Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  Her footsteps made no sound on the mossy flooring as she entered his home. Finally, she had come back to him. Now he just had to convince her to stay.

  2

  There was a certain charm about an abandoned building that Eden appreciated, but when the sun set and the moon rose, that charm quickly turned into a creep factor that was off the charts. She’d made her way through most of the second floor, looking in every space she could to make sure she wouldn’t be surprised by any small animals or vagrants making their home in the old building. By the time she’d reached the ground floor, daylight was gone, and she was fishing for her flashlight. No way was she going to spend the night in the complete dark.

  Her bladder ached, and she chewed her bottom lip as she considered her options. She had to decide if it was worth another trek to the woods to pee in the trees, or if she was brave enough to find a dark corner to relieve herself.

  Disgusted at herself for even considering the second option, she left the derelict kitchens that held enormous stone fireplaces and termite-eaten wood cabinets, and looked for the perfect place to set up camp for the night. She’d get settled and then see about prying off one of the wood planks on the front door so she’d have easier access to the tree-facilities.

  The sound of footsteps filled her ears so clearly that she actually turned in their direction before she remembered that she was alone, and that the space directly behind her was a completely caved-in part of the house. Not only could there be no one in there, but there was no possible way for the sound to have come from anywhere else.

  Pressing her hand to her stomach, she backed away from the broken corner of the building before she spun around and marched back to the staircase. No way in hell was she sleeping downstairs. The upstairs had seemed much more welcoming.

  “You’re losing it, Meade. Get your shit together.” She murmured the words out loud just to hear her own voice. Who knew silence could feel so threatening? “It’s just your imagination and old man stories filling your brain with crazy notions. Stop it.”

  Halfway up the staircase, she remembered her need to pee and cursed. Without questioning propriety, she continued upwards, and in the direction of a small closet she’d seen off the main hallway. It wasn’t ideal, but it was semi-clean, and as private as could be. Besides, it still had its door hanging on the old iron hinges, so she could shut the door and no one would ever be the wiser. Decision made, she took care of business, and began to set up camp in the bedroom with the balcony where she’d first entered.

  * * *

  What in God’s name was the woman doing? She had just shut herself in the maid’s closet for a few moments and then reappeared with a smile on her face. Gideon waited for her to kneel on the floor of his bedroom before he flew across the beamed ceilings to peer down at her. She was quite lovely.

  Her dark hair was pulled up in an unusual hairstyle that twisted around into a knot, but left the ends sticking out so they cascaded over the bun in a fall of curls. She wore tiny golden rings in her ears, and a delicate gold chain around her elegant throat. He could envision her dressed as the ladies of his time, dripping in gemstones that he gifted her, and shrouded in satin and silks.

  When she bent and began spreading a fabric bed on the floor, he was treated to a view of her perfectly rounded rear, and the part of him that still remained in touch with the man he was, reacted very physically. His claws knocked a shard of rock from the wall, and the woman shrieked with fear as it hit the floor, her eyes wide and glassy as she spun to look his way. The moment she saw him, she relaxed and took a deep breath.

  “Just a bird. Thank God.”

  Gideon did not like her tone of voice, but it was not like he could protest verbally. If he shifted now, she would run screaming, and he would never understand this compulsive need to claim her.

  The first time he had laid eyes on her, she had been but a child. Freckled nose, bare toes, and a gap-toothed grin that warmed his dead soul. She had been a frequent visitor to his home for years, and then one day she was gone. All this time he had wondered about her, dreamed of her, fantasized about them, never once imagining she would actually return.

  “You’re a pretty girl, aren’t you?”

  It took him a moment to realize she was still talking to his raven, and when he did, he took offense, cocking his head to the side in irritation. How could she possibly think he was a female? What female wore her blue-black feathers so brilliantly, he would like to know?

