Summer Shifter Nights

by Harmony Raines

  Her body felt strangely numb and heavy…so heavy.

  “Didn’t I tell you, Lanie? I need your blood and bones to perform a few spells. I can’t just waltz into the Alpha’s lair. I have to weaken his defenses. I have to be sneaky.”

  Why had she believed his lies? Tears slipped from her eyes. He caught one on his fingertip and licked it off. Lanie couldn’t scream. She couldn’t move.

  Tanin crawled onto the bed next to her. “My mother taught me many valuable lessons along with her magic. One was to never accept failure. And another was to never waste an opportunity.”

  Paralyzed, she watched in horror as Tanin’s body rippled with the change. She heard the snap and snick of realigning muscles and bones and watched the shimmer of yellow fur as it emerged from his skin. His golden eyes peered down at her, as devoid of emotion as his heart.

  He snarled and leapt onto her, his paws pressing down on her chest, his powerful jaws clamping her throat.

  Pain shot through her and her vision grayed. Then Tanin tore out her larynx…and she fell into the soft darkness, never to return.

  5

  “You have a beautiful home,” Elle said as they entered the huge foyer.

  Xavier looked at the sweeping mahogany staircase to the right, the marble floors dotted with Persian rugs, the antique furniture featuring expensive knick-knacks. Ahead, through the open double doors, was one of three living rooms. To the right was the door that led to the formal dining room, beyond it, the rather impressive kitchen. In the kitchen was a breakfast nook, surrounded on three sides by bay windows, with room for ten. Not exactly cozy, but the windows faced the ocean. According to everyone, the view of the sea was inviting, beautiful. It was not one he particularly enjoyed.

  “This isn’t really home,” he said, thinking of his cabin in Georgia. The place was in the middle of a thick forest. Soon, he would take her there. He couldn’t wait to change, to feel the damp soil under his paws, to smell the crisp scent of pine in his nostrils.

  She smiled at him and drifted into the living room.

  His butler, Montrose, had a lit a fire in the marble fireplace. He rolled his eyes. Spring in Florida was no time for a fire, but Montrose was convinced that lighting a fire in any weather was always welcome.

  Xavier watched Elle settle into a brown leather wingback. She watched the flames dance along the logs, and he watched the play of light on her features.

  “You dream of wolves,” he said. “Why?”

  “I always have.” Her gaze flicked to his. “There isn’t much I lament, Xavier.”

  He leaned down and took her hand, pulling her out of the chair. He placed a lingering kiss on her lips then whispered, “Come with me.”

  They left the luxurious room. Xavier led Elle across the huge hallway to a tiny glossy black table next to the wide staircase. On it, sat a bronze statue of a snarling wolf. Xavier pushed it and a panel opened.

  “Wow,” said Elle in half-surprise, half-sarcasm. “Your name isn’t really Bruce Wayne, is it?”

  Xavier grinned. “Do you see any bats?”

  “Just the ones in your belfry.”

  He pinched her lightly on the ass, and she laughed. Then he led her through the secret doorway and the wood slished shut behind them.

  They went down a dimly lit staircase into what had once been a basement. He had redecorated this area. No furniture or tables existed here. Big comfy cushions were scattered on the black marble floors. This wasn’t a room meant to invite or to comfort human beings. In fact, no human had ever been here.

  He flicked on the main switch.

  Elle gasp sharply.

  “My paintings!” She spun around the room, taking in all four walls, which held original, very expensive works of E. Reddington.

  Carefully positioned picture lights mounted on the walls highlighted each glorious painting. The low, yellow glimmers struck the oil canvases in ways that made the creatures’ eyes seem bright and alive. He’d spent many hours in this room in his wolf form. Before now, this had been as close as he’d ever gotten to his mate.

  “You own so many,” she said. “You have a fucking gallery of my work.” Her gaze captured his. Fury danced in her eyes. “You expect me to believe that you happen to be on the same beach as I am? Do you think I’m a fool?”

