Real Men Shift Volume Two: Paranormal Werewolf Romance Boxed Set

by Celia Kyle

  Persia held her breath, not daring to move or make a sound. Even though she knew the man had almost certainly been sent to drag her down from the platform, if not kill her outright, she didn’t want anyone to die. Silence dragged out for so long she was either going to take a big gasp or pass out, but before either happened, some very colorful curses reached her ears.

  Daring to edge closer to the wolf, she peeked down to see the hunter hobbling away from the rabid wolf in the tree and toward the entrance of the woods, holding one hand to his shoulder and dragging a near useless leg behind him.

  Once the man was out of sight, the normal night sounds of the woods peppered the air, and Persia dared to face the wolf. Of the many ways she’d envisioned herself dying—skydiving over the Mojave, hiking through the Amazon, hell…driving down I-75 during rush hour—becoming wolf-chow had never been one of them.

  But when the animal’s bright blue eyes found hers, the fire that had blazed in them moments before winked out and they looked almost familiar. Only when he sat back on his haunches did it hit her. She knew this wolf. Very well.

  “Y-you?” she muttered, her heart stuttering in her chest.

  The wolf tilted his head to the side and slapped his fluffy tail on the plywood a couple of times, as if asking her a question. Anger surged inside her, drawn from her confusion and fear, as well as relief at knowing her mysterious visitor.

  “What the ever-living-fuck is going on here!” she shouted, drowning out the night sounds of the woods again. “I’m having a psychotic break. That has to be it. None of this is actually happening. Nope. No way. Nuh-uh. I’m nuts.”

  People who have psychotic breaks don’t usually know they’re having them, though, that asshole voice in her head reminded her. Which could only mean one thing.

  It was all real.

  Tears streamed unbidden down her cheeks and she knew her head was shaking back and forth frantically, although she hadn’t specifically told it to. The wolf, her special friend who’d been nothing but kind to her, took a step closer and whined, almost as if it was worried about her. That’s all it took to send her into hysterics.

  “Get away!” she screamed at him, pushing her back against the trunk like maybe she could somehow bury herself inside to stay safe.

  The wolf froze, and then something even crazier happened, confirming she was, in fact, losing her marbles. His furry body lengthened and contorted, his muscled shoulders shrinking and broadening at the same time. Thick fur retracted as if being sucked back inside by an invisible vacuum, leaving only smooth, tanned skin behind. The still-frothing muzzle shortened back into a human face while his eyes dulled to a mesmerizing, handsome, terrifyingly familiar blue.

  The wolf disappeared, replaced by a stark-naked Warren.

  “It’s okay, Persia,” he spoke softly, holding his palms up at her, as if that would somehow make everything better. “Stay calm. You’re safe.”

  It’s okay? Stay calm? Bullshit! Nothing was okay, so she wasn’t about to stay calm. Every cell in her body screamed at her to run! Get away from this insanity as fast as she could, however she could. Scrambling away from him toward the other side of the platform, she stood and glanced around wildly for her best chance of escape. She had to get out of the tree. Now!

  Crouching low and leaping with every ounce of strength she possessed, Persia managed to wrap her hands around the next closest branch, adrenaline masking the deep gouges the rough bark left on her fingers. Pain-schmain. She wasn’t above free-climbing this bitch of a tree, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to wait around to be gobbled up by some human-wolf mutant, no matter how sweet and cute and sexy as hell he was when he was being sweet and cute. Nuh-uh, no way.

  Holding her breath, Persia pulled with all her might, swinging one leg up toward the branch but missing by a mile. She dangled from her branch, a good thirty feet over the forest floor, struggling to stay out of Warren’s reach, when her vision began to blur. Her limbs felt as heavy as logs and she could barely keep her eyes open. Dizziness overcame her, and the last thing she knew was the terrifying sensation of falling.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “All right,” Zeke groaned, running his hands over his face in Trina’s clinic a few hours later. “Can we go over again how we got from ‘a hunter at the base of the tree’ to ‘our attorney lying in a clinic’?”

