Emerald City Shifters (Bundle)

by Kit Tunstall

  “You can leave us now,” said Kade as soon as Brogan had the sample secured in his bag. “You know how to find the cabin I showed you.”

  “You mean the hovel,” said Brogan with a snooty twist of his lips.

  Kade shrugged. “You’re lucky I’m not putting you out on the dock to wait for the next boat.”

  “I could still take control of the child.”

  “Actually, you can’t,” said Ms. Song in a pleasant tone. “The paperwork I’ve already given you includes the injunction against removing Aislinn before verifying her identity and state of health. As you well know.”

  Jeffrey Brogan sniffed at her as he gathered up his bag and marched from the office, not sparing another glance or word for any of them. His body language suggested petulance, and Shayla found it amusing that he was pouting over being thwarted. At least temporarily.

  That thought brought a new rush of panic, and she turned to face the attorney. “Can you really protect Aislinn from him?”

  She immediately nodded and firmly, looking completely confident. “I already have. We all know Aislinn is who we say she is, and the DNA will support that. Since she’s back to good health, there is no reason for him to take custody of her. You’re her guardian, and Kade will soon be listed on the birth certificate. I just need you to sign a couple of statements so I can file an amendment to the birth certificate.” The attorney hesitated for a moment, trading an ambiguous glance with Kade.

  “What?” Shayla’s stomach clenched tightly.

  “It’s possible that your sister might face a little bit of legal trouble for lying on the birth certificate and the adoption paperwork. Kade has already offered to pay her legal fees if that happens, but it’s only fair that you know the full consequences.”

  “Where do I sign?” Shayla felt bad about betraying Lila, but protecting Aislinn was far more important. The best way to do that was to ensure Kade could claim his daughter. She had to trust that Kade had meant what he said last night, and that he wasn’t going to exclude her from Aislinn’s life. Right now, she had to focus on protecting her niece from an overzealous CPS agent, and if that meant getting Lila in trouble, it would just have to be that way.

  After reading through the documents, she signed them quickly while Kade held the baby, and then when he asked her to return to the cabin and stay there with Aislinn for the rest of the afternoon, she didn’t hesitate. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she thought it was safer to keep Aislinn out of view of the CPS man, and the cabin seemed like the safest place to do so.

  ***

  Kade returned to the cabin that evening later than he had anticipated. It had taken a good part of the day to settle everything with Tru, including escorting her to the cabin Brogan had been assigned when they’d realized he hadn’t left the DNA sample with her. Brogan hadn’t been there, and it had taken a half-hour to track him down, finding him snooping through the town and interviewing people about their lifestyles. As Kade had gone behind him, he was surprised to learn the CPS agent had asked very few questions about Aislinn and far more about how they lived on the island.

  At first, Brogan had been reluctant to hand over the DNA sample, insisting he wanted to send the test out to be performed by someone he trusted, but Kade and Tru had proven persuasive, if not more than a little threatening. Once she had the DNA sample in her bag, he had escorted her to the dock, where the boat she had arrived on had been moored waiting for her. His friend Kingston had acted quickly, sending the best attorney his way and offering all the resources available to him for Kade’s assistance. He had expressed his thanks via a message sent with Tru, and now he was finally returning to the cabin.

  As he crossed the threshold, he paused at the sight before him. Shayla and Aislinn lay on the rug in front of the fireplace, both sleeping. The baby was wrapped in a towel, so she’d clearly had a bath. He was inferring Shayla had lain down with her in front of the fire to keep her warm, or perhaps simply to cuddle, and they had both fallen asleep. The firelight glowed on their faces, and in particular, it made Shayla’s already-beautiful face breathtaking.

  He was suddenly hard and aching for her, and he moved quietly as he lifted Aislinn from the floor, ensuring she didn’t stir overly much as he carried her down the hall to his room, where he had fashioned a makeshift crib for her out of a dresser drawer. The bed in Shayla’s room would have to do, because as much as he enjoyed the idea of making love to her in front of the fire, he didn’t want his grandmother to walk in on them. He didn’t think she would be overly upset, but it would be incredibly embarrassing for everyone.

