Shifted Illusions

by C. E. Black

  Not meaning to, my gaze slid down his chest again, then to his lap. I tore my gaze away. What was I doing? This was stupid. Leo was only trying to get a rise out of me. And not from my dick.

  I stood quickly and got out of the hot tub.

  “Problem?” Leo asked from behind me.

  “Nope,” I barked. I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell him what an asshole he was and my cock couldn’t care less about him, but he’d smell the lie. Instead, I wrapped the towel around my waist and headed inside, ignoring the deep chuckle that followed.

  Maybe inviting him to move in had been a mistake.

  4

  Beth

  The rain came with a whoosh, turning the dismal gray view into a blur of colors as people rushed past the coffee shop windows. Heads ducking and umbrellas popping, some squealed while others cursed the sudden precipitation.

  When the bell over the door jingled, I sat up straight only to slump when a laughing couple entered, wiping their feet on the mat.

  A blast of cold air came in with the couple, sending chill bumps up my arms. I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair and slid it on. But when I lifted my cup, hoping a sip of coffee would warm my insides, it was empty. Again.

  It had been my third cup in half an hour. When I was nervous, I drank or ate. I gave my thighs a withering look and sighed before taking another peek at my phone. It had only been three minutes since the last time I’d checked. Apparently, my date wasn’t coming. Just my luck.

  I’d finally put myself out there and asked out not one, but two men. Two extremely gorgeous men. Both had been out of my league. My depreciative laugh garnered a few odd looks, which I ignored. The universe must have been telling me something.

  My first attempt at “getting out there,” something my coworker had pushed for me to do, hadn’t gone too bad. Though leaving my number on a cocktail napkin and hoping he’d call had been a chicken-shit move. Thankfully, he’d found it and called me a few weeks later.

  Henri had been sweet and sexy in a kind of nerdy way. My belly still tingled when I thought about his eyes, dark and sultry… and his kisses… I shivered at the memory.

  Too bad he’d ended up being a shifter. I kept my distance from them. For good reason.

  Though I still found myself fantasizing about him at times, often wondering if I’d made a mistake letting him go. In fact, I wondered what Henri was up to now…

  Shrugging off the useless thoughts, I chastised myself for pining over a man I couldn’t have. There were plenty of other men out there.

  Like today’s date… I sighed.

  I’d been so proud of myself. How I’d strung two sentences together, much less gotten the courage to ask out the man was a mystery.

  I recalled the moment I’d bumped into Leo. My shock and dismay about the spilled coffee at my feet had been quickly replaced with a hot flash of lust. His lips had mesmerized me for several seconds while he’d spoken. They were soft and plump, and I had this overwhelming urge to kiss him. It had been absurd.

  Then one corner of his mouth had lifted into a smile, emphasizing the immobile other half. I hadn’t noticed at first, too stunned by his beauty. And yes, he was beautiful.

  His eyes were so blue they were almost too bright. Yet something dark lingered, warning me to be careful. The pain in those eyes, nor the scars flowing from his right temple and across his cheek had changed my mind. They had done nothing to diminish his beauty. But they still bothered him. It had become obvious, even in the short time we’d had together. Uneasiness had rolled off him in waves. For me, it had been easy to ignore the scars.

  We hadn’t talked for long, but the few words we’d exchanged had made me want to know him. He’d seemed smart and funny, and when his eyes had glittered wickedly at me, it made me want to sign up for whatever mischief he was offering.

  I’d recognized right away he was out of my league, but a woman could dream. And he had said yes when I’d asked him out. But at some point, in the last twenty-four hours, he must have changed his mind.

  I sighed again and stood, pushing in my chair before tossing my paper cup in the trash.

  “A no-show, huh?” Bailey strolled out from behind the counter with one of the rags we wiped tables with.

  Bailey was a twenty-two-year-old college student on an extended break from school. Her words, not mine. She’d dropped out two years before, and though she claimed she intended to go back once she saved enough money, her spending habits said otherwise. She was nice. Someone I considered a coworker friend. We didn’t go deep. I never went deep with anyone. But I enjoyed hanging out from time to time.

