Bound to Change: A Limited Edition Spring Shifter Romance Collection

by Margo Bond Collins

  When I didn't react he did it again and again until he was panting, whether from excitement or rage I wasn't sure. I could feel him watching me, even though my eyes were downcast the way he liked them. His hands went to my breasts next roughly grabbing and yanking at the delicate flesh. His panting only increased as he did so and that was when I knew it was excitement, not rage that was making his chest heave in my face.

  I pulled my hands up and pressed his to my breasts as though I was enjoying what he was doing, sliding them up and down his until I'd gained a good sense of where the ring was and how loose it was. My heart sped as I decided how best to get the thing off his finger without drawing too much attention.

  "You foxes, you're all the same. One taste of dick and you turn into a cat in heat, willing to fuck anything and everything with a pulse. It's why I kept you locked up all these years. And the moment you get a minute of freedom, you fuck not just one guy, but three." His hand slid from my breast up to my throat forcing me to look at him as he slowly squeezed my neck and shut off my supply of oxygen. I tried not to panic, not to freak out, after all I had given him permission to do this, but as the pounding in my head became louder and louder it became harder to ignore the fight or flight sensation.

  "I didn't fuck you once, did I? Didn't molest you, didn't force you, I did nothing except keep you fed and sheltered, and when you get out I have to track you down and find you whoring yourself out. You're such a disappointment, Selene. Now, I'm going to eat every inch of that delicious heart of yours even if it is sullied with your recent transgressions. Do you know why? Because I want to live too, and my life is worth a thousand of yours. You think the temptation of that pink little pussy would be enough for me to give up a prize I've been waiting for since I first caught your father stealing from me? I knew as soon as he grabbed that vial I could get a different, younger kitsune from him, one I could keep clean and pure until I could harvest her. It wasn't even difficult. He sold you in an instant. Besides, I can get pussy anywhere, whenever I want. Do you know how many woman, girls, I've fucked while I left you stuck in your cage? I wouldn't even know how to count them all. Kitsune pussy might be good, but it will never be as good as immortality."

  My vision began to go fuzzy and shadowy around the edges while he spoke and I had started clawing at his hand at some point even though I didn't mean to. Instead of just clawing at the hand that was around my neck though I clawed at whatever I could reach. His chest, his arms, his other hand. Eventually all my effort paid off and the ring came loose. If it had fit him better I wouldn't have stood a chance, but it was at least a size too big.

  When it popped off into my hand I knew that he knew I had it and his hold on my neck tightened to trachea breaking levels. My kitsune had other ideas though. I'd gone past fight or flight and she was taking over. When I shifted the ring fell and the Beast's hold on my neck was released. I tracked it with my shifter hearing and knew exactly where it had landed. Once I was on four feet I picked the ring up with my teeth and threw it as far as I could. Wherever it landed it didn't make a sound so I knew if I had no idea where it was then he couldn't either.

  With my tails fanned out behind me and my kitsune standing tall I watched as the Beast just stared at me for a moment. That moment was all it took though. A gray wolf launched itself from the shadows and latched onto his calf muscle on one leg, followed quickly by a brown wolf who went, once again, for the shoulder. I'd have to chat with him about that later.

  The two of them were strong enough to bring the Beast down though and with one arm out of commission we were safe from any warlock magic since he needed both hands for that. I shifted back to my human form, not caring that I was naked, and walked over, standing above him as though he was nothing more than dirt on my shoe.

  "You think I would ever give myself to you willingly?" I demanded before spitting on him. "You're filth, you're lower than dirt and I wouldn't sully myself with you no matter the cost. But you won't have to worry about that much longer."

  I attempted something I'd never done before, but my kitsune assured me was possible, a partial shift. My fingers grew claws and my hand and arm became stronger as I called my magic forth. I placed them on his chest, over his heart, and dug in. His flesh parted like butter under my shifter strength and the ribs that protected the vital organ were nothing more than branches that needed to be broken. He screamed through the whole thing, of course, but I never broke eye contact with him. I wanted him to know who was doing this to him, that he had brought this pain and suffering upon himself.

