About the Author
Like most authors, Elvira Bathory has always loved to read. When she was younger she had always been creative and dreamed of being the next big thing in music but found she didn't make the cut for that creative outlet so she turned to other means of creativity. She started spinning worlds and fell in love with the idea of being a writer.
When she turned 28 years old she decided it was time for her to settle down and married the man who had been pursuing her for years. Shortly after the two got married they started a family and Elvira decided it was time to dust off those old notebooks that contained her creative words so she would be able to stay home with her children. Five children later and Elvira took a chance, submitting some of her worlds wherever she could.
Despite the fact that she hasn't been published for very long she hasn't slowed down in creating her worlds. She writes in the erotic genre, with a paranormal flair. She prefers to write about shifters, using animals that have never been used before or haven't been used that often and she loves delving into the research to make her characters come to life. She's been known to write a contemporary romance or two but just has more fun adding the paranormal aspect to all of her work.
Charmed By The Cougar
A Sweet Shifter Romance
Samantha Bell
About Charmed by the Cougar
I’m Terri, an unemployed photographer, single, and a week away from my fortieth birthday. So, when a chance comes up to work as a wildlife photographer in the remote mountains, I figure, what do I have to lose?
Then, an injured cougar shows up at my door. But not just a cougar … he’s a man. The most handsome man I’d ever seen. He says he needs my help to find his lost sister and her cubs.
I just came out to this mountain to take photos of birds, but I guess fate had more planned for me.
Chapter One
Terri
The cabin wasn’t exactly as charming as it looked in pictures, but I guessed it would have to do. Besides, who could I complain to when I was literally hundreds of miles away from civilization?
The tiny bush plane that dropped me off was already long gone. I stood in front of the cabin with my two bags of clothes, camera gear, and a box of supplies to last me the next month.
The cool mountain air filled my lungs as I took a deep breath. Who cared about the rundown cabin when I had the entire world around me to explore? Rocky hills extended from one side of the clearing, and the coniferous forest, tall pines, and fir trees sprung up around the other side. The area of the cabin was near a lake, which made landing a plane easier, and it was high enough to give a spectacular view of the jagged hills below. It was breathtaking.
For the next year, I was contracted to live in the remote wilderness of Northern British Columbia and take photos of the local wildlife for a prestigious magazine. Not only was it a dream gig, but I had nothing to lose. I was almost forty, single, no kids, nothing keeping me anywhere. Why not go live in the remote wilderness and snap pictures of birds?
The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was freezing my ass off. Speaking of that, the sun was going to set soon, and the chill had already begun to settle in.
I lifted my bags and hauled them into the small, two-room cabin. Next, I started a fire in the cast-iron wood stove and unpacked my supplies – lots of canned goods and other nonperishables.
In no time at all, everything was unpacked and put away. It didn’t take much to make the tiny cabin look a bit more inviting.
I made a cup of tea to chase the dampness from my bones.
While the tea brewed, I checked myself over in the mirror that hung by the door. I hardly ever wore makeup, so the dark circles under my eyes were showing. I had auburn hair that I always wore in a ponytail and light brown eyes that sometimes looked hazel if the sky was the right shade of blue.
Truth be told, I wasn’t anything special, not ugly, but I wasn’t a model either. I was just a woman who was so dedicated to my photography that I never made time for love. And love certainly wasn’t going to find me up here in the mountains.
I turned away from the mirror and looked out the window instead. It was the beauty of the world that I wanted to focus on, not myself. I was excited, itching to get out there and start snapping pictures.
With my camera around my neck and a mug of tea in my hand, I wandered outside.
The area around the cabin was relatively well kept. The earth was too rocky for much grass to grow. At the back of the cabin, there were barrels for rainwater, stacks of firewood, and a personal windmill generator for power. My only connection to the outside world was a satellite phone that came with the rest of the gear in the cabin. There was no TV or internet out here, but that suited me fine.
To be honest, it was kind of nice to get away from the noise of the city and the constant messages and notifications. I looked out to the wilderness around me. There was not a single noise except for the odd bird call. The sky was purple, washed with color thanks to the setting sun. The air was crisp and fresh.
I walked down the stone and gravel path to the lake, hoping that the light would hold out long enough to get a few shots.
After a few minutes, I began to get a strange feeling. The hair prickled at the back of my neck. Something was wrong. It felt like something was watching me. I stiffened, pausing mid-sip, and looked around.
There was nothing around me but rocks, shrubs, moss, and trees, but those trees could easily be hiding something. I had been warned about the wildlife in the area; things that were much bigger and scarier than the birds I’d planned to photograph.
“Maybe I should turn in for the night,” I said to myself.
I returned to the cabin without a single good photograph.
I locked the door behind me, noticing a shotgun that leaned against the doorframe. Maybe next time I’d bring it with me, just in case I came across bears or wolves. I shuddered at the thought.