  She’d also been the one pushing, forcefully, for me to start dating. I’d reluctantly thought it had been a good idea. Now I remembered it had also been her idea to start my “dating journey,” as she’d called it, by going to a strip club. It had been the most awkward night of my life and not something I planned to repeat. Ever.

  Maybe Bailey’s ideas weren’t so great after all. Maybe dating, like strip clubs, just wasn’t for me.

  Was it really wise for me to be dating anyway? What if they find me?

  I shook off the bad memories. I was safe here.

  Bailey cleaned the top of the table I’d vacated with quick and efficient swipes of her towel before moving to the chairs. Neither the table or chairs had been the least bit dirty, but it was part of the job.

  I shrugged. “Wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”

  “What an asshole,” she said without heat as if she encountered them on a daily basis. Maybe she did.

  “I remember that guy from yesterday,” she said. “He was way too intense, anyway. Definitely not meant to be. But don’t let that stop you. There’s plenty of bucks in the forest. If you get my drift.” Her exuberant eyebrow wiggle made me laugh.

  “Check out the guy in the booth on your left.” She opened the trash to replace the bag while I reluctantly glanced over my shoulder. “Totally hot, right? You should go over there.”

  “Are you serious?” Though what I really wanted to ask was, “are you crazy?” “He’s with someone,” I said, bringing my voice down.

  “Where? I don’t see anyone.”

  “She’s in the bathroom,” I gritted out.

  “Ah, oh well.” She shrugged. “Maybe next time.”

  My exacerbated sigh had her grinning. I shook my head. “As fun as it is to have you trying to hook me up with taken men, I have to go. My shift at Marguerite’s starts in an hour, and I need to go home and change.”

  She wrinkled her nose at me. “Ugh! I don’t know how you can handle the smell of all those flowers for hours. My allergies would kill me.”

  “Doesn’t bother me.” I shrugged. “I’m not allergic to anything.”

  “Lucky!” she said, and I laughed. “See you tomorrow!”

  With a wave, I stepped out onto the street, belatedly buttoning up my coat. The rain had stopped, leaving behind a chill in the air. It wouldn’t have surprised me if the road froze overnight.

  Waiting for a car to pass before crossing the street, I grumbled at the thought of icy pavement. Without a car, I had to walk everywhere. Making it to work in the morning would be a bitch.

  At least I didn’t have far to go.

  I crossed the street and walked less than a block to Marguerite’s, but I wasn’t going inside the flower shop. Not yet, anyway. A narrow alleyway led to the back of the shop where I climbed the wooden stairs, avoiding the fifth, seventh, and tenth—my warning system—before letting myself into my room.

  Big enough for a single bed, a bistro table, fridge, microwave, and hot plate, it was all I needed. Though small, it was homey and taken care of. The furniture and appliances were new. And best of all, it was cheap. My boss, Marguerite, took the rent out of my paycheck, which pretty much wiped me out. But with my job at the coffee shop, I wasn’t going hungry. At least, not anymore.

  Thinking of food… With a belly full of coffee, I wasn’t hungry enough to eat a meal, but I
ate a granola bar to hold me over, then stripped off my date clothes with a regretful sigh.

  They were used from a local thrift shop, but the outfit was probably the nicest thing I owned. The soft pink V-neck sweater looked almost new and showed off a hint of cleavage. And the dark jeans were too nice for the flower shop. I replaced them with an older, faded pair that were slightly too big.

  Once changed, I sat down on the bed and read for about thirty minutes. Marguerite was a big reader and happily supplied me with as many books as my heart desired. This week I was trying one of her romance novels. Despite my lackluster dating life, I had a bit of a romantic heart.

  Part of me wanted to be swept off my feet one day. Marriage and a family had never been something I thought I could have. But now… Though I hadn’t found the one yet, with each passing day, I became a little more hopeful those dreams I’d dared not dream may be possible.

