Shifting Fates (Sanmere Shifters Book 1)

by Lola Gabriel

  For the time she was a wolf, she was able to forget her grief over her parents, forget her grief over Ava, forget her lack of a job, forget how much her life had crashed and burned these last few months. She ran faster than the wind, embracing her newfound strength and speed, and when she had turned back, she could still feel her wolf right there, waiting to come out again. And now, she didn’t try to push it away and ignore it. She liked it lingering there.

  Her wolf stirred inside of her now, reminding her that she had something far more interesting to do than stand here reminiscing. She rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth, spat into the sink and rinsed it out, and then shut off the tap. She thought for a moment and stripped off her nightgown and underwear. She went to the door of the en suite bathroom, opened it, and leaned seductively against the door frame.

  “Finally,” Grey grinned.

  He looked up as he said it and the grin fell from his mouth, leaving behind a look that was all lust. Ellery felt her center getting wet just looking at the hungry expression on Grey’s face. He reached out for the duvet and lifted it, showing her he, too, was naked beneath it and inviting her in. She didn’t need any more of an invitation. She practically ran to the bed and got in beside Grey. Their lips met as Grey pulled the duvet over Ellery.

  Instantly, Ellery felt her body coming to life. Her clit pulsed, her pussy clenched, begging Grey to fill it, and her skin tingled. Grey pushed her gently backwards, moving her onto her back and getting on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly against her as her heart pounded inside of her. She could feel her wolf responding to Grey’s touch. It moved inside of her, impatient for more.

  Grey moved his lips from hers and kissed down her neck and over her chest. He sucked one of her breasts into his mouth and she gasped in a breath as intense tingles flooded through her. She arched her back, her hands on either side of Grey’s head, holding him in place as he flicked his tongue back and forth across her nipple and then nibbled on it.

  He moved to the other breast, bringing her nipple to a point and making her center ache for some attention. Ellery could feel her frustration building. She wanted Grey inside of her now. She needed the release of an orgasm. Her body was going wild as Grey teased her. His touch on her breast was now a series of teasing, tantalizing, feather-light flicks of his tongue.

  Just when Ellery thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Grey moved backwards, scooting down the bed and leaving a trail of kisses over Ellery’s stomach. Every kiss brought her nerves to life, leaving her tingling and wanting more. Finally, Grey reached her sweet spot. He pushed her thighs roughly apart and pressed his face between her legs.

  His tongue found her clit and Ellery closed her eyes as pleasurable sensations coursed through her body. She moaned as Grey upped the pressure on her clit, turning her stomach to knots and making her pussy even wetter as he worked her.

  She could feel herself teetering on the edge of her orgasm, and unwilling to let Grey tease her anymore, she brought her legs up, wrapping them around Grey’s shoulders and holding him in place against her clit.

  She moaned and writhed as pleasure surged through her. Grey didn’t tease her now; his tongue worked her ceaselessly, making her breath come in short, ragged pants that seared her throat. She felt her orgasm blooming through her, starting at her pulsating clit and moving through her stomach. Her muscles contracted as pleasure assaulted her.

  She felt her mouth drop open, her jaw going slack as every nerve in her body fizzed and tingled. Her wolf howled, sated and yet still hungry for more at the same time. Ellery called out Grey’s name as another wave of pleasure hit her, carrying her through a range of emotions she had never felt before. She didn’t know if it was Grey or her wolf, but this orgasm was by far the best orgasm she had ever had in her life. It just kept on coming, washing her in waves of pleasure that made her feel like she was floating on air.

  She felt Grey shift slightly and she released him from her thighs. He pushed himself up onto all fours, letting the duvet fall back. Ellery looked at Grey, her chest still heaving as her orgasm began to fade, leaving her feeling warm and heavy and ready for more. He smiled at her and she returned the smile. His chin and upper lip glistened with her juices and as she looked at Grey, he licked his lips, tasting her essence and making an mmm sound that only turned her on more.