  “Make yourself at home, pretty girl. We have a long night ahead of us,” she paused and then turned back to the fabric bed she’d laid out, “Although I can’t say I don’t appreciate the company.”

  Gideon watched her carefully pull a device from the pocket of her pants and tap at it with her fingers. After a moment she made a rather nasty noise and cursed.

  “Fucking hell. No signal. Of course, I don’t know why I thought there would be.” She dropped onto her rear end on the floor and tossed the device aside as if it had offended her. “So no Candy Crush, no Netflix, no social media...what the hell am I going to do in this big old empty place all night?”

  Oh, how he wished he could offer her a few options.

  “It’s just you and me, pretty girl. Oh, and the ghost downstairs.” She giggled, and he felt his feathers ruffle lightly at the sound. It had been so long since he had experienced joy. Would he ever feel it again? “I have a book on my e-reader program I could read, but I’m not much in the mood. I’ve already explored this floor, and there’s no way I’m going back down there.”

  Her eyes drifted over the walls and ceiling, taking in every cobweb and corner before they came back to rest on him. “Do ravens sing? I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to a raven before. You’re so quiet…I guess that answers my question.” She wiped her palms nervously on her thighs. “Well, I sing, and I guess tonight you can just listen. I need something to take my mind off where I am.”

  The sound that came from her throat was like that of the angel’s choir, and Gideon had trouble maintaining his shift as she sang about a dream and a wish the heart makes. What kind of dreams and wishes were in his lady-love’s heart, he wondered? Did they consist of a tall, dark, and handsome ghost/raven shifter?

  Unable to hold his form any longer, he swooped through the doorway away from the siren’s call. He had barely made it around the corner into the shadows before his body shifted into its natural state. His knees trembled, and he pressed his forehead against the cold stone wall, his heart aching when he heard her mutter, “Bad enough to chase the birds away.”

  He had hurt her with his sudden exit, but she would have been scared out of her mind if he had stayed put.

  Cold?

  Wait a second. The wall was cold. He could feel it against his skin. Lifting his hand, he pressed it to his forehead in wonder. He had not felt the physical weight of a wall against his human skin in over a hundred years. Why now?

  Confusion and excitement warred within him as he moved his hands over the stone walls, feeling each crack and dust bunny with relish. The sensations were exactly as he remembered them, from the hard to the soft. A scraping noise filled his ears and he spun back toward the room where the woman had set up her camp.

  If he could touch the wall, perhaps he could….No. It was unthinkable either way. He could never tarnish her innocent beauty with such a bold move.

  The muscles in his abdomen stretched taut as he bent forward and listened closely. There was that scraping sound again. More like a shuffling, even. A thud was followed by a grunt that had him reacting without thinking; barreling back down the hallway on feet that echoed in the night air. The sound barely registered as he reached the doorway and watched the woman slowly trying to ease her legs above her head. She rested both on her elbows and the crown of her head, and her body was arched at a strange angle. A moment later her toes were pointed skyward for all of a breath before she tumbled to the ground again, grumbling.

  His jolt of surprise at her
fall scared her, and her scream pierced through his skull. Cringing, he covered his sensitive ears and took a step backward.

  * * *

  Eden’s heart was choking her where it had landed in her throat when the strange man appeared in the doorway. While his sudden presence was reason enough for her increased pulse, she couldn’t deny there was more to it than that. He was magnificent to look at. From his shoulder-length black hair and sharp jaw, to the form-fitting black shirt and pants he wore, he was a vision of badassery, and her loins reacted accordingly.

  “Who—Who are you?” she managed to grunt at him, “And what are you doing here?”

  The man’s hands dropped away from his ears and his eyes widened. “You can see me?”

  Laughter and irritation bubbled up inside of her, and she snorted, “Yep, sorry to tell you this, but you must have left your cloak of invisibility at Hogwarts, Harry.”

  His dark winged eyebrows creased, and his full lips pursed, “Who is Harry? And what is this cloak of invisibility?”

