Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection

by Samantha Leal

  When she stepped out into the hallway, she could smell the delicious scent of bacon and her stomach actually growled. They had eaten the night before, but since she had come to town, it was almost as if she had forgotten about food, she had been so wrapped up in everything else…

  The legends…

  The store…

  The hot as hell shifter man who had completely turned her head!

  She stepped lightly down the hallway and her insides were warm and full of anticipation. When she turned the corner and moved into the kitchen and living space it was amazing to see Anson and Heidi up at the kitchen counter cooking together, with a large pot of coffee freshly brewed and waiting.

  Heidi was sitting up on the counter, watching the bacon sizzle in the pan as Anson sliced fresh bread and lay it out in a basket.

  “Wow,” Krystal laughed as she moved toward them. “Would you look at this!”

  “Krystal!” Heidi bounced down from the counter and ran across to her. She wrapped her arms around her legs and her waist and hugged her tight.

  Anson smiled over at them both, and she could see the happiness in his eyes. As far as morning welcomes went, this was topping the list as her all-time favorite.

  He moved toward the coffee and picked up the pot to pour her a mug. Krystal and Heidi joined him over at the counter and she leaned against it and cradled the cup in her hands.

  “I could get used to this,” Krystal teased. “Do you do this every morning?”

  Anson nodded.

  “We cook on the weekends,” he smiled, his eyes catching hers as he worked away slicing the loaf of bread. “On weekdays, it’s usually cereals, fruits and oatmeal.”

  He winked and Krystal bit her bottom lip to hide the fact she was smiling from ear to ear. She felt so happy and content there with them, it actually already felt like home.

  “Daddy is an amazing cook,” Heidi beamed as she started to carry an unopened carton of orange juice to the breakfast table. “And he makes mean pancakes.”

  Anson and Krystal both laughed.

  “That’s right, but for now you’re both just going to have to settle for my mediocre bacon sandwiches… I hope they won’t be too much of a disappointment,” he teased with a wink.

  “Well, it all smells amazing,” Krystal said as she wandered across to help Heidi pour the juice into the three glasses that were arranged around the table at each place setting. “In fact, I can already tell it’s going to be the best meal I’ve had since I came to town.”

  Heidi clapped her hands together and the two girls sat as Anson kept working away in the kitchen. He brought the basket of bread over to the table, followed by the coffee and some fresh butter, and last but not least, the bacon.

  They all sat together and made their own sandwiches, with Krystal stepping in to help Heidi when she asked for it. Everything felt so easy and natural, as if it had always been this way. It was crazy to think that only two weeks before she had never met either of them before.

  “Is the store open today?” Anson asked as he sipped his coffee.

  Krystal couldn’t take her eyes off his big hands and wondered what they would look like when they turned into paws. Big bear paws that could tear a grown man to shreds.

  “Later on, for a few hours,” she smiled. “If it wasn’t October and getting so close to this big festival that everyone talks about then I probably wouldn’t… but my aunt says these are the busiest months and the tourists like to shop on Sunday’s so…”

  “That they do,” he raised his eyebrows. “You should see town on a Sunday night, it’s not much quieter than a Friday.”

  “It must be fun,” she said. “In the city, there was always somewhere to be and somewhere to go, but it felt so lonely. Here, it is so much smaller and intimate, but it feels more exciting. And I haven’t felt lonely here once, isn’t that strange?”

  Anson was watching her speak with kind eyes and she caught him smiling at her.

  “It’s the little things,” he said.

  Krystal nodded.

  She wanted to reach out and take hold of his hand, but with Heidi right there beside them, she forced herself to refrain. It had been a wonderful evening and morning, and now, she knew she had to get back to work, but she also knew she would have this on her mind all day. And she desperately wanted to call her aunt and speak with her.

  “Thank you both,” Krystal said when they had all finished eating, “for having me here in your lovely home, I’ve had a fun time.”

  “Can you come again?” Heidi asked with a bounce as her eyes lit up.

  Krystal looked across at Anson and he smiled from Heidi and then back to Krystal.

  “Well, that’s up to Krystal,” he grinned. “But I know I would love her to come over more often.”

  Krystal’s heart swelled.

  “I would love that,” she admitted.

  When they had cleared the plates away, Anson, Heidi and Krystal all loaded into the truck and headed back to the main part of town. It had been the most perfect weekend, but for now at least, there was a lot for them to think about.

  Krystal sat at the counter in the store and stared into space. She had been open for around an hour, but as she had suspected, all she had managed to accomplish was daydreaming about Anson and the fact that she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in this world.

  She tapped her cell phone and the screen shone brightly. It had been two days since she had spoken to her Aunt Beau, and although she knew she would be safe and that she had reached her friend in the German woods, she still wanted to chat with her properly and tell her of all the things that had been happening since she had been out of town.

  She reached for the store phone and scrolled for Beau’s mobile number in the little black book, before she punched in the digits and held the receiver up to her ear. The ring back tone was slow and strange and it took her by surprise for a moment before suddenly, there was a click and Beau’s voice came down to her clear as day.