  He ran his fingers through her slit. Her tender clit responded, sending a sharp pulse through Ellery that felt electric. It was a little painful, her clit sensitive after her orgasm, but it was the good sort of painful, the kind that pushed her right back to the edge.

  Grey bent himself forward and ran his tongue up Ellery’s stomach as he slowly crawled back up her body. He kissed her neck, sending goosebumps scurrying down her neck and over her chest. He kissed her lips again and pushed his tongue into her mouth. She could taste herself on his lips, on his tongue.

  Grey moaned into Ellery’s mouth as she ran her hands over his muscular back and down to cup his ass cheeks. She pressed his body against hers, grinding her hips against him, feeling how hard he was. He nipped her bottom lip between his teeth and she made a sharp squeaky sound as the pain and pleasure collided and rolled through her body. He pulled his head back and looked down at her. His eyes were dark and filled with desire and Ellery felt her body clench as she looked into his eyes, knowing she was having the same effect on him as he was having on her.

  “You are mine now, Ellery,” he said in a husky voice that sounded ragged and raw.

  She nodded her head eagerly and Grey pressed his cock against her opening. She took in a sharp breath as he pushed inside of her, filling her up, claiming her pussy as his. She gave herself willingly, opening herself up to him.

  Grey began to move inside of Ellery, filling her, stretching her, making her body tingle again. She felt herself tightening around Grey’s cock. She was claiming him every bit as much as he was claiming her. Her wolf howled inside of her, confirming her thought.

  She bit her lip as she looked into Grey’s eyes again, and then his lips were on hers, their kiss as frantic as their thrusting hips. Ellery felt her orgasm building quickly and she let go of any sense of control. She let her wolf take over her, her animal instincts responding to Grey in a way that her human side never could.

  She felt fur springing up along her inner thighs and she felt her nails extending, becoming claws. She ran her hands over Grey’s back, careful not to scratch him. Fur had sprung up along Grey’s spine and when he pulled back from her mouth and looked down at her again, she saw the blazing eyes of his wolf.

  As Ellery’s orgasm took her, she let out a sound that was half scream and half howl. It was a truly animalistic sound as Ellery and Grey became one, their human sides bonding to each other as their wolves did the same. Ellery wrapped her arms and legs around Grey, clinging to him as her orgasm pounded through her so intensely that for a moment, she blacked out.

  She came back to herself quickly, her limbs still wrapped around Grey, her pussy tightening around him as another wave of pleasure crashed over her. Grey pumped into her, harder and faster, and he gave an animal-like grunt. She held him as his orgasm ravaged his body.

  Finally, panting, Grey rolled off her. Ellery stayed on her back for a moment, trying to get herself under some sort of control. Her wolf receded and the fur on her thighs disappeared, her claws shrinking back down to her usual nails. A shiver went through her as she thought of how good that had felt. When she felt as though she could move again, she rolled onto her side and smiled at Grey. He returned her smile with a lazy-looking smirk of his own. He rolled to face her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

  “In years to come when we look back on the beginning, we should think of this as our first time,” Ellery grinned. “But you were probably right about our grandkids. We shouldn’t tell them anything about what happened here tonight.”

  Grey laughed and nodded his head.

  “Yup. That works for me.”

  They lay looki
ng into each other’s eyes for a while, lost in each other, and then Grey turned serious.

  “Ellery, there’s something you need to know. Tomorrow, a few pack members and I are going to hunt down Kiefer. He’s a menace and Ariel correctly pointed out that because we took him to use as ransom with Alex, he’s going to come for us. We want to get in first,” he said.

  “Okay,” Ellery said.

  Grey frowned and Ellery laughed.

  “What? Do you honestly think I’m going to beg you to spare that bastard?” Ellery asked.

  “No,” Grey replied. “But I guess I expected a bit more resistance at the thought of you being left behind.”

  “I’m not resisting that because it’s not happening,” Ellery said. “I’m going with you.”

