Shifters Forsaken: Shifter Romance Collection Bks 1-5

by Mia Taylor

  “Who is that beautiful girl?” she asked. “Who is that?”

  “That’s my mom,” Briar announced, entering the huge guest suite which Cypher had set up as her bridal station. “My mom who has been making everyone wait for hours while she gets ready.”

  “That’s what a bride is entitled to do on her wedding day,” Fallon replied and Cypher snickered.

  “Are you going to beat this dead horse now?” he teased. “It’s only going to be your wedding day if you actually get married, you know.”

  Fallon turned and looked at her two eldest boys, the smile fading from her face.

  “I was just thinking about my first wedding day,” she confessed and her sons also balked.

  “Mom,” Cypher said softly. “This is nothing like your first wedding day. You must know that.”

  “I do,” she replied quickly. “But I still can’t help but think about how happy I was. I thought I was living in a dream, a fairy tale. I was so stupid, so blind.”

  “You were young and in love. Nothing that happened was your fault,” Briar told her sternly.

  “I know.”

  “Mom, I know you’re filled with all kinds of apprehension, that you’re a little gun shy, but I’ll tell you this—if you went downstairs right now and told Kevin you weren’t ready, he’d understand.”

  Fallon lifted her head and smiled at Cypher. “He would, wouldn’t he?”

  They nodded vehemently.

  “Daniel would have thrown a fit,” she chuckled but neither boy was amused.

  “You’ve got this, Mom,” Cypher promised her. “Briar and I will be on either side of you.”

  “I guess I can’t take Ava with me, huh?”

  “Stella will be at your side too,” Briar volunteered and Fallon smiled broadly.

  “Well, then, I guess I have everything I need, don’t I?”

  “What is taking so long in here?” Vivian demanded, rushing inside the room. “The guests are already getting drunk as they stand around.”

  “So, let them drink,” Fallon laughed. “It’s supposed to be a party, remember?”

  “Are you ready to do this, Mom?”

  She inhaled and studied Cypher’s handsome face, reaching up to pat his cheek tenderly.

  “I love that you call me ‘Mom’, Cypher. You were always such a good boy when you were young.”

  “You’re the only mom I ever had,” he reminded her. “The other guys got adopted.”

  “There is a family out there who has no idea what they missed out on by not taking you.”

  “Yeah. An entire rock star inheritance,” Briar cracked and Fallon swatted him gently.

  “I’m sorry I failed you, Cypher.”

  “NO!” he snapped. “No! You didn’t fail me or Briar or Vaughan or Ryker. If it wasn’t for you, God only knows what Daniel would have done. You did something heroic, standing up to him. You stood up for us, for Sandrine and for yourself. So no, you don’t get to apologize for that.”

  “He’s right, Mom,” Briar agreed. “You’re the bravest mother a person could ask for.”

  “Are we getting the show on the road or—” Vaughan looked around the room and grunted lightly. “Has the party moved up here?”

  “I’m coming,” Fallon insisted but even as she said it, she knew she was lying. She had a whole different idea.

  “Are the guests getting trashed down there?” she asked Vaughan.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Great. Can you go collect Ryker, Rui, Stella, Chloe and the pastor and have them come up here?”

  “Oh, wait a second, what are you doing?” Cypher groaned. “Do you know how much I spent on that band?”

  “Really?” Vivian asked him dubiously. “You’re complaining about money on your mom’s wedding day?”

  “Uh, Mom,” Briar whispered. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

  She blinked at him. “Like who?”

  Vivian burst into laughter.

  “Like your groom.”

  “I’m already here,” Kevin announced from the doorway. “I had a feeling that my fiancée might be having a runaway bride moment.”

  “Not at all!” everyone protested in unison and Kevin laughed, sliding toward Fallon. He pressed a kiss against her cheek.

  “If you’re not ready to do this today, Fallon, I understand,” he murmured in her ear and her heart fluttered like a thousand butterflies were escaping imprisonment.

