20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  “I need you bright-eyed and bushy tailed.”

  “I don’t have a bushy tail.”

  She laughed. “It’s just a silly saying.” She looked at him with those beautiful eyes. “Please.”

  He sighed, hoping he could behave himself. He tossed back the Scotch, pleasantly pleased with its smoothness.

  “I’ll try to behave,” he said as he slid next to her.

  “Suit yourself.”

  “But I don’t have a suit.”

  “You don’t. I guess you better go buy one.”

  He frowned. “Where….”

  She giggled. “I’m teasing you.” She yawned. “Just come to bed.”

  He lay perfectly still besides her. Her scent was all over the bed, stirring his libido, his flesh pushing against his pants uncomfortably. His clothes stuck to his hot skin and all he could think about was how she’d taste, and how her body would fit softly against his.

  But he was a Zalarian and a dragon of honor. Taking women against their will was against their creed. Besides, loving a woman only led to sorrow. Even mates could break a dragon’s heart.

  She spooned her behind against him, and he groaned. His little mate was temptation on a stick. He lied on his back and put his hands behind his head, locking his fingers tight to keep from ravishing her.

  He inhaled and exhaled, trying to relax, but he thought any minute his taut muscles would snap. Sweat rolled down his temples as if a blanket smothered him. He detested these feelings growing inside him. They were too intense, too terrifying, too crippling.

  He’d always prided himself as being a ladies man, which kept him from falling for any one woman. Distance was key. He could mate with Agnes and produce an heir, but he refused to lose his heart.

  Trust meant vulnerability, and lying next to her was a struggle.

  Just relax.

  He closed his eyes. If he didn’t get at least some sleep, he’d be liable to make a mistake.

  Breathe in, breathe out.

  Agnes’s rhythm breathing rhythm lured him to sleep…

  Anonghos ripped up a greetings card he’d received from his mother. Every year she sent him one on his birthday, but that was the only time he heard from her.

  His father walked into the kitchen. “What are you doing?”

  He threw the bits of the card into a trash can under the sink. “I hate her. I just hate her.” His voice brimmed with anger. He slammed the cupboard door hard.

  “She’s still your mother.”

  “So! I don’t care. It’s because of you she left. I hate you!”

  His dad reached for him. “Son.”

  “Leave me alone! Don’t touch me!”

  His father winced, then hung his head.

  Anonghos ran out of the house. He needed to get away from there, needed to roll off some steam.

  He came home sweating after wrestling with Damon. His stomach growled, and he was ready for some of his father’s stew, which made him drool. His bruises and scratches ached. After dinner, he’d soak in the hot tub until he was as wrinkled as a horb.

  He opened the door, not one light flickered on, and disappointment hit him at not smelling his father’s bubbling stew. He practically ran all the way home to fill his belly.

  “Dad, where are you?”

  There was no answer. The house was unusually dark. Uneasiness crept up his spine. He walked into the kitchen to a bare counter. He opened the freezer and the stew meat hadn’t been taken out.

  Something was wrong. His sweat turned cold, and he shivered.

  Maybe his dad was hurt and couldn’t answer him. He raced upstairs and searched the bathrooms and bedrooms, but his father wasn’t there. Blasted, what if he’d left Anonghos like his mother had? What was wrong with him that neither of his parents loved him?

  His father had promised he’d never leave him. Unwanted tears welled in his eyes. No, he wouldn’t cry.

  Maybe his father was roasting meat outside.

  “Dad?”

  He hurried outside, but the fire pit was dead. His father’s prize garden of glato and vilfe plants and rerry swayed in the wind. The purple, yellow, and pink vegetables were ready to be plucked, but his father had strangely left them alone.

  Something swayed under a giant urlus tree in the middle of the garden. The thick vines prevented Anonghos from seeing what it was. Chills made him shudder.

  “Dad?”

  His voice cracked and died in the wind.

