by J. L. Beck
Copyright © 2020 by Beck & Hallman LLC
Editing by Kelly Allenby
Cover design by C. Hallman
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Holding You
1. Summer
2. Ezra
3. Summer
4. Ezra
5. Summer
6. Ezra
7. Summer
8. Ezra
Midnight Whispers
About the Authors
Also by the Authors
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Crazy Daisy is what they used to call her, beautiful but deranged. She was the prey to every bully in our school... including me.
After graduating Blackthorn, I thought I’d never see her again, then she walked into the fundraiser my father was putting on and I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
I’d always wanted her, but never acted on my feelings.
Now was the time to claim her, but there was something standing in our way… her father and a secret I never saw coming.
***This is a standalone novella ending in an HEA.***
1
Summer
Tilting the flat rock in my hand, I hold it between my thumb and index finger. The lake before me is serene, peaceful. I shouldn’t disrupt something so beautiful, but I can’t help myself. I pull my arm back and throw the rock, making it skip across the water. I count each skip, one, two, three, four…
“Not bad,” Patrick calls from somewhere behind me.
I jump and turn around to find him approaching slowly. Just him being here is enough to make my stomach drop. With a smirk on his face and a beer bottle in hand, he steps closer. Even with all this wide-open space, it feels like I’m trapped in a corner with nowhere to go. I want to take a few steps back to put more distance between us, but I’ll be in the lake if I step back any more. Not that I would mind jumping in the lake to get away from him, that is, if it wasn’t a crisp fifty degrees outside.
“Um, thanks,” I reply, hoping he won’t think it’s an entrance for conversation.
Patrick brings the beer bottle to his lips and takes a sip, his eyes on me the entire time. He’s a good looking guy, in the all-American boy kind of way. Perfect hair, a toned body, picture-perfect parents, and most likely going to attend an ivy league college, all the girls I know would kill for a date with him, but not me. I don’t find him attractive at all.
Matter of fact, I haven’t found a single guy I’m attracted to enough to even want to kiss him. Sometimes, I seriously think there is something wrong with me.
“Why did you sneak away from the campfire?” he whispers.
To get away from you.
“I didn’t like the music.”
I didn’t care a lick about the music. I wasn’t even bothered by the other girls dancing like they were strippers, rubbing on the guys, and practically dry-humping them. I was only bothered when Patrick started to pressure me to dance like that when I had already told him that I didn’t want to.
“You can dance for me without the music,” Patrick slurs, his eyes raking up and down my body like he is already imagining me naked. It takes a bit of restraint to stop from cringing. I revisit the idea of jumping into the lake but dismiss it quickly. The water is fucking cold, and I don’t want to freeze to death.
“I was actually just thinking about going back.” I brush past him.
“Wait.” He reaches out and latches onto my arm, pulling me backward. “The party is lame. Let’s hang out here for a bit, where it’s more private.”
My whole body recoils at his touch, his scent, and the sound of his voice. Everything about him makes my skin crawl. Patrick either doesn’t see it in his drunken state, or he doesn’t care. Either way, I need to think of something quick so that I can escape this situation.
“Sure, why not… but first, I have to go pee.” I force my lips into a smile even though it’s the last thing I want to do.
His eyebrows rise in question, almost like he doesn’t believe me. Thankfully, he releases my arm a moment later.
Spinning around, I walk away from him and into the woods. Leaves crunch beneath my feet with each step that I take. I’m going in the opposite direction of the party, but I don’t care. All I care about is getting away from Patrick.
As soon as I’m out of sight, I start running.
I regret my choice of footwear for the night almost immediately. My worn-out flats give me very little stability as my feet slam into the unforgiving forest floor.
I squint my eyes as I run. The sun is setting, making it harder and harder to see where I’m going. The trees rush past me, and a small branch comes out of nowhere. The pine needles slap me in the face, and a hiss of pain slips past my lips—stupid tree.
After a while, my lungs start burning, and the bottoms of my feet ache.
I come to a stop and press my back to a tree to catch my breath for a moment. When I peer around the tree, I see nothing but forest. Looking around, I realize that the exact same sight greets me in every direction I look.
Crap.
Dread fills my veins as I realize that I’m probably lost.
No, not probably. I’m fucking lost. In my mind, I try to figure out how long I’ve been running and how far away I might be from the campsite, but I draw a blank.
Then I try to determine if I stayed in a straight line, which I did for the most part. Maybe if I turn around and walk back in the same direction, I’ll end up back at the lake. Indecision weighs on my mind. Even if I run into Patrick, I’ll deal with his drunken ass.
I mean, he didn’t really do anything. He’s more of an annoying fly than anything.
The longer I stand there, the more I come to the conclusion that I overreacted. I should have just told him no and demanded to go back to the campsite, instead of running away like a crazy person.
He wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.
Huffing, I turn around and decide to walk back in the direction I came. It’s almost completely dark now, which is not helping at all. Walking with my arms stretched out in front of me, I carefully make my way back through the woods.
I walk for what feels like an hour, and still, there is nothing but trees surrounding me. That’s when I really start to get worried.
The night is growing colder and somehow darker. I look down at my clothing. I’m only wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater. I left my jacket in the car, which is something I’m regretting now.
Fear creeps its way up my spine as I’m faced with the reality of spending the night out here. The cold night air is already clinging to my bones.
Just when I think things couldn’t get any worse, there’s a rustling sound coming from somewhere behind me. I spin around, praying I don’t find a wild animal out here, but all I can see is darkness.
My heart beats furiously against my ribs as I conjure up all kinds of explanations for that sound. A bear, a mountain lion… a serial killer?
Okay, calm down, drama queen.
Holding my breath, I take a few hesitant steps.
When the rustling continues, it seems even closer, only amplifying my fear. My knees knock together, and even though my feet feel as if they’re rooted in the ground, I find the strength to make my body take a few steps backward…
Only there is nothing to step on. Instead of solid ground, I step into air.
Before I can e
ven react to what is happening, I’m falling, tumbling down a slope. My arms flail as I desperately try to latch onto something, anything, but all I come up with is air. I can’t get my bearings. I don’t know if I’m up or down, left or right.
All I know is that I’m falling, a helpless feeling washes over me, and my body twists. A second later, my head crashes into the ground, and I become submerged in icy-cold water.
My lungs seize in my chest. I can’t breathe, can’t see, can’t think.
Panic like I’ve never experienced wraps around my throat like an iron shackle, and before I know it, I’m being dragged into the darkness.
2
Ezra
Pacing in front of the fireplace, I try to calm my bear down, focusing all my attention on the dancing flames. Agitation builds in my veins. I don’t know what the fuck is going on today, but I’m ready for it to be over. My bear has never been restless like this. I already let him out this morning, and all he did was run through the woods, taking a whole lap around the lake.
I don’t get what the problem is, but I need this shit to stop, so I can go back to my normal misery. It’s been ten years since I moved out here to live by myself in Blackclaw Manor. I couldn’t take it anymore. Not after my entire pack found their mates, and everyone was happy and complete… except me.
Normally, we find our mates when we turn eighteen; some wait until their nineteen or twenty. I’ve never heard of anyone not being mated by their mid-twenties, though.
I’m thirty-eight, and I still haven’t found her.
I gave up a long time ago, accepting fate’s cruel hand. I can take the hint; they didn’t want me to find a mate. I even thought about offing myself, cutting this life short since I have nothing to live for anyway. Except, every time I’ve tried, my bear intervened, refusing to let me.
Just thinking about killing myself has him growling in my ear. He rushes forward, pushing against my skin, wanting to take over again. To be set free. You had your turn today. I tell him, pushing him back down. Usually, he’s content with that, but not now.
My body shakes, and my chest rumbles. The urge to go on another run overwhelms me.
The world I live in is very lonely. Shifters are the only supernatural beginning left. There used to be witches as well, but they died out. Mostly since humans hunted them and killed them simply because they were different.
Leaving the fire to burn on its own, I stomp out of the house. Cool fall air washes over my always hot skin as I step outside. Inhaling deeply, I smell it…
The most amazing scent I’ve ever caught. It’s sweet vanilla and wild berries with something so unique, there is no comparison. The scent is overpowering, consuming my every thought. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m running toward it.
The scent guides me like a beacon through the darkness. I’m not talking about the darkness of the night since I can see just fine with nothing but the moonlight.
It’s the darkness that has been my life so far. The darkness that has been eating me up from the inside for years. Whatever that scent is, it’s leading me right out of that misery. Whatever it is, promises me salvation.
Then it hits me… Mate.
Fuck, this has to be her.
My muscles burn as I run faster, my feet slapping against the forest ground with the same ferocity that my heart is beating in my chest. My lips do something they haven’t done in so long, I can’t count the months, years even. They turn up at the sides and into a smile.
That smile vanishes as quickly as it appears and is replaced with a deep fear. A fear that isn’t my own. I can sense her. My mate is scared. She is in danger.
On instinct, I rip my shirt off, midway through shifting, letting the rest of my clothes tear off as my body grows in size. One moment, I’m running on two legs; the next, I’m on four. I lift my nose into the air and catch another whiff of her intoxicating scent. It’s leading me straight to the edge of the lake.
A ferocious roar rips from my throat as I get closer to my mate. Her fear continues to grow in my chest, and her scent gets more potent with each step I take until it’s so strong it overwhelms every other smell around me.