  Love is not always racing hearts and stolen kisses. Sometimes it is slow and nurturing, built on strange habits and mutual trust. It’s getting through times tougher than you ever imagined possible and seeing it through. That’s what love is.

  She pulled her head back and smiled warmly at him.

  “I have never wanted to marry anyone more than I want to marry you,” she told him truthfully. “You made me believe that I could love again when I was in the bleakest place. You endured more of my crazy than anyone ever has before or ever will again… I hope.”

  There was a gentle murmur of laughter as the others entered the room.

  “You make my heart smile, Kevin. You didn’t give up on me when I deserved it more than anyone. I’ve never been more in tune with anyone and I can’t imagine living my life with anyone else.”

  Tears misted his eyes and he cleared his throat as he struggled to speak.

  “Fallon, I told you before that I fell in love with you the minute I saw you in that church. I didn’t know consciously but deep in my heart, I had no doubt that you were the woman I was meant to be with. Every time I looked at you, my heart stopped a little. I could always see that plaintive emotion in your face, like you were just a small girl who needed pure love and I vowed to give it to you. The devotion you have for your sons, for your grandchildren and for being a decent person are what have gotten you through the life you’ve been handed. I am so blessed that you have done me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.”

  He kissed her sweetly and Fallon realized that her cheeks were wet with tears.

  Ava cooed lightly and Fallon laughed, almost having forgotten that she was holding the baby.

  “Ahem,” Pastor Cosmo said, stepping forward. “I daresay we heard vows and saw a kiss. I think it is safe to consider them married by the power vested in me by the state of California. Kevin, you may kiss your bride again.”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Kevin chuckled, leaning in. The room erupted into cheers which instantly sent Ava into a round of sobs.

  “Please let me take her, Mom,” Chloe laughed, reaching for the baby, and Fallon allowed her. She would never stand between a mother and her child.

  “Should we seriously take the party downstairs?” Cypher groaned. “The guests are going to be mad!”

  “How can you say that?” Vivian demanded. “They’re drunk and they missed the boring part of the ceremony—er, no offense, Fallon.”

  “None taken,” she laughed. She let her family kiss her before shuffling out of the suite and down to greet the other guests.

  “Why did you really want to do this up here, Fallon?” Kevin asked when all the kids had gone. “There must have been a reason.”

  “Vaughan and Briar’s parents are here,” she murmured. “It just felt strange and I’m sure it felt even stranger for them.”

  “Fallon, they are not the enemy,” Kevin reminded her softly. “They are your family, the same way the boys are and their wives. You need to stop running away and face your demons. Think about all you’ve survived. You’ve got this now.”

  Fallon half-smiled at him in the mirror.

  “When did you get so wise?” she asked.

  “It was probably during that phase when you were whipping your meals at me. I got way too much creamed corn to the head.”

  Fallon snorted and grabbed him for a hug.

  “Let’s never tell the grandkids how we really met, huh?”

  “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll come off looking too good in that story,” he agreed.

  “Hey Kev
?”

  Their eyes met.

  “Hm?”

  “Thank you for saving me.”

  “Thank you for letting me, Fallon.”

  Fallon’s Mate (Preview)

  Shifters Forsaken

  Prequal to the Shifters Forsaken Series

  By: Mia Taylor

  Chapter One

  A Helping Hand

  Shivers spilled down her spine as the rain trickled beneath the collar of her thin jacket. It wasn’t a cold day (she had certainly seen colder in her time on the streets) but the sprinkling of water from the heavens chilled her skin just enough to cause goosebumps to dance over her arms. She ran for cover under an awning of a coffee shop, knowing that it would give her little reprieve from the weather but it was a temporary fix.

  Just like everything in my life—a temporary fix.

  Long, matted strands of hair plastered against her face and she reached a dirty hand through the mass to clear her vision, her chocolate eyes darting about as if she expected someone to venture from the storefront and chase her away.

  It had happened before, after all. She did not expect that it would be long before someone either called the police or tried to bully her away from the windows. She wasn’t good for business in her hole-littered clothes and tangled hair. No one wanted to snack on a scone while thinking about the too-skinny homeless woman on the other side of the glass.