  Clouds passed over the suns, casting shadows onto the blooming garden. A crack caught his attention.

  He forced himself to move. He trembled as he approached. A gust of wind blew the vines, revealing a pair of silver boots, and Anonghos stopped. He couldn’t breathe. No, he had to be imagining this.

  He stretched out his shaking hand and pulled back the thick vines.

  His father hung from a thick branch, his lifeless eyes staring at Anonghos.

  Anonghos fell to his knees, screaming.

  “Anonghos! Anonghos! Wake up.”

  Someone shook his shoulders hard.

  He jerked awake to look into Agnes’s concerned eyes.

  “What’s the matter?”

  He sucked in air and was drenched in sweat. The unbearable misery seized him. It was his fault his father had died. He should have come home earlier and told his him he loved him. He might have been able to stop his dad.

  “Anonghos, answer me?”

  “Sorry. Give me a moment,” he muttered. He pushed his hair out of his eyes, his body slick with sweat.

  “Were you having a nightmare about your father?”

  He looked at her sharply. “Why?”

  “You were calling out for him,” she said softly. “Then you started screaming.”

  “Whenever I’m stressed, the damn childhood nightmare returns.”

  She rubbed his back. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No.” He yanked back the covers. “I need a drink.”

  “This kind of work brings out our demons.”

  “Go back to sleep.”

  He grabbed the bottle of Scotch and took a long swig, hoping to block out the nightmare. He headed down to her living room and sat on the couch. He wasn’t going to sleep tonight. He struggled to breathe normally, but his lungs rattled. Adrenaline pumped blood through him, pushing him into flight and fight mode. On Zalara, he’d transform into a dragon and fly until weariness seized him, but he couldn’t leave Agnes. Not with the blasted Mistonian hunting her.

  He took another drink, trying to forget those childhood memories, but they wouldn’t leave.

  He’d never forgiven his father for abandoning him, for making him always be the outsider, the kid everyone felt sorry for. The kid no one could love.

  “Anonghos?” Agnes slowly swayed down the stairs. She put one hand on the railing to steady herself.

  “You’re still not well.”

  She slid next to him on the sofa. “Neither are you.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t sound fine.”

  He refused to get into a debate with her. No, he wasn’t fine and wouldn’t be until he could forget about the dream.

  He drank another sip, hoping his mind would get foggy, but doubted anything on Earth was strong enough.

  “Drinking isn’t going to help.”

  He shrugged. The clock ticked loudly. Cars zoomed by, casting shadows into her living room. Strangely, he found this comforting. She didn’t bombard him with ten millions questions like other females.

  She leaned her head back and drifted back to sleep.

  He grabbed a blanket and tossed it over her.

  His telicator beeped.

  He walked out of the living room onto her porch where pink and purple rays were lighting up the dusky sky. “Anonghos.”

  “This is Tryker. How’s your mate?”

  “Sleeping. She’s still pretty groggy, but doesn’t seem to be in pain. Or if she is, she’s keeping it to herself.”

/>   “Good. Call if you need me. She may still need to go to a medical facility.”

  Anonghos bristled at the thought of primitive methods being applied to his mate. “How are the repairs on the Orion?”

  “According to the captain, we’ve still got another five days before she’s ready. Daidhl knew exactly what he was doing when he sabotaged her.”

  “Daidhl isn’t Dadihl anymore.”

  “Who are you talking to?”

  Anonghos jumped. Agnes leaned in the doorway with a puzzled look on her sleepy face. Her hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders, and her blouse was unbuttoned, giving him a glimpse of a lacy bra. She was so tempting.

  “Anonghos, are you there?” Tryker demanded.

  “Something’s come up. I’ll talk to you later.” He closed the telicator. “Ship’s doctor.”

  “Is that a communicator?”

  “No, it’s a telicator. I can contact my people from here.”

  “It has a range all the way to another planet?”

  He smirked. “Our technology is a little more advanced than yours.”

