Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  “Eden, you have been hurt. We should see to your injuries, and then we can discuss—”

  “I bruised my ass, and knocked my head, that’s all. I’ll be fine.” She rubbed her nose against his throat, and he inhaled sharply, “I just can’t seem to get enough of that smell. It’s making me…” her words broke off with a moan that lit fires throughout him.

  His voice was tight and husky when he spoke again, “It is making you what? Tell me, my darling Eden. What is being in my arms doing to you? Because I can tell you, just holding you is driving me mad.”

  Her lips grazed his Adam’s apple, and he could barely breathe. After more than a century of no real physical sensation, this was almost too much.

  “Gideon, I feel strange.” She whispered the words as she shifted in his arms, rolling closer into his body, and pressing her breasts against his chest. “The need inside me is crazy. It’s like I’ve been drugged or something. I just can’t think straight.”

  He was shocked when her mouth captured his, but he did not hesitate to take control of the kiss. If Eden needed something from him, he would ensure she got it.

  Her taste was sweet, but her touches were wicked. Nails scraped his scalp as she buried her hands in his hair, and he could feel the hard points of her breasts against his chest. She squirmed, rubbing herself against him like a cat. It took a quick change of position, but he managed to pull her into his lap, and grip her more comfortably, freeing up his own hands for exploration.

  She was soft under his fingers. The fabric of her clothing was thin, and he could feel the ridges of her ribs before they dipped to the valley of her waist. She curved perfectly at her hips, and her long legs were drawn up as close as possible. Like she wanted to crawl inside him. He certainly wanted to be inside of her.

  Shocking him again, she pressed her tongue into his mouth, thrusting it forward and using it to coax him into reciprocating. Before long they were playfully fencing tongues, while their hands continued to tempt and tease below.

  Reaching for one of her lush breasts, Gideon pinched the hard nub between his thumb and forefinger to test her reaction. When she groaned and rocked her rear into his groin he cupped her breast fully. It was the size of a grapefruit, and the nipple felt thick. He couldn’t wait to find out if it was a dusky rose color or pale brown.

  Tearing his mouth away from hers, he kissed his way down her throat before pausing to strip her top garment away. The sight it revealed was a feast for his eyes. Her breasts were cupped by a white piece of cloth that held them up and pressed them together so that a deep crease was formed between them. Straps went up and over her shoulders to hold it in place, but he could see no way to remove it.

  Afraid to ask for direction in case she stopped their play, he reached into one of the molded cups of fabric and pulled her breast up and out of it. The moment he caught sight of the mauve nipple that was begging to be touched, he dipped his head and sucked it between his lips. Her responding cry of pleasure made parts of his body ache that hadn’t in many, many years. She was magnificent. Her form was perfect, and she was so responsive. He had to have more of her.

  * * *

  Eden could barely process a thought with Gideon kissing her, but when he roughly pulled her t-shirt over her head, and then manhandled her tit out of her bra, she stopped thinking altogether. All that mattered was this man and his sinfully sensual touch. His mouth was scorching hot on her nipple, and she could feel the long thick length of his erection under her ass.

  The more she rubbed against him, the more she knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had him. The addictive fragrance of his skin was also on his hair, and while he suckled at her breast, she tugged on those long black locks. They were soft as corn silk, and gleamed a blue-black under the full moon. She wondered what it would feel like to have him drag those locks all over her skin, making her tingle and burn with desire.

  “Gideon, I need—” her words broke off, but he seemed to understand.

  His hands reached underneath her to grip her ass, and with all the exertion of an ant lifting a feather, he scooped her up and carried her back into Black Castle. Shrouded in the dark again, the chemistry between them seemed to grow even stronger, and it was damn near physically painful when he set her on her feet and stepped back.

  Eden was about to protest when she saw him going back for her pack. He returned a moment later and passed it to her. “Please make your bed again. I should like to share it with you…if you are willing.”

  A smile spread over her face and she hurried to comply, “Oh, I’m most certainly willing.”

