The Apex Shifter Complete Set: Books 1 - 3

by Emilia Hartley

  Blood destroyed both, tooth and nail in a frenzy. Kayla’s eyes went huge as she saw his released grizzly. There was not time for anything but to grab her in a tight hug. Blood was now so huge, his ursine body was locked tight in the front seats of the car.

  He hoped it would be enough.

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  Chapter Ten

  Kayla froze as the car raced, out of control, toward the guardrail. The airbag inflated with a bang a split second after the front bumper slammed the anchored steel. Her mind flashed images. A car, brakes screaming, heading toward her. The bright lights filled her vision. The sudden darkness following. Were they from her past?

  She shook it off. What could she do? Her foot remained pressing the brake pedal to the floor, but they were tumbling though the air.

  A deep rumbling filled the car. Claws slashed away the airbag, her seatbelt. In shock, she watched the giant grizzly wrench himself toward her. He was so big; he took up all the room in the front of the car. Paws reached for her. She wanted to back away, but she was already shoved against the door.

  The bear gripped her, pulling her into the mass of its fur. Elathan, this was Elathan, her conscious mind repeated, even as her subconscious blazed with terror.

  Even as he gripped her fully, she felt the first impact. The bear grunted in pain. Kayla, surrounded by fur, muscle and bone, barely felt it. What she did feel was the car rotating in the air as it rebounded. How far was it down the cliff? Certainly, even surrounded by bear meat, the drop would kill her. Even an animal as powerful as a grizzly would surely die as well.

  Again, the car hit the ground. The windshield shattered. As the car rolled, the passenger door flew open. With a nauseating spin, she felt herself in freefall.

  Another brain-jarring smash followed, the bear emitting a bark of agony. And then nothing. She no longer felt the sensation of falling, of tumbling. It took all her strength to pull the limp forelimb off of her. They lay on a narrow ledge. On the slope above, the car lay on its roof, see-sawing with metallic protests.

  Kayla’s eyes scanned the cliff face as she shrugged more of the unconscious bear off of her. She saw a way up to the road. With the car teetering above, she crawled toward the rough climb up. Something closed fast around her foot.

  “Don’t. They hunt by heat signature.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Elathan, lying naked in the snow. His eyes were glazed over with the impact.

  “What does?”

  He glanced upward, and her eyes followed.

  A river of white fire struck the car roaring and engulfing the whole vehicle. Kayla shielded her eyes from the intensity. One of the tires exploded. The car rocked, and turned over, heading down the slope.

  Kayla saw it coming, and panicked, trying to move out of its path. A heartbeat later, Blood had her wrapped in his arms. Together, they tumbled against the cliff wall. As they did, the car slammed the ledge where she had been running. With a steel groan, it rebounded, rolling into the dark.

  Seconds later, the air expanded, the ground shaking beneath them. From below, heat and light blasted forth. Kayla realized the car had exploded.

  “Stay still,” Elathan whispered in her ear, his body clutching her tightly.

  Dazzled eyes swept the road above. In the brilliance of the burning car, she caught sight of the impossible. A bat wing, scaled in glistening blue and red, spread to tremendous size. It expanded, catching the air. With a dull drum beat like a single pulse of thunder, the vast wing flapped.

  In an instant, the menacing shape disappeared. Only the heavy thud of mighty wings remained, fading quickly. Soon, only the ticking and hissing of the destroyed car below could be heard in the quiet night.

  Her eyes remained locked on the slope above. The shape across the moon, the huge wing, smoke, fire—she knew what she had seen. Kayla could not verbalize it. She asked a question she knew the answer to, even though she didn’t want to know.

  “What was that?”

  Elathan’s breath was in her ear, slowing, no longer a pant. “That is the creature I’m hunting.”

  “Creature?”

  “The monster,” Elathan said. It seemed even he didn’t want to say the word.

  “It can’t be. It just can’t be.”

  “She knows I’m coming for her.”

  Kayla tried to assign gender to the thing she saw. “She?”