  “That’s saying it mildly.”

  “How’s your head?”

  “Still hurts. I can’t sleep.”

  He took her hand and led her back inside. “Maybe you need to shower and get into some clean clothes.” His cock immediately hardened, thinking about her stripping down and her body sleek with drops of water.

  “Maybe. Care to join me?”

  “Are you sure? You were shot last night.”

  “This is nothing. I need a distraction.”

  He slowly smiled. “And I’m your distraction?”

  “Obviously.” She held out her hand. “Shall we?”

  For a split second he was about to refuse, but he thought about what the Fate Yethi had told him. Mating with Agnes was the key to his race’s survival. The dream still haunted him. He wanted to stomp it out of his mind and what better way than raw sex.

  Chapter 11

  Agnes led Anonghos up the stairs to her bathroom that was relatively clean. At least all the dirty clothes were stuffed into the hamper.

  “How big is your shower?” he asked.

  She grinned. “It’s big enough for two.”

  Even in her small house, the master bathroom was large enough for two people, even someone Anonghos’s size.

  She dropped his hand, then quickly unbuttoned her blouse. She tossed it onto the floor.

  “Wait,” he said. “Not so fast.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I want to undress you.”

  His voice was husky and flickered his gaze over her, making her squirm in excitement.

  “Okay. I was just a little impatient.”

  He smiled. “I’m definitely worth the wait.”

  She raised her eyebrow. He was definitely full of himself. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever met, and probably used to starve-stricken models, who thought a full lunch was eating two celery sticks. She liked to eat.

  She expected him to flinch from her curves like some of the other men she’d been with, but he put his hands on her shoulder and slowly rolled down her bra. She shivered as his fingers brushed down her arms.

  He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, making them bud.

  Before she could make another comment, he bent over, then knelt in front of her. His lips took her nipple into his mouth. He suckled her slowly, his tongue running over her flesh, then his mouth latched onto her, sucking hard until she cried out. She threaded her fingers into his thick mane, cradling him to her breast.

  He moved his hands down her sides, and she tensed.

  He suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “It’s just that you were moving your hands down my rolls…”

  “So?”

  Heat peaked onto her cheeks. “I know you’re used to thin women.”

  “I am? I like all kinds of women. You have nothing to be ashamed of. I like the way you feel under my hands.” He slowly moved his hands to her pants and unbuttoned them. “I want to see all of you.”

  She sucked in deep gulps of air as he slid her pants down her wide hips. She wished she had worn lacy underwear, but he’d have to be satisfied with her boring cotton ones.

  He slid her pants down past her thighs, still leaving her underwear. He kissed her crotch, and she gasped, wanting to feel his lips on her flesh.

  “Step out of your pants.”

  She did as he requested, putting her hands on his massive shoulders to steady herself. He lifted one leg and pulled off her sock, then the other.

  She’d never had any man undress her like this, and her heart beat in excitement. He sat back on his haunches and slowly raised his gaze. Agnes put her arms across her waist to hide her belly, but he took her hands and forced them apart. She avoided his gaze not wanting to see the disappointment in them.

  She’d just want to have fast, thank-you-ma’am sex and not this slow vulnerable kind.

  Anonghos kissed her belly button, which nearly had her jumping out of skin. He raised his head to stare into her eyes. “Never hide yourself from me.”

  She met his possessive gaze, but refused to comment. She wasn’t sure what to make of his comment. Most men just used her as a release and often avoided touching her belly, but not Anonghos. He continued to lick and kiss her as if she was his favorite lollypop.

  “Aren’t you going to get naked?”

  “Not yet.” He moved his hands up and down her trembling legs. “I want you hot for me.”

  He slipped his hands behind her buttocks and glided her underwear down her thighs. He edged his mouth down her belly until he fastened it onto her flesh. She cried out as he drove his tongue between her thighs. She hung on tight to his shoulders, afraid any minute she’d collapsed.

