Summer Shifter Nights

by Harmony Raines

  “Can I help you home?” she asked, yanking her thoughts away from the dangerous direction they were headed.

  “No, once I get the arrow out, it won’t take me long to heal.”

  “Here, let me help you get the arrow out.”

  “I think you’ve done enough. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d rather be alone.”

  “I do mind.”

  Aislinn moved to stand behind him. Her arrow head had gone all the way through, which would make it easier to take out. She yanked her hunting knife out of its sheath on her belt, but before she could cut the arrowhead off, the shifter’s large hand covered hers.

  “Do you know how to use that thing?” he barked.

  Aislinn was used to men’s reaction to her skills, but for some reason it annoyed her more coming from him. She frowned at him as she moved his hand away from her knife. With a quick movement, her knife sliced through the arrow with ease. Then, just because she was feeling despicable, she jerked the arrow out of his shoulder without so much as a warning. A roar ripped past the man’s lips. The sound was so primal, it spoke straight to Aislinn’s womanhood. She took a step back, desperately needing to distance herself from him.

  His eyes narrowed in on her as if he could tell exactly how he affected her. The moment was fleeting. Then he dragged himself to his full stunning height and shifted back into the giant lion she had first encountered. He sauntered off into the woods with an obvious gait, leaving her standing there shaken and frustrated.

  “You’re welcome!” she shouted, sarcasm coating the words.

  He didn’t respond, not that she expected him too. Aislinn stood there a few more minutes, letting her heartbeat settle. She had never shot a person before, not that she had intentionally shot the man, but the ramifications were still the same. It took a while for the adrenaline to wear off, as well as her overall arousal to the man. Once she had control of herself, curiosity got the better of her. She had spent most of the day out in the woods and hadn’t come across any homes, which had her wondering where the man lived.

  It wasn’t any of her business. She was tired. Yet, she still couldn’t stop herself from tracking the man through the woods. It was easy considering he left a trail of blood for a while. Once the blood stopped, she had to rely on her skills. Her father had taught her how to track and hunt as soon as she had started walking. It was ingrained in her. Being outside in the wilderness was where she felt at peace, it was also where she felt closest to her father. Since his passing over a week ago, she had spent every day in the woods. Her thoughts wondered to what her father would have thought about running across a lion in the middle of southern north America. The thought made her smile.

  She was so engrossed in her own thoughts she didn’t hear the rustling of the leaves overhead until it was too late.

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat?”

  3

  Leo

  Something had told Leo when he walked off that the women wasn’t going to be able to stop herself from following him. Leo probably should have been concerned that she was a hunter just looking to score a shifter lion, but there was an innocence about her. She hadn’t meant to shoot him, that much was clear. Leo climbed into one of the tall oak trees that led the way to his small cabin in the woods and jumped from limb to limb until he was just over top of her.

  It was impressive that she had managed to track him once his bleeding had stopped. Leo lifted his paw, stretching it forward. Where the wound had been just moments before there was now just a hint of soreness. He watched her walk through the woods, a peaceful expression on her face. There was a sadness emitting from her, though. Leo inhaled her scent. A touch of arousal was still there.

  It had been so long since Leo had been with a woman. When he had smelled her desire earlier he had to get away as quickly as possible. Otherwise he would have taken her right there in the middle of the woods, arrow wound and all. She was a beautiful and alluring human. Her long blonde hair was pulled up high in a ponytail. It paired well with her big blue eyes. What called to Leo the most was her lusciously full lips. They had parted when he had roared out in pain, and the sight had been painfully arousing.

  She moved along until she was below him. Leo knew he shouldn’t have, but the view down her tight tank top was too hard to resist. The gorgeous swell of her breasts enticed him with every bounce of her step. He bounded back towards his home, keeping to the trees. Several times she should have heard him, but her mind was somewhere else. Where he had been impressed with her at first, he didn’t like that she left herself so vulnerable.