  My life had spun upside down a couple of years ago. The change had been for the better. I worked two jobs and couldn’t afford to buy brand new clothes and could only borrow books, but it was paradise compared to what I’d had before. And reading kept my mind from wandering to that time.

  I focused on the words and became immersed again until my alarm went off. Then I bookmarked my page and grabbed my coat. If I was fortunate and not too tired later, I’d get to find out if the guy got his girl.

  Sadly, for me, fortune was rarely on my side.

  5

  Leo

  Stretching one way, then the other, my neck popped as I loosened the kinks. Then, with a swipe of a towel, I wiped off the sweat from my forehead, glad my time in the gym was almost up. I’d been there since early morning, taking a little time with the new recruits, trying to figure out each of their strengths and weaknesses.

  And trying to forget how much of a coward I was, my subconscious growled at me.

  I shrugged it off. So what if I’d stood Beth up? I couldn’t help it. My boss asked me to work, and I had no way of contacting her to reschedule.

  Liar!

  Okay, I could have called the coffee shop, but it was better this way, I told myself. For her, I’d be a disappointment. Someone who was easily forgettable. I was used to it.

  Shaking off the lingering guilt, I thought back to the recruits. They’d all done a decent job but had a long way to go. I still had an hour left in the weight room, then I could go home, relax in the hot tub, and… Damn!

  The hot tub.

  The rest of the evening had been a little tense between Hawk and me after the hot tub incident. Actually, I was perfectly okay. But Hawk had taken it too personally. Who gave a shit if he got a hard-on? So, he thought I was hot. Big deal. A lot of people found me attractive. Or used to. No one had seen the new me. Even Hawk. I’d made sure a bathing suit hid my secret.

  I really shouldn’t have teased him. But how could I let that one go?

  I was flattered, really. I mean, I hadn’t been the cause of someone’s arousal in a long time. And he hadn’t been the only one. The moment I’d witnessed him taking off his clothes, I’d been hard as a rock. Wasn’t the first time my cock had stood at attention for my friend.

  Though I loved women, I was an equal opportunist when it came to sex. And I wouldn’t mind having a little fun with my best bro. But it would probably ruin our friendship. Not to mention our work relationship.

  Wrapping the towel around my neck, I headed toward the two bears fighting in the back corner. Both stood on their hind legs, one almost twice the size of the other as they fought for dominance. Their chests bounced off one another, a fierce growl echoing through the gym as their front paws locked together. Jaws gaping wide, they each tried to sink their teeth into the other’s neck until they went tumbling down onto their sides.

  Still locked together, they rolled left, then right, their growls and grunts becoming more discernible as the rest of the training room quieted.

  When the larger one pinned the smaller bear on its back a little too easily, I rolled my eyes.

  Stepping up to the mat, I clapped my hands once to gain their attention. “Okay, you two. Time to take this to the bedroom.”

  Both bears hesitated, their mouths full of fur as their eyes followed the sound of my voice. Then with a grunt, the biggest one untangled himself and stood to his full height. Anyone else would have backed up, but I wasn’t anyone else.

  Raising my eyebrows, I waited as the bear trembled. His head shook from side to side as his fur rolled like water and receded back into his skin. In seconds, a man stood in its place. A large, scowling man.

  “Not funny, Leo,” Bear grumbled.

  I shrugged. “Not trying to be funny. Just thought you’d want to know what it looked like to the rest of us, bro.”

  Bear scowled while scanning the room. The noise level increased immediately as they all went back to training. With a pleased nod, Bear twisted to grab a towel, showing off his well-toned ass, as he held the white cloth in front of the smaller bear. I caught a glimpse of one creamy calf and a long arm—and unfortunately, nothing else—before Bear lowered the towel and wrapped it around the smiling blonde in front of him.

  “I thought shifters were supposed to be comfortable with their nakedness,” Liz said as she gripped the top of the towel and bent to retrieve another.

  Bear grunted, his scowl deepening as he nabbed the offered towel.

