The Shifter's Past

by R. A. Boyd

  She pulled back and twirled her tongue around the head of his shaft, and he groaned her name, begging her not to make him come so soon. Nev worked to let her saliva build until he slid easily between her lips. She took him in deep again, and when she thought she would gag, she hummed and cupped his heavy sack.

  He loosened her bun from the top of her head and let her tight curls fall to her shoulders. Nev hummed again as he fisted her hair at the nape of her neck and tried to pull away.

  “Nevada,” he panted, hips shuddering as the head of his cock began to swell.

  Before she could pull him in deeper, he tugged her hair, pulling her off his cock. Bastian dropped to his knees and kissed her, sucking all the air from her lungs. He broke their kiss and watched her, the intensity of his gaze stroking the fire, threatening to take her over the edge.

  Nev didn’t have a chance to balance herself before Bastian curved his elbows beneath her knees and brought her ass off the bed. Plunging two, thick, long fingers deep inside her pussy, he lowered his head and came through on his promise, wrapping his lips around her clit and suckling her hard until she screamed through the orgasm. She squeezed her eyes closed and threaded her fingers through his hair.

  A splintering explosion coursed through her body until all she could hear was the beating of her heart. Even as the aftershocks of the release pulsed through her body, Nev rocked her hips in rhythm with the gentle suction from his mouth.

  “I want you inside me,” she breathed, still holding tight to his hair. She needed to hold onto something. She’d never come so hard or so quick in all her life.

  Heat roared through her core as Bastian stroked his warm tongue right up her center, starting at her ass and ending at the needy bundle of nerves at the apex of her slit.

  “Fuck me,” she pled as his fingers pressed into that sweet spot just inside her entrance.

  A reverberating growl shook his lips and tongue, and good God, the sensitive folds of her labia vibrated.

  “I want you to come for me again,” he snarled, and then went back to sucking her, nipping her, flicking his skilled tongue against her clit.

  Nev came again, just as hard as the first time.

  There was no way in the world she’d be able to do anything but lay beneath him as he took her. She fought to catch her breath as he stood and kicked off his pants.

  He kissed a fiery path up her body. When she came face to face with the man who’d changed her life, she cupped his cheeks in her hands and kissed him, the taste of her passion heavy on his lips. Bastian gripped her waist and urged her further up on the bed.

  Nev spread her legs as he gripped the base of his cock, and glided it against the moist entrance of her body, coating his length with her release. She moaned loudly as he plunged into her. Her muscles tightened around his cock, sucking him in deeper as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “Baby,” he drawled, his forehead pressed to hers as he thrust into her over and over. “I’m close already, baby. Fuck, you feel so good. So wet.” His tongue dipped into her mouth as he gave sweeping kisses that tasted of her need. He sucked her tongue to the pulse of his cock plunging into her. “I’m so close, but I want to feel you shatter around my dick.”

  Never breaking their kiss, she smiled and nodded. She was close, too.

  He cupped her heavy breast as she dug her nails into his shoulders. The signs of another climax started deep in her pussy, and the need to sink her teeth into his flesh took her over.

  No. Nev shook her head as her gums prickled, and the sensation of larger incisors filled her mouth. She slapped her hand over her lips and looked up at Bastian in horror. She didn’t want to hurt him. She would never hurt him.

  Claim him, a soft voice spoke in her head.

  “Your pussy is gripping my cock like a fucking fist,” he cried, his thrusts becoming shorter, deeper. He looked at her and smiled, eyes bright enough to illuminate the room. “Do it. Mark me. I would be honored to have your claim. To bear your mark.”

  Her body tensed as her channel pulsed, bringing him along into the orgasm with her. The heat of his seed flooded her core, and she bit down on his shoulder.

  Bastian called out, thrusting into her faster and faster as his warm, salty blood filled her mouth. His hand cupped the back of her head as she started to let go.

  “Harder,” he snarled. “It won’t leave a mark unless you do it harder.”

