20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  “Can I take a look?” Barry asked. “I’m not a pathologist, but I am a doctor.”

  Levon nodded his consent to his men. They lowered the body to the ground and the man closest to him unzipped the bag. He was taken aback by what he saw.

  The man had been mauled. Officer Smith’s face was barely recognizable. Although there were cougars in the surrounding mountains, one would never have come near a shifter. He didn’t know Ian well enough to know his scent. But it was clear a shapeshifter had killed this man.

  “The attacker must have been upwind from him to have caught Harvey by surprise,” Barry commented. “There are a number of defensive wounds before the jugular was severed. He bled to death in a matter of minutes. Harvey lost consciousness before he bled out.”

  The cougar alpha shook his head. “Why didn’t he shift? Ian toyed with him before he clawed out his throat.”

  “Maybe the autopsy will shine some light on answering that question,” Barry commented. He had to ask the question that was gnawing at him. “Are you sure it was Ian?”

  Ian’s involvement in this kill would put Samantha in more danger than he originally imagined. Threats were rarely acted on, but a former lover who had shown violent tendencies was a different matter. Ian’s rage had led him to murder.

  “It’s Ian, no doubt about it,” Levon answered. “Samantha had mentioned the two were good friends. That is what has me baffled.”

  Barry was studying to be a neurologist, not a psychiatrist. He focused on the biology of the mind, not the mental illnesses associated with the organ. Regardless, he couldn’t be objective where Samantha’s safety was concerned.

  “I’m not an authority, I can only conjecture,” Barry said. “Perhaps Ian wanted Harvey to break the law and he wasn’t willing to go that far. Ian could have reacted violently at what he thought was betrayal. I just wish it hadn’t occurred on Samantha’s property. It could only mean whatever he is planning has to do with her. Maybe Harvey’s last act was an honorable one.”

  Levon smirked. “You like to see the good in people. I can’t afford to do that. When I have to make a decision regarding the good of my people, things are black and white. I can’t be swayed by gray matter. Harvey may have backed out at the last minute, but he endangered one of our women. We will not honor him as we do the rest of our fallen. It would only sully the memory of those who died honorable deaths in defense of our people.”

  The cougar alpha signaled for his men to take Harvey away. They zipped up the bag and lifted the body. Rather than the county coroner doing the autopsy, the clans had their own pathologist. The county didn’t argue over jurisdiction with the people of Eclipse. In the end, it saved the county money.

  A bleep cut through the quiet as they watched the van taking Harvey’s body back up and then drive away. Levon picked up his walkie-talkie and walked away to get some privacy. Barry could hear the white noise associated with the radio and made out about half of whatever was communicated to Levon. The alpha spoke so quickly, most of what he said was unintelligible.

  Levon placed the walkie-talkie back in his utility belt and returned to Barry’s side. If the frown on his face was any indication, the alpha didn’t like what was communicated. He felt an unease as he waited to hear what the alpha had to say.

  “Ian has been spotted in town,” Levon said. “I’m heading there to arrest him.”

  Levon turned and Barry reached out to grab his upper arm. “I’d like to accompany you.”

  “Son, you are a doctor, not a lawman. Besides, this is pride business and you aren’t one of us.”

  There wasn’t a single thing Levon said that wasn’t true. If he was in the man’s shoes, he wouldn’t have him tagging along. But he knew he needed to be Samantha’s advocate. Only if he saw Ian arrested and thrown in jail would he be able to sleep comfortable in her arms tonight.

  “I may not be one of you, but I’m the mate to one of your females,” Barry said. “If I was a cougar mate, you would have me accompany you without any discussion.”

  He was walking on thin ice, but he couldn’t just sit back and wait with Samantha while the male cougars brought Ian to justice. He knew Samantha wouldn’t have expected him to join the alpha, but Barry needed to. Ironically, it was what his father would have demanded.

  Levon stared at him as if he was sizing him up. He doubted the alpha knew much about him, other than his pride had helped to pay for his education and he would one day provide medical care to its members.

