Shifted Love: Volume 1

by Davenport, Fiona

  She blushed and dropped her eyes to my chest. “I could probably be convinced to let you put a little cub in my belly,” she quipped lightly, followed by an adorable giggle.

  I let her go so that I could grab her hand and drag her toward the exit to the back lot. But I only got as far as a few steps before she was tugging on my arm to halt me. “We can’t go yet,” she laughed. “For one thing, your family is waiting for us out in the audience!”

  Sighing, I altered our direction and headed for the door that led out to the seating area around the runway. “Let’s get this over with,” I muttered. Calliope laughed again, and I felt the sound reverberate through me, sending a tingle straight to my dick. I loved nothing more than seeing my mate happy, especially when that happiness was due to an earth-shattering orgasm. Fuck. I really needed to focus on something besides getting inside my woman. Otherwise, it would only take one look at the bulge in my pants for everyone to know exactly where my mind was at.

  “Oh, my sweet girl!” my mother cried joyfully as she pulled Calliope into her arms. “Congratulations! I’m so proud of you!”

  My sisters stepped in next, gushing over my mate’s designs and the success of the show. “I knew it would be spectacular!” Trinity claimed, beaming with pride.

  After the girls calmed down, my father stepped up and gathered Calliope into a giant bear hug, making her glow with happiness. Knowing what her childhood had been like, I was so grateful for how my family had embraced her. When he let her go, she practically floated back into my arms.

  “So! Which after-party should we hit first?” Tabara asked, practically jumping up and down with eagerness.

  I inwardly groaned. Son of a bitch. I’d forgotten about all that shit. My first instinct was to throw Calliope over my shoulder and run back to our hotel room, but I wasn’t going to take away any of this experience from her.

  “Umm…” Calliope glanced up at me hesitantly, and I smiled gently in return.

  “Whatever you want to do, baby. Tonight is about making your dreams come true.”

  “All of them?” she whispered with a smirk.

  I nodded. “I'll do anything for you, you know that. Even if it means a bunch of loud, crowded, sweaty parties full of pretentious artsy types, like those two.” I pointed at my sisters and grinned when I heard them gasp in overly dramatic outrage.

  “Low blow, little brother,” Trinity murmured. “How did someone so awesome end up with your boring, grumpy ass?”

  Calliope giggled and went up on her tiptoes to place a sweet kiss on my jaw. “He’s perfect,” she said softly. Then she looked at my sisters apologetically. “But you’ll have to party without us. Tane and I have—um—other plans. Other dreams to work on.” She blushed and buried her face in my chest. I might have laughed if I hadn’t been so fucking turned on.

  I didn’t bother to say another word as I grabbed my woman by her hips and threw her over my shoulder to make a beeline for the nearest exit. Only the sound of my dad’s booming laughter managed to penetrate my focus, making me grin.

  * * *

  “You are so fucking gorgeous,” I whispered as I stared at my naked mate, sprawled out on the bed. I licked my lips in anticipation of devouring the feast in front of me. However, my cock was swollen to epic proportions, and my tiger growling and gnashing his teeth, threatening violence if I didn’t get inside Calliope so we could put our cub in her womb.

  “This first time is going to be hard and fast, baby,” I rasped as I climbed onto the bed and kneeled between her wide-spread legs. “I can’t wait to get my cock inside this tight little pussy and fill you with my come.”

  Calliope smiled seductively and arched her back, pushing up her spectacular breasts and making my mouth water. “No argument here.”

  I bent over and pressed my fists into the mattress as I took one succulent nipple in my mouth and gently grazed my teeth over the sensitive tip. Calliope moaned and wiggled her hips restlessly. I gave the other diamond hard peak some attention before gliding up her body to take her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. “I love you, Calliope,” I murmured against her lips right before my hips surged forward, and I bottomed out in one thrust. Calliope ripped her mouth from mine and let out a cry of passion. Her hands flew to my biceps, holding on so hard that I wouldn’t have been surprised if her nails drew blood. Burying my face in her neck, I groaned at the feel of her hot pussy tightly squeezing my shaft. I almost released my load right that second, but I refused to climax until my mate did. I slowly inhaled and grabbed the remaining shreds of my control.