  “Thorn’s mother.”

  “What?”

  “You read the file. The speculation that I wanted her for my own. The truth is, she has to be destroyed before she kills us all.”

  “Thorn’s mother is—”

  “Yes. Thorn’s mother is a dragon-shifter.”

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  Chapter Twelve

  A second explosion from below rocked the ground. Blood gripped Kayla tighter. With his body, he shielded her from the tumble of snow and rocks from the slope above. He felt her quiver in fear.

  “Don’t worry. She’s gone now,” he whispered.

  Kayla turned beneath him until she looked into his eyes. Hers were bright and too wide. “We nearly died.”

  Blood couldn’t argue the point. His bones still ached from the drop, even though he’d shifted back to human form. If not for this ledge, if the car had rolled a few feet closer, had he not shifted before they were thrown—

  There was no point dwelling on it. He cast around, gathering what he could find of his shredded suit.

  “Wait.”

  To his shock, Kayla threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  He nearly pulled back. There was only one woman he’d ever loved. He’d made her a promise. Yet he was on the verge of fulfilling that pledge. It had been so long. Surely, she would want him to live his life fully.

  Kayla’s mouth ground against his, ravenous. Hesitation gone, he mashed his mouth against hers, hand cupping her jaw. She moaned, her tongue seeking his. Instantly, his manhood responded. Her beauty, her youth, and most of all her need called to him.

  When his stiffness pressed against her, she shrugged out of her coat, not breaking the kiss. His fingers rapidly unbuttoned her blouse. Urgency disallowed subtleness, and he pulled the bra down from her full breasts. They glowed in the moonlight, small pink nipples erect. His big hands gripped her, massaged the butter soft flesh, the heels of his thumbs kneading the sharp jut of stiff flesh that revealed her desire.

  Roughly, he thrust his hand beneath her skirt, forcing her thighs apart. Kayla’s legs further obliged as he teased her through her panties. She sighed into his mouth as his fingers slipped beneath the elastic. Slick to the touch, he carefully opened her.

  As he found her secret place, her hips rocked against his hand. He followed her lead with deft, firm strokes. Her gasps and tiny cries inspired him. With a smooth motion, he pulled her panties down her legs.

  He broke the kiss, his lips and tongue finding new ground. He kissed her breasts, lightly biting her nipples. Hands on his head urged him down.

  Soft thighs against his face, his hands on each side of her sex, the flower of her pussy glowed ruby in the moonlight. When his tongue sought out her clit, she was already slick with dew. He swirled his tongue around and around her wet lips, circling closer to his goal. When he touched her most sensitive spot with the firm pressure of his tongue, she sang a long, quiet syllable of lust.

  Around and around, only the very tip of his tongue assailed her. He could feel thunder build in her body. Kayla’s hands clutched his hair. Her back arched. Heels dug into his back.

  “Ohh!”

  The sound slipped from her as she quaked, muscles twitching, sex grinding against his face. The fists in his hair lifted his head. Lips parted, eyes lidded, she beseeched him.

  “Please. I can’t take anymore. I want you inside me.”

  ***

  Alive! She was alive. Never had mortality become so prevalent in her thoughts. It had just reared up before
her like the face of a tidal wave. She was nearly washed into oblivion. But no, she had survived. Still shaking, she needed to feel something life-affirming. And it was right in front of her. Her eyes roved the mass of muscles, the odd symbol tattooed over his heart, the beauty of his sculpted face. She grabbed Elathan and kissed him.

  At first, she thought he would refuse. His stiffening cock belied that. In a moment, she was drowning in his kiss. She fused with him, his touch bringing her back from the brink, grounding her. At the same time, her head flooded with carnal need.

  Kayla ripped the coat from her shoulders. She wanted her naked flesh against his. Happily, his deft fingers made short work of her blouse, her bra, and then made magic between her thighs.

