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

by J. K Harper

  She let out a hacking cough: a dragon equivalent of a whine, but did as I asked. We were nearing the clearing when I put on a spurt of speed, pulling ahead. Throwing my weight back, I hovered in the air, allowing gravity to pull me down. Then I dropped to a crouch in the grass.

  Your turn, I mentally cheered her on. Landing was hard, and landing in a clearing this size? Yeah, we hadn’t thought things through.

  She managed the halt in mid air, but her wings were still beating too fast; she was gliding across the clearing rather than down. Ten feet, eight, six—

  I winced as she hit the grass, rolling tail over ass. She turned to look at me, probably checking to see if I was laughing.

  I shrugged. It was a rite of passage. I remembered my first landing, I had plowed a field in a long bumpy line before coming to a crashing stop.

  Shaking off the change, I slipped back into my human skin.

  A body crashed into mine, nearly tackling me to the ground.

  “Did you see? I did it!”

  Dark hair hung like a cloud around her face, blocking out the rest of the world. Her skin was warm and soft, sliding against every inch of mine as her curves molded to my harder frame. Brushing back her hair, I stared into her eyes, drinking in the pure happiness. “I saw,” I murmured.

  Her lips curved in a smug smile, the thrill of what she’d just accomplished still buzzing through her. “Thank you.”

  I tried to shrug, but I barely dared to breath. The feel of her pressed up against me had me teetering on the edge of control. If she moved—even just an inch—I would lose it. “For what? I knew you could do it.”

  “Not without you.” Her words hung in the air between us.

  “Anytime,” I forced out, my voice hoarse.

  Her lips parted, her eyes darkening with heat as her hand slid from my shoulder, down my back.

  “Astrid…” I growled the warning.

  “Yes, Trent?”

  My hand mimicked hers, moving of its own volition and smoothing down her back until it rested just above her ass.

  She shifted her weight, her breasts crushing closer, her stomach and chest trapping my aching cock between us.

  “We shouldn’t—”

  “Why not?” she challenged, need clear in her eyes.

  All my carefully thought out reasons for refusing evaporated from my mind. Gone. I couldn’t think of a single fucking one. “There’ll be no going back.”

  “And why would I want that?” She tilted her head, letting me see her resolve.

  All I wanted was to make this woman mine; to take this amazing, kind, beautifully stubborn woman as my mate. To spend the rest of my life worshiping her and protecting her from the world. My lips hovered above hers, savoring the moment. She was mine, and I was hers. Nobody else mattered; not our families or our clans. Just us.

  Guilt twisted in my chest as the realization of what we were about to do sank in.

  “Your clan needs you,” I eventually said.

  She blinked, the softness in her eyes shattering. “What?”

  “Your brother needs you. I don’t have the money to save your clan.” I wanted to roar in frustration, but facts were facts. And I knew enough about Astrid by now to know that she would hate herself for putting her needs above those of her family. No matter how much she pretended to hate them, I knew she loved her clan. “And he won’t accept me.”

  Her bottom lip quivered, her hand falling away from my back. “Let me get this straight: you’re saying no because you’re worried about my family, my clan?”

  Gritting my teeth, I nodded.

  “Because you’re not rich?”

  Did she have to rub it in? I nodded again.

  “What about the fact that I’m the Seer?” she injected a dose of sarcasm into the title. “That was your excuse last time. Supposedly you weren’t good enough for me, or has that changed?”

  What could I say? That I still didn’t think I was good enough, but I didn’t give a damn anymore? That I’d happily say screw you to the world—and my clan—if I could have her by my side. That she was more important. The fact that I’d happily give my life to protect hers made me more than qualified for the job in my eyes.

  But I nodded anyway.

  She narrowed her eyes, taking a step back. “Which is it? You don’t think you’re good enough, or you do?”

  I couldn’t lie to her, and I couldn’t stand the look in her eyes. “I was an idiot to believe that, to even think it. But you can’t tie yourself to me, not when your clan is on the verge of ruin and you’re their only hope. I know you, you’d regret it. And what kind of mate would I be to not protect you from guaranteed pain?”