  Leo leaped from the trees, landing softly behind her. He shifted quickly and whispered in her ear as he brushed past, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you curiosity killed the cat?”

  Just as quickly, he was back in his lion form, walking away from her.

  “Hey, wait up! I couldn’t just let you take off like that, being wounded and all. I’m doing my civil duty to make sure you’re okay.”

  Leo ignored her and kept walking. His house was just ahead, and he desperately needed to put some clothes on if he was going to have a conversation with the woman. He felt her presence behind him the rest of the way. Neither of them said anything. When Leo went inside his small cabin, she stood on his front porch. There wasn’t much to Leo’s home, and he liked it that way. There wasn’t much he needed. The woods provided him with his biggest necessity: privacy.

  He slid on a pair of jeans and grabbed a shirt from his closet before joining her on his porch.

  “Hello, my name is Leonardo Bianchi, Leo for short,” he said, extending his hand to her.

  “Hi, Leo.”

  She accepted his hand and shook it tentatively. He dipped his chin as he urged her with his eyes to give him her name in turn.

  “Oh, sorry. My name is Aislinn.”

  “Aislinn.”

  As the name rolled off his lips, he felt a rush of emotion overwhelm him. He dropped her hand and took a step back.

  “See, I knew you weren’t completely fine. Here, sit down. Do you have any Gatorade or anything inside? You probably need some electrolytes.”

  He waved his hand and shook his head as he tried to gather himself. Leo wasn’t quite sure what was happening to him, and the one thing that kept popping in his mind, he kept batting it down.

  “I’m fine, I assure you. You have a unique name. Is it a family name?”

  “My father named me. He said he just wanted something unique.”

  “Well, I believe he succeeded.” Leo gestured towards her bow, “May I?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  Leo took the long bow in his hand and admired the craftsman ship of the old fashioned bow. The fact that she hit him while he was moving with such a weapon told him a lot about her skill as a shooter.

  “Do you only hunt with a long bow and a knife?

  “No, I hunt with almost any weapon. Today I was just hunting small game. The long bow makes it fun.”

  “I smelled the blood on you. Did you manage to kill something then?”

  “A few rabbits. My dad had a special bag made for carrying small game out of the woods,” she said, patting the small vinyl bag that hung at her side.”

  “Is your dad hunting with you today?”

  “I’m meeting him soon. I should actually go.”

  She was lying, but Leo didn’t call her out on it. Aislinn was just realizing she had followed a strange man, shifter nonetheless, deep into woods she was unfamiliar with. Her instincts were slow, but they were catching up.

  “Do you know how to get back to where he is?” Aislinn turned her head away from him, but not before he saw the tears pooling there in her eyes. “I’d be happy to walk you back to town; one hunter helping another.”

  “No, it’s fine. I know the way. Thank you. I’m sorry again, for shooting you.”

  “No hard feelings, Aislinn.”

  “Goodbye, Leo.”

  “See you soon.”

  Aislinn s
tepped down off his porch and turned back to look at him one final time before taking off back into the woods. Leo itched to follow her and ensure that she did in fact know her way and make it back to her vehicle safely. Instead he stayed rooted to his porch, refusing to give into his school boy whims. Also refusing to acknowledge the mantra in his head. Leo knew he wouldn’t be able to ignore it for long, though.

  “See you soon, my huntress,” he whispered into the dusk.

  4

  Aislinn

  Aislinn told herself it was the day catching up with her when she checked herself into the local bed and breakfast instead of leaving town as she had originally planned. She hadn’t stayed in any of the towns she had hunted in, making sure to go home each night so that she could take care of any of game she killed. It also kept her busy. She was either driving, hunting or processing her kills. There wasn’t time to give into the grief she felt for her father. She kept telling herself the lion shifter had no weight on her decision to stay.

