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

by J. K Harper

  “Nice. That means we can have that round of golf after all.”

  “And a couple hours of high-stakes gambling. I can’t miss watching you rake it in at the high rollers tables. You wear a mean poker face.”

  Angel and Sonya walked in together just then. Both were wearing sunglasses.

  “Good morning, ladies,” I greeted them.

  “What so good about it?” Angel groaned.

  “Don’t mind the bride-to-be, guys,” Sonya informed us, making a point not to look directly at me. “She’s still a little hungover.”

  Axe smiled. “She’ll get over it. I’m sure it beats the pre-wedding nerves.”

  “Probably.” Sonya tilted her head in thought. “Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other on their wedding day?”

  “Luck? We’ve screwed Luck right up the ass, and with his own damn horseshoe. We’re getting married on Halloween.” Axe had a playful look in his eye, which was a good sign. It meant he was comfortable with Sonya. “So Sonya, I didn’t get to tell you this … I love the fact that the woman I’m about to marry has a best friend like you.”

  “That’s sweet. How do you mean?”

  “I never have to worry when she’s out with you. You can rip a person to shreds just for looking at her funny.”

  “That’s right,” she agreed. “I’m a badass she-bitch, and I can hold my liquor.” She lifted both hands with her fingers in the rocker sign of the horns. When she remembered that I was in the room, she lowered her hands and cleared her throat, resuming her formality, as if she didn’t know how to act around me.

  Angel found the closest sofa and slumped down into it. “Somebody get me some coffee. Stat. I can barely see straight. And some aspirin. And whatever hangover remedy you know of. I’ve got a full day and no time for this … this…” she rested her head back and pulled her fall jacket over her face.

  “I’ll get the aspirin,” Sonya announced, and left.

  Axe filled a mug of coffee and took it to her. “Looks like you ladies went all out last night for the bachelorette party.”

  “Hi honey,” Angel purred, then groaned again. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. I feel like crap.”

  He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap, kissing the top of her head. “What happens in Vegas, dot dot dot,” he teased.

  I headed for the door to return to my room for a few things. “I’ll be back, you two. Golf is in twenty, Axe.”

  “We’ll be here.”

  Sonya was in the hallway when I stepped outside. I stood in the doorway.

  “Had a good evening?”

  She nodded. “I did. Are you going to let me pass?”

  “Eventually. I thought you might want to talk. You know, clear the air so there isn’t all this tension between us.”

  “Uh, nope. We don’t need to talk. Step aside before I move you myself.”

  “You like rough play, don’t you, Sonya? I figured you had a kinky side.”

  “Too bad you won’t ever get to find out.”

  “I believe I like those odds. After all, I recall you mentioning that you and I were ‘never gonna happen.’ Your words, by the way, and spoken an hour before you got … frisky with me.”

  She didn’t like that one bit. Her face flushed, her eyes narrowed, her pulse began to race, and then she let out a low, menacing, bone-chilling snarl.

  I stood my ground. “I’m not easily intimidated, pretty little wolf. And don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy what we did.”

  “Let. Me. Pass… Please.”

  Axe opened the door behind me. “Everything all right out here?”

  “It’s fine,” she told him. “I was just bringing the aspirin to Angel.”

  “Good, because howling like that ain’t too smart. Not on a floor full of bear shifters. Okay, dollface?”

  I stepped aside and let her go in.

  “Just tell vamp boy here to leave me the hell alone,” she grunted.

  After she had disappeared inside, Axe looked back at her, and then turned to me again. “Wait a second … no way. You and Sonya … knocked boots? Whoa. I’d never have guessed, but then again, who am I to judge?” He laughed. “Vegas, right? On a fucking full moon. Nothing should surprise me.”

  I left it alone. “Let’s get that golf game started soon, Fluffy. I’ll be in my suite when you’re ready.”

  Sonya

  Fourteen hours left.

  Fifteen, tops.

  Yes, I was counting down the hours to this scandalous fiasco of an interaction between Vincent and me.

