Shifters in the Shadows: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Sexy Shifters, Dangerous Vamps, & Things That Go Bump in the Night

by J. K Harper

  “I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven,” Rowan whispered. “I love you, Geneva. There, I said it.”

  “I love you too,” she gasped with heady glee.

  They looked into each other’s eyes in the firelight. He moved over her in waves, cresting over the ocean’s surface. She took panting breaths as the tidal wave of pleasure approached. She grabbed his arm and threw back her head, her eyes pressed closed.

  “Oh God, Rowan,” she groaned.

  A light flashed inside her mind that was so bright she had to open her eyes. The light was above her and Rowan, hanging in the air. Her orgasm pulsed in waves and the light strobed in time with the rhythm. Rowan groaned into the nape of her neck, his fangs descending against her skin as he thrust into her.

  His teeth bit through as his seed erupted into her depths. The hot pulses of molten liquid burst against her womb. She groaned as the waves of orgasm crested again. Rowan’s teeth, clamped down on her neck, holding her still. Their bodies were enmeshed in that moment. They were one, in unity, and complete as a whole and in themselves.

  The light condensed into a ball that descended into her womb. She felt the glowing light settle there with a warm, tingly glow. Rowan’s teeth retracted, pulling out of her flesh. His tongue lapped over her skin, healing the wound.

  They held each other on the couch. Rowan stroked her back as she laid on his chest. It was all so right. Maybe she could become the leader of the coven. With Rowan by her side she could do anything.

  They had made a baby tonight. That ball of light had been a spirit entering her body, ready to be born anew.

  On All Hallows Eve, anything was possible.

  Chapter 8

  Rowan held his mate in his arms, content that he’d finally found his place in the world. They’d only just met, but neither of them cared. They knew they were meant to be together. Something happened when he’d come inside her. He felt it deep in his bones. He’d found his girl and now, maybe something more. He wouldn’t even let himself imagine it yet.

  His lion, sated for the first time since he’d learned her name, slumbered at the back of his mind. Rowan looked down at Geneva, his darling mate, the light of his life. He wanted to give her everything. Now was the time for him to step up and be the man she needed. They were mated now and that meant forever. Rowan wanted to be her man full time.

  “I’ve got a lot of money saved up,” he said, looking down at her. “I can help you with your farm.”

  She stroked his chest and gave him a lazy smile, barely opening her eyes. “Don’t worry about my farm. I have bigger fish to fry.”

  “Fish?”

  She blinked her eyes and came to full attention. “I’m the daughter of one of the greatest witches to ever live on Fate Mountain. Now that she’s passed, the coven expects me to take over.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” he asked, confused. She was awesome in his book.

  “My mother was an academic. I’m just a hedge witch. I shouldn’t lead.”

  “Why not? Seems like your coven wants you to.”

  “I don’t think I can follow in my mother’s footsteps. She was a great woman.”

  “So are you.”

  “You’re just saying that because I let you come inside me.”

  He laughed, then she laughed, both their bodies shaking with mirth.

  “I’m afraid that’s the only reason,” he said.

  “I knew it.”

  “Geneva, you have no idea how brilliant you are. Just standing next to you, I can barely see from all the light that shines around you.”

  “Rowan,” she said, extending the syllables. “You’re too sweet.”

  “It’s always going to be this way, baby doll. We’re mated. You’re the one.”

  He hugged her tight. She felt so good in his arms.

  “My father disappeared when I was twelve and never came back. It isn’t unheard of for a magic user to time slip, jump through a portal, or be transported to some other magical world. But I still grew up without a father. Maybe I’m a little jaded because he never came back for me.”

  “I just want to be here for you now.”

  “You have no idea how much strength you give me, Rowan. Just knowing we are together makes me look at the world in a whole different way.”

  “It does for me too, babe,” he said into her neck. He needed to get her home and safe. This was a borrowed gazebo and they’d taken a borrowed boat.

  “It’s probably time to go.”

  “Yeah. It probably is time to go.”

  On the way back in the boat, Rowan watched Geneva’s black hair flutter around her shoulders in the moonlight. His heart almost burst open with pride. His lion roared. He needed her more than anything else. He’d do anything for her, lay down his life, and give his last breath to be what she needed.

  They made it to the opposite shore, and he helped her out. They tied up the boat and walked all the way back to the parking lot at the front of the lodge.

  “I’m over there,” she said, pointing to her car. “Do you want to follow me home?”

  “Of course I do,” he said.

  He followed her to her car and waited for her to get inside before he went to his motorcycle and turned it on. He followed her all the way up a dirt road and pulled up in front of a Victorian style farm house.

  He met her near her car, taking her hand to walk with her up the front path. She unlocked the door and brought him into her house. They were together now; he could feel it.

  “Now I’m going to have to figure out what to do to be useful around here,” he said.

  He looked around and saw cracks in the plaster, flooring that could use refinishing, plenty of chores for a man like him. He smiled, knowing he could help her already.

  “There’s plenty to do around here,” she said. “But I’ve got a more important job for you.”

  She stepped into his arms and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.

  “What’s that, baby doll?” he whispered.

  “I want you to take me upstairs to the bath.”

