Mystic Realms: A Limited Edition Collection

by Nicole Morgan

  “I’m scared.”

  “I know, I can feel it.” He hugged her closer, burying his nose into the brunette locks tussled on the top of her head. She smelled like the summer breeze that chased him whenever he ran through the meadows.

  “I can feel the link between us growing stronger. Your heartbeat is racing through my body.”

  “Is that a terrible thing?”

  “It could be. It’s making me want you, to be a part of you, inside you.” He twisted Piper around to face him. “Can you feel it too? It’s consuming me.”

  Piper touched her fingers to his warm cheeks before she moved closer and kissed his lips softly.

  “I can hear you calling me inside of my head. The desire is so strong.” She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply. It was loud inside his own head. He ran his hands over her shoulder blades down to her back, bringing her into his chest.

  Slowly he moved Piper backward, dipping her until she was lying flat on the cushions of the couch. She opened her eyes and met his, her desire and approval staring back at him. He raised above her, kissed her gently then pulled away. In one fell swoop he discarded the shirt he’d been wearing and returned to taste the skin shimmering at the base of her neck before he moved her blouse and caressed the soft skin of her belly.

  She shook in reaction to the roughness of his touch. As he pushed the blouse further away with the release of each button to reveal perfectly plump nipples, she squirmed underneath him, grazing the growing bulge in his jeans. Her hands worked in between their bodies, searching for a button or zipper to release him. He lifted to give her better access.

  “Careful what you might find in there.” He gave her a serious intimidating stare.

  “You don’t scare me.” When she found what she’d been searching, she freed the metal from the button hole and eased the zipper carefully down over the substantial portion of his jeans. She slid her hands inside the waist band of the Levi’s and slid, her hands moving over his hips and down his thighs until the cushions stopped her progress.

  “I think I need your help.” She gave him her best sexy grin.

  He slid from the couch to stand beside her and as she watched on, he continued to slide his pants down to his ankles and stepped out, leaving him gloriously naked in front of her. Then his gaze shifted from her face, travelled slowly downward and he heard her say your turn.

  Holy hell. Paxson’s hands shook as they moved to the skimpy shorts she wore. Hooking a finger in each side of the elastic, he pulled the material down her legs, throwing them behind him. He hadn’t expected to find her without the next layer and could smell the need she possessed.

  He wasted no time separating her legs as he moved in between, nudging her knees further apart. As he knelt closer, he ran a finger over her clit, nearly shooting her off the couch. He rubbed the little pink pearl until she begged him to stop then his cock pushed at her entrance, begging to be buried inside. He couldn’t take much more, he needed to be deep inside. He knew she needed it too, could feel in down to his soul.

  “You’re mine Piper, from this moment on.” He was staking his claim and her moaned response was all he needed to hear. He gripped her hips tightly and thrust hard into her core. They both cried out together. He paused for a brief second to gain some semblance of control. Once she opened her eyes, he pulled out and back in with a forceful plunge, repeatedly until everything but the pleasure he witnessed across her face went blurred. They came together in a heated rush, Paxson collapsed carefully without crushing Piper. He kissed her deeply, memorizing every groove in her lips. When he reluctantly pulled away, her eyes fluttered. He shifted them both to their sides, wrapping an arm around her waist and covering them with the throw.

  He felt her relax and knew she was asleep. He held her tight and closed his eyes.

  Chapter Seven

  Piper woke with a start. Alone. Was it all a dream? The roughness of the blanket on her skin confirmed she was naked but where was Paxson? After an unforgettable experience, had he run away in the night? She clutched at her chest and could feel a rising anxiety within her. Something was wrong, she could sense his apprehension and she could hear jumbled thoughts but couldn’t make sense of anything. She climbed from the couch to find clothes then went to the door.

  She heard him holler for her to stop. Not to go any further. He needed her to stay safe.

  “But where are you?”

  “Don’t come find me, I’ll be back there when I can. Promise me Piper.”

  She tried to leave her mind blank, knowing he would hear what she was thinking. It was no use, she couldn’t hide it from him. She wasn’t strong enough and their connection ran too deep. As sure as she was standing there, a feeling rushed over her, one of completion. She didn’t understand it, she just knew. He was her mate. She needed to go to him and find out what was going on.

  As she twisted the handle of the door, a growl reverberated inside of her, demanding she stay where she was.

  “I will not. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “This is the only way I can keep you safe. Please stay inside.”

  She couldn’t. The pull was too strong, he needed her help and she wouldn’t let him down.

  “Damn it Piper, please!”

  “Let me help you.”

  She pushed his thoughts away, blocking them from her long enough to open the door and run outside. Once she was standing in the shadows of the pines, Piper cleared her thoughts. It was sensory overload. Her mind was doing the work for her, zeroing in on the other half of her being. The urges were pulling her out into the night to find her mate and to find herself. As she walked, her steps became more hurried and her body began to tingle. She could hear commotion, angry growls and cries not far ahead of her. It was Paxson but he wasn’t alone, there were many. Wolves were bleeding. An acrid stench assaulted her senses.