  “You know, the one that Harry uses when he’s following the Marauder’s Map?” Eden finally just shrugged, “Doesn’t matter. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

  “I am…” He hesitated and glanced at his hands as if he’d find answers there. When he lifted his piercing black eyes back to hers, she shivered. “I am Gideon, my lady. Gideon Blackburn.”

  Her laughter was long and loud, and she pushed to her feet, trying to give herself a bit more room to work with if this crazy guy tried to attack her. “Really? Gideon Blackburn, as in the once-owner of this house, and long-since dead guy? Sure, yeah, you’re not crazy at all, are ya, bub?”

  The offended look on his face chilled her blood, and she frowned when he responded, “Yes, that is precisely what I mean.”

  3

  She should have anticipated this would happen.

  It was a full moon on Halloween. Of course the crazy folks were going to be out, and she’d put herself smack dab in the bullseye for one of them to take a crack at her.

  “Well, then, Mr. Blackburn, I’ll have you know that you’ve been remiss in your housekeeping duties.” She giggled at her own joke, but Gideon just frowned.

  “It is impossible to maintain a property without a physical body.”

  “You know what, you’re right. I stand corrected.”

  “What is your name?” he asked.

  “Eden Meade.” She paused, “And yes, I’m the Eden Meade on Channel 8.”

  “Channel 8? What is that?”

  “One of the local news outlets. I know Channel Twelve is beating us in the ratings, but if they’d let me take the anchor desk, I think I could change those numbers.” Gideon looked perplexed, and she shifted uncomfortably. “Anywho, I think it’s time for one of us to beat feet and find a new place to hole up for the night.”

  She started gathering her stuff up, intending to get out of range as quickly as possible. She re-rolled the bedding into a tight twist and secured it to her pack.

  “What is that?” he asked softly, indicating her bag.

  Her eyebrow rose, “My backpack? Or the sleeping bag? They’re both for camping out. As you’ve probably guessed, I was bedding down for the night when you appeared. You’ve obviously set up residence first, so I’ll find somewhere else to go.”

  A bitter taste settled on her tongue as she spoke the words, and her movements felt heavy all of a sudden. Just the idea of leaving made her stomach turn and her head spin. Logically, she knew she should get moving, but something kept her there, kneeling on the floor with her pack in her lap.

  “Might I ask what you were doing a moment ago? Standing on your head?”

  She felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. She’d been attempting to do a few yoga poses in the hopes that she’d relax enough to sleep some, but she was very out of practice, and she’d only managed to give herself a headache and a bruised tailbone.

  “It was nothing, just a few exercises to clear my head.” She dropped her eyes from his, and immediately they landed on his groin. The pants he was wearing appeared to have no front closure, but they certainly cupped his package nicely. Her nipples ached as they hardened into tight points in her bra, and she inhaled deeply.

  “What’s that smell?” she asked, as her sense filled with a rich musky fragrance. It was comforting and enticing all at once. Like a cross between warm hot cocoa and her grandfather’s pipe tobacco.

  Gideon shook his head, “I do not know what you are referring to, my lady. I smell only the sweetness of your skin on the air. Like lilacs in a soft spring rain.”

  She tried hard not to respond to the compliment, but she felt her lips curve up slightly. Turning her head away, she coughed, “It will just take me a few minutes, and I’ll be out of your hair. By the way, next time just speak up instead of all the heavy foot stomping. Scared the daylights out of me.”

  “I am not sure I know to what you refer?” He looked completely mystified, and a ripple of unease slid across her skin.

  “Earlier, when I went downstairs, you were down there stomping around to scare me off, right?” she paused when he frowned, “That was you, right? Please tell me that was you.”

  “Alas, I cannot, my lady. I was…otherwise occupied during that moment in time.” He looked around uncomfortably. “You do not have to leave. You are welcome here.”

