Shadow of Seduction

by E L Thorne

  “Sure. Maybe. Why? Do you need some money?” I joked back.

  “No. I think Doc is doing pretty well.” Her fingertip was making circle patterns on my shirt, and it was about to drive me crazy.

  Did she not realize what she was doing to me?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Astra

  I pushed the dream away from the forefront of my mind. That wasn’t hard to do, because being this close to Kane was a definite distraction.

  “So, your turn,” he said.

  My mind went to what he had done... the way he’d feasted on me. “My turn?”

  “Your turn to talk about yourself. I want to know more about you.” His voice was like a cup of hot chocolate, warming me from the inside.

  “Not much more to tell. Doc moved us away. We buried Mom in Florida, and lived there until a few months ago.”

  “What brought you back here? A place that holds so much pain for both of you?”

  I tilted my head, pondering his question, my desire for him in the background, though it purred deep within. “Doc. Doc brought us back. Why?”

  He shrugged, large chest and massive shoulders flexing beneath me, like a sheet of metal covered with flesh. “Just wondering. Are you happy to be back?”

  “You’re the inquisitive one. I don’t know. Can we not talk any longer?” I didn’t want to be the topic of discussion anymore.

  “What would you prefer we do?” While his question was suggestive, the look in his eyes was blatant.

  I licked my lower lip, contemplating whether I had the nerve to do what I wanted to do. If I didn’t, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have that chance again, especially if he left the valley for good, which was what it sounded like he was planning.

  And I’m disappointed... why? Isn’t this what I wanted from the moment I saw him?

  I traveled my finger down the length of his T-shirt.

  He took a deep breath, his chest filling, pushing the shirt out, the muscles beneath it sharply defined.

  He groaned.

  It’s now or never, while you have the nerve, girl.

  I talked myself into what I wanted to do more than anything at that moment.

  “Astra.” He growled my name.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kane

  I sighed. I was happy that she’d initiated. My bear grumbled deep within that I hadn’t marked her with the coupling bond. But I had no intention of doing that until she wanted to give herself to me fully. I knew Astra the same way I knew myself. It had to come from her, and I would wait until it did, no matter how long that took. I wouldn’t leave until she was mine.

  Fully. Totally. Claimed. Marked.

  I carried her to the bed and she nuzzled against me. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for now I’d rest, and I’d let her rest. If Doc and Grant came to collect her tomorrow, I’d have to figure something else out. I wasn’t ready to let her go, and I wasn’t ready to leave without her.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Astra

  My eyes opened to a blinding light. A huge fire was roaring in the fireplace. The shutters were open, allowing all of the sun’s rays that bounced off the snow to enter the cabin—and shine right in my face.

  I looked around. “Kane?”

  “Here.” He poked his head around the partial wall that blocked the stove from view. “Found a few things. How do pancakes and syrup sound? No butter.” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Sorry.”

  They smelled great, with or without butter. “A man who cooks breakfast... You may be worth keeping around. What’s the weather like out there?”

  “It’s not really breakfast. We slept way in. It’s after noon. Two o’clock, to be precise.”

  “No way. Oh shit. I bet Doc’s worried.” I scrambled up to find my phone.

  “He called. Mae called. Grant called. I’ve talked to all of them. Assured them we were fine. They said they were going to come up later this afternoon.”

  A feeling of sadness rushed through me. The surreal fun I’d had playing couple with Kane was coming to an end.

  I bit on my lip, chewing on it. And I hadn’t even gotten to my original agenda to get him to leave. An agenda I didn’t want to fulfill anymore.

  “That’s good.”

  “You don’t sound too happy.” Kane raised a brow, cocked his head. “What gives?”

  I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to go into how I was starting to feel about him. I felt stupid, foolish. How could I explain starting to care for someone I had just met? How could I explain that there was something about him that just clicked in a big way? That was stupid teenage bullshit, wasn’t it? No, it’s not. But who would believe it anyway? I wasn’t sure I believed it myself.

  “When do you want to talk about this?” he asked me.

  “This? This, what?”

  He pointed at me, himself, and me, his hand waving back and forth. “This.”

  “What about it?” I leaned against the kitchen table.

  “You can’t deny the connection. Surely, you don’t deny that.” There was a vehemence in his voice, a passion.

  I didn’t want to get my hopes up. “There’s a connection...” I began tentatively, uncertain where to go next.

  “There’s something between us that transcends time. It’s like I’ve always known you. I can’t let you leave my life. I don’t know how...” He raked his fingers through his hair, his black eyes haunted. “I can’t let this go.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Is it because of the supernatural thing? Being a seer, or witch, or whatever?”

  My head snapped in his direction. “What?”

  “You. The ability to see shifters.”

  I jammed my fists onto my hips. “I’m not a damned witch. Witches do magic, and cast spells. What the hell? Just because I can see a shifter...”

  “You do more than just see them. That’s a power. And it’s one you didn’t know you had. And as far as you know, no one else knows you have it.”

  A crashing sound made us turn away from each other and toward the door.

  “What do you think that was? It didn’t sound too close.”

