20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  Nate nodded his head. “You always wanted more than what Eclipse could provide. I respect you for having the balls to go after your dreams. Mom and Dad certainly haven’t made it easy for you.”

  His dreams. Nate didn’t know his greatest desire was unattainable. A fantasy he kept to himself since he was eight years old. Samantha Harper.

  He caught glimpses of her over the years. It seemed whenever he was home, Samantha was off somewhere staging a home to be sold or decorating a new bed and breakfast establishment. He had even seen some of her work in magazines.

  His mother was with Samantha every Friday playing cards. When he was younger, he always rushed home after school, hoping to see her. But by the time he arrived, the game had broken up and all the ladies had gone home. During summers, he worked afternoons at his family’s hardware store, losing his opportunity, yet again. She seldom, if ever, came into the store.

  Next week the bridge game would be here and he’d make a point of being present. Every girl he dated had the misfortune of being compared to Samantha. His relationships were doomed from the start. He always imagined his crush would eventually evaporate, but it didn’t. Maybe absence made the heart grow fonder, because his infatuation with her only grew with time.

  He volunteered to drop off and pickup his mother at Elle Thomas’s home where today’s game was played. Unfortunately, his mother had errands to run before and after the game. He couldn’t get a break.

  The front door slammed shut and Barry went to greet his mother. He imagined she was buried in grocery bags and could use a hand. When he reached the foyer, his assumption proved correct.

  He grabbed the majority of the recyclable plastic bags weighing down his mother. “You knew I was here. All you had to do was yell for me to unload the car.”

  His mother had gained more weight since the last time he was home. She was a small, overweight, gray haired woman. Certainly not the vibrant wolf who had raised him and coached all his sports teams. Somewhere along the way, she had lost her zest for life.

  “Mom, when was the last time you shifted and ran through the forest?”

  She frowned at his question. “I can’t remember. Things at the hardware store have been insane and I have been babysitting a lot. There are more groceries in the car you can retrieve.”

  When they reached the kitchen, Barry put the bags on the electric range and kissed his mother on the cheek before heading out for the rest of the groceries. As he left the house, he heard the boys laughing. They had shifted into their human forms.

  The back of the SUV was packed with bags. Was his mother expecting an army for dinner or some catastrophe that would keep them in the house for weeks?

  “Who’s coming to dinner?” he asked when he returned to the kitchen. His mother was still unloading the bags from the first trip.

  “I thought I’d have the whole family here to welcome you home. We don’t see enough of you.”

  Regardless of his busy schedule, he always called his parents twice a week. In the beginning, he had been terribly homesick. Talking to his parents each Monday and Thursday night had become a habit over time.

  During each call, his mother laid on the guilt and his father talked about the hardware store. A decade ago, his father expanded the family business to include a lumberyard. The ever growing town made greater demands on their small operation. With no competition in town, his father was forced to hire outside the family.

  There had always been the expectation that all family members would work in the store. When he announced at the ripe age of sixteen he wanted to be paid for his labor in order to pay for college, his parents had been shocked. To their credit, both parents supported his desire.

  Things changed when he decided to attend medical school. His parental support all but dried up. It wasn’t the money, but the realization he was not interested in the business they had built.

  Determined to become a doctor, he approached the pack’s alpha. Tobias Hopkins realized their aging doctors would retire one day and agreed to help him with the tuition. There were agreements between packs to share the expense of advanced education and sent qualified individuals where the need was greatest.

  Barry pulled two dozen steaks from the bags and struggled to find room in the refrigerator for them. They were going to be eating well tonight. The potatoes and green beans were left near the sink until his mother was ready to prepare them. His father would barbecue the steaks.

  “Do you need any help?” Barry asked.

  His mother pulled out bitter chocolate squares, ready to prepare the brownies he adored. “No, sweetheart. Go and play with the pups. Aren’t they adorable?”

  Barry returned to the living room. He was too old to remain in the kitchen and lick the raw brownie batter from the wooden spoon and the mixing bowl. That had always been one of his rewards when he completed his chores when he was younger.

  The pups were curled up together napping on the plush living room carpet. They had worn each other out playing. Yet again, he became nostalgic. He and his brothers always coiled together in exhaustion. There was something comforting about sleeping beside his triplet brothers in their wolf forms.

  Nate was on the sofa absorbed in whatever he was doing with his tablet. His wife Lisa was working at the hardware store. The couple alternated days watching the boys. Barry toyed with the idea of taking a shift at the store to allow the couple family time with the pups.

  “Are you happy, Nate?” Barry kept the volume of his voice low, not wanting to wake the twins.

  Nate looked up from his computer and smiled. “Never been happier. I didn’t realize how my love for Lisa would grow. My family is my world.”

  His desire to be a doctor had been his ambition since he was a boy. The long, grueling hours he put in at the hospital made him question if he was taking his life in the right direction. Seeing what Nate had only added to his questioning of what he wanted out of life. He hung onto his dream of being a doctor and having Samantha, regardless of the cost.