  “No. You are many things, Elle. But you are not foolish.” He walked close to her, but though he wanted to embrace her, he did not. “Yes, I knew who you were on the beach. I wanted you. I still want you. You are…well, you are mine.”

  “Oh really?”

  He’d discombobulated her. His Elle didn’t like feeling vulnerable or not in control. She probably thought a man rich enough to collect her paintings had sought to seduce her. What would she say when he revealed the truth? She was Anubinake. She was Alpha female. She was his mate.

  Xavier’s heart thudded in his chest. He couldn’t afford to lose her. The Anubinake needed her as much as he did. As the destined leaders, it was only natural that they fall in love. That’s what soulmates did, after all.

  He thought himself prepared for this moment, but he wasn’t. He was terrified she would reject her heritage. That she would reject him. Uncertainty was not an emotional state he often experienced. Surely there was some way to draw her into a conversation that would allow him to reveal the full truth.

  “What happened to your parents?” he asked.

  She glanced away. Since she hadn’t punched him and tried to walk out, he could only hope that meant she wasn’t giving up on him. On them.

  “My father died when I was twelve. Heart attack. Mother shipped me off to boarding school and tried to pretend I didn’t exist. Just before I graduated, she died. Our home burned to the ground. I was later told that she didn’t try to leave. She sat on the bed holding a picture of my father and suffocated in the smoke.”

  “I’m sorry, Elle.”

  She paced around the room. He could tell that she felt caged, even though the room was not a prison, but a sanctuary. “I don’t know why I’m telling you about my life.”

  “My parents are dead too,” he said. “Car accident last year.” It had been tragic, unexpected, and accidental. Even then he’d been planning to approach Elle. He had known his destiny since he was a pup. But Elle had not been raised Anubinake. Her parents had chosen to live among humans and to raise their daughter as one.

  By the time he’d found her, she was married to Simon Cauldwell. Then the newspapers reported Simon’s unfortunate death. Elle left California, disappearing like smoke from an extinguished fire. Then she surfaced in Florida, renting the cottage on the beach. It was as if she’d known he was waiting for her and where she should go to fid him.

  With the outcasts and his nemesis Tanin attacking Anubinake families and businesses, Xavier did not have time to woo his mate. He wanted her desperately, but was that the same as love? Even if they proclaimed such an emotion, it wouldn’t matter. Mates were fated and had been since the Anubinake walked the Earth. Their people needed unity, strong leadership and hope. Right now, the beloved ones of Anubis were fractured, angry and frightened.

  Elle was staring at her work, obviously bemused. He knew she wanted to indulge herself in fantasy, to return to the lands and the creatures that had made her famous and rich. Oh, his Elle cared nothing for fame and fortune.

  The wolves called to her.

  Elle walked to the large portrait in the center of the left wall. Xavier had paid a million dollars for it at auction. He knew that the portrait was the biggest she’d ever done. A black wolf stood in a dark forest. The full round moon showcased the beautiful creature, his eyes glittering molten silver. What she hadn’t known was that she was painting him in his wolf form. Her dreams were of him, though she did not yet know it.

  “When I was young, my father told me stories about the Anubinake. Beings who could shift into wolves—oh, that fascinated me so much.” She turned around, her arms hugging her waist. “The first time I dreamed of these wolves was the
night my father died. Mother told me to forget about my father’s stupid stories, but I never did. ”

  “I’ve heard the stories.” He clenched his fists, his heart turning over in his chest. Thank Anubis her sire had at least tried to convey some of her heritage. “Did your father ever tell you about how the Alpha female is chosen?”

  “The ruby supposedly made from the tears of Anubis.” Her anger was dissipating. He felt her energy shift from rage to sadness. She had obviously loved her father very much. “When the new Alpha is named, the gem reveals his mate—the female who’s supposed to rule with him.”

  “Royals mate with royals.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. That’s what he said.”

  “Your parents were royals.”

  “What?” She turned and looked at him, incredulous. “The Anubinake aren’t real. They’re just myths. Legends created by the Egyptians.”