  “Krystal!” her aunt said cheerily. “How the devil are you?”

  Krystal laughed.

  “I’m good, Aunt B,” she grinned. “How are you? It’s so good to hear your voice.”

  “And yours, my dear, and yours…” she continued, and it sounded as if she was moving into a quieter space and closing a door behind her. “How is everything going at the store? Have you managed to burn it to the ground yet?” she laughed.

  “No, luckily for you, it’s still standing… for now anyway.”

  Beau laughed and it made Krystal miss her even more.

  “I need advice Auntie,” she admitted. “I feel like I’m getting myself into a whole world of trouble.”

  The line stayed silent for a moment, and then Beau cleared her throat.

  “Okay,” she said in a tone that Krystal couldn’t decipher. “Please, carry on…”

  Krystal took a deep breath and quickly debated how to continue.

  “You know how Mom always warned me away from this place?” she decided to spit it out was the only way.

  “Yes,” her aunt replied, again with a tone she couldn’t make out whether it was warm or cold.

  “Well, she always told me about the men here… the shifters… the bears… and… and…” Krystal stopped and rubbed her forehead. Even the thought of beginning to speak about it was giving her anxiety, but she couldn’t hold onto these feelings alone for much longer. She needed answers and she needed to know how she could move forward.

  “It’s okay,” Beau said. “You can tell me…”

  Krystal sighed with relief and nodded to herself.

  “Okay, here goes…” she said, bracing herself. “Mom always warned me off the shifters and told me that Bridge Hollow was dangerous for me. That I shouldn’t come back here and whatever I did I should never get involved with a man like that because they were dangerous. But I’ve been back in town for two weeks and I’ve met someone, Aunt Beau… He’s incredible, he’s everything I never knew
I needed and I’m falling for him fast. He’s been so respectful, and we have spoken about it all, he knows I know he’s a shifter and he has told me what’ll happen if we decide to move forward. I don’t want to disrespect my mother’s wishes… but I can’t ignore these feelings. They are too strong. They are too much for me to handle. I love him already and I feel as if our souls have been connected. What am I going to do?”

  Beau went quiet and Krystal could feel that her aunt was mulling things over, but she never could have predicted what came next.

  “I want you to stay where you are and not to worry,” Beau said calmly. “There is so much I need to tell you… and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”

  “But… I’m here and I can’t get to you,” Krystal said, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

  “I’m coming to you,” Beau said. “I’m coming back tonight. Okay? I want you to stay calm and not to worry, please don’t drive yourself mad with guilt or feel anything other than what your heart is telling you. Do you understand me?”

  Krystal was so confused, but she nodded and told her yes.

  “This man, he will be for you, darling…” Aunt Beau said. “But there are a few things I should explain first.”

  “Okay,” Krystal nodded. “Okay… I’ll wait for you.”

  “Yes, you must…,” Aunt Beau said. “Don’t go running away or freaking out because you are feeling things this intensely.”

  The line began to crackle, and Beau cursed under her breath.

  “The signal,” she managed to say before the line became even fainter and Krystal could barely hear her at all. “It’s breaking up. I’m in the forest… be… later… tonight…” The static was muffling her exact words, but Krystal ended the call and then flopped forward so that her head rested on the table in front of her.

  Now, she was even more confused.

  Would it have been easier if she had told her aunt that she had fallen for Anson, and for her to scream and shout and tell her no? For her aunt to ask her to wait for her, to tell her she was on the next flight home made her even more concerned.

  What could she possibly have to explain to her that she couldn’t say over the phone?

  Krystal groaned into the wooden countertop and kicked her feet lightly against the legs of the high stool she was sitting on. What a total mess her life was becoming. She had moved back to Bridge Hollow hoping for answers, and all it seemed to be doing was throwing more questions her way.

  She thought of Anson and of how when she had come to town, she could never have even entertained the idea of being with a shifter. But since she had met him, it had been all she could think about and all she wanted. It consumed her every waking moment, it played on her mind, even when she was sleeping. It crept into her dreams and nagged at her like a toothache, and she couldn’t just forget it.

  She thought of the night before, of how perfect it had been, and of the morning they had shared as a three, just her, Anson and Heidi. Now, she knew what she wanted, and she could tell that her aunt wasn’t against what she was wanting to do, but was there something serious she needed to know before she went ahead and gave up her heart to Anson?

  She had to wait and make sure.

  She lifted her head and huffed with a pout before she dragged herself up and off the stool and toward one of the displays. There was plenty she could be doing to distract herself, but she had a long time to go before her aunt would arrive back in town. And she knew she wasn’t prepared to go that long without seeing Anson again.

  She reached for her cell phone out of her back pocket and scrolled to find his number. When his name illuminated the screen, she felt warm and fuzzy inside. She opened a blank message and began to type.

  K: Thanks so much again for yesterday, you two make excellent hosts ?? If you’re free later (Heidi included) I could do with some help with the basement here… And you did offer ?? K x

  She hit send and then bit her lip nervously. Was that being too forward? She had the feeling it wouldn’t matter even if it was. Anson had made his feelings perfectly clear, and it was surely only a matter of time before they were going to have to talk about it again.