  “If I have to wear one, so do you,” she said.

  “No one cares about seeing me naked,” he said, but he wrapped the towel around his hips anyway.

  Her eyes landed on mine. Caught. When I only shrugged, her lips twitched as she held back a smile.

  “Really?” she said to Bear, as she pointedly glanced around the room.

  Bear’s gaze followed hers, his face flushing at the number of women and men giving him sideways looks of appreciation. He swallowed hard enough to make his Adam’s apple bounce and tightened his grip on the towel.

  I almost laughed. Almost.

  “Hey, those trainees over there need help in hand-to-hand combat while in their animal forms.” He pointed to a group of four shifters stretching out in the corner. “Reckon you can work with them sometime today?”

  “No.”

  He waited for me to elaborate, which wasn’t fucking happening. Instead, I made to leave, ready to finish this day, but his voice stopped me once again.

  “How are you holding up, man?”

  I hated that question. “How are you doing?” “How are you holding up?” Same damn thing.

  “Fine,” I gritted out. How many times did I have to say it before they would leave me alone?

  “Are you sure?”

  Shaking my head, I responded with a drawn-out, “Yeah.” Then because I’m an idiot, I added, “Why?”

  “You don’t seem like yourself.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Bear’s lips pressed together in a slight grimace as he scratched at the beard growing on his cheek. “You’re acting weird—”

  “What Bear is trying to say,” Liz chimed in as she shifted to place a hand on Bear’s arm, “is we’re surprised you didn’t take a crack at us for… well, that.” She tipped her chin toward the mat behind her.

  I groaned. “You want me to make fun of you?”

  “It’s not that—”

  I was done. I threw my hands up and stalked away. “Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” I muttered under my breath as I jerked open the door to the weight room.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Let him go, Liz,” I heard Bear say before the door slammed behind me, blessedly shutting out the mounting stares and whispers.

  Pinching the bridge of my nose, I gathered myself before facing my trainees. This was my last class before I could finally get the hell out of there.

  I enjoyed my job. Or at least, I used to. I’d thought it would take my mind off of all the other shit running through my brain, but my inadequacies kept being hurled in my face time and
time again.

  Fuck it! They didn’t have to like me. They just had to work with me.

  Taking a deep breath, I strolled over to the two men waiting. I hadn’t spoken with these two enough to remember their names off the top of my head, but as I approached, the taller one on the right smiled and held out a hand.

  “Leo, good to see ya. Thanks for helping us out,” he said, his voice laced with a heavy Cajun accent.

  His smile widened, his perfectly straight teeth ultra-bright against his deeply tanned skin.

  “I’m Dax, by-de-way, and dis is Talon,” he gestured to his friend whose face showed none of the same friendliness.

  Nodding, I shook his hand. “No problem. But I can’t stay long, so I’ll go over the important shit and get out of your hair.”

  I studied the two men, noting their physiques. Dax, taller than Talon by a good three inches, had a lean but muscular form. His gray tee stretched tight at the sleeves and shoulders. His leg muscles under those basketball shorts were as toned as the rest of him from what I could tell.

  Talon was shorter, stockier, and with bulging biceps beneath his long-sleeved tee. The long sleeves had me noticing the black skullcap he wore as well. He’d be better off stripping all the shit off before we started our work out. He’d be leaking a swimming pool of sweat in no time.

  “You both look like you can handle the weights,” I told them.

  “Sure, we’re no stranger to lifting,” Dax agreed. “We’re just a little awkward now.” He smiled. “Being a shifter has put a strain on our normal routines.”

  I understood now. “Okay, first, I need to know what animal you are, that will determine some of your individual workouts.”

  Dax grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his light blue eyes. “Both of us are mutants,” he mocked.

  “Mutants” were what some of the shifters who were stuck half-way between human and animal—thanks to Wolford’s experiments—called themselves. I didn’t particularly like using the word. Rather than comment though, I nodded for him to continue. Instead, he whipped off his shirt and presented his back to me.