  The arrival of Marc and his triplet girls pulled him out of his inner doubts. Pandemonium resulted when the screaming girls woke the sleeping twins. Barry sat back, ready to be entertained as the five cousins played. It seemed like just yesterday when he and his brothers rough housed with members of their extended family.

  His mother entered the living room. “The children’s dinner is ready in the den. Nate, help the kids wash up. Barry, there is someone I’d like you to meet.”

  Each of his nieces hugged him before they left with their uncle to wash their hands and have dinner. He faithfully followed his mother. The aroma of the brownies just out of the oven caused his mouth to water.

  Three women were in the kitchen enjoying glasses of wine. He immediately recognized his two sister-in-laws. The third woman didn’t look familiar.

  “Barry, this is Lara,” his mother said. “She evens out the table.”

  That statement was his mother’s barely disguised means to tell him Lara was his date. He should have expected his mother to pull a fast one, but not on his first night home.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lara.” Just because he was blindsided was not an excuse for him to be rude. Lara was an innocent bystander caught in the middle of the newly declared war between him and his mother.

  Lara was a petite woman. She must have been the runt of the litter. His date had warm milk chocolate eyes and rich mahogany colored hair. The girl was attractive, just not his type.

  “Lara completed two years of community college,” his mother informed him. “She majored in computer programming and recently refreshed our website.”

  “Are you going to continue with your education?” Barry asked.

  He knew the answer before she uttered a word. His mother wouldn’t shove an ambitious woman in front of him. Her primary mission was to keep him in Eclipse, start a family, and join the family business. All his education was immaterial in her eyes.

  Lara shook her head. Big surprise. “I am r
eady to settle down. There is an adorable cottage I pass on the way to the hardware store, I thought would make an excellent first house.”

  Good God! The girl was already looking at real estate. What had his mother told her?

  His date took a generous sip from her glass. She appeared nervous. Maybe she wasn’t as eager to get married as his mother imagined.

  Barry was at a loss over what to say next. He couldn’t help but smile when Lara drained her glass. Being a good host, he uncorked the wine bottle and provided her a refill.

  “Where you call home is important,” he said. “I just signed a lease for a small house in Colorado. Although, I doubt I’ll be there much. Residents spend an ungodly amount of time at the hospital.”

  He couldn’t help but see his mother’s response to that comment. She narrowed her eyes, which she did when she was angry. There was no sense in stringing along the poor girl.

  Lara took another sip. “What is your specialty?”

  “Neurology,” Barry responded. “My emphasis will be on stroke patients. Shifters as they age are more likely to have strokes than heart attacks.”

  He chose not to continue when he saw Lara’s eyes glaze over. He couldn’t get excited about someone who was disinterested in his chosen profession, regardless of his current doubts. Besides, he wasn’t attracted to her. She wasn’t Samantha.

  Chapter 3

  The jarring music caused Samantha’s right lower molar to vibrate. She really needed to see a dentist. Better yet, she should see a psychiatrist. What had possessed her to meet her first computer date here? The bar was two towns away and not conducive to conversations.

  She signed up for internet dating as soon as she returned home from her bridge game. Within an hour, she already had four responses. One of them was anxious to meet her the next evening. He looked harmless enough.

  The place was packed. A large crowd on the dance floor moved to the bass-driven beat of the music. Her nose was assaulted by stale beer, perfume, and body odor. No wonder she seldom went to these types of places. This was a meet-up joint for young people to hook up for the night.

  Samantha made her way through the mass of bodies. Jerome Phillips indicated he would be wearing a red tie and would be seated at the bar. She printed a photo from his profile to identify him. It was hard enough to gather the courage to go on this first date. The prospect of asking a perfect stranger at the bar if he was her date would have been beyond humiliating.

  A man strongly resembling the photo was midway down the bar, although he appeared older. The man wore a red tie. There was an empty seat beside him. Samantha took a deep breath and went to meet her date.

  “Jerome?” she asked. The music had stopped blaring for the time being.

  He had dark gray hair, cut short. His green eyes were a little bloodshot. The profile said he was in his early forties. If she were to guess his age, he was in his early sixties. She had been truthful, but he obviously hadn’t the integrity to do the same. His age didn’t turn her off, but his dishonesty did.

  Her date looked up and had a momentary look of surprise on his face. He quickly recovered and a large smile replaced his startled look.

  “Wow! You’re beautiful,” Jerome said. “The picture on the website doesn’t do you justice.”

  Samantha had purposely chosen a photo where she wasn’t wearing makeup and was taken some distance away. It gave her the ability to back out of the date when she arrived. Her date couldn’t be sure if she was the woman in the picture. Secondly, she didn’t want to be selected strictly because of her looks.

  “I’m not very photogenic,” Samantha responded.

  “What’s your poison?” Jerome inquired. “I’m having a gin and tonic.”

  She already knew he wasn’t the man for her, but she had come all this way, she might as well have a drink. Samantha wasn’t sure how strong the bartenders mixed the cocktails. The last thing she wanted was to get tipsy. “I’ll have a white wine. Chardonnay will be great.”

