Shifted Illusions

by C. E. Black

  Standing from the bed, I pulled the blanket around my shoulders before leaving the room, seeking heat. And food, I thought as my stomach grumbled.

  The house was quiet and dark, but a flickering of light at the end of the hallway promised warmth. A fire blazed in the fireplace, and I stood for a moment, my toes curling in the soft rug as I warmed my hands.

  The cabin’s décor was simple yet tasteful. They’d centered a beige sectional facing the fireplace with a large screened television above the mantle. There were a few throw pillows cast haphazardly on the couch, and the coffee table looked like someone had sliced it right off the tree. It was gorgeous.

  The place wasn’t tiny, but it wasn’t big enough to lose anyone either. The kitchen was empty. Were the men upstairs?

  I shuffled to the other side of the room. The stairs led to an empty loft and a door I assumed led to a bedroom.

  While wondering if I should go up, Henri slipped into the house from the backdoor. Wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

  “Hey,” he said. “Sleep well?”

  I snapped my mouth shut and nodded. “Y-yes. I did.” My thank you trailed off as he lifted one perfectly sculpted arm to run his fingers through his wet hair, causing the muscles in his chest to stretch and contract.

  I twisted away to wipe the corner of my mouth, surprised drool hadn’t gathered there. Was it hot in here?

  “Hungry?”

  “Hmm?”

  A chuckle had my eyes snapping up to meet his. But he wasn’t laughing. His eyelids had lowered, and his expression had darkened with promises I craved for him to keep.

  “Hungry?” Henri repeated.

  I licked my lips and nodded. “Starving.”

  “I figured,” he said, giving me a soft smile. “I could hear your stomach from outside. I made you a plate and put it in the fridge. Go on out, and I’ll bring it to you.”

  “Outside?”

  A sharp tapping on the window had me spinning around. Leo waved. “Come on out,” he said, his voice muffled through the glass.

  I stood there for a moment, cuddling in my warm blanket, wondering why the heck they would be outside.

  “Isn’t it too cold?” I asked Henri. Though I could use a little cooling down, to be honest.

  “I have a heater out there. It’s not cold. You’ll see.”

  Outside ended up being a wooden deck with white string lights circling the roof and a hot tub which currently held a half-naked man. Did I say, man? I meant half-naked perfect specimen of the male species.

  Holy shit.

  My gaze raked over him, taking in everything, including the scar tissue scattering from his shoulder down the side of his ribcage. Same as with the scarring on his face, they did nothing to diminish his good looks.

  Noticing where my attention went, Leo shifted his body slightly, hiding his left side. I started to apologize for staring, but I was suddenly speechless. A dimple winked as he gifted me with a grin that had probably made panties vanish a time or two in his life. Mine, thankfully, were still on. Barely.

  “Hey, sleeping beauty,” he said. “Sleep well?”

  “Y-yes.” I cleared my throat and smiled politely. “Yes, thank you. What time is it?”

  “After six,” Henri answered as he stepped outside holding a tray with my dinner.

  I ripped my gaze away from Leo’s chest and found Henri’s instead.

  I present perfect specimen number two.

  “You slept all day.”

  My stomach growled, and I placed a hand over the embarrassing noise, my cheeks heating.

  “Here you go.” Henri set the tray down and pulled out a chair at a glass table.

  “It really is warm out here,” I said, loosening the blanket as I sat down. Henri tipped his chin toward the other end of the deck where one of those outdoor heaters stood. I’d missed it. I’d also missed the dining set and couch.

  “The heater and the hot tub keep it comfortable out here in the winter. Hope you like steak,” he said, a hint of nerves entering his voice.

  “Thank you. Wow, did you cook all this?” I asked, astonished. “I haven’t had a steak in…”

  I drifted off, remembering the only time I’d ever eaten steak. It had been raw and flung at me as if I were a wild animal. The hunger pains had become so intense I’d fallen on the piece of rancid meat with an embarrassing amount of eagerness. Which had been the point. My uncle James had thought a little blood might trigger the transformation. Unfortunately, for both of us, the cramping in my stomach had only worsened, until I’d thrown up the entire steak.