  With a strong amount of luck and a little finesse, he managed to put on a diaper and dress Aislinn in a sleeper without doing more than slightly rouse the baby. He rubbed her tummy, and she soon settled back to sleep. He hoped he’d have at least an hour or two before she woke ready to eat.

  When he returned to the living room, he paused for just a moment again, standing over Shayla as he admired her sleep-softened face, and the soft waves flowing around her face. They’d probably be frizzy in no time, but he liked that. Hell, he liked everything about her, and he knew he’d been a fool by trying to deny the connection between them. She was meant to be his mate, and he should have surrendered to that the first time she walked into his office, rather than fighting it so hard.

  Shayla was nothing like Lila, and their future would be completely different from the brief hell he’d endured with Lila, thanks to mistaking her for his mate. This time, he was certain there had been no mistake, and he strode forward to lift her from the floor much as he had done with Aislinn.

  She stirred slightly but curled against him, her arms going around his neck seemingly in an automatic fashion. He snuggled closer to her, breathing in her sweet scent, and detected an underlying note of the honeysuckle soap his grandmother made. He had never smelt anything more exotic in all his life, and he could spend hours just breathing in her scent.

  Or he could have if his jeans hadn’t grown uncomfortably tight from her proximity and holding her curvy body in his arms.

  He carried her back to her bedroom and laid her on the small bed, debating about whether he should do the gentlemanly thing and leave her to sleep, or if he should wake her up and ravish her. He was certain she’d be doing her own fair share of ravishing too.

  ***

  Shayla woke abruptly, opening her eyes and looking around with surprise to find herself in the guestroom. The last thing she remembered was lying down by the fire with Aislinn, enjoying the warmth and a small cuddle. She must have been sleepier than she had realized, because she had dozed off.

  Aislinn! What had happened to the baby?

  Her gaze fell on Kade as she started to panic, and it quickly abated. He must have taken care of her, but she still asked, “Where’s the baby?”

  “She’s sleeping in my room.”

  She smiled at him, still feeling a little sleepy, but perfectly aware of what she was doing when she patted the small section of bed left beside her. “I guess that means you need somewhere else to sleep tonight?” They both knew that was silly, but it was the most blatant invitation she could manage as a small wave of shyness swept over her.

  Kade didn’t wait for a second invitation. She watched with amusement and appreciation for his fit form as he slipped off his clothes before sliding into bed with her. She wore only a plain nightgown she had slipped on after sharing a bath with Aislinn, and she was certain it would pose no barrier for Kade to extract her from it.

  First, he cupped her face in his hands and brought his mouth to hers in a deep kiss. Their tongues dueled and mated, and the already-familiar taste of him washed over her, enhancing her arousal. She’d only kissed him one other time, but it felt like this was their millionth kiss, because it was so comfortable, but also completely unfamiliar. It was a strange juxtaposition, and it only heightened her desire for the man beside her.

  The man and the bear. She reminded herself of the other side of him, though she rea
lly didn’t need to. It lingered in the back of her mind that he was a bear-shifter, but she had decided to accept that, so she quickly banished all thought of it.

  Kade kissed his way down from her mouth to her chin before moving lower to suck at the bend of her neck. She whimpered and stiffened against him, fingers tangling in his chest hair. She needed something to anchor herself as intense sensations swept through her body. Of course she’d had sex before, but this was different on every level. This meant something besides physical gratification, and though she had pictured or imagined herself in love before, she knew now it had been a pale imitation of the real thing.

  She let out a small whimper as she realized she loved Kade. She wasn’t certain how or when it had happened, but she was completely head-over-heels in love with him. It should have terrified her to feel so strongly for someone, especially so quickly, but instead it felt right. It was as though she’d been waiting for Kade her entire life, and now that she’d found him, they clicked into place and fit together.

