Shadow's Soul

by Jami Gray

  Images flickered across her mind’s eye like a bad reel of film. There was no logic to them, just bits and pieces. First, a wolf, swallowed by an immense shadow, then a man’s face twisted in pain under a mask of blood. Whatever held her in its web dragged her deep until she was drowning in devouring darkness. Her body fought for air, but the invading magic and the cold held her paralyzed.

  Brilliant light detonated, heat searing away the cold and darkness. The whisper of an unexpected voice swept across her mind, bringing a new power into play. The attacking darkness continued to pummel her in unrelenting waves.

  Unable to rely on her magic, she reached for the only defense left, her leopard. A whirlwind of claws and teeth answered her call. They ripped through the cloying magic, shredding it, keeping it at bay, until she could slam her mental door closed. With her shields firmly in place, the warmth of the new power disappeared.

  She opened her eyes to find in Gavin’s arms once again. Light pierced her brain and the world shifted as she was lifted off her feet.

  “I’m taking her back to Tala’s.” Gavin’s deep tone rumbled next to her ear. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but this is the second time it’s taken her out.”

  She missed Tomás’s reply since she was trying not to throw up from the pounding in her head. Her body’s barely healed injuries added their complaints to the mix. Mortified by the soft moans she couldn’t stop, she curled closer to Gavin. His heat slowly penetrated the cold enveloping her limbs as his arms tightened around her. Oblivion nipped at the edges of her mind, but she fought it, trying to think because that voice she heard just before she got her shields in place? She could have sworn it belonged to Cheveyo.

  Chapter Eight

  Once again, Raine woke up in a strange bed, dressed in Gavin’s long T-shirt and her underwear. Third time was the charm because this time she wasn’t alone and she was warm. Heat poured from whoever lay behind her, cocooning her. Strong arms held her in a loose prison of latent strength. A strange contentment filled her. Half asleep, she snuggled back into the shelter being offered, letting her battered mind float.

  “If you don’t stop moving, you can go find your own bed.” Gavin’s low voice rumbled in her ear leaving chills in its wake.

  Stiffening, she came wide-awake as it hit her. She was in bed. With Gavin. Oh, this wasn’t good! Her dry mouth left her voice scratchy. “Wh—what happened?”

  His arms tightened then eased. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

  Right, okay, she could do that. She let her breath escape in a slow exhale as she let her muscles uncoil. Unwilling to disturb the growing sense of intimacy, she kept her voice soft. “There was something like what we found at the first site.”

  “You followed it?” His question was equally quiet.

  Clearing her throat, she whispered, “I tried.”

  She felt him move behind her, then he was gently turning her over. Lying on her back, her legs tangled with his, she found her hands pressed against his bare chest as he leaned over her, trapping her in his heat.

  “What happened?” He searched her face, his scrutiny making her nervous. “Something’s wrong. What are you hiding?”

  She worried her lip, not wanting to answer, but the last time he asked such a question, she lied in an attempt to protect him. It backfired in horrific fashion, landing him in the hands of a demented scientist. After Raine fought to bring him back from the drug-induced madness, she swore never again. Despite her vow, it took everything she had to meet his gaze and give him the truth.

  “I think,” she swallowed hard choking down the lump in her throat. “I think when the Soul Stealer attacked me, it took something.”

  Confusion washed over his chiseled features. “What?”

  She licked her dry lips and something hot sparked in his eyes as he followed the small movement. “My magic—” Her voice broke. “It doesn’t respond right—if at all.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Magic is, Raine. It exists and if it’s there, you have it.”

  She gave a sharp shake of her head. “Every time I open my shields, it gets harder. Putting them back is almost impossible.” Her fingers dug into his chest. “When I draw on my magic, it’s not there.”

  He caught her wrists, holding her twitching hands still. “You can’t lose your magic.”

  “You’re sure about that, because I’m not.” Frustrated, she pulled against his hold. “Don’t forget, I know damn good and well how our abilities can be twisted and changed.” Being a living experiment for warped human scientists taught her that lesson the hard way.

