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

by J. K Harper

  “But you didn’t turn into a giant bear like you said.”

  “I can control it. I didn’t want to scare you. Starting off small might work better.”

  “Is this a disease? Something that can be cured? Oh God what about Alexis?”

  Lee sat back, leaving me cold. “It’s not a disease. I was born this way. There are shifters all over the world. It’s genetic so yes Alexis will be at least partially like me. I have no real idea what it means. Marcus said it varies. It depends on how dominant my genes are. If my family line is strong she could end up having all the extra traits or none at all. It depends.”

  “How dominant is your family?”

  Lee looked distant. “I’m not sure. I learned my dad was human and my mom was full shifter. After he beat her while she was pregnant, she left him. The problem was that he knew the secret and was going to tell everyone. Apparently my birth father was an ass, so my mother hid me within the human world so I wouldn’t be hurt. He eventually killed her. It was devastating because she was the shifter, but one human man overpowered her.”

  “Lee, oh God. I’m so sorry.”

  “Nothing I can do now, but I did meet her people, my people. Marcus is the Alpha of the clan that I guess adopted me. He’s the one who has been helping me. He is the one who explained our bond.”

  “Bond—what bond?”

  Lee sighed and laced our fingers together. “That last night when we had sex, it enhanced the bond between us. Every shifter has a true mate, though I’ve heard it isn’t always easy to find them, some never do, and some mate with someone they love just because. Apparently the fact that I found you so early is lucky.”

  “So what does that mean? Is that why I haven’t been able to get over you, or why right now all I want to do is strip you down and feel your hands and tongue all over my body?”

  He gulped. “You want to—” he coughed and his eyes looked like they were going to change, but he didn’t let it happen. “That might have something to do with it. We are meant to be.”

  I nodded. I’d seen some truth, but I still wasn’t ready to see the giant bear, no matter what he said about our bond. “Okay you can meet Alexis tomorrow, but I don’t want you to tell her that you’re her dad—not yet. You have to prove yourself, not only to her or me, but to my mother. You have to prove that you’re not just going to run away again.”

  He looked truly frightened but nodded. “Whatever you want. I will follow anything you say to do, just as long as you promise that you’ll think about giving me another chance to make this right.”

  I wasn’t sure about that, but my mind and body were already on the same page. It was my heart that wasn’t sure. He really hurt me, but he came back. He wanted to meet his child and make it up to my mother and me. He was trying to change and be honest. I didn’t think he was totally crazy anymore, but just because he wanted a second chance, didn’t mean he deserved one. Part of me wanted to throw caution to the wind and dive back in, but that’s what got me into this mess in the first place, why my heart was already crushed. A second time around might destroy me.

  Lee

  I was a wreck all day. Megan told me to come for dinner and to bring wine to butter her mother up. I wasn’t sure how the night was going to turn out, but either way I was thrilled to meet my daughter. Even if she didn’t get to know who I was just yet.

  Before I could knock, the door swung open and Angela, Meg’s mom, stepped out, shutting the door behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

  “So you’ve finally come back, huh?”

  She wouldn’t forgive too easily. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t want to hear your excuses. I’m not like my daughter, letting you back in so easily. If I had my way you would be on the curb licking your wounds. I don’t care what you needed to do, five years with no contact—that’s not love. You’re selfish and if you hurt my girls in any way I’ll bury you. Do you understand me?”

  I stood stunned; all I could do was nod. She backed away inside the house, not taking her eyes from mine. I didn’t give her the chance to shut the door in my face as I lifted the wine and handed it to her with a pleading smile. She reached out and took the bottle. In silence and thoroughly admonished, I slid past her while I still had the chance. She huffed and I had a feeling Meg’s mom would do everything in her power to make my return difficult. Gone were the days when she would slip me an extra cookie or warm hugs. It would take a lot of time to convince Angela that I meant what I said.