  “You realize Ian may be armed and has to be considered extremely dangerous,” Levon stated. “I don’t see what help you will provide, but you stay back and be prepared to render aid if any of my men are wounded in trying to apprehend the bastard. You’ll ride with me.”

  Barry followed Levon to his car where two other men waited. Levon indicated for him to sit in the front seat beside him. He texted Samantha related to where he was going and directed she properly secure the house.

  His uncharacteristic behavior only reinforced what Samantha meant to him. He never volunteered to do anything dangerous in his life. Now, he was helping to neutralize a threat to his mate. Adrenaline flowed through his body. He was scared to death.

  Chapter 26

  Samantha stared at her smart phone in disbelief. She hadn’t expected Barry to do anything as stupid as accompany Levon in tracking down Ian. In all likelihood, Ian would slip past whatever trap they had set for him. He’d then shift and head for the mountains. Barry would then be the only wolf in the company of cougars tracking down her cagey ex-lover.

  “Where is Barry?” Nancy asked.

  Her friend’s eye appeared better, but she still looked terrible. Whatever sleep she got had not been enough to put color back into her cheeks. Now, she had to tell Nancy her son was an idiot.

  Honesty was usually the best policy, but Nancy already had too many issues weighing her down. She didn’t want to lie to her friend, but getting her agitated worrying about her son wasn’t going to do anyone any good.

  “He’s gone into town to pick up some fresh meat for dinner,” Samantha nearly choked on her lie. “I don’t feel comfortable feeding you frozen dinners.”

  “Do you know why we play bridge instead of poker?” Nancy asked.

  She tilted her head in Nancy’s direction, not sure why she asked the question. “Because we are females?” She didn’t have a clue what the correct answer was.

  Nancy rolled her eyes to heaven. “Because you can’t lie if your life depended on it. Not only do you partially squint, but your voice drops as if you are asking a question, rather than making a statement. Where is my son?”

  Her first impulse was to pour herself a glass of wine, but instead she took a deep breath. “Barry has gone into town with Levon to arrest Ian for killing Officer Smith.”

  “Oh, God.” Nancy’s pale complexion became gray. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

  “No, he won’t,” Samantha said with confidence. “Barry may be impulsive from time to time, but he reacts so quickly, it’s as if every move he makes is well planned. He’s been like that since he was a kid. I used to love when you told stories about Barry’s adventures. You said he thinks on his feet like no one you’ve ever seen.”

  Nancy nodded, but didn’t comment. Her friend pulled out her phone and started texting. Samantha imagined she was letting Barry’s brothers know what was going on. She hadn’t thought of getting her mate’s brothers involved in supporting Barry’s latest adventure. When they moved to Colorado, the close family ties would no longer be able to be called upon for assistance. It saddened her she had no family members she could call on today. Her Uncle Tommy wouldn’t lift a finger for her.

  “I let Alpha Hopkins know what was going on,” Nancy said. “Levon oversteps his authority. When a serious crime is perpetrated, all the alphas should be notified. This is no longer solely pride business.”

  Samantha smiled at Nancy’s initiative. She should have come to the same conclusion and gotten
Levon and Barry help outside the pride. But she wasn’t thinking clearly where Barry was concerned. Her heart seemed to trump anything logical her mind would have normally come up with.

  There was a distant echo of gunfire. She knew the difference in the sound of a car backfiring and a pistol being fired. Her sharp cougar senses knew the sound came somewhere behind the house.

  What if the sighting of Ian in town was fraudulent? She wasn’t sure how many men were still patrolling her property. It was already twilight and it was getting dark fast.

  “Is your gun in your purse?” Samantha asked.

  “Yes,” Nancy answered. “It’s upstairs.”

  “We’ll go together,” Samantha said. “My gun is in the safe beside the bed. While we are arming ourselves, I’ll call Levon and get them back here. They’ve been duped.”

