Escaping Monsters: A Reverse Harem Wolf Shifter Romance (Grayhaven Book 1)

by Rita Stradling

  We stepped out of the woods and onto a cul-de-sac we didn’t come in from. It was a sleepy residential street with a half dozen Victorians lining the road. When I thought back, most of what I’d seen of the town looked to have been constructed around the turn of the last century, if not before that.

  Declan held me to his side, and I found myself webbing my fingers with his at my shoulder. Somehow, it was completely natural for us to walk this way. Nothing I was feeling made sense. Nothing I was doing made sense either. All of my hard-learned lessons were left behind with the fae queen’s floating ball of light. Fuck. I hoped I wasn’t walking into another circle of hell.

  The streets wound around, and I stuttered a step. “How could I have not noticed that there are no cars in Grayhaven?”

  There were motorcycles and bikes, but I’d yet to see an actual car driving around the street.

  “It’s Grayhaven,” Lucas said, and he opened his mouth to say more, but Declan spoke up.

  “It’s the way Grayhaven is.” Declan squeezed my shoulders. “The magic has you convinced everything is normal about the town, and then you keep noticing things like that the post office has no door into the building and no door out, and no one has ever seen a postman—post-person, but somehow, mail goes out and junk mail arrives at our house every day—letters only, though. No packages. Well, once in a while they arrive, but I wouldn’t try to order anything expecting that it will come. It took me years to notice some things.”

  “Anything to add, doc?” I directed the question at Lucas, because I couldn’t help but notice that Declan talked right over the soft-spoken veterinarian.

  His gray eyes met mine. “Declan said it well. Grayhaven has a magic to it that makes you overlook its oddities.”

  We turned into town and headed straight for a two-story brick fire station. I assumed we were going to keep walking when Jasper climbed onto the front stoop and grabbed for the handle.

  “You live here?” I asked as I leaned back and looked into Declan’s golden-brown eyes.

  He grinned down. “We do.”

  “What happens if there’s a fire?” I asked.

  He chuckled. “We put it out.”

  He said it like it should be obvious.

  Chad Jameson had told me he was a firefighter. At the time, I’d chalked it up to being just another one of his pick-up lines.

  “Wait, so all of you guys are firemen along with being a hunter, vet, rock star, bartender, and…” I waved at Jasper, “Whatever he does?”

  “Fire Chief,” Jasper growled over his shoulder. “We live in a city full of demons, witches, and fae. If the pack didn’t take over the fire station, there would be no Grayhaven.”

  “You all wear a lot of hats… or suits,” I said.

  “Yeah, we do a yearly Christmas charity calendar with all our hats and fire suits and such.” Declan sounded completely serious. “It’s for a good cause.”

  “Really? I need to see proof to know you’re not joking.”

  “Ah, can’t. I’d show you proof, but they sell out in about a minute.”

  “Damn it. I honestly might’ve paid some of my last dwindling dollars to get one—to show my support for a good cause, of course.” I was pretty sure Declan was joking, but after I saw the American Flag briefs, I wasn’t entirely sure.

  Jasper opened the firehouse door and peered inside. “Stay here. Chad is in the living room. I’ll check that the coast is clear.”

  A minute later, Jasper reopened the door, holding it open as three gorgeous women strolled out. They had a tough look in their eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder what type of supernaturals they were. My first guess was the human-like witches, but I honestly didn’t know shit about it. They were mismatched in an almost comical way.

  Declan covered my ears with his hands and said, “Fuck-buffet is closed, ladies.”

  I rolled my eyes because I was an adult and Declan had to know I could still hear everything.

  “Fuck you, Declan,” a tall brunette growled. She had full-sleeve tattoos and piercings on her lip and nose. “Go ride on Jasper’s rusty cock. We didn’t come out here not to get off.”

  “I wore my favorite human, and now the night is wasted.” The curvy blonde said with an exaggerated pout. Her favorite human brought Playboy Bunnies to mind with big lips, wide eyes, and a turned-up nose. Her clothes were pink and fuzzy. Everything about her outfit and expression screamed soft and sexy whereas her tatted companion had a fuck-you smile on her lips.