  His hips bucked against her as his pelvis hit her clit, and she clamped down until she felt her teeth grind against his bone.

  As if her beast knew exactly when it was enough, her incisors shortened and retracted beneath the shroud of her gums.

  Her body trembled as he buried his face into the bed of her neck. “Bastian. I think I love you.”

  His body stiffened above hers. Oh, no. Was it too soon? A million ways of taking it back started an anxious parade through her head. Maybe she could blame it on the orgasms. Yes! People said crazy things after three orgasms. That had to be it.

  Nope. That wasn’t right. Nev knew love, and she knew she was falling in love with Bastian. Instead of taking it back, she combed her fingers through his messy hair and hugged him tighter.

  “I’ve loved you for millions of years, Nevada.” His words were so low, she had to strain to hear them. “Before you touched me and sealed the deal, I knew I loved you. From the second you whispered and called me a jerk-face from the register to the moment you slapped me across the forehead, I knew it was you. I was just too afraid to find out.”

  Nev laughed thickly as tears gathered in her eyes. Lifting up, Bastian kissed her tears away and then kissed her lips soft enough to be a breath.

  He pulled his cock from her core and laid down on the bed, pulling her on top of him. “I love you more than I ever thought I could. You’re mine, Nevada Margaret Pierson. And I’m yours.”

  Nev snuggled into the side of his body, kissing the spot where she’d claimed him, and let the steady beat of his heart lull her to sleep.

  The love they felt for each other had taken on a life of its own, and Nev would be damned if she let a Rogue or anyone else steal that away from them.

  Chapter 12

  Nev couldn’t help the smiles that the Ghost shifters kept bringing to her face. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The entire brood filled the community hall for breakfast, and everyone was shocked and supremely happy when Cass came in a sat down. Even as she protested, Jax piled her plate high with her favorite foods while Damon poured and prepared her cup of coffee.

  A little girl named Lily handed a turkey baster with a large black bulb over to Cass, proclaiming it was her microphone. Lily told Cass she could keep it if she came and ate with them more often.

  Nev almost cried as she watched tears glimmer in Cass’s eyes. She vowed to do just that and kissed the girl on the top of her pretty little head to seal the promise.

  That happy-sappy moment shredded into a million pieces when a teenaged redhead named Liv stabbed Simon with her fork. It was planted pretty deep in his hand, but he gave her a dead-panned look and pulled it out. Apparently, she’d already claimed the last pancake he snatched up, even though her mother, Riley, had a batch cooking on the stove.

  Nev couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have inherited a family like this. No one could replace her mother or sister or father, but there was something about this group of people that made her feel alive. They argued and laughed and hadn’t paused to make a big deal about Cass coming to join them. Except for Lily. She made it plain and clear she’d taken notice of Cass’s absence, but what more would you expect from a child who missed someone.

  Nev picked up her coffee cup and settled her body against Bastian. With his arm draped across the back of her chair, he pulled her and her seat closer to him every chance he got until their hips touched.

  He pressed a soft kiss to her neck and said, “I’m meeting with Jax, Damon, and Cass later. What do you have planned for the day?”

  She shrugged up
one shoulder and leaned into his kiss. A message from Danni greeted her this morning when she woke up, asking her to cover the early lunch shift in her place. Nev texted her back, letting her know she probably wouldn’t be able to but would let her know for sure by ten.

  “I need to get online and do a few things,” Nev said. “My nurse practitioner’s license is up for renewal in a few months, and I have to take a few classes. I may technically be retired, but if the urge to ever work in that field pop’s up again, I want to be able to do it without going through the hassle of recertification. But who doesn’t love working in Melinda Bale’s Bar and Pub?” she joked, knowing Audra could hear her. “It’s a fun way to pass the time.”

  “You bet your sweet ass, it is,” Audra whispered low from across the table.

