ROMANCE: Time of the Werebears (Scottish Historical Time Travel Shifter Romance) (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance)

by Sky Winters

  “I think perhaps it will come back to me soon,” she said with a sad smile. She could not go on denying who she really was. She could give herself until the house party ended, but then she needed to find the necklace and return to her won world.

  “That is immaterial,” he said, smiling at her knowingly.

  “How so?” she asked, confused.

  “Because I do not intend to go the rest of my life without seeing you again,” he said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “You may not have a say in the matter,” she said gently.

  “Do you find me that objectionable,” he said in mock hurt, knowing that she did not find him objectionable at all.

  “I may not have a say in the matter,” she admitted, a tear rolling down her cheek.

  “Are you hiding for someone?” he asked, looking worried.

  “No,” she said quietly.

  “Are you in danger?” he asked, still looking as though he thought she was not quite safe.

  “I do not think so,” she said, though she thought that her heart might be in more danger than ever before. “The song has ended,” she commented as she began to withdraw her hand form his.

  “Walk with me to the gardens,” he said, quickly grabbing her hand back.

  “That is improper,” she whispered with a smile that told him that her answer was yes.

  “Yes it is,” he grinned back.

  “Lead the way,” she said as she allowed him to guide her from the floor and on to the terrace. When he was sure that they were alone, he led her down the stone stairs and in to the gardens below.

  “It is so beautiful,” she gushed, spinning around to take it all in.

  “Yes, the view is exceedingly lovely,” he answered, his eyes never leaving her as he spoke.

  “You are a charmer,” she teased.

  “I do try to be, but you seem to be immune to my charms,” he observed, looking a bit bothered by the fact. Had he hinted at a future with any other woman, they would have fainted with joy. Mary, instead, had shed tears.

  “I am not, I assure you,” she said, her sad smile returning.

  “Then tell me who you really are,” he begged as he took both of her hands in his.

  “You would not believe me if I told you,” she said, using all of her willpower to pull away from him.

  “It really does not matter to me,” he said as he followed her, gently taking her in his arms and holding her close to comfort her.

  “I think it might,” she said as tears threatened to fall again.

  “No, you do not understand. I do not care a bit who you were before you came here,” he said, his tone leaving to room for doubt that he meant what he said.

  “What are you saying to me?” she asked, her head spinning.

  “You are the first woman who has ever moved me,” he explained, looking down at her with such love that she thought her knees might buckle.

  “You do not know me at all,” she said, trying to keep herself grounded.

  “I know your soul. It speaks to mine. Tell me you do not feel it,” he said, placing his hand over his heart while he spoke.

  “I cannot say that,” she replied as she placed her own hand on top of his.

  “Then believe me when I say that it does not matter to me who you were. I know who you are in this moment and that is the woman that I love,” he cried passionately.

  “You love me?” she asked in shock.

  “I am frightfully sure that I do,” he answered as he placed his free hand on the side of her face.

  “Oh my,” the blurted out, not sure what else to say.

  “And you? What do you feel for me?” he asked, his eyes wild with emotion.

  “I have never felt for any man what I feel for you. It is as if you are a part of me already,” she said, finally admitting to herself how true it was. Perhaps it was this connection between them that had drawn her back through time, not the necklace.

  “Are you saying that you love me too?” he asked, a grin on his face.

  “Yes, I do. I know in my heart that I do. That does not matter though. It is so much more complicated than that,” she tried to explain but he cut off her words with a passionate kiss.

  “What could be complicate about it if I love you and you love me? We will marry as quickly as we can. Mother will be so happy,” he said when he finally lifted his mouth from hers.

  “This is not my world. I cannot stay here with you. I could be pulled away at any moment. You do not understand,” she said, though she wrapped her arms around him as she spoke.

  “No, I do not. If you really love me, be with me. I never thought I wanted a wife, but from the first moment that I saw you I knew that you were mine,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek upon the top of her head.

  “My heart is yours and I can promise you that it always will be,” she said, knowing that that was all that she could promise him.

  “Then I am he luckiest man alive. I want to give you something. I found this necklace years ago. It spoke to me, but I never understood why. Now I know. It was meant for you. It is the same color as your eyes,” he said as he pulled the very necklace that had brought her to him from the pocket of his jacket.

  “But you have to let me explain,” she gasped, just as they both heard footsteps approach.

  “Hush, someone is coming. Get behind that tree. I will not have your reputation destroyed,” he commanded.

  “I do not have a reputation here,” she said as she tried to argue.