  “I know you.” A third woman said, grabbing my attention to her. She was in a black cat-suit with a dark pixie cut, and for some reason, I got the distinct feeling that she was the one to be reckoned with. Her orange, tiger-striped eyes were fixed on mine. “Teagan Shipman. You probably don’t recognize me. Last time you saw me, I was wearing your body.”

  “The succubus,” I whispered as her words registered.

  My eyes shuttered, and the world swept away as memories flowed in. I could smell the chemicals in the carpet as I laid under the bed. The bedsprings screeched above me as Kane fucked the succubus. When she pulled my essence, she’d looked like me in every freckle. The scent of my own arousal filled the bedroom.

  Without my essence, I was as immobile as a corpse. Lying stuffed under my bed, panic thrummed through my heart and screamed in my head. Any minute now the succubus would strike, and the pack would kill her.

  This trick had worked for one reason and one only, I had never, not once, in my ten years of being married to Kane, given in to his desire for me. There were moments where I’d been tempted. It had been so long since someone touched me, and each time Kane dominated me, I felt his passion for me through our connection. But I’d never consented to sex, and that was the one way he didn’t violate me.

  Kane Shipman had imprisoned me. He made it so no one but himself could touch me. I lived in terror of his mind-fucks where he’d tear down my defenses and terrorize me. He’d forced me to do monstrous things. But Kane had never raped me. And, when the succubus shape-shifted into my body and face and gave in to Kane’s attempts at seduction, my captor had wanted to believe it so much, he fucked her.

  Kane growled long and low in pleasure. “You are mine, Teagan.”

  There was a cry and then a loud wet sound. Blood splattered across the floor. A roar erupted from the bed and the bed shook so forcefully, the mattress banged into my back, pressing the air from my lungs. The motion continued as someone choked and gurgled. Then, silence.

  My body ached and tingled like blood was returning to my limbs. A burning sensation filled my lungs, and I swallowed a gasp. I curled my fingers into a fist. The succubus had returned my essence, meaning Kane had killed her, and she’d been sent back to hell.

  “Teagan?” Kane roared from directly above me. “Teagan! What have you done?”

  Blood soaked through the mattress, dripping onto my face and mingling with the tears of terror clinging to my cheeks. A metallic tang clung to my tongue, but I hadn’t known if the blood was dripping into my mouth or if it was the taste of my fear. A howl of agony ripped through the air, and the mattress flew away. I screamed, looking up into the face of my husband.

  Green eyes found mine. Kane dove down to the ground and gathered me against his naked body. “I thought I killed you,” he said, his voice shaking. “I’m so sorry. The demon tricked me. I would have never touched her. Tell me you forgive me.”

  The order pressed down on me, forcing me to say, “I forgive you, Kane.”

  He squeezed me tighter to his chest, and the demon’s blood was slick between us. My stomach churned, and I was sure that I would be sick all over Kane.

  “That fucking succubus stole your essence and stuffed you under my bed!” He raged.

  It was a lie, and I was guessing that he already knew that. Kane knew I wanted him dead. I turned to look up into Kane’s green eyes and opened my mouth to tell him that I had planned the whole thing with the succubus. I’d given her my essence so she could use it
to kill him. And I would do it again, and again, until Kane killed me.

  “Never mention what happened here again,” Kane snapped, and the order pressed down on me, making the confession stick in my throat. Kane’s green eyes blazed into mine. “We’re never going to talk about what happened here again, Teagan. That is an order. We will forget this ever happened.”

  Kane could force me to stay silent, but no order he could give me could make me forget. I remembered everything.

  “Wake up, Teagan.” Fingers touched the back of my hand, and a burst of static electricity zapped my skin, shocking me from the memory.

  I pulled my hand away and looked into the orange eyes of the succubus who failed to slit my husband’s throat. “What did you just do?”