  “I wouldn’t regret it,” she protested in a soft whisper.

  “You would. You’re honorable and kind and you’d feel responsible. Your gift allows you to see the future: tell me, what do you see if we follow this path?” I wanted to snatch the words back, to pummel them into submission, but they were out there. I’d just destroyed my only hope, I was certain of it.

  She took another step back and hugging her arms around her chest, stared into the distance, her eyes unfocused and misty.

  My heart thudded in my chest, fighting the pain that threatened to crush it. Please let her see a future where we can fix this… But I knew I was clutching at straws. Last night in bed, I’d run every possible scenario, but every single one had ended with the Jewelcrest clan loosing.

  Her gaze met mine, and I already knew the answer. It was plain to see from the anguish etched on her face. I took her hand, linking our fingers together. “Shhh, it doesn’t mean you have to mate with one of those fools. We’ll find another way, I promise.” Even as I said the words, the whisper of a plan was forming. Unfortunately, it didn’t end with a happy ever after either, but at least she’d be free. “Come on, let’s go to the village.” The urge to claim her still beat at me, but my dragon was quiet for once, considering my plan. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t arguing. Like me, he’d do anything to protect our mate.

  Anything. Including giving up our chance at happiness.

  Chapter 16

  Astrid

  For a brief second I’d thought it was going to finally happen, that we were both going to give in to fate that had drawn us together.

  Ha! Fat chance of it being that easy! I should have known by now, life liked to throw curveballs at me. Like, hey, wanna be an all powerful, all seeing Seer type? Nope? Well, you’re shit out of luck! And, hey, how about I repress your dragon and make it so that everyone you love thinks you’re either batshit crazy or dangerous? Here you go! Have a slice of pie with that!

  It wasn’t your powers that repressed me, it was you, my dragon whispered in my mind.

  Me? No way. I wanted to meet you more than anything!

  But you fought your powers. They’re a part of us, both you and me, and in doing so, you fought me.

  Huh. It made sickening sense.

  Now that we are joined I can help you suppress the voices.

  You can do that?

  A snort echoed in my mind, followed by, Of course I can. We can pick and choose what we want to hear. How do you think Seers of the past have stayed sane? And before you ask, that’s an educated guess. I know no more than you.

  I considered the new information, a perverse sense of loss filling me. Trent’s gift to me had been silence and now I didn’t need it.

  But we need him, for so much more than that.

  Yeah, my dragon spoke the truth. So, what now? You saw the vision, what should we do? It was nice not to be alone for once. To have someone on my side.

  You’ll never be alone again. Her words soothed me, like balm on my soul.

  I trudged after Trent through the woodland, a calmness settling over me. First, I needed to find out everything I could about this whole Seer gig. Then, I needed to speak with Bastian. Alone.

  Sounds like a plan! My dragon trilled to me, her excitement infectious.

  I grinned; Trent wasn
’t going to know what hit him. As much as I loved the whole honorable self-sacrifice thing he had going on, if he thought I’d let a little something like money get in the way of true love, he’d better think again. It was time to use my gift to shape the future, not be railroaded by it.

  And, yeah, sometimes it took a woman to get a job done right.

  * * *

  The book closed with a satisfying thud, sending dust scattering to dance in the sunlight. I turned to the clan historian, an honorary title given to Earl partly because he was the oldest, and partly to give him something to fill his days with now he couldn’t fly or fight. I beamed at him. “Thank you.”

  Looking a little startled, the older man shuffled in his seat, smoothing back his white hair with a hand that was still strong and steady. Age might catch up with a dragon shifter eventually, but we were a hardy bunch and wore it well. He sighed, a sound he had made several times since my arrival at his home. “I’m just sorry I didn’t recognize the signs sooner.”