  He picked her up off her feet, drawing out a surprised scream. She giggled and threw her arms around his shoulders, kissing him. He carried her up the stairs, and she directed him to the bathroom.

  There was a big claw foot tub on a tiled floor. This room looked like it was pretty nice. Definitely a good place for him to give his woman a bath. He turned on the water and they waited for it to fill, kissing the whole time. He helped her out of her clothes and she helped him out of his.

  They climbed into the water and held each other in the warmth, Geneva leaning against Rowan’s chest. Rowan picked up a sponge and squirted body wash onto it. He ran it over her breasts and down between her legs as she leaned against his chest. She wiggled under him, her curves stirring his desire anew.

  He nuzzled her neck, growing hard against her round ass. She moved over him, stroking him with her body. He grasped her chin and tilted her lips toward his, kissing her softly on the lips. She moved back over him, his cock slipping along her slick pussy.

  He slid inside her, and she came down on him with a groan. He wrapped his arms around her, grasping her breast with one hand and her sex with the other. Rubbing her clit, he moved his hips back and forth to slid in and out of her. Geneva groaned and cupped his chin, resting her own against his shoulder.

  They kissed deeply and he tweaked her nipple, making her entire body quiver. He reached for the other breast while moving his thumb in a tight circle against her clit. She gasped, her pussy throbbing on his cock. He grasped both her breasts and squeezed, thrusting into her clenching pussy. She felt so good around him. The pulsing of her body around his shaft drove him to his own climax.

  He growled into her neck, remembering the taste of her blood when he’d claimed her. The bite had already healed, but he bit the spot again with his flat teeth, coming deep inside her for the second time tonight.

  “Baby, you blow my mind away,” he said into her
neck.

  She slid away from him and turned over, looking him in the eyes. Her knees rested around his lap, squeezing them both together under the water. She kissed him with a smile and then pulled herself out of the bath. Water dripped down her gorgeous body as she stepped on the bath mat and grabbed a bathrobe. Turning, she handed Rowan a towel.

  He took it and followed her into the bedroom, patting himself off. She pulled down the quilt on her bed, dropped her bathrobe on the ground, and climbed inside. He got in behind her and turned off the bedside lamp. They snuggled together in the darkness, her warm cheek resting against his chest.

  Rowan had never felt so full and so complete in all his life. After the horror of war and his long journey on the road, he’d come to a place he never could have imagined before. It was a million times better and brighter than anything he could have dreamed. His love for her pulsed through his heart and radiated toward her, mixing with her own adoration of him.

  His little witch was a magic user, and the bond between fated mates was like magic too. Mates felt each other deep in their souls. It was perfect unity at the most basic place inside them. No matter what happened, from here on out, they had each other’s back. That’s what it meant to be mates.

  But his connection to his mate was even more magical than that. He felt her love radiating all around him, coming from her heart. He kissed her head, the bond he felt for her, giving him a new reason to live.

  Chapter 9

  Geneva woke to the smell of frying bacon and coffee wafting up from downstairs. She yawned and opened her eyes, remembering that her life had changed last night. Rowan had come into it.

  She climbed out of bed, still naked, his seed still inside her. She walked to the closet and put on some clothes. A pair of jeans, a sweater, and soft clogs. She walked downstairs and found Rowan in her kitchen, wearing a pink polka dot apron and nothing else.

  He slid a pancake onto a plate next to bacon and a bunch of chopped mango. Geneva sat at the breakfast table under the window while Rowan carried everything over. She couldn’t help admiring the long muscles of his body as he walked by. He looked adorable in her apron.

  She giggled when he sat down across from her. She bit her lip when he winked back. The plate of food, coffee, and orange juice was waiting for her. She took a sip of juice and then a bite of pancake. He’d put whipped cream on it and it tasted perfect with the blueberry syrup.

  “You’re a good cook. I can’t believe you put this all together from what I had in the fridge.”

  “I had to dig,” he teased.

  She didn’t do as much grocery shopping now that her mom was gone, but she was used to keeping a full kitchen for her coven. She liked having a man around who could cook like this. Definitely an asset.

  Rowan’s wild hair waved around his face, and his eyes gleamed in the morning light. Geneva reached across the table and grasped his hand.

  “Thank you, Rowan, for coming into my life.”

  “Babe, I should thank you. Now I’ve got it all. We trusted each other and now look where we are.”

  She leaned over the table and kissed him, the taste of bacon on his lips. Sitting back, she started to think about what she had to do next with her coven. She knew she didn’t want to change, but now she felt more confident to take on the position she was given.

  “I’m expected to take leadership of my coven,” she said. “Everyone expects it.”

  “What makes you so reluctant to do it?” he asked, his expression turning serious.

  “I didn’t go to the mage academies. I stayed home and taught myself and learned from my mother and the other midwife in the coven. Traditionally, it is the most educated, most powerful witch who takes the position.”

  “Education and power aren’t the same thing,” he said thoughtfully. “And it’s not like you didn’t have an education. You just said you learned a lot.”

  “That’s true. I did.”

  “So, what’s so wrong with the way you learned what you know?”

  “Nothing really.”

