Seduction's Shift

by A. C. Arthur

  Flanks heaving, blood tickling the back of its throat, the cat headed up the street where it had seen Rome and X enter a house. It pushed through the half-open door following the scent of the shadows up the stairs.

  “He’s not here, fucking coward!” Rome yelled as the cat entered the room.

  X turned to see the cat enter and opened his mouth in a low roar that said he knew who it was. The cat returned the growl, tongue licking its muzzle as it moved throughout the room.

  “He was here. And he had Diamond here, too. I want his ass, Rome. I want to kill that motherfucker in his sleep!”

  Rome nodded. “My sentiments exactly. Take his computer and anything else you think is important. And you.” He pointed at the cat. “Get the hell out of sight before a human reports a fucking jaguar on the streets.”

  * * *

  They were on their way back to Havenway, had just crossed the boundary into Virginia when their truck swerved off the road. Nick had changed into jeans with a shirt, and Rome and X were in the back with him like before. The collision had them tumbling around the backseat, cursing. As the truck flipped over they struggled to get the door open and roll their bodies out before the vehicle slammed down an embankment and exploded.

  One truckload of shifters had stayed behind in the city to clean up the mess they’d made there, while the other traveled about ten minutes behind Rome’s truck. So they were nowhere in sight at the moment. The three shadows rolled in the dry grass, coughing with the smoke now filling the air.

  “What the fuck?” Nick yelled. “Rome, you okay?”

  More coughing. “Cool. You, X?”

  More cursing. “I’m here.”

  When the three of them met up, they looked down the embankment to where the truck they’d been riding in was in flames.

  “What the hell hit us?” X said about a second before what hit them came running quickly out of a thin line of trees on the other side of the highway.

  It was a cat, its dark rosettes visible in the headlights of the car it almost plowed right into as it headed for the shadows. The car swerved a bit then sped up—getting the hell out of Dodge, which was probably a smart thing to do. The cat approached them in a slow, predatory manner.

  “I recognize the scent,” Rome said his claws emerging.

  Just as he spoke another cat appeared, a bigger, darker one, green eyes gleaming in the night.

  “Fuck this!” Nick yelled a second before shifting. His cat emerged with a majestic roar that translated into English meant, “Bring it!”

  The first cat charged directly at him. Nick took its hit and the battle was on, both cats swiping and growling, skidding down the embankment in a cloud of dust. The cat was as big as Nick, trained in hunting and battle just as Nick’s cat was, so the fight was on equal ground. Teeth and claws made their marks on each.

  When Nick’s cat could feel the heat from the crash, it stopped and edged away from the fire. The other cat didn’t move, but growled again in challenge. It said it didn’t give a damn about the fire. Nick did. He had a lot to live for. Think first, his human roared inside the head of the cat.

  Nick swiped at the air and the other cat followed suit, rising up on its hind legs, mouth wide open. It was calling Nick out. The bastard! Nick moved to the side slightly, watching the cat’s eyes follow him. He made a chuffing sound, his heaving flanks vibrating with the sound. It was the equivalent of talking shit, a come-and-get-me-motherfucker noise. The other cat took a step toward Nick. He made the sound again and it charged him. Nick was ready, coming up on his hind legs and swinging his paws in rapid succession. His teeth nipped the cat and Nick tasted blood. He pushed back with all the force he had; the other cat stumbled and rolled. Nick jumped on it, sank his teeth into its side again.

  Bright lights lit the scene, the sound of cars and sirens echoing in the distance. Nick scented other shadows coming, heard their footsteps, and the cat beneath him wriggled free. It ran down past the burning vehicle and kept going. Nick shifted instead, walking up the embankment toward where he saw Rome already standing.

  “The fucker took off as soon as it heard the sirens,” Rome told him.

  X came up behind them. “We should do the same. Last thing I want is to be questioned by some pigeon-head cops while I’m in the buff.”

  All three of them were naked after their shifts. The truck with the other shadows had pulled close to the guardrail just a few feet away. They jogged down and climbed into the back.

  “A couple of you stay here to answer questions. The truck just swerved and flipped off the road. You thought maybe you saw a deer shoot out in front of it. That’s all,” Rome said adamantly.

  Nivea, who had been driving the truck, shook her head, her right arm still bandaged.

  “Not you, Nivea. You, you, and you two, stay. Nivea, you drive.”

  The shadow gave Nick a scathing look he knew he’d have to deal with later, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t in the mood to have another one of their females in danger tonight, so she was going back to Havenway with him.

  They were all heading back to Havenway, alive. Just as he’d promised Ary.

  Chapter 34

  Even though the rooms weren’t completely furnished, the private bathrooms were just about done. Nick sighed as hot water lapped over his battered and scarred skin. The sunken tub in this minimalistic stone-tiled bathroom was just what he needed after the night he’d had.

  The sun was just rising. Slim rays slashed through the room from a narrow window that completed the decor as well as boasting a new security design. No way a shifter was fitting through that window, or anyone else for that matter. But it gave just enough of the outside to whoever was inside that they didn’t feel jailed.