  “You didn’t know, no one did. The last Seer lived seven hundred years ago—”

  “But I’d read about her, and the others. Once I’d seen the scrolls, I knew where to look. It was a long time ago, sure, but I should have remembered!”

  I laid my hand over his. “You need to stop beating yourself up,” I instructed, hating that he was taking it so personally. Like all this mess was his fault.

  Eventually, he nodded, his shoulders sagging with relief. “Are you— Are you reading me now?”

  “No,” I replied, willing him to see the truth in my eyes. Dejection hit me. This was going to suck, everyone worrying that I was sneaking a peek at their thoughts.

  If they have nothing to hide then there’s nothing for them to worry about, my dragon piped up helpfully.

  That’s not the point, I shot back. How am I going to be accepted if they don’t trust me?

  Do you want to be accepted? she eventually asked, adding, I thought we weren’t planning on sticking around.

  Huh. Good point. I glanced over at Trent who had stayed silent since our arrival. Okay, not silent, more like brooding. Deep furrows lined his brow, the corners of his lips drawn down in a permanent frown. This was a man who had a lot on his mind.

  Catching his eye, I spun in my seat to face him. “She was called Kate and she was a green dragon too. Like me,” I added, just in case he wasn’t really listening.

  He leaned forward on his stool, hunching his shoulders and resting his chin in his hands. “Go on,” he prompted, his brown eyes lit with interest.

  Earl stood, mumbling excuses on his way out of the room. Something about tea?

  “There’s not a whole lot about her, the books mainly tell stories about her prophesies, but from what I’ve gathered she was the daughter of two mated dragons. Though there’s mention of a witch in her family history.”

  “Just like there must be one in yours.”

  “She wasn’t like me, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She accepted her gifts and her dragon when she was young.” An intense sadness crept over me, for the time I had lost through denying who—and what—I really was.

  “She probably had people around her guiding her.”

  “She did, another Seer lived near and helped her transition into her powers. It was a passing of the mantle, the responsibilities and title going to Kate.”

  “There you go then. You didn’t have anyone to help. You’re too hard on yourself, Astrid,” he chided me in a soft voice.

  I swallowed back the self-pity, banishing it from my mind. He was right, what was done, was done. “Something screwed up and I wasn’t born in time for Kate to pass on her knowledge before she died.” Because my mate hadn’t been born yet, either. “I did discover something interesting though.” I patted the space beside me, flicking through the book until I found the correct page.

  I felt, rather than saw, him settle beside me, his energy wrapping around me and hugging me close. His breath tickled my cheek as he leaned over me, peering at the page.

  Eventually he let out a self-depreciating groan. “My old draconian isn’t so hot, how’s about you tell me what it says?”

  “The Seer is born to serve all clans. Their visions—or prophesies, if you prefer—are for every dragon shifter.”

  “And?”

  Turning my head, I put us face to face, just inches apart. My heart stuttered in my chest, the urge to plant a kiss on his lips almost taking over, but I had a plan. Not yet. “If any man thinks he is taking me as a mate to gain an advantage over other clans, he is acting against ancient draconian law.”

  His eyes hadn’t left mine, nor had he moved away. “I haven’t heard of that law.”

  “It’s old and probably forgotten. The last time it was invoked was when the last Seer came into her powers. Turns out, people have always been greedy for power. The law was invoked and she mated for love.”

  Tension hung in the air, so thick I could taste it. Then he broke away, striding back over to the other side of the room. “Sometimes love doesn’t mean a happy ever after, not for everyone” he muttered cryptically.

  I bit back the urge to blurt everything out; to lay my cards on the table so he’d see the truth. But first I had to speak to my brother.

  According to history, the Seer always found her true mate and lived happily ever after, protected and cherished by his love and unfailing honor.

  And he was always from one of the three clans created to serve the Seer. Kate had mated into the Greensky clan. Her predecessor, into the Greentree clan.

  Which left the Greenwing clan.

  Trent’s clan.