  They had been through the town twice, with no sign of Ian. Members of all the shifter communities had congregated in the sheriff’s office and mapped out a grid of the small town to cover. His mother had been given the credit for getting his wolf pack involved and Tobias called upon the bear and horse communities. Levon welcomed the other shapeshifters and apologized for not getting them involved when the murder was first discovered.

  Both his brothers carried rifles and had brought one for Barry’s use. Although he had not fired a rifle in years, his father had made sure he was an adequate marksman. His mother was the best shot in the family and he was happy she was with Samantha.

  Barry was frustrated they hadn’t apprehended Ian. With the force they had assembled, it seemed highly likely they’d get him with the first sweep of the town. After the second round, it was doubtful Ian was still around, assuming he was ever there. No one had been able to pick up his scent.

  His phone vibrated and he picked up Samantha’s call. “Are you still with Levon?” It was odd she didn’t ask about Ian or how the hunt was going.

  “Yes,” Barry answered. “He’s on the phone with the county sheriff. What’s happened?”

  “A shot was fired on my property,” Samantha informed him. “Your mother and I are both armed. The house is secured. None of the patrol personnel have come by the house. With a gun being fired, I’m afraid they are searching the woods rather than protecting us. I think Ian is out there somewhere.”

  Barry covered the phone and swore under his breath. He signaled to Levon who was now off the phone. The cougar alpha immediately reacted to his gesture.

  “We need to head back to Samantha’s,” Barry said. “She reported a shot was fired. Samantha and my mom both have their pistols.”

  Levon nodded his understanding. “I’ve got two men still on the property, but neither are answering their phones or the walkie-talkies. After we couldn’t find Ian, I wanted to give them a heads up.”

  The alpha gathered everyone around him and announced the fugitive may have returned to the vicinity of his crime. They ran for their cars to drive the thirty minutes it would take to get to Samantha’s. Barry dreaded what could be done to his mate and his mother during that time.

  “Everyone is on their way,” Samantha told Nancy. She tried to sound cheerful, but her stomach churned.

  If Ian was out there, she wasn’t sure if he’d enter as a man and then shift, or he’d stay in his human form. He was faster and more deadly in his cougar body. Unless they killed him, once he shifted back, any injury they inflicted to his cat would heal instantaneously.

  Most of the time, she was happy living so far from town. Her cat was given the freedom to run and she liked her privacy. It was only a pain when she needed a carton of milk. Today presented a very different scenario. They were alone until help arrived. She figured Ian had already killed the remaining guards.

  Nancy sat on the bed as Samantha pulled her gun from the safe. She placed two additional magazines in her pocket. To date, she had never fired the weapon outside the gun range.

  “Should we stay upstairs?” Nancy asked. Her voice shook with anxiety.

  “No,” Samantha quickly answered. “We’re too likely to get pinned down up here. I’d rather not leap out of a second story window if we have to flee.”

  Her best friend shook her head. “We need to buy time. Ian would have to check every room downstairs before he comes up here.”

  Samantha released her gun’s safety. “Thirty minutes is an eternity. We’re going to have to engage Ian whether we like it or not. Our scent will lead him upstairs almost immediately, since we’ve only been in the kitchen and the living room. Downstairs we have more exit routes if things go wrong. I doubt he’ll do anything until dusk.”

  She looked over her friend’s shoulder. The sun was in the process of setting and it was noticeably darker. On a positive note, they were both wearing dark clothing. It wouldn’t be necessary to change in order to blend into the shadows. There was no reason to make things easier for Ian. She wasn’t sure what his ultimate goal was.

  Ian was many bad things, but before today, she never believed he was capable of murder. It would be suicide to underestimate him. If he got in her sights, she knew she’d shoot to kill.

  They headed downstairs, turning off the lights as they went. When they reached the living room, shadows were already painted in the far corners of the room. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She swallowed hard, afraid she was going to become sick.

