Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  “My home.”

  She smiled, “No, I mean where are we?”

  “Oh,” he chuckled. “We’re a few hours outside of Denver, Colorado. Our den lives in the southern range part of the Rocky Mountains.”

  “Well at least I’m not far from home.” She paused, “Hey, Torben?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Please tell me you have a bathroom, and that I’m not gonna have to go pee out in the forest.”

  He laughed, “Yeah, c’mon. I’ll show you where it is.”

  Throwing back the covers, Torben rolled out of bed and Aspen’s mouth went bone dry. He was huge – in every sense of the word. He was well over 6’5”, had the same shaggy, brown hair Berend had with shoulders wide enough to make him have to walk sideways through a doorway, legs as big around as her waist and arms the size of her thighs. Her eyes instantly fell to his penis when he turned to help her out of bed, and it fit in well with his large body.

  “Hey, eye’s above the waist,” he teased.

  She blushed profusely, “I’m so sorry. I’ve just never seen your equal before.”

  He took her hand as she scooted across the bed but immediately lifted her into his arms when she winced from the pain, “It’s a side effect of being mates. I will always be the most desirable man in the room to you. As you will always be the only desirable woman for me.”

  “And let me guess,” she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. “We only get one mate in this life.”

  He nodded, “How did you know that?”

  “I read a lot.”

  “They have books that talk about shifter lifestyles?” he asked amazed.

  She smirked, “Yes, they’re called paranormal romance novels.”

  He laughed.

  “Listen, Aspen, I know it’s a lot to take in, and I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do, but would you at least consider the idea of staying here with me?”

  She sighed, why not? It’s not as if she needed to make a decision right this minute. “Yeah sure, I’ll think about it, but if I do decide to stay, we are definitely going to need to do something about your little house.”

  He laughed, “I’m happy to build you whatever you want, Aspen. All you need to do is ask.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Right now, what I really want is to pee.”

  He carried her into the bathroom before setting her down, “I’ll leave you to it, but holler if you need anything.”

  “I will, thank you.”

  After Torben left the bathroom, she turned to inspect herself in the mirror. Her skin looked a little pale, no doubt from the loss of blood she’d suffered. Her hair looked like a bird had nested in it, and her eyes had dark shadows taking up residence beneath them. She was happy to see, however, very little blood on her new dressings.

  Turning from the mirror, she inspected the bathroom. It was simply done but had everything one needed to be comfortable. There was a small pedestal sink, a toilet and a decently sized shower, which made sense when she considered Torben’s size.

  After she finished up in the bathroom, Aspen walked back into the main part of the cabin with her arms crossed over her breasts. She spotted Torben standing in the kitchenette wearing a pair of black lounge pants. “I suppose it’s a little late for modesty at this point, but do you have something I can wear until I can get some clothes of my own?”

  He turned and smiled, “I already pulled out one of my t-shirts for you. It should be long enough to cover you to mid-thigh at least.”

  She took the shirt and quickly slipped it on over her head, “So, what’s a girl gotta do to get a cup of coffee in this place?”

  “If you’d like to have a seat, I was just making breakfast,” he said, with a nod toward the little two-seater table near the wall.

  Once seated, he placed a giant glass of orange juice before her, as well as a mug of coffee, milk and sugar. Not long after, he set a plate before her with eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns. Then he took the seat directly across from her with his own plate of food.

  “I’m impressed,” she said, stirring her coffee.

  “Why’s that?” he asked, scooping a heaping pile of eggs into his mouth.

  “You cook!”

  He laughed, “How else would a single guy be expected to eat?”

  “Most of the single men I know dine out… a lot.”

  He shrugged, “We bears prefer a more wholesome, well rounded diet, but we do, upon occasion, indulge in the junk food humanity loves so much. We just don’t do it often.”

  “So what else do I need to know about you?” she asked, taking a bite of her toast.

  “Well, as you know, Berend is my twin, and we’ve pretty much lived in the same area our entire lives. Our parents live in the heart of the den, unlike me and a few others who prefer to live just outside of it. I own my own construction company and employ quite a few of the men from the den. Berend is an engineer, my father is an architect and my mother’s a stay at home wife. We live a pretty quiet life, but it’s a happy one. Well, at least it was until Berend disappeared.” He took another bite of egg, “Is he alright?”

  Aspen nodded, “Yes, they actually take better care of him than they did of me. I don’t know the extent of what he’s been through, but what I saw wasn’t pretty.”

  “What have you seen?” He held up his hand, “No wait, don’t tell me. The den master will want to speak with you, and I think it would be cruel to make you repeat your story more than necessary. So, I will wait and hear it then.”

  Aspen was about to tell him she really didn’t mind, when a sharp knock sounded at the door.

  “Excuse me.”

  Torben rose to answer the door allowing Misha entry. He smiled when he saw Aspen up and eating.

  “Aspen, this is Misha. Misha, this is Aspen.”

  Aspen smiled, “Hello, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too, Aspen. I’m actually very happy to see you up and about this morning. You were in pretty bad shape when Torben found you last night.”