  It pushed her further than she knew she could go and in one swift shift, she stood on all fours as a wolf. She felt new in the world and uneasy but more powerful than anything she’d ever experienced. She’d worried it would hurt but she felt nothing, no aches and pains at all. Suddenly she could see what he saw, and feel what he felt. Her beta was calling to her.

  When she approached, what she found shook her to the very core. It made her angry. Not far ahead was a battle of teeth and fur and among them the one who had brought her out of herself. She wouldn’t let him die. Not when she’d only just found him. He was fighting her battle. Those other wolves wanted her and the entire pack was fighting them. Paxson was protecting her. He would always protect her and she knew it but she needed to do her part as well.

  “Paxson, tell me what to do.”

  “Go home, but I know you won’t. My mate is too strong for that. Since I can’t convince you to leave, go around to the east side and see if you can flush out any lurkers just waiting for the chance to jump. We can’t get the drop on them if more keep appearing.”

  As Piper’s wolf form moved out and around the deadly battle, she could hear Paxson screaming to Porter frantically and then a hush fell over the woods. The deed was done. The final enemy slain. She felt relief sweep through the area and their guard walls lifted. Her own relief evident when she saw a wolf, bloodied but alive. As Paxson approached, Piper’s heart calmed. He rested his snout atop her own for a brief second before Porter came to their side.

  “Welcome Piper.” The alpha had spoken his approval and Piper was now a member of the Windsor Woods pack and Paxson’s mate.

  It was a little disheartening to see the ground littered with blood and wolf bodies but like he’d explained to Piper, it wasn’t always like that. They hadn’t had any more than a scuffle for many years. They lived like normal people most of the time, they just had the ability to shift and run free at will. There was no special diet of wild animals or anything like that. He knew from her thoughts she’d been concerned about all of it. He was more than proud of her though. The rest they would work out over time.

  One of his m
ain concerns about them as mates was whether she would want to leave at the end of her vacation and go back to her old life.

  “Paxson, I’m not going anywhere. I hated that life. Anyway, how could I live there knowing what I know and being what I am?”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Unless you don’t want me.”

  “Don’t you even dare, you know I want you. I think I’ve waited a lifetime for you.”

  “Enough you two, you have plenty of time for bickering later. We need to do a cleanup. Piper would you do me a favor and head back to the cabin and call your dad? Tell him Porter took care of the threat for good.”

  “I can do that. I’m sure he will be happy.”

  Piper looked at Paxson and he knew what she was thinking right away. “Yes, I will be back to the cabin as soon as we’re done.”

  Satisfied with that, she ran off. Once she was far enough away, he guarded his thoughts from her perusal so he could talk freely with Porter.

  “So, did you mean what you just said to Piper, is the threat gone for good?”

  His brother didn’t answer right away as they walked through the bodies lying all over the wooded grounds. He stopped at a gray-haired wolf who had perished in the battle.

  “See this one? This was the Alpha. He was the reason I stayed back and watched the battle play out because he was hiding himself, surely looking for me or even possibly Piper.”

  “Did they know she was with us?”

  “They had to have, otherwise they wouldn’t have made a visit to Wilson. I’m guessing because her mother was an Alpha, even with a human father, she would carry the dominant trait. They were trying to intimidate him to find out what he knew and of course looking to see if she was there. Did she say anything about people visiting her at her work?”

  “Not a word. She didn’t talk much about her work, only that she worked a shit-ton of hours. She was completely oblivious. Wilson was the one that pushed her to take a vacation. She just assumed it was because she was stressed.”

  “My guess is that they had been watching Wilson for a while. I might pay a visit to him tomorrow because I bet they were wiretapping his phone as well to get any lead they could on her whereabouts. Probably one of the very reasons he still had a landline and not a cell. He might even have a gps tracer attached to his car. Otherwise I’m not sure how they would have found the two of them meeting.”

  “Wait, you’re talking like they are still out there, are they?”

  “I would rather not take any chances with our pack. We welcome her wholeheartedly and it’s obvious you’re happy to have her here but if there is any chance at all, I need to be sure. Protect one, protect all.”

  “But I thought you killed the Alpha.”

  “I did but I’m not sure the Beta was here tonight. You’re aware of how the hierarchy works right? Something happens to the Alpha, their mate or the Beta continues the line.”

  “What if they can’t be found?”

  “Pax, I’ll travel to Romania if I have to. That’s where her line is from and I can only guess whoever is after her is ultimately from there as well. The jilted family even. I have some work to do but I want to find out exactly who that Alpha is and track down every single one related to him in any way. They started something I intend to finish.”

  “Just let me know what I can do.”

  “I think you have your hands full with that one. You can head on home, we’ve got this, besides I’m sure she’s got a lot of questions. There’s a hole being dug now, we’ll burn the remains and fill it in after that so you might smell that for a while.”

  Paxson said his goodbye’s and ran home. He had a woman waiting for him.