  “Changed, yes, but take it away completely?” He shook his head as he let her go and rolled until he was lying next to her. “Dr. Lawson’s injection ruptured my shields and twisted my magic into something new. It didn’t take anything away, just increased what was already there.”

  Knowing it was time, she decided to tackle one of the topics she avoided to this point. “Yeah, well they didn’t just level up my magic,” she made the admission reluctantly. She kept her gaze adverted as she plowed through the whole truth. “My mother was a Fey Witch, and she never shared who my father was.” She snuck a look at him from under her lashes. “The scientists that took us, they gave me a parting gift.”

  His face closed down. “What kind of gift?”

  Instead of telling, she decided to show him. She lifted her left hand and reached down inside where her other half waited. Urging the faint brush of fur forward, she struggled to keep her transformation slow, breathing through the resulting ache as her bones shifted and reformed.

  Finished, she looked up to find Gavin no longer lying next to her. Instead, he was crouched over her in eerie stillness. His gaze locked on her hand that was now a black, fur covered paw. She held her breath, waiting for his rejection. He used one long finger to trace from her retractable claws to her very human elbow, sending shock racing through her. His small touch upended her world.

  “Kitty cat, uh?” His voice came out rough, but a small smile curved his lips.

  His unexpected reaction left her speechless. Where was his anger, his revulsion? She wasn’t a shifter, had never been a shifter, until after the human scientists had finished their macabre games. Letting her arm shift back, she tried to untangle her body from his.

  He thwarted her struggles by settling over her, trapping her legs with his, as he kept his upper body poised above her. Unless she was willing to hurt him, she wasn’t going anywhere. Desire kindled and began a slow burn. The rasp of his bare skin set of a series of anticipatory shivers. The thin materials of his boxers and her panties didn’t offer much in the way of protection. Tucked close against the clenching muscles in her lower stomach lay hot, hard proof that turning furry did not a turn him off.

  “Gavin.” Mesmerized by his unnerving and disturbingly intimate gaze, his name came out on a husky plea.

  He lowered his head, his hard chest pressing into hers, one delectable inch at a time. The first soft brush of his mouth had her hands curling over his shoulders as she tried to drag him closer. His tongue traced her trembling lips until they parted, letting him in. He teased and tempted.

  Spiraling need left her writhing beneath him. Her body stretched into a taunt line as he shackled her wrists and locked them over her head. When he raised his head, there was no missing the desire flushing his skin and turning his gaze into green fire. Her nipples peaked against the soft material of the oversized T-shirt. He released one wrist and cupped her aching breast. The heat of his palm as he lifted her aching flesh to thumb the peaked nipple had her spine arching in blind need.

  Plunging her free hand into the silky stands of his hair, she tugged, needing his mouth back. “Kiss me, dammit!” Her demand came out on a groan.

  His throaty chuckle stoked the raging fire higher. He shifted and his tongue traced a fiery trail from the base of her throat to curl just below her ear. One more destructive stroke before he released her breast to run his hand down her body and alo
ng her bare thigh. He skimmed his fingers over her sensitive skin, forcing her T-shirt up.

  He was taking too damn long! With a growl, she forced him to his back with a very cat like move. She needed him—now. Need his taste, his heat that filled all those hollow cracks.

  Fire raced through her veins as his mouth took over, teasing one moment, demanding the next. His tongue plundered and she answered. Gentleness fell by the wayside, replaced by ravenous hunger as desire wiped all but instinct and need away.

  She crawled up his body, her tongue tangling with his, and straddled his waist, feeling the cool air of the room against her legs. It provided a startling contrast to the heat of his hands as they held her hips below the red lace edges of her high-cut bikini underwear.

  Unable to keep her hands still, she ran her nails down his shoulders and over the planes of his chest, one she fantasized about for months. His low, appreciative groan filled the room when she trailed kisses down his strong jaw and along his neck. His muscles flexed as he arched into her touch.

