Death Be Shifted (The Terra Vane Series Book 6)

by Katie Epstein

  “Terra,” Kaleb urged me to stop only seconds before we reached the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”

  “Wrong?” I tilted my head. “Do you feel or sense something wrong with me, Kaleb?”

  “No.” His eyes held mine, amber flaring amidst the blue.

  “There’s nothing wrong. Only right. It’s the remnants of energy from nature pulsing through me right now. But my mind and my will are my own.” I placed a hand on his chest and stroked down. “You held my hand in the forest. Date one.” I fed my fingers into the waistband of his jeans and tugged him closer. “We shared a burger and a beer. Date two.” I tilted up my head. “We sat beneath the moonlight and spoke of our past. Date three.”

  His lips curved. “What are you saying?”

  “We have one hour. All I smell is you, all my body and soul craves is you. I want you more than anything I’ve wanted in my entire life.” I stroked his chest, my eyes following the movement of my fingers. Every barrier fell away, my love for him so close to the surface it evoked tears. “Lie with me.”

  A tear escaped, rolling down my cheek when my eyes found his. Beautiful anticipation filled the air. He softly stroked the tear away, sucking it from his thumb. His fingertips tickled my face, barely touching my skin. His eyes drank me in. “The power in you…”

  “Is from the trees.” I smiled, and he shook his head.

  “No.” He hooked his hand around the back of my neck, urged me closer. “It’s from you. It’s always been inside you.”

  My hands wrapped around his waist, holding on, needing the anchor. Then he brought me to him, his lips meeting mine with relief, drawn to one another in a way neither of us could comprehend. He growled as he took from me, licked, flicked, and sucked. My senses on overload, he devoured me.

  “Now!” I grabbed at his ass, pulled him closer. “Please. Now.”

  “Terra,” he breathed, “I wanted to show you…”

  “You’ve shown me. I get it.” I kissed him more, trying to show him what I needed, what I craved.

  “You still think—”

  I swallowed his words with my tongue, and he lost control. He picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist.

  Kaleb carried me into the bedroom, taking a moment to drop me on the bed. But in a heartbeat he lowered his hot mouth to my neck, licking me into oblivion.

  He moved against me, all of it beautiful, and wild. I trailed my hands down his muscled back, his hardness swaying back and forth. It built tension that needed an outlet, one it couldn’t quite find. I shoved my hands between us, worked the button on my jeans. My hand brushed against him, and he moaned.

  “Let me do it,” he said, the huskiness in his voice calling out to me. He popped the button open, yanked down my jeans, my panties. “Goddamn it, Terra,” he whispered, tentatively stroking the flesh of my stomach. “My hands are shaking.”

  “Mine, too,” I whispered, the energy lighting me up inside, everything focused on him.

  A purr escaped his throat. He sniffed me, taking as much from the scent as the animal inside him craved. His mouth found my skin, his tongue. He nuzzled, licked, gently nipped, every move tending to a part of me, all exposed. My breathing labored, I could barely take anymore as he shed me free of my clothes. The vest came next, only my bra remaining. His eyes morphed into gold as lust took over.

  The bra came free within seconds, and he took his time to study me, lightly touching my exposed breasts.

  His eyes predatory, his hands gentle, he stroked, softly, flicking the bud with this thumb. I writhed up against him.

  “Kaleb…” I begged, and he laughed, slowly sliding one of his hands in between my legs. His touch sent electricity through my veins as he moved his fingers against me, probed, moved, flicked against the heat. “Oh my God.”

  “Wait for me,” he whispered, the faster he moved, the faster he took me to the edge. And I did, trying to find him with my unfocused eyes. Blinking a few times, I held onto him as my anchor. He moved in between my legs, the feel of him at the center of me making me eager, opening up all I was to him.

  He entered me in one fell swoop, and the love I had for him surged as we connected.

  Something lit up inside me like a candle, too much, too much to feel. I couldn’t ride it. I couldn’t find him.

  “Terra,” he moaned, putting his arms beneath me and pressing me against him. “Focus on me. On me.”