  “I need you,” Calliope whimpered.

  “Fuck,” I grunted as everything slipped through my fingers, and I lost myself to the need pulsing through my body. I began to pump my hips as slow as I could manage, but my tiger was pushing hard against my skin. My animalistic instincts took over, and after withdrawing almost to the very tip of my cock, I slammed back inside her, roaring at the streaks of ecstasy that shot to every nerve ending. Calliope screamed my name, and her legs clamped around my waist, nearly squeezing the breath out of me.

  There was no rhythm or finesse this time. I fucked her hard, rutting between her silky thighs, my entire being focused on breeding my mate. I wasn’t surprised that Calliope took everything I had to give and begged for more. She was made for me in every way.

  When her muscles tensed and her breathing became heavy, I knew she was close. Thank fuck because I couldn’t hold back anymore. I slipped a hand between us and rubbed her clit until she detonated. Her orgasm milked me to an immediate climax, and I shouted as my come exploded from my cock, burst after burst, filling her so full, there was no way in hell we hadn’t just made a baby.

  That thought had my desire—and my hard on—returning quicker than I’d anticipated. Calliope had barely finished coming when I started to move again. At least this time, I was able to take it slower. I savored every touch, every taste, and made sweet love to my mate until we both passed out.

  I scented her pregnancy a couple of weeks later, but unlike Kace and Zeke, I was patient and let Calliope figure it out on her own. I had to threaten every shifter in town to keep their mouths shut, but it was completely worth it when I saw the happiness on my mate’s face as she shyly informed me that I was going to be a daddy.

  I gave her a sweet kiss, then I swept her up into my arms and headed to our bedroom.

  “Where are we going?” she asked with a laugh.

  “To practice for the next one.”

  Epilogue

  Calliope

  I smoothed down the fabric of my red ball gown and shuffled nervously from foot to foot. How did I let them talk me into this? Tabara and Trinity fussed over me, fluffing my hair and adjusting the dress over and over until I finally put a stop to it. “I’m pretty sure anything else we do from here will go downhill, so can we get started and get this over with, please?” They harrumphed good-naturedly before giving me a peck on the cheek and scampering back to wait behind the cameraman.

  It was hot in the desert, but there were so many butterflies fluttering around in my stomach that I barely noticed. Still, I had to remind myself not to touch “their masterpiece” as my sisters-in-law put it and swipe at the sweat trickling down the valley between my breasts. I suddenly had a new appreciation for my models.

  My best friends and I had planned a trip to Vegas with my sisters-in-law and all our mates. Once Salazar found out, he decided to shift the shoot for the cover of Vogue to the desert an hour outside the city. He wanted me on set to oversee the dress, and since I had said no to Fashion Week in New York, Milan, and Paris for the past ten years straight, I gave in. Besides, I couldn’t argue with his brilliance. The setting was perfect for the deep red dress with a plunging neckline that went all the way to the waist where the skirt poofed just a little and fell to the ground.

  We showed up at the site and waited around for over an hour until we finally received word from the model that she couldn’t make it. Everything was set up, and the cover
needed to be shot today, so it was a disaster. Then things took a turn for the worse when Trinity suggested I step in for the model. I promptly told her she’d lost her freaking mind and threw a donut at her.

  Unfortunately, everyone else thought it was a brilliant idea. Even Tane...which shocked me at first, but I should have known better. He was so proud of me, and no one thought I was more beautiful than my sexy tiger. According to him, he had no problem letting the world see what belonged to him. The next thing I knew, I was all dolled up and wearing my creation in front of a camera.

  Speaking of my husband...I glanced around, looking for him, and my anxiety ratcheted up another couple of degrees without his presence to soothe me.

  “It’s missing something,” Brian, the campaign director grumbled.

  “Like a professional model?” I muttered.

  “No, you’ll do,” he replied absently, causing Tabara and Trinity to roll their eyes. “If only we had some kind of animal or—” he broke off and let out a girlish scream, scrambling backward until he knocked into the snack table.