  “Are you sure?”

  6

  “Why would your father tell you such obscure stories? The stories of the Anubinake are not well-known,” said Xavier. “And they are certainly not the kind of fairy tales you impart to children.”

  “Stop fucking around with me.” Elle walked to another painting, but he knew her thoughts were not about it.

  “Tell me about Simon.”

  “No.” Grief and rage radiated from her. “I’m not ready for this…for you. I can’t take it in.” She looked at him, pain in her eyes. “What do you want from me?”

  “Oh, Elle.” His soft tone soothed and reprimanded. He grasped her hand, which trembled like a caught bird within the cage of his fingers. “Come on. This room holds one more secret.”

  He took her to the far wall and watched her study the small painting. The female wolf in the portrait was his mother. Her black fur shimmered under the moonlight and her snout was raised in a triumphant howl. The thick gold chain around her neck encased a big, teardrop ruby.

  “My father had this painted,” he said. “My mother loved it.” He reached out and stroked the muzzle. “It’s an optical illusion. Go on. Take off the necklace.”

  Elle glanced up at him. “Are you kidding?”

  He shook his head. What Elle couldn’t know what that the portrait was bespelled. Anyone else looking at it would only see a painting. No one but the Alpha’s mate could reach through the magical protections and take the necklace.

  Elle’s hand hovered over the wolf’s neck. Then she reached in and lifted the chain off. “Oh my God!” She grinned at him, holding up her prize in amazement. “That’s incredible.”

  “It’s yours,” he said.

  “I can’t take something that was your mother’s,” she said.

  “The gem picks its owner.” He took the necklace from her trembling hands and placed the gold necklace over her head. The jewel settled just above the vee of her breasts, looking as if it had always belonged there—on his mate. The jewel glowed for a nanosecond. It was all the recognition Xavier needed.

  “It’s beautiful.” Elle looked at the ruby and stroked its shiny red surface. “But I’m not keeping it.”

  Xavier smiled at the uncertainty in her voice. She obviously felt she had to say the words, but she sure as hell didn’t mean them. The necklace belonged around her neck. Its power was hers to wield. He knew she wouldn’t be separated from it. His mother had never taken it off. Not until he himself as the new Alpha had removed it from her broken neck and replaced it in the painting.

  “Come on. I promised to feed you. Montrose makes a mean omelet.”

  “As long as we don’t eat in a room with a roaring fire, okay? Your butler seems to think you live in the Alps.”

  Xavier laughed, leading her out of the room and into the main part of the house. For a while longer, they would simply enjoy being with each other.

  But soon, Elle would have to face the truth. And so would he.

  Elle believed she’d learned her lesson about her impetuous decisions, but she’d been wrong. She wanted Xavier more than she’d ever wanted Simon. Her feelings for her husband were pale shadows compared to her feelings for Xavier. So she ignored her misgivings and spent the day with him. He didn’t approach the topic of the Anubinake again, but she was sure Xavier wasn’t done with the subject.

  God! How could she want him so much? She needed him like she needed air. What the hell was wrong with her?

  Xavier had spent a fortune on her paintings and he’d intentionally sought her out, and she still couldn’t get herself to feel righteously pissed-off. She couldn’t deny he was arrogant and possessive. Then again, so was she. And all Xavier’s talk about the Anubinake being real! The very idea made her quiver. How wonderful if it were true. And yet, how could shape-shifters exist?

  Do you need to ask? whispered her conscience. Or have you forgotten what happened to Simon?

  That’s why she hadn’t left yet. She wanted to hear what Xavier had to say about the Anubinake—and her own connection with them. She couldn’t deny that she had experienced something odd a year ago. Simon had died as a result of that incident. It had been long enough that she believed it all to be a terrible dream. But it wasn’t. Because Simon was dead. And though the human response should’ve been regret and anguish, another part of her had howled with joy. Justice had been served. Retribution exacted. The scales balanced.