  He signaled to the bartender, ordered her wine, and asked for another gin and tonic. There were no nuts or pretzels on the bar. She was nervous and noshing on something crunchy would have soothed her nerves.

  The bass-driven music started up again. Jerome leaned over and shouted into her ear, “Thanks for coming out to meet me tonight. As soon as I saw your profile, I knew we had to meet.”

  She had written the information for the site so quickly, she wondered what had attracted him to her. “What did you see in the profile you liked?” It was awkward having to shout back to him. She could barely hear what he had said.

  “You are not interested in starting a family,” Jerome answered. “I’ve already raised five children. It’s time I had some fun.”

  Samantha frowned. She didn’t remember stating she didn’t want children. All she mentioned was she had concentrated on her career and wanted to meet someone. The age parameters she specified must have made Jerome jump to his own conclusions.

  The bartender delivered her drink and she reached into her purse for a ten-dollar bill. She didn’t want a tab opened or for Jerome to buy her the drink. It had been a mistake coming out this evening.

  “I’ve got it, beautiful.” Jerome pushed back her hand, but she persevered and rammed the bill into the bartender’s hand. An ugly scowl crossed her date’s face. “So you are one of those.”

  The last thing she wanted was to start an argument with Jerome. She knew his type. Some men couldn’t handle an independent woman. His last comment only reinforced she’d made a mistake in agreeing to meet this man. So much for internet dating.

  “You were wrong about my not wanting a family,” Samantha shouted. “It’s clear we want very different things and we are both wasting our time.”

  Samantha slid off the barstool and was prepared to walk away. Jerome grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “You haven’t finished your drink,” he snarled.

  Before she could respond, a body inserted himself between the two of them. His forward momentum into Jerome caused him to lighten his grip on her, allowing Samantha to pull away. Instead of fleeing, she stayed to see how the stranger handled her clearly upset date.

  “The lady said she wasn’t interested,” her savior commented. “I think it’s time you head home, grandpa.”

  Jerome downed his drink and walked away from the bar. She stayed, not wanting to be in the vicinity if Jerome had second thoughts. For the time being, she planned to stick beside her rescuer.

  When he turned around, it was Samantha’s turn to be surprised. Based on how he handled himself, she expected a much older man. He had to be in his early to mid-twenties. She looked into his light brown eyes and melted. The kid was gorgeous.

  There was something about his warm eyes that was welcoming, but seemed familiar. She was reading too much into whatever familiarity she recognized. Her imagination was playing tricks on her. It was never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach.

  “Thanks, for that,” she said. “Can I buy you a drink. I’m Samantha, by the way.”

  There was no denying she was attracted to him. He was clearly too young for her, but her body was telling her otherwise. An ache she had not felt before resonated through her core. For the second time tonight, she was afraid she was about to make a horrible mistake.

  Barry couldn’t believe he was standing in front of Samantha Harper and she was offering to buy him a drink. He had noted when she entered and followed her to the bar. When she slid beside a man and talked to him, his heart sank. Fortunately, he decided to stay a little longer and immediately intervened when the bastard tried to stop her from leaving.

  “A drink sounds great,” he finally replied. “It wouldn’t be a good idea for you to leave right now. Your boyfriend may be waiting outside for you.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Samantha was quick to correct him. She gave him a long, thoughtful look, as if she was debating whether to tell him the truth about who the old coot was. “That was my first and last internet
date.”

  He was taken aback by that news. Why would anyone as beautiful and accomplished as Samantha have to be matched up online? On many occasions over the years, he heard his parents talk about all the men who wanted Samantha who she had turned down.

  “It’s hard to believe you have to resort to online dating,” Barry commented.

  Samantha sipped her wine. “Who has the time to meet someone? I’ve known a number of people over the years who met online and are happily married. What can I get you to drink?”

  “A beer is fine,” Barry responded. “Whatever they have on tap.”

  The bartender came over as soon as Samantha caught his eye. Who wouldn’t come at her beck and call? Samantha was breathtakingly beautiful. Her honey-blond hair cascaded over her shoulders and her dark blue blouse brought out the color of her baby blue eyes. She was a rare cougar who retained the eye color she’d been born with. What little makeup she had on accentuated the perfection of her high cheekbones and porcelain skin.

  “Does my rescuer have a name?” Samantha asked.

  Barry hesitated answering. Although it had been years since they had seen each other, she would know who he was as soon as he said his name. He liked seeing the interest in her eyes.

  “It’s Michael,” Barry answered.

  A slight frown marred her lovely face. “Took you a while to come up with Michael.”

  “Everyone calls me Mike.” Barry was quite pleased how quickly he came up with that lie. “I was afraid you would find me immature if I gave you the nickname.”

  Her eyes scanned his face. When she smiled, Barry released the breath he had been holding. She had swallowed his lie. He hated being dishonest with her, but felt he had no other choice.

  “I hate nicknames,” she said. “People who don’t know me assume since my name is Samantha, I like to be called Sam. When I’m called that name, I get shivers up my spine. And not the good kind.”