  Everyone was suddenly staring behind me, though Brian was the only one who looked completely terrified as he tried to scramble under the table. Confused, I glanced to the side, and that’s when I noticed the huge shadow falling over the ground. My lips grew into a smile as my beast of a mate ambled up next to me. My tiger bumped his head into my thigh and purred, making me laugh as I stroked his soft head. I immediately felt one hundred percent calm and at peace. Like always, he’d known exactly what I needed, and he’d found a way to make it happen. Adding a tiger to the photo would be amazing, but it was the comfort of having him next to me that gave me the confidence to go through with the whole thing.

  After a moment, I realized why Brian was the only one who was terrified of the situation. He was the only other human on set. Even Cree, the cameraman, was from a local pack. I’d met him in the industry a few times and was ecstatic when Salazar was able to book him for this shoot.

  “Fucking perfect!” Cree shouted with a pump of his fist. “Brilliant!”

  “What’s wrong with you people?” Brian screeched as he peeked out from under the table. “There’s a murderous monster about to kill us all, and you want to take pictures with it?”

  “Hey!” I snapped as rage infused my blood. “He’s not a monster, and he wouldn’t hurt—” I broke off when I heard the threatening growl coming from the six-hundred-pound cat beside me. “I mean not unprovoked or anything.”

  Tane took a step forward, and Brian let out another bloodcurdling scream before he disappeared under the table again. Then he popped up on the other side and took off toward his limo. Once his car had burned rubber—so to speak—and disappeared over the horizon, Cree burst out laughing. Trinity, Tabara and I began to giggle, and I even heard Tane’s amusement rumbling in his chest.

  After a few minutes, we calmed ourselves and got down to business. The photoshoot was bound to be unbelievable with my stunning tiger by my side, and I couldn’t wait to see the proofs.

  * * *

  “Mommy! Mommy!!” Kyla, our nine-year-old, came running into the kitchen waving something around wildly in her hand. “It’s here!” She skidded to a halt in front of me and held up a copy of the Vogue that showcased my dress and my magnificent mate. “You look so beautiful, Mommy,” she gushed with a dreamy smile.

  “How is that different from any other day?” Tane piped up as he strolled into the kitchen with our two-year-old son, Rush, on his hip. Azlyn, who was a year older, trailed after them, her thumb lodged in her mouth and her ever inquisitive eyes taking in everything around her.

  “’Cause she’s on a magazine, Daddy,” Kyla informed him indignantly. With one hand propped on her small hip, she looked every bit the diva that she was.

  “I think she’s even more beautiful right now,” he replied with a wink in my direction.

  I snorted as I brushed some of my unruly hair away from my face. I’d been lost in my studio all day, and I looked a complete mess from the pencil holding up my hair, to the chalk residue on my fingers, to the ratty sweats I’d thrown on after hopping out of the shower this morning.

  Kyla cocked her head to the side, squinted, and looked me up and down. Then she nodded matter-of-factly. “Yeah, you’re right, Daddy. Mommy is always beautiful.”

  I laughed and pulled my baby girl in for a hug. “Thanks, sweetie. Right back atcha.”

  “All my girls are gorgeous”—Tane sighed as he slid his free arm around me—“which is just one more reason to be grateful that we’re shifters. I don’t have to worry about any pups sniffing after my mate or my daughters.”

  I laughed and turned my head to kiss his cheek. “Famous last words,” I teased.

  * * *

  “What the fuck did you just say?” Tane shouted at Kace. His hands clenched into fists, and a growl that warned how close he was to shifting emitted from his throat.

  “Calm down, Tane,” Kace commanded. In just about any other circumstance, Kace’s tone would have Tane lowering his eyes and baring his neck in submission to his alpha. Tane was as loyal as they come, and normally, his allegiance to his alpha was unwavering. The only exception was when it concerned his mate and cubs. Something Kace understood, which was likely why he didn’t force Tane into submission...yet.

