Claimed: A Paranormal Shifter Romance Novel (Crescent City Wolves Series Book 1)

by Bella Night

  She’d needed to come up for air after Grey drove her off the edge of bliss the first time, but she couldn’t tear her lips away from him for very long. And then she found herself facing his wolf. Her throat went dry from screaming as she let the wolf do things to her that she didn’t know existed. His claiming bite had brought an earth shattering ecstasy from which she didn’t think she’d ever be able to fully collect herself.

  Etti had never in her life had sex like that. Goddamn! She felt like a virgin when she compared her past sexual experiences to what Grey had just done to her. And maybe she was a virgin. A shifter virgin at least. I mean high school sex barely counted, right? It was all awkward and fumbly. Etti hadn’t even known she’d actually given up her v-card the first time. And her drunken one-night stand a few years later was sure as shit nothing like this.

  It seemed like Grey had been aiming to fuck the memories of everyone who had ever come before him right out of Etti’s head. And she was happy to let him. Sex with Grey was the kind of thing people wrote songs about. Hell, wars had been fought over this kind of sex.

  Etti lay against Grey’s muscular shoulder trying to catch her breath while she pinched herself. She couldn’t believe what was happening, but she didn’t want it to end. She nestled closer to Grey, basking in his warmth. He gave a soft seductive groan and pulled her closer, his hand palming her ass. Fuck! She was so screwed. Just one touch and desire pooled thick inside her, readying herself for him. She wiggled her ass in his grasp and his eyes blinked open. A slow, sexy smile that made her toes curl spread across his lips.

  “Again?” he asked.

  Etti couldn’t help but bite her lip as she shamelessly nodded. Grey hauled her on top of him so fast she didn’t have time to gasp before he plunged deep insider her, driving her fast and hard toward the edge of the universe.

  25

  Greyson

  When Grey stirred awake in the forest he was surprised to see how much lower the sun hung in the sky. He didn’t usually sleep well. Or at least he hadn’t since joining the hunt. The stress of the last few days, the claiming and the comfort he felt with Etti by his side had been the perfect sleeping pill.

  Grey turned to look at her. Etti was already awake, gazing at his tattoos as she liked to do. But this time, when he caught her staring she didn’t look away. She was propped up on an elbow, her head in her hand. Grey loved the way her gorgeous black hair spilled over her shoulder like a curtain made of night sky. He wanted to bury himself in it and every part of her.

  “You promised to tell me about this,” Etti mused tracing her fingers lightly over the tree line inked on Grey’s chest.

  “I will,” he murmured catching her fingers and kissing them. “I plan to tell you everything.”

  “Really? Everything?” she teased. “What if I don’t want to know everything?”

  “That’s too bad because you’re mine now,” Grey said suddenly rolling her so he was on top again. He kissed her throat and she moaned.

  “Shit, Etti,” he whispered getting instantly hard again. “You’re impossible.”

  “You started it,” she replied coyly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  “I could stay here with you forever,” Grey sighed as he ran his hands through her waves of black hair.

  “We can build a house from twigs and moss and eat bugs,” she joked.

  “You joke, but bugs are good. I’ve eaten bugs before.”

  “So have I,” she matched.

  “Really?”

  “Really!” she said sticking her tongue out.

  It melted his heart to see the relaxed and sassy sides of Etti. She’d seemed so guarded when they’d first met. It made him happy that she was more at ease with him now. But the mating bond tended to act quickly, tearing down barriers, flushing out things that were once hidden.

  Grey’s wolf nature already felt more settled. He’d claimed his mate. She was his and no one could change that now. The claiming wouldn’t be permanent until Etti’s first shift, but already Grey could feel their connection growing. He had faith that she would take to the shift—she had to because he already knew he couldn’t live without her.

  Grey pushed thoughts of shifting aside and returned to their lighthearted conversation. “Okay, then, it’s settled,” he said gazing into the endless abyss of Etti’s dark eyes. “We’re living here in the forest and eating bugs.”

  “As long as we can keep doing this,” she said, petting his manhood shamelessly, “I’ll do anything.”

  “Really?” he asked, bearing his canines as he smiled.

  Grey had just begun slowly licking a trail down Etti’s body when a shrill howl pierced the air interrupting their bliss. He was instantly on his feet, pulling Etti protectively to his side. The call rang through the forest again and ice ran through Grey’s veins. He’d know that call anywhere—his Alpha.

  “Come on,” Grey ordered, gathering their scattered clothing and dressing as quickly as possible. “We need to go.”

  “Was that one of them?” Etti asked.

  Grey hated the fear he saw in her eyes, but he wouldn’t lie to her. She was his mate, his other half, his equal. He nodded.

  Etti stilled, replacing her fear with determination. “They’re hunting us now, aren’t they?”

  He nodded, reaching for her hand. “I’ll protect you.”

  “I know,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I’ll protect you.”

  Grey felt his heart contract with love and he squeezed Etti’s hand, knowing no matter what happened, he was never going to let go.