  Was this the fate Tula had assured her she would believe in eventually?

  Her fanciful thoughts faded as his touch grew bolder, and his mouth moved lower. He dealt with the buttons on her nightgown easily, leaving it open and her body available to him within seconds.

  She buried her fingers in his hair and pulled his head more forcefully against her breast when he trailed the tip of his tongue over her taut nipple. She needed more than a teasing caress from him.

  With a chuckle, which vibrated through her breast in a pleasing fashion, Kade complied with her request and began to suck more forcefully. It was almost too much pleasure, but she happily surrendered to it as he alternated his attention between that breast and the other, while his hands moved lower to explore all of her curves.

  “Kade, I need you,” she said in a broken voice when his fingers swept between her thighs, exploring the slickness of her slit and testing her readiness for him.

  “You’ll have me soon enough,” he said as he lifted his head from her breast. His tongue trailed down her stomach as his body moved, and she marveled at how he contorted himself on the small bed. When he reached his destination a moment later, she couldn’t think about anything except the pleasure he created with his tongue between her folds. She surrendered to the sensation, quickly overwhelmed by pleasure and the first of several orgasms as he expertly worked her with his tongue and mouth.

  As he wrung yet another release from her, Shayla realized she was sobbing. It was mostly pleasure, but also a touch of exhaustion. “No more. Please, I can’t do anymore.”

  He lifted his head, proof of her arousal on his face. “I’m sure you could, but I’ll be merciful. For tonight.” He winked at her as he moved up her body again.

  Shayla wrapped her arms around him, just holding him close for a moment and savoring the feel of skin against skin. She could have fallen asleep like that, but the hard, insistent proof of his unsatisfied need reminded her he hadn’t received the same pleasure. “Do you have any condoms? I didn’t think to pack any.”

  Kade inhaled deeply. “You aren’t ovulating.”

  She arched a brow. “That’s a neat trick, but we should still use protection.”

  With a reluctant nod, he groaned softly before stirring. “It’s in the other room. I’ll be right back. Don’t even think about moving.” There was a gruff growl in his voice when he issued the warning.

  She shifted slightly, feeling boneless. “I don’t think I could if I wanted to—and I definitely don’t want to.”

  He must have set a speed record, because he was back almost as soon as he had left, clutching a strip of condoms. She counted them quickly, eyes widening as she giggled. “You’re optimistic.”

  He joined her on the bed again, ripping off one of the condoms from the strip. “I’m not optimistic. I’m determined and driven. I waited too long for you to be satisfied with just once tonight.”

  As he sheathed himself in latex, she shifted on the bed to make the position easier and her body more welcoming to him. “It does seem like I’ve been waiting for this forever, and I didn’t even know I was looking for it.”

  Kade settled between her thighs, guiding his shaft to her opening, before gently sliding inside. He went slowly, because he was large, and she was unaccustomed to a lover of his size.

  Once he was fully inside her, Kade remained buried there for a few moments, neither rocking their hips as their gazes locked while their bodies fused. It was an intimate moment, and about far more than sex. They were connecting on a level she hadn’t even known existed, and she clung to him as he began to slowly thrust in and out of her. It was uncomfortable for a moment or two, but she soon adjusted and welcomed each surge of his cock inside her.

  Shayla dug her fingers into his buttocks, wanting every bit of him, and they strained together, thrusts growing rapidly erratic. She had been convinced she couldn’t orgasm again that night, so it was with some surprise she felt herself falling over the edge a few minutes later, preceding Kade’s release by milliseconds. She convulsed around him as his shaft twitched inside her, and they clung to each other fiercely as pleasure ravaged them while binding them even tighter together.

  Chapter Six

  Shayla made no effort to hide her grimace of dismay when Tula led Jeffrey Brogan into the small cabin two days later after answering a knock at the door. She knew from Kade that the man had spent the last two days snooping around the island and interrogating people who crossed his path, asking questions about their life and their family history, which was pretty odd considering he was supposed to be there because of Aislinn. She was unsurprised that he had finally made his way back to them, and she braced herself for another round of questions.