  Later that evening, Xavier tucked her into his king-sized bed. Even though they were both nude, he didn’t make a single sexual advance. She couldn’t decide if she was annoyed or grateful. The Egyptian cotton sheets felt so soft against her skin. She’d missed the finer things while doing her penance on that beach.

  “Roll over,” said Xavier.

  Elle did. He rubbed her back until she fell into a restless sleep.

  As the dark-haired female wolf ran alongside the larger male, she barked her joy. She had done this before, she knew. It was both familiar and strange—the long-held dream meeting the disbelieving reality.

  She sprinted beside the Alpha, feeling the freedom and happiness she had sought for so very, very long. The earth beneath her paws was soggy and soft. She raised her nose to the air and sniffed the sharp smell of pine, the dankness of moss.

  She followed Alpha into a clearing. It was quiet and dark and beautiful.

  He paced the clearing, smelling and listening for danger. She circled the center and sat, tongue lolling as she tasted the air and examined the blackness behind the clearing.

  Others were there, waiting.

  She looked at the Alpha. Muscles rippled under the black fur as he padded along the perimeter. Then his eyes locked with hers.

  She scooted her paws forward and lowered her head in the submissive position. She would submit to the Alpha. She would be his mate.

  She turned, offering him her backside. He dropped to his knees and placed his paws on her haunches. He pushed his cock between her quivering thighs. The head teased her vaginal opening.

  She closed her eyes, a snarl locked in her throat.

  His cock entered her. Then he thrust rapidly, and hard.

  The snarl trapped in her muzzle unleashed, but soon the snapping sounds faded to low yips.

  Behind her, the Alpha howled and ejaculated.

  She joined in with his howl…and others joined too.

  One word filtered through her mind—Anubinake.

  “Elle.”

  Xavier’s concerned voice drew her out of the dream. She opened her eyes to see his just inches away. He was above her, his body pressing intimately against hers.

  Heat skittered through her, wedging heavy in her belly. His fingers delved into the moist inner folds of her sex, sneaking forward to tickle her clit. She closed her eyes, her teeth digging into her lower lip.

  He leaned down to lick at her nipples, sucking them into tingling hardness.

  She moaned.

  His cock slid between her thighs, gently easing into her sex.

  He gave one thrust and buried deep.

  Her breath hitched, her lungs felt as though
they might collapse. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held onto his arms, lifting her hips to meet the swift plunge of his cock.

  They reached completion together and collapsed against each other.

  She had so many questions. So many doubts. But somehow she knew this man was meant for her.

  7

  The next morning, Xavier prepared Elle breakfast. She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she apparently failed to notice that Montrose and the other servants were gone. He’d ordered Jonas to see that the humans got to safety. He wasn’t sure when Tanin would attack, but his cousin wouldn’t wait much longer. Tanin couldn’t afford to allow Xavier and Elle to consolidate their power.

  He placed the plate of scrambled eggs, sausage and toast on the table. Elle stared out the window at the ocean. Finally, she looked at him. “I want to tell you about Simon.”

  “Okay.”

  “My father wasn’t the only one who talked to me about the Anubinake. Simon knew the stories, too. He never said anything until that night. I thought I loved him.” Her gaze held Xavier’s and he felt his heart stutter. “But that wasn’t love,” she continued. “He enjoyed my money. He enjoyed my pain more. He spent our entire marriage figuring out ways to make me hurt. I wasn’t the first. I wouldn’t have been the last.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He chose me. He said he knew what I was and that’s why he pursued me. It’s funny how his hatred fueled his passion. I was swept into that passion without realizing its source.” She looked out the window. “When Simon was eleven, his family was attacked by wolves. They’d gone camping and were in an isolated location. He was the only survivor. There were still scars on his back. Claw marks.”

  Xavier went cold. “Anubinake?”

  She shrugged. “He said that he’d discovered werewolves were real. Another species living covertly among humans. He’d spent his entire life tracking down these creatures. He would torment them and then kill them.”