  This tub was more than long enough and wide enough for Nick’s body, which was another plus. In fact, he could fit at least two more people in here with him. But today the silence added to his comfort. He let his head fall back against the edge of the tub and closed his eyes. So much had happened tonight; his emotions had turned from rage, to a pure adrenaline rush, to anxiety that almost choked him, to a fear he’d never thought he’d experience, and then back to a simmering rage that felt like coming back home. And let’s not forget the mixed feelings about Ary’s announcement.

  She was pregnant.

  Or at least she thought she was.

  How did he feel about that?

  Lifting a wet hand, he rubbed it down his face and let the droplets of water roll over his skin there as he inhaled deeply. He would be a father. And Ary would be the mother of his child. He would once again be part of a family, one that belonged solely to him. Pride swelled inside and memories of all the things his parents used to do with him resurfaced. Christmas mornings and endless hours of training, family dinners, vacations—all made Nick feel warm inside. The betrayal came later, but he was beginning to think there was an explanation for that as well. One he and Rome still had yet to discover. But it was entirely possible that their parents were acting in the best interest of the tribes, even though that may have meant they broke some laws—both human and shifter.

  Suddenly those thoughts vanished, replaced by the memory of a bubbling waterfall, the damp scent of the forest, and the softness of her skin. He opened his eyes and she stood right beside him, her naked body alight with the golden rays of the sun. Without a word he extended a hand to her. She accepted it and stepped down into the tub beside him.

  “Kalina finally settled,” she began when he was lifting his arm to pull her comfortably beside him. “Even with the pain meds she was a wreck with Rome out fighting. Now that he’s back and all patched up beside her, she’s doing a lot better.”

  “That’s good to hear. We heal pretty fast, so she should be all right soon.”

  She gave him a playful slap on the chest that sent water splashing over both of them. “I’m the medical expert here, I’ll give the diagnosis.”

  He chuckled. “Excuse me.”

  “Okay. So, she’ll
heal pretty fast and be back to normal in no time.” She gave him a side smile. “Rome’s injuries were minor, and X simply refused to let me look at him.”

  “Yeah, he’s not big on doctors.”

  “And neither are you, since you bypassed the medical facility and headed straight here.”

  “I’m fine,” he told her.

  “I’ll be the judge of that,” she said, moving in the water, her hands touching his skin.

  She lifted his foot, pulled it up out of the water, and felt his leg all the way up to his thigh. Her touch alone had him going crazy, but Nick struggled to keep his thoughts in check. She was just doing her job, not trying to arouse him. When she repeated the motion with the other leg, he hoped her impromptu exam was over. He was wrong.

  She straddled him then, lifting his arms and tracing her fingers along the scratches he had there. “Superficial, should be healed in a day or two,” she told him.

  “I told you—”

  “Hush,” she said cutting him off.

  When she let his arms fall to his sides, her hands flattened against him just beneath the pit of his arm, running down his torso in slow motion. Her fingers flared feeling against him, then pressed into his ribs. He didn’t budge. She leaned back, looking down at his chest and stomach as her nimble fingers checked there as well. By this time his dick was hard and poking into the wet crevice of her buttocks. There was definitely no hiding his arousal now.

  Ary wrapped her arms around him, her hands searching his back. She sucked in a breath when she felt a gash and tried to pull back so she could shift behind him to get a better look. But Nick put his arms around her, pulling her close, loving the feel of her naked breasts against his chest.

  “It’s fine, Doc. But I’ve got something else that needs fixing,” he whispered in her ear seconds before his tongue stroked her lobe.

  She sucked in a breath. “Really? Where’s the injury?”

  He lifted her slightly until the tip of his length rested against her core. “Right here. It needs some attention, badly. Battling Rogues makes it a little anxious.”

  She smiled down at him, her eyes alight with arousal. “I think I have just what it needs.”

  With his hands moving to her hips, he felt her pushing herself down, his dick slipping effortlessly into her depth.

  “How’s that?” she asked when he was buried deep. Her plump folds rubbed against his groin as his balls scraped against her anus.

  He moaned, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

  * * *

  “When will you know if you’re pregnant?” Nick asked when they were lying in the bed that was, in his estimation, too small to comfortably accommodate his stature and his mate with him. He’d have to buy new furniture even if they only planned to live here a short time. He was sure there would be occasions where they stayed here, and he wanted them both to be comfortable.

  “I already know,” she said, rolling to her side, resting her head on her hand as she looked down at him.

  “And?”

  “I’m pregnant,” she announced, her lips trembling in what he knew could easily turn into a smile.

  “Wow” was the only word he could manage.

  Her expression turned serious.

  “Female shifters are in heat four times a year—you could say quarterly depending on their own individual schedule. During their heat they can become impregnated. Normal incubation for a shifter is twelve to eighteen weeks. I’m about three and a half weeks along.” She took a deep steadying breath and continued. “While full jaguars are known to birth anywhere from two to four cubs, shifters usually average a birth of one or two.”

  The entire time she’d been talking, Nick had been looking at her body. Loving the curve of her hips, the natural hang of her heavy breasts, the curl-covered juncture of her sex. And now his gaze rested on her stomach, the tiny slit of her navel, the beginning of a small bump at her stomach. He put his palm there and closed his eyes.

