Shifters Forever The Boxed Set Books 1 - 6 (13 page)

“
W
hat is it
?”

Kane drew a deep breath. “Your Jeep. It’s not exactly where we left it.” He noticed she’d dressed.

“It’s gone? Where?”

“About thirty feet down the mountainside, on the curve, on the road.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. He hated that he had to break the rest of the news to her.

“It’s upside-down.”

“Oh, no.” She closed the shutter.

“You’re dressed. Where were you going?”

She blushed, as if she was embarrassed by the reminder of what they’d just done. “To look for you.”

He bit back a smile of amusement at the thought of her trying to help a grizzly. That she’d believed he would need her help.

“What’s so funny?”

Clearly he’d failed at hiding his amusement. “Nothing. I think it’s cute.” He pulled her close to him and took her coat off her, enjoying the view of her body, the swell of her breasts, the hips that curved just right for loving. “You don’t need to worry. We’ll get someone up here to help with the Jeep. You won’t have to be trapped here for days on end.”

He thought he saw a shard of disappointment gleam in her eyes. He hoped that’s what it was.

“Maybe you’ll be stuck with me for a couple of days, though. That’s not so bad, is it?” He pulled her close to snuggle against him, fully intent on carrying her to the bed and doing more of the things his bear was demanding that he do.

Her jaw was set, a steely glint in her eyes. Uh oh, this wasn’t a woman who wanted to be cuddled.

“What were you saying? Before you left?”

“About you being—are you sure you want to hear it from me? You should hear this sort of thing from Doc, or Mae, or maybe even Grant. They do know that you can discern shifters, right?”

She shook her head tentatively. “Not exactly.” Her voice was low, like she was ashamed that she’d never told anyone.

He rubbed his jaw.
Shit.
This wasn’t for him to reveal. Doc should have discussed it with her. But how could he have, if she’d never told him?

“So, no one else knows? That you can see—feel—shifters?”

Another ashamed head shake from Astra.

“Look. That’s an inherited trait. Mother to daughter. I don’t know if it skips a generation. What about your mother?”

“I was young when she died. I don’t think she ever told me about it.”

Her phone buzzed. Kane picked it up, looked at the screen and handed it to her. “It’s Mae. Probably worried. You should tell her you’re okay. And tell her I’ll take care of you.”

Astra pressed on the screen. “Mae?”

Astra’s voice sounded brave but Kane could see the naked vulnerability on her face and wondered if Mae would be fooled.

“I’m fine. I’m with Kane. The Jeep isn’t quite alright, though. Maybe when the storm stops and the roads are good to go, Grant and Doc could come up? We may need some help with the Jeep, or at the very least, a ride back.”

Kane didn’t have the heart to tell her that if she was leaving, he wasn’t going with her. He couldn’t afford to bring danger to her. It already bothered him that she was here with him, now that he thought about it.

Foolhardy of me to bring her here. Selfish. I shouldn’t have brought her with me. If the rovers show up...
He quit beating himself up over it. Of course the rovers wouldn’t show. He’d done a good job of concealing his trail.

“Bye.” Astra clicked to end the call, then shook her head. “I need to talk to Doc. He’ll have the answers.” She looked at her phone. “I can’t call him now. My battery is low, and I don’t have my charger. And even if I did... There’s no freaking electricity here.” Her brows dipped in a frown.

“There’s no rush to get answers. We can chill here for a while.” He took her hand, indicated the bed with his head.

“The bed? Really?” She tilted her head.

“No. The sofa is fine. If you prefer. I don’t really want to stand up and talk. So it’s the bed, the sofa or the kitchen chairs. It’s a one-room cabin. There are no other options.”

She studied him as if she was trying to gauge his intent, then nodded and pulled him toward the sofa.

He shrugged and scooped the blanket off the floor. She sat in the middle of the sofa, and he took one side, leaning back against the padded arm. At least Grant’s cabin had a nice, plush sofa, even if he didn’t have electricity here. Kane wrapped her in the blanket.

“Why do you hate shifters so much? Particularly when you’re related to one, and clearly have connections that are otherworldly and allow you to feel our presence.”

She leaned back, her back against his chest. He adjusted, moving a bit, because the contact between them brought his cock to attention, and he didn’t need her to accuse him of just wanting to fuck her.

Though, God knew, he did want to fuck her. In the worst of ways. She was quiet for so long that he leaned forward to see if her eyes were open, to ascertain if she was still awake.

She shifted her head so she could look up at him from over her shoulder. “They killed my mother. That’s reason enou—” She paused mid-word. Gasped. “They killed Anya.”

“Who’s that?”

She shook her head slowly, rubbing back and forth across his chest. Her hair flowed over his forearm, tantalizing him with its scent. A scent of vanilla and lavender. He inhaled deeply, allowing that and her essence to sit in his lungs.