  I didn’t have to deal with him for at least five of those hours, while Angel and I were at the spa, or when it came time to help get her into her wedding dress. Maybe eight hours, if I could keep any conversation between us strictly professional during the wedding ceremony, at the reception, and for an hour or so of the rest of the night, as we were also going to attend the hotel’s costume party tonight. My rental car was already down in the underground parking, so by late tonight, I’d be all packed up. If I were smart, I’d get far away from here and start the ten-hour trek to Rock Springs tonight.

  Angel begged me for two more hours to sleep off her hangover, and of course, I agreed. We would definitely have to skip the massages, and get them to double up the hair and makeup girls as they worked on us, but that was no problem with me. I could use some extra winks too. After Axe had taken her back to his room to rest, I refilled on coffee in the hospitality suite.

  “Did you lose something?”

  Vincent was back. I spun around to remind him to keep his distance, and saw the earring he held out between his thumb and forefinger. My hand swung up to my right ear. Crap. That was my earring. Instinctively, I reached over to my left ear too. Dammit, it was gone too.

  “Yes, it’s mine. Thanks for noticing it … I didn’t realize they’d fallen off. Did you find the other side too?”

  “No, but I can look. We’d better make sure now, before housekeeping comes up. Wait, are you sure you didn’t misplace it in your room, or somewhere else yesterday?”

  “I’m not sure.” I thought back. “I really don’t know. The last time I saw them both on me was at airport arrivals. Shit.”

  “Let me ask my driver to look inside the limo. You check your room, and I’ll go back and search mine. Housekeeping can hold off on vacuuming until tomorrow.”

  “I could have lost it last night at all the clubs Angel and I went to for her bachelorette party.”

  “True, but let’s take a look around here first, and figure out the rest if it’s not on the floor.”

  “Okay.”

  We parted ways and went to our respective suites to look. My earrings weren’t family heirlooms or anything, but they were my go-to favorites. I could wear these anywhere. The round aquamarine gemstone was encrusted with diamonds on the perimeter and mounted on white gold studs. They went with pretty much everything in my closet. This sucked. The first place I checked was the sofa, then my bed, and the bathroom. No luck. I went back to check around my pillows, and to be thorough, I pulled all the sheets back. Nothing. I was sliding the sofa to one side when someone knocked on my door.

  I pulled it open. Vincent was standing there with the second earring.

  “You found it! Thanks so much.”

  “Thank my driver. He had found it last night, and sent me a text to let me know, but I only just looked at my phone. Sorry for the confusion.”

  “It’s okay,” I told him, unable to look away from his eyes. They were so sincere. “Don’t be sorry. You just saved me a few hours of turning this city upside down … so thanks again.”

  He leaned to one side, and glanced behind me at the chaos I’d just created in the living room. “Need some help getting your sofa back in place?”

  Maybe gratitude came over me, or lust, or both, when I gripped the collar of his polo shirt, popped up on my tiptoes and kissed him hungrily. So much for staying away.

  Vincent

  I didn’t exp
ect Sonya to kiss me after all those warnings for me to stay away, but deep down, I wasn’t surprised. The chemistry between us was overpowering. It was a wonder she had resisted me all of last night.

  Sonya smirked playfully into the kiss. “We should probably get out of the doorway,” she said, still kissing me as I backed her up inside.

  My hands roamed down to her ass. I was already hard just thinking about her perfect body beneath these clothes.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t,” I suggested, only to relieve myself of the burden of regret later. Not on my part, but hers.

  I pulled out of the kiss slightly, watching for her reaction. She was resolute, and the return of her lips to mine was enough for me. She took my hands and spread my palms on her ass again. I was instantly aroused. I pulled her body into mine, enjoying the way she ground her hips into my crotch. I wasn’t sure what had changed her mind about me, but at the moment, I didn’t care.

