The panther shrieked in agony as it was flung through the air, it landed not far from Violet’s feet. It cowered and cried. The bear looked at her with bright amber eyes, amber, like Kellen’s. The bear nodded at the tree line. Was it telling her to run?Violet ran as fast as her wobbly legs would take her.
Violet made it to the cover of the trees and peered out into the clearing. The panther had recovered and returned to the fight. But the bear still had the lead, as far as she could see; the panther was wounded and limping badly. The bear stood its ground and showed its sharp white teeth to the panther. The panther finally turned and limped away into the shadows of the forest. Violet was secretly pleased at the outcome of the battle. The bear seemed like the better fighter and it had helped her, in its own way.
She was trembling with fear and had tears in her eyes, where was Kellen?
The bear started to walk slowly towards the tree line and Violet cowered down behind a tall pinyon tree; it sniffed the clear air and caught her scent. It made a sound, not a growl, more of a sound of contentment. She crouched down farther and when she looked up again, there was Kellen standing where the bear had stood. His arms and legs torn and bleeding, his chest wounded.
“Kellen,” Violet screamed and ran out from her cover.
“You’re okay little Violet, thank god.” He took her in his arms and winced at the pain from his wounds.
“They got you? They hurt you?” she asked.
He looked at her with his ice blue eyes and said, “Not they, just the panther Violet.”
“I don’t understand, what about the bear? Did you see it?”
“No, I didn’t see it sweet Violet, I am it.”
Violet let him go and took a step backward.
“Where are your clothes? You got dressed so what happened to your clothes?”
“Violet come with me and sit down over here on this tree stump. I’m going to get my clothes, stay here.”
And with that he was gone running naked back to his pile of clothes. The were lying on the grass in the clearing, where he and Violet had been holding one another and getting dressed before the attack.
She watched as Kellen got dressed. Her mind was racing, she had no idea what had just happened; all she knew was that she had just witnessed a battle between two ferocious wild animals. Kellen vanished but then reappeared naked. Her mind was racing.
“What the fuck Kellen?” were the words that escaped Violet’s lips when he returned in front of her, this time fully clothed.
“Violet, I’m so sorry this is not how I wanted you to discover what I am.”
“What you are, what do you mean what you are?” she yelled at him. “Here I am thinking I’ve met an actual guy that likes me and you’re not even fucking human!”
“Violet calm down, please calm down,” Kellen said as he tried to comfort her.
“Don’t you touch me, get away from me! So, come on spit it out what the are you?”
Kellen directed Violet back to the tree stump that she’d leapt off when he reappeared. She sat down with a thump that sounded as heavy as her heart felt right now.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Okay I’m gonna take a deep breath and a leap of faith here and tell you everything,” he said kneeling down in front of her.
“So, get on with it mister.”
“I know you’re angry, upset and hurt but please give me a chance to explain little Violet.”
“You need to start talking before I start walking you hear me?”
Kellen looked as hurt as she felt right now and she felt a twinge of sympathy for him as she looked at his pale blue eyes, the same eyes that she’d fallen in love with.
“Violet I apologize truly I do and I wanted to tell you everything but I didn’t know if you’d stick around if you knew the whole truth, we’ve not known each other long.”
“You don’t trust me? Is that it?” she asked feeling rejected.
“It’s not that Violet, I don’t trust myself. The feelings I have for you are so strong, I’ve never felt this way about anyone my entire life and I was scared if I told you everything you’d run. This thing that I am, is filled with crazy emotions, wild emotions and I don’t always know how I’ll react.” He lowered his gaze from her piercing green eyes.
“Thing that you are, I don’t understand. Kellen what exactly are you?”
“I’m a shifter, a shapeshifter. My body, my very being can change into a wild animal.”
“So the bear fighting the panther; my god that was actually you? This is what you’re telling me?”
Kellen took her hands, she tried to pull away but relented and let him hold her petite hands in his strong ones.
“The bear was me, I can change my shape but most important of all- I can be a man.”
Violet was shocked to her core. She didn’t know how to feel, how to process the information Kellen had just told her.
“But when we had sex Kellen, what were you then a goddam animal?”
“By definition Violet we’re all animals, but yes when we were making love I was 100% a man, a man who has fallen totally in love with you.”
Violet looked deep into his tear-filled eyes and could see the pain, the hurt and the love within them. She couldn’t hold back she had to hold him, close. She flung her arms around his neck and he buried his face into her auburn hair.
“Oh Violet, I was so scared you were going to be hurt. My instinct was to protect you and the only way I could was to shift into the bear! I didn’t think I just acted on instinct,” he whispered.
Violet smoothed his dark hair and held him close. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly that she could hardly breathe.
“Have you ever told anyone what you can do?” she asked as she pulled him away and looked at his face.
“No never and I swear I would have told you eventually in my own way. But not like this -this wasn’t my intention.”
“It’s okay, I know now and I also know that you’ll protect me with your life.”