  “Beth? Is this okay?” Henri implored, bringing me back to the present. “Is there something else I can get you?”

  “Oh, no, Henri. I’m sorry.” My hands ached, and I loosened them, rubbing at the half-moon circles my nails had created on my palms.

  Carefully picking up the fork and knife Henri had given me, I sliced off a perfectly cooked piece of meat. “This looks great, thank you.” As I lifted a bite to my lips, saliva flooded my mouth. My hand shook and sweat broke out across my forehead. I couldn’t do it. Not with the memory so fresh.

  “Beth?”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, sliding the steak bite off my fork. “It looks amazing. I just…” I glanced at Leo, then back at Henri, hoping my expression was apologetic enough. “It’s just something from my past,” I told him honestly. “Steak doesn’t sit right with me at the moment. But this salad looks great.”

  I speared a chunk of lettuce and shoved it into my mouth, smiling at the men as I chewed.

  Henri, brows still pinched with concern, thankfully, let it go. “No problem. Eat whatever you’d like, and if you want to raid the kitchen, go for it. This is your house for as long as you’re here.”

  Henri jumped back into the water, but I wasn’t paying attention and missed seeing what was underneath the towel. Darn it.

  I managed to swallow the salad down and drink a full glass of water while the men tried to lure me into the hot tub with them. “That’s okay,” I told them, picking at a slice of apple pie. My stomach was too full of nerves to eat another bite.

  “Are you sure? It might help with any lingering aches from last night,” Henri coaxed.

  I hesitated. Sitting in the hot water sounded nice, but… “Nah.” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Leo drawled. “You’re as fine as a frog’s hair split four ways.”

  I stared at his grinning face for approximately three seconds before I burst out laughing. Leo and Henri joined me and suddenly, I doubled over, arms across my stomach as I giggled.

  “Those southern phrases still catch me by surprise,” I said, wiping tears from beneath my eyes.

  “I remember you telling me you hadn’t been in Tennessee long,” Henri said.

  “A couple of years now. I’ve picked up a few words here and there, but guess it’ll take a little longer to get the Midwest out of me.”

  “Where are you from?” Leo asked. “Before you answer, hop on in here, sugar, so we can conversate.” His drawl became heavy as he upped the charm.

  “Don’t call me sugar,” I chastised gently.

  “Hop in, and I won’t call you sugar, sugar.” He took a long drink of beer and winked at me.

  “Oh, all right.” I sighed. Why not? I couldn’t resist for much longer, anyway. I frowned. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

  “We won’t look,” Henri assured.

  Leo smirked. “If I see anything I haven’t seen before, I’ll throw a rock at it.”

  I started giggling, but Henri’s serious expression had Leo’s rolling his eyes. “Fine,” he huffed playfully, turning his back to me. Henri followed suit, leaving me to stare at their bare, muscular backs, wondering if I had gone insane. Getting into a hot tub with two half-naked men was probably a bad idea. Or it was the best idea ever, my subconscious disagreed.

  I grinned while unbuttoning my jeans.

  “Hurry up, sugar, o
r all bets are off,” Leo drawled.

  “There was no bet,” I told him, but I dropped the last of my clothes onto the deck and slid into the hot tub, naked as the day I was born. It didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Maybe because growing up with shifters, nakedness was part of the norm.

  As the men shifted to face me, the tension in the tub skyrocketed.

  Henri cleared his throat. His cheeks were crimson, and he looked everywhere but at me. “I need another beer. I’ll grab y’all one too.”

  Naked in a hot tub with heavy doses of lust being tossed around was bad enough. Adding alcohol to the mix… I shook my head, no, but Henri stood from the hot tub, and I forgot what I was going to say.

  Water streamed down his hairless chest and over his abs like a rippling river. I sucked in a breath, unsure if I was disappointed or relieved to find his lower half concealed by a pair of dark blue trunks. So, he hadn’t been naked under the towel. Damn.

  He stepped out of the tub, swiping the towel from the chair as he strode into the house. I slowly dragged my gaze to Leo, happy to note he wasn’t looking at me. Yet.