  Chapter Eight

  “Dad it was amazing really, unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I wish I could explain it better. Did mom ever talk about it?”

  “She really didn’t honey, but I think mostly she was just trying to protect me by keeping me at a distance from that life. I am glad that you’re okay with it. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t tell you. Since I don’t know much, I wouldn’t have done an adequate job of explaining.”

  “Paxson felt a little out of his element as well but I was pretty hard on him at first. That’s why I called you. He tried to tell me and I wouldn’t listen.”

  “He’s a good man Piper, his brothers as well. Your mom and I knew his parents so that’s why I felt safe putting you in their hands.”

  “Dad, he’s my mate. I don’t really know how it happened but it’s amazing how the link developed between the two of us. First it was just like a magnet drawing us together. He knew I was at the cabin before we’d even met. Did you tell him I would there?”

  “I didn’t say anything, just that I needed to rent the place for a week or two. I’m guessing he assumed it would be me there.”

  “He looked surprised when I opened the door so you’re probably right. After that, things progressed quickly. The more time we spent around each other, the stronger the connection. First it got to where he could hear my thoughts and feel what I felt but then we were actually able to communicate back and forth in our minds.”

  “I’m not sure that would always be a good thing Piper.”

  “Apparently, we both have the ability to block each other from entering our thoughts. I did that when I was outside looking for him earlier.”

  “So, Porter says the serious stuff is over? Is he sure?”

  “I guess so. They didn’t give me any details, only to call and tell you the threat was gone. He didn’t say anything else.”

  “Well I guess that’s a good thing then. Do you know when you’re coming home?”

  “No, not really. I think that’s something Paxson and I need to work out. Not sure how I can go back to my old life after everything that’s happened to me.”

  “I do understand that. Just know you have my support no matter what happens. Love you Piper.”

  “Love you too dad.”

  She disconnected the call and put her phone on the counter to charge. She was famished and could only imagine Paxson was hungry too. She had some leftovers she could warm up for when he got back. And speaking of the devil, she felt his presence before she heard him approach the cabin. That was a cool feature. Her senses were unbelievably heightened. Who would have thought she could sense or hear and even smell something before it was in her general vicinity?

  “You don’t have to knock silly, it’s your house. Come on in.” She heard the door open and she went right to him in the living room. He didn’t wait for a greeting, only to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close. His lips were as strong as she remembered and he tasted even better than before.

  “I don’t want you to ever leave these woods Piper. How can I make that happen?”

  That wasn’t exactly what she’d expected him to say but she sure liked hearing it. She moved out of his arms and grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her to sit down.

  “In fact, on the way back here to call my dad, I was thinking how great it would be to stay in these woods forever and that I didn’t want to go back to the city. I just don’t know how any of it would work.”

  “Simple, you just stay.”

  “I know it sounds that easy for you but you’ve lived this way all your life. This is only twenty-four hours new to me and I’m not sure how to navigate. There is so much in my head I don’t know what to think first.”

  “I know it’s got to be overwhelming and you’re right, I was born into this life. I started shifting as a teenager with the help of both my parents. I can’t imagine having no help with it. I do promise you though, I wouldn’t leave your side, unless you wanted me to that is. Let me just tell you what it means to be in a pack. First, packs are extremely loyal. We take care of our own no matter what.”

  Paxson dug into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. He flipped it open and slipped out a picture.

  “This is my family. My mom and dad who have passed away. I miss
them every day. Then you know Porter and the little guy who isn’t that little anymore, he’s Presley. But it isn’t just about the people in this picture. We have many other families in our pack, that live in our large territory and Porter leads them all. When there is a problem, they come to him. We live by a code and do things by the book, usually.”

  “So, what would I be in the pack?”

  “Well only if you wanted to but first, you would be my mate. It’s an unbreakable bond and I would hate to give you up but if it wasn’t what you wanted, I would honor that.”

  “Would you ever mate with anyone else?”

  “No. Wolves mate for life.”

  Wow. No pressure there.

  “Okay, let’s say I did want to stay, then what?”

  “It would be odd but I would let you choose to either stay here or gladly have you move in to my place. It’s at least twice the size of this cabin.”

  “What does it mean to be a mate? Do we just date, are we a couple, do we get married?”

  “As much of a gentleman as I could be, I would be willing to negotiate and we could work it out together, on your terms of course. As slow or fast as you wanted to move.”

  “Well I can tell you right now, if I am going to be someone’s mate, I won’t settle for anything but marriage. No way will you be wolfing around with any other pups.”

  He had already figured out that she was a spirited woman but he liked her moxie. Even if he wanted to, which he didn’t, no way would he ever consider any other. As far as he was concerned their link was forever. He already knew being by her side, there would never be a dull moment. She may very well turn out to be much more than he could handle most days but he was up for the challenge. In fact, he may find himself in the preverbal dog house more times than not. What he did like though, was that besides the small issue of Porter being Alpha, as close-knit of a family as they were, she would give both his brothers a run for their money. He wished his mom was still around because she would have loved Piper.