  She could feel his eyes on her as she spread the sleeping bag back out on the floor, unzipping it completely to make it a larger square to accommodate two bodies instead of just one. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do in a pinch, and Eden wasn’t sure she could go much longer without having Gideon touching her again.

  When she’d made their pallet up, she sat down, and held her hand out in invitation. Gideon sank to his knees beside her, and cupped her face.

  “You are like a Siren of the Sea, my lady. More beautiful than the known world can fathom, and deadly for my self-control.”

  With hormones filling her brain, Eden wasn’t exactly sure if that was all good, but she chose to take it as a compliment, and while he kissed her, she unhooked her bra, letting it drop into her lap.

  Gideon pressed against her shoulder, indicating she should lie back, and she went willingly. Anticipation coursed through her when he began kissing her breasts again. They’d made it to the horizontal point. In her experience that meant fucking wasn’t too far away, and she was in dire need of a good long orgasm.

  A few minutes later she realized that Gideon was not the type of man to be rushed into doing anything. He much preferred to take his time. He’d feasted on each breast in turn, and then spent several agonizing moments teasing his lips over her ribs before journeying on to her navel.

  By the time he finally reached the top edge of her jeans, her panties were soaked through and she was envisioning a hell of a wet spot on the sleeping bag beneath her.

  “What new hell is this?” Gideon cursed, glaring down at the fastening on her jeans.

  “What?” she glanced down at the zipper and button combination.

  “Are you wearing a medieval chastity belt, Eden?” he asked, looking up at her with such pure frustration she laughed.

  “Of course not. I left my chastity belt at home this weekend. It’s not suitable for backpacking, everyone knows that.” She laughed harder when his eyes widened in confusion. “I’m just kidding.”

  With a twist, she released the button of her jeans, and slid the zipper down, “There, easy off now.”

  Gideon wasted no time stripping them away, along with her panties. Completely naked in the darkness of the room, she shivered under his gaze. It seemed to penetrate right through her skin into her soul, stealing the air from her lungs.

  He reached for her leg, and lifted it, placing her foot against his shoulder and kissing her ankle. “You are far lovelier than I could have imagined.”

  “Thank you.” She whispered. “I wish I could say the same, but you’re still dressed.”

  “If I remove my clothing, I will be in a rush to ease myself in your body, and these things should not be rushed.”

  Damn it. Even his explanation was a turn on.

  Gideon continued his soft kisses up her leg, rubbing the muscles as he moved closer to the heat of her pussy, and she had to bite back a groan when he dropped her leg and lifted the other.

  “All in good time, my love.” She heard his words, but tried not to think about them as he once again teased his way up her body. This time, when he reached the seam separating her thigh from her body he didn’t stop. He moved across her neatly trimmed bush to her dripping wet slit. “I love a woman who enjoys herself in the bedroom.”

  “I’m enjoying myself, but it would be much better if you would—Aack!” her words turned into a shriek of plea
sure when his mouth met the sizzling hot flesh between her thighs. He ate at her like a man who’d been starving, ravishing her pussy until she was nothing but a mumbling mess of desire and climactic ripples.

  When he finally lifted his head and peered up into her eyes, she could have sworn there was satisfaction there, as if tasting her had filled something deep within him. Instead of thinking too hard on such a serious topic, she just lifted her hands and beckoned him into her body.

  The first press was delicious. Where skin met skin slicked with passion, electricity seemed to spark. She gasped as he rocked his hips forward, sinking into her by inches, filling and stretching her to capacity. When had he stripped his clothes away? Staring up at his naked chest, she felt her mouth water. A dark smattering of hair spread between his pecs from nipple to nipple, and then led the way down his washboard abs to their joined groins. Later she was going to make time to explore all those grooves and valleys because they looked delectable, but right now, she could only take in the moment. Every time he pushed into her body it felt like their two souls were reaching out for each other. Like they wanted to unify and mash them into one physical being rather than two.

