by Lacey Thorn
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Shifter’s Delight
ISBN #978-0-85715-303-6
©Copyright Lacey Thorn 2010
Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright September 2010
Edited by Claire Siemaszkiewicz
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom
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Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.
Blood Magic
SHIFTER’S DELIGHT
Lacey Thorn
Dedication
To all the fans who continue to purchase my books and share their joy with me. It is because of you that I am able to write. Your love and encouragement are deeply appreciated.
To Melissa, your help makes my work so much better!
Prologue
She was in love. Or at least she had been before the truth had slammed into her with brutal force. He didn’t love her, never had. She had been nothing but a diversion for him, someone soft and willing to pass the time with. And she would be forever grateful that she hadn’t divulged her secret to him in the afterglow of great sex. For really that is all it had amounted to. Great sex. And that only made her hurt more now that she knew who he was, what he was. And the things he had done.
Lydia hurried to the room where the twin infants that she was nursemaid to awaited. She prayed that she was in time to stop her queen—no her best friend—who happened to be queen, from making a mistake that would wound them all. Someone had to talk some sense into Queen Ona. Someone had to stop her from going to meet Wilhelm, from walking into what was sure to be her death.
Lydia stopped just inside the door as she heard Ona talking to her daughter Aurora. Her eyes filled with tears as she realised her friend was telling her children goodbye.
“You’ll begin the salvation of us all. Your blood shall start what his shall finish. When the time is right, you shall draw the sword and become the strength as is your birthright. You’ll grow strong and smart. You’ll laugh. And you’ll love. You’ll lose and you’ll find. My heart breaks for all you will face. But rest assured that you will not stand alone. Time will bring you all together. And a common enemy shall bind you tight.” Ona bent low to place a kiss on her daughter’s brow. “You are my daughter. Know my strength, know my love, and call upon them as you need.”
“Please don’t go,” Lydia begged as she walked into the room.
“I have no choice,” Ona told her.
“He will kill you,” Lydia stated.
“Yes,” Ona agreed. “He will.”
“Then don’t do this,” Lydia cried. “We need you.”
“If I do not go, he will kill us all,” Ona said and Lydia fought tears once more as her friend’s gaze went back to her children.
“We will fight for you,” Lydia declared.
“It is my choice,” Ona said softly. “And I choose to do what is best for everyone. The death of one to save many.”
“How can your death be good for anyone?” Lydia cried.
“You will see,” Ona said. “But first I must ask something of you.”
“Anything,” Lydia promised and meant it more than anything else in the world. “I will do anything.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” Ona said. “I ask the most important task of you. Take my daughter and flee back to your people. He must not find her until the time is right.”
Lydia held her sobs back admirably as she nodded. She was humbled by the great task that Ona ask of her, the task of raising her daughter, the future queen.
“And Lydia,” Ona reached out to place her hand on Lydia’s still flat tummy. “He must not know of the child you carry. All of your lives depend on it.”
Lydia gasped. How did Ona know of the child she carried? How could she when Lydia had only just realised herself? Her adoration of Wilhelm was well known to her friend, so that Ona knew it was his was understandable. She placed her hand across her stomach. She would have two children to watch over and protect. And she would see that neither knew a day without love.
“When you hear the commotion you must take up Aurora and flee,” Ona told Lydia. “They will head here first. His guard. They must only find Aslan. They will guard my son with their lives. But you must be gone before they get here.”
Lydia nodded her agreement and Ona reached out to take her into a fierce hug. “Sister of my heart, know that what you do for me is the greatest gift of all. Guard her and raise her as a sister to your child. They will need the bond to conquer the battles that lie ahead.”
She knew the questions that hovered on her tongue shone in her eyes, knew that Ona could see the struggle she waged to keep them unspoken. And the confidence her friend had in her was overwhelming.
“Tell her of me. The woman you knew, not the queen. Tell her of my love, of my joy at her birth. Tell her she has my eyes, my heart, and when the time is right she will know the power of her birth. Prepare her, train her, but do not raise her to be queen. That is a journey she must begin on her own. She may know of me but not of this place or anything that lies here. Promise me that.”
“I promise,” Lydia swore. And it was one she would keep. Aurora would know of Ona, the woman, her mother. But she would not know of the title her mother held, or that she had a twin brother. As soon as Aurora knew that she would leave and Lydia would not be able to protect her then.
The hardest moment of her life was watching her best friend walk away from her, knowing that she would never see Ona alive again. She wanted to leap out, throw herself in front of Ona and beg once more for her to find another way. But she couldn’t. She had to trust that Ona was doing what she must. And Lydia had to take care of Aurora.