  Grey started to speak, but Ellery kept going, not letting him interrupt her.

  “I don’t want to argue with you about this, Grey, but if you think I’m going to play the good little housewife and stay home while you go off doing shit like this, then I’m afraid you don’t know me at all. After what Kiefer did not just to me, but to my parents too, I need to be there when you take him down. I’m a wolf now and I need to embrace that side of myself. I’m not afraid of anyone anymore,” she said.

  “Is there any way I can talk you out of this?” Grey asked.

  His resigned tone told Ellery he already knew the answer to that question, but she shook her head anyway. She didn’t want to give him false hope that she was willing to stay behind for this.

  “Then you can come. But I need you to promise me that you’ll stay back and let me and the pack deal with Kiefer. I mean it, Ellery. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m not about to stand by and let my mate run into danger. It’s my job to protect you now.”

  Ellery smiled. It was a better compromise than she could have hoped for and she nodded her agreement. Grey leaned forward and gently rubbed his lips across hers.

  “I need to hear you say it,” Grey said.

  “I promise,” Ellery said.

  “Good, because I love you, Ellery,” he said. “And I came far too close to losing you already. I’m not going to risk that again.”

  “I love you too,” she replied, feeling warm inside at his words.

  * * *

  Ellery woke up to find it was still dark in the room. She wondered what had awoken her. Grey still lay beside her, his deep, even breaths telling her he was still asleep. She felt like something had woken her, though. She had woken quickly, like someone had shaken her, or like a loud noise had pierced her peaceful sleep. What could it be if Grey was still sleeping? Maybe he had snored or something, she thought to herself.

  It didn’t seem important and she closed her eyes again before sleep eluded her altogether. As they were closing, she saw a flicker of movement at the end of the bed and her eyes sprang open again. A figure stood at the foot of the bed, obscured by shadows. That had been what had awakened her. Someone coming into the room.

  “Grey,” Ellery said. Grey made a grunting sound but he didn’t wake up fully. Ellery reached across and shook him. Her voice was louder this time, edged by panic. “Grey. Someone’s here. In the room with us.”

  This did the trick. Grey’s eyes flew open and he sat up, reaching out and switching on the bedside lamp as he did. Ellery’s jaw dropped. The figure at the end of their bed was Kiefer.

  She felt him in her head again, and when she tried to sit up, she couldn’t. She was held flat on her back on the mattress. She couldn’t move at all. She tried to call out for Grey, but she couldn’t even speak. She knew better than to try to fight it. She had tried that last time and all that had happened was her head had hurt and panic had threatened to take over all of her senses.

  She found she could still move her eyes and she strained them to the side. Grey still sat beside her, the duvet piled up in his lap. His arm was still stretching toward the lamp. He brought it back to his lap jerkily and Ellery knew she wasn’t the only one being controlled by Kiefer.

  “What do you want?” Grey demanded.

  Ellery didn’t know whether it was a good sign or a bad sign that Grey was being allowed to talk. Her mind whirred frantically, trying to think of a way out of her situation, but there was nothing she could do except lie in place and listen to the conversation between Grey and Kiefer. As the conversation progressed, it became clear to her why Grey was being allowed to speak out loud. Kiefer controlled the volume of Grey’s voice so he couldn’t shout for help, but he wanted Ellery to hear what they were discussing.

  “I want you to pay for what you did,” Kiefer replied.

  “Using you as ransom?” Grey said.

  Kiefer waved his hand and shook his head.

  “That? Oh no, that’s just a part of being useful. I would have taught you a lesson over that, of course, but nothing as severe as what I’m planning to do now. You have to pay because Alex was my main customer. He paid me well and I got to live comfortably for doing what I have to admit was very little work. And now you’ve taken him away and I’ll have to go back to being like the other Matchmakers. Nothing but a common salesman touting my wares to the highest bidder.”