  “You want me to calm the fuck down? When you just told me that your son is mated to my daughter? My sixteen-year-old daughter?” He roared the last words, and his canines elongated as his skin rippled. If I didn’t defuse the situation fast, Tane was going to shift and try to tear his alpha apart.

  “Tane, honey,” I called softly, laying a hand on his arm. His whole body lost some of its rigidness as my voice and touch penetrated the cloud of anger surrounding him. “I’m sure Kace is as concerned about this as you are.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think about the whole thing. Finding a fated mate wasn’t exactly common in the first place, but to have it happen so young was unheard of as far as I knew.

  Kace nodded and folded his arms across his chest as he watched Tane with wary eyes. “Talon and I had a talk. He knows nothing can happen until she’s eighteen.”

  “I don’t want him anywhere near my Kyla,” Tane snarled.

  I sighed and gently patted Tane’s arm. “You can’t keep them completely apart, honey,” I murmured. Allegra's oldest, Jake, and Talon had always been close with Kyla. But as they’d gotten older, I’d started to notice the way Talon and Kyla had seemed to gravitate more to each other with each passing year. They were best friends. That alone would make tearing them apart impossible. But now, knowing how strong the bond was between fated mates, I was actually afraid of what it would do to them if they were kept apart.

  Tane glared at me and shook his head stubbornly. “She can go stay with Mom and Dad in New York.”

  “And what would you do if I decided to up and move away?” I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to stop looking for a way to answer without lying.

  Finally, he grunted in frustration and muttered. “Follow your ass and drag you back home.”

  I nodded. “Is it really such a bad thing? Not only do you know your daughter won’t spend her life searching for her fated mate, but it’s Talon. Deep down, you know he would never hurt her. He’ll put her first in everything he does, and he’ll love her like you love me.”

  “Over my dead-fucking-body will he love her like I love you,” Tane growled.

  Kace snickered, and I threw him a glare that made it very clear he was not helping. Honestly, I was flying a little blind here because I had no idea if Talon and Kyla were experiencing the same desperate physical need for each other that Tane and I had when we were first mated. I sent up a fervent prayer that it wasn’t that strong, or my next words would end up being a lie. “I’m sure nothing will happen until they’re adults. Talon respects you, and more importantly, he respects Kyla.”

  Tane vibrated with energy, and for a minute, I wondered if I’d failed to calm him and he was abo
ut to shift and race off to rip Talon’s throat out. I breathed a sigh of relief when he took several deep breaths and seemed to become a little more in control.

  Tane must have been having similar thoughts to mine because Kace spoke up, answering my unasked question. “Talon loves her. He loved her before they knew they were fated mates. But he swears that the sexual”—Tane growled, and Kace threw him a warning look before continuing—“pull isn’t overwhelming like it was for us. Clearly, we are guessing here, but I think that just as our bodies and beasts are aware that we have an eternal mate, they also know when the time is right to seal that connection.”

  Kace’s words confirmed one thing, though; Talon was obviously feeling desire for Kyla, even if it was manageable at the moment. Tane picked up on that too because his eyes narrowed, and he pointed at Kace, growling, “If my baby girl ends up pregnant before she’s married, I’ll make it impossible for Talon to have any more kids. He won’t even have the ability to try.”

  “Fair enough,” Kace agreed. He watched my mate in silence for another minute, then spoke again. “Talon wanted to be the one to tell you, but I didn’t want you to kill my son before he could explain. He was trying to be a man, to respect you as his mate’s father and his alpha’s third. I convinced him to let me take the brunt of your reaction, but he still wants to talk to you. Can I trust if I send my son over here that you will be reasonable?”

  “Of course,” I replied immediately. Tane didn’t respond verbally, but he gave Kace a sharp nod, and I saw one corner of his mouth tick up. We both knew what courage it was taking Talon to come over and face Tane himself. He was an amazing kid and was quickly growing into an amazing man. When it came down to it, I wasn’t upset over the mating, though I would have preferred it happen when they were a little older. And I wasn’t sure how Kace had managed to keep Larissa from rushing over to start planning a wedding and baby showers.