She walked quickly to Aslan and looked down upon him.
“My beautiful baby boy, I will miss you every day.” She reached into her pocket and removed some scissors using them to snip a tiny piece of his hair. “I take a part of you with me for I could never be whole without it. You will grow and thrive and I pray that the choices made for you in this hour bring you to a joyous place. I pray that you grow strong and proud and that you feel the mantle of your mother’s love always.” Her tears splashed on him. “I pray that you will forgive me for leaving you and taking her. I pray that your anger will not control you. I pray that he will not be able to turn you against your own.” She scooped him up and hugged him to her inhaling his unique scent and praying that she never forgot it. “When the time is right you will send for me. When the time is right, I will come. I pray that you know when you see me that I have only ever loved you.” She kissed him softly on the brow and placed him down once more. It broke her heart to know that she had to leave him behind.
She turned to Aurora and b
undled her quickly before using rope to tie the bundle to her chest. She would have to shift when she was far enough away and she would need Aurora tied securely to her. It was the only way that they would get away fast enough before he sent soldiers after them.
Lydia walked to the door, a cloak thrown over them to hide that Aurora was with her. She glanced back to where Aslan lay content for the moment. And she prayed.
May the goddess have mercy on them all.
Chapter One
Lynx gave a weary sigh. So much had happened in the last few days. Her sister Aurora being kidnapped and finding out that Aurora was the long lost daughter of the murdered queen. Which made Aurora the new queen. Then discovering that King Aslan felt Lynx’s momma Lydia had kidnapped Aurora. And that was only the tip of the iceberg.
She rubbed absently at her side remembering vividly the searing pain that had ripped through her when one of Wilhelm’s men had stabbed her. She closed her eyes and recalled with perfect clarity the exact moment.
Someone stabbed her and with a roar that shook the trees she shifted back to human form. There was a searing, burning pain and the smell of her blood reached her nostrils. She looked up to see the man who had done this to her, to curse him. And was awed.
A man stepped forward, a mountain of a man. Her breath caught in her lungs as she took him in. Seven feet tall with long brown hair that hung in braids to his shoulders. And the most amazing eyes she’d ever seen, a soft golden shade. He was truly beautiful and powerful. With no effort he picked up the man who had stabbed her and threw him from them.
The king said something to her but she was totally focussed on the tall man as he knelt beside her and held his hands out.
“May I?” he asked and his voice was melodic as the sweetest music. She thought he wanted to check her wound which was still burning with pain. Instead he held his hand over her flesh and closed his eyes in concentration. Lynx felt heat move from him to her and watched in amazement as her wound began to heal. Muscle and tissue mended before her eyes and the flesh began to close back up. More importantly the pain was leaving.
Everything happened so quick after that. She could have sworn she heard Aurora called queen but that couldn’t be right. Then they were heading towards the castle. She felt woozy and the next thing she knew the giant who had healed her lifted her high against his chest and carried her. She listened and learned.
His name was Micah, he was Danuja and his brother was being held captive somewhere on their island. He was worried for his brother who had been missing for months and about a plot that had reached his land that had to do with a threat to the king. What interested her most though was the way the scent of his skin made her mouth water. She wanted to taste him, to lick him from head to toe. So… She flirted, squeezed his neck and rubbed against him. But Micah didn’t respond. She might have thought he wasn’t interested if it wasn’t for his increased breathing and the visible pulse she could see in his neck.
So she tortured them both by leaning up to whisper in his ear making sure her chest rubbed against his.
“I’m very grateful for what you did for me, Micah,” she whispered letting her breath wash over him.
“My pleasure,” he assured her.
“I’ve never had anyone heal me like that before,” she whispered again and she wondered if he could feel how hard her nipples were. The man was seriously sexy.
“It is what I do,” he said again and she felt him shift his arms as if to move her away from him. She just tightened her arms around his neck and rubbed closer.
Micah took her into the room that was indicated as hers for while she was here and laid her gently on the big bed. She kept her arms around his neck long enough to give him a soft kiss on the cheek just inches from his lips.
“Thank you so much, Micah,” she told him. “I’d be in a lot of pain if it wasn’t for you.”
He caught his breath and for just a moment she met his eyes and saw the desire he felt. But it was quickly hidden and he pulled firmly away. “Anytime,” he said and walked away from her shutting the door behind him.