  He knew. How did he know I’d gotten lost? But I did as he said, following his voice, finding his essence. And I found him.

  Warmth tempered the energy overloading me, mixing so much love in my heart, the tears flowed.

  He wiped them away, slowly pushing himself inside me, kissing my cheeks, nibbling my mouth.

  “I feel it,” he whispered, his voice hoarse, “I feel it.”

  I lifted to meet his strokes, needing him, holding on as I rode the pleasure.

  “Stop holding back,” he said, gently pushing the hair back from my face. “Embrace it. Embrace it all.”

  “But the energy.” I gritted my teeth. “What I felt outside. Yours. Mine. It’s… it’s too much.”

  “No.” He slid his hand down to my ass, gripping it and pulling me closer. He pushed deeper inside me, and held me there. “It’s not. Not for someone as powerful as you. You can hone it. Hold it. Ride the fuck out of it.”

  Finding his eyes, I briefly saw myself as he did. In a second, it had gone, but it was enough to light the fire beneath me, enough to stoke what had long lain dormant.

  I dug my nails into his back, kept my eyes on his, and I let go.

  Light.

  Blinding light.

  But then heaven. Cherished wonder.

  Kaleb broke the haze, his eyes wide. “Terra,” he ground out, pushing harder and faster against me. He held onto what he could as I met every stroke, fell with him every step of the way.

  I clambered for a moment to find myself again, but as he thrust back and forth, slow and unforgiving, I held on, trying not to fall into the blissful void.

  “I can’t,” he tried to say something as I clenched around him. “I can’t.”

  He roared—a loud, inhuman roar.

  He gripped the bedstand as he took it home, a creak and a crunch as the bed buckled beneath us.

  Kaleb rode the high with me, both of us reaching the peak, and I yelled out his name unbidden.

  Like falling on soft pillows, I felt soothed by all around me. A smug smile weaved its way onto my face, every part of me tingling from the connection, the heat, the feel of him. My body lay languid. Satisfied. The weight of him on top of me was wondrous.

  A growl brought me back around.

  I turned to see Kaleb burrow his head into the pillow.

  “Kaleb,” I tentatively pushed at his shoulder.

  “Don’t.” He snatched his arm away. “Please don’t touch me.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Give me a second.” He took a few deep breaths before he rolled off me, his eyes squeezed tight.

  Staying silent beside him, I waited, my body still tingling from the heights he’d taken me.

  “I’m sorry,” he choked out, daring not to move. He opened his eyes. They were still amber, but darker, more threatening.

  “What is it?”

  “My wolf,” he growled out.

  Shit.

  Does Kaleb’s wolf not like me? Is it fighting him? Am I losing my freaking mind?

  “Maybe you should move,” I suggested, gulping away the rising emotion. “He might feel happier if there’s some distance between us.”

  “What?” He grimaced as more pain overtook him. Taking another breath, he said, “He doesn’t want you away from him.”

  “He doesn’t?” Confusion filled me.

  “No,” he said through gritted teeth. “He wants to claim you.”

  “Claim me?”

  “One minute.” The sweat poured out of him as his chest heaved up and down.

  “Kaleb…”

&nbs
p; “It’s fine.” He took in more air, swung his arm up to cover his eyes. “I promise I’ll explain. But please… please put a blanket over you.”

  Swallowing the worry, I did as he said. “I’m covered.”

  “Okay,” he exhaled.

  “Do you need me to leave?”

  “No!” He swung his arm away and sat up. His irises returned to blue as the tension in the air shimmered away. “Don’t go. Shit.” He rubbed his face. “I’ve made a mess of this. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine, Kaleb.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “It’s not. I want to hold you… after that.” He gulped. “I want to…” He breathed deeply. “You don’t understand. Claiming is a lot more serious than you think.”

  “I don’t even know what it is.” I turned to face him, my head on my hand. “I mean, I can guess. I assume claiming is like taking a mate?”

  “Something like that.” The regret in his eyes made the hurt well inside me all the more.

  “So what does claiming mean?”