  Good thing Lily hadn’t heard her. That little firecracker was the ‘Bad Word’ Police Officer of the Ghost clan.

  She winked at Audra and then turned her attention to Bastian. “What’s the Wi-Fi password at your house?”

  “Ghostshiftersaretheshit4eva,” Audra and Charlie said at the same time.

  “Bad word,” Lily exclaimed as Ronin handed her a piece of bacon.

  Audra and Charlie snickered, apologizing as they tried to look solemn from Lily’s accusing glare.

  Audra held up four fingers. “Type in the number ‘4’ and spell out ‘eva’ phonetically. It’s the universal password throughout our community.”

  Well, that would be easy to remember.

  Bastian caressed his fingers up and down her arm as he spoke. Her mate was fresh, and he always seemed to want to touch her. Whether the tips of his fingers lingered on her shoulder or his arm was around her waist, Bastian craved contact with her.

  Nev took a sip of her coffee and almost choked on it when her mom appeared in the room. Standing on the opposite side of the table from Nev, her eyes were haunted as her gaze roamed the area.

  “Holy shit, Nevada. The gleam in here is almost blinding.” Mom’s beautiful, bald head shined with the light from the other side. Nev could feel the unease pouring off of her from at least six feet away.

  Pretending to stretch her arms, Nev widened her eyes and held up her hand two times, letting her mother know to give her ten minutes to finish her breakfast. She wasn’t ready to let everyone know she could see ghosts just yet. It would take time to prepare herself for the in-depth conversation and loads of questions she was certain would come along with her admission. She’d already told Bastian that she would first tell the Alpha Triad, and then everyone else when she was ready. He admitted that he told Damon that first night, and she tried not to let it bother her. Damon was an empath as well, and he apparently had the uncanny ability to make you spill your guts.

  Her mother nodded but starting talking in a rush of words that startled Nev. “Nevada. Just listen. It took me all night to break through the barrier they have surrounding this place. I was covered in some slimy goop from a spell at some horrible warehouse last night. Lover-boy here is in trouble. You all are.”

  Nev tried not to stare at her mother as she spoke. They were in trouble? She wanted to get up and leave but thought it rude to just walk out on her first meal here with her clan.

  “Nevada, those people have guns. Guns designed to really hurt the Ghost shifters. And there is a man named Remus. A man with that name just screams evil. He wants Bastian to bring him Cass, or he’s going to start killing the mates of the angels. Bastian has until tomorrow night to give her some magical sleeping pill and bring her to them. And somebody here is his granddaughter. He is willing to kill his own flesh and blood.” She paced back and forth, wringing her hands as she passed through a couch and two tables. “Bastian is in over his head. I don’t think he meant for this to happen, but it is happening. Baby, you need to leave and get the hell away from him. Now. Remus said that Bastian gave him the idea to target and subdue the Ghost shifters so they wouldn’t become so powerful.”

  No. No, no, no. She needed to get Bastian alone so she could talk to him. Something was very wrong. Mom rarely got her facts mixed up, and Nev believed every word she said to be true.

  Nev licked her lips and glanced at Bastian as he talked with Simon about what beer was best.

  No. Bastian would never betray his family. Their conversation from yesterday morning came rushing back to her.

  I did some really bad things in my past, and I don’t want them to ever hurt you. There were things I should have done, and things I didn’t. I don’t ever think I can make up for it.

  Was this what he meant? Had he messed up so royally that he was letting his mistake be his family’s downfall? It wasn’t just his family anymore. No. Nev claimed them all as her own. They were hers now, too.

  “Are you okay?” Bastian rubbed his thumb along the curve of her chin. “Your heart is beating so fast.”

  They needed to get out of here. Nev would never put him on the spot like this. Not in front of their family.

  She ghosted a smile and nodded once. “I’m fine.”

  He knew she was lying. She could tell by the way his eyes pinched at the corners. Bastian leaned down and kissed her lips. “I love you.”