  “She helped you,” the demon with tattoos said. “Your past has such a strong hold on you.” Her cat eyes came into focus as she leaned closer. “It clings to you like shadows.”

  “You need permission to touch me,” I told the orange-eyed succubus.

  “I’m guessing Jasper asked you to leave.” Declan pulled me further into his side. “And, now I’m telling you.”

  All three of the women were watching me with rapt attention now. It didn’t seem like sexual attraction or female-competition energy, instead, their attention felt more voracious, like predators scenting a wounded animal.

  “Teagan is such a pretty name,” Pink and Fuzzy said as she reached a finger out toward my lips.

  The succubus in the pantsuit grabbed her friend’s wrist before Pink and Fuzzy even got close. “Teagan said not to touch her. And that memory is not for you,” she hissed before turning back to me. “Teagan, I know a solution to help you truly shed your shadows… the process will be the payment, and you won’t be asked for anything more.” With a flourish, she produced a card and held it out. When I didn’t take it, she said, “The card isn’t a commitment. It’s just a way to call The Memory Eater so you’ll always have the option.”

  I considered the succubus. This orange-eyed demon had tried to kill Kane once, but I’d got the distinct feeling that she was hired to do it. At the time, someone had told her that I’d help her, and she’d refused to tell me who. My guess was that she’d just as easily work for Kane for the right price, and if she wouldn’t, her friends would likely turn me over. The fact that I was recognized meant that it was only a matter of time before Kane would track me here. Even something so simple as a business card could end up leading Kane to my location. I shook my head. “Thank you, but I’m not touching that.”

  The clock had always been ticking on when I’d have to leave, but now there was no way that I could wait for my hand to heal.

  Jasper threw the door open, and it banged into the brick. “I told you demons you weren’t welcome on pack grounds. Get the fuck out of here.”

  The demons rushed down the stoop. As the orange-eyed demon passed, she raised the business card in front of my face. The words, “The Memory Eater,” burned into my mind, and then the card vanished.

  “If you call The Memory Eater, he’ll find you,” the succubus said.

  The words rattled around in my mind, and a sudden, visceral terror filled me that one day, I’d willingly walk into the probable trap the succubus just laid out for me, like a lamb to the slaughter.

  Chapter Eight

  We headed up the black stairway to the second story of the firehouse, and I got my first glimpse of a sprawling room of brick with high ceilings and exposed beams. The entire floorplan was open with a kitchen along one wall and a living room area made up of mismatched furnishings. There was a bench table and a second-floor loft where I could see several bunks.

  My view was cut off abruptly as Declan covered my eyes with a hand. “Oh, your virgin eyes.”

  My heart picked up its pace, and I tugged his wrist down. “Declan, I know you’re just playing around, but please don’t cover my eyes.”

  Coming in here had been a huge act of trust when I didn’t have faith in humanity, much less in werewolves.

  The moment Declan lowered his hand, I knew why he’d been trying to shelter me. Chad was fully naked and walking around, gathering what looked like the remains of a sex-toy mini-convention. Large, multi-colored rubber contraptions littered the ground, and Jasper glowered over it all with his arms crossed over his chest.

  Laughter bubbled up in my throat, and I turned away and bit my fist, doing everything in my power not to start laughing.

  “You really know how to put your best foot forward, Chad,” Declan said from somewhere behind me. “Look, you made Teagan cry. Her shoulders are shaking with her tears.”

  “Declan, stop,” I whispered, but I couldn’t hold in my chuckles anymore.

  “Well, I didn’t know you were bringing her here tonight,” Chad’s low, musical voice said. His voice made gooseflesh prickle over my skin.

  “Don’t make yourselves uncomfortable on my account,” I called over with a wave. “I was in a pack with ten men. I used to have to step over ongoing orgies on my way to the fridge.”

  “What the fuck?”

  The fury in Jasper’s voice had me spinning around and widening my feet in preparation for an attack. The alpha’s blue eyes seemed to glow as he stalked toward me.

  Fuck.

  It took all of three seconds for the werewolves to turn on me. Jasper was between me and the door, so I turned to the window.