  Eden was beginning to think maybe she’d lost her mind. An hour ago she’d been alone in an abandoned mansion; now she was having a conversation with a crazy man who believed himself the long dead owner of said estate. On top of that, he was telling her there was either another person in the house, or a…

  She shivered, and rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms. “Where were you? I searched the whole upstairs before I went below. You weren’t up here.”

  Gideon had the good grace to look embarrassed by the uncomfortable situation, but he didn’t give her an answer. “Please, I will leave you be if that is what you require, but do not wander back into the night on my account. I would worry myself sick over your safety.”

  Again Eden’s mouth fell open, “My safety? Why would you have any concern for me? You don’t know me.”

  A look of sad affection filled his dark eyes, and he dipped his head, “But I do. I have known you since you were a small girl. A mere child who ran amok with her companions.”

  Eden recalled those days, climbing the rock walls and the garden stairs of Black Castle, pretending she was the queen of a vast kingdom while her sisters were pillaging enemies hell-bent on raiding her keep. She remembered those moments fondly, but how in the world did this man know about them? Unless…

  The room spun and she shot to her feet, backing up quickly as her pack hit the floor. She didn’t even reach for it. Fear took over, and she lifted her hands defensively. “I don’t know who you are, but I’m going to report you for vagrancy when I get back to town. You have no right to sneak around scaring people like this.”

  Gideon stepped forward, his forehead wrinkled in concern, “Please, be careful, my lady, those rocks are—”

  Eden cried out as her heel stepped off the rock ledge separating the room from the balcony behind. While her fall wasn’t large, it came as a surprise and she found herself sprawled on her back staring up at the starry sky a moment later.

  * * *

  In his spiritual form, Gideon might have moved faster, but he would not have been able to break her fall either way. Until this moment in time, he’d had no physical body with which to do so. Now, as he landed on his knees next to her, and reached out, he was able to cup her head, his fingers tangling in her soft hair, and it was heavenly.

  “Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?” He pressed gently on the back of her skull. A large lump was already forming where her head had cracked against the stone floor.

  “I’m fine. Or I will be once the ground stops swaying,” she muttered, her eyes clenching shut as she reached for her head. “Watch out for that first step, it’s a doozy.�
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  He wasn’t exactly sure what a doozy was, but he chuckled at what had the sounds of a joke. “Here, let me take you back inside. I will help you get your things settled once again and leave you in peace if that is what you desire. I apologize for upsetting you this eve.”

  Her eyes popped open and peered up into his, making his mouth go dry. She had the most beautiful deep-set blue eyes. They reminded him of the lake that used to form the northern edge of his land. It had waters so deep that any item lost there would never be found again, and Gideon had a feeling his soul had been just as lost in her eyes in that moment.

  “You’re certainly committed to playing this part through, aren’t you?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Have you ever been hospitalized? Perhaps treated with anti-psychotics? It’s a common thing these days, you have no reason to be embarrassed.” She let him help her to a seated position, but once upright, she swayed and her eyes slammed shut again. “Damn, that hurts.”

  “I have never been hospitalized, my lady, nor have I been treated with anti-whatever you mentioned. I have certainly made a few missteps in my lifetime that I have reason to be embarrassed by, but none so recently. All I want is to make sure you are safe from harm.”

  “You’re doing a rip-roaring job of it, Captain America.”

  Her words left him speechless, and he stared at her in confusion. Perhaps the fall had addled her brain? He knew that head injuries could impact a person’s faculties, but he truly didn’t know how much. A glance around at their surroundings was all the reminder he needed of how precarious their situation was.

  Gideon had not been able to leave his home since the fateful night he lost his humanity to greed. If Eden needed assistance, he could not help her. The warmth of her in his arms drew his attention, and he glanced down to see her snuggling her face against his chest.

  “You smell really freaking good. What is that cologne?” she mumbled, her hands gripping his biceps just tight enough that his body reacted to her as a man would a woman.