  I followed Meg’s scent to the kitchen and paused at the sight of her at the stove. Her back was to me, but it wasn’t the sight of her cooking that made me halt. It was a mini Meg standing on a stool helping her cook. This was how it should’ve been all the time. I should have always been around.

  The little girl turned around, her wide eyes meeting mine. When her head tilted to the side, I knew she recognized me instinctively. I watched her eyes swirl. It was as though my bear had found a tiny cub. He came to the surface and I knew my eyes flashed to gold in response, and in that moment I didn’t care who saw. My baby recognized me. Her eyes didn’t fully change, but gold flecks mixed with her deep brown.

  “You’re my daddy.” She said it so calmly and plainly that Meg jumped and turned to face me.

  I raised my hands up in defense and shook my head. “I didn’t say anything. She … recognizes me.” I gave Meg a measured look, trying to convey that our daughter would most definitely be a bear.

  Her shoulders slumped. She wrapped her arm around Alexis’ shoulder. “Honey, how did you know that?”

  “The little voice in my head told me, and he smells right.”

  Well, if that little sentence wouldn’t freak anyone out I didn’t know what would. She had a good vocabulary and a soft sweet voice.

  Megan glared at me. “You haven’t met her before now?”

  “No, I swear I haven’t. I told you…”

  Angela pushed past me. “What is going on, and what on earth are you telling her, Megs?”

  “I didn’t tell her anything,” replied Megan, shock still very present on her face.

  “Then how did she know about Lee? You told her first, and then taught her to lie to me?” Angela held her hand to her chest in dismay.

  “Wait, no one told anyone anything.” I turned to Megan. “You might have to let me show your mom too. She loves Alexis so it shouldn’t matter where it came from. We don’t need her thinking that our daughter hears voices in her head—it’s nothing like that.”

  Megan laughed, an almost hysterical one. “Oh lovely, a family show and tell then?”

  Angela didn’t find it too funny. “What is going on, and why are you being so nice? Did you really forgive him for breaking your heart and leaving you to raise Alexis on your own?”

  “Mother!” Megan looked at Alexis and then glared at her mom. “This isn’t the proper time to talk about this, but yes, Lee promised to show me something that would explain everything so he might as well show you too. Then we can know he was telling the truth. It’s that simple.”

  “I want to see too, Daddy,” Alexis said. Then she jumped off of the stool and ran up to me. When she lifted her little arms high in the sky, begging for me to pick her up, I looked over at Megan shocked, scared, and desperate for her to nod her head. Meg finally nodded her head with tears running down her face. The moment was perfect, even Angela kept her mouth shut. I picked Alexis up and nearly broke down myself when she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “It’s so good to meet you baby girl.”

  “Can I see you change?”

  “You know about what you are?”

  “Yeah, she tells me.”

  “Who?”

  “Grandma.”

  I was confused. There was no way Angela knew. “You mean your mommy’s mom?”

  She pulled back and kissed my cheek and laughed. “No, silly. Your mom.”

  I swallowed a huge gulp at that small but crushing piece of in
formation. “Lorelai?” I said, whispering my birth mother’s name, hardly daring to say it out loud.

  Alexis nodded and beamed at me.

  “Well, sweetheart, I think your mom and grandmother would feel more comfortable if I didn’t just yet.”

  “Grammie, call her Grammie,” Alexis corrected with a frown. “Why not, you won’t hurt me.”

  “Of course, I wouldn’t. Not ever. But it takes time for others to process what we are.”

  Alexis pondered upon this, her head again titling to the side in the most adorable way.

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  Megan walked up to us and saved me. “It’s bedtime anyway. Your daddy will see you tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes, anytime you want to see me, I’ll be here.” I wanted Meg to get it without being pushy.

  “Will you take me trick or treating?”

  “As long as I get to wear a costume!” I said and Alexis giggled. Megan pulled Alexis away from me. I winked at her. Alexis was going to be a handful. I knew it. But she went with her mom without a fight, and once the two girls were out of the kitchen, Angela turned to me.

