20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  The storms up ahead had their own energy, and it wasn’t friendly.

  Tempest had a death grip on the wheel, her posture straight as an arrow while she kept the truck moving straight and on the highway.

  “What is this shit?”

  “The Harshlands.”

  “Thought you would have driven through that by now.”

  “Nope. The Harshlands are much closer to your portal.”

  Jonas looked up at the sun roof, saw the blue sky turn gray in an instant. “I thought we were by the Harshlands.”

  “Wait, you thought the rough patch by your clubhouse was bad?”

  “It’s not?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “That’s just part of the Changing Lands near the Green Man’s forest. When was the last time you even got near the portal?”

  “We were chasing the assassin on our bikes. None of us bothered to pay attention to where we’d come out. The chase had been going on for hours until we realized that this land has a sun and mimics the Earthen weather patterns.”

  She blinked, bewildered. “Your home doesn’t have a sun? How does shit—right. Blood suckers.”

  “No. We’ve had to import hydroponic technology to create plants and live in a society that can actually thrive, rather than waste away because of our baser desires. It was an interesting find for us, seeing as how the humans have demonized us with shitty books and movies, and then hunted us when they realized we were real.”

  “Interesting.”

  “We have a reverse situation in our realm.”

  “Looks like we’re about to find out what you’ve been missing since you’ve been gone.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The weather, which is getting worse, is making it harder to keep the truck moving at this speed without us crashing. And on the off chance that the queen doesn’t have me marked for death and instead wants to pay me, I can’t wreck this thing.”

  “You said it was your baby.”

  “She is.” Tempest patted the dashboard. “But,” She slipped on a switch that turned on the heater, “the ice on the roads is going to increase.” She hit a button and the windshield wipers kicked in, clearing the growing amount of snow blocking her view. “And it’s going to get hairy, as this isn’t a straight path. Whoever designed the roads was a dick-eating twat fungus.”

  Staring straight into the growing abyss of snow and ice, Jonas realized his club would have gotten the bikes only to have to ride through this mess.

  “You’re now seeing the error of your attempts to pilfer the motorcycles, aren’t you?”

  Jonas beat down a surge of panic. “Surely there has to be another way into the Shadowlands.”

  “There is. You go through Earth.”

  “Which we cannot get to because of the same problem.”

  “No, but the portal for Earth is a lot less dangerous to get through than your fucking home world.”

  “Why did you take this route?”

  She switched gears, slowed the truck and kept her attention forward. “Because I am on a deadline, and going through Earth would have made me miss that deadline.”

  “More than you are now?”

  “At this point, I really don’t know, Jonas.”

  The truck slid over a patch of ice and veered off the road, slamming into several trees and jarring Jonas against the door. He righted and steadied himself against the seat while Tempest white-knuckled them back to the road.

  “Going to have to slow down even more.”

  “Will this weather pass?”

  She nodded. “Eventually. If we can go through it slowly, I can keep us from falling off the road.”

  Trees crowded the road, scraped the doors and windows of the truck. Jonas made sure to keep as far from the window as possible. He didn’t need to be impaled accidentally on Mother Nature’s cock.

  “There are blankets in the back if you need.”

  “I don’t feel temperatures.”

  “You’ve never been through this area.”

  He nodded. The MC hadn’t been down this far south, ever. Never had a reason to ride this way, really. Looking around, he noted the snow falling harder and large chunks of ice had begun to smash onto the top of the truck. Oh, and despite what he just told Tempest, his fingers actually felt tingly.

  “Your leather isn’t going to be very warm. I’m going slow enough that I can stop the truck from anything save the edge of a cliff, because damnit, I don’t plan to die today.”

  “Good.” He stopped himself from blurting out the words he’d said mentally. He had no idea where the thought even came from to suggest that he wanted to be around her longer than the trip home, but there it was.

  He’d deal with it later.

  The blankets he’d rejected seemed like a good idea as his body temperature dropped beyond the usual. He wouldn’t normally care, because as one of the undead, he ran naturally cooler than humans and the Fae. But the cold was starting to distract him.

  Tempest sighed. “Above the bed is a cabinet that has blankets. One will keep you warm enough.”

  He would not get that blanket. He was a vampire, an outlaw and a biker.

  “Else you’ll probably lose the use of your limbs.”

  “Even with the heater cranked up?”

  She nodded and pointed to the thermostat. “It’s below zero outside this truck.”

  He whistled. The gauge read twenty below. “What sort of creatures exist here?”

  “Well, The Hunt can’t get to us.”

  “Small favor, that.” He kept staring straight into the darkness ahead.

  Tempest hit a button on the control panel and suddenly they could see about fifty feet in front of them.

  “Special lights?”

  “Yeah. I installed them after the first trip through here. Cost me a fucking pretty penny but look to your right.”

  He peered out the window, couldn’t see anything. “It’s black.”

  “Yeah. That’s because the cloud cover is so thick here that it drowns out any light in this part of the land. What you would see if we stopped would be a two hundred foot drop off the side of this cliff into a chasm. The shoulder of this road is just big enough for trucks to pull over, but the passengers disembarking step into the abyss below.”