I’d been a wildlife photographer for over ten years, and I had enough experience in the outdoors to avoid making stupid mistakes like walking into a wolf den. But it was better to be safe than sorry.
I made another cup of tea and began writing in my journal. I had copies of maps and notes that I’d made when I had internet access. There were so many trails to explore. I was so excited that I found my feet tapping of their own accord.
“Tomorrow, Terri,” I said to myself.
At dawn’s first light, I’d get out there and start exploring. Until then, there wasn’t much to do but rest.
I ate canned ham and tea for dinner while I sat by the fire.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep in the rocking chair, I heard a thump outside.
I startled, bolting upright and tipping over the rocking chair in the process. I hit the wooden floor hard.
“Damn,” I groaned as I stood up. “What was that?”
It was dark outside now, and the fireplace was full of glowing coals. I shivered, throwing another log into the woodstove. I was probably just hearing things, I thought, not wanting to get myself worked up over nothing.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I went to the door, holding my flashlight tightly in one hand.
“It’s probably nothing,” I said to myself to calm my nerves.
I opened the door, shining the light out as I took a peek.
A cougar was half-laying, half-crouching in front of the cabin. It was panting and bleeding from a wound on its front leg. It looked up, it’s eyes reflecting the beam from the flashlight.
A fucking cougar!
I slammed the door. My hand was shaking so violently that the beam from the flashlight was making the small cabin look more like a rave.
“Oh my god, oh my god,” I said as I panicked. I dropped the flashlight and grabbed the shotgun from beside the door.
I was safe in here, right? A cougar couldn’t break into a building, could it?
A cougar. So close, I c
ould reach out and touch it. And it was injured. Was that why it had come so close to the cabin? Now that I thought about it, cougars were supposed to be pretty shy, and since when did they come this far north, anyway?
I was no zoologist, but even I could tell that something wasn’t right.
“Please, help!” The voice of a man came from outside.
Was there someone trapped out there with the animal? I held the shotgun tightly to my chest. What was I supposed to do?
“Please, I know someone is in there. Please, help me.”
“Oh god,” I sighed. I couldn’t just leave someone out there in the cold with wild animals. I was scared, but I wasn’t a coward.
I swallowed hard and held my breath as I ripped open the door. I aimed the shotgun into the dark. “Who’s there?” I shouted, but my voice faltered.
The cougar was gone. In its place, a naked man was lying in a puddle of blood. He was handsome, too.
I blinked, lowering the shotgun. I was too shocked to even speak.
The man jerked up with a groan.
I held the shotgun up again, staring down the barrel at him. “What the hell is going on?” I shouted, trying to sound braver than I was feeling.
“Please, help me,” The man gasped before passing out.
I looked around. There was no one and no sign of the cougar, either—only the naked man, who would surely die of exposure if I didn’t get him inside.
“Damn it,” I sighed before setting the gun down and hauling the man into the cabin.
Chapter Two
Paul
No one was supposed to be in that cabin. It’d had always been abandoned, or at least never occupied when I came across it. Judging by the state of it, I figured it belonged to some city person who never actually made the trek up north to enjoy it.
When I saw the lights were on, my heart plummeted. I needed a place to rest. I was tired and injured. Not to mention that I was having trouble maintaining my shift because of how weak I was.
It was only October, but the nights were frigid. I needed shelter, and there was nowhere else to go for miles.
What other choice did I have?
I struggled to walk, my body aching as I tried to maintain my animal form. Cougars were built for life in the harsh wilderness, and it was probably the only thing keeping me from freezing to death. As soon as I shifted back, I’d be injured and naked in the middle of the forest. That was not a great place to be for anyone, even an experienced outdoorsman like me.
I needed help. Whoever was in that cabin, hopefully, they were a decent person and not a psycho murderer or something like that. I wouldn’t have the strength to fight off an attacker while I was like this.
I panted, dragging myself step by step towards the cabin.
The rocks under my paws bit into my skin as I struggled to keep my form. The wound in my shoulder was bleeding profusely, enough that any predator would find me easily if they tracked the scent.
I needed somewhere to rest for the night. Then, I’d continue my search. My sister. Her cubs. My heart ached when I thought of them alone out there. I wanted to press on, but if I didn’t rest, I’d die, and I was no good to anyone dead.
The sky was dark when I came to the cabin. I tried to shift into my human form but failed. Ironically, after being weak for so long, transforming myself seemed impossible. I couldn’t be found as an animal.
I focused my energy again, letting my soul take the human form. My body refused to change.
I groaned, the sound coming out more like a growl, and stumbled, falling at the base of the cabin stairs.
A minute later, the cabin door opened.
I heard a gasp, lifting my head to see a woman before the door slammed shut.