  “Please,” he asked with an alluring look that she could not say no to.

  “Fine, but we are not done talking,” she said firmly as she tucked herself behind the tree.

  “Daniel,” she heard a male voice call.

  “Brian, what are you doing here?” Danial asked in a cheerful tone.

  “Where is she?” the man demanded, his voice full of rage.

  “Who?” Daniel asked innocently, trying to shield her reputation.

  “Jade,” Brian demanded.

  “Jade? Why would she be here?” Daniel asked as though it was the most foolish question that he had ever heard.

  “Do not play me for a fool. I know that she came out here with you to do God knows what. I will not let you ruin her,” he said, shouting now.

  “She is not here,” Daniel insisted.

  “The entire party is buzzing about you leaving the party with a beautiful brunette and I cannot find her anywhere. Jade, come out now,” he called. She wanted to reveal herself but she was not sure that a woman other than Jade appearing would satisfy him and she did not want to ruin Daniel’s reputation.

  “She is not here,” Daniel repeated, sounding agitated.

  “I do not know why her mother is so set on you for her husband. You are nothing but a cad,” the other man growled.

  “I freely admit that, but Jade is not here,” Daniel said, making no effort to hide his own annoyance.

  “Do not lie to me,” Brian screamed.

  “Why do you have a gun?” Daniel asked. It was then that Mary remembered what she knew of Lord Smithmont and his tragic death at the hands of the mad suitor of a young lady who felt threatened by him. She could not let that happen to Daniel. She could not let him die alone, here in the gardens while the party raged on behind them.

  “I am going to make sure you cannot hurt her,” Brian yelled as he raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

  “No,” Mary screamed as she launched herself from behind the tree. She threw herself in front of Daniel just in time to feel the bullet rip through her shoulder. As she crumpled to the ground in pain, Daniel dove toward her and caught her, cradling her in his arms. He dropped to the ground, holding her as tightly as he could.

  “Mary, Mary, don't leave me,” he cried as he tried to stop the bleeding. He rocked her back and forth as though to comfort her, raining kisses down upon her face in an effort to show her just how loved she was.

  “It is al
right my love,” she said softly, the blood loos making it difficult for her to speak.

  “No. Brian, I will kill you,” her lover growled.

  “No, no vengeance. Stay with me until it is over. I love you,” she said, raising her blood stained hand and placing it on his cheek.

  “Do not leave me. You are the first light I have ever had in my life,” he said as he kissed the top of her head.

  “I will always be with you,” she said as everything around her began to fade.

  Chapter 7

  When Mary awoke again, she was surprised to find herself back in her bed at the manor house. She was surprised to find herself awake at all. When everything had faded away, she had been sure that she was dying.

  “I am still here,” she said allowed, shocked. The room was pitch dark and yet she could sense another presence. It was only when she turned her head that she saw that Daniel was laying on top of the covers beside her, staring at her as though she were a miracle.

  “Did you think I was going to let heaven have you without putting up a fight,” he said with a look so full of love that it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

  “I was sure I was dying,” she said, still in shock.

  “It was not your time,” he said, taking her pale hand in his. He had not left her side since he had carried her to the room. He had sat there while the doctor worked furiously to stop the bleeding and he had lain beside her ever since. The doctor had told them that whether or not she came back to them depended upon her own will to survive.

  “Do you still love me,” she whispered.

  “I am furious with you. Why did you do that? Why did you risk your life for mine?” he asked, the rage in his eyes telling her just how frightened he had been of losing her.

  “Because I love you,” she said was though it was the most obvious answer in the world.

  “If I had lost you I do not know what I would have done,” he said, sliding over to hold her close, reassuring himself that she really was alive.

  “This is your time. You deserve to live it,” she said, confusing him even further.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, worried that she was delirious from blood loss.

  “I mean that I did not tell you about my past because it is your future,” she said, not entirely sure how to tell him the tale of what had brought her to him.

  “You are making no sense. Are you well? Should I call the doctor?” he said, reluctantly starting to sit up. She reached up and took his hand and he allowed her to pull him back down beside her.

  “I love you and I want to stay with you but I have to tell you everything. I need to know that you really love me for who I am,” she said slowly, trying to choose her words carefully.

  “I am listening,” he replied, though he looked worried about her.

  “I picked up that necklace of yours and put it on hundreds of years from now. As soon as I did, it threw me back here. I do not know how or why, but that is what happened,” she said plainly as she waited for him to call her mad and turn his back on her.

  “Alright,” he said, holding her even closer.