  The next morning, wrapped in a robe, she headed down to the laundry room the owner had kindly showed her to the night before. Aislinn was grateful she had been able to wash her clothes. She quickly dressed and made her way to the kitchen where the aromas of coffee filled the tiny space.

  “Good morning,” the owner said as she fried bacon.

  “Good morning. That smells amazing.”

  “Fresh bacon from the local butcher shop. I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of taking your rabbits down first thing this morning to have them done up for you.”

  “Thank you, that was so thoughtful.”

  Aislinn cared very much that the woman had taken her rabbits to the butcher, but the way the woman’s nose had crinkled up the night before to the bag full of dead rabbits, Aislinn wasn’t surprised. She fixed herself a cup of coffee, and her thoughts instantly went to Leo. Something about him seemed to call to her. Maybe it was just that he was the first person she had spoken to since her father’s death.

  “Do you know any lion shifters in town?”

  “Well sure, everyone knows Leo.”

  “He’s the only one?”

  “Sure is. He ought to have your rabbits fixed up by now too. He’s quick.”

  “Leo’s the butcher?”

  “Sure is. Have you met him already?”

  “Yeah, we had an encounter yesterday while I was out hunting.”

  “Oh my, I bet that was quite a shock. Was he in his lion form?”

  “Yeah, but he was out in the woods, so it was my fault,” Aislinn hurried to defend Leo. A lot of places didn’t allow shifters to be in their animal form.

  “No need to defend him, we’re all aware he walks home in his animal form. He doesn’t parade around town like that, but from time to time someone will see him out in the woods.”

  “That’s great you all are so open to him.”

  “Leo’s been here for as long as I’ve been alive. I remember him from when I was a little girl. There’s no telling how long he’s been here.”

  “Wow.”

  “Now I suppose I ought to give you directions to the butcher shop. It’s real easy. From here you’re going to turn left and stay on Main Street until you see his sign off to the right; Leo’s Butcher Shop.”

  “Sounds easy enough. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  “You’re welcome, anytime, baby.”

  Aislinn smiled at the woman’s southern charm and headed off to get her rabbits. She couldn’t deny the tingling in her belly as she pulled into the butcher shop, even though she tried to ignore it. When she walked into the shop, she halfway expected it to smell like blood and fresh meat, but instead she was greeted by a delightful floral scent. Leo’s voice also welcomed her to the shop.

  “I’ll be right out,” he called.

  Aislinn didn’t respond. Instead she walked around the front of the shop, taking in the cases of fresh cut steaks, ground burger and even chicken. A few minutes passed and finally Leo breezed through the swinging doors. He never missed a beat when he saw her either. He simply held up the packages in his hands, indicating he had finished her rabbits.

  “How did you know it was me?”

  “Your scent,” he said, his deep voice once again producing a shot of desire shooting straight through her.

  “Oh,” she said, her voice soft. Aislinn suppressed the urge to try and smell herself, hoping that she smelled good.

  “Don’t worry, you smell lovely, like wildflowers.”

  The smile that spread across her lips at his compliment was inevitable. He set her rabbits down on the counter and slid them over towards her, severing the easiness between them. Aislinn stepped closer and inspected his work.

  “These actually look pretty good. Thank you.”

  “No problem. Mrs. Walsh isn’t one for dead animals in her house. I hope you didn’t mind she brought them over.”

  “I was annoyed at first, but you did alright,” she added playfully.

  He scoffed, “Alright?”

  Aislinn just shrugged. Leo bagged up her meat for her. All the while his eyes remained on her.

  “Are you doing anymore hunting today?”

  “I had thought about it.”

  “Mind if I tag along?”

  5

  Leo

  Leo walked to the edge of the woods, Aislinn quietly by his side. He could hear her heart beat steady against her chest, as if she was nervous. When Mrs. Walsh had brought him the rabbits earlier that morning, he had gotten excited at the thought of seeing Aislinn again. Her face and teary eyes had haunted him in his dreams. When her scent had penetrated his butcher shop, he knew he was going to find a way to spend more time with her.