  He stared at the door, his brows drawn as though he were deep in thought. Had he seen me drooling? Of course, he had. I hadn’t exactly been sly in my ogling. And it probably baffled him. First, I’d hit on him, then his buddy. Or had it been the other way around? I had technically met Henri first.

  As if hearing my thoughts, Leo lost all of his usual charm as he asked, “Want to talk about last night?”

  I shook my head no but changed my mind. One thing about the night before had me curious. “Yeah, why don’t we start with why you were there.”

  He hesitated as if to say something, then shook his head and drained his beer.

  “What?”

  He placed the empty bottle on the floor behind him and leaned back with a sigh. “I came to apologize for missing our date.”

  “For standing me up, you mean?” I asked dryly.

  Leo’s expression twisted. “Yes. No.” He let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not that I didn’t want to go on a date with you. I just…”

  “You just… what?”

  He grimaced. “It’s just not a good idea, is all.”

  With his shoulders dipped and his regretful expression, he looked nothing like the man I’d asked out. The one with a teasing smile and a confident swagger. Then again, I didn’t know him well. I didn’t know him at all. But I hungered to.

  There was something about him, and Henri, if I were being honest. They brought the curious cat out in me. I had this urge to ask them a million questions. To learn everything about them. And as luck would have it, I had the time now to do just that.

  “So, it’s not a good idea to date at all? Or to date me?” I questioned.

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Date at all?”

  “Is that a question?”

  “No?”

  My giggle veered into a full-blown laugh. Leo joined me right as Henri opened the door.

  “What did I miss?” he asked.

  “Leo’s a very indecisive person,” I replied, taking the beer Henri offered me. “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” he said, handing a bottle to Leo before swinging a leg over the tub.

  Leaning away to give him room to hop back in, my leg bumped into Leo’s. Like a live wire, a current of electricity zapped me, but I controlled the urge to jerk away. I kind of liked how it felt.

  Taking a swig of beer, Leo glanced at me from under lowered lashes as he pressed his knee more firmly against my thigh.

  While I ducked my head to hide my pink cheeks, Henri settled against the tub on my other side. If I were to lean only an inch or two his way, we’d be touching as well. I considered it. Spreading my knees apart so I could graze both of them… I wondered what it would feel like. No doubt amazing. But… There was always a but.

  “So, why did you dump this guy’s ass?” Leo grilled.

  The question shocked me, but it also reminded me of why I shouldn’t be flirting. I moved away from Leo and straightened my legs out in front of me. “I had my reasons.”

  Henri finished swallowing and set the bottle down before looking me in the eyes. The intensity had me sitting up straight.

  “I apologize,” he said with sincerity. “Whatever I did to make you want to call it quits, I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t do anything, Henri. It just didn’t work out.” I shrugged, sipping my beer.

  “I’m not trying to dismiss your feelings. Or push you for anything. I just… I thought we had something.”

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling it, you know.” My pulse sped up, giving me away.

  Leo snorted, and I grimaced. “Liar,” he said.

  Pursing my lips, I thought long and hard before deciding to get it over with. Another long pull on my beer gave me the courage.

  “It’s because you’re a shifter,” I told Henri. “I didn’t scent it in the club, or I would have never left my number. Same for Leo.”

  The creases on Henri’s forehead deepened. “What does that matter? You’re a half-shifter.”

  I pointed my beer at him. “Exactly!”

  He shook his head. “I’m lost.”

  “She’s been treated like shit for not being full-blooded,” Leo answered before I could. He raised an eyebrow. “Am I right?”

  I nodded.

  Henri made an ‘aha’ expression. “We have a couple of friends who had a similar experience growing up. I’m sorry.”

  I waved away his apology and gave him a half-hearted smile. “I should apologize too. I shouldn’t have sent that stupid text message. It was a coward move.”

  “You’re forgiven.” Henri grinned, and I lost track of the conversation. What would be the reason we shouldn’t be dating again?

  “Do you go to strip joints often?” Leo asked out of the blue, and I laughed.