  Warren paced Trina’s small clinic with a snow lion flag that read Free Tibet! wrapped around his waist in lieu of clothing. His sister bent over an unconscious Persia, opening her eyelids and shining a light in them, checking for a concussion. Another concussion, he reminded himself.

  What a shit show!

  “He knew we were up there,” Warren grumbled, out of patience with his alpha’s multitude of questions. He was right to be asking them, but that didn’t mean Warren had the patience to answer them. “If I hadn’t woken up, the bastard would have gotten the drop on us.”

  No one else needed to know the hunter had interrupted a hot-and-heavy make-out session, which only brought back memories of how Persia’s body had reacted to his touch, his kiss. Her soft sighs, his overpowering need for her.

  Val snapped her fingers in front of Warren’s face. “Snap out of it, loverboy. Now explain why you shifted in front of her. And let me remind you of the seriousness of that particular offense.”

  Ironic, coming from Val, considering her mate’s sister had shifted in front of her when they were college roommates.

  “I had no choice,” Warren snapped, watching Trina’s every movement. “It was one of McNish’s hunters. I’d bet my life on it. He knew exactly where we were, he was sneaking up on us, and he had a gun. Honestly, I think that’s what woke up my wolf. I never would have smelled the gunpowder on my own, but he was close to the surface.”

  Zeke raised a curious eyebrow, but Warren ignored him in favor of keeping his focus on his mate.

  “I wasn’t about to risk my mate’s safety, Zeke, and I know you would have done the same. Lucky for the hunter, he didn’t make it as close as my wolf wanted.” He shrugged his disinterest over the hunter’s fate. “My fangs probably didn’t even puncture the skin, but I might have cracked his clavicle. I think the fall really hurt him. Not so badly he couldn’t hobble away pretty fast, though. Bottom line, he’ll live.”

  “Okay,” Zeke frowned at his beta. “Did he see you shift?”

  “Not a chance. As far as he knows, some crazy wolf somehow managed to climb a tree. Unless McNish filled his goons in on the truth, I doubt anyone will take him seriously. Just another fictitious Wolf Woods sighting that will feed local lore.”

  “What about Persia?” Zeke’s hard gaze bore into him.

  “She saw the whole thing. After the hunter fell, she flipped her shit and tried to climb the tree to get away from me. I can’t really blame her. It’s not how I envisioned telling her. It must have overwhelmed her because she passed out mid-climb. I managed to catch her before she could fall.”

  After lowering her limp body to the platform, Warren had harnessed her in and then used the belaying lines he’d used for the supplies to lower them both to the ground, grabbing her Tibet flag on the way, just in case he ran into anyone. He’d then carried her all the way across Wolf Woods and pack lands to Trina’s cabin-slash-clinic. Heading to his truck would have been too risky.

  “How is she?” he dared ask his sister.

  Trina smiled and gave his shoulder a squeeze before pulling the stethoscope’s ear tips out of her ears. “I’m pretty sure she just fainted, big brother. She should be fine. That was quick thinking on your part. I think you saved her life more than once tonight. Or last night. What time is it again?”

  “Five,” Max growled hoarsely as he walked into the clinic from the cabin and handed his mate a mug of steaming Earl Grey tea. She pecked his cheek, and then he took one look at a nearly naked Warren before disappearing back into the cabin.

  Maybe he should have been relieved at the diagnosis, but his sister’s equivocation trouble
d him. “You’re sure? Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” he didn’t even try to hide the worry from his voice.

  “Warren, she’s been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours,” Trina chided. “That bump she got the other night might be why. If she hasn’t sustained any new injuries, I’m almost certain she’ll wake up soon.”

  “Almost?” he snapped, directing his guilt and worry at the wrong person.

  Val moved to step between the siblings, but Trina brushed her aside and gave her brother a hard look. “Listen, Warren, I’m not a human doctor. You know that better than anyone. But I know an injury when I see one, and she has none. So cut the crap, or your ass will be sitting in my waiting room.”

