20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  As if reading his mind, Miranda got to her feet and Barry took off after Samantha. He didn’t bother to turn around to see if Miranda followed. There was only one woman on his mind and he needed to get to her before she drove out of the diner’s lot.

  He caught up to Samantha as she fished through her purse for her keys. She was crying. When she finally found her keys, Barry took them from her. She was in no condition to drive and he couldn’t let her leave without first talking to him.

  “Elle is too wrapped up in her son’s love life to care about yours,” Barry stated. “We had a lovely evening planned. Don’t let an unexpected encounter ruin our night together.”

  Her tear-filled eyes stared at him. “It’s more than an ‘unexpected encounter.’ That woman plays bridge with me and your mom every week. She’s going to ultimately remember who you are and report back to your mother.”

  Barry grunted in frustration. “Even if she does, all she is going to say is she ran into you when I was on a date with another woman. You leave town all the time for business, why wouldn’t tonight be any different? The excuse you came up with was perfect.”

  Samantha reached for her keys, but he pulled back his hand holding what she was after. “We’re probably safe for now. But if Elle sees us entering or leaving a hotel room together, we are so screwed. We should end things now before we get caught.”

  “But that’s the beautiful part of having Miranda, we won’t get caught,” he reasoned.

  “Miranda is a lovely girl who has been through so much recently. It’s wrong to use her in this fashion. Give the two of you a chance. Barry, give me my keys and let me go. Arguing in a parking lot is pointless. I just want to go home.”

  He realized they wouldn’t have tonight. But he couldn’t let Samantha drive home in her condition. “I’ll drive you home. Give me a second to get Miranda. She’ll follow us in my car.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she fired back at him. “I’m perfectly capable of driving.”

  “Your hands are shaking like a leaf. Stay here.”

  Confident she would follow his orders, Barry headed back toward the diner to get Miranda. Samantha’s car keys were safely in the palm of his hand. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  Miranda was paying the cashier and picked up two to go cups, handing them to him. “These are for you and Samantha.” She picked up the third cup and followed him out of the diner. “Do you want me to follow you two in your car?”

  Barry was relieved he didn’t have to explain things to Miranda. She realized on her own the situation the three of them were in. He handed her his keys and kissed her forehead. “Just follow me. Eclipse is on the same road, about ninety minutes away. Take it nice and slow. The road will get curvy in places. Fortunately, it’s summer, so there won’t be any ice on the bridges. That’s when it gets dangerous.”

  Samantha was leaning against her car when he returned. She didn’t fight him when he unlocked her car and opened the front passenger-side door. Without a word, she got into the car. At least, she was no longer crying.

  He got behind the wheel and drove out of the parking lot. Before turning on to the rural highway, he made sure Miranda was behind him. The evening hadn’t turned out the way he had planned. Rather than making Samantha scream with pleasure, she was leaning against the car door, mute.

  Every time he started a conversation, it was met with silence. She was stewing, unwilling to talk to him. He finally gave up and turned on the radio. The silence in the car was just too much for him to take. Hitting the scan button numerous times, he found a cool jazz station. He didn’t want to hear any love songs.

  When they arrived at her house, Samantha reached over and kissed him on the cheek. There was a finality to the kiss. It was her way of saying goodbye.

  Chapter 11

  Samantha slept in. She didn’t want to face a day without Barry in her life. Ending their affair was the right thing to do. So why did it hurt so bad? Every country song she’d heard over the years now made sense.

  At ten, her door bell rang. It was probably a delivery. They would leave the package at the door. When the bell rang two more times, she got out of bed and threw on a robe.

  She was surprised to see Nancy when she looked through the peephole. What did she want? Rather than immediately letting her friend in, she placed her back against the door and closed her eyes. She needed a moment to compose herself.

  After taking several deep breaths, Samantha opened the door. Nancy entered without saying a word. From the look on her friend’s face, this was not a social call.

  “Do you want some coffee?” she asked.

  Nancy shook her head. “I need to talk to you.” There was an uncharacteristic harshness to her voice.

  Samantha’s heart raced. Her nails dug into the flesh of her fingers as she brought her hands together. She led them to the living room where they both sat in the two chairs facing the couch and the love seat. It was not the most comfortable room in the house to entertain friends, but she knew Nancy well enough to know there was nothing friendly about what they were about to discuss.

  “Elle called me last night to congratulate me on Barry’s prospective mate. She also mentioned you were there. I waited up for Barry’s return. When he arrived home, it wasn’t Miranda I smelled on his skin, but your scent.”

  She didn’t bother to respond to Nancy’s statement. If she believed the story they gave Elle, Nancy wouldn’t be here. The other shoe was going to drop; she just didn’t know when or the consequences associated with why Nancy was here.

  “I thought I took care of the problem when Barry turned fourteen,” Nancy continued. “Obviously, I didn’t.”