“My best friend.” She sat up abruptly, facing him, delectable in her bra and jeans, her hair wild around her face. “I forgot all about her. God, how did I do that? All these years, I’ve never had a thought about her.”

“What happened to her?” Kane pulled Astra back down against his body.

“When my mother was being attacked, Anya jumped to defend her, shifting into a tiger. Ohmigosh, my best friend was a tiger shifter?” A half-sob erupted from her throat. “Oh, no. Why have I not remembered this until now? I’m horrible. I haven’t even thought about her.”

“You probably blocked all of it.” He murmured soothing sounds to calm her, wrapping his arms around her.

Astra shook her head, as though she was refusing to accept his answer. “Anya fought with this huge bear. Then she fell. And Doc and Grant came. They killed the shifter that attacked my mom.” Astra’s voice was anguished, and tears welled in her eyes. She was fighting them back.

“My mom was lying there bleeding. What happened to the other shifter? Didn’t I see two? Why can’t I remember?” Astra rubbed her forehead, as if she could bring the memories closer to the forefront.

“I’d say you’ve remembered a whole hell of a lot. I don’t think you need to be so hard on yourself. Trauma makes people forget things. It’s a coping mechanism.” He pulled her closer, into an embrace.

Astra lay still, unmoving. Her pulse slowed, and sleep took over. She slumbered deeply, and the only thing that moved was her chest as she breathed.

The fire began to wane. He needed to stoke it, add some wood, but he didn’t want to wake her. Shifting into bear form, he kept her snuggled against his warm fur.

His bear nuzzled his muzzle against her neck and shoulder, taking in her scent.

They remained that way until the fire was almost completely embers and ash.

In her sleep, Astra screamed, the sound reverberating against the cabin walls, bouncing off of them, an offense to Kane’s sensitive bear hearing. He shifted quickly before she could find him as a bear, and held her close.

A
stra’s eyes flew open
. She was a young child again, hearing snarls and screams. For a second she didn’t know where she was. Then she saw Kane’s face, his jet-black eyes full of concern and care for her.

She’d switched position in her sleep, moving, turning, so that now she was huddled against his chest. She buried her face into his neck, inhaling him, breathing his comfort and security in deep. “I had the dream. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to remember it when I woke up.” She shook her head to clear away the cobwebs. “Well, partially remember it, anyway.” She shivered.

“The fire went out. I didn’t want to wake you by working on it.” Kane planted a kiss on her temple, his lips lingering until they finally pulled away, leaving a coldness behind, where her flesh missed his already. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “That’s the first time... I need to... I’m so confused.”

“Relax. You’ll talk to Doc when the weather breaks and we can get you back home.”

It hit her. He was planning to go. And what hit her even harder was that she didn’t want him to go. Ever.
Where the hell did that come from?

“Tell me about you.” She let her lips touch the forearm that was holding her, hoping that he didn’t notice that she’d been so bold, though a part of her wanted to be so much bolder than that.

“Not much to tell. Lived in Texas for a long time. Looking to live somewhere else. I’ve never really put roots down.” His ruggedly handsome face took on a scowl, his eyebrows dropping into a frown.

“What was that about? That frown.”

K
ane didn’t feel
like getting into it. He’d been adrift most his life. He didn’t have much to show for what he’d done. Sure he had some money; who wouldn’t, after being alive for so long? But it wasn’t anything he wanted to relive.

“Nothing. Just not much to share.” He forced a smile to his face. He’d so much rather talk about her; she was the interesting one. And she was a seer. Surely Doc knew. Grant had to have known, too. Why wouldn’t they tell her? He wondered if her mother had been one. If she had been, then they’d have known.

“Okay, if you won’t talk about that, then tell me why you’re on the run.”

He ticked off a finger. “I’m being hunted.” He ticked a second finger. “I’m outnumbered.” A third finger. “And I’m not interested in finding out how many shifters I can take out before they kill me.” He hoped he wouldn’t have to find out.

“Why are you being hunted?”

“I ran across a couple of shifters accosting another one. A smaller shifter. I haven’t confirmed it because I’m not likely to have a friendly conversation with them—but I think they were trying to kidnap her.”

“Why would they kidnap her?”

“All sorts of reasons. Selling her, keeping her as a pet, using her for ransom, a territory dispute... Who the hell knows. All I knew was that it wasn’t a fair fight. So I evened the odds up a bit. Except one of them ended up dead. The other ran off. And now, here I am, on the run, with a bounty on my head.”

“So I could make some money if I told anyone your whereabouts?” She cut a sideways glance his way, a smile on her face.

He was happy to see her smiling. The way that dream—nightmare—had affected her had bothered him. He was worried that the dream would ruin their evening. “Sure. Maybe. Why? Do you need some money?” He joked back.