“God yes, with my life and soul my little Violet, can I call you that now?”“Yes, yes you can I love you Kellen! I don’t care what you are! To me you’re a beautiful man,” she said with tears falling down her face.
Kellen softly wiped them away and whispered, “Don’t cry my beautiful girl.”
“You’ve got to tell me everything, everything. Does it hurt when you shift? When do you do it? Can you do it as and when required?” Violet was filled with questions. Her mind was going into overdrive. So many unanswered questions sat on the tip of her tongue.
“Steady on there Violet, one question at a time. But now it’s getting late and your folks will be worried. Sweet girl I should drive you home.”
“Oh no you don’t! You’re not getting off that lightly, tell me something please, you can’t expect me to just fall back into my mundane life.”
“We’ll talk as we walk, deal?”
She agreed as he helped her to her feet, “Hey does your earlier offer still stand?” she asked him.
“My offer of what?”
“To carry me if I couldn’t manage through the forest?”
“Come here my little Violet.”
He laughed scooping her large frame up with ease, but instead of carrying her in his arms, he threw her over his shoulder. This left her hands free to hold his tight ass as he walked.
“Hey, this isn’t very romantic mister but kind of sexy,” she giggled hysterically as her hands bounced up and down off his ass.
“I said I’d carry you, I didn’t say how.”
He playfully kissed her bare leg and tickled her feet. She laughed and kicked him gently.
“Okay come here you wriggling worm.”
He pulled her down so she was cradled in his strong arms as he walked. She nuzzled in close to his chest breathing in his masculine scent.
“Okay so to answer some of your earlier questions, I can shift as I choose in to the bear. No, it doesn’t hurt, it can be a wonder
fully beautiful experience. I get to do things others can only dream of.”
“How did you become a shifter, I mean, were you born this way?”
“My mom was a shapeshifter, but not my dad. He married her, though, knowing what she was. Mom was murdered by townsfolk that didn’t understand what she was. My dad never recovered and took his own life.”
Violet hugged him closer and kissed his cheek, “I’m so sorry this must be so hard for you.”
He kissed her neck softly, gently, “My dad knew what my mom was and he had to see her killed for it. He lived through such torment because she insisted on people knowing what she was, she didn’t want to hide.”
“So that’s why you didn’t want me to know or for anyone else to know?”
“Yes, the less people that know, the better, Violet. I can’t always be there with you to protect you, not just from animals but from people too.”
“I needed to know, I want to know every inch of you every part of you, I’m falling in love with you, all of you.” she looked into his eyes almost pleading with him to hear her words properly.
He put her gently on the ground in front of him and held her close.
“Violet are you sure, truly sure. I need to know that you feel safe with me I won’t ever hurt you my little Violet.”
She pulled out of his embrace and looked up at his pale blue eyes, “I know you would never hurt me and I will stand by your side always no matter what.”
She meant every single word with her whole heart, her whole being. She’d never felt like this and now that she knew what Kellen truly was, she loved him even more.
“Could I have been attracted to you because you’re an animal?”
He detected the smirk in her voice as she asked and held her close kissing her gently on her forehead, “Maybe, am I an animal when we make love?”Violet laughed, “Well now you ask.”
“Cheeky little miss,” he smirked at her as they continued walking to his car arm in arm through the forest.
CHAPTER SIX
He dropped her off at home and she handed him back his jacket. He’d wrapped it around her once again when she was cold. He ran around and opened her door helping her out of the car.
“Violet, where on earth have you been?” her father shouted from the porch.
“My fault sir, hello I’m Kellen. I stole your beautiful daughter this afternoon please don’t blame her,” he said as he extended his hand out to her father.
“I’m not happy! One of your professors called to see where you were Violet! I appreciate your honesty young man,” her father said shaking Kellen’s hand. “You’ve a firm handshake I like that; come on Violet inside now it’s getting late.”
“In a minute dad I’ll just say goodbye to Kellen,”
Her father went indoors and Violet turned to Kellen on the porch.
“Okay then, I guess we should say goodnight,” she suddenly felt shy and coy.
He tilted her chin upwards, leaned down and kissed her tenderly on her soft lips. She kissed him back gently probing his lips open with her tongue.
“You better go Violet or I’ll whisk you away again, go!” Kellen laughed.
“When will I see you again?”
“Oh you’ll see me real soon. I promise, go on, I don’t want to upset your folks.”
Violet kissed him once more and squeezed his hand then vanished indoors. She heard him pull away and ran upstairs to change out of her flimsy dress and sandals.
Her folks and brother were full of questions, which Violet refused to answer so instead she went to her room. Derek was getting that look is his eye and he was glad she had finally found a man he couldn’t scare off.
She had the distinct feeling that from this night forward her life would never be the same again!