  26

  Etti

  They raced through the woods back to the truck as fast as their legs would carry them. Etti knew she was slowing Grey down and when the howling grew closer she begged him to shift but he refused to leave her. She was near tears over his stubbornness but she fought them, not wanting to hinder him any further. She was already stumbling as it was. She didn’t need tears blurring her vision.

  Grey stopped for moments here and there to listen and scent the air. Etti used the time to catch her breath. She was in great shape. She ran with Wes everyday. Okay not every day, but a lot! But it was nothing compared to running with Grey. He was unbelievably fast. That realization made her quake with fear, knowing that there were five shifters even faster than Grey hunting them now.

  By the grace of God they made it back to the truck before the hunt reached them. Grey opened the driver side door and shoved Etti inside, following behind her. In an instant they were thundering down the road. Etti leaned her head back and sucked in rasping gulps of air. She was terrified. She’d actually been running for her life.

  “Deep breaths, babe,” Grey coaxed from beside her. “Squeeze my hand, Etti. I’m right here with you.”

  His strong hand pumped warmth back into hers and it dawned on her that he’d never let go. He’d taken her hand at the top of the mountain, where they’d claimed each other in every way, and he’d never let go. Something about that simple gesture meant everything to her and it gave her the confidence that they’d find a way through this—together.

  Grey glanced over at Etti and winked. “I’ve got you.”

  Etti loved him more in that moment than she’d ever loved anyone in her life. “Take your next right,” she instructed.

  He nodded. “Where we heading?”

  “I guess it’s time you meet my parents.”

  27

  Greyson

  Fear rolled through Grey as he remembered what Wes had said about Etti’s mother. He was almost as terrified of meeting Etti’s parents as he was of the pack of rogues hunting him.

  “Do you really think going to your parents’ is a good idea?” he asked.

  “It’ll be fine. They’ll love you,” Etti said reassuringly. “Just like I do.”

  Grey swerved, nearly veering off the road at her words.

  Etti grabbed the dashboard and gave him a puzzled look. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?�
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  “No, I’m fine,” he said trying to recover from the words she’d just casually blurted out.

  Had she really just said she loved him?

  This woman was so full of surprises. Grey knew he loved Etti. He felt it in his bones. But he was a shifter, things happened quickly for him. He could rely on the instincts of his wolf. But Grey had never imagined Etti would love him back so quickly. He knew they had an attraction and enough sexual desire to start a forest fire, but he’d barely begun to pray that someday Etti would grow to love him. Yet there she was, declaring that she loved him like she’d said it a million times.

  “Earth to Grey,” Etti said, softly touching his shoulder. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. Just lost in thought.”

  “Seriously, don’t worry about my parents. They’ll just have to get over the fact that you’re a shifter.”

  Grey’s eyebrow rose as he glanced at Etti. “They’re not fond of shifters?”

  She laughed. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “Put it bluntly for me.”

  “Turn left up here,” Etti commented, then she sighed. “My parents hate shifters. Especially my mother.”

  Grey rubbed a hand over his face trying to hide his nerves. “Great.”

  “Don’t take it personally. My parents pretty much hate anything that isn’t part of the old ways. Including me sometimes.”

  Again, Grey’s eyebrows rose. Etti huffed and seemed to be struggling for the right words. He could tell talking about her parents was a sore subject. “Etti, maybe we shouldn’t go to your parents’.”

  “Too late now,” she muttered as Grey turned the truck onto a tree lined dirt road. He could see a white farmhouse and gray barn looming ahead. A sturdy woman with long salt and pepper hair was walking the fence line near the barn. There were three baying hounds by her side and a shotgun slung over her shoulder.

  Etti noticed her, too. She muttered a colorful swear under her breath, then turned to Grey and started speaking rapidly. “So here’s what you need to know. My parents are Cherokee. They’re full-blooded and extremely proud of their heritage. The land we live on has been passed down from our ancestors for generations and my parents think it’s my duty to continue our traditions. They hate that I want a different life than the one they have picked out for me. They hate anything that takes me down a different path; my job, my friends, my motorcycle and they especially hate shifters because of some crazy curse that my mother refuses to talk about.”

  Etti sucked in an anxious breath as the truck ambled up the drive, carrying them closer to her parents.

  Grey squeezed her hand. “It’s gonna be okay.”

  She shook her head. “No, you were right, I shouldn’t have brought you here. You have enough going on right now. You don’t need to deal with my judgmental parents, too.”

  “Etti. It’s okay. I want to meet your parents. And I’ll find a way to win them over. I was only worried about coming here because I don’t want to bring trouble to your family with the hunt on our trail.”

  “Oh, right,” she said in a tiny voice. Then she covered her face with her delicate hands. “I just couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. You’re supposed to be able to count on your family, but my parents . . . they tend to choose tradition over family.”

  Grey slowed the truck and put it in park in front of the old farmhouse. He pulled Etti onto his lap and kissed the top of her head. “Look at me, babe,” he pleaded, gently pulling her hands away from her beautiful face and wiping her tears. Seeing Etti upset was like twisting a knife in his heart. Grey waited for her to catch her breath and took her chin firmly in his hand. “I’m your family now, Etti. And I put family first. You will always be able to count on me.”