  When my fingers wrapped around the organ they didn't crush it, they pulled it forward, yanking it through the surface of his skin as the veins and arteries were ripped from it. I held it in front of his face as the light in his eyes faded and the muscles twitched in my hand. I knew as he died that I'd been the last thing he'd seen, that my vengeance was complete and I would never have to worry about him again.

  As soon as I was sure he was gone I dropped the organ and ran to the kitchen sink, vomiting everything that was in my system.

  Bodhi and Gael were behind me a moment later, holding my hair out of the way and rubbing soothing circles on my back. Feeling the two of them there only highlighted the absence of Ozzy. His bond was still there so I didn't think he was dead, but if he'd been unconscious this long then would he be okay.

  "Ozzy?" I asked after washing the blood from my skin and rinsing my mouth out. I needed a toothbrush and toothpaste stat, but I needed to know about my other mate more.

  "He's okay, dude bashed his head against the dresser so he took a harder hit than the two of us, but he'll be fine. He's been through worse," Bodhi explained.

  I wanted to know what worse meant but I thought it best to save that question for Ozzy himself. "Sorry about the mess," I said as I looked over at the Beast and the ragged hole in his chest. I almost dry heaved.

  "Don't worry about it, love," Gael said. "We can take care of it. We've got a system in place for that."

  I nodded.

  We were all standing quietly staring at the body of my abuser on the floor when I heard a familiar voice say, "Who died?" I looked up and saw Ozzy rubbing his head as he came down to us. "Oh, that's who. Go team."

  I laughed until I cried and then I cried until I laughed and the guys got worried that I'd lost my mind, but I hadn't, it was just the pressure of keeping myself alive for the last few hundred years finally being relieved.

  "Can we go shower or something?" I asked looking down at the blood spatter covering my body.

  "So long as we can join you?" Ozzy winked. He'd be just fine, I was sure of that now.

  "The more the merrier," I said with a genuine grin.

  Gael pulled a phone from somewhere and I heard him press a few buttons. "Gael. Pack Midnight. Clean up and disposal at our house." The person on the other end responded and he hung up. "Now we can all go."

  I walked forward with my mates, leading them up to the shower and our future together with a light heart and a clear conscience. I couldn't wait to see what life had to bring now that I was free and loved.

  The End

  ENJOYED THIS STORY? Be sure to leave a review! Want more stories from me? Check out all my books onwww.helenscottauthor.com

  About the Author

  HELEN SCOTT IS A USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance and reverse harem romance who lives in the Chicago area with her wonderful husband and furry, four-legged kids. She spends way too much time with her nose in a book and isn't sorry about it. When not reading or writing, Helen can be found absorbed in one video game or another or crafting her heart out.

  Want to hang out with the author, get the scoop on all the latest, get exclusive giveaways, and all kinds of other fun stuff? JoinHelen’s Hellraisers on Facebook!

  You can alsosign up for Helen’s general newsletter here.

  Join Helen Online

  Bookbub

  Facebook

  Twitter

  Instagram


  Read More of Helen’s Books

  Legends Unleashed Series

  Prisoners of Nighstone Series

  The Twisted Fae Series

  The Hollow Series

  The Cerberus Series

  The Salsang Chronicles

  The Four Worlds Series

  Daughter of the Hunt

  Challenger of the Hunt

  THE SILVERLIGHT HEIR

  A DarkFyre Prequel

  Emma Cole

  About The Silverlight Heir

  Mariana is the Silverlight Heir and has journeyed to a gathering where she will choose her mate. Unfortunately, other individuals have their own agendas and she is the one to suffer the consequences of others’ actions. Find out how Mariana fits in the DarkFyre story coming soon!

  Content Warning- Readers Discretion Advised

  Prologue

  20 years ago - Mariana

  "You're my mate. It's humiliating for me that you took another. I'll challenge the little harlot and rip her throat out!" A slap of skin on skin drifted over to my hiding place along with the whine of the Alpha's mate. The new Alpha anyway, the previous one didn't even know he no longer held the position.