  She peered through her reflection, hoping that maybe the acne-faced barista was working. Sometimes he took pity on her and brought her a coffee and bagel but only if his manager wasn’t looking. On the other hand, if he wasn’t and the shrill blonde was behind the counter…

  Her cheeks flushed with humiliation as she remembered the last encounter she’d had with the woman. It shocked her that people could treat one another so inhumanely.

  We all live on the same planet, the brunette thought mournfully. How can we be so cruel to one another?

  “Fallon?”

  She whirled at the sound of her name, leaning away from the woman as if she was a feral cat and the exquisitely dressed woman was doing her harm merely by uttering a single word. But what a word to say! How long had it been since she’d heard someone call her by her real name?

  “Fallon Rusholm! I can’t believe it!”

  Her mouth parted slightly as she tried to place the tall redhead with sparkling emerald eyes.

  Where have I seen her before?

  “It’s me—Beatrice Wexley. From Pierpont High. Go Stingrays, right?”

  Fallon still could not find words, possibly because they were lodged in the depth of her throat or maybe because she couldn’t understand how Bea Wexley was standing on a sodden sidewalk in downtown Ashbridge, striking up a conversation with someone that anyone could plainly see was homeless. They had nothing in common, not anymore. It was hard to reconcile they had ever shared a lunch table, let alone a conversation.

  She did remember Bea, of course. The girl had been one of her only friends in their high school days.

  Go Stingrays, indeed, Fallon thought with some bitterness.

  It seemed an unlikely match: Bea, stately, rich and fire-haired with a brilliant white smile and outgoing personality while Fallon was shy, reserved and barely five feet tall, her mother a drug addict.

  “You don’t remember me, do you?” There was hurt in her voice but Fallon quickly shook her head in denial.

  “Yes, yes, I remember you,” she replied quickly, her voice gravelly for it seemed it had been days since she’d last used it. Fallon worried that the woman would leave her there, offended by her poor manners, and for reasons she could not understand, she wanted Bea to remain, if only to share another few words.

  Beatrice seemed relieved as she chuckled, those ivory fangs gleaming against the gloomy sky, almost as if she was wearing a set of false dentures, but of course that was ridiculous; they were the same age. The only difference was Beatrice Wexley oozed of money and charm while Fallon had been subjected to years of hard living under terrible conditions.

  “It’s great to see you, Fallon. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told Daniel that I missed you,” Beatrice offered softly. An unexpected pang of emotion flooded through Fallon although whether it was due to being missed or the mention of Bea’s older brother, she couldn’t be sure. It had been seven years since she’d last seen either of the Wexley siblings. Surely they had forsaken her just as everyone else had managed to do. It had never occurred to Fallon that anyone had given her a second thought.

  Yet Beatrice’s face emanated kindness and sincerity and Fallon found herself lowering her guard as she stared into the woman’s piercing green eyes.

  “D-do you see Daniel often?” Fallon asked, her words sounding garbled to her own ears.

  Beatrice laughed merrily.

  “Well, we are brother and sister,” she replied nonchalantly. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much of a choice, especially not when there’s a business to be run.”

  Another jolt of confused emotion slithered through Fallon and the ginger-headed woman peered at her, concern coloring her face.

  “Come inside,” Bea urged. “You’re soaked to the core and I could use a coffee.”

  She didn’t wait for Fallon’s response, turning her short bob away and hurrying toward the door, her matte Louboutins clicking and splashing against the sidewalk. It was only at that moment that Fallon realized Bea had been shielding her with an umbrella. As Beatrice moved, the rain found its way back against her skin, causing another round of chills to surface on Fallon’s body.

  Nervousness flickered in her gut as she remained rooted outside the hipster coffee house, unsure of what to do. If she followed Bea inside and the mean blonde was behind the counter, a scene was sure to ensue but Fallon didn’t want to offend her old friend.

  If I see the blonde, I can always make a run for it…

  “Fallon! Come on!”