  She slid her hands down his sides, tracing delicate patterns, following the path of her wandering hands with her mouth, tasting him. His hand tangled in her hair holding her still as she indulged. Forcing her eyes open, she rolled her gaze upward as her tongue traced one male nipple. His green eyes darkened as the heat flared, but his hand didn’t loosen.

  “Raine, we need to stop.” Under her tongue she felt the rumble of his deep voice.

  He wanted to stop? What the hell? Ignoring him, she focused on tormenting the man at her mercy. The impulse to mark him rode her hard. Giving in, she nipped.

  Using his fist wrapped in her hair he gave a sharp tug. The small pain caused her to snarl and she curled her nails into his waist in protest. He held her fascinated for months and now he was here, under her. A situation she never thought would happen. She wasn’t stupid. If they stopped now, who knew when they’d be able to pick this back up?

  “Raine.” This time her name was a reprimanding growl.

  Please gods, don’t say he wanted to talk! Lifting her head, she found him watching her, determination clear in his flushed face. She narrowed her eyes. Determined to keep him distracted she stroked one teasing finger along the edge of his boxers.

  With a growl, he rolled her beneath him and locked her hands above her head in one tight grip. He wrapped his free hand around her jaw, holding her still as he gave her one last, punishing kiss. “Enough.” He nipped her lip in erotic punishment, then with reluctance apparent in every move, pushed away from her to sit on the edge of the bed. “We’re expected downstairs.”

  Disgruntled and frustrated, she rolled to her side and propped her head on a hand, watching the light play over his auburn hair brushing his shoulders. Without thinking, she reached out to trace the tattoo decorating his shoulder. “They can wait.”

  “No, they can’t.” Capturing her wandering fingers, he brushed his lips over her knuckles, easing the sting of his answer. “It’s not healthy to keep an alpha waiting.” Desire faded under an unsettling seriousness. “We aren’t done talking.”

  Damn it! Just when she thought she was safe. She yanked her hand away. “And when we are?” She’d be shocked and mortified at her behavior later, right now she ached.

  He rose, the thin material of his boxers stretched to a breaking point. His dark chuckle drew her gaze up to catch a very male smile curving his lips. “Don’t worry, baby. I promise to finish what we started.” He moved to the dresser across the room and snagged a white T-shirt from the top drawer. Tugging it over his head, his voice was muffled as he added, “Somewhere private, where I don’t have to worry about having an audience.”

  “What audience?” she grumbled as she sat up. Damn male was hell on her logic. She tugged her T-shirt down and brushed her tangled mass of hair back from her face.

  “We’re in Chavez’s house,” he explained as he grabbed a pair of jeans from a nearby chair and tugged them on.

  Riveted by the denim gliding over long legs and then covering one of the best asses she’d ever seen, his words barely penetrated. When they did, a stupid blush burst to life. Damn shifters and their stupid hearing. Made privacy a thing of legend.

  She swung her legs over the bed’s edge just as another pair of jeans smacked into her back. Turning with an angry hiss, she snatched them up. “How long have we been here?”

  “You were out a few hours.”

  Shoving her feet into her jeans, she stood and pulled them up, wiggling to get them up the last inch or so. Turning around, she caught Gavin ogling her ass, desire carving sharp angles into his face. Narrowing her eyes, she wagged a finger at him. “Uh-uh, Gavin. We’re being summoned, remember?”

  Stomping over to the light wood dresser, she found a hair tie right next to her boot blades. Behind her, he made a non-committal noise. Using the mirror, she pulled her hair back and met his gaze in the reflective surface. She watched him warily as he stepped close until the heat of him pressed against her spine.

  He held her gaze with his equally serious one. “Tell me something.”

  Finished with her hair, she dropped her hands, please to see they remained steady. Keeping the minute distance between them, she turned and settled back against the dresser, folding her arms across her chest. “About?”