  I pushed myself further into the shadows of the balcony and prayed the wind stayed in my favor. If either of them came out now, through the open glass doors, I'd be caught.

  "You will not threaten me or Mari again; do I make myself clear, Katrina? If there's a next time, I'll dust the marks in silver, then everyone will know of your disobedience." Another whimper and I imagined Katrina cowering in fear.

  The threat of permanent disfigurement to a female was the ultimate punishment, right above the implications of a second mate. She would never live down the stigma of it. I tried to feel sympathetic toward her, but I had my own issues after being hijacked before meeting my own mating candidates. She was more than welcome to keep the former Alpha's younger brother. I hadn't asked for him to mark and mate me.

  I rubbed the constant reminder that took form in the scarred imprint of a bite on my nape. The former Alpha and a regiment of soldiers had been forced to meet and thwart an attack by the Shadow Clan led by the Vae himself. The leader of the elite vampire kiss was intent on stopping the binding of the Starlight Heir to any of the wolf shifter families, and it had left an opportunity the previous Beta couldn’t resist.

  In every generation that an Heir was born, the vampires went into a frenzy to steal her power for their own agenda. Not that the wolves didn't have one as well but tradition dictated that one of the firstborn sons of the seven ruling families would mate with her, while the other six males would become her personal guard, and the Alpha seat was passed on to the next in line.

  The birth of the Heir, the female who bore the mark of a star and crescent moon, was always marked by the males, her potential mating candidates, born in the same year. The vampires claimed they had a similar birthing portent, but as far as I was aware, it was always dismissed as rumor and ignored.

  Hence one very irate vampire bent on capturing me before the ceremony. And the absence of my mating candidates.

  The slamming of a door caught my attention, and I listened to the silence that followed for long moments. I was sure the room was empty, and this was the chance to make my escape. The new Alpha hadn't had time to indulge in rutting me as more than a few of the pack members had risen concerns over the arbitrary claiming of me by a second son, the former pack Beta. They took it as an omen of dark times ahead, and he had had to lock me in a room to deal with the situation. I’d used the opportunity to sneak out the window and jumped to the balcony next to it. Thankfully, the traveling contingent sent had instructed me to wear boots and sturdy pants with the explanation that I could change when I arrived since I needed to be in functional clothing until we reached the safety of the pack lands the ceremony was being held on. Not a fancy dress and high-heeled shoes. The hosting location of the ceremony was always changed, but the vampires still found out and always attacked.

  Throwing a leg over the balcony railing, I worked my way down until I was left with no choice but to drop to the ground. As a shifter, the distance wasn’t an issue, but looking down at any drop from a height more than twice my own made my stomach flip. Pampered and protected, I wasn’t as in tune with my nature as others. At least the guards were watching for intruders to get in, not pack members trying to escape. Which is probably why I’d made it as far as I did. Being small, I made it through the gardens and crawled into the underbrush leading into the woods undetected. I didn't have to cover my scent as the guards would most likely ignore it and assume I was another soldier positioned in defense against the vampires.

  I made my way painfully, slowly collecting scratches that healed rapidly and snags in my clothing and hair from sticks and twigs on the forest floor. Eventually, I’d made it far enough that I thought I could get up to make quicker time. By the time the forest gave way to empty fields, I’d realized my folly. My path had led me parallel to the road I’d come in on and also the direction the Shadow Clan was trying to infiltrate from. It was my bad luck to get the attention of one of the more powerful members of the kiss.

  His tall form melted from the shadows—hiding where I’d only just passed. He was on me with his fangs sunk in my neck before my feet obeyed the urge to run. The smell of the blood attracted two others nearby, but the assailant tucked around my body refused to share. I scratched and kicked to no avail, but the rushing of the two other males made him withdraw from my neck and push me down to the ground so he could face them.

  The instant he was engaged, I ran. And of course, they gave chase.