  Since he had left her side, she had felt like a part of her was missing. She physically craved him. While she had been at the house with him and Heidi, she had felt so completely at peace. And now she was alone again, in the shop and working, it was as if all she could do was think about being with him again. She wanted to be swept up in his arms, she wanted to lay her head against his chest. She wanted to feel whole again, and she had done when she had been with him.

  Her phone beeped and she looked at it to see that she had a reply. A little grin flitted across her lips.

  A: At your service, Madam… I’ll be there for 6pm. Heidi is with my aunt later, so you’ll just have to settle for me… Hope that’s not a problem ??

  Krystal grinned and found herself punching the air with excitement. She was going to see him again, and for the first time since the day they had met, they were going to be properly alone.

  The idea made her skin tingle with need and her heart race. She was going to have to make sure she brought her best willpower to the table and didn’t get caught up in the moment, even though she knew that was going to be pretty much impossible.

  Her aunt’s words rumbled through her mind…

  This man, he will be for you, darling…But there are a few things I should explain first…

  “He will be for you…” she whispered to herself.

  She slipped her phone back into her pocket and wrapped her arms around herself. She had never felt so sure of someone… Anson had been waiting for her… And she had been looking for him her whole life. Now that they had found each other, there was going to be no stopping them. She could tell her aunt knew it too… But there was still something from her past that had been hidden, she could feel it.

  She couldn’t be apart from him until Aunt Beau returned, but she would have to do her best to respect her wishes.

  It was going to be a tough twenty-four hours. But as they say… The best things in life are worth waiting for.

  12.

  When the clock struck six, Krystal was already pacing the floor of the store, wringing her hands together and wondering how on Earth she was going to stick to her word.

  She had always been so good at doing what she was told. But now that she had met Anson, she had the feeling he was going to be the exception to every rule.

  She watched the door intently and had left the candles burning and the fairy lights glowing overhead, they made the place shine softly and made it all feel very romantic, and she was already feeling the love in the room before he had arrived.

  When she saw his truck pull up out the front and him step out of the driver’s side, her whole body felt warm and tender. Since she had left him that morning it was like she had forgotten what he looked like, she had tried to conjure him in her mind, but the details of his face would slip away. Seeing him again, at the way his deep brown eyes glinted amber when they rested on hers, the way his hair was shaggy and coarse, and the way his muscles flexed when he moved, it was all too much for her to handle.

  “Hey,” he said smoothly as he walked through the door and came straight toward her.

  The tug between them began and it made her gasp. Feeling him being drawn to her like this was such an intense feeling, it was an experience she never could have predicted.

  “Hey,” she smiled, breathlessly.

  She could see the look in his eyes, the want and the lust. The animal was inside him and it wanted to break free, but Anson was doing his best to subdue it.

  “I missed you,” she said, and his eyes glistened a little more.

  “I missed you too,” he smiled. “I’ve done nothing but think about you all day.”

  “Same here,” she admitted. “It’s been driving me crazy.”

  Anson reached 0ut and let his fingertips brush against hers.

  “I spoke to my aunt,
” she whispered, as if she were afraid someone else was in the room and they were listening. “She’s on her way home tonight.”

  Anson smiled. “I’m glad she’s coming back,” he said. “Has her trip gone well?”

  “I don’t really know,” Krystal half laughed. “I’ve been so wrapped up in me and you I haven’t really asked her.”

  “Terrible niece,” he winked.

  “I am, aren’t I?” she laughed.

  He slipped his fingers up in hers.

  “Heidi is totally in awe of you,” he said. “I’ve never seen her like this with anyone before. She’s talking about you nonstop, asking when we are seeing Krystal again. My aunt is practically doing cartwheels over the moon she’s so excited.”

  He laughed and shook his head.

  “I think mine is going to be too,” Krystal grinned. “But she said she needs to talk to me first.”

  Anson turned his eyes toward the ceiling and nodded.

  “Sounds about right,” he said with a half laugh. “Everyone has a take on us… I didn’t figure Beau to be one of them though…”

  “I don’t think she is,” Krystal said. “I think she’s trying to reassure me… I was brought up a certain way, but I have the feeling she had something to tell me, something that will change everything I have been led to believe up until this point.”

  Anson raised his eyebrows and pulled her toward him.

  Their bodies rubbed up against each other’s, and Krystal ached for him from her head to her toes. She rested her hands on the loops of his jeans, tucking her fingers into his belt and biting her bottom lip, trying not to look at his mouth, the sexy stubble on his jaw, and the way he was so clearly hot for her it was driving him as mad as it was driving her.

  “This is hard,” he breathed out. “So. Fucking. Hard.”

  “It is for me too,” she said, her mouth opening slightly, wanting so badly to kiss him.

  His hand reached up and cupped her cheek and he pressed his chin into her forehead and held her close. Being there in his arms felt so safe. The protection that came from him was soothing, and she easily could have stayed there forever.