  Kane cocked his head, listening. He put his hands on my shoulders. “Stay here. Don’t come out for any reason. For anyone. Unless it’s—” He shook his head. “Unless it’s someone you trust. Or me.”

  “But I do trust you. You are someone I trust.”

  He leaned down, placing his lips on mine, feather light. “Stay here.”

  “But—”

  He put a finger on my lips. “Please. Stay.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kane

  I didn’t want to tell her, but in the distance, I could hear growling.

  Something was up.

  I shifted as I loped, picking up speed, running as fast as I could. I identified several sources of the growls, at least three shifters, maybe four. And they were in the midst of a battle—I could tell from the howls of pain and the roars of anger.

  There, past the driveway, down the mountainside a few dozen yards, not far from where the fallen Jeep had landed.

  Blood splatters marked the snow, and the tracks of bears were noticeable long before I could see who it was. Many tracks.

  When I reached the edge of the road, I could see that in the clearing there were three—no, four shifters in the midst of a scuffle.

  No, that wasn’t a scuffle. That was a battle of giants. And I was wrong. It was five shifters.

  I recognized Grant. And there was one fighting with Grant. That had to be Doc. The other three...

  Those were the rovers!

  Damn. They’d found me.

  I barreled their way, heading into the midst of the roaring, open jaws, exposed canines, and rapier-sharp claws.

  I saw the one fighting alongside Grant falter, then fall.

  It was Doc!

  Doc had fallen.

  The three rovers pounced on Grant, pounding at him, piercing
his flesh with their sharp teeth and razor-sharp claws.

  With a mighty roar, I flew their way as fast as my body would allow, pushing my lungs to new limits, feeling a burn deep in my chest from the exertion.

  I reached the first shifter just as the rover turned to greet me with outstretched claws. I reared my head back and aimed my paw for the rover’s throat, aiming to slice his jugular.

  The rover backed up, ducked, and then cut under me, piercing my hide, slicing into my thigh muscle. The other two shifters were on Grant, pummeling him with their claws, shredding his flesh.

  I misstepped, my sliced muscle betraying me. I flexed the muscle and shot my paw out, my claws unsheathed, and caught the rover in the arm, almost severing his limb.

  The rover roared.

  One of the other rovers then noticed it was me who was attacking them. A snarl and a leap later, he pounced on me, shredding my back with his claws.

  A woman’s scream penetrated through the growls and snarls.

  Astra.

  Damnation.

  I couldn’t yell at her to get to safety, not while I was in my bear form.

  She’d should have listened. She wouldn’t stand a chance with the rovers.

  One of the rovers glanced at her as if he was assessing who she was.

  I roared for the rover’s attention.

  The rover had a wicked glint in his ursine eyes.

  I shifted into my human form. “Get in the car!” I yelled at Astra, knowing full well that the Jeep wouldn’t be bear-proof, but at least it would buy her some time.

  The rover next to me slashed at my already wounded leg.

  I shifted, becoming a bear once more, knowing I was draining my strength from shifting so much. I roared as I took the rover on with renewed fervor, glancing at Astra to be sure she’d gotten to safety.

  She hadn’t. She was paralyzed with fear, her gaze locked on the fallen Doc.

  I growled in frustration.

  As if she realized, Astra finally moved. As though she was moving through quicksand, she took off for the Jeep.

  One of the two rovers attacking Grant turned his head, once more interested in Astra. He moved in her direction at a dead run.

  I had to intercept him. Escaping the clutches of the first rover, I took off after the second. I was on him before the shifter could reach Astra.

  She managed to open the door on the upside-down Jeep and climb inside.

  The other shifter reached me, sliding into me, knocking me under the first one.

  From the vehicle, Astra’s scream, pierced the day’s cold, making me wonder if that was the last time I’d ever hear her voice.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Astra

  I couldn’t breathe. Panic and exertion had robbed me of my air supply. My lungs wouldn’t work. I scrambled in the upside-down vehicle. My pistol was somewhere in the back.

  Only the back was... Everything was weird when it was upside down.

  There it was! The bag with the pistol.

  I scrambled toward it, turning my head often to look at the fight.

  Kane was down. I had to help him. In the back of my mind I knew my pistol wouldn’t affect the bears much more than a bee sting would affect a man, but still, I could hope it would cause enough of a diversion to give the men a chance.

  Doc had fallen.

  I bit back a sob, praying that he was alive. He had to be. What had Grant said about it? They had to be separated from their bear. Decapitation or... Dammit, why couldn’t I remember shit?

  Pistol in hand, I opened the door of the Jeep and got out, trying to fight the dizziness that had set in from evading a rover and bouncing around in the Jeep while I looked for the pistol.

  I aimed the pistol.

  Which one was Kane? There he was.

  I could shoot the rover...

  Then I saw another rover in a struggle with Grant.

  But Kane was fighting two. I should help him. Grant was almost down, though. I needed to act.

  NOW!

  I aimed for the one that was fighting Grant and took a shot.

  The bear yelped and released a snarl.

  I turned the pistol toward one of the two who were attacking Kane. It was headed my way.