  He searched for my hand to hold. “It happens through a deep connection when a wolf deems you his mate. When the connection deepens, such as when making love, it can trigger the wolf to do the claiming. My wolf has wanted you for a long time.”

  “He has?” Shock registered.

  “Yes. And I know you might not believe it, not when he attacked you in the ring all that time ago, but we were both young then. I had little control over my animal, and my hormones drove us both to madness. But he didn’t know it was you who we took down during the fight. It took months for us to forgive ourselves.” He sighed. “After all the time we spent together, my wolf has grown to see you as his mate. He’s had to take a back seat for so long. But I never even thought…”

  I half smiled. “At least he likes me. That’s a good thing, right?”

  “Yeah. I guess. But the power just then. The light. The pleasure damn near blew out my brains… goddamn it,” he breathed. “It stoked at something feral. I could barely control him. Could barely stop him from trying to claim you, from biting you and putting us into your bloodstream, thus forming a connection—a connection to shifter magic. Claiming unites more than a Blessed Union does, more than a marriage. It’s deep commitment shit.”

  I bit down onto my lip, hating how conflicted he looked about it all. “So it’s what? A forever thing?”

  “Mates have separated before now, mostly through death. The one left behind feels like a lost soul, trying to find purpose. It’s as if half of them always remains with their mate.”

  “Oh,” was all I could say.

  “I’m not pressuring you into anything. I would never do that. And I don’t want my wolf to either. I’m serious about us, and about taking this forward. But I want you to know I’m not rushing you. I never will.”

  “Okay.” I frowned, fully aware going steady with someone would be a big deal for Kaleb. Something as serious as this must freak him out beyond measure. I should feel lucky he hadn’t run fleeing out the door.

  He tapped the crease between my brows. “Don’t look so sad. What we did just then?” He grabbed his chest and fell back onto the bed. “I think you killed me. I died. I’m certain. Brought back from the dead by the power of your thighs.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a jackass. Truly. But yes. That was amazing. Mind-blowing. Bed-breaking.” I fell onto my back, my tongue lolling out my mouth while making dying noises.

  He laughed, gathering me close. “You’re beautiful. Inside and out. I don’t think I’ve ever told you that before.”

  “You’ve called me a sexy ass plenty of times.”

  “Yeah, but that’s a given. I’ve not called you beautiful. And you deserve beautiful.” He leaned down, kissing me long and slow. “In the forest, everything stood to attention. We all felt it. You glowed.”

  “I somehow opened up to all the surrounding energy. It took hold. And at one point, I didn’t want to come back.” My voice hitched at the memory. He held me tighter.

  “It was bewitching. You raised your arms, the trees responded, as did the plants and the reeds surrounding the spring. They swayed with you, a whistling sound, which turned into a song. Then you glowed like a shining star. Wind sailed through your hair as if you conjured magic.”

  “What am I, Kaleb?” I asked.

  “You’re you. That’s all that matters.” He stroked my cheek. “Everything else? We’ll work it out.”

  Burrowing deep into his arms, I felt comforted, safe. But I couldn’t help the sting thinking of the devastation on his face when his wolf tried to claim me.

  Kaleb’s wolf may have chosen. But Kaleb the man was yet to decide.

  And I had no clue how to feel about that.

  18

  “We have some people gathered to hunt,” Brent said, eyeing me with wariness as we met up with him near the cabin.

  A group of restless shifters, including Bevren, Varden River’s nephew, puffed up their chests at our approach.

  I paid them no heed, counting the number.

  Twenty-two shifters at the ready.

  Anya rushed up to me, gathering my hands in hers. “Are you okay?” she whispered, taking advantage of just the two of us standing there while Kaleb chatted with Brent and the others.

  “I’m fine, thanks, Anya.”

  She assessed me. “What happened?”

  I glanced over her shoulder. “How about a coffee later on?”

  She smiled, tapping my hands. “That would be wonderful.” She leaned in close and whispered, “But I wasn’t on about that, Miss. Meet-up-in-one-hour.” She winked, let my hands go, and fell back to stand by Brent.