That was the first time she met Micah and she had felt something for him from that very first moment. There was just something about a person saving your life that created an undeniable bond. But that was only the beginning of the chaos that was now her emotional state. There was also Merced, Micah’s brother who had been held captive by Wilhelm.
She smiled as she recalled how she had shifted into the smaller domesticated cat form and followed one of the castle servants on her search for Micah’s brother. They had gone down a hidden staircase in the kitchen to a dark area beneath the castle that reeked of the smell of blood and death. Merced had also awed her from the start.
She almost peed when a hand appeared out of nowhere and she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck.
“Well, what have we here?” a voice said and she was lifted against a massive chest, secure but not hurt by any means. “A pretty pussy to pass the time with.”
Somehow those words sent a chill through her, as if the man holding her tabby form knew that she was not merely a cat and that the petting he wanted was more towards her human form. She peered up at him and was shocked to see a face so similar to Micah’s that this could be none other than his brother. The resemblance was to the point that if she did not know better she would swear it was Micah. Only this man was even taller than Micah’s seven feet, broader of shoulder and yet not as strong on the inside as Micah. She remembered that he had been missing for a good six months at least. What exactly had Wilhelm been doing to this man?
“So what should I do with such a pretty little kitty?” he murmured and she meowed.
He laughed and the sound was deep and rich. His eyes were not quite as golden as Micah’s. No, his eyes had dark brown flecks in them. His smile was just as warm and inviting though. His hair was longer but she didn’t know if it was by choice or circumstance. Either way it looked really good on him. It was hard to judge from her position against his chest but it looked a long way down to the floor. She would bet he was at least an inch or two taller than Micah’s seven foot frame.
Man she was as bad as her sister Aurora. Lynx had thought she had it bad for Micah but, hell, she was just as hot for his brother. Even as a cat she was content to lie snug against his chest. If he continued to stroke her with his fingers she just might sprawl and purr…after shifting back into human form. Lord, she just needed to have sex which was a laugh and a half.
The one time she had managed to sneak off with another shifter to learn what all the thrill was about she had only got so far before her wonderful mother had interrupted them. But before that interruption she had found out just how well it felt to have a tongue bath in all the right places. She had still been in the thrall of her first orgasm when her mother appeared. Mamma may have prevented her from popping the proverbial cherry but she hadn’t prevented her from thoroughly enjoying the full extent of foreplay.
His fingers stroked along her fur again and she really wanted to know his name because heaven help her she was going to be moaning it soon.
He knelt down and placed her gingerly on the cool floor before standing and melding back into the shadows. She could feel him but could no longer see him. She wondered if that was some form of magic within him or within the place.
“Scamper home,” he murmured far above her. “Before the bogey man shows and you never get away.” His voice was sad now and hearing the change made her sad as well.
Two different men, brothers even and she could get neither of them out of her head. She wanted answers, knew that soon she would demand them. But for now she went over everything in her head and tried to see what, if anything she might have missed. She’d been in such a hurry to get back to Micah and let him know that she had found Merced. Her excitement had her practically bouncing the entire way to his room. And that night, well that night was etched in her memory.
He’d yelled at her for going off on her own. Made
her feel foolish and child-like which only served to make her angry. Then he had deflated her anger by finally thanking her only to confuse the hell out of her by telling her they would wait through the night and go after Merced in the morning. He wanted a plan and she’d told him that Merced was fine. He took her at her word.
He put her in his bed and told her to sleep while he took a spot on the floor in front of the door to the room. She’d been restless, unable to shut her mind or body off to find the sleep he felt they both needed. So she’d waited until she thought him slumbering and then made her way to the door having no option but to go over his prone form. But Micah hadn’t been sleeping and what she’d felt that night was a first for her.
She stretched one long leg over him one arm already reaching for the door when she heard the deep sigh. She turned so that she looked towards his face when she almost screamed. His hands came up and grabbed behind her knees and the next thing she knew she was flat on her back with Micah looming over her with her knees locked over his elbows. His hands were braced beside her shoulders and he leaned in keeping her completely under his power.
It was Lynx’s turn to sigh. She was hot as hell for Micah. In this position she could feel every hard angle of him and she wanted more. Without thought she leaned up and nipped soft kisses along his jaw. He tensed for a minute and then her legs were sliding down his arms to fall sprawled at her sides and he was lying fully on top of her. His mouth found the pulse point in her throat and explored there.
He was naked from the waist up and Lynx ran her hands over every inch of bare flesh that she could. He was so broad, the hair on his chest more wiry and coarse than what she had felt before when playing with men from her shifter tribe. Micah was different and she loved it, wanted to feel more of him.