  “And wasn’t your mom your teacher? She was supposed to be some great mage.”

  “That’s true, she was. And I was her student. And something else I want to tell you.”

  “What is it, babe?”

  “My mother told me to sign up for Mate.com in the ritual last night. So I did. Then I met you and we made love. Right at the end, I saw a light come down into my womb. I know it was her. I think I’m pregnant with the spirit of my mother.”

  “Wah. That’s wild babe. I think it’s beautiful. We’re going to have a baby girl? For real?”

  “I think so.”

  He stood and knelt beside her, his apron slipping dangerously down his thigh. He put his hand on her belly and looked up at her. She put her arm around his broad shoulder and they gazed into each other’s eyes.

  “I just became the happiest man alive.”

  She kissed his forehead and he leaned his head against her heart. Their love radiated between them and expanded until she felt so much joy she could barely contain it.

  “There is so much I want to share with you Rowan, now that we’re together. The sky is the limit. The world is ours.”

  “All I want is to see happiness in the eyes of my mate and our child. It’s all for you.”

  They finished breakfast, telling each other their stories. Geneva finally started to understand how her father’s disappearance had shaped her life. In a lot of ways, she’d given in to the pain. More than that, she’d started to second guess her own decisions.

  Rowan had opened her eyes to her insecurity. He was the first man to love her as fiercely as her father had. It reminded her who she really was before her fears set in.

  After breakfast, Rowan cleaned up and went to get his things from the hotel. He also promised to get groceries. While he was gone, Geneva called the coven together for a meeting. She intended to finally tell them she would take the position as matriarch.

  When Rowan got back, they prepared food for the meeting and set everything up before her people arrived. Every one sat around the dining room table over squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

  When everyone had a plate and a glass of red wine, Geneva took in all of their faces, gathering her strength. Rowan grasped her knee under the table.

  “I called you all here to introduce you to my mate, Rowan Tark, he’s a lion shifter.”

  “You’ve mated with a shifter?” Trixie asked, her white hair shimmering around her face.

  “Is that a problem?” Geneva asked.

  “Does he know what you are?” Dominique asked, lifting and eyebrow.

  “Yes. Of course. He could smell it.”

  “He smelled … what you are?” Marcos asked.

  “I could tell she wasn’t human,” Rowan corrected.

  “The shifters don’t know about us,” Shayla demanded.

  “I’m her mate,” Rowan said. “The connection is strong.”

  “That must be it,” Trixie said. Dominique nodded at her.

  “So now we have a shifter among us,” Marcos mused.

  “I have another announcement. I have decided to take on the position of matriarch,” Geneva intoned.

  “Good, because it’s your job,” Trixie said smartly.

  Geneva resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was the leader now. She had to be a grown up. But she had one more thing to tell them.

  “There’s something else,” Geneva said to the group. “Last night, I conceived a child who is the spirit of my mother, Tisha Zales.”

  Everyone burst into happiness and laughter. Clapping and cheering for the couple and their new family. They were also clapping and cheering for Tisha, her mother. She was coming back to them, to be reborn as a child of the future.

  Geneva rubbed her belly, feeling warm and alive with her beloved child growing inside her. Rowan grasped her hand and brought it up to his lips.

  “I knew you could do it, babe,” he said into her ear.

/>   Epilogue

  Geneva gave one last push and her baby emerged from her womb, slipping into the warm pool of water. Her midwife, Barbara, pulled the baby from the pool and laid her on her mother’s chest.

  Geneva held her daughter in her arms. Rowan held Geneva in his, kissing her cheek and cooing at her and the baby. It was a crystallizing moment of pure joy. Time stood still and the sights and sounds spun around them, becoming immortal and archetypal.

  She would remember it forever.

  Barbara and Rowan helped Geneva out of the pool and up the stairs to slumber with her baby in bed. She laid beside her mate with their babe between them.

  The sunlight was bright outside but she was exhausted. Rowan kissed their daughter’s head and looked up into Geneva’s eyes. She rested against the cool pillow, about to fall asleep.

  “What should we call her?” Rowan asked.

  “It should be Tisha,” said a voice from the door.

  Geneva looked up, almost startled out of her skin. There in the doorway, stood her father, looking no older than when he’d left eighteen years ago.

  Rowan looked surprised. Barbara walked up behind him and squeezed through the door. She’d been around when Geneva’s father had left. She looked up at him and then back at the family in the bed.

  “Look who’s here,” she said bluntly, tossing up her hands. She looked at Geneva and left the room. “Congratulations.” Barbara said as she walked down stairs.

  “Dad?” Geneva said. “Is it really you?”

  “Somehow I got back here, after all this time,” her father said.

  “You haven’t aged a day,” Geneva marveled.

  “But I made it back for my granddaughter’s birthday,” he said, walking closer. “That’s all that matters.”

  “Where did you go?” Geneva asked. Rowan reached out to grasp her hand. She could feel his energy reaching out to her, soothing her with his love.

  “I was trapped on the other side. But it’s a long story for another day. Today is your day. I wanted you to know I was sorry I couldn’t get back to you. I’m so glad you’ve done so well for yourself. I wish I’d been here for you and your mother.”