  As if reading her mind, he murmured, “I’ll never let you fall.”

  Her heart pounded faster and faster, sending blood down to her core. His fingers kneaded the back of her buttocks as he greedily feasted on her. She arched her back as the tension left her and the rising of an orgasm filled her. It came swift and fast. She screamed, calling out his name.

  He slowly released her. “That’s just the beginning.” He tossed his head. “Get in the shower.”

  Her whole body shook from the release, and she numbly obeyed. She slipped into the shower that normally was big enough for her and whatever man she was sleeping with, but for the first time, she wasn’t sure if it was big enough for two. Anonghos was taller and more muscular then most men. His shoulders were so wide that she wasn’t sure they’d both fit. She was no anorexic girl, either.

  “Turn on the shower.”

  His voice was gruff.

  What if he was going to turn into a dragon? Having sex with a beast was not going to happen. But as if under a spell, she turned on the faucet. Warm water cascaded down her already heated body.

  Appreciation flickered in his eyes. “I like my women wet.”

  She was about to make a comment, when he shed his clothes so fast that she thought she’d imagined it. Her mouth froze, and her legs shook violently. He was magnificent and his cock was bigger than any she’d seen… And it had ridges. She kept forgetting he wasn’t human. He was an alien. Not just an alien––a dragon.

  He laughed. “The ridges are to please women.”

  He joined her, forcing her to lean against the wall. His presence dominated the shower, making the space seem smaller. He smelled of heat and sex. Droplets splattered off his massive shoulders, then dripped down his wide chest, sliding past his flat belly, and onto his erect cock. He pinned her against the wall, his mouth devouring her. Her nipples pressed against his hard flesh. He inserted one finger into her curls, exploring her as if he wanted to discover her secrets. She moaned at the fiery intrusion that left her dizzy with desire.

  His mouth moved down her throat, his tongue leaving a curvy trail. The dark shadow on his chin chafed her hot skin. Heat sur
ged through her, building another orgasm. She doubted she’d be able to stand if he’d hadn’t been pressing her against the wall.

  He removed his finger, and she groaned at the displeasure. “Spread your legs,” he whispered into her ear.

  Eager to feel him inside her, she widened her instance. Lord, he was right. The ridges created intense friction, more exotic, more intense than any other man. It was if she was skiing down a steep mountain swooshing over moguls at full force at full throttle. He lifted his hips, then thrust his cock deep inside her again and again. She rocked her hips, then locked her legs around his pelvis, matching his fierce rhythm.

  Water patted their bodies as if trying to put out the raging inferno, but failed miserably.

  Fervor fueled inside her like a raging forest fire, thumping from her heart to her body. Her skin was on hot, even with the water turning cool. She swore steam rose from their passion.

  She dug her nails into his shoulders as the intensity grew stronger. Her heart beat out of control, then in one swift movement, her release exploded.

  He slammed her against the wall, then his seed gushed into her, leaving her spent with bliss.

  “God,” she muttered. “I needed that.”

  “Was I worth the wait?”

  She clung to him, still trying to breath. “So, sure of yourself?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  He kissed her, silencing another quip from her. He still pulsed inside her and she lost herself in his kiss. The frustration of not finding the killer, the dead women, the invasion from evil ET’s, slowly slipped from her mind. All that mattered was Anonghos’s kiss, his touch, his strength. He was a man that she could come home to and forget about the horrors of work.

  A sharp shrill stopped her kissing.

  “Anonghos.” She tried to regain her thoughts. “I have to answer that.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do. It’s work.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, then bit it.

  “Why you little grendor!” He pinched her nipple.

  “Anonghos! Please, I have to take it.”

  “It better be your damn job.” He slowly pulled out of her and stepped aside, giving her a very little path to squeeze past him.

  As she did, he moved his hand down her backside and cupped her ass, sending another wave of desire through her.