  She pointed at the clinic’s only door, which led directly outside. No way was he going to leave his mate, so he bit his tongue and glowered as his sister did a few more tests. Max wandered back in, glanced down at the flag around his waist, and handed Warren a set of sweats.

  “She might not appreciate seeing your junk rubbing up against the symbol of Tibetan liberation when she wakes up.” He gave a wry smirk and a wink.

  Warren gave him a grateful nod and, as he finished dressing, Persia began to stir. Every head in the room jerked in her direction, and Warren rushed to her side, taking her cool hand in both of his. Zeke and Val flanked him while Trina remained on her other side.

  Her eyes fluttered open and then squinted against the bright light of the clinic. When her eyes adjusted a little, her gaze skimmed over those clustered around her, landing on Warren. Her hand tightened around his for a moment, driving home the knowledge she was his and he was hers. A whisper of a smile played at her lips, the same kind of sleepy look she’d given him when she awoke on the platform.

  Then her eyes widened, and her pupils dilated. Sweet affection gave way to terror. All color drained from her face and her chest expanded in preparation for a blood-curdling scream. The moment her piercing shriek ruptured the air, all hell broke loose.

  Persia flailed around, trying to scramble away from the source of her panic—Warren. Val’s instincts presumably kicked in as she tried to keep Persia on the gurney, as Trina and Warren used soothing tones to try to calm her down. Zeke shouted for Max to get his ass over and help while Max backed away from the chaos, which Warren appreciated. He wasn’t crazy about Val touching his mate. If another male—mated or not—touched her, he might go nuts.

  “Persia, honey, you need to calm down or you’ll pass out again,” Trina remained firm, her voice just this side of shouting.

  “Calm the fuck down,” Val growled as she struggled to restrain her without hurting her.

  “You’re safe, Persia,” Warren tried on a smile, but she only cringed away from him.

  “Take some deep breaths,” Zeke added with an authoritative tone that certainly didn’t soothe Warren’s nerves, and he doubted it would help Persia.

  “You guys, maybe you should—” Max started, but Trina cut him off with a look.

  Warren was desperate to help her, to calm her down, to show her they meant no harm, but she couldn’t hear them over her own screams. “I said you’re safe,” he raised his voice. “Everything’s okay!”

  “Warren, you’re not helping,” Val barked.

  “Neither are you. Let her go!”

  Trina scowled at them all. “Everyone needs to shut—”

  A cool blast of early morning air hit them all, carrying with it the scent of the pack omega, Cassandra. She drifted in like a leaf on the wind, her power radiating out from her and soothing all but Persia’s jangled nerves. She didn’t even need to utter a single word to get everyone to take a couple of steps away from the patient. She simply glided over to them, her snow-white hair billowing down the length of her back and blending perfectly with her equally white silk gown. Leaning over a still-babbling Persia, she smiled, and the room filled with a peaceful warmth.

  “Good morning, Persia,” Cassandra reached out and laid her hand on Persia’s cheek.

  Persia froze and then sighed and relaxed a little. Her eyes still bugged out and her chest pumped with her panicked breathing, but at least her screams had faded into faint whimpers.

  Cassandra’s smile grew wider. “You’re among friends here, Persia. Deep down you know that. Right?”

  Persia’s gaze flicked toward Warren and then back to Cassandra, and she gave a tiny nod that blasted him with hope.

  “Good,” Cassandra continued. “Your friends are going to tell you everything you want to know about them. All you need to do is take a deep breath and keep an open mind. I promise, no one will hurt you. Do you believe me?”

  Her nod was more emphatic that time. Then her disarming blue-brown gaze landed on him again, and Cassandra took a step back to allow him to approach. Persia looked as confused as ever. He just hoped he could explain everything without scaring her again. Scratching at the back of his neck, he took a deep breath and dove right in.

  “I’m so sorry for frightening you like that, Persia, but I only did it to protect you. Before you ask, yes, what you saw really happened. I can transform from a human to a wolf. The same wolf you’ve been visiting in the meadow. I know that must sound crazy to you, but it’s true. I can show you again, if you need—”

  Persia’s eyes grew wide again and Cassandra softly spoke, “I don’t think that will be necessary at the moment.”