  “Baxter’s ordering ultrasound equipment along with other radiographic tools we may need. For right now we’ve decided that besides myself, Dr. Papplin will be my doctor. It wouldn’t be smart to go into a human hospital and tell them I’m giving birth after eighteen weeks.”

  Nick heard her words but was still focused on her stomach and what was at this very moment growing there.

  “I love you,” he said without a second thought.

  “What?”

  She grabbed him by the chin, lifting his face so she could see him. “What did you just say?”

  He sat up then, keeping one hand on her stomach, touching the other to her cheek, tracing a line around to her eyebrows, over her eyes, down her nose, over her lips. “I love you, Aryiola Serino.”

  Her eyes had already started to water, her bottom lip quivering before a laugh bubbled from inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her. “I didn’t think you were ever going to say it. I hoped and prayed. And Caprise and Kalina said not to worry because it was so obvious that you did. But you wouldn’t say it. Acted like it was going to kill you actually. But I’m so happy. So very, very happy!”

  Her voice was music to his ears, her words raining down on him like a downpour when all he wanted to hear from her were three words in return. Reaching behind him he unlaced her arms from his neck, holding her hands in his, bringing her fingers to his lips to kiss.

  With their gazes locked he said once more, “I love you, companheiro.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she smiled. Oh, she smiled so prettily, it was like a fist clenching Nick’s heart.

  “I love you, companheiro.”

  * * *

  Hundreds of miles away, in a room with two long stainless-steel tables, blood splattered onto cement floors.

  “This is not what I do. I’m a chemist. A researcher,” Norbert cried frantically. His sweaty hands shook as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.

  “Shut up!” Bianca yelled. “You’re the only doctor here, so you’re up. Now get over there and fix them. Him first.” She pointed to Sabar, who had a jagged gash on his neck.

  His body was riddled with scratches and lacerations that all bled like a flowing spring. Darel was on the second table, part of his side hanging open, blood and a multitude of other things hanging out.

  But Sabar was their leader, he was the important one. He needed to live through this. If he didn’t, everything Bianca had worked for would be for nothing. When Boden came looking for her she’d be alone and vulnerable once more. She’d come to Sabar for protection because she’d seen something in the boy that Boden had brought to them years ago. There was a spark in his eyes that said he was going to be something one day, something big. And as the shifter had gotten older, his body and mind maturing, Bianca had watched, mouth watering, waiting for the exact moment she could stand beside him and claim the power and respect that Boden couldn’t give to anyone.

  So when Norbert continued to stand there and stare at Sabar’s bleeding body, Bianca’s claws emerged and went to the stupid human’s throat. “You can do what I tell you or die where you stand.”

  Norbert stepped toward the table where Sabar lay gasping for breath. He pulled on latex gloves and moved closer. “I’ll need some of that gauze over there and a bucket of warm water. I can’t do anything if I can’t see what I’m working with.”

  Used to being a slave for another, Bianca moved around the room getting the chemist whatever he said he needed, watching with bated breath as he tried to save her new lover, her savior’s life.

  Chapter 35

  One week later

  It was breakfast time at Havenway. They’d all moved in, except for X, whom they hadn’t seen much of in the last week. The dining hall was complete with high vaulted ceilings and six-foot tables lined in rows four wide and seven long. There were two head tables in the front of the room, turned to face the remaining tables. Those were for the FLs, commanders and their families.
>
  There was a large pitted fireplace on one side of the room that reminded Kalina of the pictures she’d seen of medieval times. In the kitchen, which had connecting doors that opened on one side to the dining hall and on the other to a back hallway, there was another pited fireplace, gas grills, and a professional stove. Three Sub-Zero refrigerators, deep freezers, and more pots and pans than Kalina had ever seen in her life had also been added to the kitchen.

  Baxter supervised everything at Havenway, just as he had at Rome’s house. He hired staff using X’s database—which by this time had become an invaluable tool for the stateside shifters. And even with those added duties he still found time to see to Kalina’s and Rome’s needs personally. Not to mention the way he doted on Ary as she carried Nick’s child.

  Next week Rome was flying three of the Elders and a handful of females from the Gungi to the States to assist in Nick and Ary’s official joining. After that they’d have a civil ceremony at the local courthouse just as Kalina and Rome had done to seal their union in both the worlds they lived in.

  It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of this shifter family, Kalina thought as she looked up and down the table at them. Even Caprise had mellowed a bit. Okay, that might be taking it a bit far. Kalina agreed with Rome and Nick: There was something eating at Caprise, something that was tearing her up on the inside so that she was a living, breathing bitch on a daily basis. To Kalina and Ary she seemed to be relaxing a little more, not snapping at everything they said, and even offering her opinions during their conversations. Kalina thought that if she’d ever had a genetic sister, this is how they would act. Not always agreeing with or even liking each other, but caring deeply what was going on in each other’s lives and being loyal enough to keep whatever secrets were necessary. While Caprise hadn’t opened up to them yet, Kalina felt a confession might be coming soon. At least she prayed so.