  Ellery thought she could hear disgust in Kiefer’s voice. Somehow, that made this whole thing worse. He wasn’t disgusted at the thought of what he did to people; he was only disgusted because he no longer had an easy way to sell his victims. He really was rotten to the very core.

  “When you killed Alex, you killed my business. And that, Grey, is what is unforgiveable,” Kiefer added.

  “You make me sick,” Grey spat at him. “We should have killed you when we had the chance.”

  “But you didn’t. You used me for your own gain. You think you’re above me, but when it came down to it, you broke your own honor code and used me, didn’t you? I thought your whole thing was not to do people any harm. You soon left those morals behind when you found a use for me, didn’t you?”

  “I don’t harm innocent people. I hardly think you qualify as an innocent by any stretch of the imagination,” Grey responded.

  Kiefer shrugged.

  “That’s likely true,” he admitted. “And now your resistance to finish what you started is going to be the thing to bite you in the ass. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? You had the chance to kill me and you didn’t take it, and now I’ll be the one doing the killing.”

  “You want to kill me? Fine. Stop talking and try it,” Grey said.

  Kiefer smiled, a cold smile that made Ellery’s stomach roll in alarm. Kiefer was going to drag this out for as long as he could. He was enjoying himself here.

  “Oh, I’m not going to kill you, Grey. What would be the fun in that? Even if I tortured you first, that would be over far too quickly. No, I want you to suffer for a long time. I admit I did come here to kill you. But then I found Ellery here and that gave me a wonderful idea. I’m going to torture you for all eternity with one simple act. I’m going to kill Ellery. And you’re going to watch me do it. You won’t be able to save her, and that will haunt you forever.”

  Ellery felt her head start to spin and panic engulfed her as Kiefer slowly walked closer to her side of the bed.

  14

  Grey’s wolf howled inside of him in anger and terror. It tried desperately to break the bonds of Kiefer’s magic, but he was too strong. He had centuries on Grey, and he was one of the most feared warlocks in the district for good reason. Not only was he ruthless and happy to get rid of anyone who got in his way, he was also damned powerful.

  Grey hated the way he felt right now. Powerless. Helpless. He was at Kiefer’s mercy, and he knew that mercy was one thing Kiefer didn’t have. He could only watch as Kiefer made his way slowly around the bed, dragging each step out, torturing Grey with the promise of what was to come. He stood above Ellery and, pulling out a knife, he dragged the duvet off her. If he noticed she was naked, he made no comment on it. He wasn’t here to marvel over Ellery’s beauty. He was here to end her life.

  Grey’s mind worked ov
ertime trying to find a way out of this mess, but he couldn’t think of anything. He knew begging Kiefer for mercy wouldn’t work. It would only make the kill more appealing to him. Grey tried to move but it was like he was held down by hands made from invisible steel. He tried to get his voice to come out in a shout for help, but he could barely speak above a whisper.

  Kiefer rolled his eyes when Grey tried to shout.

  “Let’s not insult my intelligence by thinking you can call out any louder than I’m allowing you to,” he said.

  An idea came to Grey. It was a long shot. A really long shot. But it was all they had. Kiefer didn’t know Ellery had been turned into a wolf. If he did, the knife he was holding would be silver, not the dull stainless steel his blade was made from. He hadn’t been expecting to find her here; he had admitted that much. He definitely didn’t know her status.

  That meant he couldn’t kill Ellery by stabbing her. Grey just had to pray that Ellery worked out the same thing. If she played dead, then Kiefer would release his hold on her mind and she might be able to escape. She would certainly be able to cry out and half of the pack would come running in here. Kiefer was powerful, but Grey didn’t think he would be able to mind-control half of the angry pack at once. He had to hope he couldn’t.

  Kiefer smiled down at Ellery and raised the knife. He made sure to hold it within her line of sight. Her eyes were wide, rolling from left to right in their sockets, the picture of panic. Grey didn’t know if Ellery hadn’t yet worked out that she couldn’t die this way and the panic was real, or if she was just playing along, luring Kiefer into a false sense of security.