  She nodded, “Yeah, getting shot twice will do that to you.”

  “Mind if I take a look at you?” he asked.

  She shook her head, “No.”

  Before she could move, Torben was at her side helping her out of her chair. She was still fairly weak, and her body still ached pretty badly. She smiled up at him, “Thanks.”

  He winked at her, “Anytime.”

  He escorted her back to the bed then helped her lie back. Once she was settled, Misha came over with his little black bag in hand and started his exam. “I’m going to peel back your dressing so I can take a look at your wounds, alright?”

  Aspen nodded and winced as he pulled on the medical tape.

  Misha frowned as he inspected the wound, “It’s not healing as fast as I would like.”

  “She’s only been a bear for a few days, Misha. She wasn’t born like we were.”

  “Really?” he asked, sitting down on the bed next to her, and his light brown hair flopping down over his forehead. “How are you feeling, Aspen? Have you noticed any adverse side effects to being turned? Have you shifted yet? How were you turned?”

  She wanted to laugh but then thought better of it and just smiled, “Other than the two bullet holes in my body, I feel fine. No, I haven’t noticed any adverse side effects, and no, I haven’t shifted yet. Well, at least not completely. As far as to the how… I’m not sure, but it happened after I was kidnapped. Injection maybe?”

  “Fascinating. Do you mind if I sit in during her meeting with the den master?” he asked Torben. “I’d like to know what all happened to her while she was in captivity.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Great!” He reached for his bag and pulled out a syringe.

  Aspen cringed, “What the hell is that for?”

  “It’s an antibiotic.”

  “What do I need that for? Aren’t shifters immune to human diseases?”

  “Normally yes
, but since you are just newly turned, I’d rather not take the chance,” he explained.

  She held out her arm and squeezed her eyes tightly closed, “Fine, just do it fast.”

  He chuckled, “Yes, ma’am.”

  He wiped her arm with an alcohol pad then administered the injection. Aspen was impressed by the fact that she almost didn’t feel it.

  “Thanks, Doc, that was almost pleasant.”

  He winked at her, his blue eyes sparkling, “It’s what I do.”

  CHAPTER 9

  “Care to join us for breakfast? I’m happy to make more if you do,” Torben offered.

  Misha grinned, “Love to.”

  Aspen looked around the small room, “But there’s only two chairs, where will we all sit?”

  “I got this,” Misha soothed. “We’ve done this a million times before.”

  Stepping out of the way, Aspen watched as Misha moved the table across the room and over to the bed before following with the chairs. She shook her head and laughed, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Most people never consider the bed for anything other than sleeping,” he offered. “But when you have limited space, you work with what you’ve got.”

  Minutes later, they were all seated back around the table. Misha took the bed leaving the chairs for Torben and Aspen. After a few hearty bites from his plate, Torben asked, “So, Aspen, what did you do before you were kidnapped and turned into a bear?”

  She laughed at how nonchalant he made her experience sound. “I lived in the heart of Denver working as a vet tech.”

  “A vet tech?” Misha asked surprised.

  She nodded, “Yeah, I’ve always loved animals but couldn’t stomach furthering my career. Something about me having to cut into a living, breathing animal turned my stomach. So, I settled for assisting rather than doing.”

  “Hot damn,” Misha exclaimed. “I’m finally going to get me an assistant.”

  “That’s only if she decides to stay,” Torben remarked.

  “What do you mean if she stays? She’s your mate. Her place is at your side.”

  Torben shook his head, “She knows she’s my mate, but if she’d rather go back to her life, then she can. I won’t hold her against her will.”

  Misha’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

  “But,” Aspen interrupted. “If I do stay, I’d love to be your assistant.”

  Misha grinned and glanced over at Torben, “She’s totally staying.”

  “Hey! I haven’t agreed to that yet!”

  “No, but you will.”

  Aspen laughed. She wasn’t sure she’d stay but had to admit that she loved being around these two. The feeling of being exactly where she was meant to be was almost enough in itself to have her saying yes, but she did have a life back in Denver she wanted to get back to. “I did have a life before all this, you know.”

  Misha arched a brow at her, “And what exactly is a bear going to do in the heart of the city?”

  Her eyebrows crashed down in thought. It was an excellent question and one she didn’t have an answer to just yet. “Well, I don’t have to shift… do I?”

  “Not necessarily,” Torben offered. “But the desire to will become overwhelming at some point.”

  “And if you do it in the city, you’ll most likely be shot and killed, or shot and deposited in the mountains somewhere,” Misha added.

  She held up her hands, “I get it. Really I do, but I need time to think about it.”

  “What’s there to think about?” Misha asked. “You’re a bear shifter now whether you like it or not, and Torben’s your mate. You belong here with your people.”

  Aspen stared back and forth between the two men. In Misha’s eyes, she saw determination; an almost unyielding desire to make her see the error of her ways. In Torben’s eyes, she saw nothing but compassion and … love?

  She dropped her eyes immediately and picked up her orange juice. “So, what do you guys do for fun around here?”