  * * *

  Trent had been quiet after our visit to the clan historian yesterday, disappearing to his room as soon as we arrived back at the house. After I’d spoken to Bastian, I’d retired early, anxiety churning my stomach up until I fell into a restless sleep.

  When I’d gotten up this morning, Trent had already left the house. No note, nothing to let me know where he’d gone.

  Bastian didn’t know either, though Trent had mentioned that he would be there tonight. Something along the lines of wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  I kicked a stray stone, sending it skittering along the path and tumbling into the long grass. I was hot and sweaty and was pretty sure I had twigs in my hair, but I’d managed to vent most of my frustration out. Unfortunately, without his help, my landings weren’t getting much better, and I desperately needed to brush my teeth to remove the taste of grass.

  On a more positive note: I could now get myself into the air on my own, a feat I was secretly proud of. A little more practice and I’d have those landings polished, too. It didn’t matter that I was still shaky like a juvenile, I’d done it!

  I added a little skip to my step, bounding up the front steps and slamming into the house with renewed enthusiasm. Nothing could spoil my mood. Not the gathering tonight or Trent’s brooding. What I had to do was clear, and that wasn’t a vision talking—they were more like ideas, fragments of possible futures with no clear instructions on how to make them happen—the getting there was all on me.

  The house was a bustle of noise, people milling all over as they hustled back and forth, arranging everything for the gathering tonight. The doors between the living area and dining room had been opened to create a large, carnivorous space. Wood gleamed and glass sparkled, even the chandeliers were getting a once over. The fragrant scent of roasting meat and herbs tickled my nose and my mouth watered in anticipation. I hoped we got to eat before the showdown, flying made me hungry.

  Heading for the stairs, I took them two at a time in a rush to hit the shower. I had two hours to get ready and I was going to make the most of them.

  Trent wasn’t going to know what hit him.

  Chapter 17

  Astrid

  Music reached my ears as I paused at the bottom of the stairs, along with the low rumble of voices talking and the clink of glasses being fil
led.

  Smoothing a hand over my stomach, I took a deep breath, steeling my spine against the urge to high-tail it back upstairs and hide under my bed. It didn’t help that the dress I was wearing fit like a second skin, the stretchy fabric doing absolutely nothing to hide what I liked to call my problem areas.

  Tough. There was only one man whose opinion mattered, and he’d already made it quite clear that he liked what he saw. Lumps and all. Actually, he seemed to find my lumps fascinating. I smothered a nervous snort, taking the final step off the stairs.

  We can do this! My dragon said, taking on the role of cheerleader inside my head.

  Pasting a smile on my face, I entered the living area-slash-dining room.

  One by one people turned, the conversation dwindling off until there was only the music left.

  Yep. I’m here—the one you all came to gawk at. I scanned the room, noting the familiar faces from different clans, all people I had met at one point or another in my father’s dealings as Alpha. Some, I didn’t know from Adam. I swallowed, mouth drying up. There had to be over fifty people here!

  Panic crowded my mind, pushing out my plans. I can’t do this!

  Then, I saw him, his brown eyes warm and locked on mine. He stood toward the back of the room, leaning against the fireplace with a nonchalance I knew immediately was feigned. His black suit was cut to hug his broad shoulders, clinging to his wide chest and tapering in at his waist. Matching slacks hugged his firm, muscular thighs in a way that immediately solved the dry mouth problem, and instead I had to worry about drooling.

  The corner of his mouth quirked up in response to my blatant appreciation, his eyes narrowing as he returned the favor. Heat smoldered in the brown depths, flames leaping and dancing as he drank me in. Then, he dipped his head, sending me the silent message I needed to hear. He was here for me.

  And he thought I was hot.

  I didn’t know which pleased me more.

  A throat cleared and Bastian stalked forward, taking my arm. “Play nice,” he hissed, under his breath as a nervous twitch jumped in his cheek. He wasn’t completely on board with my plan—didn’t think it would work—but he loved me enough to let me try. He was trusting both his future, and the future of our clan, in my hands. In the vision I had seen.