  Bea’s white teeth blinded her once more as she waved a manicured hand in gesture.

  It was all the motivation Fallon needed and before she could change her mind, she walked after her long-lost friend into the bustling store, blinking at the change of atmosphere.

  The lights were surprisingly bright considering the darkness rolling in from outside and they hurt Fallon’s eyes somewhat, but she dared not complain. It was a relief to escape the weather, if even for a minute or two.

  Everywhere she looked, students and businesspeople lounged in chairs, glued to electronics, whether a computer or cell phone. No one seemed to notice the presence of a woman who clearly had no business being among them. For that matter, no one bothered to check out the exquisite redhead either. They were just far too absorbed in their own worlds to notice anything but the screens before them.

  Bea didn’t seem to care that she did not command the attention of everyone in the room even though Fallon thought she should.

  “I’m feeling soup today. And a ham and Swiss. Have you ever had the ham and Swiss here, Fallon? It’s to die for.”

  Beatrice’s voice refocused her attention and Fallon gaped at her slightly, unsure of how to respond. The mere thought of eating meat, even processed, made her mouth water. It had been two days since she had managed to find a scrap of food to eat and she had forgotten how to be hungry, her tiny stomach having shrunk so dramatically.

  She shifted her dark eyes away from Beatrice who stared at her expectantly, but Fallon could not bring herself to explain that she couldn’t afford a cup of water in the joint, never mind a two-course meal.

  “Fine, I’ll order for you,” she announced, spinning on a heel to look at the cashier who watched Fallon with cold eyes. “Two chicken vegetable soups and two ham and Swiss on a Kaiser.”

  “She can’t be in here.”

  Fallon lifted her head, her eyes resting on the barista for the first time. It was the dreaded blonde.

  It was unsurprising; finding food was never as easy as that. There had to be some obstacle blocking her from obtaining nouri
shment.

  “What?” Bea asked, smiling slightly as if she didn’t understand the punchline of the joke.

  “She’s not allowed in here,” the girl insisted, her already annoying voice raising. “Jake! This one’s back!”

  Fallon’s face flushed with humiliation and she turned to leave before another employee appeared to escort her from the store. She didn’t bother to explain her abrupt departure to Beatrice; it should have been self-explanatory anyway.

  “How many times have we told you to stop harassing the customers?” The nasal pitch followed her as Fallon bolted toward the door. “And don’t come back!”

  “FALLON!”

  Beatrice’s voice stopped her as if it was a gunshot ricocheting through the walls. The entire establishment seemed to quiet, all eyes turning toward them, realizing for the first time that the real show was at the counter.

  Slowly, Fallon turned, her face crimson with shame.

  “I—I shouldn’t be here,” she explained to Bea whose face had twisted into a vastly unfamiliar expression. She seemed… enraged.

  “Come back here, please.” Despite the politeness of the sentence, it was delivered through clenched teeth, Bea’s bright green eyes fixated on the barista.

  “Ma’am, I don’t know what sob story she gave you, but this woman is a menace—”

  “What is your name?”

  The man who was presumably Jake appeared before Fallon, his obese body seeming giant next to her tiny frame. Fallon felt her insides clench as she tried to make herself scarce. She hoped Jake wouldn’t touch her; last time he had left bruises on her that didn’t heal for weeks.

  “Britta.”

  “Britta, did you hear my order?” Bea asked, her tone conversational but there was a layer of ice which prickled Fallon’s flesh.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry but—”

  “No, I’m sorry but,” Bea mimicked. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Please, Bea,” Fallon mumbled, but the ginger only held up her hand.

  “Ma’am don’t force me to call the police,” Britta chirped, her pale face as red as Fallon’s. “Don’t cause a scene.”

  “What did they do?” a teenager called out and Fallon realized that half the café had their cameras rolling as the drama unfolded. She dropped her head behind tangled chestnut strands, wishing to disappear. The last thing she wanted was to be the subject of a YouTube viral clip, even if she’d done nothing wrong.