  I rolled my eyes. “Never. My coworker Bailey thought it would be a great way to get me back into the dating scene.”

  Leo and Henri groaned in unison.

  “Yup.” I tipped my beer at them before taking a deep swallow.

  “Well, guess that clears everything up. You,” I pointed to Leo with my beer bottle, “had second thoughts about dating me. And you,” I pointed the bottle at Hawk, “if I remember right, are a workaholic and a shifter. You’re both still shifters.”

  I sat back with a sigh, surprised to find my bottle was empty. “And I’m too messed up to date. Aren’t we a fine pair… triangle… threesome?”

  “Technically, you’re right,” Henri intoned. “About me, anyway. I am a workaholic. But I don’t think you’re messed up at all.” He licked his lips and leaned forward. “And I’d like to have another chance. If you’re willing.”

  “Maybe…” I slid sideways, catching myself before I accidentally dunked my head underwater.

  Henri sucked in a breath when I put my hand on his thigh for balance. Oops.

  Leo chuckled. Though this time, his chuckle didn’t sound sexy or charming. It sounded cynical and wrong.

  “Well, that’s my cue to get out of here,” he said, standing up.

  “Wait!” I stood up too quickly and would have fallen backward if Leo hadn’t grabbed me in time. “Don’t go. We were having a good time.”

  The silence stretched between us, and goosebumps spread across my flesh. When a cold breeze blew across the porch, my nipples tightened, reminding me I was naked. Oops, again.

  Leo and Hawk gazed down at me with hunger in their eyes, and I gasped at the ache in my center. If either of them desired to swoop me up and take me to their bed, I was totally game.

  “Like what you seeeee—” I tripped on my own feet as I tried to make a sexy pose.

  Leo cursed under his breath. “Not a big drinker, are you, babe?”

  “The heat from the hot tub didn’t help,” Henri remarked.

  “Let’s get her inside and into bed.”

  “Mmm, bed,” I murmured. “Yes, please. You
. Me. Bed.”

  Leo chuckled, and I smiled. It was his nice laugh. But he tended to shift his head away, hiding his scars. I didn’t like it. I wanted to tell him they didn’t matter. I thought they were hot and gave him a dangerously sexy appearance. But I was a coward, and in the end, the words stuck in my throat.

  “Not tonight, babe.”

  “Don’t call me babe.”

  “Here we go,” Henri said as the two men helped me out of the hot tub. I’d barely had time to notice the cold when they wrapped a towel around me, along with a pair of warm arms.

  Snuggling against Henri’s hard chest, I breathe deeply through my nose. My eyelids fluttering sleepily. “I bet you taste as good as you smell.”

  His chest bounced my head up and down as he laughed. Then he swept me into his arms. “Time for bed, kitty cat.”

  “Yes, please,” I whispered. Unfortunately, time for bed meant something different to my men. My men. It had a nice to ring to it.

  “Do you like to be called Henri or Hawk?” I asked. “I like Henri. It’s sexy. Nerdy but sexy.”

  Henri placed me gently on the bed and removed the towel before covering me with a blanket. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “I like it when you call me Henri,” he admitted.

  Leo took his place, and I smiled. This one would want some action, I thought. But he disappointed me too.

  He kissed almost the exact spot Henri had, then whispered in my ear. “I definitely liked what I saw, darlin’.”

  Grunting, I shook my head. “Don’t call me darlin’,” but he was already leaving. What a tease.

  I sighed as the door shut, then I turned over and pulled the blanket over my head. If I couldn’t have sex, then sleep would have to do.

  But sleep never came.

  I would never admit this to the guys, but I’d never drank before. Bailey had me taste some weird concoction, but it had tasted so bad I’d refused to drink again. My only excuse for drinking the beer with the guys was I’d been so nervous I hadn’t tasted it.

  And because it was only one drink, it left my system pretty quickly, leaving me wide awake, hot, and restless.

  I tossed and turned, flipped from my side and onto my stomach too many times to count. My brain kept churning out fantasies. Ones involving Leo slipping into his room, demanding to sleep in the bed. With me. And who was I to argue? It was his bed, after all.