A Princess’ Tale
An Erotic Regency Romance
CHAPTER ONE
I was doing the fashionable summer event that all the rich ladies of London did; I was touring Europe with my chaperones, my aunt and uncle. They were Lord and Lady Davisham. We toured France, Spain, and down into Italy. It had been very pleasant but somewhat uneventful. I went to parties and fancy beautiful dinners with my aunt and uncle. However, it wasn’t the excitement and romance that I had longed for. Not much could happen when you were constantly being escorted. That was the way of things in the late 1800s. So I decided that when we landed in the small town of Assisi I would try my best to interact with the locals. The small town of Assisi was small and walled in making it a bit safer than your average big city like London. Assisi had not changed since medieval times. It was beautiful in all its stone glory and all its special nooks and crannies that laid out over the city like a labyrinth. It was easy for one to get lost in. Like I accidently did today. I was at a shop with my aunt and uncle. My uncle was being fitted for a new Italian suit. I stepped just outside the door for a breath of fresh air. Then something caught my attention, a small group of ladies and gentlemen were gathered a street performer. It was exciting so I took a few steps over and watched. After the performance I looked up and saw a sign for a candy shoppe. I couldn’t resist. I strolled right in started buying various pieces. There were two doors on the shop and I didn’t realized that I walked out of a different door than the one I came in because my head was buried in a bag of candy.
“Well, Emerald you’re lost again,” I muttered to myself.
I should have been scared, being a lady on my own but I really assumed I was only a block over from my aunt and uncle. So I kept walking. Then I was really lost. Still, getting lost gave the place a sense of enchantment. It seemed otherworldly. I had come to love and appreciate it. I found a public square and decided to just sit on the bench for a minute because I was tired.
“Buena sera,” a thick and low voice said in an Italian accent. “You should not be alone. Do you need help bella?”
I was startled and turned my head to the left where a gorgeous man stood before me. I gasped in response to him. His dark locks of hair were thick and tousled and his eyes were a piercing blue. He did not looked like the usual Italian men around her who were tanned and looked like descendants of the Romans, but he had distinct eyes.
“Buena sera,” I said back.
“You are not from around here bella?” he asked.
“No, I’m from London.”
“Ah, London,” he said.
“You’ve been?” I asked.
“Yes, but many, many years ago.”
“Do you like it here?” he asked.
“Yes, I love it.”
“Bellisima, you must let me paint you,” he said.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I stuttered. I was feeling very vulnerable.
“Yes, you will,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. I didn’t realize I was agreeing with him. It was as if I couldn’t control my own words. Then he handed me a card with an address on it.
“Tomorrow night at seven,” he said.
I looked at the card. It was elegant and old.
“But what do I…” I looked up from the card. He was gone. Without a sound he had just vanished. I was confused. Then my aunt and uncle appeared in the square.
“Oh Emerald there you are, we were so worried.”
“Oh I’m fine.” I quickly thought of a lie. “I ran into Ms. Harris and her niece, they invited me to dinner tomorrow night. May I have the carriage uncle tomorrow so that I may go.”
“Oh, yes Ms. Harris I heard she would be in Italy. Of course you may visit with your friends,” my aunt said.
“Excellent,” I said.
I couldn’t believe what I was doing, but I needed some adventure and I was feeling very excited to see that man again. He was gorgeous and he was an artist, and I liked art.
The next night at six o’clock I paced the townhouse. Was I really going to do this? I wanted to go, but fear held me back. It was every girl’s dream to go to Italy and meet a handsome artist, but something seemed dark about him. He scared me b
ut also thrilled me. I liked the fear he put in me, and he was commanding and gorgeous. I knew that if I didn’t go I would regret it. I took a deep breath and got dressed. I brushed my long blonde hair and curled it into big curls and put on a modest dress. I looked at the card he gave me. This was it. I was going. I walked outside to my waiting carriage and handed the driver the card with the address. Then he helped me climb in. I was nervous and fidgety the whole way. We roamed the cobblestone streets and I thought about turning back, but I held to it. I didn’t want to face the boredom waiting for me at home. Then the carriage stopped. The driver opened the door. We were stopped in front a twisted and long staircase.
“Straight up those stairs Ms.”
I looked up at the winding stairs and a large door that was at the end of it. I took a deep breath.
“Thank you, will you call back for me in three hours.”
The driver nodded. I made my way up the large stone staircase that led up to the door. I climbed to the top.
I started shaking with fear. It was too late though; there was no going back. It twisted and turned up to the top of another staircase. I looked at it and the very top of the stairs was a large wooden door and stone tower that stuck up from the rest of the buildings. It looked eerie to me, but it could be because it was night and it was quiet in this part of town. There were no cafes or tourists. It was only locals and they all seemed to be asleep at this time.
“Well Emerald, you’ve come this far. Might as well,” I talked myself through not being a chicken and turning around. I wanted to see the gorgeous man again. The mystery and intrigue of him drew me closer and closer to him. As I got closer to his place I felt like my legs had a mind of their own and were moving me forward. I felt like I was gliding over the stone alleyway to the front door, but that was absurd.
Billionaire: Billionaire Romance: Billionaire Tiger (A Billionaire New Adult Shifter Contemporary Romance) Page 49