  The more he thought about it, the more the MC would have been screwed if they had actually stolen the bikes and continued driving south.

  “You guys would have been fucked. I took a look at the bikes. The only thing special about them is the Dindu Laphroaig switch that lets you go through the portal.”

  He hadn’t had a chance to examine the bikes but Tempest had been playing straight with him so far. He had no reason to distrust her. “It would have all been for naught.”

  “You’d have taken a wrong turn and been the newest victim of the Chasm.”

  He didn’t reply. There was nothing really to say on the matter. His club, the vampires, couldn’t see through this shit and if the bikes only had regular lights, well they’d be fucked just like she said.

  Tempest yawned, shook her head. “We’re going to have to camp here for a few.” Tempest slowed the truck and brought it to a complete stop right in the middle of the highway. Not that they had been moving fast to begin with. “This should clear up some and then we can continue.”

  “I thought you said you wanted to get through this quick.”

  “I’d love to, but the weather outside is dreadful, Jonas. I didn’t plan on getting caught in it, or take any of the fucking breaks I’ve taken already. I know the weather will clear up in a few hours.”

  “Then we can continue, you get us through my home world, donate the blood, be on the way?”

  “Assuming I’m not a marked felon for being with you, and my half-blood status, I’m hoping the queen is merciful and will just pay me to go away.”

  “You given any further thought to what you’re going to do once you retire?”

  She slid out of the driver�
��s seat and walked back toward the bed. When she reached up into the cubby above the bed, she gave him a view of pale skin and her wonderfully round ass.

  Suddenly, Jonas had another craving.

  “You do know that you can provide me another solution to this freezing cold thing, right?”

  She turned and her eyes narrowed. “What?”

  Carefully, Jonas stood, feeling slowly returning to his icy fingers and toes.

  Tempest held her hands up. “Oh no. No. The last time we got involved like that---”

  “Turned out just fine. You got back to driving, but you’ve fed twice from me. I will only take what I need, not a drop more. Besides, what’s a little fun, if it keeps us from freezing?”

  He watched the reservation drain from her eyes.

  “Fine.” She sighed. “You can have the blood.”

  “And your lovely body.”

  She cocked her head but her sly smile said she wanted it. When she crooked a finger at him, it only confirmed what his nose told him.

  Perfect.” Making his way toward her, Jonas cupped the side of her face and brought his mouth to her neck. Inhaling her sweet scent hardened him.

  Flicking his tongue over her skin gave him a taste of her before he nipped her neck.

  Pulling her into him brought her body flush against his.

  “You have another agenda.” Her hips bumped against his.

  “I do.” He murmured into her skin. He took her mouth gently, cupping her ass and giving it a light squeeze.

  “You’re not compelling me.”

  “No.” He pulled back, stared at her, watched desire slowly fill her eyes. “I don’t need to. You want me. This.” Jonas waved his hand around them. “I can smell your arousal.”

  “You’re so full of yourself.”

  Jonas nodded, caressing her ass before moving his hand to the small of her back. “Am I wrong?”

  Before she could respond, he lowered his mouth to hers and tasted her sweetly. Vampire instinct wanted to take her hard, fast, bite her. Claim her.

  That was a new feeling.

  He went with it but forced himself to remain in control. The smell of not just her arousal, but the feel of her pulse beneath his fingers made him hard beyond belief.

  Pulling back from the kiss, Jonas stared into her eyes, watched wanton flames of passion flood her tri-color irises. He brought his mouth to hers and licked at her lip.

  She bit back at him, sealing her mouth to his; her kiss more aggressive.

  Rocking with the feeling, Jonas wrestled with her tongue before she succumbed to his strength and let him invade her mouth. He swirled his tongue around, tasting, teasing her, before drawing back and nipping at her lower lip.

  The smell of her blood grew even more intoxicating.

  Tempest gripped his shoulders, slid her hands over his cut and yanked it down, exposing his chest.

  He leaned back, letting her lick and kiss, enjoying how she drew his nipples into her mouth and sucked, mimicking his earlier ministrations with her tongue, sending excitement straight to his cock.

  He cupped her ass, pressed their hips together and enjoyed the moan that escaped her.

  Cradling her head, he yanked her hair back and walked her to the bed, which he’d somehow managed to fold down across the table between the two makeshift headboards.

  Her arms circled around his neck and she slowly dragged him down to the bed. Awkward movement made them both chuckle before he watched her stretch out.

  His temperature still less than idea, the thought of stripping naked to fuck her seemed imperfect until she rolled him to his back and straddled him. Flinging all of her hair to one side, with his arms still trapped by his cut, she brought her mouth down to his.

  Hard.

  He would bruise but the pain was so worth it.

  She bit his bottom lip, tugged it between her fangs.

  Jonas wiggled to free more of his arms from his leather before wrapping one arm around her waist and spanking her ass.

  She rose and smirked.

  “Thought you were cold too.”

  “Bastard.”

