Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  “He stole my daughter’s life. She had so many opportunities before her until that wretched night.”

  Gideon reached for Eden’s hand, “And in the course of trying to punish me, you stole not only my life, but your own, Renault. You have let one terrible mistake haunt you for all these years.”

  “But, Amalie…” There were tears in Jacob’s eyes as he realized his own mistakes, and Eden felt sorry for the other man. For so long he’d been sustained by his own anger and hatred, and now he had nothing left to hold on to.

  As the thought went through her brain she realized that Jacob Renault was slowly fading from view. It was as if in accepting his own mistake, he’d broken the curse that had held him in limbo.

  “I am sorry, Gideon Blackburn.”

  Jacob’s last words echoed through the air as he blinked out of sight completely, and Eden sighed, slumping limply to her knees on the floor. She hadn’t realized how much adrenaline had been holding her together until it was over.

  Gideon reached for her, easing to the floor and drawing her into his lap. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she buried her nose in his throat and cried. Together they cried, Gideon silently, but Eden’s sobs were loud and full-bodied. They were the tears of her grandfather for his mother, and her great-grandmother for the pain she’d lived. And they were the tears of a father for his daughter. All of the century-long pain bled from the air via her tear ducts. When she finally began to relax and feel better, she could feel the difference in the night.

  “It’s over,” she murmured.

  “For Renault it is.” Gideon responded. She tipped her head back to look up at him, and her heart broke at the sadness in his eyes.

  “Perhaps it is for you, too. You said you were cursed to live as a spirit or an animal, right?” Even as Gideon nodded, Eden’s stomach clenched at her own words. She was still struggling with admitting that what she’d experienced tonight was real. Maybe she’d wake up in the morning and start writing a book about the crazy dream she’d had. “But tonight, for whatever reason, you’ve been a human again.”

  “I believe it has something to do with your being here.” Gideon nodded, “Amalie wanted to right her father’s wrong, and I believe this is how the witch did it. In order for Renault to accept his error, he had to come face to face with the legacy that was left behind. You.”

  “And the only reason he had his own human form tonight was because you were human too. He wanted to hurt you. And me.”

  “Yes, he did, but there was no way I could let that happen.” Gideon said firmly.

  “Why? You don’t even know me.”

  * * *

  Gideon smiled down at the woman who had stolen his heart when she was only a small child. “Because I believe it was part of my curse that I fall in love and have that love kept from me. The first time I saw you in the gardens as a child, I knew you were meant to be mine. I felt disgusted with myself for pining over a child, but my heart recognized yours. Somehow, I knew you were my soul mate.”

  “That’s not possible. There’s no such thing as soul mates.”

  “And there is no such thing as magic, or ghosts, or shifters.”

  Eden didn’t respond to his statement, but she stiffened in his grip, and he let her pull away. “Try shifting. Into whatever animal you are. If Jacob’s curse is broken, perhaps yours is, too.”

  A lump formed in Gideon’s throat, “I do not think that is a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “If you see me in my animal form, you may never be able to look upon me as a man again. And what if I am not able to shift back? Perhaps this reprieve from my cursed state is only temporary.” As Gideon spoke his own fears aloud, he felt his stomach twist into knots. He was not ready to let Eden go. He wanted to nurse every single second of his time with her so that he could remember it always.

  “What is your animal form?” she asked, and he sighed.

  “A raven.”

  Her eyes widened. “The bird! Earlier, when there was a bird in here, and I was talking to it, that was you?”

  He nodded reluctantly, “Yes, it was me. It was the only way I could watch you without your feeling my presence. My spirit form seems to have a negative effect on humans.”

  “I called you a girl.” She said with a giggle. “A pretty girl.”

  He felt his pride ruffle, but he laughed, “I recall.”

  She glanced away, and her cheeks grew dark with a flush, “I’m glad you’re not a girl.”

  “I am glad that you are glad.” He stood and moved close to her again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, “Please, can we spend whatever time we have left of this insane night, in a more enjoyable fashion.”

  She stared up into his eyes, her full lips parting on a sigh, “I’d like that.”

  It was all the permission Gideon needed, and he dropped his head to capture her lips in a scorching-hot kiss that he could feel from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. She tasted so sweet on his tongue that he could not seem to get enough to satisfy himself. He felt her hands come up and tangle in his hair, tugging at the locks to keep him in place. It seemed she felt the same way.

  Pushing her shirt upward, he ran his hands up the curve of her waist to the ridges of her ribs, and then the soft, lacy covering that held her breasts in place. Unsure how to divest her of the garment, he resorted to shoving it up and out of the way so that he could fill his hands with her glorious breasts.

  Eden sighed with pleasure, her head falling backward so that he could bend and take her nipple in his mouth. It was the size of a ripe cherry, and he suckled at it like a nursing child. Her hands pressed against his scalp like she never wanted him to stop, and she whimpered when he released the first nipple to take the other one in his mouth.

  His cock was growing painfully hard and when he stood up straight, it brushed against her belly, leaving behind a line of sticky moisture on her skin. Eden did not seem to mind, as a smile spread over her face and she reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his shaft and stroking him firmly.