  Torben smiled at her none too subtle change of subject, “Depends on the season. During the summer, we like to have den cookouts, go swimming in the river or play sports. In the winter, we enjoy all types of snow sports, though that doesn’t happen often because most of the bears prefer to be lazy.”

  “So… no hibernating?" She giggled.

  “Not usually,” he chuckled. “We still are part human after all.”

  “But,” Misha interrupted. “Those that are mated are rarely seen during the winter.” Aspen’s eyes widened in understanding. “Which means I’m usually a busy guy come spring,” he grinned.

  “Oh my…”

  Torben laughed, “You’re not afraid of a little winter time loving, are you?”

  She blushed, “Not at all… I just… well…”

  Torben reached across the table and covered her hand with his, “Are you afraid of spending a night in my bed, Aspen?”

  “Already did that,” she smirked.

  He laughed, “So you did.”

  “I think, what my good friend here meant to ask is, would it be so bad spending the rest of your life with him? Yeah, I get that he’s not much to look at, but hey, not everyone can be me,” Misha teased.

  Aspen laughed. She laughed so hard her side wound began to burn, and she was forced to stop and grab on to the table before she fell out of her chair. Both men were instantly at her side.

  “Easy, Aspen,” Misha cooed.

  “Are you alright?” Torben asked. “Did you reopen your stitches?”

  Aspen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Each second she didn’t move eased the pain. “No, I think I’m ok. I think the laughing might have been a little much at the moment.”

  “Why don’t you lie down so I can take a look at you again?”

  Torben held her arm as she rose and moved to the bed. She sat down gently before letting Torben take control of her movements to recline her back.

  Lifting her shirt, Misha removed the bandages and inspected the wound. He touched it gently making her wince, and Torben growled at his friend. Misha arched his brow at Torben, “Really?”

  “Sorry. I’ve never been mated before, this is a whole new experience for me.”

  “Technically, we’re not mated yet,” she reminded him.

  “Is that a promise for the future?” he asked grinning.

  She pressed her lips together, narrowing her eyes at him. She really did walk into that one. “Let’s not get carried away, hmm?”

  Torben laughed, “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  She smiled then, “No, I guess not.”

  Torben reached down and caressed her cheek, and for a moment, Aspen allowed herself to get lost in the feeling of his warm fingers on her skin as she stared into his beautiful, copper-colored eyes. She wanted to reach for him, to bring him into her arms, kiss him senseless and never let him go.

  So, rather than fighting her need for this man, she went with it because it seemed like the right thing to do, the natural thing to do.

  Lifting her hands, she cupped his face, not missing the hunger that instantly filled his eyes.

  Torben instantly fell to his knees next to the bed, his emotions on high, and the need to claim his mate riding him without mercy. Bracing his arms on the bed, he leaned into her, brushing his lips across hers like butterfly kisses.

  Lifting the half-inch it would take to completely seal their lips together, Aspen latched on to him like a lifeline. Flicking her tongue across the seam of his mouth, she begged for entry and received it.

  Torben ran his hand up into her hair and behind her head holding her to him gently while masterfully claiming lips that were always meant to be his.

  Aspen’s body was on fire and this time it had absolutely nothing to do with the wound in her side. This was all her, all Torben, and the kiss was far better than anything she’d ever experienced in her entire life. She wanted him, needed him and was on the verge of pulling him onto the bed with her
when someone standing in the room cleared their throat.

  Torben pulled away and grinned, his eyes never leaving Aspen’s, “Sorry Misha, just got a little carried away there.”

  “I noticed,” he remarked dryly. “Couldn’t you at least wait till I was gone before you started making out?”

  Aspen blushed, “Sorry, Misha. I don’t know what came over me. I don’t normally make out with men I just met.”

  Misha chuckled, “It’s the mating. You’re beasts want to come together and make your union official.”

  “Oh...” She said, dropping her eyes. “So… uh… when can I take a shower?”

  “I’m ok if you wanna take one now. Just make sure you’ve completely rinsed the soap off your body. Don’t want anything infecting your wound.”

  “How long do you think till it heals?” Torben asked.

  “Probably another day or two at most.”

  Torben nodded, “Thanks, man.”

  Misha smiled, “Anytime, my friend.” He turned to the door, “I’m gonna go meet up with Mihail and let him know he can come talk to Aspen in a couple days. Thanks for breakfast.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “So…” Aspen started once Misha was gone. “That kiss…”

  “Was amazing,” he finished.

  “Yeah, it was,” she admitted. “But I don’t want you to think I go around kissing random men that way.”

  “I should hope not. My bear might have an issue with that.”

  She shook her head, “That’s not what I mean…”

  He smiled, “I know and don’t worry… I won’t make you do anything till you’re ready.”

  She smiled, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Now… about that shower?”

  Torben threw his head back and laughed, “Right this way.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Aspen stood before the bathroom mirror staring at the faint pink scar on her stomach where the gunshot wound used to be. She was having a really hard time wrapping her mind around the idea that in 48 hours she was almost completely healed. Even the wound on her arm was no more than a quarter-sized patch of new, pink skin.

  “Amazing,” she remarked, running her fingers lightly across her scar.