  My heart galloped in my chest as my muscles tensed, preparing to bolt when Jasper’s words stopped me.

  “Your mates were unfaithful?” Every line of his features spoke of how furious he was, but I had no idea what he meant by that.

  “Mates?” I asked. “Do you mean pack mates?”

  “I mean your lovers,” Jasper demanded, his voice as sharp as a blade. “They were having orgies in front of you?”

  “Lovers?” I shook my head. “I didn’t have anything close to a lover. It’s none of your business. I don’t know what right you think you have to be angry at me—”

  “I’m not angry at you,” he growled, but Jasper’s expression only looked more thunderous.

  I took another step back toward the window. It was probably fifteen feet to the pavement or more, which was going to fucking suck. I’d have to smash the pane, kick out the glass and jump all before one of the werewolves ordered me to stay. Running for the door might be a better bet.

  “Hey, Jasper,” Lucas walked toward me slowly with his eyes down and hands up. He moved between Jasper and me, breaking our eye contact. “Teagan looks like she’s about to jump through the window, and I don’t want that to happen. You’re blocking all of her safe routes out of here, Alpha.”

  “Fuck,” Jasper growled, and then he spun on his heel and marched to the other side of the firehouse. He threw open a heavy wood door, but before he exited, he called over his shoulder, “Put some clothes on, Chad. Right the fuck now.” He swept through the door and disappeared through it.

  The moment he did, Lucas turned around and begged, “Please don’t jump out of that window, Teagan.” He held out a hand toward the doorway. “If you still want to leave, no one will stop you.”

  “We’d rather you didn’t though, but we won’t get in your way,” Declan added with his hands raised. “Jasper’s got a hell of a temper, but whatever that was, I don’t think the anger was directed at you.”

  “I don’t know, Declan,” I muttered as I sidestepped toward the door. “It sure seemed like Jasper was talking directly to me,”

  “Yeah, I can see how it might have looked that way.” Declan winced. “What I mean to say is, Jasper would never be that angry at you—I think I know what that was about, and it’s related to what a fuck-stick Kane was. You can of course leave, but if you choose to stay, I’ve got cake, and Chad made it, meaning it tastes like fucking sunshine. And, this guy is going to beg your forgiveness for being such a damn train wreck…” He threw his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at Chad who was thankfully wearing pants now and had what I was pretty sure was
a strap on under one arm.

  “Please don’t take off into the night on account of my fuck up. I’ll clean up and get out of here.” His dark blue eyes came up to meet mine and I could see so much remorse swirling in their depths, I felt a little guilty. Chad wasn’t my favorite person in the world, but this was his house.

  “You guys, please stop making yourself so uncomfortable. I’m not going to leap out your window. I’m jumpy and I overreacted. Please, don’t leave your own living room because of me, Chad.” I spun on my heel to face Declan. “Cake would be great, especially if by sunshine, you mean that it’s made of raw meat. Also, did you say there was a room I could crash out in? If you have a room that locks from the inside and not the outside, I’d appreciate it.”

  I needed to eat, sleep, get my shit together, and figure out how to leave this town.

  “There aren’t any rooms with locks on either side of the door, but we can install one for you,” Lucas said, and then he calmly but firmly suggested that I let him clean and dress my wound yet again while Declan whipped us up something to eat. Lucas led me into a large, communal-style locker room. The sink was shaped like a trough with three spigots, and the shower stall had a long line of showers, all out in the open. There wasn’t a door between the shower area and the rest of the house. The toilet was the only thing that had privacy with a single door that closed it in.

  Lucas kept sneaking glances at me as he cleaned the dirt from my hand. “You okay?”

  “Yeah…” I shook my head. “You guys don’t do privacy in here, do you?”

  “There’s a private bathroom off Jasper’s room, which I’m guessing will be your room soon. I just brought you here because I think you both need a moment apart,” Lucas said, as if Jasper and I had some sort of squabble, when really, the guy pried into my own private business and erupted at me.