  “Are you going to hunt in your human form or your lion form?”

  “I’m not sure, yet for now I’ll stay like this. It’s a bit easier to communicate.”

  She nodded her head as she pulled an arrow out of her quiver and let it set loosely against her bow. Leo found the ease and confidence in her movements arousing. Her eyes moved to his, as if she was waiting for him to ready his weapon. Leo shot her a wink before letting his canines lengthen and his claws briefly come through. Aislinn rolled her eyes.

  “Show off.”

  They walked further into the woods. Aislinn seemed to embrace the sounds of the woods, a true huntress. The birds chirped happily and the sun filtered down through the trees. It was a beautiful day to hunt. The sound of twigs breaking brought them both to a halt. Aislinn slowly raised her bow, notching the arrow firmly in place. All the air left Leo’s lungs at the sight before him. She was beautiful, strength and independence cascaded off her.

  “Quit starring,” she said sternly, even though there was a curve to her lips that told him she liked it.

  “You’re breathtaking. I’ve never met a human so in tune with nature.”

  As her eyes darted over to his, the rabbit scampered in front of them, hopping to safety within a thick mass of bushes.

  “Well, I’m definitely not in tune with dinner.”

  He shrugged. “There will be more.”

  “So Leo, the lion shifter, word on the street is that you’ve been here for a long time.”

  “Is there a question in there?”

  “Smartass…”

  “I’ve been here for over a century. I like it here. The humans leave me to myself, and I get to enjoy my profession.”

  “You like butchering animals?”

  “I like knowing that they haven’t gone to waste. So many humans anymore kill for sport, leaving the meat and the hide for waste. I like preserving the animal, allowing it to give back.”

  “My dad says the same thing. We used to cure the deer hide, and he would do different things with them. Mostly we would trade the skins at a giant gathering just outside of New Orleans.”

  “I have a feeling I will like your father very much.”

  Her head started to dip just as it had the night before, but not before Leo caught her chin and direc
ted her eyes to his.

  “Tell me about him. When did he leave this world?”

  “It’s only been a week. I can’t seem to think of him in past tense yet.”

  “There is no reason to speak of him that way. He’s with you, his teachings are with you. I see it when you stand with your bow ready. You may think what he gave you was knowledge and skills but what he gave you was a gift. The gift of knowing he lives on inside of you forever.”

  Tears poured down her face as she crumpled against his chest. Leo wrapped her up, her body molding against his perfectly. Normally a crying woman would send Leo running. He wasn’t very good with emotions, especially superficial ones that most human females had. Aislinn’s pain was real, and her tears called to Leo’s lion. He had no choice but to comfort her. It took her several minutes to gain her composure, and when she finally pulled away, Leo found himself wanting to pull her back against him.

  “Thank you. I’m sorry I lost it. I haven’t really let myself cry too much since his death.”

  “Anytime. I understand loss, maybe better than most.”

  “I couldn’t imagine seeing generation after generation. Does it ever get too much to bear, watching people die off?”

  “At first, when I was younger it was tough. By the time I found Belmont, I was well seasoned to it. The people you’re interacting with today, I watched their great-great grandparents grow up.”

  “Fascinating.”

  Leo started to say something back to her, but a scent caught him off guard. He slid Aislinn behind him as he inhaled deeper. A low growled fizzled up from his chest. Where most women would have asked him what was going on, Aislinn was a trained huntress. She understood the importance of silence. She pressed her body against his, but he could feel her tense muscles. Her body and arrow were lightly notched so that she could easily raise her bow and shoot if necessary. Leo couldn’t remember the last time he allowed someone to watch his back, but he trusted Aislinn.

  Heavy footsteps crunched through the woods, every step bringing the bear closer to where Leo and Aislinn were. Leo looked back at Aislinn, and whispered, “Bear.”