  By now we had the attention of both sides, and from the yelling and advancement of the shifter soldiers, they knew who I was. I didn’t want to go back there, but death didn’t appeal to me either. The decision was removed from my hands as another vampire male melted into being directly in my path. This one was different from the others, and he didn't instantly attack. He glared at the wounds in my neck before tossing me over his shoulder and employing his speed to cross well behind the lines of fighting and into vampire territory.

  My wolf attempted to surface, but another entity made itself known and prevented my shift. She slunk off with a whine while I attempted to push the thing out of my head.

  "You cannot remove a part of yourself, Mari."

  I was so surprised that it spoke to me that I momentarily forgot I was over the shoulder of a vampire and being kidnapped. Again.

  Choosing to ignore whatever it was, I struggled, kicking and hitting my captor. Other than a tightening of his arms over my legs, he mostly ignored as we sped farther away from pack lands. My hair was coming loose from the bun I'd put it in, and long blonde pieces trailed after me like a banner. Eventually, the male slowed and set me on my feet but kept a hold of my arm. We were in someone's barn, and it didn't appear to have been in use for some time.

  "Let me go! You have no right to take me!" I pulled against the vampire's grip, not understanding why strength had failed me. I was as weak as a human and becoming more terrified by the second.

  The male’s eyes swirled with silver around his pupil while his fangs descended. Ignoring the side of my neck with the punctures, he dragged his nose up the other, inhaling my scent. Until he encountered the Alpha's bite on my nape.

  "They couldn't have claimed you! I have them busy at the edge of the territory. Whose mark is this, girl?" He let go of my arm abruptly, and as I was still pulling away, my bottom promptly hit the dusty floor.

  Unsure of what else to do for the moment, I answered him. "The Alpha's brother. The prior Alpha, I mean."

  I may not have answered as far as the vampire standing over me was concerned. His head was cocked to the side, his gaze distant. With a snarl, his eyes focused, and he pounced on me.

  "They're closing in. It's now or never– I refuse to lose this opportunity." The vampire unhooked his pants and shoved them down far enough to expose his semi-erect penis, and I knew what he h
ad planned.

  Scrambling back until I hit a stall door did me little good as he yanked at my pants. He didn't bother with my boots or even getting my pants down all the way, just flipped me over amid my struggles where he pinned me to the floor.

  "I apologize that it has to be this way. Please forgive me and know I will make it up to you." With his last word, he sunk his fangs into my neck before withdrawing them to suck at the wounds they’d left.

  His length hardened against my rear end, trying to slip between my legs only to find it completely dry. With a huff, his mouth left my neck, and his bloody wrist appeared in my vision. I tried to turn my head, but he held my head pinned with his other hand as he crushed my back to the floor with his chest.

  "Drink." He smeared the blood across my closed lips, pressing until my teeth threatened to break through them. Only then did I surrender.

  I was lost. His blood was like an inferno of desire washing through me.

  "If our mating were not possible, my blood would not affect you so." The whispered words only added to my confusion and helplessness.

  But the entity that had chased off my wolf perked up at the blood. I could feel it becoming stronger inside even as the smell of my arousal filled the air around us. The vampire bit me again, this time eliciting a soft moan from my throat, and found purchase with his dick between my thighs. He slid home, taking my innocence as he tried to seal the bond. Except the mark I'd already received from the Alpha was interfering, burning me from the inside out. My wolf appeared, snarling at the now-sated entity, but the damage was done. I climaxed as the vampire shot his seed deep inside me where he remained buried until the sounds of others approaching intruded.

  Scrambling away when the vampire’s weight left me, I pulled my underwear and pants up as I ignored the commotion outside the barn. I was ruined. Had I stayed out in the pack compound, at least I wouldn't be in the situation I found myself in now. I wiped my eyes and nose in the sleeve of my shirt and tried to ignore the throbbing between my legs and in my neck. Escape from the vampires was all that mattered now. If the pack or my kin would even have me back after being defiled by one of the monsters.