  “What in God’s name are you up to?”

  “Angela, she is my daughter. I’m not up to anything. There’s a part of me, which I’m going to show you, which runs in my blood, and Alexis is connected to that history. I guess what I really want is for you to accept me back into the family. I know when I left I hurt you too. You were like a mother to me, too. You accepted me and I spent more time in this home right here than I did with my parents. And, I’m sorry. Truly I am. But I’m trying here, Angela.”

  “Nice try sweet talking me. It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than that. I don’t know what you did to Megan, but she can’t seem to stay away from you, but I don’t trust you anymore,” Angela said and left me standing in the kitchen alone.

  The dinner was forgotten and worry bubbled in my stomach. It was one thing showing my true self to Megs, but now I had to gauge what Angela’s reaction would be. It definitely wasn’t promising after our latest conversation. Would Meg and Angela scream in fear? Would they expose me to the world?

  I couldn’t just sit and wait for my ultimate showdown. While Meg put Alexis to bed I cleaned the kitchen. Not much had changed in the five years. Even the dishes were in the same place. By the time Meg came back into the kitchen it was spotless.

  “You ready for this?”

  Meg sauntered up to me with a shy smile. She tipped her face to mine pursing her lips. “Kiss me for luck, because if you’re full of shit this will be the last time you touch me,” her voice ended on a harsh whisper and she pulled my face to hers and kissed me hard. I felt the roughness and her worry. It was as if she was begging me to not screw up again. I tasted her desperation and it mixed with my own.

  “Oh for God sake, let’s get on with whatever this is.” Angela butted in, and I pulled back from the woman I loved.

  “Let’s go outside in the back. This is going to make a scene. I hope your neighbors are out.”

  Meg led me out the back door, and Angela was right behind me. The backdoor shut and we walked out into the night. I was too nervous to pay attention to anything other than what I was about to do. Megan and Angela stayed on the patio and I walked into the middle of the yard stripping my shirt off and tossing it to the side. I stood under the cover of the moon and sent a prayer up to whoever was listening. I was about to change my life … for the better I hoped.

  There was silence except for the night crickets chirping in the distance. I shoved my pants down my legs and sighed. “It’s better to be naked for this, if you want to turn around until I shift that’s fine.”

  Angela turned away, but Megan stared at me and involuntarily licked her lips. Her eyes roamed my body and followed the descent of my boxers. Now I stood before her—and her mother in nothing. The cool air covered my skin and I shivered but it wasn’t from the cold. It was now or never.

  I closed my eyes. I couldn’t handle seeing her panic. The magic washed over me and I felt the change as I let the bear out. It didn’t take long and when I opened my eyes I was on four feet and ten times bigger than before. When I turned my gaze to Megan, her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. She didn’t scream or run away. She grabbed her mother’s arm and spun her.

  “Oh God he wasn’t lying. He really does turn into a freaking bear.”

  Angela opened her mouth as if to scream but Megan covered it.

  “He’s not even moving, Mom. He won’t hurt us.”

  A tiny shrill scream pierced my ears and my head shot towards the sound, instinct taking over. Before anyone could react, I barreled towards the sound.

  Megan let go of her mother as Angela shrank against the exterior wall, mistakenly thinking I was charging them. But out the corner of my eye, Megan took a step forward, registering the sound of the voice that had called out.

  I found Alexis on the ground. She must have been watching from her bedroom window and had fallen out. Her arm was bent at a bad angle.

  “Daddy, please help me, it hurts.”

  I knew it was going to be painful but I closed my eyes and tried to force the shift. I had to get my daughter to the hospital. Hold on, sweetheart.

  Her small hand gripped my fur, pulling on it. “No teach me, Grandma Lorelai says it heals. Bring my bear.”

  The words didn’t make sense. There was no way she could voluntarily shift yet—at that age it just happened or it didn’t, but she didn’t let go; she pulled my fur to help her sit. She gazed into my eyes and I felt the stirring. Her cub was prancing, happy and excited, and she wanted to come out and play.