  “Ack, that feels good,” he growled, pressing his hips forward to thrust into her tight grip.

  “If you think that’s good, just wait.” Eden teased, sinking to her knees in front of him, and pressing a kiss to the head of his cock.

  Gideon stared down in shock as the woman of his dreams sucked his hard dick deep into her mouth. He could feel the head hit the back of her throat before she pulled back to take a breath. The view from above was incredible. Eden on her knees with his hard cock thrusting in and out of her pink lips. Eden’s dark eyes glinting up at him, full of desire. Oh, yes, she was absolutely magical, in more ways than one.

  “You are beautiful,” he murmured, petting her hair as she continued to treat him with her mouth. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, but she didn’t slow her movements at all. In fact, her suction grew tighter, and then she added her hands to the mix. Stroking up and down his shaft each time she pulled back. Sweet heaven, what was this cruel wonderment? She was going to unman him in a moment if he did not regain control. “Enough, my lady. If you continue, I will spill my seed in your mouth instead of inside your sweet heat.”

  Eden released him with a small giggle and stood to kiss him again. “I wouldn’t complain. I might even enjoy it.”

  “The things you say to me…” he growled, jerking her against his chest, and cupping her ass tightly.

  She laughed loudly and turned her head so his mouth kissed her jaw instead of her lips. “Slow your roll, big boy. I need to get these clothes off.”

  Confused as he was by her first statement, he was in complete agreement with her second. Letting her go long enough for her to pull her clothes off and drop them to the floor, he admired her beauty for a moment.

  “You look like an angel in the moonlight. This is perhaps the closest I shall ever be to an angel.”

  Eden shook her head, “I’m no angel.”

  “Good,” he said w
ith a wicked smile, “Because the things I want to do to you certainly are not fit for an angel.”

  Without another moment’s hesitation, he took hold of her and lifted her against him. Her long legs wrapped around his hips tightly, and her moist heat hit his belly as they kissed. He wanted to sink so deeply inside her that they would never come apart. The wall was several feet away, but he seemed to reach it in a blink. Resting his hands behind her to protect her back from the rough wall, he used the leverage to support her weight so he could change their positions. Angling his hips, he felt her slide a little lower until his cock met her slit.

  They both sighed with satisfaction as he entered her, stretching her body wide for his.

  “That feels incredible,” she panted, leaning her head against the wall.

  Gideon couldn’t agree more, but he was no longer able to put his thoughts into words. While he had her, he was going to put his all into loving her. He wanted to leave a permanent mark on her heart, so she would think of him fondly for the rest of her life.

  Burying his cock inside her, and his face in the curve of her neck, he proceeded to put his all into making love to Eden. Eden for her part, took everything he had to give, and pushed him for more. Together they rode the magic between them to the brink of insanity and then plunged over the edge with rapturous screams that echoed back off the buildings walls.

  She was definitely an angel, because being inside of her was his heaven.

  6

  Eden woke to find the room a little lighter than before, and she realized quickly that the sun was on the horizon. The warm arms holding her close and the strong body pressed against her backside were the only confirmation she needed that last night’s crazy activities hadn’t been a dream. Gideon was as real as she was, even if only for the moment.

  Afraid of waking him and losing these last precious moments in his arms, she closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. There was no way she could deny that some sort of magic had happened here last night. October 31st was traditionally seen as the day when the veil between the real world and the supernatural were the thinnest, and they’d been well beyond the real world for the last twelve hours. What would November 1st bring? How was she going to walk away from Gideon and leave him behind to spend eternity alone in this falling down mansion?

  “You are beautiful when you sleep.” His murmur startled her, and she jumped. “I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you.”

  “I thought you were still asleep.”

  “I have not slept at all. I could not. I did not want to waste a single moment that I was human again. I spent the night watching and holding you. Eden Meade, I think I have fallen in love with you.”

  She rolled her eyes, trying not to let the overwhelming joy in her chest show. “Stop it. It was just sex, and we barely know each other. You’d probably fall in love with any female who showed up here while you were human and could get your rocks off.”

  “Excuse me? My rocks?”

  “You know, sex. I can imagine you were hard up for it after a hundred years or more without. I was here, and you were here, and—”

  Gideon pushed her over onto her back and glared down at her, “Do not. Do not trivialize what happened here. You feel this special thing between us. I know you do. As a writer for your newspaper, are you not supposed to be honest when you speak of an incident?”

  “I work for the television station, not the newspaper, and I’m not trying to trivialize anything. It was fun, and it was special, but…” she bit her lip and her eyes stung, “What happens now?”

  Sighing, Gideon pressed a kiss to her forehead. “That, I do not know. When the sun rises, I will most likely revert back into my spiritual form, and you will again be unable to interact with me.”

  “Or you could disappear altogether like Jacob did,” she offered. She was hoping that would happen, because it would be easier to envision Gideon in a better place for eternity.

  “It is possible. I am sorry I cannot guarantee you more, Eden. You deserve more.” He stole a sweet kiss from her mouth, and his fingers drifted over her cheek.