  Something broke inside her chest and spilled over into her stomach. Nev’s heartbeat pounded in her ears as she fought to hold on to the little bit of strength she had.

  “I love you, too,” she breathed, dipping her head to wipe away the tears before anyone saw them.

  “Now, Nevada,” her mom said, voice firm as she pointed toward the door. “Get the hell away from here and call them on the phone to tell them what’s happening. I didn’t stay here this long just to go into the light with you.” Her voice broke as she covered her face with both hands. “Darling, the Angel of Death was the one who kept you safe the night of your car accident. They were coming for you. That purple-eyed fucker pretty much told Bastian to hand Cass over to them.”

  “He did what?” Nev and Cass yelled out at the same time, both of them jumping up from their seats.

  The room quieted as Cass and Nev looked from her mother to each other.

  Nev had to force her mouth to close. “You can see her?” she asked Cass.

  Cass covered her mouth with one hand and let out an anxious giggle that straddled the line between madness and relief. “You can see her too?” She threw her hands in the air and then brought them down to her hips. “I thought I was going crazy.”

  Riley stepped forward and put her hands protectively on Liv’s shoulders. “Um, what’s happening right now? Who can you both see?”

  Well, hell. Her secret was out, but Nev had the notion that no one would really care about her being a medium once they knew what her mother just revealed. “My mother. Who happens to be dead. I see ghosts. You see ghosts?” she said, looking to Cass.

  Cass looked to Willow, whose eyes were wide in amazement. “Well,” Cass replied, shrugging her shoulders. “Best answer is, I see ghosts because you can see ghosts. I have the unfortunate happenstance of bearing the emotional weight, and apparently supernatural gifts, of this entire fucking clan. Sorry, Lily,” she said, eyeing the little girl and her mother, Emma, wearily. “Hey, Liv. Can you take Lily and—”

  “Get out of here?” Liv said in a hopeful tone. “Absolutely. Come on, Lil. We are taking a whole plate of pancakes and bacon with us.”

  Everyone watched as Liv ushered Lily from the dining area and through the double doors of the community center.

  Nev watched them as she thought of the little bit of time she’d been here. If things were always as hectic and deadly as they’d been during the last two days, she would need constant vacations and bottles of wine.

  Part of her was happy that whatever Bastian had done was now out on the table for them to discuss and fix, but the other part knew that things were going to get really, horribly bad before they got better.

  “Hello, Nevy’s mom. I’m Cass.”

  “I’m Gwendolyn. Lovely to meet you.”

  Cass smiled and waved to the
woman, and then cut her accusing glare to Bastian. “So. If Nev can see her and I’m not entirely off my rocker, then that means you have a lot of fucking explaining to do about your involvement with the Rogue clan and Remus. And where is the pill you’re supposed to give me to knock me out and take me to him?”

  Jax stood from the table, blue eyes blazing with a furry that made Nev, and everyone else except for Cass and Damon, squirm in discomfort. He leaned his large hands on the table, looking down at Bastian as if he were ready to kill him on the spot. “What. The. Fuck. Is happening.”

  Cass held up her hand and put it on Jax’s arm. “Calm down. Gwendolyn, Nev’s mother, said he messed up without meaning to. So, he’s going to tell us everything right now. But first, Nev. Do you have any other gifts I should prepare myself for? We’re going to have to make a questionnaire every time someone gets a mate so I can know what to expect.”

  Nev cleared her throat as she met Cass’s eyes. “I’m an empath. I can influence people’s emotions. Help them.”

  “Yeah,” Willow drawled, sitting back in her chair. “I’m going to say that is a plus. Are you a powerful empath?” she asked Nev.

  Shaking her head, Nev felt put on the spot and had to stop herself from hunching down in the chair. Instead, she lifted her chin and looked from Willow to Jax. “No. I don’t use it that often. Only to help grieving people.” She put her arm protectively across Bastian’s stomach. She didn’t like the way Jax and Damon were looking at him.