  Using the connection and my dominance, I coached her through the process. The smile on her face fell and she collapsed to the ground, but then a tiny little baby bear jumped on me and licked me. It should never have been possible but there she was, my little girl. I turned to see Meg to let her know she was okay, but she was already there staring wide eyed from me to her daughter running around. Then Alexis yipped and tackled Meg to the ground and licked her face.

  “Oh my gosh, get off me you little punk!” Then she laughed.

  I shifted back grateful Alexis was okay. I stood covering myself waiting for someone to talk but Angela handed me my pants.

  “Come inside when you’re dressed, seems you aren’t a crazy shit after all. I still don’t forgive you though.”

  “You will, eventually,” I daringly called after Angela.

  Meg stayed outside; just the three of us. Her eyes were rimmed with tears but she held tightly onto her little squirming cub. I knelt in front of Alexis and shifted my eyes. Before Meg knew what was happening she was cradling her daughter again. I covered her with my shirt, after I checked to see if her arm was fixed.

  “How?”

  I shrugged, hardly believing it myself. “I’m her dad, she was hurt. I didn’t know for sure, I didn’t know she could shift so young.”

  “So she’s strong already.”

  “Oh yeah.” I looked at my little girl sleeping in her mother’s arms, absolutely wiped out from her swift changes. I helped Meg to her feet and followed her as she carried Alexis into the house. This was the start. I couldn’t go anywhere now. Fate had brought me back.

  There was still a major question lingering. How were we going to handle a cub in such a tight knit small town? The last thing I needed was to have the cops called. Things would get ugly real fast.

  Megan

  I couldn’t believe it. Right in front of my eyes he went from the same Lee I’d always known to this giant brown bear. Oh, and then to top off the freaky things of the night, my daughter turned into a baby bear and tackled me to the ground.

  How come this was able to happen? “Why now?”

  “What do you mean?” Lee asked in a whisper.

  I laid Alexis in her bed and covered her up. “I thought you had your first change later in life?”

  He shrugged and led me by the hand out of the room. I shut the door and l
eaned against it. He came back into my life and in one night everything was different.

  “Did you trigger her change too young? Could this hurt her?”

  “I don’t think so. But I’ll find out. I’ll talk to Marcus. He’ll know what it means.”

  I couldn’t worry too much. She seemed okay and perfectly healthy.

  I still had a shit-ton of stuff to process but that could wait. I pushed off the wall and slid by Lee, making sure my breasts brushed against his body. I smiled up at him. I couldn’t let him go now. It was scary and I worried, but after I saw how he looked at Alexis, I knew he wasn’t leaving again. There was such a connection between them. It shocked me, but then again, it wasn’t entirely surprising as I’d began to examine our own connection … and that was very real.

  He didn’t argue, following me as I led him into my room and shut my door. If I had my way he wasn’t even leaving the house. A five-year drought would leave any woman in my reckless state. I was never able to be with anyone else. In fact I hadn’t slept with anyone else since him. I’d always thought that I just hadn’t found the right one, or that I hadn’t given my dates a chance, but all along I’d known deep down, no one else but Lee would do for me.

  Lee growled behind me, and I jumped and looked over my shoulder. His eyes were already golden. Now that it was out, he didn’t seem so worried. The color of his eyes was amazing. Even though I was a bit scared, I found that my body was ready and ached when he let me see him that way.

  “You like my eyes this way?”

  The roughness of his voice made me shiver and I nodded.

  He grabbed me by the waist and tossed me on the bed. I let out a squeal and then covered my mouth.

  “We have to be quiet.”

  He followed me down and lay next to me, pulling my body against his. I brushed my lips along his chin before I gripped his jaw and trailed my lips across his cheek. He turned his head and kissed me. It was slow and sweet. I felt it from the top of my head all the way to my toes. They curled in pleasure, enjoying the feel of his tongue as he explored every inch of my mouth.