  “You’re not coming, Anya,” Brent declared.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. That’s so. I need you back on the lands to reassure the people they’re safe while we’re out tracking.”

  Her lips pursed, her eyes fiery, she looked like she wanted to argue. “Fine,” she relented. “But I’m staying until you tell me what it is we are looking for. I want to know what my mate and our pack are up against.”

  He grabbed at the compromise with two hands. “All right. Let’s begin.” He turned to Kaleb.

  “Don’t look at me.” Kaleb grinned, nudging a thumb in my direction. “It’s Terra who has the details.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Bevren stepped forward, throwing his hands in the air. “First, you do not let us hunt to find the thing that killed my uncle. Now, you want us to follow the orders of a human? A female human?” He glared at Brent. “We know you’re a weak Alpha, but this takes it a step too far.”

  The shifters riled up at such a comment. Anya stood closer to Brent. A shifter held on to Bevren’s arm, trying to pull him back, but he shrugged it off. “What?” he snapped, taking a step closer to his Alpha. “I’m only saying to your face what your pack is saying behind your back. Surely you know that by now?”

  Brent looked pissed. Seriously pissed. Kaleb casually walked over to his other side, ready to intervene should Brent release his wolf.

  “Bevren, right?” I asked, inching closer toward him. All the shifters tensed at my audacity. Bevren didn’t reply, so I continued. “I get that you’re grieving. I also understand you see me as a human—a nobody. A weak female. And I’ll take your shit while I’m here and doing my job in hunting down what hunts you. I’ll lay my life on the line to do it if I have to. And I’ll grieve with you as you grieve for yours.” I inched closer. His jaw and fists clenched. “But know that as weak as you think I am, or as feeble you wish me to be, I’m here to help when no other outsiders are. There are no other shifter agents. No Alpha of Chamaya Moon. Only your Alpha has taken a step to put an end to this. He didn’t follow the others like sheep while something attacked his people on the hope a rogue they love turns up. He used us. Asked for our help. And that’s what we’re here to do.” I held his gaze, never relenting, not once backing down. His breathing grew heavy, his eyes changed color, but I didn’t flinch.
“Do you want justice, Bevren?”

  “Yes,” he growled, barely restraining his anger.

  “Then hate me tomorrow. Right now? Let’s go track us a reptile shifter.”

  He blinked at that, his eyes returning to a soft gray. “A reptile shifter?”

  The surprise had him calming down, the mutters behind us from the other shifters telling me none of them had suspected the notion.

  “Yes. A reptile shifter.” I stepped back, addressing Brent. “Alpha, please, may I have permission to address your shifters?”

  “Looks like you already have,” he bit out. Anya nudged him. “But yes. Of course, Agent Vane.”

  “Thank you.” Turning to them all, I explained everything I’d felt in the vision and about the tooth I’d found, ending with what Kaleb had scented by the lake. “Everything else is classified. But you need to know what you’re dealing with. Reptile shifters aren’t like the mammal shifters.”

  “A shifter is a shifter, right?” one of the group asked.

  Kaleb answered. “A wolf shifter is different to a cat shifter, and a bird shifter. To assume one is like the other is assumptive and foolish. It will also most likely get you killed. But to underestimate a reptile shifter? Big mistake. One of your own is dead. It injured another two. And you’re wolf shifters. We go in as a group, and split up into smaller groups only. Reptile shifters are faster than us, sometimes, quicker than the eye, and the shifter we think we’re dealing with is from the lizard family. That means he’s quick, he can operate underwater, and he can burrow himself into the ground. He could snap your leg off before you even know what’s happening. So we stay alert and if we come across the creature, then we howl, call one another, and unite in taking him down before he disappears. But this isn’t a hunt. It’s about tracking, assessing the ground he’s covered and trying to find out a pattern of his hunting areas—if any. Don’t be a hero. This is about trying to track him, track his trail, and taking out the shifter out in a joint effort if we come across him.”

  “Don’t you have weapons to take in?” a wolf asked. “You could kill him with those?”