So, I’d been seen in my animal form. That was not ideal, but I had no energy to put into worrying about that. I let out a sigh as my form rippled, my strength fading away and leaving me until I was back in human form.
I was cold and naked on the rocky ground. My cougar blood was spilled everywhere, and my wounds continued to bleed. I called out, my voice gravely and weak. “Please, help!” I tried.
Silence. The door remained closed.
“Please, I know someone is in there. Please, help me.”
I coughed and struggled to sit up. The cold wind hit my naked body in a blast. I curled up to protect my body heat, but it was useless.
The door slowly opened again, the barrel of a shotgun protruding first, then the face of a woman. She had brown eyes and hair the color of autumn leaves. Her cheeks were dotted with freckles, and her flesh was pale with fear.
I jerked up to get a better look at her.
The woman raised the shotgun. “What the hell is going on?” she demanded.
“Please, help me,” I croaked.
The cold was setting into my bones, sapping every last ounce of strength I had.
This woman would help me, right? She seemed kind enough, although a little nervous. I could smell her scent. She seemed like a good person; there was a kindness in her eyes that the animal in me recognized right away. She would help me. I needed to believe that she would.
I looked into her eyes one last time before passing out.
When I woke up, I was wrapped in a musty quilt and sitting in an old armchair by a wood stove.
I groaned, taking a moment to remember what happened and where I was.
Then, it all came rushing back.
The wolves. My sister. Her cubs. The darkness. The pain. The woman who found me outside the cabin.
I jolted and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain ripped through my shoulder. I growled, pushing down the quilt and looking at the wound. Someone had sewn the gash on my shoulder shut. It was bruised and scabbed, but at least it had stopped bleeding.
There was a gasp.
I looked up to see the woman from before. “You saved me?” I said, barely believing my own eyes.
“Of course I did,” she said, seeming mildly offended at the thought. “I mean, my first-aid is a little rusty, but I got you patched up. What kind of person would just leave someone unconscious in the middle of the woods?”
I glanced at the stitches and then back at her. “Thank you,” I said.
There were a few awkward moments of silence.
“Oh,” I spoke again. “Sorry if I scared you. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in the cabin. It’s usually empty.”
“Usually empty?” The woman said.
“Well, I mean,” I adjusted the quilt around myself again, suddenly aware of how naked I was. “The other time. I was here before.”
“You were here before?” she asked with disbelief.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Actually, I left some clothes here, so if you wouldn’t mind…”
The woman blushed bright red as if she’d forgotten that I was completely naked under the covers. “Oh, right,” she said. “Where are they?”
“I stashed them under the counter,” I said, nodding towards the small kitchenette.
Being a shifter meant that I always had to be prepared. When I turned back into a man, I was naked. So, when I first found this cabin, I left a set of clothing behind, just in case.
The woman returned with a bundle: jeans, socks, a plaid shirt, boxers, and a pair of worn leather boots. She handed them to me. “I guess I’ll give you some privacy,” she said, her cheeks still burning. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and faced the back window, hugging her arms to herself.
For a moment, I felt bad for making her feel so uncomfortable. When I held the clothes, I got a brief hint of her scent – vanilla body wash, smoke from the fire, and something else that I couldn’t recognize. Something that made my inner beast stir and flex with need.
I shrugged the feeling away and dressed quickly.
“Thank you,” I said. “I feel human again,” I added with a chuckle.
The woman turned. “Human again? Well, that’s good.”
“I’m Paul, by the way,” I added, holding out m
y hand. Now that I was clothed, it felt like a better time to get the introductions out of the way.
The woman hesitated before shaking my hand. “Terri,” she said.
There was a jolt of energy when we touched. My inner beast writhed again with need. Her scent was intoxicating.
“So, um, Paul,” Even the way she said my name was cute. “Are you going to tell me why you showed up wounded and naked at my front door?” She laughed nervously.
I didn’t miss the fact that she didn’t get close to me. She stepped back as soon as I let go of her hand. She was nervous and afraid. How could I convince her that I meant no harm? The truth was always a good place to start.
“Well, it’s complicated,” I started.
Terri went back to the kitchen without taking her eyes off me. She made two cups of tea. “I’ve got time for a story,” she said.
The woman handed me a cup and sat across from me in the rocking chair. She was still on edge; I didn’t miss the shotgun propped up against the wall. But, she was trying her best to be hospitable, and I couldn’t ask for much more than that.
“Well, I’ve been looking for my sister and her cubs, I mean kids,” I said. “She and the four of them went missing a few days ago, and the clues led me out here.”
“Your sister and her kids? What were they doing out here?” she asked with surprise.
“We live in one of the small towns near the coast,” I said. “I think she’s in danger. I’ve been searching for days and tracking them.”
“Have you told the police?” Terri asked, concerning shining in her eyes. “Winter is coming, it’s no place to be alone.”
Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection Page 74