  Samantha was confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “My son’s obsessive attraction to you. I stopped inviting you to family functions, hoping to distance you. There were no other avenues for the two of you to see each other, unless you came to the store. To my good fortune, your growing business kept you away. Dave and I even agreed to allow him to go away to school for a time. You are a forty-two-year old woman. Why would you go after a boy?”

  She couldn’t sit any longer, she stood and started to pace. How could she properly explain to Nancy what she was fighting to understand herself? There was no logic in what she was doing. She was reacting to how she felt.

  “First of all, Barry is not a boy. He’s a twenty-seven-year old man. There is only a fifteen-year gap between us. When we recently got together, I didn’t know he was your son. He was just a nice guy who got rid of a man who was harassing me at a bar.”

  “And you fell into bed together, just like that?” Nancy’s shrill voice caused shivers to run down her spine.

  It was just like that, but she wasn’t going to admit it to Nancy. She wasn’t obligated to tell her anything. But she was her best friend.

  “We had a drink, dinner, and one thing led to another. There was an undeniable attraction between the two of us. Again, I didn’t know he was your son. Had I known, I never would have slept with him.”

  Nancy’s face reddened. “And after you knew the truth?”

  She stopped her pacing and looked into her friend’s angry face. There was no answer she could give that would pacify Nancy, so she didn’t bother.

  “What did Barry say?”

  Her friend snorted. “That you were his true mate and that he wasn’t going to give you up. He’s a stupid boy. You are a grown woman and know better.”

  Did she? Samantha doubted it. Her body mourned her lover. She couldn’t put two thoughts together that didn’t involve Barry. There was no justifying her feelings where his mother was concerned.

  Her silence was her answer.

  “Dave and I discussed the situation last night and then again this morning,” Nancy said. “We contacted our pack’s council, as well as your pride’s. They are aware of the obscene relationship the two of you are involved in.”

  Shocked, her knees buckled and she tumbled down onto the couch. She mus
t have misunderstood what Nancy said. “You contacted the council?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Didn’t you think there would be consequences to your actions,” Nancy yelled.

  Her door bell rang, but she didn’t rise to get it. It was probably Dave Simpson, prepared to support his wife in destroying her life. She didn’t bother to turn around when she heard the door open and close. Why hadn’t she locked it?

  “Mother, what have you done?” Barry shouted.

  Samantha placed her elbows on her thighs and let her head rest in her open palms. Her fingers rubbed her temples.

  “You have two choices, young man.” Nancy’s voice was cold and heartless. She’d never heard her friend talk in such a fashion. “End this now and come home. Go back to Colorado and forget the last week. If you stay, you will be thrown out of the pride. There will be no place for you. Your actions have been blasphemous.”

  “Get out, Mother,” Barry growled.

  “Samantha, you have the power to stop two lives from being ruined,” Nancy said. “Do the right thing and end this atrocious relationship. Either way, our friendship is over.”

  She tried to stifle her cries, but an audible sob escaped. Tears ran down her cheeks. The slamming door upon Nancy’s exit represented the end of a thirty-year friendship.

  Barry gently took possession of her forearms. “Look at me, baby. It’s going to be all right.”

  Samantha violently shook her head. “Your parents contacted each of our councils. Do you have a sliver of an idea what it means to be censured from the shifter community? We don’t do well alone.”

  “But you won’t be alone, you have me.” The desperation in his voice indicated he understood what was at stake. His words were for her benefit.

  They needed to end this destructive relationship before both their worlds fell apart. If he didn’t have the strength, she’d have to find it.

  His heart was breaking as her body convulsed with sobs. He would never forgive his parents for contacting the councils. All he did was be honest with his parents regarding his feelings and look what it got him. Their future in the shifter community was at risk, as well as the money to continue specializing in brain disorders.

  “We can’t be the only cross-shifters to have fallen in love,” he reasoned. He had to think logically and not let emotion cloud his judgment. “My wolf knew you were my mate from the beginning. Everything will work out.”

  She shook her head violently. “You don’t know that. A little voice inside my head kept telling me I should end this relationship. But I wasn’t strong enough to listen.”

  A whisper of a grin threatened to be exposed on his face. He couldn’t let her see it. His mind imagined an angelic Samantha arguing with herself. She needed to know he took this seriously. Their future happiness was as stake.

  “When we are together, have you ever been happier? Tell me the truth.” Barry held his breath waiting for an answer.

  She lowered her arms and leaned back on the plush cushions that lined the rear of the couch. Her eyes were swollen from crying. The dark circles under her eyes indicated she didn’t get any sleep last night either. She looked like hell, but she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. He grabbed a small box of tissues from the side table and handed it to her. She pulled out a tissue and blew her nose.

  He had the mental fortitude to fight alongside her, but she needed to want it. There was no question in his mind they belonged together, but she had to be convinced as well. Otherwise, they didn’t stand a chance. He wished he could read the various expressions that crossed her face while she internally debated an answer to his question.

  “I don’t think I’ve been truly happy until we came together,” Samantha admitted. “Maybe that’s why I’m terrified of losing everything. I mean you. God knows, I certainly fought the attraction.”