  The pain in her chest was damn near unbearable. She wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to make him feel any worse. Besides, she’d have the rest of her life to cry over the loss of him.

  “My sister will be waiting for me on the other side of the woods soon. I’ll have to leave.”

  Gideon nodded, “I understand.”

  He released her, and she began to put her clothes back on. He might understand, but she didn’t. How could fate be so cruel? Gideon had been punished long enough. Why should he be stuck in purgatory forever?

  When she was dressed, he helped her roll the sleeping back up and reattach it to her pack. As she knelt on the floor with her stuff in her lap, she made a decision.

  “I want you to come with me.”

  “What?” He looked stunned and confused. “But, Eden, you know that I—”

  “I don’t know anything. Yesterday, I would have said that I know there’s no such thing as magic, or shifters, or ghosts. Today, I know better. I know that my great-grandmother sacrificed a lot to try to right the wrongs of the past. Perhaps her sacrifice will allow you to regain your mortality and enjoy the life that was taken from you.”

  “I suppose it is possible.” He stood and held his hands out to her to help her to her feet. “With you, anything is possible.”

  “Funny, I was going to say the same thing.” Eden smiled at him. “Get your clothes on. It’s a long hike.”

  “I have not been able to leave this house in a century,” he murmured, doing as she asked.

  “Then it’s about time you got a little sunshine.”

  When he returned to her side, he was dressed in the same black clothing he’d been wearing when he appeared to her, and she ran her eyes over his form. “You look yummy.”

  “Why, thank you, my lady. Although I must say, I do not hold a candle to your beauty.” He lifted her chin with his thumb, and stared into her eyes. “Are you sure you are ready for this? It could go horribly wrong. I am not sure I can stand to see you disappointed.”

  “You won’t. I’ll start walking and I won’t look back until I reach the woods. By then I’ll be out of your sight, or you’ll be there by my side.” She said firmly, “But, Gideon, if it doesn’t work, I’ll keep looking for an answer.”

  “I want you to live your life—”

  “And that’s what I want for you too. So I will do everything in my power to find a way to break your curse. You put yourself between me and a madman last night to protect me. You would have given your life to stop Jacob from hurting me.”

  “Damn right I would have. And I would do it again.” His determination made her even surer that somehow, someway, this was going to work.

  “Come on, let’s get moving.” She led him to the doorway of the balcony where they stopped again. “I’ll go first so that neither of us has to face the other whatever happens.”

  She stepped onto the balcony and then stepped back. “One more kiss before I go.”

  “Absolutely, my lady.” He kissed her softly. “Eden, my love, my heart, do not let my curse become your curse. Whatever happens—”

  “I’ll see you soon.” She cut his words off, hurrying across the balcony and shimmying over the side and down the wall. Without looking up, she took off at a run around the house and to the edge of the path she’d followed the day before. The whole way, tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Epilogue

  “The cabin looks so good, Eden.” Samantha stepped into the small kitchen and found her older sister wrapped in her husband’s arms for the millionth time. “Would you two stop that? You would think you were newlyweds or something.”

  “Technically, we are, Sam,” Eden said, rubbing her fingers over her lips and grinning up at Gideon. “We haven’t even celebrated our one-year anniversary yet.”

  “By what, twelve hours? And you guys were together for a year before you got married. I don’t s
ee why you’re still so handsy.” Samantha grumbled back, snatching a cookie off the plate on the counter.

  “Because your sister grows more beautiful each day,” Gideon answered, and Eden flushed even as her sister made a gagging sound.

  “You mean she grows rounder each day. It’s a good thing you’re due tomorrow, sis; otherwise, I think you’d have to get a crane to help you up and down when you want to sit.” Samantha teased.

  Eden knew she was enormous, but that was to be expected for a woman carrying twins in her ninth month.

  “I’m so blessed to be having our children on our wedding anniversary.” She said, reaching for Gideon again.

  “We have both been blessed, my lady.” Gideon said, gifting her the kiss she tipped her head up for. “Never have I been as lucky as I was that Halloween night when you entered Blackburn Hall.”

  “Yeah about that, you guys never really explained what Gideon was doing there that night too? I know for Eden is was a dare, but why were you there Gideon?” Samantha’s question made the couple smile at each other secretively.

  It was Eden who answered, “Fate put me there so that I could find the love of my life.”

  The end.

  About the Author

  Best-selling author, Lori King, is also a full-time wife and mother of three boys. Although she rarely has time to just enjoy feminine pursuits; at heart she is a hopeless romantic. She spends her days dreaming up Alpha men, and her nights telling their stories. An admitted TV and book junkie, she can be found relaxing with a steamy story, or binging in an entire season of some show online. She gives her parents all the credit for her unique sense of humor and acceptance of all forms of love. There are no two loves alike, but you can love more than one with your whole heart.

  With the motto: Live, Laugh, and Love like today is your only chance, she will continue to write as long as you continue to read. Thank you for taking the time to indulge in a good Happily Ever After with her.