  She opened her legs, squirmed against him, his calloused hand creating sparking friction against the silk of her clit. Elathan’s lips left hers, moving down her neck, her collar bone. The rasp of his cheeks in the valley of her breasts forced the breath from her. Teeth against her tight nipples made her gasp again.

  More, she wanted more. Aggressively, she pulled his hair, dragging his face down. Lips, teeth, tongue moved across the softness of her flat stomach. And lower and lower. His seeking tongue touched the singularity of her pleasure. Soon, the insistent pressure, the constant pulse, drove her over the edge. Fireworks went off, first in her center, then in her brain. Her body convulsed with the orgasm. The warmth of it burned through her from the center outward.

  More, she wanted more. She begged him to take her. Elathan obliged.

  The broad head of his cock slid into her. Her tightness held him fast. It took several slow thrusts before she opened to his thickness, his length. Then, with a single thrust, he was in her to the pelvis. Kayla rocked with him. She felt the sweet leverage deep within her. Taking his weight, she wrapped her legs around him.

  His lips found hers again. This kiss was gentle. The contrast between the fierce thrusts below built her desire again. Sweet, soft kisses, the relentless ram, her velvet muscle contracted around him. Each plunge heightened her ecstasy. Soon she would topple from the great height.

  Involuntarily, her hands moved down the plains of his back, her nails bit into his firm ass. She felt him grow even larger inside her. His motions became frenzied. Her grip on reality faltered as he flooded her with fire.

  “I’m coming!” She cried. The sensation hit her like a freight train. With every muscle, she gripped Elathan tightly, bearing down on the pleasure until the waves rushing through her became too deep. Oblivious to anything but the rush of her rapture, the ripples wracked her until her entire body unclenched.

  Opening her eyes, sweating despite the cold, she tried to catch her breath. That was incredible, awesome, amazing. But as she caught her wind, the reality of the situation became clear. That was stupid, thoughtless, career ending, she thought.

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  Chapter Thirteen

  After they declined to be taken to the hospital, the ambulance dropped them off at the nearest phone—their original destination, the Timberline Lodge. Between the resort staff and the EMTs, clothing was found for Elathan. No one questioned his shredded clothes. Kayla wondered if that happened a lot in car accidents. Trapped by the lateness of the hour, she booked two rooms.

  Brain still whirling, she agreed to Blood’s suggestion that they eat something. She allowed herself to be led through the Art Deco lodge, hardly registering the folk art that decorated the expansive architecture.

  She’d had sex with a client. Could everyone tell? She cast furtive glances around. Most people seemed to be staring at Blood, a hulking figure well over six feet tall, dressed in rented boots, quilted ski pants and a souvenir T-shirt.

  Kayla still tingled from the encounter, legs wobbly. It had been so good. Elathan was equal parts gentle, and ferocious. She had needed both. Was the fact that it felt so awesome making her feel even guiltier?

  His hand fell on her shoulder, guiding her after their hostess. Even this touch sent her brain swooning. Reluctantly, she shrugged him off. “I can’t. We can’t.” She couldn’t come up with the right words.

  She practically fell into her chair.

  The hostess asked, “Can I start you off with—”

  “House wine,” Kayla interrupted her, “a big bottle, please.”

  When she left, Elathan spoke in a low voice. “I can’t decide which is disturbing you more, the fact that we were attacked by a dragon, or the love-making.”

  Kayla put her head in her hands. “Please don’t say either one of those things out loud again.”

  “Just trying to ease the tension.”

  “What have I done?” She kept her head down. “I’ll have to remove myself from my first case. I’ll probably get fired. This is so bad.”

  “First case?”

  She looked at him through her fingers. “First as the lead attorney. I’ve tried cases before as part of a team.”

  “Well, I’m not gonna blow the whistle. Nobody has to know.”

  Wine arrived, and she grabbed the glass. “Nobody will know. And it stops right here. I can’t have a relationship with a client.”

  “It would be worth it to me to fire you, then.”

  “Not to me. This is a big deal. I want to prove you innocent. I want to show my bosses I can do this. This is huge for me.” She swallowed a slug of wine. Took a breath. “Sorry. I’m just freaked out.”