  “That is all you have to say,” she said, now the one worried that she was delirious from blood loss.

  “Well, I always knew there was something magical about you. I have been carrying that necklace around for years. I bought it and I promised myself that I would only give it to my true love of she existed at all. Maybe when the necklace found its way to you, it made sure that you found your way to me,” he said as though it was the most logical thing in the world.

  “You believe me?” she asked in surprise.

  “Of course. I love you,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her gently.

  “I love you too,” she said as she rested her head on his chest.

  “Will you be my wife?” he whispered to her.

  “Oh yes,” she said as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

  “Good, because I have been closeted in here with you for two days waiting for you to wake up. If you do not marry me, I think your reputation will be quite tattered,” he said with a laugh of relief.

  “Good thing I plan to let you make an honest woman of me,” she said with a wicked grin.

  “Yes, a very good thing,” he said as he lowered his head to kiss her again.

  THE END

  DESTINED TO THE DUKE

  Chapter 1

  Jill Darling was beyond excited as she heard the box truck pull up outside of her cottage. She had bought the home a few months before as a place to live when she was not traveling for work. Though she was only 25, Jill was one of the most in demand concert pianists in the country, spending most of the year touring concert venues. She had come across the little stone cottage while on vacation in the area. When she had a few days off in her scheduled, she often got away by herself to relax and reboot.

  It had been on just such a trip that she had found her new home. She had rented a car to drive from the city to a spa out in the country. Jill had, as usual, gotten herself a bit lost. While trying to find her way back to the main road, she had stumbled across the place that would become her home. It was a grey stone cottage with sweet little window boxes. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, and she had fallen in love with in instantly. For years she had been looking for just the right place to make her home, a quiet, calm place where she could hide from the bustling chaos of her life.

  Her managers and friends had been confused by her decision to buy a home so far from the city where she was usually needed most, but that was just why it was perfect. It was completely removed from all of the stresses and pressures that usually surrounded her. It was a quiet place where she could enjoy the simply pleasure of her music without all the distractions and business that came with it.

  She had spent months making everything in the cottage perfect. Much of the furniture she owned was too modern for the cottage. Instead, she hunted in antique shops in each of the cities that she visited on tour, picking out pieces that spoke to her. The one thing that had eluded her, though, was the perfect piano for her new home. The practice piano that she had was entirely too modern to complement the style of her new home. In her travels, she came across a few very fine looking pianos, but she needed one of the highest sound quality and none had fit her needs. Until her last trip, that was. She had been in England for a rare international appearance when she had found it in a tiny shop in London. The piano was just perfect. The wood was light in color, with exquisite golden scrolling details and intricate carvings.

  The sales woman had even told her that it once belonged to a Duke, though she had not needed that fact to convince her that it was the perfect piano to complete her new home. No, she had known that the moment that she sat down and began to play it. The sound was transcendent, as was the feeling of the keys against her skin. She had purchased it instantly, and spent weeks waiting for it to arrive and complete her home and now, the day had finally arrived.

  She rushed out to meet the delivery men. Her blond hair, usually pinned tightly back when she performed to ensure that it did not interfere with her concentration, was hanging in a loose braid down her back and her green eyes were alight with excitement as she signed the delivery form, and showed the men just where she wanted it in the house. As they carried it in, she cringed with every movement, afraid that she had waited all that time for it to arrive, only to see it broken before she ever got it in to place.

  It took them quite a while. Though it was smaller than her concert piano, it was still quite large and it was made to last, which made it a very heavy instrument. Soon enough, though, the movers had it just where she wanted it, beside the French doors that looked out on to the private gardens behind her cottage.

  Once they left, she sat at the piano bench and ran her hands along the wood and felt the cool grain of it beneath her hand. Gently, she lifted the cover to reveal the keys beneath. She touched them hesitantly at first, but soon the feelings of the keys beneath her fingers felt familiar
to the touch. The antique piano offered a special charm, making her feel connected to all of those who had made music on it before her. With each note she played, the piano began to feel more and more her own. It was hours before she rose from the piano to go and get herself a glass of water. When she returned to the piano, she noticed a strange notch in the side of the bench that had come with the piano. She got down on her knees and touched it gently, causing a secret drawer to pop out from under the bench.

  She reached her hand in to find a brittle piece of paper within. Carefully she unfolded it and found upon it one of the most complex and beautiful pieces of music she had ever seen. Each note was more soulful and joyful than the last. Her fingers itched to play the song, so she gently placed it upon the piano and sat down at the keys.