“No. I think Doc is doing pretty well.” Her fingertip was making circle patterns on his shirt, and it was about to drive him crazy. Did she not realize what she was doing to him?

A
stra pushed
the dream away from the forefront of her mind. That wasn’t hard to do, because being this close to him was a definite distraction.

“So, your turn,” Kane said.

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

Was he expecting her to feast on him? To pleasure him with her mouth? Not that she minded, but that was pretty damned forward. The thought of taking him in her mouth fueled a rush of desire that ran through her body with the subtleness of dynamite.

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

She tilted her head, pondering his question, her 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 her, 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?” She didn’t want to be the topic of discussion anymore.

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

Astra licked her lower lip, contemplating whether she had the nerve to do what she wanted to do. If she didn’t, she wasn’t sure she’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?

She traveled her finger down the length of his T-shirt, where she knew his treasure trail led directly to the very treasure that sparked her curiosity.

He took a deep breath, his chest filling, pushing the shirt out, the muscles beneath it sharply defined. When she reached the waistband of his jeans, she pulled his shirt out, revealing dusky flesh and the downy fur that led downward.

He groaned, spurring her into a forwardness. She shoved her hand into his jeans. His cock, a hard, thick, hot shaft, pushed against her palm. She wrapped her fingers around it.

It’s now or never, while you have the nerve, girl.
She talked herself into what she wanted to do more than anything at that moment. She squeezed him between her fingers and palm.

“Astra.” He growled her name.

His response was the fuel her fire needed. His head dipped, his mouth closing on her neck, his teeth nipping, his tongue licking, reminding her of all the things he’d done to her earlier.

He made a noise, somewhere between her name and another rumbled growl.

She unzipped his pants, unbuttoned them, and released his thick, mushroom-headed velvetiness from its boxer brief confines. When her fingers wrapped around it again, Kane’s hand wrapped around hers, his grip tight, his head thrown back.

She lowered her body, shifting downward, wiggling until her head was poised and her mouth perfectly lined up, her ass in the air, still in her jeans.

She opened her mouth fully, taking him in, just the head, marveling at how thick he was, and how long. She lowered her head, driving him deeper into her mouth. She tried to open her mouth wider, barely able to take enough of him in, definitely not as much as she wanted. She wrapped her fingers around the rest of him, stroking him upward and down while lifting and raising her head. His thickness rested against her tongue, the rise along the bottom of his cock pulsing, and she felt the buildup as it threatened to release. She knew he was fighting it. Had been since he’d eaten her out earlier.

He pushed her away. “Strip.” His voice was a demand. “Now. I need you naked. I need to be buried deep in your hot pussy. Now.”

She scrambled off of him and removed her jeans and her bra hastily, clumsily, her fingers barely cooperating as she wanted them to.

He reached across, yanked her jeans down the rest of the way, and unhooked her bra. “You’re too slow, woman. I need you far too much for you to take your time.”

He pulled her down so she was straddling his stomach. He struck swiftly, latching his mouth onto a nipple and sucking. She moaned. That was incredible. Her channel became even wetter, moisture traveling down, soaking his stomach. He trailed his finger over her abdomen, lower, over the tiny patch of hair she’d left behind, seeking her core. His finger found what it was looking for, sliding between her folds, centering on her clit. He parted her lips with one hand, his other flicking at her exposed core, rapidly beating a pulse into it. His mouth sucked harder on her nipple.

Astra rose, giving him full access. She slid onto his finger and ground herself on the digit, gasping when he slid another in and curled it while he maintained steady, fast circular motions on her clit. Frantic, unexpectedly, she began to rock and grind on his hand as a gush and a wave engulfed her in an orgasm.

Just as she began an aftershock, he raised her up and dropped her onto his cock, impaling her with his thickness, stretching her while his fingers kept swiping at her clit. Another orgasm rocked her body, the intensity catching her off-guard.

She screamed his name and arched her back while he tugged on her nipple with one hand and pinched on her clit with the other. Her frantic movements became more intense. She rocked on his cock, moving up and down, relishing how thick he was even though each thrust spread her wide and pushed her channel to new limits.

He lifted her again as if she was nothing and dropped her on his cock, pushing himself even deeper inside. She let out one last scream as she was seized by an overwhelming orgasm that threw her into an almost fetal position then made her fling her arms out, her head back as she howled his name. Her eyes closed, and the blackness changed to thousands of light fragments.

“Fuck. God. I’m coming. Now.” The words were ripped from him as though he was held captive in a torture chamber, his voice tormented.

He yanked her close and held her down, his shaft pulsing as his desire traveled the length of him, pulsating deep within her. Each of her convulsions pulled his cock deeper, tighter, demanding more of him to fill her.

She dropped onto his chest, spent, lost, found, resplendent in feelings she’d never felt before.