  Samantha examined the room from a defensive standpoint, rather than aesthetically. She needed to find a spot that gave them cover and was easily accessible to an escape route. When the bullets started flying, she needed to save two to shatter the windows their animals would leap through.

  “If we have to evacuate, head east toward town, and I will run north,” Samantha said. “He’ll follow me and you will eventually meet up with Barry and the rest of the team.”

  Nancy glared at her. “I’m not leaving you.”

  “You have to,” she replied. “There is no sense in both of us being endangered. I’d recommend you leave now, but I don’t think it’s safe outside. Knowing Ian, he has already incapacitated the cars. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.”

  She held back the tears that last statement invoked. They couldn’t afford for either of them to get emotional. There was too much at risk.

  Samantha chose to take a stand behind the couch and she moved the two matching chairs behind the sofa. She figured Ian would come in through the patio or the large living room picture windows. The two chairs would provide them cover if her guess was wrong.

  They waited in silence, ready to react to the smallest noise. Her heartbeat seemed amplified in her head. When she practiced at the shooting range, her hands were not shaking as they were now. She wasn’t prepared for what was about to occur. Nancy appeared to be as ill at ease as she was.

  Each minute that passed seemed to take hours. She kept looking at her watch, praying reinforcements would arrive before Ian struck. It felt like her watch had stopped, but she knew better.

  A rapid spray of bullets came through the large living room windows, shattering the glass. Samantha fell to the carpet, placing her hands over her head. She imagined Nancy did the same thing, but she didn’t look up to see if she was right. Until the gunfire stopped, she wasn’t going to move. A sick feeling engulfed her when she imagined Ian was not acting alone. There was no proof that was a fact, but she had to react accordingly.

  Finally, the gunfire stopped. She knelt and looked over the sofa, her gun trained in the direction she was looking. Her finger squeezed the trigger when a cougar leapt through the broken window. Because her hand shook, the bullet hit to the left of the giant cat. No scent other than Ian’s was noticeable. For the moment, her earlier concerns were unwarranted.

  Samantha turned and shot through her front window. “Get out of here,” she yelled in Nancy’s direction. “I’ll hold off Ian. Don’t argue with me. Go!”

  To her surprise, Nancy did exactly as she demanded. Nancy’s ripped clothing lay beside her. She had shifted into her wolf form and easily made it through
the window without incident.

  Samantha fired her gun in the direction Ian’s cat headed. She had hoped he would enter as a man, negating the possibility he’d be able to leap over the sofa with ease. Not wanting to waste ammunition, she decided not to fire again until she had a target. Her mind was in a state of panic; she couldn’t remember how many bullets each magazine contained.

  She was still in a squat position with her back against the sofa. Her mind raced through her options. Should she stay where she was or shift into her cougar and escape as Nancy had? Ian would be on top of her in minutes if she shifted. Her cougar didn’t stand a chance against his larger, heavier cat.

  “You’re out of options, Samantha,” Ian called out.

  He was in his human form. She pivoted and fired two shots in the direction of his voice. There were no moans after she fired, just the breaking of more glass. Her new lamp had just been destroyed.

  If she distracted him with conversation, time would be eaten up. “What do you want, Ian?”

  Rather than answering, his cougar leapt over the chair. Samantha didn’t have time to shoot before the cat’s teeth dug into her shoulder, causing her to drop her gun. The pain was excruciating. Her screams were quieted when a fist rammed into her jaw. Blackness descended as she lost consciousness.

  Chapter 27

  Barry knew he was driving too fast. Only his shifter’s keen reflexes prevented him from crashing his brother’s car into the mountain. The switchbacks were meant to be driven at a slower speed, but time was running out. He couldn’t believe Ian had manipulated him into leaving Samantha’s side. His one consolation was that Levon and the rest had fallen into the same trap.

  A gray blur appeared on the peripheral of his headlights. He slammed on the brakes, not wanting to hit the animal. When he glanced again at the spot he had seen the wolf, his mother was standing there naked.