  Val moved into Persia’s sightline and smiled. “I know exactly how you’re feeling, hon. I found out about werewolves the same way you did, totally by accident. Trust me. What you’re feeling right now is completely normal. Just give it a minute.”

  Persia blinked. “W-werewolves?”

  Val exchanged a look with Zeke, who joined her next to the gurney. “All of us ‘homesteaders’ who live on the mountain? Yeah, we’re not actually a village. We’re a pack of werewolves. I’m the pack alpha, not the mayor.”

  Warren perched on the edge of the gurney and clasped her hand again. He was surprised and pleased she didn’t pull away. The simple act of touching her helped ease his anxiety, and he hoped somehow their connection helped her too.

  “We live among humans, but we keep our true nature a secret. Otherwise they’d all freak out like you did.” His lips curled into a gentle smile. “To prevent accidental exposure, we generally live on the outskirts of towns and keep our distance.”

  “Not always, though,” Val interjected. “Zeke’s sister was my college roommate in Atlanta. I caught her shifting one day and I’m pretty sure my reaction was similar to yours. We had to have this same chat. By the time I met Zeke, I’d known about wolves for a good decade.”

  Persia’s gaze darted between Val and Zeke. She knew they were a couple, and slowly the dots connected in her brain.

  “Does that mean you’re…”

  Val nodded. “We all are. I’m still kind of a newbie at this whole wolf thing, but I’m getting the hang of it.”

  Zeke beamed at his mate with pride. “Better than that. You were born to become a wolf, my love.”

  Val laid a protective hand on her slightly protruding stomach and returned his look of love. “This one too.”

  Persia focused on Val. “How did you… How did it… How?”

  She didn’t need to finish her questions for everyone in the room to understand what she wanted to know. They were the obvious questions, the ones anyone in her position would ask. Tougher questions would come later, and Warren was prepared to answer them, but at that moment, the existence of werewolves needed to sink in first.

  “Most of us are born as wolves,” Warren answered, “though some wolves are made. But don’t worry. In our society, it’s a death penalty offense for a wolf to turn a human who isn’t their fated mate.”

  Persia’s brow crinkled. “Fated what?”

  Warren’s heart thundered. How would she react to what he had to tell her? The idea of losing her was almost too much to bear, but he had no other choice. She needed to know everything.

  “Fated mates. Love works
a little differently for us, Persia. Wolves mate for life, and we find each other by smell. The moment a wolf catches the scent of his fated mate, something changes inside him. Only his mate matters, above everything else except for the pack, for the rest of his life.”

  Persia stared at him intently, a question bouncing around in her eyes. Then she swallowed hard and gave it voice. “Do you have a mate?”

  Emotion roiled around inside him—how could it not? But instead of trying to hide it, he let it all out for her to see before answering her.

  “Sure do, Red. You.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Persia’s mind buzzed so loudly she couldn’t focus on any one thing for longer than a half-second. It was like when you click the wrong link on your computer and your screen fills with dozens upon dozens of annoying pop-ups. Only her brain was the screen and the crazy tale these seemingly sane people were telling her were the pop-ups. If only one tiny aspect made sense, maybe the pain behind her eyes would stop.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry, but I’m having a little trouble keeping up.”

  “That’s perfectly understandable,” Trina laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  She probably should have flinched at the touch of a lunatic, but it somehow grounded her.

  “What don’t you understand?” Warren asked in a perfectly courteous tone that somehow irritated her.

  “Oh, I dunno, let’s see… I don’t understand anything at all about magical creatures who can turn themselves from humans to wolves. Not even a little bit, outside the context of a bad horror flick. Another thing I don’t understand is this fated whatever concept. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s every girl’s fantasy to have a man fall for her so hard he’d become her lover and protector for the rest of their lives, but…gimme a break. Life doesn’t work that way.”

  It all had to be some kind of epic gag, maybe some new reality show pranking unsuspecting women with promises of eternal love. Cruel, but the world had become a truly cruel place.