  Jesus.

  I took aim, shot. The bear shrugged as if the round hadn't affected him, then resumed its course in my direction.

  I shot again.

  Another shrug, dismissing the pistol’s rounds as if they weren’t much more than a mosquito bite.

  Kane saw the shifter coming toward me and roared, then scrambled to catch up.

  I backed up, as if that would do any good.

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow emerge from the forest, a shadow that was well camouflaged in the forest’s white and black colors.

  The shadow flew toward us in a mighty leap, landing on the rover closest to me.

  It raised enormous paws, slashing at the rover.

  A white tiger! A massive white tiger was attacking the rover.

  Blood spurted from the impact of the large feline’s claws, striking me in the torso, heading for my face. I turned my head just before the crimson spray could reach my eyes.

  The cat surged toward the bear and leapt onto its back, its massive jaws holding the bear captive. The white tiger shook its head and the bear squealed in pain, roaring in agony while the cat slowly sliced through tendons, muscle, and bone, shaking its mighty head in a motion that made the bear’s head separate from its body, only held in place by a thin tendon.

  The tiger leapt off the effectively dead rover and pounced for the one that engaged Kane in battle.

  Doc stumbled to his feet.

  Tears formed in my eyes, preventing me from seeing anything clearly. Doc was alive! I hadn’t lost him.

  Oh, thank god, I thought, barely able to breathe.

  Doc joined Grant in the battle with the rover while Kane and the white tiger made short work of the other rover, rendering it headless in just a few moments.

  I flinched at the sight.

  When the only living rover saw that it was alone and greatly outnumbered, it bounded off into the forest.

  The white tiger took off after it, and moments later terrible howls tore through the woods.

  Kane, Doc, and Grant shifted into human form, covered in wounds and blood, skin shredded.

  I ran to Doc and flung my arms around him, my head on his chest. “I thought I’d lost you. You’re the only father I have. Don’t you dare leave me.”

  Doc patted my shoulder while I held him, thrilled and relieved that he was alive.

  His shifter energy vibrated in me, a rumble that I wasn’t going to ignore or hide anymore.

  I looked at Kane. Relief flooded his eyes.

  “You worried me,” Kane said softly.

  Doc held out a hand. “You must be Kane. I’ve heard about you.”

  Kane shook it. “I hope it wasn’t all bad.”

  “Not all of it.” Doc smiled.

  The white tiger bounded out of the forest, coming to a stop in front of us, and snow flew upward as his paws hit the ground. He shifted to a dark-haired, dark-eyed man.

  “Vax,” Kane said.

  A dangerous smile appeared on the tiger shifter’s handsome face. “Kane,” he said, stepping into Kane’s personal space.

  Kane put an arm out, and they exchanged a solid shoulder hug.

  “Good to see you alive,” Vax said. He turned his intense gaze on me, Grant, and Doc. “I’m Vax.”

  I didn’t say a word. I’d gone from knowing two shifters to a shifter battle and now I’d met another shifter. At least this one seemed to be on our side.

  Doc squeezed me harder, as though to comfort me in this time of sensory overload, then looked down at me, smiling.

  Grant studied the two of us for a moment, then turned toward Kane and Vax. “Welcome.” He extended a hand to the tiger shifter. “And thanks.”

  Vax nodded. “It was the least I could do, consid
ering this one,” he pointed to Kane, “saved my sister’s life. Of course, that put a hell of a bull’s eye on him. They followed him across several states to kill him. There’s probably a nice bounty on your head.”

  Kane nodded. “I’d say we’re pretty even now. No, I’d say now I owe you.”

  “You’ll tell Mae I said hi, okay?” Vax took a step back.

  “Wait.” I couldn’t believe it. This shifter had come out of nowhere, had saved lives, helped us win the scuffle, and now he was just going to leave? I wanted answers.

  “Where—” I stopped mid-sentence.

  What he did was really none of my business. But I was curious. And he was a tiger shifter. Did tiger shifters know other tiger shifters? How did Vax know Mae? I was confused. There seemed to be a network that I knew nothing about, even though my father was a shifter. “What—”

  Vax paused and turned back our way. “I run a place in Texas. I’ve been gone for a few days, following him.” He nodded toward Kane. “I wanted to make sure he came out of this unscathed. I called Mae to tell her to look out for him.”

  Kane laughed. “Is that why you recommended I come through here?”

  Vax smiled. “At least I knew there were friendlies here. But mostly it was Mae’s idea.”

  “What kind of place?” I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “What kind of place do you run?”

  “It’s called After Dark.” Vax’s tone was indulgent. “If you’re in Texas sometime, have Kane bring you by.”

  He said that as if Kane and I were a couple.

  My head snapped toward Kane.

  He had a glint in his eye that reminded me of what we’d done earlier.

  I felt warm, even though I was standing in snow and freezing temperatures. I turned toward Doc and Grant, but I couldn’t read their expressions. Was what Kane and I had between us that obvious? I looked down, embarrassed.

  Kane cleared his throat. “Sure. I’d love to visit sometime. It’d be good to see that troublemaking sister of yours.”