  “Then we’ll fight this together?”

  Samantha nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but the phone rang, delaying whatever it was she was going to say. He willed her to let voicemail pick up the call, but she leaned over and picked up her cell phone.

  “Hello,” she said. He couldn’t make out what the low, deep voice on the other end communicated. “This is Samantha Harper.” Blood drained from her face as the voice continued. Barry reached for the phone, but she dodged his attempt to interfere. “I understand. We’ll be there.”

  “What?” he asked.

  “The two councils are gathering tomorrow in a joint meeting. We’ve been called to testify.”

  He let out a long, breathy whistle. “That didn’t take long.”

  “What’s the worst they can do?” Samantha got up and started to pace. Her cat was anxious. “Decades ago we let humans buy property in Eclipse. We aren’t a closed community. They can’t force me out of my own house. What were the conditions of your scholarship from the council?”

  It took a moment for him to remember. “I owe them four years of service for paying for medical school. Additional service is required for the internship I completed and the residency I am about to start. They are very interested in the issues related to the impact of stroke patients and their inability to shift.”

  She stopped pacing momentarily. “There are no stipulations regarding repaying them in dollars?”

  “None, only if I refused the service.”

  “What happens if they don’t provide you an opportunity to serve?”

  He could see where she was going with this line of questioning. “It states I’m not required to reimburse them for my education if they don’t offer me an opportunity to pay it off with my labor. I can open my own practice anywhere in Colorado or any state that has a reciprocal licensing agreement.”

  Her face lightened up. “My clients are primarily outside the shifter community. If they kick us out, they will lose the two percent of my net income I pay the national council every year and the five percent to the local council.”

  This time he didn’t try to hide his smile. “So, we are going after a financial argument?”

  “It’s the only one we have a chance of winning.” She came over and sat on his lap. “They would never listen to any arguments dealing with a mixed mating. How we feel about each other is irrelevant in their eyes. I don’t think I have ever read any regulations related to interspecies relationships. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. We should be prepared for anything tomorrow.”

  He put his arms around her and brought her into his body. As long as he held her, he was home. The councils could do their worst, but as long as he had her beside him, nothing else mattered.

  “I’m exhausted,” Samantha admitted. “Let’s go to bed and get some sleep. You look as bad as I feel.”

  Laughter bubbled up from within him. He wasn’t sure why he reacted thus to her statement, but it felt great. He would hold his mate now and in the future, regardless of the councils’ findings tomorrow. They would have the ability to censure them from the community, but not from each other.

  Chapter 12

  Samantha slowly ascended the recreation center’s steps where the council meeting would be held. It was a miserable cloudy, drizzly day. She hoped the weather would not be indicative of what was to come.

  This morning she woke in the warm, secure embrace of her lover. He held her all night, whispering words of encouragement about the aftermath of the meeting. She should have absorbed the positive affirmations, because doubts were weighing her down.

  The moisture in the air caused her hair to curl. She hadn’t bothered to take the umbrella Barry offered. The brisk mist on her face momentarily distracted her from the dread she felt.

  The old structure they entered had been the first community building their ancestors constructed when they settled in Eclipse. Its sturdy masonry frame protected the small community from violent winter storms. Over the years, the municipal building had gone through various renovations and dedicated to different purposes.

  Their steps on the new vinyl til
e floor echoed through the cavernous room. The entry hall was usually filled with rambunctious children. It was unusual for the hall to be virtually empty. The council must have not advertised the meeting or its purpose.

  Barry’s hold on her waist tightened. She looked up to see Nate Simpson standing in front of the room where the meeting would be conducted.

  Her lover took a deep breath as they approached his brother. “What are you doing here, Nate?”

  “Mother called me last night to tell me what had occurred,” Nate answered. “It’s nobody’s business who you choose to love. I’m here to support you. Marc would have been here as well, but the triplets are sick.”

  Barry released her and embraced his brother. Although they were triplets, Barry didn’t resemble either of his brothers. Nate and Marc were taller and more powerfully built. He had a leaner frame, not like their alpha or stronger betas. It was no wonder she didn’t recognize him during their chance encounter at the bar.

  He reached out for her and she took a step back. Samantha wasn’t ready to enter the room and face her fate. She needed a couple minutes alone.

  “I have to use the restroom,” she stated. “It will only be a couple of minutes. I’ll meet you in the room.”

  The farther she moved away from Barry, the worse she felt. The unease in her stomach intensified as she pushed open the swinging door that led to the women’s restroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water in her face. This morning she hadn’t bothered to put on makeup.

  She stared at herself in the mirror. Where was the confident, self-assured woman she normally presented to the world? Considering what she was about to face, she needed that woman back. She held on to the porcelain sink with such a powerful grip, her knuckles whitened.

  Her internal clock told her she needed to rejoin Barry and face the council. She was going to fight for the only man who had ever managed to make her happy. They lived in a modern world. If she chose not to fall victim to the role the council wanted her to play, she would leave the community.