  She quickly realized she wasn’t the only one on-edge. Brogan appeared twitchy, looking over his shoulder frequently and jumping at the smallest sound. It was strange behavior, and her frown deepened.

  “May I have some coffee?” he asked Tula.

  Tula looked put out by the idea, but she gave him a grudging nod as she got to her feet again from her chair and headed to the kitchen to make him a cup of coffee. “I hope you like instant,” she called over her shoulder. “I don’t have anything fancy here.”

  Shayla barely stifled a grin, knowing the older woman was fibbing. There was a nice Keurig machine in the kitchen, along with a selection of gourmet coffees. Clearly, Tula had deemed him unworthy of her collection of assorted brews, and Shayla concurred.

  As Tula bustled into the kitchen, Brogan’s gaze moved to Aislinn. “It really is her, isn’t it?”

  Instinctively, she tightened her arms around the baby. “Of course it’s Aislinn.”

  “I don’t need DNA to tell me that, not after what I’ve observed the last couple of days. These people are remarkable, and I shouldn’t be surprised at how quickly their offspring grows.”

  Shayla frowned at the words, alarmed by how clinical they sounded, and also suggesting he knew more about the people on the island than he was supposed to. Had he somehow learned they were bear-shifters? It seemed like a preposterous idea, but she couldn’t rule it out with his strange behavior. She chose not to reply.

  “This is such an amazing opportunity. I arrived at the island expecting to find the child on the verge of death. I’d hoped I would arrive in time to perform an autopsy and collect samples, so it was a wondrous surprised to discover she’s alive and thriving. Just think what we can learn from her.”

  Shayla frowned at him. “What are you talking about? Why would the CPS want to do an autopsy on my baby, even if she had been on the verge of death?”

  He gave her a censorious look. “I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I’m not with CPS, Ms. Dalton. I’m actually the scientist who ran the DNA tests that your doctor submitted to the state lab. I knew right away there was something different and unusual about the child, and I wanted to know more. To protect the scientific find, I sent back falsified results that reveal nothing officially abo
ut her strange genetics. I really need to study her before I can take this find public.”

  Shayla stiffened her spine and pointed to the door. “Get out. You have no business here and no authority, so leave us alone.”

  Brogan, if that was his real name, clicked his tongue at her. “Don’t be so shortsighted. Think of others, and what we can glean from the shifters’ DNA. They rapidly heal, they seem to live long and healthy lives, and they’re impervious to most diseases. You could help me find the potential in their DNA to share with humans too. Just give me the child, and I assure you she’ll be used only for the highest scientific principles.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at him in shocked disbelief. “Do you really think I’m going to just hand over my daughter because of the nonsense you’re spouting? I already told you to leave. Get out now.”

  His pleasant smile faded, and his tone was chiding when he spoke again. “I’m disappointed in your inability to see the potential in this matter. No matter though. I expected such a reaction. Give me the child, and I won’t hurt you.”

  Tula returned with his cup of coffee, just in time to hear the last words he spoke. “Have you managed to lift the injunction the attorney placed against you?”

  “No, he hasn’t, Tula.” She rubbed Aislinn’s back as the baby began to fuss. “He’s not really with CPS. He’s a scientist who wants to study Aislinn’s unique DNA.”

  A growl emanated from Tula, and the cup she’d been holding hit the floor as her body started to enlarge. “Get out.”

  “That’s what I said,” said Shayla. “He seems hard-of-hearing though, because he’s still here.”

  Tula paused in mid-shift as Brogan removed a gun from his suit jacket’s pocket, holding it focused squarely on Aislinn. “Let’s not be hasty. Obviously, I prefer the child alive for long-term study, but even tissue samples will aid me in unraveling the DNA. You can hand her over and be assured I’ll look after her, or you can all die here. Be sensible.”