  28

  Etti

  Etti’s heart swelled at Grey’s words. She’d never realized how much she longed for someone to accept her the way she was—to have her back no matter what. Things between her and Grey may have happened quickly but his words solidified her feelings for him. Greyson West was right for her—when you know, you know.

  The fiercely protective look he was giving her made Etti want to throw her arms around Grey’s neck and let him claim her all over again. But she knew there was no time for that. Not if she wanted to keep the man she loved alive. All she managed was a quick kiss before she slid off his lap, across the bench seat and out of the truck to intercept her mother.

  Grey looked confused as she slammed the door. “Etti?”

  “Stay here,” she ordered moving swiftly from the truck to cut her mother off.

  Her mother moved with purpose, the gun already in her strong hands as she approached with a suspicious look in her eyes. Etti positioned herself between her mother and the truck. She swallowed hard, pushing her shoulders back ready for an argument. She and her mother had always had their differences, but surely she wouldn’t shoot her own daughter, right?

  The hounds reached Etti first and she put her hands out to let them lick her as they always did in greeting. But something strange happened. The dogs stopped before they reached her and cowered when she put her hands out to them. They crouched and whimpered, backing away slowly before retreating to her mother. Even Etti’s own dog, Rex, whom she’d raised since he was a puppy, ran away from her. Her heart twisted, and then she heard her mother utter a swear in Cherokee—something she never did. Etti’s eyes met her mother’s. She’d stopped walking, seeming to sense the same strangeness the dogs had. She raised the gun to her shoulder and took aim at Etti’s chest.

  “Mother!” Etti gasped.

  “What have you done, Etu?” she questioned in a cold voice that sounded both deadly and quiet at once.

  “Nothing, I—” but the words were cut off by the sound of the truck door slamming.

  Shit.

  Grey was by Etti’s side in an instant trying to put himself between her and her gun-slinging mother.

  “I told you to wait in the truck,” Etti hissed, grabbing Grey and pulling him backwards.

  “And I would have been happy to wait for you there, but this woman is pointing a rifle at you,” Grey grumbled. “I draw the line at people trying to shoot my girl.”

  “Grey, meet my mother.”

  Grey’s eyes widened for a moment, obviously startled that Etti’s own mother was holding her at gunpoint.

  “Get off of my property. Both of you,” Etti’s mother hissed.

  “Ma’am,” Grey started, but her mother fired a warning shot into the air.

  “Do not speak to me, shifter!” Her mother uttered the last word with such hatred that Etti flinched and pulled Grey back toward the truck.

  Footsteps thundered inside the farmhouse behind them and a man burst breathlessly through the screen door and onto the front porch. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Father!” Etti cried, almost running into his arms.

  “Etu?” He looked between his wife and daughter with confusion. “What’s wrong?”

  Her mother interrupted before Etti could get a word out. Her tone was seething. “Yes, Etu. Why don’t you introduce your father to the shifter you brought to our home?”

  Etti’s father now gazed at Grey and she moved closer to him, feeling he was vulnerable without her to shield him from her mother’s wrath. Once Etti was back at Grey’s side she took his hand. Grey looked at her, his eyes silently asking what she wanted him to do. She knew the decision was hers and she knew instantly that she wasn’t willing to hide her feelings for Grey from anyone, not even her disapproving parents—no matter the cost.

  “Mother, Father, this is Greyson West. He’s my . . .” she looked into Grey’s eyes for a moment and was filled with courage when she saw the love he held for her shining in his eyes. “He’s my mate,” she finished confidently.

  Etti hadn’t even seen her mother move, but thankfully Grey had and he was much quicker. She’d barely registered the sound of the rifle firing but Grey was already shoving Etti to the ground. He landed
on top of her with force and she struggled to catch her breath. The peaceful farm erupted into chaos as her father wrestled the gun from her mother, who was shrieking sharp words in her native tongue.

  Etti let Grey pull her up and away from her mother who was being dragged into the house. Once her mother was inside, Etti buried her face in Grey’s chest. Tears sprang from her eyes. Her own mother truly hated her. She’d rather see her daughter dead than with a shifter. How messed up was that?

  “I’m sorry,” Etti whispered into Grey’s warm chest.

  “For what?” he asked.

  “For bringing you here, for making you witness that, for dragging you into my messed up life.”

  “Your messed up life?” he asked, amusement dancing across his handsome face. “As I remember it, I’m the one who barged into your life and bit you.”

  Etti laughed despite herself. “That’s true.”

  Grey pulled her closer and whispered to her. “You have nothing to be sorry for. We’re in this together. And we’ll figure it out together,” he said looking down at her with those gorgeous gray eyes. Damn he was good. How did he always know what to say?

  For a moment, Etti almost forgot that she was standing in her parents’ yard. She kissed Grey, weaving her hands through his thick, dark hair. His arms moved around her, but he winced in pain. She pulled away in fear. “What’s wrong?”

  Grey glanced toward his muscular bicep and Etti balked. How had she not noticed? Blood trickled down his arm like red veins, marring his beautiful ink. She gently pushed up the sleeve of his t-shirt and saw the bullet wound. A cold rage ripped through her. She’d shot him. Her mother had fucking shot her mate!