  He placed his hands on the dresser, effectively caging her. His tantalizing scent wrapped around her until her fingers itched to touch. “I want to know why.”

  Confused, she frowned. “Why what?”

  “Why now?” Color rode high on his cheekbones. “Why, after all these months, are you letting me touch you, hold you?”

  Thrown by his unexpected question, she stuttered, “I—you—”

  He cut her off. “You’ve driven me crazy since the minute I arrived.” Self-mockery twisted his face into a grimace. “I waited for you, Raine.” His harsh, almost painful laugh made her flinch. “I was stupid enough to believe that whatever this thing was that we started, would have you coming to me.”

  His words sliced against her heart. “I didn’t think you wanted me around,” shaky though it was, she finally found her voice.

  With a disgusted snort, he straightened and stepped back. “So things get shitty and you run?”

  Hurt and anger flared as his accusation stung deep. “I didn’t run.”

  “What would you call it then?” His hands curled into fists at his side. “Do you remember our conversation outside of the Governor Hotel? Where you swore you would face whatever came with me?”

  The memory was etched in her brain. Heading to a fancy party to eliminate suspects in a series of murders. Making the decision to share her past with him, fearing it would be enough for him to walk away. Only to find that instead of leaving her, he asked for a promise. ‘If I’m going to get through this with you, you need to start facing things. Can you do that?’

  She nodded. “You were in no shape to keep hunting, but I could. I did.” Her throat ached. “I got them both. For you.”

  “But you left, Raine.” Something eased in his hard features, but his voice remained hard. “You stayed away.”

  Seeing the pain of her decision in the depths of his eyes, she tried to explain. “Because it was my fault, and there was no way you’d want me around as a reminder.”

  He cocked his head. “Says who? You?” She opened her mouth to respond but he held up a hand, cutting her off. “Don’t ever make the mistake of making my decisions for me.”

  She compressed her lips mutinously, but her mind whirled. Was it easier to believe he wouldn’t want her, than to believe he would? The shaming answer was, yes. After losing her mother and almost losing her mind in the cruelty of the labs, she locked her emotions down. Those few individuals she let in hadn’t gotten far. Gavin was different. He got in deep, so deep it scared her.

  Instead of giving him a chance to prove he would cherish her gift, she’d taken it back, leaving him before he could leave her. In doing so, she screwed up. Again. When would she get
it right?

  Her shoulders slumped and she licked her dry lips. “I’m sorry.” It came out as a whisper. Clearing her throat, she offered the only excuse available. “I warned you, I suck at relationships.”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “Is that what we have? A relationship?”

  The ground under her feet might be shaky, but she knew one thing—if her answer didn’t matter to him, they’d be having sex right now instead of “talking”. So, if there was still a chance he’d take her, she’d risk it. “I hope so.”

  For a moment, silence reigned. Then, coming to a decision, he closed the distance between them. One hand curled around her neck, tugging her in. Using his waist for balance, she rose on tiptoes and met his kiss even as the bands around her heart loosened. She expected to be punished for her lack of faith, but the gentleness of his touch left her undone. Expecting him to punish her for her lack of faith, she was undone by the gentleness of his caress. Under the ever-present desire, something precious and fragile bloomed.

  Ending the kiss, he held her as she rested her forehead against his chest. Closing her eyes, she absorbed his presence, the steady beat of his heart, as her riotous emotions calmed. Finally, she leaned back enough to see his face. “Are we okay?” She couldn’t hide the worry in her voice.

  He brushed his thumb across her lower lip, igniting butterflies. “For now.” An enticing promise lurked in his eyes as he let her go and stepped back. “I’ll figure out how you can make it up to me later.”

  Her stupid blush came back in full force, but it did nothing to stop the wicked images his promise evoked. Since going back to bed was no longer an option, she sighed and began searching for her boots.

  “Got another question for you.”

  She stopped her search and looked at him. “Okay, might have an answer for you.”