  Running a hand up her thigh, I reached between us and deftly flicked open the buttons of her jeans, and lowered her zipper. Her kiss was fierce, magnetic. Still, I managed to pull away and drop to my knees. I wasn’t letting this chance to taste her slip by me for a second time. I peeled the denim down past her hips and knees, taking her sexy black and red lace panties along with them. Looking up into her face, I grazed my tongue against her mound, lost in the sound of her moan.

  All these clothes were getting in the way, but I made do. Parting her knees, my tongue traveled along her folds, exploring, tasting her sweet wetness as she swayed into my mouth, already giddy with need. Sonya found a way to kick off her flat shoes. She arched her back and dragged off one leg of the jeans completely. Before I knew it, she slung her clothing-free leg over my shoulder to give me more access. Pleased by her eagerness, I clutched her inner thighs and lapped at her folds.

  I moved my focus to her sensitive bud, then slid two fingers into her warm, wet center. She ran her hand through my hair, gasping loudly as she rode my fingers hard. She was so wet, and when she groaned out a long, breathy moan, I picked up the pace staring up at the abandon on her gorgeous face. Her jaw relaxed, her head tilted back to display her slender neck, and the pulse point of her carotid artery had me mesmerized. I took a long breath, thankful that I built up enough self-control over the years to resist the urge to sink my fangs into that very neck.

  Not long after, Sonya pressed her eyes shut and cried out. She was coming. She shook through her first climax, moaning, panting, gasping for air as my engorged cock began to envy my fingers. I wanted to be inside her again, to feel her tightness seized around my shaft when I made her come again. While she caught her breath, I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Standing at the side of the bed, I lowered her across its width and got in bed beside her. Sonya held me tight around the chest, teasing my neck and earlobe, driving me close to insanity. I pushed off the bed and removed her clothes piece by piece, then dragged my shirt over my head and removed my golf slacks and boxers.

  Eyes half-lidded and brimming over with seduction, she parted her legs, purring like a kitten, calling for me to take her. I got between her legs, and her lips found mine again, kissing me so fiercely our teeth crashed against each other. Groaning into her mouth and aware of my throbbing cock pressed against her heat, I pulled her legs around my waist and held on to her ass cheeks. I buried deep inside her in one wild, powerful thrust that made her gasp.

  With each stroke, my need to possess her grew. If I were sensible, I’d stop now, walk away and not look back, but that time had come and was long gone. I was addicted. Pulling from her kiss, I took her breast in my mouth. I released short, hot breaths on her nipple, licking and teasing her as she cried out my name. With each thrust and with the sound of each of her throaty moans, I wanted to own her. I put that out of my mind as quickly as the thought kept resurfacing. It was not in the cards.

  With that reality in mind, I looked up at her eyes and face, running a hand through her hair, committing the moment to memory, because it could be our last. I traced my thumb along her bottom lip, drawing back before burying deep inside her again. She whimpered a groan from deep in her throat, matching my movements stroke for stroke. I moved my head just enough to kiss her hard again, picking up the pace as my tongue mimicked the pace each time I drilled to her core.

  My fingers found her neck somehow, tracing the line from her ear, across her jawline, and down her collarbone. This close to her, her pulse drummed loudly in my ear, beckoning me to feed on her rich blood. I held myself together and resisted. Feeding on the blood of a sexual partner was like second nature to vampires, but for Sonya and me, it was an act that needed to be avoided at all costs.

  Sonya was a wolf shifter.

  If I drew blood from her, she would be bound to me.

  All the self-control in the world could not defy that one unexplainable, unbreakable, unavoidable law between our species.

  As if reading my mind, she looked up at me, her beautiful eyes piercing mine.

  “I tried so hard yesterday,” she panted. “Why can’t I stay away from you?”

  “You know why,” I replied. Tasting her mouth again, I cut the conversation short. When she appeared to stop caring about more dialogue, I lifted off of her body again. “Get on your hands and knees.”

  She did what I asked. God, she was a gorgeous creature. Licking my lips, I pulled her ass to my groin and buried myself balls deep inside. She gripped the sheets into her fists and arched her back, moaning, begging me to fuck her harder and not stop. I pounded into her relentlessly without a word. I slid a hand around to her clit, teasing the swollen bud to drive her to the heights of passion again. I knew I hit the spot when she threw her head back and cried out. Unable to hold back my pleasure from the heat of her core clenching around my shaft this time, I slammed into her, filling her completely as we came together.