  Elathan tasted his own wine. “Agreed. At least we can officially call this not-a-date. The meal and wine usually come first.”

  “Do I look like I’m in a joking mood?”

  The waitress interrupted. “The manager says your meal is on the house. We heard about the car crash. Are you two okay?”

  “We’re a little shaken up,” Kayla said.

  “Since the meal is complimentary, we’ll have the steak and lobster as well as the pork chops.” Elathan smiled. “And whatever the lady is having.”

  She gave him the evil eye. “I’ll have the chef’s salad.”

  When the server left, Kayla locked eyes with Elathan. “Dragons. How is this possible? Dragons aren’t real.”

  “Neither are shifters.” Elathan shrugged and drained his wine.

  Kayla tried to reel in her wild thoughts. She had read the investigation file. It spoke of underground lairs, missing treasure hoards, and the inability to identify Thorn’s mother. Recently, a series of arsons plagued the town of Ripple. She had seen her own vehicle torched by unearthly white fire. She stared in shock at the shadow of giant wings against the moon.

  “Is that was this case is about?”

  Elathan poured wine into each glass, emptying the bottle. “It is what my case is about.”

  “You’re a grizzly shifter. Thorn is a Kodiak. You’re bears, for crying out loud. How does a dragon fit into any of this?”

  “She is more than a dragon. She is a dragon-shifter. In both her human and monstrous form, she has stolen every moment of joy from my life.”

  Emotion dragged his features down. Elathan suddenly looked as ancient as Oscar León’s files indicated. For a long moment, Kayla found herself speechless. Yet wasn’t this what they were here to talk about in the first place?

  “You have to tell me the story.”

  His eyes fell to the table. “I don’t know if I’m able.”

  “If I’m going to defend you, I need to know, Elathan.” She reached across and took his hand. Emotions she thought she’d put away surged again. But she held on until he looked up.

  “If you insist, I’ll tell you.”

  She nodded. “Then I insist.”

  “I’m not currently drunk enough,” he said. Elathan signaled the waitress. “Another bottle of wine, please. And a double rye, neat.”

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  Chapter Fourteen

  Blood had never told his story to anyone. Or at least, anyone still living. Kayla waited impatiently as he ate his dinner, drank
his whiskey, and stared into the depths of his wine glass. Fortified, he thought he might get through it.

  “I fell in love with a woman a long time ago,” Blood began. “A Shoshone squaw, but when we met, she was a member of a separate tribe. We hit it off from the get-go. I was a wanderer, a loveless bastard with a dark soul. Her name was Kimama, which meant Sunshine. For the only time in my life, I felt the black clouds lift from around my heart.

  “Her tribe had no name. Their village sat where Ripple is now. Like Ripple, the people there were all shifters. It was a revelation for me—I thought I was alone in the world. It was an eye-opener for the tribe as well—a white man who could shift. They inducted me into the tribe. I learned their stories, legends. I was told of a creature they called thunderbird. The monster was an enemy of shifters and the beasts of the sea. I was presented with a ceremonial weapon, a talisman against the thunderbird. Or so I thought.

  “Finally, I’d found my place in the world. It was a simple life, one that called to me. I planned to spend the rest of my days among them, but I still had a duty to the party I’d traveled west with…”

  Kayla watched him, sipping her wine, the expression on her face urging him on.

  “I needed only wait until the white men had wintered over, and when they returned east, my job was done. I’d return to the village, and Kimama. But it didn’t happen that way. I was sent on an expedition. Indians had found a beached whale. My commander wanted to trade for blubber and oil. The beast was butchered to a skeleton by the time we arrived. But I saw something that made my soul freeze over.

  “The behemoth’s skeleton was like broken in half, its spine severed. I remembered the story of the thunderbird. What else could break the back of a whale? On the return to the fort, I saw smoke rising above the village. My village. I deserted right then and there, shifting to cover the miles quickly.