he didn’t feel the need to chase after the jackass and beat him into a bloody pulp. Most humans mistakenly thought they were influenced by what animal they were. But shifters worked in reverse. Their human sides dictated which animal they had an affinity for and what animal they would shift into. The shape-shifter virus was universal and identical. However, the shifters were as varied as the animal species that populated the planet. For example, Orion was a cheetah and Logan was a red fox. The virus usually passed from parent to child, but occasionally if a human and shifter mated, it would then pass on to the human mate as well.
He pulled out into the street and headed toward the highway. It wasn’t a long drive to the subdivision that he was in charge of. It was close to town and was going to be a hell of a neighborhood when they got it finished. He’d never be able to live in a place like that, but the proximity to the good school district would be good for Orion. Maybe he could talk to the developer about getting one of the two bedroom deals near the main road. They would be slightly less expensive. Though, he might need bigger place if things worked out with his sHarmony date. A bigger family room and kitchen at least.
He shook his head. He didn’t need to get ahead of himself. Just because he was ready for the “one” didn’t mean the first one he dated would be it. Besides, his ideal mate was a fantasy that he didn’t think would live up to the hype in his mind. He needed to be calm and keep a down-to-earth perspective about this whole thing. He was just a guy going on a couple blind dates. Nothing weird about it. Mikey had already gone on a couple good dates from what he understood. It had been all fun from what Mikey had told him.