  Sonya moaned through her climax, and then she amazed me when she growled out, “Do it, Vincent. Feed.”

  “No!” I roared, jolting to clear-headedness.

  Something snapped inside me then. I pulled out of her, lurched out of bed and threw on my clothes before storming out. It was only when I returned to my room that I realized that Sonya likely said what she did to get exactly this reaction. She promptly confirmed it was the case when she sent me a text that read, “If you keep playing with fire, you might get wolf-bound.”

  I smiled, and headed into the shower to clean up again.

  Clever little wolf.

  Sonya

  I said what I had to. Mind-blowing sex with Vincent was one thing. Letting myself get bound to him was another. He was an intelligent guy, so I was sure he knew not to cross the line, and uttering that one demand did the trick to wake him up. Still, a small hidden part of me said it for other reasons. I was always the rebellious one, and way too curious. A part of me wanted to know for sure whether a vampire bite would really bind us together as mates, curse me for the full length of my life, and cut me off from my pack.

  He didn’t bite, and I probably should have thanked him for leaving, but I was sure he got my point when I sent the text message. As expected, he didn’t reply.

  Angel was ready to start the day about an hour later. The rest of Saturday morning and early afternoon flew by, which was normal whenever Angel and I hung out together. Our first stop was the chapel. It was perfectly decorated in an autumn harvest theme, with jack-o-lanterns in the foyer, fall-colored ivy in the aisles, and gothic skulls and cobwebs as accents virtually everywhere. From there, we checked the hotel ballroom. The décor was similar, with classic place settings, but there were the cutest little black cauldrons on each table, holding a votive candle inside and with Halloween candy scattered around it.

  The hotel’s event manager showed us the wedding cake in the caterer’s kitchen at the back. It was spectacular. A three-tiered chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and milk chocolate drizzled over the sides, embellished at the top with a skeleton bride and groom on a motorcycle, holding a s
ign that read “Ride with Me Till Death Do Us Part.”

  Perfect.

  No detail was missed and more importantly, Angel was happy.

  We ended up skipping the massages, but by the time we left to get dressed, our up-do hairstyles, makeup and manicures were all done, and I was feeling a whole lot better. Hot sex with the cute vamp didn’t hurt my mood, either. After a quick bite to eat, we met up with Angel’s mother in her suite. I wasn’t surprised at all that she took charge from there on out. Mrs. Kessler insisted that she didn’t need my help getting her only baby girl ready for her wedding day. She shooed me off, pointing out that I needed to get in my maid of honor dress as well.

  Fatigue washed over me when I made it back to my room. It was only around noon, but my internal clock had not swung back to the Nevada time zone yet. My body felt like it was time for bed because it was ten at night in Bulgaria. I had two hours to spare, and putting on the dress would take all of twenty minutes. Grabbing a towel from the bathroom, I spread it out on my pillow to avoid smearing my makeup everywhere. I set my alarm clock to wake me up in ninety minutes, and crawled into bed for a power nap.

  * * *

  “Don’t you look stunning!”

  Angel’s mother complimented me when I returned to her suite. I was wearing my flowing, floor-length, sapphire blue chiffon dress.

  “Thank you.”

  “The sweetheart neckline and halter straps, and goodness, the fitted bodice is like it was made just for you. Blue has always suited you, Sonya.” She tilted her head as though something was out of place. “And your eyes … my God, they’re almost glowing, love.”

  I got that a lot, but just in case, I placed my sapphire beaded clutch purse on a nearby counter and walked over to the foyer mirror to see for myself. Phew! She had me worried there for a second. My eyes glowed a brilliant otherworldly blue whenever I was in wolf form, and at times, just before I shifted, but that wasn’t the case right now. It was just the light reflecting up from my dress and hitting my irises.