  Eden had always enjoyed sex, but this was so much more than anything she’d experienced. It wasn’t just fucking. There was something unique happening that she couldn’t quite wrap her brain around.

  Gideon lowered his chest to hers, pinning her arms at her sides as he continued to pump his hips into her body. His weight should have been suffocating, or at least made her a little claustrophobic, but it actually ramped up her desire. She tipped her mouth up for a kiss, and he rewarded her with a mating of their mouths that marked her soul.

  His hair hung on either side of her face, tickling her cheeks and filling her nose with his addictive fragrance once again. “Eden, you are—”

  He groaned when she clenched her pussy muscles around his cock, and she grinned, “What was that? You were saying?”

  “So you want to play games, do you?” His dark eyebrow rose, and his eyes flashed with amusement before desire filled them again. With a slick move, he rolled to one side, reversing their positions. “Play all the games you want, my lady. I am at your mercy.”

  Once the surprise dissipated, Eden grew bold, and began to ride his cock hard. Using his chest for leverage, and thanking God for the strong muscles in her thighs, she took them both to heaven. She screamed out his name as she felt him explode deep inside her body, filling her with a piece of himself, while her juice drenched him from above.

  Slumping onto his chest in exhausted bliss, she knew nothing in the world could ever compare to sex with Gideon. Being with him was magical.

  4

  There was so much Gideon wanted to say as he held Eden in his arms, so much she needed to know, and yet, he couldn’t get his voice to work. If he told her what he was, she’d running screaming into the night. He should have told her before…

  “You know I’m not normally so irresponsible.” She spoke without lifting her head from where it rested under his chin. “I’m not sure why I can’t seem to resist you. I didn’t even make you use a condom.”

  “A condom?”

  “I’m on birth control, don’t worry. I’ll call my doctor tomorrow about the Morning After pill, too. I’m sure everything is fine.” She drew small circles around his nipple and he felt his cock twitch inside her moist heat. Giggling, she kissed his collarbone. “Again? You must take vitamins to have so much energy so quickly.”

  Gideon heard himself reply, “It has been more than a century since I have sunk into a beautiful woman’s body. It is a wonder I lasted as long as I did.” Immediately, he regretted his words. Why was it when he did manage to speak, his words twisted and came out wrong?

  Eden stiffened in his arms, and lifted her head to peer down at him. “What did you say?”

  Sighing loudly, he answered, “I am not a man, Eden. I am a shapeshifter; an immortal. A soul cursed to linger in the present, with no hope of moving on.”

  Her body began to tremble violently and his heart lurched in his chest. The last thing he wanted was her to be afraid of him. Reaching to pull her back against him, he hesitated when a burst of noise escaped her.

  She was laughing.

  She was laughing at him. She wasn’t terrified, she was hysterical.

  “Good grief, I already slept with you. There’s no reason to spin a yarn now.” She managed to squeak out between bouts of riotous giggles. “I have to admit, you’re creative.”

  “I beg your pardon.” Indignation colored his words, and he gripped her hips, rolling her to her back and pressing her into the fabric pallet beneath them. “My curse is no laughing matter, my lady. It has forced me to reside within these walls for more than a century, watching the world pass me by. For whatever reason, the fates have seen fit to give me my body back tonight, and if the only thing I am able to do with it is spend time inside of you, then I will gladly spend eternity reminiscing about this moment.”

  His words brought her gaiety back to an even keel and slowly her smile faded. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You really believe this crap.”

  Her hands slapped against his chest, and he lifted away from her, giving her the space she desired.

  “I believe it, because it is the truth. Would that it were different…”

  Eden sat up and immediately reached for her discarded clothing. “I finally let loose and have fun, only to find out after the fact that I fucked a lunatic.”

  Her words were muttered under her breath to herself, but they were still offensive.

  “I am not a lunatic. I am simply different than you.”