My limbs lock, and I come to a sudden halt, almost taking a tumble into the lake. Where is she? Panic races through me. Then I notice a set of foot tracks in the dirt leading right to the edge of a slope. She needs me. Somehow, I manage to shift back into human form and leap down the steep hill. Wasting no time, I jump into the water headfirst. My sense of smell is gone beneath the water, but the ache in my chest leads me right to her.
The water is murky, making it hard to see. Her long blonde hair floats in front of her face like rivulets of spun gold, and even without a close look at her face, I already know she is the most beautiful creature in the world.
Wrapping my arms around her slender body, I pull her to my chest and rush back to the surface. The moment we break through the water and into the air, something changes in me. I feel like I’m being reborn. My old life is a memory, and my new life with my mate in my arms begins right now.
I quickly swim to the edge and pull us out of the water. Shivers wrack her slender body almost immediately. She trembles, and her teeth chatter inside her head.
Warm her. My bear roars in my mind as if I wasn’t going to do that, to begin with.
Her eyes remain shut as I cradle her to my chest and come to stand. In a flash, I’m running through the forest and back toward the manor. Her shaking seems to intensify, and that worries me. Glancing down at her, I find her plump lips blue and her beautiful face pale.
Fuck. I need to get her warmed up.
The thought is fresh in my mind when I reach the pile of shredded clothes I left behind on the way over her. Stopping, I lay my mate on the ground next to me, ripping off her wet shirt and bra in a hurry.
If I didn’t know she desperately needed warmth, I would just stay here and admire her breasts for the rest of my life. Full. Perky. Perfect. She is perfect. Everything about her is perfection. Every curve, every slope, and dip of her body is without flaw.
I already love her, every part of her, body and soul. Since she is human, she doesn’t know it yet. She can’t feel the bond between us until I bite her. But in my mind, she is mine, and I’m never going to let her go.
3
Summer
For a moment, I think I’m dead. I’m sure of it, actually. I’ve never been so cold in my life. It’s like someone has encased my body in an iceberg. I must be dead. My limbs are numb, the coldness reaching into the deepest parts of my soul.
My chest aches and rattles with each breath I take.
My teeth clash together, and when I try to open my eyes, all I see is darkness.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay,” a deep unfamiliar voice says. It’s a man’s voice. There is a man here. Fear creeps in, accompanying my other emotions. No matter the darkness and cold surrounding me, I pry my eyes open again. The outline of the man’s body comes into view first. He is big and muscular, with wide shoulders and thick arms.
It only takes me a second to realize what is going on. The man is hovering over me and tugging on my body. I glance down and find him pulling my jeans down my legs.
The wet jeans cling to me like a second skin, making it hard for him to remove them. Cold air makes my skin pebble, and another glance south tells me my shirt is gone, and my breasts are exposed to him. Even worse, he is naked. Completely naked.
The fear I felt before becomes full-fledged panic, and I start to really freak out. I start to squirm away and out of his hold, but my legs are numb, and my arms are just as useless. I look like a worm trying to escape the fishing pole.
“Please,” I whimper, just as he gets my legs out of my pants.
Wiggling backward, I realize he took my panties off too when my butt cheeks scrape across the ground. Oh god. Now I’m completely naked and at his mercy.
Grabbing my ankle, he halts my movement.
“I’m just trying t
o get you warm,” he growls like he is angry with me. With his hand wrapped tightly around my ankle, he pulls me back toward him.
I try to get away again, but he’s already on top of me, straddling my legs, rendering me immobile. His heavy cock is resting on my thighs, inches away from my pussy. I gulp. Is this how I’m going to lose my virginity? By some stranger in the woods before he surely kills me?
Pressure builds behind my eyes, but I force the tears away, knowing that if I let one fall, I’m never going to stop crying.
As if he can sense my emotions, he whispers, “Don’t be scared, I’m not going to hurt you.” I don’t believe him. Why else would he be stripping me of my clothing and climbing on top of me?
He reaches for something next to us, and I’m positive it’s a weapon, not that he would need one to hurt me. He is at least twice my size and overpowers me with ease.
I flinch when what he grabs comes into view. It’s… a shirt. A regular T-shirt. No gun or shovel? Just a cotton T-shirt.
Confused, I remain helpless as he pulls the shirt over my head and dresses me in it like I’m an oversized Barbie doll.
With lightning reflexes, he climbs off of me and to his feet. With his body weight gone, I can plan my escape, but before I can even move, he bends down and slides his arms under my body. I’m lifted in the air and cradled to his chest. Then he’s moving, walking like nothing even happened.
My normal aversion to being touched by any man is overridden by the reminder of how cold I am. Instead of recoiling, I snuggle deeper into his chest, letting his body heat seep into mine. How is he so warm?
My cheek feels like ice pressed up against his burning skin.