  Before he could reply, she scooted down and yanked open his fly. Grabbing his cock in her warm hands made him hiss out a breath, followed by a moan when she began stroking him.

  “You’re not going to freeze?”

  “I’m from here. I’ll be fine. You’ll want to hold on, cowboy.”

  “Steel horse and all that.”

  “I see what you did there, thief.” She pumped his cock again before scooting down him even further and taking him into her mouth.

  “Gods, goddesses, whatever the powers that be, your mouth feels so damn good.”

  She took all of him inside, dragging her lips in a tight grip up the length of his shaft before sucking him down again. She repeated the motion several times before sliding her hand deeper into his pants to cup his balls. Looking down his body at the way her ass was just up in the air, two ripe round pieces of flesh for the taking only aroused him further.

  Tempest continued sucking, drawing him in deep every single time before she pulled him out and began licking the underside of his cock.

  He caught the wild glance in her eyes and for a second, worried that the vampire side of her would come out and start drinking from his thigh.

  He’d never purposely let another vampire feed from him before Tempest and both of those times, she hadn’t entirely been in control.

  It didn’t matter now. Not with her sucking his cock, swirling her tongue around the head before taking him in her wet, warm heat until he felt the back of her throat.

  He balled his fists up, clenching at air. His stomach fluttered with each movement of her mouth on him.

  Before he came in her mouth, and he would if she kept this up, he reached for her face, managing only to grab a handful of hair.

  She looked up, an image of treetops blazed in those eyes. “What?”

  He cocked his head slightly. “Tempest, are you in there?”

  “Yes, Jonas. I’m still me.”

  “Then how about,” he sat up, tossed his cut completely off and pushed her onto her side, then stretched out alongside her, “you let me do the work.”

  She blinked.

  “I’m the one in need of blood and movement, right?”

  “I figured you’d just take.”

  That was how she wanted to play it? Fine by him. Jonas let a little more of his humanity slip away, just enough to unleash the more carnal side, before toeing off his boots and losing the pants. When had his boots become untied?

  “Fae magic.”

  “What?”

  “Shit.”

  “Tempest?”

  Blinking, her plump lips curled up. “I’ll explain later. Now, in me.” She straightened and tore off her top and bra, tossing them near his cut. “I’m cold too.”

  Then she shoved her pants and panties down, sending them into the abyss of clothes beside the bed somewhere.

  Jonas didn’t wait. He climbed on top of her, looking down at her, staring at her face. So beautiful, lips so full, he made sure to commit the image to memory before kissing her and aligning himself to impale her.

  Funny, his choice of words.

  Sliding balls deep inside her nearly scorched him.

  Another layer of pleasure thrummed through him when she gave him a squeeze.

  He slid a hand around her shoulder, another cupped her ass and he began moving.

  With her breasts crushed against his chest, Jonas drove in, vampire instinct begging for him to finally drink from her.

  He stopped mid-thrust.

  She couldn’t look sexier with the questioning look on her face.

  Jonas brushed strands of hair from the side of her neck and lowered his mouth to her flesh, her pulse beating so fast, so close to him he could practically taste the copper.

  “I’ve never been bitten, Jonas.”

  “Don’t worry,” he murmured softly against her skin. “I won�
��t hurt you.” To emphasize his point, he thrust inside a few more times, enjoying her whimpers.

  She clutched his back.

  He knew what was coming but he was a damn biker. A little pain only helped things along, right?

  On the next thrust, he let his fangs lengthen, then puncture her neck.

  She cried out, rocking her hips up to meet his. The sounds around him faded when the first drops of her Fae/vampire blood hit his tongue. He sucked and pulled, the way her pussy milked his cock, and felt warmth flooding through him.

  Drinking more, he continued pumping into her, faster, faster still.

  Her moans interrupted the silent sounds of her blood flowing into his mouth before he heard her scream, felt the bite of nails into his back and her body writhe beneath his.

  He hissed, knew he’d have more blood on his back in the next second or two.

  Pain was good.

  Pleasure, even better.

  Tempest drained his cock, sapping every last drop of his seed.

  After flicking his tongue over the two puncture marks to seal them, Jonas fell on top of her, feeling a rather heady rush from her mixed blood.

  Her hands remained clutching him but she’d pulled her nails from him.

  He lifted his head and looked at her. “Ouch.”

  “Ouch? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  Jonas snickered. Then he felt something else, something from the Shadowlands. The rejuvenating effects of her blood must have renewed the connection to his sister. She was dying, had only a short while to live.

  He thought he had more time. Fuck. Fuck fuckity fucking fuck.

  “You just turned all serious. Tell me you’re not offended.”

  “No.” He kissed her cheek. “Not that. We gotta go.”

  “What? The weather outside,” Tempest pulled back the curtain and waved at the still falling snow, “is horrible.”

  “How far are we from the portal?”

  She shifted, looked above her, and then back at him. “Don’t know. Let me up and I can tell you.”

  Much as he regretted it, Jonas slid out of Tempest, stumbling toward his clothes and hers.

  She padded to the front of the rig and looked at a monitor. “Not far, I don’t think.”

  “Can we make it?”