  “Different?” Her eyes were wild as she jumped to her feet and yanked her pants up, “Different is more like another faith, or another culture, not another form of being. You’ve clearly convinced yourself that what you’re saying is the truth, so I think we’re done here. I’ll just be collecting my things and—”

  “Stop!” His voice thundered through the hollow building, echoing back to their ears several times. Eden took a step backward, the whites of her eyes becoming more visible in the dim lighting. He knew she was unsettled, but he couldn’t let her abandon him, not after what they’d shared. “Please, do not run away from me. For the first time in one hundred years, I am able to speak with a human being again. I am able to touch you, and feel your touch. I can feel the dampness in the stone walls, and smell wood smoke on the air. I do not know what magic is at play, but please, give me this moment. Let me explain.”

  * * *

  Eden couldn’t formulate a logical response. Either she’d just had sex with a crazy person, or she herself was losing her mind. She wasn’t sure which was worse. What he was saying made no sense, and yet, she could feel something magical between them. It was in the way her body reacted to him, and that glorious fragrance of his that seemed to set her soul on fire.

  The logical part of her wanted to run. Leave behind everything she’d brought and just take off for the familiar comfort of her grandmother’s house, but she couldn’t make her feet move any more than she could make her mouth respond.

  Gideon took her motionless silence as agreement, because he relaxed back onto the sleeping bag and crossed his arms under his head, staring up at the cracked ceiling. “I would like to tell you my story. Would you please take a seat?”

  His request was too polite not to acquiesce, and she found herself easing to the floor, still several feet away from him. Her eyes slid over his nude form, finally taking in the physical beauty that was Gideon Blackburn. He wasn’t overly tall, but his limbs were long and muscular. If it weren’t for the paleness of his skin, he’d be just like any other man she’d met. There was something opalescent about his exterior, like he would shimmer in just the right lighting.

  “I was born in 1868, in—”

  Her sharp gasp cut him off, and he jerked his head her way, narrowing his eyes. “Are you going to let me tell the story?”

  Eden clear
ed her throat and did her best to look unaffected, “Sure, whatever. I have the whole night to burn, so let’s do Storytime.”

  Gideon’s eyes held hers for several long moments before she turned her head. She didn’t like the sincerity his gaze held. It was too uncomfortable to consider that he might be telling the truth. She was a journalist. She was taught to believe the things she could see and touch. Magic wasn’t real.

  “I was born in 1868, in Jamestown, Virginia, to Adam Blackburn, and his wife Celine; my mother immigrated to America from France the year prior to my birth. My father was a prominent businessman, but he took his duties to his family very seriously. The country was still in disarray after the war, and he and my mother made the decision to leave Jamestown for the slower-paced Dunnesburg. It meant leaving his business holdings behind and starting over, but they both craved a more peaceful life for their children.”

  “Are you going to tell me every detail of your childhood, because I’m not sure I have the patience for this? I’m more of a get-to-the-point kinda girl.”

  “That detail is important to me, but I will skip ahead. My parents made a good life for themselves in Dunnesburg. My father even sought out public office while I was in secondary school. That was the first time I tasted power. As an elected official, it seemed he could do no wrong in the eyes of the law. While he was an honest man, I was certainly not an honest boy. I loved throwing my status around, and taking what I wanted without asking.”

  “Sounds like you were a spoiled brat.” Eden shifted uncomfortably on the cold stone floor. Even in jeans, the chill of the night was sinking into her bones.

  “You are right. I was spoilt. I was also selfish and vain.”

  “You know, if you’re trying to sell those as good qualities—”

  He shushed her, and she snapped her teeth together so hard it was audible. “I—of course—decided to seek office myself to maintain my powerful status. I first became mayor of Dunnesburg, but later I realized the real power was in the Governor’s office. The night I was elected, I threw a celebration in my new home. I had had this mansion built with the money my parents bequeathed me when they died, and I was ready to show it off. In the jubilance of the party, a young girl was tossed into my lap. I was already pissed drunk, and on top of the world. She was beautiful, and I assumed she was of low birth—why else would my friends offer her to me?”